The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 17, 2006, Image 1
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The University of South Carolina Friday, March 17, 2006 . Vol. 99, No. 73 • Since 1908
Students
dressing up
for 5K run
Saturday
Annual race could draw
up to 1,000participants
Joshua Rabon
THE GAMECOCK
Veteran road racers and
anyone hoping to burn off some
extra St. Patrick’s Day calories
can participate in the 5K run
and one-mile walk in Five Points
Saturday at 8:30 a.m.
The course begins on Blossom
Street and moves away from Five
Points until turning onto King
Street. From there it follows
Duncan street to Ott road,
turning back onto Devine street
and finishing at the St. Patrick’s
Day festival entrance.
Participants who have not pre
registered can do so between ^
7 a.m. and 8 a.m.
Price for registration H
on race day is $35, which
includes a T-shirt and a ticket
for admission to the festival.
T-shirts are only guaranteed to
pre-registered runners, but a
“no T-shirt” option is available
• for $30, which still includes a
festival ticket.
While there are a multitude
~~ of cash prizes, some USC
students participating in the
race are more interested in
a different award: the best
dressed leprechaun. First
year chemistry student Curtis
Hauser says he, along with
some friends from his hall, is
more focused on his plans to
celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than
to make a competitive showing
at the race.
“Our competitive aspirations
are limited, we’re mostly doing
•this for fun,” Hauser said.”We
are painting ourselves green and
wearing small shorts.”
The top three male and
female runners will receive
prizes of $100, $75, and $50,
respectively. First place in the
Masters men and women’s races
RACE • 3
Katie Kirkland! THE GAMECOCK
A row of beer taps line the wall behind the bar Thursday at Delaney’s Irish Pub in Five Points. The bar is a
favorite spot for revelers on St. Patrick’s Day and is across the street from Saturday’s annual festival.
St. Patty's Day in
Five Points
k
American version of Irish holiday brings beer, music, fun
Justin Chapura
NEWS EDITOR
It’s the year’s biggest day for
drinking — next to New
Year’s Eve and the night before
your wedding.
Today marks Saint Patrick’s
Day, a Roman Catholic feast
day honoring the patron saint
of Ireland. It’s a national holiday
there, and in this country,
especially this year as the day falls
on a Friday, it certainly will feel
like one.
Curiously enough, the Roman
Catholic holiday falls on a Friday
during the Lent season, during
which Catholics refrain from
eating meat on Fridays. A large
number of American bishops have
granted a dispensation, allowing
the faithful to eat a traditional
corned beef dish.
In Columbia, that can translate
to bars and restaurants across the
city opening their doors to revelers
with cheap finger foods and an
assortment of green beverages.
Some students aren’t staying
around town, instead making their
way to Savannah, Ga., the site of
one of the nation’s largest and
oldest St. Patrick’s Day parades. A
parade has been run through the
city in some shape or form since
1813.
Katie Beck, a third-year
journalism student, is traveling
to Savannah Thursday night with
her boyfriend.
“When I was a freshman, I
went there and got a tattoo, but I
missed the parade,” Beck said.’Tm
excited about seeing the parade
this year. My aunt there always
throws a big party, so that should
be fun.”
For those who are staying local,
Saturday’s annual festival in Five
Points will boast the bedlam it has
served up for 24 years. Entry will
cost $10.
Taking the stage this year
are a multitude of local music
acts, including some with Celtic
influences, such as Mulligans
Banned, Seven Nations and Loch
Ness Johnny.
Tracy Herzog, a fourth-year
English and theatre student, is
taking the festivities in from a
foreign perspective.
“I’m going to start drinking
at 11 with the start of the Five
Points Festival, because that’s how
the Irish do it,” she said.
Herzog spent last St. Patrick’s
Day studying abroad jn Glasgow,
Scotland where she shared a
flat with a student from Belfast,
Ireland.
“I went to a pub where there
ST PflTTV • 2
i
‘Shamrock’ sorority seeks a pot of gold for charity
flicole Coluiell
THE GAMECOCK
• Kappa Delta sorority chapters
nationwide have been fundraising
for the Child Abuse of America
charity, but this week KD is
hoping to raise more awareness
about the issue at USC with its
annual “Shamrock Project.”
The sorority raised more
than $12,000 during last year’s
“Shamrock Project” and hopes to
raise even more this year. After a
letter-writing campaign, Greek
T-shirt drive and holding a Silver
Sabotage between undergraduate
classes, this goal seems very
attainable, said third-year sports
and entertainment student
•Caroline Arcell.
