USC Times May 2016

USCTIMES

MAY 2016 / VOL. 27, NO.4

STEPPING STONES

Ultrasound Grows Up

Talkin’ About Their Generation

Mechanisms of Memory

The technology used to image the unborn refocuses in the classroom, page 2

Millennials talk millennials ­— and share their opinions about the rest of us, page 8

A single enzyme might one day help us understand the physiology of memory, page 16

USC TIMES / STAFF

FROM THE EDITOR USC Times is published 10 times a year for the faculty and staff of the University of South Carolina by the Office of Communications & Public Affairs, Wes Hickman, director.

Managing Editor Craig Brandhorst Creative Director Bob Wertz Designer Brinnan Wimberly Brandi Lariscy Avant Contributors Dan Cook Chris Horn Page Ivey Steven Powell Thom Harman Ore Oluwole Photographers Kim Truett Ambyr Goff Printer USC Printing Services Campus correspondents James Raby, Aiken Cortney Easterling, Greenville Shana Dry, Lancaster Jane Brewer, Salkehatchie Misty Hatfield, Sumter Annie Smith, Union Tammy Whaley, Upstate Jay Darby, Palmetto College Submissions Did you know you can submit ideas for future issues of USC Times? Share your story by emailing or calling Craig Brandhorst at craigb1@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-777-3681.

LIFE STARTS HERE Stumped by this month’s cover? We were too. Here’s a little secret, though: that’s not actually a tree stump you were looking at just now; in the parlance of developmental psychology, early childhood education and the kindergarten playground, that’s what’s commonly referred to as a stepping stone.

OK, it’s not a stone, either — not a literal stone, not a stone stone — but, well, you get the picture. And if you’ve ever traipsed through the garden behind USC’s Child Development and Research Center, you’ve probably even seen the not-stone stepping stone pictured. If you haven’t, you can always skip to our feature on the center for additional context (page 4).

But don’t skip off just yet, we grow up too quickly as it is — just ask public health professor Robert “Skip” Valois and associate professor of psychology Kimberly Hills, whose insights into the transition from childhood to adolescence remind us not only how much kids change at that tender age but also how much has changed about how they change (page 6).

If you haven’t figured it out yet, this issue of USC Times is about growing up, coming of age, reaching maturity, all the stuff that makes life, well, life. It’s also about the different generations — the ones demographers use to describe us and the ones the rest of use to describe each other, fairly or not.

To find out what our students (most of whom qualify as millennials) think about their own generation and the generations that came before, we went straight to the source. Then, in the interest of added perspective, we did the same with our faculty (nearly all of whom are baby boomers or Gen-Xers). It’s an interesting conversation and not as divisive as you might expect — the Snapchat Divide notwithstanding (page 8).

Speaking of Snapchat — or at least speaking of things that come and go — when it comes to life, what are we really left with at the end? Our memories, that’s what, and sometimes not even those. With that sobering thought in mind, we invite you to consider PDE11A, a single protein enzyme that School of Medicine professor Michy Kelly hopes might one day help us understand the physiology of forgetting (page 16).

Finally, on the flipside, something to remember — namely that in life, as in nature, there’s always something sprouting up behind us. Witness the seedling taking root in this month’s End Notes. We planted it there to symbolize new life, the younger generation, the eternal promise of whatever comes next. It’s time to turn the page.

Step Up,

CRAIG BRANDHORST MANAGING EDITOR

The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation or veteran status.

VOL. 27, NO.4 1

TIMES FIVE

Strike Up the Band

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION Faculty, staff and retirees enrolled in the State Health Plan (Standard Plan or Savings Plan) may be eligible for a free preventive health screening. Available at the Thompson Student Health Center, the free screening is part of the PEBA Perks program to help you get and stay healthy. The standard worksite

Whether you’re looking for musical activities for your child or wanting to explore music as an adult, USC’s School of Music can enrich your life with ten- and six-week sessions in brass, strings, woodwinds, guitar, percussion and voice. Faculty members serve as mentors and supervisors and may participate through master classes and other activities. Discounts are offered for both faculty and staff. Visit the School of Music website and click on the community tab for more information.

screening includes blood work, a health risk appraisal, height and weight measurements, blood pressure checks and lipid panels. Appointments are available 7:30-9 a.m., Monday-Friday. Call Campus Wellness at 803-777-6518 to schedule an appointment. Screenings take about 15 minutes.

EVERYBODY HURTS Are you just feeling a little down or are you downright depressed? A new webinar can help you recognize the difference. Register for the May 17 webinar by logging on to the university’s Employment Assistance website, username and password: USC.

PUT THE CAMP IN CAMPUS Summertime at the University of South Carolina means plenty of activities for kids, plenty of chances for them to visit campus and learn something new. USC is one of Columbia’s largest providers of summer youth camps, offering a

One Kid’s Dorm Fridge...

Need a second refrigerator for your garage? Want a change of wardrobe in line with current campus fashion? The 5th annual Give It Up for Good Yard Sale is May 21. Clothing, household goods, furniture and appliances donated by students will be sold to benefit Habitat for Humanity. The sale will be held on the Greene Street Intramural Field next to Colonial Life Arena. Admission is free.

variety of programs for all ages and interests. Parents and their students can choose activities from athletics and performing arts to academics. For the full list, check out http://www.sc.edu/ uofsc/posts/2016/04/summer_youth_ camps_2016.php.

2 USCTIMES / MAY 2016

ULTRASOUND GROWS UP

BY CHRIS HORN

T

hink ultrasound is just for looking at

as organs, blood vessels and other tissues.

fetuses? See sidebar. Curious what

The machines that used to be wheeled

else the technology can show us?

around on carts have been replaced by

See Richard Hoppmann, M.D. The medical device in Hoppmann’s hand is only about the size of an electric

portable devices that plug into tablets or even smart phones.

“Ultrasound is the No. 1 imaging modality

razor, but it’s transforming the way doctors

in the world now, and the applications for

are educated and patients are examined.

its use run across all medical specialties,”

And even though he’s made his pitch for

Hoppmann says. “It’s the only imaging device

ultrasound education a thousand times,

on the international space station, and

Hoppmann’s enthusiasm is palpable.

astronauts are being trained to do scans to

The technology isn’t new — it’s been around for 50 years — but the past decade

study the effects of weightlessness in space.”

