A Gamecock by Nature

Saturday was a beautiful day to be at the University of South Carolina.  The Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center was filled with about 2,000 prospective students and parents. 

I had the pleasure of making a picture showboard of some of my experiences at USC to date.  I had pictures about USC sports, Capstone Scholars, Delta Sigma Pi, Study Abroad in France and England, and Resident Advisor training. 

I loved having the opportunity to meet so many prospective International Business students, future Capstone Scholars, and an array of other high school seniors planning to be Gamecocks in the fall!  I'm excited to think that a lot of you may live on my floor next year or in Capstone! 

I had a lot of questions about the Capstone Scholars' Program and what it involves.  Capstone Scholars' Program is a two year program that is a support system for student success.  Capstone Scholars have an opportunity to take Capstone sections of University 101, English 101, and English 102.  Capstone Scholars also have an opportunity to participate in Maymester abroad and earn three credits.  They can also apply for a $2,000 travel grant to help alleviate the cost.  As a Capstone Scholar, you can attend Capstone Conversations an an array of topics, attend Capstone Cinemas (movie and discussion), First Friday night events (game night, comedian night, musician night, etc) and Hot Cookie Fridays to name a few. 

The Capstone Scholars' Program has also recently created the Capstone Fellows Program which allows students to earn points through participation, good grades, and other areas of involvement and be recognized at the end of their sophomore year at a nice banquet. The following website is a great resource with more details about Capstone. http://www.sc.edu/capstonescholars/index.html

I also talked with a lot of students interested in the International Business (IB) Program.  This program is still ranked #1 in the nation.  The IB Program is extremely competitive as it only accepts 50 students a year.  You can apply in the Spring of your sophomore year and a copy of the application can be found online.  http://mooreschool.sc.edu/moore/ib/ib_major_information.html  The most important factor considered is your GPA.  It is extremely important that you do well in your courses from the beginning. 

If you have any questions let me know!  I hope you enjoyed your day at USC and you're looking forward to many more!

Posted by Lydia at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A lot of people, including myself, chose USC because it is ranked #1 in the nation for International Business.  USC students tell everyone they are either an International Business major as a freshmen (which is completely incorrect) or that they are International Business hopefuls or plan on applying (which is well received among others) since no one can apply until the second semester of their sophomore year. 

Well, I received this GREAT news on the Friday before Spring Break.  I opened the letter and it began with the phrase "I am pleased to inform you that...".  This was one of the most exciting pieces of mail I'd ever received through campus mail! 

I no longer feel like a "wannabe".  I applied to International Business with a solid GPA, quality essays, leadership experience, and one foreign language (French) and I was selected.  I love seeing hard work pay off, especially because I know that the creme of the crop apply for this program.  I also feel relieved since a lot of people tried to intimidate me my freshmen year by telling me I had no chance since I wasn't studying two foreign languages and because the language I chose wasn't Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic.  This is untrue.  The program wants a good mixture of languages, but GPA is definitely the top factor from everything I've gathered. 

Well, I have advisement on Thursday with the International Business advisor and I am stoked!  If you have any questions at all about IB (as it is commonly referred to in the Business school), I now feel more apt and a tad more qualified to answer questions. 

Posted by Lydia at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Linguini alfredo, chicken marsala, and spaghetti and meatballs are some of the great dishes offered at Olive Garden.  Everytime I eat at Olive Garden I look forward to the salad with cheese sprinkled on top and the breadsticks.  I personally have to limit the number of breadsticks I chow down on so that I can leave room for the chicken marsala with potatoes and mushrooms on the side. 

On Saturday night, Joanne and I ate dinner at Olive Garden with my family.  Joanne and I asked my dad to carry out an experiment for us.  We had my dad ask the waitress if our table could get some salad and breaksticks while we were deciding on our orders.  The waitress said "of course" and then returned with our drinks and nothing else.  She then took our order before returning with the large table salad and basket of breadsticks.  Why would she lie to us?

