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.