The 2023 football season was not exactly one to savor, but it is important to take time to appreciate the other memories from the semester — and college in general. There is no such thing as "doing college right," so enjoy the experience and take time to grow yourself.
Social media can be harmful because of misinformation, but it is also very valuable in spreading important, accurate information — especially in academia. Opening up academic works online can help prompt change by promoting social literacy.
In support of Palestine and Gaza, many people are beginning to boycott a range of businesses and are demanding an end to hostilities with the Israeli army. While some may believe that it is pointless, we must boycott to help Palestine and Gaza.
Uncensored America President Brendan Connors said that Laura Loomer's visit to the University of South Carolina highlighted campus free speech issues. Similar events turned violent at Penn State, raising concerns about the ongoing First Amendment challenges in universities.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly developing and integrating itself into the workforce, calling for a demand to understand its functions. But AI doesn't purely work to benefit us, as artificially generated "deepfakes" begin to circulate social media everywhere.
The end of 2023 means moving on for editor-in-chief Sydney Dunlap. But Dunlap said students should focus on all that 2023 was and all that 2024 can be.
"There is an urgent need for wage reform at the University of South Carolina due to rising living costs and stagnant wages, which disproportionately affect students and employees," columnist Shannon Kavaja writes. "The university's labor coalition and union are raising awareness and advocating for change, emphasizing the importance of student participation in rallies and petitions to address the issue and ensure fair treatment of workers."
Students continue to take advantage of the Cockpit points system and as a result, demonstrate a false sense of school pride. This undermines the integrity of other fall semester sports and invalidates the hard work that other non-football athletes endure to put on their best performances.
"Forever chemicals" get a lot of public attention for how they affect American drinking water, but the presence of other chemical hydrohazards in our water sources should raise concerns at the University of South Carolina and across the U.S. Disinfection byproducts, in particular, are much more present in water and a cause for health concerns.
Columbia's stand-up comedy scene is lively and diverse, despite it not being well-known. Its many venues, which frequently host comedy shows, helps showcase the talent of a variety of comedians while appealing to different audiences.
For many individuals, reading has become a chore. It is time that students re-engage with books for fun by reading whatever they want. No matter what book it is, non-fiction or not, the process of reading will help students grow and learn.
"There was a lot of uncertainty at the start of the pandemic about how classes would be conducted and how professors would shift from their current teaching methods to a full-fledged online platform," columnist Varsha Gowda writes. "The system has come a long way since 2020, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to fully benefit students from online learning."
