Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

Trial begins for former Gamecock If convicted, ex-football player could get 15 years to life in prison fTliquel Jacobs STAFF WRITER Victims recounted the night former football players Moe Thompson and Kevin Mainord broke into their East Quad dorm rooms and rummaged through their belongings in the first day ofThompson’s trial. Thompson has been charged with two counts of first-degree burglary and two counts of petit-larceny stemming from a Feb. 23 incident. If convicted, Thompson could get 15 years to life in prison. Mainord, who faced the same charges, didn’t elect to go to trial.. Jurors heard testimony from 10 prosecution witnesses, including the five victims in the burglary with which the former USC football player is charged. Prosecutors say Thompson entered two East Quad apartments and stole a TV, DVD player, TV/DVD/VCR combo and other items. In his opening statement, defense attorney Hemphill Pride asked the jury to keep an unbiased view before hearing both sides of the argument. “You have to determine criminal “Definitely not,” said Christie intent from bad judgment,” he said. Belcher, a USC graduate from York. “Don’t make up your mind until you “Never” said an emotional Lindsey hear the entire case.” LaRocque, a civil engineering Deputy solicitor John student from Granby, Conn. Meadors argued against Prides Kendra Joyner, a USC claim that the incident was just graduate from Gilbert, testified a prank, calling each of the that after the robbery, the students from the two students slept with lights on and apartments as witnesses. tables propped in front of the Meadors and assistant solicitor main doors. Dolly Justice Garfield asked Thompson “Someone had come into my each witness if they felt the room, in my house where I was actions were funny. supposed to be safe,” she said “If they “Absolutely not,” said Elizabeth did it once, they could do it again.” Thomas, a USC graduate from McArdle and LaRocque testified that Lexington. someone entered their East Quad apartment while they were sleeping and removed a TV/DVD combo along with a Think Different Apple Computer sign and five DVDs. Neither knew Thompson or co-defendant Mainord, although McArdle worked as a student assistant for USC football coach Steve Spurrier. Thomas, Belcher and Joyner reported their apartment was missing an Apex TV belonging 'to Thomas, a DVD player belonging to Joyner, and four blankets and a pillow. They also said they were unfamiliar with Thompson and Mainord before the events. THompson Nick Barrs /Til K I iAMECOCK Following years of conflict over its construction, the Inn at USC finally opened its doors in August. Now Carolina’s hotel, restaurant and tourism management students are helping make it a success. , CHECKING INN After August opening, students help Carolina's new hotel get offto smooth start Helly Cavanaugh FOR THE GAMECOCK The phone rings. A customer toting several pieces of luggage approaches the front desk to check in. The phone rings. Another customer enters the hotel and gets in line. And, true to what hotel employees say is never-ending, the phone rings. Such is a typical day for a front desk employee at the Inn at USC, who more often than not is a USC student. “It can get pretty hectic,” said ^RVndrew Lucas, a fourth-year hotel, restaurant and tourism management student. “But most of the people that come to the hotel know that we are a new hotel.” Other students agree. “It gets ridiculous sometimes,” said Dana Santry, a fourth-year HRTM student, about the phone ringing constantly. Santry said sometimes the phone calls back up, and she must put customers on hold or call them back. She agreed that guests tend to be more patient because the hotel is new. “So far everyone has been really nice. They understand that we just opened,” Santry said. “I’m sure I’ll run into some problems down the road when we’ve been open longer.” Santry and Lucas were among the employees who helped get the hotel ready for its August opening. “Were all pretty close since we all helped put the hotel together,” Lucas said, adding that some of the tasks included moving beds into the rooms, making up the beds and putting clocks together. Santry said making reservations is the main task of the front desk employee. Because she normally works the morning shift, Santry usually helps check out guests, but she also checks in guests who arrive early. Other tasks include counting money in the drawer and printing out a checklist of everything that needs to be done on that shift. Lucas said “getting people what they need” is the employees most important duty. He added that, along with having patience, being a “people person,” is essential in the hotel business. “You have to be able to talk with people and definitely put other people first and not let things get to you,” he said. inn • m Forum for RAs to discuss dorm changes