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INTE RE S T E D I N G E T T I N G INVO LV E D W I T H G & B ?
E DITOR-IN- CHIEF sagandbe@mailbox.sc.edu CRE ATIVE D IR ECTOR gandbart@gmail.com ARTICL ES EDITOR gandbwriting@gmail.com PHOTO ED ITOR gandbphoto@gmail.com ST Y L E ED ITOR gandbmoda@gmail.com WEB ED ITOR gandblog@gmail.com P U BLI C R EL ATIONS D IR ECTOR gandbpublicrelations@gmail.com
STUDENT MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF B R E N N A N B O O K E R CREATIVE DIRECTOR R A C H E L J O H N S O N MANAGING EDITOR E M E R Y S M I T H
AR T I C L ES ED I TO R Caroline Fairey A S S I S TA N T AR T I C L ES ED I TO R Jenna Schiferl STAF F W R I T ER Sarah Nichols STAF F W R I T ER Haley Sprankle CO P Y C H I EF Madeleine Vath
DI R ECTOR OF S T UDEN T M EDI A Sarah Scarborough
CR EAT I VE DI R ECTOR Edgar Santana
S OCI A L M EDI A M A N AGER AR T D I R EC TO R Ashlyn Murphy
Sydney Patterson
STAF F D ESI G N ER Gracie Newton STAF F D ESI G N ER Angel Prater S TAF F I L LU ST R ATO R Wanda Felsenhardt P H OTO ED I TO R Christian Hinty A S S I S TAN T P H OTO ED I TO R Robert Carter S TA FF VI D EO G R AP H ER Courtney Duncan ST Y L E ED I TO R Clara Marzolf A SSI STAN T ST Y L E ED I TO R Alex Finley
FACULT Y A DVI S OR Scott Farrand
CR EAT I VE S ER VI CES Wanda Felsenhardt Elizabeth Jennings Emily Lor Ashlyn Murphy
S T UDEN T A DVER T I S I N G M A N AGER Drew Thiel
A S SI STAN T ST Y L E ED I TO R Eileen Gillis A DVER T I S I N G R EPR ES EN TAT I VES PUB LI C R EL AT I O N S D I R EC TO R Kelli Caldwell PUB LI C R EL AT I O N S ASSI STAN T Abby Bickel W EB ED I TO R Robin Hendricks A S S I S TAN T W EB ED I TO R Abby Beauregard
Jolie Delia Caitlin Dingler Erin Lee Spencer Lee Foster Snipes Cameron White
S O C I A L ME D I A CO O R D I N ATO R Savannah Trask ON L I N E ED I TO R Mary-Bryant Charles O N L I N E ED I TO R Christian Compton O N L I N E ED I TO R Isabel Houlk O N L I N E ED I TO R Jordyn Siebles
Advertising: (803) 777-3018 To contact G&B, email sagandbe@mailbox.sc.edu or visit www.gandbmagazine.com Garnet & Black magazine is produced four times a year by students of the University of South Carolina and is distributed free to members of the university community. All editors and staff members can be contacted at (803) 777-1149. The office is located in Russell House room 339. Email letters to the editor to sagandbe@mailbox.sc.edu or to Garnet & Black magazine, Student Media, 1400 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208. Letters should be 250-400 words and must include name, address, phone number and academic information (if applicable). Garnet & Black reserves the right to edit for libel, style and space. Anonymous letters will not be published.
Letter from the Editor EDITOR-IN-CHIEF BRENNAN BOOKER
MY INVOLVEMENT WITH Garnet and
Black started my sophomore year. One night in the fall of 2015, Josh Thompson sent me an Instagram message. He told me he liked my work and wanted me to help shoot the fall style spread. I was so thrilled, I immediately called my grandma to tell her, and she cried. After a successful fall spread, I was asked to come on board the masthead. I started off at the bottom of the totem pole as senior photographer, then on to assistant photo editor and now finally as editor-in-chief. Coming into the position from a photo background allowed me to approach the magazine differently than past editors. I view it as a collection of different ideas, opinions and information, bringing together the voices of many into one coherent place. Understanding the way a photograph or illustration can hold its own conceptual weight next to a story and approaching everything as a complete thought
were major shifts in the magazine’s workflow. Creating content that is cohesive by combining words, photos, illustration and design is no easy task and could never have been achieved without the incredible staff that I have the pleasure of working with this year. Encouraging them to form their own ideas and direction with the content that they felt driven to make was the most important thing for me to do as a leader. My job was to take all of their ideas and critique, reposition and push them forward into a place that works together. What you’re about to read is a collection of these ideas put together in a way that I firmly believe is representative of the student experience, both on and off campus. Our lives don’t stop when we leave this campus, so neither should the reach of the magazine. Everything from the food we eat, to the homes we live in, to the way social media affects every aspect of our lives and more can all be found in these pages.
On a more personal note, there are so many people I must thank that have helped put me where I am today. This magazine is a collection of my own personal experience and knowledge, and the people who have given me those deserve just as much recognition as me. To my family, thank you for all the support you’ve always given me. Thank you, Mom, for giving me my first camera and helping me take my first steps in the journey of being an artist and editor. To my incredible staff, thank you for entertaining my insane ideas, criticisms and terrible jokes. Thank you to Rachel Johnson, my truly fearless creative director. I’m so lucky to have found such an incredible partner to make something as wonderful as this magazine with. This truly couldn’t have happened without you. And thank you, reader, for continuing to listen, ask questions and respond to what we do here.
09
Contents
HOW DONALD TRUMP RUINED MODERN DATING
30
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Exploring relationships in Trump’s America.
Four students share their stories about off-campus housing.
10
34
WHILE I HAVE THE FLOOR Two student organizations get real about religion.
14
EVE
The OG woman, reimagined.
44
THE PERFECT PRE-GAME
FUSE ARTIST ALLIANCE
Impress your friends with homemade sliders and nachos.
Columbia’s newest space for contemporary dance.
16
50
MIND & BODY
VITAL ORGANS
Learn more about the new Center for Health and Well-Being.
Flash fiction by Sam Breazeale.
18
54
NECESSARY EVIL
DEEPER
Is Carolina Core a help or a hindrance?
A poem by Haley Kellner.
22
55
REAL FAKE
MODERN DAY MANNA
Life on Instagram: unfiltered.
The burrito crisis plaguing our campus.
26
WHEN EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR NAME
Students discuss how they found celebrity status on social media.
COVER PHOTO BY BREN N AN BOOKE R DESIGN BY RACHEL JO HN S O N & AS HLYN MURP H Y STYLING BY CL ARA M ARZO LF
6 WHILE I HAVE THE FLOOR
Contributors
We asked all our contributors the following question, and these are their responses:
W H AT S O N G W I L L M A K E YOU STA R T DA N C IN G A S S O ON A S IT COM E S ON ?
C A RO L I N E MOORE
"Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel
N I C K V E RONESI
LILLY S TRICKL AND "Let It Happen" by Tame Impala
MARK MADDALO NI
"Uptown Funk" by Bruno Mars
"Trampoline" by Kero Kero Bonito
M E G A N LEH R
S AM BREAZEAL E
"Mr. Brightside" The Killers
A S H T O N MURRAY
O L IVIA GRI F F I N
"The Party’s Just Begun" by Cheetah Party
BR ANDO N BA K ER
"Hey Ya" by Outcast
"Stacy’s Mom" by Fountains of Wayne
CARO L INA PERRY
L ARIS S A J O HN SON
"Party in the USA" Miley Cyrus
"Sweet Caroline" Neil Diamond
RE E M A VA IDYA
RACHEL L AURE NCE
"One Time" by Justin Bieber
AL EXIS BRA Z
"Lip Gloss" by Lil Mama
"Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne
"Uptown Funk" by Bruno Mars
CO L E RO JA HN
"Feel It Still" by Portugal the Man
THE FOLLOWING CONTRIBUTORS DID NOT OFFER RESPONSES: COLE ROJAHN, ZOE NICHOLSON, ASHLYN JACKSON, REEMA VAIDYA, DEJA VAUGHN, GRACE STEPTOE, MARY-BRYANT CHARLES, CHELSIE KELLY, LAUREN LAMBERTON, ANNA FARR, LIBBY BREEZE, SAGE KUHENS, CRAWFORD NETTLES, ALYSSA WILEY, ISABEL HOUCK, ALLEGRA NOKAJ, COREY ZUCCO, RACHEL MELTON, ALEXIS BRAZ, JENNA CAMERON, CASSIDY SPENCER, JOHNATHON FUERTE, MIA GRIMM, AND EMMA WINGARD
UNIVERSI
TY OF SO
UTH CARO
LINA
be ready To pay! 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 12 3456 GO
4238
OD THRU
B.A. MEM
BER
12/17
DEBIT
SHOW YOUR GAMECOCK PRIDE EVERYWHERE YOU GO WITH OUR UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA DEBIT CARD! GET YOUR DEBIT CARD ON CAMPUS AT OUR RUSSELL HOUSE OFFICE OR AT OUR BULLSTREET OFFICE NEXT TO SPIRIT COMMUNICATIONS PARK. If you are a student, faculty or staff member, you are eligible to join Founders Federal Credit Union! Visit RelaxJoinFounders.com to complete the application process and see what Founders membership can do for you! FOLLOW US: @FOUNDERSFCU
foundersfcu.com • 1-800-845-1614
Federally insured by NCUA.
