The Daily Gamecock: September 2023

If someone displays these signs, take the situation seriously, talk to them directly and be willing to listen.

Excessive or increased use of substances

Feeling hopeless, saying there is no reason for living

Anxiety, agitation, inability to sleep or sleeping too much

Feeling trapped and that there’s no way out

Withdrawal from family, friends and society

Dramatic shifts in mood, uncontrolled rage or seeking revenge

Out of character, risky and impulsive acts

Taking care of yourself

If you are thinking of ending your own life or hurting yourself, there is hope.

Things can get better. Tell someone who can help.

Reach out to the people closest to you. It may feel as if there is no one available, but you are not alone. You have people who love and care for you. Reach out to them. If you believe you cannot talk to your parents, find someone else: a relative, a roommate, a friend, a professor, an advisor or a mentor.

Helping someone else

Students in emotional distress are most likely to approach friends before they speak with a professional. If a friend sends out signs of distress, either in person or via social media, take it seriously and follow up with them.

If someone makes comments about suicide, find the person help as soon as possible. Offer hope and don’t leave the person alone.

Who to call

24-Hour Suicide Hotline: 800-273-8255

USCPD: 803-777-4215

USC Counseling and Psychiatry: 803-777-5223

Columbia Area Mental Health Center: 803-898-4800

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

The Trevor Lifeline (for LGBTQIA+ individuals): 1-866-488-7386

TABLE OF CONTENTS

05 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

The Daily Gamecock’s 2023 Editor-in-Chief Sydney Dunlap introduces the paper’s newest print edition.

17 SUMMER SPORTS RECAP

Over the summer break, Gamecock sports stars continuted to shine.

22 NEW BROOKLAND TAVERN

Columbia musicians discuss New Brookland Tavern as its building is listed for sale.

25 NEW MUSIC

With every new season, comes new music. Here’s some on our radar.

26 GET TO KNOW US

Editorial staffers share why they joined The Daily Gamecock.

26 USC SLANG

Comprehensive guide to decipher the slang students are using around campus.

29 ALUMNA MUSICIAN

Mackenzie Morrow releases new studio album about mental health and emotional abuse.

32 PHOTOS: DOGS OF SODA CITY

A look at some of the four-legged friends of the Soda City Market.

35 KNOWLEDGE PERK COFFEE

Columbia coffee shop preserves historic Whaley House and attracts students.

36 FEEDING THE COOP

Everything that has come and gone over the years in USC’s dining facilities.

11 SAVOR THE 2023 SEASON

The senior class should make the 2023 football season one to remember.

COVER

14 GOOD ‘NEIGH’-BORS

Columbia’s bubbly nickname has many beginnings.

COVER PHOTOS BY Callie Hribar

Zoe Orechwa, Andrew Nyugen, Taylor Kitchens, Sydney Corcoran, Sam Lowry

LIVE YOUR BEST AT HUB

At Hub Columbia, we’re not just a community; we’re a lifestyle.

Since our inception, we’ve been dedicated to curating an experience where lifestyle and student living intertwine seamlessly. A decade later, we celebrate the past and look forward to another ten years of shared experiences and a future filled with endless possibilities!

Ready to embark on the next chapter of your journey? Discover the Hub Columbia – where community meets lifestyle, and every day is an opportunity to thrive.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: WE WANT TO WRITE

WHAT MATTERS

SYDNEY DUNLAP

Something they don’t tell you when you become editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper is that people you’ve never met will start recognizing your name.

For many students, “Sydney Dunlap” sits buried along with a flood of other emails every Monday. But every once and awhile, I’ll introduce myself and see a glimmer of recognition pass across the person’s face. I’ve been sending mass emails to the student body for more than a semester now, but I still have trouble getting used to it. With so many things on my plate, it is easy to click “schedule” on Sunday night and move on to the next pressing matter. But when the occasional person matches my face with the tiny headshot in their email, it reminds me how many students look to The Daily Gamecock for campus news.

I think a lot about how our organization can continue to create content that addresses issues that students and the Columbia community care about. Whether it’s information about the newest campus dorms or the latest event, I want you to see an email from The Daily Gamecock and know that you can find something that matters to you. However, I also want that to be true for when you pick up one of our print editions around campus, which is why you may have noticed that our editions look a little different this year. Instead of making a themed print edition, we are starting a monthly news magazine full of the most relevant news. With this new edition, The Daily Gamecock has been able to refocus on our goal, telling stories that matter to students.

So I encourage you to spend some time looking through this edition and reading everything you missed from this first month on campus. I hope that anytime you see my face — whether that’s in an email or beside this letter — you can feel confident that you’ll walk away feeling more informed. And hey, maybe you’ll even recognize me on campus, and I’ll get to hear your thoughts.

Forever to thee, Sydney

Dunlap

PHOTO: SAVANNAH NAGY

USC bans TikTok access on university networks 8 months after McMaster letter

Students can no longer access TikTok on university Wi-Fi after USC blocked the social media platform in early August.

The decision was due to “ongoing security concerns on a state, federal and international level,” according to an announcement in USC Today, a university newsletter. While students will only be able to access TikTok on personal devices, exemptions will be provided for research and educational purposes.

Guidance for these exemption requests is coming soon, according

to university spokesperson Jeff Stensland, but the university said it had no comment on the ban itself.

In March, the university said there were no plans to ban TikTok after Gov. Henry McMaster called for a statewide ban on the Chinese-owned social media app in a letter dated Dec. 5, 2022.

Gov. McMaster moved to block TikTok on all government-issued devices amid national scrutiny over TikTok’s cybersecurity.

“Protecting our State’s critical cyber infrastructure from foreign and

WIN HAMMOND

domestic threats is key to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of our citizens and businesses,” Gov. McMaster said in a letter to Marcia Adams, the executive director for South Carolina’s Department of Administration.

USC joins USC Upstate, Clemson, Auburn University, the University System of Georgia and other large American universities in blocking TikTok access. Many universities were similarly ordered to ban TikTok access by their respective governors.

However, USC has its own

TikTok account, posting regularly during September.

One USC student said she’s “heartbroken” about the ban.

nursing student McKenzie Dreher said. “I don’t think it’s causing problems to any students on campus.”

For the foreseeable future, USC students, faculty and staff will have networks such as their own data services.

USC offers Narcan at fitness center, makes emergency resource more accessible

MARLEY BASSETT

USC is looking to provide students with easier access to Narcan, an opioid overdose antidote, by offering it at the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center.

About one in four college campuses have an opioid and opiate abuse rate that exceeds 10%. College-aged youth also have had the highest rate of non-medical use of prescription opioids in the United States, according to the National Council on Patient Information and Education Coalition.

In Richland County alone, there were roughly 128 EMS Narcan administrations, 116 opioid

hospitalizations, 25 opioid overdose deaths and 21 fentanyl-related overdoses in 2022. Narcan, or naloxone, is intended to help relieve the most dangerous effects of opioid overdoses in an emergency.

“While drug use and overdoses are not widespread issues at USC, college campuses are considered high-risk communities,” Aimee Hourigan, the director of the Substance Abuse in an email to The Daily Gamecock. “We know that college students are at increased risk of using other substances, so we want to be able to provide that resource to them.”

