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THE MIX __ Monday, Sept. 12,2005 HI B B, , B JL T B I _ Page 7 T "*• On your mark, get set, USC athletes gear up for Carolina's sixth annual endurance competition i. 4 Jaclyn Bull FOR THE GAMECOCK The sixth annual USC Octathlon will be held Sept. 25 at the Blatt P.E. Center. The three-and-a-half hour event begins at 1 p.m. and is sponsored by USC’s Bodybuilding & Fitness Sports Club. The octathlon consists of eight events. Participants who complete all events will receive a free T-shirt, with trophies going to top-place finishers. Each event offers a maximum of 120 points. The 1-mile run consists of four laps around the intramural field next to the Blatt. As runners cross the finish line, they will Special to THE (JAMECOCK The USC Octathlon begins Sept. 25 at the Blatt P.E. Center. pick up a Popsicle stick with a corresponding number and show the number to the score keeper to receive points. Each runner after the first-place finisher will receive 4 points less than the previous runner. The second event is the grip endurance, where contestants hang from a straight bar for 120 seconds, receiving a point for each second hanging. The chin-up event consists of doing chip-ups; the contestants mouth must reach the bar on each repetition, with no swinging or jerky movements. An agility run, jump-rope session (maximum of 75 seconds), and backward hand-crawl make up the obstacle-course portion. Contestants in the leg-press place 150 percent of their body weight on a rack that rests against their feet.' They then stretch their legs to a slighdy bent position, lower them to less than a 90-degree angle and repeat with no hesitation or resting. The maximum number of reps for this exercise is 60. In the shoulder-press event, contestants seated at Smith Machines must press 50 percent of their body weight for a maximum of 30 reps. The flexibility event consists of four parts, each counting 30 points. For the wall sit, contestants must sit for 200 seconds with their Special to THE GAMECOCK The USC Octathlon includes events such as a 1-mile run. back completely flat against the wall and knees and hips parallel. The back bridge elevates the contestants stomach with only the hands and feet in contact with the ground; maximum time is 30 seconds. For the finger clasp both bent arms must be extended behind the back (one reaching down, one reaching up) with fingers clasped. A total of 7.5 points is awarded for each pair of fingers interlocked. In the straight leg reach, seated contestants must reach beyond their feet with. their legs straightened for a maximum 10-inch reach. The last event is the quarter mile swim. Contestants swim eight laps of the USC pool with the maximum time being 12 minutes. Points are determined by a contestants finishing rank, with each step down in placement decreasing by 4 points. Each event tests different OCTRTHlOll • 9 AROMATHERAPY ’ EASING STRESS AFTER CLASS Blends, baths, salts just the beginning for students seeking sensory relief Jade Jackson FOR THE GAMECOCK After a long day of bustling from class to class, most students relish the sweet thought of a relaxing moment. Some seek this Vpe of moment with a catnap, but others experience relief with aromatherapy treatment. The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy defines aromatherapy as "the art and science of utilizing naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to balance, harmonize and promote the health of body, mind and spirit.” This type of therapy uses oils, salts, scrubs, lotions and more to work toward its goal of enveloping the body in the tranquility of a still lake. Some intense believers swear V aromatherapy and its medicinal purposes. It is said to be a beneficial agent for relieving a wide variety of ailments such as depression, hysteria, poor memory, moodiness, panic attacks, strains, burns, fatigue, athletes foot, acne, dry skin and stretch marks. Many more conditions can be treated with these products. Plants such as eucalyptus, bay laurel, tea tree and rosemary are used to treat symptoms associated with the common cold. Female students will be interested to know that clary sage, chamomile and tarragon are said to assist with menstrual cramps, mood swings and bloating. For those stressful and homesick moments that leave even the brightest co-ed feeling blue, lavender and geranium are said to be helpful. There are several ways to get in touch with the healing powers of natures own cup. Typical methods include inhalation, diffusion and the use of aromatherapy products in massage, bathing and hot/cold compresses. Inhalation is used mosdy for problems stemming from the respiratory system. Diffusion is using the oils, in a diluted form, as an air freshening spray. Compresses are most often used for bruises, sprains, strains and headaches. NAHA’s Web site, www.naha.org/, offers easy-to follow instructions for creating your own blends, baths and salts. They also provide safety data for the experimental novice. A list of frequently asked questions is also available. Those looking for a place to receive these treatments might want to spend some time at one of the local day spas. Tonic Day Spa is located at 5910 