2011 CougarNation Book

COUGAR

NATION

COUGAR

NATION WANTS YOU! H H H H H H H

COUGARS ARE EVERYWHERE.

H H H H H H H

Wherever you look – from the Yukon to Patagonia – you can find a Cougar.

They are extremely adaptable and thrive in a wide variety of conditions.

Cougars are powerfully built, fast and flexible. They can maneuver around obstacles and change direction quickly, jump nearly 40 feet horizontally from a standstill – and 15 feet straight up.

Cougars have binocular vision and can detect ultrasonic frequencies.

Because of their strength, agility, adaptability and awesome physical attributes, they are admired throughout the Americas.

H H H H WE ARE COUGARS. AND NOBODY MESSES WITH A COUGAR. H H H H — ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRIS HANCHEY —

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THE LIGHT BULB MOMENT “WOW! I don’t know how anyone could deny this place.

“An upbeat vibe, great architecture,

lots of action. My light bulb moment was the first time I visited the campus.

Walking around and hearing about all the amazing things that the school offered pretty much sealed my decision.

“Truly, I only had eyes for the College of Charleston.

“The College of Charleston is in a city, and I wanted an opportunity to be a part of a larger community that extended beyond my college campus.”

“When I walked around campus, I just felt like I fit in.

It was comfortable and everyone was so friendly.”

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— Lauren Miller Smith programme manager, Executive Education London Business School

DO YOU KNOW?

Charleston, S.C., is the FRIENDLIEST CITY IN AMERICA (Travel + Leisure magazine)

“During high school, I came for a visit.

I remember walking along Physicians Promenade, looking at the oak trees, Spanish moss, and Randolph Hall, thinking this was the most beautiful campus. I never applied anywhere else.”

— Lane Hudson, director Brunswick Group

DO YOU KNOW? A COUGAR WAS THE FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN WOMAN TO ARGUE BEFORE THE U.S. SUPREME COURT. COUGARS GO TO LAW SCHOOL. They have the strong skills in reading, writing and speaking, plus the strong work ethic, high GPA and LSAT scores that law schools are looking for.

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BEACHES each within a 25-minute drive of campus!

“Really, there were too many exciting things going on between school and the city. … Let’s just say I broke up with my boyfriend back home within a month.”

“The minute I knew I’d be attending the College of Charleston was a magical one. I’ll never forget it because it occurred about 45 minutes after my first class at another university. (I transferred that same semester.)”

FUN FOODS! PO’ BOYS

— Bryce Donovan, author/humorist

Weather’s wonderful. WISH YOU WERE HERE! MONTH

SWEET TEA

HIGH MEAN LOW

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

FROGMORE STEW SWEET POTATO PIE “ I graduated from high school a year early and I had started school early to begin with, so I was really young going into college. Since I was younger than most entering freshmen, I was very excited – and maybe a bit apprehensive. The orientation I went through was actually very helpful. I did meet some students that served as my initial bridge into college life. “

59 49 38 61 52 42 67 57 46 76 66 55 82 72 62 86 77 68 89 80 71 89 80 71 84 76 67 77 67 57 69 58 47 61 58 39

— Rallis Pappas, president, Information & Display System, LLC

180+

CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN THE SOUTH WHEN… flip flops and a pair of boots make your shoe wardrobe complete.

“ I didn’t know what I would do if I didn’t make any friends.

I was so nervous! But as soon as I moved in, I clicked with all of my roommates.”

— Ambar Mendez, student

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“I remember taking a trip to the College of Charleston as a high school senior in the early fall. The weather was turning cold in my hometown, and I really liked how nice the weather was in Charleston during that time of year. The campus had an upbeat vibe, a lot of great architecture, and I liked how much action there was in and around the College’s urban campus.”

— Matt Hagan, senior leasing representative, Regency Centers Corporation

“I didn’t meet my roommate until that first day in the dorm. We were very different, but within the first several hours of hanging out, we recognized that we had just enough in common, and just enough not in common, to establish a great friendship – one that was unique for us both. That afternoon, we walked around Charleston together and I realized that my choice to attend the College – primarily because of its size and the potential for me to learn how to co-exist and communicate with a wide variety of people different from myself – was spot on.”

DO YOU KNOW?

“I LOVED THE IDEA OF BEING SO CLOSE TO THE BEACH and being so integrated with the city itself. Charleston MANY COUGARS WORK THE COOPER as a city is an easy sell – history, art, culture, RIVER BRIDGE RUN nightlife, shopping, – one of the top 10K events in eating, etc. Check, the country, and a Charleston tradition. checkity, check!”