Narcan comes in the form of nasal spray and is administered to one nostril at a time and should not be used in place of emergency medical services. Instead, it is meant to buy

the scene. Common signs of an impeding opioid overdose include extreme sleepiness, slow or shallow breathing, small pupils, slow heartbeat

and low blood pressure, according to USC Student Health Services.

To administer Narcan, the dispenser of the antidote should lay the recipient on their back and release the spray into one nostril only, with each nasal spray only being used once. Then, the administrator should immediately turn the recipient onto their side and call emergency medical

services. The administrator should continue to monitor the recipient until help arrives and give another dose every two to three minutes or if the recipient’s breathing becomes shallow again.

year undecided student Jenna Esposito said. “I think every student should have it on them, just in case something occurs.”

social work student Madison Evans agreed with Esposito, and said that having Narcan in an additional

“I think it’s a great thing to offer because there’s a lot of kids that are getting into bad situations at a young age,” Evans said. “I feel like we’re losing a lot of people in this generation.”

In the event of a potential overdose, the University of South Carolina has an Overdose Medical Treatment Policy, which states “the university will not hold students or student groups who seek or receive medical assistance in perceived overdose situations accountable for violations of the university’s Student Code of Conduct related to alcohol or

drug related misconduct.”

USC also has a program called Gamecock Recovery, which is run through Substance Abuse Prevention students recover from alcohol and substance abuse. The mission of Gamecock Recovery is to provide students in recovery with a variety of programs, both group and individual to “promote a nurturing campus and community environment to ensure that all students in recovery can achieve academic and personal success.”

The South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services also offers many resources, such as providing additional where someone can begin receiving help for addiction.

Narcan is available for students from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day on

Fitness and Wellness Center. Students can also ask for Narcan at the Center for Health and Well-Being’s pharmacy from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

South Main Street construction closes down sidewalks, expected to be finished by summer 2025

EMMA DAVISSON

USC students and faculty have different South Main Street this fall semester.

The South Main Street project, overseen by USC and the Department of Transportation, is aiming to revitalize the crosswalks, sidewalks and landscape of the street in order to improve it for cars, pedestrians and businesses. Construction for the more than $27 million project began last spring and is expected to be completed by summer 2025.

For now, all South Main Street parking will be closed and students will have to deal with varying

sidewalk closures.

Derek Gruner, a university project will improve the street overall.

“You (will) end up with a street environment that is not just about cars, but it’s about the other forms of travel. It’ll have more shade, trees and just be a more pleasant place to be,” Gruner said.

According to Gruner, student safety is a top priority of the project, with a large part of the design focused on pedestrian safety.

“(The project is) making sure that the students can safely get across Main Street to get to Science and

PHOTO: TAYLOR KITCHENS

A photo illustration of a box of Narcan and a nasal spray container. Narcan is a brand name for the medication Naloxone, which is used to reverse opioid overdoses.

PHOTO: JERRY BOWEN

Ongoing construction at the corner of Main and Greene Streets closes the sidewalk beside the University of South Carolina D2 parking lot on Aug. 25, 2023, in Columbia, South Carolina. The Main Street construction project plans to transform the area to be more bike and pedestrian friendly.

Technology and Darla Moore and the Koger Center and the School of Music — all of those buildings that are accessed along the Greene Street, College Street corridor across Main,” Gruner said. .

While Gruner hopes the project will improve the street, opinions on the construction are mixed.

Third-year psychology student Vanessa Dempsey said the new construction is “annoying” when going to class.

“I (usually) cut through, but (now) I have to go the long way, and then it makes it harder to get to class on

time,” Dempsey said.

year international business student Quintan Boyle said he is unaffected by the construction outside his dorm, the Honors Residence Hall.

“I just come to the crosswalk,” Boyle said. “If anything, I feel like it’s kind of easier because there’s less cars go slower.”

However, other students such student Quintan Boyle said they are unaffected by the construction outside the Honors Residence Hall.

“Our business went down at least 5% from last year, year over year, and that’s primarily due to the available,” Strickland said. “We have to rely heavily on just walking customers.”

Strickland also said he is unsure of whether the new plans will change Main Street.

“A lot of (students) are going up Greene, and a lot of them are going up Pendleton,” Strickland said. “They’re not really going down Main Street.”

Gruner said he thinks the project

will help create a better environment for all the businesses on South Main Street.

“I could see restaurants with seating out on the sidewalk,” Gruner said. “Some of the same things you see on the Main Street north of the state capitol I think could happen here and be just a really enjoyable place for our students to go.”

Ongoing construction at the corner of Main and Devine Streets closes two of the four lanes on Main Street on Aug. 25, 2023 in Columbia, South Carolina. The Main Street

PHOTO: JERRY BOWEN

BE INSPIRED

Column: Seniors should savor the 2023 season

Will Kronsberg

USC’s new senior class understandably had a lot of things to complain about — a freshman year dampened by the COVID-19 pandemic, three university

prompted a coaching change in 2020.

As a member of the aforementioned senior class, it’s not all bad for me. I actually prefer watching games on television — which is another column for another day — and I can now revel in what the football program has become. Despite losing in the Gator Bowl last year, the Gamecocks

No. 23 in the country.

Now South Carolina is poised for a strong 2023, with senior leading receiver Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. once again partnering with redshirt senior quarterback Spencer Rattler. The two connected on 20 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns over the team’s last two regular season games of 2022. The Gamecocks were seven members of the team were named to the Preseason Coaches AllSEC Teams.

As a lifelong college football fan, this is a team that has meant so much to me growing up in South Carolina. In the great years of the early 2010s, the Gamecocks were a source of pride, and the rough patches that have followed have at least taught me perseverance.

Now that the team is restocked and the outlook is bright, it’s time to enjoy what has been built right before our eyes before the chance is gone. While I hope this year won’t be the for any of my fellow seniors, it marks the end of our student section — or free ticket — era.

“It’s been incredible. There is nothing like being in the student section at USC,” Student Body President Emmie Thompson said. “I’ve been a Gamecock my whole life, so I’ve been to games prior to being a student here, and it is just not the same.”

In 2020, students were limited to just one student ticket for the entire football season to account for COVID-19 capacity limits. But there honestly wasn’t much to see, as the Gamecocks went 1-4 at home en route to a 2-8 season. The season included a tough loss to Tennessee and blowout defeats at the hands of Georgia and Texas A&M.

Things got a little better in 2021 as the “Shane Train” started up with new head coach Shane Beamer. South Carolina was an impressive 5-2 at home but only 7-6 overall.

But the real treat for students who had witnessed years of Gamecock

South Carolina was again 5-2 at home, but these wins just meant more. Beamer and the team beat

two major playoff spoilers. For the seasoned fans who traveled to see the Gamecocks beat Clemson the next week, it was even sweeter.

“It’s crazy coming off of a win against Tennessee and Clemson. I mean, for those to be our last few regular season games, that is just such fun momentum coming into this season,” Thompson said. “The great thing about our team and the leaders of our team is that they still kept that humble, chasing mindset.”

