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1 Cover Illustration: Sabrina hampton
2 42 ‘The sky’s the limit’: stepreadyCarolinaSouthfootballtotakenextin2022season 43 Activists push back as ofdecidelawmakersthefutureabortion 32 5 unique venues to get your live music fix in Columbia’s music scene 35 Preview: South Carolina 2022playerswelcomesvolleyball6newaheadofseason 22 Russell planlocations,changerenovationsHouseretailmealforstudents 24 Day in the Life: New OrientationStudent 14 ‘I want to be involved’: USC hopefulAmiridis,PresidentTannerforfuture of Gamecock athletics 15 It ‘keeps me young’: USC’s new president happy to live on Horseshoe, interact with students 5 Letter from the editor: Welcome Home 6 ‘It’s a beautiful thing’: Outfest brings the communityLGBTQIA+ together to celebrate Pride
3 44 Column: Educate yourself early this midterm season 46 What you missed in South Carolina athletics this summer 48 Nickelodeon Theatre reopens, elects new leadership while looking to its future in serving Columbia 36 Student Health Services says to maintain mental health rest,acknowledgment,throughcheck-ins 37 Column: Ways to beat the heat 38 Board of extensionscoachapprovestrusteesnewbudget,contractthissummer 40 Women’s,Preview: men’s soccer programs hope to build off success in 2022 26 28 29 USC adds Hootie & the Blowfish collection to special collections library 31 ‘It feels really good’: Former Gamecock Landon Powell brings championship to North Greenville 16 Column: putAmiridisPresidentUSCMichaelneedstofaculty,staff, students first 18 Column: Summer 2022 style trends bring questions about appropriationcultural 19 Local thrift stores offer Columbiacommunityclothes,forarea 21 ‘I want to take over the world’: Lauren Chang takes first step of professional soccer career in the Czech Republic 13 ‘We are building the future of this state’: AmiridisPresidenthopes to improve university 8 Column: Provost Donna Arnett has her work cut out for her 10 New renovations to StadiumWilliams-Briceexpected to enhance game day experience, amplify atmosphere 11 Preview: Gamecock football looks to improvingcontinue in Beamer’s 2nd year ‘I can tell people I’m goals,freshmenIncomingBatman’:shareworriesfor first year at USC Columbia’s music scene sees prestigious piano festival, jazz performance fundraiser, first sustainable music festival
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Kailey Cota Photo: Kailey Cota (left) poses for a picture with her sister, Riley Cota (right), in front of USC’s Green Quad on Aug. 14, 2022. The class of 2026 moved in and prepared to make Columbia feel like home.
To our sophomores and juniors: welcome back! You’re in that sweet spot where you’re no longer new but still have lots of time left in Columbia. These were the years I focused on school and my career, which I’m so thankful I did. But don’t forget to go to the football games, explore the city and grow your relationships.Tomyfellow seniors: let’s soak it all in. I know far too much of my experience was clouded by COVID-19 precautions or worrying about what grade I would get on an assignment. But we only have a semester or two left, and I plan to make mine count. I’ve made better friends and mentors than I could have imagined, and I want to spend my final months making memories in their company.
Letter from the WELCOME
When my parents moved me into my Green Quad dorm in 2019, I didn’t think we’d find ourselves lugging the blue Ikea bags up the yellow brick stairs in sweat-soaked clothes again in 2022 — only this time to move my little sister in. But here we are. But I knew long before I piled my car up with clothing-stuffed trash bags and buckled-in plants that Columbia would soon become my home. As I’m entering my fourth and final year, I don’t want the days of eagerly waiting to see the green highway signs read “Columbia” to end. To my sister (and all freshmen): don’t worry. This will be a year of change. You’ll make new friends, and probably lose some, struggle in some classes while others are a breeze, get lost once or twice and trip on the way to class. It’ll all be okay: this is a learning experience. Most of all, just be who you are. Don’t try to change yourself for any experience or person — everything is new, so just go with it. I promise you’ll find your place.
Editor:
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Photo courtesy of Kailey Cota
HOME
And to everyone else in our Carolina community: Aren’t you so glad your students are home? Whether you were in town or away this summer, this edition has you covered with everything you need to know. From getting a new president and revamping our dining experience to a look ahead at the football and concert seasons, turn the page to get a reminder of what makes this place so Welcomespecial.home,
“It’s kind of shocking how many people support the gay community here in Columbia because it is South Carolina,” alumna global studies student Caroline Bevis said. “All of us are able to come together and support each other, and it’s a beautiful thing.”
Meanwhile, others think that Columbia still has further to go before creating a truly safe environment for queer“Withinpeople.the LGBTQ community, there is support that is very divided, very casual,” Clay Owens, an Outfest Outfest attendees celebrated Pride month with performances, food and vendors. South Carolina Pride Movement puts on Outfest in June in Columbia, SC. A performer stands on stage at Outfest in Columbia, SC. The festival is put on every June in The Vista.
6 'IT’S A BEAUTIFUL THING':
Dozens of rainbow flags flew over tents and adorned clothing while drag kings and queens performed on stage in June to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community during Columbia’s Outfest. People said they attended the event to connect with other members of the LGBTQIA+“(Outfest)community.isagreat way to meet people who have similar interests and are going through the same things that you are,” USC alumni Chad Tyndall said. “As a queer individual, especially when you are young, it’s harder to feel accepted. So that’s why we’re out here — to show support and to show that it’s Attendeesokay.” said that events like Outfest and Columbia’s Famously Hot Pride Parade as well as one of the local gay bars, PT’s 1109, are some of the most accepting and positive environments for queer individuals. For some, these places represent a safe place not found in other parts of their lives.
Sydney Dunlap & kate Robins OUTFEST BRINGS THE LGBTQIA+ CELEBRATETOGETHERCOMMUNITYTOPRIDE
“I grew up being closeted, and I still am with parts of my family and it just feels so good to come out here and be exactly who I am,” biology graduate student Kristiaan Merritt said. While those interviewed agreed with the positive environment created for LGBTQIA+ people at pride events, there were more mixed opinions about the support of the wider Columbia community. Some saw Columbia as growingly supportive.
Photos: Sydney Dunlap
People walk across a street in The Vista during Outfest in Columbia, SC. The festival is a place for members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community to get connected and support each other.
A crowd gathers around a dancer at Outfest on June 4, 2022. For many, Outfest is a way to connect to other members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
7 attendee, said. “I would say that South Carolina has a surprising amount of tolerance ... but I think we’re still in a huge amount of discrimination and misunderstanding.”Forsome,thesolution to this problem lies in taking more direct political action against anti-queer legislation. “We are living in a state that just banned trans people from participating in sports in all their schools, especially because they’re trying to push a budget now to ban LGBTQIA books,” Sarah Raysor, an Outfest participant, said. “I just wish this sort of crowd, this sort of energy happened whenever our laws and government are directly attacking us.” Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill in May banning transgender women from participating in women’s sports.
Multiple people also mentioned increasing safety by implementing a hate crime bill as South Carolina is one of only two states without one. Others think change can come through an increase in the visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community in Columbia and an emphasis on inclusive education for people of all ages. “I just don’t want people raising their kids and looking at gays and stuff as the problem or anything because I’m a nanny,” Ben Jackson said. “So I try to teach them that it don’t matter how your hair is, whatever, it’s not ‘This is a girl shirt.’ ‘This is a boy shirt.’” Anna Flynn, a 2015 USC alumna, said that USC was active in putting on LGBTQIA+ events like Birdcage and Drag Fest during her time at USC, but that she hopes to see the university do even“Expandingmore. upon the visibility ... in just the clubs and groups that are offered at USC. The classes that are offered, I think a lot of them should be a lot more focused on LGBTQ+ issues,” Flynn said. “So I think there are some steps being made towards that, but there needs to be a lot more.”
Another area Arnett will need to focus on is diversity and inclusion. She must work with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to make sure that all students feel comfortable on campus and have a safe space to learn. USC should be representative of South Carolina. USC Columbia’s population of undergraduate African American students is 10.2% coming and is 16.25 percentage points under the South Carolina population of 26.45%. Arnett should increase not only the African American representation but the representation of all races and ethnicities. It’s also important to faculty that USC is an inclusive place for all students.
It’s also important that Arnett, who is in charge of faculty hiring, promotion, retention and tenure watches the high worker turnover rates the nation is seeing which is expected to be about 20% nationally this year and makes sure to keep the faculty we have in Columbia.
Provost Donna Arnett has her work cut out for her
“I think we’re making steps to be a more inclusive campus from all angles,” Luchok said, “From student ability, from racial inequities and economic inequities, etc. So I think there’s kind of a will, but I think having a provost in place who is sensitive to those issues can only elevate it more.”
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“Finding ways to attract and retain faculty and staff is a concern for all of us,” Korsgaard said. “Working to keep our best (employees) is a constant challenge right now, so I’m hoping that our provost and the whole senior management team can help make that happen both on the faculty and staff Arnettside.”seems to have a plan for the future according to her presentation that really homed in on diversity and inclusion, research and student success. Hopefully, she will listen to faculty, staff and students about issues around campus and take them into consideration when making important decisions.
JuliaColumnGoulet
While new provost Donna Arnett is a good fit for USC, she needs to work with different people on campus, push diversity and inclusion in all areas of campus and retain faculty members to be great. Arnett, the former dean of Public Health at the University of Kentucky, was announced by the board of trustees as the new executive vice president for academic affairs and provost of USC in April, replacing interim Provost Stephen Cutler. Arnett started on Aug. 1. Arnett was one of three finalists that visited USC the week of March 21 and participated in forums to inform the USC community about their intentions as potential provost. She is qualified for the job, as she has experience being a faculty member, a chair member and a dean at the University of Kentucky and the University of Minnesota. Arnett also has support from faculty members such as Kathryn Luchok, an instructor of women and gender studies and anthropology at USC, and Audrey Korsgaard, a professor of management and the chair of the faculty senate. The faculty senate, former interim President Harris Pastides and current President Michael Amiridis worked together to pick Arnett. “I do know that this is a person that our incoming president feels really good about and will be able to work with very effectively,” Korsgaard said. The provost and president work closely when making decisions like how to spend the budget and ensuring the university keeps its accreditation, so people in these high leadership positions must be on the same page about the university’s wellbeing.
Amiridis and Arnett will also work alongside the president’s cabinet members. Julius Fridriksson was chosen in April alongside Arnett as the vice president for research. J. Rex Tolliver was chosen as vice president for student affairs and Michaelle Dodenhoff was chosen as the vice president of development in July. As the university settles into its new normal, Arnett must lead the university through a tumultuous time. The battle to teach critical race theory continues and there have been movements in the SC Statehouse to limit the things professors can teach. To handle these topics, our provost must take advantage of shared governance, which is the partnership between the president, the provost and faculty members. Everyone needs to work together in order to create a space where both students and faculty feel valued and safe. Arnett especially needs to work with Amiridis, who said he wants opinions from his Facultycolleagues.andstaff have expressed that shared governance and open communication are important when it comes to the senior management team making decisions. “We want someone who is committed to shared governance, someone who similarly believes that universities work best as collegial communities, where colleagues consult one another,” Carol Harrison, a professor of history and president of the American Association of University Professors campus chapter, said. Faculty, staff and students have a different perspective than the senior management team does. There needs to be a conversation that takes each group’s concerns into consideration when making decisions. This will create not only a thriving campus but also make all parts of the campus happier.
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Outside the stadium’s general seating area, two elevators will be added to the stadium’s west side to provide fans with a more efficient way to reach their seats. In addition, nearly 7,000 square feet of space will be added to the west main concourse to increase points of sale and decrease fans’ waiting times in concession lines. Much of this space will be devoted to a new patio area connected to the concourse, and the rest will be used for additional concessions.
South Carolina football fan Robert Turner said the patio will enhance the social aspect of watching college football. “I could see where the patio will also add even more of a community-type feeling to it because (Williams-Brice) already feels like a community atmosphere,” Turner said. For Brandon Fowler, host of the “Talk Cocky With Me” podcast, these changes represent a shift in the athletic department’s efforts toward accommodating the general fan.
10 W illiams-Brice Stadium will look a little different this fall. Major renovations to the venue are being wrapped up just in time for the 2022 football season. The stadium’s most recent round of renovations includes new lighting and sound systems, ribbon boards, patio spaces and elevators. These improvements will cost an estimated $11 million, according to executive associate athletic director for administration Chris Rogers. Rogers said the ultimate goal of the new renovations is to improve fans’ experiences on game day. “At the end of the day … is it going to make an impact with our fans to make it more enjoyable to come to Williams-Brice? That’s the bottom line,” Rogers said. While some of the renovations were formally approved by the university’s board of trustees in October 2021, Rogers said plans for the project had been discussed well in advance of its approval. “We’re obviously always looking for ways to improve fan experience, so all of these (renovations) have been conversations that have been ongoing for some time,” Rogers said. One improvement is the installation of LED lights, which can change colors and sync to music. Rogers said the new lighting system will also improve the quality of television broadcasts due to the lights’ higher levels of brightness. Additional ribbon boards — some of which are completely new, while others are replacements for old boards — will be wrapped around the field to provide fans with an interactive visual experience. A new distributed audio system will cater to their auditory experience by allowing sound to filter around the stadium through multiple locations as opposed to only“Whatone. we currently have is an audio system that plays only out of the end zone. So in terms of improving the fan experience, there is no question that having a distributed system is preferable to what we currently have in place,” Rogers said.