— Carol Hannah Whitfield fashion designer and TV personality

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN THE SOUTH within four blocks of campus WHEN…

COFFEE SHOPS

4

RIVERS, CREEKS AND MARSHES.

Grice Marine Lab, NOAA, Hollings Marine Lab, Dept. of Natural Resources. Study marine biology here!

— Ian Wheeler music producer

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90 MILES of Atlantic coastline.

“I was in eighth grade when I first came to the College with a friend’s family. His sister was president of a sorority and we went to an event that they were putting on. I had never seen so many beautiful girls in my life. At that moment, I knew that I wanted to go to this college.”

— Jonathan Miller author/ illustrator

sunscreen is for every day, not just for the beach.

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN THE SOUTH WHEN…

Newsweek magazine calls the College of Charleston:

“One of the country’s most interesting schools.”

22 SPORT C LU B S

“I was 16 years old when I started the College of Charleston. At that age, as with most teenagers, any prospect of change is fun and exciting. As is the prospect of more freedom!”

— Nafees Bin Zafar, Oscar-winning computer animator

FUN FOODS! LEMON SQUARES

STEAMED OYSTERS HUSH PUPPIES FRIED CATFISH

DO YOU KNOW? A COUGAR HAS MADE A BREAKTHROUGH IN TREATING SICKLE CELL DISEASE. Cougars go to professional schools in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, optometry, nursing and allied health.

“I was a little nervous about going to college, but also very excited.

I ACTUALLY CAME TO TWO ORIENTATIONS! I signed up for the first one and got my business taken care of. A friend of mine was coming to a later orientation, so I went to that one, too.”

standard summer attire for a man is a seersucker suit and bow tie.

DO YOU KNOW?

TV SHOWS AND MOVIES ARE SHOT ON CAMPUS. The View; The Patriot; CNN, MSNBC and FOX political news broadcasts; Army Wives; The New Daughter; The Notebook; North and South; Wife Swap; Cold Mountain; General Hospital and Dear John.

62 CITY PARKS

IN PENINSULAR CHARLESTON

“I visited the College with my older brother.

I was a high school senior and had already been accepted. We met the nicest people just walking around, and the weather was perfect – in contrast to the Northeast in March.

A medical student we met while out to dinner voluntarily took us all over the city during the next 24 hours. My brother, who was a senior at another college at the time said, ‘YOU MUST GO HERE. I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS PLACE EXISTS!’ And that was that.“

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HOW/ WHERE WILL I FIND MY FRIENDS? In my freshman residence hall. Through my

classes. Through clubs or sports.

Meeting people here is ridiculously easy.

Everyone at the College of Charleston is really friendly.

Although there are 10,000 undergraduates here, the College is a big and a small school, all at the same time. And everyone is in the same boat at the beginning – actively seeking new friends.

Your Class of 2016 Facebook page is buzzing. Great opportunity to “meet” other incoming students, chat about residence halls, roommates, etc. By the time you come to orientation you’ll probably see someone you already know!

“THE BEST THING I DID WAS GO THROUGH RUSH. It was a great way to meet tons of girls right at the beginning of school, and it kept my mind off of being away from home.” — Margaret Anne Florence, actress 6

“I’m from New Jersey.

I quickly found that Southern people are super nice. My best friends from the College are from South Carolina, North Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia and Maryland.”

Charleston, S.C. is among Fodor’s

TOP 21

PLACES to go

DO YOU KNOW?

ANOTHER COUGAR IS PLAYING IN THE NBA. Andrew Goudelock was drafted by the L.A. Lakers.

21

NCAA

DIVISION 1 TEAMS

DO YOU KNOW Charleston is the home of SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA, Piccolo Spoleto, MOJA Festival, Gibbes Museum of Art, jazz and blues festivals, art galleries and live-music venues.

No wonder the College is home to one of the few undergraduate major and minor programs in arts management in the Southeast.

“One of the main things that made my transition into college so smooth was the ease with which I was able to connect with the people on my dorm floor. From the day I moved in, my roommate and I became instant friends.

And some of my closest friends at the College were guys who lived on my hall that year. During my second semester, I got involved in the Jewish Student Union and pledged Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity.

Through these two outlets I met a wide variety of people and broadened my circle of friends.”