The emotions of being a USC student during football season have changed so much over the past three years that the student section itself got a new name. In 2021, the university gave the section the

name “The Cockpit.” Although the new moniker was an adjustment, it represented a shifting tide for the fanbase.

College only lasts for about four at USC laughing at the “best four years of your life” cliché. But amid a rapidly changing, and often daunting landscape, it is a great time to be a Gamecock football fan. The stadium is back to full capacity, South Carolina

2013, and for the senior class, it represents the beginning of an end.

Whether the team is 6-6 or 10-2, savor the time you have in “The Cockpit” this fall. Cheer for every Rattler touchdown and each Nick Emmanwori interception. Stay after the game to enjoy the alma mater when you can, and enjoy every single Sandstorm. Forever to thee!

FILE - The University of South Carolina’s student section spins rally towels as “Sandstorm” plays over the loudspeakers on Oct. 29, 2022. The Gamecocks lost to the University of Missouri Tigers 23-10.

PHOTO: XAVIER MARTIN

Yugo Lofts

Off-campus student living

SAVE THE DATE!

FOR OUR FALL CAREER, JOB & INTERNSHIP FAIRS

Tues., Sept. 19 Health Professions Fair Carolina Coliseum

12 p.m.–4 p.m.

Career Coaching & Career Assessments

Resume & Cover Letter Review with Career Studio Peer Educators

Career, Job & Graduate School Fairs

Employer Visits

Headshot Booth

Mock Interviewing through Big Interview

Mentoring through the Mentorship Hub

Internships, Co-ops, Part-time & Full-time Jobs through Handshake

Workshops, Panels & Other Programming

Guidance & Resources on Professional Documents & Personal Branding

Info on Career Paths & Estimated Salaries through Gamecock GradStats

CONNECT

sc.edu/career facebook.com/UofSCcareers instagram.com/uofsccareers

Wed. & Thurs., Sept. 27-28

2-Day STEM Career & Internship Fair Carolina Coliseum

12 p.m.–4 p.m.

Tues., Oct. 3 Virtual All Majors Fair Attend Via Handshake

11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Wed. & Thurs., Oct. 4-5

2-Day All Majors Career & Internship Fair Russell House University Union Ballroom

11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Wed., Oct. 4 Law School Fair Carolina Coliseum

1 p.m.–4 p.m.

OR VISIT ONE OF OUR FOUR LOCATIONS

University Career Center (Thomas Cooper Library, Level 5)

College of Engineering & Computing (Swearingen, 1A03)

Graduate Student Resources Hub (Close-Hipp, 204)

Good ‘neigh’-bors: Barn managers, riders maintain health, happiness of USC’s equestrian athletes

Atypical early-morning shift for South Carolina equestrian’s barn manager, Maggie Barton, starts around 6 a.m.

Barton begins her day at One Wood Farm by giving the horses hay and water, cleaning their stalls and re-adjusting their bedding. She then takes them to the horse walker — a treadmill-like device

Bartons said her strategy for helping the horses stay healthy begins with food, which gives them the protein and energy necessary to perform at a high level. Hydration is equally important to the horses’ well-being, especially in a state like South Carolina, where temperatures can reach triple digits during the summer. Barton said she always makes sure to have

their stables, roaming around and interacting with other horses.

“Say, (if) soccer players or football (players) play that day, they probably get out the next day and just move around,” Barton said. “It’s better for them to not just sit and do nothing, so we thrive on that and so do they.”

However, Barton and her staff are not alone in taking care of the horses on the farm. At the

wrapped up, put their boots on,” senior Emilia Reutimann said. “On meet day, they have to be bathed, a lot of times banded, make sure their manes and tails are the right length.” While general treatments apply to every horse on the farm, additional attention may be needed depending on each horse’s current health status.

Horses overcoming physical

GRIFFIN GOODWYN AND EMMA EDWARDS

The sun rises at One Wood Farm on the morning of Sept. 1, 2023. Barn staff arrive to the farm by 6 a.m. to feed the horses, take them out to roam and clean out the stables.

PHOTOS: XAVIER MARTIN

consults with veterinarians and farriers weekly to ensure that everything is going according to schedule.

“We have to have it down to a science and make sure that everybody’s on the same page as to what needs to be done at what important that they get the right amount of treatment and the right time frame that they need to be doing (it).”

Head coach Boo Major said there are few collegiate equestrian teams that take care of their horses both medically and hygienically better than South Carolina does.

“I will say, I think our horses are the best-looking horses, period. Not only in the SEC, but I think in all of the NCEA,” Major said. “We really pride ourselves in how we take care of them.”

Beyond basic care, riders on the equestrian team also provide horses with companionship, which allows both the horse and the rider to develop a close bond with one another, according to Reutimann.

“Once you get to college riding, it takes a lot of adaptability,” Reutimann

four minutes to prepare with horses from their opponent’s farm before the show.

“In that four minutes, they have what’s good and also what they’ll have to take. If they can’t get a horse to do something in particular, then like it’s happening,” Major said. “That is the real talent of collegiate riding is what we call ‘catch riding,’ out quickly and then be able to get on it and perform.”

According to Reutimann, observing the opposing team’s warmups is key to developing chemistry with unfamiliar horses as quickly as possible.

emotions (and) observing what they seem to respond well to.”

As the season progresses, Reutimann said she feels “more at home” when forming a relationship with her care horse, as it helps college life.

“All through life, it’s been a huge help for me. It’s just given me something to look forward to, even if there’s something going on in life that might be hard,” Reutimann said. “I think for almost all the girls able to go to the barn and have that couple-hour block where you’re just out there and you don’t have to think about anything else going on

said. “You have to be able to feel out a horse really quickly and make

“There’s some horses where, if you use a lot of leg on them or you’re in them with your hand a lot, they get a little bit annoyed, as compared to — there’s other horses where it doesn’t bother them, and you can train on them a little bit easier,” Reutimann said. “So just

Ultimately, Reutimann said this relationship between the horse and its rider is what separates equestrian from other sports at the University of South Carolina. Athletes playing other sports take care of their equipment, but riders on the equestrian team spend

A picture of Barnaby, a horse from One Wood Farm, on Sept. 1, 2023. Barnaby is one of several horses cared for by Barton, who has been working at the farm for ten seasons.

Barn Manager Maggie Barton poses with Lenny, a hunt seat/warmblood horse at One Wood Farm in Blythewood, South Carolina, on Sept. 1, 2023. This year marks Barton’s third year serving as the barn manager at USC.

JOIN OUR VIP LIST

TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY UPDATES, EARLY-BIRD SPECIAL RATES, SAVINGS AND MORE!

SIGNING DAY IS OCTOBER 10

“We are not just thinking about ourselves, we are thinking about, ‘What do I need to do for this horse to ride better for me next time?’ or ‘What do I need to do to get this horse feeling better so we can

South Carolina sports teams and athletes had an active summer break, seeing new coaches arriving on campus, professional debuts and preseason practices starting up. Here’s what the Gamecocks were up to while students were away.

Football

South Carolina football put its best foot forward in fall camp to improve the team before the team’s season opener against the University of North Carolina on Sept. 2. Head coach Shane Beamer described the Gamecocks’ preseason as “unbelievable” heading into game one.

