6,852 ----- The number of undergraduates who will live on campus this year in residence halls and Greek Village houses. Moving these students on campus within 48 hours can be likened to moving the entire population of Camden, Fountain Inn or Little River.

450 ----- The number of graduate students who will live on campus this year.

3,850 ----- The estimated number of students in the university’s freshman class, which is expected to be its biggest and brightest in history.

98 ----- The percentage of freshmen who will live on campus, an important number as research shows new students who live on campus are more involved in campus life and develop stronger social networks.

313 ----- The number of freshmen who will enter South Carolina Honors College this fall.

520 ---- The number of freshmen in the Capstone Scholars Program, which offers an array of academic, research and service opportunities.

25 & 22 ----- The number of Carolina and McNair scholars, respectively, that the university will welcome to campus. Carolina and McNair scholarships are the most prestigious awarded by the university.

97 ----- The percentage of freshmen from South Carolina who are state-funded scholarship recipients.

389 ----- The number of Palmetto fellows in this year’s freshman class. Palmetto Fellowships are the state’s most prestigious awards.

2,400 ----- The number of undergraduates who live in the 15 special living and learning communities on campus. These communities range from West Quad – the “green dorm” – and Preston Residential College to the French House.

15,000 ----- The number of bottles of water that will be available for thirsty students and parents this weekend. To encourage the recycling of the water bottles, 15 recycling barrels will be conveniently located around campus.

400 ----- The number of Polaroid photos expected to be taken this weekend by staff members in the Office of Student Life as students and their families move into residence halls.

6,400 ----- The largest number of books – up from 5,800 last year – ever pre-packaged by the University Bookstore (Barnes & Noble, Russell House) for students to pick up.

200 ----- The number of faculty, staff and student volunteers who will help students and their families move belongings into rooms. More than 400 additional staff will help students by opening their service offices.

120 ----- The number of student volunteers helping with parking during opening weekend.

40,000 ----- The pounds of chicken fingers consumed by university students last year.

45,000 ----- The number of bagels Einstein’s serves on campus each year.

61,000 ----- The combined number of pizzas that the university’s Pizza Hut and Pandini restaurant serve each year.

The number of salads and sandwiches sold at all the Grab’n Go food operations on campus.

85,000 ----- The number of meals prepared each week at the Russell House University Union.

8,600 ----- The number of student mail boxes on campus to which postal workers make deliveries. The university’s postal service has six delivery routes serving the Columbia campus.

245,668 ----- The average number of pieces of first-class mail that the university’s postal services will handle each month with the return of students. This is double the amount of mail handled during the summer months.

50,029 ----- The number of parcels delivered at the Student Mail Center during the course of the school year.

175,000 ----- The estimated number of feet of computer patch cord (Ethernet cable) that will be run in student residence halls.

57,629 ----- The number of tours and appointments by prospective students and their families coordinated by the university Visitor Center last year (July 2007 – June 2008).

12.2 ----- The tons of cardboard expected to be collected and recycled this weekend (based on fall 2007 move-in numbers). That’s a lot of computer and mini-refrigerator boxes!

56 ----- The percentage of females in this year’s freshman class, which reflects a nationwide trend as more young women enroll in college.

13 ----- The number of sets of twins entering Carolina this fall as freshmen.

42 & 15 ----- The number of states, including the District of Columbia, and countries represented in the freshman class.

134 ----- The number of student-athletes in the freshman class.

4,324 ----- The number of rooms in the university’s 23 residence halls and homes in the Greek Village.

215 ----- The number of student residence-hall mentors.

336 ----- The number of registered student organizations.

24,000 ----- The number of Band-Aids or other medical bandages given out each year at the Thomson Student Health Center.

2,500 ----- The number of flu shots given out last year in response to the flu-prevention campaign conducted by Campus Wellness.

17 ----- The number of counselors at the Counseling and Human Development Center who help serve the emotional and mental health needs of students.

15 ----- The number of chaplains who will serve the spiritual needs of students and the university community this year.

35 —---- The number of religious student organizations on campus.

8 ----- The number of ministry centers within walking distance of the Russell House University Union.