8 WHILE I HAVE THE FLOOR
HOW DONALD TRUMP RUINED MODERN DATING One woman’s take on the rocky dating terrain post-election. BY HALEY SPRANKLE • DESIGN BY RACHEL JOHNSON
THREE TEQUIL A SHOTS L ATER, I STUMBLED INTO MY ROOM. MY BOYFRIEND TEXTED ME. “I WISH I COULD BE THERE RIGHT NOW...” I COLLAPSED INTO MY BED. A N O T H E R T E X T. “I T ’ S O N LY F O U R Y E A R S . . . W E C A N D O T H I S . ”
AT A TIME WHEN normally all I would be thinking about is having my long-distance boyfriend alone in my room (come on … you know tequila does that to you, too), all I wanted to do was cry. Donald Trump was our president, and I had never felt more alone. Flash forward almost a year, and luckily for me I’m alive and well. Despite the daily threats to human rights, I know that I am incredibly privileged. My boyfriend still loves me (despite my countless Facebook debates and inherent rancor towards anyone I felt was the root cause of America’s empathy problem). My birth control is still free thanks to my current healthcare options. I am a white woman in America. My life had not been drastically altered. The dating terrain, however, has. This summer in New York City, I took a trip to the Comedy Cellar. Most of the names on the billing were up-and-comers with a couple of writing credits here and there, but one man in particular had his own Netflix special: Jim Norton. As many stand-up comedians do, Norton began his set by discussing the plights of modern dating. Nowadays, politics matter in the dating realm because many feel like it is a reflection of one’s character. Norton referenced that women will put “Swipe left if you voted for Trump” in their Tinder bios. He immediately followed by saying that he would swipe right to match with the woman, lie about
his political alliance, have sex with said woman and shout, “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” as he came on her back in the end. I immediately felt very small and acutely aware of the very real problem that women face in Trump’s America. Not only do they have to fear that a stranger will feel enabled to “grab ‘em by the p*ssy” as they walk down once-familiar streets of their hometowns, but they have to worry about the disrespect and betrayal of consensual partners as well. I find myself fortunate to have a loving, respectful partner who was raised to build women up in a world that so often puts them down. I feel like I picked the needle out of a haystack, though. While not all men are terrible misogynists, the way that our president has enabled all men to act through his words and actions is egregious. This became morbidly clear to me through Norton’s horrendous act and the resulting belly-laughs that echoed in my ears long after the show was over. We can’t allow this type of behavior to prevail. We are still stronger together, no matter who stands on the podium. Dating can be great again, as long as we hold men accountable and know that we are worth so much more. To women seeking male partners out there: I am sorry. There are good men out there, I promise. To men seeking female partners out there: Please prove us wrong. It’ll be ‘uge. OP-ED 9
WHILE I HAVE
FLOOR Two student organizations get real about religion. BY CAROLINE FAIREY • PHOTOS BY MARK MADDALONI • DESIGN BY ASHLYN MURPHY
This interview transcription is the first of four installments in a new, recurring series called While I Have the Floor. The concept for this piece evolved from a desire to provide a space in our magazine for considerate, thoughtful discussion of political, religious and cultural differences between student organizations. Diversity grows along with the student population every year, and as a magazine, we want to be a platform for every student voice, as long as they have something to say. The two women who joined me were Almeera Lateef and EA Matthews. Lateef is the president of the Muslim Student Association, and Matthews works as a college leader for Young Life, a Christian outreach organization. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How did you get involved with your organization?
What stigma do you see around joining a religious group?
MATTHEWS: I participated in Young Life in high school, and I knew I wanted to lead in college. You go through an intensive training process for a few months, and then a background check to make sure you’re qualified to lead high school students. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since 10th grade. It changed my life, and I wanted to give back.
LATEEF: For the MSA, what I had to get past was that lots of Muslim girls cover all the way up and wear hijabs, and I don’t. I had to get past that to start going and start feeling accepted. Some other people who I’ve encouraged to come with me to meetings are worried that other Muslims will judge them, either for being too religious or not religious enough. Lots of different clubs on campus have different stigmas, though; that was just one of ours.
LATEEF: For me, during my freshman year, a good friend of mine from home told me about the Muslim Student Association. I didn’t really know if I wanted to join, but once I started going to meetings, I really loved it. [When I ran for president,] I wanted to change the way the MSA was working, get more people involved and combat the stigma around joining because I loved it so much once I gave it a chance.
MATTHEWS: I think one of the biggest ones is that because Young Life reaches out a lot to high schoolers, people think it’s a group full of hypocrites. In general, growing up in the South where lots of people are socially Christian, you get people who say they’re Christians and then don’t live like it. Then, since Young Life is a national program, there are lots of people who went to high schools where it was poorly executed, and they had a bad experience. And so they think, “Oh, it’s just a meaningless thing,” or that Young Life practices a religion of judgmental people, and that stigma can be hard to fight. WHILE I HAVE THE FLOOR 11
“If you’re not going to talk about it, no one’s going to talk about it, and no one’s going to be comfortable talking about it.” Did you grow up in South Carolina? MATTHEWS: Yes. LATEEF: Yes, me too. MATTHEWS: Like 10 minutes away from each other, actually.
Did you grow up in religious households? Was that formative for you? MATTHEWS: Young Life made my faith real for me. I was Christian in the sense that most people in the South grow up — nominally Christian. It didn’t become a formative aspect of my life until Young Life. LATEEF: I’ve been pretty religious throughout my life, but I feel like recently it’s grown more. Being president of an organization that teaches people — tells them what’s going on in the world — and what’s going on in the Qur’an has made me a more religious person in aspects that I wouldn’t have considered when I lived at home.
Do you feel like, on campus, there’s a stigma around religion in general? MATTHEWS: Honestly, I feel like it depends on the major. In most humanities courses, you go in with the worldview that God doesn’t exist. I feel like there are considerably fewer Christians who are English majors than there are who are business majors. There’s a stigma, though, in a place like the Honors college, that you’re religious, therefore you must be ignorant of facts. LATEEF: I would say the science majors too, because when you’re discussing the theory of evolution, both Christianity and Islam run into problems with that. MATTHEWS: I would say that in college, we act like not being religious is the absence of any philosophical biases. I think what would be helpful is realizing that the predominant nonreligious worldview in academia does come from a very specific historical moment. We’re not ridding ourselves of all biases by being nonreligious; we’re sort of taking up new ones. And that’s not a bad thing, necessarily, but I think it’s helpful to be aware. LATEEF: Obviously, there’s a lot of cultural stigma in general around the Muslim community. During our meetings, we try to instruct
12
students how to deal with hate when they see it. Like, the day after Osama Bin Laden was killed, someone came up to me and was like, “Oh, sorry your dad died.” And I was shocked, but I feel like when you return their attack or curse them out or yell at them or show them that their negative words affect you, they accept the perception that they have of Muslims as true. I feel like it’s important to keep a positive attitude and to represent our religion in a positive light, especially when there’s so much negative news.
