The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, December 01, 2003, Page 5, Image 5
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CONTACT US ROBERT FROST
ROBERT FROST: Two roads diverged in a
Story ideas? Questions? Comments? wood/And-1 took the one less traveled
E-mail us at gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com by/An^that has made all the difference.”
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USC students, who travel in
a variety of ways during the break,
share stories about making the trip
home, whether flying or driving
BY CARRIE GIVENS
P THE GAMECOCK
In about two weeks, students
will make a mass exodus from
USC. As soon as that last exam is
completed, they will pack to go
home — which is everywhere
from Minnesota and Vermont to
10 minutes down the road.
For many out-of-state students,
going home means navigating
busy, large airports. First-year in
ternational business student
Tameka Porter will be flying home
to Lebanon, Tennessee, for
Christmas. Although Lebanon,
which is close to Nashville, is not
far from Columbia, Porter is fly
ing home because she does not
have a car. Porter will be flying
out of Charlotte, N.C., because the
Columbia airport is “so small... if
you get stuck, you’re stuck.”
A veteran traveler, Porter sug
gests that travelers pack lightly and
“check as few bags as possible,”
To make airport security pro
cedures easier and speedier,
Porter also recommends wearing
shoes that “can be slipped off.”
Porter said she knows what to
pack and what to leave out of her
suitcase.
“Never pack fingernail polish
or cuticle cutters, they will be
confiscated... trust me,” she said.
Porter had a bottle of fingernail
polish taken from her on a flight
to London.
Although Porter enjoys flying,
she does have a horror story con
cerning airport security. Flying
back from the Netherlands, Porter
was frisked and “touched in im
proper fashion by a Dutch airline
security lady.”
Porter, who was in a
wheelchair at the time, laughs
about it now, although at the time
she didn’t find it amusing.
Second-year music student
Roger Keane’s home is in
Columbia. However, he travels to
Dallas for Christmas to visit fami
ly. He does not especially enjoy
traveling during the holiday sea
son but said, “It’s worth it.”
His advice on how to navigate
busy airports during the often-hec
tic Christmas season: “Get there
early and don’t panic.”
Keane normally flies out of the
Columbia airport because, “It’s
small and easy to use.”
First-year biology student Rita
Czako will be spending Christmas
with her grandparents in
Budapest, Hungary. Although
Czako is very excited about trav
eling overseas for Christmas, she
is wary about her connecting
flights as she goes from Columbia
to Paris and then to Budapest.
Czako warns all fellow holiday
travelers to “make sure you are at
your boarding gate on time ...
some airports are massive.” She
said she has always feared “get
ting stranded in some random
city” because of a missed flight.
Although this has never hap
pened, Czako does have some
amusing airport horror stories of
her own. In airports in Europe, the
luggage carts are designed to take
up the escalator. She said her
mom was pushing a luggage cart
l—— >t?i—s..- - :■ .... ... ....
when the luggage fell off the cart
and down the escalator.
Some USC students drive in
stead of fly. First-year chemical
engineering student Chris Aholt
will drive 15 hours to his home
, town in Arlington, Texas-.
Aholt is not worried about driv
ing alone for so long, although he
admitted, “It is hard to drive at
night.”
He said he plans to get a good
night’s sleep, stop for meals and
sing along to loud music because if
“keeps me awake.”
Aholt recommended that
drivers “try to plan it so you don’t
hit rush hour in big cities ... like
Atlanta or Dallas.”
There is one thing Aholt is not
looking forward to. He said he de
tests “the roads in Alabama... they
are very bumpy... and there is con
struction through the entire state.”
For other advice on what to
pack and security, check the air
lines’ Web sites. American
Airlines does not allow fireworks,
flammable liquids, bleach or
weapons on flights. Although most
students will not be taking such
restricted items as scuba tanks or
self-inflating rafts home for
Christmas, students easily could
forget not to pack pepper spray,
pocketknives or scissors.
If you are unsure about an item,
try shipping it as air cargo and not
in luggage. All students flying
home should expect stringent air
line security. Expect bags to be
opened and checked, and pack
smaller items in bags within your
suitcase.
Lastly, always remain patient,
and do not make jokes when it
comes to testing security. You
might find your flight home
delayed.
