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Real world exists, impacts USC students Living inside college bubble no reason to not pay attention to world With the long, hot days of Slimmer behind us and the long, fiot days of school ahead, I’d like to encourage everyone to be more aware of the world around them this year. Many feel that governments — student through [ federal — are distant entities that have no tangible effect on their lives. However, in the coming months, we might witness significant changes that will affect all of us in one way or another. There is no better time than now to get involved. At the university level, we will hopefully see “upgrades” around campus. For instance, the long promised wireless Internet blanket will soon descend upon the far reaches of USC. To those of you with laptops that get more than 30 minutes of battery life, this will present an opportunity to work on homework, and more importantly, instant message nearly anywhere. I, on the other hand, will be the guy lugging my “laptop” (my legs quickly lose all circulation if 1 actually place the beast on my lap) around the campus, searching for an outlet to recharge every few minutes. Let’s encourage computer services to complete the wireless network by the September 2005 goal they have set. While USC has many great □ facilities and classrooms, some buildings make me grimace as I enter and am instantly ransported back LEAKE t0 the 1960s □r (since I was alive back then and remember how the buildings looked). In order to gain the kind of clout we’re striving for as an institution, we need to update certain areas such as the science buildings and the library. Asbestos isn’t exactly “in” anymore either. The world outside the university is ever-changing as well. In September, we will witness the swearing in of a new Supreme Court justice. This is significant because so many of the controversial decisions the court has made in the past few years have been 5-4 decisions, hinging on one justice. Terrorists will continue to plot and scheme against innocent civilians around the world. Having spent some time in Washington, D.C. this summer, I’ve grown accustom to the sight of officers armed with machine guns guarding almost everything along my walk to work. After both the successful and attempted London bombings, mass transit was raised to orange alert status. No word yet on how this will affect the USC bus system, but it probably will not make them more punctual. As the new generation of voters, we have the opportunity to shape how the government prevents terrorism and what levels of security and monitoring we are willing to allow, if we choose to make our voice heard. This fall will be vastly different from last fall, in that we have no presidential election to fill our eyes, ears and minds 24/7. Don’t think for a moment, though, that the College Republicans and Democrats will lay low in the absence of an impending election. Likewise, the Viewpoints section of The Gamecock will continue to be littered with political commentary written by Gamecocks like myself who like to believe that a majority of students really care about the world around them. Which brings me back to my original point: Be involved in the many opportunities USC provides for students to shape the direction of our university, as well as the direction of our country. Voice your opinion on the issues that matter to you. It’s easy to be a bystander and live your life as though nothing in the news affects you! I encourage you to fight that urge and begin to effect change in your university, city, state, nation and world. Columbia's boring label belies hidden fun A There’s no excuse for missing chances to do fun stuff for free at USC After all the time I’ve spent working for The Gamecock as a USC undergrad, you’d expect me to be a little nostalgic leaving campus for the last time this August. Sorry, no dice. I refuse, by matter of principle to ratde off a list of “you should have been there when” events from my past four years of college. What I will leave you with, though, is a handy dandy perforated-for-your-convenience list of things you, oh dear reader, should do while you’re lucky enough to walk around USC’s campus. Instead of staring enviously through the windows of the Honors College kids lucky enough to live on the Horseshoe, egg em. Kidding, but in all seriousness, you really can’t say you went to the Real USC umess you tnrew a rnsoee or baseball around on the big of lawn that we call the Horseshoe. Just be sure to f>ick your time wisely - it. doubles as a tanning parlor when the weather is nice, and stepping on the cutie from your intro English class is a terrible way to make an introduction. Oh, and every undergrad should try to steal the ball from the Macxy monument — even if it’s harder now that they bolted it down. It seems obvious that every student goes to football games during their tenure, but I’ve met a surprising number of non-Preston residents who have never made it to a game, despite the free tickets. To me, it’s just wasteful, since your tuition covers entry. Furthermore, it’s the closest many of us will ever get to being a rock star, as having more than 80,000 screaming fans around you is an experience not to be underestimated. Half of USC, chiefly those with more than one X chromosome know that games are more of a social event than a sporting one. Don’t limit yourself to football, though - baseball, soccer and basketball