2013 SCPA Collegiate Awards Presentation

NEWS STORY
Under 5,000 Division
THIRD PLACE:
Old Gold & Black
Wofford College
Peter Elbaum
Back to the Future
Math professor wins Google Glass competition
by Peter Elbaum,, senior writer
Dr. Anne Catlla has brought the
future of computing to Wofford’s cam-
pus.
Catlla, assistant professor of math-
ematics, won a competition to become
part of a small group of people with
the rights to buy a prototype version
of Google Glass, a pair of glasses with
computational abilities. The glasses
have a camera, video camera, and a
crystal that allows the wearer to see
images and use the Internet. In Febru-
ary, Google released a limited amount
of information about the glasses, which
included a video shot using the Glass
from the perspective of a ballerina, a
figure skater, a gymnast, and a parent,
among others. In February, Google
also introduced a competition for
their use. Users, called Explorers, had
to write a twitter post of 50 words or
fewer detailing what their plans would
be if chosen.
Catlla heard of the competition
through her husband, who is a com-
puter programmer. He encouraged
her to apply after hearing her ideas for
Glass use in educational contexts.
“The way Glass could be used for
education made me interested in it.
I’m not a first adopter of technology
for entertainment or personal use, but
when it comes to use in class, I’ll do it
quickly. The thing that made me most
interested was its potential for use in
an educational context,” says Catlla.
She wrote her tweet, and was accepted
a month later.
After she was accepted, Catlla trav-
eled to the Google office in New York to
get fitted for and trained on her glasses.
Although the glasses were not able to
perform in the way Catlla detailed in
her tweet — by providing her informa-
tion about her students through facial
recognition — she started using them
in a variety of other educational and
everyday contexts.
“I went to a wedding, and I record-
ed it through Glass. I was able to pay
attention and make the recording at the
same time,” says Catlla.
This is one benefit of the glasses —
that the wearer can record their sur-
roundings hands-free while being fully
present in the situation. Catlla has used
this benefit in her classroom.
“I’ve used it to record student pre-
sentations, so for grading it’s a lot easi-
er. To be able to give students concrete
feedback is nice,” she says.
Catlla also has used the glasses to
make instructional videos for her stu-
dents and to hold virtual office hours,
in which students can email her ques-
tions, which she then answers by mak-
ing and posting a video of how the
problem is solved. “If it’s complicated,
I can write the response out as I’m talk-
ing and post video for that. I’d love to
do a video conference with students in
the future,” says Catlla.
The glasses, along with other tech-
nology, have the potential to vastly
change the classroom experience. One
way this could be done, aside from
using Catlla’s strategies, is to create
a “flipped classroom” in which stu-
dents spend their time away from class
watching lectures and instructional
videos, leaving class time for practice,
discussion, or questions.
“One of the things I like about the
inclusion of a lot of technology is that it
allows more time to actually work with
students in class,” says Catlla.
Although Catlla is primarily using
Glass for educational purposes, she has
heard, through her Explorers commu-
nity on Google Plus, of a number of
new ways to use the technology. Uses
include an app with a sign language da-
tabase that would allow people to sign
by following the pictures that they see
in the crystal. Catlla has also heard of
paralytics using the glasses to experi-
ence what it’s like to do certain activi-
ties. The potential of the technology for
diverse uses is great.
In I Am Legend, the 2007 movie
starring Will Smith, the protagonist
uses a pair of glasses with a small video
camera mounted on them to record as
he does clinical trials to find a cure for
a pathogen that has turned the whole
Earth into zombies. Although the tech-
nological aspect of the movie seemed
fantastical at the time of release, we
now live in a time where those glasses
are a reality. Technology is increas-
ingly gaining a central place in daily
life, and its limits seem unbounded.
Who knows, maybe the future could
hold the tanning bed-like machines
that cure people of all illness from this
year’s Elysium. Only time will tell.

NEWS STORY
SECOND PLACE:
The Patriot
Francis Marion University
Nisheeka Simmons
SEE INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING... PAGE 3
Industrial engineering program to be offered
Nisheeka Simmons

NEWS STORY
FIRST PLACE:
The Paladin
Furman University
Stephanie Bauer
“Inside the Presidential Transition: Kohrt
takes over as interim president”
This writer’s engaging lede is what grabbed me. It was easily the best of the many fine
entries. From there, she gave a concise representation of Kohrt and his plans for FU.

NEWS STORY
Over 5,000 Division
THIRD PLACE:
The Daily Gamecock
USC
Sarah Ellis and
Thad Moore

NEWS STORY
Over 5,000 Division
SECOND PLACE:
The Tiger
Clemson University
Grace Greene

NEWS STORY
Over 5,000 Division
FIRST PLACE:
The Daily Gamecock
USC
Thad Moore
Thiswasafineexample ofan“important”story
thatwasalsoreadable.Ileftwithasenseof
whatisatstake.
arris Pastides had been USC’s president
three weeks when the first cut came.
Another came in October. One more in
December.
There were five budget cuts that year,
worth $36.9 million on the Columbia
campus. More than 23 percent in a year.
South Carolina’s tax revenue was falling in 2008, and
politicians’ talk of austerity grew. USC’s cuts — real
and rumored — formed a bleak backdrop for a budding
presidency.
“Those were scary times,” Chief Financial Officer
Ed Walton said. “People did not know what was coming
next.”
To compensate, the university froze hiring, losing
273 employees to retirement and other jobs. It brought
in extra students: about 5,000 more in five years.
It raised tuition: more than 22 percent for in-state
students and nearly a quarter for everyone else.
Pastides, 59, is credited with navigating the Great
Recession, improving key measures of academic quality
and posturing it to improve more.
But staying afloat had consequences, and the
university will feel them for years, officials say.
Five years later, USC is forced into a corner. It can’t
raise tuition any more, and an already-packed campus
can’t handle more students.
USC is at a pivot point: It faces big-picture questions
of what it wants to be — and what it can afford.
How big should it be? How can it grow more?
Whom does it serve?
And mostly, what’s next?
Spencer Scott Nelson / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
Thad Moore
TMOORE@DAILYGAMECOCK.COM
H
PASTIDES • 2
Years
Statefunding($)
Source: USC Budget Office
Years
Studentenrollment
Source: Institutional Assessment & Compliance
Years
Tuition($)
Out-of-state
In-state
Source: USC Budget Office

FEATURE STORY
THIRD PLACE:
The Patriot
Francis Marion University
Nisheeka Simmons
Nisheeka Simmons
Holden secures career on camera

FEATURE STORY
SECOND PLACE:
Cistern Yard News
College of Charleston
Nicole DeMarco

FEATURE STORY
FIRST PLACE:
Old Gold and Black
Wofford College
Anna Aguillard
Amidst the Beacon Drive-In adver-
tisements, coeducation debates, and glee
club performance reviews found in the
1974 Old Gold & Black lies a jaw-drop-
ping front page news story that many of
us here at Wofford have never even heard
about – but I think it’s about time that we
did.
“Wofford streaks its way to glory,”
reads the headline, buried in the archives
for some 30 years, alongside an actual
picture from March 4, 1974 of the streak-
ers in action. According to the article,
for reasons unknown 125 Wofford stu-
dents (all males, as Wofford did not allow
women to attend until 1975) “entertained
a crowd of 700 Converse spectators by
running nude across the Converse cam-
pus.” About 60 masked men began the
show at 8:15 p.m., and the Converse
girls had such a “positive” reaction that
multiple groups began following in their
footsteps. Local radio coverage arrived at
the scene, followed shortly by the Spar-
tanburg Police department and even am-
bulances. While it lasted Converse girls
admittedly did enjoy themselves because
the article states, “for once, the usually
dull campus came alive” (this sounds a
little bit like an understatement to me).
The general consensus on Wofford’s end
was that it had been “great fun” – fun
that incidentally included one dislocated
shoulder, one sprained ankle, and one
broken toe… thank goodness for that
ambulance.
Despite the injuries, this unprec-
edented display resulted in, when the
Wofford men’s pants hit the ground, Wof-
ford laying claim to two national records:
the first time one college had streaked
another and the first all-male college to
streak an all female college.
When the Spartanburg news media
widely broadcasted claims of a return
streak by Converse girls, more than 2,000
spectators lined up on Wofford’s campus
to watch the “show.” When no girls ar-
rived, the Wofford men did not want to
let down the Spartanburg community so
they disrobed yet again in “an effort to
please the Spartans.” This resulted in hate
mail. Wofford professor of psychology
James Bruce attributed the crowd’s be-
havior as, “a collective behavior episode,”
proving that educational lessons can be
taken from pretty much any event – even
naked college boys running rampant.
He supports this event as “healthy both
physically and psychologically” – an-
other round, for the sake of learning, of
course? Any volunteers?
Ironically, nowhere in this article is
the administration mentioned seriously.
Wofford security official Chuck Darnell
is quoted as jokingly warning, “Three
streaks and you’re out!” but apparently
this event did not cause too much con-
cern with higher-ranking officials at
Wofford. In later articles the Converse
president reportedly viewed the streak-
ing incident “with no particular feeling
of alarm.” Which begs the question: can
you imagine this happening today, and
the participants getting away with it?
Say 125 fraternity men were to streak
through campus – they would probably
be de-chartered, or at least closed down
for a year, probably not allowed to have
their formals for the next four years.
Wofford has been cracking down
lately, and when compared to this mini-
mal response to such a brazen act dur-
ing the 70s, it’s obvious that many things
have changed. Raise a glass for that brave
group of 125 Wofford men of the past –
and ask your dad what he was doing on
March 4, 1974.
VINTAGE OG&B: A look back at the Streakin’ Seventies
by Anna Aguillard, contributor
Photo from the March 4, 1974 Old Gold & Black.
Veryoriginalingoing
backtothearchivesand
combiningtheoldwith
anupdate.Effectiveflow
ofstoryline.Writtenwith
agoodfeatureapproach
andwasslightlytongue-in-
cheek(nopunintended).
PhotofromMarch1974
addedtothestory.

