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With age comes the infinite wonder of becoming something SfiANNA REED GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother, “What shall I be? Will I be pretty? Will I be rich?” This is what she said to me: “Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be!" I said to her, “What the hell kind of answer is that?” It”s the first really important question anyone asks you. With feigned sincerity, the teacher or guidance counselor — or even your mother’s boss — bends down to your level and asks, “Well little Johrthy (or Sara, whichever the case may be), what do you want to be when you grow up?” When you were seven, the ques tion was easy. You probably said something like, “I want to be a bal lerina!” or “I want to be an astro naut!” And, when you were sev en, that was sufficient. No one was going to tell you that you couldn’t be anything that you wanted to be. As you got older, things began to change. As early as third grade, placement tests became the norm. Reading groups were assigned. All the little boys and girls started to notice some kids were just a little more special than others. By the time we finally hit high school, the old adage about being whatever you wanted was thrown out the door. I turned 21 on the Aug. 6.21 — meaning legal. 21 — meaning able to be thrown into the deep end of ' the ocean and come up swimming. 21 — meaning I don’t have any earthly idea how I’m supposed to do anything. It’s supposed to be the greatest birthday of your life, going right along with your 16th and your 50th. 21 is the first time you realize that you’re supposed “be” someone soon. You’re sup posed to “be” somewhere soon. Something besides student, daughter, son or grandchild. Somewhere besides dorm, child hood bedroom or grandmother’s basement. Now you are categorized as “adult.” However, adulthood does not come with age, but with action and experience. You start to ana lyze both what you know and what you don’t have a clue about. If you know anything, you’re aware of how much you still have to learn. Do you swim when thrown into the ocean of accumulating bills? Are you capable of caring for yourself? Are you capable of car ing for someone else? Do you make love, war or babies on pur pose? Are you a fire-breathing rev olutionary bent on some unknown cause and making the world a bet ter place in Birkenstocks and your oh-so-bohemian ’fro? Are you keeping capitalism alive in con servative blue, black and gray? Have you changed diapers and mused on the finality of your par ents’ existence? Have you con cluded whether you believe the glass is half-empty or half-full? Did you tip it over? Or, better yet, did you dip elementary cookies in it and have a drink? Have you fig ured “it” out yet — whatever “it” is? I don’t ignore the bum on the corner anymore. I know better than to give him money, so I give him food instead. And, rather than accept his condition as all encompassing and finite, I won der. I wonder how he got this way. Is this man a victim of his weak ness of mind or of a series of un controllable situations? How do I avoid his bitter end? How do I avoid ending my life in darkness or, rather, ih shades of gray and beige? How do I avoid liv ing life to retire, instead of living for the fulfillment of everyday? Is the road to happiness and success the road less traveled, or are they two different roads altogether? Maybe you thought the answer would be at the end of this article, but it’s not. The answer is only re vealed at the end of your life. Have a wild ride. Reed is a fourth-year electronic journalism student. We may not all believe exactly the same thing, but the people of United Methodist Church believe in God and each other. II you're searching for something to believe in or belong to, our j hearts, our minds and our doors are always open. •College Program •Transportation Available •Sunday Morning College Class: 9:45 a.m. •Worship Services: 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. •Worship Televised Sunday, 10:00 a.m„ WOLO-TV Channel 25, Cable Channel 5 3401 Trenholm Road I 803-254-6695 www.tmmc.oix _ r- — — — —- — — — JrenholriJfeoad ■ United Methodist Church M open hearts open minds open doore ^ jeeC the warmth Make the most of the time you have here iifiiiiiiiBiTii-- i:.-—-.