The Daily Gamecock 11/17/16

dailygamecock.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

VOL. 108, NO. 27 ● SINCE 1908

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

Blood drive uses rivalry to nd inspire life-saving donations

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annual Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive

Last year:

3,500 donors at UofSC

Each pint saves

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10,500 Lives saved

Over the past 32 years:

100,000 total pints collected

Leland McElveen / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

The Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive is one of the long-standing charity drives held at USC during the holiday season.

Payton Lira @THEGAMECOCK

Thursday, Nov. 17 — Russell House Ballroom from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

— Koger Center from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

— Greene Street from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

— Greek Village from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 18 — Russell House Ballroom from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

— Greene Street from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

— Greek Village from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

— Close-Hipp Building from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Someone needs blood every 2 seconds

For the past 32 years, USC and Clemson have U engaged in a ‘blood battle’ to see which school can have t he most st udents h don ate blo od. For Gamecocks, much of the event is about beating a traditional foe, but for the American Red Cross, it’s a A way w to meet an important need. n Kelly Moore, the Red Cross account manager for USC, said her goal is to collect over 500 pints

of blood a day at USC du r i ng t he d r ive. Last year, about 3,50 0 USC students, faculty and staff donated.

The Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive is one of the largest multi-day blood drives in the nation. Since the competition began, t h e u n i v e r s it i e s h a v e collected over 10 0,0 0 0 pints of blood.

F o r M o o r e , ca mpus event s of ten involve clearing up m i s c onc ept ion s ab out blood donation for first-

time donors, such as how t at t o o s a nd p ie r c i n g s affect eligibility. In order to donate, donors have to be at least 110 pounds and in good health and have a pict u re I D. It’s ver y important to eat a good healthy meal before donating and to drink lots of water.

“Sout h Carolina is a regulated state now so if you get your tattoo at a licensed parlor in South Carolina, we could get one t h is mor n i ng a nd d o n a t e b l o o d t o d a y,”

Moore said.

T he f i r st 50 donor s each day at Russell House between the hours of 10 a.m. and noon receive a $10 Visa g if t card. A ll donors have the chance to enter in a raffle to win prizes, snacks are provided and a free T-shirt is given to everyone who donates.

And every pint donated can save three lives.

Fi r st-yea r pha r m ac y st udent Ta r a Su l l iva n and first-year marketing SEEBLOODPAGE3

Students’ engagement pictures go viral Brittany Franceschina @BRITTA_FRAN

Courtesy of Trevor Mercer Photography

Hunger awareness in focus during holidays

A st udent couple recently made n at ion a l head l i ne s for their unique take on their engagement phot o s . Fou r t hye a r m at h s t udent Stepha n ie Simpson and fourt h-year geophy sic s st udent Ethan Anderson took

t hei r eng agement photos in t he same Math 142 classroom in LeConte that they met in last year.

The idea originally came f rom t heir photographer, Trevor Mercer.

“I t hought it was a g r e at s t o r y, a nd si nce t hey are st ill students, maybe we could get access to

DATES TO KNOW:

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t he classroom for a q u ic k e n g a g e me nt s e s s i o n . We j u s t t o o k t h at c o n c e p t a nd bra i nstor med some good ideas like passing the note and w rit ing on t he chalkboard. We had a g reat t i me a nd I loved the pictures we got!” Mercer said.

SEEPICTURESPAGE2

November

Great American SmokeOut 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Greene Street

Gamecocks Fighting Hunger 6 to 8 p.m. in the Bates West Social Room

Healthy Carolina Student Advisory Committee interest meeting 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Green Quad

18 Carly Setzer / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Mike Woodel @GETHISDOGONETOO

W it h T ha n k sg iv i ng only a week away, USC’s Leadership and Ser v ice Center is honoring those less fort u nate w it h Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

Despite t he t it le, event s seek i ng to ra ise consciousness on the USC

campus of local poverty take place throughout the month of November.

This year, the week will also touch upon one of Carolina’s oldest rivalries.

Luis Sierra, a leadership coach for the LSC, said t he i mp or t a nc e of t he week overall lies with what students take away from the events.

“It’s ver y eas y to get

caught up with the things t hat are goi ng on i n ou r l ive s,” Sier ra sa id.

Sierra hopes students and faculty alike will become more aware of how they can get involved in their community.

As part of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week , t he LSC hosted SEEHUNGERPAGE4

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D e a d l i n e to r e q u e s t B eyon d t h e Classroom funds

Hollings Library Open Gallery 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Hollings Main, Rare Books and Special Collections’ Exhibit Gallery

Challenge Course Open Climb 1 to 5 p.m. at the Alpine Tower

File photo: Luke Yengo / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

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Thursday, November 17, 2016

About The Daily Gamecock Editor-in-Chief KAMILA MELKO Managing Editors LARISSA JOHNSON ADAM ORFINGER Design Director LOGAN ZAHNER Special Sections Director GREER SCHNEIDER Senior Designer STEPHANIE ORR Copy Desk Chiefs DEBBIE CLARK MICAELA WENDELL Assistant Copy Desk Chief ERIN METCALF Online Editor GABBY HILARIO Photo Editor ADAM COLLINS Assistant Photo Editors VICTORIA RICHMAN YANGXING DING News Editors MARY RAMSEY T. MICHAEL BODDIE Arts & Culture Editors DARBY HALLMAN OLIVIA RESZCZYNSKI HALEY COVELL Opinion Editors LINDEN ATELSEK GRIFFIN HOBSON Sports Editor BOBBY BALBONI Assistant Sports Editor ABE DANAHER Media Manager CHRISTINE CHILDRESS

Designers MARIELA RODRIGUEZ, MAGGIE NEAL, WANDA FELSENHARDT, ANNIE PARK, MELANEY MOTTSEY, ALEX CONE Copy Editors ANDREW CROSSAN JOY BRANTON MADDIE COMPTON ATHENA MAROUSIS Senior Writers DREW MUELLER, BRITTANY FRANCESCHINA, SARAH STONE Faculty Advisor DOUG FISHER Student Media Director SARAH SCARBOROUGH Business Manager KRISTINE CAPPS

Columbia police receive statewide award Officials are searching for information related to a puppy that was burned to death outside a church late Saturday, The State reports. Representatives from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department announced a $2,000 reward for any information that helps to determine a suspect. The pitbull puppy had to be put down because of the severity of its injuries.

- Compiled by Mary Ramsey, News Editor

Dylann Roof competency hearing closed to public

Creative Director EDGAR SANTANA Production Manager DEGAN CHEEK Social Media Manager SYDNEY PATTERSON Creative Services WANDA FELSENHARDT, ELIZABETH JENNINGS, CHARLOTTE PRICE Student Advertising Manager LOWMAN HARLEY Advertising Representatives ALEX BATEMAN, AMANDA GRANT, KAITLIN NIEMAN, ANDREW SNIGHT, DREW THIEL, PERRY WEST

The Daily Gamecock is the editorially independent student newspaper of the University of South Carolina. It is published daily during the fall and spring semesters and nine times during the summer with the exception of university holidays and exam periods. Opinions expressed in The Daily Gamecock are the author’s and are not the university’s. The Board of Student Publications and Communications is the publisher of The Daily Gamecock. The Department of Student Media is the newspaper’s parent organization. The Daily Gamecock is supported in part by student activity fees. One free copy per reader.

Additional copies may be purchased for $1 each from Student Media.

