 faculty liaison for the Gamecock iHUB store that you see behind us, and I'm also an instructor in the Department of Retailing, so I will be helping introduce everybody today. So on behalf of everybody on the Gamecock iHUB store management team, we are excited today to have our grand opening be opening our doors to the entire community and campus and to celebrate this important addition to U of S C's campus. To kick us off, there is no better way than to start with, and he's going to come up here and begin the speakers for us, and it's amazing to have him here. It's my pleasure to introduce University of South Carolina Interim President Dr. Harris Pestides. Good morning, thank you Mike, so good to be with everybody outdoors on the horseshoe. On the historic heart of our university since 1801, and since 1801 the students have wanted an Apple iHUB. Yeah, there are legends about it, they really did. They petitioned some of them, dueled with swords, they protested, they shouted. They had contests, but we didn't have one until today. Let me greet all of our friends from government who are here today. Thank you for being here from our councils. Welcome to everybody. Our friends from Apple, you know, chicken and Apple goes together. You know, Gamecocks this time with an Apple with a little bite taken out of the Apple. We don't want the bite taken out of the Gamecock though, we want a nice strong Gamecock. So right across the street there in the Burns building, we will have the place that students have been yearning for. I could not deliver it in my 11 years as president. It took Bill Kirkland. Now it took a lot of people to get this today. I've really been an Apple fan and I have no conflict of interest. I don't know them stock and if anybody prefers the other brands that's perfectly okay. But personally, my first Apple computer, and this will date me now, was an Apple IIe. Like a television set, it had a floppy disk, five and a quarter inches. It had 64K RAM expandable to 128 for another $250. The unit cost over $1,000, but for another 250 I could expand that RAM to 128. Of course there was no internal drive. Everything that you stored had to be on a diskette, as we called it. Elephant's memory was the brand of the diskette. I learned to program in order to teach my students how to do epidemiological calculations like relative risk and odds ratios using basic, the basic language. And I'm very sentimental about that computer. Through the years, I was an early adopter of Macintosh, do you remember the smaller units? How exciting to have a hard, it was still a floppy disk if you will, it was an external disk, three and a half inches now, plastic, could come in cream color or blue, I mean I remember them more than my early girlfriends, I really do. And also, although Patricia is mad at me, I kept most of them. So I've got a little pastides Apple Museum in my basement, they're a little moldy, they're going to need to be cleaned up if I ever do anything. Occasionally I look on eBay to see what they're worth, but it's actually, I don't think I could buy a sandwich from Beezer's if I were to sell any of those. But this is also about the students not who will be acquiring or having things repaired across the street, but who will be running it. This is experiential learning at its best. So we are, we are expectant about the experiences that students will have as well supervised by the department of retailing and the entire college. That's going to be a bustling place, eventually who knows, a big, fancy Apple store, maybe on Main Street, let's show Apple what we could do, not only in acquiring but in learning. Let's teach Apple, I'm talking Cupertino Apple, I'm talking the most highly valued company in the world and in the history of the world by the way, that trucks go by. Let's teach them something that they didn't know. And you know what? With all due respect for the faculty here, it's probably going to come from a student or a group of students who are going to be able to say, guess what? We found a way to improve the Apple, where Apple is a company. So for me it's just one of the shining lights. I returned on May 21st, by the way, thinking the pandemic had receded in the rear-view mirror. And now I see it in the side-view mirror, sometimes across the windshield. I thought I got lucky and took the pandemic off. And here we are again now with the Delta variant, but the mask is the new normal. It will be the new normal in the Gamecock i-hub as well. But I'm very hopeful. You know, the students are returning this weekend. Get ready for no parking, lots of traffic. But you love it. You wouldn't love the university or the town of Columbia, the city, if you didn't love them. And that's who we're here for. So we're telling them the new normal is a normal with face masks indoors when you can't social distance. Just about everything else we're going to try to keep normal. Lots of people at Williams Brice, lots of people on the horseshoes, sorority, fraternity rush, classroom teaching and learning with a mask. We're going to incentivize vaccination. We're going to make it fun. We're going to role model vaccination status. And we're going to tell them today the new normal requires a mask. If we get vaccinated and we all do our part tomorrow, maybe we could take them off. So thank you and congratulations to everybody here. I'm so excited for the Gamecock i-hub. And I need a little fine tuning on my desktop. So I think I'll be one of the first customers. Thank you for being here, everyone. Thank you. Next up is Department of Retailing Chair Jeff Campbell. Good morning, everybody. President Pastides is definitely a tough act to follow, so I'm going to go ahead and do my best to explain how things kind of transpired and to first say thank you. Most of all, to say thank you to the university community for embracing this. Hello to our special guests that are here today. And really think about this in terms of, you know, we like to say that it takes a village to raise a child. And realistically what has happened is having seen this over the course of 13, 14 months, it really has taken a university to raise a retailing store. There's so many people to thank and, you know, we have very limited time to do that, but I would do want to call out and say thank you very much to, you know, the group at