“It’s been an awesome summer from a personal standpoint — good family time and some fun trips — but this is what we have all been looking forward to,” Beamer said. “From a football standpoint, (it was an) unbelievable summer that our team just had.”

New faces, like freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers, are Columbia but are making quick progress. The coaching staff has indicated that the Florence native will likely spend this year learning from and observing redshirt senior quarterback Spencer Rattler, but they say he has impressed with his speed and talent.

“We say ‘love above all else,’ which is giving everything you can in order to help the team,” Sellers said. “Ultimately, that just pushes us every day just to do whatever it takes to help the team.”

Gamecock football also welcomed a new director of nutrition, Yimy Queipo Rodriguez, who players have credited with helping the team make physical improvements ahead of the 2023

start using it for practice again?’” Reutimann said. “It’s just a whole other aspect that a lot of other athletes don’t necessarily have to worry about.”

What you missed from Gamecock sports this summer

PEYTON BUTT

season. Rodriguez, formerly the coordinator and performance dietitian for the Chicago Cubs, joined the South Carolina staff ahead of summer camp.

“We have multiple players on our team who increased their max on the squat 100 pounds just from May to last week, and that’s remarkable. The average person went up 50 pounds just on the squat over the summer,” Beamer said. “Thirty-one of our players ran faster this summer than they’ve ever run in any time in their time as a Gamecock football athlete.”

Men’s tennis

Senior Toby Samuel and senior Connor Thomson represented South Carolina tennis on the most prestigious court in the world in July. The pair played in the

Gentlemen’s Doubles tournament at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships as wildcards, while Samuel also competed in the singles qualifying event.

“Wimbledon is sort of the pinnacle of our sport — it’s a little bit like the Masters in golf — and to have two guys that are currently on the team be able to go play that, it was a heck of an opportunity for them and great experience,” head coach just sitting on the sideline just being extremely proud of the year and the work that they’ve done.”

Samuel and Thomson made doubles event and earned a victory over Argentine Pedro Cachin and German Yannick Hanfmann to advance to the second round, where

seeded duo of Mexican Santiago González and Frenchman Édouard Roger-Vasselin.

Samuel, ranked No. 543, was considered the underdog in his singles match against No. 291 Antoine Bellier from Switzerland. Against the odds, Samuel defeated Bellier 6-4, 7-6 before falling in the next round.

“I think I went out there with no pressure, just played my game and played loose, and in the end, I came out on top — which is amazing,” Samuel said. “You can’t play your best if you’re not enjoying it. That’s why I started playing and I’m going to keep enjoying it throughout my career, as that helps me play my best.”

Over the summer, Gamecock men’s tennis also welcomed new associate head coach Johnny Parkes

FILE — Gamecock football head coach Shane Beamer watches as his team scrimmages at the Garnet & Black Spring Game on April 15, 2023. The 2023 season is Beamer’s third season with the team.

PHOTO: SAM SCHORR

to the team. Parkes formerly served as the lead national coach for USTA Player Development and brings over a decade of experience as a tennis academy instructor and conditioning coach.

Women’s basketball

Following their championship careers at South Carolina, forward Aliyah Boston and guard Zia Cooke moved on to the WNBA over the summer and have made waves as rookies in the league.

So far, Boston has averaged 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists Indiana Fever, including helping the team snap it’s record-breaking 20game losing streak.

The top pick in the WNBA Draft in April, Boston became just the sixth rookie to earn a start in the WNBA All-Star Game over the summer.

“I never thought I’d be an All-Star my rookie season,” Boston said. “It’s

just a blessing to be in this position right now.”

Cooke also came out with a bang in her debut for the Los Angeles

15 minutes on the court.

For the season, Cooke has averaged 4.6 points per game and has played in all but two Sparks game, predominantly coming off the bench.

Track and Field

a major offseason in terms of welcoming new coaches to the team, starting with head coach Tim Hall.

Hall was welcomed as head coach on June 23 as the replacement for Curtis Frye, who led the program for 27 years. Hall comes to Columbia

head coach over sprinters at the University of Kentucky. Over his career, Hall has coached an Olympic

11 NCAA Champions and 14 SEC Champions.

“No one is going to work harder said. “We’re going to try to move the needle every day to be one percent better to get this program back to its prominence and relevance in the SEC and NCAA rankings.”

Hall also brought a new coaching staff to Columbia this summer. Shawn Jackson will join the Gamecocks as the new jumps coach, Brock Moreaux takes over as the assistant coach of distance/cross country and Morrie Turner comes on as an additional assistant coach under Hall.

Swimming and Diving

Junior diver Sophie Verzyl represented USC and Team USA at the World University Games in Chengdu, China, this summer. Verzyl placed third overall in the

1-meter, 3-meter and women’s team diving events.

“I’m so grateful for this once in a lifetime opportunity,” Verzyl said in an Instagram post. “It was incredible. I loved meeting so many international friends and experiencing such a rich culture.”

Head coach Jeff Poppell also announced over the summer that the team would be joined by seven new transfer swimmers when its season kicks off in September. The new additions include two additions members of the women’s team.

TAKING UP SPACE: USC student population growth prompts major changes, discussions

by Emma Davisson

In the past two decades, the University of South Carolina has grown substantially. Whether through new campus buildings or population growth, the university is consistently evolving and expanding.

From 2008 to 2017, total enrollment increased by 26% and in-state undergraduate enrollment rose from 14,878 students in 2016 to 15,743 in 2020. The university has also welcomed its largest freshman class to date each of the last three years.

USC’s campus has expanded to match the growing student population, with the completion of the Darla Moore School of Business in 2014, renovations to Russell House in 2022 and the opening of Campus Village in 2023.

However, this is not an unplanned Elizabeth Orehovec, the assistant vice president for enrollment management and executive director for undergraduate admissions. Orehovec said the university has been on a “growth trajectory for many years” as it aims to educate more South Carolinians while accommodating increased interest from outside the state.

Provost Donna Arnett said USC has a lot to offer and promotes a strong brand that is attractive to students.

experience that drives a lot. It’s also a universities are experiencing growth, so maybe it’s part of a larger trend of

students wanting to come to the South,” Arnett said.

Large universities, particularly in the South, have been increasing enrollment since 2000, according Urban Institute. Southern schools have of-state students, and USC enrolled 64% more in- and out-of-state students in fall 2018 than in fall 2000. SEC schools have also consistently grown more than other state universities, with the University of Alabama doubling its enrollment in just the last two decades. Due to the long term growth plan USC has implemented, consistent communication throughout university departments is necessary, according to Orehovec.

“There are many conversations that happen across the university, with academic departments, with housing and in admissions. departments throughout the year to make sure that we are letting people know what the goals are and making sure to plan ahead,” Orehovec said.

With more than 7,000 freshman on campus, the university needs more housing, according to university architect Derek Gruner. Newlyopened Campus Village addressesd part of that issue with 1,800 new beds, a dining hall, classrooms and study spaces.

“We saw that area of campus not just as an opportunity to add beds but as an opportunity to expand the campus fabric or at least the campus fabric that everyone really admires, and really just, beautify a place on campus that had not really been

to live on campus, but those that apply are not guaranteed acceptance. The school currently offers Park Place as upperclassmen only dorms, and apartments on the Horseshoe are reserved for continuing students in the Honors College and Capstone Scholars.

