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Vol. 52| No. 11November 3, 2015 University of South Carolina Aiken

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Aiken Polls open todayNovember 3, 20152 |

Editor-in-ChiefThomas Gardiner

Copy EditorCaitlin Butler

Creative DirectorBrooke Clark

News EditorLizzie Abshire

Opinions EditorJames Paisley

Sports WritersJordan PhillipsJustin Whitsett

Staff WritersMeredith Hawcroft

Ashley ConklinAngelika DavisAmanda Askins

Amber PateJamacia Jimerson

Business ManagerTimothy Boerste

Ad ManagerJoshua Recor

Events CoordinatorJamacia Jimerson

AdviserPeggy Elliott

Pacer Times is a weekly publication of the University of South Carolina Aiken. The opinions stated in this paper are those of Pacer Times and in no way reflect those of USCA. The student newspaper is distributed free on campus, one copy per student. To purchase an advertisement, parties must contact the advertising manager at (803) 641-3517 or by email to pacertimes@usca.edu.

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About our coverDesign by Brooke Clark

Election Day 2015

T he mayoral debate in October featured candidate’s

voices, and now it’s time for Aiken citizens to have their own voices heard.

Local ballots, including the Aiken mayoral race, opened this morning at six locations around the city. Lessie Price is on one side of the ticket, facing Rick Osbon in the first mayoral race without incumbent Fred Cavanaugh since he first took office back in 1991.

Price, who ran against Cavanaugh then, has been a member of city council since 1987. During the forum at USC Aiken, she spoke often about repairing infrastructure in the city and held up a section of rusted pipe a couple feet long to demonstrate the conditions of water structure around Aiken.

Price’s campaign also failed to

turn in a required financial and contributions report on time.

The report, which includes contribution amounts as well as campaign spending, was due Oct. 19, but wasn’t filed until Oct. 26.

Rick Osbon, her opposition, has served the city council for eight years. His campaign has brought a partisan atmosphere to a non-partisan mayoral race. Price’s deadline snafu

generated a response that included an automated phone call from Osbon’s Columbia-based strategist and drew vocal support from the SC GOP representatives.

When Osbon spoke at USCA last month, he mentioned his connection to the school as an alumnus a number of times. He also voiced opposition to the hospitality tax, which his campaign claims to have been initially motioned for by Price.

Osbond stressed the connections between USCA and the commercial areas of Aiken, emphasising that these places should be better connected by public transportation.

Polls will be open for voters from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

-Thomas Gardiner

Precinct: Location: Address:

Aiken No. 1 City Auditorium

214 Park Ave SW

Aiken No. 2 American Legion Post

602 Hampton Ave NW

Aiken No. 3 Aiken High School Annex

123 Rutland Dr.

Aiken No. 4 Smoth Hazel Rec Center

400 Kershaw St. NE

Aiken No. 5 St. Mary’s Church

125 Park Ave SE

Aiken No. 6 Odell Weeks Ctr.

1700 Whiskey Rd.

Habitat For Humanity hosts Spooky Carnival

USC Aiken’s Habitat For Humanity club hosted their second annual Spooky For Habitat Carnival on Wednesday, October 28. This event was open to families at Habitat For Humanity as well as students at USCA.

The forty-two participants experienced a variety of treats,

including a bake sale, corn hole, pin the face on the pumpkin, face painting, a balloon popping contest, sack racing and decorating Halloween cookies.

Sophomore psychology major D’asia Weston is President of USCA’s Habitat For Humanity club. Weston said the event “was mainly for the homeowners, to let

them know we’re on campus and we’re doing things for them.”

Participants included sisters Maya and Makayla Odom. The girls enjoyed racing each other in the sack race, in which contestants hopped to the finish line with their legs in a cloth sack. The younger kids made the college students work hard for the win.

Junior exercise and sports science major Deja Martin said, “We have a program here on campus called Saturday Academy, and we reached out to those students as well. The program is for middle school students.” Martin is the Habitat For Humanity’s building coordinator.

Halloween involves a lot of people walking the roads, decreasing the safety of participating children. Martin

said the carnival was something the kids could do that was safe and fun.

