dailygamecock.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
Wednesday 60°
51°
Thursday 51°
63°
VOL. 103, NO. 35 ● SINCE 1908
Atheist speaker draws crowd Pastafarians invite bestselling author Richard Dawkins ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
46°
60°
SEC Power Rankings Assistant Sports Editor Ja me s K ratc h bre a ks down SEC football rankings for week six.
See page 9
“Glee”: fall season’s most addictive show Jimmy Gilmore takes a look at Fox’s latest hit about a high school glee club. Tune in to the Mix to read about all the comedy, drama and music this Fox show, which airs Wednesdays at 9.m., has to offer.
See page 6
W hat would New York Times best seller, worldrenow ned biolog i st a nd f o r m e r O x f o r d b iolo g y chairperson Richard Dawkins tell children taught creation by their parents? “Your parents are talking complete and utter rubbish,” Dawkins said. A nd how does Dawkins classify religion in general? “Like a computer virus.” For t ho s e D aw k i n s aficionados at the Carolina Coliseum Tuesday night, the pointed comments weren’t surprising. Dawkins, known for his in-your-face teaching and his deep British accent brought almost two hours of scientific discussion to approximately 2,000 people for the annual A.C. Moore Lect u re of Biolog ical Sciences. The event, co-sponsored by the campus atheist group Pastafarians, drew no outside protestors and remained civil for the entire discourse, surprising some who said b efore t he lec t u re t he y expected the debate to turn vitriolic. Ev e n d u r i n g s o me of Dawkins’ most controversial st atement s t he major it y of t he audience clapped. No b o o s or derog at or y comments were audible, and when audiences were posed with the opportunity to ask Dawk ins questions, none were defamatory or attacking. Dawk ins said he wasn’t surprised. “T he more I do t hese e ve nt s i n t he s o - c a l le d
Jonathan Battaglia
MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR
Alan Tauber / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Richard Dawkins signs copies of his latest book, “The Greatest Show on Earth,” Tuesday night. ‘Bible Belt,’ the more I see enor mou s s upp or t f rom people who feel beleaguered and even oppressed in their own communities,” Dawkins said. “Then they see that they’re not the only one.” Past afa r ia ns President Andrew Cederdahl said that is the goal of such dialog. The group, named after the flying spaghetti monster, has grown exponentially since it s fou nding. The g roup was featured in a New York Times profile this spring, and the Dawkins lecture was just the latest success the group has seen, Cederdahl said. “Whether its intellectual l a z i ne s s , d i s ho ne s t y o r fundamentalism, so many people still fight evolution,” Cederdahl said. “Scientific educat ion must never be under siege from ideologues.” Dawkins devoted much of his time to that exact point. His figures show that more than 40 percent of Americans still believe in the Christian Bible, and that’s what drives
him to continue pushing his goals. “These people of ten hold the power as they’re in charge of school boards, members of the United States Congress, state governors or candidates for president or vice president,” Dawkins said. “They have the money to control institutions and society.” The scientist spent the lect u re reading excer pt s of his newest book, “The Greatest Show on Earth: The Case for Evolution.” The book, currently a New York Times bestseller, makes the case that “no reputable scientist disputes evolution. No unbiased reader will close the book doubting it.” The questions Dawkins received from the audience varied. One member asked him about the evolutionary origins of religion. “There will always be religion in a countr y, every anthropologist says,” Dawk i n s sa id. “ It is a l l
nonsense, but different kinds of nonsense.” A not her asked how he responded to crit ics t hat classified his work as juvenile. “It is true our society has grown accustomed to religion b ei ng h a nd led w it h k id gloves,” Dawkins said. “You can say whatever you want about music, art or politics, but when I say something ab out rel ig ion , it hu r t s peoples feelings. I don’t think it’s juvenile if we’re talking about anything else.” Eric Fulmer, a second-year chemistry student, said he doubts Dawkins. “His ideas are probably logical,” Fulmer said before pausing. “At least to him.” But Benjamin Combs, a second-year computer science student, feels differently. “I agree f undamentally with him,” Combs said. “But his delivery can be a little harsh.” Comments on this story? E-mail sagcknew@mailbox.sc.edu
USC alum starts alternative school
A Note from Spurrier USC’s football coach Steve Spurrier sent a letter to The Daily Gamecock with a message thanking the loud and spirited Gamecock fans who support their favorite boys on the field in WilliamsBrice Stadium. Find out what your cheers mean to the team.
See page 5
(803) 777-3914 (803) 777-7726 (803) 777-7182 (803) 576-6172
Men’s soccer preview USC’s men’s soccer team will take on Southern Methodist Universit y in tonight’s home match in Stone Stadium at 7 p.m.