The university is also holding ongoing discussions about how to create more space for freshmen while updating older dorms, according to April Barnes, the director of university housing. The plans, Barns said, focus on how to grow student housing over the next decade.

“So looking at revitalizing Capstone, Columbia Hall, South Tower, looking at what to do with Bates Hall, Bates West,” Barnes said. “We’re looking at McBryde, looking

“There’s been a lot of talk of ‘We hope there’s melt,’ where people that pay enrollment deposits end up going somewhere else,” said Bill Sudduth, chair of the faculty advisory committee and head of government information and maps for the university libraries. “We know that if 8,000 people pay the deposit, then all of them show up, that’s going to be tough.”

The advising experience for the latest freshman class has also

However, Sudduth said that the larger population has minimal

almost a third of the freshman class, but the demand for more housing goes beyond

“There’s always been this desire to increase the beds on campus so that more sophomores could stay on campus,” Gruner said. “We know that there’s a demand for students who want to live beyond their freshman year on campus. There’s a waiting list, so that was very much in our minds when we were adding beds.”

USC has an application for upperclassmen who want to continue

at additional potential housing projects.”

However, some students — such as Trey DeTurris, a third-year real estate and entrepreneurship management student — believe the new buildings on campus have come at the expense of updating others.

“So with (Campus Village) being built, I think it’s a great idea for having more housing for more incoming students. But the thing is, there’s also other buildings that I feel like need to

Hall and Capstone,” DeTurris said. “I feel like more should be done as far as the cleanliness of the building.”

Others within the university have also had concerns about the impact of the large incoming classes.

move to a four-year advising plan, according to Catherine Studemeyer, the director of the Academic Coaching.

“We have certainly seen a surge Studemeyer said. “The impact that it’s had on advisors, whether it’s my staff working with major change students or the primary academic advisors at the colleges, is you’re just dealing with a higher caseload, and your summers are a whole lot busier.”

Some students are now being advised in groups during orientation if they have similar course needs. Studemeyer said those kinds of adaptations are what allows advisors to meet demand without

“When you have 150 students that need to get advised in a day, you can’t do that in one-on-one appointments,” Studemeyer said.

The university also announced this year a new plan to guarantee admission to the top 10% of seniors graduating from qualifying high schools in South Carolina, but the policy is not expected to cause a students in future freshman classes, according to Orehovec. Instead, it is aimed at attracting students that think they may not meet criteria otherwise.

“We were already getting applications from about half of the students who are in the top 10% of their South Carolina class,” Orehovec said. “What we’re hoping is that we might see a little bit more geographic diversity from this plan.”

PHOTO: ALICIA CARACcIOLO, XAVIER MARTIN,

New Brookland Tavern acts share their experiences as building goes up for sale

On Aug. 22, 2023, local music venue New Brookland Tavern announced on social media that its building was up for sale. Almost immediately, the announcement was met with surprise and worry from musicians who had gotten their start at the venue and see it as a rite of passage for any Columbia artist.

“I was shocked,” University of South Carolina alumnus Blake Hunter said. “I was super surprised. I just couldn’t believe it.”

Hunter is the drummer for Homemade Haircuts, a Charlestonbased indie-pop rock band with roots in Columbia. Hunter played

Tavern when he was a teenager.

“I started playing there when I was 15, and it was just cool to have,” Hunter said. “It felt like a real live rock and roll place because I played in a friend’s backyard once before that, but that wasn’t a real real gig. And it was cool that they let a few 15-yearolds hop on stage at this place, where I’d already seen a few bands.”

Bob Magee, the co-frontman of Homemade Haircuts and another USC alumnus, said the band has performed at the bar several times over the last two years and even held the release party for its album “Sun Showers” there.

“We played there earlier this year in 2023 with Daddy’s Beamer, which sold-out show at New Brookland, or close to it,” Magee said. “A lot of our important shows in Columbia, like in the history of the band, have been at New Brookland.”

Magee is not the only musician that feels like some of his band’s

most important shows have been at New Brookland Tavern. Tony “Opus” Williams, the lead singer and founder of the Columbia-based band Opus and the Frequencies, credits much of his group’s success to shows there.

According to Opus, New Brookland is a staple of the Columbia arts scene because it it emphasizes local and original artistry.

“New Brookland has been there for a very long time, championing a lot of the local bands — not even just the local bands, (but) anyone that’s come through,” Opus said. “This showcases that this place has been ... the pinnacle of where you want to start in Columbia if you really want your name to be known.”

Without New Brookland Tavern, Opus said there would not be many places for artists to premiere and workshop their original music as a stepping stone towards bigger Columbia venues, such as The Senate. Third-year marketing student Logan Cory said the staff at New Brookland Tavern is helpful in boosting young performers and even provided sound mixing for his band at one point.

“It’s a good place to get gigs,” Cory said. “As artists, you always need places to go, and that’s why you practice as much as you do, so that you can go and perform, and this is a cool place to perform.”

Paisley Marie, the bassist of Homemade Haircuts, said the venue

is also unique because it is open for all ages, and that type of space is rare in Columbia. Other venues, such as Art Bar, are strictly 21 and up.

“As somebody growing up playing music in Columbia, New Brookland is the only place that you could (not only play) but also go to see live original music and have your friends come,” Marie said. “The importance of a space like that really can’t be underestimated. I grew up in New Brookland. I was there all the time.”

Evelyn Atkins, the bassist of the band Sweet Spine and a second-year mechanical engineering student, said New Brookland Tavern has a stronghold with students, sitting less than 10 minutes away from campus.

Amanda Petty

Photos: NIckolas Hill

A side view of the stage on the inside of New Brookland Tavern that stands at 122 State St. in West Columbia, South Carolina on Sep 4, 2023. New Brookland Tavern has been a popular music venue in West Columbia since the late 1990s.

If it were to move, she said she hopes for a more affordable and updated space, but the current location is a best-case scenario.

“Ideally, if they were able to stay in the location they’re at and just do some remodeling, that would be really cool,” Atkins said. “But everything and having to move, so I just hope that we can help raise awareness and funds for them to be able to do what they want instead of being forced into something that is not gonna work out for them.”

According to Magee, the announcement in August was a wake-up call for the longtime performers about how important it is to have a venue in Columbia like New Brookland Tavern that is for all ages and can host a variety of shows.

“New Brookland has every type of music for every type of crowd,”

Magee said. “And when the news broke, everyone that I know through music was sharing the GoFundMe and bringing attention to it because we need it, Columbia needs something ... it was a reminder, ‘This can go away.’”

All things considered, Marie said she does not see the venue disappearing anytime soon.

“There’s a lot of people in this community that are going to work really hard to make sure that New Brookland doesn’t go anywhere as a business, even if it’s not that building,” Marie said.

In a statement to The Daily Gamecock, Carlin Thompson of New Brookland Tavern said the business hopes to announce more information in the future. In the meantime, Thompson and the staff have organized a GoFundMe to help facilitate a next step.

Embrace the change in seasons with these new albums

Catherine Pruitt

With fall upon us, time has come for a change. Fun summer playlists, move aside. It’s time for the fall moody vibes to take over.