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com
•—-—m— ---i—■ t-—i—i—
* CD Releases for Tuesday
“THE DIARY OF
ALICIA KEYS”:
Alicia Keys
“BEST OF BOWIE”:
David Bowie
“ATLAS”:
Kinky
“GOOD 2 GO”:
Elephant Man
“THE SAND AND
THE STARS”:
Movietone
“COMIN’ ON
STRONG”:
Trpce Adkins
> f
TOP 10
These were the most-played albums
on USC's student radio station from
Nov. 17-Nov. 23.
1. “AS THE ETERNAL COWBOY"
_ Against Me
2. “THE INSTINCT
_Denali
3. “VINTAGE SLIDE COLLECTIONS
FROM SEATTLE, VOL 1"
Trachtenburg Family Slideshow
_ Players
4. “12 MEMORIES”
_Travis
5. “A BEAUTIFUL EP”
_Clemsnide
6. “THE TERROR STATE"
Anti-flag
7. “ASTRONOMY”
_ Bleach
8. “WHERE I AMI AM WHAT IS
MISSING"
_ Laika
9. “EVERYONE HERE IS WRONG
(EP)”
Working Title
10. “BAZOOKA TOOTH”
Aesop Rock
Lighting up for the season
Dragging cords across the front yard and standing
precariously atop ladders, they are always the first ones ready
and the last ones to pull the plug. During the height of the
season, the suburban street in front of their house becomes a
congested traffic area as their decorations draw eager-eyed
visitors from neighborhoods far and wide. In the front yard, the
trees twinkle, the shrubs sparkle and snowflakes dangle in the
air, frozen at various heights above the ground in all of their
electrified resplendence. And surely, somewhere, Santa is
watching and adding a few bonus gifts for extra effort to their
holiday stashes.
Such festive families, such self-proclaimed Christmas light
fanatics with their bevies of colored bulbs and illuminated
displays, seemingly seek to set communities aflame with
holiday zest - first the neighborhood, then the world. They
take the typical front-yard light display and multiply it tenfold
by stringing every available branch with strands and reaching
impossibly tall treetops.
Although, as their friends and neighbors, our reactions to
these spectacles are mixed - they tend to either excite or
annoy - childhood experiences have instilled in most of us a
fascination with such holiday glitz. We decorate our dorm
rooms and look forward to seeing our families’ Christmas
trees. Some prefer colored lights, and others like the more
reserved look of white bulbs. Blue, red, green - single-color
strands seem to be growing in popularity as well.
For those who cannot wait for that trip home to see the
lights, the Columbia community has its share of decorative
displays commemorating the Christmas holiday. While many
area churches and performing arts groups put on seasonal
celebrations, local light displays and community Christmas
trees remain popular representations of holiday cheer as well.
Tis the season to raise the electric bill.
LIGHTS BEFORE CHRISTMAS: Nov. 28
Dec. 30 (Closed Dec. 24-25). Lights and
displays at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden,
off Greystone Boulevard. 6-9 p.m. $6
adults; $4.75 children 3-12; free for
society members. (803) 779-8717.
HOLIDAY LIGHTS SAFARI
BENEFIT/ENCHANTED DEER FOREST:
Until Jan. 4. Inman, near 1-26 and 1-85 in
Spartanburg County. More than 3 million
lights. Nativity displays, music and live
animals. $4 per person. Additional $1 for
admission to the Enchanted Deer Forest.
(864) 472-2038.
HOLIDAY LIGHTS ON THE RIVER: Nov.
28-Dec. 31. Saluda Shoals Park, Old
Bush River Road between the Lake
Murray Dam and St. Andrews Road. 6-10
p.m. Drive-through tour. $7 per car.
(803) 731-5208.
FANTASY OF LIGHTS: Nov. 29-Dec. 31
at Swan Lake-Iris Gardens in Sumter.
Featuring more than 100 lighted figures
and more than 1 million lights. For
information about vending opportunities
in Santa’s Village, call (803) 436-2640
or (800) 688-4748.
BOAT PARADE AT LAKE WYLIE: Dec.
13.6:30 p.m. “Lights on the Lake.” Boat
registration, $20-$25. (803) 831-2827.
CAYCE TREE LIGHTING: Dec. 4 at City
Hall. Music and reception.
COMPILED BY MEG MOORE/1
THE GAMECOCK