University of South Carolina Scholar Commons November 2008 11-11-2008 The aiD ly Gamecock, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2008 University of South Carolina, Office oftude S nt Media Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/gamecock_2008_nov Recommended Citation University of South Carolina, Office of Student Media, "The aiD ly Gamecock, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2008" (2008). November. 11. https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/gamecock_2008_nov/11 This Newspaper is brought to you by the 2008 at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in November by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sports TheThe MixMix Men’s soccer fi nished PapaPapa JazzJazz usesuses a the season with a formulaformula ooff vvinylinyl andand draw. See page 8 funk.funk. SeeSee pagepage 6 www.dailygamecock.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2008 VOL. 102, NO. 61 ● SINCE 1908 Local bookstores adapt to competition National chains, online sales force Columbia venues to get creative Paul Bowers THE DAILY GAMECOCK More than seven years after opening at its West Columbia location, Ed’s Editions is still in business. The store still smells of old binding, and owner Ed Albritton still sits at the cash register with a ready wit and a view of Meeting Street. Courtesy of WLTX.com Like other local independently owned bookstores, Ed’s is in the process of adapting to a bookselling business transformed utterly by online Car hits student sales and national chain stores. According to the report, “We knew that we were going Classmate recovering after police are still investigating contrary to the trend,” Albritton said, accident in Five Points and no charges have been reflecting on his decision to open a fi led. storefront in an age when the Amazon. Liz Segrist A close friend of Virden’s com business model was becoming NEWS EDITOR who wishes to remain more prominent. “We felt like we anonymous told The Daily could survive, and so far, we have. A USC student was struck Gamecock Virden “is in good We’re not rich, but we have a good by a pickup truck around 1:30 condition and is recovering.” store and a good following.” a.m. Friday in Five Points. The Columbia Police Living in the shadow of longtime Alexandra Virden, a fi rst- Department was unavailable literary institution Happy Bookseller’s year comparative literature for comment, and the closing last month, some bookstore Paul Bowers / THE DAILY GAMECOCK student from Maryland, Palmetto Health Richland owners in the Columbia area are Ed’s Editions bookstore in West Columbia offers unique services and a was taken to the Palmetto hospital declined to learning to deal with a shifting broad selection of used books to a faithful customer base of local readers. Health Trauma Center in comment. business climate. poor condition, according to The Daily Gamecock will A common trend among local stores WIS News 10. keep you updated as the story has been specialization. Each store, it bookstores.” narrowly defi ned markets. In the WIS report, a develops. seems, has a certain niche cornered. Many smaller bookstores have Misty Clare, whose bookstore The white Ford Ranger struck For Ed’s, that niche is used books, taken similar routes. The demise of Middle Way is located across the street the young woman as she Comments on this story? E-mail especially nonfi ction. Albritton keeps Happy Bookseller has been linked by Ed’s, said she does not see herself in was crossing Harden Street. [email protected] approximately 35,000 books in stock many former customers to the arrival competition with anyone. and has many rare, out-of-print of Barnes & Noble and Books-A- “I just think the universe is limitless editions. Million near its Forest Drive location. and there’s enough to go around,” “We don’t have a lot of direct Rather than face the stiff competition Clare said. “I don’t really have a belief competition with the new bookstores,” presented by these nationwide system that there’s an ‘us against them’ Analyst discusses election Albritton said. “In fact, we get a lot franchises, however, some bookstore kind of thing going on.” of referrals to our store from new owners have found success in more While Clare’s business views may Capstone House . be unorthodox, her clarity of focus is The lecture will focus a common theme among independent on the 2008 presidential booksellers. Her original intent for elections. the store was to solely sell books on Kristol currently spiritual topics. works as the founder “I don’t have books on cooking. I and editor of the don’t have romance novels, things Washington, D.C.