The High Tides to Open USC Union 60th Anniversary Celebration
The upstate SC band The High Tides, led by Union, SC native and USC Union Alumni Jordan Lawson, will give a concert at USC Union’s Parton’s Park on April 7 at 6PM to kick off the university’s week-long 60th Anniversary Celebration. The High Tides, formed in 2020, have played at events and venues across the upstate. A high-energy, party band, they cover hits from the past and present, featuring songs from the 1950s all the way to 2025 with their own tasteful twist.
Established in 1965, USC Union is proud to announce its 60th anniversary, marking six decades of academic excellence, community engagement, and transformative education. This milestone year will feature the launch of a new Alumni Association, a Legacy Society to recognize donors, the introduction of the 10-year Campus Master Plan, a week-long celebration in April, and more events throughout the year.
Since its founding in 1965, USC Union has provided accessible, high-quality education to generations of students. Over the years, the university has grown into a cornerstone of the community, empowering students to achieve their personal and professional goals.
USC Union’s first freshmen class in 1965 consisted of 51 freshmen with only one building (Main Building) making up the campus. In 1968, 19 new graduates crossed the stage for the first Commencement Ceremony at USC Union. The campus continues to grow in enrollment numbers, and in athletic and academic programs. Women’s softball, men’s baseball, women’s volleyball, men’s soccer, and men’s golf teams all compete at the National Junior College Athletic Association (JUCO) level. The college also features club teams like the Bass Anglers, Rifle Team, and E-game Sports . For fall semester 2024, USC Union’s enrollment sat at around 1,360 students. The additions of athletic teams, Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, partnerships with various high schools for dual enrolled students, and other partnerships have been the driving force behind the hefty enrollment number.
“This year marks an impressive milestone for USC Union, celebrating 60 years of service to this area and beyond by providing affordable access to a high-quality USC degree,” said Dr. Randy Lowell, Campus Dean. “I am extremely excited to celebrate this over the coming year with all of our students, employees, alumni, and community partners. Not only will we highlight many of USC Union’s important accomplishments from over the past 60 years, but we will also look forward to sharing our vision for the work that lies ahead of us here for many more years to come. We will continue to explore ways to expand academic pathways, enhance experiential learning opportunities, and tap into collaborations with our amazing partners, to ensure that our students have all the resources they need to be successful, while also doing our best to benefit the communities that we are in. Happy 60th USC Union, and Let’s Go Bantams!”
The week-long celebration will also feature an outdoor showing of Wonka with snacks available for purchase by Red Barn Concessions on Wednesday, April 9 at 7PM, and USC Union’s Annual Spring Fling on Thursday, April 10 from 11AM – 1PM. The celebration will conclude with a concert by country artist Maddie Rean on Thursday, April 10 at 6PM with snacks available for purchase by Amazing Sweets & More. All events will be held at USC Union’s Campus green space, Patron’s Park, and open to the public. Rain backup will be Main Street Junction (107 E Main St) for Monday and Thursday events.
Country Artist Maddie Rean to Give Community Concert at USC Union
USC Union’s 60th Anniversary Celebration week will conclude with a concert by Maddie Rean on Thursday, April 10 from 6:00PM-9:00PM at USC Union’s Parton’s Park. Rean was raised in the midlands of South Carolina, where she fell in love with classic country and southern rock. This October, she will play on the the same stage as artists like Zach Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Eric Church as a headliner for the Field & Stream Music Fest in Winnsboro, SC. She and her band are three-time “Battle of the Bands” winners. Rean’s other accolades include a 2020 Country Music Awards “Female Artist of the Year” nomination and a 2023 win for “Up N Country Female Artist of the Year”. At the 2023 Josie Music Awards at the Grand Ole Opry, Rean was nominated for: Female Rising Star Of The Year, Outlaw / Country Album Of The Year, & Vocalist of The Year. She has almost 100k followers on TikTok and over 333k streams on Spotify.
Amazing Sweets & More will have a food truck at the concert with snacks available for purchase.
Rean’s concert will end a week of celebrations starting on Monday, April 7 at 6PM with a concert by The High Tides, led by Union, SC native Jordan Lawson, with concessions by P & J Street Tacos from Spartanburg. The festivities will also feature an outdoor showing of Wonka at Patron’s Park with snacks available for purchase by Red Barn Concessions on Wednesday, April 9 at 7PM, and USC Union’s Annual Spring Fling at Patron’s Park on Thursday, April 10 from 11AM – 1PM.
All events are open to the public.
