TABLE OF CONTENTS
03 USC ADMITS TOP 10% STARTING 2024
Top 10% of South Carolina high schoolers to be guaranteed admission.
17 THIS MONTH IN GAMECOCK SPORTS
A history of notable October moments in Gamecock sports history.
17
GET TO KNOW US
USC breaks ground on statue to honor the first three Black students to attend the university since Reconstruction.
06
Members of the South Carolina Pride Movement discuss planning and celebrating Pride events year-round.
08 SLOWING GROWTH
President Amiridis talks plans to slow university’s percent growth.
13 CAROLINA BAND TO ATTEND PARADE
The Carolina Band will perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the first time in program history in 2024.
14 THE BURNETT GOLF SISTERS
Sophia and Camila Burnett reunite as teammates on the South Carolina women’s golf team.
18 PHOTOS OF THE MONTH
Editorial staffers share their favorite memories of being in The Daily Gamecock. A collection of photos from October ranging from sporting events to concerts.
20 BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH FAMILIA FC
South Carolina women’s soccer families and fan base come together through soccer club.
22 LUKE DOTY FINDS NEW POSITION
After having limited opportunities as a quarterback, Luke Doty finds success as a wide receiver.
25
TRANSFER RUNNING BACK SHINES
Mario Anderson steps up after transferring from Division II school.
30 SOUNDS FROM THE STREET
Performers busk on the streets of the Soda City Market, bringing joy, opportunities and an income for a variety of artists.
32 LIBRARY PRIDE EXHIBIT
Partnership brings South Carolina LGBTQIA+ history and items to library.
33 KOGER’S FALL SEASON
Broadway, ballets and symphonies are coming to the Koger Center for the Arts just in time for the fall season.
35 FEMALE CELEBRITIES TAKE LEAD
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour and the movie premiere of “Barbie” take world by storm.
29 CINNAMON ROLL DELI
Local ‘breakfast joint’ offers community while looking to expand its restaurant.
36 PUSH YOURSELF, STUDY ABROAD
Students should branch out and take advantage of the opportunity to study abroad in college.
39 LIBRARY RESOURCES TO TRY
The libray offers a variety of resources, ranging from textbooks to tutoring, that students should take advantage of.
COVER DESIGN: Gillian ThomasUSC admits top 10% of SC high school classes starting fall 2024
EMMA DAVISSONUSC has committed to accepting the top 10% of all South Carolina high school graduating classes starting in the fall 2024 admissions cycle.
The application opened Aug. 1, and students currently applying are eligible.
The new policy was a culmination of conversations among senior leadership from the president’s cabinet. The policy hopes to increase applicants from rural parts of the state and attract students who may not feel they are admissible to USC, said Elizabeth Orehovec, the assistant vice president for enrollment management and executive director of undergraduate admissions.
Of rural high school students, 59% attend college compared to 67% of suburban students, according to the policy institute Lumina Foundation.
While there are students from every county in the state at USC, some have as few as four or five students attending. The change in admissions is aimed at providing more opportunities to eligible students from those areas.
USC has an obligation to educate South Carolina students from all counties as the state’s flagship university, said Donna Arnett, the executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.
Joel Samuels, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said the policy shows the university’s commitment to the state.
“I think one of the most important big picture things is our role as a flagship university in serving the state of South Carolina,” Samuels said. “This is yet another example of the university leading the state.”
This change to admissions has been considered for “a number of years,” Orehovec said.
The university has been examining admissions data throughout the
pandemic that shows the majority of the top 10% of high schoolers are already being admitted.
“When COVID happened, we went test-optional,” Orehovec said. “We have had the opportunity to admit students and enroll students who did not submit standardized test scores, and so we’ve been able to see that those students are doing very well at the university. We’ve been able to look at how students in the top 10% are doing at the university, and we know that they’re doing really, really well even if they’re not submitting test scores.”
The change in admissions will not alter the application process, Orehovec said, and students will still be required to submit regular materials, such as transcripts and essays. Admissions decisions will also go out at normal times with early action in December and regular acceptance in March.
While the policy is well received among university officials, there are concerns surrounding student retention. Successfully moving from one’s first to second year is an important indicator of graduation and students who come from rural areas and don’t know anyone at the school may be less likely to continue, Arnett said. Arnett also said she is concerned about these students feeling isolated and being unable to graduate in four years.
“When you come and you don’t have friends that you grew up with that come with you, that sense of isolation or lack of belonging is one of the things we worry about,” Arnett said.
Expansion of various Living and Learning Communities is one way the university is attempting to solve this problem, as well as giving support to first generation students or those unexposed to college. These communities have a high positive correlation to graduation rates and student retention, according
to Arnett. There are currently six Living and Learning Communities on campus, and Arnett said she hopes to launch a community for first generation students soon.
“The goal is to create a community within this large community, so you would live and, ideally, you would have classes with the others in your dorm, have activities with a faculty member from that Living Learning Community,” Arnett said. “Those co-curricular activities that help you grow and mature in your academic journey.”
The hope is that this policy will give more educational access to students in the state and continue to strengthen the university’s student body, Arnett said.
“One of the biggest goals is just making sure that the students who are in the state of South Carolina, who are graduating in the top 10% of their high school class, know that we want them at South Carolina,” Orehovec said. “Those are some of the best and brightest students in the state, and we really think that they would be an enhancement to our community.”
PHOTO: JERRY BOWEN FILE — A photo of the University of South Carolina’s historic smokestack. Many students around campus recognize the stack as one of the school’s most notable landmarks.LIVE YOUR BEST AT HUB
At Hub Columbia, we’re not just a community; we’re a lifestyle.
Since our inception, we’ve been dedicated to curating an experience where lifestyle and student living intertwine seamlessly. A decade later, we celebrate the past and look forward to another ten years of shared experiences and a future filled with endless possibilities!
Ready to embark on the next chapter of your journey? Discover Hub Columbia – where community meets lifestyle, and every day is an opportunity to thrive.
Looking back at 60 years of desegregation at USC: ‘We’ve only just begun’
RILEY EDENBECK AND EMMY RIBEROThe 1960s were an uncertain time for many Black Americans seeking an education.
White students protested the admission of Black students into colleges across the South. Some protests resulted in deaths, while others tried to physically prevent students from entering schools.
At the University of South Carolina, students waged the war for equality in the courts. The integration lawsuit against the university that ultimately led to its desegregation was filed by a woman named Henrie Monteith Treadwell. Her success granted her, as well as Robert G. Anderson and James L. Solomon Jr., admission to USC in 1963 as the university’s first Black students since Reconstruction.
Sixty years later, USC honored the anniversary of its desegregation with a ceremony and groundbreaking for a new monument of the three Black students. The statue, sculpted by the internationally-acclaimed Black artist Basil Watson, is scheduled to be unveiled in early 2024.
“We’ve only just begun, more is needed,” Treadwell said. “More will happen. We think sometimes about those who are still not fully accepting of the changes that are occurring and will continue to occur. And the monument is a catalyst.”
Treadwell’s lawsuit to gain admission to the university was filed in November of 1962, and the university requested it be dropped the following January.
South Carolina
Governor Ernest “Fritz” Hollings was in favor of the lawsuit and encouraged the people of South Carolina and the state’s General Assembly to desegregate the state’s colleges and universities throughout early 1963. In January of 1963, an appeals court ruled for Clemson University to admit its first Black student. USC officially desegregated later that year on Sept. 11, 1963, following a decision made by the U.S. District Court.
Treadwell said at the commemoration event that she was grateful for university administration and all those who supported desegregation efforts in 1963.
“We cannot lose track of the fact that we entered this institution on a very peaceful day, which meant that many decided, ‘Let the time come,’” Treadwell said.
Solomon and Anderson were able to submit their applications to the university shortly after the decision on Treadwell’s case. Solomon was the first Black graduate student of USC’s mathematics department.
“(James L. Solomon Jr.) did not consider himself a hero,” Solomon’s son, Carl Solomon, said at the 60th anniversary ceremony. “He did think a hero was among them, and that was Dr. Treadwell. See, my father said he was a grown man applying to graduate
SC Pride focuses on belonging, visibility with year-round planning
LGBTQIA+ community in the Palmetto State.
The board members of the South Carolina Pride Movement are in charge of all of the inner workings of the events. They communicate with sponsors, the City of Columbia, performers, attendees and more to plan events and projects.
“When I participated in my first Pride, and it was a realization as you look around and go, ‘Oh, there’s 80,000 other people like me,’” Dylan Gunnels, the board’s interim president, said. “There’s power in seeing the fact that there are so many other people that are on the same journey and a part of the same community.”
The board members communicate frequently to organize Pride events. Agens said he spends time every day working on something for SC Pride.
In his role, Agens is working on this year’s Famously Hot South Carolina Pride Festival on Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, which includes a concert and parade. he festival is not the organization’s only however. Agens movement is working every day to plan and promote Pride events while trying to visibility for the
Gunnels and Marketing Director Joshua Butler said the effort that goes into everything the South Carolina Pride Movement has done and plans to do means more to them than just the events alone.
“It felt extremely motivating to be a part of something bigger than myself and to be a part of an organization that had meant so much to me,” Gunnels said.
