dailygamecock.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
VOL. 113, NO. 03 • SINCE 1908
MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2013
BID DAY 2013
Nick Nalbone / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
‘ONE OF THE HAPPIEST DAYS ON CAMPUS’ More than 1,300 women join Panhellenic sororities at annual event Sarah Ellis & Thad Moore
NEWS@DAILYGAMECOCK.COM
Before the glitter, the balloons and the masses of painted faces, there was only the noise. From Greene Street — and Bull and Sumter streets — all that could be heard was a washed-out cacophony of cheers and whistles. Euphoric screams by McK issick Museum gave way to tears of joy nearer t he Maxc y Monument , as more than 1,300 women ran across the Horseshoe on Sunday afternoon, on their way to be welcomed as new members of their sorority families at USC’s annual sorority Bid Day. Finding a family Sarah Roof ’s mom was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha at USC. Growing up, Roof was surrounded by her mom’s sororit y sisters and their children — “So I know these friendships last forever,” she said. Videos available online
Joining a sorority was a natural choice for Roof, a fi rst-year exercise science student from Chapin. In high school, she always wanted to get her toes into everything. And if she’s not busy, she’s bored. Her mom didn’t pressure her to join a sorority or to become a Zeta, but she is excited that her daughter’s getting involved so early, Roof said. “I wanted to really get connected on campus,” Roof said. “A nd the school’s so huge, it’s a good way to make it smaller and fi nd a network of friends.” Br ia n na Ca stold i c a me i nto t he sororit y recr uit ment process “completely blind,” she said. She pictured sorority life to be a lot like “Legally Blonde ” before coming to USC, because that was her only frame of reference. A f i r s t-y e a r p u b l ic r e l at io n s student from Boston who had been a cheerleader for most of her life, Castoldi was looking for a new kind of team to join. She had heard that sororit ies were a big deal in t he South, so she decided to check out the recruitment process. “I don’t regret my decision at all,” Castoldi said. “I think I’m going to
be happy.” Oh, happy day Su nd a y a f t e r no o n , Ro of a nd Ca stold i were a mong t he 1,313 women who received formal invitations to join one of USC’s 11 Panhellenic sororities. Each sorority accepted a minimum of 117 new members. “ T h e r e’s c h e e r i n g, s o m u c h cheering,” said Haile Brant, a fi rstyear business marketing student who waited anxiously to find out which chapter had extended a bid to her. Bid Day is “probably one of the happiest days on campus,” said Alex Rodbel l , Soror it y Cou nc i l v ice president for recruitment. “When the girls open their shirts and get to run to their new chapter ... it’s kind of symbolic of what they’re about to embark on in the next year with their sorority,” Rodbell said. Fo r K a t i e S p e l l H a m b r i c k , a s sist a nt d i rec tor of Frater n it y and Sorority Life , Sunday marked a different k ind of celebration: A return to sleep and home, after long days preparing and nights spent in a hotel with Pi Chis.
When the girls open their shirts and get to run to their new chapter ... it’s kind of symbolic of what they’re about to embark on in the next year with their sorority.” – Alex Rodbell Slideshow available online
BID DAY • 3
Faculty told not to cancel classes for football game Provost cites legal, accreditation concerns in memo to instructors Amanda Coyne
ACOYNE@DAILYGAMECOCK.COM
INSIDE
Football fans across campus, get ready to cash in your fi rst absence of the semester. Provost Michael Amiridis has instructed USC faculty not to cancel classes on Thursday evening or Friday due to the Gamecocks’ Thursday night game against the UNC Tar Heels. In a memo sent to faculty and academic staff Aug. 20, Amiridis said “all teaching faculty and instructors are required to meet their classes, labs, studio and other courses at the regularly scheduled times” in accordance with USC’s Faculty Manual. The manual states that if a professor or instructor is unable to meet their classes, they must notify their dean or department chair. “Reducing the number of total required minutes of class meeting time has raised legal and accreditation questions at peer institutions,” Amiridis said in the memo. One of the criteria for USC’s accreditation is guaranteeing a certain amount of class hours for students, said Helen Doerpinghaus, vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies. “We don’t even consider compromising our academic promise to students to support our Gamecocks,”
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Doerpinghaus said. “If you have class then and can’t go, you can tape it, watch it on TV or go at the second half. We all have our own lives and our own immediate needs, but there are other games and other seasons.” Doerpinghaus said that the instruction not to cancel classes is in no way a lack of support from the university for the football team. “The first part of the Carolina family is academics,” Doerpinghaus said. “All of our teams deserve our support, but if you look at their schedules, so many of them have games or competitions on school nights.” But for some students, missing class is not as concerning as missing a season-opening game. “I will definitely be skipping,” wrote Clayton Owen,
a fourth-year international business student in a tweet. “Tailgates as a student and games in the student section are numbered.” Clemson has canceled classes after 12:15 p.m . for its Thursday night game against Georgia Tech in November. Those classes will be made up by rescheduling, teaching online or adjusting assignments, according to an email to Clemson students, faculty and staff sent by university president Jim Barker in May. Most staff members will also be expected to take three-and-a-half hours of annual leave or take the day off. Clemson has avoided scheduling Thursday night home games in the past “because of the challenges it presents to academic and university operations,” Barker said in the email. Since student parking lots are largely used for gameday parking, it would not be feasible for classes to be held that afternoon, said John Gouch, Clemson’s assistant director of media relations. This week’s game is the first home and season opener to be played on a Thursday since 2010, when South Carolina played Southern Mississippi. Last year, the season opened on a Thursday night, but it was an away game played at Vanderbilt. In 2011, the Gamecocks’ season opener was played against the East Carolina Pirates on a Saturday night at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. DG
Chris Keohane/ THE DAILY GAMECOCK
SPORTS
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WEATHER
Depth concerns have Spurrier relying on his firstteam players against the Tar Heels.
Main Street Latin Festival brings music, dancing and culture to the streets of Columbia.
Editorial Board: Students can set their own priorities when it comes to skipping class for football.
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