Wow, another year is over. Can you believe we survived 2016? We survived listening to "Juju On That Beat" countless times, the soap-opera known as the election, Kim vs. T-Swizzle and Mariah Carey's New Year's Eve show. Being a student at the University of South Carolina, while 2016 was rough, USC was tougher. Collectively as a student body, there were always beacons of hope from the Carolina community. We are young and unafraid. We survived the storm of 2016, now for the rainbow of 2017. This is the year of US, or should I say USC!
Why 2017? Why is this the year of us? According the Chinese calendar, this is the year of the rooster... not the year of the tiger. With Cocky on our side this year, there is nothing to fear. Not only that, but 2017 is a fresh start. We were all in dire need off a new year, new semester, new me. 2017 is the year of us taking control and making the most of the time around us with those we love.
Our generation is constantly staying up-to-date on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. We know all the latest headlines. 2016, there was a repetitive pattern of the types of headlines we would read. Headlines became headLines with a capital L. Whether it was about the election, USC football or terrorism, the headlines controlled our happiness in 2016. Reading about another loss, death(s) and destruction was a daily ritual leaving us in a state of perpetual sadness. There were some celebrations like the Chicago Cubs winning and Trump becoming President, but with those celebrations came a side losing. 2017 will not be 20L6. We need to turn all L's to W's.
This starts with mentality, something not new to us, Gamecocks. We need to channel our relentless cheerful spirit in everything we do. No other school can celebrate winning OR losing like we do. We need to use our enthusiasm in all aspects of our life. This is the year of the Rooster. Instead of headlines dictating our lives, we will dictate headlines. Imagine if every time a disaster in this world happens, we extend our love to those mourning. Imagine if every time a soldier comes home, we shout in celebration as loud as Sandstorm. The world would be a different place. We would be changing the world.
Changing the world is a scary topic. It is a topic often times we run away from; however, there is strength in numbers. This year, 44,000 students attended USC. That is 44,000 of us. Together, we will run towards change. This is the year of US(C), and I believe the world will be saying that with us!
