My parents always tell me, “Once you put something on the Internet, it will never go away.” Not until I started looking for a job and was questioned about what my online persona says about me, did I realize the relevancy of that statement. Nowadays everyone is on social media, including moms, preachers, teachers – and most importantly the people you haven’t met yet. While Facebook and Twitter can be a helpful source of social networking, it can also be a wrecking ball to your reputation.

 

Even though we all know it’s generally accepted to drink in college, it’s still not something your future employer wants to see. To all the people that think they’re automatically safe because their profile is set to private, I say good luck to you my friend! Nothing is off limits these days. Google employees once posted that, “Your online identity is determined not only by what you post, but also by what others post about you.” Most of the time your first impression is your only impression, so how can you be sure that your personal life won’t get in the way of an opportunity? Though I can’t guarantee your success, I can help you build a better you…at least online.

 

 

The Google General Idea

• Stalk yourself! Google yourself and review what pops up. If you run across something you don’t want others to see, you can visit Google’s reputation management tool called Me on the Web. This handy little device helps you separate your online identity from your real one. It connects links from your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts to keep track.

 

 

LinkedIn

 1. A site made specifically to get ahead in job searching and make connections. There are still What Not To Do’s. LinkedIn experts say not to use status updates or post pictures. Another big one; Do Not list your Facebook or Twitter page as one of your 3 websites.

 

2. Select a profile photo that reflects the most responsible and professional side of you. It should be simple and clearly show your face. Note to self: the picture of you jumping into the ocean from spring break 2013 is not right for LinkedIn.

 

 

On to Facebook

1. Some people may think they’re sneaky by changing their name or the spelling of their name while job hunting, but Facebook is designed so you can search people by their email, school or network.

 2. Pictures say a thousand words. Look back through the 5,200 something tagged photos and pretend you are an employer. Judge and critique your every little move.

 

3. The Red Cup stigma, that little plastic red cup really does say it all, without saying anything. Even though you may only be drinking Grandma’s famous sweet tea, everyone else assumes your drinking alcohol. It’s just engraved in our brains at this point. So, DELETE!

 

4. Once you’ve gone through and deleted any and all incriminating pictures, it’s time to check that status update a year ago where you subtly called your ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend a bitch. It’s time to grow up and get rid of all the comments referring to drinking, drugging and dissing.

 

5. Check your About section and make sure it shows only the best side of you. Be cautious of posting strong political beliefs or commentary. Stick to being short, simple and direct, they don’t need to know your opinion on every little thing.

 

 

Twitter / Instagram

 Considering the only thing you can do on these 2 sites is upload statuses and pictures this should be considerably easy, right? Not necessarily.

 

1. Once again, drinking and saying you’re hung-over doesn’t make you seem like a handworker. Also, get rid of all offensive language and by this I mean curse words, sexual innuendos and drinking.

 

2. Retweets aren’t off limits, be careful what you retweet because it still reflects you.

 

3. Debating what tweets to delete can be hard. It’s obvious you shouldn’t talk about getting plastered or doing drugs but what about the tweets that say “I’m such a procrastinator” or “I hate work”. These don’t help you either. No one wants a lazy, procrastinator working for them, so in the future try to talk about all the good things you’re doing and how hard you work!

 

 

Blogs/Tumblr

• Blogs are a great way to show off your writing skills, and a convenient, in your face way to voice your opinions. Just know that each post is a reflection of you. If you are looking for a career where strong opinions are valued, than a personal account can help an employer see the passion and thought process behind your choices. If extreme opinions are not as welcome, keep post topics related to your career or generalities. Tumblr, probably the most popular blog site, is particular in their privacy settings. Unlike most other sites, you are not allowed to make your default blog account private. A way to get around this is to make a second blog a password protected blog account and post your sassy opinions there.