According to Gunnels, Butler and Agens, the sense of community they feel motivates them to stay involved with Pride. They said seeing how Pride has helped build up the LGBTQIA+ community reminds them of why they got involved.
“The reason why I got started into it was just trying to have the visibility stretch out to the more rural areas
COURTESY OF JAMES AGENS Koko Dove performs on stage during Pride. Dove is a former Miss Outfest and now serves as the director of pageants and a board of directors member for South Carolina Pride.because I understand what it’s like to feel like you’re all alone in this world,” Butler said.
The message and history behind all the festivities of South Carolina Pride is one that means something even bigger, Agens said.
The first Pride marches and protests fought for many of the same causes that the organization still stands for today, such as healthcare rights and education, according to Agens.
“Although Pride is a party now, it started as a riot, so we’re trying to still keep that momentum,” Agens said. “There’s a reason why we’re doing this.”
Agens said the push to gain visibility is ongoing for the queer community, and so it remains one of the organization’s biggest focuses.
“Pride has a really interesting stance because we’re all about visibility, which is a major issue within the community. And I think, a lot of the times, if you can at least bring visibility, you can start the conversation to those bigger issues,” Agens said.
Gunnels said one of the biggest aspects of visibility is making sure everyone from different backgrounds within the community is heard and their specific needs and issues are recognized. He said he hopes the organization can continue to improve the board’s diversity in the future.
“We want to strengthen our relationships and diversify the board, the language that we use and the way that we can guarantee that particularly
trans, non-binary, Black and brown folks feel safe and comfortable and
Agens said the best way for people to get involved is to start volunteering at different Pride events, such as OutFest, the Get Lit Concert and the Nighttime Parade. He said he believes it is important for students to care about and be invested in Pride in order for people to be able to you think about how the community is changing and power dynamics — usually a younger voice — I don’t know, it’s just really important,”
COURTESY OF JAMES AGENS Carla Cox, director of entertainment and a board member for Pride, gives an on-stage performance. She is one of many drag performers to participate in shows at Pride. Editor’s note: Emmy Ribero contributed to the reporting in this article.Amiridis wants to slow USC’s percent growth as class sizes continue to grow
EMMA DAVISSONLeaders at the University of South Carolina are planning to slow the growth rate of the student body after a record-breaking freshman class in 2023 and despite expectations for an even larger class next year.
The roughly 7,300 new freshmen on campus make up the biggest class in school history. Remarks from President Michael Amiridis at the State of the University Address indicated a desire to slow that growth trajectory and not increase class sizes by such a
large amount.
“We don’t anticipate, and we don’t want this level of growth next year,” Amiridis said. “Our goal for next year is roughly the same numbers we got this year.”
Next year’s class is expected to exceed current numbers, but the percentage increase will be less than this year, according to university spokesperson Jeff Stensland.
However, Stensland said there
will not be an attempt to admit fewer students despite the consistently high levels of admission.
“We’ve experienced high demand in recent years, and that will likely continue, but we don’t think we’ll necessarily need to admit fewer students to experience more modest growth compared to last year,” Stensland said.
The university does not release the methods used for anticipating enrollment, but a number of different tools are used to gauge the size of each
class, according to Stensland. The “yield,” which is the amount of students that are accepted and choose to come to USC, is an example of something that is closely tracked.
USC’s new policy of admitting the top 10% of South Carolina high school seniors is also not expected to dramatically affect class sizes, Amiridis said.
“We will not see huge growth with the 10%. We will see a few hundred students,” Amiridis said. “Already we get a lot of students who are in the top 10%.”
Amiridis said the current infrastructure cannot handle continual record-breaking admittance, but the university still strives to provide quality services to students.
“In all of these situations, we invested in the student services to make sure the student services do not go into a lower quality,” Amiridis said.
This investment includes a focus on the degree to career transition to better support students after graduation as well as more attention on the overall student experience.
“What I hope they will see is improvement in the services and more attention to their experience and also what happens after graduation,” Amiridis said.
Amiridis said the university also focused on improving topics such as mental health services and advising, which were mentioned during Imagine Carolina, a campus event hosted by the university to receive student feedback.
“We’re always trying to become better and better,” Amiridis said. “I think what they will see during the next year is now implementation of some of the things that we’ve talked about.”
PHOTO: MICHAEL ZAPOR President Michael Amiridis delivers his State of the University Address in the Russell House Ballroom on Sept. 19, 2023. Faculty and students gathered to hear President Amiridis reflect on past accomplishments and share the University of South Carolina’s strategic priorities.Sat., Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Explore the history, art, culture, and natural wonder of South Carolina – under one roof! Enjoy:
• Live music and dance performances
• Behind-the-scenes tours
• Opening of the new exhibition, The Story of Us
• And More
school, and a young lady brought a lawsuit to integrate the university that allowed he and others to enter.”
The university is still making strides to become more inclusive, according to Rex Tolliver, the vice president of student affairs and academic support. USC recently committed to admitting the top 10% of all South Carolina high school graduating classes to promote greater geographical diversity.
“I think that’s what we must continue to do, is continue to provide greater access to higher education for students from across the state who haven’t historically had the opportunity,” Tolliver said. “They may
not necessarily be students of color, but students from rural backgrounds, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and using what happened more as a testament that, when you provide access to more students, the whole of South Carolina is a better place.”
The first three Black students faced many obstacles, but that did not stop them from making history.
“For those who were not ready then and are not ready now, I have one message: Those days of old, those days are gone and will never come again,” Treadwell said.
PHOTO: ALICIA CARACCIOLO Henrie Monteith Treadwell speaks at the 60th anniversary of desegregation on Sept. 11, 2023. In 1965, Treadwell became the first Black graduate of USC since the Reconstruction era, earning her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. PHOTO: ALICIA CARACCIOLOOff-campus student living
Carolina Band members react to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade announcement: ‘It was so surreal’
GRIFFIN GOODWYNThe Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City is one of the most anticipated events on the calendar each year. In 2022, 27.7 million people viewed NBC’s telecast of the parade, according to Nielsen, and an additional 3 million typically attend the parade in person.
Each year, the parade is highlighted by a variety of performers from Broadway shows and musical artists, such as Mariah Carey and Dolly Parton, to college bands from all around the country.
Fourth-year sport and entertainment management student Tiger Thompson grew up watching the parade with his parents. He said he has always understood the prestige of performing there.
“Being in band in high school, I was always aware and wanted to go, but I never really thought it was going to happen,” Thompson said.
For the first time in program history, the Carolina Band, USC’s marching band, will be one of the featured performers in the Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2024.
Thompson, who is a trumpet section leader, and other members of the band said they are excited not only about the event itself but what it means for the band and the USC community to be represented on a national stage.
Jay Jacobs, the director of the Carolina Band, said the formal process for selection began when the band submitted an application to the Macy’s Parade Band Committee in the fall of 2022. Jacobs said the application required general information about the band as well as photographs and videos from past performances.
It was not until the following spring when Jacobs received word that the committee had accepted the Carolina Band’s application. While it would be months before members of the band found out, second-year electrical engineering student Connor Healey said he suspected a big announcement was coming.
“I wasn’t there when we took the pictures, and it was a thing that was being
rumored even before I joined the band,” Healey, a sousaphone section leader, said. “And then, it happened.”
On Sept. 9, while the band was practicing its halftime routine at its indoor practice facility, Director of Bands Cormac Cannon published a Facebook post teasing that a major announcement was coming later that night. Cannon, who was at practice, took the band aside after its routine and built suspense about “a piece of news that (they) could not tell anyone” before yielding the floor to Jacobs.
“The moment that Dr. Jacobs took the stand, we were like, ‘Oh, this is something serious. This is something big for us as a whole. This isn’t just an individual thing,’” Mason Collins, a third-year music education student and saxophone section leader, said.
Jacobs then confirmed that the band would be performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2024 by having its drum majors pull out a commemorative drumhead, an object Thompson said has a strong meaning as the band’s signature symbol.
“Everybody kind of knew it was coming, but it was so surprising and so exciting to finally hear the words be said and see the drumhead be pulled out of the box,” Brayden Russell, a second-year chemical engineering student and trumpet section leader, said. “It was so surreal.”
Some band members, however, knew about the announcement in advance. Third-year biological sciences
student Maggie Boyd said, as leaders in the band, she and the two other drum majors were told two months before the announcement. She said it was difficult to keep it a secret for so long but was relieved to see her fellow band members’ excitement.
“I knew all that waiting and all that preparation had been entirely worth it just to see my own joy when I heard the news reflected back from 375 equally enthused people and knowing that, in just a couple hours, that was going to be reflected to 80,000 people,” Boyd said. “That feeling of magnitude was just absolutely fantastic.”
During South Carolina’s football game against Furman University, the band revealed its big news in front of the soldout Williams-Brice Stadium crowd, which reacted with a loud roar after the band’s halftime performance. Boyd said the moment reinforced the strong bond the band has with the USC community.
“Hearing those words out loud and hearing that cheer echo back from the crowd, I’ll be honest, I started crying on my podium because I realized these people do care about us, and they care about our university,” Boyd said. “Even if they don’t
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
Fourth-year public health student Meredith Rhodes holds a 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade drumhead. The Carolina Band will perform during the parade on Nov. 28, 2024. Members of the Carolina Band pose for a picture in celebration of their trip to the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The band will travel to New York City for the parade on Nov. 28, 2024.Sophia, Camila Burnett bring sisterly rivalry, unwavering support to Gamecock women’s golf team
Sophia and Camila Burnett have played golf their whole lives.