On this planet, use of ultrasound imaging

has brought both remarkable improvements,

has become an integral part of the four-

and new applications for ultrasound continue

year curriculum at perhaps a dozen medical

to emerge.

schools around the country, and USC’s

“We talk about ultrasound as the

School of Medicine was the first to fully

stethoscope of the 21st century, and that’s

adopt ultrasound education 10 years ago.

becoming a reality,” says Hoppmann, the

Hoppmann went on to help organize the

Dorothea H. Krebs Chair of Ultrasound

Society in Ultrasound in Medical Education

Education at USC’s School of Medicine.

and several World Congress on Ultrasound Education professional conferences. He’s even trained high school science teachers

“The quality of the images is much better, and the devices themselves are getting smaller all the time.”

how to use ultrasound for teaching anatomy and physiology.

“There’s a tremendous opportunity for ultrasound education at all levels,” he says.

“I heard a student say, ‘We’ve been studying

Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to image internal body structures such

these systems in books; now we’re seeing them!’ That’s the dynamic that ultrasound brings to education.” T

Baby’s first picture It’s often the first photo in a modern baby album — a black-and-white image of the baby-to-be in the mother’s womb, captured during a routine ultrasound. But prenatal ultrasound has come a long way since it was first used in the obstetrics in the mid 1970s.

“It was a tool looking for a need,” says Berry Campbell, M.D., director of maternal/fetal medicine at USC’s School of Medicine. “The images had very poor quality, and the technology wasn’t commonly available — and researchers were still studying its effectiveness as a diagnostic tool.”

Prenatal ultrasound is now so enhanced that it can be used to detect subtle changes and even life-threatening conditions.

“Ultrasound can detect a diaphragmatic hernia where the intestines move into the chest and can impact breathing,” Campbell says. “You often have to do heroic maneuvers immediately after birth for those children to survive, but the outcome is good if diagnosis is made before delivery.”

Modern obstetrical practice now calls for every pregnant mother to have one ultrasound at about 20 weeks. Those at high risk or with other complicating conditions might need the imaging procedure every week.

VOL. 27, NO.4 3

Dorothea H. Krebs Chair of Ultrasound Education Richard Hoppmann

4 USCTIMES / MAY 2016

UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS, INSIDE OUT

By Craig Brandhorst

USC’S CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH CENTER FOSTERS LIFELONG LEARNING

T

here are plenty of childcare facilities in

al needs. It’s not babysitting, it’s teaching.

the Midlands, but only one combines

They’re changing diapers or feeding, talking

early childhood education, on-site

to the babies, singing, humming …”

observation and practicum opportunities for

Sherry King

University of South Carolina students and

MUSIC TO THEIR EARS

ongoing university research projects.

Speaking of singing and humming — you

The Children’s Center at USC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit child development center under the USC Foundation, provides full time and after-school childcare services for 180 children ranging in age from 6 weeks to 8 years.

What you might not realize, however, is how many additional students are also getting educated at the south campus facility on any given day — USC students pursuing degrees in disciplines such as medicine and nursing, music and art education, dance, writing and psychology.

Herman Knopf

And, of course, plenty of early childhood education majors from the College of Education come as well. The eight babies served through the center’s Program for Infant and Toddler Care (PITC) provide excellent handson observation opportunities for students.

“Early childhood education students need to know how children’s brains and emotions develop starting at infancy,” says Sherry King, the center’s director of compliance and curriculum. “Students are here to observe the teachers firsthand — how they’re taking

Wendy Valerio

care of the baby, how they’re working with the child, how they meet the child’s emotion-

hear a lot of that at the center, in the building and out in the Nature Classroom, as teachers integrate music into the children’s daily lives. The whole time, USC music education students take mental notes.

“I tell my students, ‘Notice how they’re playing with each age group. Notice how the teachers interact with the kids,’” says Wendy Valerio, a professor of music education from USC’s School of Music.

For the first few weeks of the semester, Valerio and about a dozen undergraduates develop a repertoire — songs and rhythm chants, games that work for each age group.

After observing the professionals, students do nine weeks of music engagement, working with two age groups each.

“We realize we can’t really teach music to children in early childhood,” Valerio whispers as a pair of undergraduates hum rhythmically with a group of 2-year-olds. “We’re providing music engagement. We scaffold their music development and learning much like we do with language.”

VOL. 27, NO.4 5

Students write about their experiences and

Like the education going on downstairs, the

we want to do is to make sure that all of the

videotape themselves every third engage-

research upstairs runs the gamut. Much of it,

programs that partner with us are ready for

ment. Then they critique their interactions

though, pertains to childcare access, includ-

the parent and the child, whether the child

with the children. “They have to use the

ing access for children with disabilities.

has a disability or not.” T

terms we’ve been learning — types of play, types of music and music response, and they

In addition to testing the online pilot version

have to show how they use scaffolding to

of the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ),

promote musical development,” says Valerio.

a development screening tool commonly used by teachers, pediatricians and parents

A STUDY IN ACCESS

of young children from birth through age

Compared to what happens on the ground

5, the center provides referral services for

floor or on the playground, the second floor at the center is a different world — the base of operations for researchers from around

parents seeking appropriate childcare services statewide.

the university.

“Finding childcare is a struggle anyway —

The Child Development Research Center

the right circumstances, the quality you’re

operates independently from what happens downstairs — its administrative offices are actually housed at the College of Education — but there’s a reason that researchers like Herman Knopf and Heather Googe spend as much time here as they do.

“We collaborate a lot,” says Knopf, research director of the Yvonne & Schuyler Moore Child Development Research Center and an associate professor of instruction and teacher education. “And people come here from all over campus — athletic training, school psychology, special education, early childhood. It is truly interdisciplinary.”

finding the right placement, the right fit, looking for,” says Googe, a research associate and director of the South Carolina Child Care Inclusion Collaborative. “Part of what

6 USCTIMES / MAY 2016

When Everything Changes TODAY’S YOUNG TEENS FACE A COMPLEX WORLD, BUT THEN, HASN’T THAT ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE? IN SOME WAYS YES, OTHER WAYS NO. USC TIMES ASKED A COUPLE OF FACULTY EXPERTS TO WEIGH IN ON THE SUBJECTS OF PUBERTY, PARENTING AND THE EVOLVING VARIABLES THAT CAN MAKE ADOLESCENCE SUCH A DIFFICULT TIME FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.

BY DAN COOK

I

t’s one of those clichés that happens to

of them — expands,” says Hills, who was a

the team weighed 190. I look at kids now and

be true: the world today is more com-

psychologist in the Richland Two school

they are huge — the heaviest guy on your

plicated than it used to be, especially

district before she came to USC eight years

team is 260 or 270 pounds.”

for adolescents.

