The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 26, 2004, Page 7, Image 7

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* , „4i THE GAMECOCK ♦ Monday, January 26,2004 . . 7 / / . “Conversation is an art in which man has all mankind for competitors.” Contact. Us RALPH waldoemerson Story ideas? Questions? Comments? WRITER r E-mail us at gamecockfeatures@gwrn.sc.edu Best of USC needs readers’ opinions BY MEG MOORE THE (JAMECOCK Here at USC, we’re not afraid of •sounding cocky. We know what Jve like—we have our favorite on campus lunch spots, our preferred Five Points hangouts, our list of must-take classes. We also have impeccable taste—case in point: garnet and black look far better to gether than purple and orange. As arbitrators of good living— and as comparably chic sports fans—we don’t choose our fa vorites lightly. A restaurant must have serious appeal to make our lineup of standouts. A professor must know how to keep students engrossed to endure as a great. The first annual Best of USC list seeks to honor those people and places that make life at Carolina truly divine. Over the next several weeks, you can cast your votes for the community’s creme de la creme. From the most romantic spot on campus to the best Vista restau rant, the university neighbor hood has a bevy of great places to relax, let loose and chow down. Secure your favorite professors, most enjoyable classes and usual haunts the seals of approval they deserve. Think of it as a way of giving back to the USC communi ty-after all, no place is finer. And the categories are: ♦ Best class at USC ♦ Best USC professor ♦ Best USC athlete ♦ Best place to live (on or off campus) ♦ Best dining service worker ♦ Best Five Points restaurant ♦ Best Five Points bar/ club ♦ Best Vista restaurant ♦ Best Vista bar / club ♦ Best Gamecock columnist ♦ Best local coffee shop ♦ Best local band * ♦ Best place to eat on campus ♦ Best late night restaurant/ delivery service ♦ Best store for USCgear ♦ Most romantic spot on campus - Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm. sc.ed u Students find ways to fight #)the cold BY KRISTIN CHANDLER THE GAMECOCK As morning temperatures dip below the 40-degree mark, USC students are struggling through the cold to get to class. Some peo ple turn to layers, bundling up in sweaters, coats and hats, while others can’t get by without their morning hit of java. “I have early classes on Tuesday and Thursday and it’s been so freezing lately. My mom bought me little hand-warmers and I keep them in my gloves when I walk to class,” fourth-year journalism student Rebecca Gaetz said. “Otherwise,” she said, “I just • ret too cold. I can’t leave the house without my coat, scarf and gloves.” Many others feel the same and have turned their outerwear into a fashion statement, often acces sorizing with trendy hats or scarves. “I have this short red puffy coat that I just love,” said Diana Fee, a fourth-year pharma cy student. “It keeps me really warm when I wear it with a scarf, and the color makes me stand out.” Gaetz has recently acquired a Burberry scarf that she wears with everything. “Most impor tantly, it keeps me warm,” she said. “But it also looks great against a camel-colored coat that M ihave or just over a warm black ^sweater.” Old Navy, Polo and Express coats and jackets are very popular around campus this year, espe cially in puffy and fur-trimmed styles. Greg Bridges, a fourth-year journalism student, swears by his navy blue Polo by Ralph Lauren coat, which he said he appreciates both for its versatility and warmth. Campus eateries have also been doing brisk business by keeping students with early morning class es happy. The cold weather entices many students to stop in, either for a quick drink or just to warm up for a moment. “Ui-v* __j _1_ uuuwiaic auu uuucc ouioj ^pave definitely been up,” said Sidewalk Cafe clerk Jennifer Cook, “especially early in the morning when it’s cold and in be tween classes; it gets crowded here because the kids want hot drinks.” Jazzman’s Cafe clerks Shameka Felder and Stacey Brooks have also noticed an increase in sales. “It’s mostly coffee that’s popular,” said Felder. “We have way more sales when it’s cold, and then af ter probably about noon, it emp ties out and we don’t see any body,” she said. ♦COLD, SEE PAGE 8 n ■ • # Many students on campus have trouble getting by without their cell phones. .... • —-^^<*±***j***s~~~^-.