FEATURE STORY
Over 5,000 Division
THIRD PLACE:
The Daily Gamecock
USC
Sarah Ellis
here’s not much day-to-day bustle at
S&S Art Supply on Main Street.
On a weekday last month, owner
Eric Stockard helped a handful of
customers who dropped in throughout the
afternoon — a mother and son buying art
supplies to make crafts for their home-school
lessons, a retired art teacher looking for some
frosted mylar sheets.
Swing music plays on a Pandora radio station
while Stockard’s wife, Amanda Ladymon-
Stockard, amuses their 1-year-old daughter,
Lily, near the cash register.
Rows of colorful art supplies line the walls
below local artists’ paintings. But there are
gaps on the shelves left by many of the store’s
last remaining items that have been sold at
T
Main Street
mainstay
to close
Leah Grubb / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
S&S Art Supply owner Eric Stockard helps a customer choose supplies. The store will close this month.
S&S Art Supply’s last big hurrah
will be at First Thursdays on Main
this week.
Since moving to Main Street
in July 2010, S&S has hosted
local artists for showings at First
Thursdays every month. This
Thursday will feature eight local
artists on display at the store.
The downtown festivities kick
off Thursday at 6 p.m. on the
1400, 1500 and 1600 blocks of
Main Street.
— Compiled by Sarah Ellis,
Assistant News Editor
S&S Art Supply will shut
its doors after 4 years
Sarah Ellis
SELLIS@DAILYGAMECOCK.COM
S&S • 3

FEATURE STORY
Over 5,000 Division
SECOND PLACE:
The Carolina Reporter
University of South Carolina
Kristyn Winch
Tucked in a strip mall beside a Dollar General and a
barber shop, 20 teenagers are spending eight hours of their
Saturday in a classroom — willingly.
They are learning to drive with 911 Driving School, a
private drivers education school in Columbia.
Classes like this one are quickly changing the way teens
learn to drive, which used to mean 30 hours of classroom
instruction through the public school system.
Two years ago, the state allowed high schools to drop their
drivers education programs. Many high schools decided to
provide it anyway, but in a survey a year after the change, 18
of the state’s 85 districts acknowledged that they had stopped
offering drivers education. Other districts may have dropped
it, but no further surveys have been done.
By Kristyn Winch
Staff Writer
Drivers ed. takes new directionAs high schools eliminate courses, private schools proﬁt from a rite of passage
Kristyn Winch / The Carolina Reporter Please see DRIVERS ED page 11

FEATURE STORY
Over 5,000 Division
FIRST PLACE:
The Daily Gamecock
Thad Moore
and Colin Campbell
Keenly observed, funny, insightful. I could
read another 2,000 words of this.

SPORTS STORY
THIRD PLACE:
Old Gold & Black
Wofford College
Evie Kytan
SoCon Mixup
Staff WrterEvie Kytan
The future of the South-
ern Conference is unclear.
Within the past year, the
Southern Conference has
lost three of its 12 member
institutions.
In October, the College of
Charleston accepted an in-
vitation to join the Colonial
Athletic Association. Then
in March, both Appalachian
State and Georgia Southern
announced their departure
to the Sun Belt Conference.
So why have three schools
left the SoCon in the past
year? The answer is simple.
The moves will generate
more money and publicity
for each school.
For Appalachian State
and Georgia Southern, two
of the conference’s top foot-
ball programs, the switch
will catapult the two schools
from the FCS, or the Foot-
ball Championship Sub-
division, to the top tier of
Division I football, the FBS,
or the Football Bowl Subdi-
vision. Now, App State and
Georgia Southern will com-
pete in a bowl postseason,
rather than a playoff series.
“Absent the lure of FBS
football, those two schools
would not have left,” says
Mark Line, Wofford’s as-
sociate athletic director for
sports programs. “The move
was fully football driven.”
Moving to the FBS brings
not only increased revenues
and television exposure; the
chance to play in a bowl
game offers the schools an
advantage in recruiting,
as both schools will have a
hypothetical shot at the na-
tional championship. FBS
schools distribute 85 schol-
arships to 85 different play-
ers. FCS schools, on the
other hand, only have 63
scholarships to spread out
over 85 players, distributed
however their coaches deem
appropriate. With more ex-
posure and higher competi-
tion in the FBS, players also
have a better chance of being
seen by NFL scouts during
their college careers.
The Southern Conference
is typically viewed as one of
the toughest conferences in
the FCS. Now with the loss
of two of the league’s stron-
gest teams, many speculate
how the loss will shape the
future of the conference.
“Ultimately I think that it’s
bad that Georgia Southern
and App are leaving the So-
Con,” says sophomore inside
linebacker Kevin Thomas.
“They are both very good
football programs that com-
pete for championships year
in and year out, which adds
to the prestige of the confer-
ence. With them both leav-
ing, many of us are afraid
that the SoCon’s reputation
will be viewed as a weaker
conference.”
From Wofford’s point of
view, it’s a tough loss. Ap-
palachian State and Georgia
Southern are typically the
two biggest games of the year
for the Terriers; not only be-
cause of the excitement and
build up surrounding the
game, but also because of
the high attendance levels at
those games.
“We are definitely go-
ing to miss the rivalry that
Wofford has shared with
App and Georgia Southern,”
says junior tight end Mi-
chael Harpe. “Usually when
we played one of those two
teams, the game was deter-
mining who was going to
win the SoCon that year.
With these two teams leav-
ing it will leave a consider-
able gap in the SoCon, and
now we are the team that has
the target on its back.”
Both Appalachian State
and Georgia Southern will
be leaving the SoCon after
the 2013-14 academic year,
meaning they get one more
round in the Southern Con-
ference. But for football,
neither school will be eligi-
ble for the FCS playoffs this
coming fall, as both have
added scholarship players in
order to meet FBS require-
ments. Should either Ap-
palachian State or Georgia
Southern finish with the top
league record in the SoCon
in the fall, they won’t receive
the league’s automatic berth
to the FCS playoffs. Instead,
the team that finished with
the next best record gets the
automatic berth. App State
and Georgia Southern will
be eligible for NCAA berths
in all other sports since the
same scholarship rules ap-
ply.
“I do believe that it will
give other schools that have
been in that third and fourth
place slot over the past few
years a chance at making the
playoffs, which is good for
them,” says Thomas.
Wofford players still be-
lieve that the SoCon’s repu-
tation will withstand this
conference realignment.
“It’s still going to be a very
competitive conference with
new teams coming in, and
Samford, Furman and Chat-
tanooga are still here,” says
Harpe. “We will not take
these teams lightly, and we
will continue to work for our
third conference title in four
years.”
The transition for App
State and Georgia South-
ern was a long time com-
ing. For several years, both
schools fan bases expressed
interest in moving to the
FBS. It wasn’t until three
years ago that the Eagles
and the Mountaineers both
stated their interest in leav-
ing the conference. Until
their announcement, FBS
conferences didn’t know the
schools were available. Both
schools had to wait to re-
ceive an invitation from an
FBS conference.
“The only reason the Sun
Belt invited these schools is
because they had holes they
needed to fill,” says Line.
“This is all wrapped up in
the expansion of the ACC
and the Big 10. Those chang-
es have changed the entire
landscape of college foot-
ball. It’s all interconnected.”
For College of Charleston,
the motivation to leave the
Southern Conference was
the same as App State and
Georgia Southern - money
and publicity. However un-
like App and Southern,
Charleston does not have a
football program, meaning
the athletic department re-
lies on men’s basketball to
bring in the majority of the
revenue.
The Cougars are joining
a league that some say “puts
basketball first.” The CAA
is a conference that has be-
come a household name
in men’s basketball after
George Mason and VCU’s
runs to the NCAA Final
Four in 2006 and 2011 re-
spectively. The move gives
Charleston higher name op-
ponents that they hope will
increase their performance
and thus exposure. Unfor-
tunately the problem with
the CAA is the traveling.
The league includes mostly
northern schools, so virtu-
ally every game is a plane
ride away. That’s not just
basketball that has to travel
that far, it’s all sports.
“If Charleston moved to
the CAA thinking the bigger
TV contracts would make
them more money, they’ve
made a mistake,” says Line.
“Their travel budget is going
to be off the charts. Yes there
will be some money, but it
won’t be as much as they
thought it was, or it won’t
cover what they need it to
cover.”
A switch to the CAA
means a likelier chance of
making it into the NCAA
A look at what it could mean for
Wofford and the conference’s future
tournament as an at-large
bid, a difficult feat to achieve
in the SoCon. While the
Southern Conference has
been striving to become a
conference that sends two
teams to the NCAA tour-
nament, the conference has
remained a one-bid league.
The Cougars are also ex-
pected to make the move to
the CAA after the 2013-14
academic school year.
Now, it’s up to Southern
Conference commissioner
John Iamarino and the col-
lege presidents to rebuild the
conference.
“The good thing is that
the SoCon has the right
people working down at the
conference office. The com-
missioner is really smart and
balanced. He really knows
this level of athletics,” says
Line. “We have a lot of con-
fidence that he’ll do the right
thing.”
The future of the confer-
ence though is really up to
the presidents of each mem-
ber institution. The confer-
ence holds a spring meeting
each year attended by the
president and athletic di-
rector of each school. Those
leaders hold the vote as to
who to invite to the confer-
ence.
For now, there is only
speculation about who
will join the remaining
nine Southern Conference
schools. With three leaving
now, it’s likely the confer-
ence will want to replace
those with three more. The
schools many people are
talking about include VMI,
Mercer, Coastal Carolina,
Belmont University, Stetson
and East Tennessee State.
“For Wofford, we’re in
the right spot. We’re at the
center geographically, and
we are surrounded by simi-
lar institutions that we can
compete with,” says Line.
“Our job is to find the right
pieces to this puzzle in order
to make our league as strong
as possible.”
While there hasn’t been
much movement in the
SoCon during the past 10
years, the conference has
historically had to reinvent
itself. The Southern Confer-
ence was at one time home
to many current ACC and
SEC schools.
“Iamarino has been ter-
rific,” says Line. “We have
to give him credit because
he’s working really hard to
try and hold this league to-
gether.”

SPORTS STORY
SECOND PLACE:
Cistern Yard News
Chopper Johnson
“Hustle not enough as App ousts Cougars”

SPORTS STORY
FIRST PLACE:
The Paladin
Furman University
Bryan Betts
“The search for the perfect walkout song”
As good writers do, Betts went beyond the box score to find an interesting little story.
Well-written and funny and probably the only sports story I’ve read that quotes
Taylor Swift. Well done!