-based like that. I have books on angels; I magazine The Weekly have books on the power of your Standard, a columnist subconscious mind,” Clare said. for The New York The store’s inventory includes titles Times and a regular such as “Fairies 101,” “Feng Shui for panelist on FOX News Prosperity” and “A New Earth.” Sunday, according to Serving another segment of USC News. Columbia’s population is Libreria The School of Cristiana Jesus Es Amor (“Jesus Is U.S. political analyst Journalism and Mass Love Christian Bookstore”), which William Kristol will Communications will specializes in Spanish-language Bibles speak to USC students present the free, open and Christian study materials. as part of the Buchheit lecture to the public. Brenda Gonzales, whose father Family Lecture Series For more information, tonight at 7 p.m. in call (803) 777-4105. Paul Bowers / THE DAILY GAMECOCK the Campus Room of Ed’s Editions fi nds its niche in nonfi ction to keep consumers coming back. BOOKSTORE ● 5 Sanford asks U.S. Treasury to investigate South Carolina bank out there, with people moving up — possibly, we don’t know former chairman of the state Chamber of Commerce and Governor worries fi nancial groups, executives this for certain — possibly, the date of departure,” Sanford former chairman of the University of South Carolina’s board said in a news conference Monday. “I want to emphasize this of trustees. taking advantage of $18M bailout package, is not unique to them, but it is, I think, a very strong example, Sanford pointed to an article in The State newspaper on fears funds being used for other purposes when somebody takes a share price from $26 down to $4, and Saturday that reported South Financial wants between $115 yet they get an $18 million payout. In the marketplace, that’s million and $347 million from the government bailout fund, Seanna Adcox not normally what happens.” according to a regulatory fi ling. Th e Associated Press He said if Whittle’s departure date was moved up “as a The deadline to apply has been moved from this week to direct gaming of the system,” taxpayers could be helping to Dec. 5. Gov. Mark Sanford has asked the U.S. treasury secretary fund his retirement package. Newly elected board chairman John C.B. Smith previously to investigate a South Carolina-based bank he suspects “I’m not saying that was or wasn’t done,” he said. “I do told The State that Whittle left as the selection process for is “gaming the system” in its request for federal bailout think it doesn’t pass the smell test. The timing is awfully his successor as CEO was going well and the board was money. unusual.” down to six fi nalists. The Republican governor said South Financial Group A spokesperson for South Financial Group said the In his letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Inc. — the largest publicly traded bank headquartered in company planned to release a statement on Whittle’s Sanford cited Mack’s retirement as a possible example South Carolina — seems to be an example of unintended retirement later Monday. A message left with Whittle was of banks circumventing the bailout’s limits on executive consequences of the bailout. He questioned whether chief not immediately returned. compensation. executive Mack Whittle moved up his previously announced The South Financial Group operates as Carolina First in “I’d appreciate you looking into this and seeing if there is retirement so the bailout could help fund his retirement South Carolina and North Carolina, as Mercantile Bank in anything that can be done to keep each one of the taxpayers package, which is valued at $18 million according to a Florida and as Bank CaroLine on the Internet. I represent from in essence having this $18 million, or other regulatory fi ling. Sanford said it was a possibility raised by In September, the company announced Whittle, who millions like it, plucked from their respective pocketbooks others, and he considers it suspicious. founded it in 1986 with one offi ce in Greenville, would retire “There’s some serious unintended consequences going on by year’s end. He left at the end of October. Whittle is also BANK ● 5 The Mix Sports Online Opinion............... 4 TODAY WEDNESDAY Crime report............ 2 Town Theatre cranks up the comedic Visit www.dailygamecock.com to Puzzles................ 7 plant carnage with “Little Shop of fi nd out what Austin Smallwood Comics................ 7 Classifi ed.................. 10 Horrors.” See page 6 thinks about lame duck coaches. 65 41 63 49 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2008 pageTWO Q & A with PIC OF THE DAY IHSA Club Equestrian Team meeting Administrator of the 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Russell House Lobby World Children’s Day Week 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Greene Street Joshua Garris, virtual reference services Discover coordinator and reference librarian 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.