“I think the regular fan has felt a little left out with most of the renovation that’s gone on in the last couple years — they added the 2001 Club, all the new club seating and everything,” Fowler said. “I think the new renovations are good because … it’s something that everyone can enjoy instead of just the elite donors.” Fowler said the stadium’s newest additions are beyond what most fans would have expected decades ago and is looking forward to the new, modified stadium environment. “If you would have came to anyone in the late ‘90s and said, ‘Hey, in a few years, you’re going to have a screen bigger than most schools in the nation, speakers around, lights that flashed to the music, a live DJ and all this,’ they would be like, ‘Yeah, no, that’s not happening,’” Fowler said. “Where we are right now is lightyears compared to what it was in the ‘90s, so it’s going to be interesting.”
New renovations to Williams-Brice Stadium expected to enhance game day experience, amplify atmosphere
Griffin Goodwyn courtesy of Quackenbush Architects A computer-generated design of the planned renovations to the west side of Williams-Brice Stadium. Renovations to the venue are set to be complete ahead of the 2022 football season.
Rattler will be taking snaps from an offensive line that is returning all five starters. However, by allowing 31 sacks, the line was one of the worst pass-blocking groups in the SEC. Offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield said in March that about half of the sacks were the offensive line’s fault. Even so, Satterfield said he trusts the offensive line to perform better next season. “When we went back and reviewed the tape, there were 14 times the offensive line was responsible for the sack. The rest of them were just quarterbacks, running backs missing blitzers,” Satterfield said. “But we have all of our line guys back. I think the energy level that they brought this off-season, and the commitment and leadership that you see in unit meetings and team meetings with (Derrick Moore), I think it’s night and day.”
Preview: Gamecock football looks to continue improving in Beamer’s 2nd year
Highly-touted recruit and redshirt sophomore running back MarShawn Lloyd returns to the backfield and will be joined by Wake Forest graduate transfer Christian BealSmith. The two will look to replace 2020 SEC leading rusher Kevin Harris and hope to tally more than the six 100-yard rushing games the Gamecocks produced in 2021. The backfield’s pass-catching counterparts, fifth-year wideout Josh Vann and junior tight end Jaheim Bell, will rely heavily on stability at the quarterback position to reach their ceilings. Incoming junior transfer wide receivers Antwane Wells and Corey Rucker will also look to carve out roles for themselves, after combining for 2,066 yards and 26 touchdowns for their respective teams lastOnseason.theother side of the ball, South Carolina had one of the better pass defenses in the SEC in 2021, totaling a conferencehigh 24 interceptions and fumble recoveries. This is due in part to the poor run defense the Gamecocks had, allowing more touchdowns, first downs and yards gained than against passing. Redshirt junior and fifth-year defensive backs Cam Smith and R.J. Roderick headline the South Carolina secondary while junior and senior defensive lineman Jordan Burch and Zacch Pickens lead the defensive line. Burch and other edge rushers will try to improve upon hurrying the opposing quarterback while Pickens and fellow lineman will attempt to apply pressure to the interiors of offensive lines. “We’re working our moves and having good communication together,” Burch said following the spring game. “I feel we’ve been working on that pretty good. Zacch Pickens, Boogie [Alex Huntley], all my guys up front, you can talk to them. We can make calls for ourselves, cause the communication is so good right now.”
transfer and redshirt junior quarterback Spencer Rattler headlines the offense and could bring stability to a team that started four different quarterbacks last season. “This is one of the best quarterback rooms I’ve ever been in,” Rattler said. “It’s great guys, real top-quality guys, supportive — we all support each other. All of us have unique qualities to our game, and I think we all can learn a little bit from each other.”
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Nathan Baakko T he South Carolina football team looks to build off its Duke’s Mayo Bowel win and surpass last season’s 7-6 record with new additions and a high-caliber quarterback set to take the reins in 2022. In a bounce-back year for South Carolina football under new head coach Shane Beamer, the program won more games in 2021 than it had the previous two seasons combined under former head coach Will Muschamp. Despite this improvement, the Gamecocks were still unable to beat top opponents such as Georgia and Clemson and had to pull off a late game-winning drive to defeat Vanderbilt. Beamer said he plans to continue providing quality minutes while filling positional gaps by utilizing transfer students. “Last year when we brought in all these transfers. We didn’t miss on any of them — they all played major, meaningful roles for us last season — and feel confident saying the same thing this year with this group,” Beamer said after the Garnet & Black springOklahomagame.
Photo: Jerry Bowen
Redshirt junior quarterback Spencer Rattler runs out of the tunnel at Williams-Brice Stadium during the Garnet & Black spring football game on April 16, 2022. The Garnet team defeated the Black team 20-13.
Ranked at No. 25 in ESPN’s initial “WayToo-Early” top 25 rankings, the Gamecocks look to become ranked for the first time since week two of the 2018 season. South Carolina’s schedule includes an opening SEC weekend at Arkansas, followed by opponents like Georgia, Texas A&M and Clemson. Photo: Jerry Bowen Graduate running back Christian Beal-Smith is lifted by redshirt senior offensive lineman Wyatt Campbell after scoring a touchdown for the Garnet team during the annual Garnet & Black spring football game at Williams-Brice Stadium on April 16, 2022. The Garnet team defeated the Black team 20-13.
12 T h e L o f t s A t U S C .c o m 2 1 1 M a i n S t r e e t C a l l /T e x t : (8 0 3 ) 3 9 3 4 4 4 7 Yugo Columbia Lofts L I M I T E D S P A C E S A V A I L A B L E A M A Z I N G S P E C I A L S : a l l f e e s /d e p o s i t s w a i v e d a n d $1 0 0 f o r e a c h f r i e n d r e f e r r e d ! F I L L E D W I T H A M E N I T I E S : s w i m m i n g p o o l , s t u d y s p a c e w / p r i n t i n g , c o f f e e b a r , a n d s o m u c h m o r e ! F A N T A S T I C L O C A T I O N : o n s i t e p a r k i n g a n d s t e p s f r o m c a m p u s , r e s t a u r a n t s , n i g h t l i f e ! U N B E A T A B L E C O N V E N I E N C E : 2 b e d r o o m h o m e s w i t h f u r n i s h i n g o p t i o n s , r o o m m a t e m a t c h i n g , p e t f r i e n d l y , a n d m o r e !
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As one of his first large projects, Amiridis plans to organize a student summit in September where hundreds of USC students will meet for a facilitated discussion on their wants for the university. Deans and administrators will be allowed to attend with one expectation: “You don’t talk.”
In addition to meeting with students and faculty, Amiridis will also participate in a “Coming Home to Carolina” tour where he will visit USC’s satellite campuses and additional locations in and out of the state. The event began in July and will continue throughAmiridisSeptember.saidhis mission plan for the university is to increase the quality of life for students and the community through education and research.
“Building the future of the state and building the future of the world,” Amiridis said. “And we do it by educating you and preparing you for the future.” ARE BUILDING THE FUTURE OF THIS STATE': AMIRIDIS HOPES TO IMPROVE UNIVERSITY
PRESIDENT
Michael Amiridis began his term as the 30th president of the University of South Carolina on July 1, aiming to better the university and state by emphasizing student education and contributing to economic developments.
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SydneyPhoto:DunlapSydney
Dunlap Michael UnviersityAmiridis,President
Amiridis was elected president by the board of trustees on Jan. 14, after a forum with the USC community. He comes from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) where he was the chancellor since 2015. Before that, he spent more than two decades at USC, serving six of those years as the university’s provost under former President Harris Pastides, whose last day as interim president was June 30. Ahead of his departure, Pastides said he's optimistic about USC's future under Amiridis' leadership. The new president's main goal is to advance the university as a leader in South Carolina. “We need right now is to move forward with the university — make a strong statement to the state that we are here. We are building the future of this state,” Amiridis said. “We're educating the next generation of leaders.”Thenew president said he hopes to lessons he learned as chancellor to facilitate USC’s growing healthcare enterprise and create more opportunities for students.
Amiridis said he plans to prioritize finding leaders who are experienced and willing to debate. “I love criticism. Because through criticism comes discussion and changes, right? So I'm very open to hearing from my vice presidents,” Amiridis said. “Where do we disagree, where do we agree and at the end, reach a consensus.”
“I'm actually tired of listening to 60-yearolds with white hair pontificating about what the students want. In my experience, if you want to know what the students want, ask. So that's exactly what I'm going to do,” Amiridis said. While Amiridis is freshly beginning the position, he said he has been active in planning for his presidency since he was elected in January. The university hired Donna Arnett as provost in April, and Amiridis is currently working on filling the rest of his cabinet. “We do have some high-level administrative positions that are not filled that will be filled soon, so that'll be even more of a stabilizing force,” university spokesperson Jeff Stensland said. "So, I think people are pretty optimistic about the fact that we're on the right course for sure.”
Taking criticism well may prove important as Amiridis steps into a position characterized by controversy over the past three years. In the previous presidential search, Robert Caslen was elected by the board in a process that was determined to have "a fundamentally misguided governance culture" by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. Caslen resigned in May 2021, causing Pastides to step in as interim president during a year that saw additional complaints about the controversial names of buildings and lack of accountability for theAmiridisadministration.plans to hire a cabinet that is experienced in order to help support him in these issues. He said the university "needs stability and experience in order to move forward."
“It's an urban institution in the center of a global city, which gives a lot of opportunities for students, for internships, for working with industry, and that's something that I want to take,” Amiridis said. “We cannot duplicate it here, but we can duplicate the connections here. So our students have the same opportunities to work in the corporate environment, nonprofit organizations and so on.”Asone of the top schools in the nation for first-year experience, Amiridis said he plans to refocus USC’s initiatives to support student involvement and success. “This university has a great history in terms of the first-year experience and the student experience. Everybody across the country knows about it, but that was 50 years ago,” Amiridis said. “Now, after a pandemic, with shifting demographics across the country and a different environment that we're facing, I think it's time to look at what is next.”
Photo: Jalen Miller
Amiridis said he wants to learn more about coaching contracts as buyouts are a "necessary evil." “I want to understand a little bit more if there are issues within the athletic department," Amiridis said. "When you’re talking about the contracts that we have, the buyout, if you don’t have a buyout in the contract, you’re not going to be able to hire anyone in the SEC." Amiridis said he is eager to better understand the contracts and plans to rely on Athletics Director Ray Tanner for support. Tanner said he is looking forward to getting Amiridis more involved. “As an athletics director, I report directly to him. So, I will be meeting with him on a regular schedule about athletics and then the landscape of what we’re doing on this side of campus,” Tanner said. The presidents of South Carolina have always played some kind of role in athletics. Most recent Presidents Harris Pastides and Robert Caslen were both involved in past hirings and firings. Caslen played a role in helping bring current head football coach Shane Beamer to Columbia. Pastides could always be found at sporting events supporting the Gamecocks. While Amiridis’ expertise may not be in sports, he comes from an athletic background and still understands the culture. In his youth, he was a competitive basketball player when he lived in Greece. “He is a real sports fan. He’s an outdoors person from that regard. Loves athletics and just fun to be around,” Dennis Pruitt, vice president for student affairs, said. Tanner said not a lot of university presidents around the country are in tune with sports, but Amiridis is different. “He will immerse himself into our young men and young women who play sports,” Tanner said, “I know that he will be at as many competitions as his schedule will allow, because he wants to be.”
Photo: Michael Sauls Ray AthleticsTanner,Director
The school bought out former head football coach Will Muschamp’s contract in 2020 and former head men’s basketball coach Frank Martin’s contract in 2022. In total, the school paid out $15.9 million dollars between the two coaches.
Jack Veltri & Joe Macheca While he may have numerous responsibilities, USC's new President Michael Amiridis plans to be fully involved with South Carolina athletics. Amiridis said he will try to help conquer the problems that the athletics department has recentlyDuringfaced.the last few years, one of the main controversies for the athletics department has been coaching turnover after the university went through multiple expensive buyouts — a clause in a coach's contract that forces an organization to pay an employee a guaranteed amount of money if it chooses to fire them.
14 'I want to be involved': USC President Amiridis, Tanner hopeful for future of Gamecock athletics
Back in April, Amiridis attended the NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship game where head coach Dawn Staley's team won its second national championship. Moving forward, he hopes to see other Gamecock teams win just like the women's basketball program had. “I think, right now, when you look at women's basketball, people ask me, ‘How come women’s basketball is so great?'" Amiridis said. "The answer is the coach." Tanner said he is excited for Amiridis to be leading USC and believes he is the appropriate hire because of his experience in higher education and love for“Hisathletics.passion is infectious for where we are right now,” Tanner said. “He’s just a great choice by our board of trustees and we all know that went in a lot of different directions at times, but just a tremendous choice, and it's going to be a great asset for our university.”
Michael UnviersityAmiridis,President
“You’re idealistic, you’re optimistic. You want to change the world and you want to change yourselves,” Amiridis said. “Interacting with students keeps me young.”
