Four of the Best Carolina Traditions
Nyteria Means ‘19
One of the things I love about Carolina is the sense of community and school pride. Some of my favorite memories were made at our campus events and traditions. As my four years come to a close, I have compiled a list of the best Carolina traditions for new students.
1. First Night Carolina
I met some of my closest friends at First Night Carolina. This tradition is the first event during welcome week for incoming freshmen and is sort of a welcome ceremony into the university. The main objective of the event is to allow new freshmen to socialize and make connections. It is usually held on Greene Street. When I look back on some of my favorite times at USC, First Night Carolina is one I’m most fond of because it was my first introduction to student life on campus.
2. Hip Hop Wednesday
I have participated in Hip Hop Wednesday since freshman year. It’s essentially a huge dance party on Greene Street where students and hang out and socialize while a DJ plays hip hop music. The event is managed by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and hosted once a month. The sense of community on campus is something I love most about South Carolina. Some of my favorite memories include dancing with friends on Greene Street. Hip Hop Wednesday is one of my favorite traditions because it allows the Carolina community to come together and embrace new cultures through music. It also celebrates diversity by embracing our minority population here on campus and welcomes the entire Carolina community to participate.
3. Tiger Burn
I think it should be a rule that every Carolina student has to attend Tiger Burn at least once before they graduate. If you think football games are intense, you’ll love Tiger Burn. It’s our annual pep rally that is held before the rivalry Carolina–Clemson football game and one of USC’s most loved and longest running traditions, held on the Greene Street football fields. When I first attended during my sophomore year, I was not prepared for the crowd and energy, nor did I think that we were actually going to set a tiger on fire. The cool thing about the event is that each year the tiger is built by a group of engineering students. I love Tiger Burn because it brings the Carolina community together to showcase an immense amount of school pride. There’s no better feeling than cheering alongside fellow Gamecocks before an intense game with our rival from the Upstate.
4. Cocky’s Call
This is one of USC’s newest traditions, created as part of President Pastides’ farewell tour. It’s mainly an event for graduating seniors and a farewell celebration before commencement. I attended the event with a few friends and it was bittersweet. I was excited to graduate and begin a new chapter, but sad to leave a place that I have called home for four years. The event was located on the Historic Horseshoe and featured speeches from President Pastides, First Lady Patricia Moore-Pastides and Marcus Lattimore. My favorite part was doing the sandstorm and singing the alma mater one last time. I’m so glad that USC created Cocky’s Call because it’s the perfect last reminder of Carolina pride.