— Harry Rockower student

60 STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

IN THE WORLD “ I loved nighttime astronomy labs during the spring when the weather was awesome.

We’d be up on the roof of the science building looking at constellations for three hours.”

“My freshman year I lived in the honors dorm. That proved to be an incredible

experience, during which I made lasting and meaningful friendships and many fond memories. Sophomore year I moved into La Maison Française, one of the themed historic houses.”

— Lauren Frances Moore, graduate student

FUN FOODS! BLACK-EYED PEAS

PULLED PORK MAC-N-CHEESE COUNTRY GRAVY

“Charleston is such an intimate community.

I met many of my friends sitting in a coffee shop, hanging out at the farmers market, or going out on the town.

That’s the thing. The College is very much integrated with the larger community.”

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“Picture it. The sun coming up out of the ocean. Me in my maroon kicks, jogging along in the sand, up to the lighthouse and back. Man, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Height: 6'2" Weight: 200 lbs.

Signature color: Maroon Favorite workout spot:

FOLLY BEACH

CAT STATS

“I love to start my day with a bowl of grits, sometimes combining the grits with scrambled eggs and a side of bacon, and on special occasions – with shrimp. YUM.”

“I have been known to break out a bag of pork rinds when I’m traveling with the team.”

PORK RINDS!!

GUILTY PLEASURE

Looking back on his career as chief crowd whipper upper for the College, Clyde has singled out some particularly memorable moments: Athletics programs joining Division I of the NCAA, and men’s basketball teams appearing in NCAA and NIT tournaments four times each.

Clyde graduated from the College in 1986 and attended med school down the street at the Medical University of South Carolina. To this day, he remains a fixture at basketball games throughout the season.

While he prepared for medical school during the day, he rallied the College’s faithful in support of their basketball teams. Life was not always easy for Clyde. Many days he trolled the sidelines in the stifling heat of the subtropical city that he loved. His fur coat became more matted and rattier with each successive year, as he worked the sidelines, whipping the crowds into frenzied support of their victorious teams.

Charleston, S.C. He entered the College of Charleston at the age of 15 and almost immediately signed on to do an unpaid internship with the athletics department.

BIO : Born in 1982, Clyde T. Cougar grew up in

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN THE SOUTH WHEN…

“PEOPLE LIKE TO ASK ME, ‘MAN, WHEN DO YOU SLEEP?’

because I’m involved in so many things at the College.

I’ve worked at the library for four years. I’m in the Call Me MISTER Program, I joined two fraternities, I went through the Higdon Leadership Program and now I’m a peer facilitator, so I lead a freshman seminar once a week. I told myself when I came here that I wanted to be involved. When I graduate, I want people to say, ‘Hey, that’s Quentin Ramsey. He was involved in so much here.’

It’s a great way to connect with people.”

you’ve experienced pluff mud.

“YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE A CAR FRESHMAN YEAR.

There are still plenty of ways to get around. It can be done.

• GET TO KNOW UPPERCLASSMEN and/ or commuters.

• Use the BUS/BIKE COMBO. • Wait by the parking garage and ASK PEOPLE WHERE THEY’RE GOING AND IF YOU CAN GET A RIDE.” — Yusef Saei Rotary Scholar, Morocco

50 U.S. STATES AND TERRITORIES

65 COUNTRIES

R E P R E S E N T E D

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3

PROFESSIONAL : SPORTS TEAMS IN CHARLESTON

FUN FOODS! PEACH COBBLER BENNE WAFERS

SHRIMP

(PRONOUNCED SKRIMP)

GRITS

DO YOU KNOW? Readers of CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER magazine RANK CHARLESTON the TOP DESTINATION CITY IN NORTH AMERICA. What better place for Cougars to study hospitality and tourism management?

— Quentin Ramsey, student

“My second year I relocated to one of the city's many historic houses where I enjoyed hardwood floors, high ceilings, a fabulous porch with a swing, a little garden, etc.

It was just a few blocks from campus and I traveled by bike, which is a

very convenient way to get around in Charleston, especially because it is completely flat.”

– Claire Jarvis

Living on campus

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

DO YOU KNOW?

FUN FOODS!

“HEADING BACK HOME? Book your flight early.

It’s so much cheaper.

COUGARS WHO I don’t think I ever paid more than $350 for a LIVE IN RESIDENCE round trip flight to Philly HALLS have plenty of (including Thanksgiving).” food options at their fingertips (Liberty Street Fresh Food Company, City Bistro, Stern Center Food Court, Einstein Bros Bagels).

