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THEY SAID IT "You can’t build a reputation on what page£ you’re going to do." Friday, October 8, 2004 F0UNDER 0F fhorndrJot°o” anp jgual ■ □ ■ ■ Food, games and concerts are tradition at the state fair By MARIA CHARLES STAFF WRITER The South Carolina State Fair combines music, art, food, games and amusement, all packed into K HT3, a 10-day period. Starting Thursdray and continuing through Oct. 17 this year, the fair has become an annual tradition for many students and a much needed escape. Lexington native and second-year media arts student Austin Paterek has only missed the fair twice in his life. Paterek and his family “originally went because when I was little I nagged them to ride all the rides, and then it became a family tradition,” Paterek said. Remembering everything from pig and duck races to the replica of a rocket where parties that get separated are called to meet each other, Paterek appreciates the diversity the fair has to offer — and there is a lot of it. Montgomery Gentry, Steven Curtis Chapman and Lonestar were scheduled to perform. Free stage shows include a hypnotist, a magic variety performance and a Globe of Death and Comedy Bike show. A fashion doll exhibit, a petting zoo, a display from the South Carolina Society of Miniatures, “Under the Sea” sand sculpture, a rodeo and a horse show are among the other attractions. Also, local artwork is displayed and awarded prizes. “I go to the art exhibits. They’re pretty interesting. It’s always important to see what local artisans are doing,” Paterek said. The fair is open until midnight every day except for Oct. 17, admission is $7 at the gate, and parking is free in all state fair lots. For a relatively cheap price, the fair can provide hours of entertainment. “It’s like the local fair times 10. It is something to go to with your friends,” second-year business student Blake Pate said. While Pate says the fair is more fun for children, he still thinks going with a group of friends would provide a different opportunity from the regular routine. Paterek agrees, “It’s a break from the norm,” he said. Special ride promotions are offered throughout the fair. Six of the 10 days are Pay-One-Price Ride Days, which allows unlimited rides all day for $18. The variety of foods draw people as well. “I always get an elephant ear to eat. It’s like a funnel cake. I used to split it with my parents every year,” Paterek said. There are always plenty of corndogs which Paterek takes advantage of as well. Food is abundant as contests seek the best recipes, including the best Spam recipe, the best recipe using a Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning packet and low-fat cookies recipe. With its myriad entertainment options, the fair is a great place to celebrate the end of mid-term exams — and offers a welcome change of pace. Comments on this story ? E-mail gamecockfeatures@givm.sc. edu Fans young and old enjoy the merry-go round Thursday night at the South Carolina State Fair near Williams Brice Stadium. JASON STEELMAN/THE GAMECOCK Neckties impress employers, the ladies ■ More than just tying a knot, a tie can add prestige to an outfit I guess the thing people most remember about the way I appear is that I have to wear a necktie to work almost every day, and it tends to draw a lot ot com ments. Those of us who wear a tie every day are a dying breed of professionals. With casual dress codes in vading offices everywhere, even attorneys and other public servants often feel overly formal and intimidating while wearing a necktie with So those pesky neckties, although stylish and demanding of respect, often drive me crazy, especially in the sweltering summertime. And the potential hazards of wearing one are equally as disheartening. Imagine, for instance, unknowingly slamming the end of your tie into your car door while closing it and then trying to walk away. Talk about whiplash. Or how about feeding a few illegal documents into your paper shredder at the office only to find your face against the receptacle that now contains 100 percent hand-woven silk confetti. But don’t fret; men have been donning ties for decades, possibly centuries. Actually, I have no idea of the historical origins of neckties and why men would ever possibly think that they would make a good accessory. I’ve always assumed that it was an assertion of masculinity in the way it could be ♦ Please see FELLNER, page 8 KEVIN FELLNER FOURTH-YEAR MEDIA ARTS STUDENT clients. CD REVIEWS Fogerty rips CCR glory on ‘Deja Vu ’ ZWmKMLmJmmmmt “DEJAVU ALL OVER AGAIN" John Fogerty ★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ By STEVEN VAN HAREN THE GAMECOCK “Deja Vu All Over Again” doesn’t flop so much as it skittishly trips like a drunken fiddle player. John Fogerty has taped a batch of down-home trifles, salvaged only by a few brief rip-offs of his 30-year-old glory days in Creedence Clearwater Revival. What’s good? Fogerty’s simplistic writing style. As the undeniable master of the four-chords-and-the-truth theory, he can transform the most basic I-IV-V progression into a refreshing statement. Despite lifting the exact bass fills from “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” the title track is Fogerty at his best — tasteful drums underpinning those four effective chords in a power pop-rock anthem. He even takes his trademark husky growl to a quiet reflection. What’s OK? Some decent guitar playing makes many sub-par songs turn into fun jaunts. Fogerty’s brisk acoustic guitar runs make “Sugar Sugar (In My Life)” a sweet little ditty. Guest guitar deity Mark Knopfler lends the Dire Straits sound to “Nobody’s Here Anymore.” Knopfler’s fluid delivery is its usual ear candy, saving the song from laughable lyrics. What stinks? Everything else. “I Will Walk With You” is a spot-on mimicry of Fogerty’s old CCR anthem “Lodi,” mixed in with a few tricks from Norah Jones’ soothing style. Fogerty even shaves lyrics from the Beatles and the Ramones in “She’s Got Baggage,” a country song disguised with punk intentions. The intentions aren’t good, and the song fails anyway. His attempt to chant “Hey ho” is an embarrassing attempt at cool. Fogerty splits time between electric rockers and folksy acoustic tunes, but neither side wins out. He fails to satisfy his Neil Young complex, trying to deliver a journeyman’s folk album. Young’s “Silver-and Gold” is how this album was supposed to sound — simple, spare and unapologetically folksy. Fogerty’s nonchalance is sometimes fun, but goofy novelties like “Rhubarb Pie” (a song about rhubarb pie) and “Honey Do” paint Fogerty as a man resting much too comfortably on his laurels. As the former principal songwriter for CCR, Fogerty can safely take some liberties with his short-lived but immensely powerful rock ‘n’ roll band. If bits and pieces of the old sound come through, it’s understandable. Too bad Fogerty 2004 sounds too much like a watered-down Fogerty 1970. “Deja Vu” is 34 minutes long, almost one minute for each year Fogerty’s had to firmly separate himself from his CCR days with bold new music. If this is where Fogerty’s career is at — picnic songs — then he’s not quite the fortunate son we expect him to be. