ISSUE: SCSU vs. USC

OUR VIEW: On-the-field battle won‧t affect ties, but game IS important

The speculation goes way back, way, way back. The long-lasting, often-unstated fear in the history of South Carolina State University is that it would one day be consolidated into the much larger University of South Carolina. It's just not going to happen.

What will be historic in the relationship between the historically black SCSU and once-all-white USC is today's meeting on the football field in Columbia. Forget the size of the two schools and their difference in NCAA divisional affiliations, the game is expected to be intense.

In an interview with TheTandD.com, SCSU President Andrew Hugine said the game is a milestone for SCSU and the state, marking a long-awaited competition in the biggest sport between two schools just an hour apart. Hugine sees off-the-field significance as a game that tears down more barriers for South Carolinians.

Hugine sees also the good for SCSU, which is still basking in the glow of being host for the first-in-the-nation presidential debate in April. The game further puts S.C. State in the spotlight -- and exposes many South Carolinains to a historic Orangeburg institution about which they know too little.

Hugine expects a good showing by the Bulldogs and said he plans to enjoy the game -- as will thousands of other Bulldog fans. He stopped short of predicting a major upset victory.

For his part, USC President Andrew Sorenson was in Orangeburg for an address during USC-SCSU game week. He didn't talk much about the competition, instead focusing on getting Orangeburg to know about his university's relationship with SCSU and the community.

As reported earlier, Sorenson cited collaboration with:

* SCSCU in exchange of faculty and a nuclear engineering degree program.

* Claflin University in battling health disparities including HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer, plus the S.C. Center for Biotechnology.

* SCSU and Claflin in recruiting more minorities in the public health field.

* Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College in a program to train more minority teachers. It involves structuring a seamless transition for students from the tech school's associate-degree program to pursue a bachelor's degree at USC.

* Orangeburg County schools in a public health effort to battle childhood obesity by promoting greater physical activity among young people.

The relationships are important here and for the state, and are not impacted by on-the-field rivalry. If Clemson and South Carolina can cooperate on multiple projects, certainly no game outcome this weekend is going to change the relationship between universities in Orangeburg and Columbia.

But if you're a Bulldog, you can't help but look at the victory by little Appalachian State over big, bad Michigan three weeks ago and consider what a gigantic moment for SCSU it would be should the Bulldogs win Saturday night.

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