LeBron James' return to Cleveland

In the most highly anticipated NBA game of the season to date, LeBron James made his controversial return to Cleveland, Ohio Thursday night. Of course there was much speculation about how far Cleveland fans would go to display their anger at their "former king." But most eyes were on LeBron, come time for the 8 o'clock tip off. Many weren't sure if he would be able to handle the pressure, many thought the bitterness of his hometown fans would be too much for the Akron native. But some didn't listen to the media coverage of LeBron leading up to the event, and those people knew that LeBron would handle this situation with the upmost respect for his former team of 7 years.

When the Miami Heat came to town, they knew this game was like going into a war. The town of Cleveland reacted extremely hurt when the news came that LeBron would be "taking his talents to South Beach." So this first game back in Cleveland was one that all fans of the NBA were looking forward too. Not to disappoint, LeBron began the evening with his infamous "chalk toss" in front of the Cavalier fans who had once cheered with him, only this time they sat and booed him. At the tip off you heard resounding boos from most in attendance. Every-time LeBron received the ball, he was booed. Malicious shouts from the crowd filled the arena including "Akron hates you" and "Scottie Pippen." Low blows for sure, but LeBron never responded to any of these desperate chants from the crowd. He didn't yell at the spectators, he didn't taunt them, he didn't disrespect his former teammates. He took in the stabs at his ego; he accepted that his former team, those that praised him at every milestone in his life, showed their hatred for him.

After the Miami Heat, company of Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, torched the Cavaliers, LeBron answered some intense questions. He handled them with dignity and said that the chants towards him were "nothing personal," and he "understood" the name of the game. James stated, "They came out to support their team, the Cavaliers...I don't have any hard feelings about this game, at all, from these fans. I wish them the best." These statements show great maturity and humbleness from the King of the NBA. I was very impressed with the restraint he portrayed on and off the court. While many had their reservations about his "decision," LeBron James demonstrated a NBA star playing against the Cavaliers on Thursday. He had 24 points in the third quarter, a Quicken Loans Arena record. While that statistic is pretty ironic, what's more is that James' contributed a total of 39 points in the game, without playing the fourth quarter. The NBA season still has a lot in store, but the Heat/Cavalier game was a focal point of professional basketball. LeBron James remained vigilant and strong throughout this game, and while this may have surprised many, it made others remember, that is why he is "King."

Help For Out of State Students at USC

According to the University of South Carolina’s Institutional Assessment and Compliance website, out of state students make up 26.8% of our student body pursuing an undergraduate degree. This number reflects out of state students as being a minority, and sometimes, being a minority reflects the attitudes of out of state students. There are many reasons why students choose to attend USC. For their specific academic program, for the SEC football and for the culture; but out of state students often have a lot more at stake when plunging into an unfamiliar state, often far from home.    

When speaking to Katie Bowen, the Out of State Student Programs Director at USC, she said, “out of state students often struggle being away from home.  They have to deal with [leaving] their friends at home and struggling to find the same core group of friends [at school].” To help with this major life adjustment, USC has the Out of State Student Mentoring Program. This program enrolls out of state students at USC and according to Ms. Bowen, is designed to help students “get adjusted and comfortable in southern life. We are attempting to bridge the gap from home.” Parents can submit their children over the summer and then students are matched up with a mentor from their state or region. Other programs for out of state students include student seminars, socials and trips. They even have a special event during Parents Weekend to include parents into the culture of USC. They hosted a “What’s the Big Deal about Sweet Tea” seminar for the parents and students at this year’s event.

When I asked Brett Robertson, a senior out of state student from Pennsylvania, if he felt incorporated into the life and culture of the University he responded, “No, not one bit. I feel like there isn’t really much to offer out of state students.” Brett who had never heard of the out of state student programs, feels as though they should “better inform out of state students of their options and also the negative aspects of attending a school far from home.” Brett says, “I have heard so many unhappy stories from students who transferred out of USC and back home, [in regards to feeling incorporated at USC].” Katie Dutton, a student from Georgia, doesn’t necessarily share the same experience. She is involved in the Gamma Phi Beta sorority here at USC and seems to enjoy attending Carolina. When I asked her if she had ever heard of the Out of State Student Programs she said, “No that sounds like a great idea though. I have a lot of friends that are having a difficult time getting adjusted.” It seems as though students at USC aren’t that familiar with the Out of State Student Programs. Ms. Bowen said that in order to get the word out about these programs they have a table at Orientation and also send Post Cards out to students. Flyers around campus are also helping to educate students about these programs and more recently they are reaching out via social media networks. They are using Facebook to keep students informed of upcoming events.

The USC Out of State Student Program is one of a select few in U.S. colleges, according to Ms. Bowen. Most colleges just have programs for transfer students, aiming to help them get adjusted. But USC is different. Ms. Bowen’s future for the program is, “for it to grow and really be a prestigious leadership opportunity for students, inciting competition among potential mentors. I would like for us to become the national standard among Universities.” So while these programs are designed to incorporate out of state students into USC culture, Ms. Bowen’s advice for incoming out of state freshman is, “to get involved by participating in student organizations and remaining a part of the Carolina community.” If anyone wants more information on the out of state student programs, you can visit sc.edu or their Facebook page.