As student leaders, do you have a vision for the future of your group? LATEEF: I definitely want MSA to grow. Currently, we have about 40 members, which is a lot for a university with 400 Muslim students. The problem is, if we want any kind of initiative done, we need a larger group. Like MSA spent $4000 on a prayer room, but it got ruined in the flood three years ago, so Muslim students have been praying in a cubicle in Close-Hipp for the last two years. Now, the new health center has an interfaith room where students can go to meditate or pray, which has been really amazing for us to have a permanent space. I’m also working to get the conversation started about excused absences for our religious holidays. I’m also interested in starting a small group Qur’an study for interested students. Above all, I feel like if you are Muslim in any aspect, in name or in dress or in deep faith, you should be able to feel comfortable coming to our meetings and interacting with other Muslim students. We’re stronger together, and it’s better for all of us if we have one, united voice on campus. MATTHEWS: Since Young Life is so widespread, I don’t have a lot of control over the kind of things we do, but I really love how we reach out into the community. I love how it forces you to be active in your religion — like it’s something to be lived instead of just learned. I also feel like there are so many religious groups on campus that we could stand to collaborate more on service projects or reaching out to international students who need a community for the six months or year that they’re here. We could also stand to have more interfaith events, especially between Islam and Christianity, since they’re the two biggest evangelical religions, which are meant to be for the whole world instead of a specific geographical region or a specific ethnic group. LATEEF: I totally agree. I didn’t know so much about Christianity until I started having conversations with my friends about our similarities and differences. If you’re not going to talk about, no one’s going to talk about it, and no one’s going to be comfortable talking about it. Everyone should be comfortable exploring their options and learning as much as they can from their roommates or classmates or friends.
“There’s a stigma, though... that you’re religious, therefore you must be ignorant of the facts.”
13
THE
PERFECT PREGAME BY MARY-BRYANT CHARLES • PHOTOS BY BRENNAN BOOKER • DESIGN BY ANGEL PRATER
Contrary to what the temperature would have you believe, September has arrived and with it, football season. I’ve never been that much of a sports person, but nevertheless, I’m here to spread some Gamecock spirit. While I lack the attention span to enjoy an eternity-long quarter, there’s something that always will pull me out of the house and into the stadium on Saturdays: Tailgate food. Fun, easy, and versatile. Fellow homebodies, feel free to rejoice. We’re about to start the season off right with some recipes that’ll get even the biggest couch potatoes on their way to the game.
SOMETHING SAVORY... Anyone who knows me knows I’m a burger girl, so of course we’re going to start this off with some sliders. This burger recipe is buttery, spicy, and bound to please. 1 lb ground beef 1 tsp salt & pepper 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp mustard powder ½ tsp paprika 1 whole onion 3 garlic cloves 1 can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles, drained 12 slices of cheddar cheese 12 dinner rolls Guacamole (optional)
14 FOOD
1. Preheat oven to 350 oF. Coat baking dish with cooking spray. 2. Place a large skillet on the stovetop over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the beef and season. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned and onions are golden. Stir in drained tomatoes until well combined. 3. Place bottom half of buns in pan. Top with beef & sliced cheese. Finish off with the top half of the bun.
SOMETHING FOR THE VEGAN OR GLUTEN-FREE... I know y’all are out there and deserve a good snack like the rest of us. Even if you aren’t vegan, I highly recommend giving these nachos a try, especially if you’re interested in some healthy variations on some of your favorite dishes.
The Cheese 1 cup potatoes, peeled & diced 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped ¼ cup water 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp salt ½ tbsp lemon juice ¼ cup nutritional yeast ¼ tsp onion powder ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp paprika 1. Boil the carrots and the potatoes. 2. Blend the potatoes and carrots together until very smooth. 3. Add remaining ingredients until the cheese is smooth, adding more of the reserved water as necessary until desired consistency is reached. 4. Season to taste with salt, cayenne and paprika.
The Nachos Tortilla chips Vegan nacho cheese sauce 2 Tomatoes, diced Refried beans 2 Green Onions, chopped Cilantro 1 Jalapeño, chopped Guacamole 1. Spread out half of the tortilla chips onto a dish or serving tray. 2. Add spoonfuls of refried beans. 3. Drizzle vegan nacho cheese. 4. Add a second layer of nachos, add spoonfuls of refried beans and sprinkle like you did on the first layer, along with a generous amount of cheese. 5. Add jalapeños, green onions, and sprinkle of tomatoes. 6. Top with cilantro for garnish.
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MIND & BODY The newly renovated health center encourages mindfulness with meditative architecture. BY LARISSA JOHNSON • PHOTOS BY ROBERT CARTER • DESIGN BY GRACE STEPTOE
WHEN I WALK IN, I first notice the smell
— earthy, floral, clean. It’s difficult to place, but matches the soothing slate gray floors and curving couches in colors such as “island green” and “Florida Keys blue.” A plethora of tropical plants seem just too perfect until my ears register two people with dark green watering cans discussing how best to maintain the many beds and pots. Altogether, the expansive main lobby feels vaguely like a greenhouse or spa. The Thomson Student Health Center, with its lack of windows and recessed entrance, holds a resemblance to a cave. But architects modeled the new 68,000-square-foot Center for Health and Well-Being after a tree, with the five levels representing aspects from the roots to the foliage. The top floor is administrative space, and the fourth floor contains specialized offices such as physical therapy and women’s health, representing growth and reaching branches. Oak Care Team, one of the four primary care teams established in 2015, resides at the front of the third floor — the “structure” or trunk — overlooking Russell House. The check-in tablet asks me to fill out a routine depression screening, and I wonder what
16 HEALTH & WELLNESS
kind of college student can say they haven’t felt stressed in the past two weeks. Certainly not me, which probably contributes to the chronic tension headaches I’m here to find some relief for. I’ve put off making an appointment for over a year, but we breeze through my family and medical history and an eye exam before discussing solutions. On the second floor — the “foundation” or soil — the student presence is more pronounced. Ten people stand in line at the pharmacy, many on their first visits to the center as well. I wait my turn to get handed a little white paper bag that crinkles loudly as I shove it into my purse. At the same time, a guided meditation session is scheduled next door in the “C.A.L.M. Oasis,” a room of yoga mats and cushions. It has attracted fewer students than the pharmacy — I can see just one through the window. While I could use a little relaxation, I’m on to my next appointment. The first floor — the “roots” — contains labs, dieticians and travel consultants, all with about double the space. Getting around, though, requires a bit of assistance. Three helpful staff members later, I find my way — down a flight of stairs, to the left, through a
hallway, another left, another hallway — to the labs. I’ve scheduled an HIV test; doctors recommend that everyone gets tested at least once, regardless of risk. There aren’t any other students down here, and the entire blooddrawing process takes less than five minutes. “Show me your arms.” “Squeeze the pear.” “Quick prick.” “Now release.” I exhale the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and let go of the foam pear, not looking at the syringe full of blood. The lab assistant makes sure I’ve eaten and don’t feel faint, and then I’m free to go. The results will be posted online. I head out of the calming, beautiful space, re-emerging into the chaotic world.
“ T H E C H E C KI N TA B L E T ASKS ME TO FILL OUT A ROUTINE DEPRESSION SCREENING, AND I WONDER W H AT K I N D OF COLLEGE STUDENT CAN S AY T H E Y H A V E N ’ T F E LT STRESSED IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS.”
