Officials Weigh Education Reform
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University of South Carolina Scholar Commons January 2012 1-31-2012 The aiD ly Gamecock, TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2012 University of South Carolina, Office oftude S nt Media Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/gamecock_2012_jan Recommended Citation University of South Carolina, Office of Student Media, "The aiD ly Gamecock, TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2012" (2012). January. 1. https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/gamecock_2012_jan/1 This Newspaper is brought to you by the 2012 at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in January by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. dailygamecock.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2012 VOL. 108, NO. 16 ● SINCE 1908 Westmoreland: ‘Everything happens for a reason’ USC pitcher’s mom in remission had his elbow surgery and he didn’t after being diagnosed with cancer get to play. We were still there. He is a true baseball player. He loves to play Isabelle Khurshudyan baseball.” [email protected] Opening weekend is just a bump in the road for the Adam and Cindy Cindy Westmoreland , mother Westmoreland after all that they’ve of South Carolina pitcher Adam been through together. It’ll mark Westmoreland, hasn’t missed an the one-month anniversary of when opening weekend since he started Cindy Westmoreland found out that playing for the Gamecocks. she was cancer-free after 16 weeks of As Feb. 17 , the day of USC’s first treatment. baseball game of the 2012 season ‘You’re nervous anytime against Virginia Military Institute , someone throws the ‘c’ word nears, it could be bittersweet for the around’ mother and son duo. After battling breast cancer since Adam Westmoreland’s sister-in- September, Cindy Westmoreland will law’s mother had passed away from be having a double mastectomy on breast cancer just a few months earlier, Feb. 8, which might force her to miss so when his mother was diagnosed, he opening weekend to recover. said it was something that was really “I’m going to try my best,” Cindy diffi cult at fi rst. Westmoreland said. “I may not make “It was one of those things that I was it opening weekend and it’ll be the really, really nervous about because first one I’ve missed since he’s been you’re nervous anytime someone there. Even when he had his surgery, we still went to the games — when he WESTMORELAND ● 8 Richard Pearce / THE DAILY GAMECOCK Offi cials weigh education reform Student-athletes Provost: Financial aid from going up, then the funding scholarships, including HOPE, you get from taxpayers each year LIFE, and Palmetto Fellow, see overall overhaul needs review will go down.” combined with need-based grants, Kathryn Kranjc This poses a challenge for totaled over $47 million in 2011, increase in GPA [email protected] administrators at four-year public a $9.1 million increase from 2005. colleges, where in-state tuition These scholarships, in combination President Obama’s promise to has increased at a national average with university scholarships, cover Sports teams average 3.02, make college more affordable may of 8.3 percent this fall. USC had nearly 70 percent of the average 61 Gamecocks earn perfect 4.0 have received standing ovations a smaller tuition increase at 3.9 student’s tuition, Amiridis said. from debt-ridden students, anxious percent, but at $10,168, its in-state Both the numbers of and dollar Colin Campbell parents and outraged Occupy tuition is highest among public values of these awards, which are [email protected] protestors, but his plans have raised schools in the SEC. the state’s main mode of support for concerns for higher education “We don’t know what effect this higher education, have continued It can sometimes be difficult to watch Connor offi cials in South Carolina. would have until we know how to rise. Palmetto Fellows awards Shaw throw a 50-yard bomb or Bruce Ellington In an address at the University they will measure ‘cost,’” said alone increased 59 percent, and drain 3-pointer after 3-pointer — or not, depending of Michigan Friday, Obama Michael Amiridis, USC provost. the dollar value of those awards on the night — and not forget that these athletes are announced his plan to control “It depends on whether they’re increased 89 percent, according to students, like many of us. college costs by allocating and comparing apples to apples or the Offi ce of Student Affairs. And while their achievements and letdowns on redistributing $10 million in apples to oranges.” In comparison, federal aid, the fi eld are scrutinized by the media and fans alike, federal funding — in the form of The question to which Amiridis including Parent PLUS loans, these student-athletes’ classroom