“Anytime you transition from elementa-

ago. “Their ability to take other people’s perspective increases and develops in addi-

THE DIGITAL COMBUSTIBLE

ry school to middle school, middle to high

tion to their ability to process more complex

If going through changes in their schools, so-

school or even high school to college, there

emotions, and so their social relationships

cial relationships and bodies weren’t enough,

is anxiety,” says Robert “Skip” Valois, a pro-

become more multifaceted.”

today’s teens encounter such changes in a

fessor in the Department of Health Promo-

Think about your own children or children

tion, Education and Behavior at USC’s Arnold

you’ve been around: In elementary school,

School of Public Health.

their friendships are simple; two kids who

vastly different context than previous generations. The internet has changed everything.

“There are so many more things in our

both play Minecraft have all they need to

environment to distract us, and they’re

form a strong, uncomplicated bond. But

going to have to learn how to manage those

when they hit middle school, things like

distractions,” Hills says. “Their relationships

school, the expectations increase and the ra-

what they wear, what music they listen to

are online. I have kids say to me, ‘If I’m not

tio of students to teachers increases as well,”

and which kids they hang out with play a

on Facebook or Snapchat, then I don’t even

says Kimberly Hills, a clinical associate pro-

bigger role.

exist.’ Their online presence is so critical for

With middle school, though, the stress can be pronounced.

“Usually, as kids transition to middle

fessor in the Department of Psychology who

“The influence of peers increases as

so many kids — adolescents, for sure.”

Valois is blunt: “I wouldn’t want to be a

oversees graduate students working with

kids hit puberty, not only because of their

young clients at the university’s Psychology

broader sense of social skills and social

middle-school student today for all the tea in

Services Center. “Also, the expectations for

relationships, but also because of their ability

China,” he says.

independent behavior increase — keeping

to understand more abstract concepts like

track of all their work, longer-term assign-

association — what type of crowd one hangs

says, but the way it happens today — often

ments, fewer reminders.”

out with — and romance,” Hills says. “At the

online — can be far more psychologically

Take bullying. It’s always existed, Valois

And biological and psychological chang-

same time, this is a period of identity devel-

damaging. When it took place in the school-

es accentuate the stresses. The pressure “to

opment: ‘Who am I? Who am I going to be?’

yard or on neighborhood streets, the rules

be cool, to fit in, to advance academically,

So, they’re trying to make sense out of that,

were clearer.

can be overwhelming,” says Valois, who

as well.”

“Every once in awhile, you’d take the wrong way home or end up somewhere with-

specializes in adolescent risk behaviors such

Their bodies are changing, too. Some

as teen pregnancy, smoking, violence and al-

kids hit puberty as early as 8 or 9 (which can

out your posse, and there’s some kid who is

cohol abuse. “Think about that middle-school

lead both peers and adults to treat them as

going to beat you up if you don’t give him

kid and his or her self-image: The major goal

older than they are) and regardless of when

your marbles,” Valois recalls of his upbringing

of a middle-school kid is to be accepted.”

puberty hits, kids are growing bigger overall

in the blue-collar town of Elmira in upstate

And there are psychological and neuro-

— for reasons that aren’t fully understood.

New York. “You went face to face with the

biological reasons why kids’ social relation-

Valois suspects that prenatal vitamins, the

bully, and you’d either surrender or man up.”

ships get more complex.

increased acceptance of breastfeeding and

“As kids hit puberty, things like abstract reasoning and the ability to draw inferences

larger diets are all factors.

“Going back to my high school foot-

and think about what’s possible and what

ball team, I was a senior and I weighed 140

might be — instead of just what’s in front

pounds,” Valois recalls. “The heaviest guy on

Today, bullying often takes place on social media — where bullies don’t have to confront their victims directly and where bullying behavior is amplified to a wide circle.

VOL. 27, NO.4 7

“Now it can happen 24/7 online,” Hills

Valois welcomes the progress, which he

says. “This can be a significant stressor and

attributes in part to creative public health

distraction for teens.”

efforts, but adds a couple of caveats. One is

PARENTING STILL MATTERS

bad news is that the day-to-day influence of parents starts to wane.

“You get to high school and kids don’t

that a problem that’s improving gradually is

listen so much to their teachers and their

still a problem. The other, he says, is that im-

parents,” Valois says. “Whatever your best

While the problems young teens face are

provements tend to be concentrated among

friend and your two or three BFFs do is

similar to those faced by previous genera-

those with higher socioeconomic status.

what you are going to do — you are moving

tions — bullying, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse — they often come earlier and in different forms. For parents, that means vigilance is paramount.

“What used to happen in 9th or 10th

rapidly away from your parents in terms

“I have kids say to me, ‘If I’m not on Facebook or Snapchat, then I don’t even exist’.”

grade is now happening in 7th or 8th,” Valois says. “Developmental things need to happen

of influence.”

So, if you’re happy with who your high school teen’s friends are, you’re in good shape. If you’re not — well, Hills says there’s still hope, as long as you’ve done your work

“There have been some nice success sto-

as a parent.

in a nice sequence; if you get exposed when

ries — and that success is usually anchored

your brain is not ready, this is pretty scary.”

to kids who are in environments where kids

salient as kids get older, but the parents in-

Valois talks about the “holy trinity of risk”

“The influence of peers becomes more

can make a few stumbles and pick them-

fluence their values,” Hills says. “So, what we

— sex, drugs and violence. They tend to go

selves up,” he says. “If you don’t have at least

know is that peers might influence their day-

together, he says, and kids who get involved

one mentally and economically stable adult

to-day choices — what I’m going to eat for

in risk behaviors in middle school “are not

in your life, you could easily go down the

lunch, what color I’m going to dye my hair,

prepared and don’t have enough social and

road to despair.”

what shoes I’m wearing — but parents have

emotional intelligence to deal with it.”

Even with all the pressures on kids,

Hills emphasizes the importance of the

the more significant long-term influence re-

environment surrounding a child. “It’s the

garding values and the path they take. Parent

though, there is evidence that a lot of trends

deviant peer groups that usually influence the

expectations are one of the most strongest

are moving in the right direction. Teen

risk behaviors, and kids are more influenced in

predictors of academic and life outcomes —

pregnancy rates have declined significantly

early-to-mid adolescence,” she says.

everyone should know that because it’s just

in the past two decades, for example, and

By high school, Hills says, kids have

the latest Monitoring the Future report from

developed a somewhat better sense of who

the National Institute on Drug Abuse finds

they are and are becoming gradually more

the use of alcohol and cigarettes declining

confident in saying no to certain behaviors —

among teens of all ages. (At the same time,

if that’s the decision they’ve made. They also

according to the Centers for Disease Control,

are developing a better ability to plan for the

use of electronic cigarettes among teens

future compared to earlier adolescence. The

so important.” T

tripled from 2013 to 2014.)

