According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, on any given night, 672,000 people are homeless in the United States. To most, this is just a number. It doesn’t have a frail body, sad eyes, a growling stomach or cold, bare feet. One USC student, however, has seen the reality of this statistic.

It’s like something out of a futuristic society. A new local business venture has put the power of knowing where law enforcement is hiding into the hands of the people—a backwards “big brother.” The brainchild of USC student Alex Waelde, DrinkingTicket, has quickly grown into more than just a crowd pleaser to many Gamecocks; It has become a weekend necessity.

South Carolina’s Midlands grapples with a low literate population, an issue so great that over 150,000 adults in the region cannot read and comprehend the newspaper.

Give your thumbs a rest and see what else your phone is affecting.

Did you hear about this Friday's rave?

Columbia's BIG problem

New Year’s. Fourth of July. Thanksgiving. Christmas. These are all major national holidays, but which is unlike the others?

Take a closer look, and you’ll find that of these — and of all 10 public holidays established by U.S. fFederal law — Christmas is the only one with religious significance.

When was the last time you tried out a new restaurant or shopped at a new store?

 

A lot of students live in a bubble. We limit ourselves to shopping and eating within the confines of Five Points and the Vista. We run into the normal weekend crowds and visit the same restaurants and stores. After almost three years at USC, I am guilty of this as well. In an effort to branch out, I discovered what West Columbia has to offer. Whether you are looking for a new spot to grab Sunday morning brunch, a bargain store to hunt for the perfect DIY project or a venue to expand your musical taste buds, check out what lies west of the Congaree River, the other side of Columbia.

I like what I’m seeing around campus this year: rollerblading in front of Russell, boys in neon windbreakers and girls with floral tights and scrunchies. On TV, there are reminders of childhood with the re-airing of classics including “Doug,” “Kenan and Kel” and “Clarissa Explains It All.” Facebook groups with names like “The ’90s Are All That” have hundreds of thousands of followers, and #MarkMcGwire and #BFFnecklaces are trending on Twitter. The 1990s are back in a big way, both in popular culture and at USC. With the graduation of the class of 2012, the last of the ’80s babies will move on, and this new generation of children born in the ’90s will officially rule the school (and, very soon, the world). These are what adults call “the best years of your life,” and given the breadth of technology and social networking at the ’90s generation’s disposal, it’s hard to argue this sentiment. And yet—what is it about Bel-Air, snapback caps and dreams of orange soda that inspire the students of tomorrow to turn to the past?

Feature: A-Z Summer List