The Daily Gamecock: Remember When 4/18/22 by Garnet Media Group

Cover Illustration: Sydnie Tramontina 1

Letter from the editor: Individual moments make college memorable

USC seniors, Columbia residents share their life through hip-hop

Remember when the Gamecocks…

USC students take their education across the globe

4 years of food trends: White Claws, baking, TikTok recipes dominate

‘It’s a bittersweet feeling’: Fifth-year outfielder Andrew Eyster reflects on career with South Carolina baseball

South Carolina athletes use 5th year of eligibility

Students say price of college is too high, disagree on who should pay for it

Columbia gets first snow in 8 years

Column: Progressive changes on campus must be celebrated

Column: Take a gap year after graduation

Looking back: The first-year dorm experience

New Campus Village set to open residence halls in 2023

‘Out of sight, out of mind’: Columbia citizens feel many pretend homeless population is less of a problem

New coaching hires take over football, men’s basketball, swim and dive, men’s soccer programs

Students cannot afford sustainable products, do not trust ‘green marketing’

Column: USC needs to better prepare graduates entering a post-pandemic workforce

‘I’ll be able to take it with me forever’: Students storm fountain after Gamecocks win national title

‘I think transparency is the biggest issue’: Students reflect on Pastides, Caslen presidencies

Column: USC’s leadership is disconnected from its students

Belgian Waffle Truck expands students’ dining options

Cock Hockey represents community of brotherhood for team’s seniors

From global icons to local talent, Columbia has hosted a variety of music artists, concerts

SC student artists give advice on beginning a career in arts, entertainment

Guest Column: Fourth-year nursing student reflects on clinical process amid pandemic

Hurricane Florence, Dorian gave seniors a ‘hurrication’ to remember

46 Football, basketball highlight students’ favorite sports memories over last 4 years 3

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The Daily Gamecock’s senior staff poses for a photo on the Horseshoe at the University of South Carolina on March 30, 2022.

Photo: Noah Trainor

Letter from the Editor:

Individual moments make college memorable Kailey Cota

hen I think back on my time in college so far, it’s the individual memories that come to mind. They’re memories of walking to Willy-B to watch our team lose in 90 degree heat, of traveling to Tennessee for a mountain weekend, of eating lunch in Honeycomb Cafe with my freshman year roommates. Though these small memories don’t cross my mind everyday, when my friends and I begin our stories with “Remember when ...” I know I’m in for a good laugh. And those small memories are what make our time at USC so special. On a campus with more than 40,000 students, faculty and staff, each of us have individual experiences that we will take with us when we leave. To the class of 2022: Here is a collection of memories from the last four years. From our sports teams’ wins and losses, to

four years of eating and drinking trends, to improvements on campus — we hope you can take these snapshots of your time with you as you move onto your next step. You’ve endured heartbreaking challenges like surviving a pandemic disrupting how you thought your college career would go and enduring the pain of losing some of your fellow students. But you made it through, and we know you’ll continue to grow long after you’ve left Columbia. For now, remember our women’s basketball team winning the 2022 national championship, remember experiencing the 2018 and 2019 “hurrications” and remember playing in the snow on the Horseshoe. Our “Remember when ...” moments deserved to be cherished. And there are always more to come.

USC SENIORS, COLUMBIA RESIDENTS SHARE THEIR LIFE THROUGH HIP-HOP Shakeem Jones

atRat Da Czar corrects people on the spelling of his name because it's important to him. FatRat is all one word, the second word is spelled Da, with the last word being Czar. For him, it shows the importance of creativity instilled in hip-hop. 2023 will mark the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. The roots of hip-hop can be traced back to DJ Kool Herc who hosted a back-to-school jam in the Bronx. The movement has now transcended decades and the world, reaching seniors at USC who attend Hip Hop Wednesday, an event that connects students through the genre of hip-hop. Hip-hop has also expanded across Columbia through events created by residents involved in the hip-hop industry — like FatRat Da Czar — to celebrate the local hip-hop scene. Today, Czar is a recording artist, producer and hip-hop activist who began his career in the late ‘90s as a member of the Columbia-based rap group, Streetside.

Illustrations: Kaitlyn Gough 6

Czar has released eight studio albums and opened for rap giants such as Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg and Lauryn Hill. He is also the founder of the independent label, Czar Records, and he has entered the fashion world through the creation of SODA Clothing Company. SODA, which stands for "Sometimes Our Dreams Align" is inspired by the city of Columbia. According to Czar, hip-hop is an art form that tells a story comprised of and connecting of all races. Czar's entire life has been hip-hop. He grew up writing and performing in his mirror, emulating what he heard on records. Czar grew up listening to Kurtis Blow, Run-D.M.C., Beastie Boys and LL Cool J. He received his first cassette tape by the Fat Boys in the ‘80s from his mother. "I was mesmerized at what they could say and the message they could translate through spoken word, and it all rhymed, so it made it real fun," Czar said. Czar said he believed the growth of hip-hop was destined to happen because through it, he discovered far away places that were connected by shared stories of struggle told in hip-hop. "Whenever there were people that struggled, this music oftentimes was the soundtrack to that struggle," Czar said. Czar isn't the only Columbia hiphop legend. Jabari Evans is an assistant professor of race and media at USC and has been working here since the fall of 2021. It is a relatively lesser known fact that under the moniker "Naledge," Evans released six studio albums selling 300,000 copies worldwide and touring 12 countries. Evans said growing up in Chicago, Illinois shaped his love for the genre. He released his first mixtape, "The College Graduate," in 2004 after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania as a nod to Chicago-native Kanye West's breakout debut album, "The College Dropout."

“Hip-hop is actively growing into being a lifestyle,” Evans said. Evans grew up in the '90s listening to artists such as Common, Nas and Jay-Z and currently listens to artists such as Wale, Freddie Gibbs, G Herbo, as well as Chicago rappers like Lil Durk and Chance the Rapper. “Hip-hop is sort of like a religion at this point. It can influence how you talk, how you walk, how you dress and how you move through the world. Rap is something you do, hip-hop is something you live,” Evans said. For fans, this music genre is one that will forever live with them, and it is something that has never changed in importance — even as the art form and sounds change. Andres Carrillo, a fourth-year finance student, is a long-time fan of artists like Gunna, Kanye West and Mac Miller, but he feels that their music transcends enjoyment and will be something he values forever. "Hip-hop is now a staple. I think I'll be listening to it for the rest of my life," Carrillo said. Carrillo remembers hearing Kanye West’s “Donda” for the first time. Carrillo and his roommates were returning from a night out when one of his roommates saw the release. “The songs in itself are good, I can't lie, but it’s the stories behind it that I think are what make it great,” Carrillo said. “I enjoy the way you can put aux in your car and it just gets a whole vibe going. Everybody is just bumping and dancing to it.” Kennedy Henderson, a fourth-year political science student, said the reason she got into the genre is because her dad is a major hip-hop fan who introduced her to both old-school and modern hip-hop. Together they listened to Slick Rick, Eric B. and Rakim, Q-Tip, Nas, Drake and Future. Henderson said the message in the songs attracted them to these artists. During the days of old school hip-hop, artists emerged and became known for their storytelling style of delivery. Nas, who Henderson and her father listens to, is one of these artists.

Nas' debut album, "Illmatic," is just a couple years shy of its 30th anniversary in 2024. Rolling Stone said the album put Nas into an elite group of MCs because of his sharp articulation and finely detailed lyrics. “They actually wrote lyrics — it wasn’t just stuff that was pointless. It was a story,” Henderson said. Today, Henderson listens to artists such as Big Sean, Lil Baby, Cordae and Gunna. Her memories of these songs and the artists helps her pinpoint where she was in her life, Henderson said. Ryan Bowen, a fourth-year retail student, said he grew up with older cousins who listened to hip-hop. Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole are two of his favorite artists. Kendrick Lamar and J.Cole are artists of the newer generation of hip-hop who possess storytelling deliveries reminiscent of the artists who emerged during the era of old school hip-hop. “I love their tenacity and their attitude towards rap culture — not being afraid to push the envelope and be pioneers in the game,” Bowen said. Bowen believes rap has a bright future because more people are paying attention to what artists are saying and their lyrics. “Hip-hop makes the world go around so it will always be relevant,” Bowen said. According to Billboard, hip-hop has been the dominant music genre on its charts in the United States, becoming the definition of modern popular music. Those like Czar are very happy with the growth of hip-hop over years, as students continue to enjoy it and it becomes more popular than ever. The forefathers (of hip-hop) created hiphop as a way to heal our community ... with love, peace, unity and having fun,” Czar said.

COLUMN:

TAKE A GAP YEAR AFTER GRADUATION Grace Brown

fter putting in the time and effort to get your degree, take a gap year away from the stress and dive deep into your life outside of academia or entry-level jobs. You’ve done the work and have the diploma. Your 20s are the years of our lives where we are meant to see new places, try new things and take the time to discover who we are or could be. This gap year could be spent wisely by traveling, volunteering, having a part-time job and even discovering new things you love. At USC, the Career Center has the faculty and resources to help students better understand what a gap year could look like and plan ahead. The pre-professional advising office is one of these resources. The advising office works with students interested in medical school, health professional programs, law school, graduate school and more. Pre-professional advising manager, Eileen Korpita, specifically works with the pre-medical, pre-health students. The gap year is more prevalent in these preprofessional tracks than others, Korpita said. “I’ll talk to them and sort of go through it, go through pros and cons. But usually, if someone’s thinking about a gap year, they want to take a gap year,” Korpita said. 8

Quintaris Earl graduated in fall 2021 with a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology and is currently taking a gap year away from school to work. “My plan was to just graduate, find a job, get my finances in order because you know as a college student, it gets very difficult to kind of balance out your curriculum and life in general,” Earl said. While taking time away from school, Earl just started a job as a quality control chemist for Pfizer to save some money before paying for medical school tuition. “If things are kind of a little bit unstable, if you’re getting overwhelmed and if you need to take a breather. Then you know there’s never any shame in taking a break, kind of getting your feet under you and then just starting back later. Life is not a rush,” Earl said. Taking the time and space to slow down could be the exact eye-opening experience you’ve needed to see things more clearly. As an incoming first-year student, everyone has ideas for where they see themselves once graduated. But, that doesn’t mean we always stay on that same track we chose those years ago.