SPORTS STORY
Over 5,000 Division
THIRD PLACE:
The Daily Gamecock
USC
Isabelle Khurshudyan
Site of USC’sSite of USC’s
women’s basketballwomen’s basketball
NCAA Tournament 1st &NCAA Tournament 1st &
2nd round games2nd round games
BARRED&
The Confederate flag is not part of Dawn Staley’s
history, but it’s become a major issue in her present.
The South Carolina women’s basketball coach
will never play in Columbia during the NCAA
Tournament as long as the flag hangs atop a 30-foot
pole in front of the State House. Since 2001, the
NCAA has banned the state of South Carolina
from hosting postseason events whose sites are
predetermined.
Because Columbia is not a host, the Gamecocks
will travel 1,620 miles to Boulder, Colo., Saturday
for their first-round matchup with South Dakota
State, despite being the best seed among the four
teams assigned to Boulder.
Just as Staley’s team loses a competitive advantage,
the state misses out on the millions in economic
impact that would come with hosting men’s
NCAA Tournament games. Even as the national
economy has sagged in recent years, cities similar to
Columbia’s size have enjoyed financial benefits from
hosting.
“I understand the history here in South Carolina,”
Staley said. “It’s not my history, but it’s somebody’s
history. I think it prevents us and it prevents me
from doing my job in a place that I choose to call
home. If it creates an opportunity for us not to have
(an NCAA Tournament game at home), then yes,
I’m offended.”
‘Man, that sucks’
Former USC point guard La’Keisha Sutton
remembers thinking it was weird South Carolina
still flew the Confederate flag prominently, but the
New Jersey native had a more animated reaction after
hearing USC could not host because of it.
“My feeling was like, ‘Man, that sucks,’” Sutton said.
“We wanted to play in the South. Columbia has great
support, but they can’t come see us play for what we
worked so hard for during the season because of the
Confederate flag.”
Women’s basketball teams that make the NCAA
Tournament and were previously awarded a host site
are almost always placed at that site. The Gamecocks
traveled to West Lafayette, Ind., last season for their
first NCAA Tournament trip under Staley.
Were Columbia eligible to host first- and second-
round games, it wouldn’t be guaranteed to get them. But
with the $64 million, 18,000-seat Colonial Life Arena,
a nearby airport and ample hotel accommodations,
Columbia would have been a strong candidate.
The NCAA highly values all three of those factors
when picking host sites, said Old Dominion Athletics
Director Wood Selig, whose school hosted first- and
second-round games last year and will host a Sweet 16
and Elite Eight site this year. If USC makes the Sweet
16, it would play at ODU.
“Our philosophy at ODU is we want to host as many
NCAA championship events as we possibly can because
it’s good for our teams if they are fortunate enough to
be participating and able to play on campus,” Selig said.
“It’s great for our fans who have been following the
team or the sport all year long. We feel it’s good for our
community because it brings a lot of economic impact
to the area that would not otherwise occur.”
Selig said the NCAA gets the “lion’s share” of ticket
revenue from host sites, though ODU usually breaks
even or makes a small profit from hosting. But he
doesn’t mind the NCAA taking a big cut from tickets
because hosting allows ODU to enjoy visibility on a
national stage.
Though USC’s women’s basketball team is most
directly disadvantaged by the NCAA’s policy, cities
in South Carolina suffer most from not being able
Isabelle Khurshudyan
IKHURSHUDYAN@DAILYGAMECOCK.COM
1,6201,620
milesmiles
Boulder, Colo.Boulder, Colo.**
**
Columbia, S.C.Columbia, S.C.
STARRED
Brian Almond THE DAILY GAMECOCK
In the spring of 2000, legislation was passed to remove
the Confederate battle flag from the State House dome. FLAG 2
Austin Price THE DAILY GAMECOCK

SPORTS STORY
Over 5,000 Division
SECOND PLACE:
The Tiger
Clemson University
Gavin Oliver

SPORTS STORY
Over 5,000 Division
FIRST PLACE:
The Carolina Reporter
Erin Shaw
Allyoueverneed/wanttoknowaboutthelifeofabaseball! PAGE LAYOUT BY ERIN SHAW
Well, you made it
this far.
You are nestled in
a glove, the pitcher’s
fingers placed
perpendicular to your
seams for a four-seam
fastball. He winds up
and hurtles you toward
an aluminum bat. In an
instant, you are flying in
the opposite direction,
landing in the stands.
A USC student could
pick you up and return
you for a free $5 gift card
to McAlister’s Deli. Or a
child could race to you
and claim you for his
own. If this happens, you
are not coming back.
But don’t fret. You
are one of about 660
dozen baseballs the
University of South
Carolina Gamecocks go
through each year.
One of 7,920.
If all of you were
lined up end to end, it
would be enough to get
a batter from home plate
to first base more than 20
times. The University of
North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, the No. 1 team
in Baseball America’s
preseason ranking, goes
through half that amount
each year.
“We do order a lot of
balls,” said Kyle Lipsey,
the director of baseball
operations at USC. “I
don’t know if anyone
orders the amount that
we do.”
The reasoning is
twofold. For one thing,
Lipsey said, Carolina
Stadium is not designed
for retaining baseballs.
If you are rocketed
over the third base fence,
you will land on a grassy
hill and roll toward the
Congaree River. Gone.
If you are popped on
the right side of first base
or anywhere over right
field, you will smack into
the asphalt on Williams
Street and become too
scuffed and dented to
return to play. Gone.
And if you are fouled
back onto the roof of the
press box or coaches’
offices, you will most
likely end up stuck in the
gutter. See ya.
The second reason
rests with athletic
director and former head
coach Ray Tanner, who
started the custom of
ordering substantially
more game balls than
practice balls. Generally,
teams order lesser-
quality practice balls for
scrimmages and batting
practice, saving the
official Rawlings R1 balls
for games.
“I’m of the mentality
that you want to play
and practice with the ball
you’re ultimately going
to use,” Tanner said. “We
want players to adjust to
real-life conditions, so
when you practice, the
ball should be new.”
The athletics
department orders an
average of 110 dozen
practice balls and
average of 550 dozen
game balls, according
to Lipsey. At around
$5 each, the baseball
budget for the university
would be nearly $40,000,
but the SEC gives the
university a significant
subsidy, Lipsey said,
because the balls
are mandated by the
conference.
But let’s not get
ahead of ourselves. A lot
has to happen before you
make it into a game.
The beginning
You start life as a
small rubber ball with a
cork center. A machine
wraps you in four layers
of wool yarn to fatten
you up and enable you
to bounce back after
being hit repeatedly. Two
figure-eight pieces of
leather are then hand-
stitched together with
exactly 108 stitches to
form your recognizable
red and white cover.
For the Major Leagues,
this happens in one
special factory in central
Costa Rica. You, like
the majority of other
baseballs, are made in
China.
By boat, you
sail from China to
Washington, Mo., a city
just outside St. Louis.
Around
Thanksgiving, you
make your way to South
Carolina via FedEx truck.
You arrive at T and T
Sporting Goods, a family-
owned establishment
across the street from the
state fairgrounds. All the
Gamecock baseballs are
stored here for the year.
Carter Ellis, Jr.
has been working at T
and T for 23 years and
stringently monitors the
baseballs that come in
and out of the store.
“Baseballs have a
tendency to grow legs,”
he said.
Lipsey usually
keeps one to two cases
of baseballs at Carolina
Stadium at a time and
gets more from Ellis
on an as-needed basis.
This way, there is more
space in the Gamecock
equipment rooms and
coaches and players
are deterred from using
more balls than they
actually need.
The arrangement
between the sporting
goods store and the
university–call it a
gentleman’s agreement–
has been going on “since
forever” according to
Ellis, and he alone gives
permission for balls to
leave the facility.
“Nobody knows this
little brick building does
what it does, but we
take pride in doing it,”
Ellis said. “We love each
and every one of our
baseballs.”
The middle
Once you make it to
the stadium’s equipment
room, it’s time to get
rubbed up with baseball
mud. This is meant
to remove your raw
slickness and pearl-white
sheen.
Carter Scheetz, a
sport and entertainment
management student at
USC, carefully removes
your plastic wrapper.
Then he dips his
fingers in a tub of Lena
Blackburne Rubbing
Mud, a unique muck that
comes from a secret
spot on the banks of
the Delaware River in
Delran, N.J. It is dark
brown, odorless and
much more sophisticated
than the infield dirt used
on baseballs in the old
days.
At $43 for a standard
tub, it’s expensive mud.
But a little goes a
long way. It only takes a
small dab of mud mixed
with water to rub up a
ball.
Normally, Scheetz
will rub up five to six
dozen baseballs before a
game.
So now you are
game-day ready. You are
off-white and smooth,
sitting in ball bags in
the dugout waiting to be
warmed up. This is it.
Well, maybe.
Sometimes game balls
don’t even make it into
play. Both pitcher and
umpire can throw out
balls during play if they
don’t like the way they
feel.
On this season’s
team, sophomore
relief pitcher Evan
Beal considers himself
the pickiest about the
baseballs he throws.
Even the most minor
imperfection in a ball can
bother him, he said.
“If I throw a ball
in the dirt and it skips
or gets scuffed, I’ll
usually throw it to the
dugout,” said Beal, who
usually tosses out two to
three balls per inning.
It helps him handle
the unpredictability of
pitching.
Being able to change
the balls out “mentally
makes me feel more in
control.”
If you feel OK to the
pitcher, there’s still a
good chance you won’t
last long. In the Majors,
the life of a game ball
is about six pitches. At
Carolina Stadium, a
game ball could last one
pitch or a whole inning.
You never know for sure.
But let’s say you
make it through a game.
Now you become a
practice ball.
As a practice ball,
you are a little damaged
and worse for wear, but
still valuable. Your job is
to help players perfect
their throwing and
catching.
Coaches hit
grounders and pop
flies to infielders and
outfielders to sharpen
their skills.
You get grass stains.
And dirt scuffs. Your ink
starts to smudge.
The end
Eventually, you
become too worn to be a
practice ball. Your next
stop is the batting cage,
where baseballs go to
die.
Every day players
come in for hitting time,
using you until you start
showing your age and
fraying at the seams. The
synthetic turf grass of the
indoor facility is harsh
on your already shabby
leather exterior. The lip
on the aluminum bat
slices into your loosening
cover. The pitching
machine plucks at your
red stitches.
Such is the life of
a baseball. You may be
able to endure this for
quite some time, but
you finish your days
scratched, scuffed and
busted. They throw you
away.
You’re out.
WEEK OF APRIL 22, 2012 PAGE 5Carolina Reporter
The
SouthCarolina
Vanderbilt
NorthCarolina
Louisville
MississippiState
Oregon
7,920
6,000
3,900
2,400
4,500
1,800
5,400
Arkansas
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th6th
State
The University of South Carolina baseball
team uses more balls per year than most
top-ranked teams in Baseball America’s
2013 preseason poll.
Baseball usage
Preseason rank
Source: Directors of baseball operations at each university
Erin Shaw / The Carolina Reporter
Thousands of USC
baseballs travel a long
road before they are
used, lost and tossed at
Carolina Stadium
Behind
Seams
the
By Erin Shaw
Staff Writer
From start to finish, the lifespan of a University of
South Carolina baseball can be long or short, but
one thing is for sure: there is no shortage of them.
The two-time national championship team orders an
average of 7,920 baseballs per season.
Life of a Carolina baseball
SPECIAL DELIVERY
Baseballs are rubbed with
special mud prior to play. Doing
this reduces the ball’s shine
and slickness. Carter Scheetz,
a student at USC, has been
rubbing up baseballs for the
past two years.
GETTING MUDDY
READY FOR PLAY
DEATH BY BATTING CAGE
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Damaged game balls are reused during practices.
Lesser-quality practice balls and recycled game balls are
eventually taken to the batting cage, where they fall apart.
Gamecock relief pitcher Evan Beal shows how to hold his
favorite pitch, a four-seam fastball, which he can throw
between 90 and 93 mph. Beal admits to being picky about
the feel of the baseballs he throws.
Erin Shaw / The Carolina Reporter
Baseballs are stored at a local sporting goods store under
lock and key before the season. The SEC mandates that all
teams use baseballs made by Rawlings.
Source: USC Athletics