Working as the president of a university is a demanding position. But when Amiridis finds himself with free time, he likes to decompress by watching tv-shows with his wife such as “Ozark,” “Stranger Things” and “Un village français," a historical drama set in a French village during World War II. He also enjoys collecting stamps. “I have been collecting stamps since I was 6 or 7 years old,” Amiridis said. “It’s something that relaxes me because when you have a small piece of paper and you’re trying to figure out its history and where it’s from and why does it show what it shows, it takes your mind away from everything else.”
Despite the time-consuming role, Amiridis said the great benefit of working in academia is the students who keep him excited and active. While he was provost, Amiridis showed up to open houses and recruiting events for students, according to Anna Edwards, the associate vice president for student life. Edwards said Amiridis was always engaged with students at these events. "I just remember his presence," Edwards said. "He's got a great sense of humor and personality, and I think that shows pretty early on in conversations with him."
“We used to all dress up at football games — we used to wear coats and ties, and I remember when he came to one of the first football games he came to, he was in a Carolina sports shirt,” Pruitt said. “All of the sudden, everybody else was in a Carolina sports shirt.” In 2015, Amiridis left his position as provost to become the chancellor of the University of Illinois Chicago. Even though he spent the past seven years living in Chicago, Amiridis said he still had a connection with the university since his two kids graduated from USC in 2019 and 2022. Coming back to USC feels like returning home, he said. “The last seven years that we have been away, (we were) always coming back,” Amiridis said. “This period of time, we never cut the ties with South Carolina, so it feels like coming back home with all the friends or the people that we know at the university, in theAmiridiscommunity.”saidthat Columbia has changed a little over the years, seeing that some of his favorite restaurants like Garibaldi Café and Harper's Restaurant have closed. But some pieces of the city remain the same, like one of his favorite restaurants, California Dreaming. “The College of Engineering is kind of isolated. There is not much,” Amiridis said of his 15 years with the CEC. “California Dreaming, it was almost my college cafeteria.”
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Kate Robins Walking around the Horseshoe is a grounding experience for USC's new president Michael Amiridis, who is returning to lead South Carolina's flagship university after seven years away. “I love the green. I love walking around it,” Amiridis said. For him, the Horseshoe not only displays the history of the university but also reminds him of the many years he spent in Columbia with his wife, Ero Aggelopoulou-Amiridis, while growing their family. “It’s emotional, because I remember — with my wife, for example, being pregnant and to have to walk around. It was a great place to walk around,” Amiridis said. “(The Horseshoe) is so peaceful.”
When he was in college, Amiridis said that he was a “typical student” who participated in Student Government and enjoyed playing basketball on a club team outside of school. As a first-generation college student, he said that even though there were challenges, his parents supported his educational journey from his hometown in Greece to seeking higher education in the U.S. “My parents were great. They pushed both me and my brother towards higher education because they didn’t have the opportunity. They were children of the second World War. They never got the chance — they had to work to survive,” Amiridis said. When starting his career at USC as an assistant professor of chemical engineering for the CEC, Amiridis said that he never thought he would be in the presidential role.
Through these interactions, Edwards said Amiridis drew students to him, creating a more welcoming environment for the student body. For Amiridis, communicating with students is one of the most important aspects of his role as president.
During his 21 years spent at USC, Amiridis held many positions, including dean of the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. As provost, Amiridis spent time working with Dennis Pruitt, the vice president for student affairs and vice provost. Pruitt said that even though Amiridis is a very driven person who always looks to improve things, he is also a really “down-to-earth guy.”
Photo: The President’s House on the Horseshoe. The house has also served as a home to artifacts, relics and unconventional pets, and it has been the site of protests and activity throughout its 167-year history in the heart of campus.
USC's new president happy to live on Horseshoe, interact with students IT 'KEEPS ME YOUNG':
File Photo: Hana Donnelly
"The provost is already at work to try to go over some of the positions among deans because it's important to have this team together," Amiridis said. "There are a lot of things that I want to do. But I want to have the discussions with the community here to make sure that we are on the same page." Those conversations are extremely important, especially for an incoming president who doesn't have some of the insider knowledge faculty, staff or a student might"Theknow.key thing I think is for everyone to recognize that shared governance is how universities work best," Harrison said. "That, when administrators consult with faculty and consult with staff — universities are very complicated entities and shared governance is not always the fastest way to make a decision, but it is the best way to make decisions."
Michael Amiridis, USC’s new president, speaks to an attendee at the Coming Home to Carolina Event on July 12, 2022. The event, hosted by the University of South Carolina Alumni Association, was to celebrate the Amiridis’ return to USC.
The biggest competitor to these changes is an outdated South Carolina law, the Heritage Act, which prevents colleges from renaming buildings with historical names in the hope of preserving the heritage of South Carolina.
"We're looking forward to working with him," Carol Harrison, a professor in the history department and president of the USC chapter of the American Association of University Professors, said. "We've had several years of temporary, uncertain leadership. So we're looking forward to having a president who we hope will be here for the long run and provide a little stability on campus." Amiridis is not the only new position filled. Donna Arnett started as the provost on Aug. 1 and Julius Fridriksson was elected as the vice president of research last spring. According to Amiridis, he wants the vice presidents to speak their minds to help him make decisions, and he doesn't always have to be on the right side of the decision.
In order to change those names, colleges need a two-thirds majority in the South Carolina
"I understand the passion, and I understand the history behind it," Amiridis said. "Now, at the same time, I understand the legal framework that we have in the state of South Carolina, and we cannot change the names, so this falls into the hands of the legislators."
The board of trustees was tasked with finding the new president. This was met with lots of secrecy when a candidate dropped out last minute, bringing executive sessions and last-minute announcements about candidate forums. Amridis was finally elected, hopefully ending the past couple of years of leadership turnover.
Studentslegislature.attheuniversity have protested and begged the university to change these names since most of them honor people who were pro-slavery and didn't see Black people as true equals. Pastides didn't deliver and lied to the student body about getting this done.
COLUMN:JuliaGoulet
Another big issue that Pastides left Amiridis with is the topic of renaming controversial buildings like the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center, the Sims and Wade Hampton Women's Quad buildings and the Thomas Cooper Library.
Photo: Sydney Dunlap
MichaelPresidentAmiridisneedstoput faculty, studentsstaff,first
The president needs to be an advocate for students through this process as the school year starts up again as this is an important issue to a lot of the student body. After being hit with the effects of the pandemic and uncertainty of leadership, the university needs someone stable. Having a consistent president will allow everyone at the university to put their trust in the university, and hope that, at least for the students, the significant amount of money they spend every year will be used for everyone's benefit. Hopefully, this person will be Amiridis. He also needs to listen to faculty and staff regarding concerns about USC, taking even smaller problems into account. One example Harrison said is maintenance issues like the flooding around campus that came with the recentAmiridisstorms.has a lot on his plate, but listening is the best way to start learning.
Faculty and staff are excited about USC's new president Michael Amiridis, who took the reins this summer. Still, Amiridis must step out of his predecessor's negative light and ensure he listens to his faculty. Amiridis was elected in January to take over for interim President Harris Pastides, who came back to replace former President Robert Caslen who resigned after plagiarizing a speech at a commencement ceremony and calling USC the University of Southern California.
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The president doesn't have any say over the legislature and according to Elizabeth West, a university archivist, it's a long process to get that two-thirds majority and rename the"Ibuildings.reallyam uncertain," West said. "Certainly, the university would have to do a good bit of lobbying with the legislature to take a look at those names and see if they could be removed from the buildings and replaced with others."
.org WHERE GAMECOCKS FIND THEIR ROOST UofSC students post for free when using their UofSC email address.
Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram continued to generate viral style trends over the summer, but many participants are not doing enough to educate themselves about the origins and meanings behind such trends. For instance, the “clean girl aesthetic” continued to be a top trending look, but social media users are now pointing out ways the aesthetic may be an example of cultural appropriation. The clean girl aesthetic is achieved by wearing a minimal amount of makeup to give the skin a “dewy” look, slicking one’s hair back and wearing gold jewelry. Although the women who are most commonly seen promoting the look on social media are white, the style has traditionally been worn by women in the Latinx community.Theclean girl aesthetic is a kind of gentrification, according to third-year political science and criminal justice student and member of USC’s Latin American Stuent Organization, Janeth Landeros. She said the trend draws from a Latinx style that has now been ‘’rebranded’’ under a new name. Taking from other cultures in this way can be harmful because the originators of the style are often forgotten, Landeros said. “I think it just can be damaging because you’re kind of forgetting. I feel like it’s more like forgetting who puts it there,” Landeros said. “It’s ignoring those identities. That’s what I feel like, I think ignoring those identities is just a bigger problem.” We have a responsibility to be more mindful of other cultures and groups because we live in a time where information is readily available to us through the internet, according to assistant professor of race and media at USC, Jabari Evans. However, he also said that credit for a certain style or cultural aspect is sometimes lost when it’s popularized on the internet. One reason this occurs is that social media makes it possible for a culture that was once limited to a single place or group of people to be suddenly accessible to everyone. “And I think that’s what’s happening more generally, with social media, is we’re seeing things that were largely local become global,” Evans said. “But then the influencers that make it more visible then are given the credit, right? And so that’s something that’s always happened with culture, but I think now with social media, we see it happen real-time.”
Taking steps like this may allow students to enter the fall semester ready to participate in trends and draw inspiration from other cultures in a respectful manner. In fact, Evans said culture exchange is a positive force, as long as it is done mindfully. “I think it’s great that folks are starting to appreciate other cultures and other heritages,” Evans said. “I think if we’re more appreciative of one another, it creates a more dynamic lived experience and a healthier environment. But if folks are ignorant, as to what they’re taking, and where they’re taking it from and why they’re taking it, then it can be a problem, and it can actually cause more damage than if they never indulged in the first place.”
Buying waist beads from genuine African sellers is important because it ensures that the cultural significance of waist beads is preserved and that customers are not purchasing from sellers who mark up prices and use inauthentic materials, Abiodun said.
Summer 2022 style trends bring questions about cultural appropriation
Another “trend” that appeared on social media pages this summer is waist beads — beaded chains that are worn around a woman’s waist or hips. Today they are commonly used as a decorative accessory or for weight management, but the tradition of waist beads dates back centuries and is culturally significant to many African groups. For many people, waist beads were traditionally worn to express spirituality, femininity, fertility or status. Even viewing waist beads as a “trend” rather than as a culture can be problematic, according to Titi Abiodun, a public relations officer for USC’s branch of the Pan-African Student Association and a third-year public healthAbiodunstudent.believes understanding the significance of waist beads can be the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural “Educationappreciation.iskey,” Abiodun said. “Understand the heritage, understand the difference, the culture and how it has affected people and the stories behind it before you go about just putting it out there on social media.”
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Lauren Leibman Illustration: Julia Lako
19 LOCAL THRIFT STORES OFFER CLOTHES, COMMUNITY FOR COLUMBIA AREA
Sunshine Thrift Store At 3300 Two Notch Rd. is Sunshine Thrift, which partners with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The store donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of items to Prisma Health Children’s Hospital — Midlands. People can drop off donations at the store or schedule a pickup time with the donation truck. Accepted items for donation include gently used clothing, sheets, pillowcases, blankets, household items and furniture, including any sort of outdoor furniture or tools. Sid & Nancy Sid & Nancy is a buy and resell store for recycled clothing. If you are looking for a more modern touch, they look for brands like H&M, Topshop, Gap and Urban Outfitters, but will accept anything as long as it is “clean, unwrinkled and in good condition,” according to their website. Offers for items are made in cash or store credit for usable items, and the store is at 733 Saluda Ave. It is the only store on this list local to Five Points. “I’d say we’re kind of one of the few local clothing stores in this area,” Jeni Scott, a store associate, said. “So, this area is definitely a good spot to come if you’re wanting to support local businesses.”
amanda petty Whether you are an incoming first-year student at USC or have one final year before graduation, everyone seems to need new clothes for the new school year. However, many are unsure where to find affordable options close to campus. Below are five great thrift spots that can help you stay connected to the Carolina community through service, support and stylish clothes.
A rack of jeans for sale at NoMa Warehouse on July 19, 2022. NoMa Warehouse is located at 222 Sumter St.
In addition to adopting out new furry friends, Patter Pets also houses pets of women in domestic violence situations who can’t bring their pets with them when seeking safety at domestic violence shelters. Once these victims get out of their situation, they are able to reclaim their pets. The thrift store’s merchandise is all donated and regularly priced items are discounted for students, military and seniors. Aside from shopping, there are also opportunities for individuals to volunteer at the store to help service the community. However, if you just want to visit the store, the store has a wide variety of merchandise, according to Darlene Rollison, the assistant manager of 4 Paws. “(Students) can find anything here, we have so much fun … we’ll be upstairs digging through stuff to try to help them find what they’re looking for,” Rollison said. “We do a lot of stuff, I mean, we try to help a lot of people.”
A collection of books and other goods on sale at NoMa Warehouse on July 19, 2022. NoMa Warehouse is a co-working space for artists and also hosts events for artists and collectors to sell their pieces.
NoMa Warehouse A short drive away from campus is NoMa Warehouse, at 2222 Sumter St., neighboring Indah Coffee and Final Victory Animal Rescue. While NoMa hosts many events, they are primarily a coworkspace for artists that may join on a membership basis to work on their art. Members there can work collaboratively on their projects.
