The Daily Gamecock 8/23/10

dailygamecock.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

USC to close Arts Institute

Monday 95°

73°

Programs linked university to Columbia arts scene

Tuesday Josh Dawsey 92°

VOL. 103, NO. 3

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010

73°

NEWS EDITOR

USC will shut the doors of its Arts Institute in December, leaving some in the arts community disillusioned at the closure of an outreach effort that linked the campus with Columbia’s arts community.

The decision was made this summer in wake of more budget cuts from the General Assembly, which saw the

University lose more than 20 percent of its state appropriations. It also means one full-time staff member and three part-time employees are out of a job come December.

W hile both universit y administrators and staff members at the Arts Institute said they believe USC is committed to the arts, the closure of the institute showed a revealing discord of how different leaders feel the arts should be funded.

The institute, which opened in 20 05 , was desig ned to promote i nterd iscipl i na r y per for ma nces b et ween d i f ferent sc ho ol s a nd

departments at USC. It also funded partnerships with various community entities, including the Riverbanks Zoo a nd G a rden, t he R ichland Count y Public Library and t he A .C . Mo or e Elementary School, among other DAWES organizations.

Its $200,000 yearly budget allowed it to f u nd per for ma nces i n t he ARTS ● 9A

BID DAY: A RECORD RUSH Quarterbacks falter

96

USC quarterbacks have drawn the ire of coach S te v e S p u r r i e r a f te r Saturday’s scrimmage.

RECRUITMENT COUNSELORS WHO LED THE PROCESS

See page 1C

10 SORORITIES WHO RECRUITED DURING RUSH

Fall Movie Preview Staff Writer Neal Hughes walks through several of this fall’s most anticipated upcoming films, including “The American,” starring George Clooney, and “The Town,” directed by Ben Affleck.

252 NUMBER OF WOMEN WHO JOINED PHI MU IN 2009. THIS IS BELIEVED TO BE THE LARGEST COLONIZATION EVER.

See page 1B

“Quinn”tessential Despite what some critics say, the right video games can be Ryan considered Quinn works of Third-year print journalism art. student

See page 8A

(803) 777-3914 (803) 777-7726 (803) 777-7182 (803) 576-6172

Josh Dawsey NEWS EDITOR

ehind the hundreds of balloons, singing sororities, whistles, dogs wearing jerseys, and thousands of scouting males, there were 887 female students huddled near the McKissick Visitor Center on Sunday afternoon.

They were nearly silent.

“I’m nervous,” said Kim Endara, a first-year student from Charlotte. “We really don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Just yards away, the sororities they hoped to join were yelling, singing, banging spirit sticks and soaring in the air.

The sororities battled to be heard over one another in a chorus of deafening roars.

“Hallelujah, I’m converted and I’ll be a ZTA,” the blue and grey girls screamed.

“Rah rah for Kappa Kappa Gamma,” came a chant from a few feet away.

B

RUSH ● 5A

See more of Bid Day online.

Check out an exclusive Bid Day video and view dozens of online-only photos from Sunday’s Horseshoe celebration.

Online @ www.dailygamecock.com All photos by Jeremy Aaron / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

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SINCE 1908

Carolina nets record grant funds Scientists snag several milliondollar proposals Josh Dawsey NEWS EDITOR

The University of South Carolina netted almost $219 million in research grants during the 2010 fiscal year, breaking its previous record and increasing its haul by 4 percent from 2009.

It also marks the eighth year in a row the University has increased its research funding.

About $154 million, or 70 percent, of those dollars were from federal research funds, some due to federal stimulus funding. That’s almost a 20 percent spike from 2009. USC also saw a n i nc re a s e i n aw a rd s from the National Science Fou nd at io n a nd t he Department of Education.

“The stimulus helped, but proportionally, a little less than 10 percent was stimulus-related money,” said Stephen K resovich , vice president for research and graduate education.

“The research dollars were up across the board.”

Research is important for bot h g raduates and undergraduates, Kresovich said, as it allows students to learn outside the classroom, pursue possible careers and see the world from a different perspective.

Kresovich also notes that research grants build the prestige and credibility of the University in the eyes of corporations.

It was announced t his spring t hat Boeing pla ns to bu i ld a major manufact uring plant in Charleston, stimulating the South Carolina economy with thousands of jobs and billions of dollars.

USC hopes to partner w it h Boei ng a nd ot her subsid ia r ies t hat ser ve B o e i n g i n t he f ut u r e , but plans are still in the embryonic stage, Kresovich said. “ We see Boei ng as a great opportunity, and it’s not just Boeing,” Kresovich said. “It’s a net work of organizations or companies that will provide the needed resources to Boeing here.”

There’s an increasing commitment to building integrated, interdisciplinary tea m s f rom d if ferent colleges to submit grant proposals, according to Kresovich. “ T h at ’s g oi n g t o b e the trend in the future,” Kresovich said. “Whether it’s in community health, law and justice, science or any other field, you require incredible expertise to truly solve any problem.”

Re sea rc h f u nd i ng at U S C ’s e i g h t s a t e l l i t e campuses increased from $5.9 million in 2009 to $8 million in 2010.

“Those numbers suggest t h e r e ’s t h i n k e r s a n d doers all over the state,” Kresovich said. “It builds on t he people a nd t he intellectual power that’s at our satellite campuses.”

Some of t he bigge st scores for the University include: GRANTS ● 9A

The Daily Gamecock ● MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010

PAGE 2A

South Carolina’s largest garage sale excites thousands of bargain hunters in Myrtle Beach MYRTLE BEACH — For Ardell Powell, it’s about the thrill of the hunt.

“I like the adventure of going out and buying stuff even if it’s all dirty and nasty,” Powell said.

The Whiteville, N.C., resident would search garage sales looking for deals on grubby glassware to take home and clean.

For more than 8,000 deal lovers like Powell, South Carolina’s Largest Garage Sale held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center was paradise on Saturday with vendors selling everything from antique stagecoach parts to wholesale toothpaste.

This year, Powell switched from buyer to seller, joining roughly 280 vendors in hopes of making back some of the money she has spent over the years at similar sales. Her glassware took up nearly half of an aisle with teapots, punch bowls, glass birds and more. Powell won’t miss the items that sell, she said, and will now pass on the

thrill to new deal hunters.

Children, including Caleb McCarson of Asheville, N.C., got some of the biggest thrills out of secondhand toys.

“I want to buy everything,” Caleb exclaimed, carrying a squirt gun on his way out of the sale. “And he would if he had the money,” his mother, Denise McCarson, said.

This marks the second year the sale will be in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, and the venue stands to bring in more than $20,000 from vendors fees and parking, General Manager Paul Edwards said.

“It’s amazing to me where it all comes from. It’s an endless supply of things that show up every year,” Edwards said.

Still, most vendors said they don’t expect to make a killing on the sale. More than making a profit, the sale is about culling unwanted items from his collection, said Rob Davenport, a vendor and member of the Mid-West

Tool Collectors Association. Davenport displays his tools, many of which date back to the early 20th century, in dusty piles on the table. “I ain’t real proud of it, but I just brought it hoping someone would see something they like,” Davenport said.

Davenport used to attend the sale when it was held in the parking ramp next to the Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park. He attended as a buyer at the sale in 2009, its first year at the convention center, and decided to return to Myrtle Beach to peddle his wares.

Selling his tools next to Davenport, Scott Tupper agrees that sales were slow and it was unlikely they’d make much money. Tupper is also a tool collector and traveled to the sale from Wilmington with Davenport.“We’ll probably be able to break even and be able to buy lunch, make it an outing more than a money-making thing,” he said.

Wyclef Jean battles for Haitian presidency

Seth Wenig / The Associated Press

Mosque near Ground Zero draws protesters NEW YORK — The proposed mosque near ground zero drew hundreds of fever-pitch demonstrators Sunday, with opponents carrying signs associating Islam with blood, supporters shouting, “Say no to racist fear!” and American flags waving on both sides.

The two leaders of the construction project, meanwhile, defended their plans, though one suggested that organizers might eventually be willing to discuss an alternative site. The other, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, said during a Middle East trip that the attention generated by the project is actually positive and that he hopes it will bring greater understanding.

Around the corner from the cordonedoff old building t hat is to become a 13-story Islamic community center and mosque, police separated the two groups of demonstrators. There were no reports of physical clashes but there were some nose-to-nose confrontations, including a man and a woman screaming at each other across a barricade under a steady rain.

Opponents of the $100 million project two blocks from the World Trade Center site appeared to outnumber supporters.

Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” blared over loudspeakers as mosque opponents chanted, “No mosque, no way!”

Signs hoisted by dozens of protesters standing behind police barricades read “SHARIA” — using dripping, blood-red letters to describe Islam’s Shariah law, which governs the behavior of Muslims.

Steve Ayling, a 40-year-old Brooklyn plumber who carried his sign to a dry

spot by an office building, said the people behind the mosque project are “the same people who took down the twin towers.”

Opponents demand that the mosque be moved farther from the site where nearly 3,000 people were killed on Sept.

11, 2001.

“They should put it in the Middle East,” Ayling said.

On a nearby sidewalk, police chased away a group that unfurled a banner with images of beating, stoning and other torture they said was committed by those who followed Islamic law.

A man wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional A rab headdress, mounted one of two mock m issiles t hat were par t of a n anti-mosque installation. One missile was inscribed with the words: “Again?

Freedom Targeted by Religion”; the other with “Obama: With a middle name Hussein. We understand. Bloomberg: What is your excuse?”

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has f iercely defended pla ns for t he proposed mosque, saying that the right “to practice your religion was one of the real reasons America was founded.”

The project is being led by Rauf and his wife, Daisy Khan, who insist the center will promote moderate Islam. The dispute has sparked a debate on religious freedom and American values and is becoming an issue on the campaign trail ahead of the midterm elections. Republicans have been critical of President Barack Obama’s stance: He has said the Muslims have the right to build the center at the site but has not commented on whether he thinks they should.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Hip-hop singer Wyclef Jean said Sunday that he is not abandoning his presidential bid just yet and will try to get the courts to overturn a decision disqualifying him from the race.

Speaking to The Associated Press by telephone from his home in Croix des Bouquets, Jean said his lawyers will file an appeal with the national electoral dispute office.

Jean said he has a document “which shows everything is correct” and that he and his aides “feel that what is going on here has everything to do with Haitian politics.”

“They are trying to keep us out of the race,” he said, referring to Haiti’s political establishment.

Haiti’s elections board rejected Jean’s candidacy Friday night — presumably because it decided he had not met residency requirements, although the board did not cite a specific reason.

Under Ha it ia n law, a president ia l candidate must have lived in the country for five consecutive years leading up to the election.