29.9 %

percentage of high school students who feel hopeless on a regular basis

20.8 %

14.8 %

percentage of high school students bullied electronically in one year

8.5 %

percentage of male students who feel hopeless

percentage of male students bullied in one year

39.1%

21 %

percentage of female students who feel hopeless

percentage of female students bullied in one year

Statistics from Common Sense Media (www.commonsensemedia.org).

62 %

percentage of teens who watch TV every day

66 %

percentage of teens who listen to music every day

45 %

percentage of teens who are on social media every day

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov).

8 USCTIMES / MAY 2016

TALKIN’ ABOUT THEIR GENERATION GEN-XERS AND BABY BOOMERS TALK A LOT ABOUT MILLENNIALS, BUT WHAT DO MILLENNIALS SAY ABOUT THEMSELVES? USC TIMES WANTED TO FIND OUT, SO WE STAKED OUT A SPOT ON GREENE STREET AND ASKED THEM. WHILE WE WERE AT IT, WE ALSO ASKED WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THE REST OF US. THEIR ANSWERS SPEAK VOLUMES.

BY THOM HARMAN AND PAGE IVEY

We typically identify millennials as people born between 1980 and 2000. You come in at the tail end. What do you think of when you hear the term “millennials”?

Millennials ­— I think technology-dependent.

Very, very dependent on their phones, computer, social media ....

Does it apply to you?

No, I only have one social media outlet.

That’s Instagram. And even that, I’m on that too much.

Chris Powell, 21 CRIMINAL JUSTICE, JUNIOR

Would other millennials say something else?

I don’t think they’d tell on themselves. They’d say, “Oh no, I don’t use Facebook too much,” “I don’t use Instagram too much,” “I’m not on my phone too much.” I think they would tweak it a bit and say, “Oh, I use it to enhance my knowledge.”

What’s your opinion of Gen-Xers, the generation before yours?

I’ve always thought that that’s where I belonged. I love everything about the 80s.

Everyone I talk to says, “You wouldn’t have Facebook, or you wouldn’t have Instagram or cellphones.” But I love it: the rock music, the leather jackets, that’s what I’m all about.

And how about the baby boomers, the ones before that?

I’d say they were probably the most independent. Like when Elvis came out and things started to turn. You couldn’t have anything “bad” on TV. They’re the ones who changed it. And then the millennials are the ones who took it to a new level, like an inappropriate level. You look at MTV and they have shows like “16 and Pregnant.” They don’t even play music on MTV anymore. So yeah, blame the millennials for that.

VOL. 27, NO.4 9

THREE GENERATIONS AND COUNTING

BY CHRIS HORN

Dennis Pruitt came of age in the heyday of campus activism: the era of Vietnam War protests, “Don’t trust anyone under 30” slogans and general social unrest. As a university administrator for more than four decades, he has worked with his own baby boomer generation as well as Generation Xers and, now, millennials.

“What makes the millennials distinctive is that they are digital natives and that affects their personalities,” says Pruitt, one of the nation’s longest-serving vice presidents for student affairs.

“They would rather create a new system rather than figure out an existing one.”

Pruitt pays close attention to generational demographics and how they play out in higher education. He steers clear of stereotypes, but acknowledges that some assessments ring true.

“The thing is, most people have multiple identities. You might be an international student, but you’re more than that,” Pruitt says. “You’re an international student who is a woman, or an international student who is a woman and a Christian and a biology major. Any one of those attributes defines you in some way, but taken as a whole, it becomes much more complex.”

So how do the various generations compare in their college experiences? While a lot of boomers were into activism in the ‘60s and ’70s, campus activism quieted down in the ’80s and ’90s and we

Charnita Mack, 22

began to see an uptick in community service, says Pruitt, who has led USC’s Division of Student Affairs

JOURNALISM, SENIOR

since 1983.

Compared to Generation X, though, millennials have turned community service into a serious

What do you think of when you hear the term “millennial” in reference to your generation?

pursuit, according to Pruitt. They’re also more apt to be entrepreneurial about those activities, creating

Technology-driven.

says John Dozier, USC’s chief diversity officer and a member of Generation X.

Do those traits apply to you personally?

connection, at best, for them,” Dozier says. “But they were raised to think about race in the way Martin

philanthropic foundations and using social media to rev up interest and generate funding for their causes.

Millennials are also far more open to change and changing social mores than previous generations, “Today’s students were raised a generation away from the civil rights era, so that’s a loose Luther King advocated: that everyone should be considered on merit, not the color of their skin.

Yes. I’m addicted to my cell phone, don’t know what I would do without my TV and don’t know how I would get through life without being able to Google something.

“Millennials are far more open to issues of diversity. This generation is having to negotiate tensions about race with their parents. The students have a much higher degree of tolerance, and they’re far more receptive to change.”

What’s coming down the pike to USC and other universities? Demographers haven’t settled on a name for the generation after millennials — Generation Z, perhaps? — but it’s fairly certain that more Asian, Latino and mixed-race students will make up the student body. And there will likely will be more

What are some stereotypes about millennials that you have heard? How are those accurate or inaccurate?

of the campus activism that has surfaced across the nation in recent years, both Dozier and Pruitt say.

I’ve heard that millennials are the technologydependent generation. We’ve grown up learning how to use computers, cell phones and pretty much any other form of technology there is. Because of that, though, I’ve heard that people find us lazy and less willing to do things on our own because of the amount of technology we have. One of my old math teachers used to tell us all the time how lucky we were to have graphing calculators because it was all done by hand and brain when he was in school. I’ve also heard we lack good communication skills, also because of the amount of technology we use. Sadly, I believe it is accurate. A lot of people around my age

Their intentions are pure and their beliefs are strong.”

“They want a sense of belonging, and they have a spirit of social advocacy,” Pruitt says. “Maybe their sense of belonging will come through social advocacy.

“Everyone fears these student demonstrations, but they might change us for the better over time.

What’s in a Name?