 

Some of these instructions may seem harsh, and that’s because it’s meant to be. Many bosses consistently check Facebook under a pseudonym to make sure employees are in line. You may never know who’s looking at your sites, but you can control what they see. It’s the 21st century; online personas can be what makes us or breaks us.

 

Ninety percent of the time that I tell my friends I’m headed up to my office, it’s followed by, “Garnet & Black has an office? Where?” At this point, I’m pretty certain they’re convinced I’m lying. Arguably the Narnia of USC’s Student Union, the Student Media wing lies behind a deceivingly small glass doorway adjacent to the Carolina Styles Hair Salon. Yes – there is a hair salon in Russell House.

The first door you’ll encounter on the right is that of the Student Advertising office. Here you’ll find most of the Student Media “bros.” This is where a team of hand-picked students work to make sure the rest of us can afford to do what we do. In and out of the office on sales calls, the ad representatives are usually the better dressed of us, often sporting business casual blazers and pencil skirts. This is good news to us because if it were up to me in my Under Armour spandex post-workout, we probably wouldn’t have been able to afford to print this fourth issue.

Next you’ll stroll past the faculty offices of Business Manager Kristine Capps, Advertising Manager Sarah Scarborough, the Director of Student Media, Scott Lindenberg and Creative Director Edgar Santana, who are all generally friendly faces (depending on the severity of whichever insane crisis we students conjured up that day). If Student Media were a human body, these people would comprise the system in charge of breathing (note: I’m not a science major).

Split into two spacious rooms for production and news, the Daily Gamecock staffers work literally around the clock to produce the fine reading material you peruse every morning during your Einstein bagel breakfast or extended bathroom break. With plenty of student shenanigans to cover daily, writers, editors, photographers and designers can be spotted at every school event, yet few know where the publication all comes together. Bringing in $550, 000 of revenue each year, DG is the Godzilla of Student Media segments.

Tucked away in a room slightly larger than Harry Potter’s with a lot of fancy equipment I can’t begin to comprehend, is SGTV, or Student Gamecock Television. With shows like Capital City Sports, XTOX and Talk of the Town, SGTV produces much of the broadcast materials shown on USC’s Campus Channel 4. Having won several awards, this team of talented students is always camera ready to snag interviews with campus celebrities and peers seeking their very own 15 minutes of fame.

I won’t spend much time painting a picture of Garnet & Black’s space for two reasons: One, if you’re reading this article, you’ve got a pretty good grasp on our finished product (pun intended) and two, since you probably imagine our office being run much like the one in Devil Wears Prada with plenty of high-fashion and Starbucks, a room full of Mac desktops and old yearbooks will probably be a little disappointing to you.

Lastly, tucked away at the end of the hall is the magical music haven known as WUSC. Operating almost as its own separate entity, student DJ’s can be seen coming and going between the hours of 8 a.m. to... well, 8 a.m. With live programming run nearly 24/7, WUSC can be heard blaring campus-wide in cars, headphones and dorms on 90.5 FM. Whether you love opera, jazz or rock and roll, there’s something for every music connoisseur on this station (unless, of course, you’re looking for hits off the iTunes top 100 list).

No matter what your calling is, there’s something for nearly everyone up in Student Media. Although we may look the part, in reality most of us have no idea what we’re doing, so don’t ever feel shy about stopping by. Even in the wee hours of the night, there’s likely some poor nocturnal soul to keep you company up here.

By: Kalyn Oyer

 Though our focus here at Carolina is on the glories of fall football season, spring’s arrival doesn’t mark an end to rooting on our Gamecock athletes. Along with spring’s main sport of baseball, USC hosts a whole crew of club sports. Two such teams, men’s rugby and the men’s ultimate frisbee team, are not only accomplished on the field but are making an impression on the Columbia community off the field.