for disabled students Gina Uasselli staff writer RAs are being asked to attend a disability education forum today to discuss dorm changes that would make on-campus living easier for disabled students. The forum, set for 8 p.m. in Gambrell Hall, is being spearheaded by Laura Kotti, a third-year English student, director of Students with Special Needs. “I don’t want anyone to have a bad experience in college just because they’re impaired,” Kotti said. Kotti will speak a£ the forum about her experience living in dorms with epilepsy. She has spoken to students about her seizure-inducing disease. “I’ve met kids who don’t know what I’m talking about, and that scares me,” Kotti said. Kotti said she hopes the program will help make dorm environments more appealing to students with special needs. “I’ve seen how RAs react to me having seizures, and when I think about kids who have it worse than me ...” Kotti said before trailing off. Sarah Luaszers from USC’s Counseling and Human Development Center will speak < roRum • INSIDE Viewpoints Steven Van Haren trumps up sup port for NASA’s new space race to the moon; John M. Herr explores the mystery of the “chicken curse. ” 6 The Mix Limb by limb Students find an alternative to typical college entertainment - tree climbing. 7 Sports Making the grade Sports Editor Jonathan Hillyard scrutinizes football’s every punt, , sttap pass and kick at mid-season. 10 Algerian national paints grim picture Former UN official speaks on civil unrest in his African homeland Justin Chapura ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Zakaria Fellah said he is “pessimistic” about the future of his home country Algeria, a nation rent after a decade of civil war and continued violence. His father, an agent of the Algerian government, was gunned down by Islamic guerillas on his doorstep in 1993. A friend of his family, an advocate of democracy, was brutally murdered. So when Fellah spoke Tuesday evening to students about “Jihad terrorism” in Algeria, he wasn’t optimistic about 2002’s peace declaration. “Justice has still not been rendered, and not just in my father’s case,” Fellah said. “There is a conflagrant lack of rule of law.” Fellah has hands-on experience with civil strife overseas. He worked with the United Nations for more than a decade in fields such as peacekeeping and humanitarian aid, primarily in Africa and Latin America. He now is a consultant in New York City. Fellah’s speech was sponsored by the organization Students Defending Democracy. He lectured on how, for two decades, radical Ashleigh Q»i<-*/TljKi;AMKi:(H;K Former UN official and Algerian national Zakaria Fellah speaks to USC students Tuesday night. Islamic fundamentalism fermented in Algerian society before manifesting itself as the Islamic Salvation Front party, known by its French acronym FIS, which won the country’s initial parliamentary election round in 1991. “These fundamentalists very wisely established a strong presence in poor neighborhoods in Algeria, much like what you see in Palestine with groups like Hamas,” Fellah said. Algeria’s living conditions didn’t help stave off radical Islamism’s ascendance, either, Fellah said: The RLGCRIR • 5 USC awards US. senator for fuel cell industry work Lindsey Graham praised by President Sorensen, federal energy council Gina Uasselli STAFF WRITER After an oil shortage caused by Hurricane Katrina, USC President Andrew Sorensen and Robert Rose, founding executive director of the U.S. Fuel Cell Council and the Breakthrough Technologies Institute, presented U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., with the U.S. Fuel Cell Councils Pathfinder Award on Oct. 12. “This award, made on USC’s campus, underscores the important role that South Carolina and our university will have in the development of new fuel sources,” Sorensen said in a statement. The Pathfinder Award recognizes individuals whose efforts have an important impact on the fuel cell industry. Graham was a leading supporter of an energy bill passed by Congress in July and signed into law tey President Bush in August. The diction in the hydrogen provision of Ron Cockerille / The Associated Press Russian Counselor Vladimir I. Rybachenkov, left, and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., talk Friday. the bill was mainly based on language from Graham and U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D. “Sen. Graham is one of the nation’s leading advocates for hydrogen and fuel cell research,” Sorensen said in the statement. The law establishes a national energy policy encouraging domestic energy production and conservation, seeking to make the U.S. less dependent on foreign oil. Graham was instrumental last year in helping USC secure a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Energy Department to conduct hydrogen research. The grant went mainly to the National Science Foundation’s * 6Rf)Hflfll • 4