The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 19, 2001, Page 6, Image 6
This Week in USC History
Jan. 21, 1985 - A $250,000 decision was reached against
Sigma Nu fraternity’s National Chapter. The parents of Lurie Barry
Ballou filed a $3 million suit in 1983 after their son, a Sigma Nu
pledge, died of excessive alcohol consumption while going through
the fraternity’s hazing process.
Special to The Gamecock
Cocky placed second in a national mascot
competition in December. UT’s Smokey
was the overall winner.
'k. .
■ USC's lovable mascot
finishes in second place
in national competition
at Walt Disney World
by Daniel Esposito
The Gamecock
While most USC students were
packing their bags to return for the spring
semester last week, our beloved mascot,
Cocky, packed his belongings and headed
to the Sunshine State to compete in the
national mascot competition.
For the past few years, Walt Disney
World’s MGM Studios has been host to the
Universal Cheerleading Association’s
annual cheerleading, dance and mascot
competition.
Mascots from around the nation
submitted videos of their best performances
and talents, hoping to secure am
invitation to this prestigious competition.
Cocky was one of the few to be
invited, competing against mascots from
other SEC schools, including Tennessee,
Auburn, Kentucky, Alabama and Arkansas.
The judges viewed the videos and picked
the 12 most talented mascots. Cocky made
the cut with a video containing his best
performances from USC events in 2000.
Along with their video ratings, the
mascots were required to perform a 90
second skit forjudging. Cocky’s skit, “A
Day in the Life of Cocky,” featured a
barnyard theme.
“I knew what to expect as far as what
the judges were looking for [in the skit] as
far as comedy, crowd appeal and
creativity,” Cocky said. “We worked on the
video for the past 12 months and have
concentrated on the skit for three months.”
After all of his hard work and
dedication, Cocky placed second in the
competition. The mascot that won the
national title was Smokey, a dog from the
University of Tennessee. Taking third place
was Aubie, a tiger from Auburn
University.
“I was very excited to come in second,”
Cocky said. “I actually thought, coming
out of it, that I was going to win first place.”
Although Cocky didn’t place first, his
second place ranking was the highest USC
mascot ranking since 1994, the year he won
the national title.
for fans who missed Cocky’s
performance in Orlando, he will be
performing his national routine at the
basketball game against Auburn at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday at the Coliseum. More
information about Cocky can be found at
“Cocky’s Corner” on the USC’s Web
site.
The spotlight desk can be reached at
gamecockspotlight@hotniail.com
University releases
Search for Six results
by Erin O’Neal
The Gamecock
The results for the Search for Six
are in, and some student committees
have already begun the process of
contacting their elected representa
tives for their respective groups.
Leeza Gibbons, a USC College
of Journalism alumna, was selected for
the alumni category; movie director
Steven Spielberg is the elected
candidate for the arts, entertainment
and sports category; South
Carolinian author Pat Conroy was
selected for the education, literature
and media category; Gen. Colin
Powell was elected in the politics, law,
world figures and government
category; the Dalai Lama was elected
for the religious category; and Dr. Patch
Adams was elected to represent the
business, industry, technology and
media category.
The business, industry, technolo
gy and media committee has already
held their first meeting to brainstorm
strategies on how to contact Adams.
Some ideas from that meeting
include sending letters, going to West
Virginia where Adams lives and
getting a group of students to pose
for a picture on the Horseshoe while
wearing red noses and holding signs
asking Adams to come for USC’s
bicentennial celebration.
The committees are looking for
students who have met or know
people who have met any of the elect
ed candidates.
“The whole idea of Search for
Six is built on a sociology theory that
anyone in the world is reachable
within six degrees of separation,”
said Gene Luna, diiector of housing
and business committee chairman.
Adams was selected over General
Electric CEO Jack Welsh, Microsoft’s
Bill Gates and Jeff Bizos, creator of
Amazon.com.
“Since this is based on the
Carolinian Creed, you’re looking for
someone whose work stands on it for
their expertise but whose life has
modeled some of the ways that we talk
about the kind of community we’d like
to build at Carolina.
“And Patch Adams has done that,”
Luna said.
“He’s built a life of having fun, but
doing it in a way that’s always
reaching out to help other people.”
The business committee doesn’t
intend to give up easily. However, if
a representative from one of these
six categories can’t attend, no
alternate candidates will be contacted.
“The idea is to persuade them
because students have said ‘you’re
really special.’
We want to see if they’ll come for
no cost — if they’ll come out of the
goodness of their heart,” Luna said.
Travel expenses will be covered
for each representative if they
choose to donate a day of their time to
come to Carolina. However, they won’t
be paid by USC to make an
appearance.
Each committee will also be
collecting information about the
lives and works of the potential guest
speakers for an exhibit. Regardless of
whether the chosen candidates come
to the bicentennial, the exhibits will
be displayed.