Ultimate Frisbee

The Ultimate Frisbee team at USC travels across the southeast and has even been all the way out to Colorado to compete in large-scale tournaments throughout the year. They boast a pretty solid record, finishing 7^th in the Atlantic Coast division in 2012. The team will be featured this season on the leading ultimate Frisbee site, Sky’d Magazine, and has had a member advance to a spot on the All-Region team. Although they boast an impressive record, the club players don’t just spend time travelling the country and winning games. They focus on two main areas that bring the sport back to Columbia: hosting a local college tournament and hosting an intramural league.

The local college circuit tournament that the USC club team hosts brings local colleges together to focus on the sport and join in friendly competition.

“We want to create a community so every ultimate-loving student can experience what we do: tournaments, camaraderie, glory, defeat, and getting to wear a jersey on your back that means something…we’ve got some pretty sick jerseys too,” says team captain and fourth-year marketing and entrepreneurial management major, Alex Abel.

The team is looking to bring that sense of community back home to the USC campus. As another project, they host an intramural league open to community members, friends and alumni. And as most college league competitions are out of town, this spring, the team plans to host Clemson for a one-night expedition game, bringing the historic rivalry to campus once again.

“As a senior, and speaking for all the other seniors on the team, our goal is to win. You always want to be the best team there ever was, and that would mean getting past quarterfinals in the regional championship. Our main goal is to be the obvious number one source any new student goes to when looking for Ultimate at USC,” explains Abel.

The team wants to involve students and spread awareness about what it is like to be a part of this club sport.

“We really want to get the word out to students of what we are about. The team can be very intense at times, but the more commitment we receive the more depth we will have to help accommodate those that want to train and play for the title and those that just want to have a good time. We want students to know that we are very welcoming and accept all levels of skill and interest. While we do wish to do well in our competitive season, one of our main goals as a club is to help grow the sport we love and share it with our school,” Abel says.

Getting involved is as simple as showing up at practice and introducing yourself.

Men’s League: Gamecock Ultimate

: Mon. & Thurs. 7-9pm @ Strom

: Wed. @ Strom

Pick-up: all throughout the weekend

"Gamecock Ultimate" Facebook page

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Rugby

 Tackling, diving to the ground, running up and down the field - what more perfect sport to replace football than rugby? To get your Gamecock fan fix, check out this club team as they strive to qualify for the Southeastern Rugby Championship. The oldest club sport at USC, rugby started in 1967 and has only grown and excelled since.

Rugby players are known to be tough and aggressive on the field, but the team has found a way to give back - participating in multiple philanthropic activities year-round.

The team often participates in sanctioned Relay for Life events, has sold “Cocks against Cancer” wristbands and gone so far as to hold a player auction to raise money. In 2010, the team raised roughly $8,000 for the organization. Since then, the team has continued their strong support to this cause, raising a three-year total of almost $35,000 for the American Cancer Society.

To support rugby within the Columbia community, the USC team works with the South Carolina High School Rugby organization, which was founded by a team alumnus.  Men’s rugby seeks to host several matches to local “ruggers,” providing fields, facilities, equipment, referees, and “Man of the Match” awards for outstanding players both on and off the pitch.

Through their Rookie Rugby program, the players aim to promote the sport of rugby to a younger age group. The USC team donates equipment to various Midlands elementary and middle schools to incorporate rugby fundamentals into their PE curriculum. In addition, they have supported numerous promotional events to endorse health and wellness amongst local youth.

“Our investment into Rookie Rugby helps to expose high school students to the game at a young age and prepare them for collegiate play in the future. Additionally, the program for elementary and middle school students helps to give children the option to choose rugby over more popular sports such as football, soccer, or baseball,” says team captain and fourth-year human resource management student, Tim Holkenborg.

The community service doesn’t just end there. The team works to reach out and support other organizations’ philanthropy events. Each year, Carolina Rugby plays in Kappa Kappa Gamma’s annual flag football tournament, participates in the Carolina-Clemson blood-drive and “McHappy Day” for the Ronald McDonald House charity.