Kiersten Sweeney, a first-year business undecided student, personally has known students who had great success with taking a gap year and have seen the connections they've made in doing so. "I think that (gap years) can actually be really helpful to a student ... I've heard people who go to a gap year and they find what's something that they're really passionate about," Sweeney said. The idea of taking time away from work or school may not sound ideal to everyone, but you may look back and regret not stepping outside of your comfort zone, especially if it leads to opening up tons of possibilities. "I definitely plan on applying for jobs straight out of college. But I mean, if there were an opportunity to really get to experience something that's like once in a lifetime, then I would probably take that opportunity," Sweeney said. A gap year could be exactly what needs to happen for that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present itself. Whether you're a first-year or a fourth-year student, it's time to stop and reassess what's going to make you happier post-graduation. Illustration: Sabrina Hampton

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LOOKING BACK: THE FIRST-YEAR DORM EXPERIENCE

Lauren Larsen & Caity Pitvorec

rom freshman year to senior year, almost all students lived in a dorm for some of college. With that comes roommate drama, mold infestations, late night memories and more. As the 2021-2022 school year comes to an end, students — new and old — relive what they loved and what they hated about their dorm experiences. Coming to college can be overwhelming, especially if it’s an unfamiliar area with unfamiliar faces. For most students, roommates were the root of many freshman memories. Erin Furton, a fifth-year sport and entertainment management student, didn’t have the best roommate experience. “(My roommate) left a bowl of marinating chicken out over Thanksgiving break in our living space,” Furton said. Furton lived in Women’s Quad her first semester and moved into East Quad for the remainder of her freshman year. But other students had fond memories of their roommates. “My roommates that I’m not even that close with ended up getting me a cake for my birthday,” Naomi Guzman, a first-year biology student said. Outside of the dorm room, living in a residence hall is usually the first time students live with so many people their age. Memories made in these communities led to lifelong friends for some students. Caroline Thomas, a first-year nursing student, remembers one of her first nights in Capstone House. “First Night Carolina — a bunch of us just piled into the elevator and went up to the 17th floor, which is like a big ballroom, and watched the fireworks go off,” Thomas said. Alternatively, not all dorm communities are overwhelmingly positive. Living with many different people includes different personalities and schedules. Nicole Harrell, a first-year biological science student, had a lot of trouble when it comes to noisy neighbors. “I'm talking about blaring music at 1 a.m. in the morning on a Monday night,” Harrell said. Neighbors aren't the only distraction for students. A dorm experience is not complete without what seems like an endless string of fire alarms, laundry troubles and lack of cleanliness.

“We would constantly have fire alarm drills at 3 a.m., so everybody would come out halfdressed," Morgan Young, a fourth-year sport and entertainment student, said. Speaking of the unexpected, some students were surprised with unfavorable conditions in dorms and an overall lack of cleanliness. “It was a mold issue,” Young, who was a resident of Bates House, said. During her time in Bates, Young said multiple students complained to the university and got moved to other dorms because of the mold. Laundry rooms often became an area of concern as some students took on the chore of doing their laundry for the first time. Some students said they hated waiting forever for a washing machine and having their wet laundry thrown on the floor. Devon Moore, a first-year international business student, had a lot of difficulties when it came to laundry. “The washer, dryer — they’re always broken,” Moore said. Living in a dorm helped students build friendships and feel involved at their new home. Christina Schweitzer, a third-year nursing student, had a welcoming experience and thanked her dorm for its community-like aspects. “Always having that community to come back to — no matter if you did bad on an exam or you're having a bad day — it was always just a safe place to come back to,” Schweitzer said. Other students said making friends and the overall freshman experience made up for gross and unkept dorms. “My freshman year experience as a whole made up for my dorm,” Young said. “The culture and the people there were really cool. I really enjoyed being in that dorm, in particular, even though it was gross.” Despite the unexpected problems, dorm life continues to bring together long-lasting friendships and memories for all students at USC. Illustrations: Jordan Deger

NEW CAMPUS VILLAGE SET TO OPEN RESIDENCE HALLS IN 2023

Emmy Ribero

et to open in fall 2023, the new Campus Village is being developed on the South end of campus, where new residence halls, a new dining facility and a campus safety office will be added. Phase one of the project will be completed in 2023. This will add 1,808 beds with four different buildings. One building will be pod-style, which is similar to the traditional style, with common hall bathrooms. The difference is that it will have closed-off spaces with a shower, toilet and sink in different rooms. One of the buildings will be the new home to the entrepreneurship and innovation living and learning community. Being part of a living-learning community provides networking benefits in and out of a classroom learning experience with faculty leading it, according to April Barnes, the executive director of University Housing. “There’s a lot of learning that can happen outside the classroom that supplements the inside the classroom learning. And it’s those kinds of communities that do a really good job of that. And when you have a faculty member who’s leading it, it becomes very intentional and very purposeful,” Barnes said. In addition to the residence halls, the buildings will be accompanied by a large dining facility, a Starbucks and a sundry store. Its current location is set to be next to Bates and Bates West, but it is still to be determined what work will be done on these buildings. In this current phase of the project, only renovations are being planned for right now. Work on these buildings will occur in phase two of this project, which does not have a set start date. “The long-range plans are that one day, that they will be replaced, but we’re evaluating some renovations to try to extend the life of those buildings,” said Derek Gruner, university architect and assistant vice president of planning, design and construction. The location of Campus Village is located down the hill from campus, which can sometimes be an inconvenient walk.

Photo Courtesy of University of South Carolina Facilities Planning, Design and Construction A computer generated design of the Campus Village. The project is set to be complete and open by fall of 2023.

“There was a lot of emphasis placed on connecting Campus Village back to the main campus. Another part of Campus Village is to reconstruct a bridge over Wheat Street,” Gruner said. “So the bridge will take the students just across Wheat Street and they can continue walking up the hill.” Because of its location, some students have complaints about living there, feeling somewhat isolated from campus. This development hopes to add some life to the South end of campus. “I think that, again, it really will revitalize that area just because there’s going to be a lot more students,” Barnes said. The new village is being built on a sixacre parking lot. The development will include facilities to improve transportation and parking, which has been an issue for students in the past. “Students don’t have anywhere to park right next to where they live. So I have a parking pass for the athletics village, which is like two blocks up a hill, down a hill. And it’s so inconvenient, so I stopped parking there. Waste of money,” said Riley Beckett, a firstyear living in Bates West.

Fortunately, for the future residents of the Bates dorms and Campus Village, they are building a “transportation hub.” “In addition to accommodating cars, it will have space for bikes, there’ll be electric vehicle charging stations, it’ll be a convenient place for Lyft and Uber pick-up,” Gruner said. The budget for this project is an estimated $210 million, which will be paid over time through housing fees to the residents of these buildings. Gruner said this is a relatively comparable budget to the costs of other dorms around campus. Campus Village development will create a different environment than what students are used to on the South end of campus. The project is what those involved in the development consider to be an improvement. “So I hope Campus Village is going to turn out to be a very positive thing for everybody in the neighborhood, the students. I want it to be a model for what large university housing developments can be,” Gruner said. Phases two and three will come in the following years without set time frames. Renovations to Bates and Bates West will take place in two while three will involve apartment-style residential buildings. 11

'OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND': COLUMBIA CITIZENS FEEL MANY PRETEND HOMELESS POPULATION IS LESS OF A PROBLEM Stephen Pastis

esean Gibson weighed 200 pounds when he got out of prison. In less than three months of being on the streets of Columbia, he had lost around 60 pounds. Gibson now works at Drake’s Duck-In on Main Street and is no longer homeless. But he is deeply aware of this experience that many in Columbia share. Many people in the Main Street area and those familiar with the issue of homelessness throughout the city agree that there is a large, disadvantaged homeless population, but that the best way to help them is complicated. Their comments on what homelessness looks like in the area and what the city could be doing differently also vary. Gibson said he sees people struggling with what comprise his memories every day and thinks the city could be doing more, like providing food and clothing donations. “You got one pair of shoes, two pair of socks, wear the same socks every day, things get moist, your feet start aching, you’re trying to find a place to lay down when it’s raining and storming – it be real rough out there,” Gibson said. In 2018, Richland County was one of only three areas in South Carolina with an estimated homeless population of more than 500 by county, along with Greenville County and Horry County, according to the South Carolina Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Like Gibson, Joseph Eaddy, an employee at Stoner’s Pizza on downtown’s Washington Street, said he sees around 100 to 150 people per week at the store asking for help. He even knows many of them by name. The store tries to help by letting them come in or giving them daily pizza slices that would normally be discarded. Eaddy said he thinks city officials and citizens seem to practice willful ignorance, exemplified by the city’s mitigation approaches, like shortening park benches using dividers and putting cement spikes in window gaps that are big enough for people to lay down in. “This city has this idea that ‘out of sight, out of mind,’” Eaddy said. “If you don't see them, they don't exist.” Shanya Sadler, a second-year political science student from Anderson, South Carolina, said it is easier to ignore homeless people, resulting in people treating the homeless as subhuman. Others agreed that the imposed discomfort from their presence makes them empathetic, but only enough for a passing thought, not enough for action. Quinotrese Johnson is the manager at Stoner’s Pizza. She said she encourages helping the homeless population, both personally and at the store, and agreed that the city could be doing more. A regular at the store and a friend of Johnson, Daniel Lee Clark, said it took him around

one and a half years to get off the streets after his twin brother’s death. He has struggled with mental illness and addiction all his life. He now visits and does jobs for the store, and he said that Johnson’s help was the best thing that has ever happened to him. “If it wasn’t for her, I’d be in a graveyard,” Lee Clark said. He is currently staying at a halfway house in Columbia — housing for those between rehabilitation or prison and a stable place to stay — and said it made the biggest difference in getting off the streets. He said that his disability check is not enough to cover his expenses. The halfway house costs $500 a month. Eaddy also said he thinks it is unbelievable for a “militaryforward” city to have so many homeless veterans. One block south of Finlay Park, a park known for its homeless population, is Memorial Park, which serves to honor veterans. It has a Vietnam memorial that is the “largest monument of its type outside of Washington, D.C.” and four monuments to veterans, according to ExperienceColumbiaSC.com. Leah Snead, now a secondyear at USC, lived nearby downtown Columbia as a kid. She said residents purposefully avoid Finlay Park because of the many homeless people. When she does trash pick-up there, she still sees this. “When I was a kid, it was like, you don't go to Finlay Park when

Photo: Stephen Pastis Quinotrese Johnson, a general manager at Stoner’s pizza, rolls dough Friday afternoon, March 25, 2022. Johnson believes strongly in providing assistance to those in need and uses her position to help out in any way she can.

you come and visit Columbia,” Snead said. “Then I come back and we're doing cleanup, and one of them was in Finlay Park, and it's the same exact issue. I mean, it's been 10 years and still, like, Finlay Park has the same thing going on.” Homelessness has become more challenging and complex since 2019, as COVID-19 affects the city, according to reporting done by The Free Times and the SC Interagency Council on Homelessness. People in Columbia also agreed that substance abuse, mental illness, the recurring disadvantages of being homeless and insufficient public resources cause this issue. They suggest having more city funding, more shelters, rehabilitation or even more job opportunities. Almost all said it is a serious problem for the area, and they, like anyone, don’t have the answers. 13

REMEMBER WHEN THE GAMECOCKS... Zachery Kelly, Kai Kokes, Joe Macheca, Jatin Patel, Vanessa Purpura & Faith Worrell

ver the past four years, the Gamecocks have experienced exciting and history-making wins across a variety of sports, while also facing a fair share of struggles. Take a look at some of the Gamecocks’ most memorable sports moments.

Junior catcher Colin Burgess slides into home against Vanderbilt scoring for the Gamecocks on March 26, 2022. The Gamecocks won the series against the Commodores, 3-2.

Graduate student guard LeLe Grissett shoots the ball over UConn defenders on Feb. 10, 2020. South Carolina women's basketball won the first game against UConn in school history 70-52.

Graduate quarterback Zeb Noland passes the ball during South Carolina's game against Clemson on Nov. 27, 2021. The Gamecocks lost 30-0.

Senior forward Keyshawn Bryant goes for a layup during the Kentucky game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. The Gamecock men’s basketball team lost to the Wildcats, 64-92, on March 6, 2021.

Former South Carolina quarterback Ryan Hilinski celebrates after South Carolina beat Georgia on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019 in Athens, GA. This was the first time the Gamecocks beat the Bulldogs since 2014.

