Russell House

By Stephen Pastis

Russell House, the University of South Carolina’s student union, serves essentially as the beating heart of the Carolina campus. Located centrally on Greene Street between Sumter and Bull streets, it is constantly lled with students looking for food, friends, events and more.

“This fall, the former glory of this building — the high tra c and excitement and energy like that — is going to be back, and the real student experience that takes place in this building will be present for students to enjoy and engage,” Courtney Buzan, assistant director for campus programs, said.

Food is a top reason to visit the union. Russell House features a smorgasbord of dining options from exclusive restaurants with Asian, Italian and Mexican dishes to popular chains such as Chick l-A, Panera and Einstein Bagels. Healthy options are available at True Balance on the second oor, and sweet treats are an option at Carolina Creamery on the rst oor. Restaurants switch out and change relatively o en to keep things fresh — such as with Fresh Greene’s, a new all-you-care-to-eat option on the second oor of the west wing of Russell House.

Other than breakfast, lunch and dinner, students can nd a variety of services and resources throughout the union. Student Postal Services, in the basement, includes package pick-up and U.S. passport applications. It is located across from the CarolinaCard o ce, where students can buy and replace IDs. Printing Services and a newly renovated event space, Russell Underground, are also located in the basement, along with the Intersection Lounge.

The ground oor of Russell House includes the Barnes & Noble USC bookstore and gi shop, and many of the lounge areas and dining options. The second oor o ers a variety of seating and dining options, and access to the Leadership and Service Center, the Russell House ballroom and other meeting spaces, the recently renovated Russell House Theater and a campus branch of Founders Federal Credit Union.

The third oor includes a large lounge area, additional meeting rooms, the Carolina Styles hair salon, and the o ce of New Student Orientation. The third oor of Russell is also home to Garnet Media Group, the university’s student media outlets; Gamecock Entertainment, which hosts campus programs and events; and the senate chambers for Student Government, which is otherwise located in the Leadership & Service Center. The fourth oor is generally not open to students and is the home of Student A airs Technology Services.

Russell Underground, the newly renovated event space in the basement of the union, will play host to numerous Gamecock Entertainment events throughout the year, including karaoke, standup comedy, dance parties and e-sports tournaments, and it will also be available for reservations.

“It’s going to be an awesome event venue that’s kind of unlike anything else on campus,” Buzan said. “It just has so much potential for what’s coming.”

Outdoor spaces such as the patio, Davis Field and Greene Street will also be available for reservation and use by the Carolina community.

“There is no building on campus that is more [for students] than the Russell House,” Ryan Gross, associate director for Russell House events, said. “If you’re ever looking, if you ever nd yourself saying, ‘There’s nothing to do,’ come to the Russell House; there’s something to do.”

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