By generation, the percentage of people who embrace their generational identity: MILLENNIALS GENERATION X BABY BOOMERS

40% 58% 79%

10 USCTIMES / MAY 2016

want things done and given to them because of how spoiled we are. We rely on computers to instantly figure out the answer to problems we can’t get right away. We rely on text messages, Snapchat, Instagram messages to effectively get a message across without it being taken out of context.

When you think about your generation, do any other traits come to mind?

I’d say we are a diverse group. Certain individuals are go-getters and are inclined to do so much more. I’m not placing myself above anybody else, but I’m from a humble background, and to have something, you have to go get it. My parents are really influencing me to make something of myself and to leave something for the next generation. That’s where I feel like some of our individuals are lacking.

What generation do your parents belong to?

My mom and dad are both Gen-X babies.

What do you think of that generation compared with your own?

I feel that generation is a lot more hardworking, independent and better problem solvers. I’m considerably independent, but I call my mom sometimes three and four times a day when I can’t figure something out. I just called her yesterday to make a dentist appointment for me. When my mom was 18, she got married and moved out of my grandma’s house. I couldn’t imagine doing anything of the sort today! Even though the marriage didn’t last, my mom has raised three kids on her own, got a degree and has held the same job for as long as I can remember.

Even though she has gotten into texting and slightly into social media, she’s nowhere near as addicted to it as I am. I can go on and on about my mom and her Gen-X ways, but I think you get the point!

And baby boomers?

My grandma is a baby boomer and luckily I still have her in my life. I think that they are just an even stronger version of Gen-X babies. She had to deal with segregation, poverty and other issues that a lot of millennials would probably break down from.

What do you think about your generation in terms of, say, work ethic?

Millennials think they know what hard work is, but the other generations could show us what hard work really is.

Shawn McMillian, 19 PSYCHOLOGY, SOPHOMORE What do you think of when you hear the term “millennials”?

Honestly, I think of a lot of closed mouths, less confidence. I feel like we’re so oriented around what our peers think, we’re not necessarily self-confident. We feel like, without technology, what would we have? We should be more inclined to face-to-face interactions.

I feel like our generation is — I just feel like we’re not up to par to where we should be.

Going back to baby boomers, they didn’t really have the access to some things that we have, and we should be able to progress and be up to another level. We have the technology, so why not use it in a more positive way and build off that? I just feel like we’re not taking advantage of what we have.

What do you think about the generations that preceded yours, the Gen-Xers and baby boomers?

Well, I generally think of them being more inclined to friends and family. Like my grandmother, she’s always willing to help others and willing to break her back to do things.

I feel like we’re not really inclined to do so.

We’re self-centered, and we should be more inclined to help. That’s the thing at the end of the day: we’re all here to help each other.

How would you gauge your generation’s interest in politics compared to other generations?

Below average. Young adults need to participate more in politics and learn more about politics because that’s who runs the government and our country.

Emmy Carlton, 20 MARINE BIOLOGY, JUNIOR What do you think of when you hear the term “millennials”?

I would say there’s a huge technology gap. In the ’80s it still wasn’t as relevant. My generation is more technology-dependent — which

VOL. 27, NO.4 11

kind of stinks. I don’t want to be so dependent on technology.

At the risk of generalizing, how would you gauge your generation’s political views compared to other generations?

I think my generation isn’t as conservative as past generations. We’re more accepting of different views and more open to things, which I think is great. I grew up more conservative, but considering everyone I grew up with and people here, I’m more accepting of different things than the generations before me.

THE INFORMATION GENERATION

BY CRAIG BRANDHORST

Ask anybody: The No. 1 cultural touchstone for the millennial generation is technology. Look no further than the responses in this spread. Ask a self-described futurist like journalism professor and faculty senate chair Augie Grant to weigh in, however, and the question quickly complicates, particularly when it comes to media consumption and everybody’s favorite online buzz, social media.

“To understand it, we have to divide the question in two: What content are they consuming and how are they getting that content?” says Grant, an expert on media audience behavior and the editor of Communication Technology Update and Fundamentals, a compendium of tech trend analysis, since 1992.

“The content isn’t changing,” he explains. “They’re still listening to a lot of music, they’re still watching a lot of TV shows, they’re still into live sports. But the way they’re getting it has changed.”

As an example, Grant points to television ownership on campus — and off.

“Used to be, it was a requirement in every dorm room to have a cable TV outlet,” he says. “Now, most of our students don’t have TVs. They’re watching on their phones, their tablets, their laptops, any screen except a TV. The interesting thing, though, is the studies show that once they graduate and get a regular job and a place of their own, they buy a TV.”

When were your parents born?

Grant won’t hazard a guess as to why that is — “We need to do some research on that,” he says — but millennial viewing habits are in-line with other tech trends on campus. Students also tend to

The ’60s.

eschew traditional print news media in favor of online outlets, including social media, and that, he says,

So they’re Gen Xers. What do you think about their generation?

consume a little less news than the previous cohort,” he says. “But the availability of information across

I think they’re a little more conservative and a little more strict in their views. I grew up with that, so when I come home saying, “I have a friend who’s gay,” they’re becoming more accepting, but I think back then that was not as acceptable.

Now what about the baby boomers? How would they react to that kind of thing?

I don’t think they’d be very accepting. I don’t want to come off as saying that’s wrong, because we each grew up in a different time period, and what we grew up with, we think that’s right.

raises additional questions.

“We know that as people get older, they consume more news, and as each cohort gets older, they different media means there’s constantly information being pushed.”

One problem is that not all outlets are created equal. Whether it’s a cross-generational platform like Facebook or a millennial favorite like Snapchat, social media provides a different type of information portal than traditional news outlets.

“I was just at a convention where this came up. Somebody said, ‘Social media is more effective at delivering news than any other media.’ I said, ‘No, social media is more effective at delivering headlines’,” says Grant. “If you want details, you have to go to a traditional outlet. It’s one thing to know that Prince died. It’s another thing to know how he died.”

Another pitfall is that people of all generations — not just millennials — have a tendency to accept information not because it is demonstrably true but because it conforms to a preexisting bias.

“Instead of looking for critical analysis, you have what Stephen Colbert used to call ‘truthiness,’ where something is not true but it feels true,” says Grant. “Millennials know what their sources of information are and they know what they can trust. If someone says something, they don’t automatically believe it. Although, if it’s something they want to believe — well, we have the current political season to teach us lessons about that.”

So does that mean millennials are being duped when it comes to politics? Or that they are perhaps even duping themselves? Not entirely.

“I want to see research [about media discernment],” says Grant, “but it is my view that today’s 20-year-old is much better informed than 20 years ago, simply because there is so much information coming from different sources.”