USC Aiken’s Habitat For Humanity club hosts other events as well. Every Friday, a group of students work on houses for local Aiken residents from 1:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. All students are welcome to participate.

The club is looking forward to hosting another event like the carnival sometime before next semester. Those interested in helping may contact Dr. Deb Kladivko for more information.

Westen is thankful USCA allowed them to use the gym for the activity. She said, “Even though we didn’t have as much space as we thought we would have, everything turned out fine.”

-Lizzie Abshire

Senator Spotlight: Ellis Reeves Public Relations Senator

Year: Senior

Major: English

Interesting Fact: I am the fourth (Ellis Reeves IV) and I have a tattoo of the Roman numeral four on my back. SGA goal for the year: I plan on expanding on our social media presence, having more PR tables, and getting the student body more involved with all on campus events.

Lizzie AbshireSisters Makayla Odom, 9years old, and Maya Odom, 8

years old, race each other during in the sack race.

-Submitted Photo

news November 3, 2015| 3

Bridging the gaps between the convocation center and Robert M. Bell Parkway

USCA’s Student Government Association will be having a fundraiser on November 3 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Wing Place in Aiken.

Since the word and the ground broke for the pedestrian bridge in 2012, many have been wondering, “Where is that bridge anyway?” Well, it might be appearing on the west side of campus before you know it.

With major university events being held at the convocation center, safety is a priority. The Robert M. Bell Parkway stands between the campus and the convocation center.

“The Robert M. Bell

Parkway is already a busy road with a 55 mph speed limit, and there are future plans to widen the space for additional lanes (that timeframe is not yet determined),” said Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Joe Sobieralski. “All of these current and future factors make for less than ideal conditions for

pedestrians.” The bridge will allow

students, faculty and visitors the ability to walk above cars and trucks from the campus to the convocation center safely.

Even though the buzz about the bridge has been down, that doesn’t mean plans for it have seized.

Sobieralski explains, “The main

reason for delay was that we found ourselves in the middle of a property dispute between parties outside of the university who have rights to land that our bridge will cross over.”

These issues now being resolved means bidding and budgeting for the bridge.

The bridge, sidewalks and lighting totals to an estimated cost of $1.8M. A portion of

this is paid for through state and county

transportation funds, and the remainder is from university funds that have been set aside, leaving students free from any charges in tuition or fees related to this project.

Building plans are projected to start within the next few weeks. Luckily, there will not be any big, noisy trucks to distract students because many parts of the bridge will be completed off-campus.

The bridge will not only provide safe travels, but may also open more avenues for the university.

Sobieralski said, “I also believe the bridge provides

opportunities for the creation of new

student traditions at events like

homecoming and graduation. Our hope is that we will see the bridge open in the fall

of 2016. It is an exciting time

for the university, and a significant

step forward for the safety of our students.”

-Jamacia Jimerson

SGA sponsors this event every year to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network.

SGA chose to hold their fundraiser at Wing Place because it is a business local to Aiken, and the staff is very cooperative to work with.

During the hours of the fundraiser, a percentage of each meal purchased at Wing Place, either by USCA students or the community, will be donated towards Pacer Miracle.

Student Body President Ryan Rafanan wants everyone to come out and

support SGA and Pacer Miracle at this event, and remember it is for the kids.

-Amber Pate

Increase in campus patrol resulting from break-ins

Due to surrounding vehicle break-ins, campus police have increased their patrols around campus.

One attempted break-in took place at The Haven’s community on Tuesday, October 27. The suspect escaped and was later apprehended by the Aiken County Sheriff ’s Office.

During the same time of The Haven break-in, the Aiken County Sheriff ’s Office received calls of vehicle break-ins at Aiken Regional and the facilities surrounding the hospital.

USC Aiken’s Chief of Police Kevin Liles took precautions to ensure the safety of the faculty, staff

and students at USC Aiken. “Because it occurred within

a short distance of USC Aiken, we felt it necessary to make everyone aware,” said Captain Liles.

Regarding the increase of police activity on campus, Captain Liles said, “The primary reason for advising the university was to increase awareness and improve the chances of deterring crime through an increased presence of officers in the parking lots on campus.”

Although the University of South Carolina Aiken rarely has vehicle break-ins, items do get stolen out of dorms.