The public and the media won’t be able to attend a competency hearing for Dylann Roof, WIS reports. The ruling came down from Judge Richard Gergel despite protests from major South Carolina publications such as The Post and Courier. Gergel said media coverage would violate Roof’s Sixth Amendment rights. Roof is accused of killing nine African-American churchgoers in Charleston in June 2015.

- Compiled by Mary Ramsey, News Editor

Jacob Hall memorial road sign revealed The elementary school child killed in a shooting at an Anderson elementary school is being remembered with a new road sign, W LTX reports. The sign recognizes the intersection of Interstate 85 and Highway 24 as the Jacob L. Hall Memorial Interchange. The Anderson community also honored Hall with a superhero themed funeral in September.

dailygamecock.com EDITOR editor@dailygamecock.com NEWS news@dailygamecock.com OPINION opinion@dailygamecock.com Newsroom: 777-7726

- Compiled by Mary Ramsey, News Editor

ARTS & CULTURE arts@dailygamecock.com SPORTS sports@dailygamecock.com PHOTO photo@dailygamecock.com Editor’s office: 777-3914

Courtesy of Trevor Mercer Photography

PICTURESPAGE1 The t wo share a love for Christmas and math, and that’s how they chose their wedding date of Dec. 14, 2016 at 18:20 military time.

“The math aspect of it means the most to us, really,” Simpson said.

“That’s how we met that’s taken up so much of our lives together. It’s never gonna stop. Math will always be there for us.”

At the beginning of the spring 2015 semester, Simpson switched into the same recitation as Anderson to give herself the opportunity to talk to him. The two got to know each other and grew closer after the

passing of professor Raja Fayad gave t hem an opport unit y to connect and discuss the tragedy.

S i x m o n t h s l a t e r, A n d e r s o n proposed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because of t heir shared love for classic rock. They chose 701 Whaley as their venue. That’s where they found Mercer’s business card, and he gave them the idea for the shoot. “[Mercer] liked t he fact t hat I was a math teacher, and he liked t he fact t hat ou r date had mat h significance,” Simpson said. “A nd so he wanted it to be significant to us and significant to what brought us together, and that’s what led us

to the classroom.”

At fi rst, the couple doubted they would even take engagement photos because they are still students and saving money for their honeymoon, but Mercer offered to do the photos for free if they would be willing to do something more themed for his portfolio.

A c o u p le o f w e e k s a f t e r t h e pictures were taken, the two were cont ac ted by A BC New s who w a nt e d t o f e at u r e t he m i n it s lifestyle section.

“We were visiting his parents, and I just ran down stairs in my pajamas like you guys aren’t gonna believe t his!” Simpson said. “I would’ve

never g uessed that this would’ve happened.”

A nderson and Simpson hope to move on from South Carolina after g raduat ing and are apply ing for masters programs. They agree their meeting was definitely by chance, but it was Simpson who asked for Anderson’s phone number fi rst.

“I would defi nitely encourage all my ladies: Don’t wait for no man to a sk you for you r nu mb er …

Don’t feel like you need to wait on a man. Just go for it. What are you gonna lose? You’re not gonna lose anything,” Simpson said.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

BLOODPAGE1 student Ellen Vanagel both donated at Russell on Wednesday afternoon.

“If I needed to get blood, I’d want someone to do the same for me,” Sullivan said. “It feels like such a good thing to do. You’re literally

helping three lives.”

Accord i ng to t he Red Cross, someone in the U.S. requires a blood donation ever y t wo seconds. A nd since blood cannot be manufactured, donors are always needed.

“The most important t hing to remember is you never know when

you might need a pint of blood,” Moore said. “We try to use it as an educat ional piece; you’re you ng, become a life-long donor. Hopefully they have a great experience during this fun rivalry, they get the really cool T-shirt and at the same time we can educate them — we need you to

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do this as much as possible.”

USC leads the blood battle 17-14, and the Gamecocks have beaten the Tigers for eight consecutive years.

If you are unsure if you’re eligible to donate or not, be sure to check out redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/ eligibility-requirements.

Class registration sites, tools look to fill in MyEdu gap for students Mary Ramsey @MCOLLEEN1996

Reg i ster i ng for cla s se s c a n b e a stressful experience, and in recent years, online tools have become a big trend in easing the pain. Many students were dismayed when the popular online registration tool MyEdu announced it would no longer service USC, but other sites and tools within the University’s own system have since taken effect.

C ou r sicle added USC to t hei r course library when they heard the news about MyEdu. The site is the upst a r t bra i nch i ld of t wo recent college graduates frustrated with the registration process. Co-founder Joe Puccio was inspired to start the project with the help of his friend Tara Aida after his first try registering as a student at UNC-Chapel Hill.

“I spent several hours trying to plan out my class schedule, and then when I fi nally went to register for my classes, I got into only one of the five I needed to take,” Puccio said. “So, that night I started working on a program that would text me when a class I wanted had an available seat.”

With Aida’s help, Coursicle grew into a full-service registration program at UNC-Chapel Hill and was eventually expanded to other schools.

Puccio and Aida say they’ve had about 500 hits from USC so far and that they average “several thousand hits a day” from students at the over 200 schools supported by their site.

They’re also still adding features

Courtesy of Joe Puccio

to the program, such as a recentlycreated system that allows students to see what classes their Facebook friends have taken in the past and are currently interested in.

USC’s own registration system, run through my.sc.edu, has also seen renovations since the loss of MyEdu. The u n iversit y has added DegreeWorks, a system which allows students to see digitized versions of their advisement documents and detailed breakdowns of their course

requirements based on major and minor.

Students also now have the option to use a schedule planner through my.sc.edu. With the planner, students can choose which courses they’re interested in, and the program will generate multiple schedules based on the open sections available for those classes. They can then lock in the schedule they like best and put it in a “registration cart” that transfers the selected courses directly into the

registration system.

At the end of the day, older students like fourth-year fashion marketing student Sierra Zaner who’ve seen registration tools come and go, advise younger st udents t hat one of t he easiest ways to get organized is simply the old-fashioned way.

“I would suggest just writing it out on a piece of paper,” she said.

“Physically seeing it is going to be a lot easier than imagining it on a computer screen.”

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Thursday, November 17, 2016

Civil rights leader to receive key to city

Courtesy of Tribute News Service

Mary Ramsey @MCOLLEEN1996

E qua l Ju st ice I n it iat ive founder Bryan Stevenson will be awarded the Key to the City of Columbia while in the area to speak at The Township.

St e v e n s o n w i l l r e c e i v e

t he key from Mayor Steve Benjamin, who is introducing Stevenson at the event.

The award-winning author will headline the Justice 360 event set for Thursday at The Township. That event is free and open to the public, with doors opening at 5 p.m.

HUNGERPAGE1 a nu mb er of pre - e vent s , including the Oxfam Hunger Banquet and Polar Run 5K, the latter of which collected used clothing for the Salvation Army of the Midlands. The week officially began with the final Service Saturday of the semester on Nov. 12.

All these and more led up to Wednesday night’s event, a speech by Nancy Lublin made as part of LSC’s Momentum Series. Lublin is the founder and CEO of Crisis Text Line, a crisis intervention service accessible via text message 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In keeping with the week’s giving motif, Lublin spoke about the importance of philanthropy in the modern world.

Sierra and the rest of the LSC were very satisfied with the results of the most recent S er v ic e S at u rd a y, w h ic h was designated as an official Hunger and Homelessness

Aw a r e n e s s We e k e v e n t .

According to LSC graduate assistant Mike Lifavi, all 211 spots made available for Nov. 12 were filled. Some students had to join the waitlist instead.