-'■"'r'la CHRIS FOY GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM So you’re finally here, the summers.over, and it’s time to start another semester here at the University of South Carolina. You’ve already shown that you’re keened on expanding your intellectual capacity be cause you are, in fact, read ing The Gamecock. More so, by reading this paper, you re alize that the State’s welcome back paper is nothing more than a bunch of geezers telling you how you want to live your university life, while trying to con you into a subscription. Stick with this paper. It covers all the events on campus that you’re interested in. Guaranteed. Hey, it’s also free. But as this is likely the first college paper many of you read, I’m going to just pass along some of the little things I’ve picked up since I’ve been here. Class of 2006, you have four years to live out your college experience. Maybe. Some of you will be here longer. And some of you may be gone by the end of the semester, which is not always for grade purposes. The point is that you don’t know how long you’ve got here, so you might as well make the most of it every way you can. Don’t let things come to you. Go out and get involved. There are plenty of things for you to do on this campus; you just have to go out and find what you want to be a part of. Join a religious group or a service club. Go out and join an athletics club or even the Skydiving club. There’s some thing for everyone here. And the beauty is, in an institu tion of this size there will be people that share your inter ests. Find them now, and you’ll have your friend base for college and on. Most likely, though, you will have around four years here. Take the time to do ev erything you want to do. If you want to try out writing for the paper, what’s stopping you? If you want to see how you like Student government, what’s stopping you? When your time here is up, you’re never going to have an opportunity like this again. Even if you come back to graduate school, things just won’t be the same. This is the last time in your life you can get away with living with as much reckless abandon as you want. Make the most of it. . If you get up late, no one said you had to shower before you go to class. Or shave for that matter. In a couple of years, you’re likely going to have to be at work Monday through Friday, all trimmed up. Take the more relaxed ap proach while you still can. You should also take the time to check out as many sporting events here as you can. I’m sure all of you will find your way to the football games, but this school has a lot of good programs you may not hear about as much. Besides that, you get free tickets. But while you’re trying these new things, still set your priorities. It’s too easy to over commit to a large number of groups here. Keeping up with class pro jects, a relationship, your friends, and your organiza tions will take up a lot of your time. Figure out what’s really important to you, and go from there. But don’t get so involved that you don’t have the time to hang out with your friends, because never again will you be living with so many of them. Besides that, you can always catch up on your sleep when you’re older. But, of course, your main priority should be mak ing sure your GPA is up to par. After all, that’s all it takes to either come back next semester or make a new beginning once again. Foy is a fourth-year entrepreneur management student. i ONE FREE ! APPETIZER ! I WITH THE PURCHASE OF TWO DINNER ENTREES (EXCLUDING 2LB & 3LB CHICKEN WINGS) i Visit us at: 1000 Bower Parkway (Harbison) in Columbia • 407-7190 5595 Sunset Boulevard in Lexington • 356-4220 7001 Parklane Rd. in Columbia 736-3358 LIMIT ONE COUPON PER PERSON PER VISIT. NOT VALID FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANY OTHER OFFER OR DISCOUNT TAX AND GRATUITY NOT INCLUDED. EXPIRES SEPTEMBER 8, 2002. 7 * _-v i—i ~N I Hi IHi \ FREE ifilii FREE I \ Nokia5165 S£S3^&^38: ^!}teraci3pter I 1 dig'rt3' P^one l[»59i|flfylp)yy^Sl larger and I ^ Activation 7 i ffi££ 7 for USC students \ A<t lsS»St» / \ 4000 |p^ / V ioS*** iP't.'M *^5 / \ c**i MM ««!!Sr*w»*ta» / 'Free Nokia 5165 otera require new aflnefcn and 12-mth »r«8 agraemert Oder asaiafcte n select markets Only Calling pfenrges are available when using your phone on toSuiCoMTlTaffiaienawocIa Welcome Home fariy Plan 4000 atows for a rrttomumol 2 users per plan 5000 mimfes (400 peek & 4.600 oll-oeaKj tor $35a*i4afcle cn fceSunCom Home Plan Ottw wattfctons apply See store tor delate JOT SunCoar ^^*W^"*** EED - 4712 Forest Dr. (next to San Jose) *743-9585 800 Lake Murray Blvd. (Beside Piggly Wiggly), Irmo • 407-2121 7363 Two Notch Rd. (Between I-20 & Columbia Mall) • 736-8845 Lugoff: 610 Hwy. One South (River Crossing Sh. Ctr.) • 438-0302