-*. . BY CARRIE GIBENS THE GAMECOCK IB n route to the Russell House, coming li ' out of the Humanities Building—ev I 1 i erywhere, seemingly, students are I m talking to themselves. It is enough to. give any unknowing onlooker pause—until one notices the inconspicuous headset or minute phone the speakers are carrying. In the ’80s, thecell phone was the favorite toy of the yuppie crowd. Today , to many, they are not a novelty but a necessity. Cell phones come , equipped with voice mail, FM radio, blinking l lights and text messaging. There are camera I phones and ones with Internet access, flip I phones and impossibly thin models. Coming I this spring, a video camera feature will be B OITO 11 oHln AM CAM!A Anil nkAMnc An overwhelming number of students have B phones. In fact, it is almost more unusual to 9b find a student.who does not own one. First B year physics student Tamera Beam said B she's beenpleased with her Nokia phone. Even though her phone is the “free one I that came with the plan," Beam boasted that I it has “reception virtually everywhere.” and I served her without interruption on a recent BBB trip to Tennessee. B Beam is on a Cingular Wireless plan with I rollover minutes; however, she rarely uses fl the extra 1,300 minutes she has accumulat I ed. Beam admitted she mainly uses her I phone for "communication purposes” with jBHHH her parents. While life without a phone is certainly I still manageable, it can be more hazardous. BBB When Beam first got her car, she did not B have a phone. After one of her tires blew HHililill out and she was left stranded on the road, I her parents decided to buy her a cell —j ust in Second-year pharmacy student Ann BBj Wiesner shares her phone plan with four 1 family members. Wiesner, who uses her ■ phone mostly to talk to her family in 8 Tennessee, said sharing minutes with oth B ers hasn't been that difficult. She added. I however, that she does have to be “re B sponsible and conscientious about how B many minutes” she uses. BB Like Beam, Wiesner said she could B live without her cell, but admits it would HI be a “tough call—because it makes life HBB^Bh easier ” First-year mechanical engineering BH stU(Jent Chris Farr considers his cell phone a necessity—it allows people to get in touch with him when they need to. Farr recently bought a new cell phone—a Verizon LG camera phone. While searching for a new phone, he de rmyoVt oeo on inonyonno nlon After losing a phone in a lake and ruin ing others, the plan sounded like a good investment. For some, the cell phone has become almost an appendage. First-year physics student Samantha Hayford calls her Nokia phone her “electronic leash.” Hayford, who receives more calls than she makes, said it “keeps me connected.” Also, she said that it helps her feel safe—she knows she is “never utterly alone.” Hayford takes pride in her “groovy blues” ring tone and the back plate that falls off if she drops the unit. She admit ted that losing her Nokia would be dev astating, adding that after she “finished crying in a fetal position” she would most certainly feel lost. For Hayford and many other cellular subscribers, their mobile connection en sures that they remain a mere phone call away—they feel free, phone in hand. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu Show.Review Celebration honors choreographer, combines music and dance GEORGE BALANCHINE, A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION Presented by the USC Symphony Orchestra and USC Dance Company ***** out of #*”&•** BY CAITLIN COKER THE GAMECOCK The USC Symphony Orchestra and the USC Dance Company com bined their talents for an evening of music and dance last Friday at the Koger Center. The event, George Balanchine, A Centennial Celebration, marked the 100-year anniversary of the birth of the leg endary choreographer. The USC Symphony opened the evening, performing an assort ment of pieces related to the dance-oriented work of various 19th and 20th century composers. The Koger Center’s stage was packed with instrumentalists, cre ating a visual—as well as a musi cal—collage of strings, winds and percussion. The aptly-named opening sec tion, “Invitation to the Dance,” au rally introduced the audience to the themes within the ballet to come. The first piece, “Slavonic Dance,” reminded the audience of an allegro dance, with its brisk and exact movements. “Lullaby,” however, was stylistically suited for more modern choreography, radiating drama and emotion. The symphony then plunged into the popular sounds of “Lord of the Dance,” evoking images of Michael Flatly and Irish step danc ing. The musical pieces themselves were executed with flawless pre cision and depth. Many audience members tapped their fingers to the rhythm and bobbed their heads keeping time. The orches tra's well-chosen selection fea tured a mix of faster and slower tunes and included both recogniz able and lesser-known pieces. The second act included two ballet pieces: the first, “Ajrollon Musagete,” is a ballet that Balanchine himself chore ographed, and the second, “Grande Tartelle,” was chore ographed by USC Dance Artistic Director Susan E. Anderson. “Apollon Musagete” tells the story of Apollo and his three fe male muses. Norbert Norewicz performed the role of Apollo and captivated the audience with his brilliant technique and focus. The ♦ ORCHESTRA, SEE PAGE 8