The homecoming teams came together on Thursday on Greene Street to participate in Cocky’s Canned Creations, a competition that prompted the teams to build Life-in-Garnet-and-Black-themed structures out of canned foods. The contest lasted three hours as USC students sat on blue tarps and stacked cans on top of each other with tape and construction paper.
Each of the collected cans were donated to the Gamecock Pantry and Harvest Hope in an effort to help feed both USC students and the citizens of Columbia.
Homecoming event director and second-year media studies student André Mace said “I'm definitely grateful for the groups … because they've donated a lot of cans.”
The event was a part of homecoming week, and each organization involved brought hundreds of cans to create their structure. Scattered across the street were models of the Capstone building, Williams-Brice Stadium, the Horseshoe gate, trains and many more.
Third-year social work student Erin Woods participated on the Alpha Chi Omega and Beta Theta Pi team for the event.
“I think it’s a really cool, fun way to tie in the artsy, fun, decoration part of it, but that all these cans go to a good cause makes us happy,” she said.
There were about 16 organizations that participated in the competition, and each was only allowed to build their structures using tape, construction paper, scissors and their cans.
“I love how when we do big events like this, we all come together and everybody pitches in," said second-year marketing and management student Lexie Zielke. "It really brings us together as a community with my sorority and the school.”