Online @
www.DailyGamecock.com
Hate crime victim’s mom shares story Mother, activist advocates reform after son’s death
Josh Dawsey
Friday
Mix
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2009
Barclay School offers unique environment for students with learning differences Kyara Massenburg
THE DAILY GAMECOCK
USC alumna Gillian Barclay-Smith has been in education for 35 years. With experience across a variety of facets, she had become displeased with the “cookie cutter” style of teaching and learning in public schools and was motivated to found The Barclay School at Columbia College to inspire hope in children with learning differences that have not been able to receive a quality education in a public school. With the help of her husband, USC sociology professor Patrick Barclay, she took a non-traditional approach when she opened a school in late July. Barclay-Smith has designed a school that welcomes all students, but is especially geared toward the education of those with learning difficulties such as dyslexia and attentional issues. Barclay-Smith has earned degrees from the University of Düsseldorf, Germany and USC. After teaching for 35 years and serving as principal for two years at a West Columbia school for students with learning differences, she had a new lease on education. Barclay-Smith left the Glenforest School to focus more time on writing children’s books. After being approached by parents of her former students and having the hope to “expand what people view as smart,” Barclay-Smith sprung into action. She has a vested interest in her students because she too has dyslexia. Due to shortcomings in public schools and lack of proper avenues to explore individual styles of learning, opening the school and educating children with learning difficulties was inevitable for her. “Children learn differently, the disability lies within the system, not the child,” Barclay-Smith said. Barclay-Smith chose the Parker House at Columbia College as the ideal place to create a conducive environment for her students. The house is filled with bright colored walls, one of which houses a mural that was painted by the students. The house consist of three other rooms that are designated for classrooms, a science room, computer room and a “Sherlock Holmes” inspired wood-paneled library. Just as unique as the setup of the house, is a typical morning at The Barclay School. A school day starts at around 9 a.m. Barclay-Smith greets the students and is accompanied by her chow-mix, Daisy. Everyone nestles into the central room where a fire place is located. The students are able to sit and listen to her read to them while they enjoy a seasonal treat like hot chocolate which they had a hand in making.
Courtesy of Gillian Barclay-Smith
Gillian Barclay-Smith started The Barclay School in late July to build student confidence through a diverse curriculum. The warm, loving aura that is created at the school assists Barclay-Smith in effectively achieving her teaching philosophy: If you lessen a child’s anxiety, learning is easier. Barclay-Smith focuses on a balanced curriculum and builds confidence in her students by allowing them to use projects, drawings and skits to show what they have learned. Thus, allowing her to incorporate new material and build on the children’s weaknesses. Patrick Barclay teaches algebra to the students a few days out of the week. “Mastery is the key, not passing. There are no wrong answers when I teach, just learning experiences,” he said. Barclay-Smith is also a big advocate of field trips. She plans as many field trips as possible and hosts many guests who are experts in different fields of the arts as a way to get each student to become an active participant in the world. She and the students also incorporate daily activities such as walks after lunch with the dog, Daisy, updating their Web site so that parents can follow their progress and many other assorted activities. Year-round schooling is also another unique aspect that the Barclay school possesses. “We are in school just as many days as traditional students; we just have more breaks that last a few weeks instead of having huge gaps. Many of my children have memory issues so it helps them retain the information without getting burnt out,” Barclay-Smith said. There are currently six students in attendance at The Barclay School. With a shoe-string budget, Barclay-Smith has managed to provide a wealth of knowledge and opportunities for these very talented students. She hopes to eventually be able to increase the number of students and provide outside funding to aid more parents in being able to afford the tuition. Comments on this story? E-mail sagcknew@mailbox.sc.edu
Elke Kennedy, gay rights activist and mother of hate crime victim Sean Kennedy, spoke to Bisexual Gay and Lesbian St udent A lliance members Tuesday night. Her son Sean Kennedy was killed outside a Greenville bar in 2007 when a man called him a “faggot” and punched him so hard that his brain separated f rom h is brai n stem. Stephen Moeller, 18, was sentenced to involuntary manslaughter and a five-year prison sentence, which he was released early from in January. Kennedy formed Sean’s Last Wish two weeks after her son’s death to raise awareness of t he lack of hate crime leg islat ion in South Carolina. Since then, KENNEDY K e n n e d y has traveled more t h a n 76 ,0 0 0 m i le s promoting her cause. “I’m doing this to stop the senseless hate and violence,” Kennedy said. “If I can touch one or two people or prevent people from getting hurt then I am fulfilling Sean’s wish.” Currently, South Carolina, along with five other states, has no legislation on hate crimes. South Carolina also has the highest hate groups per capita of any state. Kennedy encouraged the audience to contact local legislators to change hate crime laws. “ We don’t h ave a way to protect t he LGBT c o m m u n it y, a n d it ’s promot ing hat red toward them,” Kennedy said. “Even though President Obama is supportive of us, he can’t do it by himself. We have to be there behind him every step of the way.” She sa id on ly t wo of South Carolina’s six House representatives in Washington support the Matthew Shepard Act, which would expand federal hate crime legislation to include sexual orientation. Kennedy said Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint don’t represent their full constituencies. “We need to stand up for our rights and demand a voice in Washington,” Kennedy said. L aw re nc e C h at m a n , a s e c o n d -y e a r m e d i a a r t s student, said he appreciated having a supportive voice on campus. “I don’t know too many gay people who have gone through that kind of hate,” Chatman said. “Elke’s voice for change is an important one that all of us in the gay community should hear.” To m a rk Homophobi a Awareness Week, Kennedy’s husband, along with members of USC’s BGLSA, set up a 4 0 -f o ot s ig n e x pl a i n i n g Sean’s death and hate crime legislation on Greene Street Tuesday. “Hatred and bigotry aren’t natural — they are taught,” Kennedy said. “If we are really going to make an impact, we have to teach people this is wrong at a young age.” Comments on this story? E-mail sagcknew@mailbox.sc.edu