Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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This Day in History Oct. 9, 1981-U.S. Rep.'Shirley Chisolm spoke at the law school auditorium as the featured speaker of the fourth annual conference sponsored by the USC Women's law association. The South Carolina State Fair 2000 Racing pigs equal fun for everyone ^Richard's Racers Ann Marie Miani The Gamecock Richard’s Racing Pigs have been appearing at the State Fair for more - tan 10 years. The racing pigs show can be seen every day of the Fair at 2:30, 4:30, 6:30 and 8:30 pm by Ann Marie Miani The Gamecock On your marks...get set...GO! No, stock car racing isn’t in town, and the Olympics are over. No, it’s not greyhound or horse racing. It’s pig and duck racing. Richard’s Racing Pigs and Ducks have been coming to the South Carolina State Fair for years. “I have been pig racing at the State Fair since 1989,” Richard Humphreys said. However, Humphreys has been in the animal train ing business for more than 35 years. He grew up in Hot Springs, Ark. on a farm. When he graduated from college, he began working with animal psychologists. “I’ve been training animals since 1963 for some type of show and have been working at fairs for that length of time. It’s my lifestyle, and I enjoy the smiles and laughter of the children,” Humphreys said. Humphreys and his animals travel across North America going to different state fairs, with the S.C. State Fair being their last stop. “I go all across Canada and the United States pro ducing this pig racing show. It is my means of mak ing a living.” The show begins with Humphreys’s introduction of “a new breed of dog.” This “dog,” which is actual ly a spotted pig, can do tricks that include sitting, fetch ing, laying down and saying its prayers. The production continues with the duck race. Ten little white ducks run down the track then up a ramp and slide into a pool of water. The first duck to get to the pool is the winner of the race. The main attraction and finale was the pig race. They were lined up and released from the gates, and off they went. They ran around the track and up a ramp. The first pig to get back to the trailer is the win ner and gets the most food, plus a big cookie. “Our show is a complete family show that’s ap pealing to all ages, so we do get really good crowds,” Humphreys said. “The show is done in a very fun light, and that’s why I do it. I enjoy creating that sort of an activity. It’s great entertainment for the fair. It’s great entertain ment for the fair-goer.” The animals are treated very well and are trained on the positive reward system. When they do some - ^nn Marie Mlani The Gamecock thing wrong, the trainer ignores it, and when the an imal does something right, the trainer rewards it with food, Humphreys said. “The animals are extremely well cared for and kept.” Richard’s Racing Pigs and Ducks will be at the State Fair all week. The shows are at 2:30,4:30,6:30, and 8:30 p.m. The spotlight desk can be reached at gamecockspo4lght@ho1iTiaiLcom. Hypnotist fails to be convincing by Zeina Makky The Gamecock Picture a hypnotist. Whatev er comes to mind - charisma, burn ing candles, daric ambience, a sense of mystique - throw it all away. In stead, replace the idea of hypno tism with television game-show entertainment, and then it’s a rather accurate image of Cea Cea and the Sandman, the hypnotist and his assistant. Cea Cea and the Sandman perform daily at the South Car olina State Fair under the WNOK tent. The setting is rather basic; the red curtains are perhaps the best thing in the show. On Thursday, Oct. 5, four volunteers from the crowd were onstage supposedly being hypnotized to sleep. Anyone could tell it was fake, in spite of the volunteers’ efforts to work with the hypnotist. Indeed, one of them couldn’t stop giggling when he was supposed to be fast asleep. “I’ve never seen a hypnotist in real life, only on TV,” said 18-year-old Bre Perry, from Orangeburg. “I don’t believe it; I just think it’s funny sometimes.” After sleeping, the Sandman went on to make the vol unteers feel hot. The participants acted as well as they could; one even took off his shirt. Then it was “all of a sudden” cold to them. The worst part of the show had to be when he told the participants to take off their shoes and socks, rub their own feet, and the feet of the people sitting next to them and shake their shoes on top of their heads. Very nice. The sound effects were also of poor quality. A stereo provided some sound effects, but they basically came from Cea Cea and the Sandman. It was very loud and very an novine. Columbia resident Randy Rhodes said, “I’ve already seen a hypnotist at a comic show once... I’m not crazy about them though. It’s fun at first, but then it gets old. It drags out after a while.” The crowd did laugh and cheer, sometimes excessively, but then many left before the end of the show. Overall, the show was a typical cheap thrill or waste of time. It makes one wonder how much a hypnotist gels paid. The spotlight desk can be reached at gamecockspcHght@botmalLcom. STATE FAIR SNAPSHOTS Sean Rayford The Gamecock Mandy Moore, a popular teen-aged singer, performed Friday night at the Fair. Amy Goulding The Gamecock Fair-goers enjoy rides, such as this dragon rollercoaster. Amy Goulding The Gamecock Picldes, Jellies and other canned Items grace arts-and-c rafts tents such as this one Quilts are also popular fair Items. Amy Goulding The Gamecock I_I Ann Marie Miani The Gamecock Top: A child plays with Gator the Clown at the State Fair on Sunday. Left Games are usually popular attrac tions at the State Fair. Prizes Include stuffed animals and toys. I