University of South Carolina Libraries
Koeer Center, Coliseum offer entertainment . w Neighboring each other, the Carolina Coliseum and the Koger Center for the Arts serve as impor tant venues for acts and services that entertain, en rich, educate, celebrate and endow. The need for a first-rate facility for intercolle giate athletics and student assemblies, additional aca demic space, and a large versatile arena to serve the cultural and entertainment needs of the Uni versity and Columbia communities was fulfilled with the opening of the 315,000-square-foot Carolina Coliseum in November 1968. Besides being the home of the College of Journalism and Mass Communi cations and the College of Applied Professional Sci ences, which occupy approximately one-third of the total area, the Coliseum is the site of the universi ty’s commencements, registration, and university sponsored lectures, seminars, and activities of pro fessional oiganizations. The Coliseum’s 12,400-seat arena has meant en joyment to thousands of Gamecock basketball fans. The arena is also easily adapted to serve other entertainment purposes, including concerts, car snows, circuses, ice shows, ana otner popular events. The versatility and quality of the Coliseum also have al lowed the university to use the facil ity for performing arts events and acts such as Prince, the Boston Pops, El ton John, Chicago Symphony, Aero smith, Kiss, Feld Ballet and numer ous others. An acoustical shell and a state-of-the-art lighting system assist the Coliseum in presenting such ac tivities. The Roger Center for the Arts, a 128,000-square-foot glass and steel structure used mainly for mu sical events such as concerts, opera, and musical theatre, features a tri-lev el concert hall divisible into smaller sections. The state-of-the-art hall in cludes a multi-purpose stage, complex orchestra shell, and pit, with adjustable levels of over head lighting. A lift moves the front portion of the stage to stage level, audience level, or down into the orchestra pit. In addition to rehearsal halls and dress ing rooms, the center contains reserved office space and a large workspace. Colors of the center progress from grays and blues in the lobby to the traditional theatre colors of red and gold in the performance hall. This quiet splen dor is the backdrop of such groups its the Universi ty Symphony, Concert Band, Chorus, Orchestra, ;tnd Chamber Orchestra, its well as the South KOGER see page 26 Photos By Sean Rayford (Above) The Koger Center (Left) The Carolina Coliseum hosts such musical acts as Elton John, KISS, Creed and Prince. • INTRAMURAL SPORTS (basketball, softball, volleyball and more) • FITNESS PROGRAMS (aerobics, fitness orientations, faculty/staff fitness) • SPORTS CLUBS (bodybuilding, rugby, scuba and more) Basketball Courts Racquetball Courts Volleyball Courts Cardio Equipment Swimming Pool 2 Weight Rooms •» m .1 j . v i n'i i—rrr—n nr 11 — - » 202 Blatt PE Center • 777-5261 www.sa.sc.edu/pecenter/crec.htm