The manager of the West Columbia location, Randy Graves, encourages college students to come as the store holds plenty of items that may be of interest. “One of the things that we have in these thrift stores that the college kids absolutely love is the retro stuff that we have. And I’ll see them bringing up stuff that I’m thinking, ‘This would have never come up here had it not been for a young college student,’” Graves said. “I look at it differently now, and I say, ‘Absolutely put it out because there is somebody shopping for that.’ So, it’s awesome.”
There is also fixed booth space for members or local businesses to use as a retail and vendor space at the NoMa Flea that happens every Friday night. They sometimes have live music and food trucks for those that come out to the market to facilitate a community and welcoming environment with younger, college-aged vendors, according to Cara Lawson, the finance director at NoMa. “It’s just a space that you can come and hang out and find cool things in Columbia, and you meet new people, make new friends, find stuff that college students like. We have a lot of thrifted vintage clothes that’s really popular right now,” Lawson said.
His House Ministries Thrift One of four locations, His House on 767 Meeting St. in West Columbia, is a 10 minute drive away from campus. His House Ministries was founded in 1974 to employ recovering homeless and alcoholic men. His House also holds church services at their Meeting Street Chapel, Monday through Saturday at 8 a.m., an additional service Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday morning service at 10 a.m. They rely solely on donations that can be sold in the stores, because they receive no federal funding.
Photos: amanda petty
4 Paws Thrift Store Located at 304 12th St. in West Columbia, 4 Paws Thrift Store, or simply just ‘4 Paws’, is a nonprofit that raises money for Patter Pets Inc., a charity and animal shelter that fosters neglected animals.
20 @UofSCAmbassadors uofscambassadors.com READY TO APPLY? uambassrecruitment@gmail.comAMBASSADORSUNIVERSITY est.1994 Information Sessions 8/25, 8/30 and 9/7 at 7 p.m.
Chang continued to play at an elite level — sometimes with teammates who were three years older — before ultimately deciding to continue her career at South Carolina because of the athletic and academic benefits it provided her. “I didn’t feel like I had to compromise in any aspect, especially with my education,” Chang said. “Knowing that I could go to a top-10 program in soccer and also the No. 1 public university Honors College in the country — that for me felt like the best of both worlds.”
With the goal of playing professional soccer still fresh in her mind, Chang consulted an agent shortly after exhausting her NCAA eligibility and found A.C. Sparta Praha to be the best place for her to take the next step in her career. “When I heard that A.C. Sparta Praha was interested, I knew that they played in the Champions League, and that’s really something that really sold it to me, and being able to live in such a great European capital like Prague — it checked a lot of boxes for me,” Chang said. Associate head coach Jamie Smith said the importance Chang placed on “world experiences” — such as traveling to other countries and learning about different cultures from her international teammates — made the club a great fit for her.
Head coach Shelley Smith said she was impressed with how quickly Chang adjusted to the college game and made positive contributions to the team’s“Shesuccess.showed she had an ability right away in her first year here to be able to play and to compete and handle the step up to the next level, so that’s a huge credit to her,” Shelley Smith said. Chang’s personality and passion made her a valuable leader and mentor for her teammates, Shelley Smith said. “She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and help others, but she wasn’t someone that’s going to try to push her views or tell you what you should be doing,” Shelley Smith said. “She was very thoughtful, respectful and helped others and listened, gave feedback, and I think she always had good advice for our players.” In her time at South Carolina, Chang garnered numerous accolades on the pitch — she was named to three All-SEC teams in her career — but also off the pitch as a SEC Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year during her senior year. The culmination of Chang’s academic and athletic prowess resulted in her winning the 2022 President’s Award, an honor given by the university athletics department to the student-athlete who best embodies exceptional performance on and off the field each year. Chang said she was grateful and honored to receive the“Iaward.want to be the best that I can be. I want to push myself. I want to do things, and be great and help people,” Chang said. “And I think that was a brilliant way to combine all of the goals that I had coming into it not knowing anything about what the next four-and-a-half years were gonna be like.”
“There couldn’t be a more perfect person for that opportunity to be able to go play soccer, travel the world, meet new people, and then, if she continues to improve her game, who knows, maybe come back to the States,” Jamie Smith said. Chang has shown early indications of success thus far in her professional career, scoring two goals over 575 minutes across 10 professional matches. Despite hitting some roadblocks upon her arrival in Europe last spring, she is looking forward to what next season holds for her. “The soccer is quite challenging at first,” Chang said. “You always have a learning curve, but now I’m finally feeling like I’ve got a hold of it and six months in, so I’m really excited for our full fall season.” Chang said she hopes to play soccer for as long as possible before going to law school and becoming a corporate lawyer. In the long run, she dreams of accomplishing something much bigger. “I want to take over the world … I had to fill out all these things from the Career Center, the (Darla Moore School of Business) and even for athletics, and they’re like, ‘Okay, what do you want to do in like 20 years?’ And … ‘world domination’ is what I wanted to write,” Chang said. “It’s definitely going to happen — just give me some time, that’s all.”
‘I want to take over the world’: Lauren Chang takes first step of professional soccer career in the Czech Republic
Photo: Joey Anderson
At a young age, former South Carolina women’s soccer midfielder Lauren Chang dreamed of going down one of two career paths. “I remember when you make those really bad hand drawings in elementary school and it’s like, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ I either wanted to be the president or a professional soccer player,” Chang said. For now, Chang has chosen the latter option and is embracing her first professional soccer experience with A.C. Sparta Praha in the Czech Republic. Chang played multiple sports as a child — soccer, basketball and softball — but she fell in love with soccer because of the physicality that came with the sport. “I loved how tough it was,” Chang said. “It kept me guessing more than other sports.”
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Griffin Goodwyn Former South Carolina women’s soccer player Lauren Chang looks down the field to pass to her teammate as she leaves the Georgia defender behind on Oct. 15, 2021. South Carolina tied with Georgia 0-0.
Kate Robins R ussell House looks different this fall as the first floor gained new dining retail locations and the second floor changed into a residential dining hall. The renovations stem from USC’s 2017 contract with Carolina Food Co., according to Faren Alston, the marketing director for Carolina Food Co. “This renovation was approved to come to fruition this year,” Alston said in an email to The Daily Gamecock. “That decision then prompted the decision to relocate and sunset some of the existing dining locations.”Construction to the dining areas in Russell House started on May 2 with plans for it to be finished before the fall 2022 semester begins. The new dining hall, Gamecock Park, will consist of seven different stations that include options ranging from pasta, pizza and dessert to an international food station and a True Balance section. “This will be the sixth all-you-care-to-eat dining location offered to support a residential campus and the all access meal plan structure that is available to students,” Alston said in the email. Along with the dining hall, USC is adding more seating to the second floor of Russell House to accommodate seating for 290 people. Anyone who wishes to eat at Gamecock Park but does not have the meal plan can pay a door rate of $10.50 when entering the dining hall.
While the second floor of Russell House previously held retail locations such as Food Lab, Twisted Taco and Gamecock General, these places were relocated to the first floor of Russell House with Food Lab replacing Tavolino and Twisted Taco taking the place of Congaree River Smokehouse. Gamecock General merged with Fresh Lane and Hissho Sushi was replaced with Panda Express. Margaret Kildow, the director of operations for Carolina Food Co., said Food Lab will continue with its normal rotating menu during dinner and connect with local vendors during lunch hours. “We are also working on partnerships with local restaurants right now, getting together that portfolio, so during lunch period, (Food Lab) will be a rotation of local restaurants from the community,” Kildow said.
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The Residential All-Access meal plan, a required option for first-year students, will cost students $2,210 each semester, an 8.5% increase from last year. These changes should accommodate more students coming into Russell House, according to Sandi Lee, the director of revenue contract management and support for CarolinaCard.“Ouron-campus students need a throughput,” Lee said. “There are so many students coming in and out of these doors. It was needed to have an all-access here.”
Photo: Joe Macheca
Russell House renovations change retail locations, meal plan for students
A person working on Russell House construction on June 7, 2022. Russell House is undergoing changes to its dining areas, including the addition of a new dining hall.
Horseshoe Deli will take the place of the Einstein Bros. Bagels in the J. Welsh Humanities Building. It will be a café, serving coffee from Indah Coffee and offering breakfast items each morning. Because the east side of campus will now have another sandwich place, Carolina Food Co. is shifting Colloquium Café’s menu to carry chicken finger platters, wraps and salads, according to Alston. Carolina Food Co. is also looking to add a dining space, Brew Bar, to Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center that will serve coffee, smoothies and to-go salads and sandwiches. Carolina Food Co. will also add a “salad robot” in the Arnold School of PublicOtherHealth.changes to campus dining include Market 101 reopening in McBryde, which will serve items such as slushies and other goods found in a convenience store. Grubhub will also eliminate its 59-cent fee when ordering food, and food lockers will be added to Food Lab, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Twisted Taco. “We’ll have the food lockers to use — the student, or whoever, will get the code to their phone, they’ll use the code to open up the locker and they’ll be able to get their food out,” Kildow said.
Photo: Jerry Bowen
The newly renovated second floor of Russell House. This new space will be called Gamecock Park and will feature all-you-care-to-eat dining.
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An orientation leader explains some of the activities available for students during their first few weeks on campus during an orientation session on July 20, 2022. Before starting their first semester at USC, freshmen students attend a two-day orientation to introduce them to campus and college life.
A first-year student laughs while she props her leg on another student’s knee during a game on the Horseshoe on July 20, 2022. Students played games, listened to presentations and toured campus during orientation sessions held throughout the summer.
An orientation leader holds up a clipboard listing her group number as she leads new students to their first activity on July 20, 2022.
24 DAY IN THE LIFE: NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
Sydney Dunlap & Kate Robins Before beginning classes in the fall, all new USC students must attend orientation during the summer. Sessions are two days long, with the students spending the night in a dorm on campus. Throughout the day, students are in groups led by upperclassmen Orientation Leaders (OLs) and participate in getting-to-know-you games, campus traditions, information sessions, advising and registration.
A first-year student drags her friend by the hand, hoping to be the first one to bring her orientation leaders an in-state student during a game on July 20, 2022. Orientation leaders use activities like these to create a space for students to get to know others and make memories before beginning college in August. An incoming student laughs with people in his orientation group during a session on July 20, 2022. In between activities on the Horseshoe, students engage in coversations with orientation leaders and fellow students about what to expect when arriving at USC.
Upperclassmen lead first-year students through two-day orientation sessions to help introduce them to USC and prepare them for their freshman year.
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A group of first-year students practice USC’s iconic dance to “Sandstorm” by Darude during an orientation session on July 20, 2022. In addition to lessons relating to campus resouces, Orientation is also a place to learn and practice Carolina traditions, which helps students feel connected to the campus and school.
A first-year student runs toward her orientation leaders, attempting to be the first student to bring them four shoes. This game is played during orientation sessions throughout the summer to help new students have fun and make friends before starting their freshman year in the fall.
Two incoming students race to be the first to bring an orientation leader to their group on July 20, 2022. Orientation leaders are a staple resource to first-year students, even beyond their two-day orientation experience.
A first-year student falls as her fellow group members sprint to give their orientation leader a shoe during an orientation session on July 20, 2022. Students allow their competitive side to come out while participating in various games and competitions on the Horseshoe between orientation groups.
26 The Class of 2026 got its first taste of life on campus during this summer’s Overorientation.the course of 14 orientation sessions, The Daily Gamecock surveyed 114 incoming freshmen to gain insight into their different backgrounds and expectations for their first-year experience. Choosing USC For a lot of incoming freshmen, USC became home as soon as they stepped foot on campus. Out of 114 people surveyed, 21 said the university’s campus was one of the reasons they decided to come to USC. “The day that I came here, not a single student was on the campus, it was just a nice day. And I was like, ‘I don’t know why, but it feels like home,’” business student Katie Gawlik said. “I came back, and I was like, ‘This is where I am meant to be.’”
“I was in between here and UNC Chapel Hill, but then by getting the Honors College and the opportunities here, I decided to stay home,” biology student and Columbia native Saiva Wade said. Out of the 12 Columbia natives surveyed, five said growing up in Columbia, they always wanted to come to USC. International business student Rishi Patel said the Darla Moore School of Business helped convince him to stay in his hometown.
“I’ve grown up here my whole life, and then I decided I wanted to do international business and the reputation that the school has, is what brought me here,” Patel said. Besides campus and major, money was the third greatest factor for the freshmen surveyed. Some out-of-state students, like aerospace engineering student Joseph Keeler, said scholarship money helped him choose USC over other out-of-state schools. Out of the 68 students surveyed who were from South Carolina, 11 of these students named in-state tuition as a primary reason for why they chose USC. “I knew that I wanted to go to (graduate) school, so I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on college, like my undergrad,” math student Ashita Tripathi said. “And so, (South Carolina) was a state school, so it felt right to go here. Looking ahead to freshman year Forty-nine of the freshmen surveyed said meeting new people was one of the things they are excited about in their freshman year. “My big thing is probably going to be just meeting new people and stuff because it’s a fresh start from high school, so I guess, breaking out of the mold of in a bubble because I was in a relatively small town so it’s going to be a big difference between them and here,” international business student Parker Hall Anothersaid.area of focus for students was the ability to engage in activities with their peers. Computer science student Kevin Francis said he looks forward to staying in shape with friends. “I’m trying to get big in the gym with my gym bro,” Francis said. As an SEC school, South Carolina football has a major presence among the student body. For many freshmen, “Saturdays in South Carolina” is a tradition they said they cannot wait to get involved in. Out of 114 surveyed, 26 people listed football as something they are looking forward to in their first year on campus. Along with football, many students, like mechanical engineering student Jackson Forrest, said they looked forward to building a new“Footballreputation.games are gonna be sweet, and a new reputation is gonna be awesome — be whoever I want to be. I can be Batman,” Forrest said. “I can tell people I’m Batman, and they don’t know who I am.”
