Steve Spurrier, Dave Odom, Ray Tanner and Eric Hyman … for Gamecock fans these men have the fame and prestige of Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Robert Redford and Paul Newman. People approach them and shake their hands or nod their unobtrusive approval wherever they go. They are the university coaches and the athletic director that we, as faithful fans, hold to the highest of standards with the hope of gaining winning seasons and champion teams year after year.
But behind the scenes these men are working with college kids every day and striving to enable these athletes to perform to the best of their abilities – on and off the field. It’s not an easy job and isn’t always fun. These men need strong support systems at home to keep them going when times get tough and to cheer them on when times are good. Meet the wives of the USC coaches – Jerri Spurrier, Lynn Odom, Karen Tanner — and Pauline Hyman, the wife of the USC athletic director. In our cover story, Reba Campbell gets to know these dynamic women who maintain solid foundations at home and provide support every day for their husbands’ challenging occupations.
When you’re not out at the ball field this spring watching Coach Ray Tanner and enjoying USC baseball, you may be inspired to visit one of the area farmers markets to pick up some fresh produce. Spring brings warm weather and a colorful array of fresh fruits and vegetables to your table. In her article, “Homegrown Pleasures” on page 38, Susan Slack tells us the benefits of shopping the farmers markets, describes the different types of markets and gives us a partial list of markets and farms around the area to visit. In a sister article on page 58, “Spring Fling: A cornucopia of garden-fresh recipes,” Susan provides recipes from a top Columbia chef and three area families who run small productive farms that will inspire you to start your gathering and preparing right away.
The month of April also means that azaleas will begin blooming for the short, but beautiful, “welcome to spring” period. Many yards are at their finest when the azaleas first produce their vibrant flowers. In this issue, we introduce you to the Encore Azalea, a hybridization of a traditional spring-blooming azalea with a rare Taiwanese summer-blooming azalea. These new azaleas, blooming three times throughout the year, have taken nurseries by storm and are in demand by gardeners. Read more about these popular blooms and the man who invented them in Vicki Cannon’s article on page 64.
Take time to enjoy all that April has to offer and enjoy the issue. See you next month!
Sincerely,
Emily Tinch
Editor
This Issue