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT STORY
THIRD PLACE:
Old Gold & Black
Wofford College
Elaine Best
If you’re like me and are bad about planning ahead, then you’ve re-
alized that Thanksgiving break is farther away this year than it was last
year. I know many students are kicking themselves for not bringing
more items from home to school, such as more cold-weather clothes,
more shampoo, or — perhaps the most important item of them all —
more food. Like me, we were all planning on having break to pack up
the shorts and bring back the sweatpants. But, seeing as we have to
wait until the end of the month and the temperature is dropping like
your expectations for your future, I’ve come up with some foolproof
ways to survive until Thanksgiving break:
1. Drown your miseries into a Pumpkin Latte. Much like your
straight-A midterm grades, they aren’t here to stay: enjoy them while
they last.
2. Befriend the squirrels on campus. They have much experience
in the art of surviving winter and they are just furry rats. You’re a
human — surely you can pick up on some tips from them (if you’re
allergic to nuts, you may want to skip this step).
3. If the dining area is chilly, make yourself a napkin blanket. Ca-
sually do this by asking someone to pass you a napkin. Continue to do
this throughout the meal. If anyone questions what you’re doing, spill
his or her drink. Proceed to take more napkins to help clean up the
spill, slipping one onto your lap throughout the chaos. If they do not
have a drink, randomly tell them a story from your childhood. Tell
them your grandmother used to be so poor she would make quilts out
of napkins. Your napkin blanket reminds you of your grandmother.
How dare this person judge you!
4. Being cold in the classroom is a different story: if you’re in Mil-
liken, try to avoid the tears of Bio Majors for those will only make
you freeze faster. In Olin, attempt to sit directly under the fluorescent
lights — who knows, maybe you’ll get a tan out of it! In Old Main,
constantly move in your desk to warm yourself up. The old wooden
furniture may make obnoxious creaking noises that could distract
your classmates, but it’s only you we care about. Disregard their learn-
ing experience for your own personal interests.
5. Constantly borrow items from people without the intention
of ever returning them. Do nice things for them on occasion, such
as giving them a set of monogrammed coasters or telling them their
Sperry’s look extra nice that day. This way, you can keep the Keurig
you borrowed for “just that one week” until break.
6. Go to the gym so that you can fit into the only pair of jeans you
packed that you haven’t worn since last year.
7. If number 6 doesn’t work out, see Step 1.
8. Find your secret twin from England whom you met at camp and
make them go to your classes while you hibernate until break.
9. Print off some power point slides for your class to make yourself
feel productive. Quickly grab the warm papers from the printer and
place them on your arms and face. Ignore the judgmental looks from
your peers — they are simply jealous of your ingenuity. Enjoy the heat
while it lasts!
10. For those of you who didn’t pack rain gear and have now dis-
covered Wofford’s lovely rainy season, make yourself a raincoat out of
plastic bags. Not only will you have a thrifty, recycled raincoat, you
will also have endless pockets. Now when your friends want to go
frolic somewhere, they will hand all their belongings to you, making
you stand off to the sides, covered in plastic bags. In the rain. Watch-
ing your friends feel the freedom of packing appropriately. Singing
that one part of Katy Perry’s song to yourself: “Do you ever feel like a
plastic bag?”…
Follow these steps and you’re sure to make it to break! November
may seem like the month that will never end, but now there’s a light at
the end of the tunnel. And don’t worry — at least if you don’t survive,
you don’t have to worry about exams.
The foolproof guide for the unprepared student: getting by until break
by Elaine Best, contributing writer

SECOND PLACE:
The Collegian
Bob Jones University
Carlie Maldonado A group of contestants prepares to perform during the prejudging round of competition on Feb. 16. Photo: LukeCleland
What would you like to see at the tal-
ent show?
“Are they gonna have magic tricks?”
said Dr. Dan Olinger, chair of the Divi-
sion of Bible. “Good juggling is always
nice.”
Seniors on Stage, the first student
event of its kind, will take place Satur-
dayat 7 p.m. in Stratton Hall.Olinger, one
of the event’s judges, is just one of many
people on campus who wonder what to
expect of the show.
He said he will have to get a sense of
how to judge the talents as the competi-
tion progresses and as he sees just what
students have to offer.
Dr. Stephen Jones and Miss Jane
Smith, a professor in the School of Edu-
cation, will also be judging the contes-
tants.
Olinger wants to see something other
than what can be found in a fine arts com-
petition. “Creativity is part of the image
of God,” he said. “The first thing we learn
about God is that he is a creator.”
But while Olinger would like to see a
talent that is completely out-of-the-box, it
would still require some skill and practice
to truly impress him.
“My inclination is to give out awards
that actually mean something,” Olinger
said. “Somebody gets to go to Disney
World. He ought to have brought the
‘stuff’ to earn the trip.”
As for his own secret talent, Olinger
said he throws a football left-handed and
It’s time
for talent
Students to contend
for“magical” prize in
Seniors on Stage
By: CARLIE MALDONADO
Staff Writer
Imagine for a moment that you are a
soldier in combat during wartime behind
enemy lines. You’re lost from your unit,
and you don’t know your exact location.
Night is falling, and the enemy is sur-
rounding you. It seems like there’s no-
where to turn. What should you do? At
this point there is only one thing you can
do -- or continue to do. Call for help.
As Christians constantly engaged in
warfare, there are times when we may feel
deserted or surrounded by the enemy, but
University to break from routine for Day of Prayer
we often neglect what should be our greatest
asset: communication with our leader. God
has promised to deliver his people when
they call upon him. He has promised to hear
our prayers.
Each semester, the University sets aside
one day to devote to prayer. On Tuesday,
Feb. 19, the university family will begin the
day by hearing a challenge from Dr. Bob
Jones III. Then the student body will break
into groups for a more focused time of
prayer, first by society, and then by mission
team interests.
To end the scheduled activities for the
day, faculty and students will reconvene for
a time of worship and praise. A half-day of
rest will follow this last scheduled meeting.
Mr. Kyle Wilcox, special assistant to Dr.
Stephen Jones and one of the coordinators
of the day of prayer activities, said this day
is important to the University’s mission and
that prayer is important in every believer’s
life.
“We’re training students to be disciples
of Christ,” he said. “Having a day focused on
[prayer] highlights the fact that as disciples,
as followers of Christ, communication with
our Father is critical. A disciple has to be
See TALENT SHOW p. 8 »
Janelle Claypool, Rebekah McAnally and Catherine Cleland pause for a word of prayer. Photo: EmmaKlak
By: ERIN KIMBRO
Staff Writer
See PRAYER p. 8 »

FIRST PLACE:
Cistern Yard News
Christina D’Antoni
The writer drew me in from the start
and made me desperately want
brunch in Charleston, right now!
23232323232322322323232333232333232323332333noveoveoveenov mbermbermberbermberbember 2122121221212121221
here’s to brunch:
by CHRISTINA D’ANTONI
FlFlFlliiip the page to read about some oooofff
Charleston’s best brunches!
Lowcountry Style