KD has been active all this week,
giving out blue ribbons and stickers
in front of the Russell House on
Greene Street. They have been
working to increase awareness about
child abuse and collecting donations
to support the cause.
“This philanthropy says a lot for
the Carolina community,” Arcell
said. “We are raising awareness
beyond the boundaries of the
campus and reaching out to the
community.”
The philanthropy culminates
in the popular St. Patrick’s Day
annual parade held in Five Points
this Saturday at 10 a.m. The parade
will begin at Dreher High School
and proceed down Devine Street
to Martin Luther King Jr. Park.
KD is heavily involved with the
parade. Members help to organize
the floats and march beside them
to keep them in order. KD even
has its own float in the parade,
along with a float dedicated to
child abuse that is intended to
increase community awareness.
KD encourages students to march
in the parade, as the more people
that march, the larger donation cut
they receive from the Five Points
Association. For more information
on how to register for the parade,
visitwww.stpatsinfivepoints.com.
“It’s great to see how many people
come together,” said Kappa Delta
public relations chairwoman and
second-year advertising student
Meredith Swilley. “The Girl Scouts
march in the parade, waving right
alongside the Kappa Deltas who
have worked so hard to organize it.”
According to Arcell, a lot of
people and families from places like
Chapin and Aiken come to watch
the parade. “It’s very important
for members of the community
to be aware of the cause we are
volunteering for,” she said.
KD has been fundraising for
Child Abuse of America since 1984.
Twenty percent of the money KD
raises goes to the national offices to
support nationwide programs, but
more significantly, the remaining
80 percent of funds stay local and
are given to community child abuse
agencies.
KD is also affiliated with
three other organizations: Girl
Scouts of America, American
Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
and Children’s Hospital of
Richmond, Va.
KD will accept donations until
the day of the parade. Any donations
may be brought to the KD house
in the Greek Village or directed
to Meredith Swilley, who can be
contacted at swilleym@mailbox.
sc.edu.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu
RHA BALL
GARNERS
LITTLE
INTEREST
Event could be canceled
because of low ticket sales
Joshua Rabon
THE GAMECOCK
The RHA Spring Charity
Ball planned for Friday, April
7 at the Columbia Conference
Center is in danger of being
canceled because of poor ticket
sales, says RHA senator and
third-year criminal justice
student Randall Phillips.
Phillips said his committee
has put a lot of effort into
planning this ball and would
hate to see this happen. Phillips
also said his committee is
beginning to organize a large
scale advertising campaign to
increase the event’s visibility.
The ball is open to all USC
students. Tickets for the formal
cost $20 and are available at
the Russell House Information
Center until March 24.
However, there is a chance this
date will be extended.
“One hundred percent of
ticket sales will be donated to
charity,” Phillips said. These
charities are Camp Hope, a
statewide camp for mentally
handicapped citizens, and Camp
Sertoma, which caters to speech
BALL • 3
SG: Grade
forgiveness
‘well-received’
by Trustees
Justin Chapura
NEWS EDITOR
The grade forgiveness
program, long touted by the
past year’s Student Government
as well as the current one,
came inches closer to reality
Thursday when Provost Mark
Becker presented a report on
the proposal to USC’s Board of
Trustees with little objection.
The Board met for their
monthly session Thursday at
the university’s administration
building, located at 1600
Hampton St. There, they
received a report on the
progress SG has made in
implementing the program.
SG President Tommy Preston,
Vice President Ryan Holt and
Treasurer Jennifer Guest were
in attendance. With them were
Director of Student Life Jerry
Brewer and Vice President of
Student Affairs Dennis Pruitt.
Becker said that the proposal
had been submitted to the
Faculty Senate and would
probably receive consideration
“next year,” meaning the next
academic year.
As currently proposed,
a student has up to two
opportunities to retake any
course in which they made a
BOARD • 3
Viewpoints
Aaron Brazier says take
your green beer and shove
it; Chase Stoudenmire
encourages us to get off our
asses and do something.
The Mix
Eyes are smilin’
Don’t forget to don your
green and head down to
the 5 Points Festival all
day Saturday.
Sports
Boyd’s back
Corey Boyd’s
return fires up the
Gamecock football
team for spring
practice.
Index
Comics & Crossword..7
Classifieds.10
Horoscopes.7
Opinion.4
Police Report..2
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