Growing up in Hilton Head, South Carolina, they each tried their hand at soccer, gymnastics and tennis, but golf was the sport they said they both enjoyed and excelled at the most.
For the Burnetts, golf is a family affair. Camila said her father played throughout his youth and into the collegiate and touring levels, and she and Sophia have played golf for as long as they can remember.
Sophia said the familial aspect of the sport has always appealed to her.
“I love the challenge of the game, and it’s how my parents met, as well,”
Sophia said. “I truly enjoy the challenge and getting to play with family, play with friends.”
Now, the sisters are teammates on the South Carolina women’s golf team and are playing together for the first time in their collegiate careers.
Since the Burnett sisters are only two years apart in age — Sophia is a senior, while Camila is a sophomore — playing on the same golf team is familiar to them. They played next to each other growing up and as a family throughout their youth and on their high school teams. Their newest endeavor is facing college together.
“It definitely brings that closer sense of home and always having someone to talk to about anything, even if it’s whatever it is, whatever time of day,” Camila said. “It’s been great to have her, plus gain more sister-like figures.”
Sophia, 21, and Camila, 19, joined the team around the same time. Sophia transferred into the program at the start of the 2022-23 season after spending her first two years of college at Furman University. Camila committed to play for the Gamecocks as a freshman and joined the team in the spring of 2023.
Although Sophia joined the team first, Camila said she was the one who brought the Burnetts to the University of South Carolina,
their father’s alma mater.
“When I was in the recruiting process, I talked to South Carolina, and she was at Furman. And I was just having conversations and looking at all my options, and I was very interested, but I really wanted to be on a team with my sister,” Camila said. “That’s why, at first, the school she was at really attracted me. But then when she said she didn’t like it there and wanted to leave, I was like, ‘Oh, well what about South Carolina?’’
Head coach Kalen Anderson said the Burnetts are the first set of sisters she’s ever brought onto the team.
ANNIE POTEAT Sophia (left) and Camila (right) pose next to Cocky at a football game during their early childhood. Sophia (left) and Camila (right) next to the field at Williams-Brice Stadium. Senior Sophia Burnett watches her sister hit a drive. Sophomore Camila Burnett hits a drive at the gold practice on Sept. 28.“They’re phenomenal teammates. I mean, just such great teammates. They push everybody to get better. They’re hard workers,” Anderson said. “Showing up early in the mornings when we were seeing us off for tournaments, little care packages ... they just did all the extras that you want, and they just played a really significant role, and that’s just very appreciated.”
The girls first said they felt the impact of being separated when Sophia began college while Camila was still finishing high school, and they were not actively playing on the same team. Jonathan Burnett, the sisters’ father, said it isn’t the same when they don’t play together.
“(Camila) enjoyed it when big sis went off to college because it gave her an opportunity to step up as kind of a ‘leader’ of the high school team,” Jonathan said. “She was very much a leader, but at the same time, she missed her sister.”
Before she graduated and while they still attended school together, Sophia and Camila played not only on the women’s golf team but also on the men’s. Playing with and against boys was something the girls wanted because they wanted more competition.
“Some of them could care less,” Camila said. “Others are like, ‘Who the heck are these people? Well, who the heck are these girls?’ And then most of the time they’re like, ‘Oh, they’re probably really bad.’ And then we end up beating them, and they are not so happy with us, but that’s alright.”
Jonathan said the girls never shied away from the challenges that come with the sport and that both girls would “give you double of whatever is asked.”
Sophia takes a more serious approach to life and to playing golf, whereas her younger sister takes it more lightly, he said.
“If you tell (Sophia) to do 10 of anything, she’ll do 20 just in case,” Jonathan said. “I would describe her as more of very matter-of-fact, all business, and Camila is our jokester. And again, very much a hard-worker and loves what she does in terms of golf, but she loves being around people and conversing and knowing what is going on.”
Jonathan said the origin of their names fits their respective personalities because, in Latin, Sophia means “wisdom” and Camila means “happiness.” Anderson said she sees the girls the same way, describing Sophia as “reserved” and Camila as “fiery.”
Camila said their different personalities and sibling rivalry add another layer to the team.
“It’s something else for them — different — to experience because it’s not common to have sisters on the same team, but they love it,” Camila said about her teammates. “They find it very funny when we bicker with each other and then take little jabs at each other. They just laugh because they also have sisters and siblings, and they know where it’s
coming from.”
Sophia said their joking at practice is a “mental toughness” check for the girls. She said keeping each other on their toes has made the team as a whole more competitive.
“We’ve told the coaches, ‘Do you understand what you’re getting when you get sisters?’” Jonathan said. “You get sisterly love, which there’s nothing like it in the world, and then sisterly hate, which there’s nothing like it in the world.”
Both sisters said their personalities lend themselves to different methods of resolving conflict when it comes to “sisterly hate.” Sophia said she prefers to “hash it out” through conversation, while Camila prefers time and space.
“It’ll just be small bickering stuff because we’re sisters,” Camila said. “It’s like, ‘Get out of my room’ or ‘No, don’t wear my shirt.’ And then five minutes later, we’re best friends again.”
Sophia and Camila said they make sure that, through the jokes and arguments, they support each other and their teammates, even if their impact is not felt on the course.
The sisters did not qualify to travel with the team to Minnesota for the Annika Intercollegiate tournament in midSeptember. Despite this, they were at the airport past midnight with signs and music to welcome their teammates home and congratulate them on their big win.
“They are all about team first. To be fair, that’s how my wife and I have raised
them,” Jonathan said. “If you’re on a team, it’s not about you. Your little portion that you give to the team is important, and you have to give all you can to the team. It’s the team that matters and not so much the individual.”
Playing on the same team again also means that the sisters are able to continue a handshake ritual they perform together after a great shot or once a match has concluded. Camila said they have had different rituals throughout their time playing, but this one has lasted the past few years and into their time playing at South Carolina.
Sophia said moments such as these are what make having a sister as a college teammate so special.
“It feels like home here just because she’s here,” Sophia said. “It’s like having your built-in best friend with you at all times.”
Camila (left) and Sophia (right) in their early childhood years at Williams-Brice Stadium. Growing up Gamecock fans, attending games was not an uncommon occurrence for the sisters. The sisters pose next to Gamecock cheerleaders in their Gamecock cheer outfits. Growing up Gamecock fans, attending games was not an uncommon occurrence for Camila and Sophia. PHOTO: GRACE HASTINGS PHOTOS COURTESY OF JONATHAN BURNETTWHERE GAMECOCKS FIND THEIR ROOST
UofSC students post for free when using their UofSC email address.
This month in Gamecock sports history
will kronsberg
Gamecock sports teams have seen a long list of successes in the month of October, such as conference debuts, upset wins on the football field and record-setting contracts. Take a look back at nine of the top October moments in South Carolina sports history.
1990s
1992 Gamecock football defeats
Mississippi State for its first victory as a member of the Southeastern Conference on Oct. 17.
2000s
2005 South Carolina men’s soccer earns its first victory as a member of Conference USA after a 5-2 win over East Carolina on Oct. 2.
2009 Gamecock women’s soccer goes on a 14-game undefeated streak to start the season, including 13 wins and 11 shutouts, culminating in a 2-0 win over Alabama on Oct. 11.
2010s
2010 South Carolina football defeats No. 1 Alabama behind 127 receiving yards and two touchdowns from sophomore wide receiver Alshon Jeffery on Oct. 9.
Get to know us
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY WITH THE DAILY GAMECOCK?
KATE ROBINS
2011 South Carolina women’s soccer beats Florida 2-1 to secure its first ever SEC East and overall SEC regular season championship on Oct. 28. The win concluded a 15-5 (9-2 SEC) season for the team.
2013 Men’s soccer coach Mark Berson becomes just the fourth NCAA Division I head coach to win 450 games at a single school with a stoppage time win over No. 25 New Mexico on Oct. 26.
2015 Head football coach Steve Spurrier announces his resignation after a 2-4 start to the season on Oct. 13. Across 11 seasons, Spurrier led the Gamecocks to 86 wins and the program’s only SEC East title in 2010.
2019 South Carolina football defeats the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs 20-17 in double overtime with a field goal from program-scoring leader Parker White on Oct. 12. This remains the Gamecocks’ last win over the Bulldogs in football.
2020s
2021 Gamecock women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley becomes the highestpaid Black coach in women’s college basketball history with a seven-year, $22.4 million contract on Oct. 15. In two seasons since signing the contract, Staley is 71-3, and her team won the national championship in 2022.
During my time on The Daily Gamecock, I have made many great memories, but the one that stands out to me is the time I was able to go Washington, D.C., for a national journalism conference. Not only did I get to hear from experienced reporters and accept awards on behalf of the newspaper, but I also got to travel with some of my best friends. I know that while I gained a lot from attending workshops and learning new skills, I will always cherish the friendships I grew while on the trip.
ANNIE POTEAT WILL KELLY
My favorite memory in The Daily Gamecock is when I got to cover the women’s basketball team in the Sweet Sixteen for March Madness last spring. I got to travel to Greenville and sit courtside while I watched the Gamecocks take on UCLA, and it was just such a proud moment for me!