18 FEATURE
NECESSARY EVIL THE EXPOSÉ ON CAROLINA CORE THAT NO ONE ASKED FOR. BY CAROLINE FAIREY • DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION BY GRACIE NEWTON
THE CONCEPT FOR THIS ARTICLE happened
something like this: “You know what every undergrad at USC has in common? Carolina Core. Let’s interview a bunch of them and then write about how it’s screwing them over.” Looking back, I fell prey to a little logical fallacy called “begging the question.” I designed my interviews around the assumption that students would have some chief complaint, or that they’d been waiting for the opportunity to unload their dissatisfaction on someone. In short, I planned an entire searing exposé on the evils of higher education without talking to a single student. When I started meeting with students, most interviews lasted less than 30 seconds. Dozens of busy-but-friendly undergrads seemed totally prepared to talk to me, but didn’t have any complaints to hand over. “Sorry,” one junior laughed. “I really can’t think of anything. Good luck with that article, though!” This isn’t to say that students expressed deep fondness for the core curriculum. On the contrary—when I mentioned the phrase “Carolina Core,” most students responded with a wry smile, or an exaggerated eye-roll. From what I gathered, at best, the Core provides a welcome distraction from fulfilling major requirements; at worst, students felt that their frustration with Carolina Core was just a normal part of USC life. “It’s almost a given that students take a certain number of courses that they don’t care about,” one junior English major said. “It’s just part of the college experience.”
The only students who consistently responded with a desire to see changes in Carolina Core policy were the overworked, haggard STEM students—biochemistry and engineering majors who felt that taking six credit hours of foreign language put an unfair burden on their overloaded schedules. “I see the benefit of knowing a language,” one sophomore biology major said, “but there’s no way that six credit hours will help me reach fluency. At that elementary level, it’s almost a waste of time.” Understandable, coming from those veterans of organic chemistry. But what about the rest of the student population? Some quick quantitative data: The University of South Carolina serves roughly 25,000 undergraduates. The percentage of students from out-of-state or international programs grows every year, along with the size of the freshman class. Within the university, there are 19 colleges from which students can earn degrees; each of those programs offers complex majors, minors, cognates, double major options, and dual degrees. And all of these students put in a minimum of 31 credit hours — an entire semester and then some — to complete the Carolina Core requirements. I’m not a statistics major, but it struck me as odd that a sizable sampling of these students—without boundaries of major, age, gender, race, or campus involvement — didn’t have concrete complaints about the current system. But then again, it isn’t that surprising. Unless you’ve experienced a complete horror story (like accidentally signing 19
25,000
undergraduates
up for an ocean studies course meant for environmental majors), chances are the minor annoyances caused by university policies such as Carolina Core get swept under the rug. Incoming freshmen are routinely told by upperclassmen to “knock out” core requirements their first few semesters, as though core classes were pesky minions in a video game. “It’s impossible for students to get the whole picture,” one transfer student said. “When you’re deciding where to go to college, the degree completion set-up usually isn’t a consideration. It’s just kind of assumed that most universities approach it the same way.” The provost’s website talks about Carolina Core as “courses in the liberal arts and sciences that support subsequent study in the program major and in beyond-theclassroom learning activities.” These classes are supposed to teach universal skills, like “communication, analytical reasoning and problem-solving, scientific literacy, information literacy and the arts.” Parsing through the buzzwords, it’s clear that the university believes that a wellrounded student makes for a successful employee and citizen. They maintain that even areas of study like pure science and fine arts, which have few real-world applications for most students, are inherently valuable. These views certainly aren’t groundbreaking, and they align with the current standard of public, collegiate education. But how does this short, snappy mission statement get applied in actual classrooms? I spoke with a professor who helped design the curriculum for SAEL 200, a class that most students at USC end up taking. It fulfills two separate overlay requirements—the Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility requirement and the spoken component of the Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication requirement. Here’s what he had to say: There are lots of academic requirements that schools, departments, courses, and teachers have to meet. Most of them are pretty arbitrary. I don’t mean that they’re senseless, but they aren’t obvious, objective, precise standards. All of the requirements for the SAEL course are listed in the course objectives on the syllabus, verbatim. Those objectives are written by the people who design the course, and they’re given to the speech department and the values/ethics committee. Those people then compare the course objectives to the requirements for all courses that count as speech or values
31
19
credit hours
colleges
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courses. Then, either the language of the objectives gets revised, or the course is approved. There are no mechanisms in place to detect how professors interpret those objectives other than one yearly visit on a day that the professor decides, by someone that the professor knows. What I gathered from this was that no one on the chain of command—from the Department of Education to a Ph.D. student teaching English 101 — has a clear standard of what meets course objectives. On an individual level, it’s hard for students to see the big picture. If you and your friend both take SAEL 200 and get different assignments, semantically opposed professors, and classroom environments that are like day and night, who can say if the course objectives truly have been filled in either case? In application, a student caters to their professor’s style of grading, receives the grade they deserve, and graduates with a diploma that guarantees certain skills learned in core courses. “[Carolina Core] is a perfect set-up for freshmen who aren’t sure what they want to do,” said one orientation leader. “They get to try out a bunch of learning methods and subjects without feeling like they’re wasting their time. But once you’re invested in a major, students put off taking their Core classes because they’ve found a classroom style that works for them, and they don’t want to risk screwing it up.” So what do you do if you’re a student, stuck in courses that you’re not interested in, fulfilling vague requirements, and feeling ambiguous about your education? Stay informed. Ask your favorite professors if they’re teaching core courses. Talk to advisors, peers, and upperclassmen who have taken courses you’re considering. If you’re worried about spending a semester on a subject that you hate, USC has started to branch out and offer major-specific classes that fill core requirements, such as Spanish for Business Majors. Like with many large institutions, Carolina Core isn’t an evil plot to keep students giving their hard-earned money to the university. It’s rooted in good intentions, passed down by benign powers, and ultimately may or may not contribute to a well-rounded education. Maybe Carolina Core didn’t need an exposé, but if this article helps make more students aware of their options, then it’ll have done its job.
. . .W HE N I M E N TIO N E D THE P HR A SE “CA R O LIN A CORE,” M O ST STUDE NTS R ESP O N DED WITH A W RY SM ILE , OR AN E X AG G E R ATE D E YE-R O LL. FR OM W HAT I G ATHERED, AT B EST, THE CO R E P R OVID ES A W E LCO M E DISTR ACTIO N FROM FULFILLIN G MAJOR R EQUIR EM E N TS; AT W O R ST, STUD ENTS FELT THAT TH EIR FRUSTR ATIO N WITH CA R O LIN A CORE WA S J UST A NORMAL PA R T O F USC LIFE.”
WHILE I HAVE THE FLOOR 21
REAL FAKE 22 FEATURE
On the paradoxical nature of fake Instagrams. BY JENNA SCHIFERL • PHOTOS BY ROBERT CARTER • DESIGN BY ANGEL PRATER
I N A N I N C R E A S I N G LY D I G I TA L A G E , I N S TA G R A M H A S C R E AT E D A N I N C R E D I B LY H I G H S TA N D A R D O F W H AT A “ P E R F E C T L I F E ” S H O U L D L O O K L I K E . U S E R S C A N C R E AT E H E AV I LY S T Y L I Z E D I M A G E S T H AT I N C L U D E L AY E R S O F F I LT E R S A N D E D I T S T O C R E AT E A “ C A N D I D ” P H O T O T H AT L O O K S L I K E I T WA S S N A P P E D O N A C A S U A L W H I M . I T ’ S A N E A S I LY A C C E S S I B L E P L AT F O R M W H E R E T H E F O O D YO U E AT, T H E VA C AT I O N S YO U TA K E , A N D T H E A YO U B U Y A R E O N D I S P L AY F O R M I L L I O N S O F OTHER USERS TO VIEW AND CRITIQUE. THIS CAN S O M E T I M E S C R E AT E A C O M P E T I T I O N O F S O R T S W H E R E U S E R S A R E C O N S TA N T LY C O M PA R I N G T H E M S E LV E S T O T H E P S E U D O - FA B U L O U S L I V E S OF THEIR PEERS.
