Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE GAMECOCK ♦ Wednesday, April 2, 2003 . . gg*y- 1 CONTACT US - THEY SAID IT Story ideas? Questions? Comments? , WOODY ALLEN: “I think being funny E-mail us at gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com is not anyone's first choice.” *_ w I III I ^1 has begun Students can explore options for full- and part-time employment in Columbia at the Career Center BY HILARY SCHRAMM the GAMECOCK As the summer approaches, one ques tion is on every college student’s mind: Where do I find a summer job? For students who plan to stay in Columbia this summer, it might be a dif ficult question to answer. Many of the local businesses, such as Manifest and Papa Jazz, are not hiring. Other local businesses, however, of fer hope. Earth Fare is always hiring and expects some current student em ployees to leave Columbia for the sum mer. “Students should come in as soon as possible and fill out an application within the next two to three weeks,” said Earth Fare manager Dominick Quinzi. Businesses closely linked to the USC student community are often willing to consider applications at any time, espe cially when they can expect the student to continue working throughout the fol lowing school year. “We don’t hire just for the summer,” said Beezer’s manager Lori Perkins, “but we understand that their (the stu dents’) hours are going to change dras tically once the school year begins.” Many USC students have had success finding local jobs in previous years and are glad they stayed in Columbia in stead of returning home. “I applied at several places last spring and ended up working at Ben & Jerry’s,” said Lee Snelgrove, a second-year phi losophy and Russian student. “I wouldn’t have wanted to go home, be cause there’s nothing to do in Spartanburg. It was definitely a good idea to stay and work.” USC promotes the Career Center as a valuable resource in finding summer jobs. Last year, the Center helped about 2,000 students find summer employ ment, mostly in the form of a part-time or full-time job, as opposed to an in ternship. On average, these students earned slightly more than $8 per hour. “We have many resources that can help students find jobs,” said Tracy Powers, the Career Center’s associate director of employer relations. “We base our search on what the student wants to accomplish, both geographically and functionally.” The Career Center helps students find internships and jobs locally, but also helps students who are planning to re locate for the summer. While students will find more local job opportunities, they are also directed to online re sources, which might lead them to in ternships or jobs at such places as na tional parks and summer camps. In terms of local jobs, the Career Center is eager to help USC students earn money over the summer. “There are lots of places around lo cally that are looking for students every summer,” Powers said. “There is an in creased need for employment due to fac tors such as tourism.” Students wanting to use the Career Center should come by immediately — some companies began looking as ear ly as Christmas at summer job applica tions. Students are encouraged to begin applying for summer jobs and intern ships around spring break. The Career Center library is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library has resources that students can use to independently search for a job. Students who need per sonal attention can stop in between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays for an on call counselor. The university itself offers some sum- jj mer employment opportunities to stu- ijj dents. “I worked at the Russell House last|l summer doing graphic design,” sale?« Evan Owens, a third-year art-studio stu- iy dent. “It was nice to stay here and make^ m money, and you can get ahead by tak ing classes you would normally have tolL take during the school year. That leaves more room in your schedule later, and *; your year is easier.” Owens said he applied directly to the « Russell House after seeing fliers in * McMaster College. In general, students jk eligible for work-study should go to the jj financial-aid office, while students seek-3 ing other positions should apply directljp ly to the department for the best chancijl| of finding a summer job with USC. Some offices post job notices with the Career .« Center, as well. “All in all, I was really glad to stay in Columbia last summer,” said Julie®*1 Cook, a second-year political-science and art-history student. “Thanks to staying here both summers, I’ll have 99 5 hours this fall.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com CD REVIEWS Blood Brothers boil with poetic genius “BURN PIANO ISLAND, BURN” The Blood Brothers ★★★★ out of BY CHARLES TOMLINSON THE (SAMECOCK The Blood Brothers, a hard core-punk quintet from Seattle, thrive off the muse they’ve found in humanity’s bruised, mauled, filthy face. They rant about the scum from the streets, in prisons and on the upper floors of business headquarters. The screaming and roaring cacophony of their new al bum, “Bum Piano Island, Bum,” is equally reprehensible to match the lyrical subject matter. When the pot’s done boiling over, however, what’s left is poet ic genius. The Blood Brothers are much like a hardcore-emo version of Mr. Bungle, a band that doesn’t like to play a riff for longer than 30 sec onds. The Blood Brothers write most of their lyrics as abstract po etry; often, it seems as though the music is crafted around the verse spat out by vocalists Jordan