University of South Carolina Libraries
Monday, January 25, 1999 Scrabble reveals 1 by John Curran Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. ? Like any Scrabble player worth his tiles, Elliott Schiff knows plenty of two-letter words. It was what he did with them that had jaws dropping at the fourth annual Scrabble Talent Show. Schiff, 27, a supermarket cashier from Allentown, Pa., sang "The StarSpangled Banner" using only two-letter words sanctioned for use in the word game. "Aa ab ad ae ag, ah ai al al an ar," he sang, perfectly matching the cadence of "Oh, say can you see/by the dawn's early light." Ninety-six words later, he was done. So it went Friday at the Atlantic City Scrabble Tournament as players at the three-day event took a break from their timers, tile bags and vowel movements for a bizarre annual tradition: a midnight talent show featuring Scrabblethemed jokes and song parodies ("Stuck At The End With The Q"). "It's not your average talent show. If you're not a Scrabble player, you won't get some of the jokes," said Bruce Adams, 41a nostal worker from Worcester. Mass. After hours of quiet, concentrated playing, the tournament participants noshed on hors d'oeuvres and drank champagne before jamming into a Holiday Inn meeting room for the talent show. First up: Shel Silverstein, 60, of Brooklyn, N.Y., a retired accounts payable clerk who brought down the house with imitations of Alfred Hitchcock, Marlon Brando and Rodney Dangerfield. As Hitchcock, he put on a thick British accent and stuck his belly out, solemnly mimicking the way the di Wai Challi Start your career off on the right Officer Training School. There yc officer in just 12 weeks. From complete medical and dental ca plus AIM HIGH see1 ?/yR?. Ik a ca' ?vou ., our\ www.airforce.com Bjlll I liSfS|i.?T-ii *!*i l ^ ";^- -'r" ^ If you are under the age of 21 it is agaii AH ABC regula pTTWTyi ; competi bizarre ti "It's not your average you're not a Scrabble get some of the jokes. rector introduced segments in the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" television show. 'Tonight's stoiy is entitled The Disgruntled Scrabble Player.' You see, our friend played 'quidnunc' on a triple letter, triple word score and got 244 points. "His opponent, a highly rated sore loser but not a highly rated player, plunged a knife into his back." Adams put new lyrics to the song "Cabaret": "Stick your hand out and say 'Good luck'/It wouldn't kill you to smile, you schmuck/Come to the Scrabble-ray, old chum/There's no need to cry 'Oy vey,' old chum. Just come to the Scrabbleray." Then there was Diane Furstman, 35, of Brooklyn, N.Y., budget director for the New York City Department of Corrections, a former talent show winner who did her first-ever stand-up routine. Want to improve your Scrabble average? Get a new lover, she said. r air to middling players, they meet someone and it's like Scrabble Viagra. Va-voom!" she said. Another contestant told one about the Pope getting to Heaven and being disappointed with his spartan accommodations. He sees a Scrabble player's posh room nearby and complains to St. Peter. The reply: "We've got 60 popes up here. We've only got one Scrabble player." The winner was Sal Piro, 48, of New York, an actor whose day job is president of the International Rocky Horror Picture Show Fan Club. rit A enge? foot by enrolling in the Air Force >u will become a commissioned the start you'll enjoy great pay, re, 30 days of vacation each year, the opportunity to travel and :he world. To discover how high eer in the Air Force can take call 1-800-423-USAF, or visit vebsite at www.airforce.com ist the law to buy alcoholic beverages. Lions enforced. ^ ? Official Bookstore of USC Greene St. Russell House (803) 777-4160 I-_1: The Gam ition adition talent show. If player, you won't 5? Bruce Adams postal worker f P%1 - m~ ~ ^neBh Special to The Gamecock Sal Piro, president of the international Rocky Horror Picture Show Fan Club, won first place in the joke-telling sequence at the Atlantic City Scrabble Tournament. Participants presented skits and jokes during tournament breaks. Dressed in pancake makeup, badly applied red lipstick, a pink fright wig and leopard-skin pajamas, he portrayed a bag lady sent off the deep end by too many Scrabble losses. It was his over-the-top imitations of well-known Scrabble players that Un/1 IVia veillii-\rr T-Tr\ tirA-n flvot iiau Liic auuiciitc lulling. 11c wuii 11101 place and a $50 prize. "This is special," he said, dabbing beneath his rhinestone-studded eyeglass frames as if to remove a tear. 'BOWS CORI The Final See and the Ga IUU tUUli y ^Gam Gan matchi and a < "A drawing will be held 2/1/9 "% A Vj"< Come see wha ! , student orga have to offi 'HIS Tf For information c or stop bi W Campus Activii Department of Student Life* Division q n i lecock g| Hard Cover Fiction s?gs3|p 1. "Southern Cross" by Patricia Cornwell f3=f 2. "A Man In Full" BSr by Tom Wolfe 3. "Seize the Night" T ' 1 by Dean Koontz ) i V 4. "Billy Straight" i' jFJ by Jonathan Kellerman 5. "When the Wind Blows" ??3 by James Patterson iSS 6. "The Simple Truth" by David Balducci 7. "In Danger's Path" ?5?$. by W.E.B. Griffin 8. "The Poisonwood Bible" W" - by Barbara Kingsolver 3- "The Cat Who Saw Star: by Lilian Jackson Braun ID 10. "Angels Flight" L. bv Michael Connelly Q) Mass Market Papev 1. "The Street Lawyer" by John Grisham ^ 2. "Message In a Bottle" lH by Nicholas Sparks w# 3. "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Rev by Robert C. Atkins 4. "Protein Power" W by Michael R. Eades and ?Mary Dan Eades m5. "Tom Clancy's Net Force" by Tom Clancy and Steve Pe t over 270 I Thomas Coo nizations , - . Spring 19 ZT yOti ! ^ Discover the world of informatic a tour this spring! One hour tourj a tour of the building for the fir .I | Electronic Resources Network for KltfiSw[i?]i?]3 yjJ f up is necessary. Just show up < jflp services are av? January 11th Tou ~~T Mondays: ??777-5780 4 ' ^ | I Thursdays: fe Center. 1 ? The tours will last approximately on f student & Alumni Services will include many of the library depaj hhhhhhmm Reference, Education, Government 1 |(Sl "dl^H second part of the tour will focus on at the Thomas Cooper Library. The databases will be demonstrated. I Challenge tECTLY GUESS >re of the Super Bowl me MVP Award and d win a complete lecock outfit! lecock Anorak ng pants, socks ([%yj Gamecock cap. 9 to break any ties due to multiple correct entries. Page 5 00 <D % to o 3) 'backs jsg olution" ; Form | I a_ I I iflFl l | Atlanta j ! Denver I I HrrmB 1 i i i i i i i i Name: I I I I I Phone: j Hnnnr i# Cnfviac I ucpusil LIIUICS I I in our Super Bowl | Drop Box at the I I Customer Service Desk | I by Jan. 29, 1999. | : ; I Tbe Official Bookstore of (JSC HOOO?& :Kt)nf4\tC\ B iczenik per Library > /\ r i >yy lours >n available in the library-take > will be divided into two parts: st half-hour, and a tour of the the second half-hour. No signind learn what resources and lilable to you. January 29 th rs 11am 11am 2pm 7pm 4pm e hour. The first part of the tour rtments, such as Reference, Science Documents, and Circulation. The the electronic resources available Internet, USCAN, and CD-ROM r Official H ! Entry ;