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edu Wilson brings ‘Smile' to fan's faces “SMILE” Brian Wilson ★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ By MITCH FRYE THE GAMECOCK Following the critical and commercial success of “Pet Sounds” in 1966, Brian Wilson attempted to permanently divest the Beach Boys of their sappy, suburban image. He and lyricist Van Dyke Parks began work on an album called “Smile,” an effort that was to mix barbershop harmonies with psychedelic instrumentals and Joyce-ean lyrics. But Wilson experienced a nervous breakdown during production and the record never saw the light of day. Instead, the Beach Boys released “Smiley Smile,” a sad parody of their initial project that the group recorded without the aid of Wilson. Individual “Smile” tracks have surfaced over the decades, however, giving fans insight into the enigmatic lost work that would have been America’s answer to the Beatles' Revolver. These fragments have hinted at a record that would have been optimistic, poignant, and intellectual. But while these pieces all evidence lyrical and musical genius, they are virtually impossible to compile into any coherent whole. Little wonder that Wilson went insane trying to do so. Last week, nearly forty years after its proposed release date, “Smile” hit stores. Encouraged by his recent resurgence in popularity, Wilson decided to revisit the “Smile” material, bringing with him Parks and a back-up band including members of the Wondermints. Parks penned lyrics to the unfinished songs, while Wilson and company re-recorded the content of the album. The resulting product is, on the whole, awe-inspiring. Listeners familiar with the bootlegged “Smile” tracks will be pleased with their revamped presentation here. Wilson’s stand-in Beach Boys are as good as the real thing. They eerily channel the harmonies of the band at its peak, and their instrumental work emulates perfecdy the feel of the original “Smile” sessions. Wilson has also managed to culuvate a heretofore unimaginable sense of unity amongst Smile’s songs. Each track bleeds creatively into the next, emphasizing musical themes if not lyrical ones. And though Smile’s lyrics are silly at dmes, they are nonetheless fun and endearing. Unfortunately, Wilson’s voice is not as moving as it once was; his falsetto has bottomed out. The result is that he delivers some songs with deeper vocals than they require. The record’s excellent production remedies such problems on most tracks, but “Wonderful” and “Surfs Up” suffer from Wilson’s damaged range. Fans of the original versions may feel uncomfortable hearing them handled so sloppily. No matter. The resurrection of this project, thirty-seven years dead, is a miracle, and the fact that it is has resulted in a genuinely good record is astounding. To date, Wilson’s solo work has been embarrassing at best and abysmal at worst. But with “Smile,” he has pieced together the fragments he so long ago shored against his ruin and created a record to rival “Pet Sounds” for sheer quality. “Smile” is a work of schizophrenic scope and sonic majesty. It sounds wonderful. Comments on this story ? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edu Students plan visits home, study time for Fall Break By FELICIA SAILEY THE GAMECOCK It’s that time of year again. Fall Break: a chance to go home, visit friends, take a road trip or make one last trip to the beach before cold weather sets in. This year, however, road tripping and beach bumming won’t be the only ways students will be spending their vacation time. Many students leaving town during fall break this year are going home to spend quality time with their families. “I am really looking forward to going home for 611 break to spend time with my family, especially my baby nephew” second-year English student Kristina Burgess said. Third-year computer engineering student Justin Smith is also going home to see loved ones. “I like to let my mom know what I am doing once in a while,” he said. Other students are heading home over the break to make some extra money. Josh King, a second-year international studies student said, “I’ll probably go home and try to-get a few days of work. I need money.” Still others will simply be in search of some peace and quiet where they can get schoolwork done. “Because it’s right in the middle of the semester, 611 break is just an extended weekend to me. I usually end up writing a paper or something.” third year English student Joe Stanton said. The fourth International Conference on East Asian Calligraphy Education will meet at USC’s McKissick Museum from “Fall Break is usually just an extended weekend to me. I usually end up writing a paper... ” JOE STANTON THIRD-YEAR ENGLISH STUDENT Oct. 15-17. Organized by experts from around the world, the event will feature Tan Ye, a professor of Chinese language, calligraphy and fdm at USC. Many students will stay on campus to attend. “I have been interested in it (Asian calligraphy) for the past two years or so, and I think this would be a great opportunity. I am also excited about getting a chance to see masters at work”, third-year media arts student Brian Atkinson said. Other students are staying on campus for less academic reasons. Stanton said most of his friends are staying on campus. “They are all just taking a weekend to relax and enjoy themselves,” he said. The number of students staying and going is pretty evenly split this year, it seems. But there still are some stragglers who have yet to decide on their fall break plans, including first-year mechanical engineering student J.T. Thompson. “It depends on the number of people staying,” he said. “If a lot stay, then I’ll stay.” _a_ $ Comments on this story ? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwmsc.edu