Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Hello, my name is: Alexandria Yanko, second year nursing student * Josh Cole FOR THE GAMECOCK WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE SOUNDTRACK? “T3 Going on 30.”’ WHAT DO YOU USUALLY EAT FOR BREAKFAST? “Fruity Pebbles.” WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR MAJOR? “I like to help people.” WHAT WAS THE FIRST JOB YOU HAD AND WHERE? “Moe’s in Columbia. Welcome to Moe’s!” WHAT KIND OF SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER DO YOU USE? “Brilliant Brunette.” WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DORM ON CAMPUS? “I’ve only lived in one so far: Wade Hampton.” WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEAL AT MIYO’S RESTAURANT? “General Tso’s chicken with the meat sauteed and added cashews served with fried rice.” DO YOU PREFER BOXERS OR BRIEFS ON A GUY? “Boxer-briefs.” WHAT ARE YOU DOING FRIDAY NIGHT? • “Working hard, then partying harder.” HOW HIGH DOES A CUTE 6 FOOT, 220-POUND MAN WITH BROWN HAIR RANK ON YOUR HOT LIST? “The hottest ever!” . Nighttime activities at USC typically consist of late-night poker, video-game tournaments and sometimes even studying, but some students set their sights a little higher. Fourth-year psychology student Bobby Frankenberger, fourth-year media arts student Forrest Clonts and several of their friends see climbing trees as an excellent after-hours activity. “It’s very exciting and unpredictable,” Frankenberger said, “and it increases upper body strength.” “It doesn’t cost money,” Clonts added. To these students, tree climbing is more than just inexpensive exercise. “It’s as much social as sport,” said friend Jimmy Griffin, a fourth-year art studio and religious studies student. Griffin said he got into tree climbing in his hometown of Walhalla. “Friends of mine back home would get bored, and trees were plentiful around our church.” The climbers said that people rarely notice them. “It never occurs to people to look up,” Clonts said. • i Look to the 1 Braving limbs, dizzying heights, students find fun times in high places Tim (TlcfTldnus 'FOR THE GAMECOCK Photos by Tim McManus/ THE GAMECOCK Top: Ryan Reynolds peers out from a tree. Above: Bobby Frankenberger joins a friend as they enjoy a night of tree-climbing. Occasionally, however, they ire noticed — at least one time yy law enforcement. Griffin said once they were caught by in officer. “He shined the light on us md told us to get out of the :ree,” Griffin said. The climbers fell out, ran off md resumed climbing in a different location. Griffin said police probably assume tree climbers are either peeping Toms” or “not in the right state of mind, if you get my drift.” Monday night, at around 11 a.m., an officer walked by diem during a blatant tree rdimbing session on the Horseshoe — at a point when rlimbers were jumping out of me tree and talking loudly while running to another tree, rhe officer took little notice of rhem, continued to his car and drove off. Ernest Ellis, USC’s director if law enforcement and safety, said he is “not familiar with a state law specifically dealing with tree-climbing,” but that miversity police discourage lets that endanger students and miversity property. Ellis said that if students damage trees, they can be charged with malicious damage to real property. “I would strongly discourage climbing any tree without consulting authority of the area,” Ellis said. The climbers said they do not break limbs or damage the trees in any way. “We pulled already-dead limbs out of trees,” Clonts said. Frankenberger jokingly referred to this activity as “beautifying the campus.” They also emphasize safety in their late-night excursions. “Avoid anything over fences or walkways,” Clonts said. “If there isn’t anything soft to land on, we don’t do it,” Griffin said. On Monday night, one climber suggested they climb trees between Sloan and Barnwell. “It’s not a good idea — all the pavement,” replied a student who preferred to remain nameless. Frankenberger and other climbers agree that one of the most exciting events in USC tree-climbing history was an incident when a student, who preferred to remain nameless, climbed a tree that “was very, plainly obvious to us that it could not be climbed.” Clonts bet the student $50 that he could not climb it. The student pulled down a “really high limb” and used it like a vine or rope and pulled himself up the tree. “We all thought he was going to die,” Frankenberger said. The student was entitled to $50 but let Clonts keep the money. Griffin said a typical night of tree-climbing starts with a conversation such as “Man, I sure could go for some tree climbing about now,” and the reply “Why not?” The climbers then gather people up, go to the Horseshoe to go to their normal trees, see how they’re doing, climb them, see if anything’s changed and then venture to the outskirts of campus “looking for new and challenging trees,” Frankenberger said. These outskirts include Maxcy Gregg Park, where they ran into the police officer with the flashlight, and the Business Administration building, where the unnamed student used the limb as a rope to climb the unclimbable tree. To these climbers, tree climbing is a great way to spend an evening. It challenges them, provides exercise, and is “super fun,” as Clonts put it. But more than that, climbing to them is time well spent with their friends. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gum.sc.edu Tim McManus/ THE GAMECOCK Forrest Clonts, fourth-year media arts student, climbs a tree on campus. Clonts enjoys tree-climbing. www. dailygamecock. com