Billie and Johnny Whitney. As the songs tell a story, the band shifts and turns sporadically to provide the setting. Bands often try to blend styles and show how obtuse they can be, but ironically, few do it with as much rabid so phistication as the Blood Brothers. It helps to have the lyrics handy when listening to “Burn Piano Island, Burn”; this is screamo, hardcore emo, and Billie and Whitney’s vocals are usually screamed unintelligibly. But when reading the words while hearing the songs, the gruesome images al most leap off the page. The Blood Brothers tell the sto ry of a birthday party gone wrong: “And when they’ve hurled every gutted couch cushion from the liv ing room into your father’s swim ming pool/You’re bobbing chlo rine apples in the broth bucket of envy’s gruel.” On the title track, Billie and Whitney herald the infamous is land’s destruction: “From a dis tance, the fornication of fear and flames twinkles so pretty.” After reading the lyrics, you’re either in or you’re out. You’re ei ther so disgusted you can’t take any more, or you’re so disgusted you can’t get enough. It gets captivatingly sleazier. “Ambulance vs. Ambulance” lauds the dismemberment of neg ligent fathers. Billy and Whitney sing, “So when the nurse ampu tates both of your thighs/Come a little bit closer to the mic and tell us what you miss more: your desk or the hungry sky.” “USA Nails” recounts a dia logue between a phone-sex opera tor and a female prisoner in jail for the death of her baby. “The Salesman, Denver Max” is a door to-door creep who advises, “Don’t you try to call the cops, little girl.” Billie sounds like a cross be tween At the Drive-in vocalist Cedric Bixler mixed with the singers of defunct hardcore bands Antioch Arrow and Mohinder. Cody Votolato’s guitar is reliably heavy and even funky in some parts, while bassist Morgan Henderson and drummer Mark Gajadhar creatively keep the shift ing rhythms from degenerating into complete chaos. You can only nod along to the songs for so long, however, before some tempo change swings through and knocks your head off. But the songs are surprisingly catchy. “Bum Piano Island, Bum” is a shrapnel explosion, and shards .will lodge themselves in definitely in your skull. The Blood Brothers make their music indi gestible, but they have a way of eventually forcing the incongru ous mass down your throat. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com LiV Kim shows old attitude in new album “LA BELLA MAFIA” LiT Kim ★★★★ out of BY MARIANNE PARRISH the Ii'amecock “La Bella Mafia” is Lil’ Kim’s newest release for Atlantic Records. After hearing her for years and seeing the featured pop spots she’s done with Christina Aguilera, maybe some were still uncertain as to who exactly LIT Kim was trying to be — this album just might set that record straight. It starts off with some simplistic, pared-down tracks. The emphasis here is clearly placed on lyrical prowess and, of course, atti tude. The strong Brooklyn allegiance coupled with pride and a willingness to break female stereotypes in all arenas make LIT _ Kim evokes a Middle Eastern atmosphere for “Doing it Way Big” and uses south-Asian flavors for “Shake Ya Bum Bum” and “Get in Touch With Us.” Still, the production is brashly simple. Lil’ Kim is a rap artist, not a pop star. She’s “The Queen Bee,” as one song is apt ly titled, and there’s no doubt she reigns. Many great featured artists ap pear to round out “La _ Bella Mafia.” such as Kim a formidable icon and an interesting artist. PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK < Havoc, Governor & helene Thomas, Full Force, Lil’ Shanice, Missy Elliott and 50 Cent, among others. Probably the album’s biggest draw, “The Jump Off” is a classic joint that’s part block party, part jazz funeral and part womanifesto. If you’ve never listened to one of her albums, this is the one to start with. You’ll discover the dou ble-dare-you, all-up-in-that style that has made her, well — you’ll see. This record has sadness and humor. It’s badass, but still pret ty approachable, if for no other reason than the hilarious, chip munk-style vocals on “Heavenly Father.” _:_ Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com 'book review Basketball memoir reveals life lessons “MY LOSING SEASON” Pat Conroy ★★★★* out of ☆☆☆☆☆ BY MEG MOORE THE GAMECOCK Personal experience is often the root of one’s art, the factual foundation of the outwardly fic tional. Best-selling author Pat Conroy has made a career out of such recreation, turning actual acquaintances into literary leg ends through his work. In his lat est novel, “My Losing Season,” he revisits these figures as they really were — as his friends, bas ketball teammates-and fellow cadets at The Citadel. The novel centers on Conroy’s senior year at The Citadel, using his experiences as a student and basketball player as a spring board for the exploration of the rest of his life, both past and fu ture. Obviously, as the title im plies, Conroy’s team didn’t win much that year. But his losses linger not as regrets but as lessons, propelling personal re alizations within the characters involved. Conroy might write poetical ly, but one can still relate through the vivid images he cre ates. One does not merely read about his trials, but experiences them — winning, losing and learning in stride with the young Conroy. From Conroy’s spirited participation on the team’s B squad — nicknamed the Green ♦ CONROY, SEE PAGE 8 PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Pat Conroy with his wile, Sandra.