The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 02, 2005, Image 1
wivw.dailygamecock.com WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2,2005 VoL Items
IN THIS ISSUE
♦ NEWS
Bush to avoid
Social Security
The President is expected
to outline his hopes for
Social Security during his
State-of-the-Union
address, but he will not go
into detail regarding the
specifics of his plan.
i-hi——— in
Page 9
♦ VIEWPOINTS
Cold too much
for Carolina
Adam Beam says South
Carolina uses any winter
storm as an excuse to close
down everything.
Page 9
♦ THE MIX
Punxsatawney
Phil predictions
Find out the history behind
the holday and everyone’s
favorite groundhog.
, Page 10
♦ SPORTS
Battling the
’Backs
USC to play host to
Arkansas tonight at the
Colonial Center in a crucial
SEC game for both teams.
Page 13
WEATHER
» IUUMT
High 5 2
Low 3 8
^ muKd.
High 4 5
Low 3 2
FOR EXTENDED FORECAST, SEE PAGE 2.
INDEX
Comics and Crossword..... 12
Classifieds.15
Horoscopes..12
Letters to the Editor..9
Online Poll..9
pMice Report..It;.... 2
Campus mail system
denies hand in delays
By JON TURNER
NEWS EDITOR
Students have long complained of
inadequate service from the Russell
House Post Office, but USC Director of
Business Affairs Helen Zeigler said
Tuesday that on-campus services were
not at fault for letters’ late arrival there.
Bills, letters and magazines had been
reported as coming in days, sometimes
weeks late. The U.S. Postal Services
estimates a delivery time of 1-3 days for
first-class mail and 2-9 days for media
mail and parcel post service.
First-year journalism student Lauren
Almaguer said USPS once took three
weeks to deliver a package from her
mother, and that her Rolling Stone
magazines often arrive weeks late.
Zeigler attributed delays to the postal
system.
“We’re kind of a middleman role,”
she said.
“I can tell you that everything we
receive is distributed to the Russell
House post office at the same day that
it’s received with us.”
Fourth-year chemistry student Ryan
O’Rourke said it had taken the USPS a
long time to process his change of
address when he left campus.
Zeigler said she guessed the problem
probably wasn’t confined to campus.
♦ Please see MAIL, page 4
JAMIE ROBINSON/THE GAMECOCK
Students have complained of receiving their mail weeks late. The
campus mail system denies causing the delays.
-- -
OFF AND RUNNING
DEAN NEISTAT/THE GAMECOCK
A student government candidate hangs a campaign sign on the wall across from the Russell House.
Daughter's book
focuses on private
Thurmond history
By JACOB JORDAN
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Essie Mae Washington Williams’ secret was once so
tightly held, she didn’t even tell her fiance she was the
daughter of Sen, Strom Thurmond until after they were
married.
But now that the story is out, Williams can’t stop
talking about her relationship with the one-time
segregationist who privately acknowledged his biracial
daughter but never publicly spoke of her. She’s in the
middle of a five-week tour promoting her new book, “Dear
Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom
Thurmond.”
“I’ve just been so busy. I feel like I’m constantly
repeating myself,” the 79-year-old retired schoolteacher
said by phone from Washington. D.C.
Williams has appeared on countless television and talk
radio shows. The questions have ranged from anger to
puzzlement to appreciation. Many have criticized Williams
for not coming forward sooner, saying her revelation could
have helped the civil rights movement. Others have praised
her, saying she was gracious in revealing her secret how and
when she did, six months after Thurmond died at the age
of 100.
A few book critics have said her published story leaves a
lot to be /-esired — failing to honestly answer question;;
LAWRENCE JACKSON/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Essie Mae Washington Williams prepares to
sign a copy of her book, “Dear Senator," at a
bookstore in Washington.
about the money she received from her father over the
years and her mother’s illicit relationship with Thurmond.
Williams’ mother, Carrie Butler, was a black maid for the
Thurmond family. Thurmond was 22 and Butler was 16
when Williams was born in Aiken in 1925.
“It offers only the hearts-and-flowers version of the
story,” one reviewer wrote.
But the book does offer some insight into Williams’
conflicted relationship with Thurmond, who while
running for president as the State’s Rights Party candidate
in 1948 had said, “All the laws of Washington and all the
bayonets of the army cannot force the Negro race into our
theaters, our swimming pools, our schools, our churches,
our homes.”
Williams writes in “Dear Senator” about a later
♦ Please see WILLIAMS, paJS 4
Police find
goat tied to
Greek house
By TAYLOR SMITH
STAFF WRITER
The USC Police Department
responded Sunday to a call about a goat
tethered to the front door of the Alpha
Delta Pi sorority house.
Someone had tied the goat by its
neck, USC police officer Jesse Simmons
reported, and the animal was resting in
it own feces. It had the letters “N” and
“G” shaved into its left side.
Several members of Alpha Delta Pi
sorority would not comment, and the
organization’s faculty advisor said she did
not know anything about the incident.
Jack Canine, Kappa Sigma fraternity
vice president, called the incident a
“very rare instance,” but said the
apparent prank could have been the
work of a USC fraternity or sorority.
Kappa Sigma’s house stands across the
street from Alpha Delta Pi’s.
“I have heard of people bringing goats
back to fraternity halls, but I have never
actually seen one myself,” Canine said.
♦ Please see GOAT, pagj 4
State’s
decision
delayed
advisory
By TAYLOR SMITH
STAFF WRITER
USC officials blamed Saturday’s late
weather advisory, which
inconvenienced some students trying to
attend weekend classes, on the weekend
work schedule.
USC Spokesman Russ McKinney
said the decision to cancel classes on
weekdays is normally made by 6 a.m.,
but USC was delayed Saturday because
state government was not operating as
it would have on a weekday.
fie said ir 5outn Carolina nad
cancelled its workday then the
university would have known and
gotten the advisory posted sooner.
Sara Crain, a second-year history
student, discovered a university-wide
class cancellation advisory after
attending her five-hour-long, 9 a.m.
English course.
“I was so pissed off,” Crain said. “I
got up that morning and looked at the
computer to see if it was cancelled and
went to class anyway.”
There are 11 weekend classes offered
at USC, and some professors were able
to alert students of particular class
cancellations. But many students still
attempted to attend class.
Crain said she has never had a
problem with the timeliness of USC
cancellations or how they are issued,
but she also can’t recall a weekend ice
♦ Please see WEATHER, page 4
Campus
wireless
training
to begin
By JASON REYNOLDS
THE GAMECOCK
USC computer services will offer
training sessions beginning Feb. 14 to
help students and faculty connect to the
new on-campus wireless network.
Kimberly South, Computer Services
public information coordinator, said the
new wireless network will be activated in
early March. The wireless system will
cover outside areas extending from the
Horseshoe to the Roost. However, the
first phase of the wireless installation
will not include building interiors such
as the Russell House.
South said the second phase of the
wireless installation, which will add
Columbia Hall and the Business
Administration Building, will not be
operational until sometime at the end of
the semester. The Greek Village and the
School of Journalism and Mass
Communications are also part of the
second phase.
South said that as of Tuesday, only
116 of 500 spots had been filled for the
training programs. The one-and-a-half
hour training sessions each hold 30
students.
South said the training services are
advantageous to students because they
save time.
♦ Please see WIRELESS, pag( 8