The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 27, 2006, Image 1
The University of South Carolina_ • Friday, January 27, 2006 . Vol. 99, No. 55 • Since 1908
After 4 years,
student death
takes new turn
^ USA Today reports investigators found Xanax
in freshman Jessica Hortons purse
Rshleigh Orthen
THE GAMECOCK
On Aug. 17, 2002,
freshman Jessica L. Horton
moved into the sixth floor
of Patterson Hall. At 6:20
a.m. the following morning,
Horton fell from the sixth
floor ledge and died before
^ she could attend her first
™ day of classes.
Student Government
President Justin Williams
said he remembers hearing
about Horton’s death, but
thought what was then scant
information on the incident
suspect. “Did she really fall
or was there something else
really going on?” Wdliams
asked.
To that question, there is
an answer.
No foul play was suspected
until four years later when
USA Today reported that
police investigators found
^ 11 tablets of the anxiety
relief drug Xanax and a cut
straw with traces of the drug
in Horton’s purse.
Later, the coroner
discovered approximately
twice the amount of Xanax
in Horton’s blood than what
is primarily prescribed by
doctors.
Xanax can cause
drowsiness and dizziness,
and it is recommended to
be taken whole to allow the
medicine to release slowly.
Christine Lambert, a
fourth-year business student,
recalls hearing about the
fatal fall.
“I remember hearing
about a freshman girl falling
out of a dorm room window.
I remember talking to my
girlfriends about it and we
figured something had to
be behind it,” Lambert said.
“Most importantly, we talked
about how the university
should take precautions into
preventing something like
this from happening again.”
And since Horton’s death,
university officials did just
that.
USC spokesman Russ
McKinney said: “The
incident was very isolated.
Nothing like that had
happened before or after the
tragedy, but we looked at
the issue of windows closely.
USC officials changed the
type of windows and the
way they open in Patterson.
The windows now open
less because it is still a fire
department requirement to
have windows which open
in case of a fire emergency.”
The university policy
now prohibits students
from “breaking the vertical
plane” of a balcony or open
window. Antennas, satellite
DEATH • 2
Porn addiction
focus of program
‘Porn Sunday
to feature speaker,
student interviews
Josh Rabon .
THE GAMECOCK
Sunday, students will have
»a chance to learn everything
they ever wanted to know
about the self-stated “No. 1
Christian pom site.”
The Shack Campus
Ministry will host
“Pom Sunday,” a multi
presentation seminar
discussing pornography in
collegiate life, at 6 p.m. in
the Russell House Ballroom.
The main event will feature
on-campus interviews about
pornography, three student
testimonials about the
addictive nature of pom and
a discussion led by USC’s
chaplain and The Shack’s
pastor, the Rev. Garrett
Curry.
Following the discussion,
there will be a showing of
“Missionary Positions,” a
documentary about Christian
anti-pom site XXXchurch.
com and their research into
the adult-entertainment
industry.
Curry hopes to bring a
controversial issue into open
discussion without being
exclusive or denigrating.
“Our objective is not to
promote censorship, push
a political agenda, or even
necessarily persuade people
pom is immoral,” Curry
said. “Our objective is to
inform.”
According to the event’s
press release, Porn Sunday
is not specifically targeted
at men or at the religiously
affiliated; women account
for 33 percent of Internet
pom traffic and 47 percent
of religious people cite porn
as a problem in their home.
Approximately 40 million
PORI) • 2
Juan Bias / THE GAMECOCK
Brandon Wallace slam dunks in the Gamecocks’ 68-62 win against the Florida
Gators on Wednesday night in the Colonial Center.
Three stooges
Meg Gail lard/ THE GAMECOCK
Three clowns seek “approval through imitation” in Brain McNelis’ “Cirque Voila”
orr Thursday night at the Koger Center.
With themes of clowns’ self-evolution,
Cirque Voila not your everyday circus
Tecla (Tlarhouishy
THE GAMECOCK
You can call it a circus,
but don’t expect to see
the animals that paraded
through the Colonial
Center last weekend.
It’s called “Cirque
Voila,” the invention of
producer Brian McNelis,
who envisioned a circus
event outside of the ring
that could fit any theatrical
space without elephants or
exotic animals.
Theatrical in its
flavor, “we celebrate
the grotesque,” said Liz
Demery, leader of the
Buffoon Clowns, the
troupe of performers who
play the central characters
in Cirque Voila.
The circus told a story
of “self-evolution ... three
clowns seeking approval
through imitation,”
Demery said. The show
opened with the Buffoons
interacting with the
CIRQUC • 3
Gamecocks
beat Gators,
but not
without
. sweating
(Ilex Riley
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Less than two minutes
remained on the
scoreboard over center
court. Carolina was up
by double figures on the
nation’s No. 5 team, the
Florida Gators. And still,
nobody in the Colonial
Center on Wednesday night
could breathe easy.
With the way things
had been going for USC,
nbthing seemed assured.
Late rallies, miracle shots
and unanswered questions
were sprinkled throughout
the Gamecocks’ past five
games, including tbe win at
Vanderbilt last week.
It wasn’t until Tarence
Kinsey managed to
swipe a pass away from
Florida’s Taurean Green
in the closing seconds that
everyone donned in garnet
and black could let out a
collective sigh of relief.
"USC had finally held on to
win a close one, with a 68
62 final against one of the
highest ranked teams in the
nation.
“I can’t think of a team
that needed that type win
UPSET • 8
Young victims
of fiery crash
were part of
tight group
Kelli Kennedy
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAKE BUTLER, Fla. —
Barbara and Terry Mann
were supposed to complete
their adoption of a 20
month-old boy on Thursday.
Instead, they were planning
funerals for him and their
other four children — all
killed in a fiery car wreck.
The accident Wednesday,
which also killed two young
relatives, cast a pall over
this small town of about
2,000 people in northern
Florida. After hearing of the
accident, Barbara Mann’s
grief-stricken father suffered
a heart attack and died.
“It’s hard to fathom what
it’s like to lose five children,
two nieces and a father in
one shot. It seems like a
burden too big to bear,”
said Scott Fisher, a family
spokesman and pastor at
the Lake Buder Church of
Christ.
Friends and family came
together to mourn the
deaths of the seven children
PflmiLV • 2
Viewpoints
Lindsey Dennerlein
touts face-to-face talking
instead of Facebook;
Aaron Brazier waxes
angrily about racist songs
ov% bathroom wallst
The Mix
In the spotlight
Spartanburg’s
Juggernaut brings
their Southern beer
metal sound to New
Brooklaml tonight.
Sports
One-win streak
USC’s women’s
basketball team lost
to Georgia 74-65 at
the Colonial Center
on Thursday. *
INDEX
Comics & Crossword..7
Classifieds.9
Horoscopes..7
Opinion.4
Police Report..2
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