dailygamecock.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
VOL. 113, NO. 61 • SINCE 1908
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2013
Students pitch products at Proving Ground Teams take home between $1,000, $15,000 in prizes Sarah Martin
NEWS@DAILYGAMECOCK.COM
A mobile app t hat lets you rate your restaurant experience and allows rest au ra nt ow ners to access t hat information. A type of blanket for your bed that wraps around the mattress and won’t fall off. A website that lets you shop around for different study abroad services and pairs you with a professional to help you through the process. These ideas, along with many others, were presented Tuesday night at The Proving Ground, USC’s entrepreneurial challenge that awards students with the best ideas for products or companies. Eight dif ferent teams of st udents competed for money and other benefits, judged by a panel of si x business professionals. Among those teams were the students representing Grumble, a mobile app that gives restaurant owners the ability to track customer satisfaction by hour and day. The app was presented by four students, but many other “Grumble Ambassadors” were in attendance at the event in matching orange logo T-shirts. When asked by a judge if the name of the app carries a negative connotation, the team pointed to their panda logo and said even if it does, the panda surely doesn’t. Yousef Ibreak, a third-year finance and economics student, also assured judges that the app would be launched soon. “I guarantee that we will have this app
Andy Levine / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Students competed for thousands of dollars in startup money at the Proving Ground.
in the market within one year,” Ibreak said. Grumble’s competition in the SCRA Technology division was SAGE Energy Solutions, described as a “clean energy venture using fuel reformer technology and cataly tic materials to convert transportation and fuels into liquefied petroleum gas on demand.” Kai Mayeda and Sungtak Kim, both chemical engineering graduate students, explained the concept in terms easier to understand, saying they created a “fairy dust” that converts regular fuel into propane. With those chemicals and a “dorm-room refrigerator sized” converter machine, military personnel would be able to have propane on the go. After the presentation, one judge asked, “I’m sorry, what does the box do again?” SAGE Energy Solutions ultimately won their division of the competition and were awarded $15,000 to put towards developing their idea further. The Fluor I n novat ion d iv ision also saw heavy competition between a foreign language and law training service and a product that allows you to avoid making your bed. T h e f i r s t c o m p e t i t o r, L e g a l Immersion, was presented by Dustin Griner, a fourth-year international MBA and law school student. Griner began his presentation by saying, “This will revolutionize the education industry.” After working with Guilherme, a Brazilian attorney, Griner said that he realized there was a need in the Brazilian market for English language and law education. He said he believes Legal Immersion fills that need in PROVING • 2
Leaders discuss local hunger, homelessness Advocates: Stereotypes, prejudices plague community Sarah Thomas
NEWS@DAILYGAMECOCK.COM
Hunger and homelessness are bot h silent epidemics which plague the city of Columbia and the nation. These issues come in the form of stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices against those who are hungry, homeless or both, said local advocates for those populations. “We brought the Gamecock Food Pantry onto campus in hopes that we could break the stigma of what hunger means to our students. When we first brought it, a lot of students didn’t understand why, if you are attending a higher (education) institution, then why would you need money? If you have money for school, why don’t you have money for food?” said Gamecock Pantry Director Claire Kimpton. “It goes back to situations and circumstances that one might face.” For Nat iona l Hu nger a nd Homelessness week, Carolina Homelessness Outreach and No Kid Hungry partnered together to put on “#LeadforaNeed: Ending Hunger and Homelessness in Columbia” Tuesday night. This event shed light on some of the stereotypes that are associated with these issues and how hunger and homelessness affects those in the community, as well as addressing ways in which students and members of the community may get involved and help those who are hungry or homeless. This event featured several people who play an integral role in trying to help hunger and homelessness in Columbia. In this event students were able to hear more about what these people and organizations do. Additionally, there were round table discussions which covered how people are affected and attempted to find ways to solve the problem. Contributors and speakers at the event included
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Jeremy Marshall Harkness / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson addresses the College Republicans at a Tuesday night meeting.
Attorney general visits USC Wilson stresses commitment to work Hannah Richardson
NEWS@DAILYGAMECOCK.COM
I n 2010, A la n W i lson wa s elected South Carolina’s attorney general at the age of 37, making him the youngest state attorney general ever elected in the United States. Wilson spoke to the College Republicans Thursday night, imploring more young people to get involved in the political process. Wilson graduated from Francis Marion University in 1996 and went to USC’s School of Law, graduating in 2002. After graduating from FMU, W i l son joi ned t he Nat ion a l Guard, eventually called to serve in Iraq.
“Everything I have ever done right in my life was either a lesson I learned watching someone do it wrong, or when I tried to do it myself and did it wrong,” Wilson said. Before going to work in the state attorney general’s office, Wilson held many jobs ranging from such fields as ditch digging, selling insurance and working for his father’s law firm. Through these varied opportunities, Wilson said he saw what could be done to help and serve others and wanted to become a part of it. “My love for public ser v ice comes f rom my ser v ice as an officer in the military; it comes from my service as a prosecutor in the court room, and I just love serving people,” Wilson said. Wilson challenged the audience to always be committed, rather t ha n bei ng too i nvolved. He
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South Carolina-based hip-hop artist, Dee Jay Rucker, separates himself from uncle Darius.
Women’s basketball will open up a threegame road trip against archrival Clemson.
Editorial Board: The Proving Ground provides benefits for students and USC alike.
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encouraged students to dedicate time to specific things and not to do things just to “check the box, to get the resume bullet.” Wilson illust rated his dedication to commitment with stories about his attorney general campaign. Five weeks before the election, Wilson’s campaign was low on money but he said because of the commitment of supporters, they were able to rally together to win the election. “I believe you’re tomorrow’s leaders,” Wilson said. Wilson also told the audience to remember that leadership is not about the perks and the privileges, but rat her about ser v ing and doing things for others. “What is important is not that your personal ideas get out on the field of play, but rather the best WILSON • 3
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