Senior forward Victaria Saxton works to gain possession of the ball during the tip-off on Dec. 21, 2021. The South Carolina women's basketball team defeated No. 2 Stanford 65-61.

Head coach Dawn Staley takes in the confetti after South Carolina won the National Championship. The Gamecocks defeated the Huskies 64-49 on April 3, 2022 at Target Center in Minneapolis, MN.

Junior forward Aliyah Boston dribbles past the UConn defense on Feb. 10, 2020. South Carolina women's basketball won the first game against UConn in school history 70-52.

Senior guard Destanni Henderson goes for a basket amidst pressure from the Stanford defense on Dec. 21, 2021. The South Carolina women's basketball team defeated No. 2 Stanford 65-61.

USC students take their education across the globe Jada Kirkland

s Alexa Schaum stepped off her plane, it was clear she was no longer in South Carolina. Russel House, usually a short walk, was oceans away. The calm, beautiful scenery of the Historic Horseshoe was replaced with busy, city streets. Schaum was nearly in Milan, Italy, the city that would be her classroom as she studied abroad for a semester. Her trip abroad is one of more than 2,000 study abroad options available to students at USC. Study abroad programs have provided USC students with unique opportunities to pursue their education in the last few years. Schaum, a fourth-year marketing and management entrepreneurship student, studied abroad during fall 2021. “When I was 17, I went to Rome with International Student Leadership

The town of Cinque Terre is on the west coast of Italy. Alexa Schaum, a fourth-year marketing and management entrepreneurship student, studied abroad in Milan, Italy in fall 2021.

Conference and fell in love with Italy,” Schaum said. "I really wanted to go back to Italy. Milan being another fashion capital definitely helped." There are many reasons why students choose to study abroad in addition to learning more about the industry they hope to enter. Some choose to study away to improve their foreign language skills, while others seek to experience new cultures. Felicia McGill, a fourth-year Spanish and math student said she was surprised by the deep and lasting connections she made while studying in Puerto Rico with the National Student Exchange. During her stay, she said she attended a church next to her dorm and instantly felt welcomed by the congregation and an elderly couple who took her and her friends out to lunch. "I made a lot of friends. It was very surprising to me that I made friends," McGill said. "To make friends at church with elderly people. That was really special." McGill said she keeps the announcements from the church tucked in her Bible as a memory. Studying abroad also allows many students to immerse themselves in a new culture and see life through a different lens. This happened with Kiera Jefferson, a fourth-year mass communications student. She studied abroad for the fall 2021 semester in Barcelona, Spain. Jefferson stayed with a host family and said that living with locals allowed her to fully experience the Spanish culture. She improved her Spanish, participated in different Spanish holidays and was exposed to new foods such as duck liver and rabbit. "Traveling made me not think everything is so gross all the time and not scared to try new things," Jefferson said. Although students enjoy studying abroad, such experiences can still have ups and downs, especially during a global pandemic.

photos: alexa schaum A rainbow seen from the window of a plane traveling from Mykonos, Greece to Milan, Italy. Alexa Schaum, a fourth-year marketing and management entrepreneurship student, studied abroad in Milan, Italy in fall 2021.

McGill's original plan was to study in Puerto Rico for a full semester. However, she had to leave when the pandemic began in March 2020. The pandemic also added some stress to Shaum’s trip, she said. Her flight home for winter break was canceled as countries started to restrict travel due to COVID-19, and she had to book another flight that cost $800 more than her original flight. Despite these challenges, students still said they enjoyed their overall experience. Vincent Buccini, a fourth-year international business, marketing and management student, looks back on his abroad experience fondly. “I just think that studying abroad very much changed my life, which is corny — I know that's something everybody says — but it really did,” Buccini said.

New coaching hires take over football, men’s basketball, swim and dive, men’s soccer programs Camryn Dixon

ollege sports are known for having a revolving door of coaches. In the past four years, the South Carolina Athletics Department and USC students have seen many coaching changes. The four new faces in garnet and black are head football coach Shane Beamer, head men’s soccer coach Tony Annan, head swim and dive coach Jeff Poppell and head men’s basketball coach Lamont Paris.

Football Former head football coach Will Muschamp was with the Gamecocks for five years, earning a 26-25 record. He holds the record for the most wins (22) in the first three seasons by a coach in school history. Soon after Muschamp’s departure in 2020, the torch was passed to Beamer, making him the 36th head football coach at USC. He was previously an assistant head coach for offense at the University of Oklahoma and left in late 2020 to pursue the opportunity in Columbia. “It’s an absolute honor to be the head football coach here at the University of South Carolina,”

Head Football Coach, Shane Beamer 18

Beamer said in his introductory press conference in December 2020. “Today is an absolute dream come true — not just to be a head football coach in the Southeastern Conference, but to be the head coach at the University of South Carolina.” In Beamer’s first season, the Gamecocks improved from 2-8 to 6-6 and became eligible for a bowl game for the first time in three seasons. Beamer ended his first season with a victory in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl as well as securing the First-Year Coach of the Year Award, presented by Gamecock football legend Steve Spurrier.

Men’s soccer Before Annan took over in April 2021, Mark Berson had been the head men’s soccer coach for 40 seasons after he established the program in 1978. Annan said he hopes to be well-liked among players and staff like Berson was. “When I came to visit, I really felt at home and comfortable,” Annan said. “At the end of the day, you can work at any level you want to, but it’s about the people you work with and it’s about the people that you’re surrounded with.” In his first season with the Gamecocks, the team finished 5-9-2 overall. Despite the record, Annan was not focused on results. Instead, his focus was to take it one day at a time and instill his style of play in his team. “After my first season here, I’m not going to abandon my philosophy,” Annan said. “At the end of the day, it’s a game that has to entertain, so we will

always be a team that plays out of the back and tries to play through thirds of the field.”

Alongside Schultz and Vazquez, senior swimmer Maria Kraus represented the Gamecocks at the NCAA Championships.

Men’s basketball

men’s head soccer coach, Tony Annan

Swimming and diving Poppell was named the head swimming and diving coach in April 2021. He is the ninth head coach of the men’s program and eighth for the women’s. Poppell came from the University of Florida, where he served as the head coach for three seasons. “Ultimately, it was my decision to leave (Florida), to come here to try to help this program, help this university do something in the sport of swimming and diving that hasn’t been done in a long, long time,” Poppell told The Daily Gamecock in October 2021. In his first season, the men and women finished 10th overall in the SEC Championship in Knoxville, Tennessee. Over five days of competition, graduate diver Brooke Schultz earned two gold medals and junior diver Manny Vazquez Bas earned bronze and set three school records.

The most recent of the coaching changes is the departure of head men’s basketball coach Frank Martin. After 10 years at the helm of the program, Martin was fired in March. During Martin’s tenure, he went 171-147 overall and qualified for one NCAA tournament in which he took the Gamecocks to the Final Four. In the 20212022 season, South Carolina finished 18-13 overall and had a 9-9 record in SEC play. Martin was replaced by Lamont Paris 10 days later. Previously, Paris coached at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He led the Mocs for five seasons, earning an 87-72 overall record and won the teams first Southern Conference title since 2016.

men’s head basketball coach, Lamont Paris

Photos by Jatin Patel, Ellis Page, & MichAEl Sauls

Students cannot afford sustainable products, do not trust ‘green marketing’ AUDREY ELSBERRY

bigail Kreuser said she makes an effort to buy the greener version of products she needs, even if they cost more. “I always bought the wet brush that had the biodegradable plastic, but it kept breaking, so I got the regular wet brush,” said Kreuser, a first-year biology Ph.D student. Many students on campus said they, like Kreuser, want to support the environment through their shopping habits. However, the majority find higher prices and a general distrust of companies prevent them from doing this. “I always try to see if there is an option available that’s more green and more sustainable,” said Tara Barlowe, a first-year international business and marketing student. Barlowe said this is a priority for her because she trusts and appreciates natural, chemical-free products. She even is willing to spend the extra dollar if it helps the environment, as long as it’s not excessive. Most students, however, are not like Barlowe and Kreuser. They say price matters because they are on a limited budget, a common issue for college students. Still, this reality can make some feel guilty for buying affordable, non-sustainable alternatives. “I would like to say I shop sustainable, but no, because it’s more expensive, and I am so broke right now, so we are going with what I can afford,” said Megan Laurendeau, a fourth-year biology student. “Hopefully in the future, maybe yes.”

She smiled when she explained how her friend, an environmental student, hassles her for shopping at non-sustainable stores like Shein, a foreign, online company that sells cheap clothes. “She literally is down our throats all the time about it. Any time one of us sends our Shein carts or our Zara cart, she’s like ‘you’re ruining the world, like, do you want grandkids?’” Laurendeau said. Many people, like Laurendeau, have an “intention-action” gap, which happens when people say they intend to take a certain action, like shopping sustainably, but don’t, according to the Harvard Business Review. Most agree that making prices of green alternatives comparable to their non-green counterparts is the first step in closing this gap. “Once we get to the point as a society where they can be price competitive because whether it’s in the grocery store you know it’s, like, organic or, like, a biodegradable packaging, it’s just going to cost more to make, manufacture and ultimately sell,” said Clark Andre, a fourth-year finance and risk management student. Andre also said advertising can make sustainable products more attractive to consumers — even though prices can be an obstacle — but there still needs to be a way to sustainably source and manufacture the product affordably. “I think it would be good to have more options that (are sustainable) but they need to make it more affordable and there needs to be some kind of way to actually know that those brands are doing what they say they are,” said Jordan Marcengill, a fourthyear biology student. Students had a general distrust of companies that market their products as sustainable. They said that because companies know consumers want to buy environmentally friendly products, those companies may be tempted to say their products are sustainable even when they are not.

To further close the “intention-action gap,” many students said there must be a set standard for when companies can claim a product is eco-friendly. For example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no official definition for the term “organic,” but the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates the use of “organic” on packaging through the National Organic Program (NOP). Students said they often don’t know what to look for to ensure they’re buying environmentally beneficial packaging or products. “Are they truly telling the truth? Because you don’t really know. And then, it could say it’s sustainable but then that could be the worst thing for you,” said Kameron Baca, a second-year film and media student. Others are more trusting of companies marketing green products. Selecting products based on “what’s on the bottle, it makes me say ‘OK this one is going to be better for me,’” said Hannah Hopper, a second-year physical education student. Overall, students said they find it difficult to make the right choice, and must do research before they buy. “I think it’s complicated, even though I’m picking the green one. I don’t know if it’s really, like, sustainable or if they are treating the earth or its workers better than the other products,” said Kreuser, the Ph.D student. “I have to do that research myself, which is hard.” Illustrations: Sydney Lako

‘I’LL BE ABLE TO TAKE IT WITH ME FOREVER’: STUDENTS STORM FOUNTAIN AFTER GAMECOCKS WIN NATIONAL TITLE Caleb Bozard & Sydney Dunlap

tudents stormed the fountain in front of the Thomas Cooper Library after the South Carolina women’s basketball team won its second women’s basketball national championship on April 3. Gamecocks lined the sides of the fountain watching the final minutes of the game on their phones. When the final buzzer blew, hundreds of students yelled out and jumped into the fountain, mirroring the celebrations after head coach Dawn Staley led the team to its first national title in 2017. “I came out here and celebrated, celebrated it with the students. I met with the students on campus here. We’re having a ball, time of our lives,” Lonnie Boston, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student, said. Students who were not waiting in front of the library were soon on their way, rushing across campus towards the sounds of celebrating Gamecocks. “Immediately, I was jumping up and down and immediately ran out the door to go to the fountain,” first-year sports management student Samuel Truett said. The crowd — and the piles of shoes on the bricks around the sides of the fountain — continued to grow after the Gamecocks took the national title. Graduate business administration student McKenzie Hagwood came from the watch party in Russell House to the fountain. “We were one of the first people out here, and we didn’t think it was gonna get much busier, but you can’t even see the fountain anymore for the people,” Hagwood said. Students came from all parts of campus to join in the celebration. “Oh my gosh, I was in my dorm actually, like in my pajamas. And I screamed. I was like, ‘Oh my God, we won.’ I mean, I knew we’re gonna win but just to see it actually happening,” first-year sociology student Amber Montgomery said.

