Campus cheers on Clowney
By Josh Dawsey | Feb. 15, 2011USC opens Russell House theater for signing event
USC opens Russell House theater for signing event
Student Government elections are almost here, and in today’s edition we give you in-depth looks at each candidate for executive office and their platforms. Our editorial board also spent time with each candidate, and our choices for office are inside on the Viewpoints page. Voter turnout in these elections is historically low. In fact, only 20 percent of students take time to vote some years. But these student body officers control hundreds of thousands of dollars, represent the student body at hundreds of events and are the primary catalysts for new student initiatives on campus. It’s easy to vote. Voting for student body executives and student senate opens on VIP at 9 a.m. Feb. 15 and ends at 5 p.m. Feb. 16. The Student Government Elections ballot can be found underneath the “Personal” tab on VIP. Write-in ballots may be cast in room 227 in the Russell House. In addition to SG officers, you will also be able to vote on a new SG constitution. This proposed amendment to the SG Constitution will merge the Graduate Student Association and Student Government and create a “stronger voice for graduate students, who are woefully underrepresented in our current government system” said GSA President Ben Bullock. Should it pass, SG will become a bicameral legislature with both a graduate and undergraduate branch. Both would have vice presidents with equal power in the organization.
Jadeveon Clowney, the top-ranked football recruit in the nation, will announce his college decision today at 10:15 at South Point High in Rock Hill. Clowney will choose between USC, Clemson and Alabama. He is expected to choose the Gamecocks. See tomorrow’s edition of The Daily Gamecock for full coverage.
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At the time of publication, the university still had not decided whether possible snow would cause Thursday's classes to be postponed or canceled. The most recent update on sc.edu said a decision would be made by 5:30 a.m. Check sc.edu for more details.
Two street preachers debated with students and attempted to spread their message on the corner of Bull and Greene Streets Wednesday afternoon. Their provocative statements and signs elicited a reaction little different from past instances of street preachers on campus: The two were inevitably encircled by students who disagreed them.
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In celebration of Black History Month, Carolina Service Council invited former USC Athletic Administrator Harold White to speak to students about how the university has changed as a result of integration in the 1960s. When the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case ruled that the doctrine “separate but equal” was indeed unconstitutional, White joined the staff at USC and helped recruit many of its first African-American athletes. Three young men, just a year shy of becoming the first African-Americans to attend an all-white college, enrolled at USC in September of 1963. White, who worked with USC’s athletic department for about 32 years, spoke about how black athletes were received by other students, how important it is to get an education and how the university has evolved. “USC has groomed a lot of people. It has a lot to be proud of. It has definitely changed over the years,” White said. White also discussed USC’s first black athletes and how they helped to shape the University’s legacy. Heisman trophy recipient and All-American player George Rogers spoke about what it was like to play for USC. He told students about how in today’s society, anything less than a college education would not suffice when in search for a decent job. “It is your job to get an education,” Rogers said. “I was lucky to play football and be the first draft pick to play in the NFL.” When asked how he and the other black athletes were treated, he stated that “when we won games, it didn’t matter that we were black. They didn’t care.” Student Director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and third-year public relations student Christina Galardi helped organize the event, hoping to inform students about the history behind the university. “Students today may not realize how previous generations had to work through inequalities to get things how they are now,” Galardi said. Even though both White and Rogers spoke about what it was like for an athlete, they both came to the same conclusion. “Make good grades,” Rogers said, “because when you look back, your college life is really what’s most important.” During the brief question and answer period at the end of the lecture, a student asked White how to face people who label African-Americans who attend USC instead of a historically black colleges and universities. White responded, “Your generation has to build this thing. You have to help new generations move forward. There are folks who gave a lot for you to be here.”
Student Government will hold its annual executive candidate debate tonight, with four hopeful presidential candidates and two vice presidential candidates appearing in Gambrell Hall 153 at 7 p.m. The debate will be moderated by Josh Dawsey, editor-in-chief of The Daily Gamecock, and will last about one hour. Some questions will come from the moderator, while candidates will also have an opportunity to ask questions of each other. This year’s debate is co-sponsored by The Daily Gamecock and marks the first time the event will be held at night.
Registration ends at midnight for USC’s annual Dance Marathon, a 24-hour charity event that raises funding for Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital and Children’s Miracle Network. The event begins Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. in the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center. The marathon is open to all USC students, staff and faculty, and those registered can participate individually or as a group. The event allows participants to learn a line dance and take part in various games and contests throughout the event in order to raise money. Once registered, participants are challenged to raise $150 for Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital before Dance Marathon begins. Cash and check donations are accepted, and donations through credit card can be made on Dance Marathon’s website. By Tuesday night, Dance Marathon had 610 participants with $68,407 raised. “We’re hoping for the same amount of participants, if not more,” said Co-Director of Dance Marathon Morale Caitlin Szabo, a fourth-year experimental psychology student. “Last year we weren’t as strict as raising $150, but we are this year so we can raise our goals. We don’t think it’s too much to ask for what it goes towards.” To register, visit uscdm.org.
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