Media Matters Percentage of each generation that accesses political news via Facebook and local television each week.

MILLENNIALS

37%

GENERATION X BABY BOOMERS

61% 46% 51%

39%

60%

12 USCTIMES / MAY 2016

I think what we have at our fingertips has influenced that. Technology has made working easier for my generation. I think it’s made it harder for past generations. And in a lot of ways I think it’s limited the generation before mine because they either have to adapt or they flounder.

there are plenty of other kids out there who see politics as a way to change and prosper. I think it works both ways.

What about your generation’s views on politics or religion?

Jake Socci, 22 MARKETING & MANAGEMENT, SENIOR What’s your impression of the word “millennials”?

If I’m talking to someone who’s my parents’ age, they tend to think of a millennial as someone who wants instant gratification — not just attainable goals, but everything now, now, now. But if you talk to kids my age, we see ourselves as more forward thinkers than the preceding generations. I think our generation is much more open-minded and faster to change our opinions, which I think is a very positive thing.

What do you think about Gen Xers and baby boomers?

I’ll use my parents as examples. My mom was born in ’64, my dad was born in ’60. My dad’s father ran the garbage business in my town, and my mom’s dad was a fireman — so, working-class type people. And that’s exactly how my parents are. My dad’s been a fireman for 33 years, and he’s getting ready to retire.

So when I think of the baby boomers and Gen-Xers, I think of grinding and grinding.

They’ve never shied away from working. They did what they needed to do to provide for their families. I don’t know if my generation has that same grinding mentality.

Like I said, I think we’re very open-minded as a whole, which is really positive. This political election — it’s a very controversial one, to say the least — but it is going to determine a lot of what we see in the future, not just four years from now, eight years from now. It’s going to set a precedent for where we stand globally.

I’ll put it this way: My views don’t exactly coincide with one side or the other, and I don’t believe I’m the only one with that issue.

We’re much more socially liberal, but you don’t want to work for everything that you have and then disperse it out. So it’s a really tough decision.

You seem pretty engaged in politics. Do you feel you share that trait with your generation?

I think my generation likes to be involved in every facet of life. Our phones, for example, keep us connected to literally every little detail that is going on around us. Whether we want to be or not, we’re much more connected than past generations. Everyone knows about it now, and it happened two minutes ago.

So yeah, I think just because of what we have at our fingertips, whether it’s updates from CNN or whatever it is, my generation is more involved. We’re socially aware of what’s happening. Do I think some people in my generation want to be involved in politics just for the sake of being involved? Yeah, unfortunately. But I’d like to think that my generation is educating itself politically, and

Christopher Young, 20 CRIMINAL JUSTICE, SOPHOMORE Whenever we ask anyone to define millennials, the first thing they mention is a dependence on technology. Do you think that applies to you?

Absolutely. I don’t go a day without my phone, and when I don’t have my phone, I go into a semi-panic attack. “Where’s my phone?

Where’s my phone?” And it’s probably in my hand or in my pocket, I just forgot where it was. My phone can never die. I actually have a charger in my bag right now because I’m not home often, so when I’m not by an outlet, I have to make sure my phone is charged.

I’m at a lot of events, and a lot of events require you to be on social media, to make sure you stay up with what’s going on. Especially on campus. Especially on this campus, which has a lot to offer.

Are there any other things that help define your generation? Other than technology?

I think we’re very diverse. We’re more open politically, sexually — we’re definitely the

VOL. 27, NO.4 13

generation of experimentation. We like to open up and say, “It’s not wrong to do something that’s not part of the norm.” So that’s pretty cool. I think that’s something I can take pride in. And as for technology, yeah, there’s a lot of people who use it, but then there are people who don’t.

When were your parents born?

The ’70s.

So they’re Gen Xers. What do you think of that generation?

Old school. Like, “If you get in trouble, we’re going to punish you.” “Act right” is what my mom called it. “If you don’t act right, we’ll get you some act right.” They’re also not so much into technology. They’re more, “I’m going to talk to you if I see you,” whereas people now, it’s just like a head nod or a little wave. The older generation, I do feel like, is more talkative and sociable.

HEART AND SPIRIT

BY DAN COOK

Generational categories like “millennial” and “baby boomer” tend to be of more interest to the general public than to demographers, says Caroline Hartnett, a sociologist and demographer in the Department of Sociology. It’s not that Hartnett takes issue with the idea of generational identity, but she cautions against making imprecise generalizations.

“Most of the trends we're talking about tend to be gradual changes, and when we talk about millennials and Gen-Xers, it feels kind of arbitrary — especially when you are talking about family trends and religion,” Hartnett says. “Demographers generally don’t use those cutoffs.”

Take church attendance — which is low among millennials. Does that mean millennials, in particular, are less inclined to go to church? Not necessarily.

“There has been a stable, long-term trend away from religious attendance — a trend that precedes millennials,” Hartnett says.

Then there’s that data on marriage, which show that fewer millennials are married at the same age that Gen-Xers and boomers were. Here, too, Hartnett cautions against over-interpreting. There are really two questions at play, she says: the age at which people marry and whether they get married at all.

It’s true that people are getting married later, Hartnett says, but that’s a reflection of several factors, including education, the economy and income.

People also want partners who share their values, according to Hartnett: “They’re looking for a best friend and soul mate — the sense is that the demands that people have for marriage partners have gotten higher over time.”

And while there are changes in marriage patterns, those changes aren’t necessarily tied to generational differences.

“The financial stability is central to marriage,” Hartnett says. “Among those who are collegeeducated, they are projected to marry at the same rates as Gen-Xers.”

Going back further, there’s the baby boomers.

Do you have any impressions about that generation?

It humbles me a little bit to realize that what I have now is because of them. And they did what they did without as much technology, so I shouldn’t be so dependent on it.

What about your generation’s politics compared to other generations? At least, among your peers?

Politically, I feel like everybody wants to shoot for more fairness. I also feel like our generation’s more open sexually. Be who you are, love who you want to love. We also want education to be affordable. It’s expensive, it’s harder to achieve, yet it’s very important to have.

Going to the Chapel?

By generation, the percentage of people who say that religion is important: MILLENNIALS

44%

GENERATION X

53%

BABY BOOMERS

59%

Percentage of people who married between the ages of 18 and 32: MILLENNIALS GENERATION X BABY BOOMERS

26% 36% 48%

14 USCTIMES / MAY 2016

THE MILLENNIAL CLASSROOM

BY STEVEN POWELL

Does the current generation of college students learn differently than the baby boomers or GenXers? Has the influence of technology somehow rewired the millennial brain and turned millennials themselves into some different new breed?