The whole reason we had my dad test our theory is because when Joanne and I ate at the Olive Garrden in Columbia we felt that we were discriminated against because of our age.  We asked the waitress if we could have the salad and breadsticks while we decided on our meals and she rudely responded with "no, I can't give you those until you've placed your orders."  In this case, that was only one of many things that our waitress did wrong that night. 

At the end of our meal Saturday, we didn't have any "new" information for our study.  It seems that either Olive Garden can't hire good waitresses or Olive Garden trains their employees to not serve any food before a real order is taken. 

Anyone ever had a similar experience while out to a nice restaurant with some friends?

Posted by Lydia at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spring Break is what every college kid lives for!  It's 9 straight days of no school, sleeping in, and no obligations.  For my first college spring break last year I went to my friend's beach house on Folly Beach (Charleston) and to Myrtle Beach.  It was me and three of my girl friends.  Since Spring Break was the first week of March it was still cold outside so we spent our days outside in jackets reading books and watching movies.  We walked the beach, collected neat shells, and threw a frisbee around. 

This year, Spring Break was entirely different.  My best friend Joanne ('09 Pre-Med) came home to Tampa with me.  She came for the first five days of Spring Break and we packed every moment with something fun!  For once I didn't find Tampa a boring place.  First off, Joanne got to meet my family.  Since her parents had already met me and had hosted me at their house, I was excited that she got to stay at my house. 

When we arrived in Tampa on Saturday morning, we went shopping at a mall and then laid out by my pool.  The whole goal of our Spring Break was to start working on our tans.  Saturday evening we ate at Olive Garden and then Joanne and I met up with some of my high school friends.  We even went and saw the midnight showing of the movie "300".  Due to the time change though it was about 4 am by the time we got home. 

Sunday was the perfect day for the beach!  The sun was shining and my parents finally let me drive out to St. Petersburg beach which is about 30 minutes from my front door step.  The best part was walking along the beach in the soft sand and listening to live music at one of the cafes.  Also, since I was smart and used sunscreen, I didn't get burnt! 

On Monday I got to show off Busch Gardens to Joanne.  Busch Gardens is the huge theme park almost literally in my backyard.  We bought our tickets through AAA and since I'm a Florida resident I paid for the day and got a Fun pass for the entire year.   We rode the roller coasters and water rides for over five hours! 

Then Tuesday was our big discount shopping day!  We both found great dresses, ate lunch out and grabbed Starbucks for the drive back.  In the evening, we went to my friend John's ('09 USF) and played poker, pool, and SuperSmash Bros on Nintendo 64. 

Wednesday was our last day by the pool and then sadly my family and I had to take Joanne to the airport.  We ate at TGIF and admired these huge elephants scattered around the airport.  Each elephant was elaborately decorated.  The one below is actually Mardi Gras! 

<img alt="SpringBreak 052.jpg" src="http://uscbloggers.com/lydia/SpringBreak%20052.jpg" width="2112" height="2816" />

Well that's the first half of Spring Break.  Now I'll find ways to entertain myself without Joanne around! 

Posted by Lydia at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some of you are probably wondering what I'm referring to as the "college addiction".  The answer is not cigarettes, the food at Russell House, or the Strom Thurmond.  I'm thinking of something that sucks up hours of time and doesn't cost you a dime.  It's called Facebook. 

Facebook is the #1 college addiction and anytime I am personally near a computer I check it.  It doesn't matter if I'm in my room, the computer lab at the library, or on the second floor of Russell House, I make a point to see if I have any new friend requests, a group invitation, a message, or a comment on my wall. 

When I arrived at USC last year I had already had Facebook for about a month.  During that month I'd spent time using Facebook to meet the people who'd be living on my floor and in the same building as me.  It was funny because by the time move-in day rolled around it seemed that all around me was familiar faces. 

Facebook does have some practical uses too.  I use it to send messages to people about projects or homework.  I also use it to make plans with people so I don't run up my text messaging or cell phone bill.  My favorite thing to do is to add pictures and read the comments people make on them!  This can honestly amuse me for hours on end. 