“It was really cool to see so late in the semester, so many people still come out and want to ser ve,” Lifavi said. He encouraged those who were waitlisted to come out for LSC’s Impact Weekly events, t he next of which takes place Friday afternoon at the Lexington Interfaith Community Center.

If students wish to continue volunteering after the end of the week, Sierra said, there are many opportunities available.

He ment ioned Homele s s Helpi ng Homeless as a good local organization for students and encouraged those interested to visit the LSC to obtain more information.

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week continues Thursday night wit h

Gamecocks Fighting Hunger, hosted by University 201 and Sustainable Carolina. The event, which seeks to package 25,000 meals for families in the Columbia area, begins in the Bates West Social Room at 6 p.m.

There is also a new way for st udent s to g ive back while engaging in friendly competition on Nov. 21: Tiger Burn.

With fellow Tiger Burn Committee members, Lifavi decided to make this year’s event the final collection point for t he ongoing Palmetto Series food drive. Immediately following Tiger Burn, all cans collected for the drive will be transported to Harvest Hope Food Bank, and the final count will be recorded.

Additionally, students can bring new or slightly used clothing to Carolina Styles on the third floor of Russell House for a discounted haircut through Nov. 30.

USC Students, Faculty and Staff Ti Lizzy’s Tin Li ’ loves l b being i your neighbor i hb iin C Columbia l bi so much h that th t

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Thursday, November 17, 2016

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Thursday, November 17, 2016

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Meet Your Cremator sells organic, homemade sauces

Leland McElveen / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Canada natives Chef Benoit St. Jacques and Diane Gilbert sell organically-made hotsauce specifically formulate to complement different dishes at local farmer’s markets.

Jenna Schiferl @JENNASCHIF

M e e t Yo u r C r e m a t o r doesn’t sell urns, but it does sell incredibly spicy hot sauces.

Chef Benoit St. Jacques and his wife Diane Gilbert created the business Meet Your Cremator Hot Sauce three years ago.

Gi lber t a nd St . Jacques complete ever y step of the production themselves, from making the sauce to bottling and packaging it.

St. Jacques, originally from Quebec, Canada, has spent the past 28 years as a chef at Rosewood Market and Deli. He retired from Rosewood Market

in mid-October to focus on his entrepreneurial endeavors and further pursue the business he created with Gilbert.

G i lb er t , a l so a Q ueb e c native, grows all of the pepper plants used to make the hot sauce herself. She has 800 hot pepper plants that she tends on t wo acres of land north of Columbia. She grows 45 different t y pes of peppers; ghost and scorpion peppers are featured in the orange and yellow sauces.

DD’s Think Green sauce is milder and the ingredients include jalapeños and a small amount of chocolate ghost peppers.

“O u r m i ldest is about Tabasco, or a little bit more, and we go up from there,” Gilbert said.

Gi lber t a nd St . Jacques agreed that it is difficult to pick a favorite sauce because it is dependent on what kind food they are consuming.

“I use the red a lot, because it is not too hot and it goes with everything,” Gilbert said, “but when I eat fish it is definitely the yellow or the green.”

The intense spicy f lavor included in their hot sauces directly relates to the clever wordplay in the business name, Meet Your Cremator.

“Often when I’m cooking I

always choose organic.”

Meet Your Cremator Hot Sauce sells four primary sauces and two curry pastes. The red curry paste is extremely hot and, according to Gilbert, a small amount can flavor a large meal. The green curry paste is milder and is made with lemongrass and ginger roots.

You can f ind Meet Your Cremator products at Rosewood Market and Deli, NEST and Vino Garage. They also vend weekly at Soda City and City Root farmers markets.

“We are very excited because we know it’s a great product; we are proud of it,” Gilbert said.

have a lot of time in my head.

I knew I had to come up with the names of all the sauces and the name of the company, so it just kind of came to me,” St. Jacques said. Many of the other names of sauces also include witty puns.

Gilbert has enjoyed gardening her entire life, but began experimenting with growing hot peppers in South Carolina only eight years ago.

All the peppers used in the sauces are grown organically. “ Even ou r s pic e[s] a re o r g a n i c ,” G i l b e r t s a i d .

“Somet imes we ca n not find the ingredient we want organic, but when we can we

First release in 18 years from ATCQ

Valencia Abraham / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

National Novel Writing Month challeges participants to write a 50,000 novel in 30 days.

NaNoWriMo engages writers Courtesy of Epic Records

Jonathan Franklin

“We got it from Here ... Thank You 4 Your service”

Release Date: Nov. 11 Artist: A Tribe Called Quest Label: Epic Records Jonathan Franklin @ JONDFRANKLIN

Nov. 11 marked the next step in a long discography from rap quartet A Tribe Called Quest.

Its newest album, entitled “We got it f rom Here… Tha n k You 4 Your service,” signaled its first album since the release of “The Love Movement” in 1998. Since then, the group has changed tempo, lost and regained members and created shockwaves all the while.

After breaking up in 1998,

@JONDFRANKLIN

A

speculators thought it would be the end of the group’s activity.

A nd, in a sense, t hey were right. That is, until recently.

Three of the four members had made various appearances on Kanye West’s YEEZUS tour, and many took this as a sign of f ut ure projects to come.

However, Phife Dawg, one of the founding members of the hip-hop titan, died in March of this year, and many thought that such a tragedy signaled an end to SEETRIBEPAGE8

S e v e nt e e n y e a r s a g o, No v e m b e r w a s d u b b e d “National Novel Writing M o nt h” b y a g r o u p o f writers hoping to inspire a new generation to take to pen a nd paper. They reasoned that if one could dedicate 30 days to writing 50,0 0 0 words, he or she could effectively complete a novel in a month’s time.

Since then, National Novel Wr it i ng Mont h , b et t er known now by its acronym, NaNoWriMo, has inspired thousands to tell their tales.

T h is yea r, t he prog ra m a nt ic ipate s t he g reate st amou nt of part icipat ion s i n c e t h e i n i t i a t i v e ’s founding.

Ta s k e d w it h w r it i n g around 1,666 words a day to

meet their goal, participants push their craft to its limits t o t e s t t he m s e l v e s a nd t he wort h of t he stories t hey’re ex hibit ing. Each day, users are asked to log their current word count exactly as it’s found in their word processor. At the end of the month, users have to prove this word count by copying and pasting the entirety of their text into a word scrambler on t he site that automatically takes inventory of their work.

If they manage to fi nish t he dau nt i ng feat , t he y “ w i n” N a N oWr i M o , earning various prizes like new writing software and potent ial connect ions to editors — both of which can be invaluable to aspiring authors.

But some f ind fault in the program’s premise. In a

2009 video on his YouTube channel, renowned author John Green vocalized his reservations with the plan.

“A s a r u l e , n o g r e a t book can be written in a month,” Green said, despite also noting the program’s triumphs. “W hether you’re writing for fun or as your job, writing requires discipline, and it takes a lot of discipline to write 50,000 words in 30 days.”

But ma ny people f i nd wor t h i n t he prog ra m’s parameters. One such person is David Cowart, a professor in the College of A r t s a nd Sc ience s at U S C ,w h o t h i n k s t h e a mou nt of pr ac t ice t he initiative harvests alone is worth the while.

“Anything that gets them SEEWRITERSPAGE8

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Thanksgiving, that wonderful time of year when you’re surrounded by delicious food, festive fall activities and who can forget the family reunions?

Although Thanksgiving is a wonderful time, sometimes the conversations family members start up are over-bearing and repetitive. If you catch your grandpa asking you about politics or your relationship status again, check

TDG’SsSIFIED

out these ways to steer the conversation in a different direction.

