Guns • conunucDFRomi
and gun literature for. us
to hand out all week,”
said Andrew Davis, editor
of the( paper. “They have
basically assisted in every
way possible.”
The drawing for the
AK-47 is being handled
through the Federal
Firearms Licensing system.
The .22 Magnum Marlin
was donated through
an organization at USC
Aiken. ,
Davis also said that while
Clemson University did not
outright deny to support
them, they did make it clear
to be careful and follow the
rules. ;
“As with any organization’s
project, as long as rules are
followed we will work with
the students,” said Robin
Denny, director of news
services for Clemson.
“There is an educational
aspect to this, in the process
of registering the event
and following the different
rules and regulations. They
are raising awareness of the
Second Amendment, and
there are always different
opinions, but the university
will work with the students
as along as state, campus and
federal laws are followed,”
Denny said.
Davis said the Observer
has talked to everyone
from Clemson University
President James Barker to
the local chief of police
to make sure all rules are
followed.
“The biggest obstacle
in making this drawing
possible was the South
Carolina anti-raffle laws.
We had to work around
that,” Davis said.
Davis said The Observer
modeled its drawing after
a successful raffle at the
University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign.
That school’s conservative
political journal, The
Orange and Blue Observer,
held a similar raffle, which
was so successful that
they now hold one once a
month, despite the protest
of a significant number of
students and state officials.
“The University of Illinois
is a mostly liberal school
within a mostly liberal
state, yet their raffle was
successful despite protestors
and state opposition,” Davis
said.
The Observer is trying
to improve its drawing by
offering gun safety and
instruction as a means
to appreciate the Second
Amendment.
“The Observer stands
strong behind the Second
Amendment and hopes
the drawing will increase
appreciation and at the
same time educate people
about firearm safety and
ownership,” Davis said.
Davis said several students
are in agreement with the
project, but the issue of
using a semi-automatic AK
47 as a prize has caught the
attention of other students.
“The drawing is a
great way to celebrate the
Second Amendment while
addressing the importance
of gun safety and education,”
said John Halka, a fourth
year packaging science
student at Clemson. “I think
many people are going to
look down on the drawing
because of the infamy of
the AK-47. Give away an
Army-issue M-16 and the
response would certainly be
different.”
The proceeds of the
drawing will go toward The
Tiger Town Observer, and
20 percent will go toward a
charity benefiting freedom
in Iran.
Those who register for
the drawing will be held
responsible for their own
actions and knowledge of
their eligibility to own a
firearm. Denny said it is
unlawful for a student of
the university to have a
firearm on campus.
Ever since the news of
the drawing has reached
students,- The Observer
has received no negative
feedback.
“People have called and
written as to how they can
get involved, but officially
no one has sent in angry
editorials -or negative
messages,” Davis said.
However, the lack of
negative feedback at The
Observer does not mean all
students are in agreement
with the issue.
“The Tiger Town
Observer is planning
this drawing of an AK
47 assault weapon in
order to raise funds for
the paper’s publishing
costs, and what better way
to earn some spending
money than to raffle off a
deadly assassinating tool to
college kids?” said Aimee
McLaughlin, a third-year
communication studies
student at Clemson. “Bake
sales and date auctions are
old hat. It seems the best
way to make a little cash is
to raffle off artillery,” she
added.
McLaughlin said The
Observer’s raffle gives
Clemson students the
message that their right
to bear arms is the most
important thing on a college
campus.
“The Observer’s raffle of
this deadly assault weapon
to college students is an
assault to the safety of the
Clemson community and an
attack on the University’s
name across the state and
the nation,” McLaughlin
said. “The Observer needs
to find a better way to make
its money.”
Davis said the University
of Illinois has raffled off
everything from an AK
47 to smaller-caliber
handguns.
If success ful, The
Observer would like to hold
i
a drawing more frequently
and perhaps even make it
nationwide through the
Internet.
“While this drawing is
open to everyone in the
nearby community now,
we would love to see this
expand through Internet
sales,” Davis said.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocknews @gwm. sc. edu
-1
RunofF • connnueo FRomi
running for the Senate in
the next election as a way to
continue her work.
“Of course (I’ll stay
involved),” Guest said.
“Obviously I won’t be a
Senate chair, because I didn’t
run for Senate. So I’ll have
to wait-for a vacant seatl”
Guest said she was
satisfied with her side of the
runoff race.
“I’m glad at the way I ran
my campaign, and that I
don’t regret anything I did
.... I’m a strong girl.”
President-elect Tommy
Preston said he looks
forward to working with
Setzler, but also praised
Guest for her CarolinaCard
intiative and wants to find a
way for her to continue to
work on it through Student
Government.
“I think both of them had
really good ideas .... I think
(Guest’s CarolinaCard plan)
was one of the best ideas
in this campaign,” Preston
said.
“One of my goals from
the beginning was to have
at least one of them on my
cabinet ... . I hope she’ll
be willing to serve (in the
cabinet),” he said.
“We definitely want to
make sure that she has an
avenue that can address (the
CarolinaCard).”
“I think Brad is going to
do a fantastic job, making
sure student organizations
get all the assistance they
need,” Preston said later.
The inauguration
ceremony for the three
elected executive council
members — President-elect
Preston, Vice President-elect
Ryan Holt, and Treasurer
elect Setzler — will be
held Wednesday, March 1
at 5 p.m. in the Rutledge
Chapel on the Horseshoe. A
reception will follow at USC
President Andrew Sorensen’s
residence next door.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu
Nobody covers
USC better.
Nobody.
THP^AMECOCK
Prize Patrol Schedule ]|
' fllon,
Ru//ell Hou/e
12(10011
Women*/ Quod
7pm
" PoNer/on Moll
9pm
Tues.
Russell House
I2aooa
Columbio lloll
7po»
West Quod
9pm
Wed.
Russell House
IftnooA
South Tower
7pm
Botes House
9pm
Thurs.
Russell House
Iftnoon
Preston
7pm
llllli.
Russell House
Theater 8pm
Showcase
Showdown
Vehicle Management
Parking Services
"
FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
Dutch Square Center
www.dutchsquare.com
MAC*
GRAY
Intelligent Laundry
Systems'"
'Loft Beds
Your Solution to an Overcrowded Room!
* *i i
PALMETO PROMOTIONS
Ad SpcctAlTtis ♦ ScucKNpRiNTiAq * Eftibftoidtay
palmettoprofnotions.com
Rob McCue
Massage Therapist