Hagwood said the moment is especially meaningful to her as it comes at the end of her time at USC. “Getting to see this experience as I’m about to graduate, I’ll be able to take it with me forever,” she said. For students who weren’t enrolled in 2017, this was their first time storming the fountain. “It’s super exciting being a freshman student, and it being the first basketball season and the women bring home the national championship — it’s definitely super exciting, a fun atmosphere and this is why I picked South Carolina as a school,” first-year chemistry student Natalie Deal said. The fountain-stormers took pictures, carried each other on their shoulders, waved towels, shot fireworks, chanted and screamed. Colored lights shone into the fountains as students waded through the cold water and began to sing the alma mater. “There’s no other, no other energy ... but explosiveness, intensity. Just like how our girls played with explosive intensity tonight, we got explosive intensity here celebrating their win,” Boston said. Last year, the women’s team lost in the Final Four after missing a layup in the final seconds. Daquan Wise, a third-year electrical engineering student, saw this year’s win as a chance to make things right. “I’m happy we finally got a chance to kind of not redeem, but really just prove ourselves and show everybody that we are who we thought we were,” Wise said. For some students, the women’s championship title means more than just a new trophy. “It means so much because seeing a Black woman and predominately Black basketball team take the championship again,” Montgomery said. “It’s actually inspiring. I mean, I don’t do sports. But I feel like I can do whatever — take my own national championship.” Editor’s note: Noah Hale contributed to the reporting in this article.

Photo: Sydney Dunlap

South Carolina students wrestle in the Thomas Cooper Library fountain after hundreds of students jumped in the water to celebrate the women’s basketball team’s win over the University of Connecticut in the national championship.

Photos: Jerry Bowen

A sea of Gamecock fans in the reflection pond outside Thomas Cooper Library. This follows the women’s basketball team winning the national championship on April 3, 2022 in Columbia, SC.

COLUMN:

USC needs to better prepare graduates entering a post-pandemic workforce Marian Winters

SC graduates entering the workforce are reminded of COVID-19’s lasting impact on the workplace, yet feel like USC has prepared them to excel in their future careers. Until USC fully adapts the flexibility of the post-pandemic workplace into the classroom, though, graduates are not as prepared for entering the workplace as they might think. Because it has now been more than two years since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States, wearing masks, increased online communication and quarantining have become the new normal for USC students. As a result of the elongated pandemic conditions, many workplaces have not transitioned back to in-person working because of the convenience of working from home and the need to take precautions, according to Forbes. Employers are now more flexible in the workplace and 83% of organizations plan to maintain this workplace flexibility postpandemic, according to Mercer Company’s principal Lauren Mason. Despite these drastic changes in the workplace, USC students like fourth-year marketing and management student Gianna Modicamore said they feel the university has prepared them through their curriculum. “I’ve taken a lot of classes in my field ... so I feel pretty prepared,” Modicamore said. Similarly, fourth-year media arts and English student Rachel Warr said she feels ready to enter the workforce. “I’m scared, like I’m just nervous. But from what I’ve gained from USC, I feel prepared,” Warr said. 22

With more employees working remotely, according to Forbes, being proficient with technology has never been more important in the workplace. USC’s transition back to in-person learning does not require students to use as much technology as online learning demands, but students still use technology in the classroom for completing certain assignments and for communication purposes. “I had opportunities to use a lot of technology ... especially for projects in Media Arts,” Warr said. Modicamore also said technology has been an essential component of her learning experience at USC and that technology will continue to be useful in her post-pandemic careers. “For different classes, I’ve used a variety of online programs like Zoom, WebEx, Blackboard Collaborate ... These other online platforms that workplaces use, which I think will be more important even in the coming years and in our post-COVID world,” Modicamore said. USC’s Career Center has always offered students resources to prepare for their future careers by helping students with networking, resumes and preparing for interviews. Since COVID-19 has dramatically changed the workplace, the Career Center has altered its services to meet the new workforce demands of online networking. In January 2022, the Career Center launched its new online platform, called UofSC Mentorship Hub, to provide the online connectivity that graduates need in this new COVID-19 era.

Mark Anthony is the Career Center’s senior associate director for student services. He said the Mentorship Hub provides students with online networking opportunities and the ability to form relationships with employers. “This is a platform where we have invited alumni, employers, practitioners to be available to help students and to answer questions. So a student can come into Mentorship Hub, you can just post a general question out there to the whole group and get some responses, or you can look for targeted groups,” Anthony said. With 95% of USC graduates being employed two years after graduation, according to Niche, USC has already been providing graduates with the skills they need to succeed in their future careers. The increased use of technology in the classroom and in the Career Center is a step in the right direction, but this is not enough to maintain USC’s high employment rate post-pandemic. In order to maintain employment rates for graduates, USC must increase classroom flexibility to align with the workplace’s flexibility post-pandemic. COVID-19 has drastically changed workplace flexibility. 49% of employees said the transition to remote work has given them “more flexibility to choose when they put in their hours,” according to a study conducted by Pew Research Center. Modicamore said that USC professors could be “a little more flexible with what they expect of students, but also be more lenient in general. It’s a hard time for everyone.” Even though USC transitioning back to in-person learning was

viewed as great news according to the USC website, in-person learning may not adequately prepare graduates for a career post-pandemic. Today’s workplace demands that employees possess even more tech-savvy skills postpandemic and that workers can handle the permanent transition to remote working, which students can better prepare for with online learning, according to Gallup studies. Online learning better reflected this new post pandemic workplace with the heavy usage of online platforms and insight on what remote learning would consist of on a day-to-day basis. Online learning more accurately reflects the workplace today, with research predicting that 36.2 million Americans will work remotely by 2025. Since many students do thrive with in-person learning according to studies conducted by the American Economic Association, transitioning completely back to COVID-19 Era’s 100% onlinelearning platform is not the answer. USC must recognize, though, that many students benefitted from the self-paced nature, convenience and fewer distractions of online learning, according to Edutopia. USC should offer more online classes for students to replicate workplaces’ flexibility and for students who thrive with the flexibility of the online learning model. For USC to accurately reflect the increased flexibility in workplaces, the university should consider more flexible deadlines in the classroom, an increase in the number of online classes offered to students and implementing more online platforms in the classroom used by workplaces. USC cannot simply return to the way of learning during pre-COVID-19. Instead, USC must further adapt its services in the wake of the pandemic to prepare students for employers’ new expectations.

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4 YEARS OF FOOD TRENDS: WHITE CLAWS, BAKING, TIKTOK RECIPES DOMINATE Richie Holmberg

rom hard seltzers and energy drinks to fad diets and viral recipes, USC students said the last four years saw food trends shaped by TikTok and the pandemic. These main drivers of change impacted the way college students eat and drink.

Sparkling drinks

It seems like seltzers have been around forever at this point, but White Claws hit it big in 2019 when YouTuber and comedian Trevor Wallace famously said “ain’t no laws when you’re drinking Claws.” The hard seltzer that first launched in 2016 gained over 50% of the market share in 2019. “They’re a very ‘white girl’ drink,” third-year public health student, Anaiah Kenas said. “They’re low calorie. They’re fruity. They’re not very exceptional. There’s nothing to them. They’re just like a seltzer juice.” The seltzer category has now become a massive popular market, and now major beer brands like Budweiser are in on the seltzer game. While energy drinks have been popular for a while, new products like Celsius have emerged. According to second-year sport management student Kate Cazayoux, the energy drink Celsius was all the rage during the fall of 2021. “During (sorority) recruitment, people would literally fight because Celsius sponsored Pan-Hel recruitment and it was actually like fight to the death for them,” Cazayoux said. 24

Fad diets

Beyond these bubbly beverages, the other trend that dominated the past few years isn’t a food at all, but fad diets. “Keto,” “paleo” and “veganism” have permeated popular discussion of food and nutrition. Their health claims are widely touted, but some are skeptical of their legitimacy. “I think going too hardcore in any one of those diets is like the dumb thing to do,” thirdyear finance student, Luke Mullen said. “You shouldn’t dive headfirst and like only be a carnivore, ‘I’m only gonna eat meat, salt and water.’” Moderation is the prevailing mood when it comes to diet, but diets like the keto diet also draws anger from some. “If you know anything about anatomy, you know that the brain functions on glucose, and glucose is a carbohydrate,” Kenas said. “And the entire complex of the keto diet is to not eat carbs. So if you think about it, you’re basically starving your brain by doing this diet because you’re not giving yourself those complex carbohydrates that your body needs in order to function.”

Increasing food access awareness

Pandemic influenced recipes

While the keto diet may signal an avoidance of carbs, nationwide shutdowns due to COVID-19 brought many into the kitchen to bake. Cazayoux took part in the bread baking resurgence (craze) that occurred amid the pandemic. “I feel like (baking bread) also became a thing during COVID because people were kind of home they had the time to do it because it is a time-consuming process,” Cazayoux said. “I remember wanting to do it and go into the grocery store not being able to like find yeast.” Cazayoux was able to satisfy her urge to bake bread by making cinnamon rolls from scratch. In this sense, carbs also converged with popular TikTok trends in the past few years, especially during the pandemic. Another example is the viral baked tomato and feta pasta recipe that dominated many’s TikTok “for you page” at the beginning of 2021. Kenas took part in the trend, while Cazayoux made a version with goat cheese. Both TikTok and Instagram helped to elevate the status of food influencers. Food content is more accessible than ever on the two platforms and creators like Emily Mariko, a TikTok contentcreator known for making healthy rice bowls, have major sway over the eating habits of their followers.

Social media influencers have also made strides in the realm of eating disorder awareness through the creation of accessible content. “There’s definitely been a trend of like, ‘let me show you what I’m eating,’” Kenas said. “So, what I eat in a day videos have become huge, where people are showcasing (what they eat).” Kenas thinks that “Eat with Me” videos may help people who have eating disorders have an easier time eating as the videos make eating a communal experience — on demand. “A couple of my friends have (had eating disorders), and something that I’ve come across in conversations with a couple of them is that eating with people makes it easier,” Kenas said. Videos are just one-way healthy eating is being made more accessible. It is now easier to purchase healthy, quality foods thanks to growing organic sections at stores. “One of the hardest things about being healthy and eating healthy is like how much it really costs,” Mullen said. “And just also the availability to people. Is it even in your store, you have to drive 20 miles to go get it?” Mullen thinks that the expansion of organic sections at stores like Food Lion and decreasing costs of organic foods have made them more accessible. He said the price of organic produce is not that much more than the price of conventional produce. Access to food on campus has also been addressed in the past year on campus. The addition of Fresh Greene’s in Russell House helps alleviate the burden of food access while in the most central parts of campus. Fresh Greene’s is an all-you-careto-eat dining location in the spaces that formerly housed Preston’s in Russell House. It opened with its new name in the fall of 2021. “We didn’t have a buffet-style dining option in Russell that was accessible to all students up until last year,” Kenas said. “So you were forcing students to eat fast food a lot of the time, and those portion size sizes were often pretty small, especially if you have students with limited dietary restrictions.”

