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eveKf thxs meet. JAMECOCK The University of South Carolina Tuesday, April 11, 2006 Vol. 99, No. 84 • Since 1908 Without coach, USC debate team suspended for year • _ Team won national championships in 2004, 2005 Doug IDantooth THE GAMECOCK USC’s. national champion debate team has been suspended for the upcoming year because of changes in the coaching staff, said Mary Anne Fitzpatrick, dean of the college of arts and sciences, leaving team members to wonder about the future of the program. The team, which won the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence in 2004 and 2005, lost its longtime coach David Berube to the nanotechnology department last year. This year’s coach, Alan Tauber, will be a doctoral student and professor next year and no longer has time to coach the team, he said. “I think debate team is a wonderful thing, but we have no coach,” Fitzpatrick said. The decision to suspend the team came as a shock to the • debaters and their coach, who heard the news after returning from a national competition at the end of March. “I think it’s pretty terrible,” said Chris Dickson, a fourth-year political science and economics student. “I don’t understand why there’s any reason to cut the team.” Dickson, a four-year member of the debate team, will graduate in May, leaving only three students on the team. The team had been recruiting transfer students, incoming freshman, and one graduate student, but Berube told those students to consider other options because there would be no debate team at USC. Berube coached the team from 1990 to 2005, but left to pursue other interests in the nanotechnology field. He said he has been trying to distance himself from the debate team because it was “time for him to move on.” His temporary replacement, Tauber, is a recent law school DEBATE • 6 Fallen fraternity brother honored with scholarship (Iicole Couiell THE GAMECOCK Greeks and non-Greeks alike met at Village Idiot on Monday • for food and music that supported a scholarship in memory of Blayne Brown. Alpha Tau Omega President Zach Baker, a third-year political science student, said the fraternity wanted a way to commemorate Brown’s life. Brown was pledging ATO when, on the first day of spring break last month, a car accident ended his life. “He was such a great guy,” JL. Baker said. Jonathan Miller, Brown’s big brother in ATO, agreed. “He was so genuine, always willing to help others,” Miller said. Brown was described as a strong Christian with upstanding morals. “He didn’t like to drink and was always out serving his community,” Baker said. Brown worshipped at Shandon Baptist of Columbia and was an active member of FCA. He aspired to be .a sports editor and was a student in the college of hospitality, retail and sport BROTHER • 1 Katy Blalock / THE GAMECOCK Shane Windmeyer signs copies of his book “Out on Fraternity Row” Monday night in the Russell House Ballroom. Windmeyer’s speech was part of Homophobia Awareness Week. Gay? Greek? Author speaks on homosexuality in frat life JoshuaHabon ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Shane Windmeyer, author of “Out on Fraternity Row,” spoke to students Monday night about homosexuality in the Greek community. Second-year real estate student Greg Publik said he came to the event as a Greek Life member concerned about the issue. “I feel that this is an important issue for our Greek community to talk about and educate themselves about,” Publik said. Windmeyer asked the audience one question he said was critical to his entire presentation: “What would you do if your best friend told you he was gay?” Windmeyer also took an informal poll of the audience to determine the number of Greek and heterosexual students attending the presentation. Some heterosexual students were asked to come on stage to calculate their GPA - gay point average. “It’s just a four-question test,” Windmeyer said. “I made it up myself. It’s not scientific like gay-dar.” The participants were asked to identify the geometric symbol associated with the gay community, the colors of the gay flag, the Greek symbol with historically gay significance and three actors/actresses who are gay or play gay characters. AUTHOR • >1 PROTEST FOCUSES ON PROPOSED IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION Thousands march on State House Monday DreuiBroohs ■. THE GAMECOCK A crowd of shouting, chanting, flag-waving, sign-wielding protesters descended on the State Elouse on Monday to make their voices heard. The crowd, which organizers estimated to be between 5,000 and 6,000 people, contained concerned citizens of multiple races, varied ages and all realms of society who filled the front lawn and spilled onto the sidewalk near Gervais Street. The marchers, organized by the Coalition for New South Carolinians, met at Finlay Park State House an hour later. They protested recently proposed legislation to criminalize illegal immigrants. Instead, those present wanted to push for legislation that would offer citizenship to millions of the nation’s illegal immigrant population. Edgar Medina, a volunteer, described the protest as a chance to prove that democracy works. “We just want to be Americans,” he said. Addressing a sea of protestors with signs that said, “We are brothers” and “Workers, not criminals,” Irma Santana said “immigrants from all over the world make America.” Santana, a member of Hispanic Outreach, helped coordinate the event with help from the South Carolina Progressive Network. Santana said Columbia was one of 132 cities nationwide where similar marches took place. Other cities playing host to protesters included Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Chicago, Boston “and Washington, D.C. The event featured prominent city and state leaders, including politicians and preachers. All speeches were given in Spanish PROTEST • 1 Organization stresses importance of organ donation flshleigh Orthen THE GAMECOCK Students for Organ Donations — a student-run, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting organ and tissue awareness and registration — expressed the importance of becoming an organ donor Monday to commemorate Donate for Life month in front of the Russell House. “We want to promote organ and tissue donations on campus because students do not realize that there are 91,500 people on • the national waiting list for organs and tissues,” said Tina Zhang, Students for Organ Donations president and second-year biology student. Together with Campus Wellness, Students for Organ Donations looks to make a difference in the growing international public health crisis: the shortage of vital organs and tissues. Megan Conklin, a public health graduate student, said students need to know the good they can do by being a donor. “It is important for students to know the amount of lives you can help by being an organ donor,” she said. Many people in America are mistaken when thinking the only proof they need is the heart symbol on their driver’s licenses that symbolizes they are an organ donor, Conklin said. “Just because you have it on your driver’s license does not necessarily mean your organs will be taken if something were to happen,” Conklin said. “You need to let your loved ones know so they can grant the right to have your organs donated.” According to Students for Organ Donations, 40 South Carolinians died while waiting for a transplant in 2003. South Carolina also has the highest rate of kidney disease, meaning one in every eight South Carolinians will have kidney failure and will need a transplant. “One donor can save eight lives and enhance 48,” Zhang said. According to Donate for Life’s Web site, about 74 people receive organ transplants each day, but 18 people die each day waiting for transplants because of the organ shortage. There are many myths accompanied with organ donating, according,to the Gift of Life Web site. The Web site said many people think doctors will not try to save their life if they know they want to be a donor. But the Donate for Life Web site says the medical staff trying to save lives is completely separate from the transplant team. Donations take place, and transplant surgeons are called in only after efforts to save a life have been exhausted and death is imminent or has been declared. “People should not let the myths and rumors keep them from saving lives,” Conklin said. “They should learn the facts and consider ORGRR • 4 ii' Him win i i in if i i Meg Gaillard/ THE GAMECOCK Third-year physical education student Terrell Howard signs an organ donor consent form Monday on Greene Street as part of Donate Life Week. Viewpoints Patrick Cauley delivers a written Dubya smackdown; Brandt Boidy talks about playing baseball and how we should appreciate youth. The Mix Novel idea One USC student tries to publish novel about relationships and regretting who you chouse to marry. Sports Rites of spring The Gamecock Sports staff offers its preseason awards for the best of USC’s football team. Index Comics & Crossword.... 11 Classifieds.14 Horoscopes.11 Opinion.8 Police Report..2