Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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"In the heart of every Gamecock there is one spirit that binds us." We woufcf Me to conaratufate the newest members to our SQfamifu. Freshman Council 2004-2005 .. - <— .. - Meredith Baer Ashley Beaucaire Megan Bustamante Chris Butch Teddy Carfolite John Carroll Jacinta Chen Paul Cohen Steve Csolak Jackie Daitchman Justin Drafts Hilary Dyer Jack Ellis < Alexa Erbach Linsay Flowers Michael Grady 1 Sam Hayes Cameron Hughes Allen Klump Sean McDevitt Shat Mobley Adrienne Morey Sarah noone Sasha Noorani Joe Paxton Greg Publik Jonathan Ross Jennifer Salane Sydney Smith Emily Stanek :hase Stoudenmire Zach Wean Erika Wells =>arris Willingham Clary Wright Steve Yusko PARENTS WEEKEND TAB THE GAMECOCK ♦ Page 4 Take heart in USC's progress on campus As our campus benefits from the visits of hundreds of parents this weekend, I thought I would write something for their benefit. Considering most parents are footing the bill for their children’s tuition, I wanted to show that they really are getting a good “bang for their buck.” A lot of changes have happened to the university in recent years, most of them for the better. One of the constant changes to our university comes in the physical structure of our campus. pyAN Thirteen million dollars were invested in last year’s Second-year renovations of the Russell political science House, and Sodexho dining *««««** services will continue to* rearrange and add features to the Grand Market Place. Last year, construction began on the new Arnold School of Public Health, which marks the start of 5 million square feet of research campus that will be added to USC in the coming years. Also, despite budget cuts by the state legislature and the tuition hikes that naturally follow, the university is hard at work lobbying the government for favorable policies toward higher education. The Carolina Action Network brought hundreds of alumni together last spring to spend a day at the State House lobbying state legislators. Student government is also committed to working with CAN to keep tuition as low as possible. With the passing of every year, USC finds itself improving in the academic caliber ofjits student body. The previous year, the SAT scores for entering freshmen were 15 points higher than the year before. Millions of dollars in scholarships have also been garnered by entering students, as well as grants for post-graduate work. Additionally, at least in the world of higher education, money makes the world go ‘round. More money means more opportunity and on many occasions, lowers tuition. The President’s Report notes that the university procured $131 million in research funding as well as $33 million in private donations. Alumna Darla Moore’s $43 million pift will allow for expanded success in the Moore Business School. The university has also made strides in efforts for student-services. Approximately one-third of the campus is currently programmed to allow computer wireless access and the rest of the campus will likely go wireless by 2005. Parking will also be increased with the decision to expand the Bull Street parking garage, adding nearly 1,000 spaces. Students also have free use of major campus facilities like the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center and free access to athletics tickets, unheard of at many large universities. As you can see from this list, the university has been a proven success in many areas. So have faith that your money is going to a valued institution whose benefits are worth the cost. FILE PHOTO/THE GAMECOCK ■ Thirteen million dollars were invested in last year’s renovations of the Russell House, which holds the Grand Marketplace, voted as the Best Place to Eat On Campus in spring 2004 by readers of the Gamecock.