Illustrations: Gillian Thomas 25

‘It’s a bittersweet feeling’: Fifth-year outfielder Andrew Eyster reflects on career with South Carolina baseball

Jack Veltri

fter not being selected in the 2021 MLB Draft, fifth-year outfielder Andrew Eyster decided to return to South Carolina for one more season. Before exercising his final year of eligibility, he said he didn’t believe he’d be back in 2022. “Obviously last year, I thought it was going to be my last year and that’s kind of how it’s been the last few years with COVID season, that was my junior year,” Eyster said. “That’s kind of when I anticipated I’d probably be out of here.” As a four-year starter with South Carolina, Eyster has been one of the most productive hitters — owning a .305 career batting average with 29 home runs and 113 RBI in 144 games. Eyster said it’s a “bittersweet feeling” coming back for his last year. “I know it’s my last time around, but also it’s been four years here and four of the best years of my life,” Eyster said. “I’m really excited to be back and do it one more time.” With the Gamecocks losing four players from last season’s starting lineup, head coach Mark Kingston said it was big for the team to have Eyster back. “He could’ve moved on or he could’ve come back, and so we were very pleased when he did come back,” Kingston said. Eyster has embraced being the “old, salty vet” as one of the few fifth-year players on this year’s team. “It’s something where a lot of the younger guys feel like they look up to me just because I’ve been doing this for so long, and I’m someone they can come talk to if they ever need advice,” Eyster said. “Also, I can come out and lead by example. I’m not a very vocal person but I think people respect the way I go about my business and it’s something they can look up to and emulate.” Senior outfielder Matt Hogan — who is in his first season with South Carolina after transferring from Vanderbilt — said it’s awesome playing alongside Eyster. 26

“I’ve learned so much just watching him play — watching him hit,” Hogan said. “Not to mention he’s probably one of the best guys you’ll ever meet in your life. He’s going to laugh at me as I say that right now, but he’s got your back in every way — every way, shape and form — and I’m blessed to be able to share the outfield with him.” Eyster played some of his best baseball in February, as he went 17-for-34 (.500) with three home runs, 13 RBI and an .824 slugging percentage. After homering on Opening Day, he followed up with a game-tying grand slam in the ninth inning of an 8-7 win over UNC Greensboro on Feb. 20. In March, Eyster’s bat has continued to carry his play as he’s had four multi-hit games. Against then-No.1 Texas, he tallied four hits and drove in three runs to help the Gamecocks to a series win over one of the best teams in the nation at the time. “I’d say I’ve gotten off to a pretty good start so far,” Eyster said. “My biggest takeaway has been the RBIs. Going into the season, that was

my biggest goal: To drive in as many runs as possible and be the guy that the team relies on to do that — especially in the tough spots with two outs.” Eyster said he’s always thinking about what will happen following his last game, calling it a “sad feeling.” “It’ll also be happy in the sense of looking back at all the memories I’ve made and all the good times and the good moments,” he said. “It makes me happy thinking about all the friends I’ve made, all the people that I’ve met and all the baseball memories on and off the field.” As for his favorite memory, Eyster chose last year’s Clemson series, where he delivered two walk-off hits for South Carolina. “Getting that opportunity two days in a row is rare in itself and being able to come through for this team was awesome,” Eyster said. “Just the dog piles after and celebrating with the team that Sunday. That was one of the coolest moments of my life.”

Photo: Kristen Pittman

Fifth-year outfielder Andrew Eyster fist bumps his teammates before a game against Clemson on March 5, 2022, in Columbia, SC. The Gamecocks lost the three-game series to the Tigers, 0-3.

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'I think transparency is the biggest issue': Students reflect on Pastides, Caslen presidencies Caitlin Dee

tudents graduating this spring have witnessed numerous changes in the position of university president since 2018, and say they are now looking for a president who prioritizes integrity. This slew of presidential changes began on Oct. 3, 2018, when then-president Harris Pastides announced his retirement. This led to the university hiring retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Bob Caslen to fill the role. Less than two years later, Caslen resigned due to a plagiarism scandal, which led to the hiring of Pastides as interim university President. Now, Pastides' second term is coming to an end as former USC Provost Michael Amiridis will begin as the president this summer. Pastides served his first term as university president from 2008 to 2019, during which time he gained a reputation amongst students for being personable. This was in part due to his engagement with students through activities such as his Youtube series "Mini Conversations" in which he would drive students around and talk with them. “As I got into the university, he just seemed like such a pillar of what USC and the student experience was to me,” Cami Aull, a fourthyear international business and management student, said. The end of Pastides's first term began the cycle of presidential changes, starting with hiring Caslen in July 2019. Caslen's hiring elicited an outcry on campus, with students and faculty alike protesting his hiring.

Former university President Bob Caslen Photo: Jerry Bowen 28

“I wasn’t the biggest fan of him in the beginning because I didn’t feel like he was the most qualified out of the candidates,” Aull said. The presidential search process also called USC's accreditation into question, as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) conducted a formal review of his hiring. Caslen tackled a multitude of issues during his time as president, from starting a commission to rename campus buildings to changing the way Title IX issues are handled at the university. In May 2021, Caslen plagiarized a portion of his speech at the 2021 graduation and mistakenly referred to the University of South Carolina as the "University of California," causing a national uproar. “Honestly, that was kind of embarrassing,” third-year art studio student Ethan Smith said. “The person heading our academy should at least be presenting some semblance of effort to write their own speech — let alone address the proper crowd". Caslen resigned soon after, later calling coming to USC "the biggest regret of (his) life." The university then brought back Pastides as the interim university President. During this term, students said they have been generally less satisfied with his presidency, which saw increased controversy surrounding sexual misconduct allegations from within the university. There was also outcry that the university was not making more progress to rename campus buildings honoring problematic historic figures. Now, Pastides' second term is coming to an end with the incoming arrival of Presidentelect Michael Amiridis. The selection process for this presidency also faced obstacles as presidential finalist Muang Chiang took his name out of consideration shortly before visiting campus. Opportunities for USC students and community members to meet Amiridis were announced in a midday email — which did not reveal the candidate's name — sent the day before the vote was taken to elect him. Amiridis was announced as the candidate the

Interim university President Harris Pastides and his wife Patricia Moore-Pastides Photo: Jerry Bowen

morning he was hired and the Q&A sessions for students, faculty and staff were held during regular class hours. While students remain optimistic about the future of the presidency, they feel as though they should have been more involved in the most recent selection process. "I don't feel like I'm a part of the process at all," Stephen Hilton, a third-year aerospace engineering student, said. Now, students look forward to Amiridis' presidency, hopeful that he values the USC community and the safety of those within it. "I think transparency is the biggest issue," Aidan Thomason, a fourth-year international studies and history student said, adding that she hopes Amiridis will "value integrity in a way that I don't think we have in recent years."

University President-elect Michael Amiridis Photo: Jalen Miller

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USC’S LEADERSHIP IS DISCONNECTED FROM ITS STUDENTS Micheal Jacobs III

or several years, it has been clear that the student body, Student Government and the board of trustees aren’t as connected as they should be, and this disconnect is negatively affecting the trust the student body holds in Student Government and the administration. These three entities should ideally work together in a way that allows for quick and efficient decision making and adaptation — should the need for it arise. The disconnect between these three bodies impedes the efficiency that should be present between the groups when responding to problems facing USC. The disconnect was a notable piece in the campaign platform

of third-year finance, marketing and operations and supply chain student Nicholas Marzullo during his run for student body president earlier this year. “The reason for my running is the giant disconnect I saw in between Student Government and the student body,” Marzullo said. “I want to help bridge that.” Although the Student Government does work to help university students through initiatives such as Carolina Closet and Swipe Out Hunger, it lacks the power to make substantial change. That power lies with the board of trustees. Only a relatively small percentage of USC students even vote in Student Government elections. This lack of enthusiasm

The Osborne Administration Building is 70 years old in 2022. Osborne was constructed in 1952 as the first campus specifically built to hold offices for campus administration, including some of the highest administrative offices, such as the President, the Provost and the board of trustees.

for Student Government is also shown by how understaffed the student senate was this semester. “Only 31 people ran for senate. Well, a full senate is 50 people, and by the end of this election, at max, we’re going to start the term with 23 people,” new Speaker of the Student Senate Noah Glasgow, a second-year international relations student, said. Another reason for the disconnect between these groups is the student body losing faith in the university administration. Since USC’s administration has been consistently inactive when faced with important issues, it is understandable the student body would begin to be mistrustful. “The role of the student body president is to advocate to administration — to encourage them to be representative of the wants and needs that every Gamecock not only wants to see, but deserves to see,” 2022 student body presidential candidate Gurujjal Roopra, a third-year public health student, said. However, time and time again, the board of trustees has failed to take action in moments of importance and ignored the voice of the students it is supposed to serve.

One of the most notable examples of this inaction is interim university President Harris Pastides promising “decisive action” on the issue of USC buildings being named after racist and misogynistic historical figures and proceeding to do nothing about the issue. The board of trustees has also shown that the voices of those it governs don’t result in change. The appointment of Bob Caslen as the 29th president of USC occurred despite vehement protest from students, faculty and staff, and the appointment of Micheal Amiridis as the 30th president happened without real community involvement, except for three online meetings held mere hours before he was elected by the board. With the upper-level administration continuing to fall short of its promises, protests continuing to fall on deaf ears and Student Government being powerless to change it, the student body has no reason to trust any of the entities that form USC’s leadership. If USC is going to change for the better, then this broken relationship must be repaired.

The Senate Chambers, located on the third floor of The Russell House in Columbia, South Carolina on March 25, 2022. The Senate Chambers hold faculty senate meetings and general faculty meetings for USC.

Photos: Joey Anderson 29

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Belgian Waffle Truck expands students’ dining options Danielle Wallace

t was a sunny Monday morning on Greene Street. USC student Tristan Johnson waited patiently in line at The Belgian Waffle Truck. She extended her nearly-filled punch card through the small window, sharing a laugh with Yvette Ledent, one of the food truck’s owners, about her frequent waffle intake. Johnson is one of many students who regularly dines at The Belgian Waffle Truck whenever it’s on campus. Yvette Ledent and her husband Jean-Louis Ledent have been running The Belgian Waffle Truck for nearly eight years. “I think it’s also cool that (USC is) helping out small businesses like The Belgian Waffle Truck,” said Johnson, a firstyear political science student. “I think it’s fantastic that they’re letting them get that amount of business that they’re getting on a college campus.” Jean-Louis and Yvette began serving USC students in August 2021. Jean-Louis said they love to be in a university city, and the smiles they serve along with their waffles are proof enough. “Every time we come here, we are happy to come here because you know, we like young people, we like life and we’ve met a bunch of really cool (people),” Jean-Louis said with a laugh. “But no, we really have a blast. It’s really fun. That’s the best job we’ve ever had, actually.” Jean-Louis and Yvette have owned multiple restaurants throughout their lives, but they wanted to try a new business venture when they moved to Columbia.