Not really, says Alan White, associate dean for undergraduate STEM education in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“Do they learn differently? To that I would say, ‘no,’” says White, also a professor of biological sciences. “When it comes to what methods of teaching and learning work with the human mind, that has not changed.”

But that doesn’t mean the classroom shouldn’t evolve — it should, White says, and he’s helping lead the effort. An advocate of evidence-based practices in the classroom, White promotes teaching techniques that are in line with research on human cognition and that have been shown, through discipline-based education research, to work better than the traditional lecture-centric paradigm.

Technology has provided faculty new tools, allowing them, for example, to stream mini-lectures that students can access outside of contact hours. That, White says, frees classroom time for face-to-face interactions.

Those interactions might incorporate problem-based learning, so-called “flipped” classrooms, peer instruction or other kinds of active learning. They are all techniques that, properly implemented, are backed up by evidence-based research. They are also quite a departure from the lecture approach

Rebecca Weissman, 32 EDUCATION CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION, GRADUATE STUDENT

that was (and often still is) standard issue in many disciplines’ classrooms, particularly STEM fields.

White leads a faculty group, Focus on Learning, Innovation and Pedagogy (FLIP), that meets regularly to discuss the theory and practice of teaching and learning. The participants are helping

You’re 32. Do you think the term “millennial” applies to you?

bring about changes that White is convinced will be sweeping.

“I think if you look at the way courses work 20 years from now, it will be very different from what you now see around the university,” he says. “And I’m not just talking about this university, I mean all universities. This is happening everywhere.”

But while the changes might be occurring at the same time that the millennials are making their way through college, White says the new classroom approaches would have benefited

Barely. And I’ve been very resistant to a lot of the new technologies, too, so I haven’t really identified with it that much, but technically I am.

any generation.

“Sometimes you hear that we have to change the way we teach because of this new generation, the millennials,” White says. “When I hear that comment, I’m skeptical about that being a real reason

So what do you think of when you hear the term?

for doing it. For me, the real reason to do it is that this works better.”

Cellphones, Facebook, Twitter, internet surveillance, a lack of counterculture except through the internet.

College Material Percentage of men who have earned at least a bachelor’s degree by age 33: MILLENNIALS GENERATION X BABY BOOMERS

I think they’d be baby boomers.

21%

What do you think of when you think about their generation?

18% 17%

Percentage of women who have earned at least a bachelor’s degree by age 33: MILLENNIALS

27% 20%

GENERATION X BABY BOOMERS

14%

Your parents are part of what generation?

There was a lot more inequality, but I feel like the counterculture was a lot stronger. People had a lot of drive to really make a change, and it was a lot more hopeful. People came together, there were a lot more community efforts. Now, I feel like people don’t really know what to do. They just kind of hide away on the internet.

VOL. 27, NO.4 15

What else do you think about millennials as a generation?

POLITICS OF YOUTH

BY DAN COOK

Two highly disruptive events — the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the Great Recession (2007-

I feel as though it’s a lot more me-oriented.

It’s not very communal. It’s “How am I going to get my second of fame via the internet or my Facebook feed?”

What are your impressions about Generation X, which would’ve been right before you, so people born from about ’66 to ‘82?

09) — have contributed to the formation of millennials’ political attitudes.

“This generation is still kind of in the shadows of 9/11; it’s the first generation that had those shock effects as part of its thinking,” says Todd Shaw, an associate professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Political Science and the African American Studies Program.

While one reaction to 9/11 and subsequent terrorist attacks has been backlash against Muslims and others perceived by some as outsiders, that’s not the reaction of most millennials. A 2012 report by The Opportunity Agenda, a social justice advocacy organization, found that millennials have more frequent personal interactions with Muslims than their elders and a more favorable view of immigrants.

On the question of electronic surveillance by the government, the millennial generation is also taking a more liberal stance; a 2014 poll by the Pew Center found that 57 percent of those ages 18 to

I identify with that generation a little bit because I did grow up in the ’80s, too. I feel like there was a lot of disillusionment during that generation because the ’60s kind of failed in a lot of ways. Now, lots of good things have happened, but it feels like the momentum has kind of subsided.

How would you gauge your generation’s interest in politics compared to other generations?

In the ’60s, you had the music and the art, so people were indirectly involved in the politics of the time. I feel like today, it’s more polarized: it’s either politics or entertainment. Back then I feel like politics were more merged with both entertainment and with the community. But that could change soon.

29 felt the Edward Snowden leaks had helped the public interest while only 35 percent of those ages 65 and older agreed.

The Great Recession, meanwhile, left many millennials — who now comprise the largest generational group in the U.S. workforce — scrambling in low-paying or temporary jobs. That’s made them better savers than their parents and caused them to delay things like marriage and homeownership.

Overall, the millennial generation is also more liberal than either baby boomers or Gen-Xers. A 2014 Pew Center study found 41 percent of millennials to be either consistently or mostly liberal in their views, while only 15 percent were consistently or mostly conservative. (The rest were mixed.)

Perhaps as a result of their own diversity, millennials appear to be particularly accepting of social and racial differences. Even among Republican millennials, for example, acceptance of homosexuality is widespread.

“There is some evidence of some degree of moderation and liberalism on racial and social issues,” among the millennial generation, Shaw says. “You can find ways in which the younger generation is more tolerant and has friendship networks that are a little more diverse.”

However, Shaw cautions, political attitudes change as circumstances change. With his own research in the areas of racial and ethnic politics, he says, “there is also evidence that they are not much more liberal than the previous generation.”

As millennials buy homes, have children and become entrenched in communities, they could also become less liberal politically. Already there are polls indicating this is the case on economic issues; the libertarian Reason Foundation found a direct correlation between income level and millennials’ perception of redistributive economic policies. “Sociologists often talk about cohort socialization effects — getting more conservative as they get older,” Shaw says.

A big test case, according to Shaw, will be the Black Lives Matter movement. As the movement continues to respond to numerous shootings of unarmed minority suspects, it remains to be seen whether it will lead to any long-term effect on racial attitudes. And while there’s some evidence that attitudes haven’t changed much, Shaw says, “the counter-evidence says Americans have generally become more aware — and millennials in particular.”