Over 5,000 Division
THIRD PLACE:
The Tiger
Clemson University
Savannah Mozingo

Over 5,000 Division
SECOND PLACE:
The Johnsonian
Winthrop University
Jennifer Brown
Jennifer Brown
brownj@mytjnow.com
Winthrop’s rendition of the Broadway
musical, “Urinetown,”
opened last Wednesday
night to a full house, and
despite the odd name,
actually did involve
urine.
The play, directed by
Stephen Gundersheim,
marks the theatre
of the year.
The Araea Group
and Dodger Theatricals
produced the play
on Broadway in
September 2001. The
title “Urinetown” creates
some uncertainty.
“I know nothing about
this. I read the description
of what it was about
– they have to pay to pee,” sophomore
psychology major Mari Reeves said.
Some students in the audience, such as
junior sociology major Eboni Ford, came as
event credit.
“I came to the play tonight because it
is required of my class, and I’m in script
analysis,” Ford said. “In my class, they’ve
been hyping the play up a lot, so I’m
expecting the play to go really well.”
Reeves, however, came out of her pure
enjoyment of all things musicals. Despite
the advancements made with technology
entertaining.
“I love musicals,” Reeves said. “I still
think live performances like this are
awesome.”
“Urinetown” gives the audience a glimpse
into a small town. President Caldwell
B. Cladwell funds his own luxuries by
charging his citizens a fee to use the
public amenities. Any rebellion, or illegal
urinating, is met with a trip to the dreaded
and mysterious Urinetown, from which no
one returns.
Cladwell faces a rebellion from the
citizens of the town when his daughter
Hope falls in the love with
the leader of the pee-for-free
rebellion, Bobby Strong.
In addition to the unique
name, another characteristic
sets this musical apart from
Lockstock and Little Sally,
talk to the audience about the
play throughout the entire
show, even mocking the name
and, at times, the characters’
actions. In theatre, this method
of addressing the audience
is referred to as breaking the
fourth wall.
“Urinetown” generated an
almost constant laughter from
the audience. Cast members
told the story of Urinetown
through over-the-top, loud
songs, paired with choreographed dance
routines and facial expressions, ultimately
poking fun at the play and giving the
audience members even more of a reason to
chuckle.
Freshman elementary education major
Anne Marie Maghakian said she has always
had a great appreciation for the arts, but the
actors and actresses themselves caught her
attention.
“The actors and actresses were
phenomenal and exceeded all of my
expectations,” Maghakian said. “I loved
“Urinetown.”’
Although he admits that the play “kinda
had a weird name,” sophomore Travis
Baccene was surprised by his peers’
performances.
“It gives me hope for my generation,”
Baccene said. “There’s a lot of talent at this
school. It was cool to actually learn that.”
The overall consensus from the audience
was that “Urinetown” was a hit, or as
Reeves said, “I thought that it was freaking
amazing.”
“Urinetown” wins over
audience with royal flush
Graphic by Tracy Anderson

Over 5,000 Division
FIRST PLACE:
The Daily Gamecock
Hannah Jeffrey
Star-crossed strangers now connected on Twitter
We’ve all been there.
You’re walking to class, and you happen to make eye
contact with some cutie coming your way, and under your
breath you mutter, “Well, hello there.”
And then you never see that person again.
The soul mate you thought you had for about 30 seconds
has exited your life, never to return. All hope is lost. Abandon
ship. Your life is over.
But before you throw yourself out of your dorm window,
you may want to check out a mysterious new Twitter account
called @USCCrushes, launched this week.
This anonymous account puts the power in Twitter users’
hands when it comes to expressing their true feelings to their
secret crushes.
The two anonymous founders said they do not wish for
their identities to be revealed and would only share that
they are both female and both attend USC. They asked to
remain nameless and would not disclose any other identiﬁable
information.
The Twitter handle was born Tuesday night after one of
the founders saw an anonymous crush account from another
Hannah Jeffrey
NEWS@DAILYGAMECOCK.COM
Users voice secret attractions
anonymously via @USCCrushes
CRUSH ● 2
“To the Amanda in my math class, lord forgive me for
the sins I will commit for you”
“the little cute in cola hall with the freckles, keep doing
what ur doing girl”
“The guy that was wearing orange nikes and walking
from bates this morning...you can get it #hellohottie”
“Ashton. Kutcher. Lookalike. Don’t pretend we didn’t
make eye contact and don’t pretend you didn’t love it.”
@USCCRUSHES
Enjoyed this smart, witty
writing. Sidebar with
tweets is a good addition
to the story. Story has
depth and detail without
running too long and
exhausting the humor of
the topic.

EDITORIAL WRITING
THIRD PLACE:
The Skyliner
North Greenville University
Chelsea Ferguson Call me emoji: Moby Dick
More than 160 years
after its initial publication,
Herman Melville’s iconic
novel Moby Dick has been
restyled for a younger, more
technologically-savvy generation.
The 135-chapter novel is still
a staple in American literature
classes at the high school and
college level. Sitting down
and reading classic literature
word-for-word requires a
If actually reading the book
does not appeal to you, there is
a somewhat pricey alternative.
Moby Dick is in the public domain,
so the entire text is available
online for free. However, you can
pay $40 for a softcover black and
white or $200 for a hardcover
color version of Emoji Dick. This
version is comprised completely
of emojis. An emoji, according
The New
Yorker, is a Japanese pictograph
that can be used in place of
letters or entire words. The whole
novel is written in tiny pictures
rather than in actual words.
It is no secret that the younger
generation is glued to technology.
Phones, tablets and laptops are
almost a part of us, and our
social lives hinge on a screen in
our hands. Our communication
has changed drastically over the
last decade, but does it need to
extend to literature as well? More
importantly, what is the point?
The founder of the Emoji Dick
project, Fred Beneson, explains
his motivations in an email to
The New Yorker, “I’m interested
in the phenomenon of how our
language, communications, and
technology. Emoji are either a low
point or a high point in that story,
soIfeltIcouldconfrontalotof our
shared anxieties about the future
of human expression (see: Twitter
or text messages) by forcing a
great work of literature through
you have it. The project founder
himself is not sure whether or
not this is a high or low point
for technology and literature.
founder should be telling. Taking a
greatworkof literatureasBeneson
said and forcing it through
If readers are not even capable
of reading the actual words of a
novel in English, then an emoji
version does one of two things.
If you actually understand them,
they dumb the literature down
to what is, at best, a massive
picture book. If you do not
understand them, then the task of
translating them is certainly more
as they were actually written.
of Moby Dick reads, “Call me
has a phone, a man’s head, a sail-
boat, a whale, and a hand. Even
looking at the English next to the
pictographs is confusing. If you
are going to read the novel, the
original version would be easier to
understand and certainly cheaper
than the emoji translation.
Other than being an
interesting — if not puzzling —
technological experiment, what
does a book translated completely
into picture-sentences say about
the intelligence of this generation?
weary argument, “If it leads
one kid to pick up some classic
Later, in the same article, Ron
Hogan writes, “People these days
just don’t read much anymore.
That’s why newspapers are
dying, magazine circulation is
drying up, and writing is on
the decline. There’s got to be
some way to make Herman
Melville’s dense, modernist
tome Moby Dick appealing
Hogan and many others are
simply missing the whole point
of reading classic literature.
The point of reading is not only
for entertainment, but also for
education. Pictographs simply
do not cut it. Yes, reading a long
book is time-consuming. So are
school, work and relationships.
We do not stop relating to
people, getting college degrees
or working just because it takes
up time. If we did, we would
have no friends or income, much
less be able to speak and write
like intelligent human beings.
Reading is no different.
Dumbing down books and
new generation gives people yet
another reason to be lazy and
attached to technology. Herman
Melville was not writing for this
generation, he was writing for
people in 1851. That does not
excuse us from taking time to
understand any piece that shaped
the landscape of American
literature. It is not any more or
less important than other classics,
but it does not deserve to be
watered-down to such a base level.
If you are going to take the
time to read, do yourself a favor
and read the original. You might
the words of Herman Melville,
“It is better to fail in originality
Chelsea Ferguson
Assistant Editor

EDITORIAL WRITING
SECOND PLACE:
The Paladin
Furman University
Jacob Zimmerman
“Community, cooperation and the
presidential search”

EDITORIAL WRITING
FIRST PLACE:
Cistern Yard News
Chopper Johnson
Well-roundedcolumnwithstrong
writingandastrongstance.
Writteninawittymannerwithpoints
madeinawaythatisnotoverly
confrontational;yetthepointofthe
editorialstanceisquiteclear.
OPINION
photo by Colin Johnson
In the classic film “Casablanca,” Claude Rains’ crooked
police captain shuts down Humphrey Bogart’s bar by
announcing that he is “shocked – SHOCKED! – to find
that gambling is going on,” as a croupier hands him a
pile of money he’s just won at the roulette table. Sitting
in a recent international symposium on the impact of
cruise ships on local tourist economies, I was baffled
at the number of Charleston residents who seem to be
shocked – SHOCKED! – that cruise lines are in business
to make money.
The symposium, hosted by the Preservation Society of
Charleston, invited speakers to discuss how cruise ship
passengers differ from “land tourists,” and how cruise
lines work to maximize profit. For a city like Charleston,
which is contemplating footing the bill for a new terminal
for Carnival Cruise Lines, the question becomes, “is it
worth it?” That depends on who you want to believe.
In a 2010 report, the State Ports Authority touted job
growth, increased tourist spending and a chance of repeat
visitors to the city as plusses for the proposed terminal.
But most of the SPA’s math was based on estimates,
best-case-scenario math and speculation. A 2012 report
commissioned by the Historic Charleston Foundation
argued that the SPA’s numbers were completely wrong,
and that their estimates, worth-case-scenario math and
speculation were much more accurate.
What is the truth? Well, cruise lines have gotten
rich by scaring cities into building and handing over
terminals, with no long-term contracts in place, and
then doing everything they can to keep their passengers
on board. And, because they are not paying for hotel
rooms, cruise ship passengers spend notably less per
night than land tourists. But, there is a very good chance
that the passengers who come through Charleston to
board cruise would not otherwise be here at all, and
money they do spend on food, drinks and Market Street
souvenirs does not strain the limited number of hotel
beds on the peninsula. The symposium did not address
how much this actual effect has been, because to the best
of my knowledge, no one from a downtown restaurants
association, or a representative of the Market Street
retailers, was invited to speak. If you live downtown in
the summer, you know we have already mortgaged the
city to the almighty tourist dollar. It’s interesting that
the Preservation crowd draws its line in the sand at
cruise ships, and not at, say, a Wet Willie’s in the historic
district along East Bay.
I have nothing against cruise ship passengers (well, no
more than I have against the other 4.2 million tourists
that walk past my front door in a given year), but I do
believe Carnival wants something for nothing. Lock in a
long-term contract, mandate that the ships not serve full
meals while they are in port (which causes more money
to flow into local restaurants and bars) and institute a
voucher system in which each passenger receives, from
and paid for by Carnival, a $25 or $50 voucher to spend at
local shops. The cruise lines have acquiesced to all of these
stipulations before, and they could all work for Charleston
if the SPA isn’t afraid to take a hard line.
The bottom line is simple: If the figures don’t add
up in favor of the city’s economy, don’t be afraid to let
Carnival sail its way down to Savannah or Jacksonville.
But, in a town that has made its recent fortune by carving
up and selling off little pieces of its own culture, don’t
pretend to be shocked that other people are just as cut-
throat about making a profit as you are.
Carnival Conundrum:
Who is shocked by the cruise ship debate?
by Chopper Johnson

