The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 18, 2005, Image 1
The University of South Carolina Vol 98, No. 90 % Since 1908
---MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2005
*
SOME GREEKS SAY
POSTERS ‘RACIST’
• Russell House policies anger some students
^By TAYLOR SMITH
STAFF WRITER
Signs placed on an entryway of
the Russell House are leading some
black fraternity members to
proclaim the university hub
“racist.”
The signs, which appeared last
week, say the building is “for the
enjoyment of members of the
university community,” but
prohibit students from carrying a
variety'of objects into the building
— including bikes, pets, bats,
paddles and canes — and stipulates
guests must be accompanied by
someone affiliated with USC.
Stephen Vanterpool, a fifth-year
computer science student, said the
^ signs are part of an initiative to
* keep blacks (particularly black
fraternities) out of the Russell
House.
“I see the point of those signs,”
said Vanterpool, a member of the
Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. “I
thought it was sad how they tried
to sneak it in there when it is clear
what the intent of that sign is.”
Vanterpool said the signs are
inherently racist because of the
prohibition of canes, which are
primarily carried by members of
black fraternities. Typically
associated with elderly use, he said
Kappas were the only people who
carry canes around campus.
Because they were not implicated
in the April 7 brawl, Vanterpool
said the rule was made “just
because they are black.”
University officials weren’t sure
who ordered the signs, with
Student Life claiming it was the
President’s office and vice versa.
Bobby Gist, executive assistant
to the president for Equal
Opportunity Programs, said he
talked Student Life Director Jerry
Brewer about the need to abolish
the use of canes around campus,
but did not authorize the signs.
“I told him I was wondering
why students were even carrying
around paddles and canes,” Gist
said. “The only people who carry
canes are people who should be in
shows.”
Gist said he met with USC
President Andrew Sorensen after
the brawl to discuss safety
measures to ensure the Russell
House stayed student-friendly and
not a “night-club or pavilion.” He
said there was nothing racist about
the measures discussed or the items
apparently prohibited by the signs.
“1 don’t see anything racist
about that,” Gist said. “I am an
♦ SIGNS, page 5
^Football players arrested
for possessing marijuana
By STEPHEN FASTENAU
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
A sunny Saturday afternoon for
the USC football program turned
cloudy Saturday night.
Redshirt sophomore defensive
back Ty Erving and sophomore
linebacker Josh Johnson were
arrested for possession of
marijuana.
According to police reports, a
Columbia police officer spotted
Erving and Johnson in a parked car
smoking what appeared to be a
cigarette. Upon approaching the
^vehicle, the officer took both into
^custody, along with Justin Johnson,
after noticing a strong odor of
marijuana coming from the vehicle.
Assistant Sports Information
Director Michelle Schmitt said
Sunday night the athletics
department had not yet received a
copy of the incident report.
Schmitt said Athletics Director
Mike McGee would issue a
statement after reviewing the
incident report, likely Monday.
The athletics department will then
decide whether action will be
taken.
Erving, a Batesburg native,
returned to the team in January
after having left midseason of the
2004-05 campaign with former
coach Lou Holtz. Johnson, from
Gibsonton, Fla., returned after
•leaving in 2003 and not playing
}ast season.
A true freshman in 2003,
Johnson was redshirted. Erving
was also redshirted in 2003
following an auto accident in
preseason camp that left him with
an injured eye.
Thirteen Gamecock football
players have been arrested since
January. Six players, including
wide receiver Syvelle Newton and
former quarterback Dondrial
Pinkins, were arrested in January
after an investigation into $18,000
worth of missing photographs and
computer equipment from
Williams-Brice Stadium.
Moe Thompson and K.T.
Mainord were dismissed from the
team after their March arrests for
allegedly breaking into East Quad
apartments and removing
electronic equipment, linens and a
small amount of cash on Feb. 23.
Reserve wide receiver David
Smith, who caught two
touchdown passes in October’s JV
game, was arrested and suspended
indefinitely from the team after
allegations he broke into his
girlfriend’s apartment and
attempted to strangle her.
Erving turned heads with his
play this spring, most notably with
an interception of an Antonio
Heffner pass in Saturday’s Garnet
and Black Game.
Coach Steve Spurrier dismissed
running back Demetris Summers
from the team after a second failed
drug test earlier this spring.
Spurrier made clear following
past arrests that any player who
“embarrasses” the football program
will no longer play for the team.
♦ FOOTBALL, page 5
IN THIS ISSUE
♦ THE MIX
Ready to rock
Summer music festivals such
as Bonnaroo, Coachella and
Columbia’s 3 Rivers festival
offer fans a change of pace
from the normal single-band
concert.
Page 7
"f """" ^
♦ SPORTS
New era kicks off
USC coach Steve Spurrier
and the Gamecock football
team gave fans a preview of
what’s to come when fall rolls
around at the Garnet and
Black Game on Saturday.
Page 12
» 1 --
KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK
i Eric Hyman, left, is named athletics director by USC President Andrew Sorensen on the Horseshoe on Saturday. Hyman will begin July 1.
USC names athletics director
• Eric Hyman selected to succeed current AD Mike McGee by USC President Andrew Sorensen
By STEPHEN FASTENAU
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Eric Hyman will become USC’s
next athletics director July 1, USC
President Andrew Sorensen
announced Saturday. Hyman will
replace Mike McGee, who will
step down J une 30.