VA L TH A N KS G IV IN G SU R VI

conversation toward food, everyone is happy.

DECLA

1. Eat or be eaten Not quite to this extent, but you should take advantage of some good home cooking while you’re home for Thanksgiving. Also, if you steer every No one can ask you about your future or talk about politics — you’re

Guide

all just enjoying good food. Even when the main meal is over, there will be leftovers and there will be desserts. You can complement the cooks over and over again.

Pro tip: If you have a mouth full of food, you can’t answer questions because it’s rude. Always have food in your mouth, food entering your mouth, or be in search of food for your mouth. This is a valid excuse to avoid any question.

2. YOU ask the questions You should come to any gathering prepared to engage with family

Shayla Nidever

members who do not understand privacy and personal space. When you see a relative or family friend bee-line towards you in a crowd, you know you

@shayla_nidever

need to get ready.

Before Uncle Joe can ask you about how the major you chose comes with dying career options, or why you decided to get an ungodly nose ring, you cut him to the chase.

Here are some questions: How is your daughter doing? Where is your wife? Did you do something to your hair? Still haven’t gotten that promotion?

5. Pets are your only friends now

How is your dog? Do you regret choosing your career?

They’ll probably leave the conversation before you do, and no questions will have been asked. If you’re lucky, the news of your conversation will spread like wildfire and everyone will avoid you

If you are in a household that has a pet, befriend them immediately. Self-explanatory.

for the rest of the night.

6. Come Prepared Do your research and understand all of the things on this list.

3. Break out of the house

You should have a phone charger handy, and know where the

You are not a prisoner. You are not a prisoner. You are not

exits and bathrooms are. Know any potential threats and make

a prisoner.

sure you know who you can trust.

Make sure you have a list of excuses to use, a number of friends you want to hang out with and a full tank of

gas

before you enter the threshold of your home.

Offer your services to your parents or grandparents. If they mention needing something, be the first to eagerly say you can go to the store and grab it for them. If you see something that needs to be done, offer to do it. This will not only give you brownie points with the family, but you can probably get out of the house for a long time, too.

4. Keep the family bewildered wit h y our k ind ness and thankfulness If you come home and you’re constantly being sweet and kind, your family may stay away from you because they are afraid. What has happened to their child?

Example: If your siblings pick a f ight with you, bite your tongue and smile at them, perhaps even give them a big hug and tell them that you love them. If your parents do something un-agreeable, look at them with a sad smile and tell them you are thankful for them.

Disclaimer: this tip is very hard to do and might insinuate even more issues if you do it insincerely. Execute with caution.

7. Distractions > Everything If there is a television near the main point of gathering, claim your spot. Even if you don’t like what is playing, you can look interested in it and others will leave you alone.

If you can find someone who loves talking about themselves, start up a conversation. Any questions they ask you will soon be def lected onto them.

Babies are also a good option here, if you can get your hands on a baby and don’t mind holding and playing with it, this would be the way to go. Babies are not only cute and laugh at a lot of things, they’re a handful and will surely distract any attention off of you.

8. Enjoy it You’re home for less than a week. Spend time with the people you love, eat some good food, and make sure to look around and remember to be thankful for what you’ve got.

Keep a positive outlook and remember that you’ll be back in a crowded living space with microwavable food and too many papers to write in no time. After remembering that, the questions you get from random family friends and relatives might not seem so bad after all.

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8

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Fantastic fans and where to find them...on Greene Street Zoe Nicholson @ZOENICHOLSON127

Ever si nce J.K . Rowl i ng decided to bring her fantastical wizarding world to America in the latest movie, “Fantastic Beasts A nd W here To Find Them,” American Potterheads have been eagerly counting down the days.

“Fantastic Beasts,” which will premiere 15 years and two days after the fi rst Harry Pot ter i n st a l l ment , is set during the roaring ‘20s in New York City and delves into the politics of American sorcery a nd what happens when a Brit ish wizard smuggles in a briefcase f ull of mag ical creat u res ( h i nt: it’s worse than the Johnny Depp-dog smuggling debacle of 2016).

To c e l e b r a t e t h e forthcoming movie, Carolina Product ions hosted Harr y Potter Fest on Greene Street Wednesday. “ I de c ide d to h ave t h i s event a few days before the new movie release because I thought it would be exciting,”

said Keifer Negri, day time event coordinator and thirdyear sports and entertainment management student.

The festival featured a wheel of doom where participants spun to see which putrid flavor of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans they would have to eat (f lavors range from vomit to ear wax), a sorting hat quiz and Quidditch hoops courtesy of the club quidditch team.

Fourth-year physics student Sarah Stansill was an x ious to take the sorting quiz. “I have no fl ipping clue,” Stansill replied when asked what her house was, but she suspected she was either a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. But instead of an embroidered sweater and house-colored scarf, newly sorted Gamecocks were sent off with a sticker, branding t hem as a member of t heir newly discovered house.

Stansill, along with other guests, credit the series for being an integral part of their childhoods.

“It just became k ind of a family thing,” Stansill said.

TRIBEPAGE6 any prospective comebacks. Almost in spite of this unexpectedness, the newest album was fi rst announced in August, and managed to get quite a few people talking.

Before his death, Phife Dawg managed to assist in the creation of this album, and, as a token of the rest of the band’s admiration for such a talent, they fi nished the album under the label Epic Records.

Phife Dawg was the one who gave the album its original working title, and it was kept until the album’s release.

It should be noted that “We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service” is a work of art, one that was both put on hold and piloted by all of the mishaps surrounding it s c r e a t i o n . I t c l o c k s i n a t approximately an hour long over 16 songs, and features such notable

She said she remembers her childhood routine with her mother — read the book, go see the movie, repeat. “ Not o n l y i s it a g r e at series but it’s a whole other world,” Hu f f lepu f f A n na Ripley, a third-year marine science student, said. Ripley credits the Potter culture with br i ng i ng people toget her, especially from the millennial generation.

R ipley, a lifelong fan, is also the president of USC’s quidditch club. The team was scrimmaging and recruiting new players at the festival, but was also happy to gather with fellow Potterheads.

First-year computer science st udent Tony Bonadio said joining the team was one the best decisions he’s made since coming to USC. “It’s the type of people that are athletic and competitive, but they also just really love to be nerdy and have f un,” Bonadio said.

Bonadio read every Harry Potter book and all the spinoffs, which he says is evidence

greats as André 3000, Elton John, Jack White and Kendrick Lamar.

The record is split into two parts, each of them ultimately produced by Q-Tip, another founding member of the band. This works to separate each theme of the piece.

The first part, eight songs in total, makes stark commentary on the past and questions mistakes humanity has made. To build that scene, Q-Tip employs various techniques. For example, in “Solid Wall of Sound,” tunes and motifs from Elton John’s masterwork “Bennie and the Jets” are employed to really encompass the feeling of the ‘70s and ‘80s, through which such commentaries are voiced.

The second part also features eight tracks. But instead of questioning the past, the latter eight songs question where society is headed. Featuring songs like “The Killing Season” and “The Donald,” a distraught

Sarah Supan / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

USC’s club quidditch team taught students how to play Wednesday. enough for his Ravenclaw assig n ment. Bonad io sa id he and his fellow quidditch t e a m m at e s w i l l prob abl y be attending the midnight p r e m ie r e of “ Fa nt a s t i c Beasts.”

“I’m super excited to watch the movie,” he said.

