By Suzette Grebe
Smiling faces … beautiful places.
This is the saying a student will see on the license plates of cars parked outside a red brick house on 570 North 500 East.
Twelve men live in this house, eight of which are from Summerville, South Carolina.
“It”s really fun just because we already know each other … we know each other”s likes and dislikes and we have inside jokes that make it a constant party over here,” said Justin Robinson, 24, a senior from Summerville, South Carolina, majoring in business management.
Six of the twelve men who live in this house work at Pedersen”s Ski and Sport together.
“It”s cool because we get to work together and then come home and hang out together … it”s cool that we don”t get on each other”s nerves too much,” said Josh Baughman, 21, a sophomore from Summerville, Sout Carolina, who has not yet declared a major.
These men played basketball together when they were kids and carry on the tradition in college.
“We”ve been playing ball since we were little kids and now that we”re all grown up and play in two different leagues, we are able to raise the roof and kick people”s butts because we know how to play together,” said Shaun Bunch, 21, a freshman from Summerville, Sout Carolina, majoring in economics.
The men list several advantages to living with people they grew up with.
“One cool thing about being from South Carolina and all living together is we”ve known each other our whole lives so we know who we can count on and we know that we”re never going to let each other down,” said Justin Baughman, 24, a junior from Summerville, South Carolina, majoring in marketing.
There are always tons of people at the house which makes for an exciting time.
“It”s a way to attract other people to come and hang out with us because we are already so tight … it can be kind of intimidating at first but eventually people feel really comfortable around us,” Robinson said.
The men know all about each other”s pasts and learn more from living together.
“We really get to know each other and remember each other”s pasts and reminisce back on the days of South Carolina … it”s pretty sweet,” Josh Baughman said.
There is a bond and trust between these men that cannot be broken.
“I know what kind of pasts they have and so we know we can tell each other secrets and they are never going to let us down or sell us out … there are always good things about living with people who you grew up with,” Justin Baughman said.
There is also some competition found in the house.
“With twelve guys in the house obviously there are going to be a lot of cute girls who are going to come over, but if you like one of them you better move fast because there is a lot of competition,” Robinson said.
These Southern men have a lot of state pride.
“I guess we got a lot of pride being from South Carolina … one thing I”ve noticed when I drive around is that not just me and my boys but other people from South Carolina have the South Carolina license plate on the front of their cars,” Justin Baughman said.
“There”s a big pride in being from South Carolina,” he said.