Check out these albums released between September and October, including music from pop princess Olivia Rodrigo and the return of eclectic duo Thirty Seconds to Mars

Olivia Rodrigo — “GUTS”

Rodrigo’s sophomore album came out on Sept. 8, 2023. As one of the most anticipated albums of the year, fans around the world have been waiting for her return following the success of her debut studio album “Sour.”

Madison Beer — “Silence Between Songs”

Known for her iconic hit ballad album on Sept. 15, 2023. We’re sure these hits are already added to your “Singing in the Shower” playlists.

Mitski — “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We”

As one of the most widely known “sad-girl” artists, Mitski also released her new album on Sept. 15, 2023, and broke listeners’ hearts.

for the upcoming autumn season.

Thirty Seconds to Mars — “It’s the End of the World but It’s a Beautiful Day”

After a staggering set at Lollapalooza, which included Jared Leto jumping off the top of the stage, Thirty Seconds to Mars makes its big return with the band’s new album. Its new rock tunes dropped Sept. 15, 2023.

Del Water Gap — “I Miss You + I Haven’t Left Yet”

On Sept. 29, 2023, Del Water Gap (S. Holden Jaffe) will release his highly anticipated album. These indie tunes will make your life feel like a coming of age movie. You are probably familiar with his music, as his song “Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat” captivated listeners in season two of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”

Sufjan Stevens — “Javelin”

Before you listen to this one, have tissues ready. On Oct. 6, 2023, Sufjan Stevens’ new music will be ready for you to cry along to. His emotional lyrics, with an acoustic guitar sound, never fail to get listeners in their feelings.

Holly Humberstone — “Paint My Bedroom Black”

U.K. rocker Holly Humberstone’s new album is out on Oct. 13., 2023. While it may drop on Friday the 13th, there is no need to fear the new bops that Humberstone will serenade her listeners with.

A view of the outside of the New Brookland Tavern building that stands on 122 State St. in West Columbia on Sept. 4, 2023.

Get to know us

Why did you join The Daily Gamecock?

Ava Rossini - Copy desk chief

“The reason I joined The Daily Gamecock was to step outside my comfort zone and broaden my horizons. I got off to a later start, only joining the newspaper my sophomore year, but I’m so glad that I

out there and getting acclimated to

but The Daily Gamecock allowed me to meet new people (of all majors and backgrounds) and make all kinds of connections, both personal and professional.”

Callie Hribar - assistant design director

“I was majoring in computer science

The Daily Gamecock’s design team

my creative muscles while pursuing a technical profession. However, my involvement in The Daily Gamecock

career goals to include my artistic side.”

Julia Lako- co-engagement director

“I joined The Daily Gamecock because I had worked on my high school newspaper and really enjoyed it, but I didn’t realize do after college. Through The Daily Gamecock, I found my love for graphic design and was able to learn and improve my skills to become a better designer. Not only have I improved my design skills, but by becoming a member of the editorial staff, it has also given me crucial leadership skills.”

General

USC University of South Carolina, founded in 1801

Garnet & Black

USC’s school colors, a color combination that is always appropriate in Columbia

Soda City

The Daily Gamecock, the school’s newspaper, founded in 1908 TDG a nickname for Columbia, S.C.; a weekly farmer’s market downtown on Saturdays

Sports

Cocks a nickname for “Gamecocks,” the mascot/sports teams of the University of South Carolina

Cocks by 90 (CB90)

exclamatory expression for USC sports; essentially a different way to say “Go Cocks!” that means the Gamecocks will win by 90 points

Spurs Up Sandstorm

Buildings/Locations

Frat Lots (FLots) common tailgating spot for Greek Life for USC football games

Greek Village

McBro

Grillage resident of the McBryde Residence Hall

Patty Shack

Patterson Hall, a residence hall at USC

RuHo Russell House

SOTO South Tower, a residence hall at USC

Strom Strom Thurmond Wellness & Fitness Center

TCoop

Photos: Sydney Dunlap illustration: Gillian Thomas

Hey Gamecocks, meet...

USC alumna releases new studio album ‘Black Butterfly’ focused on mental health, self love

After a hiatus from recording due to the COVID-19 pandemic and career changes, singer-songwriter Mackenzie Morrow couldn’t get back into the recording studio. Instead of giving up, the USC alumna adapted to the challenge and found herself turning her emotions and experiences

The album, two years in the making, spanned years of hard work and carries the echoes of Morrow’s highest highs and lowest lows.

With this album, Morrow said she hopes to shed light on mental health struggles, to normalize not being okay and to encourage listeners to accept love and light back into their lives.

“The album came about because I had pushed artist Mackenzie back into this dark corner,” Morrow said. “I was just ready to get back in the studio, I was bursting at the seams, I was just like, screw this, I gotta record. And I was like, I need to be consistent with that. And I didn’t care what it took.”

The album presents themes surrounding emotionally abusive relationships as well as dealing with anxiety. Morrow sheds a light on the challenges of presenting oneself to the world and hopes this album serves as a conduit to spark a bigger conversation about mental health.

“I’ve got a bubbly personality. And I know that for a lot of people that would never guess I had anxiety or that I’ve had some of the thoughts I’ve had or that I’m struggling,” Morrow said. “There are plenty of people that seem okay, that are not, and it’s just important to check on people even if you think they’re the happiest person in the world.”

her community, whether it be from her church or from her recording studio, Archer Avenue Studios.

Morrow is native to upstate South Carolina but has been recording at Archer Avenue Studios in downtown Columbia for several years. Morrow has been largely guided through the musical process by her producer, Kenny McWilliams, the owner of Archer Avenue Studios.

“When we started this second more of a vision of what she wanted to sound like. She brought me much better songs and had learned a lot about song structure and chord arranging and tempos and things like that,” McWilliams said. “Then really what Mackenzie is so gifted at is lyrics and melody, and she’s always been there that she just kind of took it to another level on this record.”

Her lyricism is seen in songs such as “Self,” which delves into an emotionally abusive relationship Morrow was in. While the song was inspired by her previous relationship, the main premise of the song surrounds the idea of personal growth.

Throughout her music video for the song “Self,” Morrow faces and sings to herself in a mirror. The video ends with her leaving the mirror behind, to symbolize leaving behind the other version of herself.

“The self in the mirror was being left behind by the other version of me,” Morrow said. “And instead of clinging so hard on to who you used to be or whatever, you can move forward and grow and just continue to become a better version of yourself because we’ve all got things about us that we don’t like.”

The music video for “Self” was directed and produced by Trey Morrow, Mackenzie Morrow’s brother. Trey Morrow said he worked hard to make sure the video remained true to Mackenzie Morrow’s vision and

song looking back on her life and moments where she felt like she

“It’s the idea of being like a black sheep, being an outcast, but (the song) even says, ‘You tried to paint your wings, but it didn’t work. If only you could see just what you’re worth,’” Mackenzie Morrow said. “Like, there’s no point in trying to camouflage yourself into whoever’s The album is now available on all music streaming

CATHERINE PRUITT

A photo portrait of USC alumna Mackenzie Morrow for her newly released album “Black parts of life.