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORMy favorite Daily Gamecock memory is opening day from the 2023 baseball season. It was my first time up in the press box at Founders Park, and I was able to talk to a bunch of local Gamecock reporters and establish connections with them!
MANAGING EDITOR ATHLETE FEATURES BEAT WRITERThe Daily Gamecock’s featured photos of the month
The photographers of The Daily Gamecock take thousands of photos each month. They capture concerts, football games, festivals, protests and more. However, some stand out more than others. Here are some of the most captivating moments our photographers have caught in this month.
football vs. mississippi state
WOMEN’S SOCCER VS. FURMAN JERRYFEST DESEGREGATION
•
•
South Carolina women’s soccer program builds community, support through Familia FC
Griffin GoodwynThroughout the 2010s, attendance at South Carolina women’s soccer matches grew to heights previously unseen in program history. During that time, the Gamecocks became not just one of the most well-supported women’s soccer teams in the SEC, but the entire country.
In the spring of 2018, associate head coach Jamie Smith was struck with an idea. Inspired by supporters’ groups that cheer on professional soccer teams across the globe, Smith decided to create a group in Columbia as a means of bringing together past and present fans.
“If there is something for them to be a part of and to join and to get perks with it, then it’s kind of a nobrainer for us,” assistant coach Marnie Merritt said. “They’re going to come anyway. Why not put together a party, tailgate-like atmosphere that gives you full access to our student-athletes as well?”
Familia FC, the supporters’ group created by Smith and the Gamecock women’s soccer coaching staff, has worked to represent the team’s community-oriented values and, in the process, live up to its name.
Just two years after its foundation, the bond between Familia FC supporters and the team was tested in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it did little to dampen the local community’s support of the women’s soccer program, according to Merritt.
“We had Familia fans in the stands still, which was awesome when we didn’t know if we were going to have a season at points. I had Familia members writing me, ‘Well, when can I buy my season tickets? Because we’re coming,’” Merritt said. “That kind of support was awesome and kept us through the season.”
Since then, Familia FC has offered a variety of activities and social events for
its members. The group’s most popular activities are the pregame tailgates hosted in front of the Gamecock Soccer Complex, where members eat food, play games and socialize before home matches.
Merritt said each season kicks off with a preseason welcome event, allowing members to watch practice and get autographs from the players. Shelley also periodically hosts “chalk talks,” where she educates members about soccer tactics and terminology ahead of selected matches.
Gary Behm, a Familia FC member and the father of senior midfielder Brianna Behm, said Familia FC members sometimes organize unofficial social events on their own, including on road trips.
“When we go to Pensacola (for the SEC Tournament), we’ve got several houses,” Behm said. “We’re hanging out. We’re on the beach. We’re going fishing. We’re doing everything together, so that leads
you to be more of a close-knit family.”
Familia FC also offers local youth the opportunity to interact with Gamecock women’s soccer players, both in season and during the offseason. In the fall, Gamecock student-athletes participate in the Pitch Pals program, where the team runs onto the field with players from local youth soccer clubs and helps at soccer camps during the summer.
For Merritt, these initiatives serve as a way to inspire the next generation of women’s soccer players, something she believes is important to help grow the game.
“All these little kids, all they have to do is go to ESPN, and they can pull it up on the SEC Network, the ACC Network, ESPN U,” Merritt said. “People say, ‘If you can see it, you can be it.’ All of this helps in the brand of what South Carolina women’s soccer is and, in turn, what women’s soccer is nationally for us.”
Outside of social events, Familia FC serves as a source of support not only for its members but for South Carolina’s players as well. Merritt said this is an
Gary Behm raises a glass for a toast before the Gamecocks take on Tennessee on Sept. 24, 2023. Behm is the father of senior midfielder Brianna Behm.especially important function of the group given the current state of college sports. Student-athletes nationwide are experiencing heightened mental exhaustion, according to a 2022 study by the NCAA.
“At the end of the day, you have 200-plus people that care about you as a human being, rather as just a soccer player, and that, to me, is invaluable,” Merritt said. “To know that when we do the Gamecock Walk and there’s 100-plus people out there cheering us on, it only helps you.”
Familia FC also has mechanisms in place to support the team financially through the Women’s Soccer Enhancement Fund, an account set up by South Carolina Athletics that receives gifts and donations to help fund the women’s soccer program. Merritt said Familia FC funnels all the money it generates back into that fund and has come up with ways to encourage members to donate.
Before this season, Familia FC hosted an auction and pickle ball tournament for its members at the Lexington County Tennis Center that raised more than $10,000. Events such as these are part of the group’s ongoing efforts to enhance its brand and expand its influence in the community, Merritt said.
“It’s a lot, but at the same time, we’re also trying to get these people to come to our games and support our program,” Merritt said. “They do an amazing job,
and it’s now how do we put on these great things that people are like, ‘Oh, I want to be a part of that. I want to do that. How do I get to do that?’ and that’s through being a Familia member.”
Familia FC member Terry O’Rourke, the father of sophomore forward Shae O’Rourke, said there are few women’s soccer programs that receive as much support as South Carolina’s, but that creating groups such as Familia FC helps increase the reach of college soccer programs in their respective communities.
“This school travels large. You don’t see it with other schools. Other schools are now starting to duplicate what we do,
South Carolina women’s soccer program and Familia FC are one and the same, and she sees the group as an extension of the Smiths’ large soccer family.
“A lot of people go home from their job, and they talk about their kids or their — whatever else is going on in their life. This is Shelley and Jamie’s life,” Merritt said. “Familia and the name only helped encompass what the program is, and I think Carolina women’s soccer and Familia are so closely related and have the same values and want the same things.”
which is nice to see,” O’Rourke said. “It’s good for their schools, and just because they’re our rivals, we like to see the kids, the girls grow their game.”
O’Rourke said that being a part of the group has also allowed him to develop lasting relationships with like-minded individuals who have a passion for supporting South Carolina soccer.
“I’ve got to meet a lot of new people, great people, and that’s probably one of the best things. Now I have friends for life,” O’Rourke said. “We lose some during the high school years, and now we gain more, and it’s great. I think we’ll have these friendships for years to come.”
Merritt said that in her mind, the
3 - South Carolina women’s soccer team gives high-fives to surrounding families at a tailgate on Sept. 24, 2023. Families gathered in support of the team before taking on Tennessee. 2 - Junior defender Taylor Jacobson and her teammates on the women’s soccer team highfive surrounding families at a tailgate on Sept. 24, 2023. Families tailgate at the University of South Carolina Athletics Village prior to the team’s games. 1 - Families gather for food and activities at a tailgate before the Gamecocks’ matchup against Tennessee on Sept. 24, 2023. The tailgate has become a tradition for South Carolina women’s soccer.Backup quarterback Luke Doty finds new way to impact Gamecock football in 2023 season
Annie PoteatTo his coaches and teammates, redshirt junior quarterback Luke Doty is the ultimate team player.
Leading up to the 2023 season, Doty appeared in 19 games as a quarterback for the Gamecocks, starting six and completing more than half of his 228 pass attempts. He also had 11 combined passing and rushing touchdowns.
In 2023, Doty has appeared in all five games, but one thing sets this season apart from the others: He’s not playing quarterback.
With the help of his coaches, Doty reinvented himself as a wide receiver in his fourth year with the Gamecocks. So far this season, he has appeared in each game at the line of scrimmage rather than lined up behind it.
“He’s just so valuable. The guy loves South Carolina. Whatever role you give him, he embraces it. It’s a great example for all of our guys,” head coach Shane Beamer said. “He works and he competes. He’s a leader, and he wants what’s best for the football team.”
Doty has started one game as a wide receiver across his five appearances this season. He has accumulated 10 catches for 98 yards as of Oct. 13, one of which was a 36-yard touchdown to put the Gamecocks ahead against Furman. The touchdown was Doty’s lone reception of the game. He’s now scored passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns in his career.
“I’ve always said it, I’m a team guy,” Doty said. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to get out there and
help the team. It doesn’t matter what capacity it is. If it’s me being on a headset or me having a headset on the sideline, watching defense and making calls, then
that’s what it is. If it’s me out on special teams or playing wide receiver, then I’m all for it.”
This season is not Doty’s first time playing as wide receiver. He played the position early in his career at Myrtle Beach High School before finding his way to quarterback. During his sophomore year, he played seven games, recording 20 receptions for 146 yards and four touchdowns.
Since then, Doty’s only experience with receiving came from training camp his freshman year at South Carolina, when he split his time between playing as both quarterback and wide receiver. Doty stepped onto the field wearing garnet and black as a receiver for the first time against the University of Florida in 2020, but he did not record a reception until this year.
Doty appeared sparingly across games as a
Doty isn’t the only player on the team who has floated between positions for the Gamecocks. Sixth-year running back Dakereon Joyner went through a similar process in the spring. Having played quarterback, receiver and on special teams since joining the Gamecocks, Joyner recently made a switch to play running back.
“I’m very proud of him,” Joyner said. “He told me the other day (that) he used to watch me a lot, going through my transition, so he’s kind of handling that similar. I mean, he’s a guy that does everything right. He’s the guy that’s going to continue to have success. He does everything right.”