EDITORIAL WRITING
Over 5,000 Division
THIRD PLACE:
The Daily Gamecock
USC
Max Stolarcyzk
Student smokers need not worry about ban
USC will be kicking off the
New Year on the right note, or so it
thinks, by helping everyone make
the right choice. Come Jan. 1,
2014, Tobacco Free USC will take
effect and all tobacco products will
be banned from campus.
The much-maligned ban has
been in the works for quite some
time now, as made evident by our
near-weekly lambasting of it. But
we have good news, the pitchforks
can be lowered.
USC left the policy to be
communally enforced. In other
words, you won’t be getting
dragged away by the ear by any
campus police or school officials.
At least, not necessarily, provided
your residual anger over the ban is
kept in check. Moreover, there will
be no tickets issued or changed
patrol habits to enforce the ban.
What a relief. This allocation of
manpower leaves the enforcement
— or complete lackthereof, as
evidenced by the current policy
— of the ban up to our peers.
Should you disturb a fellow
Gamecock, they may be inclined
to ask you for your name and file
a complaint via an online form.
As long as smokers listen to
their mothers and don’t talk to
strangers, the only consequence
will be identification of their
favorite hang-out as a “hot spot”
for smoking. Naturally, frenemies
looking to give you a hard time
can also covertly turn your name
in, but Healthy Carolina is hoping
college students will be a little
more mature.
So, against all odds, your name’s
been turned in. Now what?
First-time violators will have
to report to a workshop for 30
minutes, offered by Carolina
Wellness. Upon the second
violation, you’ll be charged a $50
fine and have to write an essay
regarding the future effects of
their tobacco use. If you so happen
to have particularly bad friends,
or impressively obnoxious tobacco
use habits, your third violation will
necessitate a $75 fine, probation
and required community service
hours or a cessation program.
That’s not all. If you’re reported,
counselors will also ask if you
plan on quitting. Should you say
no, you’ll be required to begin a
cessation program and perhaps
watch a documentary that you’ll
have to write an essay about.
Thankfully, this isn’t anything
an innocent smile and nod can’t
handle.
While all this fuss is a little
troublesome, we’re happy USC
found an thoroughly ineffective
enforcement policy that students
can completely ignore. Though
they may be angry that the ban is
on the books at all, students can
rest easy knowing there’s no way
they’ll actually face consequences
for violating it. The school can tout
its tobacco-free and progressive
policy, and students just need to
make sure they’re not with mixed
company before lighting up.
ISSUE
USC’s tobacco ban will be
communally enforced.
OUR STANCE
Consequentially, it
won’t be enforced, so
everyone can relax.
“While all this fuss is
a little troublesome,
we’re happy USC
found a thoroughly
ineffective
enforcement policy
that students can
completely ignore.”

EDITORIAL WRITING
Over 5,000 Division
SECOND PLACE:
The Johnsonian
Winthrop University
Adarrell Gadsden
Winthrop administration didn’t alert students to the discovery of a dead body onWinthrop campus. -
dena@mytjnow.com
Winthrop administration should have
alerted students about corpse on campus
On Sunday Nov.
7, 2013, the body
of a Rock Hill man
was found on the
outskirts Winthrop
near Cherry Road
behind Lee Wicker
Residence Hall.
The man was not a
student, and is reported to have
died of natural causes after col-
lapsing. While many Winthrop stu-
dents learned about the discovery
of the body through text messages
and pictures from friends, Win-
throp administration did not relay
any message to students about the
discovery of the body.
While there isn’t much that
administration could have done,
alerting students later on in the
day once the body was removed
seems as if it would have been the
more proper course of ac-
tion. Students sent around
-
working over the body. This
means that students did
see the body, and for some,
a traumatic experience. If
someone did see or stumble
upon the body, knowing
that there is somewhere they can
go to talk about what they saw is
important. When the administra-
tion elected not to alert students
that this happened, students relied
on information from friends who
weren’t completely sure of what
happened.
Winthrop has set in place
that alerts students via text and
through phone calls of happenings
on campus or around the campus
365 days a year, such as crimes
that have happened on and around
the vicinity of the Winthrop cam-
pus. Sending out an email under
system after the body was removed
would have allowed students to
receive accurate information on
what happened just outside of Lee
Wicker Sunday morning.
Winthrop administration chose
not to alert students for certain
reasons unknown at this time
about the discovery of the body on
it’s campus. It is known that Win-
throp campus police assisted Rock
Hill Police in securing the area
and removal of the body from the
campus, so it seems that informa-
tion should have been made more
readily available to students. If stu-
dents do want more information
on the situation, they should con-
Adarrell Gadsden

EDITORIAL WRITING
Over 5,000 Division
FIRST PLACE:
The Daily Gamecock
Aaron McDuffie
Scott’s case highlights
government opacity
“It’s critical
moving forward
that our
government
ofﬁcials value
transparency
and remain
accountable to
the public.”
Randy Scott’s tenure as Columbia’s police
chief will end May 1, he announced Monday,
but too many questions regarding his work
and resignation remain unanswered. After
three weeks of taxpayer-funded leave and a
$50,000 state-sponsored retirement package,
Columbia residents deserve more complete
explanations than officials have provided
so far.
O f f i c e r s
f i led l aw s u it s
a g a i n s t S c o t t
t h is year, and
crime continues
to plague Five
Poi nt s. We’re
worried there is
more to Scott’s
d e p a r t u r e
t han has been
announced so far.
Though Scott’s
t i m e s h e e t s ,
his application for retirement and several
other documents were released, The
Daily Gamecock’s request for emails sent
to government officials regarding Scott’s
conduct on the job were inappropriately
dismissed.
We understand some private information
is excluded from the Freedom of Information
Act, but officials should redact sensitive
information, not reject requests altogether.
With a First Amendment lawyer agreeing
the public deserves to know more, our
requests should be reviewed again, and more
information should be released quickly so we
can understand Scott’s situation. It’s critical
in this case and going forward — government
officials claim to value transparency, but
they need to demonstrate it.
Scott cited post-traumatic stress disorder
for his departure, but we shouldn’t have
to take his word for it. He was responsible
for our safety for years, and he’s received
lots of public money. He should be held
accountable and so should public officials
who are blocking information we deserve.
The opacity is frustrating, costly and
dangerous.
This editorial epitomizes the newspaper’s watchdog role in the
community. Well-written and straight to the point, the editorial makes
a convincing case for why anyone reading the piece - student, faculty
member or community resident - should care that government is not
completely forthcoming about the police chief’s departure.

COLUMN
THIRD PLACE:
The Collegian
S.C. State University
Shanaya Edmunds
Everyday some ordi-
nary person comes
up with a brilliant
idea that could possi-
bly change the world.
Sadly, we never get to
experience that life
changing idea be-
cause that ordinary
person thinks they’re
too ordinary of such a grand idea.
This could not be anymore untrue.
The Oprahs and Bill Gates of the
world were once “ordinary” people,
with a brilliant idea. The difference
between them and you is a simple one.
They did not let their fears, and the
many no’s of others stop them from
moving forward.
We are so afraid to fail that we don’t
even try. What’s the worst that could
happen? Yeah, sure it could possibly
not work out and you’d go back to liv-
ing your normal life. Or, everything
could work out and you’d be great! Its
all in how you look at things.
The one thing the world needs the
most (besides love) is people willing
to take risks and chances. There is no
such thing as living safe. Either you’re
living or you’re not.
When you are called from this earth,
how do you want to be remembered?
What do you want the dash between
‘sunrise’ and ‘sunset’ to mean? Do you
want to be able to say, “I made it” or “I
lived like to the fullest extent?”
You only get one chance to do it
right. Go out and start that business
you’ve always talked about. Apply for
your dream job. Move to your ideal
location.
I intend to use the years that I am
blessed with to the best of my ability.
God has blessed each individual with
a gift that we are obligated to use in
positive effective way. Use it. Don’t
look up one day and life has passed
you by. Don’t be forced to sing your
“shoulda, coulda, wouldas.”
Get Out of Your Own Way
Shanaya Edmunds, Columnist
If you would like to contact
Shanaya you may email her at
sedmund1@scsu.edu or stop by
the Student Media Office.
About the Columnist:
Shanaya is a graduating senior double-ma-
joring in Sociology and Psychology. She is
a native Philladephia, PA.
She has been a productive member of
Student Media for three years seving in
several capacities including a staff writer
for Stated, The Collegian and General Man-
ager of We’re Bulldog Television (WBTV).
Currently, Shanaya serves as the presi-
dent of Student Media, a columnist for The
Collegian, a Resident Assistant for Hugine
Suites and Vice President of Psi Chi Na-
tional Honor Society in Psychology.
Before attending South Carolina State
University Shanaya graduated from Strat-
ford High School in Summerville, SC.
As you all may
know I am a gradu-
ating senior and
like most seniors I
am preparing plans
for my future. My
boyfriend and I
decided to get our
own place, which
is a big responsibil-
ity. I had been re-
searching and finding out tons of in-
formation that had never crossed my
mind before.
Last week, we decided to start shop-
ping for furniture. Although a de-
lightful experience, I couldn’t help
but wonder, why do couches cost so
much? Silly, I know, but it made me
think of what my cousin describes as
“growing pains.”
As we grow and go through life, we
will often encounter things that cause
us discomfort and no matter how well
you plan there’s really nothing you
can do about it but deal. I’ve learned
that most things in life are temporary;
whether they are good or bad, they all
have expiration dates.
As I sat engulfed in my own thoughts,
my mind drifted back to the furniture
and I smiled. I smiled because I knew
that right now the price of furniture
makes my stomach hurt but it won’t
always be this way. There will come a
time when the price won’t matter and
that’s what I look forward to.
As we attempt to enter the work
force, we will run into one problem
after another. Some of us will be for-
tunate enough to find work almost
immediately, while others will be
six months post graduation and still
looking. This is all a part of the pro-
cess. We must remain encouraged.
I know that although the job offers
are not rolling in for me just yet, soon
they will. This too is temporary and
will be overcome. Stay positive and
stay open.
Growing
Pains,
I’m sure all of my loyal readers will read this and say hmmm, I’m
sure she has said this before. This is true. As you know, I always
address the graduates and try my best to give them encouraging
words. Being that I will be participating in May graduation, I
wanted to give the graduates words that I live by and I felt that
the letter I addressed to the December graduates was just that.
Forgive me if you feel I could have written something else but I wanted to share
words from my heart:
The time is nearing when you must leave what has been your confront zone of
college and begin your journey through life. For the last 4 years or so, you have
dedicated yourself to academics, social organizations, community development, etc.
Now is the time to begin to create your legacy.
Although the years here at South Carolina State University may have been
challenging, you’ve overcome adversity and made to graduation. Say hello to the
real world. In life there are no do-overs so might it count.
No matter where your journey may take you, whether it be to graduate school or
the work force remember to never stop fighting and to always give your best. You
were designed to succeed. It’s in your DNA. On graduation date you may be caught
in an emotional whirlwind.
You will begin to think of all the memories you have created here at your beloved
alma mater. You will remember your favorite things such as homecoming and spring
break. You will laugh at the times you had to run to class in fear of Mr. Meyers
locking you out of the class and when you tried not to laugh too hard as he told a
student off because they wore shorts to his class.
You will also remember the sad moments here when it was pertinent for the
students to ban together. Take these memories and store them away. Do not be sad
for friends you must leave behind. Just whisper in their ear, “you’re next.”
Carry the values instill in you by your experiences at SC State and allow them to
continue to mold you. Take this world by storm and when it comes to the success of
your future always remember the words of James Baldwin, “Go for broke.”
Give it everything you have. See you soon.
To the May Graduates of 2013 2