Apple. They've been phenomenal to work with from day one. You know, the guidance that they've given our department, the instruction, the what to do, what not to do has been really important. I also want to make a special thank you to Mr. Bill Kirkland, Jay Henderson, Kelly Epting, who spent a ton of time helping us get this thing ready to go. You don't see the behind the scenes thing, but certainly it's important for us and it's been an important part of our process. We're excited about working with the services side, Eliza Matheson, her group, so I'm excited that that's going to be moving forward. And I do want to make a special call out to Chris Murdner, who is the project manager for this particular project, and he's done a phenomenal job as well. It's one of those things where Mike Watson, our faculty liaison, and Sondra Kester's have put in a lot of time and a lot of energy. And I could not have picked, as a department chair, two better people to oversee that project with more experience than those two. One of the kind of jokes in our department is I want to hire people that are smarter than me. And I feel like I've certainly found that in those two, so thank you. One of the biggest things, too, is I want to say quickly how much we appreciate the Board of Trustees and the University of South Carolina supporting our retailing department and allowing us to take charge of this. It's been really a game changer for us in a lot of ways. One of the things, we talk about the student internships, which is incredibly important, but there's other things that we're doing with the store. We're taking data from that store and actually embedding it into our different classes. We have classes in category management. We have classes in asset protection, digital retailing, product development. All of those things, perspectives of retail that people don't typically see. So not only are students getting better learning outcomes by working in the store through their practicums, but they're also getting better learning through the classroom experience. It's helping faculty and it's certainly going to help us down the road when we continue to partner with Apple on various projects. So I wanted to make note of that. And the last thing to finish up, I just want to say, I've been doing a lot of recruiting for our department over the past year as department chair. And you would not believe how many students from high school coming into the University of South Carolina looking at our program, how that's actually positively impacted our program and our growth already. We're seeing it from the students. We're seeing it from the parents. And it's something that when I ask them why they were looking at our program, the technology piece is really important. So I want to make sure when I ask them, what was it that really turned the corner and made you decide to come to South Carolina? And they would typically say, I never knew that about the department of retailing. And so we see this Apple Store as one of those conduits for us to be able to move forward and really grow the program. And we're starting to see benefits from that. So I'd like to say thank you again to everybody. Invite everybody over. Please buy Apple. It's a retailing thing. And I'm going to go ahead and turn it back to Mike and have him introduce our student interns. Thank you. Thank you, Jeff. Representing all interns, no pressure at all. Representing all interns over there at the Gamecock I Hub will be Sarah Fowler. Good morning, President Pastides and all of our other distinguished guests. As Dr. Mike said, my name is Sarah Fowler. And I'm currently a senior here at the University of South Carolina majoring in retailing. This summer I had the awesome opportunity to be in the first group of Gamecock interns, Gamecock I Hub interns. And it was just overall just an awesome experience. I think this kind of opportunity to bring this store as an Apple Store, basically, to life on campus is so beneficial not only to myself, but to faculty and staff who can now buy from us. And a great selling point for the university because it is quite an experience to be able to intern under such a distinguished brand like Apple who's known for their innovation, their technology, and their design. My teammates and I can definitely say that we're proud to be part of Gamecock I Hub and it's definitely a reason I'd say why it's so special to be here at the University of South Carolina and why it's always great to be a Gamecock and not a tiger, I will say, how to put that in there. My teammates and I got to dive into all kinds of aspects for opening a store, which is not something a lot of people get to do. We did everything from research and help choose an asset protection company to secure all of our products. We worked on developing a social media strategy plan for all of our store social accounts, which all of you should follow. We did things like work through challenges of building shelving units for our inventory room with not working air conditioning in the store, which I can tell you is very hot, but it is not working, so don't worry. And all of these different things will definitely give us a competitive edge going into just our future careers and really the confidence in being able to say, we've done this, we've been a part of it, so what's another store opening? And with that, I just want to thank the University of South Carolina, the Department of Retailing, and Apple for creating this opportunity for all of us students, not only myself and my fellow interns, but the future interns of the store and everyone who gets to benefit from this kind of store. And I'd also like to thank, while I'm up here, Dr. Watson for being an amazing person to work under as the store director. My manager, Sandra, who is actually over at the store right now, she's been awesome to work under and one of the best managers I've ever had. And then Dr. Campbell for being a part of hiring me, so thank you for that. Thank you. Thank you, Sarah. Well done on the end, that's probably plus five in my next class. All right, up next will be University Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, Doug Foster. All of us, technology enthusiasts, really excited about this. The piece that's happening with our Division of Information Technology is the service side of this. Not