The Capstone Residence Hall has been illuminated by a garnet glow at night since Friday to honor the athletic and academic accomplishments of the University of South Carolina.
“This project is really the brainchild of the university’s Board of Visitors," said Jeff Stensland, Director of Public Relations at USC. "They wanted to help start something that could become a source of pride for Gamecock fans now and in the future, and the idea of a garnet light shining into the night sky was one they embraced."
Each night, explanation behind the garnet beacon can be found on the university’s social media pages. The certain criteria required to be recognized has not yet been determined, but this honor will be saved for major academic and athletic accomplishments.
Stensland said that academic accomplishments could be major student achievement, faculty recognition and distinguished research awards, while athletics could possibly include significant wins over rivals or ranked teams. A list of parameters will be established soon.
The Board of Visitors works under the Board of Trustees and President Harris Pastides to enhance the image of the university. The fundraising campaign for the project was conducted by the Board of Visitors and generated enough funds to purchase the energy efficient LED lights made especially for lighting up the Top of Carolina.
Lizzie Howell, third-year public relations student, noticed the light on Friday night while driving through Columbia with friends.
“It’s really cool to see Capstone lit up in garnet, because not only is it a change from what we are used to, but also we also love garnet. It shows the world that we are so proud of our colors and our accomplishments,” Howell said.
Capstone is an iconic landmark at the University Of South Carolina. The 18-story residence hall that houses students in the Capstone Scholars Program was built in 1967 and is topped with a revolving restaurant used at the 1964-1965 New York’s World Fair.
The Board of Visitors hopes that this will become an ongoing campaign and a new tradition for the Carolina community.