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f \KJ An V> Ann A TT June25,2003 ♦ Vol. 97, No. 4 Gamecock INSIDE VIEWPOINTS Harry Potter books offer us an escape Joshua Hanley thinks it isn’t necessarily a good thing. PAGE 6 THE MIX Bamboo sprouts at Riverbanks Zoo Bamboo and more celebrated at Riverbanks this summer. PAGE 7 SPORTS The Rice Owls win the grueling CWS Rice's series win gives Owls first national championship. PAGE 10 INDEX Comics and Crossword 9 Classifieds 12 Horoscopes 9 Letters to the Editor_ 6 Online Poll 6 | Students celebrate at Michigan State University ss WWllliFITiili I li miHMitf'liaaM——— PHOTO COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS Students celebrate on the campus of the University of Michigan Monday after the U.S. Supreme Court endorsed the use of race In admission policy. But the justices also issued a warning: Universities cannot use rigid systems that seem tike quotas, and must adopt race-neutrai admissions policies "as soon as practicable." The USC undergraduate admissions department is race- and gender-blind, said enrollment director Char Davis. South Carolina ranks 15th in nation for obese adults BY RACHAL HATTON AND GABRIELLE SINCLAIR THE GAMECOCK ■ Over half of South Carolina adults are overweight or obese. “Obesity is a chronic disease,” DHEC nutritionist Teresa Hill said. “It’s reached such epidemic levels that I do consider it a chron ic disease now.” According to recent studies, South Carolina ranks 15th in the nation for its percentage of over weight and obese adults. The alarming numbers led the Senate to declare June the South Carolina Obesity Awareness Month. South Carolina ranks third in the nation for cardiovascular dis ease and first for stroke, both con ditions related to adult obesity. The American Public Health Association links obesity with an increased risk for heart disease as well as cancer and diabetes. Lack of physical activity and poor diet are contributing factors to obesity. Children, too, are de veloping Type 2 diabetes at younger ages, a form of diabetes previously only seen in adult populations. Hill says that some factors for this might be overeating and lack of physical activity — 30 minutes a day is a normal recommendation. Dietician Diana Pitcher says that preventing obesity and establish ing a healthy eating pattern and lifestyle can start as early as infan cy. Ethel Sloane, author of “Biology of Women” writes that ♦ OBESITY, SEE PAGE 2 Leukemia takes USC professor BY ELEANOR SIBAL THE GAMECOCK USC lost one of its most distin guished professors to leukemia Sunday. Professor Emeritus Paul Fidler _ , was undergoing treatment in Boston when he died. John Lowery, who teaches in the higher education and student affairs program, heard the news * Monday morning. Lowery said he remembers Fidler as “one of the most caring people that'I have ever met. He was one of those professors who was genuinely concerned about the learning and the well-being of— ' the students he worked with.” At USC, Fidler is most known for the annual Fidler 5K, which is organized by Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. The event raises mon ey for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Last year’s race director, Ryan Holtz, remembered Fidler fondly through their updates on the race. “He’s a very kind, caring, lov ing person. He's a very optimistic person. I was concerned about how much money we were going to raise, but he turned it around and sounded optimistic, saying anything was helpful,” he said. Fidler taught at USC’s College of Education for over 35 years and led efforts at the Career Center, Omicron Delta Kappa and Student Life, among others. He is honored by a volunteer service award given in his name. A memorial will be held Tuesday, July 1 at 4 p.m. at Trenholm Road United Methodist Church. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockudesk@hotmail.com