Jean has arg ued t hat he was not required to comply with the law so strictly because after President Rene P r e v a l a p p o i nt e d h i m a s r o v i n g ambassador in 2007, he was allowed to travel and live outside the country.

The 40-year-old singer said he is appealing the Haitian board’s decision on the basis that it rejected his candidacy before the national electoral dispute

office, or BCEN, could issue a final ruling on the residency issue.

Jean said that shortly after he filed his papers to run in the Nov. 28 election, t wo Haitian citizens challenged his candidacy, saying he had not met the residency requirements.

The BCEN ruled in his favor, Jean asserted, but the two citizens appealed the decision. The case was still pending when t he Ha it ia n elec t ions boa rd decided to disqualify Jean, the singer said.

It was not clear whether Jean’s legal argument would hold up. Elections board spokesman Richardson Dumel said that as of Sunday afternoon, he had not seen any paperwork from the candidate indicating an appeal, but he declined to comment further.

The board on Friday accepted 19 candidates and rejected 15. A spokesman read out the names of the approved and rejected candidates quickly at a late, hastily called news conference.

It would have helped both candidates and voters if the council had explained t he ba si s of t hei r de c i sion s , sa id of f icials from t he Joint M ission of Electoral Observation, a division of the Organization of American States and the Caribbean Community.

“Regarding the 15 candidacies that were deemed ineligible, explications about t he reasons for invalidat ing them would have contributed to the transparency of the process,” the OAS wrote in a news release issued Saturday.

Ramon Espinosa / The Associated Press

BE

S T OF

Campus Wellness asks USC to ‘Choose to Lose’ weight Program aimed to help students, faculty get fit Elizabeth Keniston

THE DAILY GAMECOCK

C a mp u s We l l ne s s i s making a new beginning more attainable with the Choose to Lose program, a f ree 10 -week weight management program for students, faculty and staff.

The program boasts an abundance of resources, including bi-weekly exercise classes and workout plans tailored to meet the goals of ever y pa r t icipa nt.

Pa r t ic ipa nt s c a n t a ke advantage of weight room orientations, consultations with on-campus dieticians and grocer y store tours to expand knowledge and awareness of healthy food purchases and preparation.

To par t icipate in t he program, students, faculty and staff must register by Sept. 7 and sign up for a preassessment appointment. To be eligible, women must have a body fat percentage greater than 30 and men must be greater than 25.

I n t he pre-a sse ssment , Campus Wellness staff will take measurements and review personal goals that are set by those who wish to participate.

According to Marci Torres, coordinator for C a mp u s We l l ne s s a nd Choose to Lose, t he program is rapidly growing in popularity throughout the Carolina community. When the program first started in the fall of 2008, there were only 13 participants.

T h is has ex ponent ia l ly increased with 115 students participating in the program this past summer.

C ho o s e t o L o s e h a s changed from a six-week classroom structure to 10 weeks of exercise, nutrition counseling, and one-onone coaching. With these re sou rce s, pa r t ic ipa nt s have seen major changes in their health and quality of life. Not only do most participants meet their goal weight s, t hey see many major health improvements, including increasing muscle mass, decreasing body fat percentages and lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

“The people who are in it and stay in it usually meet their goals,” Torres said.

Both Deborah Zippel, a reg istered d iet icia n f or C a mp u s We l l ne s s , and Torres said physical changes are not t he only improvements t hat pa r t ic ipa nt s ma ke throughout the program.

Ma ny st udent s, fac u lt y and staff not only increase their self-confidence levels, but benefit from decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression. Torres said participants are thrilled to see “t heir abil it y to push themselves and their confidence in daily life.”

The t wo attribute the p r o g r a m ’s s u c c e s s t o one-on-one coaching and frequent follow up. The more cheerleading that is involved, the less likely it is that participant will give up on their goals. Torres said t he prog ram helps foster positive relationships, i ncludes tea m bu i ld i ng among faculty members and develops rapport between faculty and students.

On the other hand, one of the biggest barriers to the program is scheduling.

With exercise classes from 7 to 8 a.m. or 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, participants have to decide between getting up early or planning their evenings around workouts.

Despite schedu l i ng conflicts, students, faculty a nd st af f pa r t ic ipat i ng i n t he prog ram make time for Choose to Lose and its resources. Many p a r t ic ip a nt s e njoy t he grocery store tour, led by Zippel. Topics include label reading, learning about lean meats, advice on buying organic and shopping on a budget.

To sign up, visit www. s a . s c . e d u /s h s o r c a l l (803) 576-9393 for more information.

Comments on this story?

E-mail gamecocknews@sc.edu

The Daily Gamecock ● MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010

PAGE 5A

Jeremy Aaron / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Bid Day brought thousands to the historic Horseshoe in an upbeat celebration culminating a week of grueling preparation in the heat. Almost 900 girls joined sororities Sunday.

RUSH ● Continued from 1A “Deep in my heart I love my A D Pi,” sang the cadre in blue and white.

About t wo m i nutes l at e r, t h e p r o s p e c t i v e new member s spr i nted f u ll t hrot t le across t he Horseshoe, running into others, dodging hundreds of adoring parents and roving fraternity members. They were united in a midst of Southern pageantry, chaos, photos, laughs, tears and thankful relief.

Fo r a w e e k , t h e y ’d trudged through the Greek Village every day, hearing about sororities, learning t he chants and meet ing members. They were examined by each chapter, checked for their reputations and resumes. Simply put, they were exhausted, even if they didn’t look it.

“There’s 5,000 females o u t h e r e ,” s a i d Ty l e r Mc Br ide , a t h i rd -y e a r student from Charlotte.

“They look pretty awesome

after the week they’ve had.”

S o r o r it i e s e x p a n d e d more than ever, with each sorority gaining more than 9 0 ne w memb er s . T he class, 887 strong, increased proport ionally wit h t he bigge st f re sh m a n cla s s ever. Last year’s class broke a record as well with 780 joining sorority ranks.

“W hen you see a record nu mber of g i rls come through, it’s always exciting,” said Jerry Brewer, associate vice president for student life. “These girls are making friends and are more likely to stay at USC.” The participants were ready for the action. Other unknowing onlookers were shocked.

“This is ridiculous. I’ve never been out here before,” said Stephen Boegel, a thirdyear student from Georgia.

“It’s hilarious.”

Charlie Otten, an u ndeclared second-year st udent from Kent uck y, watched w it hout shoes.

Otten lives in DeSaussure

College on the Horseshoe and ambled downstairs to watch the proceedings.

“It’s madness,” he said.

“Seriously. Madness.”

Even pa rent s were surprised at the festivities.

“This is very different from when I was in college,” said Janis Leaphart, an USC employee. “It wasn’t nearly this big. This is something else.”

She found her daughter just as Lindsay Garrick met her new Zeta Tau Alpha sisters in a flurry of activity.

Two girls hugged her and another threw a paper crown on her head.

“This was my number one pick,” Garrick said. “I’m so excited I got this because these were the girls I wanted to be with.”

Hallelujah! She was now a ZTA.

Comments on this story?

E-mail gamecocknews@sc.edu

PAGE 8A

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010

A suggested end to litter on campus

EDITORIAL BOARD KARA APEL

USC needs more security, trash collection bins

Editor-in-Chief

ELLEN MEDER

KRISTYN SANITO

Managing Editor

Copy Desk Chief

RYAN QUINN Viewpoints Editor

KRISTYN WINCH Assistant Viewpoints Editor

JONATHAN BATTAGLIA

JIMMY GILMORE

Assistant News Editor

The Mix Editor

MEGAN HILBERT

JEREMY AARON

Design Director

Assistant Photography Editor

JAMES KRATCH

GEOFF MARSI

Assistant Sports Editor

Webmaster

Art Institute closes due to budget cuts The University of South Carolina’s Art Institute will be closing at the end of fall semester. The program, was founded in 2005, will experience a $200,000 budget cut as well as the loss of one full-time staff member and four part-time employees.

The A rts I nst it ute was founded to facilitate collaborations among the University’s arts units and accomplished this by serving as a resource for information about USC’s arts programs and funding collaborative art projects.

Kwame Dawes, director of the Institute, “If there is no believes that by cutting t he I nst it ute, t he outlet for sharing Un iver sit y is get t i ng rid of a vital part of the art, the work itself arts: promotion. It’s true.

If there is no outlet for loses value.” shar i ng ar t , t he work itself loses value. Just because arts’ results aren’t necessarily quantifiable doesn’t mean that the results aren’t valuable to the community. It is impossible to create without an audience.

Several USC programs experienced huge budget cuts, but it is unfortunate that the arts are being cut fi rst. The slow decline of arts programs has been a nationwide trend since the recession began. What if a nationally noticed program like international business was cut completely? Many students attend USC specifically for that program and their educational experience would be different if it was cut. There are students who feel this way about the Arts Institute.

Programs sponsored by the institute have provided opportunities for the community to connect through cultural education. Theater, dance, music, poetry and visual art entertain audiences and change their ways of thinking about important issues in the world.

“QUINN”TESSENTIAL

Video games subjective, like art Play over plot, graphics over style keep medium from being taken seriously Art is a subjective term. My modern art history professor, Dr. Brad Collins, said that anything can be art as long as its creator deems it to be. So when confronted with the question, “Can video games be art?” I rephrase it to what the poser probably intends: “Can video games produce as emot iona l ly stirring and intellectually enlightening experiences as more traditional media can?”

The answer is yes, but I do not fault non-gamers, Ryan or even habitual gamers, Quinn for asking. The question Third-year print became a big deal in 2006 journalism when Roger Ebert declared student t hat v ideo ga mes cou ld never be art . In response, the video game community bombarded him with examples of games they found compelling. IGN even posted a list of the top 10 artistic games, with a deck that boasted “The videogames (sic) that prove Rogert (sic) Ebert wrong.” On the list they included “Ocarina of Time,” “Resident Evil 4,” and the obligatory “Final Fantasy VII.” Great games, but too shallow to be considered persuasive examples of art.

Upon analysis, it is expected that IGN would be so tasteless. The majority of game reviewers, consistently toss high

scores at games that emphasize game play over plot, graphics over style and action over substance — we’ll call them “Modern Warfare 2s.” There’s nothing wrong with these types of games.. They are aesthetically pleasing and some of art is just that.

However, the gaming world is saturated with them. There are so many “Boondock Saints” that no one pays attention when a “Citizen Kane” or “Casablanca” comes out. For instance, IGN’s list says of “Resident Evil 4” that “for pure dark and horrifying mood-setting, no games (and few films, for that matter) match RE 4.”