The Belgian Waffle Truck cook Jean-Louis Ledent cooks waffles inside the truck on March 23, 2022. The Belgian Waffle Truck provides fresh waffles to the USC campus regularly.

“It’s just basically my wife and I, so we are the ones taking care of business,” JeanLouis said. “We are proud of sharing a little bit of our culture through our food truck, because, again, if you go in our hometown, when you go (to) every corner, you have a vendor with a Belgian waffle. I mean, it’s just a part of our culture.” Jean-Louis and Yvette are from Belgium and moved to the United States in 1988 when Jean-Louis found a job as a chef in Champaign, Illinois. After years of owning restaurants and even teaching at the University of Illinois, the couple visited Columbia, South Carolina and decided to move South. “Here, we really had the chance to make our niche,” Jean-Louis said. “Columbia is a really attractive city and (has) a lot of opportunity ... We were really lucky to be able to open a business here in this town.” Food trucks are a relatively recent addition to USC’s Columbia campus, and students have responded very well to the new meal option. Many students that are regulars at The Belgian Waffle Truck enjoy the warm hospitality that Jean-Louis and Yvette provide along with their food. “They’re always so personable,” said Avery Apple, a first-year nursing student. “They know me by name now because I come so many times. They’re the sweetest.” Yvette handles the front of the house with customers, while Jean-Louis cooks the orders in the kitchen.

Photos: Danielle Wallace & Jalen Miller

“All our lives we worked together,” JeanLouis said. “We work really well, we are a good team, just the two of us ... she’s awesome with the customers … I mean, she’s got that personality that the people come to her, and she smiles, and it’s a big, big plus in the business … that’s why we work so well.” Students also enjoy going to The Belgian Waffle Truck simply because of the great food. They said they like to give business to the truck to support them as a smaller business of Columbia. “They’re so kind, and they’re always smiling,” said Molly Conway, a first-year biochemistry and molecular biology student. “Supporting small businesses is also a great thing to do, especially when you get good food out of it. So, it’s just a good thing to support them, especially since they’re such great people.” Many students hope that The Belgian Waffle Truck will continue to offer oncampus dining. They also hope that this will bring in more small businesses like The Belgian Waffle Truck. “This is definitely the best experience on-campus I’ve had with service,” said Rylee Mostiller, a first-year chemistry student. “It’s probably the best food you can get here right now … I definitely think that it should be kept up with for a long time, at least as long as I’m here, so I think it’s very important that we show interest in this food truck and keep it here.”

The front exterior of The Belgian Waffle Truck on March 23, 2022. The Belgian Waffle Truck provides fresh waffles to the USC campus regularly.

COCK HOCKEY REPRESENTS COMMUNITY OF BROTHERHOOD FOR TEAM’S SENIORS Will Kelly

outh Carolina is not a large hockey market. In fact, the only currently operating professional hockey team in the state is the South Carolina Stingrays, an affiliate of the Washington Capitals playing in the East Coast Hockey League, located in Charleston. But many of the seniors on the South Carolina Club Hockey team, also known as Cock Hockey, said they have found an identity and a brotherhood through collegiate hockey, even at a university without a Division I team. For these seniors, the team has served as a strong basis for their college experience. “It was kind of my identity. It was the first thing that I joined,” team captain and forward Cam Mecca said. Mecca has been on the team for each of his four years at USC and said that his favorite memory was a game the team played against Ole Miss that earned them a trip to nationals. This trip to nationals, despite being cut short due to the pandemic, solidified the program as one of the top club sports at South Carolina. Forward Noah Madney echoed Mecca’s sentiments by adding that his favorite memory was the first game he played in against Asheville after he took some time off from playing. “I needed to get back on the ice, and this was a good opportunity,” Madney said. “I met a lot of good people, a lot of good friends.” Many seniors said that Cock Hockey helped pave their way into finding a tightknit friend group.

“I got my core group of guys from this. We’ve known each other since the beginning,” forward Luke Rudman said. “It’s a community now. It’s not just like a bunch of guys that want to play hockey. It’s like a family.” Rudman was not the only senior that said he appreciated the friendships he made through his time on the team. “It’s the first group of friends that you really have, and you stick with them all four years,” defenseman Tyler Oakley said. Defenseman Nick Peters said the road trips with the team to play other schools in the SECHL were some of his favorite moments. “A lot of us were from the north, so coming down to the south, we got to travel a lot, see a lot of different places that I probably wouldn’t have been able to,” Peters said. Many of the players said they believe the program is just getting started and will continue to grow. Oakley said that the growth of the program, which is felt each time the team competes at the plex, is a testament to the Class of 2022’s efforts. He pointed to a home game during the 2019-2020 season against Georgia or Clemson when the team enjoyed significant support from the fans. “We were close to having like a thousand people,” Oakley said of the game during his sophomore year. Many players said the program is more than a club sport and is starting to get more and more recognition among students. “The excitement of where this program is going to go after we’re gone is probably the best part,” defenseman Avery Pruden said.

“The excitement of where this program is going to go after we’re gone is probably the best part.” -Avery Pruden, defenseman

“It’s a community now. It’s not just like a bunch of guys that want to play hockey. It’s like a family.” -Luke Rudman, forward

South Carolina athletes use 5th year of eligibility Taylor Beltz & Michael McKenley Herring

t some point, every student-athlete is faced with the decision between continuing their career as a college athlete or moving on to a new chapter in their life. When the NCAA decided to grant an extra year of eligibility because of COVID-19, many student-athletes were able to extend their collegiate careers. South Carolina women’s basketball guard Lele Grissett, football kicker Parker White and women’s soccer midfielder Lauren Chang are program veterans who made the decision to compete for their fifth season. For Grissett, the decision to return to the women’s basketball team came after an injury during her senior season. “The road to recovery was pretty hard, honestly. It was more like a mindset I had a battle with,” Grissett said in a post-game press conference following her return against Mississippi State on Dec. 12, 2021. “When I got in and the crowd went crazy, it was just love because they always show love no matter what.” Coaches play a major part in an athlete’s decision about returning to play, they said. Coach Staley said she hoped Grissett experienced a more enjoyable end to her fifth and final season with the Gamecocks. “You can’t get to where you are as a program without having leaders who have been in your program. This is her fifth-year, and she knows the good, the bad and the ugly of it,” Staley said. Another student-athlete who has played in Columbia for five seasons is White, who came back to play under new football head coach Shane Beamer for his extra redshirt year of eligibility in 2021. White made a impact on the South Carolina football team during the 2021-2022 season, missing only one field-goal kick throughout his entire fifth season and becoming the school’s all time leading scorer with 368 points. “There’s no better way this could have ended, I mean there’s no way you can make this up,” said White after breaking the record for points scored by a kicker at the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30, 2021.

Redshirt senior kicker Parker White kicks a game winning field goal during a game against Vanderbilt on Oct. 16, 2021 at Williams-Brice Stadium. The Gamecocks beat Vanderbilt 21-20.

Photos: Kristen Pittman Graduate guard Lele Grrissett passes the ball to a teammate during a game against Vanderbilt on Jan. 4, 2022, at Colinial Life Arena. The Gamecocks beat the Commodores, 85-30.

White experienced one of the biggest moments of the season against East Carolina, where he kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired, a performance that also earned him the honor of SEC Co-Special Team’s Player of the Week. White was a starter for all five years, setting the school record for games played with 60, and finished his college career making 72 out of 99 field goals attempted, which is also tied for first in program history. Another athlete that chose to come back for a fifth year is women’s soccer midfielder Chang, who announced her return in a Twitter post on May 5, 2021 along with three other seniors: “We’re Back.” “A positive to this past year we have had is that we will now have four wonderful leaders and teammates returning for a fifth year,” head women’s soccer coach Shelley Smith said in a press release on the same day. “We are all excited to have a little more time with them in the program as they continue to represent us and this university so well on and off the field as student-athletes.” Chang was the first Gamecock to make 105 appearences during her collegiate career with 17 goals and 24 assists with a total of 58 points scored. She was also voted to the All SEC Second Team three times during her time at Carolina. She had a career high 10 assists during her fifth and final season with the team, including assists in games against North Carolina and Hofstra during the teams NCAA tournament run in 2021. Each athlete has a unique journey that has led them to compete as a Gamecock during their fifth and final seasons of collegiate eligibility. “It was a great lesson for our guys, that you know what, it doesn’t always just happen as a freshman or a sophmore, like you’ve got to work and there’s other great players with you,” Beamer said about the super seniors’ impact on the football team. 33

STUDENTS SAY PRICE OF COLLEGE IS TOO HIGH, DISAGREE ON WHO SHOULD PAY FOR IT Caleb Bozard

tudents largely agree that the cost of college is both too high and that it limits people’s opportunities. Many also said government-funded higher education would put them more at ease while pursuing a college degree. “I just really wish that education wouldn’t be so hard to access, especially from my personal experience,” said Giovana Ortiz, a dental hygiene student at Greenville Technical College. “I’ve struggled a lot to get education, so the fact that I’m doing it makes me feel great, but I feel that if I had more resources, it would be a weight off my shoulder.” Many students said they didn’t think the high price of college — between tuition, fees and materials — was justifiable. “It was kind of an eye-opening experience to see the different dollar figures on all the different schools,” said Caroline McDonald, a first-year international business student. “I’m not sure that should be that expensive.” McDonald said she is the first person in her family to apply for college, so she was surprised by the cost. Many students said not having a college degree keeps people from obtaining highpaying jobs. “So you shouldn’t be having to spend out the nose for hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, to then go get a job to maybe someday pay that off,” said Stephen Hilton, a fourth-year aerospace engineering student. Hilton also said college has become as much of a necessity for well-paying jobs as a high school diploma. Many students said college costs should be covered by the individual student, their family, scholarships and government aid. In other words, the way it is today. However, many also said the government should bear all or a more significant portion of the cost of higher education. Drew Gatch, a graduate student studying business, said he hoped the U.S. would model itself after European countries

with free college to give more people the opportunity to attend college. “As far as how quickly we can do that, I’m not totally sure,” Gatch said. Many students who thought the government should provide free higher education said the price makes college incredibly difficult for lower-income individuals to afford. Some spoke from personal experience. “Considering the fact that the average person wouldn’t survive a $400 bill just being thrown at them, you know, how do you expect people to pay like ten grand every year for college?” Amauria Covington, a third-year psychology and first-generation college student, said. “It just, it rubs me the wrong way that they really just don’t want us to be here because we can’t pay for it.” Covington said the government should cover all students’ costs. Others said college should be paid for mainly or entirely by the individual student. Free, government-provided college would encourage more students to go to college than need to while burdening taxpayers, said Mia Bialecki, a first-year biomedical engineering student. “I don’t think that’s fair on other people,” Bialecki said. “In the future, I would be paying for other people to go to college instead of paying for myself.” Many of the students who opposed universal government-provided college said offering free college would devalue a diploma and would take away an important incentive to work hard. Others didn’t feel the same way, though. “I think I would be more inclined to do better because I feel like then I’m doing it on my own time and what I really want, rather than when I’m being forced, I guess, into doing,” said Sophie Simpson, a first-year biology student. Not all students thought the issue of paying for school was a choice between the

individual and the state. Some students, like Simpson and first-year psychology student Emily Kraus, said employers who require higher education should pay the individual’s costs. Leah Linder, a first-year history student, said she would feel less guilty about going to college if the government paid for it instead of her parents, both of whom are teachers. Whether or not they saw higher education as an individual or societal responsibility, students generally said the cost of college makes it much harder for those who can’t afford it. “I just feel like a lot of kids go into even like first grade and second grade thinking, like, ‘My parents didn’t go to college because they’re poor. So, I’m now poor. So, I’m not going to get a college education either,’” said Maddison Yates, a second-year elementary education student. “I think if they had the mindset that they could go to college, they would learn a lot more in school.”

