Arts & Culture

Staff members work behind the bar at Smoked, located at 1643 Main St. in Columbia, South Carolina on Jan. 8, 2024. Smoked offers a variety of signature cocktails, in-house brewed beer and fine wines.

Restaurant Week is just around the corner. Here's what to expect

By Macaila Bogle | Jan. 9, 2024

Local restaurants in the Midlands particpate each year in a week full of new creations and special deals. Restaurant Week, hosted by the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging association, looks to help draw customers back into the eating-out scene after the holiday season. For some its a chance to try out new recipes or creations, but for others, it provides an opportunity for members of the restaurant industry to grow their own community.

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By Simone Meyer | April 6

Student filmmakers, The Sun Is Against Us, talk creativity, making their own rules

By Brooklyn Jones | April 5

South Carolina football rebuilds program during spring season

By Maya Ambuehl | April 5

Thomas Spurgeon nominated as next student body treasurer

By Emilee Davis | April 8

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USC Music Industry Studies students of the band Noise Complaint perform a cover of The Weeknd's "Starboy" at the end of their set at The Senate on Jan. 7.

Rockin' Resolutions Fundraiser aims to support USC's Music Industry Studies students

By Damian Bertrand | Jan. 8, 2024

Cookout employees give positive review of college customers, say USC students bring value to Five Points

By Miles Shea | Dec. 8, 2023

Student perform in "Adventure on the Horizon" by Jennifer Hanson for the spring 2023 Student Choreography Showcase. The performances for this semester's showcase will begin on Dec. 5 and continue through Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. each night in Drayton Hall Theatre.

USC dance students bring individual creative flare to annual showcase

By Macaila Bogle | Dec. 4, 2023

More from Arts & Culture

Santa's Sweet Shop won the judge's vote for first annual Gingerbread Contest and Exhibition presented by NoMa Warehouse and Davis Architecture. Seed Architecture was awarded second place as well as People’s Choice winner in the Gingerbread contest.

NoMa Warehouse, Davis Architecture host first gingerbread house competition to fight homelessness

By Caroline Nix | Dec. 3, 2023

NoMa Warehouse and Davis Architecture make the nice list this year by hosting a gingerbread house competition to benefit Rapid Shelter Columbia. Judges evaluated participants on criteria including appearance and creativity, and more than 330 visitors voted on their favorite.

A current attractions poster of AMC Harbison 14 displays "Napoleon," "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" and "Thanksgiving," on Nov. 29, 2023. The newest "Hunger Games installment hit theaters Nov. 17.

Review: 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' is a disappointing cash grab

By Nat Campbell | Nov. 30, 2023

"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" made fans excited to re-enter Suzanne Collins' dystopian world. But the movie fell short in its aspirations to live up to the "Hunger Games" legacy.

A fall harvest bowl, made with rice, chickpeas, sweet potatoes and broccoli, is pictured on Nov. 30, 2023. This healthy and cost-effective meal can be the extra motivation students need to get through end-of-semester finals.

Recipe: Fall harvest bowl to fuel the final stretch

By Sydney Zulywitz | Nov. 30, 2023

To help get through the upcoming finals season, check out this fall harvest bowl recipe. The bowl uses cheap, healthy and in-season ingredients to help its consumer stay nourished during stressful times.

Playlist: Holiday hits to prepare for the winter season

By Olivia Helfen | Nov. 30, 2023

With fall on the way out, it's time for the annual Christmas songs to echo throughout everyone's homes. Here are some covers of the classics by some of pop culture's most well-known performers.

Jennifer Bartell Boykin, Poet Laureate of Columbia, speaks at an open mic and banned books readout sponsored by Allen University at All Good Books in Columbia on Feb. 8, 2023. Boykin is one of two people who oversees the Poetry Battle Royale program.

New Columbia high school program combines poetry, debate to help students with self-expression

By Sydney Zulywitz | Nov. 21, 2023

Poetry Battle Royale, a program that combines poetry and debate, is working to create more critical thinkers and strong writers in Columbia's high schools. The group, led by Poet Laureate of Columbia Jennifer Bartell Boykin and poet Candace Wiley, meets twice a month at Richland Library Sandhills to work on building students' skills in these areas.

A picture of the front entrance of Russell Underground, located in the bottom floor of Russell House. The venue will host a series of student-run concerts starting with the spring 2024 semester.

Music Industry Studies program, Russell House, Gamecock Entertainment partner to bring live music to Russell Underground

By Mollie Naugle | Nov. 19, 2023

The Music Industry Studies program will bring live shows to Russell Underground through a partnership with Russell House and Gamecock Entertainment next semester. The partnership will allow students to gain hands-on experience in the music industry as well as expose audiences to new sounds and artists.

Playlist: Messy, but in a cool indie way

By Nat Campbell | Nov. 16, 2023

Do you ever want to revel in the post-ironic enjoyment of mustaches and low-rise skinny jeans? While these 2013 era indie sleaze songs may be outdated for some, they are ahead of their time for others.