To ensure the safety of personal items, Captain

Liles suggested “students need to keep their cars and apartments locked.”

As campus police continue to patrol the grounds surrounding the university, students and staff are encouraged to lock their cars, houses and dorms.

They are also advised to hide any valuable items in their vehicles and to talk to their roommates about locking their rooms.

If anyone sees any suspicious behavior on campus, they should contact the University Police at 803-648-4011.

-Lizzie Abshire

SGA’s fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network

SportsNovember 3, 20154 |

Above, Ashley Deidrich and Aly Johnson take to the net and defend against a shot from Columbus State on October 30. Above right, Monica Cardona puts up a serve in the Pacers’ dominate showing and below right, Alicia Hines reaches for a kill in the 3-0 victory.

The Pacers went on the next night to score a come-from-behind win against PBC foe Montevallo to extend their current win streak to 14 with a 23-3 overall record.

-Photos by Jordan Phillips

University of South Carolina Aiken standout Rodrigo Goncalves has been named the PBC Defender of the Week while standout Andre Simmond has been named the PBC Player of the Week for men’s soccer, as announced by the league office Monday.

The duo led the Pacers to a 3-0 week and the No. 5 seed in the upcoming PBC Tournament.

Goncalves, a junior from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was solid in all three matches. He rattled off the game-winning goal in the 3-2 overtime victory against Georgia Southwestern in his lone shot of

the match.After helping the defense pitch

a shutout at UNC Pembroke, he dished out his first assist of the season in the Senior Day victory over North Georgia.

Simmond, a sophomore from Manchester, N.H., accounted for a team-high five points with a

Rodrigo Goncalves and Andre Simmond in recent action on the pitch.pair of goals and an assist.

In the overtime victory against the Hurricanes, Simmond scored the first goal for the Pacers and garnered an assist on the second score. Against the Braves, Simmond took a penalty kick in the closing minutes and found the back of the net, giving the

squad a 2-0 win. He also played well in the victory over the Nighthawks on Senior Day.

The Pacers return to action tonight when they play at Francis Marion in the first round of the PBC Tournament. The match is slated for 7 p.m.

-PacerSports.com

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Pacer volleyball squad still streaking

Soccer phenoms gain recognition

Sports November 3, 2015|5

Flying around on broomsticks with six other teammates may be something Harry Potter Fans aspired to, but could never quite accomplish.

With an ever-rising interest in the magical sport, USCA intramurals has found a way to include Muggle Quidditch in its lineup.

Quidditch is played between two teams, both of which have 7 players ‘flying’ around the pitch on broomsticks. Each person plays a specific position in order to win the game.

Each team has a Keeper. They protect their three circular goals, which sit on posts several feet in the air.

Two Chasers on each team

attempt to throw the volleyball-size Quaffle to the other team’s goal in order to score. Each successful score earns the team ten points.

Each team also has two Beaters, who fly around in an attempt to help their team. They can hit the Quaffle off course when the other team is tossing it to each other.

In Muggle Quidditch, three slightly deflated dodgeballs are used to represent Bludgers. The Beaters use these to hit other players and get them out, which causes them to run back to their goalposts before rejoining the game.

The most important part of the game is when the Seeker has to ‘catch’ the Golden Snitch, which

is represented by someone dressed in yellow with a tennis ball in a sock attached to the back of their pants. After seventeen minutes, he is released’ and begins running around the pitch for the Seeker to catch. Due to the trickiness of catching it, whichever team’s Seeker catches it earns 30 points, unlike me the 150 points in “Wizard” Quidditch.

For those interested in Quidditch, tryouts are on Monday, November 2. The tournament will be Thursday, November 5. Sign up for an account on imleagues.com and email Ross Philbeck for more information.

-Ashley Conklin

Quidditch sweeping campus

3324

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Justin WhitsettSports Columnist

Most of the highly rated players did well in week 8, including players such as Todd Gurley, Phillip Rivers, Julio Jones and Stefon Diggs. Week 9 is a little trickier, so, let’s dive in with our quarterback section.