Although he’s found himself making
quarterback in his 2020 season until he took the helm from thenstarter and graduate student Collin Hill. Doty went on to start the remaining two games of the season at quarterback and remained there until this past spring.
“I’d love to say it was just a spurof-the-moment kind of thing, but it’s something I’ve been preparing for for a while,” Doty said. “I’ve been doing it since my freshman year, so it’s kind of like riding a bike — you never really lose it. But it was kind of one of those things that we said we wanted to mess around with this, and we just kept working at it.”
a different impact his year, Doty is still listed as the second quarterback on South Carolina’s depth chart. Against Furman, he completed two of four passing attempts for 17 yards.
“(I’m) just going back to my technique and trusting the system, trusting my craft,” Doty said. “Going out there, being confident and making plays doing whatever I can to help the team.
PHOTO: GRACE SORRELS FILE - Redshirt senior quarterback Luke Doty high-fives fans while running out of the tunnel before the Troy football game on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. Doty has been playing as a wide receiver for the Gamecocks in the 2023 season, changing his impact on the team.REASONS WHY
Running back Mario Anderson shines in win over Mississippi State
jacob PhillipsRedshirt senior running back Mario Anderson entered the Sept. 23 matchup against Mississippi State having received just eight carries all season. So when the opportunity came for Anderson to leave his mark against the Bulldogs, he made the most of it.
“We felt like, going into it, that we knew Mario was going to play no matter who went out there first,” head football coach Shane Beamer said. “We’re proud of him, and like all of our running backs as well, we feel like we got four really good ones … but certainly, Mario showed what he can do tonight.”
Anderson joined the program in the offseason after leaving Newberry, a Division II school. Anderson recorded more than 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns in each final two seasons at Newberry, creating optimism around the program that he could slide into South Carolina’s vacated running back room.
Anderson was absent in the Gamecocks’ first game against UNC, and against Furman, he got six carries and rushed for 32 yards. Against Georgia, he had just two touches for nine yards.
However, Anderson’s promise was on display in the game against Mississippi State, as he wracked up 26 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown in the team’s 37-30 win.
“That’s just how we practice, very physical,” Anderson said. “Coach Beamer is heavy on physicality and everything, so the workload, it just came natural.”
Beamer said in his weekly media availability on Sept. 19 that South Carolina would look to establish its run better, so Anderson’s increase in touches makes sense. But he also affected the game in ways that didn’t require him to carry the ball.
Anderson made many key blocks that gave redshirt senior quarterback Spencer Rattler time in the pocket to make throws, something Anderson said running backs coach Montario Hardesty focuses on teaching.
“He really prioritizes that for all of us,” Anderson said. “He really emphasizes that. Fit in the window, just shooting our hands
and being real physical. So that’s every day because we got a guy like Spencer in the backfield, so we have to.”
Anderson’s touchdown wound up being the game-winning score and came after he bullied his way into the endzone from nine yards out. He ran into a defensive wall about three yards from the endzone but kept his legs moving and forced his way past the goal line.
“I just seen the O-line blocking, really, and just being able to run my feet, finish the drive and finish the play,” Anderson said. “I’m blessed to play with these guys.
The O-line fights really hard.”
After the game, Beamer awarded Anderson a game ball for his performance. Anderson said the moment was special for him after his journey.
“That’s actually going up on the dresser,” Anderson said. “It meant a lot because a kid coming from D2, and everything that he’s allowed me to do and everything, and just being able to get the game ball from him, or one of the game balls from him, it meant a lot, and it was a very special moment.”
Anderson said that having a successful game does not allow him to take things any easier at practice. He said he still needs to go in every day and compete for his spot.
“I try to seize every opportunity possible,” Anderson said. “It’s still a lot of competition in the running back room. You can never be satisfied with a Swiss Army knife like DK and a guy like Juju, who can make anybody miss in space and
everything, so the competition level is still through the roof. I’ve still got to bring it every day.”
Anderson received less carries in the loss to Tennessee but made more out of them. He took 10 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown. Anderson sits on 230 yards and two touchdowns off of 44 carries for the season as of Oct. 13.
Anderson and South Carolina will now set their sights on the second half of the season, including a game against the Missouri Tigers. Last season against the Tigers, the Gamecocks struggled to establish the run, rushing for 32 yards.
Redshirt senior running back Mario Anderson rushes for a Gamecock touchdown at Williams-Brice Stadium on Sept. 23, 2023. Anderson rushed for 88 yards on 26 carries. PHOTO: SAM SCHORRCONTINUED FROM PAGE 13
know the inner workings day-to-day, exactly how many steps we took to get here, they know how hard we worked, and they’ve just always been there for us, and we’re so thankful.”
As Jacobs and other Carolina Band administrators work toward funding the band’s trip and building its repertoire for the parade, excitement continues to build for individual band members. Third-year broadcast journalism student and color guard section leader Meagan Daukshus said the parade will give her family members from New Jersey the opportunity to see her perform in person.
Rece Howard, a second-year services management student and sousaphone
section leader from Gilbert, South Carolina, said it will give him the opportunity to represent his hometown on a national level.
“There’s a few people here and there who get that ‘get out of that town’ feeling. You get to go experience the world and do fun things, but you’re still that rural South Carolina kid,” Howard said. “It’s like, now you’re actually going to have a chance to show where you came from and show off everything that you learned.”
Russell said the parade is also a valuable recruiting opportunity.
“Not only do we get to build the atmosphere at Williams-Brice, but we also get to take a taste of that atmosphere up
to New York City,” Russell said. “Hopefully, we can inspire some people and put South Carolina on notice with all this national attention.”
For some band members, including fourth-year exercise science student Enajah McCluney, performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be one of the final activities they do as a member of the Carolina Band. McCluney, a drum major, will be a fifth-year student next year. He said the parade will be a fitting end to his marching band career.
“My first year in Carolina Band was in a COVID season, so just getting to acknowledge the opportunities and the different experiences that the Carolina
Band has brought me and getting to celebrate that in one final huge display, I just know it’s going to be so overwhelming,” McCluney said. “It’s going to be such a job well done and just such a final goodbye to the years and years and the time and efforts that I’ve spent with the Carolina Band.”
Editors note: Meagan Daukshus is an active member of Garnet Media Group’s television station, SGTV.
The Carolina Band performs during the Campus Village ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 18, 2023. The ribbon-cutting celebrated the opening of USC’s newest dorms with administrators, faculty and staff in attendance. PHOTO: SAVANNAH NAGYHey Gamecocks, meet...
Student Health and Well-Being
Counseling and Psychiatry Services
Taking care of your mental and emotional health is essential for your well-being. -
shops, counseling and support services, and group and individual counseling. No matter your issue or challenge, we’re here to help!
Healthy Campus Initiatives
education on various health topics to help students make informed decisions about their health and well-being. We strive to make the Carolina community a thriving place to live, learn, work, and
Student Health
As a student here at USC, you have access to a wide range of medical services and a dedicated team of healthcare experts right here on campus. Through comprehensive care and education, we strive to give students the skills and knowledge they need to develop healthy life-long habits.
Substance Abuse and Prevention Education
Our team is dedicated to promoting healthy, low-risk behavior and encouraging students to make responsible decisions when using alcohol and other drugs. We develop peer-to-peer connections, support resiliency, and contribute to your overall well-being!
Campus Recreation
a variety of high-quality, convenient, innovative, and inclusive ways to help you connect with yourself and the campus community. We strive to create experiences that facilitate healthy habits, leadership opportunities, and campus involvement.
Local ‘breakfast joint’ embraces community, hopes to expand location
Mollie NaugleOn any given Saturday, a line of hungry customers snakes out of The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli, perusing menus as they wait to get a taste of their signature cinnamon rolls or savory breakfast sandwiches. Though the restaurant is sure to satisfy any breakfast cravings, it is the welcoming atmosphere that makes it truly stand out to patrons.
“It’s always young student workers, and they’re always so energetic and so sweet when you walk in the door,” graduate public health student Brooke Pataky said. “And the food is delicious, so that’s a bonus.”
While The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli may have cemented its place in the heart of locals, its origins can be traced to a more distant location. Mother-son duo and owners Jody and Richard Kreush opened the restaurant in 2016 after they moved to Columbia from Pittsburgh.
“My mother kind of ran restaurants the majority of her life,” Richard Kreush said. “In Maryland, she was on the restaurant association board, and she managed an
Italian restaurant, and it had multiple locations. Then, when we moved over to Pittsburgh, she ended up running her own food truck as well.”
With this background in the restaurant industry in mind, the family decided Columbia needed a sandwich shop or “breakfast joint,” and The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli was born. Even on its opening day, Kreush said that support shown towards the restaurant was immense and unexpected.
“I used to actually work at multiple restaurants while I was in school,” Kreush said. “I used to tell everybody (The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli) was about to open and stuff, and everyone was just extremely supportive. And then come our first day open, I didn’t realize I had told so many people, like on our first day open we got a line out the door and, you know, it kind of just blew our minds.”
The communal show of support for The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli has continued past its opening day, as members of the
Columbia community, such as fourth-year public health student Isabella Young, are still discovering the restaurant today.