The one thing about Facebook is making sure you don't put too much personal information on it.  It is not necessary to list your exact room number, cell phone number, or home information.  It's cool to just list the basics and use it only to keep in touch with people and remember names. 

So before you come to USC in August, make sure you have a facebook account with a cute profile picture, some basic information and let the "facebooking" begin. 

Posted by Lydia at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past week the temperature has finally hit above 70 degrees.  Everyone on campus is walking around in their shorts, rainbows (which is apparently a type of sandal that I'd never heard of until I came to USC), and tank tops or t-shirts. 

In between classes it is great to see the amount of people gathered outside the BA (short for the Moore School of Business building) to enjoy the weather instead of smoke.  There are people eating outside the Colloquium Cafe and outside at the Russell House. 

As I wander around campus after I'm finished with classes, I notice the entire horseshoe is covered - covered in blankets!  Every sunny spot has a towel or blanket laid out with people relaxing.  There are also a ton of people throwing frisbees and baseballs around.  A setting similar to this is apparent outside of the Russell House next to the water fountain and on the grassy plain outside Capstone House.  There are even people finally using the outdoor basketball court next to Woodrow. 

The sad part is, the pool at the Strom doesn't open until after Spring Break.  Once that pool is open, all over campus there is a mad rush of people carrying tote bags and towels in their bathing suits.  I'm personally excited about the pool because it looks like one you'd find at a resort! 

Well that's all for now.  You should be hearing about the Capstone Scholars program this week so make sure to check your mailboxes!

Posted by Lydia at 08:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tuesday night was a long Deltasig meeting, but it was also quite entertaining.  After the brothers gave their officer reports for the night, the pledge class had an auction for the brotherhood.  This was not a typical auction where "stuff" was sold.  Instead, each pledge auctioned off about two or three services they were willing to perform.  They ranged from washing a car to a full Italian meal for up to four people.  The meal deals were a huge hit as were the services to clean bathrooms.  For one of the meals, the bidding got as high as $80!  They also auctioned off golf lessons, guitar lessons, language tutoring, and a "wingman" service for a night. 

This auction is a huge fundraiser for the pledges.  The pledges are expected to plan a social for the brotherhood before initiation.  The social's theme is kept a secret from the brothers until about 3 days prior to the event.  This is usually one of the greatest bonding nights during the semester. 

I'm sure the pledges are going to throw an amazing social this semester because the 12 pledges were able to raise over $800 from just one night!  The pledges are also planning on doing additional fundraising so I think they should be able to secure a great location, music and cool decorations. 

In the meantime, I'm busy working on Spring Fling and then of course there's formal in Charlotte the week after spring break! So much to get excited about!  I can't wait to go shopping for it all!

Posted by Lydia at 02:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not only do I love playing basketball, but I also love watching the USC Gamecocks play.  Of course I enjoy watching us win, but given this season's record I go just to support them.  This past Saturday night was Senior night.  We have three graduating seniors on the team, Bryce Sheldon (shooting guard), Brandon Wallace (center) and Tre Kelley (point guard). 

Saturday night each of the seniors were announced along with their parents and siblings.  They all looked excited to play with so many friends and family members in the audience.  The team tipped off against Ole Miss and the game began. 

All of the students got a free t-shirt with the graduating seniors number on them.  Everyone was extremely loud this game and chanting like crazy.  The Gamecocks were finally showing the fans that they were there to win and we were showing the players that we were there to support them! 

When I say this game was incredible I truly mean it.  Brandon Wallace had 12 points, some sweet dunks, and beat the school record of blocks!  Bryce Sheldon hit a great streak and scored 14 points (probably one of his best games this season).  Then of course there is our amazing point guard, Tre Kelley that ended the game with 28 points! 

I am so proud to be a Gamecock!  I was even happier to sing our Alma Mater and raise my right hand in the air in the shape of a cup during it after we won 76 to 63!  I can't believe the basketball season it almost over!  Let's hope we at least get to go back to the NIT and defend out title!

Oh and in case you didn't know, USC gives students their athletic tickets for free!!  One of the many benefits of being a Gamecock!

Posted by Lydia at 01:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)