The announcement, made to a
small group of administrators and
media representatives on the
Horseshoe, came just half an hour
before the Garnet and Black
Game, which Sorensen and
Hyman watched from the sideline.
The hiring was a result of an
extensive search conducted by
Sorensen after McGee’s Jan. 18
decision to step down. Sorensen
began with a list of about three
dozen candidates, which he
eventually narrowed to six before
choosing Hyman.
“He is a man of remarkable
integrity and judgment, a role
model for student-athletes and a
skilled administrator,” Sorensen
said.
Hyman’s contract will pay him
$375,000 during the next five
years, with an opportunity for a
performance-based bonus of up to
$75,000 per year. Included in the
deal is a $150,000 relocation loan,
which will be waived at $30,000
per year for each year Hyman
remains athletics director.
After eight years at Texas
Christian University, Hyman
returns to South Carolina, where
HYMAN at TCU
♦ Texas Christian University’s
athletics director for 8 years
♦ Instrumental in orchestrating TCU’s
invitation to join Conference USA
♦ 29 conference titles at TCU, where
student-athletes achieved a higher graduation
’ rate than the overall student average
♦ 2003-04 Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal
National Athletics Director of the Year
♦ Negotiated innovative marketing partnership for TCU
athletics with ESPN Regional, the most extensive
agreement of its kind between ESPN and a university
I SOURCE: WWW.SC.EDU |
he coached football at Furman for
nine years before becoming
associate athletics director. Hyman
has also served stints as associate
athletics director at N.C. State,
and athletics director at Virginia
Military Institute and Miami
University in Ohio.
Among those in attendance for
the announcement were USC
basketball coach Dave Odom and
former Furman athletics director
Dick Sheridan.
“There are certain parts of the
country I can relate to, and this is
one of them,” Hyman said.
The 52-year-old Hyman said he
had become familiar with the state
after driving through nearly every
area while recruiting at Furman.
“I can’t wait to go back to
Shealy’s Barbeque in Batesburg
Leesville and Yoder’s in Abbeville
.... I know all those great places (to
eat) around the state.”
Hyman inherits a program with
annual operating revenue of $52
million and 20 varsity sports. The
man who oversaw 29 conference
championships and renovations to
nearly every athletic facility while
with the Horned Frogs says he will
take a team approach to managing.
“I coach the athletic department
like a team,” he said. “As far as I’m
concerned, we’re teammates. You
have a better chance to reach some
of your success and to reach your
goals and objectives when you have
people working together.”
McGee said when the search
began that he would prefer his
replacement to come from within
the university. Ray Tanner, Chris
Massaro and Brad Edwards were
each named by Sorensen as
internal candidates. Tanner later
withdrew his name from
consideration, and Massaro left to
take the athletics director position
at Middle Tennessee State.
“(Hyman’s) background speaks
for itself,” McGee said. “They
made a good hire. That’s not
always the case with a one-man
committee.”
\ __I J_
athletics director after 12 years
during which he oversaw $110
million in facility renovations
including the 2-year-old, 18,000
seat Colonial Center. He was
involved in hiring high-profile
names like former football coach
Lou Holtz, baseball coach Tanner,
track coach Curtis Frye, Odom
and new football coach Steve
Spurrier.
Hyman said he had not yet
talked to Spurrier extensively, but
that the two had met. The 2003
04 Athletics Director of the Year
spent his time at the spring game
shaking hands with coaches,
conducting interviews with ESPN
♦ ATHLETICS, page 5
Seven-story
wave forces
cruise ship
into harbor
FROM AP REPORTS
A seven-story wave damaged a
cruise ship returning from the
Bahamas over the weekend,
smashing windows, flooding more
than 60 cabins and injuring four
passengers.
The Norwegian Dawn was
diverted from its route when the
ship ran into rough weather on the
way back to New York on
Saturday. The 965-foot-long vessel
docked in the Charleston harbor
for repairs, and departed for New
York early Sunday after a Coast
Guard inspection, officials said. It
was expected back in New York by
noon Monday.
“The ship was hit by a freak
wave that caused two windows to
break in two different cabins,”
Norwegian Cruise Line said in a
statement. It said 62 cabins
flooded and four passengers had
cuts and bruises. The wave reached
as high as deck 10 on the ship,
company spokeswoman Susan
Robison said Sunday.
. ____:-i_lix-_i
BILL COOKE/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The cruise ship Norwegian Dawn heads out into the Atlantic Ocean from the southern tip of Miami
Beach, Fla. The ship was diverted from its route when it sailed into rough weather on the way to New
York on Saturday. A seven-story wave damaged the ship returning from the Bahamas during the
weekend, smashing windows, flooding more than 60 cabins and injuring four passengers.
1 he ship s hull was damaged
but the vessel was not taking on
water, said Keith Moore of the
Coast Guard Group Charleston.
“All the passengers had donned
personal flotation devices as a
precaution,” Moore told The
(Charleston) Post and Courier.
The cruise line said passengers
whose cabins were Hooded were
being flown home from
Charleston and the safety of the
ship “was in no way compromised
by this incident.” Each passenger
on the ship got a refund of half the
trip’s cost and a voucher for half
the price of a future cruise,
Robison said.
Ihe ship left New York last
Sunday with 2,500 passengers
aboard.
Robison said about 300
passengers decided not to return by
boat. About 100 people were flown
back to New York and the rest
made their own arrangements,
Robison said.
——www. dailygamecock. com ■< >