games are among the best-times I’ve had at USC, since we have both excellent teams PATRICK nuGUSTine “""'d 7 say 1 never took Fourth-year advantage of the political many science student opportumt.es to enculturate myself at the university’s expense while I was here. Since USC has great music and theatre students, it’s no wonder that classical music performances and stage productions abound. Between the Koger Center and Longstreet Theatre, USC has amazing venues for productio’ns, one exhibiting the finest in modern acoustics and the other Old South charm and history. Barely a block away from USC reside two of Columbia’s theater companies, Workshop and Town theaters, and South Carolina’s Shakespeare Company occasionally puts on performances of the bard’s classics in Finlay Park. You can read our The Mix section to stay current on these of events, and Columbia has copious chances to see live music, be it in one of the many venues or festivals that the city has. As an old Southern town, Columbia has lots of historically significant buildings that are architecturally unique and will be of interest to history buffs. A bonus is that many of them are purportedly haunted, a fact I suggest you test for yourself. The Hampton-Preston, Robert Mills and Wilson family homes can be toured and do special candle-lit events around Christmastime. Former USC presidents and Civil War soldiers purportedly haunt the Horseshoe’s South Caroliniana Library and DeSassure College. Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo is in the top 10 nationally for cities our size and has its own botanical garden and farm animal petting area. Richland County has a chain of award-winning libraries, with the architecturally distinctive main branch on Assembly Street (a great quiet place to study if you’re roommate isn’t quiet and Thomas Cooper is full). Film buffs are walking distance from the Nickelodeon, Columbia’s only independent theater specializing in small films. Located behind, the State {douse on Main Street, the Nickelodeon is likely to expand to new digs before the current crop of freshmen leave town for good in six years. Even Columbia’s own art museum, on the other end of Main Street, has a surprisingly good selection of an from nearly every significant movement in modern history. 5o me people mignt not consider lectures their idea of fun, but every once in a while, USC still manages to surprise me. After all, Carolina Productions (CP) managed to bring New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman to campus last year. Dave Chapelle also made a stop at the Koger Center at CPs behest, proving that college students can indeed do something amazing on their own. Overall, most of CP’s vents are worth checking out, like the free movies in the Russell Flouse. It’s a little-known fact that USC’s film classes have screenings in the evening, and it’s a chance for poor film fans to see stuff you could otherwise only find on NetFlix. The Honors College does a great job with their ‘Last Lecture’ series, which gives professors the chance to say what they would if they only had one lecture left — the results are impressive. Finally, don’t let a list like this one limit you — college is the chance to fall asleep in bars, go skydiving or drive to Monetta to watch a movie while sitting on the hood of your car. That way when you’re old and wrinkled like me, you can have a whole new set of things to recommend to the starry eyed fresh meat. CR or TG (shameless plug). You’ll learn what those acronyms stand for soon enough if you read this newspaper or pay attention as you stumble around campus. Student organizations are equally demanding and easygoing. While you usually can’t perform drunk or hung over, pajamas are perfectly acceptable board meeting attire. Either way, you can’t do your job if you’re a lush. Phew. I hope I avoided the cheese of the normal mealymouthed “get involved” column. Oops, secrets out. In summary, please don’t puke on me, and go get involved. In that order. Go Cocks.. J A|^Nfy ' / 5AIP XHt 6<Ji WHOI ’ ^,r it IS PtAY/iJ&l H /(J 06TC&'X A “A. XoQ/xl! yfP.1 cT mMfflMzsAf.. pResTon • coimntiED pROfn m Advisory Board is an encouraging innovation by USC’s student government,” Congressman Jim Clyburn said in a statement to USC. “It provides a wonderful opportunity for students to become more engaged in the jpues facing our nation and gain a deeper understanding of the governmental process. I look forward to interacting with my student constituents.” In writing this column, I am not only highlighting SG’s accomplishments, but I am also encouraging all Carolina students to get involved in this process. In order for there to be major policy changes in the government regarding higher education, students must stand up and make sure their voices are heard. SG is committed to keeping important issues at the forefront for discussion, but we can’t do it alone. With your help, we can strive to make college more affordable and less stressful. Sunday Morning Worship 9am and 1 lam Thursday Evening Informal Worship 7pm Sunday Bible & Breakfast for Young Adults 10am Pastors: Rev. Michael Henderson and Rev. Megan Gray WEfflH on The PoSiTiv/e SiDe.Ihe New RoBoTiC ARM WoRKS TERRiFiCt'... i 1.89 ' (each piece) i Dry Cleaning ' 99c Laundered Shirts - NO LIMIT GOOD AT I ROSEWOOD LOCATION ONLY l i Payment in advance 1 Must present coupon, Exp. 8/15 ! 1.89 (each piece) ! 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