In the wake of the Clemson-Carolina game this coming week, USC students were encouraged to swing a sledgehammer into a scrap car painted orange, black, and purple, adorned with tiger paws and a face painted on the hood. For the second year since its return to USC, the Clemson Car Smash took place at the Swearingen Engineering Center on November 19.
The Car Smash provides students with a way to prepare for the Clemson-Carolina game. After signing a liability waiver, students were given three free hits and had the option to purchase additional rounds afterward.
This year, the event is a collaboration between the USC Center for Student Health and Well-Being and the Theta Tau Engineering Fraternity. The proceeds from additional hits and t-shirt sales are donated to the student mental health fund. The event is headed by third-year computer engineering student Jack Schmitt.
"The reason behind hosting Car Smash is, first and foremost, to get people amped up for the Clemson-Carolina game and to let people take out some of their anger on the car," Schmitt said. "You can come get some free rivalry week swag ... I know that we've had a pretty rough season, so come beat this car up and get your anger out."
The Car Smash began in 2015 and continued until 2020. During these years, it served as a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. After the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Car Smash faced a four-year hiatus due to Theta Tau being unable to find an insurance company willing to cover the event.
In 2024, Schmitt, who served as the public relations chair for Theta Tau at the time, was determined to revive the event. Now, Schmitt no longer holds the position but still coordinates with Theta Tau to run the Car Smash.
“I wanted to make my mark on campus and make something that I could leave behind,” Schmitt said.
The car itself is provided by Pull-A-Part Columbia. They have provided the cars for every Car Smash since its inception, Schmitt said.
At the lot, the car is painted and has any potential hazards, such as its engine, fluids and glass, removed before being towed to the Swearingen Engineering Center for the event. EMS is also on standby, although Schmitt said they have never had an injury in the history of the event. Afterwards, it is towed back to Pull-A-Part and disposed of, all free of charge.
The biggest hurdle Schmitt and his predecessors faced when attempting to revive the event was finding insurance coverage, he said. Utilizing USC’s alumni base in the insurance industry, he reached out to 25 different companies and finally found success with one. With USC and Pull-A-Part protected from liability, the event was back on USC's campus.
First-year economics student Jonathan Welch doesn't take classes in the engineering center, but he saw a post about the Car Smash on Instagram and decided to check it out with some friends.
“It was really fun. It was cool because … you don't get the opportunity to smash a car that often," Welch said. "(I was) definitely more relaxed after."
First-year business student Avem Polon also participated. Like Welch, she saw the Instagram post and decided to check out the Car Smash.
"I loved it. It was really fun ... I'm all hyped up, I'm so excited," Polon said.
Both Polon and Welch said they would recommend the Car Smash to others.
“It's just a really, really fun event that I care about, and I think a lot of people enjoy it, and that's why I do it,” Schmitt said.