— Michael Mirmanesh medical student Drexel University College of Medicine

free if you live on campus:

laundry services, utilities, cable TV, highspeed Internet connection

PIMENTO CHEESE

FRIED OKRA FRIED CHICKEN PECAN PIE “I found a tight group of friends in my English classes.

We all ended up taking courses together, and to me it was amazing to discover a group of students that shared such similar interests. Our friendships began in class – through discussions – and then we slowly but surely started inviting each other to dinner parties, coffee dates, out to lunch, that kind of thing.”

— Hailey Wist, editor

DO YOU KNOW? The Bully Pulpit Series on Political Communication has brought presidential candidates to the campus. Barack Obama, John McCain, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich, for example – and Stephen Colbert!

“Finding friendships that are meaningful and lasting is a challenge that everyone faces, in all stages of life. For me, the College of Charleston’s small class size, combined with the laid-back nature of the city and its residents, provided the perfect environment for fostering friendships that can last a lifetime.”

— Matt Czuchry, actor, The Good Wife, Gilmore Girls

for a year IS LESS EXPENSIVE than living in an offcampus apartment.

10,461

HOW MANY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ARE THERE?

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“CHARLESTON HAS

A VERY VIBRANT MUSIC SCENE FOR A SMALLER CITY.

I started going to concerts hosted at the College, or at nearby venues like the Music Farm. For me, that grew into a habit – going to small music venues to check out random bands, and I still do that today.”

One of the country’s

MOST INTERESTING SCHOOLS. (Newsweek magazine) 12

SENSE OF What’s really important about the BELONGING College of Charleston experience is not that it’s simply “fun,” but rather that it will stir new ideas and aspirations in you.

Look around, and take advantage of everything the College and the Lowcountry have to offer. Use your imagination.

Get with your friends and move outside your comfort zone.

Look at every new experience as an opportunity.

When it’s time to leave, you’ll take away some really incredible memories – and some friendships that will last a lifetime.

Ya’ll come back now, hear?

“I remember that I DOMINATED THE KARAOKE COMPETITIONS at O’Reilly’s on Wednesday nights. The highlight was having a girl come up to the stage and tell me that she actually came there just to hear me sing.”

Outside magazine

named Charleston No. 6

BEST TOWN

EVER.

DO YOU KNOW?

“The graduation ceremony on the Cistern makes it all worth it. It is special, unique and beautiful. Walking across the stage is a perfect end to a wonderful college experience.”

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN THE SOUTH WHEN… business casual means a polo shirt, khaki pants and boat shoes with no socks.

9,513 miles greatest distance a freshman traveled to attend the College (Sydney, Australia)

“Living downtown made me into a runner.

As a break from studying, I used to take a brisk run around the Battery.”

— Molly Palmer associate producer The Today Show

COUGARS CAN STUDY 14 LANGUAGES at the College: Arabic, Chinese, French, Ancient Greek, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.

“There are WONDERFUL BEACHES THAT ARE VERY CLOSE – each with its different flavor. FOLLY BEACH WITH A HIPPY/ SURFER VIBE, Sullivan’s Island with its Old South charm and big beaches; Isle of Palms is a bit more family oriented.

And each of these has its long-established watering holes. Try the burgers at Poe’s on Sullivan’s!”

FUN FOODS! SHE-CRAB SOUP

RED VELVET CAKE LOWCOUNTRY TOMATO PIE “ There is a group of friends that I stay in touch with from my days at the College. Most of us have moved away from Charleston, but we probably get together at least once, if not twice, a year.”

— Rallis Pappas

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“ I simply love being downtown. Charleston is the best town to walk around on a sunny afternoon.

It’s very European in that sense. You walk a couple blocks, stop for coffee. Walk a few more blocks, stop in a small local market. Walk a few more blocks and stop for lunch al fresco! You don't find that in many places.”

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN THE SOUTH WHEN… you know all four seasons: almost summer, summer, still summer and Christmas.

— Hailey Wist

GQ named Charleston one of the Coolest

“For my general ed requirement in humanities, I took a religious studies class. As the final project, the professor gave us two options: 1. attend a religious service and describe a religious experience that you or someone else may have had, or 2. determine if skydiving is a religious experience.