26 ----- The number of buses that will take freshmen to Williams-Brice Stadium Saturday, Aug.16, for First-Night Carolina, a pep rally.

167 ----- The number of sections of University 101. More than 3,000 university freshmen registered to take the course, which is designed to help high-school students successfully make the transition to college life. As part of the course, these freshmen will log more than 30,000 hours of community service.

12,000 ----- The number of issues of The Daily Gamecock, the university’s student newspaper, delivered on campus each weekday.

100 ----- The number of years The Daily Gamecock student newspaper has published on campus.

30 ----- The number of miles in broadcasting range that WUSC-FM 90.5, the university’s student radio station, reaches daily on its HD radio broadcast.

28 ----- The number of University of South Carolina presidents, including current President Dr. Harris Pastides.

7,710 ----- The number of parents who are registered for the university’s Parents Association.

834 ----- The number of students who studied abroad in spring and summer. This is nearly 200 more students than last spring/summer.

97,732 ----- The number of miles that international students will have traveled to get to Columbia.

52 ---- The height (in feet) of the rock-climbing wall at the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center, one of the nation’s premier collegiate facilities of its kind.

33 ----- The number of fraternities and sororities at the University of South Carolina.

2,844 ----- The number of fraternity and sorority members on campus. That’s 17 percent of the total undergraduate student population.

20 ----- The number of houses in the university’s Greek Village.

25 ----- The percentage of freshmen who will participate in fraternity and sorority recruitment this fall.

$100,889 ----- The amount of money fraternity and sorority members raised for charity last year.

11,084 ----- The number of service hours performed by fraternity and sorority members last year.

University of South Carolina students moving to campus and the start of the academic year offer print and broadcast media good story and visual opportunities. Here’s a glance at what’s new on campus.

Move over RAs, and meet the Resident Mentors
The college RA (resident adviser or resident assistant) is a title and job of the past, at least at the University of South Carolina. The new title, resident mentor, better reflects the level of responsibility and service these upperclassmen provide (a far cry from the hall monitoring of yesteryear in order to score a private room). The university’s RMs, who must complete a training course, meet with student residents regularly to help them set academic and leadership goals, become involved in the campus community and learn about services on campus. Only the best need apply.

Living and learning on the cutting edge
The university is a national leader in innovative residential options for students with common interests. Learning-community options vary from specially designed residence halls to dedicated floors in residence halls. Among the options are Green Quad for students with an environmental interest, French House for a French-immersion experience, Preston Residence College for greater contact with faculty, Spanish in South Quad, engineering and computing in Bates House and music, pre-med or pre-law in McBryde.

Freshmen: Get ready, Get Set, Get Connected!
College success is all about the connections that students make. Building on the enormous popularity of social-networking Web sites like Facebook, the university has launched Gamecock Connection, an academic and social networking Web site that links freshmen with one another and the university and provides tips for a successful transition to college. Gamecock Connection will help first-year students find and make friends with similar interests, communicate with classmates through groups and find out what’s happening on campus.

Putting an end to the sophomore slump
For decades, it’s been called the sophomore slump or sophomore slide, the trough between freshman year and the upper-class years when students typically begin concentrating on a major. The University of South Carolina has the remedy: the Sophomore Initiative. Building on its success as a national leader for first-year transition programs, the university has developed a series of services, programs and events to help sophomores stay focused on their studies, find a career path and take full advantage of the programs and opportunities that the university offers.

Mac attack
The i-revolution has taken hold with an increasing number of college students choosing Macs over PCs. University of South Carolina housing officials cite the ubiquity of the iPod and iPhone as major factors contributing to the Mac’s popularity. In fact, university housing administrators report a 135-percent increase in students bringing Macs to campus since 2005.

Wachovia scholars are first class
The 15 students who make up the university’s inaugural class of Wachovia scholars turned down offers from other top universities to attend the University of South Carolina and its Moore School of Business. They are among the brightest students from minority populations in the Carolinas and Georgia. As part of its effort to encourage South Carolina’s highest-achieving students to attend college in-state, the Wachovia Foundation gave $1 million to the Moore School to create the Wachovia Undergraduate Scholars Program, which funds a residential summer camp for high-school juniors and scholarships for undergraduates.