Some students, like biological sciences student Ava Triano, said they wanted to dive into practicing their careers.
“I really want to start to get into research and things that are more specific to my major to kind of pursue more science-related stuff,” Triano said. First-year worries As they begin to transition from high school to college, one of the primary concerns for the incoming freshmen surveyed was their classes. Over half of the students said they were worried about being able to handle everything to do with academics, from making it to class on time to the difficulty of their course load.
Other students worried about the distance from home. “I think I’m just very nervous about just my emotions through it because I am very far away from family, being from Texas. And I do have a very nice roommate, but sometimes I can be a bit introverted,” global studies student Hope Denison said. “While I want to get out of my shell, there can be times where I’m just feeling down, and I don’t know how I’m going to be coping with that when I’m so far Onlyaway.”being on campus for two days, some students are hopeful for the future. “I’ve had all great interactions so far, so I am hoping the same will occur as I go along,” public health student Kendall McKnight said. As the summer is coming to an end, these students’ freshman year is just beginning at a university known for its first-year experience. Follow along as The Daily Gamecock continues to keep up with those surveyed as they navigate sporting events, final exams and a new social life at South Carolina.
‘I can tell people I’m Batman’: Incoming freshmen share goals, worries for first year at USC - Sydney Dunlap contributed to reporting in this article.
In addition to enjoying campus, others, like exercise science student Sam Scifers, said their main attraction to USC was the university’s environment. “Out of all the schools I visited, there’s an atmosphere here at USC that nowhere else can really replicate,” Scifers said. Others were focused on their major and what opportunities the university had to offer. Thirty people The Daily Gamecock surveyed said they came to USC for academic programs.
Kate Robins
“For me personally, it’s how long my work ethic will last,” biochemistry and molecular biology student Cody Chang said. “I usually start off the year really strong and then slowly, like every week, just start to take a little bit off, so I’m worried about that.”
27 This is your sign to sign up for Prime amazon.com/joinstudentStudent. Start your 6-month trial.
The ColaJazz Foundation partnered with the downtown Columbia cocktail bar Bourbon Restaurant to host a free concert series every Thursday from mid-May until the end of June. ColaJazz is a nonprofit organization that aims to promote jazz in the Midlands through education, concerts and events. These concerts, titled the “Jack-n-Jazz” series, gave a portion of the proceeds from every Jack Daniel’s cocktail purchased at Bourbon during these performances to ColaJazz’s outreach program, which plays music for patients at Lexington Medical Center. The Jack-n-Jazz series featured a variety of jazz artists. Gino Castillo, who performed on June 2, brought Cuban jazz to Columbia with his group — the aptly titled — Gino Castillo Trio. The Jack-n-Jazz series also featured R&B jazz from Rapp’s own Mark Rapp Funktet, New Orleans jazz from the Soda City Brass Band, pop jazz from the Reggie Sullivan Band and more.
S eventeen-year-old Katherine Liu’s fingers danced across the keys as she competed at the Southeastern Piano Festival. She leaned in closer as the notes came faster and leaned back as the music swelled. When the song is finished, the USC School of Music Recital Hall echoed with her last note. In addition to Lui’s award-winning performance, Columbia had a number of notable live music events this summer. From concerts for charity to an innovative sustainable festival, here is what you missed.
Volunteers pedaled stationary bikes to power performances from local and national bands alike as music burst from speakers during Columbia’s first sustainably run and environmentally conscious music festival.SolFest RollFest was a music festival presented by NoMa Warehouse at Earlewood Park in July, and the event’s entertainment was fully run by renewable resources with bikes and solar panels. The festival featured two stages. One, the “roll’ stage, was powered by volunteers riding stationary bikes. The bikes were hooked up to a generator and provided the energy to power the performances. The bike-powered stage came to fruition thanks to Rock the Bike, a company that created the pedal-powered generators, and Illiterate Light, a duo from Virginia that has a passion for sustainability and eco-friendly practices, according to NoMa Warehouse owner Beth Lawson. While the bikes and solar panels are not powering the whole festival by themselves, any effort helps — especially on such a large scale, according to Mazie Cook, the co-founder and creative director of NoMa Warehouse.Emphasizing sustainability, the event asked festival-goers to bring their own reusable cups to prevent excess landfill waste. Instead of selling merchandise for the festival, NoMa Warehouse also asked attendees to bring their own shirts to have the event’s logo screen printed onto them.
ColaJazz Foundation brings concert series to Bourbon Restaurant
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Courtesytrainorofdev patel Susan Zhang and Nick Luby perform on the Concert Truck during the Southeastern Piano Festival. Zhang and Luby co-founded the Concert Truck in 2016, converting a 16-foot box truck into a portable stage.
Sydney Dunlap, amanda petty & Noah
music scene sees prestigious piano festival, jazz performance fundraiser, first sustainable music festival
20th anniversary of the Southeastern Piano Festival Liu, who took home the first place prize, was one of 20 young musicians who came to South Carolina to participate in the Southeastern Piano Festival’s (SEPF) piano competition.
SolFest RollFest, Columbia’s first bike-powered music festival
“The more that we can be sustainable and keep (the Earth) happy and healthy, the more we get to all party together,” Cook said.
The festival brought together performers from around the state and country in a weeklong June event celebrating the love of piano and classical music for the 20th year in a row.“You know, I think they feel the energy of the performances,” Joseph Rackers, the co-founder of the festival, said. “It’s a very exciting form of music and we find that when people come to concerts, they end up coming back over and over again.” To celebrate the 20th anniversary, Rackers and his wife, and co-founder Marina Lomazov featured 20 SEPF alumni including accomplished pianists Caleb Borick, Solomon Ge and Susan Zhang. “We’ve sort of become a family at this point. And it’s something that I’ve done every single summer of my adult life. So, it’s so meaningful to be here,” Zhang said. “It’s like a reunion every summer.”
“It doesn’t do anybody else any good if it’s packed away,” Noble said. “I’m gonna walk out of here today and feel very relieved that the university has it and will take care of it.”
Before the public can access the collection, Sudduth said that the items still have to be assessed and then organized by the library to store every item appropriately. Once this is completed, Sudduth said the university hopes to create an exhibit showcasing all of the band’s memorabilia.
For right now, Sudduth said anyone who would like to view the collection, can contact her directly until the items are appraised and housed correctly.
“(We’re) very excited about people coming to do research — starting their research on the band here with this collection — since it is such an excellent overview,” Sudduth said.
USC adds Hootie & the Blowfish collection to special collections library
kate robins
When moving the items from their home in Asheville, N.C., to Columbia, Lynne said she never realized how much stuff they had. “We had to bring two cars to bring (the items) down,” Lynne said. Despite having to part with most of his collection — except for a box of items that he will continue to maintain — Noble said that he is ready for other people to be able to experience the collection for themselves and said he feels like it will be in “good hands.”
“One of the things that Harris said at the very beginning is, ‘We will take care of this,’ and that meant something to me,” Noble said. Noble, previously the CEO of Richland County First Steps, first listened to Hootie & the Blowfish after hearing their 1993 EP, “Kootchypop”, from his daughter. Noble then bought the CD from his daughter and began his journey following the band. Even though his collection is more extensive than the average fan of Hootie & the Blowfish, Noble said he never considered himself to be a groupie of the band. “I’m not an expert on Hootie & The Blowfish. I’m not a historian,” Noble said. “I just really respected the guys and how they handle themselves, how they represented theNobleuniversity.”hasadded to his collection over the years by attending concerts and even receiving merchandise from the band’s management team. For the last 10 years, he and his wife, Lynne Noble, have stored the items in tubs, never opening the containers.
Photo: kate robins A table of Hootie & the Blowfish memorabilia on June 3, 2022. The collection is being added to USC’s special collections library and contains items such as hats, posters and a guitar signed by each of the band members.
Along with the public being able to see Hootie & the Blowfish’s progression, Elizabeth Sudduth, the associate dean for special collections, is looking forward to seeing the collection be used for research.
29 The university welcomed a new collection of Hootie & the Blowfish memorabilia to Ernest F. Hollings Special Collections Library on June 3, bringing a piece of the band back to where it began.Thecollection, donated by fan Rick Noble, consists of everything from a guitar signed by the four band members to specialty wine bottles. Noble said he decided to donate his items after Darius Rucker wanted to put on a concert for USC students following the women’s basketball national championship win. After messaging former university President Harris Pastides about giving his collection to USC, Noble said he was excited to see that the university was looking forward to receiving the collection.
30 BEST 2023CAROLINAOF
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The Crusaders’ historic playoff run caught the attention of many across South Carolina. In Columbia, Gamecock fans showed an outpour of support for Powell on social media. Powell said he’s proud to see the community root for North Greenville’s success. “That’s been really cool, it means a lot. Obviously, my time in Columbia was special to me, and I still bleed garnet,” Powell said. “And so, whenever the folks there in the fan base and the people in the Midlands support what we’re doing up here, it feels really good.” Now, a few months after winning the championship, Powell has turned his attention to next season. “We’re not going to be complacent here. We’re happy and we’re thrilled of what we just accomplished, but we’re not satisfied,” Powell said. “We want to win four or five of them or more. I mean, why not just keep doing it? It was a lot of fun.”
Now, eight years into his tenure, Powell has built the Crusaders into a powerhouse, winning 54 games in the 2022 season. It all culminated in the team’s first-ever national championship after beating Point Loma in the Division II College World Series on June 10. “If you would’ve told us at the beginning of the year we’d be here, probably would’ve been a little skeptical, but something clicked. We all got together, had a lot of fun and just everything clicked,” redshirt sophomore catcher Jake Gerardi said. Above all, Powell credited the success to the belief his team showed throughout the“Itseason.proves that your hard work and your determination and having a plan and believing in things that you can be rewarded for that,” Powell said. “We never stopped believing that, and we had players that bought into us and community and the university and a lot of people bought into what we thought we could do. Redshirt junior catcher John Michael Faile said the team bought into Powell’s vision of what North Greenville could do. “We knew this team was special from the beginning, but you would’ve never thought that the road we took to get here would’ve been what it was,” Faile said. “This team has overcome so much adversity, has gone through so much that people don’t even know about. This is special. This is one that everybody here, I promise you, will remember for the rest of their life.”
North Greenville head coach Landon Powell celebrates winning the DII baseball national championship with redshirt junior shortstop Cory Bivins on June 10, 2022. North Greenville defeated Point Loma 5-3.
Photo Courtesy of NGU Athletics
When Landon Powell’s days playing with the South Carolina baseball team ended in 2013, he knew exactly what he wanted to do next in his life. “Even when I was in high school, I thought whenever I’m done playing one day, I want to be a coach,” Powell said. “A lot of people set great examples for me and mentored me and helped me, and I’ve always thought that I wanted to pay it forward and do the same thing for the next generation.”
Jack Veltri
Powell, a catcher at South Carolina from 2000-2004, received his first head coaching offer at North Greenville University in 2015. Powell said the baseball program was at its lowest point during that time. “They’d only won eight games the year before. Their facility was below par. Their budgets were not good. Scholarship allotment was really small — only three and a half scholarships. There just wasn’t a whole lot to be excited about,” Powell said. When Powell accepted the position he said many of his friends and colleagues within baseball thought he couldn’t turn the team around. “I just remember thinking, ‘People don’t think you can win here,’” Powell said. “And that to me, that’s a motivator. How cool would it be to go show people you can win here? Why take the easy road? Let’s do something that no one believes you can do.”
‘It feels really good’: Former Gamecock Landon Powell brings championship to North Greenville
From big arenas that can sit thousands to smaller venues with an intimate vibe, Columbia’s local music scene has it all. Here are five musical places and their lineups for the upcoming fall. Township Auditorium
Colonial Life Arena is home to USC basketball, but the arena also hosts various other events, including concerts. With a seating capacity of 18,600, many other big artists have performed at Colonial Life Arena, such as Imagine Dragons andColonialBeyoncé.Life is attracting big names for the upcoming fall, like Pitbull for his “Can’t Stop Us Now” Tour on Oct. 12 and Post Malone on his “Twelve Carat” Tour with Roddy Ricch on Oct. 15.
5 unique venues to get your live music fix in Columbia’s music scene
Township Auditorium has a deep history in Columbia’s music scene since past performances have included Elvis Presley, The Avett Brothers, Widespread Panic, Migos and Future. Township is located at 1703 Taylor St.
While there is always an act for older concert-goers, Township hosts multiple EDM shows that draw a college aged crowd and is a happy medium between smaller and larger venues in Columbia.
The smallest venue on this list goes to New Brookland, whose capacity of 250 people lends to a more intimate atmosphere. Self-proclaimed as one of Columbia’s oldest and longestrunning music venues, New Brookland has booked both national acts like Indigo De Souza and locally loved bands like Stagbriar.
