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dailygamecock.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2015
VOL. 106, NO. 49 ● SINCE 1908
Economy stays afloat despite
flood
Rick Ackerman / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Sophomore A’ja Wilson has been red hot to start the season, averaging 17 points. The 6-foot-5 forward also leads the team with 22 blocks in seven games.
Regan Freeman / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
A panel discussed the effects of October’s flooding on the local economy on Tuesday at the MyCarolina Alumni Center.
Emily Mewborne @EMI_LOO
Despite the historic amount of rainfall and subsequent f looding the state suffered in October, South Carolina’s economy and grow t h remains heavily afloat. On Tuesday, media outlets from around Columbia gathered at the Alumni Center to hear renowned research economists from the Darla Moore School of Business speak at a preview of the statewide economic forecast set for later in December. Each year, a variety of panelists come to sp ea k at t he forec a st . Economists in the Moore School Div ision of Re sea rch, Dougla s Woodward and Joseph Von Nessen, were invited to give an abbreviated economic forecast at t his year’s event. Overall, their reports proved very hopeful and positive. “Let me start by saying in 28 years of forecasting our state’s economy, rarely have I seen our economy in such good shape and such steady footing,” Woodward said. I n light of t his posit ive introduction, f lood damages were not ignored at the conference. The economists went into some detail
regarding what the damage did to the economy, but overall they agree that, while it was harmful, it did not ruin South Carolina’s powerful economic outlook. “The South Carolina economy is strong, it’s resilient, even in the face of the historic 1,000-year storm that we experienced this fall,” Woodward said about t he f lood du ring h is opening statement. Neit her Wo o d w a rd nor Von Ne s s en wa nt ed to de v a lue t he impact that the f lood had on the communities of South Carolina. “We know that there are going to be ramif icat ions of t he f lood for 2016,” Von Nessen said. With many families paying for property damages out of their savings the fi nancial burden is not a light one. “We have to look at both sides of the coin; we’ll get a benefit in 2016 (from rebuilding stimulus), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t act ual losses associated with the flood.” Despite the loss and tragedy, Von Nessen does not predict the f lood to dent the economy too harshly: “In a nutshell, for 2016 we’re fairly optimistic right now. The economy appears to be firing on all cylinders.” Von Nessen even took time to
discuss the fact that the flood may, in fact, create more opportunit y t ha n waste. W h i le t he f lood destroyed homes, this means that more homes need to be fi xed, which will call for more construction jobs. When looking at the state’s future regarding the flood, the economists are positive more jobs will emerge from the devastation. “If we look at all of the damages t h e r e ’s g o i n g t o b e a m a j o r rebuilding effort and as that process goes through … those are dollars that are coming in, and they will be spent, and that will create additional econom ic ac t iv it y i nclud i ng additional jobs … (so) there will defi nitely be a benefit in 2016 from that,” Von Nessen said. The econom ist s cont i nued to disc uss t he sig n if ica nt increase in job creat ion, job employ ment and wages in the state, which they believe w ill cont inue into 2016. They accredited much of Sout h C a r ol i n a’s s t r o n g e c o no m y t o adva nced ma nufact uring in t he Southeast. “Because of the automotive cluster and the aerospace cluster that have
Service celebrated at tree lighting Patrick Ingraham @PATTYMILLS11
The holiday spirit was definitely in t he air Tuesday night on t he Horseshoe at the 61st annual tree lighting ceremony, put on by the Carolina Service Council. The council, which celebrates the tree lighting as a culmination of this semester’s service activity, was hard at work this semester giving back to the local community. Members of the council helped send holiday mail to U.S. military, veterans and their families and partnered with the Salvation Army to stuff stockings for needy children and families in the Columbia area.
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Students combat stress in preparation for finals week Emily Barber @EMILYRISA
T he l ife of a col lege student typically consists of hectic schedules, stacks of assig nment s and t he occasional cup of coffee to keep it a l l r u n n i ng smoot hly. During f inal exam week, all of this is put on overdrive. St re s s is a n ongoi ng problem on college c a mpu s e s . I n 2013, American College Health A s so c iat ion (AC H A) su r vey fou nd t hat 49.6 percent of college st udent s repor ted t hey felt “over whel med” by t heir responsibilit ies in the previous two weeks. A lso, nearly half of college students said their academ ics were “ver y difficult to handle.” While stress can come i n m a n a g e a b le w a v e s , continual stress can lead to harmful symptoms, such as ag itat ion, headaches a nd soreness, t rouble sleeping and poor eating
Luke Yengo / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Carolina Service Council hosted the 61st annual tree lighting on Tuesday. Before the ceremony, Major Roger Coulson, Salvation Army regional coordinator and Corps officer, spoke on the impact USC students have on the organization and the community. “We want you to realize t hat, this year, those stockings — more t han ever — are going to bring laughter, joy and a sense that there are others that care,” Coulson said. “The children may not realize where these stockings have come from, but certainly the parents will know that they come from people who want to do their very best to help others, and that’s what this campus is all about.” Un i v e r s it y P r e s id e nt H a r r i s Pastides and Student Body President Jonathan Kaufman were also on hand at the celebration. They spoke on how the event means more than simply lighting a tree. “[I]t’s something we can all rally around and we can all look to as a symbol of the fact that we give back to the community, and we care about people and love t hem and show Casey Sweeney / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
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Before burying their noses into books to study for finals, students should try to reduce stress levels.
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