“I just really wish that education wouldn’t be so hard to access, especially from my personal experience.” -Giovana Ortiz, dental hygiene student at Greenville Technical College

From global icons to local talent, Columbia has hosted a variety of music artists, concerts Jahleel Johnson

aylor Swift, Morgan Wallen and Ariana Grande are just a few of the many artists that have held concerts in Columbia within the past decade. Columbia provides a variety of concerts from global and local artists and gives USC students and the Columbia area the opportunity to experience live music. Surprisingly, Columbia's small geographic nature has not prevented big stars from hosting concerts here. The city has taken precautions when popular artists have passed through. When Beyoncé and Jay-Z came to Columbia, schools in the Richland 1 School District closed early to beat the heavy traffic expected from the concert in 2018. Even though the heavy traffic posed a problem to the city, that did not stop other superstars from touring in Columbia. Wallen, a popular country music singer, held a concert in Columbia in February 2022, which fan Sara Zepp attended. Zepp provided insight on her experience at the concert, and what she expected to see in Columbia for the future. Zepp, a third-year biology student, said she is not the biggest listener of country music, but that she could not pass up the opportunity to see Wallen, as she liked his latest album. The concert was accessible to different groups of people, and the age of the concertgoers ranged from young to old, Zepp said. Although many prominent artists come through Columbia, the city provides an array of local talent too. It's a big deal when national acts come to Columbia, being that the city is not a popular concert destination due to its geographical position according to Cecil Decker, the Richland Library Media Arts coordinator. Decker is a USC alumnus who is a member of the local Columbia band Autocorrect. Decker said there is “a great diversity in what you can see” for concerts. They mentioned If ART, which according to its website is an art gallery in Columbia that showcases the work of artists from SC and throughout the world. The gallery often hosts experimental concerts, which they said reinvented themselves by developing new formats to attract new people. Though local artists like Danielle Howle and the Palmetto Concert Band have grown in 36

acclaim in Columbia, Decker said the impact of COVID-19 has been felt here in Columbia and has affected the art scene. Decker said there has been a decrease in the number of bands playing, as well as changes in types of gigs offered to local bands. They noted that it caused a decrease in local artists that played at bars and breweries, as well as international acts that visit Columbia to perform. Despite this, Decker is hopeful to return to how life was pre-pandemic, where there was a greater diversity of concerts and venues for artists to perform. They believed that Columbia residents and USC students should still go to concerts. “Live music is very different from listening to recorded music, and recorded music has become so prevalent," Decker said. "It helps you know more about your community.” Fans of the Bull Street Garage band can attest to this statement. The band recently released a live-recorded album because according to group, the atmospheric setting of a live show is something that cannot be replicated. Zepp said she believed more artists will come to Columbia after seeing the overwhelming success of Wallen’s concert. She said people were satisfied, and there was not an empty seat in sight at the concert — something Zepp said she had never seen. “Colonial (Life Arena) is just a good place because the college is here, so you just always are gonna have a diverse number of people,” Robinson said. In the past, Columbia's Colonial Life Arena has been a popular concert venue for artists like Swift, James Brown and Grande and will play host to artists like Elton John, Kodak Black and Erykah Badu & Friends. The Colonial Life Arena is Columbia's biggest venue, but the Koger Center, Township Auditorium and the Tin Roof also serve as concert destinations. Columbia is home to a variety of music artists. Decker said that even if it is easier to pay attention to the superstars that come through, don't overlook the local artists who are here. “You don't find them if you don't look for them,” Decker said.

Photos: Christopher Harris & emmarsheehan | CC

SC student artists give advice on beginning a career in arts, entertainment Patrick mcAuliffe

rom musicians to muralists, Columbia is filled with artists who strive to bring something new and different into the mainstream environment. This could entail performing with a band or even opening an art gallery. Either way, the arts are alive and growing here in Columbia. The Daily Gamecock had a chance to sit down with some student artists to hear what advice they have for aspiring artists.

Be active in the community Being active and engaged in the sector is the best way to grow, according to Rex Hagins, third-year integrated information technology student and guitarist of the band Outta Pocket. “Everyone I’ve ever met in the music scene, for the most part, has been wonderful and nice. And if you wait till the end of show, everyone’s always willing to talk to you. And you can just make connections through doing that,” Hagins said.

Use your connections Artists need to do everything possible to sell and promote their work, and having connections provides a great way to do that. Charlie Speno, a fourth-year marketing student, struggled to find a venue for his music before playing his first bar gig for free in Baltimore, Maryland back in high school.

“I was able to get an email, first foot in the door, and I was able to send all these things be like, ‘Hey, listen, I don’t really have any bar gigs yet, but just give me a chance. I’ll go without pay,’” Speno said. In Columbia, Speno got the number of the manager at Rooftop Bar from his friend who worked as a bouncer there. After reaching out to the manager a few times, Speno was given a trial night to perform and has performed multiple times since then.

Social media People can go viral overnight through TikTok, and it is one of the best ways to perform outreach in a community, according to Paul Tate, a third-year advertising student. Tate uses TikTok to build a following through interviewing people who want to share their “toxic” stories — their struggles and bad experiences with relationships. He uses the platform to develop his brand and image. Finding other local artists on social media is how Carl Creighton, a secondyear mass communications student at Winthrop University and bassist of the band Blew, got to perform. In August 2020, Creighton found a local band that was looking for an opener for an upcoming show. He messaged the band on Instagram and convinced them to take a chance with Creighton’s band. “We were very small at the time. I think we had less than 50 followers on Instagram. And they took a chance, and the rest is history,” Creighton said.

Plan ahead

Local band Outta Pocket performs at The Joint on Main 1710, a local jazz and tapas restaurant in Columbia, SC, March 25, 2022.

Success is impossible without planning, according to Virginia Jones, a first-year public relations student,. Jones enjoys spending her free time painting. But, she became very critical of her work. Like many, this became an obstacle for her internally.

Photos: Jalen Miller

The solution she found was to take more time to prepare her art. Instead of starting on a large canvas, she began doing small-scale sketches and gridding out her art to help keep everything proportional. After making these changes, Jones became much more confident in her art, and she said she hasn’t looked back since.

Consistency is key As seen with Jones, planning is important, but routinely creating is as well. Kenzie McCarter, a fourthyear sports and entertainment management student, sang at her church for years while also playing as an opening act for a country music band. After working constantly, she was eventually approached to play at a small festival. She said the only reason she got this offer was because people recognized her name from her performances.

Art is subjective Angela Scott, a second-year media arts student, has struggled with comparing themselves to other artists. She said she believed their art has suffered from it. “Don’t compare yourself. Just create and make stuff. Because the more you do, the more you can look back and see how much you’ve improved,” Scott said. 37

Guest COLUMN:

Fourth-year nursing student reflects on clinical process amid pandemic Leah Krompecher

y experience in nursing has been one to remember, for not only myself and my fellow classmates, but for all our professors and clinical preceptors as well. Four years ago, before I was in upperdivision nursing and when I was still taking prerequisite courses, the thought of wearing a mask wasn’t in anybody’s mind. Now, we wear masks all day at clinical along with a face shield or goggles. When COVID-19 hit, I was in the middle of my sophomore year, about to enter upper-division nursing and preparing to go to advanced camp for ROTC. Within two weeks, everything was canceled — classes were online, camp was canceled and the future was unknown to everybody. My first semester of clinical experience was fall of 2020. Classes were still online, but we were allowed back in the hospitals as long as we wore the proper PPE. The college was still learning how to navigate through these times, and since classes were online, we did not have the experience of simulation labs, as the cohorts before us did. We had only one simulation lab and then went into clinical, whereas in the past they had more simulation experiences before their first day. My first day of clinical was scary — it felt like I didn’t know anything and hadn’t really practiced basic skills or even just communicating with patients. I’ll never forget the first manual blood pressure I took, I was so nervous to talk to the patient and touch his arm. Now I go into patient rooms three times a week and do a full head-to-toe assessment on them with confidence. The cohorts before us didn’t have to worry about missing clinical due to potential exposures or quarantines. They didn’t have to wear PPE all day. They didn’t have to worry about patient assignments and the potential of caring for a COVID-19 patient. 38

Photo: Ashleigh Dimler First floor of the Williams-Brice Building on March 23, 2022. The Williams-Brice Building has been the home of the College of Nursing since 1974.

Since we are not allowed to care for COVID-19 patients as students, clinical would sometimes feel like it dragged on if there were a lot of COVID-19 positive patients on the floor that day. There were times when even in my third semester of clinical, I would be with a partner just because there weren’t enough patients for us all to care for. Clinical was not the only challenge that semester: I struggled in my online classes too. While I learned a lot and did well, it was tough mentally to be doing work inside my apartment all day. As we eased our way back in person that next semester, I found myself more focused and applying my knowledge to clinical more. While completing my clinical in the ICU this semester, I have seen more COVID-19 patients than I have ever seen before. It has been eye-opening to see these critically ill patients up close and personal and see firsthand the pandemic’s effect on everyday people, not just reading it in the news. I have definitely had days, especially at the beginning of clinicals, where I thought “I’m not good at this; why am I even doing

nursing?” But now when I leave the hospital, I am content every day knowing that I at least helped one other person that day. Even with the pandemic and all of the changes the university has had to make to accommodate COVID-19, I feel more than prepared to go out into the “real world,” pass my NCLEX and work as a registered nurse. Of course, I still have so much to learn, but the beautiful thing about life is that we are all constantly learning, especially in the medical field. I am so proud of my cohort, especially all of my clinical groups these past two years, for finishing strong — it is so crazy to think that we have made it through all of these difficult classes and are finally at this stage. To all the underclassmen, my best advice is to study early and avoid cramming, and to make time for yourself! You will drive yourself crazy if you don’t. While I am sad to be leaving Carolina and moving on, I am also so excited for the future. I’m excited to be an Army officer, to be a registered nurse and most of all, I am excited to use my gift and help others.

