dailygamecock.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
VOL. 110, NO. 1 ● SINCE 1908
TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018
New student union moves forward Larissa Johnson @LALARISSAJ
W it h a new st udent Steer i ng Committee and a feasibility study, the university is moving to make good on President Harris Pastides’ State of the Union promise to renovate and repurpose the Carolina Coliseum. A new student space is sorely needed, according to Student Body President Ross Lordo. USC hasn’t added student space since 1976 — the longest time in the SEC by almost 25 years. Since the Russell House Student Union was built 42 years ago, enrollment has gone up more than 30 percent. “So we’ve had more groups, we have more students, we have more need for space, but we have not added any,” said Kim McMahon, the director of Campus Life and the Russell House University Union. “So that pushes some of that student life and activity off campus.” The Steering Committee will include seven or more students from various years and backgrounds. They’ll work together with the university administration and WTW architects, experts in designing student unions who are contracted for the feasibility study, to create a collective vision for the space. There aren’t any finalized plans for what might be included, but Lordo said Courtesy of USC
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The 2010 Master Plan included a mock-up of a new student union space, which might come to campus by 2028.
Transfer students face new start Larissa Johnson @LALARISSAJ
Sara Yang / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Bryan Edwards makes a huge touchdown catch to start South Carolina’s Outback Bowl comeback.
Gamecocks comeback in Outback Claudia Chakamian @C_CHAKAMIAN
New Year’s Day sparked fi reworks in South Carolina as they battled back to beat Michigan and win the 2018 Outback Bowl 26-19. The game was a punt fest at the beginning, as neither team could get anything going. Early in the first, the punters had a combined 142 yards while the combined offense had just eight yards. By the end of the first there were 85 total yards and five punts. And by the end of the first half,
Michigan led 9-3 and the kickers looked to be the only ones who showed up to Tampa. Head coach Will Muschamp said he wasn’t concerned about the slow start, stating he had “total confidence” they would bounce back. The Wolverines worked quickly in the third to get the first touchdown of the game, and later Quinn Nordin made yet another field goal. That was all we would see from their offense. SEEOUTBACKPAGE24
Andrew Zirkman sat in the packed Russell House Ballroom with his mom, who came down with him from New Jersey. It’s just his second visit to USC’s campus, but he’s transferring after just one semester at Virg in ia Tech. A nd he’s not alone — several hundred students are officially joining the ranks of the Gamecocks this semester after starting their degrees at other institutions. Reasons that people transfer are just as diverse as the reasons that people choose to attend USC in the fi rst place. Bigger campus, more class offerings – and the warm temperatures certainly don’t hurt. Zirkman had been admitted to USC before he chose Virginia Tech, but just a few months in reversed his decision and made the Nov. 1 transfer deadline to come to USC instead. “I have a lot of friends here, so I figured it would be easier to transition than any other school,” Zirkman said. While Zirkman came from multiple states away and was drawn by friends and SEC football, USC facilitates easy transfers from the seven satellite USC campuses and the 16 South Carolina technical colleges. These transfers are often driven by academic concerns. “It ended up being fate, because the way my program went I skipped a summer,” USC Sumter transfer Alexis Guessregen said. “It would have taken like four years SEETRANSFERPAGE2
Upcoming local politics, business issues involving students T. Michael Boddie
@THEHUMANBODDIE
The USC student can be many things, one of which, for at least a few years, is a South Carolinian. Government at the university, local and state level then directly affects the student body. The Board of Trustees “The board’s members are business, educational and civic leaders who are either elected, designated or appointed,” according to sc.edu. But a recent bill to amend the Code of Laws of South Carolina requires the Student Body President to serve as an ex officio member. “The student government president shall serve
as an ex officio member of the board for the active term of office as president,” bill S. 678 says. In other words, a student representative will serve on the board to ensure that a student voice is heard in the regularly scheduled meetings. Electing a governor A year ago, Gov. Henry McMaster assumed the position following former Gov. Nikki Haley’s assignment as Ambassador to the United Nations under President Trump. In November, he’ll seek re-election. Here are his competitors:
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Larissa Johnson / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Transfer students learn to Sandstorm during orientation.