With all this service, it’s surprising these players have any time to…well, actually play!

Men’s Rugby

Tues. & Thurs. 7-9 pm @ Strom Rugby Field

: 3/2 @ 1p.m. v. ECU @ Strom Thurmond Field

Contact: uscrugby.org

 

 

 

By: Carman Fowler

Each spring, the city of Camden, South Carolina plays host to around 65,000 people donning bow ties and Lilly Pulitzer  along with some of the best jockeys and Thoroughbreds that have come to watch and participate in the Carolina Cup, the largest steeplechase horse race that began over 80 years ago.

Held at Camden’s historical Springdale Race Course, the 600 acre property was deeded to the state by Marion du Pont Scott under the stipulation that it continue to be solely for equine use. In addition, Mrs. Scott requested that the races raise money for the Kershaw County Health system of hospital and healthcare centers. To date, the races raise around $90,000 a year to help provide better equipment and services to the citizens of Camden and surrounding areas.

Camden is known for its exceptional training of racehorses and young Thoroughbreds, and many of the horses that are trained in the town’s facilities become future participants in the prestigious race. The town occasionally becomes the permanent home of retired champions as well.

In order to keep out of trouble, there are a few things to remember:

Do not drink and drive, know your limits and don’t get too drunk. A little drinking is fun, but too much can lead to an arrest. Besides that, combining drinking and a hot South Carolina day can lead to unfortunate consequences. Even if you aren’t drinking, remember to stay hydrated - heat stroke is a definite concern. Staying safe and out of trouble is as simple as using your common sense.

Tickets can be purchased either from the Carolina Cup Racing Association Office in person or over the phone at (803) 432-6513 or (800) 780-8117. You can also purchase them from the Colonial Life Arena over the phone at (803) 576-9200 or from the online store.

At the post: The point at which horses gather before the start of the race

Blow out: When a roughy wins

Bog: A severely rain affected track

Break: The start of a race

Field: All the horses in the race

Hacked up: When a horse wins easily

He gave him a cold: When a horse flashes past another

Mud lark: A horse that likes wet tracks

Roughy: A horse with long odds

Scratch: When a horse is withdrawn prior to the race

Swooper: A horse that comes from the back of the pack during the last part of the race

Do’s and Don’ts

By: Sarah Martin

Do:

1. Invest in Lilly Pulitzer or Southern Tide.
2. Like “Carolina Cup Racing Association” on Facebook to keep up with official updates and information.
3. Brush up on racing terms:

• “Gait” refers to the manner in which a horse moves
• “Handicapping” means evaluating a horse’s past performance to predict the outcome of the race.
• “Groom” is the caretaker of a horse, not to be confused with what you’re pressuring your boyfriend to be.
• Take plenty of pictures. How many times in your life will you be able to wear a huge, floppy sunhat and pretend you’re somebody?
• Take advantage of everything the event has to offer. Watch the races, shop the tents, meet new people, and have fun!

 Do Not:

1. Drink too many mint juleps before the races even begin; you want to remember these moments, rather than remembering stumbling onto the horse-trodden dirt.
2. Participate in public displays of affection. Remember, Instagram is your friend, #gamecockmakeout is not.
3. Pig out on too many southern hors d’oeuvres. Salty food dehydrates the body and will leave you in dire search for water.
4. Believe your skin is invincible to the sun’s rays - those sunhats are tradition for a reason. Wear plenty of sun block and bring sunglasses.
5. Gamble away your college savings on the races. You may think Spy in the Sky* is the clear winner, but Lonesome Glory* may make a comeback and cause you to lose your study abroad cash.

*Both are real names of past winners. G&B could not make that up.

 

 

By: Tierra Edens

Do you ever wonder why more students aren’t talking about their visit to President Pastides’s house on the Horseshoe? Although many of us pass by the historic home daily, I always imagined that showing up unannounced would result in being carried off by security guards in suits. As long as I’ve been a student here, the president’s house always seemed off limits. I made it my mission to get behind those doors and check out the Pastides’s digs for myself.