W hether they were

narrative is brought about. “The Killing Season,” featuring Kanye West, focuses on the trend of police brutality and black discrimination the United States has seen recently.

“The Donald” finds its commentary in its ver y title. Measures such as these establish a platform for progressive rapping, and therefore it stands to reason that such a talented array of people would want to get on board.

Really, “We got it from Here…

Thank You 4 Your service” serves as the fight song of a generation of adults disillusioned with how the country grew as they did. Overall, the album is as informative as it is entertaining. And by garnering such support as the other legends of the music business, the group showed their willingness to participate with one another to create something truly quite intriguing. The album earns a solid A.

a S l y t h e r i n , R a v e n c l a w, Hufflepuff or Gryffindor, fans of all types enjoyed discussing what their patronuses were, wh ich Ber t ie Bot t’s Ever y Flavour Beans t hey had to choke down and how no one can look intimidating with a broom stuck between their legs.

WRITERSPAGE6 putting words on a page is beneficial to young writers,” Cowart said. “Part of the great problem of any writing task is getting underway, is getting at it.”

Therefore, under a regimented system such as Na NoWr i Mo, wh ich compels people to just sit down and hash an idea out, part of the “great problem” is sought to be overcome. Cowart urges people to just get the ideas themselves out onto paper and to worry about such stylistic measures later.

As stated before, the movement has incited a lot of support this year in particular. As of Nov. 16, writers in the city of Columbia alone have collectively written over two million words, all the while sponsoring several workshops and engaging activities to increase the program’s headway.

So, what occurs after they are through?

What takes place on Dec. 1? Cowart had but one word to answer t his quest ion: “Rev ision, rev ision, rev ision and more revision.”

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Thursday, November 17, 2016 10

Christianity not intolerant, just demanding Andy Wilson Second-year English student

Whatever else it may have been, the recent election was not really about social issues.

The candidates did come down on their party’s side of the major ones: abortion, LGBTQ rights and welfare, but their campaigns were not defi ned by them. However, these issues are by no means g oi n g aw a y. T he d i v ide on t hese issues is starker t ha n ever, w it h rhetor ic increasingly tending toward out right demonizat ion of people holding the opposite view. Perhaps nowhere else in A merican societ y have t hese issues exer ted as much pressure and caused such bitter divide as within Christianity.

Of these issues, the one d r iv i ng t he biggest spl it i n C h r i st ia n it y to d ay i s homosex ualit y. Churches a nd denom i nat ions a re wrestling with this question: Can you be a Christian and l ive a s a g ay or le sbia n?

Fr a m e d i n t h i s w a y, i t does seem hard to swallow that many denominations of Ch r ist ia n it y cont i nue to answer “no.” How can a religion exclude a whole class of people and not be intolerant?

In defense of the churches t h at h a v e n’t c o n f o r m e d t heir teaching to modern

sensibi l it ie s, I wa nt to answer this question with a no t he r o ne : W h at c a n relig ion ask of a person?

As a Christian, I will focus on what Christ ianit y can and does ask of it adherents r at h e r t h a n r e l i g io n i n general.

That mainstream Christ ian denom inat ions like t he Evangelical Lut heran Church in America, Episcopal Church and Presby terian Church ( U. S . A .) h a v e r e a d i l y conformed their theological positions on homosexuality t o s o c ie t a l no r m s i s a n i nd ic at ion of how t he s e denominations view their faith.

The modern assumption about religion seems to be that it is something extra that you can tack onto your life to prov ide a sense of meaning or purpose. In this understanding, religion is a means to an end — what counts is that sense or feeling your religion is giving you.

Claim to objective truth and morality are cast aside and religion becomes subjective.

It is reduced to a single facet of one’s personal it y, just another preference that can be replaced if its demands out we ig h it s b e nef it s . I t h i n k t h is is t he k i nd of rel ig ion H i l la r y Cl i nton had in mind when she began t a l k i n g ab out “ f r e e do m of worship” instead of the constitutionally guaranteed “freedom of religion.” It is something that you do on

you r day of rest i n you r church, synagogue, mosque or temple, but stays there du r i ng t he week . It ’s a n activity a person does, not one of their defi ning traits.

C h r i s t i a n it y d o e s n’t n at u r a l l y f it t h i s mold .

Fr o m i t s b e g i n n i n g , i t h a s de m a nde d a r ad ic a l response. The Bible is full of statements such as: “Be per fect as you r heaven ly Father is perfect,” “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up t hei r c ros s da i ly a nd fol low me ,” a nd “ I h ave been crucified with Christ a nd I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” It’s not a list of rules to follow to get to heaven, but a new and comprehensive way of life. Christ ianit y ask s its followers not to incorporate it into t heir lives, but to completely reorient t heir lives around it.

That’s why I don’t think statements like one made by Lutheran campus minister Fr a n k A nder s on s e ver a l week s ago rea l ly ref lec t what Christianity is about.

He was quoted in an Oct. 27 The Da ily G a mecock ar t icle as say i ng: “My concern is always someone who’s struggling with their sexualit y might end up in a m i n ist r y t hat rea l ly is antithetical to their belief of who they are sexually, and that can be very damaging.”

The underlying assumption of this comment is the same subjective, self-

oriented view of religion that has become commonplace i n ou r c u lt u re. Pa stor A nderson seems to t hink t hat st udent s w it h samesex attractions need a God that molds himself to their character and choices, rather than molding their character and choices to him.

The truth is that the God of Christianity has given a strict sexual ethic: celibacy or complete fa it hf u l ness in marriage. Becom ing a Christian doesn’t mean you will instantly stop sinning, but it mea n s s ubm it t i ng your will and your desires to God. T h at ’s why some denominations have continued to maintain that you can’t be a Christian and persist in homosexual acts.

T hey bel ieve t hat doi ng so is say ing to God: “I’ll subm it to you a nd st r ive for obedience in every area, except my sexuality. That’s off-limits.” The prohibition on holding anything back from God doesn’t apply only to homosexual behavior. It also covers heterosexual acts outside of marriage, greed, ly ing, injust ice and much more. Anyone who refuses to submit ever y aspect of their lives to God cannot be a Christian. Nothing can be held back; a person cannot have even the smallest space in which they say to God, “This is mine and you can’t have it.”

This is a radical ethic and one t hat is probably of f-

putting to most people used to the modern conception of rel ig ion. You may ask y ou r s el f , c a n a r el ig io n legitimately ask so much of a person? I believe the answer is “yes.” Christianity makes s u c h d i f f i c u lt d e m a n d s because it tells us that our existence on Earth is only the briefest of preludes to eternal life — either eternal joy with God or everlasting m i s e r y w it h o u t h i m . It holds that people’s actions and beliefs here on Earth det er m i ne t he i r e t er n a l future. Christians are asked to make sacrifices in their eart hly ex istence, but we bel ieve t hat t hey do not compare to the joy that lies ahead.

Brit ish scholar and apologist C.S. Lewis wrote: “ We a r e h a l f - h e a r t e d c reat u re s, fool i ng about w it h d r i n k a nd s e x a nd ambition when infi nite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

I don’t deny t hat Christ ianit y’s rigid et hic can be difficult to live by.

But when you consider what it of fers, an eternal relationship with the being t h at i s u lt i m at e r e a l it y H i m self, t he sou rce a nd origin of all good things, t he sacrif ices pale in comparison.

Final exams hurt, not help, students Isabelle Carroll Second-year public relations student

Lurking in the shadows of Russell House and Williams-Brice are fi nal exams. They are silently sneaking their way into every student’s life.

