The University of South Carolina is an incredibly diverse school full of different religions, political views, social opinions, and American Idol picks. Try finding two people on this campus who can agree on every single thing.

That’s something that makes USC one of the best. We are diverse and proud of it, and not only that, we learn from our diversity.

This past weekend, I was astounded by the sheer sense of community through campus after the injury of the football team’s running back, Marcus Lattimore.

There was something about this moment: something about every USC student coming together to show Lattimore just how much we cared about our fellow Gamecock. They were prayers sent out about the status of injury in hopes he will return to the field upon recovery, cards signed and sent, and the Birthday & Get Well party on the Horseshoe in front of McKissick.

All of the efforts made me even prouder of the college that I’m attending - for the entire campus populations, from staff to students, to be able to show such a major outpouring of support for a student and player was a great reminder to me, and to everyone, that we’re one big family.

Great cheers towards the Tennessee players right after Lattimore’s injury occurred, as splashes of orange mixed in with garnet surrounded Marcus, giving him immediate support right. It was an excellent show of sportsmanship.

Also, the kind words that were said by Dabo Swinney, head coach of the Clemson football team. Even though we’re rivals with them, at the very end of the day, we’re South Carolina football fans.

Swinney’s admission to Lattimore’s ability as a player and the strong hope that he will return and continue his career also served to remind us that we’re all hoping for the same thing: that Lattimore heals and get back on his feet as quickly as possible.

Not for the team, not the points, not the wins, but for the man himself. Lattimore is a football player, and to be knocked out, yet again, is devastating.

Here’s hoping for Lattimore’s swift healing and to his return to the game!

Image Source: http://blacksportsonline.com/home/2012/10/south-carolina-rb-marcus-lattimore-suffers-serious-leg-injury-vs-tennessee-video/

When you find yourself at Williams-Brice Stadium in a sea of fans that seemingly belong, don’t let yourself stick out in the crowd. Accomplishing this entails hating a rival team that you’d never heard of until logging on to Ticket Return. It entails pretending to know those annoying cheers that you ignored at First Night Carolina. You have to do these things because football in the South is a way of life — and even if it’s not your way of life, you should pretend. Even if you’re just bullshitting.