The Daily Gamecock

Michelle Fantone

Appreciate college experience while it lasts

By Michelle Fantone | April 19, 2011

Responsibilities of adult life may approach sooner than expected Freshmen and sophomores, you will hear some of the cheesiest clichés during your next two or three years in college. Juniors, you are probably already tired of the overused phrases about college being the best time of your life, about making friends you’ll never forget and memories you’ll never remember. As I prepare to walk across the stage in the Colonial Life Arena, I wish I had taken some of these cheeseball quotes a little more seriously.

American Dream still idealized

By Michelle Fantone | April 12, 2011

Interest in affairs of British monarchy manifestation of romanticized goals In a few weeks, much of the world will be consumed with the marriage of Kate Middleton to Wales’s Prince William. Since word of their engagement spread last fall, nearly all news and gossip sites have been updating daily on every bit of news of the wedding, from the most miniscule (the type of cake to be served) to the most obvious (surprise! Middleton’s sister will be her maid-of-honor, and Prince Harry will be the best man).

Donald Trump’s rants harm image in presidential candidacy

By Michelle Fantone | April 5, 2011

‘Birther’ issue moot point, unworthy of debate Something is wrong when Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly think a potential Republican presidential candidate is crazy. Donald Trump, who is considering a presidential run, recently set off a media storm when he brought up the “birther” debate by suggesting that not only is President Barack Obama’s birth certificate not real, but that his birth announcement in the local newspaper was a forgery.

Abysmal lyrics not singer’s fault

By Michelle Fantone | March 21, 2011

Rebecca Black should not be criticized for attempting to achieve stardom Unless you have been living under a rock for the past week, you have probably heard the latest YouTube sensation, Rebecca Black’s “Friday.” And unless you have a taste for campy, Auto-Tuned, preteen music, you’ve probably taken part in some form of making fun of it and the young girl who sings it. I know I certainly did. That is, until I found out a little more about the singer. Black, a 13-year-old aspiring singer, and her mother bought a $2,000 package from a company called Ark Music Factory, a company that specializes in teen music, so that she could get experience making a music video.

Professors must challenge students

By Michelle Fantone | Feb. 22, 2011

You enter class ready for an hour or so of learning. You get out your notebook and pen and wait for the professor to start his or her hopefully enthralling lecture, only to have him or her stand at the front of the class and start reciting definitions from the book. After 10 minutes of trying to write down coherent notes, you realize everything sounds strangely familiar. That’s when it clicks: The professor really isn’t teaching anything new at all. He or she is simply regurgitating examples from the text you read last night. No new concepts, no new examples, no applying theory to the real world — you didn’t even need to come to class at all.

Expectations, quick fame hurt athletes

By Michelle Fantone | Feb. 15, 2011

In classes and dorm rooms across campus yesterday, students were celebrating USC scoring Jadeveon Clowney, the top football recruit in the nation. As a huge football fan, I was ecstatic to see Clowney join our team. It was also wonderful seeing the student body so united. These kind of events are those great for school and team spirit.

Out-of-state student cap bad idea

By Michelle Fantone | Feb. 1, 2011

President Harris Pastides recently went before the legislature to beg our brilliant state government to hex its possible proposal to cap USC’s out-of-state admittances. I sincerely applaud President Pastides. Capping out-of-state students is an all-around terrible idea.

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