They start in August as a mere date on a syllabus but slowly and surely come to dominate USC students’ every waking hour come November.

St udent s become obsessed w it h memorizing facts t hey will most likely forget the second the exam is over, begin frantically putting together projects or start researching a fi nal paper topic with fervor.

Final exams are seen as the grade above all other grades and for good rea son , to o. M a ny f i n a l e x a m s account for anywhere from 20 to 30 percent of a student’s overall grade.

One of my professors cheerf ully reminded my class this morning that unless we have a 100 percent overall

in the course, there is no way we can pass without taking the fi nal.

Quite frankly, finals are absurd.

The idea that an entire third of a student’s grade rides on cramming enough i nfor mat ion i nto h is or her brain for a single assessment is ridiculous. Professors become hung up on the idea of fitting all their material into their classes before the final so that it will appear on the exam. Finals simply encourage professors to teach to the test and not to the student.

Non-cumulative final exams are more bearable. These types of fi nal exams mean that instead of having to fit an entire semester’s worth of slides and quizzes into their brains, students only need to focus on the material between the midterm and t he f inal. Non-cu mu lat ive f inal exams are a more educational and, to put it bluntly, humane way to test students’ knowledge. It is far more reasonable for a professor to expect

students to memorize a few weeks’ worth of recent material then a few months’ worth of material — some of which has not been discussed since the fi rst week of school.

Finals take away the joy that is learning. Learning truly can be fun and educational at the same time, contrary to the common belief that

seems to be held by educat ional systems these days. College k ids want to learn; t hat’s why we are spending thousands of dollars a year.

But, when we put students in high pressure situations like having to memorize an entire textbook’s worth of information for one exam, the joy of learning is lost.

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Email submissions to opinion@dailygamecock.com or mail them to The Daily Gamecock 1400 Greene Street Columbia, SC 29225

Thursday, November 17, 2016

11

12 Thursday, November 17, 2016

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HOROSCOPES

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Aries

Leo

Sagittarius

Foc u s on home matters. The opposition holds out, and it could get tense. Don’t take on more than you can do by the deadline.

Slow down and contemplate where you’ve been and where you’re going. Organize and file.

Make space for what’s next. Review upcoming schedules and budgets.

A controversy leads to a compromise.

Don’t let a windfall slip through your fingers.

New facts dispel your fears. Handle financial mat ters w it h you r partner.

Taurus Writing projects flow with ease. Edit, research and broadcast you r discoveries. Learn new tricks and share them.

Communication resolves m isu ndersta ndings.

Choose you r words carefully.

Virgo Gather with friends.

Meet ings, classes and events offer interesting opportunities and people.

Share your wishes and goals. Provide support where you can. Have fun together.

Capricorn Collaboration gets the job done. Slow down to be sure communications get through; the odds of m isu ndersta nding are high. Negotiate to refine the plan.

Gemini

Libra

Aquarius

Fo c u s on br i ng i ng income home. Carefully mon itor ex penses. I n temporary overwhelm, st ay out of a m i nor quarrel. Bring your social skills and graciousness to the forefront.

You’re attracting the at tent ion of someone i n f lue nt i a l . A b o nu s is available. Keep your cool. Don’t take things p e r s o n a l l y. L e n d a helping hand to clean up.

The pace is picking up; ba la nce phy sica l act ion w it h rest a nd good food. Avoid accident or illness. Slow down if necessar y, to guard your health.

Cancer Ta k e l e a d e r s h i p .

You’ve got t he power a nd e ne r g y t o m a k e somet hing happen.

Huddle with your team.

P r ior it ie s c h a n g e i n your work. Watch for surprises.

Scorpio

Pisces

E x plore a nd investigate a subject of your fascination. Enjoy a n advent u re w it h i ntere st i ng compa ny.

Resist impulsive ex penses, and keep the budget. Plan your itinerary.

A barrier is dissolving, or becoming u n i mp or t a nt . R e l a x and recharge your b a t t e r i e s . Wa i t f o r traffic to improve. Get creat ive w it h hav ing fun. Pamper someone wonderful.

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11/17/16

1 2 3 4

For solutions to today’s puzzle, go to dailygamecock.com

or download our app!

@thegamecock

11/17/16

VOTE

FOR BEST OF CAROLINA 2017!

WWW.DAILYGAMECOCK.COM/PAGE/VOTE ACROSS 1 Chewed the fat 10 Aristophanes satire, with “The” 15 Obligatory joke response 16 Buddhist who has attained Nirvana 17 Pellet shooter 18 Informal qualifier 19 ER needs 20 Bowls, e.g.

22 Boglike 23 Start to do well?

25 Suffix with malt 26 One of a fictional trio 28 Road Runner, e.g.: Abbr.

30 Beantown tower, with “the” 31 Fight sound 32 Ram 37 “La Strada” co-producer 39 ’60s pro-war words 41 Idaho’s Coeur d’__ River 42 Northwestern legend 43 Divinity sch.

44 Follow 46 Final: Abbr.

47 Common sense 49 Pujols’ team, on scoreboards 51 Holliday companion 55 Seconds 56 Silicon mineral 59 Long, on Lanai 60 Hillside entrances 62 Convinced of 64 Sad 65 Bronson film with four sequels 66 Spanish heater?

67 Illegal heaters?

DOWN 1 Beau 2 Leek relative 3 Game sometimes played near a garage 4 Twin Cities airport, on luggage tags 5 Milo’s pug pal, in a 1989 film 6 “Enough

already!”

7 Frat letters 8 Diminish, in a way 9 Sub base?

10 Common word in history texts 11 Food court lure 12 Gulf Coast trawler’s gear 13 Like some anthems 14 Doesn’t give up on 21 Lake Thun feeder 24 Taken off 27 “You can call me he. You can call me she” speaker 29 Least extroverted 30 Campaign pros 32 Yearbook signer 33 Great teacher, often 34 Some prayers 35 Barely beat, with “out” 36 Lilted sound 38 Like aspen leaves 40 Be virtually the same as

For solutions to today’s puzzle, go to dailygamecock.com

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45 Office suite door abbr.

48 Derivative of the past 49 ’80s “PM Magazine” host 50 “Behind the __ I’ll convey myself”: Polonius 52 Schwarzenegger’s middle name 53 Get up 54 They may be winding 57 Approval letters

58 1984 Hugo Award winner Timothy 61 One has one: Abbr.

63 The Bahamas were once part of it: Abbr.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

14

Shields makes seamless transition to SEC Victoria Simone @TDG_SPORTS

Courtesy of South Carolina Athletics

Mikayla Shields leads South Carolina in kills this year.

BOWLPAGE16 T he Cat a mou nt s w il l head to Columbia following a 49-21 loss to Furman.

Over half of the 2-8 team’s losses have been by a margin of at least 14 points. They have yet to win an away game.

Despite t his, t he Catamounts still possess a few weapons in their arsenal.

One of these weapons is Keion Crossen. The junior defensive back won Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week after Western Carolina’s win over Virginia Military Institute.

Crossen has 53 total tackles on the season, with three tackles against ECU alone.

He could prove difficult for a young offense who suffered last week against the Gators and may have taken a large hit in confidence and morale.

The Gamecock offense

Mikayla Shields didn’t always consider volleyball her first love. In fact, it was track and field that first stole her heart. Shields’ parents were both record holding track and field athletes at the University of Pittsburgh, a love that they passed on to their daughter. However, the young athlete soon found a passion for the sport she now represents the Gamecocks in.

