Most of the thousands of people who pass through the second floor of Russell House every day don’t stop by the information desk, but its staff hopes it can be the best source for information on the student union and the campus around it.
The information desk helps about 100 people a day, including students, parents, faculty and guests, and it’s staffed by USC students.
“We know a lot of stuff that goes on not just in Russell House, but everywhere,” said Sarah Pickard, third-year public relations student and information desk employee.
Second-year exercise science student Kendall Griswold works with Pickard and said many of students don’t realize that USC’s lost and found is kept at the desk.
“A lot of people lose their CarolinaCards and don’t know to come here and check,” Griswold said.
Griswold said theft is a common crime in the Russell House, with several phones having been stolen this past year. She says it’s helpful if students have the “Find my iPhone” app because it helps track down the stolen phones.
According to Pickard, crime is a fairly regular occurrence at Russell House, and crime rates go up during exam week. The information desk also has access to the security camera footage of Russell House, so its employees are able to monitor the facility.
“This really is a big campus, and we have random people in here all the time,” Griswold said. “Especially during parents weekend — we had so many people.”
On high-volume occasions like those, desk employees provide free campus maps and will point students and their families in the right direction.
Students and faculty members can also go to the information desk to get a room in Russell House unlocked or to ask for directions.
The information desk is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.