The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 09, 1990, Page 4, Image 4
Carolina Life
4 The Gamecock Friday, February 9,1990
Clou
By KATHY HEBERGER foj
Staff Writer m
An hour before the show girls j?r(
kick up high heels and clowns f
plunder across the stage on rubber
legs, the backstage circus 1
family is running errands in rush
hour traffic, checking the final
line-up for the night's perfor- .
a \ tin
mance and keeping sensitive ti
r Pu
gers in line. ?
"It's show business and big
KucinQcc VAU '\/A oAt o inK tn HA
UU3IUVOJ. A UU TV g,Ul U JVU IV/ UV. ^
You're not behind a desk, but lej
you're under the spotlight," assistant
performance director John .
Dedo said.
Dedo's job involves taking
care of performers' needs and ^
making sure the acts take the
spotlight in the right order. "I
don't get butterflies when the
show begins, but then I'm not a ^
performer," he said.
While Dedo organizes the cir- be
cus performers, Stevo, a tiger Bi
handler, keeps the big cats fed ca
and lines them up for their mo- th
ment under the coliseum's big tu
Reserve Pi
By ERIKA JOHNSON
Staff Writer
Writing tickets and closing the Green
gates are not the only responsibilities of
serve Police Officers on USC's camp
"Blue Coats," as they are commonly cal
involved in everything from patrol to co
cations and investigations to crime preve
The Reserve Police Officer program i
Criminal Justice majors in USC's law
ment division in order to receive experie
college credit.
"Just about anything the agency is i
in, we involve our RPOs," Vice Pres
Law Enforcement and Safety Danny Bal
Students are chosen from the Col
Criminal Justice to participate in an inte
week training period, after which they a
missioned as South Carolina State Coi
This commision gives them full powe
force the laws of South Carolina, as wei
arrest powers.
"It means they can enforce the law
state of South Carolina anywhere t in th
Baker said.
The RPOs receive training in the i
physical education, constitutional lav
procedures and police-community re
Baker said. They also learn how to fi
pons, but do not carry them on campus.
After training, the RPOs are divided
groups; one group works with the Ui
Police Department and the other work
State Capitol Parking Facility. The RPO
la
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mine
). "I have to make sure they're
the right order, or fights will
jak out," Stevo said. "1 don't
A them a whole lot right here
a show. They might get a
Je lazy," he added.
Laziness is a characteristic that
cus workers don't have. "It's =&
essful work. Your whole roule
can change at any time,"
rchasing agent Erwin Smith
id. Two of the three trucks
lith uses to pick up supplies
3ke down Wednesday. "I was
ling myself, 'This stop will be
sy because I know the town,'"
Smith is originally from Cayce
d is staying with his family
tile he's in town. "After being
erywhere in the country,
jre's no place like home. I'll jn ^
obably gain 15 pounds, and I Qjr(
n't need that," he said.
Home for the unit's 300 memrs
is the Ringling Brothers and
trnum and Bailey Circus' 46 ing
r train. The train carries every- vva
ing ? the animals, the cos- Sn
mes, food and equipment. bui
olice fight
lowed to work for two yeai
desired, the RPOs may rec
e Street work. It must done as an
the Re- with additional requirement
us. The toe College of Criminal Just
lied, are The police officers als<
mmuni- throughout the year with "
;ntion. program produced by th
employs Academy and Educational
/ ooiH Tliic ollr\\i/c thp rvffippi
eniorce;nce
and constantly changing law;
decisions.
nvolved "It's a model program in
ident of said. It has received natio
cer said. was recently photographei
lege of Times, he said.