Both Luna and Carmela Carr, the
director of the Russell House who
works along with the Search for Six
committees, urge students to get
involved. For more information about
joining a committee, contact Carmela
Carr at 777-8182.
The spotlight desk can be reached at
gamecockspotiight@hotmail.com
MOVIE
DIRECTORY
Dutch Square 14
All the Pretty Horses: 1:50, 5,
7:40, 10:15
Antitrust 1:20, 4:30, 7:20, 9:40
Cast Away: 1,4,7,10:10
Double Take: 12:40,3,5:10,
7:30, 9:30
The Emperor’s New Groove:
12:50, 2:50, 4:50, 7:35
The Family Man: 1:20, 4:20,
7:20, 9:45
Finding Forrester 12:50,4:20,
7:10, 10:00
Miss Congeniality: 1:40, 4:40,
7:30, 9:50
Proof of life: 9:25
* Save the Last Dance: 1:30,
4:40, 7:20, 9:50
Thirteen Days: 12:30, 3:50, 7,
10
Traffic: 12:30,3:40,6:50,
10:10
Vertical Limit 1:50, 5, 7:50,
10:20
Wes Craven Presents: Dracula
2000: 1:10,3:10,5:15,7:40,
9:40
What Women Want 1:10, 4:10,
7:10, 9:55
Regal Cinema 7
Cast Away; 1,4:10, 7:10, 10:10
Double Take: 1:50,4:40,7:30,
10:15
The Family Man: 1:30, 4:25,
7:05, 9:45
Finding Forrester: 12:50, 3:50,
6:50, 9:50
Miss Congeniality: 1:40,‘4:20,
7:15, 9:40
Save the Last Dance: 1:20,
4:30,7:20, 10:05
Traffic: 1,4, 7,10
St. Andrews Road
Multi Cinemas
Charlie’s Angels: 2:20,4:20,
6:15, 8:05
Chicken Run: 2:15, 3:45
The Legend of Bagger Vance:
2:30, 7:25
Meet the Parents: 2:10, 4:10,
6:10,8:10
Men of Honor 5
Remember the Titans: 2, 4, 6,
8
What Lies Beneath: 5:15, 7:35
Columbiana Grande
Stadium Cinemas
A Hard Day’s Night (1964):
2:10,4:10, 7:10,9:15
Antitrust 1:50, 4:30, 7:20, 9:45
Cast Away. 1:45, 2:15,4:45,
7:00,8:00, 10:05
How the Grinch Stole Christ
mas: 1:45, 4:00, 6:40, 9:20
Dungeons and Dragons: 2:20,
4:40, 7:30, 9:55
The Emperor’s New Groove:
1:35,3:55,6:15, 8:15
Proof of Life: 1:55, 4:50, 7:40,
10:20
State and Main: 1:40,4:20,
7:05, 9:35
Unbreakable: 2:05, 4:35, 7:35,
10:05 ,
Vertical Limit 1:40, 4:15, 6:50,
9:30
Wes Craven Presents: Dracula
2000: 2:10,4:25,7:45, 10:10
What Women Want 1:30, 2:00,
4:10, 5:00, 7:10, 7:40, 9:55,
10:20
Pastime Pavilion 8
Antitrust 5, 8,10:20
Cast Away: 4, 7,10
Double Take: 4:45, 7:45, 9:45
The Emperor's New Groove:
4:05, 6:20,8:15
The Family Man: 4:15, 7:20,
10:05
Miss Congeniality: 6:45, 9:10
Thirteen Days: 4:35, 7:30,
10:30
What Women Want 4:25, 7:15,
10:10
Special to The Gamecock
The cast of Godspell gyrates with Jesus in a hip new version of the
1970s play, presented at the Koger Center on Jan. 16.
Godspell revived
for modern era
by Michelle Pittman
The Gamecock
| |REVIEW
On Tuesday, the Roger Center and
Phoenix Productions presented the
revamped Broadway musical “Godspell”
before a full house.
Updated from the original 1970s
version, the show featured an onslaught
of humorous modem social references
and innuendoes, while still successfully
adapting the tale of the Gospel of St.
Matthew for contemporary times.
Originally conceived by John-Michael
Tebelak, the show ran on- and off
Broadway successfully for more than six
years and has been critically acclaimed
worldwide.
“Godspell” manages to overcome its
own hokiness by making fun of itself,
modern culture and the presumptions
of the audience.
The production remains true to its
original format, but pushes the enve
lope with references to Bill Clinton’s in
fidelity, the Florida recount and even the
HBO series The Sopranos.
And while Jesus in a top hat might
not be the most convincing portrayal of
the Son of God, the bottom line of this
performance is fun. Think Sunday Mass
with harlequins and pranksters per
forming.