Shields played not only for her high school but club vol leyba l l tea ms around her hometown as well. She began her career at 12, an age some may consider older than most when getting involved in a sport. The freshman credits her parents with being her driving force

has more than just Crossen to t a ke i nto accou nt .

Defensive leader Tyson Dickson has tallied up 86 tackles over the course of the season, while Fred Payne has intercepted two passes for 42 yards.

T h e o t h e r p o t e nt i a l threat Western Carolina br i ng s w it h it is t he element of surprise. At this point in the season, a 2-8 record brings its own set of benefits. A certain amount of brazenness can come with a team that has nothing to lose as they near the end of the season. Having played ECU earlier in the season, the Catamounts are less likely to be phased by the prospect of facing off against a well-known team.

The matchup has t he potent ia l to rema i n a largely defensive battle. In their game against ECU, t he Cat a mou nt s looked

for her athletic endeavors that helped mold her into the person and athlete she is today.

“They’ve taught me to expect a lot from myself,” Shields said. “They’ve always told me to be great, and to be great in that moment.”

The outside hitter, who previously played for Lake Nona H igh School in Florida, ran track for a full four years of high school — something she hopes to continue in college. For now, her sport focus is on her volleyball team. Not even a full season in, the young player has caught the attention of fans and fellow athletes alike with her powerful, dedicated brand of play and positive personality that shows on and off the court.

A dom i n a nt pl ayer on the court, Shields is

impressive on paper, with 148 rushing yards and 172 receiving yards. However, t hey fa iled to t ra nslate these yards into meaningful drives, scoring only seven poi nt s. Sout h Ca rol i na demonstrated in its loss to Florida that it has the same issue. The Gamecock offense rushed for 43 yards, passed for 213 yards and scored one touchdown.

The Catamounts’ offense could become especially v u l ner able a g a i n s t t he Gamecock’s interceptionheavy defense. Quarterback Tyrie Adams has thrown nine intercept ions t his season. South Carolina has intercepted 13 passes in the same amount of time.

We s t e r n C a r o l i n a will play South Carolina Saturday Nov. 19 at 4 p.m.

The game is available on the SEC Network’s alternate channel.

paving the way in stats for the season. In Sunday’s upset win over Missouri, Shields led t he match in overall kills for the Gamecocks with 17 . This marked South Carolina’s first win over a top 25 tea m i n ten sea son s.

Shields currently leads in the season with kills for the Gamecocks, racking up a total of 283 thus far.

S h i e ld s s t a nd s o u t as a defensive player as well. In Sunday’s major win against M issouri, Shields totaled 14 digs in the match, placing her just behind senior Koko Atoa-Williams for most digs in the match for the Gamecocks. Shields has compiled 87 digs on the season, ranking her sixth overall on the team.

The Florida native has worked a great deal to adjust to the quicker pace

BBALLPAGE16 Wilson. The team is flush with frontcourt talent and has been given a boost by two transfers in the backcourt, Kaela Davis and Allisha Gray.

The Gamecocks took down No. 7 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday by a score of 92-80, a game in which Wilson had as many points as fouls. Davis

of collegiate play.

“T he g a me is a lot f a s t e r, a nd it ’s a lot smarter,” Shields said.

“The girls are taller, and bigger and better.”

Even so, Shields cites t he suppor t f rom her teammates as being the biggest factor in her play.

“I think with this team, we’re sisters ... we’re more than just players,” Shields said.

O verall, t he Gamecocks stand at 18-8 for the season, placing them sixth in the SEC. The team boasts a total of 56 sets and 2,085 points won.

Shields and her fellow Gamecocks will be back on the court Nov. 18 to take on Alabama at 7 p.m. at the Carolina Volleyball Center, looking to ride the momentum of their upset win.

went off for 37 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to go along with anot her double-double f rom senior forward Alaina Coates, more than making up for Wilson’s off night. The performance did absolutely nothing to temper my expectations for this season.

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15 Thursday, November 17, 2016

College Football Playoff committee hits and misses in Week Eleven rankings COLUMN

Adam Orfinger @AORFINGER

Saturday saw three of the top four teams in the nation fall, putting the College Football Playoff committee in a tough spot when making Tuesday’s rankings. An undefeated Alabama was the undisputed top tea m, but beyond t he Tide, t he

committee had plenty of tough decisions to make, as the sport doesn’t have the usual number of elite teams.

As is the case with any rankings, this week’s order leaves plent y of room for debate. Here’s my take on the committee’s three biggest hits and three biggest misses from this week’s standings.

Hit: Michigan at No. 3 Wit h M ichigan, Clemson and Washing ton all suffering their first losses of the season on Saturday, the debate becomes “Which loss is the most forgivable?” The argument could be made for Washington’s loss to USC, now ranked at No. 13, but the Huskies were down by two scores at halftime at home against the Trojans. Michigan, however, lost on a last-second field goal to an Iowa team that has lost just one game by more than eight points this season (on the road against Penn State), and narrowly missed the playoff last season. The game was also in Iowa and at night, shifting the advantage to the Hawkeyes. Clemson’s home loss to Pittsburgh is certainly a bad one, and Michigan’s quality wins over Colorado, Penn State and Wisconsin are enough to warrant the No. 3 spot.

Miss: Western Michigan at No. 21 Come on now. I get it; the Broncos play a weak schedule compared to Power 5 teams.

However, this is a season where there is a jumble of teams with two and three losses, while Western Michigan is the only team outside of Tuscaloosa with an unblemished record. Also, the Broncos have beaten two Big Ten opponents on the road this season, including Northwestern, a team with four conference wins that lost by just four in Columbus against Ohio State. The Broncos are ranked below five teams with three losses, including LSU, despite the fact that the Tigers haven’t beaten any team in this week’s rankings.

The Broncos can only beat the teams on their schedule, and they deserve to be much higher than No. 21 in a season that lacks a clear elite class.

Hit: Wisconsin above all other two-loss teams The Badgers stayed put at No. 7 after the chaotic weekend, remaining above all other teams with two losses.

Wisconsin has the most quality losses of any of those teams, having fallen by a single touchdown against both Michigan and Ohio State, now two of the nation’s top three teams.

The Badgers also have quality wins, holding victories over LSU and Nebraska, and another over a Michigan State team before the wheels fell off for the Spartans. There’s a whole mess of two-loss teams, some of which could sneak into the playoff if upsets continue, but there’s no doubt Wisconsin should be at the top of that list.

Miss: Utah and USC over West Virginia The Pac-12 and Big 12 are the two weakest Power 5 conferences this year (with the SEC not too far behind, or ahead depending on how you look at it), but the Pac-12 seems weaker, with heavyweights Stanford, Oregon and UCLA struggling to stay relevant at best. Utah’s best win is over USC by four points at home, and the Utes have lost to 4-6 California and squandered an opportunit y to earn a signature win over Washington at home. USC’s resume is slightly better, but they’re taking advantage of recency bias, as the Trojans haven’t lost since September and have beaten Colorado and Washington since.

However, USC still lost by 46 to Alabama and by 17 to a Stanford team that turned out to not be that good. On the other hand, West Virginia sits at 8-1 with road wins over Texas and Texas Tech and a home victory over Kansas State. We’ll fi nd out a lot more about the Mountaineers this Saturday when they take on Oklahoma and again in their season fi nale against Baylor, but it’s hard to justify putting a two-loss Utah and a three-loss USC over a West Virginia team whose only loss came against No. 11 Oklahoma State on the road.

Hit: Clemson, then Louisville, then Washington Courtesy of Tribune News Service

Jabrill Peppers and Michigan suffered their first loss, but remain in the top-four in the latest rankings.