After scheduling an interview with Mrs. Pastides, I arrived at the house and rang the doorbell. Before entering, I was asked to identify myself so I announced my name, affiliation with Garnet & Black and my appointment with the First Lady to Lisa, the house manager. She escorted me into the living room and offered me tea and cookies as I awaited Mrs. Pastides.

As I sat, I noticed that the living room was immaculate.  It reminded me of a former time period but with a modern southern feel. Glancing around the room, I observed a piano thoughtfully placed in the corner, family photos, hanging portraits on loan from the Caroliniana Library, and a corner near the front window filled with photos of well-known figures President Pastides has met during his time at USC. I also recognized the marble-topped, oriental coffee from the online virtual tour.

Minutes later, Mrs. Pastides floated down the staircase, greeted me with a warm smile and immediately made me feel welcome. We then embarked on my own personal tour, starting with the second floor. On the second level, one of the first things I saw was the chair John Paul II sat in when he visited the president’s house in 1987. Also on the second level was the Reception Room, which Mrs. Pastides remarked offers the best view of the Horseshoe along with the Faculty Awards. Professor Book Publishing Receptions are held in this room during Christmastime and she invites local children to come and hear holiday stories as she reads aloud.

The remainder of the three-story home is full of high ceilings, original windows from its development in 1854, winding staircases, well-decorated rooms, and wooden floors.  It’s a dream home; but if you aren’t sold yet, next we ventured to Mrs. Pastides’s pride and joy - her garden.

Outside the house (during the winter) are rows of kale, collards, cabbage, asparagus and arugula. These delectable veggies are sometimes used for on-campus events, and at the end of each school term, the excess is often donated to the Harvest Hope Food Bank. Also, for those with a green thumb interested in growing their own garden, there are twenty raised beds alongside the Pastides’s garden that faculty, staff and the Outdoor Recreation club can use to cultivate their own vegetables.

When I asked why the president’s house doesn’t offer regularly scheduled tours, Mrs. Pastides explained that she and President Pastides host over 200 events a year and are always breaking down or setting something up. Many of these events do involve students, including those selected for the Presidential Ambassadors Program.  Ten to fourteen students apply and are chosen to help out with the events Mr. and Mrs. Pastides host throughout the school year.  They help greet guests, making them feel at home and are an integral part of the welcoming atmosphere.

If you have the opportunity before you graduate, I strongly suggest you make a visit to the president’s house. The landscape, vegetable garden, stories and, most of all, the company and hospitality make it well worth it. Mrs. Pastides said it herself, “Anybody can ring the doorbell.  Come and ring the doorbell.

Everyone knows that football is huge at the University of South Carolina. This season, however, dedicated fans got to witness the unveiling of one of the most massive renovations in Williams-Brice history. The university proved its dedication to having one of the best programs in the country by installing a multi-million-dollar jumbotron.

Third-year theatre student Jane Hearn stage-manages the psychologically thrilling play, Macbeth. When snow falls, dry ice steams or fog hazes, Jane is the one pulling the strings. A gruesome Shakespearian tragedy, Macbeth takes the stage in Drayton Hall on April 14th and continues through the 22nd.

Eating at college can be costly, to both your wallet and your waistline. If this is a problem you all too well understand, read a few of the points our writers here at G&B have come up with to help you decide on whether you should go 'Meal Plan' or 'No Plan.'

Tired of spending countless hours underground in T-Coop, surrounded by books and that annoying girl who clearly doesn’t understand the meaning of “quiet floor”? Claim a new study space. Check out these secret spots to kick your studying into gear and, dare we say it, enjoyable?

Burgers, pizza, sandwiches–after a while, it all tastes a little bland. We’ve covered some new territory for those of you brave enough to break away from your typical routine and try something different.