Ever y mediu m has it s n iche, a nd sometimes it takes a while for artists to figure out how to utilize it. Gaming’s fundamental niche is interactivity, and game makers know this. It’s not that they can’t create artistic games; they are avoiding them because they feel they would be too controversial.

In Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” we read about the horror of the jungle.

In the loose film adaptation “Apocalypse Now,” we watch and hear the horrors of war. If that story were adapted into a video game, we would have to commit the atrocities — such as hacking off the limbs of children — with our own hands.

This is what is avoided. This is why video games like “Grand Theft Auto” and “Gears of War” treat death as fun and entertaining. If games were to treat serious subjects seriously, the experiences would be poignant indeed.

Film pinpoints inconsistencies with religion ‘Jesus Camp’ illustrates outrageous beliefs of evangelical Christians I r e c e nt l y w at c he d o ne of t he mo s t disturbing documentaries I have ever seen.

It was so vile, crude and disgusting, I didn’t know whether to turn it off to save my soul or keep watching for the sake of observing dramatic irony at its fi nest.

I ended up viewing the fi lm in its entirety.

However, I did so with unparalleled horror, and when the documentary reached its end, I could only thank God for those saved people like Christopher Hitchens, Albert Einstein, the founders of Pastafarianism and the doctor at the abortion clinic down the street.

The documentary is titled “Jesus Camp,” and it depicts one of the most facinorous movements in America today: the warping of malleable minds of children so they may become — cue “Jaws” theme — evangelical Christians. These children are preached to by only the elite of ignoramuses, such as “Jesus Camp” star and gluttonous beast, Pastor Becky Fischer, to believe that abortion,

liberalism and Harry Potter are as evil as a global famine. I have an issue with this.

First of all, wasn’t it Jesus who said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:5-9) ? How can anyone call themselves peacemakers when they are labeling themselves as “warriors in God’s army” and avid followers of the fundamentalist conservative party? In “Jesus Camp,” there is a scene where the congregation blesses a cardboard c utout of G eorge W. Bu sh , praising him and his cabinet for highlighting “one nation under God.” This is unfortunate because I can g uarantee t hat most of Emily these people have no idea they Shipp are i nadver tent ly fa ns of a n Third-year English student ad m i n ist rat ion of econom ic and political failures, some of which include beginning an incorrigible war in Afghanistan and enforcing the Military Commissions Act, which strove to not only halt habeas corpus, but also to advocate torture and indefi nite detention.

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Secondly, anyone who berates abortion for pious reasons is grossly uninformed. I stand firmly in my opinion that abortion, not Jesus Christ, is the current social savior.

According to abort73.com, approximately 1.2 million abortions took place in the United States in 2005 alone. If anyone is foolish enough to believe our economy could support these children if they had been born, you are sadly mistaken. Conservatives rant about the malfunctioning welfare system, yet the majority of conservatives are pro-life. How many mothers would be on welfare if they always bore the children they conceived?

Where would these millions of extra children go to school? As George Carlin satirically said on the mindset of those who are pro-life, “If you’re pre-born, you’re fi ne; if you’re preschooled, you’re f***ed.”

At this point, I only hope that the number of conservative Christians decreases as the accessibility to technology increases. If Jesus Christ is scheduled to descend upon our planet to damn those who have been getting it wrong, then I can’t wait — the exorcism of evangelical Christians will be upon us.

I would like to dedicate my first column of the fall semester to the imbeciles without a s e n s e of p e r s o n a l property rights who left four empt y beer cans near my car Tuesday.

God only knows their mot ive. I hope t he y a re env i ron ment a l ly insensit ive imbeciles who are unaware that t here a re doz e n s of recycling bins across our campus or illegally drunk freshmen enjoying the very long leash held by t hei r parents.

Howe v e r, i n m y opinion, it’s more likely t hat it was a n act of retribution from equally dr u n k self-described conser vative activists w ho s aw a green c a r w it h a Sheheen sticker and threw t he c a n s Austin at the Jackson car. I may Third-year cringe at political science a random student st udent’s Hummer H2 emblazoned wit h a Haley sticker and a G adsden f lag st icker on the back, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to pelt empty beer cans at it like it is a giant recycling bin.

A s for polit ical pranks on surface lots, I urge this universit y to fi nish what it started last academic term at Bates House and Bates West: Install cameras in the lots. Had I parked t here — and if t hose embarrassingly selfish drunkard sorry-excusefor-Gamecock s t ried t hei r i mbeci l ic deed t here — t here would have been hard proof to bust them from here to Columbia, N.J. A las, not on ly has lame-duck Gov. Mark Sanford called to end building projects here but a lso, t h is st ate’s increasingly f rozen shoulder toward higher education is costing us nearly $175 million in stimulus funding.

But no, Gov. Sanford made our leg islat ure further cut a balanced state budget, therefore screw ing us all. A nd somewhere on campus, d r u n k e n id iot s w ho shou ld have never been accepted to this universit y are pelting my fou r- do or sed a n with empty beer cans.

Editor-in-Chief KARA APEL Managing Editor ELLEN MEDER Copy Desk Chief KRISTYN SANITO Assistant Copy Desk Chief SHANON GREEN Design Director MEGAN HILBERT Assistant Design Director MORGAN REID News Editor JOSH DAWSEY Assistant News Editors JONATHAN BATTAGLIA SARA HARTLEY Viewpoints Editor RYAN QUINN Assistant Viewpoints Editor KRISTYN WINCH The Mix Editor JIMMY GILMORE Assistant Mix Editor COLIN CAMPBELL Sports Editor CHRIS COX Assistant Sports Editor JAMES KRATCH

Photo Editor SCOTT FOWLER Assistant Photo Editor JEREMY AARON Senior Photographer KERI GOFF Webmaster GEOFFREY MARSI Multimedia Director MILES MILLER Page Designers CHRIS BROWN, BRENNAN WARE, CHARLOTTE BARR, MADDIE WOOD, Staff Writers NEIL HUGHES Copy Editors CASSIE STANTON, TRAVIS HORNE Photographers RICHARD PEARCE Public Relations Director JESSICA SCANLON Graduate Assistant KIOSHA GREGG Student Media Director SCOTT LINDENBERG Faculty Adviser ERIK COLLINS Creative Director EDGAR SANTANA

CONTACT INFORMATION Business Manager Offices located on the third floor CAROLYN GRIFFIN of the Russell House Advertising Manager Editor: gamecockeditor@sc.edu SARAH SCARBOROUGH News: gamecocknews@sc.edu Classifieds Manager Viewpoints: gamecockopinions@sc.edu SHERRY F. HOLMES The Mix: gamecockfeatures@sc.edu Production Manager Sports: gamecocksportspage@sc.edu C. NEIL SCOTT Online: www.dailygamecock.com Creative Services Newsroom: 777-7726 MADDY ALFORD, A.J. BIKOWSKI, Sports: 777-7182 DEMETRIOUS COOPER, Editor’s Office: 777-3914 ELIZABETH HOWELL, MADDIE Fax: 777-6482 MCDOWELL, ALLYSON SEITZER Advertising Th e Board of Student The Daily Gamecock is the HANNAH COOK, PHILIP Publications and editorially independent student KISELICK, QUINCY ROBINSON, Communications is the publisher newspaper of the University of MEGHAN TANKERSLEY South Carolina. It is published daily during the fall and spring semesters and nine times during the summer with the exception of university holidays and exam periods. Opinions expressed in The Daily Gamecock are those of the editors or author and not those of the University of South Carolina.

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The Daily Gamecock ● MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010 ARTS ● Continued from 1A

photography

community, promote USC faculty and students, counsel up-and-coming artists and bolster t he Universit y’s prest ige in t he arts community, director Kwame Dawes said. Dawes said it once received $250,000, but was slashed during budget cuts in recent years.

“We don’t do a smart e nou g h job of how we promote and support the arts, and this institute did that,” Dawes said. “The Arts Institute represented and was lauded as a gesture of the part of the University as part of its belief in the centrality of the arts, and it was a good avenue for artists to be involved at the University.”

Dawes, an Emmyw i n n i ng a r t ist a nd t he University’s poet laureate, said he’s received numerous e-mails from arts supporters, expressing disappointment w i t h t h e U n i v e r s i t y ’s decision to close t he institute.

The University remains c o m m it t e d t o t he a r t s in wake of the institute’s closing, Provost Michael Amiridis said. He said over half of the institute’s budget went toward staffing, and in a budget crisis, that’s not the most effective spending on students.

His office will now direct f unding to st udents and faculty, which he said can be handled effectively without a separate institute.

“It’ll actually be double the money for our students a n d p r o g r a m m i n g ,” A m iridis said. “Th is university is a place where the arts are supported and appreciated.”

B u t t h a t ’s a f l a w e d strategy, Dawes said. No matter how good an artist is, he or she can’t succeed without effective publicity.

“A r t doe s not si mply entail someone producing a great work of literature or a great painting. There are other people involved in what happens to t hat painting after it’s produced,” Dawes said. “There must be an infrastructure there, or people won’t view or hear the art, regardless how good it is.”

Dawes won’t lose his job, as he’s also a professor of English at the University.

But the decision leaves him questioning whether or not USC is a place he should teach.

In the past, the University has supported his efforts and shown him great respect, he said. But the closure of the center is disheartening.

“When the Arts Institute started, it was celebrated for that as a great step forward ... and set a model for the Southeast of what you can do in the arts,” Dawes said.

“Now, this seems to be a very backwards step.”

PAGE 9A

Riley showcases three-day retreat Former governor visits program focused on personal, group growth Josh Dawsey NEWS EDITOR

Former South Carolina Gov. Richard Riley visited c a mpu s t h i s we e k e nd t o d i s c u s s le a d e r s h ip with 18 Honors College students in a small-group setting full of laughs and interactive dialogue.

He e nt e r t a i ne d t he g r o u p , q u ip p i n g t h at “he never t raveled to A rgent ina wh ile governor” and peppering h is order selec t ion at Liza rd’s T h icket w it h funny banter.

But it wasn’t all fun and games.

The students quizzed Riley on topics ranging from his food preferences to his toughest situations

while serving as governor and Secretary of Education under former President Bill Clinton .

He was responsible f o r a m aj o r o v e r h au l of educat ion i n Sout h Carolina and was the fi rst gover nor to ser ve t wo terms.

He now ser ves on several influential boards, is a consultant to many leaders and often writes for nat iona l a nd loca l publications as an op-ed columnist. His expertise on educat ion is st i l l widely sought in policy circles.

“I’ve had some really good oppor t u n it ies to le ad i n m y l i f e t i me ,” R i le y s a id . “A nd I ’ve lea r ned it’s i mpor t a nt t o r e s p e c t ot he r s , b e interested, build bridges and always be relevant to the situation.”