The argument can be made for Louisville to jump Clemson after the Tigers’ loss to Pittsburgh, but let’s not forget what happened at Memorial

Stadium in October. Clemson also holds road wins over Auburn and Florida State, while Louisville’s only win over a ranked opponent came over Florida State (t hough it was a dominat ion).

Washington doesn’t have a true signature win, as Utah and Stanford are good, but not better than Florida State or Auburn. The Tigers deserve the fi nal spot in the top four because of their win over Louisville in addition to their impressive road wins. Louisville gets the nod over Washington because of the way the Cardinals handled Florida State, and because the road loss to Clemson by six looks better than the Huskies’ 13-point home loss to USC.

Miss: Washington State at No. 22 The start to the season wasn’t pretty for the Cougars, losing to FCS Eastern Washington and Boise State, each by three points. Washington State has turned it around, however, winning seven straight conference games on the way to the driver’s seat in the Pac-12 North. The Cougars have done it in dominating fashion, topping Stanford by 26 on the road, and beating another three conference opponents by at least 18 points, including a 69-7 win over Arizona. The Cougars will get opportunities to move up when they take on Colorado and Washington in the next two weeks, but they should already by higher than No. 22. Washington State is a different team than the one that lost its fi rst two games, and deser ves to be ahead of three-loss Tennessee and maybe some o t he r t e a m s l i k e Ne b r a s k a , L S U and Auburn.

COLUMN

SEC experiencing historic crop of freshman QBs Bobby Balboni @ROB_BALBONI1

It is all too easy to chalk up Jake B e nt le y ’s p er f or m a nc e a g a i n s t Florida, which was lackluster only in comparison to his f irst t hree games, as a product of youth — the consequence of “freshman mistakes.”

He made his first career road start.

He threw his first career interception.

He earned his first career loss.

It’s natural to dismiss those “firsts” as normal freshman growing pains.

It’s a fair analysis that Bentley is still adjusting to SEC defenses and developing as a young quarterback under a new system, but that refrain is demeaning to Bentley in the sense that his play has been anything but freshman-like this season. He hasn’t just been good for a freshman. He’s been good.

And he is not alone.

Four true freshman quarterbacks started this past Sat urday in the SEC. Alabama’s dual-threat star Jalen Hurts netted five touchdowns and 447 combined yards against Mississippi State.Jacob Eason played an efficient game to help Georgia upset No. 9 Auburn. In Chad Kelly’s absence, Ole Miss lifted Shea Patterson’s redshirt, and he responded by passing for 338 yards to help the Rebels deal No. 8 Texas A&M a crushing defeat.

When you look at the number in proper context, it is evident that we are witnessing a historic season for true freshmen quarterbacks in the SEC. This doesn’t require any future projection on what these quarterback might become down the line — it is

Yangxing Ding / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Joined by Jalen Hurts, Shea Patterson and Jacob Eason, Jake Bentley is putting up unprecedented numbers this season. historic right now.

In 2015, the Times-Picayune did a statistical study of how first-year SEC quarterbacks evolved between their freshman and sophomore seasons.

After crunching the numbers, they found that signal-callers who threw at least 10 passes in their true freshman

seasons averaged a touchdow ninterception ratio of just 1.24. The quartet of Bentley, Hurts, Eason and Patterson has posted a mark of 2.43 touchdown passes for every pick.

They have led their respective teams to a combined record of 205, impressive with or without that

freshman handicap.

Don’t look too far into the future when analyzing this group. Go ahead and dream on their potential, how they might form the next pantheon of g reat SEC quar terback s, but be careful not to miss the historic precedent they are setting right now.

Thursday, November 17, 2016 16

Gamecocks look to secure bowl eligibility against WCU

Sarah Stone

@SARAHCHA_SAUCE_

South Carolina’s upcoming game against Western Carolina present s t he classic upset scenario: a team with a great deal on the line against a team with nothing to lose.

After their loss to Florida, t he Gamecocks have a 5-5 season record. This means they are one win away from bowl eligibility. With a trip to No. 4 Clemson as their last game of the season, this weekend’s game against the Catamounts could be South Carolina’s last chance to reach post-season play.

SEEBOWLPAGE14

Yangxing Ding / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

An injury-plagued South Carolina running game will need to recover against Western Carolina to stabilize the Gamecocks’ offense and reach six wins.

COLUMN

Don’t temper expectations for Staley, women’s hoops Marion McCurry @MCFLURRY711

Sp or t s f a n s who fol low rec r u it i ng hea r it a l l t he time. Every season there is a new player or players who are going to come in and turn the program around. Worldclass athletes who are ready to play right away and are sure to fill the record books with statistics and bring one, maybe two national championships to the university before their four years are up. That’s if they even stay for all four years, because this one might be good enough to declare early for the draft.

It’s the same story year in and year out. The names change, but the plot remains the same.

And rarely, if ever, do those who live their lives vicariously through sports message boards have their predictions come true.

The lesson to be learned is this: Do not put all your

eggs in one basket. Do not let yourself become too invested in one team or player, because disappointment will inevitably follow.

I have learned that lesson myself. I just don’t care. This season more than ever I am laying all my chips on the table, and I encourage other fans to do the same. A’ja Wilson is THAT player and this team is THE team. If fans cannot get behind the South Carolina women’s basketball team this year, they never will.

No t t o s a y t h at S o u t h Carolina fans do not support women’s basketba l l. They assuredly do. Head coach Dawn Staley praises them season after season in attempts to drive up season ticket sales and improve the atmosphere within Colonial Life A rena. The fans have answered the bell, prompting Staley to say, “I don’t know if it’s ever been done like this.

Ever, in any program.”

I’m not telling fans they need to show up to more games or buy more tickets.

No, I’m challenging fans to go completely over the top.

We need more “USC W BB N a t i o n a l C h a m p s 2 017 ” tattoos, more people painting their chests for home games, more people booking hotels in Dallas for early April when the women’s team will be cutting down the nets.

The UConn Huskies have had a stranglehold on women’s b a s k et b a l l , w i n n i n g f ou r national championships over the past four years, but their three best players from that run have graduated.

Meanwhile, South Carolina came into this season ranked t h i r d i n t he US A To d a y C oac he s Pol l, a nd t he Gamecocks have the reigning SEC Player of t he Year in Sarah Stone / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

SEEBBALLPAGE14

SPORTS SECTION COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS Week Twelve Predictions from the staff of DREW MUELLER

ADAM ORFINGER

BOBBY BALBONI

Oklahoma

West Virginia

Oklahoma

West Virginia

West Virginia

Washington St.

Colorado

Washington St.

Washington St.

Washington St.

No. 23 Florida at No. 16 LSU

Florida

LSU

LSU

LSU

LSU

No. 11 Oklahoma St. at TCU

Oklahoma St.

TCU

TCU

Oklahoma St.

TCU

Arkansas at Mississippi St.

Arkansas

Arkansas

Mississippi St.

Arkansas

Arkansas

Western Carolina at South Carolina

SC 35-17

SC 28-10

SC 31-10

SC 34-13

SC 31-14

3-3

3-3

4-2

3-3

4-2

43-18

40-21

36-25

32-29

39-22

MANAGING EDITOR

No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 14 West Virginia No. 22 Washington St. at No. 10 Colorado

Last Week’s Record Season Record

SPORTS EDITOR

ABE DANAHER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

SENIOR SPORTS WRITER

SARAH STONE

SENIOR SPORTS WRITER