The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 20, 2006, Image 1
The University of South Carolina Friday, January 20, 2006 Vol. 99, No. 52 • Since 1908
PETA supporters protest circus
Activists picket at Colonial Center show,
claim alleged abuse of Ringling Bros, animals
Jess uavis
STAFF WRITER
Local activists will
demonstrate outside of
the Colonial Center this
weekend in protest of what
they say is abusive behavior
to animals at the Ringling
Bros, and Barnum & Bailey
Circus.
The activists, acting in
support of the People for
the Ethical Treatment of
Animals, will pass out leaflets
and DVD’s that they say
document Ringling Bros.’
personnel abusing the circus
animals. Ringling Bros,
denies any wrongdoing
in their treatment of the
animals and says that PETA’s
statements are inaccurate.
“We hope to raise
awareness of the cruelty
behind the scenes at the
circtfs,” national PETA
campaign coordinator Matt
Rice said of the group’s
nationwide demonstrations
against Ringling Bros. Rice
said that the circus animals
are “beaten in order to make
them perform stupid circus
tricks.”
The Ringling Bros,
circus will perform shows
in Columbia all weekend;
its first show was Thursday
night. Demonstrations
protesting the circus’
treatment of animals in
Columbia, however, began
Monday when a woman
stood naked in a cage with
her body painted to look
like a tiger on the corner
of Gervais and Assembly
streets.
The woman said in a
press release, “If it takes
exposing some of my skin to
expose the cruelty that goes
on behind the scenes at the
circus, I’m happy to do it.”
She stood at the corner for
about an hour, from noon
to 1 p.m., accompanied by
several (clothed) activists.
One of those activists,
Donna Fanti-Lab, organized
the demonstrations that will
continue outside the Colonial
Center this weekend.
PBTfl • 2
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W RINGLING BROS.:
( LION
' KILLERS 4
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Katie Boucher / THE GAMECOCK
Donna Fanti-Lab, a PETA supporter, protests in front of the Colonial Center on Thursday evening. Fanti-Lab organized
the protest against Ringling Bros. Circus, arguing that the event encourages animal cruelty.
•Nations collide —
in debate, anyway
First-year student revives university Model
United Nations, plans high school conference
(licole Colutell
FOR THE GAMECOCK
Sometime this spring,
^^David Ensor hopes to have
the world gathered at USC.
The world, that is, as
portrayed by South Carolina
high school students at
the university’s first Model
United Nations conference
in nearly four years.
Ensor, a first-year
undecided student, held the
first meeting of the newly
reincarnated USC Model
UN Thursday in Gambrell
Hall. About 30 students
attended.
Hosting the high school
competition “will provide
high school students with
an opportunity to hone their
skills,” Ensor said.
It also provides a means
of recruitment for outgoing
high school students. “Being
that many South Carolina
students go on to attend
USC, this conference will
also serve as a way... to draw
more interest,” Ensor said.
The club’s adviser,
international studies
professor Roger Coate,
envisions future conferences
attended by the USC group,
as well.
Next year, the members
of the club hope to attend
an international conference
at McGill University in
Canada.
Conferences are modeled
after the actual world
governing body, with
different schools engaging in
mock debate about worldly
issues, such as the World
Bank, women’s rights and
security.
The leaders of Model UN
conferences assign a country
to each school planning
to attend, and each team
has two to three months to
extensively research their
nation’s position concerning
various topics.
At the conference itself,
student delegates have the
opportunity to fervently
debate their positions on
behalf of their assigned
country, with the chance of
receiving an award based on
moDCLun • 2
Meg Gaillard / THE GAMECOCK
First-year undecided student David Ensor and founder of
USC's chapter of the Model United Nations, right, talks
with Pherris Ashby, a second-year electrical engineering
student, during a meeting Thursday night.
New tape from bin Laden says
al-Qaida preparing new attacks
Terrorist leader
proposes ‘truce’ in
Afghanistan, Iraq
Lee Heath
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CAIRO, Egypt — Osama
bin Laden warned in an
audiotape aired Thursday
that his' fighters are
preparing new attacks in the
United States but offered
the American people a
“long-term truce” without
specifying the conditions.
The tape, portions of
which were aired on Al
Jazeera television, was the
first from the al-Qaida
leader in more than a year.
It came only days after a
U.S. airstrike in Pakistan
that targeted bin Laden’s
Bin Lnoen • 3
r ' -J m
The Associated Press
Exiled Saudi dissident
Osama bin Laden is seen
in this April 1998 file
photo in Afghanistan.
Al-Jazeera aired an
audiotape purportedly
from Osama bin Laden on
Thursday saying al-Qaida
is making preparations
for attacks in the United
States but offering a
truce to rebuild Iraq and
Afghanistan.
4|Prosecutor: Evidence incriminates
Democratic campaigners in case
i
bretchen tniHe
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MILWAUKEE — Witness
testimony, cell phone
records and other evidence
show that five Democratic
campaign workers punctured
tires on vehicles Republicans
intended to use to get out
the vote on Election Day
2004, a prosecutor told
^fckjrors in closing arguments
^^Thursday.
The son of a
congresswoman and the
son of a former Milwaukee
mayor are among those
accused of the vandalism near
a Bush-Cheney campaign
office. Jurors deliberated for
about two hours Thursday
afternoon before breaking
for the day.
Milwaukee County
District Attorney David Feiss
told jurors that testimony
from several national
euiDcnce • 2
Elise Bearers / THE GAMECOCK
Vehicles are parked
Thursday in the new wing
of the Bull Street Garage.
Bull Street Garage opens 1,000 new spots
Parking at USC just got
1,000 spaces better.
The addition to the Bull
Street Garage opened this
semester about a year after
construction began, and
with it Parking Services
hopes to alleviate the woes
of resident students.
Both sections of the
garage are connected,
allowing decaled motorists
and those parking by the
hour to cross into the added
space.
Hourly patrons will use
the bottom three levels of
the new wing, from lower
level two to level one;
monthly patrons will use
levels one through six.
Hourly parking costs 50
cents, but parking services
director Derrick Huggins
said patrons are only
allowed from 7 a.m. to 1
a.m.
“We are going to be very
aggressive about towing and
ticketing,” said Huggins.
About 300 spaces are still
available for purchase.
Parking Services is asking
on-campus students to buy
the spaces before selling
them to commuters.
Huggins said the new
garage will help the parking
situation because resident
students will be able to park
near their dorms.
And “if you’re coming
to drop off a book at the
library or grab some food,
utilize the Bull Street
parking garage,” Huggins
said.
— Gina Vasselli
Viewpoints
Chase Stoudenmire
refrains from writing
about girls or mom; Aaron
Brazier continues the
Stoudenmire tradition
with a sappy love cofUmn.
The Mix
‘The Greatest
Show on Earth’
USC alum Tyron
McFarlan leads the way
as Barnum & Bailey’s .
new ringmaster.
Sports
In training
The Gamecocks
hit the baseball
diamond for their
first practice of the
season Thursday. t
INDEX
Comics & Crossword..6
Classifieds.9
Horoscopes.6
Letters to the Editor..4
Police Report..2
%