COLUMN
SECOND PLACE:
The Collegian
Adam Gingery
COLUMN
By: ADAM GINGERY
Sports Editor
“Anyone want to play
goalie?” Coach’s query met
his young audience like a
profound question stumps
the last section of History
of Civ.
We were the quintes-
sential American junior
high soccer team. We had
the jocks wearing their
Ronaldo jerseys, we had
the video gamers who
showed up to practice with
Hawaiian Punch instead of
water, we had those skinny
guys whose voices hadn’t
begun to change yet, and
we had that fat kid whose
only reason for being there
was that he was the manda-
tory 11th player. The fat kid
raised his hand.
The poor guy, he tried so
hard to keep up in practice.
He really did. His glasses
kept sliding down his round
sweaty face and his pink
cheeks kind of bounced up
and down while he chugged
around the field. He would
usually finish his half-mile
about the time the other
guys were getting rushed
home by their stressed-out
soccer moms who had for-
gotten there was a casserole
in the oven. I think he was
the right choice to play goal-
ie. He definitely couldn’t
run up and down the field
like the other players.
I think we won one or
two games that season, and
I know one of them was
against a school that had a
carpet basketball court. We
also got scored on by a girl.
It happened during our
first game, and one of our
world-class fullbacks caught
the ball with his hands in
the box. I remember how
scared our new goalie
looked as he positioned
himself for the coming pen-
alty kick. The other team’s
best player, a girl (who was
taller than the rest of us
seventh-graders, anyway),
calmly stepped up and put
the ball past him. He kind
of dove at it, but I would put
it more in the category of a
stop, drop and roll.
The thing that really
amazes me about junior
high sports is that someone
had to coach those teams.
Can you imagine volunteer-
ing to do that? I’m so glad
there are some good junior
high coaches out there.
I’ll never forget that
soccer coach, either. He
See COLUMN p. 3 »

COLUMN
FIRST PLACE:
The Collegian
Samantha Loucks
COLUMN
By: SAMANTHA LOUCKS
Editor
“I’m dreaming of a white
Christmas, just like the ones
I used to know.”
That’s great and all,
but doesn’t this dream set
you up for a whole heap
of Christmas disappoint-
ment? What if it doesn’t
snow? And oh, how it teems
with nostalgia! It’s notori-
ous for making you think
that the past was snowy
and perfect and a scene
from It’s a Wonderful Life.
Before you think the
Grinch and I are in ca-
hoots, allow me to explain
my bah-humbug comments
with a few stories.
Illustration No. 1:
Every December, Santa
comes to town and pays
my family a personalized
visit. So yes, I’m proud to
say that Santa and I are
pals, and I have a number
of pictures as proof. For
those who are wondering,
Santa is tall, not-so-round,
and his voice uncannily
resembles my grandpa’s.
Over Christmas break
one year, I was deep in
an attempt to be Betty
Crocker, Martha Stewart
and Rachel Ray by baking
a pumpkin roll with peach
h fill
COLUMN
By: SAMANTHA LOUCKS
Copy Editor
I’ve never been one to
go on a “health kick.” I used
to hold the impression that
people who ate only organic,
all-natural foods free of
genetically modified organ-
isms genuinely thought that
high fructose corn syrup was
nasty stuff killing our insides.
I thought the all-natural idea
was too exaggerated. Did
it really make people that
much healthier?
I especially didn’t find
this organic idea appealing
because I really enjoy my
favorite foods, like red velvet
cupcakes from the Chocolate
Moose and fried mozzarella
sticks from a small drive-in
back home in Indiana.
But about six weeks ago,
I was required to drasti-
cally change my diet, per
my doctor’s orders. I have
an extensive list of 26 foods
that I can’t even think about
eating, ranging from wheat
to citrus and from oats to
coffee.
So those cupcakes and
cheese sticks aren’t an op-
tion anymore. Neither are
Starbucks stops on Sunday
mornings or a pint of Ben
and Jerry’s after a long day.
But instead of pouting
about the no-cupcake rule, I
figured I might as well fully
embrace the healthful side
of life.
In my six weeks of
experience, I discovered a
few things about so-called
“health nuts,” who really
aren’t so nutty after all.
No. 1: It’s about knowing
what’s good for you.
True health-conscious
eaters don’t eat a specific
diet because they feel like
denying themselves of all en-
joyable food. It’s usually be-
cause they have discovered
what’s good for or harmful
to their own bodies.
Some people can eat all
the Red Robin fries they
want. Others just can’t. So
a person who decides to
forego the fries and eat all-
natural isn’t on a healthier-
than-thou kick. They may
just want to take care of
themselves.
No. 2: It’s about research.
If a particular food is
harmful to you, you need to
know if it’s in the food you
eat.
I’m now one of those pro
food label readers who will
pick up item after item from
store shelves searching for a
product with just the right
ingredients.
And some of those
ingredients can be sneaky,
like dextrose, maltodextrin
or citric acid. People who
have certain intolerances
have to do their research
about those easy-to-miss
ingredients.
No. 3: It’s about being
adventurous.
Admittedly, my desper-
ate search for comfort food
eventually turned into an
adventuresome attitude.
Like the time I really missed
freshly baked cookies and
tried vegan, dairy-free,
gluten-free, non-GMO choc-
olate chip cookie dough. But
it actually did the trick. Now
I’m willing to try just about
anything.
For lunch, sometimes
I’ll drink a raw vegan rice
protein shake that is free
of gluten, solvents, GMOs,
See COLUMN p. 3 »
Thetwocolumnswere
verywell-writtenand
hadmehookedinthe
firstparagraph.Gooduse
ofhumorandpersonal
storiestodrawthereader
inandhelpthemrelate
tothesubject.Keepup
thegoodwork!

COLUMN
Over 5,000 Division
THIRD PLACE:
The Tiger
Clemson University
Robbie Tinsley

COLUMN
Over 5,000 Division
SECOND PLACE:
The Daily Gamecock
Ross Abbott
Why not ban students
from eating fried fish, too?
Ross
Abbott
Second-year
business
economics
student
Hypothetical scenario proves
inanity of Tobacco Free USC
Battles abroad deserve peace protests
US citizens remain
oblivious to war effort
Ross
Abbott
First-year
business
economics
student
The year is 2008. Billions of
American tax dollars are annually
poured into military operations to
“flush out” guerrilla fighters, but
no matter how many of them we
take out, more seem to always take
their place. Even more importantly,
thousands of U.S.
s e r v i c e m e n h a v e
been killed or injured
by traps laid by the
enemy in the form of
improvised devices
of death or manned
ambushes.
All this occurs while
the local populous
lives in crippling
poverty, praying not
for food but avoid
getting caught in the
crossfire. Too frequently, these
prayers go unanswered as pictures
of civilians maimed by violence on
both sides are circulated daily by
world presses. With each day that
passes, the war on terror in Iraq and
Afghanistan looks more and more
like this generation’s Vietnam.
And just like with Vietnam,
there’s a strong anti-war sentiment,
both internationally and stateside.
Peace rallies are held almost weekly.
Protesters march in Washington,
D.C., as well as dozens of other
locations across the country. People
are tired of the incredibly high price
they’re paying in a war that has no
end in sight.
A man runs for president and
earns a Nobel Peace Prize, as well
as widespread support from the
peace movement, for his promises
to bring the troops home and put an
end to the war on terror.
Fast-forward to 2013. According
to data published by the Department
of Defense at the end of 2012, the
aforementioned man who ran for
president has made some progress
at following through on his promise
to withdraw from Iraq — the 49,800
troops currently deployed there
represent about 30 percent of the
number deployed when President
Barack Obama took ofﬁce in 2008.
Peace lovers should be happy
some ground has been gained on
that front (even if the complete
withdrawal “within six months” that
was promised still hasn’t happened).
However, they should also feel
betrayed. The troops removed
from Iraq have not come home.
They have been redeployed to
Afghanistan (102,200 soldiers
currently deployed, up 222.4 percent
from 2008) and other countries
throughout the Middle East in order
to support a continually expanding
war on terror.
That last part should scare
everyone. (Take a second to make
a mental list of countries you think
execute their citizens without trial.
Do you want to be included on
that list?) But the surge of troops
in Afghanistan and other countries
should especially upset those peace
protesters who were so active before
the 2008 elections. But there are
no protests, no demonstrations, no
marches — not so much as a rumble
from the anti-war movement.
Protesters, the war on terror isn’t
over, and neither is your war to end
the war. Where did you go?

