University of South Carolina
November 8, 2012
A publication for faculty, staff and friends of the university
Aiken
Beaufort
Columbia
USC Times
Lancaster
Salkehatchie
Sumter
Union
Upstate
Marking Veterans Day
Bill Hogue left the military in
1975, a time when “it was not
necessarily a badge of honor
to be a veteran. It’s quite different now.”
When he was invited to a
Veterans Day gathering on
USC’s campus four years
ago, and when a flag and
poppy were pinned on his lapel, it filled him with a sense
of pride.
Duty,
Honor,
Country
By
Megan
Sexton
“My military
service allowed me
to scratch the itch I
had to be patriotic...”
“There are a lot of invisible
veterans on our faculty and
staff. They each deserve to
be acknowledged for their
service and patriotism,”
Hogue said.
For Bill Hogue the decision to join the U.S. Army during
the Vietnam era was “the happiest mistake I ever made.”
He grew up believing to his core the three words
the U.S. Military Academy holds as its motto: “Duty,
Honor, Country.” But before he stepped into an Army
recruiting station in New York as a 20-year-old who had
twice dropped out of college, he wasn’t sure how military
service would fit in —
­ or change — his life.
“I needed to grow up and recognize my place in the
larger society,” said Hogue, USC’s vice president for
information technology and CIO.
The Army took care of both of those needs.
“My military service allowed me to scratch the itch
I had to be patriotic, and I think that’s very important.
Patriotism doesn’t have anything to do with what you
look like,” he said. “Like many others I had serious
questions about our involvement in Vietnam, but I still
wanted to serve my country.
“I regret that we don’t have some form of compulsory
service today. There is such value in committing yourself
to something larger for a period of time.”
He put in three years of military service, from 197275, much of it spent at Columbia’s Fort Jackson. He met
his future wife (a civilian working at the fort), started
attending classes on base and ended up earning his
bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Carolina. (His doctorate was earned at Harvard.)
The great melting pot of the military gave him the opportunity to meet and get along with people from diverse
backgrounds. And it has been something that has helped
and guided him throughout his career.
“I can find common ground with somebody who is
19 and just back from Iraq or somebody who is 89 and
served in the South Pacific,” Hogue said.
On Monday, Nov. 12, all USC
staff and faculty veterans
are encouraged to attend a
breakfast and brief ceremony in their honor.
Hogue credits Derrick
Huggins, USC’s associate
vice president for transportation and logistical
relations, with starting the
Veterans Day commemoration on campus. All veterans
are welcome at the event,
which will run from 7:30-9
a.m. in the Hollings Library.
President Harris Pastides is
scheduled to speak about
8:15 a.m.
T
he University of South Carolina’s College of Education has signed up to join Operation Educate
the Educators, answering the call to help local schools meet the needs of military-connected
students. The purpose of the program is to bring awareness to educators about the school-related needs of military-connected students (pre-kindergarten through 12th grade) and their families.
USC is one of 90 institutions across the country tapped to participate in the program. The
initiative is a partnership between the Military Children Education Coalition and the American
Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
Educating military-connected students presents
a problem as active duty families’ move every two
to three years, three times more often than civilian
families. These children often have difficulty adjusting
to curriculum and instructional methods, or school
climate and culture.
As a part of the program, USC will develop a network of faculty contacts to deliver information to better prepare teachers to
support military-connected children.
Lemuel Watson, dean of USC’s
By Frenche Brewer
College of Education, said he and
the faculty are excited to be involved
in such an important initiative that
touches hundreds of military families
in South Carolina.
“The College of Education is at
the center of a dynamic community
and with so many military families
in the area, we must work to adjust
and understand the unique challenges and gifts that these students
bring to the classroom,” Watson said.
USC joins
military
operation
Navy vet drops
anchor at USC
F
By Craig
Brandhorst
or every combat veteran entering college after a tour of duty, countless others
never saw the front lines. Prior to enrolling at USC Salkahatchie in 2010, Marilee
Just-Ta spent four years in the U.S. Navy as a culinary specialist aboard destroyers. The experience helped her save for college and transformed her as a person.
“I learned how to treat people with respect — when you yourself are being
treated with respect and when you’re not,” said Just-Ta. “The discipline alone affects me every day.”
Despite once being harassed by Iranian speedboats while in the Strait of
Hormuz, Just-Ta never faced enemy fire. Still, the six to eight-month deployments
and grueling 18-hour shifts in a cramped galley made her more resourceful.
“People sometimes looked down on us, but we were in charge of sanitation, and
that can affect the health of an entire crew,” said Just-Ta. “At the same time, you’re the
go-to person when somebody needs something. You make things happen.”
Now Just-Ta is making things happen at USC. The 28-year-old transferred to the
Columbia campus this fall and works 25-30 hours a week at USC’s veteran services
office while also taking 18 credit hours. She hopes to enter the pharmacy program
and then to work in a military hospital in the Middle East.
