The first week of school is often pretty crazy. We experience things like finding our new classes, dealing with August heat, and just maintaining our balance. It is very obvious that 2020 has posed a different kind of beginning to the school year, especially with moving to online courses.
As we are all very well aware, classes started on August 20th with the normal Thursday FDOC. The following day, the 21st, while students were struggling to find their MWF classes, there was a protest on campus.
Jim Gillies, a protester against all things Black Lives Matter, was on Greene St. that Friday, as if students have not been through a tough time already with the COVID-19 outbreak.
Jim Gillies had a sign of his own saying “BLM Are Racist Thugs.” Students did not like the sign, and began shouting their own slogans. Students said things such as “black lives matter” and “no justice, no peace” which are phrases that have been used since the death of George Floyd.
The end of the protest, and hopefully the end of Jim Gillies being on our campus, a member of the USC band started playing his trombone. On Twitter later that day, The Village Idiot, a local pizza place, offered free pizzas to the student.
Sadly, this was not the end of protesting on campus. There have been others, however they have not gotten as much exposure. Questions have begun to arise how UofSC’s president, Bob Caslen, will handle future protests as those who are protesting have rights to be there.
At USC, we will not tolerate racism and bigotry. Thank you to all of the students who showed that we are not a place of hatred.