After seeing what Eli did to the Saints, he’s going to be highly owned this week, and rightfully so. He gets to face a Tampa Bay secondary that is not good, and we saw how eas-ily the Falcons moved the ball through the air against them

on Sunday. A quarterback you don’t want this week is Andrew Luck against Denver. We all saw what Denver just did to Aaron Rodgers Sunday night, so I wouldn’t buy any shares of Mr. Luck this week.

At running back, I think Davante Freeman could be in for a big game against one of the worst run defenses in the league in San Francisco. Game flow should be nice as well, al-lowing for some extra carries.

On the other side, I do not want a running back from San Francisco, whether it’s Mike Davis or Carlos Hyde. Atlanta’s run defense is solid, and the game should be out of hand by

the third quarter.For my wide receiver slot,

I’d like a piece of the Saint’s offense. Willie Snead and Brandin Cooks should provide nice value against the beat-up Titans’ secondary that may be without Perrish Cox for another week.

Again, I will not be attack-ing the Denver defense, so I want nothing to do with T.Y. Hilton or Donte Moncrief this week. They will likely end up like Randall Cobb, who was just shut down by the Denver corners, and his talent is a tad bit better than what the Colts’ receivers possess. As always, good luck this week!

Studs and Duds week 9

Arts and Entertainment

Evolution is constantly happening around us

Bill Nye’s book “Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation” was published in November of last year. Always a huge fan of his, I picked up a copy in the hopes of reliving the same fire that got me as passionate about science as a little kid.

I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed! In early 2014, Bill Nye faced off in a controversial debate with Ken Ham about evolution versus creationism. Ever since then, Bill Nye has been touring the world educating America

about the subject he so passionately debated.

While explaining facets of evolution and how they affect our daily lives, Bill Nye also adds his special brand of humor to the book that makes it not only informative, but entertaining. He’s not afraid to go on tangents that lead to jokes, which is the same Science Guy I knew from the ‘90s. He likes making science fun for everyone, especially kids, which is why he devotes an entire chapter to the

importance of making science available and fun for little kids.

Reading his book made me feel like I was at home again, and I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone. You don’t have to be in the scientific community to enjoy and understand “Undeniable,” because, as always, Bill Nye always makes it fun and easy. Making science accessible for everyone is his life goal.

-Amanda Askins

New book by Bill Nye, “the Science Guy,” explains how living organisms are always changing and shaping the way we live.

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November 3, 20156 |

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Editorial November 3, 2015|7

Jeb Bush Better Never Need Therapy

When I chose USC Aiken to continue my education, I had a lot of reasons, but one plus was that it is a liberal arts college. I was not limited in my education by only learning one field, but I was given the tools of every field.

I have known that I wanted to pursue a career in psychology since my junior year in high school. I took an honors class in psychology and fell in love with it. I have

to acknowledge my high school teacher, Mrs. Hamrick, who helped me to find my love in it.

So, when I heard about the comment Republican candidate Jeb Bush made, I was appalled. A week ago at a town hall meeting in Columbia, he said, “Universities ought to have skin in the game… When a student shows up, they ought to say, ‘Hey, that psych

major deal, that’s great … but realize you’re going to be working at Chick-fil-A.’”

Mr. Bush and others who think this, you are wrong. When I graduate, my future is not only limited to fast food. I went to college for four years to study this field because, simply put, I want to help people. And I and my other future colleagues will do this! Some of us may continue and go to graduate school, some may work for different businesses and companies, some may go into social work or into public office. There is a diverse range of options for psychology majors upon graduation.

Because of Mr. Bush’s comment, there has been a movement, #ThisPsychMajor. Psychology majors all over the country have taken their response to social media and hundreds of thousands have stated their success and future goals as a psychology major.

Even right here on campus,

psychology students have participated.

The mission statement of the undergraduate psychology program here at USC Aiken is to “educate students in the knowledge, research techniques, basic and applied perspectives of the various subfields of psychology, and the appreciation of psychological values in an individualized learning environment, involving classroom, laboratory, and applied experiences.”

Professors here have also voiced their rebuttals to Mr. Bush by also using the hashtag.