“I found out about (The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli) freshman year with my roommate,” Young said. “We were just scouting out places to go, and it’s become a frequent place that I go to to go get food on the weekends.”
Just as local customers have embraced The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli, the restaurant has been equally supportive of the Columbia community. The dining area is decorated with art from Columbia artists and local art students, and the restaurant has partnered with SQ Rescue, a nonprofit animal rescue based in the Columbia area.
The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli has also gained both local and national attention over the years. Inside the restaurant, a mix of accolades are displayed on the walls, such as the restaurant’s ‘Cinnamonster’ being featured on Food Network’s “Ginormous Foods” and the Free Times’ Best New Restaurant of 2017 award.
Kreush credits the restaurant’s success to its expansive menu, featuring a wide range of offerings from cinnamon rolls and grits to soup and paninis.
“We like to think that we fit all occasions essentially for anyone, whatever you’re feeling,” Kreush said. “Our menu is pretty all over the place, so I feel like everyone can eat here every day of the week and not have the same thing twice if they don’t want to.”
To accommodate The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli’s growing popularity, the restaurant plans to expand its Devine Street location in the next year. Kreush said the expansion will allow for more dining space and will grow the restaurant’s menu to potentially include some healthier options, such as salads and wraps.
“Everyone always gives us positive feedback for the most part, or at least constructive criticism,” Kreush said. “We’ve been able to adjust and kind of really find our niche in all of this. We didn’t use to sell grits when we first opened and about a year and a half, two years in, my mom tasted some of the local grits and was like, ‘I can do this.’ And now it’s actually one of our bestselling items.”
Community response has shaped The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli in more ways than one. Kreush said seeing the smiles on diners’ faces is one of the most rewarding parts of working at the restaurant.
“It really does just bring a warmth to your heart,” Kreush said. “Something you made — it kind of brightens up their day. Just really takes you over a little bit.”
The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli is located at 2617 Devine St. and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Photo: Emma Wyatt A photo of The Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli’s in-house cinnamon rolls on Sept. 6, 2023. Customers are able to watch from the window as their cinnamon rolls get topped with savory or sweet garnishes.Performers in Columbia find opportunities, community through busking
Sydney ZulywitzJohn Davis has been playing the bagpipes for nearly 25 years.
But his musical interests were just a side hobby — that is, until he recently retired. With more time on his hands, Davis started piping again, and he now finds himself performing at the Soda City Market on Saturdays.
Davis isn’t the only one who shares his passion at the market, though. He is surrounded by several other performers, commonly referred to as “buskers,” who have obtained a license to share their own talents with the community.
Davis said he and other buskers in Columbia see themselves as more than street performers. For them, the act goes beyond just donations and has allowed them to interact with the community in ways that are meaningful to each individual.
“I want to keep practicing and sharing it with people as opposed to just bugging my neighbors, so I do it here (at Soda City),” Davis said.
Davis said that while busking has brought in some money for him, he doesn’t focus on that aspect of the activity.
“I’ll never recover financially from the investment, but that doesn’t matter. It’s a hobby, and I love doing it,” Davis said. “I don’t want to make it a job. I don’t need a job.”
Some performers, such as flamenco dancers Iryna Pinto and Samantha Soto, said their beginnings at Soda City provided them with opportunities to grow their passion into a business.
Pinto and Soto said people started to recognize them at the market and would often ask if they taught classes.
The pair said they took advantage of the opportunity and began teaching classes in Soto’s house. As they grew, the duo started renting out space to teach classes
A box designated for tips sits in the foreground as Bruce Bynum plays the bass at the Soda City Market on Sept. 23, 2023. Bynum has been playing bass for 45 years and began playing at Soda City in August. Photos: Xavier Martinin Columbia and eventually expanded to teaching in Charlotte. Pinto said busking gave them the chance to connect with the community and spread their reach throughout the Carolinas.
“In Soda City, it always be like our huge platform, and we will never have enough words or enough ways to say thank you,” Pinto said. “I think they don’t even know how grateful we are because of them.”
When COVID-19 hit, the pair stopped in-person classes to focus on taking care of their families, but they still perform privately and at Soda City when they are able.
Beyond business connections, busking also gives performers, such as violinist Martina Williams, the chance to create personal connections with members of the community they busk in.
Williams said it has been a way to enhance the experience for marketgoers while building relationships with customers and vendors.
“I love it because I think I thrive in communities,” Williams said. “And this is definitely the epitome of what a community is and how it functions and how, if everybody has the same mindset, everybody wins.”
Williams said she enjoys seeing how all the vendors and performers work harmoniously at events like Soda City to create a pleasant experience for attendees.
“We’re here to enhance the experience for the people that come for the vendors. The vendors are the stars,” Williams said. “The market is the star of the show. We’re here to add to that and not take away from it.”
To learn more about obtaining a busking license, performers can visit the City of Columbia Business License Division at 1339 Main St.
Editor’s Note: XavierMartin contributed to the reporting in this article.
A group of Soda City Market patrons pass by as John Davis plays the bagpipes during the Soda City Market on Sept. 23, 2023. Davis is recently retired and said he has busked at Soda City for the last two months to share his passion for Scottish music. Brian Lennox plays the “vocalin” at the Soda City Market on Sept. 23, 2023. The vocalin is an electric violin with a mouth tube that allows Lennox to create a unique, autotune-like sound when he sings. Martina Williams plays the violin at the Soda City Market on Sept. 23, 2023. Williams has played music professionally for two and a half years and said busking helps her turn her passion for music into a job.New exhibit in the Hollings Special Collections Library showcases LGBTQIA+ history
Jessica ProulxMany students, such as first-year social work student Kat Davis, have taken notice of the rainbow-colored ads lining the walls of Thomas Cooper Library, and while they may be left wondering what the ads are for, Davis said she recognizes the message.
“Seeing that outside the library at University of South Carolina, it’s like, ‘Wow, okay. These people are taking notice. They see us,’” Davis said. “It’s not something that I need to feel ashamed of.”
Inside the Hollings Special Collections Library, the “To tell the secrets of my nights and days: LGBTQ+ History in South Carolina and Beyond” exhibit showcases items related to LGBTQIA+ history in South Carolina and connects these displays to ones on the national and global level.
Items in the exhibit include photographs from the first LGBTQIA+ protests in Columbia in the 1980s and the first Pride march in the area in 1990, “camp” romance novels from the mid20th century, love letters from the early 19th century, century and poetry from Plato and Ovid.
Graham Duncan, the head of collections and curator of manuscripts at the South Caroliniana Library and cocurator of the exhibit, said “To tell the secrets of my nights and days” shows both sides of LGBTQIA+ history — the severe and the celebratory.
“There are some serious issues, serious themes, in the exhibit, right? I mean, the ACT UP protest, the first Pride march, but there’s also just I think celebration just represented in there, and I think that’s important,” Duncan said. “It’s just showing the joy of kind of of everyday life.”
Michael Weisenburg, the associate director of the Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections for University Libraries and fellow co-curator of the exhibit, said the name of the project refers to the LGBTQIA+ history interwoven in items already owned or exhibited on campus.
“The title, ‘To tell the secret of my nights and days,’ and to sort of this idea that in many ways, there’s a history here
that is sometimes hiding in plain sight,” Weisenburg said. “These are literary works that people are familiar with and have read, but that maybe not everyone’s always comfortable talking about within this context.”
The well-known classics used in this exhibit bring a voice to a sometimes forgotten side of the story, According to Duncan.
“It’s important to kind of display them in this context, because it matters. To some people, it matters that Whitman is a great American poet, right? But to a lot of people, it matters that Whitman is a gay American poet,” Duncan said.
Both curators said the representation of an often-overlooked community and its history was a story that needed to be told.
“Part of this work is to make sure that communities and members of the South Carolina community who have maybe been historically suppressed or maybe not represented as strongly as they could or should be in cultural heritage institutions are being represented and are being archived,” Weisenburg said. “The other part of this is to sort of recontextualize our historical holdings and reckon with the fact that that history is already there in the collection, in the library, in the archive.”
The exhibit was created with the idea that each item could be understood on
its own, so anyone could understand the overarching theme of the exhibit without needing to view it in its entirety. Both curators said it was natural to combine the collections of the Irvin Department and the South Caroliniana Library to create the exhibit based on what they knew of their respective collections and what was loaned to them by the community.
“The Irvin Department stuff has been displayed before, but never in this context, right? I’m almost always using comic books. I’m almost always using Walt Whitman. I’m almost always using the classical Western tradition because we’re the traditional antiquarian book department,” Weisenburg said. “It made
The book “When Men Meet” is displayed alongside other books highlighting queer identities in the “To tell the secret of my nights and days” exhibit. The collection of books, newspapers, photos and magazines in the Thomas Cooper Library is open until January 2024. Photos: Hannah Flintsense when Graham came to us to talk about staging an exhibit like this. It’s like, ‘Well, of course, we have plenty of stuff to contribute to this exhibit, and it would make sense to connect the two collections through this theme.’”
USC’s Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections focuses on any items with historical significance and carries national and global items with longterm importance. However, the South Caroliniana Library focuses specifically on the history of the state of South Carolina and only holds items and records related to the region’s history.
