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Carolina Chamber Players, c today, State Museum Audito] Guest artists: Coolidge Si Quartet. $9 at the door. Foi son tickets, call 790-2109. Apathy copy editor TODD MONEY features editor KRISTIN FREESTAT When election time ro around every couple years, young people a faced with a choice: whether to jui into, or slip out of, the voting proce In 1996, the last presidential race, alx two-thirds of them didn't even through with it. And, depending on w you talk to, the reasons tor this are c ferent. But first, a little history on the si ject. Since the official start of tfc country's involvement in the Vietm War, participation in national electic by the 18-to-24-year-old demograpl of Americans has fallen dramatical from around 51 percent in 1968, to abc 43 percent in 1992, to less than 33 p< cent in 1996. Participation by that group in ye? of strictly congressional elections h fallen off as well, though not as di matically. About 24 percent of them voted 1974, compared with around 22 pi cent in 1986 and just more than 20 p< cent in 1994. * Many analysts are quick to point decreased overall voter turnout duri that same time. But those overall figures don't e actly coincide with those from the ] to-24-year-old division. Total participation of registered v ers was 67.8 percent in 1968, and ] mained more than 57 percent staff writer MARTHA WRIGHT USC's Puppet Regime took fans oi "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" on a strange journey Thursday and Friday. It was a fairly ordinary night when the acting troupe and Carolina Productions opened the doors to the Russell House Theater. This is the third year the facility has hosted a simultaneous live performance of "Rocky Horror." In live performances, live actors on stage mimic the on-screen actors as the movie plays. Senior Ralph EfAmbrose and junior Ruth Nettles co-directed. For the uninitiated, heretofore referred to as "virgins," "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is the brainchild of actor/director Richard O'Brien. The film answers a timeless quandary: What happens when two naive, ail-American kids encounter a spaceship rull ot party-going aliens and one sweet transvestite? The musical, which was made in 1975, stars Tim Curry as the scientist/transvestite Frank N. Furter, Barry Bostwick as hero Brad Majors and ntgag r U.S. MARINE C Every year the ^ toys to underprivileged otherwise not receive a If you or your 01 help us help the familie the "Toys for Tots" pre Silvers or Sgt. Magwooi ) p.m. rium. tring seaamong j every presidential election year until ^ 1996. when it sliDDed to 54.2 Dercent. j j g And while Robert Oldendick, a proo|. fessor in the department of government ire and international studies, doesn't beheve the decrease in the number of stugg dent-age voters is significant, he does )ut admit that the numbers will probably continue to sink. k0 "If anything, if s likely to decrease even further," he said. He blames the declines on campaign jb. financing, shady deals and negative campaign ads. "I think that there's a general disim illusionment with pohtics," he said. "The ins whole tone of political campaigning and 1j(c political life in general is negative." ]y In Oldendick's mind, that disillu)Ut ' sionment won't be easy to overcome. er_ "Voter turnout went down over a long period of time and will take a long n-s time to come back up," he said. "If we're as going to see anv long-term change in -a. turnout, itH have to do with civic education." in In the meantime, Oldendick thinks jr- students and the rest of the people in er- the country will cast their votes when the need arises. v. to "If people are really concerned, ng they're more likely to do something about it," he said. "At this point, peo;x pie seem to have accepted it." L8- So, what are young people thinking around the first week of November? ot- "Students reflect the general nare tional antipathy toward politics," said in Robert Thompson, a professor of gov; do the ti Susan Sarandon as the heroine, Janet Weiss. "[Ttocky Horror! is a terrible movie that people seem to like for no reason," D'Ambrose said. "The production value, the acting, the plot are just awful." So what explains the packed theaters? The nationwide cult following? The booming sales of fishnet stockings? "It's not the movie people come to see," D'Ambrose said. "They come to be in*rn1trn/1 Vnn Mn'f T?nplr\7 ffnrrnr' UlTUiTVU. 