dailygamecock.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
VOL. 107, NO. 48 ● SINCE 1908
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016
WHO’S WHO AT THE CONVENTIONS? National stage offers distinction to speakers Mary Ramsey
@MCOLLEEN1996
Ever y four years, the two major political parties come together for four days each to nom inate their presidential and vice presidential candidates and make the case for their platforms. With dozens of speakers and hours of punditry, it might seem easier to just tune it out. But conventions are also t he biggest chance for those looking to skyrocket into fame — remember t here is no Obama presidenc y wit hout his 2004 keynote address at the DNC. So let us break down the speeches worth pay ing at tent ion to to ma ke you r convent ion experience so easy t he parties will envy you.
Courtesy of MCT Campus
Courtesy of Brian Almond
THE SOUTH CAROLINIANS
T he Pa l me t t o St at e i s nothing if not proud, so here’s a comprehensive list of all the native sons taking their parties’ respective stages in Cleveland and Philadelphia.
Republicans
• The Rev. Mark Burns
Mark Burns, a pastor from Easley, had t he chance to address the R NC not once but twice. He delivered the opening benediction as well as a fiery speech later in the convention that brought an often divided crowd together to its feet. Burns was also one of few African-American speakers, putting him even more in the national spotlight. As NBC’s Brian Williams put it, most people don’t work up a sweat giving a speech, but this man does.
Democrats:
• Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin
Did the guy sitting next to former President Bill Clinton at the DNC look familiar? That’s because you’ve probably seen his face on the wall in Russel l House. Colu mbia m a y or, a nd f or me r US C student body president, Steve Benjamin has been growing his national profile for years now with his work as part of the National Conference of M ayor s a nd Pre sident Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative. His address at the DNC is a chance to take his career to the next level.
• Rep. James Clyburn
James Clyburn has long been putt ing aside a brief stretch of iciness during the 2008 primaries, a close friend and ally of the Clintons. His
Leland McElveen / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
The Statehouse is a popular area to catch Pokemon.
@QUERALYNC
The Statehouse grounds, wh ic h h ave recent ly been the site of rallies and protests, saw a very different type of event on Sat u rday — t he C o l u m b i a Po k e m o n Go Walk. From 3 to 9 p.m., clusters of friends and strangers lapped the Statehouse and ventured dow n Main St reet to maximize their monstercatching in the nostalgic augmented reality game “Pokemon Go.” T he wa l k at t rac ted almost 800 people and was held by Salt Gaming, an e-sports team based i n C olu mbia. I n t he
event’s official Facebook page, the gaming group posted, “Gather around the state house and catch some rare Pokemon!” W hile the Statehouse is already a hotspot for “Pokemon Go” players, t he walk at t racted bot h loc a ls a nd outof-tow ner s , s ome i n costume, some in team colors and some wearing Pikachu hats. Circles of friends populated the Statehouse steps, and one group played t he game’s music through speakers. Anytime a rare Pokemon was fou nd, some lucky player would alert everyone nearby, summoning a sure crowd of all ages, races and
ethnicities. M a n n y B e r n a l , w ho recently moved to the R ich la nd area f rom Texas, contributed to the friendly atmosphere by handing out free snacks to the walk’s attendees. In addition to his charity, others handed out water to their Pokemon-playing k i n t o he lp c ou nt e r Columbia’s famous heat. When it started to rain about two hours into the event, some faithful fans waited it out, crowding for cover at the top of the Statehouse steps. After the rain ended, attendees reconvened unt il late into the night, some even going to a “Pokemon Go” bar crawl afterward. Jessica Davis and Virgil Patrick arrived at the “Pokemon Go” walk just after the rain stopped. The couple, who came from Lexington, has been playing Pokemon since they were kids. Davis and Patrick agreed that the wildly popular app has enabled them to explore lo c a l la nd m a rk s a nd parks they never would have noticed before. “It’s forced me to get out, see my city,” Patrick said.
Conventions t urn littlek now n state and local l e a d e r s a n d b a c k- b e n c h congresspeople into national s up er s t a r s . Here a re t he names to learn now so you can dazzle your friends later.