sure we can help with the Apple IIE, but there's a component that will exist in the store that will be for students, faculty, staff, alumni, all to come bring personal devices and get them serviced at the store. So that's really exciting. The way that's going to happen for students, it's another opportunity for them is they will get special training from Apple to service these devices and they will become Apple authorized technicians, which is a pretty impressive credential. Not only will they get the technical training, but they're also going to get a great experience with partners on the retail side to be learning customer service, leadership. Lots of learning things are going to be happening here with the students outside of just pure technology. The other thing that I would be remiss in, sort of missing here, is that one of the components of the store or the service side of this is that it's really going to be a wide open sort of platform. At the moment, we're going to be supporting computers and some of those components. But as this goes on, this is just going to grow and we're really excited about what this could become. As Dr. Pastides had talked about, there's a great opportunity. There's a lot of headspace here for this to become a really big thing and we're super excited about that. The last thing I would want to do is just say thank you to members of my team. My team, along with the retail group, have spent lots and lots of time that you won't see, but it's a phenomenal collaboration. I'd like to thank Eliza Mathis for sort of leading that effort for us. Liz Scherke, Max whiskey, Michelle Foster, all and many others who all did a really phenomenal job on this. We're super excited. The students are going to have a great learning experience. The last piece that I would want to do here is thank Bill Kirkland for his leadership on this. I remember when these conversations started, Bill sort of grabbed this opportunity and ran with it and through his patience and persistence, we are now standing here today. So thank you, Bill, for that. Thank you. It's a good segue, Doug. So up next is Office of Economic Engagement Executive Director, Bill Kirkland. And don't worry that I brought notes up here with me. It'll be quick because it's hot. And Pam planned it where the sun would start shining on me at this moment. Thanks, Pam. I'd like to thank anyone for coming today. This is an exciting day. Also, there's a couple of Apple people here in attendance. By their rules, I can't say their names. But Rusty, thank you. I will not say his last name. That starts with a B. But Rusty is a great guy. He started with Pete Davis and others at Apple, and we're here today. So thank you again, sir. Also, I'll just let you know with Dr. Pastides, actually, this started about three years ago with his vision. And y'all know Dr. Pastides doesn't like to take a lot of credit for things. But at the end of the day, we sat in his office, and he said, can we make this happen? And I said, I never, hopefully never let him down so far, thank God. But we put it together and got with Ed Walton and really started working on what this could be. And then I sat with Doug Foster. And Doug looks at me strange sometimes, but he was OK with this one. And we made it happen. So I want to thank my entire team, Doug, your entire team. Derek Grumer, Derek's here somewhere. His entire team, because it was an HRSM, and Jeff, and all the other folks for really putting this together. And we're excited about it. Also, I want to call out. And then I'm going to just say a couple words and step down and give it to our city and county council members. But I really want to thank Kelly Epting. I'm going to actually ask her to stand up, if y'all don't mind. Can you stand up? Because seriously, the South Carolina Research Foundation is the key to making this happen. And we work with our Harding team, led by Pam Dunley, to ensure that we have the operation side of this entire process structured in a way that we won't have any hiccups. Our challenges, and Jeff and others, have been right alongside of that. So the operational plan is rather thick. But we're just ensuring we're doing all the right things right. And thank you, Kelly, for the South Carolina Research Foundation, the things you do. Lastly, I want to thank you is Doug Foster, Mike, and Sandra. She's over there, and Mike's here. We're for partnering on this project. We put it together. It's been a challenge. Jay Henderson on my team has been driving hard, and it's worked, and we're excited. If you look at this, and Dr. Pastiz mentioned it, which makes us very excited. This is a learning lab for the students. Thank you again for your words about the heck with Clemson. Go, Carolina. Thank you. But at the end of the day, if you think about, like, the Menero Airspace Center, it's a learning lab for engineering students. If you think about McCutcheon House, which is in HRSM, that's the hospitality side. It's run by students. If you think about the Kennedy Pharmaceutical Innovation Center, which sits in Provost Cutler's shop, that's a learning lab. So as we go through all these things, these are learning labs that Dr. Pastiz has a vision coming in to make these things happen, and our students are getting hands-on experience. And on the resumes, it's nice to have Apple in the resume, I'm assuming. That's not a bad thing. Also, I just want to let you know that our partnership with Apple, it's not just this. About three or four months, maybe five months ago, we announced a partnership with the governor's office along with Benedict College, Benedict University, looking at the iMac labs, and looking at our underserved communities across the state, and really what you'd call the internet desert. And we announced that we're doing it in a partnership along with the governor's office to put these iMac learning labs in the rural areas of South Carolina where there's limited internet access. And Apple's our true partner here because they're providing all the equipment we're paying for a discounted rate, thank you, again, Apple. But also at the end of the day, they're providing all the software and the training and the educational materials to tape these, this Apple Mac lab, and put it across the state to include that USC union and others. So we're actually out using our leveraging