1V/U VUU W UU JLVUWVJ XiUllUl without an interactive audience." And involved they are. As the droves of followers entered the theater, they were provided with bags of props: water guns for a scene in the rain, newspapers to imitate Janet Weiss' vain attempt to stay dry, toast and miniature playing cards. People also brought their own items, such as rice to throw at the wedding scene and toilet paper to launch when Brad Majors proclaims, "Great Scott!" Participants also shout out humorous responses to the actors' lines, some of which have local appeal. For instance, when Frank Furter says, "There's no crime in giving your ORPS RESERVE^ Marines help distribute children who would present for Christmas, rganization would like to s of our community with gram please call Sgt. d at (803) 783-0953. Ei Jtudent y< "Most students do tenc because their world is college or university tl don't think it affects tl ernment and international studies. p Betty Glad, also a professor in that de- ii partment and adviser to the Young Democrats on campus, went further: "I v think there's a sort of general culture of cynicism [among students]." ii Glad related that, when she taught school in Illinois, she'd tell her students V that she called herself a political skeptic, and they would tell her they were t' political cynics. ti Of course, experience could be a factor as well. o "People do not realize what the role c of a politician is," Glad said. v So what are the people most inti- b mately connected with the process ? the politicians and their parties ? do- li ing to get the message out to their prospective voters? s Terry Ward, communications di- o rector for the South Carolina Republi- e can Party, points specifically to high school and college political organiza- p tions as having a huge influence on young people. - a Ward said being in a club like the c College Republicans "really gives [young ti me warp USC Transy lvanians participated in a i "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" in the self over to pleasure," the audience fired back, "There is in South Carolina!" ly p This year, the Puppet Regime con- pla; suited with the cast at the Rialto The- ple< ater in Raleigh, N.C., to orchestrate this year's "Virgin Sacrifice." the of" )?11 ? p-sa- - THE NEW LIVE 2-CD SE Klr'J WIDESPREAI Ml PANIC BSI INCLUDES OVER WfSipLajIpURS OF MUSK np^^^^f/i x:. iters re 1 not to vote pretty much the tiey attend, so they tiem." Russell Gaither senior leople] a feeling of how to participate a issues." Even with the help of those groups rard-of-mouth and bought media time it's hard to get young people to hon< a on a message," Ward conceded. Young Democrats President Jin Valsh had a more optimistic view. tv.? 1 ?1.: 4 jLiicic o auiii a puiitiuai uuiot uu here," he said, referring to his rela ions with students. Walsh also pointed to his group's n-campus work, which recently in luded helping Student Governmeni nth a voter drive that he said regis ered about 560 students. SG Elections Commissioner Emi e Greene was pleased with the results "We got a pretty large response,' he said. "Hopefully, people will tun ut Tuesday because the Student Gov rnment helped them." However, she's not so positive aboui participation in SG elections. "If s a trend that students don't can bout student government and don'1 ome out for state and national elec ions, either," Greene said. "I don't thin! again at MUM! M' ASHTON JUNE The Gamecock shadow cast perforomance of : Russell House Theater. The Rialto, which puts on a week>erformance, coached the regime yers in the execution of the virgin ige. If last week marked the first time moviegoers saw a five performance Rocky Horror," the virgins were BB ' *V ' WSm CAREFULLY READ OTHER Pi j CAUTIONS ON BACK PANEL U suit of < students realize how the issues them." Senior Russell Gaither thinks simply a matter of perspective. "Most students do tend not t because their world is pretty mu< college or university that they ai so they don't think it affects thei said. But USC students, at least, ' even vote in that world. Greene, who's worked on the , tions Commission for nearly four; , said only 10 percent of students j erally vote in SG elections, whic reduce SG's pull with the Boa i Trustees and its credibility wit faculty and staff, t Greene thinks candidates ii election can help solve the problen