He urged students to discover t heir passions and decide how to make prog re s s towa rd t hei r goals in a tangible, handson fash ion. R iley a lso discussed historic policy battles from his time as governor and told stories about h is ch ild hood leadership experiences in a music club and on the football team.

Even at 77 years old, R iley was engaged and interesting, his age only showing in his stooped posture.

He c a me to c a mpu s as part of a “Drop Ever y t h ing a nd Lead” ret reat org a n iz ed by Jonathan Aun , a fourthyear Honors College and experimental psychology st udent, as par t of h is t hesis. Au n i nv ited both first-year students and upperclassmen

t o p a r t i c ip at e i n t h e three-day retreat, which foc used on lear n i ng i nd i v id u a l s t r e n g t h s , collaborating on projects and empowering others. “ We ’r e t r y i n g t o address issues and concerns on campus in our communit y and f ig ure out solut ions to solve t hem,” Aun said.

“This is taking leadership outside of the classroom, too.”

He added that students pa r t icipat i ng i n t he ret reat wou ld f u r t her apply leadersh ip sk ills by using $300 to attack a problem of their choice on campus. Riley came to ca mpus af ter bei ng c o nt a c t e d b y Ho no r s College Associate Dean Ed Munn Sanchez.

Comments on this story?

E-mail gamecocknews@sc.edu

Comments on this story?

E-mail gamecocknews@sc.edu

GRANTS ● Continued from 1A • $11.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to study nanostructure design.

• $4.9 million from the Centers for Disease C o nt r o l / H e a lt h a n d Human Services to study healt h promot ion and disease research; • $4.9 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to study geological characterization of the South Georgia Rift Basin for potential storage of CO2.

Comments on this story?

E-mail gamecocknews@sc.edu

Courtesy of Jonathan Aun

Former South Carolina Gov. Richard Riley poses with participants during this weekend’s Honors College retreat.

Interested in: public relations advertising editing

reporting design

writing layout newspaper production web site management

interest meetings: Day T Aug. 31 W Sept. 1

Time 8:00 pm 7:00 pm

RH Room # 302

T Sept. 7

8:00 pm

304

W Sept. 8

8:00 pm

302

304

“Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.”

— Samuel Taylor Coleridge

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010

From Ben Affleck’s ‘The Town’ to U.S. remake ‘Let Me In,’ this fall offers plenty of hotly anticipated titles Neal Hughes

STAFF WRITER

With summer wrapping up and blockbusters and sequels fading away, there are many releases to look forward to, which we admittedly deserve after suffering through the movies this summer. Most of the notable films are coming out later this year, and as expected, most of the heavyweight Oscar contenders will be released closer to the awards ceremony to stay fresh in the Academy’s mind. However, this does not mean there is nothing to look forward to in the next few months. Many films have plenty of potential and are already garnering interest. Here are a few that stand out.

“Takers” — This film comes out this weekend and is only interesting because of the amount of young actors it has to offer (Paul Walker, T.I. and Hayden Christensen, to name just a few). None of these actors really have much talent, but the film still could be a younger, cheaper version of “Ocean’s Eleven.” That’s defi nitely a best-case scenario, but “Takers” looks to be the best bet for the remainder of August.

Courtesy of on

.com linemovieshut

“The American” — George Clooney plays an assassin who has recently completed a job that did not go as swimmingly as he had planned and has decided to lay low for a while and let his guard down. Naturally, this also does not go as planned. Expect this film, directed by relative newcomer Anton Corbijn, to be a tight, racing thriller and possibly the hidden gem of the dog days.

Courtesy of collider. com

“The Town” — From the trailer, this film, directed by Ben Affleck, looks to be heavy on raw emotions and fire power. With a cast that features plenty of qualified and talented actors (Jon Hamm, “The Hurt Locker’s” Jeremy Renner and Chris Cooper) “The Town” could be the antithesis of “Takers” in that its ensemble will probably be stellar. If Affleck can recapture the essence of his acclaimed “Gone Baby Gone” (2007), look for “The Town” to score a surprise Oscar nod for Best Picture.

Michael Goulding

“Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” — While the first “Wall Street” (1987) was a socially poignant depiction of the corruptness that ran Wall Street, this sequel has become a running joke of Internet boards and entertainment writers. This could be because Shia LaBeouf was cast in a “serious” role and is actually expected to act or it could be because Michael Douglas and director Oliver Stone are reviving a 23-year-old film for seemingly no reason.

/ MC T Campus

Peter Field Peck / MCT Campus

“Let Me In” — Swedish fi lm “Let the Right One In” has been widely recognized as the best vampire movie made in the last decade (deal with it, Twi-hards). After acquiring a large enough cult following to garner the attention of some Hollywood bigwigs, “Let the Right One In” was prescribed an American remake. “Let Me In” is highly anticipated, but not without apprehension. Director Matt Reeves (“Cloverfield”) shows promise, but allowing him to remake one of the best films of the last few years seems a little problematic, and it will be interesting to see if the elegance of the former will be transferred to the American version.

Courtesy of

collider.com

The Daily Gamecock

PAGE 2B

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MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010

‘Expendables’ truly expendable Stallone’s mega-action film struggles through its own seriousness Jimmy Gilmore THE MIX EDITOR

The Expendables NOW IN THEATERS ★ ★ out of ✩✩✩✩✩

Director: Sylvester Stallone Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke Run Time: 103 minutes Rating: R for strong action and bloody violence throughout, and some language Early on in director/co-writer/star Sylvester Stallone’s testosterone overload “The Expendables,” A rnold Schwarzenegger enters a church through almost impossible brightness, creating the impression that a saint is descending to converse with mortals.

In the ensuing conversation, the “Terminator,” “Rocky” and Bruce Willis trade quips about a new mission.

Schwarzenegger refuses and leaves in the same bright halo of light and Willis never makes a return for the rest of the film.

This is perhaps the only sequence that really reveals what Stallone had in mind when he set out to make “The

Expendables,” which has been billed from the time it was announced as a rollicking reunion of ’80s action stars. In this brief scene, there is actual care with the camera, light and conversation — a kind of meta-wit to the proceedings.

Sadly, this playfulness is missing from nearly every other minute of “The Expendables,” a movie so awkward in nearly every element that it becomes almost impossible to enjoy once it finally gives over to nonstop madcap action and blood.

The most conspicuous problem lies in Stallone’s choice of casting. While it’s often fun to watch Stallone and Jason Statham bounce verbal folly off each other — the unstoppable action hero of the ’80s colliding with the unstoppable action hero of the ’00s — co-stars Randy Couture and Terry Crews are lifeless additions to the team.

On the “villainous” side of things, Eric Roberts (“The Dark Knight”) does great over-the-top work, but he’s a head-and-shoulders standout over the unintelligible Dolph Lundgren and Steve Austin, who says every one of his few lines like he’s standing inside a wrestling ring with a microphone.

Stallone and co-writer Dave Callaham want to make every conversation scene memorable, full of jokes about masculinity, weapons, women and old age. Unfortunately, no one seems to figure out how to deliver the leaden, obvious dialogue, and almost every moment comes off either forced or blandly overplayed.

Even Stallone seems to suffer under the burden of his own words, as the 64-year-old looks more dazed than anything when the action isn’t a-blazing. The only member of the cast who actually breathes some soul into the proceedings is Mickey Rourke as a tattoo artist, but he is again shafted to a sideline role — a wasted asset.

But what of the action, which is really the only reason anyone would want to suffer through the awkward community of truly expendable co-stars? To Stallone’s credit, he stages several massive explosions and some staggering gore. Following on his blood-drenched “Rambo” (2008), the film loves to kill off as many extras in as many gory ways as Stallone can devise.

But this action is not necessarily a pleasure to look at. The editing is grossly inconsistent and imprecise, shots rarely feel framed to their maximum potential and cinematographer Jeffrey L. Kimball makes the nighttime climax a struggle to see. There’s nary a sense of rhythm or pulse.

Yes, there is such thing as “gritty action,” but if in-yourface verisimilitude was something Stallone was aiming for in “The Expendables,” he fails miserably. While the action is certainly over-the-top, if only intermittently campy, it never exhibits the kind of care Stallone invests in those three minutes in the church with Willis and Schwarzenegger.

While it could have been a dream-team ensemble movie, a true throwback to “Rambo,” “Commando,” “Predator” and the rest of that dearly loved company, “Expendables” feels more like a shadow, a compromised project that has to shove its real attractions into cameos.

It’s like a high-concept project without its central concept. Even though it picks up significantly in its final act, everything before feels so arthritic, so creaky, it can never rebound from how insignificant an exercise it inevitably feels like.

Comments on this story?

E-mail gamecockfeatures@sc.edu

Karen Ballard / AP Exchange

Sylvester Stallone directs and stars opposite action titans like Dolph Lundgren, Jason Statham and Jet Li in “The Expendables,” which captured the top box office spot this weekend.

C OLIN ’ S T RAILER P ARK ‘Machete,’ ‘Going the Distance’ genre pics to look forward to

Colin Campbell

ASSISTANT MIX EDITOR

It’s been a long summer, and you all have probably been dying of heat, exhaustion and, of course, lack of the “Trailer Park.”

Luckily, you once again get the opportunity to sort through trailers for some of the biggest upcoming movies and decide whether they’re worth seeing ... or missing.

The top movie on the list right now, alphabetically as it just so happens, is director Anton Corbijn’s “The American,” starring George Clooney. The trailer opens bleakly, showing Clooney’s character, Jack, an older assassin ready to retire, driving what appears to be a long distance. Shots of a tunnel, then a winding Italian countryside suggest he’s on a vacation of sorts.

A piano melody is intertwined with a mysterious phone conversation between Jack and his contact, Larry (Bruce Altman),

in which Jack says, “I want out.” Larry replies, “Consider it your last job.”

From there, things speed up somewhat, quickly f lashing between takes of Jack loading a gun, meeting a priest (Paolo Bonacelli), talking to (and then having a suggestive sex scene with) an Italian woman and being told he is being tailed and targeted, supposedly by an opposing assassin.

“The American,” mirroring its trailer, might build slowly, but it should make for an intense thriller. And with Clooney’s acting skill and Corbijn’s directing, it should be worth your while to check out.

Another violent but pretty awesomelook ing f lick to keep on your radar: “Machete” (20th Century Fox). Yes, the title sounds like a “Saw” rip-off, but if we judged movies by their titles, no one would have ever watched “The Silence of the Lambs.”

Wr it ten a nd d i rec t ed by Rob er t Rodriguez, “Machete” features an all-star ensemble cast with Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro, Michelle Rodriguez,

Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Jeff Fahey, Steven Seagal and Don Johnson.