USC alum and lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish, Darius Rucker, performed a free concert for students after the women’s basketball team won the 2022 National Championship in one of the most recent concerts at Colonial Life Arena.
Colonial Life Arena
New Brookland Tavern
The venue is the largest arena in the state and the eighth largest campus college arena. It was opened as a $64 million replacement for the Carolina Coliseum on Nov. 22, 2002.
“There’s not really a bad seat in the house. It sounds good everywhere,” Horne said. Township has a variety of artists coming to perform at its 1703 Taylor St location during fall 2022. Highlights include Patti Labelle — the Godmother of Soul — on Sept. 2, old-time string band Old Crow Medicine Show on Sept. 10 and indie rock band Mt. Joy with the Brook & the Bluff on Oct. 20.
Colonial Life Arena isn’t just the home of Gamecocks basketball, it also hosts a variety of concerts throughout the year. The arena is located at 801 Lincoln St.
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The Township Auditorium has seen artists like Elvis Presley, The Avett Brothers, Widespread Panic, Migos and Rainbow Kitten Surprise perform at its downtown location since its open in 1930.
“Anybody can find a show to see at the Township for sure,” Andrew Horne, the assistant director at Township, said. “When you open the doors and you feel like you’re part of something big where a lot of people are coming to have fun and you’re a big part of it. I think that that’s a great feeling.”
amanda petty
The Tin Roof provides a comfortable and safe environment for college students. It has hosted functions for Greek Life, celebrated 21st birthdays and is one of the only “come and dance” bars in The Vista, according to Talon Rawls, the assistant manager at Tin Roof. “You can just go and dance and hangout, feel safe, taken care of, where the bartenders aren’t just gonna poke at you or scream at you,” Rawls said. “(You) can actually get a drink, hang out, sit down or get up on the stage. Go dance and cut loose. We welcome any and all (college students).”
The Tin Roof Neighbor to the Senate and one half of Columbia’s Live Music Block, The Tin Roof is a chain based out of Nashville. However, it has plenty of local personality and community that welcomes any and all music acts, with a definitive “country music vibe.”
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The Senate
New Brookland, according to Thompson, pays attention to the college students in the area and makes connections with any of these young artists who come in, whether they are pursuing music, wanting to work in production or just wanting to listen to any genre of live music.
The Senate at Tin Roof hosts concerts for all genres, including country, rap, pop and alternative.
New Brookland Tavern is an intimate venue that hosts a variety of big-nation music acts. The tavern is located in West Columbia at 122 State St. Tin Roof is a great option for college students and those looking for live music and great food. It’s located at 1022 Senate St.
The other half of Columbia’s Live Music Block and neighbor to The Tin Roof, The Senate is a 1,200 capacity concert venue in the Vista that has hosted both local and national talent, including Morgan Wallen, Wallows, J. Cole and many more. For the fall, The Senate will be welcoming alternative southern rock band The Vegabonds on Sept. 16, genre-experimenter Teddy Swims on Sept. 27 and pop sensation Tai Verdes of ‘Stuck In The Middle’ fame on Sept. 30.
The Tin Roof is hosting a Taylor Swift Night on Sept. 8, followed by country artist Ashley Wineland and rock band Too Hot For Leather on Sept. 9. Country artist Haley Mae Campbell, whose single ‘Never Been in Love’ went viral on TikTok, will also be performing on Sept. 15.
For those who are looking for a long-time established metal hardcore band, The Acacia Strain is headlining on Sept. 17. Music fans who enjoy the classics can attend the Guardians of the Jukebox event, “A Tribute to the 80s” on Sept. 25. Finally, anyone looking to enjoy some indie rock music, can catch Oso Oso on Nov. 5.
“New Brookland has always been known for being in the realm of booking national touring shows, regardless of size,” Carlin Thompson, booking coordinator for New Brookland, said. “It’s a good opportunity for people to be kind of more up close and personal with some of these national touring acts.”
Photos: amanda petty
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Preview: South Carolina volleyball welcomes 6 new players ahead of 2022 season
Photo: Grace Sorrells South Carolina volleyball will look to keep its recent success reaching the NCAA tournament in the 2022 season after adding six new players to its veteran core. The Gamecocks will be playing without defensive specialist/libero Lauren Bowers, setter Mallory Dixon, outside hitter Kyla Manning and middle blocker Mikayla Robinson, all of whom graduated last school year. However, the team brought in four freshmen and two transfers to fill up the roster following those departures. This year’s freshmen class features middle blocker Megan Holland, opposite hitter Tireh Smith, setter Kimmie Thompson and outside hitter AlaynaJohnsonJohnson.wasone of two of the new recruits who joined the squad early in the spring 2022 semester. “She’s comfortable on serve receive, she reads the game well, she betters the ball — she makes her teammates better,” head coach Tom Mendoza said aboutJohnsonJohnson.had a lot of success at the high school level. She was a 2021 finalist for South Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year award and was named to the Junior Volleyball Association’s 2021 All-National team, amongst otherFellowachievements.freshman Holland comes in as a middle blocker to give the Gamecocks a trio at the position with herself and returning players sophomore Oby Anadi and junior Ellie Ruprich. “I wanted to go to a southern school and South Carolina was the perfect fit for me,” Holland said. “It checked all the boxes, I loved the coaching staff and everyone here was just super welcoming.”Standingat 6-foot-4, Holland is the tallest player on the team and gives the defense a lot of height right at the net. “I think her movement is pretty special,” Mendoza said about Holland. “We’re really excited to see her learning curve and get her in the gym, get her up to speed with the tempo that the game is played at the SEC level.”
The volleyball team huddles together following its match against UCF on Sept. 3, 2021.
South Carolina defeated UCF 3-1.
Further solidifying the Gamecocks’ young core, Kimmie Thompson comes just a few years after her sister, Kaely Ann Thompson, finished her three year stay with the program from 2018 to 2020. “I stayed with Kaely years back, got familiar with the campus, and grew familiar with the student life here,” Kimmie Thompson said. “It was very Kimmiehelpful.”Thompson arrives with several accolades to her name already, having been named to the AAU All-American team in 2021 as well as winning four state championships. “She’s competitive and highly skilled,” Mendoza said about Kimmie Thompson. “A really good setter, a really good leader. She’s another coach’s daughter so she’s been around the game for a long time, thinking the game through, trying to find ways to put her teammates in great situations.”
As for the transfers, the Gamecocks welcome in Dalaney Hans and graduate student Jenna Hampton, a defensive specialist/libero.Hansiscoming to the South Carolina from Georgia, where she played more than four seasons with the Bulldogs. She will provide the Gamecocks with veteran leadership at the setter position, similar to the role that former setter Dixon played for the team the past two seasons. Hampton comes from Penn State and was named to the 2021 Second-team All-Big 10 and racked up over 1000 digs in four seasons played. In addition to the newcomers, several key players from last season will be back in larger roles as they try to amp up the team’s success for the upcoming season. Sophomore outside hitter Lauren McCutcheon, one of two players to play in every set last season, will play an important role for the team this season. As a freshman, she was in the top three on the team in service aces (first), digs (second), blocks (third) and kills (third). Her importance to the team’s offense and defense will continue to grow as she plays her second season at the college Anotherlevel.player building off a strong freshman campaign is defensive specialist/libero Morgan Carter. Last season, she posted the best average of digs per set (3.22) by a freshman in the rally-scoring era in South Carolina’s history. Carter and Hampton will provide the Gamecocks with a reliable backline defense. The Gamecocks will kickoff their season officially against Sacred Heart, Omaha and Winthrop at the home Gamecock Classic invitational from August 26-27.
35 Dylan Ortuno
The next way for students to reduce risks of mental stress is taking time away from coverage of traumatic events, Cross said. She said that a 24/7 stream of information can be difficult for people of any age.
After a summer of tragedies, staff members at Student Health Services suggest students acknowledge their emotions, take a break from media coverage and notice how their support team is feeling in order to maintain mental health and well-being for themselves and others. Mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas, not only sparked a number of rallies in Columbia, but also brought on a new wave of emotions for students.
Nancy Padsala, a December 2021 graduate of USC, said she felt upset when she heard about the death of 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
Meanwhile, summer students have access to group counseling as well as triage counseling where they can meet with a counselor quickly for immediate concerns. Watson said it is especially important that students have an outlet to talk through their emotions.
To protect everyone’s mental health, it is also important to be checking in on the friends and family members you go to for support as stressful news can be impactful for everyone, Cross said.
Jennifer Cross, a licensed professional counselor at the Health Services center, said that although everyone processes tragic events differently, this type of reaction is common among the students she sees.
“It becomes really important for us to reach out to somebody, to talk to somebody, talk to a professional, to really begin to process the magnitude of emotions that persons might be experiencing,” Watson said. “Do something to kind of let go of some of that.”
“A lot of times people are just feeling really sad. They’re feeling really overwhelmed,” Cross said. “And I think another common experience is feeling a sense of helplessness. Like there’s not really anything that they can do about what’s going on” Cross said that the first step in confronting these emotions is to “acknowledge something bad happened.”
“It was really painful to see all those kids getting shot and really, really disappointing,” Padsala said.
“It’s okay to recognize that you’re having a response to it, whatever that response may be,” Cross said. These responses can vary greatly based on a student’s culture and perspective, Sterling Watson, the assistant director of training at the Health Services center, said. Even students who don’t seem distressed could be significantly impacted.
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“These times, we do have to be very considerate about everybody else’s well-being and not wanting to add any additional stressors while also getting our needs met through our support system,” Cross said. Health Services also provides resources for students who may be struggling to get the support they need. For students not enrolled during the summer or who live out of state during the break, Cross suggests they utilize their Therapy Assistance Online program which provides online modules that teach coping skills and mental health care.
“There’s so much happening at any point in time, it’s hard to keep up with it all. And so we do have to take very intentional breaks from the content that we’re ingesting, as part of just restoring some degree of balance as best as we can,” Cross said. It is also important that students keep in mind that there are still positives in the world and actions they do have control over, Cross said. “There are still good things that happen and good people out there,” Cross said.
“By not investing emotionally in what it is that they’re witnessing ... so that they can continue to do what it is that they need to do with regards to school, education, socializing,” Watson said. “I will say that it does impact them.”
Student Health Services says to maintain mental health through acknowledgment, rest, check-ins sydney dunlap Photo: Sydney dunlap A picture of the Center for Health and Well-Being on June 14, 2022. The building houses University Health Services and supports students’ medical needs.
Some of the best ways you can protect your skin are wearing protective clothing, sunglasses with UV protection and reapplying sunscreen 30 or higher SPF every two hours, Alberg said. Although the sun is hitting us hard this year, we can still have fun while being protected. Knowing these facts and tips can help you have a great start to the semester without the sun taking a toll on you.
varsha column:gowda
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illustrations: sydney lako
The persistent heat in Columbia is not going away anytime soon. We should be prepared and avoid the sun damage and heat illnesses that these weather conditions can bring us. There are many types of heat illnesses, according to the CDC. For example, students can suffer from heat cramps, in which the arms or legs cramp during heavy exercise in hot environments or heat exhaustion when your body overheats. Heat stroke, which occurs when the body cannot control its temperature and cool down on its own, is also a significant heatSymptomsillness. you should look out for are dizziness, nausea, headaches, rising body temperature and losing consciousness, according to Dawn Emerson, a clinical assistant professor in the Arnold School of PublicTheseHealth.symptoms could mean that somebody is having a heat stroke. Heat stroke is the most serious heat illness and requires immediate medical attention, according to Hopkins Medicine. “If they start to feel nauseous or they start to get lightheaded, that is your body saying that it is getting overheated,” Emerson said. “Listening to your body is really, really important.” Staying hydrated and wearing short sleeves and shorts are some ways to avoid heat illnesses, according to Susan Yeargin, an associate professor of athletic training in the department of exercise science. Kirstin Dow, a professor in the department of geography, is the lead investigator of the Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments. One of the organization’s missions is to prevent and spread awareness about heat illnesses.
“As you move around the city, it’s clear there are many, many what we call microclimates,” Dow said. “Where the temperature’s hotter or cooler depending on whether there’s lots of asphalt, or direct sun, or a good breeze or plenty of trees.”Oneof the members of the organization helped develop a tool to forecast the wet bulb globe temperature, which measures the heat stress of the body based on
Northitcampus.goandmostunderstandmicroclimates.theseThistoolhelpstheoptimaltimeplaceyoucanforarunorwalkonYoucanaccessontheUniversityofCarolinaatChapelHill’swebsite.TherearemanyplacesaroundColumbiathatyoucangotohelpcoolyoudown,suchastheHorseshoe,LakeMurrayandtheCongareeNationalPark.Itisalsoimportant
to protect your skin when you’re out in the sun. Sun damage can cause many problems, such as burns, wrinkling or even cancer.
WAYS TO BEAT THE HEAT
“The core goal is to prevent sunburns completely,” according to Anthony Alberg, the chair of epidemiology and biostatistics at the Arnold Public School of Health.
The university system’s $1.8 billion budget, which is $50 million more than the previous fiscal year, allows for “investment in core academic areas and infrastructure,” according to theUniversityuniversity.Architect Derek Gruner said the university is on track to begin housing students in the new Campus Village in 2023. The project remains within budget and will now incorporate a satellite health services clinic for students.