23
A
*NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR ANONYMITY
After its launch in 2010 and acquisition by Facebook in 2012, Instagram has rapidly become one of the most popular social media platforms. Although Facebook still prevails as the most widely used, according to a 2017 Pew Research Center study, more than half of online adults ages 18 to 29 use Instagram, making it the second most popular platform among adolescents and young adults. Instagram has been criticized for its lack of authenticity, as well as associated pressures on young women to conform to societal beauty and fitness standards. These expectations are only further amplified with the presence of a myriad of celebrity accounts and sponsored posts urging users to buy the latest beauty or fad diet product. Even without corporate sponsorships, Instagram can pose a series of challenges to the average user. Allison Rogers, a third-year student computer science student at USC, has an account with almost 900 followers. She mentioned the sometimes-tedious steps she takes before posting a photo. “Usually I’ll think about posting something for a couple days. And then when I have the
time I’ll sit down and edit it, crop it and then post it,” Rogers says. She emphasized the importance of posting quality content that reflects her personal values, but also acknowledged the societal pressures that Instagram is infamous for harboring. “As much as I hate to say it, it’s a lot about self image. And it’s absolutely a process,” she says. “All the pictures are meaningful to me, and I’ll put them up to remind myself about who I am in my life at this moment, but at the same time I rarely post something that I don’t think is visually appealing. That’s the part of me that’s vain. I shy away from pictures of myself because I don’t want to be part of that culture, but by excluding myself I’m not necessarily being original; I just have a different standard for the image I create online.” Recently, many users have adapted to a new Instagram trend — creating Finstagrams, or “fake Instagrams.” But what exactly is a fake Instagram? One student analogized Finstagrams to “a group chat with all of your friend groups that nobody is obligated to respond to.”
“BY EXCLUDING MYSELF I’M NOT NECCESARILY BEING ORIGINAL; I JUST HAVE A DIFFERENT STANDARD FOR THE IMAGE I CREATE ONLINE.”
24
“...think “...think “...thinkpartying, partying, partying,alcohol, alcohol, alcohol,drugs...” drugs...” drugs...”
Finstagrams started as a way for individuals to post images that might be considered inappropriate for employers or family members to see — think partying, alcohol, drugs, etc. The creation of this Instagram subculture was very much a reaction to the dominance of the Instagram ideal standard. Although Finstas are still a great place to document risqué behaviors, for many they have evolved into something more meaningful. “I made my true finsta spring of sophomore year because I was feeling a lot of stress from classes and wanted a platform for my inner circle of friends to allow both them and myself to laugh at the stress rather than get overwhelmed by it. My finsta isn’t me partying or anything, its mostly pictures of me laying down in the street and that kind of thing,” says Lauren Phillips, a third-year biomedical engineering student. Despite the prevalence of its mainstream counterpart, there are surprisingly little data regarding Finstagrams. There is no real research that suggests demographic or regional statistics about Finstagram account holders. This could be due to the nature of the medium itself. By creating a Finsta, users are deliberately separating themselves and the content they choose to post from their main accounts. While some turn to Finstas as a mechanism of escaping the constant influx of advertisements and junior varsity Vogue photoshoots, others use Finsta as a way to relax and share stories with friends. Cassidy Spencer, a second-year visual communications student, noted the differences between her two accounts. “I initially created my primary Instagram account sometime in sixth grade, evidenced by the ridiculously over edited pictures at the beginning of my feed,” Spencer says. She decided to make a Finstagram halfway through her freshman year at USC, after waiting a few months to see if the trend was just a fad. She noted that many of her friends also created Finstagrams and enjoyed using them.
“I realized that every day is full of silly little anecdotes or embarrassing moments that I could share with the people that I knew well… [My Finsta] has become over time less about embarrassing moments and drunk stories, and more just telling people mundane things that don’t feel worthy of other social media,” she continues. “All of my friends and general acquaintances follow my real Instagram account, whereas I pretty much only let other Finstas of close friends follow my Finsta. It all sounds so silly now that I’m explaining it.” Emily*, a third-year student, made a Finsta last November after a series of awkward encounters with coworkers and acquaintances. “Honestly, this might sound pathetic, but literally there are just so many unfortunate things that happen in my life that I want to share. So I made a Finsta so other people can laugh at my life,” she says. She expressed concern over exposure of inappropriate content on her main account that could be judged by family members and future employers. “It’s private because 1) not everyone needs to know everything that’s on there and 2) it’s not all appropriate. I’ll probably delete it within the next year, definitely before I start looking for a real job,” Emily says. Fake accounts provide the opportunity for users to share the most intimate or mundane moments of their lives in a controlled environment, without fear of judgment from others. They have created a movement of personal empowerment for adolescents and young adults. No longer strictly used for documentation of promiscuous or immoral behaviors, fake Instagrams are now often used to share unfortunate anecdotes, and tales of mishap and casual misfortune. Although Finstagrams may only be a temporary solution to a long-term problem, they serve their purpose as a way of escaping the organized chaos of social media. It is impossible to capture true reality in a pixelated box — regardless if posted on a Finsta or not. 25
WHEN EV ERYON E KN OWS
26 FEATURE
MUCH TO SHARON OSBOURNE’S DISMAY ,
the famous-for-nothing stars of today à la Kim Kardashian have proven that celebrity goes way beyond talent, and money is more than a salary. From Instagram endorsements to “doing it for the vine,” this is a land where follower counts equate to social status and likes and retweets are the common currency. While becoming a career-Instagrammer is not what your adviser may have planned for you, that doesn’t stop 20-somethings from making their names known. Columbia may not have a red carpet, but like any good USC student knows, we have no limits. So how does an everyday girl in an instant world navigate her way through this complicated terrain and still come out on top? Where there’s a news feed there’s a way.
How USC students found fame online. BY HALEY SPRANKLE • ILLUSTRATIONS BY WANDA FELSENHARDT • DESIGN BY RACHEL JOHNSON
MADDY LANIER “ARE YOU MADDY FROM TWITTER?”
She walked into the Starbucks, dropped down on the first available spot, and propped her feet up on the chair next to her. “I’m sorry I am such a hot mess right now, but it has been a DAY.” This is Maddy Lanier, both on- and offline. She is crassness in winged eyeliner, fierce and ready to take on the world. The local Twitter royalty has had many posts go viral, but she is most well-known for her tweet about Malia Obama. “I wanna hear one more republican parent complain about Malia Obama like their son isn’t doing lines of cocaine in a frat house before church.” Maddy describes her “brand” as using Twitter as an emotional outlet while simultaneously using humor to cope with the world around her. She is always present, an open door ready to let you into her world at all times, with a quick retort in her back pocket at all times if necessary. “I used to not be like that and be sort of closed off, but then when I started experiencing more traumatic things in like 2014, I became more open,” she said. In the middle of this high-traffic Starbucks, Maddy had no reservations about sharing her story. In April, her father committed suicide, leaving lasting impacts on herself and her family. She turned to Twitter during this time to channel and sort through her thoughts at the time. Girls quickly began to reach out to her in her DMs, sharing similar instances of trauma. “I had no idea how many people could relate to me,” she said. As time went on, she began acting as a hub for advice for any girls who might be struggling. Maddy then made her DMs open to the public so there was no barrier between herself and someone who might need help. Unfortunately, that invites unwelcome commentary. “For every weird guy who’s sending me s**t, I’m helping probably like five girls,” she said. “So I’ll just block the guys and keep it open if I’m able to help the other girls.” It’s not all Dr. Phil here, though. While Maddy does take discussion seriously, she also masterfully capitalizes on her 140 characters with wit and intellect. Her viral content has even extended from cyber-land to her real life. “I’ve served people at my work who will be like, ‘Are you Maddy?’ and I’m honestly shocked,” she said. “One time I even had a family that tipped me $40 because their daughter recognized me from Twitter!” From standing up to trolls to standing up for causes like Black Lives Matter, Maddy leaves no leaf unturned on her profile. While this may seem like an admirable feat, every hero needs to take off their cape every now and then. “I do think it’s essential to have a break every so often so that you don’t get overwhelmed,” she said. “I did miss the memes, though. That’s why I had to come back.” 28
K. LEE GRAHAM “I JUST USE MY PHONE!” I found K. Lee
Graham with her long, dark hair draped over her shoulders as she sat at a small table in the new law school, studying even though it was only the first week of class. Somewhere in the distance, you can almost swear Tom Petty’s “American Girl” is playing. “Would you mind if I took this call?” she asked. “My mom forgot her password, and it’s my job to remember it for her.” Any millennial child is more than familiar with this plight. This exchange is only a fraction of the sweet-as-pie kindness that exudes from K. Lee. The former Miss Teen USA pageant winner and Instagram elite holds about 32,000 followers on the photo-sharing application. When scrolling through her profile, you are met with candid smiles, breakfasts that are almost too cute to eat and uplifting messages. “Instagram allows me to kind of put out the images that I have in my head to the world,” K. Lee said. “It’s my matter of self-expression.” Like any high school freshman alive in the iPhone age, K. Lee was usually posting funny pictures of herself and her friends online. That all changed in 2014. “When I first started really getting people to follow me was when I did the Miss South Carolina Teen USA and then, consequently, Miss Teen USA pageants,” she said. “When I won that was when I went from about 5,000 followers to 15,000 followers in the matter of a month or two.” Within the same year of being launched into the spotlight, K. Lee braved the Big Apple alone at 17 years old. “I felt very young, and that’s when I started having an Instagram following,” K. Lee said. “It felt weird because I was still so in my own little world, posting what I thought was funny and made me laugh.” The competition judges may have given her 10s across the board, but fans are fleeting and criticism isn’t always constructive. From then on, K. Lee had to learn to throw on her favorite accessory: rose-tinted glasses. “You have to remember that social media, for whatever good it has, also provides an opportunity for people to hide behind a fake persona and hide behind the fact that they don’t have to tell you something to your face,” she said. This optimism truly helps paint the way K. Lee sees and depicts her life. An artist all her life, K. Lee admittedly curates her life, showing the things she finds most beautiful on her Instagram. “Having an artistic outlet is good for everyone, and for me photography and even modeling is what that was for me,” she said.