Keep reading, though, because an all-star cast doesn’t always make for a grade-A movie. Just ask Julia Roberts and the rest of the “Valentine’s Day” cast. The preview opens with Machete (Trejo), a mercenary killer, sharpening his namesake, pouring himself a shot and mounting a machine gun on his motorcycle.

At this point, less than 20 seconds into

Michael Goulding / MCT Campus

George Clooney stars as a hitman in hiding in director Anton Corbijn’s “The American.”

the trailer, as a viewer, one knows whether you’re going to watch this movie or not. If you’re into big explosions and shootouts, this is up your alley. And you might even follow a nice plot twist or two before it’s over (or so the trailer suggests).

That last one was for the guys; so ladies, this next one’s for you. Drew Barrymore and Justin Long star in New Line Cinema’s TRAILERS ● 6B

Ian West / AP Exchange

Justin Long and Drew Barrymore star in upcoming rom-com “Going the Distance.”

The Daily Gamecock ● MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010

PAGE 4B

Eight hosts more appealing than Chelsea Handler Colin Campbell

ASSISTANT MIX EDITOR

From the funny to the weird, MTV still has time to pick a better VMA emcee Last week, MTV announced that comedian Chelsea Handler would be hosting the 2010 Video Music Awards on September 12, and frankly, this does not sit well with us at The Mix. Known only for her feebly funny late night TV show “Chelsea Lately,” and as author of “Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea,” the comedian really has no place hosting the VMAs. We stand by this statement, and to prove how serious we are, we even made a list of hosts we’d rather see.

ZACH GALIFIANAKIS The funniest comedian to hit the scene in t he last year, t he bearded f u n ny ma n wou ld be a g reat host.

Anyone who’s seen “The Hangover” or “Dinner for Schmucks” or saw him host “Saturday Night Live” knows he’s naturally hilarious. MTV could double its viewership with a couple well-placed ads promoting the fact.

LINDSAY LOHAN As evidence for how serious we are, we would rather see a coked-out Lindsay Lohan stumbling around on stage than Chelsea Handler. She’d make so many more people laugh, and MTV would automatically get the whole “creepy older man” demographic hoping for a nip-slip or other flash of some sort.

Courtesy of aceshowbiz.com

Fitzroy Barrett / MCT Campus

TINA FEY Ti na Fey is beaut if u l; Chelsea’s not. Tina is funny, Chelsea is ... not so much. Tina Fey can make people laugh with material that doesn’t make you uncomfortable if you’re watching with your parents. Chelsea can’t. Tina is everything we’d love to see in a VMA host, and she has the experience from “Saturday Night Live” as well as “30 Rock.” She’s just better.

RYAN SEACREST We’d even rather see the verticallychallenged “American Idol” host present t he V M A s t han Chelsea. A gain, a recognizable, relevant face, who would be a good host and would garner more interest in the event, even if he just made pedantic small talk the whole time.

Michael Goulding / MCT Campus

Michael Goulding / MCT Campus

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE W ho could better do it t han t he man who teamed up with Beyoncé and parodied her award-winning “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” video in a leotard and heels? JT would be so much less irritating to listen to for an evening than Chelsea and might actually make people laugh. See also his hilarious stint as ESPY’s host a few years back.

K ANYE WEST A pro at speaking out, especially at large award ceremonies, Kanye would be perfect hosting the VMAs. With his high-profi le Taylor Swift interruption, he got more attention than last year’s host Russell Brand (don’t even get us started on him). You never k now, if Chelsea says something he disagrees with, he’ll probably be up on stage anyway: “Chelsea, I’mma let you finish, but...”

Francis Specker / MCT Campus

Kirk McCoy / MCT Campus

Lane Christiansen / MCT Campus

JANE LYNCH

KIM JONG-IL

Probably the closest person on this list to Chelsea, but so much more relevant because of her lead role in the Golden Globe-winning Best Comedy/ Musical Series, “Glee.” Lynch would captivate the L.A. audience, as well as those watching at home, without the awkwardness and frankly distasteful material to which Handler has such a penchant, even if she just stayed in Sue Sylvester mode for a couple hours.

Our guess is that with Brand last year and Handler this year, MTV was trying to pick controversial hosts who would be ruder and thus more appealing to the youth of today. Well, who’s ruder than Kim Jong-il? Does he even listen to American music? It doesn’t matter; we’d rather see the North Korean dictator up there presenting the VMAs than Chelsea Handler. Told you we were serious about this.

Courtesy of connect.in.com

The Daily Gamecock ● MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010

PAGE 5B

‘Kids’ enjoyable, but just ‘all right’ Despite organic performances, film founders under weight of its melodramatic conventions Jimmy Gilmore THE MIX EDITOR

The Kids Are All Right ★ ★ ★ out of ✩✩✩✩✩

Director: Lisa Cholodenko Starring: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo Run Time: 106 minutes Rating: R for strong sexuality, nudity and language “ T he K id s A re A l l R ig ht ” i s a movie with a lot on its mind. It’s a dysfunctional family comedy/drama, a coming-of-age story and a morality play loaded w it h sex ualit y t h row n together in a seemingly humble little pot.

It bubbles with rich performances amid an ensemble that truly plays off itself wonderfully, but the whole thing feels a little too constructed when it wants to feel most organic and a little too obvious when it wants to surprise.

Ostensibly, this is because the movie is about lesbians. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore star as Nic and Jules, a couple that conceived their children via artificial insemination. Their family is almost like any other — their dinner talk, their nighttime routines, the very smallness of the interactions.

W hen t heir t wo k ids, Jon i (M ia Wasikowska) and Laser ( Josh Hutcherson) , establish contact with biological father Paul (Mark Ruffalo), the seams of the family come apart in more ways than one.

From the start, every performance feels miraculously lived-in. Ruffalo seems to nail his character on the head — he allows Paul’s overcompensating t o c o m e o u t s l o w l y, w i t h o u t ever overcompensat i ng h is ow n performance.

Moore and Bening, t wo dazzling Osca r-nom i nated ac t resses, never condescend t he “lesbia n” label by drawing on mediated stereotypes or even trying to play against stereotype.

They do their best to act like partners and very often they capture a kind of glance and motion that manages to ooze family love.

W hile the f ilm’s series of set ups, awk wa rd sit u at ion s a nd c r u sh i ng choices all feel well-conceived and are played with pithy earnestness, there’s a whole other element of the fi lm that feels wholly calculated and cold.

It s evoc at ion of t he melod ra ma genre, specifically the kind of “middleage couple in sexual crisis” and “teen child forced to mature through selfactualization” plot lines it hones in on, are beat-for-beat recognizable. The only difference, of course, is the kind of sexual politics underlying the use of the genre.

Now i nstead of f ight i ng for t he stability of the heterosexual couple, the fi lm is questioning how heterosexuality come s i nto play i n a homo se x u a l relationship. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this, and it’s a bold way to emulate progressive politics.

The real problem lies in how stale it all feels after a while. The characters may remain fresh and interesting, but the plot is anything but — its turns toward despair and redempt ion, to heartbreak and forgiveness, are plot points that feel so obligatory it makes the fi lm feel less unique.

Perhaps t hat’s director/co-w riter Lisa Cholodenko’s point: A fi lm about homosexuals can look an awful lot like a fi lm about heterosexuals. This kind of mirroring is evidently on her mind, as the fi lm often repeats events like sexual intercourse, dinner meals and family arguments at different points in the narrative with different motives and effects for the various characters.

While it’s a heartwarming and funny movie, “The Kids Are All Right” makes it s mach i nat ions all too apparent.

Its soul is nearly compromised by its gender switch setup.

The naturalness of the performances and interactions is so often undercut b y t he f i l m’s s h a r p c r ie s f or t he spectator to think about family and sexuality in ways that draw so heavily on constructed convention that by the end it feels almost more tiresome than refreshing.

Comments on this story?

E-mail gamecockfeatures@sc.edu

Courtesy of Focus Features

Annette Bening (left) and Julianne Moore star as lesbian couple Nic and Jules.

Courtesy of Focus Features

The cast of “The Kids Are All Right” sparkle with natural, nuanced performances.

Courtesy of Focus Features

Mark Ruffalo (left) tries to wedge into the family in “The Kids Are All Right.”

‘Art of Racing’ emotional and profound Book perfectly embodies animal perspective to tell story of loss, appreciation of life Katie Crocker

THE DAILY GAMECOCK

The Art of Racing in the Rain ★ ★ ★ ★ out of ✩✩✩✩✩

Author: Garth Stein

Courtesy of fusedfilm.com

Judging by the title, “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein sounds like a book of lyrical prose that could put any reader to sleep. It is instead a delightful surprise. Perhaps it could be considered another one of America’s great “dog” books, because it follows and is told from a dog’s point of view.

Though not a recent release, “The Art of Racing in the Rain” has found a home on the New York Times Best Sellers list under Paperback Trade Fiction for the past 61 weeks, a staggering accomplishment in any right.

Enzo is a dog who is not only aware of what is going on around him, but is able to construct witty and deeply philosophical remarks about his world. He is a member of the Swift family, and the book follows their adventures. His bond with his humans resonates throughout every page of the book.

The book begins in a shocking way with Enzo nearing the end of his life. While the text is thick with prose and lines of detail in the fi rst chapter, this style does not last forever. The entrance of Enzo’s human owner, Denny, lightens the book’s touch, and this shift in tone could easily be read as a remark on human existence and meaning.

Stein does something almost unheard of in writing; he captures being human without writing as a human.

The dog’s point of v iew gives t he reader a new appreciation as to what it means to be loved. Since Enzo has to rely on body language to communicate, he is also able to better understand subtle shifts in how humans physically convey emotions, and the book continually dissects nonverbal communication.

A detail that cannot be overlooked is how the dog’s journey intertwines on multiple levels with his human family. Stein grants the dog a voice that is not a human mimic, such as a parrot, but something that balances qualities both human-like and uniquely dog-like.

RACING ● 6B

The Daily Gamecock

PAGE 6B

â—?

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010

TRAILERS � Continued from 2B latest love story, “Going the Distance,� a romantic comedy about a love-struck couple attempting to fend off the many challenges of a long-distance relationship.

Sounds pretty sappy, but the trailer actually pulls some very funny scenes from the movie: one sort of borrowing from “Office Space� (1999) with a roommate who can hear through the wall and one involving confused phone sex. The last, and funniest, occurs when they finally get back together and are so in the heat of the moment that they don’t realize the room they’ve chosen to use for their “business� is already occupied.

