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The University of South Carolina Friday, April 14, 2006 Vol. 99, No. 87 • Since 1908 Special to The Gamecock The Inn at USC opened seven months ago. It was originally built in 1911 as a house. • INN AT USC PROVIDES HISTORY, MODERN COMFORTS After opening, inn looks to cater to Columbia Katie Boucher THE GAMECOCK After opening almost seven months ago, staff members of the Inn at USC hope to gain more exposure for the historic yet modern establishment. The inn, located at 1619 Pendleton St., was originally a house built by John J. Cain in 1911. Cain also built the now demolished Jefferson Hotel in downtown Columbia. “It is neat that he built a hotel, •and then a house he built turned into a hotel,” said Ron Glancy, general manager of the inn. The 'Tompkins family owned the house in 1939, and their daughter, inn • s Nepal’s king breaks silence amid crisis, 0 wants dialogue ffiattheui Rosenberg THE ASSOCIATED PRESS KATMANDU, Nepal — Nepal’s King Gyanendra broke his silence Friday after more than a week of pro-democracy protests in which four people have died, calling for dialogue with opposition political parties. Thousands have filled the streets daily calling for the restoration of democracy and •ouster of Gyanendra 14 months lifter he seized power. Many of the demonstrations have deteriorated into clashes with police. ncpni • 5 Students ponder selling organs As people wait for tissue transplants, some turn to black market for help Rshleigh Orthen THE GAMECOCK According to The Gift of Life organ donor program, 3,090 people in one metropolitan area are awaiting kidney transplants. Donors must have matching blood types and physiques, making organ acquisition difficult. These difficulties have sent many people to the black market to find what medical facilities have failed to produce for their loved ones. Stephanie DuPre, a third-year public relations student, said she would never donate her organs for money, especially on the black market. “I do not care if one body part was worth a trillion dollars because it has to involve some type of surgery, and that alone is my worst fear,” DuPre said. “I want all of my body parts, every last one of them.” First-year media arts student Andrew Williams said he would give up an organ for an emergency, but would never consider selling them. “I would give something up if it was a matter of life or death, but for financial reasons, no,” Williams said. First-year history student Bob Lumpkin said people should be allowed to”'control the use of their own bodies and would consider it himseif. “It’s not my body. I think people should be able to make their own decisions,” Lumpkin said. “I might do it, depending on the amount of money at stake.” Jon Mayer, a second-year mechanical engineering student, said that most of the time when doctors obtain needed body parts for someone else they are taken from a deceased person who had granted them permission. “The idea of selling your own orgrrs • 4 Nick Esares / THE GAMECOCK Members of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity step Wednesday on the Russell House patio. Step Brothers Black Greek organizations find different dance meanings Sierra Holland THE GAMECOCK Walk in front of the Russell House on any sunny Wednesday and you’re sure to see it: black Greek organizations stepping. Stepping is an age-old tradition among black fraternities and sororities. It involves intricate footwork, specialized hand movements, songs and chants. While no one has a definite reason as to why black Greek fraternities and sororities step, everyone has their own ideas. Reginald Price, a fourth year business management and marketing student, is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi. Price has concluded from his own research that stepping originated in Africa. “Dancing has always been a means of expression in African culture,” Price said. “Over time it has evolved into stepping.” James Mack, a third-year mechanical engineering student and spring 2005 initiate of Omega Psi Phi, said he also believes stepping originated in Africa. “Being from that descent, I guess it kind of carried on,” Mack said. Davida Isaac, a third-year early childhood education student and member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority, said she thinks Africans used stepping in traditional dances. “I believe they had some types of steps when they did traditional dances,” Isaac said. Stepping means something different to each member in each fraternity and sorority. “To me stepping is a way to show what your fraternity represents through both words and performance,” said Marcus Bryant, a fourth-year electrical engineering student and member of Phi Beta Sigma. For Ashanti Huey, fourth year public relations student and member of Sigma Gamma Rho, stepping is a bonding experience. “You’re creating beauty and dance out of nothing but you and your (sisters), and that’s a special thing,” Huey said. “On the other hand, it means long nights with no sleep, sweating like crazy and losing weight from the workout.” Mack said he uses hopping as a way to show how much he loves his fraternity. The style, song and chants are forms of STEP • S A Day in the Life After 4 days, guard finds night watch interesting Leslie Draffin THE GAMECOCK USC nighttime security guards have seen it all, from drunken co-eds to sneak-in attempts at freshman dorms, and, of course, the walk of shame. But there is often more to the friendly workers who watch you try — and fail — to correctly swipe your CarolinaCard. Officer David Robinson, 27, of Orangeburg, has only worked as a USC night security guard for four days but has seen plenty of memorable moments already. “I’ve definitely seen drunk people,” Robinson said Wednesday night in Columbia Hall. “There were some boys in Douglas who came stumbling in, under their own willpower, but still stumbling,” Robinson said. USC night security guards such as Kobinson rotate between posts at different dorms and work from midnight until 9 am. This provides plenty of time to watch students go out at night and then stagger in with the same clothes on the next morning. Besides watching out for drunken students, USC security guards have many duties to keep them occupied. “I spend time checking my log book, watching the entrance doors and doing lobby checks every 30 minutes ... we aren’t allowed to watch movies,” Robinson said. He does, however, get to listen to music and says he loves all types or “whatever catches my ear.” Along with checking the log books, Robinson has the responsibility of calling RAs when opposite-sex visiting hours are over in freshman dorms. “We call the RA on the hall and fill out proper paperwork if necessary,” he said. Robinson also said he has already experienced a sneak-in attempt in Patterson. “The guy called the female up and said ‘I’m spotted’ then walked out and left,” Robinson said. Sleep is another important question many might ask USC night security guards about. “Between the hours of 10 and 7, ure • i Viewpoints Aaron Brazier says vegetarianism is a good thing in moderation; Chase Stoudenmire warns students about wdirdpeople at parties. The Mix Sax Man How one USC student channels his love of the saxophone into albums — but might not use music to make a living. Sports Rebels USC’s baseball team prepares to face off against Ole Miss at home in a weekend series. Index Comics & Crossword..9 Classifieds.12 Horoscopes.9 Opinion.6 Police Report..2 i