The good

• “I like it. For those who don’t, don’t use it. Call it what you want. It’s not that serious.” — Sandy H.
• It’s cute. It’s catchy. It’s unique. I love it. We named our stamp club “The Soda City Stampers.” — Terri W.
• “Soda City is awesome! I love it that we have our own little name.” — Traci S.

The bad

• “I don’t think Soda City makes any sense at all. I understand that locals are used to it and probably like it. But, to all the people moving to South Carolina, it makes NO sense. I vote to get rid of it.” — Roxanne G.
• “Stop trying to make Soda City happen. Definitely cringy and trying way too hard.” — Lauren N.
• “I thought “Soda City” was just referring to the market on Saturdays and I love it. But for the city, I refer to it as Cola. I will never refer to Columbia as Soda City.” — Lydia P.

The apathetic

• “It is perfectly fine. Can’t change everything because a few people don’t like it.” — Steve B.
• “Every city has a nickname. If you don’t like it then move somewhere else. It’s not a big deal” — Mark C.

The general consensus

• “I like Soda City to describe Columbia; However, I don’t like “Soda Citizen” to describe locals.” — Rob S.
• “I love Soda City I don’t like Soda Citizen. Never heard of that before but I know that Soda City is loved by many.” — Mckenzie W.
• “Columbians. We don’t need a “nickname.” But Soda City is great!” — Lyn W.

• Opening Day - Weekly Farmers Market | Wednesday, April 17 | 4-7 p.m. | Blythewood Farmers Market, 171 Langford Rd., Blythewood | Free | Get farm fresh groceries, discover local artisans, listen to live music, and connect with the community at this weekly event.
• Devine in Bloom Fashion Show | Wednesday, April 17 | 6-10 p.m. | Riverside Community Church, 2925 Devine St., Columbia | $60 | Watch many of Devine Street’s fantastic boutiques model a wide array of spring and summer’s latest fashions.

• Richland Cty Master Gardener Assoc Plant & Garden Treasure Sale Fundraiser | Thursday, April 18 | 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. | Sandhill Farmers Market Site, 900 Clemson Rd., Columbia | Free | Participate in this annual community education fundraiser to support high school and college scholarships focused on agriculture and horticulture education.

• Gamecock Baseball vs. University of Arkansas Razorbacks | Friday, April 19-Sunday, April 21 | Times vary | Founders Park, 431 Williams St., Columbia | $20-$25 | Root root root for the home team as the Gamecocks take on the Razorbacks at Founders Park.
• Wine Tasting at Riverbanks Zoo & Botanical Garden | Friday, April 19 | Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, 500 Wildlife Pkwy, Columbia | $80-$100 | Come sip, savor, and unwind at the zoo.

• West Columbia’s Kinetic Derby Day | Saturday, April 20 | 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. | Meeting and State Streets, West Columbia | Free | The Kinetic Sculpture Parade leads the way, followed by soapbox and obstacle course racing.

What we tried:

• Monday: Acceleration and lower body strength
• Tuesday: Upper body, football skills, and physical therapy
• Wednesday: Active recovery workout followed by the cold plunge pool to passively push blood through the system
• Thursday: Speed, transitioning, and explosive lower body lifting
• Friday: Upper body (to allow the legs time to recover)
• Saturday: Starts and core technique

• USC professor Claire Jiménez won the 2023 PEN/Faulkner Award for her novel, “What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez.” Recognized as America’s top fiction prize, the award highlights Jiménez’s narrative about a missing Puerto Rican girl, making a significant milestone in her writing career.

• A fire at Pine Island on Lake Murray could delay its opening as the SC’s newest park. The blaze, which occurred at the park manager’s residence, resulted in significant damage to park storage and a garage, though no injuries were reported. The fall debut is now uncertain. (WLTX)

• Fresh off his new Netflix special, “Pete Davidson: Turbo Fonzarelli,” comedian Pete Davidson has added a show at The Senate to his PREHAB TOUR. Tickets for the Tuesday, May 2 performance go on sale Thursday, April 18.

• The State reporter and Twitter legend, Chris Trainor, swapped his pen for a mascot costume to entertain as Mason, the Columbia Fireflies mascot. Trainor’s one-night adventure at Segra Park included selfies, the Chicken Dance, and a fun glimpse into mascot life during a Fireflies game.

• Piecewise Coffee is celebrating its 5th anniversary this July with a special t-shirt design contest. Highlighting “Specialty Coffee, Real Community, Better Together,” the winning design will feature on limited edition merchandise. Submit your designs by day, May 15.

• Will the Panthers choose a starting-caliber quarterback in the upcoming draft? Go beyond the scoreboard and behind the scenes of the Carolina Panthers with Locked On’s daily, team-focused podcasts.

• The death of a loved one is universally difficult and personal. Grief can be an especially challenging process, but knowing more about it can help you cope, understand, and grow through loss.*

• Did you know you could finance your fixer-upper with home equity? You could get up to $50K with a HELOC — calculate your payment.*