Rush

Tonight is preference night and I’m really anxious to have it be over with! I’ve been rushing for a week now. I want to know where I have been placed. It’s annoying having to go through this whole long process. I mean, I know what I signed up for but I assumed I would hate it and drop out before this point. However, I did buy a dress specifically for this day so I felt obligated to make it to this point. Surprisingly enough I’ve loved rushing and hopefully I’ll get into the sorority I want! Fingers crossed for a good pref night.

Dance party when I get back to the dorm. I can’t wait. Last night we attempted poker, which was sort of fun except I didn’t know how to play. Oh well! I can’t help but journal about the crazy 9th floor. Seriously, so awesome. We even made a Facebook group because we’re that obsessed with just being goofy and crazy around each other. Cookies, music, late night hallway gatherings happen seriously ever night. It’s great.

Sarah Nelson

Print Journalism

Pre-game plan

I joined The Daily Gamecock and I have my first assignment of covering the men’s soccer game in a week. I’m happy because at least as of now I want to be a sports writer. In high school I was a sports writer, then the sports editor, then editor-in-chief of the paper. We produced 20 pages monthly and won the award for the best newspaper in New Jersey from the Garden State Scholastic Press Association. My life revolved around the newspaper. Working for The Daily Gamecock is like nothing I’ve imagined, and so far I like it. The fact that it’s a daily paper completely changes the experience.

I have to watch a soccer game, interview players and coaches, then I have about an hour and a half to write my story. And although I know about the game of soccer because I played in high school, I know nothing about this team. In high school I knew every little thing that went on in school. Whether it was dealing with students, faculty, administrators, parents, it didn’t matter. And now I’m writing about a team that last night I found out wasn’t even in the SEC. I feel almost blind to things I should already know. Hopefully I’ll just be able to pick it up as I go.

Jake Fitzgerald
Print Journalism

Getting involved!

Today was FABULOUS!

My brother called me to tell me that his roommate (who is assistant news editor for The Daily Gamecock) wanted me to come to a meeting for the paper. I dragged Taylor with me and we are so glad we went because we got our first story assignments! I felt very welcomed and cannot wait to be published.

I've been looking forward to being a part of this newspaper staff since the day I received my USC acceptance letter; so this is like a dream come true.

Kristyn Winch
Print Journalism

Reality

Now that I'm here in college, everything seems a little more real to me. Throughout high school I loved reading about different schools and what they had to offer and going around the country visiting different campuses. I knew that what I was looking into was school and that I would have to work hard once I got there, but I couldn't help but get excited over all of the bells and whistles. It was a long process finding a school, but I eventually settled on USC. From a pretty young age I knew I wanted to go to a big school in the south with a lot of people who were different from me, Division 1 athletics, a quality communications program, and of course, warm weather. It was never that I didn't like where I lived, it was just that I wanted something new. I wanted to meet a new kind of people.

I have everything I wanted in a school, but things aren't as easy as I thought. I miss having access to New York City and all of the options that it holds. Although I didn't think I would, I even think that I'm going to miss watching the snow come down for four months. Nevertheless, I am seeing a new part of the country and gaining new experiences. Who knows what the future holds, I'll just have to follow my instincts.

Patrick Ryan
Broadcast Journalism