When asked how she captures such lovely images for her profile, she said she just uses her iPhone whenever the moment strikes her. “I think you can find beauty in your everyday life, no matter who you are.”
----Women and millennials alike are taking what once seemed vapid and vain to many, and transforming it into a source of empowerment and a reflection of the overall
human experience. Whether it’s through uplifting images, or an uncensored line of communication, women like K. Lee and Maddy are reaching the masses in a way that most can’t. So maybe these girls aren’t the next Jennifer Lawrence tripping across the Oscars stage, but they are representative of the rise of a generation who has sought to make a name for itself. Now that you know their names, @ them next time you have something to say. 29
NO PLACE
LIKE HOME Less than pleasant experiences with off-campus housing. BY SARAH NICHOLS • PHOTOS BY CHRISTIAN HINTY • DESIGN BY ASHLYN MURPHY
30 FEATURE
I
t’s the start of the new school year. Excitement buzzes in dorms as students decorate their first home away from home, while upperclassmen stroll to their new classes with the confidence of experience and a fresh start. The anticipation of a new football season is high, and the bars in Five Points are crowded yet again. And as you sit on the Horseshoe to admire the changing leaves and count how many times students inevitably trip over improperly placed bricks, you may notice one thing: more and more students fill the streets. Every year USC’s student body gets a little bit bigger. More and more freshmen are accepted annually, and it is required that they live on campus. This past year’s high-enrollment rate may have been unforeseen—as our number of basketball wins surmounted unexpectedly, so did the number of students signing on to being gamecocks—but these rates have been steadily increasing for years as USC has struggled to house everyone. The school simply lacks the infrastructure to house these ever-increasing numbers. And while USC has recently approved a $460 million plan for eight new residence halls, construction is still forthcoming. What this means for the rest of the student body is that they must turn to off-campus housing, most commonly through apartment complexes and homes in nearby neighborhoods. New apartment buildings and management companies seem to be spreading across Columbia like wildfires, and the choices may be overwhelming for students seeking the best fit for their multi-faceted lives. For most students, this is their first time renting or purchasing, and it is hard to understand exactly what you agree
to and what your rights are. However, one major common denominator that seems to thread many student’s off-campus experiences together is the abuse of power and neglect of management. Let’s take a look at some student’s less than pleasant experiences: “My washing machine was falling out of the wall so I put in a maintenance order,” said Nick Proto, a third-year broadcast journalism student. “They came in, threw some duct tape on it, said they’d come back the next day to fix it, and never came back.” “I moved off campus as a necessity because I was not approved for on-campus housing as a sophomore. One day while I was in class I got a text from my roommate saying that she thought someone broke into our room. She found our door unlocked and many scuff marks throughout the living room with no explanation or warning. I got back and checked out my room. To my surprise and horror my bathroom was wrecked,” third-year French and economics student Hannah Wilczewski said. “The toilet was missing, the walls were damaged/stripped, there was wall paste everywhere, tools, scuff marks, and all my personal items were thrown on my bed. We called to the main desk and the person who answered couldn’t find any record of the toilet removal and it took three different conversations with management for us to discover that the room below me experienced leaking every time I showered or used the toilet. I was without [a] toilet for three days and they returned the toilet with less notice than when they took it in the first place.”
WHILE I HAVE THE FLOOR 31
For one USC student, her uncertainty on the process of leasing an apartment made her a target. “So basically, freshman year you’re kind of pressured into finding an apartment, so we decided on [an apartment], and when we were signing they did an online application process. You had to apply, and once they approved your application, then you could live there. But it was very unclear whether that was us signing a lease—to our knowledge we would get an application and then we would move forward from there. So our application would get confirmed, and then we would get to go in and sign a lease and all that good stuff,” she explained. “But basically how it ended up working out was, once you applied, and you were accepted, that was basically you signing your lease online. It was all really confusing, and the only reason we really realized that was because we had signed up for a three person apartment, and then, last minute we needed to switch to a four person apartment…I had to go in and basically break my three person lease and sign to a four person lease, although I had never really signed a lease, to my knowledge. And it was all very confusing, especially being your freshman year in college.” As if this wasn’t enough, this same student was again a victim of uncertain circumstances at the same apartment complex. One long weekend, her floors were being redone, and when she returned to her apartment for the first time on Monday, she noticed that something was a little off. “They came in and redid the floors, and they moved a bunch of my stuff in the laundry room…into this bigger bedroom that my roommate had vacated, and they put it all on there. So I came home that Monday and I was rushing and I ran inside and the floors were done. And I kind of glanced in the room and I saw all my stuff in there, and I thought, ‘that’s really weird that they would move all of my stuff and not put it back. But that’s okay whatever, I’ll just put my stuff back when I come home,’” she explained. But when she came home about two hours later, her apartment was not in the condition that she left it. “I walked up to my apartment door, and the door was ajar. So I walked in, and it was really weird and I said, ‘hello?’ because I figured maybe a maintenance worker was in there. They told us they would be coming in and out, and so I go into the apartment and I’m kind of looking around, and I checked the spare bedroom where all of my stuff had been in previously, and it was all gone,” she said. “All of my clothes that had been drying on the drying rack, all of my stuff that they had moved in there was completely cleared out. I probably lost around 200-300 dollars’ worth of clothes, and I had no idea who had been in my apartment.”
“T HEY CAM E I N , T HRE W SO ME D U C T TAP E ON I T, SA I D T HE Y ’D CO ME BACK THE N E XT DAY TO FIX I T A ND NEVE R C A M E BAC K .”
32
“T H E TO I L ET WA S M I SSI N G, T H E WA L L S W ERE DA M AGED/ST RI PPE D, T H ERE WA S WA L L PA STE EVERYW H ERE, TO O L S, SCU F F M A RKS A N D A LL M Y PERSO N A L I T EM S WE RE T H ROW N O N M Y BED.” She tried to seek help or an explanation from management, but to no avail. “I immediately went to the leasing office and told them everything… and they were like ‘oh, well no one should have touched your stuff.’…I called them, I emailed them, and for a while they were cooperative, and then, after a while, they stopped emailing me back, they stopped calling me back. I would go over there and try to talk to them, and they would always be like ‘oh, it’s not a good time, the property manager’s busy.’ And they completely disregarded everything we said to them, and at one point they just stopped replying to us…and I couldn’t really do anything because I didn’t really have any evidence of it,” she said. While it is true that she has no proof that this incident was directly caused by the management and maintenance staff, she knows for sure that she left her apartment locked, so it is very unlikely that it was a third party who entered. And because items that were of more value in her apartment were not stolen, such as a TV or computer, it is more likely that a maintenance worker would have either accidentally or intentionally stolen the items that they moved into the first place, as opposed to a random act of thievery. Either way, the student was left with no explanation, compensation or closure. Although there is strength in numbers, this large population of USC students seems to lack a good bit of say in their quality of housing. Rent increases drastically every year, and while many of the apartment complexes masquerade as luxury living, they often lack the basic maintenance and upkeep to even comply within minimum living standards. And since many of us are dealing with leases, rent and management companies for the first time, we don’t know where to turn for help or how to affect change. However, there are a few of the littler known services offered on campus who are here to encourage you to know your rights and hold your landlords up to that standard. Off Campus Student Services, located in the basement of the Russell House West Wing, provides all students with the resource and advisement needed for any transition or tough period in your offcampus housing experience.