There are multiple non-voting members on the board, such as the student body President Reedy Newton and the chair of the university’s faculty senate, Audrey Korsgaard.
The board acts in accordance with state law as well as a set of bylaws and other standardized procedures. It is ultimately accountable to the South Carolina General Assembly and the public.
Board of trustees approves new budget, coach contract extensions this summer
Kelly Epting, USC’s associate vice president for finance and budget, said the university is very well positioned going into the next fiscal year. However, high economic inflation will pose a “(Thischallenge.isthe)fourth year in a row that we have the same tuition rates ... and we are still anticipating the really record-breaking amount of freshmen to come in,” Epting said. Undergraduate tuition for in-state residents and non-state residents remains the same on the Columbia campus. In-state residents will pay $6,344 and non-state residents will pay $16,964. On-campus students will see a fee increase for housing and meals. Students will pay 5% more for a total of $3,680 in housing fees per semester. They’ll pay 8.5% more for meal plan fees for a total of $2,210. The increases reflect “inflationary costs for self-supporting units on campus,” the university said. “(For housing and meals) we do have some slight increases here,” Epting said. “This year especially we’ve seen some increases, but overall, if you look at these per term amounts, they still seem to be relatively reasonable.”
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The board of trustees, the University of South Carolina’s governing body, furthers USC’s long-term goals and assures the institution is meeting stakeholders’ needs.
The university’s board of trustees approved this year’s budget as well as raises and contract extensions for athletic coaches over the summer.
“We’re called on to provide input from the perspective of our constituents,” Korsgaard said. “When they’re deliberating or hearing reports or things like that on issues that would be pertinent to the student experience, or to the academic operations or research operations of the university, they would call on us to discuss that.” Newton said it has been enlightening and educational to sit on the board of trustees as a non-voting member. Newton said she has been able to provide insight on student issues like assuring the incoming freshman class will have an adequate number of beds. “When I’m able to provide insight on topics, it is always heartwarming to know that members of the board seek out student feedback,” Newton said. The board is scheduled to meet again on Aug. 19 and Sept. 16.
Max White
The duties of the board include defining the role and scope of the university system, establishing general policies for the university, approving the institution’s budget each fiscal year and laying out the university’s education program.
Curtis Frye, head men’s and women’s track and field coach, received a one-year extension through June 30, 2023. Eleven of Fry’s athletes competed in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, in June. Lisa Boyer, associate head women’s basketball coach, and assistant coaches Fred Chmiel and Jolette Law also received one-year extensions through March 31, 2023.
Infographic: gillian Thomas - Sydney Dunlap, Kate Robins and Jack Veltri contributed to the reporting in this article.
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40 Fall signals the return of action at Stone Stadium, where both South Carolina soccer programs hope to expand on last season’s success in different ways during the 2022Forcampaign.women’s soccer head coach Shelley Smith and her team, this means competing for a top spot in the SEC and making another deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
The women’s soccer team cheers on its players during a game against Alabama on Oct. 24, 2021. South Carolina de feated Alabama 4-0. Photo: Grace Sorrells Photo: Ellis Page
That, along with a talented group of freshmen — headlined by goalkeeper Ben Alexander, a starter for Canada’s under-20 national team, and forward Bryce Griffith, a former Atlanta United academy player and Annan’s first official commitment — who are ready to make an impact at the next level, are examples of this change heading into Annan’s secondThereseason.willbe some continuity on the team, though, as last season’s two most productive players — junior midfielder Peter Clement and senior forward Logan Frost, who contributed four goals and three assists each — are expected to play big roles this year. Both teams’ 2022 schedules include matchups against high-level competition. Five of the women’s team’s eight non-conference opponents — including in-state rivals Clemson and defending national champions Florida State — and three of its 10 SEC opponents competed in last year’s NCAA tournament.
Griffin
Smith led the Gamecocks to a second-place finish in the SEC East in 2021, going 12-5-1 overall and 5-3-1 in conference play during the regular season. South Carolina encountered some struggles along the way — most notably in a four-game stretch late in the year where it failed to beat four consecutive conference opponents — but always found a way to improve and deal with adversity. “We stuck together no matter what, and I think that really showed in the way we played,” redshirt senior midfielder Samantha ChangAftersaid.anearly exit in the SEC Tournament, the team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and played some of its best soccer of the season. The Gamecocks upset No. 2 seed North Carolina in the opening round and went on to beat Hofstra and Penn State before falling to BYU in the quarterfinals. “We had to overcome — with adversity, with injuries and staying together — and I was so proud of this team to make it to this point and battle every time they’re out there,” Smith said. South Carolina’s roster experienced some turnover this past offseason after losing impact players like forward Ryan Gareis and midfielder Lauren Chang, who signed with professional clubs. Despite those losses, the Gamecocks retained many of last year’s starters, who will be looking to make positive contributions thisJuniorseason.forward Catherine Barry will return to an offense she led in goals (8) and points (19) in 2021, and fifth-year defender Jyllissa Harris will anchor the team’s backline for another season after appearing on the All-SEC First Team last year.
South Carolina went 5-9-2 overall and 1-5-2 in the conference, finishing seventh out of nine teams in Conference USA. Annan said that overcoming adversity and losing games is an important aspect of development that many people lose sight of. “People hate to hear the word ‘development’ when they lose games, but creating a winning mentality, teaching people how to win games — that’s part of development as well,” Annan said. Change has been an ever-present part of the men’s soccer program since Annan took the helm, and one of the biggest changes it will face is a move to the Sun Belt, which reinstated men’s soccer for the 2022 season.
South Carolina will join 2020 NCAA champion Marshall, 2021 Colonial Athletic Association champion James Madison and six other teams ahead of the conference’s first soccer action since 2020. “To have a league that is competitive and in our region, it’s a plus,” Annan told GamecocksOnline. “The teams that are in the conference brings competitiveness, which we feel is great for our program and aligns with the direction we want our program to go in.”
The men’s soccer team gathers together in a huddle before its game against Gardner-Webb on Sept. 28, 2021. South Carolina defeated Gardner-Webb 1-0.
South Carolina’s 2022 squad will also feature 12 incoming freshmen who will have the chance to impress Smith and compete for minutes throughout the season. This year’s class was ranked seventh in the country by Top Drawer Soccer, showing the depth of young talent the squad has at its disposal. For men’s soccer head coach Tony Annan and his team, success is less tangible. Their goal is to see improvement in developing young players and helping them form a collective winning mindset, according to Annan. The 2021 season was Annan’s first in charge of the Gamecocks. The team experienced some growing pains in his debut campaign.
The men’s team will also have the opportunity to face off against Clemson — the Tigers won last year’s NCAA men’s soccer tournament — and 2021 Big South champions Campbell and Conference USA champions Kentucky at Stone Stadium. Goodwyn
Preview: Women’s, men’s soccer programs hope to build off success in 2022
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Photo: Jerry Bowen Head football coach Shane Beamer celebrates with family after his first win with the Gamecocks over Eastern Illinois at Williams-Brice Stadium on Sept. 4, 2021. The Gamecocks beat Eastern Illinois 46-0.
42 ‘The sky’s the limit’: South Carolina football ready to take next step in 2022 season
Heading into the 2022 season, the team set its expectations high. “I think it’s our goal for us to be the most consistent team in the SEC right now — that’s our goal,” redshirt senior wide receiver Dakereon Joyner said. “Last year was a great thing to capitalize off of because we were projected to win two games. To go on to win seven in year one under coach (Shane) Beamer, I think that says a lot. It’s scary to think about what we’re going to do in year two, we’re excited.”
In addition to Rattler, the Gamecocks brought in eight transfers. With the closeness of last year’s team, Beamer said getting the new players adjusted as quickly as possible is important. “We’re very intentional about that, building a team and do as much as we can as a team from January up until the start of the season, really throughout the season to continue to build that closeness,” Beamer said. “This year we’ve got obviously some impact guys, name guys, but the way we handle things, and how intentional we are about building a team doesn’t change.”
Joyner said the team is confident in what they can accomplish. “The sky’s the limit for us this year,” Joyner said. “We just gotta continue the older guys lead and be the face of this program and allow the young guys to come behind us.”
Most of the pressure surrounding the team this year will be on redshirt junior quarterback Spencer Rattler, who transferred from Oklahoma. However, Beamer said he’s not worried about Rattler, as he knows he can handle anything that comes his way. “He had some pretty high amount of pressure replacing a guy by the name of Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts ... He’s been through the fire before,” Beamer said. “I saw firsthand how he handled it when he was at Oklahoma and started out 0-2. Never flinched and continued to get better.”
With a roster that features returning veterans and incoming talent, Beamer said he’s seen many take notice of what the Gamecocks are building. “People are talking about us nationally, which is what we want. We have high expectations at South Carolina. People are talking about our players as individuals more nationally than what they were last year,” Beamer said. “There’s more buzz about this program right now, and the key for us — the challenge for us — will be being mature enough to handle that the right way as a football team and understand the work ethic that it’s going to take to get back to what we did last season.”
Jack Veltri South Carolina football exceeded all expectations last season, winning seven games and defeating North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Players focused on how they can continue to work towards their championship aspirations during July’s SEC Media Days. “Yeah, we did good last year, but can we do better? Yes, we can,” redshirt senior offensive lineman Jovaughn Gwyn said. “In order to do that, we have to put last year to the side and focus on this year and can’t worry about what we did last year. Even with them teams that we played and we beat, we have to treat it as a new year.”
Even SEC Network analyst Greg McElroy believes South Carolina can “make a lot of noise,” depending on Rattler’s play. “If he can return to some of the form we saw at the end of the 2020 season, they could be stepping into a situation where they have maybe the second, at worst third, best quarterback in the SEC,” McElroy said on his Always College Football show.
USC religious studies associate professor, Erin Roberts, who teaches the course “Introduction to Early Christianity,” said the Bible has many different kinds of interpretations, none of which specifically endorse or condemn abortion. “The Bible really doesn’t talk about (abortion),” Roberts said. “If anything ... it gives warrant for (abortion) — there are moments in the Bible when children are killed and it’s not necessarily spoken ill of.”
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max white The Statehouse House Ad Hoc Committee on abortion went over its recommendations, which include a near-total ban on abortion without exceptions for rape or incest, on July 19. Abortion would only be allowed to save the life of the mother. The panel, made up of eight Republicans and four Democrats, voted 9-3 for the recommended changes to the state’s law. The recommendations are being sent to the House Judiciary Committee where the recommendations could change further. Outside the building where the first public hearing was held July 7, hundreds of abortion-rights and anti-abortion activists gathered to show support for their cause. Annie Wirth, who is against abortion, wore a black t-shirt with white lettering that read “EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL HUMANS” and held a cardboard sign with a picture of handcuffs and the message “CRIMINALIZE ABORTION.” She stood in stark contrast to the hundreds of abortion-rights activists on the steps of the Statehouse. “’I’m here to speak for the babies. To proclaim that we need to criminalize abortion not just regulate it,” Wirth said. “Even if we do an all-out ban, but it doesn’t criminalize it, babies will still be murdered in South Carolina because they can then just go across the state and have the babiesWirthmurdered.”said she supports criminalizing anyone involved in an abortion, whether it be the pregnant person, the physician providing the abortion or someone driving the pregnant person to an abortion clinic. The committee recommended not criminalizing people who get abortions but did recommend criminal penalties for people who perform illegal abortions. Abortion providers could receive a fine and up to two years in prison for performing theWirthprocedure.saidshe did not think South Carolina lawmakers would listen to her call to criminalize abortion. She said there is too much money on both sides for even an all-out ban on abortion and that lawmakers will stay with the current six-week ban on “Sadly,abortion.most conservatives, most Republicans, most prolife people are content with the heartbeat bill six-week ban,” Wirth said. Many people testified at the hearing, some for abortion and some against abortion. Many of those who were anti-abortion quoted scripture from the Bible.
Jessica Waldrop was among the crowd of abortion-rights activists gathered around the Statehouse steps at a Planned Parenthood event.
“I’m just here because I’m worried about my rights and my daughters,” Waldrop said as she wiped away tears. Waldrop said she had her doubts that lawmakers would listen to the abortion-rights speakers who testified at the hearing. She said she did not feel like she was being heard by her lawmakers. “I know I’ve tried to call my representative. He hadn’t even called me back,” Waldrop said. “I know that most of them just kind of have on their mind what they’re gonna do. They’re gonna follow the party line.”
Chris Smith was another anti-abortion activist standing outside the Blatt Building. Smith stood next to a man holding an American flag. He said he was there to stand for the life of everyone in the state, including the“Beingunborn. a Christian, and biblically speaking, I believe that life begins at conception,” Smith said. “We are not going to use abortion in this state any longer as a form of birth control.” A similar plan to take input from the public is being drafted by the Senate and the chamber is expected to consider the bill if it passes the House.
Activists push back as lawmakers decide the future of abortion
Photos: Calista Pushman Annie Wirth and her husband call for abortion to be criminalized. Activists gathered outside the South Carolina Statehouse July 7, 2022 to voice their opinion on the state’s abortion laws. A crowd gathered outside the building where a special House committee met to decide the future of abortion in South Carolina. The committee heard testimony from the public July 7, 2022.