Brought back for the new
millennium, the musical has moved from
the original gritty urban set to a wall of
televisions, which neatly represents the
modem technological era.
Fueled by the music of Stephen
Schwartz, the chamiing ballads of the
original show have been given a new
modern spin in the spirit of such per
formers as Tori Amos, Dave Matthews
andN’Sync. The pure pop power of “Day
by Day” was delivered beautifully by
Sharon Francis, whose powerful voice
and wonderful comic skills nearly stole
the show. Also worthy of attention was
Jessica Carter’s sexy rendition of “Turn
Back, 0 Man.”
The first act recounted such well
known parables as the Tower of Babble,
as the company scrambles to
understand philosophy in an age
interrupted by cell phones and pagers,
with the Good Samaritan ingeniously
worked into a COPS-like sitcom.
The company is responsible not
only for their acting but for the
appearance and removal of laige white
screens that broadcast the individual skits
captured on camera by other cast mem
bers.
The second act put the company to
the test, where the betrayal of Christ is
evident. The community is formed and
ready to take on the task of continuing
the word of God. As John the Baptist
becomes Judas, the audience knows the
end is near. The final goodbyes of Jesus
and the cast are emotionally presented,
and the show ends with the body of Christ
being taken from his crucifix of
televisions and carried offstage.
The casting of the show breaks many
boundaries. Though an equal number of
men and women are in the cast, the
skits are reworked for the strengths of the
particular actor or actress and not
necessarily for the gender of the role.
Todd Buonopane narrated a
wonderful prodigal son story, as Sarah
Hubbard and Natalie Joy Johnson played
everything from the South Park kids to
Sisqo’s “Thong Song” dancers.
The lesson of “Godspell”—one must
foigive as God foigives — isn’t lost in the
laughter but merely enhanced by it.
The spotlight desk can be reached at
gamecockspo1Jight@hotmail.com
What’s Happening
Friday, Jan. 19
BILLY G’S, Radio Society
COCK PIT, Doug Clark and
the Hot Nuts
CROCODILE ROCKS,
Dueling Pianos
DELANEY’S, Jeff Chandler
ELBOW ROOM, Jennifer
Nettles, Overreaction
IflrkQnn
HEMINGWAY’S, Elliot Ness
and the Untouchables
MONTERREY JACK’S,
Mescaline Man
NEW BROOKLAND
TAVERN, Capital
PAVLOV’S, Five Way Friday
SUNDANCE, Sourwood
Honey
Saturday, Jan. 20
BILLY G’S, Cool for August
CROCODILE ROCK’S,
Dueling Pianos
DELANEY’S, Jeff Chandler
ELBOW ROOM, Violent
New Breeds
HEMINGWAY’S, Jim
LeBlanc
JAMMIN’ JAVA, Hick’ry
Hawkins
NEW BROOKLAND
TAVERN, Necroside
MAC’S ON MAIN, All-Stars
MERUN’S, Second
Generation
SUNDANCE, Hobex
Sunday, Jan. 21
DECISIONS, Blues Jam with
Brainstorm
ELBOW ROOM, Diffuser
NEW BROOKLAND
TAVERN, Small Brown Bike
In The News
■ ‘Crocodile Hunter4 bit
in leg by large reptile
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) —
A television crocodile hunter nearly
became a crocodile snack this week
when a six-foot reptile sank its teeth
into his leg
Steve Irwin, whose “Crocodile
Hunter” documentaries air in 130
countries, described the bite — which
required 12 stitches — as an “occupa
tional hazard.”
“She did a huge, big, full-bodied
shake, and as she came down she sensed
my skin and just... chomp — sunk her
teeth into my leg and did a head shake,
which messed it up a little.”
■ Metallica bassist
quits legendary group
NEW YORK (AP) — Metallica is
saying goodbye to its bass player of 14
years.
Jason Newsted, who joined the
heavy metal band in 1986 after the
death of bassist Cliff Burton, said
Wednesday he has decided to leave the
band.
“ Due to private and personal
reasons, and the physical damage that I
have done to myself over the years
while playing the music that I love, I
must step away from the band,” he said.
The remaining band members said
the split was regrettable, but amicable.
■ Hard Rock giveaway
features Beatles bus
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)-Baby,
you can drive their bus.
The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour
Bus is the top prize in a series of give
aways marking the Hard Rock Cafe’s
30th anniversary. The international
music-themed restaurant chain calls the
bus “its largest and most prized piece of
music memorabilia.”
The contest begins Feb. 1, with 10
people winning a trip to London to at
tend Hard Rock Cafe’s anniversary par
ty on June 14. One of those finalists will
take home the Beatles’ bus.
You can enter the sweepstakes at
any of the restaurants or through the In
ternet at www.hardrock.com.