Seizing on this opportunity, four classmates and I drove to the Walterboro airfield to start researching our papers. The next thing I know, I’m up at 10,000 feet, falling from an airplane, looking over the horizon at the Atlantic as a crescent moon hangs in the blue sky. Yes! This incredible experience would not have happened if I hadn’t decided to take that class.”

Small Cities in America.

“OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES! BEACH. SPORTS YEAR ’ROUND. Shem Creek. The Battery and Waterfront Park.

Concerts at the Music Farm. Amazing restaurants and nightlife. Walk around – so much history and beauty!

Go to a men’s basketball game.”

STATS

The middle 50 percent of freshmen accepted for fall 2011 graduated in the

TOP 20 PERCENT OF THE CLASS. 14

— Harry Rockower

“I went boating and to the beach quite often. I also enjoyed studying at the beach. I was a pretty serious student, and studying at the beach was an easy way to combine my academic interests with Charleston’s beautiful surroundings.”

— Justin Farrow, new media consultant

FUN FOODS! PINTO BEANS CHICKEN FRIED STEAK SHRIMP AND GRITS

DO YOU KNOW? CHARLESTON IS SAID TO HAVE MORE GHOSTS THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN AMERICA. Ghost hunters say the city is a hotbed of paranormal activity.

FUN FOODS! BRUNSWICK STEW

PARADE magazine’s COLLEGE A-LIST included the College of Charleston as one of the

BEST

SMALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS in the nation.

DO YOU KNOW? CHARLESTON IS THE HOME OF REFORM JUDAISM and home of the fourth-oldest Jewish congregation in the continental U.S.

“Of the friends I made freshman year, I’ve moved

the furthest away (abroad to London, England).

One friend moved to D.C. to work for a large accounting firm, and the other two stayed in Charleston. We are still extremely close and try to get together in Charleston once or twice a year.”

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN THE SOUTH WHEN…

CORN BREAD BUTTER BEANS “ In the Human Performance Lab, our student researchers have access to state-of-the-art equipment: TrackMaster and Quinton treadmills, Ergomedic 818E Monark cycle ergometers, panloading Ergomedic 874E Monark ergometers, ParvoMedics True One® 2400 metabolic cart for indirect calorimetry, Biodex system III, Cyprus and Omron bioelectrical impedance analyzers, a hydrostatic weighing tank for assessing body composition.”

an inch of snow will shut down a city.

area 575,488 metro population “ FONDEST MEMORIES: Kayaking in the street when it flooded during hurricane season. (My fav photo from college years!)

Relaxing on friends’ porches. Dancing on the pier out at Folly Beach. Grill outs and house parties. Jogging by the Battery. Lots of friends and sunshine!”

KRISPY KREME DONUTS

student/faculty ratio:

16 to 1 “I met my closest friends in my dorm. They weren’t my roommates, but we lived on the same floor. We lived together for the next three years. I also made close friends through the hockey team, and ended up living with two of those guys, too. We all still keep in touch and talk regularly. ”

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“Probably the coolest class I've ever taken was a coral reef biology class in the British Virgin Islands. Our class went scuba diving almost every day. I don't think it can get any better. I saw so much more than I ever would in a normal lab and I learned more as a result.”

— Tanya Hunt, student and avid slackliner

YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN THE SOUTH WHEN…

“I’m the founder and president of Partisan Records, indie outlaw artist management, Figure 8 Media and Publicity, and president of Knitting Factory Records. Academically, “ WATCHING COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON the liberal arts approach to BEAT NO. 3-RANKED UNC IN BASKETBALL DURING education was extremely MY FRESHMAN YEAR WAS DEFINITELY AMAZING. effective for me. I was able In fact, I’m the crazed fan that is often shown on ESPN to experiment with my interests when they recap the College’s best victories. Every time and home in on those that most they show the clip on Sportscenter, I always receive excited me. I was able to begin about 10 text messages or phone calls from my pursuing my career before college buddies.”

— Matt Hagan I even graduated, because of the clarity of vision the College’s liberal arts program offered me.”

Bon Appetit named HUSK the BEST NEW

RESTAURANT

IN AMERICA for 2011.

Boiled peanuts are sold everywhere!

DO YOU KNOW? The Arthur Ravenel Bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the country. It connects downtown Charleston to the town of Mt. Pleasant.

– Ian Wheeler

FORBES named Charleston EIGHTH

SMARTEST CITY.

CK N OR !

U CH TOW UST B WE’LL BE SEEING YOU SOON!

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