LeAdERsHiP and SerViCE LeAdERsHiP and SerViCE

THE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE CENTER (LSC) is the heart of USC’s student involvement, leaders, community service and civic engagement. The LSC offers many programs and opportunities to students who want a more well-rounded experience at Carolina through its initiatives and through the 550-plus student organizations it oversees.

Organizations include the Academic Team, Carolina Beekeeping Club, Tabletop Gaming Club, Individuals Respecting Identities and Sexualities (IRIS) and many, many more. With so many organizations, you can indeed find one for you.

“Many of our organizations are specific to USC, and all are quite individually Carolina, even if they are part of a larger national organization,” said Joshua Cauble, the LSC’s Associate Director.

While Garnet Gate is home to all USC student organizations’ information, one of the best ways to find your options is the Student Organization Fair hosted by the Leadership and Service Center. This event features representatives from USC student organizations lined up along Greene Street who hand out information, answer questions and are excited to meet new students. This year’s fair will be on Aug. 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Greene Street.

Regardless of what organization you choose to join, the LSC hosts a variety of opportunities for students to enhance their leadership skills.

One of the more structured opportunities for leadership development is the Close Family Emerging Leaders Program which starts with an in-person, seven-week program for students who want to build their leadership skills and learn how to bring change to the Carolina community. Older leaders of junior or senior standing can also attend the Student Leadership Summit to network with other engaged students and brainstorm ways to impact campus positively. The

By Tyler Sprague

Student Leadership and Diversity Conference, held annually in the spring, is a multi-day conference with workshops, prominent speakers and opportunities to network with other leaders from USC and other institutions.

One of the LSC’s newest programs, returning this year, is Camp Cocky Leadership Retreat. This free overnight outdoor recreation retreat encourages students without a positional leadership role to network and use their unique skills to improve their team’s cohesion, no matter what that team looks like. The dates for 2024’s retreat will be announced soon.

One of the more student-directed leadership opportunities is Pillars for Carolina. Pillars for Carolina is a student-led summer program that creates a foundation of community and confidence through activities centered around leadership, service and active citizenship to inspire first-year students to leave their mark at the University of South Carolina.

“Being a Pillars XM was my first experience with the LSC and is still my favorite,” previous Pillars mentor Yasmen Balogun said. “I was able to impact other people by just being myself, and I think that’s the best part of being a student leader: The confidence and skills that I gained from this experience have helped me be a better leader, a better student, and a better person.”

For students who’d like to give back to the campus and local communities through service work, the LSC has options ranging from hosting regular service events to alternative breaks, during which students spend a fall, winter or spring break doing a more extensive service project somewhere in the state or region. The LSC also encourages student involvement in areas of civic action, such as voter registration drives and the Civic Leadership Education and Action Team, also known as CLEAT. CLEAT is a group of students who plan and execute nonpartisan events and programs that encourage engaged and active citizenship.

Students interested in leadership, service, civic action or anything in between should follow the LSC on social media or check out the information on the LSC website at sc.edu/leadershipandservice to learn more.