performance can Perkins loans, work-study jobs and referred is whether the proposed accounted for over $222 million sometimes go overlooked. supplemental grants to low-income law would look at listed tuition or of the university’s revenue in USC announced the Fall 2011 GPAs of its athletic students — based on schools’ the amount of tuition that students 2012. According to Amiridis, teams in a release Monday afternoon, boasting an efforts to limit tuition increases. actually pay. According to data withholding this aid would be average GPA of 3.202. Last semester marked the He issued a warning to universities, from the Offi ce of Student Affairs 10th consecutive semester the Gamecock athletics saying, “if you can’t stop tuition and Academic Support, state REFORM ● 3 program as a whole has averaged above a 3.0. Upon second look, it’s clear that, while no team’s GPA is drastically lower than the rest, some teams’ GPAs are noticeably higher than others. In particular, the GPAs of the major sports teams ranked lower than those of Olympic sports; football earned a 2.704, men’s and women’s basketball saw a 2.932 and 2.954, respectively and baseball had a 2.996 average GPA. Women’s golf (3.664), women’s swimming and diving (3.618), equestrian (3.545) and women’s soccer (3.493) earned the highest GPAs of the university’s 17 Division-I athletic teams. In fact, USC’s women’s athletic teams scored about 0.3 higher on average than their male counterparts — the nine women’s teams together averaged a 3.427, while the eight men’s teams averaged a 3.151 GPA . The release announced that equestrian, women’s swimming and diving and men’s track and fi eld earned their highest GPAs on record, and that Fall 2011 was the second-highest achieving semester for men’s Courtesy of GAC basketball and women’s soccer. USC has about 500 student-athletes listed on the rosters on its offi cial website. Of these students, 61 Zac Brown Band to play Colonial Life Arena had a perfect 4.0, another 181 were named to the dean’s list with a 3.5, and 360 made the athletics Tickets for Grammy Award-winners’ show charts , as well as broken into the Top 40 . The director’s honor roll with at least a 3.0, according to album also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard to go on sale this Saturday the release. chart. The band, which has appeared at the In comparison to Spring 2011, USC’s athletic Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival three times , is Amanda Coyne teams saw a 0.065 GPA uptick across the board in the [email protected] set to perform at eight music festivals across North Fall 2011 semester. Softball saw the greatest increase America this summer. from the previous semester, a 0.298-point jump. Grammy-winning Atlanta country sextet Zac Tickets will go on sale for the Colonial Life Women’s basketball, football and women’s tennis were Brown Band will play the Colonial Life Arena on Arena show this Saturday, Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. the only sports to see decreases in GPA — down about March 23. Performing with opener Trombone and will be available at the Lexington Medical 0.129 on average. Women’s tennis saw the biggest Shorty, the band’s Columbia stop is one in a series Center box office at the Colonial Life Arena, decrease by about 0.129 grade points. of fi ve March performances in Southern cities . The as well as at Columbia Play It Again Sports in “We are very proud of the way our student- winners of the 2009 “Best New Artist” Grammy Lexington, online at LMCtix.com and by phone at athletes have represented the academic mission of visited Clemson , Mississippi State and LSU on 1-855-4-LMC-TIX. the university,” Raymond Harrison, USC associate their Spring 2011 tour in support of their 2010 album, “You Get What You Give.” Four singles Comments on this story? GPA ● 2 from the album have reached No. 1 on country Visit dailygamecock.com/news Tuesday Rob RiggleCollege tuition Men’s tennis 70° 45° “Step Brothers” Columnist Molly South Carolina men’s comedian performs McCarthy says the tennis improves to stand-up act for Obama proposal to 5-0 after sweeping Wednesday packed Russell curb rising tuition weekend competi- House Ballroom rates is fl awed. tion. 76° 49° Monday night. See page 5 See page 4 See page 8 2 Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Students, faculty learn self-defense tactics USC police teach basic communication, when you feel pressured, coerced or ignored to learning Violence Intervention an Prevention Program. “Every physical skills to thwart attacks how to send clear messages to your attacker. The classes class has been full since fall.” last about four hours and will take place two more times There has even been a success story based on the Marianna Devenney this semester, on March 30 and April 9.