• Former South Carolina Rep. Bakari Sellers
Republicans
Bak ari Sellers may have fallen on his sword for South Carolina Democrats in 2014 when he gave up his seat in t he St atehouse to r u n for lieutenant governor, but his speaking role at the DNC is chance to pop back to a place of prominence in the political conversation. Sellers is one of the youngest politicians speaking at the convention, at 31 years old. With his youth, the South Carolina School of Law graduate has a shot at a lasting impact on the party in the Palmetto State and beyond.
Second-year graduate st udent Ya na n Z ha ng ag reed w it h t hat sent i ment . “It [encourages] me to go out for a walk, or I would close t he door in my room.” Getting up and going, like Zhang, Patrick and D a v i s t a l k e d ab o ut , seems to be the driving force behind the game. I n order to do much of any t h ing in t he game, one must go to particular destinations, whether to stock up on supplies, batt le ot her Pokemon trainers or find rare Pokemon. Players can hatch Pokemon by walking 2 km, 5 km or 10 km. One attendee posted in the event’s Facebook page that he had hatched seven eggs that day. Rain or shine, “Pokemon Go” brings all kinds of people, and of course t heir smart phones, together. When it comes to the welcoming spirit of the event, Bernal said it all: “It’s just a Saturday, any other Saturday, but, you know, bring around some chips and some friends and it’s better.”
CHECK OUT FULL COVERAGE OF THE
2016
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
ON WWW.DAILYGAMECOCK.COM
THE UP-AND-COMERS
s p e e c h w i l l u ndoubt abl y d r aw f rom t h at p er s on a l relationship. But also expect h i m to touch on h is ow n storied past as a civil rights activist and to address issues of gun violence and police brutality.
‘Pokemon Go’ players spawn at Statehouse
Carolyn Culbertson
Courtesy of MCT Campus
A variety of notable people have spoken and will speak at the DNC and RNC, while some politicians have been conspicuously absent.
• The Trump children
Donald Trump’s children had one job in Cleveland — to soften their father’s image to help draw in independents and wary Republicans. They did that and more. Strong performances from Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany left delegates hoping for a campaign staffed by them and to one day see them on ballots too. Donald Jr. is now being floated as a candidate for NYC SEECONVENTIONSPAGE3
Prepper Show to visit SC Fairgrounds T. Michael Boddie
@THEHUMANBODDIE
Sporting and selling equ ipment de sig ned to help one during the apocaly pse, a n R K Prepper Show will take over the South Carolina State Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday, July 30-31. Called the “Greater South Carolina Su r v iv a l E x p o,” t he event is coordinated by RK Prepper Shows, a compa ny ded icated to host ing event s across the country for doomsday sur v ival enthusiasts. According to t heir website, t he show w ill feat ure preparedness gear vendors, and tickets are available for adults and children. O n e a c h d a y, t h e show will include t wo sem i na rs w it h several different sur vivalist workshops and equipment shows. Saturday’s first segment will be “The Basics of Body A rmor.” Others include “Colloidal Silver for Emergency Preparedness,” “Society End i ng Event s--The Fi r st 180 Day s” a nd “Food Prepping on a Budget.” S at u r d a y ’s s e c o nd sem i na r w i l l feat u re
some of t he same seg ment s, but w i l l also include key note speaker, Dr. Joe Alton. Alton is referred to as “Dr. Bones” a nd h is wife Amy is known as “Nurse Amy.” They will both be featured at the event. At tendees can “learn how to provide complete wound care” among other first aid essentials. Sunday will see “Morals of Survival-Facing Scenarios After a Society Ending Event,” “A m m o C a n s - - F o r More Than Just Ammo” and some of the same features from Saturday. “There is something for ever yone at a prepper expo for t he av id outdoorsma n, hu nt i n g e nt hu s i a s t , homesteader, vegetable gardener, or even people who just want to learn more about renewable energ y sou rces,” R K Prepper Shows said on their website. After the Columbia s h o w, t h e p r e p p e r s w i l l m a ke t hei r way to Lawrenceville, GA, K a n s a s C i t y, M O , Indianapolis, I N and Pensacola, FL through the remainder of 2016. Available at the door on bot h days, t ickets will be $12 for adults and $5 for children.