Welcome Week Events — Media Opportunities

Welcome Week at the University of South Carolina offers many visual and story opportunities for broadcast and print media to capture the excitement of students moving into residence halls and preparing for classes. Below are some of the best opportunities for media.

Saturday, Aug. 16 — Move in!
Capture the fun as more than 6,850 students move to campus, a task equivalent to relocating a town the population of Camden, Fountain Inn or Little River. Best visual opportunities are in the morning from 9 a.m. - noon at Capstone House (Barnwell Street), Maxcy College (Pendleton Street) or Patterson Residence (South Bull Street). University President Harris Pastides and his wife, Patricia, will help students move into Maxcy College from 9 – 9:30 a.m. and from 11 – 11:30 a.m. The Russell House University Union will be teeming with students picking up their pre-packaged text books and parents visiting the Parents Program tent.

Saturday, Aug. 16 — First Night Carolina
Students will board 26 buses at 8 p.m. in front of the Russell House University Union and head to Williams-Brice Stadium to celebrate the start of the academic year with an old-fashioned pep rally. The fun runs from 9 p.m. - midnight. Like Gamecock football players, students will have the thrill of running through the fog-filled tunnels into the stadium while “2001” plays. Andrew Gaeckle, student-body president; Dr. Larry Durstine, chairman of the exercise science department; and Steve Benjamin, alumnus, lawyer and community leader, will welcome the students. Rounding out the fun will be cheerleaders, Cocky, a fireworks show and a party with music and food.

Sunday, Aug. 17 — Convocation
President and Mrs. Pastides will welcome students and their families at the 2008 Convocation, which will take place from 4 - 5 p.m. in the Carolina Coliseum. With the fun of First Night behind them, students will come together with their parents, faculty and staff to mark a new beginning and learn about the Carolinian Creed and the expectations for their success as students. The program also will feature remarks by Andrew Gaeckle, student-body president; Dr. Mark Becker, provost; and Dr. Dennis Pruitt, vice president for student affairs, vice provost for academic support and dean of students.

Monday, Aug. 18 — First-Year Reading Experience
This summer, the university’s incoming freshmen read the provocative science-fiction novel, “Never Let Me Go,” by British writer Kazuo Ishiguro. Students will gather at the Carolina Coliseum at 8:30 a.m. to hear Dr. Jeffrey Kahn, an internationally known bioethicist, discuss the topics in the book, which range from cloning and bioethics to human equality and dignity. After Kahn’s talk, students will break into groups of 20 to discuss the book with faculty and staff leaders. The event concludes at noon. In its 15th year, the First-Year Reading Experience provides all freshmen with a common academic experience that they can share and discuss.

Tuesday, Aug. 19 – Thursday, Aug. 21 — The Library – check it out!
Students are invited to find out why Thomas Cooper Library has become THE spot on campus to gather with classmates, and it’s not just for the latte and ear plugs. Tours will take place at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 19 – Tackling the job market: A Career Center Tailgate
Students are invited to join Cocky and student-body president Andrew Gaeckle for a tailgate and four short sessions on finding the right major, getting a part-time job or internship, making a résumé stand out in a tough job market and preparing for interviews. 2 – 4 p.m. in the Career Center, located on the sixth floor of the Moore School of Business.

Tuesday, Aug. 19 — Guitar Hero Tournament
Freshmen are invited to compete in a single-elimination Guitar Hero tournament from 7 – 10 p.m. at the Golden Spur in the Russell House University Union.

Wednesday, Aug. 20 – Cool Off Carolina!
Students are invited to beat the heat by cooling off at this fun annual event hosted by the Carolina Alumni Association. It all takes place poolside from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center. Cool Off Carolina! is not only a hit for the food, music and prizes, but it gives students their first introduction to the alumni association.

Thursday, Aug. 21 — Classes begin!
With suitcases unpacked and backpacks packed, Carolina students head to class.

Thursday, Aug. 21 — Merchant Fair
The return of students to campus means business for local merchants. Local businesses and companies will introduce students to their products and services at the Merchant Fair from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Greene Street in front of the Russell House University Union.