a pair of college and our regional campuses to deliver Apple and state art technology and training. Not only the K-12, affiliate HBCUs, and also affiliated with the tech schools and the community. So this is our approach to statewide learning. So I just want to point it out, it's not just one thing, there are other things prior to this. And the last thing I want to do is not the last thing, but like for Chairman Livingston-Paul Livingston to stand up, he's a chairman of the Russell County Council who's always supportive of everything we do. And the last thing is not the last, but Provost Cutler, I appreciate you being here and this thing you've done to lead our universe for the last few months as our provost. And I think it might, is it me now to continue or you? Okay. Okay. Trying to save your time. Thank you again for coming. Thanks, Sean. All right, up next from our Columbia City Council is Will Brennan. Morning Game Contination. How's everybody today? On behalf of Mayor Steve Benjamin, my fellow city council members in the city of Columbia, let me say how excited we are to finally have an Apple store here in Columbia. We couldn't be more thrilled about this innovative partnership between the College of Hospitality, Retail, Sports Management, and Apple to create the Gamecock iHub. A very impressive component as it's been stated to the iHub is that it'll be managed and operated by students, allowing them to gain the retail tech experience that will be invaluable as our tech economy continues to grow, not only here in Columbia and Richland County, but in this state. And we at the City of Columbia look to continue to build a partnership with the University of South Carolina to foster new tech small businesses and grow our little economy here from the inside out. Keeping the talent that comes through this top notch USC educational system is a priority for all of us. Just think about where we could take Columbia and Richland County if we are successful at giving our local talent the opportunities to innovate, to grow, and to expand. The Gamecock iHub is a wonderful stepping stone to build towards that success. And we at the City are thankful for today's grand opening and for the future of fostering the technology talent that's here on this campus. And in closing, Dr. Pastides, I'll be right there behind you in line because this software update on my iPhone is killing me, so I need some help. Thank you all. Thank you. All right, our final speaker today from Richland County Council is Overture Walker. Thank you everyone and good morning. I want to say thank you to the University of South Carolina family. I also want to give a special thank you to Director Bill Kirkland for inviting me back to my alma mater to be a part of this historic occasion here at the storied and venerable horseshoe. I'd also like to give a thank you, well, recognize rather the chairman of Richland County Council. He's my chairman and my dear colleague, Paul Liviston, he is here this morning along with I to show the county support for this partnership. From President Pastides and the Board of Trustees, to Bill Kirkland and his team in the Office of Innovation and Partnerships in Economic Engagement, I think you truly have some of the best and brightest minds on constantly working to enhance the learning experience of students and conjure up ways to put the university at the vanguard of innovation and economic development. So today's grand opening of the Gamecock IHUB, which is the first student run Apple store in the region, is evidence of their commitment to the university serving as a hub for business development, but also a manifestation of their vision to expand the experiential learning model here on campus. So to President Pastides and the Board, Bill and your team in the Office of Economic Development, as well as others, please know that the county is grateful for your commitment to cultivating the young, brilliant minds here on campus and for your willingness to stand at the vanguard of economic development and innovation here in Richland County. Furthermore, we at the county recognize the value and the importance of public-private partnerships so you can count on the county's support on this initiative as well as similar ones in the future. I also want to acknowledge our friends at Apple. As I think of the opening of this Apple store directly behind me, a verse from one of my favorite music artists comes to mind. The stanza goes, you could have been anywhere in the world but you're right here with me. Well, when you think of Apple's track record as a global innovator that has transformed nearly every facet of our lives here on the planet, you know, from government and education to the economy and healthcare, they literally could have gone anywhere else in the world to open up a campus store. But Apple is right here at the University of South Carolina and right here with us in Richland County. And so I can't begin to tell you just how excited we are to have one of the premier multinational and technology leaders in the world establish a footprint rather right here in Richland County. And I think my friends at the city of Columbia on Councilman Brennan would agree when I say that this is a big step in the right direction for economic development here in the Midlands. So while we gather here today to celebrate the opening of a campus store, I'm optimistic that this is a harbinger of a much larger partnership with Apple. This store I believe will be the catalyst for future investment from Apple in our city and county. So to my friends at Apple, thank you for recognizing the strength and the potential of the economic market here in the city as well as in Richland County and know that we are beyond ecstatic to have the Apple brand right here in Richland County. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Walker. And thank you everybody that has spoken today that has supported us throughout these past months and that is here in attendance. So please just one last round of applause for everybody that spoke today and is here. Thank you. Dr. Pastides has already mentioned the mask. We have plenty of masks over at the store for you if you need them. And we would now like to officially welcome you over and invite you over to walk across the street and open the doors and tour the store. Thank you.