“Veterans are your most serious students,” she said. “We’re not here to play
games. We have a goal, and we get that goal done.”
University of South Carolina
2
Cocky for a reason T
he floats are ready. The king and queen
have been crowned. And Gamecocks
are ready to crow.
Homecoming can be a point of pride, a
way to show school spirit and a chance for
faculty and staff to get involved as well.
From the parade to the barbecues, there
are plenty of places for interaction with
students and alumni.
“People always relate it to alumni coming
back to campus and celebrating their alma
mater and why they attended the university,”
says Allison Toney, coordinator for student
organizations in the Department of Student
Life. “But it’s something to build excitement
on campus for students, faculty and staff as
well. We’re trying to build that camaraderie
and school spirit among everybody.”
Homecoming Perspectives
“Homecoming is the one time of year where graduates and
students can celebrate the university as a whole. Everyone’s
experiences at USC are different, but during homecoming,
Gamecocks are able to come together as one and celebrate
one thing - being cocky for Carolina.”
— DeJa Hunt, senior broadcast journalism major and
2012 Homecoming Commissioner
“Homecoming is one of my favorite celebrations. As a professor, there’s no greater joy than seeing
one of your students succeed. If possible, I try to
have alumni visit my classes because it serves as
a case study of the relevance of a USC education.”
— Bonnie Drewniany, advertising professor
“Homecoming has always represented the
celebration of our traditions here at Carolina. And
as someone who takes great pride in my institution,
it means a lot to me to see the student body and the
community rally around our university.
— Taylor Cain, second-year higher education and student
affairs graduate student and graduate assistant for
Off-Campus Student Services
Homecoming timeline
It’s hard to imagine a University of South Carolina
homecoming without its modern day fanfare
and pageantry, but the celebration that binds the
Carolina family started with humble beginnings.
Below are some of garnet moments as our
homecoming history continues to unfold.
1927
1930s
The first time a Carolina
homecoming was held on
the occasion of a football
game (Oct. 15)
1938
1941
First documented homecoming
pep rally was held Sept. 30
Mary King, ’42, was named
the first Homecoming Queen
Alumni Association led parades after a luncheon. The parades were
a procession of alumni, area bands and community organizations
1942
1945
The tradition of homecoming
queen was reinstated
Some homecoming activities,
including parade and homecoming queens were suspended
because of World War II
USC Times
November 8, 2012
3
W
hen Courtney Worsham was a student at the University of
Virginia, the school didn’t have Homecoming queens.
At Carolina, Worsham, a marketing instructor in the Moore
School of Business, took time from her busy schedule to help with
USC’s Homecoming celebration as a judge in the interviewing stage of
Showcase, the annual competition for Homecoming king and queen.
“I remember when I was first exposed to Homecoming as a graduate student I was really impressed by the way Carolina selected their
Homecoming queens,” she said. “And what I thought was so neat was that
they were truly looking for the leaders on campus. They weren’t just looking for a beauty queen.”
Worsham, along with several other faculty and staff members, spent a
recent Sunday interviewing the 20 finalists. At 15 minutes an interview,
the process took seven hours. That close interaction with students has
become her favorite part, she said, especially since her classes tend to be
larger and her classroom work focuses on upper-level business students.
“It was fun for me to see students from other disciplines, to see what
they were doing and how they were contributing,” she said.
The Homecoming king and queen showcase has often been portrayed
By Liz White
as a beauty pageant, but, the competition is about much more than good
looks. To become a finalist in the competition, students must be involved across campus in many different roles and have stellar academics.
“It’s really impressive to see what kind of students we’re developing at USC,” Worsham said. “There were some really outstanding young men
and women. It’s impressive to see that the university is valuing their contributions.”
Worsham, who also serves on various organizations across campus, has become so involved at USC because that’s how she gets her
energy, she said.
“I value the student development and for me, being involved with these activities is a way to help the students and to serve as a role model,”
Worsham said. “I do it because I believe in the students, and I want to see them develop in as many ways as possible.”
Although Worsham didn’t attend Carolina as an undergraduate student, Homecoming has become a chance for her to see returning alumni
and celebrate the university she has come to love.
“I think it’s a time to celebrate who we are as Carolinians,” Worsham said. “It’s the excitement of the Carolina community.”
You be the judge
“Homecoming is a time where I become quite nostalgic about
my time as a student at USC. I think back to the wonderful
friendships that started there and the meaningful mentors
I found in faculty and staff. While at USC, I also fell in love
with the woman who would become my wife. Returning to our
hometown of Anderson (Clemson country) to live, my wife and
I take and show great pride in being a Gamecock.”