The movie itself may be just a chick flick in the end, but long-distance relationships are a commonly shared experience in our 24/7-technologically-connected college world, and no matter who you are or what kind of relationship you’re in, “Going the Distance� could make for a great date night.

All trailers are available for viewing at youtube.com or apple.com/trailers.

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences loves to hand out awards so much that it has to split up its ceremonies over multiple weekends. Saturday night, it doled out its Creative Emmy Awards, honoring technical achievements. A sample of the winners are below. The Primetime Emmy Awards will be on Sunday, Aug. 29 on NBC and will be hosted by Jimmy Fallon.

Best Casting for a Drama Series: “Mad Men,� AMC Best Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or Special: “The Pacific,� HBO Best Casting for a Comedy Series: “Modern Family,� ABC Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Betty White for “Saturday Night Live,� NBC Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series: Neil Patrick Harris for “Glee,� FOX Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Ann-Margret, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,� NBC Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series: John Lithgow, “Dexter,� Showtime Bests Choreography: “So You Think You Can Dance�

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Best Music Composition for a Series: “24,� FOX Best Music Composition for a Miniseries or Movie: “Temple Grandin,� HBO Best Animated Program: “Disney Prep & Landing,� ABC Best Short-Format Animated Program: “Robot Chicken,� Cartoon Network Best Voice-over Performance: Anne Hathaway for “The Simpsons,� FOX Best Directing, Variety, Music or Comedy Series: Don Roy King for “Saturday Night Live,� NBC Best Writing, Variety Music or Comedy Series: “The Colbert Report�

Best Variety, Music or Comedy Special: “The Kennedy Center Honors�

Best Commercial: “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like� by Old Spice Best Reality Program: “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,� ABC Best Host, Reality or Reality-Competition Program: Jeff Probst, “Survivor,� CBS Best Children’s Program: “Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie,� Disney Channel Best Special Class Program: “63rd Annual Tony Awards,� CBS

-- Compiled by Jimmy Gilmore, THE MIX EDITOR

RACING â—? Continued from 5B

Courtesy of arm-film.com

The philosophy g uiding t he overall message of the book is an understanding of how one can take the best out of life’s given s it u at ion . E n z o u nder s t a nd s more about the world in which humans live by simply observing what they do with what they are given. It also touches on a lack of appreciation for life and the need to slow down and experience more of what life has to offer.

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Racing in the Rainâ&#x20AC;? is a complex understanding of one dog and his life among humans.

It details what one family does in the face of adversity and is a testament to a modern dog and the mantra that never dies: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best friend.â&#x20AC;? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s above all a mustread book, but be sure to bring a box of tissues.

The most clever metaphor is worked right into t he book by way of the main human, Denny, who is a race car driver. Again, Stein shows his talent by being able to make every point with a very discernible reason. â&#x20AC;&#x153; T he A r t of R ac i ng i n t he Rainâ&#x20AC;? is so much more than just another simple dog stor y. Like how â&#x20AC;&#x153;Old Yel lerâ&#x20AC;? showed t he world how faithful a dog could be to the bitter end, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Art of

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PAGE 7B

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010

Bunny and Ravy ● By Marlowe Leverette / The Daily Gamecock

Calendar of Events What: College Republicans Welcome Back Table When: 11 a.m.

Where: Greene Street

What: Fraternity Council When: 4 p.m.

Where: RH, Room 315

What: Women’s Appreciation Day When: 11 a.m.

Where: Russell House, 2nd floor lobby What: Navigators’ information table When: Noon Where: Greene Street

What: Sorority Council When: 5:30 p.m.

Where: RH, Room 205 What: Association of Minority Pre-Health Students meeting When: 6:30 p.m.

Where: RH, Room 205 What: Student Christian Fellowship When: 7 p.m.

Where: Rutledge Chapel

What: Hill of the Lord Flyer Handout When: 1 p.m.

Where: Greene Street

PhD ● By Jorge Cham WINTER’S BONE 6 and 8 p.m., $6.50 Nickelodeon Theatre, 937 Main St.

The Scene TODAY

TOMORROW

USELESS TRIVIA HOSTED BY HARDY AND DEWAYNE 9 p.m., Free New Brookland Tavern, 122 State St. YO SOYBEAN W/ STEPHEN SEBASTIAN & JAILBOX 6 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show, $5 The White Mule, 1530 Main St. JEFF DONOVAN EXHIBITION 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Free if ART Gallery, 1223 Lincoln St.

ACOUSTIC CAFE 9:30 p.m., Free Russell House Bookstore Cafe AC O U S T IC O P E N MIC NIG H T W/ BRIGHTFORD 8 p.m., Free over 21 / $3 under 21 New Brookland Tavern, 122 State St. PIRATES, PRIVATEERS & BUCCANEERS 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $12 South Carolina State Museum, 301 Gervais St.

HOROSCOPES

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A RIES The frant ic pace continues today. All your insight is required if you’re to manage the needs of all the crew. Take care of others first.

T AU RUS The direct path at work gets you nowhere now. Change your focus by five or 10 degrees and a new direction emerges. Be patient.

GEMINI Everyone’s bouncing off the walls with radical ideas. How much change can you incorporate and still remain on schedule?

Keep on task.

CANCER Everyone in your household joins toget her to resolve a persistent issue. In fact, no one leave s u nt i l a n agreement’s achieved. Peace reigns.

LEO W herever you find yourself today, dig deep and express your passions to others. You meet someone u nusual who incites enthusiasm. Go with the flow.

V IRGO

SAGIT TA RIUS

By the day’s end, something does get done. Early on, you wonder if the ideas will end off flying around and come to roost. Trust the process.

C A PR ICOR N

Accept someone else’s inspiration to motivate your work today.

It doesn’t always have to be about you. Give them total credit.

You’re in and out of your own workspace throughout the day. You’re preparing a surprise that’s not ready to be revealed. Make sure it’s well hidden.

LIBRA An exchange of ideas and emotional energy makes today’s work a lot more fun. Don’t hold back.

Even a silly idea is worth listening to.

AQUARIUS Your imagination runs away with you today. Your passion places you on a South Sea island or some other exotic locale. Take notes for a future trip.

SCORPIO Spread the work around by creating a priority list and allowing someone else to assign the tasks. That way, you play the good cop.

PI S C ES B r i g ht e n everyone’s day with jokes that focus on human foibles.

People love to laugh out loud. Choose unusual topics and find the humor there.

08/23/10

Solution from 08/20/10

Crossword

Edited by Wayne Robert Williams

08/23/10

Brought to you by: August ALL Mondays - TRYL THE (The Reason You’re Listening) 27 - The Get Wets 28 - Sexy Lingere Party TIME: Sundays - Open Mic Tuesdays - Trivia 711 Harden Street Thursdays - F*ck Work!

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Across 1 NASDAQ debuts 5 Silly 10 ‘60s-’70s pitcher nicknamed Blue Moon 14 Attic-dweller of ‘70s-’80s TV 15 Home of a mythical lion 16 Admonition to Nanette?

17 State of the Union, say 20 Miniature surveillance gadget 21 Rear ends of a sort 22 What there oughta be 24 Skirmish 25 Military tradition 33 Sch. with a Narragansett Bay campus 34 Odin’s group 35 Tuned to 36 Word with mala or bona 38 Works in a Catalonian museum 40 Classico competitor 41 Element 100 eponym 43 Betty Crocker salad topping 45 Crosswalk sign word 46 Looney Tunes genre 49 Eastern tongue 50 It might be a close call 51 Japanese golfer in the World Golf Hall of Fame 56 Make a connection (with) 60 Useful waste, what’s literally hidden in 17-, 25and 46-Across 62 Leafy veggie 63 Merge 64 Scot’s vacation site 65 Insult 66 Try to persuade, with “with” 67 Sean’s mom Down 1 Troublemakers 2 Info 3 French touchdown site 4 Alpine wear 5 Like many short films 6 Workout target 7 Jobs creation?

8 “The Fugitive” actress Ward 9 Easy-Bake Oven maker 10 Used car selling point 11 Performs 12 Singly 13 Mineralogist Friedrich 18 Two-time Oscar nominee Shire 19 Standard partner

23 Horseradish Solution for 08/20/10 relative 25 Blows 26 Cantilevered window 27 Libya’s Gulf of __ 28 Not a deep purple 29 Pains in the neck 30 Bivouac 31 Wreaked havoc, as a battle 32 Prepare, in a way 37 Strike target 39 Of questionable repute 42 First name in sci-fi 44 Balkan capital 47 Install needed equipment 48 Like five per cent, to a server 51 Nettles 52 Sea World clapper 53 First Amendment advocacy gp.

54 __ Ration 55 Romeo’s last words 57 “Am __ late?”

58 Twisted 59 Comeback 61 Harper Valley org.

Richard Pearce / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

From left to right: freshman quarterback Connor Shaw, redshirt junior quarterback Stephen Garcia and redshirt freshman quarterback Andrew Clifford warming up prior to South Carolina’s scrimmage at Williams-Brice Stadium. Head coach Steve Spurrier said he was displeased with the play of his quarterbacks following Saturday’s scrimmage.

Spurrier critical of quarterbacks Despite solid numbers, head ball coach dissatisfied with signal callers James Kratch

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Steve Spurrier was not pleased with the quarterback play in Saturday’s scrimmage, numbers be darned.

The USC passers combined for close to 300 yards passing and four touchdowns against zero interceptions on the day, but it was the throws they didn’t make — or, more accurately, took too long to make — that had Spurrier upset.

“Our quarterback play today was not very good. Our quarterbacks were hesitant, throwing late,” Spurrier said.

“Guy breaks open, they throw late, it gets knocked down.

We’ve got to get better quarterback play than what we had today.”

Saying that pass protection issues were not to blame for the late throws, Spurrier indicated that the quarterbacks are not learning the offense as well as he would like.

“We encourage them to keep drawing up the ball plays and know where everybody is, but I don’t think they’re doing it. We’ve got to really enforce them trying to learn their plays. They don’t know where [the X-receiver] is, where this guy is, where [the Z-receiver] is. It’s a challenge for me and [quarterbacks coach G.A.] Mangus. But he’s working hard with them, so hopefully we’ll get them started.”

Incumbent starter Stephen Garcia was 7-for-14 for 76 yards and a touchdown pass while true freshman Connor Shaw had another big statistical scrimmage, going 13-for-20 for 135 yards and two scoring tosses. However, Spurrier said that both, along with third-teamer Andrew Clifford, did not play as well as they need to.

“They were equally ineffective. And Clifford. They all three should play better,” Spurrier said. “That’s just my opinion. Hopefully we can get them there. Hopefully they understand that’s not good enough.”