“We sort of are able to combine the stuff that’s germane in the South Caroliniana Library — that’s really more regionally-focused — with the stuff that’s in, say, the Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, which tends to be more (of) the traditional antiquarian book department,” Weisenburg said.
The two curators also reached out to the campus community to borrow items that help the exhibit tell the full story of LGBTQIA+ history in a more fluid way than what their two departments could offer alone.
“There are some materials out there that are not currently held by University Libraries, but they’re on loan from members of the community, which is also important,” Duncan said.
Most students don’t realize that they can also use the sprawling collections of the Irvin Department and the South Caroliniana Library as a campus resource. Weisenburg said that students shouldn’t be intimidated to reach out.
“I want students to know we’re a resource for them,” Weisenburg said. “I want them to feel comfortable coming in and seeing versions of themselves here and wanting to come and do research on things that they maybe don’t think about when they think of the (South Caroliniana Library) or they think of Rare Books.”
“To tell the secrets of my nights and days” will be open until late January 2024 and will be accessible in the Hollings Special Collections Library at the back of Thomas Cooper Library from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. According to the curators, some items may be added or exchanged for other pieces later in the semester.
A sneak peek at Koger’s fall season
As summer descends into “spooky season,” theatre lovers and fright fanatics will scream at the events the Koger Center for the Arts has lined up in celebration of October. For those looking for activities without the scares, the theatre will have plenty of jolly and merry shows as we “fall” into the winter holiday season.
Check out these upcoming productions at the Koger Center for the Arts:
Oct. 17 to 19 — Broadway in Columbia: Come From Away
Oct. 19 at 4:30 p.m. — Third Thursday
Art Night: Alicia Leeke
Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 22 at 1 p.m — The Thorn
Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. — American Patchwork Quartet
Oct. 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. — South Carolina Ballet’s Dracula: Ballet with a Bite
Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. — South Carolina
Philharmonic: Halloween at Hogwarts
Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. — USC Symphony
Orchestra: Music of the Americas
Nov. 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. — USC Dance Company Fall Concert
Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. — Desi Banks: The Purpose Chaser Tour
Nov. 14 to 16 — Broadway in Columbia: Pretty Woman the Musical
Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. — South Carolina
Philharmonic: Rachmaninoff 150
Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. — Live in the Lobby Jazz with Don Vappie (presented by ColaJazz)
Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m. — Big Band
Holidays: Jazz at Lincoln Center
Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Dec. 1 to 3 — Columbia Classical
Ballet: The Nutcracker
Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. — USC Symphony
Orchestra: Soul Bass
Dec. 9, 10, 16 and 17 — South Carolina
Ballet’s Nutcracker (Columbia City Ballet)
Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. — Broadway in Columbia: Celtic Woman: A Christmas Symphony
Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. — South Carolina
Philharmonic: Home for the Holidays
Amanda Petty A photo of a patron at Affairs, a bar located at 712 Huger St., sits in the “To tell the secret of my nights and days” exhibit. The photo is among multiple photos of the “camp drag shows” held at Affairs that are now on display until late January 2024. Various comics and newspapers that represent queer identities are paired together in the Thomas Cooper Library on Sept. 12, 2023. The comics are a part of the Pride collection at the Thomas Cooper Library until late January 2024.Column: How concerts, movies made it a summer to remember for women
KATIE ROJASSummer 2023 proved that girls can do anything. Over the past few months, fans have flocked to see Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour and the movie premiere of “Barbie.” Stadiums have been selling out rapidly for Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, and movie theaters have been packed in pink for “Barbie.” Fans of both artists are making friendship bracelets to trade and stylizing unique costumes to celebrate the anticipated experiences, and as someone who went to the Eras Tour and saw “Barbie” opening weekend, the atmospheres are unlike any other. These three shows have been documented all over social media
Jackson worked at Kroonz Wear, a small Black-owned business in downtown Atlanta, when both concerts came to the city’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium earlier this year.
“In the beginning of the summer, (the) Eras Tour came through, so there were so many girls trying to get their Eras shirts,” Jackson said. “We had a spike in sales for that. And then as we got closer and closer to Beyoncé, once again we saw a huge spike and, of course, there were so many Black women coming through.”
On the film side, the marketing campaign for “Barbie” was one of the best that I’ve ever seen. From all pink
stores, Barbie Dreamhouse Airbnbs and promotional pink burgers at Burger King, it was nearly impossible to avoid any mention of the film.
In the end, it paid off for director Greta Gerwig, as “Barbie” set 17 new box office records and became the highest-grossing domestic movie opening of all time for a female director.
“For the first time in a really long time, those moments and experiences are really catered towards women,” Blair Elliott, a fourth-year environmental and marine policy student, said. “Obviously men
actually catered towards and directed towards women, which I don’t think is often the case in media.”
Going all out for a concert and movie is one thing, but seeing women come together and do it together feels like sisterhood. Moments like these gave me the confidence to compliment girls on their Eras Tour shirts, which would usually lead to striking up a conversation on what show we attended or what our favorite “era” was.
According to The Washington Post, their collective influence “has boosted Americans’ spending, aiding hotels, airlines and movie theaters.”
“There’s something about female concerts and the way women, especially as of late, have started to make more conscious decisions when shopping in general, especially with who they are putting their energy towards and who they’re putting those dollars towards,” third-year marketing student Shania Jackson said. “You definitely see more of a difference with that.”
In the end, people can bond with anyone over any kind of music, movies, books or media. However, I believe these particular experiences set up long-lasting friendships because of their meaning. Since the start of 2023, I’ve made new “Swiftie” friends and reconnected with people I haven’t talked to in forever, specifically over Taylor Swift. “It finally feels like there’s a place and a space that is for women, and we can just resonate with the words of the songs or the meanings of the movie a little bit more than we can with other types of media,” Elliott said. The summer of 2023 was unforgettable because of the hype these events created. It provided a safe space for women to express themselves and find a new way to celebrate concerts and movies. It is refreshing to see media catering towards women in an empowering way, and I truly hope that it will continue to remain that way in the
Column: Push yourself, study abroad
MARY CARSON BUFFALOEStudying abroad — a scary thought to some and an exciting opportunity to others.
For me, the idea of studying abroad was a topic that I had dreamed about from a young age.
Growing up, I couldn’t wait to go to college so that I could study abroad in a new country. I would talk about it with everyone, and I made sure to include it in my bio on the Class of 2025 Facebook page.
My dreams finally came true this past June when I got the opportunity to go to Barcelona, Spain, for a month with the School of Journalism and Mass
Communications. I only had the highest hopes before venturing across the Atlantic, but, after arriving, I realized there were a lot of things I wasn’t prepared for.
Unsurprisingly, it’s a large adjustment living in the United States versus living in a European country, but I didn’t realize just how difficult it would be at first.
Many students experience a harsh transition when entering a new country for their study abroad trip, knowing that they have to adjust to a new lifestyle and culture for the foreseeable future. When I arrived in Barcelona, the combined feelings of homesickness and jet lag made it a tough start.
“I remember the first day I got there I just cried, and I took a nap and I fell asleep for what felt like hours,” said Logan Richter, a third-year international business student. “It was the worst day ever.”
Richter studied abroad in Florence, Italy, last spring. He said things felt off for him for about the first three weeks of his semester abroad.
He had wanted to study abroad since he was in middle school, and he said it was hard for him to grasp the idea that it wasn’t everything he had imagined. He said the narrow streets in Italy caused him to feel claustrophobic at times, and it was an overwhelming adjustment.
“One of the biggest things is culture shock. You’re just used to doing things a certain way, so when you get to the new country there’s a period where everything’s exciting,” Elizabeth Cooper, an education abroad advisor at USC, said. “After a couple weeks, you kind of go back into your shell a little bit because it’s not what you’re used to.”
When I first arrived in Barcelona, everything was new and fun and we were so busy trying new things, but when it hit the second week there, where you fall into a routine a bit more, I started to notice just how different my day-to-day life was.
For example, I love being able to drive
and listen to my music on full blast and not have to worry about anything until I get to my destination. But in Barcelona, we rode the metro everywhere and that was the standard there. We realized that Europeans rely mostly on forms of public transportation to get around, so you’re constantly surrounded by people. This was definitely something that took time to get used to.
Richter described a similar experience and said his time abroad began to turn positive when he got the chance to explore more of Europe. He said this was the reason he began to love his new life in Italy.
“What I realized when I came back to Florence was I had this feeling of, ‘Oh, I’m happy to be back here. It feels like home now,’” Richter said.
Traveling to new places is one of the top benefits of studying abroad because, in Europe, most of the major cities are only a train or bus ride away from each other. This makes you well-versed in other
communities and helps you meet people you could only dream of encountering.
During my second week in Barcelona, my friends and I took a bus to the coastal city of Tossa de Mar. This short trip was one of the highlights of my time abroad because I got to experience the differences between the bustling city of Barcelona and the slow beach town that was Tossa de Mar. It was a nice break from reality and what made it so cool was that it was a last minute trip that we probably wouldn’t have gone on if we hadn’t already been in Barcelona.
That kind of travel builds a close-knit community with people in your program. You begin to create shared experiences with groups you travel with because you are all in the same boat, trying something new.
Being in an environment where you are constantly around people pushes you out of your comfort zone. And when you put
CONTINUED ON PAGE 39
Column: 4 resources students should start using in USC’s library
VARSHA GOWDA
As a student here for almost four years, I still struggle to utilize all the services the Thomas Cooper Library has to offer. I mostly just go to the library to find a quiet place to study or to get a quick printout.
