The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 19, 2006, Image 1
The University of South Carolina Wednesday, April 19, 2006 Vol. 99, No. 89 • Since 1908
USC looks for answers
V
• after e-mail incident
Retail students
were sent
database that
included SSNs,
other personal
• information
Joshua Ration
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
An e-mail concerning summer
school was sent to retail students
last week with an unintended
attachment — a database of
student information containing
more than 1,200 students’ Social
Security numbers, local addresses,
permanent addresses, cell phone
numbers, home phone numbers,
e-mail addresses and dates of
birth. The e-mail also disclosed
the students’ emergency contact
information.
Former student Joseph Reece
said he received the e-mail even
though he is no longer a student
and was upset to discover his
information was included in the
database.
“It included any student who
had taken a retail class,” Reece
said. “The biggest issue is that I
wasn’t told about it. A friend told
me — I wasn’t even informed that
my information had been leaked.”
Don Stowe, associate dean
of hospitality, retail and sports
management, said steps are being
taken to prevent another instance
of student information being
accidentally released.
“The best thing that is happening
is the university is changing to a
new data system,” Stowe said. “It
will allow us to pull down files
and allow us to communicate with
those people without creating our
own databases.”
Stowe said that any “professional
person working in an advisory
E°mRIL • 10
Researchers present Katrina findings
Speaker: ‘We are a
Jachie Alexander
NEWS EDITOR
As part of Earth Week,
• researchers Tuesday
presented projects targeting
the impact of Hurricane
Katrina during USC’s
Katrina CRISIS National
Summit at the BellSouth
building in downtown
Columbia.
In response to Hurricane
Katrina, the Office of
Research created CRISIS,
tlic Coastal P.oc 11 i onoy
Information Systems
Initiative for the Southeast,
three weeks after the
hurricane made landfall.
The office awarded nearly
$400,000 in grants to
faculty members of various
disciplines.
Researchers were given Six
months to do their research
and provide results at the
summit. Eighteen projects
were conducted.
The conference
commenced with speeches
from Harris Pastides, vice
president of the Office
of Research and Health
Sciences, and USC President
Andrew Sorensen.
Pastides commended
the university for “leaping
into action” at such a quick
pace.
“In my 25 years in
// New Orleanians
academia, I have never seen
such a focused and effective
response launched in a
quicker amount of time,”
Pastides said.
Sorensen addressed the
“USC factor” in addressing
hurricane relief, detailing
the efforts of community
members to help those
displaced by the storm.
“I want to commend
the university staff,
faculty and students for
the extraordinary way in
which they came together
in response to Hurricane
Katrina,” Sorensen said.
“I’ve been a professor and
administrator for 40 years,
and I have never seen a
group of faculty members
and administrators come
together with the rapidity
and thoughtfulness than this
group did.”
Sorensen said at a public
meeting he pledged the
use of the Naval armory to
process Katrina evacuees. In
48 hours, Sorensen said the
building was cleaned and
outfitted with 100 computers
and 80 telephones.
Ahmed Kassem, a research
assistant professor, presented
his group’s research
pinpointing the flaws in
closing the 17th street canal
HHIRIHR • 10
Jackie Alexander / THE GAMECOCK
Michael Tidwell, author of “Bayou Farewell: The Rich Life and Tragic Death of
Louisiana’s Cajun Coast,” speaks Tuesday at the CRISIS National Summit in the
auditorium of BellSouth in Columbia. USC researchers presented their findings
from 18 research projects that address the social and environmental aftereffects
of Hurricane Katrina.
Clean Carolina, student groups to beautify campus
Katie Boucher
TUB UAMEC(X'.K
From the Coliseum to Columbia
Hall to Capstone, many student
organizations will be cleaning
campus today as part of the
annual Clean Carolina project
between noon and 2 p.m.
“Clean Carolina is an on-going
annual project organized by
Student Government that aims
to reduce litter and beautify our
campus,” said education graduate
student Danielle Vegas, project
director.
The event was created in the
1990s and modeled after the
Adopt-A-Highway program.
Student organizations involved
in Clean Carolina are given an
area to keep clean throughout the
year, and a sign marked with the
organization’s name is put in the
area.
SG President Tommy Preston,
a third-year political science
student, will help kick off the
event on Greene Street. Lunch
and T-shirts will be provided for
those involved in the project.
The kick-off was originally
scheduled to take place in
March, but was rained out and
intentionally rescheduled for this
week because Saturday is Earth
Day, Vegas said.
“Although I have never done it,
I would like to get involved and
would like to see more students
get involved,” said Nick Young,
a fourth-year marketing and
management student.
Vegas said the event is only
open to registered student
organizations, but the student
services committee will be
recruiting people not involved in
a student organization.
“One way we hope to reach out
to this type of student is through
the University 101 program,”
Vegas said.
Meagan Hartley, a second-year
cicnn • 10
IN AGE OF
INTERNET,
‘PHISHING’
CAN MEAN
DISASTER
6ina Uasselli
. STAFF WRITER
Many students have
seen the Citibank
commercials about identity
theft, but few realize how
susceptible they are to the
problem.
“Identity theft occurs
when someone else uses
your personally identifying
information without your
knowledge or permission,”
said a statement on the U.S.
Department of Education’s
Web site.
Identity thieves gather
personal information to open
new credit card accounts, or
use active accounts.
“They may call your
credit card issuer to change
the billing address on your
credit card account,” says
a statement on the Federal
Trade Commission’s Web
site. “The imposter then
runs up charges on your
loeniuv • i
A Day in the Life
Parking
attendant
eyes meters,
grad school
Leslie Draffm
THE GAMECOCK
Parking around the Russell
House is possibly one of the
most chaotic events of USC
students’ daily routines, but as
appealing as the Russell House
Bookstore parking lot seems,
students should beware of
parking attendants who watch
the lot during store hours.
Ashley Witherspoon, a
fourth-year economics student,
is one of those attendants.
Witherspoon has worked as
an attendant for USC during
the 2005-2006 academic year,
and her position makes her
responsible for giving notes to
drivers so they can park for free
during their allotted 30 minutes
ure • s
Viewpoints
Tecla Markosky slams
Brad and Angelina’s
chosen birthplace for
their child; Liz White
enlightens us on the proper
etiquette for breakups.
■V 5
The Mix
Great Googly
With innovation,
Googles creators sent the
search engine to No. 2
on Business Week’s most
innovative business list.
Hey, Bulldogs
The Citadel comes
a knockin’ tonight
at Sarge Frye Field
to take on USC’s
baseball team.
Sports
Index
Comics & Crossword.... 16
Classifieds..19
Horoscopes..16
Opinion.13
Police Report..2