dailygamecock.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
VOL. 114, NO. 50 ● SINCE 1908
MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2014
USC relays for
Photos by Andy Levine, Casey Roy and Cody Scoggins / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Students and community members made up 74 teams at this year’s Relay for Life, where they walked through the night and raised $164,087 for cancer research.
Teams spend night walking to raise funds for cancer research Khadijah Dennis
NEWS@DAILYGAMECOCK.COM
A s candles were lit, tents were set up and music raged on, students remembered why being a part of Relay for Life was important to them. For 12 hours this weekend, 74 teams gathered together to walk the night away to fight cancer. Those 74 teams raised $164,087 for cancer research Friday night. For many students, this year was their f irst Relay for Life. But for others, it was another year to honor and support those that they personally knew that were affected by cancer. “My first day of my senior year [of high school], I found out that my grandmother had colon cancer, and that was her first day of chemotherapy,” said Lora Stearns, director of USC’s Relay for Life. “She lives in Texas, and all the time she would tell me that what we were doing in South Carolina was giving her hope to keep fighting. It
showed me that what we do here has no boundaries.” Stories like Stear ns’ were told throughout the night, as hundreds of people walked laps around the field at the Blatt Physical Education Center. First-year visual communications student Melissa Bugeski served as a committee member for this year’s Relay for Life. Bugeski said it’s important to remember cancer affects everyone, something she knew to be especially true this weekend. “My cousin, when he was 11, was diagnosed with a brain tumor that he had a 15 percent chance to live. He’s been cancer-free for a while now, but during the survivor lap, my mom texted me and told me that my aunt was diagnosed with cancer,” she said. “It’s kind of a rough night, but there’s nowhere I’d rather be than with people who are in the fight with me and with her. That’s now my main reason to relay.” At 10 p.m., the lights were shut off, and only candles shining through luminary bags along the field gave off light. Students held each other’s hands
as they prepared to walk a silent lap in honor of those who had lost their fight. But that silent lap wasn’t just about the losing side of the fight. “Many of those that have fought the battle of cancer are no longer with us,” a student presenter told the crowd from the stage. “But instead of mourning their loss, we choose to celebrate their lives.” A chair sat on the stage, symbolizing those who died. A small table stood beside it to symbolize the frailty of a single patient. A lemon and salt sat on the table, to represent the bitter battle and tears shed from patients and family members, respectively. The most important symbol of all was the burning candle. “The candle represents the light of hope, hope represented by cancer sur vivors and the hope for a cure discovered as a result of the work of the medical profession made able by funds that are generated through events such as Relay for Life,” the student speaker said. As students silently reflected, tears streamed down the cheeks of some, and
the USC community came together to see one another through the night. “Seeing how many people [cancer] touches provides its own effects to people who are pushed to do something about it. You’re going to fight back for people that are still fighting, to celebrate those that have won and remember those who’ve lost,” Stearns said. “Don’t give up.” With nine hours to go, students found ways to keep the energy going. From fried Oreos at 2 a.m. to ultimate Frisbee challenges, dance parties and drag shows, the event was arguably one of the biggest parties of the semester. “The big event is important because cancer effects everybody — there’s no one that hasn’t been touched by it,” Bugeski said. “I think just keeping it on the forefront of people’s minds that ‘Hey, cancer’s a big deal and even though you may not have it or you might not have a parent that has it, it’s still there and it still needs to be fought. We need to finish that fight.’” Student organizations continued to
SAE rallies around brother Fraternity raises money to support member diagnosed with lymphoma Natalie Pita
NEWS@DAILYGAMECOCK.COM
When David Simone was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma cancer the fall of his junior year, his Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity brothers stepped up to the plate to help out. “If it’s one of our own, we’ve definitely got to look out for him,” said Jamie McClement, SAE director of philanthropy. “People want to help more when there’s a personal connection.” SAE will host the David Simone Softball Classic and Cheer Off on April 13. The day will start off with a cheerleading competition for sororities, when spectators will choose their favorite team by putting money in donation boxes throughout the day, and the winning team will receive a trophy. The main event is a softball game between SAE and the USC Police Department at the Dreher High School baseball field. Tickets can be purchased from SAE brothers or at the gate for $12
and include admission to the game and a post-game barbecue at Tin Roof in the Vista. All of the money raised will be donated to Simone’s medical fund. After he was diagnosed in the fall of 2013, Simone returned home to Virginia Beach for tests and surgeries. He is now in remission but expects months of chemotherapy ahead. “Although David is 400 miles away, he is constantly in our thoughts, hearts and prayers each and every day. He still has many months of grueling chemotherapy to undergo and the family’s medical bills are rising quickly,” McClement said in a press release. “We wanted to show our support as a chapter, and felt that raising money to help defray his medical expenses would be a wonderful way to show our support while he is some 400 miles away.” Even though he has spent the last few months planning the event, McClement said he still thinks about the surprise he and the other brothers experienced upon hearing their brother’s diagnosis. He described Simone as smart and athletic, someone who loves SOFTBALL • 3
RELAY • 3
Columbia artists open studios See Mix Page 5