It wasn’t until last year, however, when a professor suggested that I talk to a librarian about finding resources for my research paper that I became aware of its multiple resources. The conversation made the research process a whole lot easier for me.
Thomas Cooper Library offers a myriad of resources, including complete textbook access, research materials, professional help and technology services. Despite the library’s many resources, many students remain unaware of these benefits.
Here are some ways that you can use the library to its fullest potential.
Accessing textbooks
USC has an online catalog available on the University Libraries website that is accessible from any device. Through this catalog, students can search for any books, e-books, articles and DVDs that may be available in the library at any time. In addition, students can go
to Course Reserves, which includes materials reserved by professors so that their students can easily access certain corresponding course texts. Students can be loaned these items for up to two hours. If they need to use these resources for longer, they can also request copies of printed articles and books. This makes it so much easier for students to access textbooks when they need to do a quick assignment instead of buying the book for the full price from the bookstore or online.
Research database and subscriptions
The library offers multiple different databases that offer students complete access to various research articles and journals. There are filters that can narrow down searches and make the research process more convenient. Students can sort sources alphabetically or by subject, content and vendor. Undergraduate and graduate students also have unlimited access to The New York Times and limited access to the archives of other outlets, such as The State.
Thomas Cooper Library also has librarians that are specialized in different subjects — such as English, history and engineering — who can find specific information and materials for your paper or thesis. These special librarians are available every day through Zoom or in the offices located on the main level of the library. The university also has primary librarians that can help with more generalized help and are available every day in the main-level offices.
Next time you are struggling with your paper or project, take advantage of the knowledge that these librarians and databases carry.
Professional help
The Career Center on the fifth floor runs resume workshops and conducts field-specific mock interviews to sharpen student’s interview skills. The career center also helps students look for jobs and internships through its career fairs and informs students about available positions through its online platform, Handshake. The center also helps students explore different graduate schools after college
through its pre-professional advising.
The Center for Teaching Excellence, also located on the fifth floor, helps education undergraduate students, graduate teaching assistants and university faculty to develop better teaching skills and learn about different models.
Each of these resources help set students up for life after college and makes sure they have all the information and resources they need to succeed in their chosen field.
Technology services
Students can also borrow technology from the library, such as laptops, cameras and chargers, by booking these items through the online portal and obtaining them at the Circulation Desk on the main floor. The library also provides access to specialized software, such as data visualization programs, multiple programming languages and spatial visualization programs, in the DataLab on the fifth floor to help support data analysis related to university research projects.
Students can also create multimedia projects by reserving a space in the Library Production Studio to have access to audio
and video studios. Anyone interested can reserve these studios for up to two hours per day or a total of 10 hours per week.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37
yourself out there, you start to feel like you are meant to be where you are.
Adapting to a new culture is something that everyone goes through. Once you begin to meet locals and find places of comfort, you’ll be in a much better mindset.
Cooper said students should take action while abroad to help ease the stress of making friends. Since you’re so far out of your comfort zone and in an unfamiliar place, going the extra mile to meet new people may be pushed to the bottom of your to-do list.
Many universities in other countries have “buddy programs” where you get paired up with a local student who can help you adjust to the new environment and introduce you to new people.
“If you kind of put yourself out there and make yourself comfortable with being uncomfortable, it really pays off in the end,” Cooper said.
In my own experience, once I found a group of people that I enjoyed doing things with and that I knew had my back,
it made my abroad experience more fulfilling. If I had sights I wanted to see, or activities I wanted to do, I knew there would always be at least one person that would be down to do it with me.
We all had the same mindset that we may never be back in Barcelona, so we had to make the most of every day. This led me to experience things I never would have if I confined myself to my comfort zone, and I am grateful for these moments every day, even four months later.
Richter said the biggest piece of advice he would give to someone studying abroad is to try as many new things as you can.
“You really have nothing to lose and on top of that, you have everything to gain,” Richter said.
If you ever get a chance to study abroad, you should take it.
No matter if it’s for one week, one month or a whole semester, being pushed so far out of your comfort zone will result in you learning more about yourself than you ever could have if you didn’t challenge yourself.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sydney Dunlap
MANAGING EDITORS
Will Kronsberg, Kate Robins
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Savannah Nagy
NEWS EDITOR
Emmy Ribero
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS
Riley Edenbeck, Win Hammond
SPORTS EDITOR
Jacob Phillips
ASSISSTANT SPORTS EDITORS
Griffin Goodwyn, Will Kelly
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
Amanda Petty
ASSISTANT ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
Catherine Pruitt
OPINION EDITOR
Varsha Gowda
ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR
Mary Carson Buffaloe
BEAT WRITERS
Marley Bassett Emma Davisson, Caitlin Dee, Emma Edwards, Eva Flowe, Annie Poteat, Ky Villegas
DESIGN DIRECTOR
Gillian Thomas
ASSISTANT DESIGN DIRECTOR
Callie Hribar
SENIOR DESIGNER
Clay Laucella
CO-PHOTO EDITORS
Alicia Caracciolo, Sam Schorr
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
Taylor Kitchens, Xavier Martin
CO-ENGAGEMENT DIRECTORS
Julia Lako, Lauren Larsen
ASSISTANT ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR
Anna Ottinger
SENIOR CONTENT CREATOR
Elena Keller
COPY DESK CHIEF
Ava Rossini
ASSISTANT COPY DESK CHIEFS
Jessica Proulx, Bridget Tracy
SENIOR COPY EDITOR
Addison Scott
STUDENT MEDIA DIRECTOR
Sarah Scarborough
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA
Sydney Cranmer
ART DIRECTOR
Krista Larson
ADVERTISING ADVISOR
John Burbage
FACULTY ADVISOR
Brandon Shulleeta
CREATIVE SERVICES
Ilona Donovan, Chloe Ehlers, Lily Ferguson, Jada Mack, Savannah Nagy David Olsen
AD SALES TEAM
Delaney Flanagan, Kylie Kurinsky, Marisa Tartamella, Kate Levey, Abigail Romani, Sofia Sabatino Sofia Sabatino, Marisa Tartamella
CONTAC T I NF ORMATION
Offices located on the third floor of Russell House
EDITOR sagcked@mailbox.sc.edu
NEWS sagcknews@mailbox.sc.edu
OPINION sagckopinion@mailbox.sc.edu
DIS TR ES S S IGN S
If someone displays these signs, take the situation seriously, talk to them directly and be willing to listen.
Excessive or increased use of substances
Feeling hopeless, saying there is no reason for living
ARTS & CULTURE sagckarts@mailbox.sc.edu
SPORTS sagcksports@mailbox.sc.edu
PHOTO sagckphoto@mailbox.sc.edu
DESIGN sagckdesign@mailbox.sc.edu SOCIAL sagcksocial@mailbox.sc.edu
NEWSROOM 777-7726
JO IN OUR TE AM
Want to join The Daily Gamecock? Check us out at garnetmedia.org/join
TD
Get our news delievered right to your inbox. Subscribe online at dailygamecock.com/subscribe
The Daily Gamecock is the editorially independent student newspaper at the University of South Carolina. Dailygamecock.com, along with a daily email edition, is your online source for The Daily Gamecock's coverage of all things USC. Check us out on Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, for news updates around the clock. Opinions expressed in The Daily Gamecock are those of editors or authors and not those of the University of South Carolina. The Board of Student Publications and Communications is the publisher of The Daily Gamecock. The Office of Student Media is the newspaper’s parent organization. The Daily Gamecock is supported in part by student activity fees.
dailygamecock.com The Daily Gamecock @dailygamecock
Anxiety, agitation, inability to sleep or sleeping too much
Feeling trapped and that there’s no way out
Withdrawal from family, friends and society
Dramatic shifts in mood, uncontrolled rage or seeking revenge
Out of character, risky and impulsive acts
Taking car e o f y ou rs el f
If you are thinking of ending your own life or hurting yourself, there is hope.
Things can get better. Tell someone who can help.
Reach out to the people closest to you. It may feel as if there is no one available, but you are not alone. You have people who love and care for you. Reach out to them. If you believe you cannot talk to your parents, find someone else: a relative, a roommate, a friend, a professor, an advisor or a mentor.
Helping s omeone e lse
Students in emotional distress are most likely to approach friends before they speak with a professional. If a friend sends out signs of distress, either in person or via social media, take it seriously and follow up with them
If someone makes comments about suicide, find the person help as soon as possible. Offer hope and don’t leave the person alone.
Wh o t o call
24-Hour Suicide Hotline: 800-273-8255
USCPD: 803-777-4215
USC Counseling and Psychiatry: 803-777-5223
Columbia Area Mental Health Center: 803-898-4800
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
The Trevor Lifeline (for LGBTQIA+ individuals): 1-866-488-7386
GRAD FAIR
One-Stop Grad Shop! You’ll be able to:
Order your cap & gown
Order graduation announcements & Jostens class ring
Shop diploma frames
Join the Alumni Association
Enter to win a free diploma frame
MISSED GRAD FAIR?
Scan this QR code to order regalia online.
*Orders must be placed by November 15
THE OFFICIAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA RING