“It’s so important that we have students that help empower students to take control of your living situation off campus,” said Dave Foster, associate director of Off Campus Student Services (OCSS). “You know, it’s not always going to be the best situation, but the university provides so many services, not only with off campus students, but the university provides so many services for students that I think are underutilized.” And underutilized they often are. Another program provided by USC is Student Legal Services (SLS), which offers free legal advisement and representation for all students, already included in your tuition. The services they offer could be anything from helping students draft a letter to their property manager, to providing full representation for the students if it comes to extremes. OCSS can also help you assess whether or not you need to take the issue to SLS. According to Janie Kerzan, interim director of OCSS, on average, their offices refer students to seek help from SLS approximately once a week, although not all of these students may end up needing legal help. “They see a lot of landlord-tenant types of cases and help students navigate motivating their landlord or property manager to do certain things or helping students better understand what they signed in their lease that might be a little different than what they were under the impression that they signed,” Kerzan said. Most importantly of all, though, when it comes to property management issues, Kerzan emphasizes documentation. “Day one, photos are your friend and if something’s not right? Photos need to be taken, it needs to be documented, landlords need to be made aware, and they legally have to address these things.,” Kerzan said. “And I think sometimes students just end up being like, ‘oh, I guess this is what I get, oh well, I’ve got a lot of other things I’m worried about right now.’” Ultimately, what it comes down to is being an informed resident and not being afraid to demand the rights that you are afforded. No change can be affected without baby steps to set it in motion, so know your rights and don’t be afraid to take the first step. And since you’re off campus, maybe you won’t trip on any bricks this time. 33
34 STYLE
EVE Eve: the classical figure who was responsible for the downfall of man.
The vision for this shoot focuses on Eve’s modern identity. I believe that she was a strong woman who was essential to the creation of man. Without her decision to sin, we would not have this world. As college students, we are faced with many tough decisions: what classes to take, who to surround ourselves with and who we are going to become. Eve is a warning to all of the students coming in this year: no matter what decision you make, it has to come from a place of purpose. This style shoot was inspired by the different stages of Eve’s life and how she transitioned into a more experienced and well-rounded modern figure from the protection and security that she once had in the garden. We could all learn from the decisions that Eve made and the troubles that she faced. We must all be aware of our surroundings, the people that may influence us and the balance of good and evil.
STYLED BY CLARA MARZOLF • PHOTOS BY BRENNAN BOOKER, ROBERT CARTER, AND CHRISTIAN HINTY DESIGN BY RACHEL JOHNSON AND ASHLYN MURPHY • STYLE ASSISTANTS: ALEX FINLEY AND EILEEN GILLIS MODEL: BRIA GORDON • HAIR AND MAKEUP: LINDSEY CRIDER
FIRST LOOK Jenny Bird Ariel Earrings (circular) $65 Bohemian Jenny Bird Sloane Collar (Cuban links) $125 Bohemian Large Sloan Bracelet (matching bracelet) $95 Bohemian Dolce Vita Maude Boot $150 Bohemian Black Swan Midi Dress (emerald green) $78 Bohemian MuMu Jordyn Tie Top (floral) $118 Bohemian
SECOND LOOK Valley Girl Romper $38 Vestique Waterfalls and Wishes Necklace (gold fringe) $22 Vestique Canopy Ring $85 Bohemian Shoes model’s own
THIRD LOOK PS Distraction Top (black) $158 Bohemian Shilla Creator Cullottes $108 Bohemian VSA Ring $238 Copper Penny Sylvia Benson Necklace $235 Copper Penny FBL Tadesse Bucket Bag $162 Copper Penny Shoes model’s Own
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FUSE ARTIST ALLIANCE An inside look at South Carolina’s integrated artist alliance. BY ROBIN HENDRICKS • PHOTOS BY ROBERT CARTER • DESIGN BY RACHEL JOHNSON
44 ARTS & CULTURE
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THER E ’ S A GR O U P OF 2 0 O R SO PEOPLE LIN E D UP I N R OWS FACIN G TH E MIR R OR . TH E Y’ R E H E R E F OR A F US E CONTE MPOR ARY DAN CE CL AS S. F U S E IS A GR OUP O F COL L A B O R ATIN G AR TIS TS TH AT PU T TOGE TH E R C L A S S E S, A N A NN UAL SH OWCAS E AN D OTH E R E V E N TS. TO N I G H T ’ S CL A SS IS LE D BY IN STR U CTOR R ACH E L J O H N SO N I N STR ETCH E S. W H E N I LOOK U P, TH E Y’ R E ALL SIT T I N G O N THE FLOOR , LEGS S PR E AD TO TH E IR S ID E S IN N E A R S P L I T S A ND I CAN’ T H E LP B U T W IN CE . I’ M N OT A DAN C E R A N D NEVER H AV E B E E N, APAR T F R OM A SU MME R W H E N I WA S FOUR YE AR S O LD. E V E N TH E N, I H AD TO S IT OUT T H E TA P SESSION B ECAU SE I ON LY H AD B ALLE T S H O E S. B UT TH E S E PEOPLE KN OW W H AT TH E Y’ R E D O ING . T H E Y FINISH TH E S TR E TCH E S AN D J O H N SO N LE AD S T H E M THR OU GH TH E F IR S T F E W STE PS O F TH E S ON G. T H E Y PR ACTICE A F E W TIME S B E F O R E TU R N IN G ON TH E M US I C A ND GO IN G AGAIN.
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Mike Diaz is a fourth-year theater and business student at USC. Much like his majors, he doesn’t focus on just one area with his art. He was inspired by Michael Jackson’s “Scream” music video to have an appreciation for different dance styles. As FUSE’s founder and creative director, he’s made a place for artists that lets them explore their talents not only in different dance styles, but also in different art forms as well. USC third year public relations major Kassidy Krystek met him a year and a half ago in a near empty Strom studio. He first asked her if she could help out with some choreography, then asked if she wanted to be a part of a showcase. “It didn’t even have a name yet ... His idea was to bring all of the arts together into one singular showcase, and that’s what he wanted to do,” Krystek said. Now Krystek is the group’s PR director. FUSE is not just for dancers, but for other artists as well. The last showcase actually featured a painter, according to Maurice Blakely, COO of FUSE. “We actually had an artist that was painting a unified piece while we were performing through the whole show,” he said. “She literally stood on stage right here and she was just painting as the show was just going” In terms of dance, FUSE typically holds classes for contemporary dance, hip hop, krump and heels — which is where dancers wear high-heeled shoes. Krystek says it tends to be sultry jazz moves that backup dancers for Beyonce or Lady Gaga would do.
THAT WE WANT TO BUILD FOR Kelsey Edwards, who has been dancing for 20 years, has been a member of FUSE for several months, where she has also taught classes. She grew up in Columbia, but didn’t think she could pursue a career in dance here. She moved to North Carolina for a while to attend North Carolina A&T. “I felt I had to move other places, but I wanted to build something here,” she said. “Fate kind of just brought me, moved me back here to where I’m helping cultivate a scene for dancers here who want to be in the industry, or who just want the training, who want to have an activity if you will.” Dance director Davon Bush was the one who introduced her and Blakely to FUSE. “A lot of people, when they think of South Carolina, they don’t really see it as a state to come up in. That’s why people are always leaving here,” Bush said. “FUSE is that platform that we want to build for people to be able to make their dreams come true here... We want to make South Carolina a hub for artistic people.” Diaz is not from South Carolina, but says he’s grateful he moved here because otherwise, FUSE might not have been created. He said creating something like FUSE “takes a lot of thought process, a lot of organization, and then a lot of Russian Roulette...[The most important part is] you need people around you who will tell you the truth, don’t sugarcoat anything, who you trust, who you can depend on.”
PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR DREAMS COME TRUE HERE... WE WANT TO MAKE SOUTH CAROLINA A HUB FOR ARTISTIC PEOPLE.” 49
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vital organs BY SAM BREAZEALE • PHOTO BY BRENNAN BOOKER • DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION BY GRACIE NEWTON
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We continued to feel bad for them, continued to ask if there was a similar kind of restaurant for women — because that might make it okay — and continued to point out that we thought there was something similar, but it wasn’t a chain — there was just one, in Dallas, maybe. We’d Googled it once.
“I’d go there,” said Tommy. “They must wear, like, Speedos, right?”
“I guess so,” I said.
“See, that’s actually worse. And I don’t see anybody calling that place sexist.” We were headed to Roswell in my mom’s Toyota minivan — not the Roswell of cows and reptilians, but Roswell, Georgia, the Roswell of gated communities and lax open-carry laws— to visit a waitress I’d contacted on Facebook after I’d seen her on the News at 11 the previous night. Roswell was hours away — the story about Adriana had been co-opted from an Atlanta channel after a slow news day.
I was entering my seventh month of a lonesome year and I was convinced that sincerity was the only way out. Sleek radio documentaries, which must be miles worse than television in terms of turning one’s brain to mush, had been my only friend for a shameful amount of time, and so, upon seeing Adriana — a lighthouse of good intentions and an artist in a way that her recently-bestowed title, North Georgia Hooter Girl of the Quarter, failed to capture — I’d decided to grab my friend by the shoulders and try to pull myself out, with Adriana’s help. I was taken with Adriana because I didn’t understand her. Adriana, like the human voice’s career travelling over radio waves, had started out in Brazil. Roberto Landell De Moura immigrated for opportunity, alone, after inventing the first machine capable of throwing sound at the speed of light, while Adriana emigrated, along with her parents, grandparents, and three sisters, to escape flooding, and soon landed a job at the Roswell Hooters. It was my understanding that Hooters was awful — it employed only beautiful victims in need of money, and was patronized only by the most deplorable assholes, excluding, of course, those who visited as anthropologists, as I planned on doing today with Tommy, who was a real pal and a dependable last resort. He was high when I picked him up, sixty miles or so out of my way. He sang “Blackbird” as we drove.
We were kids, Adrianna wasnt, her sister opened up the door to their bright yellow apartment, too shy to speak, we found that the entire living room — probably half of the house — had been rearranged for our interview. Adriana was on the couch in a blanket with a polite smile, two folding chairs positioned in a circle across from her. We were nervous because we were imposters, and she was nervous because she believed us. A dog scratched on the other side of the bedroom door, put away for our conversation, and Adriana’s boyfriend occasionally peeked in proudly as Adriana showed us her stitches and told us the story of Franklin, one of her aging, diabetic regulars. “I just said, ‘listen, I have two kidneys. You can have one if you want,’” she told us.
“You weren’t scared?” we asked.
“I was,” she said, “but where God guides, He provides. That’s why Franklin came into Hooters.”
I avoided Tommy’s glance and hoped that Adriana wouldn’t notice.
“Right, right,” I said. “That’s really neat. So Franklin’s still in the hospital?” “Yeah, but he’s doing great,” she said. “He’s so happy now, and me and him have gotten really close. He used to come in with his wife once in a while, but when she died, he started coming in every day.” “I’m a Hooter girl too,” said Adriana’s sister. “Hooter’s has done everything for us. It’s really a part of our family.”
“That was weird,” said Tommy, when we got back in the car.
It was dark already, and I let Tommy smoke in the car because things seemed more complicated now. He told me about a Christian boy he’d kissed and loved in high school, who had eventually gotten spooked and chosen church over Tommy, and about the Disney World internship he was in the running for. Neither of us talked about our plan to see the Roswell Hooters for ourselves before we left. Maybe we thought it had nothing else to offer, or maybe it seemed too close to what I was looking for.
BY HALEY KELLNER On Spring Break the boys dig a hole in the sand, they buy real shovels, they give real sweat to the ocean when she comes to collect and call it a game. In return she lets them reach for her without just running in. She lets them do it their way, by accident, saying they were looking for China, before resting a moment in the bit of her cheek they’ve uncovered beneath their feet. One night my friend wears pink sequins and tequila she put on as a costume and never stripped off, takes a walk with a boy down the beach. They attempt to negotiate an irresistible impulse, become impasse: They can’t touch because she can’t exist without eroding a bit of someone and he won’t let himself breathe her in. He knows she would be made of salt. So instead she splays herself with us at the ocean’s edge. He returns to the hole where men drink and trust there are others beside them in the dark. In the morning when we return the hole has lost integrity, has been weathered and stripped and filled so the boys set to work again digging until it’s deeper, the walls smooth With seats built into the tightly packed sand for rest when needed. It can be exhausting there. It’s like this every year. Another girl has a story she tells always of a boy she knew who dug a hole, hit an air pocket and it collapsed around him, buried. We watch our boys each year dig and we laugh with them and we worry — inside mostly, so they won’t send us away. We follow them into their hole and hold their shovels when they need to drink or sit. We breathe on their necks, pretending it’s an accident, to let them know we’re there. 54 POETRY
modern day
MANNA Manna: n. spiritual nourishment. BY MEGAN LEHR • ILLUSTRATION BY WESLEY JEFFERIES DESIGN BY ASHLYN MURPHY
BURRITOS ARE ONE OF THE GREATEST inventions in the history of mankind. Forget Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press and Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone. Burritos are an art form: an entire, well-rounded meal wrapped up neatly in a tortilla. Truly flawless in conception. Burritos were artfully designed to make the eating experience a pleasurable, portable one. The guy who invented the burrito should be in the history books. He should be in the dictionary next to “genius.” Why, when a food is so well-designed, would anyone not bother to actually utilize that ingenuity? Burritos basically have a blueprint for how to make them, so why do people disregard those instructions entirely? I have been pushed to the edge with improper burrito-wrapping. The first few times I saw a burrito sadly smashed in half by a reckless consumer, its contents spilling out — a silent cry for help — I kept my mouth shut, thinking to myself, “It’s simple. You fold the ends in and then wrap the sides together snugly.” I was very wrong. Soon, every time I watched someone roll a burrito for themselves, I realized that absolutely no one cared to learn how to properly craft a burrito (barring the work force dealing with them daily). People were actually content needing to use a fork to pick up the remains of a cursorily made burrito. Clearly, burritomaking is much harder than I thought considering only one in 10 people can correctly roll one (don’t cite me on this, I have no scientific evidence to back it up, I’m just angry). When something has been so immaculately crafted, it’s more than just general carelessness. Carelessness is leaving your nachos to sit too long in your ground beef grease and letting them get soggy. You knew that would happen, and you let it. Here, you don’t even care to determine how to correctly roll the thing, which is disrespectful from the beginning.
“WHY, WHEN A FOOD IS SO WELL-DESIGNED, WOULD ANYONE NOT BOTHER TO ACTUALLY UTILIZE THAT INGENUITY? BURRITOS BASICALLY HAVE A BLUEPRINT FOR HOW TO MAKE THEM, SO WHY DO PEOPLE DISREGARD THOSE INSTRUCTIONS ENTIRELY?” When you curl up in a blanket, you don’t want your toes hanging out of the end, right? How do you think your Mexican-blend cheese feels? Probably awful. Now you may be thinking, “Good grief, Megan, there are more important things in the world than poorly wrapped burritos.” And you’d be correct. Perhaps I should’ve ranted about loud, open-mouth chewers instead. Alas, though, people who so blatantly ignore all the rules of burrito-making — be it overstuffing to the point of tearing, letting the contents spill out of the end like a heathen or, God forbid, using a fork to eat it — will forever be one of my biggest issues with people today. Learn the craft, or just buy a burrito bowl instead. RANT 55
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