Annual Giving and Its Impact on USC

As the majority of us college students know, the University of South Carolina’s tuition and fees continues to increase each year. The state simply can’t afford to support us more than the 10% they are at the present time. Unfortunately this caused USC to have a 6.9% increase in tuition and fees this year; something that a lot of students and parents were none too pleased about. In fact, the University of South Carolina’s tuition is double that of surrounding states Georgia and North Carolina. But what many students and parent don’t understand is that annual giving impacts their educational experience a lot more than they think.

Annual giving raised $118 million last year from alumni and friends of the University. In fact, alumni giving surpasses the amount of money funded to us by the state, which should speak volumes to our students, alumni and parents at the University. When asked about the University being put in a terrible position by the state, the Director of Development of Annual Giving, Lola Mauer, stated that we are “depending less and less on state funds. And alumni, perhaps more than ever before, are having a direct impact on students. We as individuals have to step up to make a difference.” Annual giving is taking on the responsibility of getting the word out to alumni, parents and friends. They have a direct mail, online and family fund campaign. Something that students, especially seniors, should know about is the Senior Class Gift campaign which urges seniors to donate and provide a small gift that goes back to student resources- Ms. Mauer stresses that this provides a huge difference to students. 

Recently, the Office of Development and Alumni Relations partnered with USC Productions and students at the University to bring awareness to the devastating budget cuts USC is facing. The video is aimed to educate alumni and friends about the effects that the budget is having on our student programs, scholarships and financial aid resources. What many students don’t seem to understand is that your tuition and fees don’t cover the total amount that it costs to be a student at USC. Tuition and fees covers about 40% and the state is allotting us about 10% so what is covering the rest? That is where annual giving steps in. They fundraise for the University to supply resources for programs, scholarships and financial aid. The video was designed to educate alumni about the “ugly facts” of the effects the state budget cut has had on USC. The video was e-mailed out to alumni and they got a lot of feedback. Many people did not know the of the dire situation of our programs and resources at USC. And when I asked several students if they knew about annual giving and its impact on their tuition, many had no idea that they were able to raise that much money for our student resources. Katie, a senior Sociology student, said “Annual giving is what alumni give back to after they graduate, that has nothing to do with my resources as a student.I asked Ms. Mauer what she thought about the tuition increase and if she thinks this is just the beginning of more high costs for students and she says, “We cant get that $102 million that we’ve lost back, we are estimated to have another $20-25 million cut next year. We have to work smarter as a University, as a major research institution we must continue to grow.” Ms. Mauer also stresses the importance of getting the word out to students, “we can’t just dump the responsibility on the students and the parents. We have to improve our ability to fundraise and establish scholarship money, professorships and guaranteed resources for students.”

And it isn’t about getting the high dollar pledges to the University either, the majority of donations made last year were from $250 or less gifts. “Simply a gift of $35 impacts the University as a whole because we could accomplish and provide a lot for the University if everyone gave a $35 gift,” Ms. Mauer said. 

While the situation seems desperate for USC students, alumni giving is increasing every year. The number of first time and young alumni donors continues to rise year after year and USC is even in the Top 20 in alumni giving, according to U.S. News and World Report. So while the University and students are nervous about the looming tuition costs exceeding, annual giving is continuing to make a difference for students. They continue to instill the legacy and the need to alumni and friends, and they have provided for the University when the state could not. To view the annual giving video visit www.sc.edu/annualgiving. 

RIP Kenny McKinley

Today a legend has left a deep, painful wound in the lives of those who knew Kenny McKinley. Kenny was the all time leader in receptions for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks and was highly regarded in our region as a legendary player. 


Many talked of his potential in the NFL and his always present smile on his face. Kenny McKinley was drafted in the fifth round to the Denver Broncos and played eight games during his first season. Due to an injury late in the season last year, he was placed on injury reserve. Now, it is extremely difficult to fathom this loss and to speak of him in the past tense. His death is currently sending shock-waves through all of South Carolina and through the Denver Broncos organization. 


As a freshman at USC in 2007, I remember placing all of my faith in Kenny McKinley when it was game time. Once, he even threw a pass for a reception far better than our current quarterback, Blake Mitchell, that I created a Facebook account titled "Kenny McKinley for USC Quarterback." Obviously, this was all in great fun but the student body really believed in him and his talents on the field. We placed our faith in this one player and applauded his success at being drafted to the NFL. 


Last week when Kenny was in town to see our victory against the Georgia bulldogs, his smile was exactly what made the entire stadium light up and applaud his presence. For us, he was more than just an NFL player. He was our hope for years, and we had high hopes for his career professionally. Now, he shall be a treasured memory to us all. Today, we mourn the death of Kenny McKinley and place our thoughts with his family and everyone who knew him.


RIP Kenny McKinley