Spurrier was pleased with the effort of walk-on Seth Strickland, a Laurens native. Strickland was 3-for-4 for 55 yards and a touchdown.

“Seth Strickland got in there and threw some good ones,” Spurrier said. “Again, maybe I’ll let him play a little bit more.”

The search for a starter for the season opener against Southern Miss, according to Spurrier, is still ongoing.

“We’ll put out there the guy who we think is best ready to

well these last two years doesn’t have anything to do with

play.” Spurrier said. “Right now we don’t know who that is.”

this year.”

Pass Happy: The bulk of the offensive plays were passing ones out of the no-huddle, as the USC defense was looking to prepare for Southern Miss and its hurry-up spread system. As a result, no running back had more than five

Ace in the slot: Freshman wideout Ace Sanders had a solid scrimmage, with 48 receiving yards on three catches.

“I’m getting pretty comfortable,” Sanders said. “Getting my feet wet. It’s getting a little easier.”

He added that he’s getting his feet wet, not just on the football field, but around campus as well when it’s time for class.

“I just got to get used to going up all the stairs to get to the doors,” he said. “Everything else is pretty much the same.”

carries or nine yards of rushing.

Defense in right place: Associate head coach for defense Ellis Johnson said that he was much more pleased with his unit’s ability to line up just days removed from having 57 missed assignments in 80 plays during Thursday’s scrimmage.

“It was much improved over the other day, just from a standpoint of game operations, kids getting lined up, not busting checks,” Johnson said.

Wilson still missing: Junior linebacker Shaq Wilson once again was held out with a hamstring injury.

“When he’s not in there, our quarterback is gone,” Johnson said.

Johnson did say that he was pleased with both Tony Straughter and Quin Smith , who have been filling in, although they haven’t given the steady presence that Wilson provides.

“The other guys I think did a heck of a job today, but they haven’t been as consistent as him through the last week or two,” Johnson said, later adding that Smith and Straughter are basically neck-and-neck to replace Wilson if he for some reason isn’t ready to go on opening night.

Challengers: Johnson said that he is still looking for those competing for positions to step up.

“I call them the challengers. Guys who have a chance to challenge to get into the two-deep and play on Saturday, or the guys that are challenging to be the starter,” Johnson said. “Maybe a few more things on film today, but that’s been a little bit lacking. Hopefully, we’ll see some better stuff on film.”

When asked if the inconsistent efforts and injuries concern him, Johnson said they did.

“I’m always concerned. Like everyone teases me, the glass is always half empty. I don’t have any way to predict the future,” Johnson said. “Just because we played pretty

Lattimore Likes the I: Freshman tailback Marcus Lattimore led all rushers with 63 yards and a touchdown in Thursday’s scrimmage and said USC operated out of the I-formation for about half of its offensive plays. The formation is a major difference from the shotgun system Lattimore starred in at Byrnes High and a welcome change at that.

“I kind of like [the I-formation] better,” Lattimore said.

“I’m back further and I can kind of see it better. See the whole field. In high school, I was in the shotgun my whole career, but I’m kind of liking the I better, just adjusting to it.

Lattimore has had an extremely strong first preseason camp by all accounts.

“He’s doing well,” running backs coach Jay Graham said. “Now he’s starting to feel more comfortable with the offense and the run game as far as aiming points and stuff, and he’s breaking tackles and doing some stuff down field.

It’s been good.”

When asked if Lattimore, or any of his other backfield mates, for that matter, were coming close to nailing down a starting spot for the season opener against Southern Miss, Graham said that there still is a good deal of evaluation time left.

“We’re still in the midst of it,” he said. “We still a scrimmage left, guys are working hard. We’re just going to keep competing.”

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STATS

SCORING SUMMARY Lanning 34-yard FG

Passing

Rushing

Ben n ett 29-yard p ass fro m

Shaw: 13-20, 135 yards, 2 TD

Bennett: 1 carry, 10 yards

Strickland (Wooten kick)

Garcia: 7-14, 76 yards, TD

Lattimore: 5 carries, 9 yards

Cunningham 4-yard pass from

Clifford: 2-4, 18 yards

Sherman: 2 carries, 6 yards

Sh aw (Scribner-Howard kick

Strickland: 3-4, 55 yards, TD

Shaw: 2 carries, 5 yards

failed)

Miles: 4 carries, 2 yards

Saunders 10-yard pass from

Sanders: 1 carry, 1 yard

Receving Saunders: 4 receptions, 63 yards, TD Bennett: 2 receptions, 39 yards, TD Scruggs: 3 receptions, 21 yards, TD Cunningham: 1 reception, 4 yards, TD Sanders: 3 receptions, 48 yards Jeffery: 2 receptions, 48 yards

Garcia (Yates kick)

Smith: 1 reception, 18 yards

Scruggs 13-yard pass from Shaw

Miles: 4 receptions, 14 yards

(no try)

The Daily Gamecock

PAGE 2C

●

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010

Carolina sprints to strong start

Chris Keohane / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Gamecocks take down Boston, Northeastern on opening weekend Ryan Velasquez

THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Picking up where it left off last season, the South Carolina women’s soccer team kicked off the 2010 campaign in a positive fashion.

Playing in the New England area for the first time in program history, the No. 12 Gamecocks (2-0) managed to come away with a close 1-0 victory over Boston University (0-1) Friday night, followed by a 3-0 trouncing of Northeastern (0-1) Sunday afternoon.

Locked in a scoreless tie in game one’s 82nd minute, junior midfielder Lolly Holland was the difference-maker, sending a pass from junior forward Kayla Grimsley into the lower right corner for

the second the se seco cond nd goal goa oall of her her collegiate coll ollle legi giat iatee career. care ca reer er.

Lolly halftime had “I ttold old ol d Lo Loll llyy at h alft al ftim imee th that at sshe he h ad tto o make more of a presence out there, then she second h came through thr hrou o gh iin n th thee se seco cond nd half hal alff and and scored. You can’t get a bigger presence than that,” coach Shelley Smith said.

“She made a change in her game and that’s what we’re asking of everyone, to learn from each time they’re out there and make the most of their opportunities.”

But with just one second remaining, t he Terriers HOLLAND appeared to k not things up in a play eerily similar to last year’s 1-0 loss to Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament. The play was deemed offsides, however, allowing Carolina to escape with the win.

“It was a first game performance. The first half wasn’t our best, but we’re going to get better from here,” Smith said.

“T he ffact “The actt th ac that at tthe he team tea eam m ca came me through t hrou h rough gh and an d pulled pull pu lled ed out out a win w in on on the the road road aagainst gain ga inst st a very good BU team, I’m thrilled with proud our effort. thee result th ress ult re lt aand nd p roud d off o ur effo f fort rt. We have a lot to work with, and we’re going to get better each game.”

This statement proved to be true, as Carolina wasted no time before jumping out to an early lead against the Huskies.

Ju s t p a s t t h e 10 - m i nu t e m a r k , freshman defender Gabrielle Gilbert took a rebound from a Grimsley shot and popped it into the back of the net for her first goal as a Gamecock.

Twent y minutes later, the offense st r uck again. Receiv ing t he ball at midfield, redshirt sophomore defender Ali Glemsler managed to push by the Northeastern defense and put a shot passed the goalkeeper, bouncing off the post. Recovering, Glemser gathered the rebound and notched the first goal of her career at Carolina.

Despite outshooting Huskies Desp De spit itee ou outs tsho hoot otin ing g th the Hu H usk skie k iess 8-5 8-5 in the the t he ssecond econ ec ond d half half (17-10 (17 17-1 10 for fo th he match), the Gamecocks struggled to find the back 55th minute, b a ck k off th the net. In I n th the 55 th h mi i nute, Grimsley came close off a cross from senior forward Brooke Jacobs, but had it deflected by traffic in front of the net.

Holland also fell just short of notching her second goal of the season with a header that bounced off the post at the 61-minute mark.

With nine minutes to play, however, Carolina extended its lead to t hree when Northeastern goalkeeper Sarah Fylak couldn’t control a pass from her teammate and allowed it to roll into the goal.

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SOCCER NOTEBOOK Ryan Velasquez

THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Gamecocks Strong in Season Openers With Friday night’s 1-0 victory over Boston University, South Carolina improved to 9-5-2 all time in season openers, and 5-2-2 since the hiring of coach Shelley Smith. It also marked the first time they won an opener on the road since beating then-No. 1 North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., in 2007.

Streak Breakers With its first two victories of the season, Carolina defeated two teams that went undefeated at home in 2009. Friday night’s 1-0 win ended a 20-game home unbeaten streak for the Terriers, while Sunday’s 3-0 win over Northeastern marked the first time the Huskies have lost at home since October 2008.

Patton Closing in on Record Notching a pair of shutouts this weekend, senior goalkeeper and Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award candidate Mollie Patton extended her career total to 23. With 10 more, she will break the SEC record for most in a career.

Freshmen Contributing Early During its two-game trip to the Northeast, Carolina saw eight of its 11 freshmen make their collegiate debuts.

Defender Gabrielle Gilbert and midfielder Danielle Au started both contests, with Gilbert notching her first goal in Sunday’s win over the Huskies. Midfielder Elizabeth Sinclair saw the most minutes, playing 64 minutes against Boston and 66 minutes against Northeastern.

Grimsley Starting Strong Junior forward Kayla Grimsley, named to the preseason All-SEC team and the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list, lived up to expectations in the season’s opening weekend.

Grimsley provided the assist when junior midfielder Lolly Holland scored Carolina’s lone goal against Boston and notched one Sunday as well when Gilbert scored.

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Chris Keohane / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

South Carolina women’s soccer coach Shelley Smith speaks with players prior to the Gamecocks’ opening round game in the NCAA Tournament last season at Stone Stadium.

For information, contact Sports Editor Chris Cox at DailyGamecockSports@gmail.com

Budget meetings are Sundays at 7 p.m. in Russell House, Room 333

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The Daily Gamecock

PAGE 4C

●

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010

High Point edges USC in exhibition Carolina offense goes silent against Panthers in preseason matchup Paulina Berkovich and Jen Hodshon THE DAILY GAMECOCK

The USC men’s soccer team opened preseason play wit h a 1- 0 loss to High Point on Saturday night.

A lt hough USC ha s never played the Panthers i n t he reg u la r season, the match provided the G amecock s w it h t heir first opportunity to face a not her tea m af ter a preseason where physical f it ness was heav ily emphasized.

“It’s more about us than High Point at this point,” Coach Mark Berson said.

“It’s an opportunity – our f i rst oppor t u n it y – to play against somebody else, a chance to put 11 players out there and mix and match some different combinat ion, see what seems to work and what we need to reevaluate.