Hurricane Florence, Dorian gave seniors a 'hurrication' to remember Matea Jacobs

tlantic hurricane season doesn't always disturb USC's Columbia campus, but hurricanes Florence and Dorian both shook up the schedule. Students spent time catching up, fooling around and paradoxically enjoying the hurricanes. Overall, USC seniors said they remembered the experience as a time of bonding and relaxation. Hurricane Florence hit campus in 2018 and Hurricane Dorian hit in 2019. Though the storms caused damage in other parts of the world, USC escaped mostly unharmed. Students got a week off of classes when Florence hit and a half a week off for Dorian. Students either went home or hunkered down in Columbia. Many students native to South Carolina were used to this — especially those students from the Lowcountry — and just went about their day. However, students from out of state and areas that are not usually affected by hurricanes were more scared, fourth-year biology student Chloe Weyer said. Some students spent their time catching up on schoolwork, but at the Honors Residence, some students experienced a once-in-a-lifetime slip and slide. Weyer said she heard a student from the third floor of the dormitory planned on creating the slip-and-slide in the hallway. "But we were like, maybe we shouldn't do that. So we brought it outside, and it was kind of drizzling anyway, so it ended up just being perfect and a lot of fun," Weyer said. "Just a soapy 40

mess — you can all get to like bond over that." For some students, the "hurrication" was a way to reform the familial bonds weakened by the long distance. Usually, freshmen wait until Thanksgiving break to go home for a longer period of time. "It was very soon into school. And so I really had not — I was a pretty homesick freshman at the time," Emily Ariail, a fourth-year biomedical engineering student, said. "So then I just went home, immediately, for the whole week, and I hung out with my friends from high school." As expected, some students also spent their time elsewhere

— at parties or out exploring campus while under a natural phenomenon, Ariail said. For some students, the hurrication had a big impact on their college experience but for others, it was just the drop in the bucket of unusual occurrences that took place throughout their four years at USC. "I remember enough of the details about it, but I don't have that really stuck in my head," Katrina Wolgemuth, a fourthyear mechanical engineering student, said. "And truthfully, now I think with COVID happening, that is just like a small little blip that happened because I kind of think of a pre-

COVID and a post-COVID — just because that's essentially how my college experience has been broken down into." Overall, the consensus is that hurrication was a memorable experience for most seniors since many enjoyed their time off and remember it fondly as an important part of their college experience. "I think that USC was probably like, 'Oh my gosh, they had to deal with the detrimental effects of a hurricane,' and then we're all like, 'Damn, that's the best time of my life — hurrication.' Like I'm sure #hurrication was trending on Twitter back then," Ariail said. Illustration: Julia Lako

Columbia gets first snow in 8 years

.. chloe mungo

blanket of snow covered USC’s campus on Jan. 21, 2022 — the first snow in eight years. “Snowball fights on the Horseshoe tonight!” Interim university President Harris Pastides posted to Twitter. “Haven’t seen that since 2014. Enjoy it while you can, students. Melting starts tomorrow! Have fun and be safe.” The university canceled classes for the day because of freezing rain in the afternoon, and snowfall began around 9 p.m. By the time the snow had stopped falling in the early hours of Saturday, there was two inches of snow recorded. During the night of the snowfall, many students congregated on the historic Horseshoe to throw snowballs — mimicking the last time USC saw snow in 2014. Students also made snow angels and took pictures with the school’s beloved mascot. Even

Cocky made a snow angel and then led the crowd in Gamecocks cheers. Students like Hannah Wood, a fourth-year early childhood education student, said she stayed up late to watch the snow fall and woke up early to enjoy it. “We watched some of our friends do donuts in the Retreat fields and got up early to build a snowman,” said Wood, who lives at The Retreat, an off-campus student housing location. Other students, like fourth-year physical education student Alexis Thornton, celebrated the snow inside. “We made breakfast and coffee and watched the snow melt throughout the day, through the window, and watched movies all day because it was so cold out,” Thornton said. The last time it snowed in Columbia was in 2014. There was a multi-day winter storm with four inches

of snow that turned campus into a winter wonderland and canceled classes for the week. At the time, Coy Gibson, director of finance and operations at the Anne Frank Center and University 101 instructor, was a fourth-year political science student and resident mentor at Rutledge College on the Horseshoe. “That was pretty epic. It was really fun, and one of those really special experiences when you look back on it,” Gibson said. “You got out of school, and we literally had a snowball fight on the Horseshoe.” Gibson said the campus hills were covered in thick snow and students were sledding down Bull Street. Students were also welcomed into, then-President Pastides’ house and were able to go up to the second floor to check out his football memorabilia, according to Gibson. Nicolette Walters, the director of communications for the SC Speaker of the House, was a first-year student in 2014 and lived in Columbia Hall. She walked home on the snow-covered sidewalks.

“I’m from the Northeast, so I grew up with a lot of snow … everyone else was so excited, it was an electric feeling almost,” Walters said. “Now that I’ve lived here for eight or nine years, it never snows like that, so I understand the excitement looking back.” This year, some bars closed due to the forecasted snow in Five Points. Michelle Podrabinnik, a fourthyear environmental studies student and bartender at Breaker’s Bar and Grill, was scheduled to work on the outside patio that night, but, after debate, the bar never opened. “We just hung out on the patio and were watching the snow fall,” Podrabinnik said. “Once it started to really stick, all of my coworkers came out, and we all had a huge snowball fight.” Katelyn Breedlove, a third-year biology student, was also in Five Points eating at Publico when she first saw the snow, and made snowballs to throw at her friends. Breedlove said she enjoyed the snow because she doesn’t think it’ll happen again while she’s at USC. “I think it’d be a miracle,” Breedlove said. “I would love for it to happen again. That was cool.”

illustration: kaitlyn gough 43

COLUMN:

PROGRESSIVE CHANGES ON CAMPUS MUST BE CELEBRATED Bridget Frame

e must acknowledge the positive impact of changes the USC community made in the past four years, like the increase in activism and inclusive student orgs, as well as inclusive housing and identifying information updates. These changes are important in making campus a more inclusive place for all students. Our campus is filled with organizations and groups focused on supporting, educating and aiding in all aspects of diversity and development. One of these organizations is the Association of African American Students, also known as AAAS. Its focus is to provide a safe space for students and educate them on the social and political issues that affect African American students. Students value this club because of its history for providing a supportive space for African American individuals on campus. “That sense of community and feeling like they are seen and represented is why AAAS has been so successful in the past,” Jada Hudson, membership chair for AAAS, said. Associations like these are important to students coming from places with less diverse populations, according to Hudson.

“Before coming to college, I hadn’t seen this many Black people in positions of leadership until joining AAAS,” Hudson said. This group has kept its significance at USC since its founding in 1968. Even as a longstanding organization, AAAS is still applying new pursuits to draw in more members. Hip Hop Wednesday on Greene Street is one of the recent outreach endeavors that is used to bring more awareness to AAAS as an organization and attract students to various other organizations based in multiculturalism. A push for more education about the subject of diversity on campus has prompted more participation in multicultural workshops at USC. The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs hosts a variety of informative events and workshops for both students and faculty. It provides educational opportunities that discuss diversity within race and ethnicity, as well as LGBTQIA+ education and support. These resources are valuable to anyone wanting to become more involved in these subjects in the future. “When students do sign up for presentations or workshops

and decide to engage with the office, nowadays, I see those as the students who are really genuinely interested in dismantling different criticisms and barriers that we have,” Kimberly Seibles, associate director of Diversity and Social Justice Education, said. There was an increase in attendance by students and faculty at these workshops after the events of the summer of 2020 and various social justice movements, according to Seibles. This change is representative of an increased interest in supporting marginalized communities, both on and off campus. These individuals are becoming active in promoting progressive action and making this campus safer and more inclusive to future classes at USC. A change in policies on campus also show a positive shift in the treatment of LGBTQIA+ students. Options to update your name and pronoun information within the university systems and a safe zone ally program for students and faculty are some of the new programs available to those within the LGBTQIA+ community and allies. “These wonderful things that we’ve been able to implement

have taken a lot of time and a lot of buy-in from a lot of people,” Caroline Wallace, assistant director of LGBT Education, said. These changes have helped many on campus. One other example is the gender inclusive housing that was introduced last year. This program gives students with various gender identities and sexual orientations the opportunity to live on campus in an affirming space. It has become a popular option for students living on campus — with an increasing number signing up for it — according to Wallace. Certainly, the changes occurring on campus have taken longer than desired. But there are hopes that future improvements come quicker now that they have the ball rolling. “We have made progress, but ... when I think of where we’re going, I hope that in five years, we’re not looking back at things we did five years ago and saying, 'okay, now is the time,'” Wallace said. These changes have positively impacted students and show that there will be more opportunity for more progress in the coming future. Illustration: Julia Lako

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FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL HIGHLIGHT STUDENTS’ FAVORITE SPORTS MEMORIES OVER LAST 4 YEARS Nathan Baakko

ports play a large role in the lives of many and are often part of the college experience. Students bond over supporting a common team and come together to pull for their school, creating powerful memories that resonate with them after they graduate and move into their post-collegiate lives. Fourth-year students at the University of South Carolina shared some of their favorite sports moments from the last four years, dominated by football and basketball. Although it was very recent, Gamecock football’s victory over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo

Bowl last December was a popular response. Fourth-year criminal justice student Tyler Harbert said he appreciates the bowl victory because he views it as an exciting pivot in the program. “The last season is kind of like a turnaround for USC, and I think that game sparked a little something in recruiting and just turning the whole direction of the program around altogether,” Harbert said. “I would say, overall, that that was probably my favorite sports moment by far in probably four years.” Fourth-year accounting student AJ Madormo said the game was a milestone in the

progress he’s been able to see made by the football program during his time in Columbia. “It was a great moment from being able to say that I was there at the start of when Shane Beamer started coaching,” Madormo said. “Last year was not a great season overall, and then this year, we ended up winning a bowl game. Going from ineligible to play in any bowls, to end up already with a bowl game.” Fourth-year multimedia journalism student Kaitlyn McCue fondly recalled watching the football team’s upset win over No. 4 Georgia in 2019 with an alumni group.

Senior kicker Parker White kicks a field goal during a game against Missouri on Oct. 6, 2018 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC. The Gamecocks beat the Tigers, 37-35.

“We were all at a bar watching the game, didn’t expect anything of it,” McCue said. “All of us were kind of speechless, and you could feel it in the air in the bar. I mean, everybody completely speechless, jaws on the floor, not knowing what to do or how to function at that point.” Some great memories even happened during bad weather. This was the case for fourth-year public health student Lindsey Barr, who cherishes the moments she shared with those around her when Gamecock football beat Missouri in 2018. “It was a monsoon, we were all drenched and soaking wet from

Photo: Zach McKinley

the rain,” Barr said. “We had, I feel like it was almost 10 lighting delays it felt like. All of our friend group and then a bunch of other kids in the student section, and all the fans stayed through all of it. We became legit best friends with the people beside us ... it showed how USC fans stay true.” Memories can be found not only on the football field but on the hardwood as well. Fourth-year finance and entrepreneurship student David Silverman’s favorite memory took place in January 2020 when the men’s basketball team knocked off No. 10 Kentucky thanks to a buzzer-beating three-point shot by current redshirt junior guard Jermaine Couisnard. “Obviously, like many upsets, it wasn’t expected,” Silverman said. “Personally, me and my friends, we weren’t really sure if we wanted to go to it, and it really came down to the last couple minutes before the game

where we had decided to go. And it ended up being a great decision … it was really a good moment for the school and for me personally.” Colonial Life Arena is also home to the women’s basketball team, who provided fourth-year finance student Jake Whisler with his favorite memory just last February when they beat No. 12 Tennessee in ESPN’s College Gameday matchup. “I have never seen Colonial Life more packed in my life for anything,” Whisler said. “The whole general admission section up top, like the nosebleeds, were filled out, it was crazy ... I’ve just never seen so many people come out to support any team ... just all the people and the energy that was there — crazy.” Whether in rain or shine, sports have been a way to bond with one’s peers and support your school, leaving behind these moments for these seniors to remember forever.

Photo: Shreyas Saboo

Former members of the South Carolina football team gather with former head coach Will Muschamp following a victory over Georgia on Oct. 12, 2019 in Athens, GA. This was the first time the Gamecocks beat the Bulldogs since 2014.

Photo: Haley Salvador

Redshirt junior guard Jermaine Couisnard shoots a buzzer beater during a game against Kentucky on Jan. 15, 2020 at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC. The Gamecocks beat the Wildcats, 81-78.

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