COURTESY OF MACKENZIE MORROW

Columbia’s bubbly nicknames have grown in ‘pop’ularity

amanda petty

For most people, Cola is a carbonated and caramel-colored soda pop to enjoy when you’re thirsty, but for residents of Columbia, Cola means home.

The use of “Cola” has been widespread, but the question of where the term originated is another matter entirely.

According to John Sherrer, the director of preservation at Historic Columbia, one potential origin of the term postal abbreviation used during his childhood. At nine years old, all Sherrer wanted was a Star Wars had just come out, but things

were not as simple as he anticipated.

“Everybody was collecting little

you could

get it is if you had proof of

And the address I used was my home address, and I put ‘Cola, S.C.’ and then the zip code,” Sherrer said. “I got my it had all these stickers, all these like little handwritten notes, and it said something to the effect of, ‘This address does not exist.’”

Sherrer said someone somewhere must have done their due diligence to

photo: Alicia caracciolo & savannah Nagy

was an abbreviation for Columbia. As time passed and language evolved, people began to recognize the city simply as “Cola,” Sherrer said. Eventually, the nickname evolved, and “Soda City” was born.

“I think it’s cool that the way language evolves and also memory. This is the kind of little story on people’s memory and assumptions,” Sherrer said. “But the use of ‘Soda City’ has been very widespread and popular. There’s even the Soda Cap (Connector).”

The abbreviation “Cola” has since grown in popularity, and in turn, so has “Soda City.”

Jada Watts, a third-year biological science and psychology heard the term

times from her peers and around campus since then.

“Our teacher was telling us about things to do around campus and ‘Soda City,’” Watts said. “She was just telling us it’s a great place to go on the weekends, and it’s a great place to take your family.”

Many students, like Watts, are familiar with the term “Soda City” due to the Saturday morning farmer’s market of the same name. However, for Emile DeFelice, founder of Soda City Market, the term “Soda City” is trait of the city. “

“(Soda City is) a microcosm of our area. It’s like if you can go up to Decker (Street) and get great Asian food, you

said. “What it means to people is ‘Wow, this is a microcosm of the place that we live.’”

Neset Hikmet is a USC College of Engineering and Computing professor and a Soda City vendor through his farm, Toms Creek Family Farms. He has been bringing produce from his farm to the market for four years now because he said it allows him to be a part of the event’s “integrated environment.”

“You have the young ones, the middle age and the elderly,” Hikmet said. “It’s a mixed community and all walks of life, so it’s fun. Usually, everybody’s nice to each other. They take their dogs for a walk, kids for a ride, so it’s a fun, more community than a farmers market.”

every Saturday morning embody Soda City’s culture.

“Once we stumbled upon (Soda City), I was like ... ‘that’s good,’ so that’s what we went with, and I wanted it to be so other types of businesses could use it and certainly you have Soda City Comic Con now,” DeFelice said. “Showing the name itself, just absolutely took off.”

For DeFelice, the market is just another way for people to form a connection with their community. Sherrer said that because of the market’s continued success and the revitalization of Main Street, it has kept the term popular among locals.

“When you get to Columbia, regardless of how you’re referring to it” Sherrer said. “It means something to you because of the experiences you’ve had with it.”

PHOTO: Alicia caracciolo

PHOTOS: Dogs of Soda City

savannah Nagy

Eexercise, some use the market as an opportunity to show off their canine companions. It’s not uncommon to see dogs dressed in boots and bandanas, which often attract the attention of many petless spectators.

Ringo, a Boston terrier, sports overalls and a red bandana, catching the eyes of many Soda City spectators. Ringo’s Instagram, @ringothebostonbeatle, features pictures his owners post of him.

Many patrons of Soda City like to dress their dogs up for the occasion. This Great Dane was adorned with orange sunglasses and matching boots.

An owner takes her dogs for a stroll through Main Street at the Soda City. Visitors can see a variety of dog breeds while walking through the downtown market.

Newest Columbia coffee shop preserves historic Whaley House, aims to attract more students

Columbia boasts a variety of coffee shops for college students to sip on their favorite drinks while studying, but this past spring, a unique addition to the local coffee market came with more than just a few beans.

In April, Knowledge Perk Coffee

in the W. B. Smith Whaley House, a historic home across from the USC School of Law.

The chain also has stores in Charlotte, Fort Mill, Rock Hill and McAdenville, with two more coming soon to Spartanburg and Myrtle Beach. The company did not originally intend to open a new location until a customer mentioned the Whaley House, according to CEO and Co-founder Ryan Sanderson.

Sanderson said he did not believe a Columbia location would be in the cards for their company until further down the road.

“I saw the building, the Whaley Home,

and was like, ‘Oh my God. That looks like it should be a Knowledge Perk,’” Sanderson said.

The building’s history dates all the way back to the 1800s when it was originally built for the prosperous Whaley family. The house mirrored many of the other Queen Anne style homes being built on Gervais Street at the time.

In the 1920s, the Whaley House was repurposed into the Dunbar Funeral Home, which hosted many family funerals in the Columbia area. Eleanor Dreher Boyd, a customer of Knowledge Perk, said she grew up attending family funerals, such as her great-grandmother’s, at the Dunbar Funeral Home. Boyd also went to school with the third generation of Dunbar children as well as attended dance classes taught by a descendent of the Whaley family.

Boyd said seeing Knowledge Perk’s renovations on the house for the

made her excited and “a little emotional.”

from when I was a teenager,” Boyd said. “I was close with my greatgrandmother, and so of course I was thinking of her, which was special.”

The new Knowledge Perk location retains much of the Whaley House’s original architecture, Boyd said, including the ceilings, the glass on the door, wrap-around porch — one of her favorite features.

“I love sitting on that porch, especially since it wraps around the corner,” Boyd said. “I think it’s just a beautiful place. You feel like you get energy from the city, but yet it feels kind of quaint and private.”

After the Whaley House was sold by the Dunbar Funeral Home in 2008, USC purchased the building for a period of time for the sake of preservation. The building was later bought by the South Carolina Historical Society, which maintained ownership of the building until it was purchased by Knowledge Perk Coffee Company.

Riley Cook, a supervisor for Knowledge Perk’s Columbia branch, said part of what makes Knowledge Perk special is its local feel, partially due to it being more of a chain in the Carolinas rather than a national corporate chain.

“Everything’s very close and interpersonal the way that we do everything. Everything’s exchanged between the stores,” Cook said. “It feels very involved. It doesn’t have a corporate feel to it.”

Sanderson said the main charm of Knowledge Perk is its coziness and history.

“(We’re) trying to offer something (with an) old-school, history feel to new, young college students that are coming through Columbia on the campus here at USC,” Sanderson said.

Sanderson said the coffee shop values supporting local sports teams State and Winthrop’s football teams, the PGA Tour and Charlotte Football Club — and is in the process of becoming a licensed coffee provider for USC.

“It would be really cool for those (on campus) to be able to come in and get a piece of their alma mater inside the store with our coffee,” Sanderson said.

Knowledge Perk is located at 1527 Gervais St. and is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

MACAILA BOGLE

PHOTO: TAYLOR KITCHENS

The W.B. Smith Whaley House sits on the corner of Gervais and Pickens Streets in Downtown Columbia, on Aug. 24, 2023. The Whaley House is home to Knowledge Perk Coffee Company’s newest location.