— Timothy Clardy, ‘00 and ’05 Law School,
1999 Homecoming king, Anderson, S.C.
Homecoming
Events
Friday, Nov. 9
College of Arts and Sciences
Alumni/Faculty BBQ and
Homecoming Parade
2:30 p.m.
Corner of Greene and Gadsden
Homecoming Parade
3 p.m.
Greene Street
Darla Moore School of Business
Fourth Annual Homecoming BBQ
5-7 p.m.
Faculty Lounge, 8th Floor
College of Education
Homecoming BBQ Picnic
6-8 p.m.
Wardlaw
Gamecocks on the Green: College
of Mass Communications and
Information Studies Annual Alumni
and Friends Reception
4-6 p.m.
Gibbes Green, the lawn near Davis
College
College of Hospitality, Retail and
Sport Management Alumni Event
6:30-9:30 p.m.
McCutchen House
Step Show
7 p.m.
Carolina Coliseum
Alumni Rally in the Vista
7:30-10:30 p.m.
Blue Marlin, 1200 Lincoln St.
Alumni Awards Gala
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Columbia Metropolitan
Convention Center
Saturday, Nov. 10
“My first date with my husband, Hank, ‘80, was to the 1979 Homecoming game when
we were Carolina students. This was when Homecoming dates always wore corsages
and everyone really dressed up for such a special game. The USC homecoming
corsage was a white mum with a block “C” in the center, backed on garnet and black
fabric, accented with ribbons and a gold football. When he presented me with a
florist box that day I was so excited to wear mine! We married in 1981. I am proud
and honored to say that every year since that first Homecoming date I have had a
corsage for the Homecoming game. When our daughter, Lindsey, ‘10, was born, he had
a miniature carnation version of the Homecoming corsage made for her baby carrier!
In past years I would see other ladies with one, but as time went by, I became one of a
few, if not the only one, wearing a corsage in the game. I love to wear mine and tell
people my story when asked. It means so much to me that my wonderful husband, an
avid Gamecock fan, follower and supporter, has continued this sweet tradition for me
for over 30 years.” — Lynne Russell Riddick,’80 and ‘89, Columbia 1969
1973
Gayle Ransom, ’76, was named
Carolina’s first African-American
Homecoming Queen
Cockfest, a pep rally and skit competition created by Ed Craig and Pi Kappa
Phi Fraternity, replaced Carolina Capers
1991
Homecoming
queen selection
was discontinued
amid concerns
that the tradition
was causing racial
disharmony
1996
Alumni Pre-Game Tent Party
three hours before kickoff
Farmers Market - right beside the
Gamecock Walk
South Carolina Honors College
Champagne Brunch
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Honors Residence Honeycomb
Cafe, Corner of Blossom and
Main streets
Black Alumni Council Tailgate Event
two hours prior to kickoff
Bernie’s, Bluff Road
College of Engineering and
Computing Homecoming Barbecue
three hours prior to kickoff
Swearingen Center Courtyard
Share your Homecoming memories and
perspectives on Twitter with hash tag #USCHC
1997
Under the leadership of
Student Body President
Patrick Wright, Student
Government voted to
restore a homecoming
monarchy
2000
The Spurs and Struts
and Canned Creations
Homecoming traditions
were established
USC selected its first homecoming
court that included men and women
2008
A Homecoming Step
Show was started by
student Todd Jenkins
Gamecocks vs. Razorbacks
12 p.m.
Williams-Brice Stadium
USC Times
November 8, 2012
4
USC HAS no shortage
of ways to give back
“In a world where religious
fanaticism sometimes breeds
violence, anything we can do
to mitigate intolerance is a
healthy response.”
Practicing what
they teach
By Craig Brandhorst
and Tammy Whaley
B
eing a rabbi in Spartanburg is the loneliest job in town.
At least that’s how Rev. Kirk Neely describes the role
of his friend and colleague Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz, who
leads the city’s only Jewish synagogue, Congregation B’nai
Israel.
Two of Spartanburg’s most prominent spiritual leaders,
Neely and Liebowitz also teach religious studies at USC
Upstate. And while the two bring dramatically different
backgrounds, personalities and perspectives to the classroom, they are united in their commitment to interfaith
dialogue and the disarming power of humor.
“As soon as I came to town he contacted me and wanted to
assure me that he wasn’t going to try to convert me and save
me from going to Hell,” Liebowitz says.
Neely’s take on that initial conversation ten years ago is
similarly witty.
“I don’t think he’d ever eaten lunch with a Southern
Baptist pastor,” says the senior pastor at Morningside Baptist
Church. “His view of Southern Baptists had four dented
fenders; it was pretty much a wreck.”
Don’t be fooled, though. Neely and Liebowitz are close
friends, made closer by their shared professions. They regularly “break bread together,” in Liebowitz’s words, and each
has spoken at the other’s congregation—Neely, most notably,
at the synagogue on Yom Kippur; Liebowitz at Neely’s church
for a Holocaust remembrance service.