Crowds fill the street at the annual Vista Lights event in November 2022. The event is put together by the Congaree Vista Guild, a membership-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the Vista.

38th annual Vista Lights showcases local businesses during the holiday season

By Macaila Bogle | Nov. 15, 2023

For the 38th year in a row, Vista Lights will be bringing holiday fun to the Midlands. Local businesses will showcase all that they have to offer to the Columbia community with restaurant stands, holiday sales and Christmas performances.

Journalist Mandy Matney gives insight into her personal and journalistic journey covering the Murdaugh murders during a USC event on Nov. 13, 2023. Matney is now the CEO of her own company, a podcast creator and an author.

Podcast host, journalist reflects on covering the Murdaugh trials

By Caroline Nix | Nov. 15, 2023

The College of Information and Communications hosted Mandy Matney for “An Evening of True Sunlight with Mandy Matney” at the Joseph F. Rice School of Law on Monday. Matney discussed her process for writing the book, "Blood On Their Hands: Murder, Corruption, and the Fall of the Murdaugh Dynasty," and the process that led to breaking the case.

A second-floor lab room sink sits inactive in McMaster College's School of Visual Art and Design on Oct. 31, 2023. Some sinks like the one in the lab have become backed up and filled with paint, students said.

McMaster College students feel left behind, say building is out of date, needs upgrades

By Damian Bertrand , Amanda Petty and Eva Milne | Nov. 12, 2023

Built in 1911, McMaster College has a long history with the university and is the current home of the School of Visual Arts and Design. As the building has grown older, many students said facility issues are a inconvenience and make them feel overlooked compared to other schools.

Playlist: U.K. indie essentials from the headphones of a Scottish exchange student

By Eva Milne | Nov. 9, 2023

The indie music scene is cointinuing to grow in the U.K. To find out more these bands, check out these U.K. indie classics for a taste of the up-and-coming artists inspiring today's world of U.K. music.

Josh Rogers poses for a picture at Snips Vintage during a pop-up thrift fair in October. The Gamecock Vintage Market aims to unite vendors from all over both North and South Carolina with USC students who are looking to thrift in a sustainable way.

Monthly Greene Street market brings vintage, sustainable items to students

By Jamie Alatzas | Nov. 9, 2023

The Gamecock Vintage Market, hosted on Greene Street, is a monthly staple for all vintage enthusiasts around Columbia. Vendors across South Carolina gather to sell their items to students, who seem to have a growing interest in vintage clothes, according to the sellers.

A dill pickle pizza goes goes into the oven before being cooked for 20 minutes on Oct. 29, 2023. Arts and culture writer Jamie Alatzas shares a recipe for the new South Carolina State Fair favorite.

Recipe: Dill pickle pizza

By Jamie Alatzas | Nov. 9, 2023

The South Carolina State Fair brought back plenty of classic foods this October, but one new item stood out among fair-goers — dill pickle pizza. For those who may have missed the fair or simply are just craving its pizza, here is a recipe to help satisfy those pickle cravings.

Studio owner Meredith Trout grabs an information sheet from the front desk of BEATS Barre Studio on Nov. 8, 2023. Trout founded BEATS in 2018, teaching out of her home studio in Lexington, North Carolina, and later moving to Columbia, South Carolina, in 2022 to continue giving personal lessons from home before she opened up her studio on Gervais Street in September 2023.

BEATS Barre Studio aims to put a twist on the idea of fitness in Columbia

By Karlie Kim | Nov. 9, 2023

BEATS Barre Studio recently opened on Gervais Street with an energetic and fun twist on the fitness world. Its main goal is to make fitness fun again and get clients to experience an entertaining yet effective workout style that people in Columbia have never experienced before.

The Gamecock Surf Club poses for a group photo at Folly Beach during the fall 2023 semester. The group also has ventured to Carolina Beach and Ocean Fest, a charity music festival in North Carolina.

New surf club makes waves at USC, teaches students how to become 'one with the water'

By Suha Ayub | Nov. 7, 2023

Newly formed Gamecock Surf Club is focused on fostering a love for surfing and building a community for students, members said. The student organization meets weekly in order to discuss and make plans for which beach it will travel to that weekend.

Inaara Jadavji's character Angelica (left) and Dana Witherspoon character Sadie (right) gaze into the audience while performing a musical number during a dress rehearsal of “Golden Time” on Nov. 5, 2023. Off Off Broadway will be performing “Golden Time,” an original student-written musical, at Benson Theatre from Nov. 9 to Nov. 12.

Off Off Broadway to perform original musical focused on loss, acceptance in 1st show of year

By Olivia Helfen | Nov. 7, 2023

"Golden Time," a student-written musical, shines a light on the dark experiences of its protagonist, Sadie Prisket. Off Off Broadway will be performing the show this weekend and hopes to connect with audience members over themes of loss and acceptance.