Garners * *' Special to THE GAMECOCK Students could use aromatherapy to relax after a hard day. Ferry Road in Columbia. It offers different types of massages such as “pure relaxation,” “leg remedy” and “happy feet”. Each approximately 30-minute treatment costs $40-$50, with a $15 surcharge for the aromatherapy feature. The spa also sells aromatherapy candles. For those who want to experience aromatherapy but are on one of those restrictive college budgets, several area stores offer products at a reduced price. Target stocks different massage oils, spritzers, candles and scented oils. Wal-Mart carries plenty of books on the subjects of massage and aromatherapy. Bath & Body Works is perhaps the best store in the area to find a wide variety of aromatherapy products. They carry body wash, lotions, scrubs, salts and lots of massage oils. Prices for many of their products start at $10 and go up to $30. On the Web, sites such as www.homespaorganics.com and www.fieldofheather.com offer complete line-ups of aromatherapy care. Home Spa begins prices at around $9-15 dollars. Field of Heather products start as low as $2.50 Another Web site, www.healthbasket.com.au, provides customers with not only typically used products, but also aromatherapy insect repellents and toothpastes. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu SptcialtolWV, GAMECOCK Aromatherapy is available in bottled oils, salts and lotions. www. dailygamecock. com Special to THE GAMECOCK Listeners can hear podcasts using iTunes software. Podcast craze hits fever pitch Multimedia nation finds new way to listen to radio Jeremy Turnage FOR THE GAMECOCK On Oct. 23, 2001, a digital music revolution took place as Apple released the iPod. While MP3-based music players had been around for many years, the iPod came with a stylistic advertising campaign that piqued the curiosity of consumers around the world. Four years later, the iPod has become the clear leader in MP3 players, and Apple’s industry dominance is not up for debate. Just take a look around campus — you will usually catch a glimpse of the quintessential white earphones within five minutes. With the success of the iPod, a new special feature has slipped its way into the limelight: podcasting. Podcasting has a myriad of definitions, but the one used by online encyclopedia Wikipedia states podcasting is a “method of publishing audio broadcasts via the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed of new files (usually MP3s.)” “Pod” is also known as an acronym for “personal-on-demand” when referring to podcasting. While this technology, predominantly in the form of Internet-based radio, has been around for many years, podcasting has taken the old technology to a brand-new level. Exploding onto the technology scene in 2004, podcasting quickly became a popular way for users to listen to Internet radio. Podcasting was gready used during the 2004 presidential campaign, as bloggers began to post MP3s of press conferences and debates online for download. Using existing technology, many bloggers were able to allow users to download the files upon immediate request. Thus, with its humble roots to get IPOD • 9 Computer help just 1 call away Help desk, tech lab assist students with all their technological queries William Selsor FOR THE GAMECOCK, Crash, virus, “spyware,” “adware” and “Trojan horse” are all words that people hate to associate with personal computers. With so much information being passed over the Internet these days, many people find it hard not to become a victim and have some type of computer malfunction. Most people in this day and age depend on computers more than ever. The medical field, engineering, auto dynamics and even the university bursar are a few of the groups that depend on computers. But unlike these bigger organizations, students do not have a technician ready for every call to come fix personal computer problems. Most students also do not have the funds to pay for such services. University Technology Services has been set up to help students who have problems with software and Internet issues. A few of the services provided include virus cleaning, network connections, username and password help, GEM (Gamecock E-Mail), Blackboard and VIP. Students’ technology fee pays for the service. Students are not charged unless their computer has to be sent back to the manufacturer for hardware support. There are a couple ways to go about getting a personal computer fixed: Create a help-desk ticket: Students can create a computer work-order ticket by going to https://helpdesk.uts.sc.edu. From there students log in with their username and password and follow the directions. If log-in problems arise, students can call the help desk at 803-777-1800. Call the Help Desk: Students can call the UTS help desk at 803-777-1800. A computer technician will be assigned to the order or an appointment might be made for the UTS Tech Lab. UTS Tech Lab: The UTS Tech Lab helps students who have trouble with their desktop or laptop personal computer. Students can bring in their computer to a class, and technicians will help them remove viruses, update security patches, take off possible spyware, run virus scans and configure computers for COmPUTERS • 8