My statement was “#ThisPsychMajor will help people to identity and achieve their goals, I will be a life coach.” I know that I will have to continue to work hard after graduation, but I have never been afraid of a little hard work. I know and can see the achievable future I have for myself and my

family. There will be more obstacles for be to tackle, but I know I can because I have, time and time again. But hard work and the struggle to find a job is not limited to psychology but also exists for many other fields of study. So there is the possibility of still working at my minimum wage job, but trust and believe, I will not be there long. Because I know my knowledge and passion to help people will manifest.

Besides, I thought we all went to college to pursue more knowledge in something we were most interested in, not to find the highest paying job that we would hate going to 5 days out the week.

With the 2016 presidential election coming up, candidates should really be careful of what they say when it comes to higher education. After all, we are the young vote they need.

-Jamacia Jimerson

Dr. Elzy’s #ThisPsychMajor and her Child Psychopathology Class

Miriam Toole

#AssaultOnSpringValleyHighOn October 26, a South

Carolina high school was a trending topic of controversial social scrutiny when a seemingly violent video involving a student and a resource officer went viral.

The video depicted a female student being forced out of her chair and dragged along the floor. The student’s desk was flipped over when she refused to comply with the officer’s instructions. After being pulled down to the floor and dragged across it, the student was handcuffed. One video quickly landed on social media, went viral and started the hashtag #AssaultOnSpringValleyHigh.

More than one element contributed to the controversial nature of the backlash. First of all, the female student was African-American and the officer was white, matching many of the highly publicized police brutality cases across the country in recent years. There are still echoing social memories from just over a year ago when a SC police officer shot a black man at a convenience store.

The other element comes from the decades-old debate about excessive force and who is truly to blame for an escalation. Regardless of race, the student in the video did refuse to comply with instructions and did not hesitate to slide the situation from bad to worse by reacting physically.

Some have said that the officer responded with excessive force and that the situation could have been handled differently.

Chair of the Richland School District Two Board of Trustees James Manning said last Tuesday, “Yesterday’s incident was an outrageous exception to the culture, conduct, and standards in which we so strongly believe. Our tolerance for it is zero. We are doing everything in our power to take action that will not only prevent such a heinous incident from recurring but will make us a stronger school district doing an even better job for the children and families of this wonderful community.”

Unfortunately, the officer’s

way of dealing with the situation did not go over well with the community or the district.

Superintendent of Richland School District Two Debbie Hamm said, “We do have separate protocols for disciplinary incidents and criminal behavior. School Resource Officers are typically involved in the latter. It is essential that our personnel clearly understand not only the nature of a situation but also the application of the proper protocol. Clearly, something did not go right in this classroom.”

Events that are interpreted as police brutality impact the hearts and even social identities of Americans. Yet another event like this in the state of South Carolina further muddies the already turbid waters of the race debate and civil equality. The justice system is supposed to protect its citizens, but too often leaves us questioning what we consider fair and just.

-Amanda Askinsand Angelika Davis

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Inquiries can be sent to pacertimes@usca.edu, or come by a meeting on Monday night, 5 p.m. in the student media office.

On Friday, November 6, an interest meeting will be held at 2 p.m. in the SAC’s Banksia Conference Room to determine if there is a sufficient amount of support to establish a Shotgun Club on campus.

Alex Richardson, a freshman secondary education major, is hosting the event because he hopes “to start a club for students who want to come together to participate in a collegiate level sport for skeet, trap and sporting clays, to safely engage in these activities, to improve skills through practice

and to shoot competitively in this sport.”

If enough potential members attend the meeting and sign an application, the Shotgun Club will be able to officially register and become a recognized USCA club.

Richardson explained, “Many of my friends from the shooting community

chose to go on to Clemson and shoot competitively at the collegiate level on the Clemson Shotgun Team. I chose, however, to come to USC Aiken because of my academic goals.”

Starting a Shotgun Club on campus might attract potential students who are interested in outdoor recreational activities and further increase our ability to compete against other larger universities.

Conveniently, the Palmetto Shooting

Complex recently opened in Edgefield, which would provide the Shotgun Club with a location where they could practice their skills.

Richardson said he has already contacted the complex about becoming the club’s home practice field because “they have a state of the art facility, specifically designed for teams such as this.”

With a growing local interest in sport shooting, it seems likely that USCA will soon be home to another diverse student organization.

-Meredith Hawcroft

USCA students look to add a new sporting club

-Meredith H

awcroft