Both men also draw a clear line between the pulpit and
the lectern, even as they are informed by their experiences as
Adopt-a-family Thanksgiving food drive
spiritual leaders in the greater community.
When Neely teaches his course on Christian controversies,
for example, he doesn’t approach the Protestant reformation and other pivotal moments in church history from the
position of a Baptist minister. Rather, he focuses on what he
describes as “the silly things that divide us.”
“These are not Sunday school classes,” says the onetime
Harvard Divinity School Merrill Fellow. “This is not the
same kind of thing I would teach at church. And you know,
people don’t have to be Christian to take a class about the
New Testament, just like you don’t have to be Islamic to take
a class on the Quran.”
Liebowitz challenges his students to broaden their worldview as well—whether he’s teaching a comparative religion
course or one on Hollywood and the Bible. He likewise challenges them to dig deeper into their own respective faiths,
though not without a little humor.
“I always kid my Christian students, which is 99 percent
of them, that this Jew knows more about their own Bible
than they do,” Liebowitz says with a laugh. “In a world where
religious fanaticism sometimes breeds violence, anything we
can do to mitigate intolerance is a healthy response.”
Join Carolina Service Council and Community Service
Programs in providing at-risk families in Columbia
with a Thanksgiving dinner by donating to the
Nurturing Center. Between Oct. 22 and Nov. 20, the
Nurturing Center will collect canned hams and vegetables for 22 families in the local community.
Holiday mail for heroes
Be a part of the 2012 American Red Cross Holiday Mail
for Heroes. All you need is a pen and piece of paper to
share your appreciation for the sacrifices members of
the U.S. Armed Forces make to protect our freedoms.
Cards to sign are available in Russell House room 227.
All cards are due to the Campus Life Center by Nov. 30.
Stocking stuffers In a partnership with the Salvation Army, USC will
help collect stockings for children who otherwise may
not receive anything. Pick up stockings in the Campus
Life Center, room 227 in the Russell House. A list of
ideas for stocking stuffers will be provided. Stockings
are due back to the office by Nov. 20.
MLK Days of Service
The largest campus-wide community service event
recognizes Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy through a
day of service (Jan. 21, 25 and 26). Register at sa.sc.
edu/communityservice/mlk/.
USC TIMES
Vol. 23, No. 17 | November 8, 2012
USC Times is published 20 times a year
for the faculty and staff of the University
of South Carolina by the Division of
Communications.
Managing editor: Liz McCarthy
Q&A
Designer: Linda Dodge
Contributors: Peggy Binette, Craig
Brandhorst, Frenché Brewer, Glenn
Hare, Thom Harman, Chris Horn,
Page Ivey, Steven Powell, Megan
Sexton and Marshall Swanson
By
Thom
Harman
New men’s basketball head coach Frank Martin has brought his
enthusiasm and intensity to South Carolina and plans to make
Carolina one of the Southeastern Conference elite. USC Times
caught up with Martin off the court.
What do you think your biggest selling point is right now at USC?
Passion. I don’t know care what corner of campus you turn to
or athletic event you attend, the passion that comes across
from the fans is just remarkable. And that’s what I’m about.
What’s the most important trait you look for in a basketball player?
I could tell you the trait that when I see it, I don’t care how good
you are, I look the other way: selfishness. We avoid that at all
costs. We have no interest in it. Selfishness will kill your locker
room. We have no interest in recruiting people who are going
to bring that trait into our program. It’s about selflessness, it’s
about work ethic, and it’s about a commitment to grow.
With
Frank
Martin
What’s your favorite pastime outside of basketball?
My kids. I like playing golf. I like fishing. I like doing all of those
things. But I dreamed of being a father for a long time. And
God’s blessed me with that opportunity. So if I’m not working,
I’m with my kids. That’s my pastime: seeing my children grow.
What’s the oddest request you’ve gotten from a fan?
This wasn’t a request, but the oddest moment was a young man
at K State had entered a goat into his state fair competition, and
he named him after me. I had a goat named after me. And he did
it in a positive way, of course, but yeah, that was odd.
How many times have people brought up Frank McGuire to you?
A lot. And rightfully so. He’s one of the guys who’s impacted this
sport the most in the last hundred years. That’s a powerful name
and one we should be extremely prideful of at the University of
South Carolina because of the successes, the kind of players,
the history that he created during his time here.
Photographers: Michael Brown
and Kim Truett
To reach us: 803-777-2848
or lmccarthy@sc.edu
Campus correspondents:
Patti McGrath, Aiken
Candace Brasseur, Beaufort
Shana Dry, Lancaster
Jane Brewer, Salkehatchie
Becky Bean, Sumter
Tammy Whaley, Upstate
Annie Houston, Union
The University of South Carolina does not
discriminate in educational or employment
opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual
orientation or veteran status.