Political Awareness Percentage of people who say politics is one of their top three interests: MILLENNIALS All statistics generated by Pew Research Center, 2015 (pewresearch. org): “Most Millennials Resist the ‘Millennial’ Label”; “How Millennials’ Political News Habits Differ from Those of Gen Xers and Baby Boomers”; “Millennials and Political News: Social Media – the Local TV for the Next Generation?”; “U.S. Public Becoming Less Religious”; How Millennials Today Compare with their Grandparents 50 Years Ago”; “Political Interest and Awareness Lower Among Millennials.”

GENERATION X BABY BOOMERS

26% 34% 45%

16 USCTIMES / MAY 2016

MECHANISMS OF MEMORY A SINGLE ENZYME COULD PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO HOW WE REMEMBER AND WHY WE FORGET.

By Page Ivey

“W

ho came to Thanksgiving dinner last year?” “What was my

Kelly came to Carolina in 2012 after five

Short-term memory involves modifying

years as a researcher for pharmaceutical

proteins that exist at the synapse in the

daughter’s favorite dessert?” “Who brought

companies. Her work now keys off her

brain, whereas long-term memory requires

me home after dinner?”

discovery of PDE11A — a protein enzyme no

that you transcribe new genes and make

one thought was even located in the brain —

totally new sets of proteins. Those newly

and its importance to social memory.

made proteins are trafficked back to the

One of the hallmarks of aging, particularly after the typical retirement age of 65, is that our memories become

Social memories are formed while

activated synapses to physically remodel

less reliable. It’s a natural part of the aging

engaging with another person, or, in Kelly’s

those synapses to make an enduring memory

process. For some, however, our memories

research models, when two or more mice

trace that can last as long as your lifetime.

get more than just unreliable, they get

interact with one another. Kelly is trying to

downright impossible to find — or even

isolate PDE11A’s impact on the formation and

proving stage — it could be 20 or more years

to create.

retention of social memories and figure out

before the prescribing stage, she cautions —

how to modify this enzyme to prevent losing

but the search for a pharmacological solution

those memories with age.

to the physiological dysfunction of memory

Finding the physical difference in brains that have an inability to consistently create new memories — or find old ones — is a key

“Memories of our interactions with

Kelly’s work is still in the very early

loss is off to a promising start.

focus of the work of University of South

family and friends are some of the most

Carolina School of Medicine professor and

precious and defining memories of our lives,”

the process by which short-term memory is

researcher Michy Kelly.

Kelly says. “I want to figure out a way to

converted to long-term memory,” Kelly says.

prevent losing those memories as we age.

“We are very excited by recent studies in the

our existence,” says Kelly, who works in

As researchers, we pay a lot of attention

lab showing that when we delete PDE11A,

pharmacology, physiology and neuroscience,

to molecular mechanisms that might differ

we completely prevent the loss of social

with a joint appointment in neuropsychiatry

between short-term memory and long-

memories in old mice.” T

and behavioral science. “Memory storage by

term memory because they have different

the brain is turning experiences that can’t be

molecular underpinnings. We think PDE11A

touched into synaptic modifications that can

plays a very important role in determining

be touched.”

how social memories are stored in the brain

“Our memories are the framework for

long term.”

“We think PDE11A may be regulating

VOL. 27, NO.4 17

CAROLINA SYSTEM EFFECT ROAD TRIP

USC UNION

BY CRAIG BRANDHORST

A good partnership benefits every party involved, but the best partnerships can benefit parties who weren’t even at the table. For an example, look no further than the new Community Scholarship Program that Union and Laurens Counties have made available for USC Union students.

The program, which goes into effect in August, allow qualified residents of both counties to attend USC Union for free, covering all costs not otherwise covered by the Life Scholarship.

Graduates of Union and Laurens County public high schools, adult education programs, Union Christian Day School or an approved home school program qualify, provided they also meet the requirements for a Life Scholarship and fill out the appropriate FAFSA forms. Funds may be used for up to 60 credit hours at either the Union campus or the Laurens campus.

“To me, what better way to use economic development money than to give it directly to a kid to get educated?” says John Catalano, who was named USC Union’s acting dean in November after 12 years as dean at USC Lancaster. “In the long run, this is going to pay the county back tenfold, because these kids are going to have jobs and taxable income that comes right back to the county.”

For students, the scholarship program is all about access and affordability. For the region, where only about 40 percent of high school graduates currently pursue higher education, it’s a way to boost the local economy by providing a well-trained workforce.

“The number one asset potential employers are looking for in a community is not buildings, not transportation systems, not tax incentives but an available workforce,” says Catalano. “They view what we do as the No. 1 impact for the economy in the region, and the counties are willing to put their money up for that.”

“To me, what better way to use economic development money than to give it directly to a kid to get educated?”

In Union, the impetus for the program came from Union County Supervisor Frank Hart, who worked with USC Union, the local school districts and industry leaders to put the plan in motion earlier this year.

“To really be successful in this economy, students need training above and beyond high school,” says Hart, who cast the deciding vote in favor

of the program. “That’s becoming increasingly important with the success that South Carolina has had in recruiting new industry, and also what we’re projecting in terms of the retirement of the baby boomers, which is quickly becoming a major factor.”

The program will be paid for through a Union County economic development fund and the Laurens County Development Corporation and has a budget of approximately $65,000. In its first year, it has been marketed primarily to graduating seniors, but Catalano sees it as a valuable incentive for younger students, many of whom may not currently consider higher education a viable option.

“This fall we will be in the high schools, not just talking to seniors,” he says. “We want to talk to people in the eighth grade. We’re going tell them, ‘OK, if you keep a 3.0 through high school, you will not have to pay one dollar in tuition or fees to go to college. You will have to buy books, period — and you will have a college education, an associate’s degree from the University of South Carolina.’ That’s a big deal.”

After finishing that associate degree, of course, students are well-positioned to pursue a higher degree, whether through USC Columbia, USC Upstate or Palmetto College.

“All we hear about is student loans, student debt,” Catalano adds.

“This is an opportunity for kids in a small rural county to go to the University of South Carolina free of charge for two years. Think about that.

We haven’t seen anything like that in years.”

ENDNOTES If you begin an issue about growing up and reaching maturity with a cryptic image of a weathered tree stump splitting at the rings, you owe it to your readers to finish with something a little more, well, optimistic.

With that in mind, our photography intern snapped this pic of a seedling after a photo shoot in the Nature Classroom behind USC’s Child Development and Research Center on Wheat Street. We’ve got another issue behind us now and another semester in the books, but this tiny green sprout is just getting started. Yeah, we were stumped about the back cover, too — we just didn’t want to show it again.