44 A fter the results of the South Carolina primaries, it’s essential for all South Carolina residents to educate themselves about and vote in the gamechanging midterm elections coming up on Nov.The8. U.S. midterm elections will determine all the House of Representative seats, numerous Senate seats, Governor positions and many state positions. It will be one of the most important midterm elections so far because of the polarization in this country. “It sort of reflects itself, between the House and Senate, how the campaigns operate, and then also how the voters are, and so there’s layers of polarization when you start to unpack it,” Joshua Meyer-Gutbrod, a political science instructor at USC, said.
South Carolina had an eventful primary on June 14 with some definite divide. Here’s a breakdown of what happened in each major primary election in South Carolina.
South Carolinians need to look past endorsements and read up on candidates’ policies.
Superintendent of Education
For more information on South Carolina Primaries, check out Ballotpedia.
Julia
District One and Seven-Race District one and district seven had a similar layout but very different results in their Republican primaries.
Senate Race Incumbent Senator Tim Scott, a Republican, ran unopposed, giving him the spot in the midterms. Scott runs heavily on his proabortion agenda and strong religious values, which are very important in the South.
Governor’s Race In no surprise, incumbent Henry McMaster won the Republican primary. The actual race was the Democratic primary. Joe Cunningham, a former U.S. House of Representatives member won against Mia McLeod, a South Carolina state senator. This primary was just the first obstacle for Cunningham. Running against an incumbent and a Republican in a Republican state will be an uphill battle for the Democratic primary winner. This election is one of the most important for South Carolina. Residents need to keep in mind the recent rise in inflation can’t be blamed on any politician. However, according to Joseph Von Nessen, a research economist with the Darla Moore School of Business at USC, this is due to a multitude of reasons with COVID-19 as well as supply and demand“Theseissues.arepocketbook issues that affect South Carolinians and so this is at the forefront of their minds when they’re looking at policies that the candidates are proposing and how those policies can potentially help or harm those challenges that they’re currently facing,” Von Nessen said. The Governor’s race is something that needs to be on everyone’s radars. South Carolina consistently ranks low in categories like education, crimes and corrections and infrastructure.SouthCarolina needs someone who will focus on these areas and Cunningham looks like that person.
“The Republican candidates whose faith is important to them kind of use this because they know that it appeals to their supporters, that it helps them to win elections,” said Robert Oldendick, a political science professor at USC. Scott will be up against Krystle Matthews, the Democratic candidate.
The Superintendent of Education Republican primary was another nail-biting race. The current Superintendent of Education, Molly Spearman, nominated Kathy Maness, who lost against Ellen Weaver in a runoff. A new requirement for superintendents is all candidates need to have a master’s degree. However, Weaver doesn’t have a master’s degree, which raises the question: Why was she allowed to run and win this runoff if she isn’t qualified for the job?
Weaver is currently taking classes to get the degree, but if she doesn’t complete her courses before November, will she be disqualified or allowed to participate? These questions are left unanswered.
Weaver is up against Democratic candidate Lisa Ellis. It will be a sight to see if South Carolina will elect its first Democratic superintendent of education in almost 20 years or if Weaver will be able to complete her degree and secure the votes.
EARLYYOURSELFEDUCATETHISMIDTERMSEASON
Why did one Trump-backed candidate win and the other didn’t? District seven is a much more conservative district than one, according to Oldendick. But the results show how powerful Trump’s endorsements are.
The incumbents, Nancy Mace from district one and Tom Rice from district seven, were once Trump-endorsed candidates that lost his trust. This led to Trump backing Katie Arrington from district one and Russell Fry from district seven. While Mace defeated Arrington, Fry beat Rice, who was the only incumbent to lose his seat in the primary.
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46
Among the newcomers are three players who came from the Gamecocks’ archrival. Junior pitcher Ricky Williams, redshirt junior outfielder Dylan Brewer and redshirt junior catcher Jonathan French all arrived in Columbia from Clemson. Kingston and his staff also received commitments from players at other Power 5 programs, including sophomore pitcher Roman Kimball. Kimball transferred from Notre Dame and finished the 2022 season with a 4-0 record and 5.76 ERA over 25 innings. He made 17 appearances out of the bullpen, one of which was in the College World Series. Transfers from other major programs include graduate student pitcher Nick Proctor from California and junior first baseman Gavin Casas from Vanderbilt.
What you missed in South Carolina athletics this summer
The South Carolina track and field team hold awards at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Alabama on March 11, 2022. Eleven Gamecocks also competed in the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
The South Carolina baseball team stands during the Star-Spangled Banner before the game against Texas at Founders Park on March 13, 2022. Photo: Kate Benn Photo Courtesy of South Carolina Athletics
Much-needed change came in a big way for the South Carolina baseball team, who will welcome 10 incoming transfer players ahead of next season. “We felt that we needed to be very aggressive in the portal, and we’ve done that,” head coach Mark Kingston said. “We’re signing some really good guys out of that portal that are going to really help us.”
The Gamecocks roster will also feature some new bats who showed up in big ways for various mid-major programs this past season. Redshirt junior infielder Caleb Denny was one of Oral Roberts’ most productive players last season, hitting .331 and leading the Summit League in RBI (57), runs scored (63) and hits (79). Junior first baseman Jacob Compton similarly delivered for the Memphis Tigers with a .291 batting average, 11 home runs and 56 SeniorRBI. second baseman Will McGillis, a member of the Southern Mississippi squad that hosted a regional in last year’s NCAA Tournament, finished second on the team in home runs (16) and RBI (51). Junior two-way player Chris Veach will bring a unique set of skills to the table. In his two years at Presbyterian, Veach batted .336 at the plate and pitched to a 2.70 ERA Track and field
While students enjoyed summer break, South Carolina athletic teams continued to work hard in their respective sports. Here’s everything that’s happened since the spring semester ended. Baseball
Eleven members of the track and field team competed in the 2022 NCAA Outdoors Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Overall, the Gamecocks took home 10 All-American honors, but came up short of winning it all, as Florida won both the men’s and women’s championships. Junior jumper Rachel Glenn failed to defend last year’s high jump title and finished third while being named a First Team“SheAll-American.foughtthrough an ankle injury from the fall but did a phenomenal job getting back into form, finishing on the podium at both the NCAA and national championship meets,” head coach Curtis Frye told GamecocksOnline.Inadditiontocompeting in the 4x100-meter relay, senior sprinter Evan Miller finished 10th overall in the 200-meter with a time of 20.35. Not only was this a personal best time for him, but it was also thirdbest in school history. He was named a Second Team AllAmerican for his efforts. “His year was special,” Frye said. “We’re happy to have his leadership back next year. I hope this group learns from this and will find its way back into the top 10.”
Jack Veltri & Griffin Goodwyn
South Carolina women’s golf team with trophies after the Landfall Tradition Tournament on Oct. 31, 2021. The team finished its season as the No. 3 team in the country and is currently training for the 2022-2023 season.
Outside of the transfer portal, the Gamecocks recruited three true freshmen for next season: Zach Adams, Walker Jennings and Luke Sullivan. Head coach Bill McDonald lost a member of his coaching staff in early June when former assistant coach Ben Dietrich stepped down. The team hired former High Point men’s golf head coach Brady Gregor to fill the assistant coach spot. While at High Point, he helped the Panthers qualify for the NCAA Regional in 2018 and
Three Gamecocks — juniors Nick Mayfield, Liam Shinn and Jason Quinlan — entered the transfer portal. To counteract this, the team added two transfers to the roster, fifth-year Zach Byers and senior Lansdon Robbins.
South Carolina men’s tennis gets ready to take on Mississippi State at the Carolina Indoor Tennis Center on March 18, 2022. The Gamecocks won the match 5-2.
In his debut at the All England Club, Cerundolo drew No. 2 overall seed Rafael Nadal in the first round and was defeated in four sets. After falling two sets behind early against the Spaniard, Cerundolo won the third 6-3 before losing the fourth 6-4. Following Wimbledon, Cerundolo and junior Toby Samuel added to their trophy cases, earning their first tournament victories on their respective tours. Cerundolo emerged victorious at the Swedish Open for his first ATP Tour win. Cerundolo defeated five opponents, including No. 1 seed and world No. 5 Casper Ruud, on his way to the title. In just his fourth ATP-ranked singles event, Samuel entered the ITF M25 in Roehampton as a wild card and went on to win the tournament. Samuel began the event ranked No. 1776 and defeated two opponents more than 1,000 places above him — No. 616 Mark Whitehouse and No. 550 Henry Patten — for his first professional victory.
47 Golf After failing to reach the NCAA Championship, the men’s golf team underwent multiple changes during the offseason.
women’s side, No. 3 South Carolina’s season came to an end at the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship. Despite having the lowest score in the final round, the Gamecocks finished in 14th place. Head coach Kalen Anderson was named the WGCA South Region Coach of the Year after helping a program-record four players receive All-SEC honors. Sophomores Louise Rydqvist and Hannah Darling have been competing since the season ended. Rydqvist finished second in the World Amateur Championship in June, winning The Diana Fishwick Cup. Darling made it into the top four before being eliminated the day prior to the final round. Tennis
On2021.the
Photo: Zachary Kelly
Photo Courtesy of South Carolina Athletics
Former men’s tennis players Paul Jubb and Francisco Cerundolo competed at the Wimbledon Championships in London,EarningEngland.entryto the tournament as a wild card, Jubb, who made his second appearance at Wimbledon, fell to Nick Kyrgios in five sets. Jubb won the first set 6-3 and the fourth in a tiebreaker, but lost the deciding set 7-5 to his Australian opponent.
Bender said her background in non-profits made her realize she was qualified for the position, and she was immediately very excited about the prospect of working for the Nick. She has been a member of the community since it was a onescreen theater in a converted bank“Allbuilding.ofthose things kind of aligned to make this the perfect opportunity,” she said. When asked to recall her favorite screening over the years, she couldn’t pick just one. “I feel like I remember every movie I’ve ever seen at the Nick, and that’s just crazy,” Bender said.
48 This past spring, Columbia’s Nickelodeon Theatre, commonly referred to as the Nick, temporarily suspended public screenings in order to reorganize its infrastructure in the wake of a difficult period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The city’s most prominent indie theater reopened in April with big leadership changes that soon followed. Mark Cooper, a USC film and media studies professor, became the new president of the board of directors. At the same time, the Nick was also searching for a new executive director and went through a lengthy interview process, with applications being reviewed as early as January. “We were very aware of some culture issues in the organization and wanted a good manager,” Cooper said. “Somebody who was committed to the Nick’s longstanding mission of community engagement and showing excellent films.” The person who fit the bill was Sumner Bender, the board officially announced late April.
A picture of the Nikelodeon Theater’s marquee on June 21, 2022. The theater opened its doors back to the public after closing early in the spring.
Bender has been a member of the Trustus Theatre’s board since 2011 and is a former theater teacher at Spring Hill High School in Chapin. In her first month as director, Bender returned the theater to its pre-COVID-19 schedule by adding back Wednesday and Thursday screenings. “We really want to spend the first year of my tenure here, getting back to the mission, which is not just to show films, but to connect with the community and give the community a voice through film,” she said. The Nick hosted a doublefeature in July of South Carolina documentary filmmakers Emily Harrold’s films “In the Bubble With Jaime” and “Meltdown in Dixie.” Both films featured stories about recent political events, Jaime Harrison’s 2020 Senate run and controversy surrounding a confederate flag outside an ice cream shop in Orangeburg, respectively.
Bender said Benedict College is a Columbia community the Nick could grow its connection with. Allie Stubbs, an administrative coordinator at the Nick, is enthusiastic about what Bender’s leadership will bring to the nonprofit organization. “I think Sumner has really great ideas about some of the educational things that we’re doing,” Stubbs said. “We used to do things like that back in the day, but I’m excited to get back to that.”Despite all this excitement, the reopening also comes with challenges.“It’sakind of rebuilding year, so we need to develop our staff, reactivate our community engagement networks, our partnerships with various organizations around town,” Cooper said. “All of this needs to be built back up, so that’s (Bender’s) first-year challenge.”
“Not only is it part of our mission to be a center for critical dialogue, we want to make it a priority to share new and innovative works and that is why this evening of cinema is so exciting,” Bender said in a statement about the event. For Bender, another part of giving the community a voice is giving opportunities to student and indie filmmakers.
Photo: noah trainor
Nickelodeon Theatre reopens, elects new leadership while looking to its future in serving Columbia noah trainor
Bender has meetings set up to potentially bring the Doko Film Festival back for summer 2023. The Doko Film Festival is an event for high school filmmakers to develop skills and show their work to the public. “I would love to see a USC film fest,” Bender said. “I think it is definitely an opportunity there ... because what better way to connect to the community than showcasing the artworks of theIncommunity.”addition to showcasing local artists, the Nick will continue to show first-run indie films, which Cooper said is the theater’s “bread and butter.” In addition, he wants to bring back repertory programming of older films, focusing on a theme or particular filmmakers.
Another goal for the Nick in its first year of new leadership is to reach markets that the theater previously was not serving. “If I could (find new markets) right now, then my job would be really easy, but it’s figuring out who those groups are,” Bender said. “It’s really an outreach position in the first year.”
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