COLUMN
Over 5,000 Division
FIRST PLACE:
The Daily Gamecock
Evelyn Robinson
During an average week at my
home university in England, I spend
around £30 ($48) on alcohol and
nights out. I’ll go on two nights out,
one with my housemates and the
other with my course friends and
sports teams. We go to pre-drinks,
or we “pre-game” as it’s called in the
States, at around 9 p.m., drink for a
few hours then pile into taxis that
take us to our favorite club.
Leeds University Union has a
1,000-person-capacity nightclub
scene in the basement and two
restaurants serving alcohol on site
too. After my last second-year exam,
I met the History Society at Terrace
and relished the opportunity to let
off steam over a glass of wine. Social
events usually incorporate drinking,
from nights out to pub quizzes to
Otley Runs. The Otley Run is one
of the country’s most famous pub-
crawls that challenges its valiant
participants to purchase a drink in
every pub along the way. Spanning
16 pubs in just more than two miles,
it’s not for the fainthearted. So it’s
safe to say that ever since I became a
university student in 2011, drinking
has always been part of the social
experience.
Since becoming an honorary
Gamecock at USC, I’ve had to find
other ways to meet people, make
friends and have fun. The legal
drinking age in South Carolina
is 21, meaning the prospect of
venturing to Five Points for casual
drinks is filled with the fear of
getting arrested and charged $250.
It’s not just an empty threat either,
as “resident mentors” are employed
in university accommodations
to patrol the corridors and catch
underage drinkers. I’ve heard
stories about students jumping from
balconies at flat parties to escape
the police who were banging on the
front door and of students who got
caught and had to spend the night in
a prison cell.
In October, shockwaves rippled
through the Carolinian community
af ter USC st udent Mar t ha
Childress was shot in Five Points
and paralyzed from the waist down.
It was a massive wake-up call to
everyone about the reality of gang
violence occurring just a few miles
away from campus. Attempting
to get involved with the limited
nightlife scene in Columbia feels
like constantly looking over your
shoulder in fear of those on both
sides of the law. It’s not an enjoyable
experience and is something I ruled
out pretty quickly following my
arrival here.
But despite the occasional pangs
of jealousy I get hearing about all
the crazy nights I’m missing back
home, living a sober student life has
opened my eyes to a new way of life
at university.
All the money I’ve saved from
buying pre-drinks, club entrance
tickets, taxi fares and drinks at
the bar has gone straight towards
weekend trips. It’s very easy to
cushion the blow of losing nightlife
entertainment when America is on
my doorstep. I’ve visited Charleston
and Alabama and I’m writing
this from a 27th-floor hotel room
in New York. I came to South
Carolina wondering what I’d do
about drinking, worrying that
it would define my study abroad
experience and impact my ability
to meet people. In reality, it has
defined my university experience,
but it has expanded my horizons,
forced me to meet more people and
get out and about in the states.
The nature of social events is
also very different at USC. My first
week here consisted of “pizza meet
‘n’ greets,” “ice-cream socials” and
“sports day bonanzas,” compared to
my first week in Leeds that I hardly
remember because I was perpetually
hungover, exhausted and drunk.
But if it wasn’t for the drinking
restrictions here, I probably would
have been spending my time in
bars rather than attending all the
weird and wonderful events the
university has hosted. I’ve watched
live volleyball, American football,
the Homecoming Showcase,
the Step Show and live acoustic
nights. I’ve also attended the 22nd
Annual I Believe Anita Hill Party,
Columbia’s Greek Festival, a gospel
choir performance and had an
enlightening evening watching a
film about first wave feminism at
my tutor’s house. I’ve completed
my first Color Run, canoed on the
Congaree River, learned how to
rock climb and learned how to play
volleyball. I’d rather be going home
with these unique memories than a
hazy blur of alcohol-induced images
in my mind that I can’t quite piece
together.
At a simpler level, being sober has
been fantastic for my health. My
weight is constant and I’ve had no
need for guilt-induced gym sessions.
I don’t miss hangovers and get a lot
more work done in the time usually
spent shriveling up in bed the next
morning. But my favorite benefit
of sober student life is that I’ve
actually become a morning person,
waking up naturally at 7:30 a.m.
every morning. My head is clearer,
my bank account is healthier and I
feel more in control of my life than
I have for years.
I’m going home for Christmas
and I may well eat my words.
The temptation of white wine,
mulled wine and cocktails might
just pull me back into that crazy,
unpredictable drinking lifestyle.
But I hope that at least some of the
lessons I’ve learned about sober
student life will remain. I’ve loved
that the best memories I’ve had
here haven’t depended on anything
but new experiences, insightful
conversations and great company.
— Evelyn Robinson, second-year
English and History international
student
Being sober can be fun, too
Good memories made
without alcoholic haze
Since becoming an exchange
student at the University of
South Carolina, I’ve noticed
profound differences between
s t u d e n t l i f e i n E n g l a n d
compared to the states. There’s
been talk of a tobacco ban on
campus, but no one has really
been sure whether it’s already
implemented or if it’s a definite
proposal for the near future.
Then on Tuesday, students and
staff received an email from
President Harris Pastides that
confirmed our suspicions and
brought the ban to fruition.
As a non-smoker, I believe
that the ban is a violation of
rights and a worrying example
of how paternalism will continue
to encroach upon the experience
of students at USC.
I agree that USC has made
positive changes to life on
campus. I take advantage of the
fantastic salad bar in Russell
House and love working out at
the Strom Thurmond Fitness
and Wellness Center. I’ve been
to the farmers market a couple
of times and made some healthy
home-cooked meals from the
variety of food that it offers.
But these changes are giving
students the choice to opt in to
living a healthy lifestyle, where
imposing a ban is taking away
their choice altogether. I don’t
see how a tobacco ban is “the
next step.” Rather, I see it as a
step backwards from the positive
measures USC has already made
to encourage healthy living.
I’m interested to see how USC
is planning on implementing
such an extensive policy. If it’s
anything like drinking laws in
the states, those who smoke
already won’t stop smoking;
they’ll just become more careful
of getting caught.
As a British exchange student,
I’m even more shocked by
the ban, because it is so alien
c o m p a r e d t o e v e r y t h i n g
I’m used to at home. If the
University of Leeds tried to
implement a tobacco ban there
would be outcr y f rom t he
student body, flyers plastered all
over campus, protests outside
the Parkinson Building’s steps
and online petitions flying into
inboxes everywhere. Going to
university in the U.K. is about
student-based decisions and
student rights. The right to
make choices defines our entire
university experience, because
it allows us to be accountable
for our choices and learn about
the consequences ourselves.
Imposing a tobacco ban is
taking away the right to choice,
something I believe is a crucial
aspect — if not the crucial
aspect — of going to university
in the first place.
The ban seems even more
nonsensical in light of South
Carolina state laws. It will
expect students to stop smoking
on campus when they can legally
light up a cigarette almost
anywhere else in South Carolina.
Banning the use of tobacco
on campus is segregating the
university from other aspects
of adult life in the state and
i s m a k i n g t he u n i ver s it y
experience in Columbia even
more of a bubble compared to
the rest of the city. Going to
university is meant to be the
linchpin of transition to the
real world, not a continuation
of hierarchical, paternalistic
protection from it.
The expectation that students
at USC are to stop smoking on
campus is a violation of choice in
the one place where independent
choices are supposed to be
nourished. If USC is going to
respect their students as legal
adults, this must include the
right to smoke, regardless of its
effects.
international English and history
student
Tobacco ban unnecessary, paternalistic
Sanction incongruous
to college experience
Study abroad experience unpredictable
When I started applying to
study abroad last October, many
of my friends looked at me like
I was mad. Some of them told
me that they couldn’t have done
it themselves because they’d
miss their families and friends
too much, and they couldn’t stop
asking, “Won’t you get homesick?”
It wasn’t until I attended a
pre-depart u re informat ion
session at my home university
that I started to really think about
how much I’d miss home. The
Student Counseling Centre at
the University of Leeds created
a graph that predicted how study
abroad participants would feel at
various points in the semester,
including illusively named
“disintegration” phases. I left the
lecture feeling pretty intimidated
but largely skeptical that someone
who had never met me had tried
to predict how I would feel six
months down the line.
Today, I look back on the graph
in light of how I experienced
culture shock, and its dramatic
suggestions still don’t resonate
with me. It doesn’t do studying
abroad any justice by referring
to a brief post-arrival period as a
“honeymoon stage.”
With America on my doorstep,
the buzz I experienced after I
arrived lasted far longer than just
a “honeymoon.” The prevalence
of Southern hospitality in South
Carolina has meant that a friendly
face and pleasant conversation
are always nearby, throwing the
counselor’s graph for a loop.
That’s not to say hospitality
cures everything. I was taken over
detail after detail of drinking laws,
during which I was particularly
shocked to hear I could even be
fined $250 if I was stone cold
sober but found in the presence
of a drunkard. It was the second
time I’d left a study abroad
“orientation” feeling more like an
outsider than ever.
A s f o r m y a p p a r e n t
“disintegration,” halfway through
the semester I wasn’t bundled
up in my room looking through
nostalgic photos and pulling my
hair out for want of a decent cup
of tea. I was on a weekend away in
the beautiful city of Charleston,
sightseeing and sunbathing with
a group of 15 internationals. Not
once have I felt “disintegrated” or
like I wasn’t part of the brilliant
institution that’s taken me under
its wing.
But my biggest issue with the
graph is that the “independence
stage” is placed right before the
coming home stage. The day I
waved goodbye to my family and
my boyfriend in August was one
of the hardest days of my life,
and it was from that day forward
that the independence stage had
already begun. What the graph
doesn’t say is that culture shock,
homesickness and feelings of
independence collide and happen
all the time. They never stop.
I appreciate that the counseling
center was trying to reassure us
with the prospect of predictability,
but I’ve since learnt that the
greatest challenge of studying
abroad is being open to the
possibility of the unpredictable. I
spent months watching YouTube
videos of American football games
and tourist information adverts
in a futile attempt to prepare
myself for what I was about to
encounter. Little did I know that
USC is actually nowhere near the
beach and there isn’t a crazy “I’m
Shmacked” party happening every
weekend.
How you feel when you study
abroad will depend on who
you are, where you go and the
people you meet. Every study
abroad experience is different,
and getting used to its constant
ups and downs is all part of the
challenge, and part of the fun.
The whole point of studying
abroad is that it’s an unpredictable
experience that will take you out
of your comfort zone — one that
can’t be plotted on a graph.
English and history student
Phases of
assimilation blend
together
Evelyn’s columns were an
exceptional example of using
personal experience to not only
entertain but also make the reader
think - very well-written and
insightful pieces.

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