The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 15, 2006, Image 1
The University of South Carolina Wednesday, February 15, 2006 Vol. 99, No. 63 • Since 1908
Justin Chapura / THE GAMECOCK
Student Government President-elect Tommy Preston, left, and re-elected Vice-President Ryan Holt celebrate their
victories Tuesday night at the announcement of this week’s election results in the Russell House.
Preston, Holt win
with golden ticket
^ Student Government treasurer race to be decided Thursday, Friday between Guest, Setzler
Justin Chapura
NEWS EDITOR
Students cast a vote for continuing
the goals of last year Tuesday as
Student Government Treasurer
Tommy Preston Jr. and Vice President
Ryan Holt won overwhelming
victories in this year’s elections, both
winning more than 60 percent of the
vote for the positions of president and
vice president, respectively.
A runoff election will be held
Thursday and Friday for treasurer
between student senator and third
year mathematics student Jennifer
Guest and first-year philosophy
student Brad Setzler.
Concurrent cheers rang out after
Holt and Preston’s names were called
out by Elections Commissioner Chris
Gainey in the Russell House’s third
floor lobby around 6 p.m., confirming
that the pair would have the chance
to collaborate for another year on
projects initiated under current
president, Justin Williams.
Preston climbed over chairs and
tables to embrace Holt, with whom
Preston ran a joint campaign focusing
on a number of initiatives.
Preston and Holt have been
working on the 16-hour credit limit,
which stipulates an extra $80 fee per
credit hour over 16 that a student
takes each semester. Both want to
raise that limit to 18 credit hours.
Preston said USC President
Andrew Sorensen has been warming
to the proposal.
Also on the docket have been
implementing the grade forgiveness
plan, which would allow a student
to retake three failed or “D”-grade
classes to improve their GPA, and
lobbying state government and
higher-education organizations to
stifle the rising cost of textbooks.
One prerogative is rolling out
SGTV, a campus television station
that would broadcast SG meetings
and events as well as programs
produced by students and recorded
student organization events.
For now, Preston and Holt will
celebrate their victories.
“Can you believe this?” said Preston
after the din died down.
“Pm just so excited ... this means
that we’re ready to continue to work
and do the things we said we were
going to do over the past year,”
Preston said. *
“It’s going to be a great year and
we’re ready for it.”
Preston received 69.99 percent
of the vote, taking in 2,563 votes to
second-year law student Jarvis Jones’
CLCCTIOn • >1
By the numbers
Preston 2549 votes; 69.99%
Jones 705 votes; 20.07%
Raymond 362 votes; 9.94%
vice Presidential mat:
Holt 2069 votes; 61.32%
Shah 1057 votes; 31.33%
Goodman 238 votes; 7.14%
Source: SG Elections Commission
Student Senate
to vote today
on allocation
Under proposed budget, $192,000 would
be given to student organizations
Jess Dauis
STAFF WRITER
The Student Senate will
vote today to approve the
largest ever allocation of
student activity fee money
to student organizations,
amid controversy about the
allocation of $41,576 to
graduate students.
Under the proposed
budget, $1 92,83 3 of
the $284,409 allocated
by the Senate Finance
Committee would be given
to or reserved for student
organizations.
“It’s the goal of the finance
committee to allocate all the
money we can to student
organizations,” Student
Government Treasurer and
President-elect Tommy
Preston said.
Sixty-four organizations
were funded this semester,
and $25,000 was reserved
to fund organizations that
become eligible for funding
in the fail. Proposed
allocations for student
organizations range from
$116 to service sorority
Epsilon Sigma Alpha to
$25,800 to the Dance
Company. GAMMA and the
Carolina Student Judicial
Council also were allocated
over $15,000.
Of the remaining
money in the budget,
$50,000 would be given
to intramural sports, and
$41,576 would be given
to graduate students. The
Senate Finance Committee
decided to fund part of
intramural sports this year
because more students
participated than expected,
leaving the program in a
bind until next year, when
it will receive more “above
the-line” funding, Preston
said. Above-the-line funding
is money allocated by USC
officials; SG handles the
OLLOCflTIOn • 6
RHA OKs. money
for spring formal
Katie Boucher
THE GAMECOCK
The Residence Hall
Association Senate on
Tuesday passed a $10,000
financial allocation for
their spring formal to be
held Friday, April 7, at
the Columbia Conference
Center.
The senate had only used
10.7 percent of their yearly
budget before Tuesday; the
allocation will spend an
additional 43 percent of the
total budget.
The Towers h*a 11
government gave an
additional $2,000, and East
Quad’s government has
given $1,000 to the funding
of the formal.
Renting the conference
center will cost a little less
than $5,000, while catering
will cost $6,495. A DJ,
USCPD-provided security,
shuttle service to the center
and other miscellaneous
expenses will each cost $500
or less. The total expense
for the formal is estimated
at $13,762.30.
“USC’s students paid the
fees, so let us make the
most of their money,” said
Randall Phillips, a third
year criminal justice student.
“Any RHA money that is
not used will go back to
the (account number) D114
budget.”
Tickets for the formal cost
RHfl • >1
Justin Chapura / THE GAMECOCK
From left, student Senators Scott Spivey, Kirsten Cole
• man, Whit Ashley, and John Rabon discuss issues at the
Grand Market Place Tuesday. The four senators are push
ing to bring organic and locally grown foods to USC.
Local organic foods making way to USC
Justin Chapura
NEWS EDITOR
Third-year journalism
student Whit Ashley wants
to help South Carolina
make you healthier.
Over the past year, Ashley
has been collaborating with
fellow student Senators
Kirsten Coleman, Scott
Spivey, John Rabon and
SAGE co-president Laura
Sima to make eating on
campus healthier and eco
friendly, and lately barriers
to getting organic foods on
campus have been softened,
but not broken.
Last Friday, Ashley,
Spivey, Coleman and Rabon
met with business affairs
director Helen Zeigler and
Dining Services general
manager Michael Scheffres
to put organic and local
foods’ best foot forward.
Zeigler and Scheffres
were impressed with the
team’s research. “This will
fit in with our goals to be
a sustainable university,”
said Zeigler, who has been
working on the new dining
facility being built near
Gambrell Hall.
Scheffres was realistic on
possible spikes in prices.
“We have the ability to
buy local foods ... Menlo
College has gone completely
organic,” Scheffres said.
He said Bill Bremer,
Dining Services’ operations
director, was already
conversing with United
Natural Foods, Inc. in
Atlanta to explore some
organic foods.
“But it costs so much
more ... Menlo saw a 20
percent increase in meal
plan prices,” Scheffres said.
“If we increase meal plan
prices, we’re working against
what our constituents want,”
Ashley said. “We don’t want
to say We know what’s good
for you’ and change prices
without their approval.”
“It’s going to have to boil
down to, ‘will most students
FOOD • 4
Viewpoints
Liz White warns against
taking advice from
self-help gurus; Tim
McManus chronicles the
last time a vice president
shpt someone. ?
The Mix
Beatin the blues a
Learn to combat those f
post-Valentine’s Day
blues with a brief
survival guide for
Feb^ 15 and beyond.
Sports
Renaldo rolls
USCs Balkman
leads Gamecocks
past Crimson Tide
in 67-56 win
Tuesday night. ■
Index
Comics & Crossword.... 11
Classifieds.14
Horoscopes.11
Opinion.8
Police Report..2