;nse two The advantage of the R<
ire com- program'is the experience i
nstables. to have in their major area
r to en- the Criminal Justice major
11 as full perience, make some decis
ing a career," Baker said,
s of the Graduates of the Crimii
e state," programs have jobs in Na
eral investigations and the
areas of City of Columbia police de
/, arrest The program also pro^
dations, with 16 additional people t
ire wea- 16-20 hours a week. This
lows better police coverage
into two Besides foot patrol anc
liversity student police officers ar<
s at the prevention. Project ID, wh
s are al- dents' valuables with numt
^ n a i
nnouno
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7arou i
} Keystone Klowns are just one part of the antics i
he 119th Edition of Ringling Brothers and Barm
;us at the Carolina Coliseum tonight through Su
'Riding in the train is like be- "In a lot of waj
[ in your own little house, one big family and
tching the country go by," the soles of your
tiili said. "It's a little cramped, there's somebod;
: you get used to it." them. If you need
crime at US(
-s in the program. If if stolen, bicycle registration
eive credit for their ness week are some of their
independent study activities,
s in accordance with The RPOs also give presi
tice. dence halls on personal safet
3 continue training erty crime. These presentation
'Crime to Court," a to hear student complaints an
e Criminal Justice them back to the administratio
I Television, Baker "They provide us with soi
s to keep current on important feedback regardir
i and recent court through the eyes of a student,"
T?l mv-\. _ i i r_
i lie kjojs aiso worn ai re
the country," Baker concerts with uniformed pi
nal recognition and handle problems associated
1 by the New York 75,000 people; they deal wi
tions, ticket disputes and dis
iserve Police Officer ?a^er sa'd.
it allows the students
i of study. "It allows But the image of the "Blue
to, through that ex- what distorted, according to si
ions early on regard- Miller.
"People just think we're 01
lal Justice and RPO them double parking, but that's
val Intelligence, fed- said. Retrieving keys from lot
Richland County and directions and helping people
partments. need is'all in a day's work, he :
/ides the university ?ut police officers cannot b
hat are each working ?f the time. There are 16 RPO;
extra manpower al- ple? Miller said. "That's why \*
of the campus. us." he said. The students can
1 investigations, the too, he said, by reporting sus
i involved in crime and by taking their own safety :
ich is engraving stu- "Our job is to make sure th;
>ers for identification campus are safe and secure," M
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.r;..:; u there's somebody here to do
* The performers or workmen ha
these talents," Dedo said.
"*l's a seif-containe^ c>
** It gets tricky when people in i
unit are dating. You can't j
away from them," regional ma
eting director Patty Roberts
said.
The contracted acts, perf<
mers which the circus' execut
director Kenneth Feld selects
ter searching the world for i
best acts, are often families. 1
performers' children don't m
havinc a ctatinnarv hnmft Sm
f, ^ -r-^P^ said, because "the circus life
""""t^iey've ever
* v*s*1 *s ^e c^rcus' ^
J?* ^B? edition of their Greatest Show
of Clown Alley Earth and features animal tar
jm and Bailey Gunther Gebel-Williams' fii
nday, Feb.11. performances. The two-and-oi
half-hour show is a grand sei
off for Gunther, who will rei
/s the circus is at age 56 after a circus car
I a little city. If that began in Germany when
shoes fall off, was 12 years old.
y here to fix Gebel-Williams' handles
your hair cut, ring full of Bengal tigers in
crime prevention ^
entations in resi- v/k|?
y, rape and prop- ]\wl
^ aHow the RPOs
n for action. T m
ne necessary and ** jijf^
otball games and | iB
with a crowd of V
th alcohol violaruptive
behavior,
mior RPO Steve
> for 25,000 peoe
stress .. caii Rec nightr
help fight crime,
picious activities The whole Brady famil>
seriously two-hour movie tonight al
at people on this BradVs wi" continue as a t
tiller said.
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[ the Scenes
Big Top
it. first half of the show, and might
ive make it hard to remember that
these cats once roamed the junty.
gles of India.
Lhe "It's very dangerous, but these
?et people are professionals," Dedo
rk- said.
on The circus performers have insurance
policies and dental plans,
JI jusi IIKC WUIKCI? ui any uuici ut-ive
cupation, Robertson said,
af- When The Hernandez Troupe,
the The Kehaiovi and The Tokaji
he teeterboard performers fill each
iss of the three rings, propelling
lith each other into human pyramids,
is it might be hard to know which
ring to watch.
9th "Watch it like a tennis match
on ? keep your head moving and
ner anticipate what will happen
nal next," Dedo said. "It's like no
ne- other entertainment."
ad- The circus will be performing
tire at the coliseum through Sunday,
eer Performances are at 4 p.m. and 8
he p.m. today, 11 a.m., 3:30 p.m.
and 8 p.m. Saturday and at 1
a p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets
the are S7.50, $9.50 and $11.50.
nare
f returns to prime time television in a
t 8 p.m. on WLTX, channel 19. The
weekly series on Feb. 16.
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12,1990
ics on the Second
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