ply through communication. , "Candidates have to be mori rifir witVi icsiioo anH Virm/ iccnac people our age," she said. "People to take more of an interest in i in general. We definitely have a lem with apathy on this campus If s a problem she plans to cor during SG elections this spring. Greene plans to entice stude vote by holding more political del encouraging students who've nevei involved with SG to run for offic t adding referendums to the balloi Above all, she wants students J derstand how accessible SG officei t All executive officers have c - phone lines, regular office hour i voice mail, and the SG office is 'Rocky branded with a large, green "V" a asked to come to the front of the tl ater. "Watching it on VH1 hosted Meatloaf doesn't count," said D'A brose, who was dressed in his Brad ft jors attire. As those in attendance chanted "\ gins, virgins," the group recited 1 pledge and participated in a symbc bump-and-grind. Both performance nights revea that most of those in attendance wi virgins. Megan Avinger from Columbia C lege was among those initiated Thu day. "My birthday is on Halloween, a my suitemate Kate suggested [co ing to the show]. If s cheap, and ifs fu Avinger said. Though Carolina Productions s. it would charge $2 per person to co' prop costs, most people got in for ft The sacrifices weren't the 01 change this year. This was the first time Frank Fur was played by a female, and co-dir tor Nettles made it clear who wore " HE Come to our features the best-kept secrets c where (Just kidding. We m< Russell House 33c Shop Now! Fabulous cocktail and evenii cS/jacu/s, 6ays, a/ifS/en DfVfH Resale bouti Bridal, Children's & Wor Mon.-Fri. 10am-7pm, Sat. 10am-6pm, Come Visit Us 1215 - In I "Same People. Sa T Suicidal Oz munchkins and other movie legends. http://snopes.simplenet. com/movies/ movies. htm#movies jyiiiUMii affect daily to students who have questions . , or comments or who want to complain, that's "I want students to know that the 0 vote Student Government office is their of ?Vi fViP * j fice, and they should feel as comfortttend, n," he able walking in there as I do," she said. With that level of comfort, she hopes WOn * that students will come to better know Elec- their officers and what they stand for. years, Sophomore Kelly Rardon would welIS ?"ne that kind of knowledge, ird of "I don't vote in our Student Govh the ernment elections because you don't a any know the people and you don't know 1 sim- what they stand for," she said. "The public isn't clear about each candidate's 3 speaffect stand on various issues, and it s like ! need that on the national level, too." ssues Rardon said she'd tried to do some prob" Internet research on the candidates in lfront her home state of Maryland before castnts to ^ her absentee ballot. aates, She found the candidates' spouses' r been names, their religious affiliations and e and , j.g their birthdays ? but not their pohtitoun cal platforms. *s are. ?j ^on't care what their spouse's iirect s and name is? Icare about what they stand open for," Rardon said. Horror' nd didn't wear) the pants in this products tion. Also, the narrator, a criminologist, by was missing in action; this fact became m. a running gag. fo. Costuming provided something of a challenge for the group. /jj.. D'Ambrose credited Wal-Mart, sev 1 j.1 -a. J i.1 m i. jjg erai mnii stores anu tne irusius Theater for providing the hard-to-find items. The Thomson Student Health je(j Center donated a wheelchair for the Dr. Scott character, played by senior Bob Simmonds. , j Senior Brandi Martin played Magenta, a domestic, and sophomore Tug rs~ Brice was that very adorable groupie, Columbia. Junior Tate Austin played 111 Rocky Horror, and graduate student Becky Richey, dressed in pink, was in' Janet Weiss. With its wild audience, messy theaid aters and charming underclothes, Rocky ver Horror is a tradition that holds a speee. cial appeal for its fans, ily "It's a release," D'Ambrose said. "['Rocky Horror'] allows people to act ter like idiots, wear gold lame underwear ec- and throw rice at people. Is there any(or thing better than that?" _______ " 1 r, rvv; i meetings to find out some of >n campus, including when and the meeting is. Bet at 3 p.m. Wednesdays in J. But you don't know that.) selection of TBI 1 ? '&SsLm I BHIliK: ^ (PACKER at Our New Location ll/ftllMA Of oaf nayiic the Vista me Service/ New location" 99-7571