Feeding the coop: The decades of USC dining

Kate Robins

WRussell House, the average Gamecock immediately notices crowds of students gathered around tables. Some are laughing with friends and sharing stories, while others are silently crying over their chemistry homework. But they have one thing in common — sharing a meal.

Russell House has served as an epicenter of campus since it was built in 1954. At the time, it was built to accommodate more than 4,000 students. Now, after many expansions and renovations, Russell House opened its doors to more than 34,000 students for the fall 2023 semester. Since its opening, Russell House has gone through multiple

But this isn’t the only example of how dining on campus has evolved.

Compiled from The Daily Gamecock’s archives, alumni and a variety of sources, here is a timeline of campus dining.

1990s

1992: with Marriott Food Services, making it USC’s new food retail service.

1995: USC discusses plans to open a new dining facility in Russell residents. Marriott adds a BaskinRobbins ice cream stand on campus.

1997: contract with Marriott Food Services. As a part of the contract, Marriott puts other new dining locations. The company also offers students the option of a block meal plan, where students can have a set number of meals per semester.

1998: Taco Bell opens on the

1950s &1960s

1958: Russell House's dining area expands to a newly covered patio, adding 450 seats for students.

For some alumni, such as 83-yearold Nancy Bivins, Russell House cafeteria served as a convenient place to grab breakfast or lunch before class.

However, Bivins, who attended USC from 1957 to 1961, said she didn’t care to eat dinner on campus, as she preferred to go out with her friends.

of a social thing to get out and go (to off-campus restaurants).”

1954: Russell House opens for USC students, including a cafeteria with an air-conditioned dining room. The cafeteria can seat 684 at a time and serve 1,800 per meal.

1980s

“(Dinner) was boring,” Bivins said. “A lot of times, when you go into breakfast, you might be by yourself or with one girl coming from the dorm. And then at suppertime, it was more

1969: The University Union nightclub, The Golden Spur, located in Russell House, holds up to 200 people who dine and dance. ARASlater Services, USC’s food contractor service, begins to limit menu items and hours in cafeterias on campus after the company goes “$6,000 dollars in the red” in the fall semester. This is the second year ARA-Slater loses money at South Carolina.

For alumnus Kyle Banashek, 44, and Taco Bell didn’t really compare to the cooking he ate in Russell House’s cafeteria.

Banashek, who attended USC from 1997 to 2001, said personable cooks such as “Peaches” made him favor Russell House’s homestyle cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner. By Banashek’s senior year, Peaches had his breakfast order memorized and could serve it to him before he even asked.

“She was just a staple,” Banashek said. “She was always there, always smiling. Everyone knew who she was.”

1982: SAGA Food Services Inc. takes over in place of ARA Services, which had been USC’s dining service for 30 years. SAGA incorporates a new meal plan card where students can hand to cashiers when checking out.

1985: The Carolina Mall opens in Russell House’s basement, where SAGA also places a sub shop.

2000s

Place, Russell House, Bates House and Patterson Hall cafeterias and Gibbes Court.

2001: USC’s Dining Services rebrands as “Carolina Dining” after food retail service Sodexho-Marriott creates a spin-off company, Sodexho Alliance, to oversee dining at USC.

2002: USC enters into a 15-year contract with Sodexho with a plan to renovate dining at the Grand Market

A new off-campus access meal plan is offered to students so they can eat at independently-owned restaurants near campus. Eighteen restaurants are included in the plan, such as Beezer’s, Carolina Bagel and Domino’s.

Archives of the gamecock

Archives of the gamecock

Archives of the gamecock

Courtsey of Elizabeth West

2010: Einstein Bros. Bagels opens a new location on the east side of campus in the Welsh Humanities

2011: Carolina Dining introduces “FLEX” meals, a plan where upperclassmen receive a certain amount of “FLEX” dollars per of meal swipes per week.

2013: Carolina Dining replaces Burger King with Fresh Burger, a burger station run by USC’s food service provider, Sodexo. Russell House also receives Wholly Habaneros, a cantina-style retail serving breakfast, and Market 101, a convenience store, is added to McBryde.

2010s

2003: Cooper’s Corner, a coffee shop and cafe, opens on the main

2015: Carolina Dining makes adjustments to meal plans by getting rid of “Bonus Bucks” — meal plan dollars that were distributed to students based on their class. The amount of meal plan dollars is now determined by which tier a student wishes to purchase. “FLEX” meals are also rebranded as a “declining balance” meal plan.

2017: Aramark, known on campus as Carolina Food Company,

2020s

completed, bringing four new retail dining options to students.

2006: The Colloquium opens on the east side of campus, serving sandwiches, salads, soups and other options.

2009: USC hires security guards to prevent students from stealing food in Russell House. USC also tries to make dining on campus more eco-friendly by offering students a 10% discount if they eat on reusable plates.

2020: Campus shuts down during the spring semester as the COVID-19 pandemic begins, preventing students from being able to use their meal plans. USC refunds all students’ meal plans for the rest of the semester. In the fall, USC welcomes students back to campus, and Carolina Food Co. provides meals for students who are in quarantine.

2021: Carolina Food Co. launches its Residential All-Access Meal Plan, giving students unlimited visits to swipes per day that can be used at any of the retail locations and a starting amount of $200 meal plan dollars.

Carolina Food Co. also begins partnering with local food truck vendors to sell food to students during lunch hours on Greene Street throughout the week.

2022: Over the summer, Russell House undergoes its second major renovation in four years, and the

replaces Sodexo as USC’s food contractor service. The new contract is the second 15-year deal between USC and a food service.

2018:

licensed Starbucks locations — one in Thomas Cooper Library and the other in the Welsh Humanities Classroom Building. Russell House undergoes summer renovations and receives a complete makeover

Bell and Pizza Hut are removed to make way for the relocated Chick-

Food Co. adds new retail locations, such as Panera and Twisted Taco.

2019: Carolina Food Co. begins using Grubhub mobile ordering across USC’s campus, allowing students to order ahead on their phones.

retail locations to a new dining hall, Gamecock Park. Certain retail locations, like Twisted Taco and

Horseshoe Deli is moved to the Welsh Humanities side of campus, where it replaces Einstein Bros. Bagels.

Residential All-Access meal plans change the number of meal swipes allotted per week, going from 14 to seven. Students on the plan, however, now receive a starting amount of $250 meal plan dollars.

2023: Russell House changes a few of its retail locations, with

Qdoba replacing Twisted Taco and the addition of the Halal Shack. The opening of Campus Village introduces USC’s sixth and largest dining hall option, the Pavilion.

Carolina Food Co. has no plans to stop there, according to Faren Alston, the marketing director for Carolina Food Co. Another fully-licensed Starbucks and a Jimmy John’s are still expected to open in Campus Village this fall. Towards the end of the semester, the food service will also start incorporating 30 Starship delivery robots across campus.

Archives of the gamecock

Archives of the gamecock

Photo: Joe Macheca

answers:

FIND THEIR ROOST

UofSC students post for free when using their UofSC email address.