Berson said this game will be huge in terms of gathering information, gat hering data and developing some starting points to get on a going-

forward basis as they get ready for the first game of the season.

The Gamecocks were the first to strike, as Blake Bret t sc h neider led a n attack early in the first half, but Carolina was still unable to capitalize on any attacks throughout t he game. The team took seven shots on goal, compared to the 11 shots taken by t he Pant hers, and was unable to score on six corner kicks attempts.

Mu lt iple of f side c a l l s and a yellow card call on defender Mark Wiltse also hurt the team and slowed its momentum.

Despite t hat , new freshmen players made b i g p l a y s t h r o u g ho ut t he game, including forward A ntoine Parris and midf ielder Bradlee Baladez. Both men had a shot on goal, and attempted to break down t h e Pa nt h e r d e f e n s e .

Baladez, of Texas, was placed on t he star t ing lineup and could be looked at to play a big role in the 2010 season.

On the other side of the pitch, the team remained strong during the first half of the game with senior g o a l ie Ji m m y M au rer who had t wo saves on

d@ilygamecock.com

goal, and kept the game ultimately deadlocked at zero. During the second half, Berson played his redshirt freshman, Alex Long. The only goal of the game was scored on Long early in the second half, after a foul made by the Gamecock defense.

Long quickly recovered from the goal and left the game with two saves.

“We come into the first scrimmage of the season each year knowing that it is ver y important to establish exactly where we a re a s a t e a m a nd t hings t hat we need to work on,” Berson said.

“Tonight we looked at a lot of different players at a lot of different positions, a nd we le a r ned a lot .

Now we get to take this information and continue to work and improve as we work towards the College of Charleston game on Saturday night.”

USC’s final exhibition match will come against College of Charleston Saturday at 7 p.m.

Sam Bennett / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

South Carolina goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer recorded two saves on goal and kept the game deadlocked at zero in the Gamecocks’ exihibition loss to High Point Saturday night.

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Sam Bennett / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

South Carolina senior forward Blake Brettschneider celebrates after scoring a goal against North Carolina-Charlotte in last season’s hope opener at Stone Stadium.

SOCCER NOTEBOOK Paulina Berkovich

THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Home Field Advantage During last year’s preseason, the Gamecocks faced High Point in Columbia and won the contest 4-0. Sam Arthur, Eric Martinez, Stephen Morrissey and Bryan Lowder each scored a goal in the Gamecock victory, while goalkeepers Jimmy Maurer and Sean Nguyen combined for the shutout. In this year’s away contest, the Gamecocks failed to score, and goalie Alex Long allowed a goal in the 53rd minute. The Panthers lost just two contests in High Point last season, and in the first contest this year, they reestablished their home field advantage.

Maurer Starts Strong After recently being named to the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award watch list, Maurer opened this season playing 45 shutout minutes in the goal, recording two saves. The first came in the 11th minute and the other came in the 18th. Both were on shots by High Point’s Fejiro Okiomah.

Maurer recorded five shutouts last year.

Wiltse Returns In his first match after returning from an injury last season, senior Mark Wiltse played 77 minutes without taking any shots on goal. He earned a yellow card in the 43rd minute.

Shots Off Target The Gamecocks had seven shots on goal during the match, all by different players. The first was by senior forward Blake Brettschneider in the eighth minute. Junior Danny Cates missed the goal in the 13th minute on a shot that went wide to the right. In the 20th minute, freshman Bradlee Baladez missed high, and in the 29th minute, junior Stephen Morrissey failed to put the ball in the net.

Junior Janny Rivera, senior Evan O’Dell and freshman Antoine Parris also couldn’t get the Gamecocks on the board.

Conditioning Pays The intense workouts that the team went through in preseason training paid dividends, as two players – Baladez and senior Will Traynor – played all 90 minutes.

Martinez contributed 80 minutes.

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The Daily Gamecock

●

MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010

PAGE 5C

Safeties look to create more turnovers in 2010 Holloman: ‘We want to lead the country in interceptions’ Ed Neuhaus

THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Kara Roache / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

South Carolina sophomore safety DeVonte Holloman picks off a pass by quarterback Kyle Parker in last season’s 34-17 win over Clemson.

The South Carolina defense did just about everything right in 2009, with one exception: Holding on to the ball.

But after the Gamecocks finished last season with a conference-low six interceptions, two safeties are hoping to help turn those numbers around in 2010. “ We w a n t t o l e a d t h e c o u n t r y i n i ntercept ion s. T h at ’s one t h i ng,” D.J. Swearinger said. “We want to have the top pass defense in the league, and lead the country in interceptions this year.”

One of the biggest problems that impeded the ability of Carolina’s defense to pick off the ball involved dropped passes. Oftentimes, the Gamecocks had a potential interception in their grasp only to see it fall to the turf.

Swearinger said that problem can be reversed this year and says that it’s all in the mind.

“It’s more of a mental thing. A ll those defensive backs back t here have hands,” Swearinger said. “It’s just the mental part, focusing on the ball and bringing it in.”

One of the players who actually corralled one of those interceptions last season is also hoping to help improve the secondary this year at strong safety. DeVonte Holloman, a sophomore out of Rock Hill, will hope to step in and fill the shoes left following the graduation of Darian Stewart.

The backup spot behind Holloman has not yet been set, but he said the number of players battling for that position can only help him improve.

“They’ve been on me a lot. Every little

thing,” Holloman said. “Just trying to make me better and getting on me about making the right decisions.”

Meanwhile Swearinger, also a sophomore, has spent much of his time in practice backing up A keem Auguste at free safet y, but has been moved over behind Holloman at strong/ boundary safety in recent weeks. Swearinger said he’s up to the challenge, no matter where on the field he’s playing.

“I know both from playing boundary corner last year, I had to know what the boundary safety was doing,” Swearinger said. “So I know that from doing that. Playing free safety, you gotta know what the boundary safety is doing also, so I could play either one of them.”

Holloman said he likes what he’s seen so far from Swearinger and had a lot of positive things to say about the man trying to fi nd a spot behind him on the depth chart.

“Putt ing DJ behind me has def initely pushed me, because he’s a good player as well,” Holloman said. “He has good instincts and is a real good tackler, so he’s pushing me as well.”

Swearinger isn’t the only one hoping to slide behind Holloman. Freshmen Corey Addison and Sharrod Golightly are also in the mix, as is junior Alonzo Winfield. Though, Addison has been out of practice recently with a concussion.

Spurs and strong safeties coach Shane Beamer stressed the importance of one of those players filling the void on the depth chart.

“We need to solidify that backup position and get somebody in there that could back up DeVonte,” Beamer said.

And maybe, just maybe, those players will help Carolina force some turnovers this time.

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E-mail gamecocksportspage@sc.edu

Sam Bennett / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

South Carolina safety D.J. Swearinger runs for a first down on a fake punt last season against Florida at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Kara Roache / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

South Carolina safety DeVonte Holloman excites the crowd during last year’s 16-10 win over Ole Miss at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Kara Roache / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

South Carolina safety DeVonte Holloman records a tackle in last season’s 34-17 win over the Clemson Tigers at Williams-Brice Stadium. Holloman looks to be a strong point this season for USC.

Check out The Daily Gamecock’s annual football preview magazine!

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--In-depth In-d analysis of all 12 teams on South S ou Carolina’s football schedule -Southeastern Conference predictions and bowl projections p -A breakdown of the frontrunners for the 2010 Heisman trophy

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MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2010

PAGE 7C

Easiest Game: Vanderbilt

g n i k s a ’ e e C t r S a B U e Sl n w c o n D e r e f n o C

Yes — that’s what many said in 2007.

And 2008. And they would’ve been saying it in 2009 save for a four th quarter comeback. But, for the first time in a while, it appears that Vanderbilt, the perennial thorn in USC’s side, might have dropped back down into the bottom of the Southeastern Conference barrel. Vandy more or less systematically sets itself up to grow with its recruits and win with senior-laden squads. This year, there’s not a lot of seniors on either side of the ball. Plus, the sudden retirement of Bobby Johnson , an old Clemson Tiger and Columbia native, can’t help.

What to expect from the Gamecocks during the 2010 football season James Kratch

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Kara Roache / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery catches a touchdown pass against Vandy.

Toughest Game: Florida South Carolina has never won at the Swamp. Ever. And most times they’ve played in Gainesville at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, the game has been all but decided by halftime, if not earlier (case in point: the 56-6 whitewashing two years ago). Yes, the Gators have lost a lot of talent to the NFL, most notably Heisman Trophy winner and college football immortal Tim Tebow. No matter. This will be the single biggest test the Gamecocks face this fall. But, if they can make history and win, the SEC East most likely will be theirs.

Sam Bennett / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Former linebacker Eric Norwood goes after Florida quarterback Tim Tebow last season.

Pivotal Game: Georgia It sounds extreme, but the season might be made, or broken, in the Border Bash on Sept. 11. Both programs are in very similar places in their histories right now, with the sense that this may be the last best shots for both USC coach Steve Spurrier and UGA coach Mark Richt, with Richt having hot seat talk popping up from time to time.

The winner of this game emerges as the top threat to Florida in the East, while the loser likely is out of the race entirely and will face a long road to live up to preseason expectations. Pretty heavy stuff for the second game of the season.

Hannah Carroll / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

USC safety Chris Culliver makes the tackle in last season’s 41-37 loss to Georgia.

Best Shot at an Upset: Alabama Playing the defending national champions, home or away, is never an easy thing to do. However, the Gamecocks have something on their side when the Crimson Tide comes to town on Oct. 9 — experience playing the guys wearing the crown. This will be the fourth straight year that the defending champs will play in Columbia. And, with the exception of Florida’s 51-31 win in 2007, the Gamecocks have hung tough in those games — falling 24-17 to LSU in ’08 and 24-14 to UF in ’09. If USC can finally pull it together, they could find themselves like the men’s basketball team in January — victorious over a No. 1 team and the toast of the nation.

Sam Bennett / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery can’t make the catch in last season’s loss to Alabama.

Potential Trap Game: Kentucky Two streaks will be in play when the Gamecocks travel to Lexington on Oct. 16. USC has beaten the Wildcats for 10 straight seasons, and Spurrier is a flawless 17-0 against UK in his storied career. However, this year could be the perfect storm combination that gets the ’Cats off the schnide on both accounts. UK is bringing in an energetic new coach in Joker Phillips and the game will be played a week after USC plays Alabama. UK has some offensive playmakers in Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb. It’s on the road. Crazier things have happened.

Sam Bennett / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksportspage@sc.edu

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery catches a one-handed touchdown against Kentucky.

The Daily Gamecock

PAGE 8C

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