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Local man looks to realize dream in new presidential reality show BY MICHAEL LAFORGIA THE GAMECOCK Maxwell Highsniith says reality television is his ticket to becom ing the next leader of the free world. Highsmith, 39, of Columbia, has applied tp appear on “American Candidate,” Showtime’s American Idol-style political reality show in which viewers vote on potential presi dential candidates. “The revolution will be tele vised," the show’s Web site boasts. Among the series’ advisers is Henry Gates, a Harvard professor who will appear at USC April 13 to speak at the Robert Smalls Lecture. Highsmith already has his own section on the “American Candidate” Wei) site. The reality show got about 200 applications from across the coun try. The pool will be narrowed to 12 cast members, and Highsmith hopes to be among the finalists. According to the Web site, the win ner receives $200,000 and a chance to address the nation at a televised , media appearance. Highsmith is confident he’ll make the cut. “I know that one day I will be president of this country. If not to day, then when I’m 60,” he said. He has been tracking the show’s development since September 2002, when he first read rumors about the concept on the Drake Report. Anyone 18 or older can compete on the show. Highsmith said it took him about a month to complete his ap plication, which he mailed in November. The application process is a lengthy one, including 27 pages of forms and a five-minute video tape. «T+>o net- n faint-hearted,” he said. He expects a decision by April 11. The application deadline is April 9. The series’ final episode will be aired July 4, when the two remaining candidates will square off for a debate in front of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. Highsmith calls himself an in dependent. He voted for Clinton twice and for Bush in the last elec tion. He is, however, a card-carry ing Democrat. “I try to vote on what I think is good for the country and what is good for me,” he said. “I’m not a party-liner at all.” If he becomes a candidate, Highsmith will campaign on two major issues: ending the U.S. mil itary occupation of Iraq and open ing up election-year dialogue with the American public, particular ly with the black community. Highsmith supports the war on terror, but he said the United A4St Surf Yourself I Back Forward Stop Re’, ww.d»iiy9mwcock cor,'. Learn more about the show at „ .. "r www.americancandidate.com Live Home Page @ Apple v States overextended itself by at tacking Iraq. He said he sympathizes with the proponents of gay marriage. “People think the concept of marriage would be destroyed. I don’t see that,” he said. And Highsmith has a unique perspective on the Confederate flag. While he sees it as a divisive force in South Carolina, he said it makes him proud. “I see it as a symbol of strength , for me,” said Highsmith, who is black. “There was a time when I was less than three-fifths of a man.” Ac nrocitlor»+ HioVtcmifh caiH ho would also address what he sees as interdepartmental problems with the government. For example, Highsmith said communication problems left America unprepared for the September 11 attacks. On economic matters, Highsmith agrees with much of what U.S. Sen. John Edwards cam paigned on. “I like his talk, I think he had some great ideas,” Highsmith said. “I’d like to talk to him to see what’s viable.” He invites USC students to chal lenge him on other important is sues. Born in Hempstead, N.Y., Highsmith joined the Navy after high school. After a stint as a submarine electronics technician, he at tended Broward Community College in Florida. There, he in volved himself in student gov ernment while studying English and theater. While in Florida, Highsmith worked as a mall security officer. He married his wife, Cassandra, in 1989, and the two have a 1-vear-old son. Highsmith, a U.S. Army re servist, studied English and the ater at USC as an undergraduate until his unit received word they were heading overseas in February 2003. Although he wasn’t deployed, Highsmith continues to serve in the Army Reserve as a systems in formation manager and a squad automatic weapon gunner. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu Robot CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 about $5,000 per team to enter, but still attracted 42 teams, including 18 from South Carolina. Each team consists of about 40 people, in cluding advisers, Johnson said. The fee pays for standard parts that FIRST provides for every | team. The rest of the parts ha ve to be ordered. Most teams have to find corpo rate sponsors and adopt fund-rais ing programs just to enter. “We sold pizzas and suckers,” McCarthy said, “We sold pies, and donations, we got dona tions.” The competition is a friendly one. Many teams bring buckets of buttons to exchange with others, and most of the competitors were polka dotted with them. The teams’ coaches and advis ers, including engineers from NASA and GM, among other companies, come from all over to volunteer their time at the com petition. “There was another team who didn’t have any engineers or adults helping them,” McCarthy said, “so we kind of adopted them and made their robot work.” Bob Jacob was a volunteer working with a team from Greenville. He said that this was probably his sixth year of in volvement in the robotics compe titions. “I got involved through a part nership at work,” he said, “I work at an engineering consulting firm.” Jacob said that he really en joyed coaching the kids. The “adopted” team 507 also came from Greenville. One mem ber, Jeremy Moses, said he was thankful for the assistance. “They gave us a big helping hand,” he said, “that’s for sure. It wasn’t run ning. They came over here, and now it’s running.” He said that they’d been expe riencing a series of problems. “We got here and the base didn’t work,” he said, “and we got the base working, and it was too top heavy.” The team was still experiencing difficulties in their final practice round when they discovered that they had set up the steering in re verse. Chris Otto said that he was en joying himself, anyway. “This is one of the funnest things I’ve ever done,” he said. “I mean, I never got to do anything in middle or high school as fun as this. This is great.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu Law CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 V Marcinak said the Pledge was chosen for the competition be cause of the leveLof public inter est. “We thought that it would be very inspiring for the people who were arguing the case,” he said. “There’s a lot of passion in it.” Anderson and Sinclair both argued for the respondent in the preliminary round, and Sinclair was chosen to argue Tuesday for the government in the finals. Participants in the competi tion received information pack ets March 4 and turned in briefs March 22. Oral arguments were given Monday at the law school. Sinclair, who is interested in working on the appellate court level, said he became interested in the competition for the expe rience. There are no juries or ev idence presented in appellate court, and Sinclair and Anderson'will be limited to 15 _ minutes each. The case is to determine if the school district is in violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which reads, “Congress shall make no law re ipecting an establishment of re ligion.” Elementary school students are not forced to recite the Pledge, but, Sinclair said, being “surrounded by their class mates and having to listen to all of them say it and their teacher say it — is that basically the equivalent of coercing them to do it?” Sinclair said that while he thinks the issue has become more pronounced since the September 11 attacks, it has been a controversial issue for years. “I think religion is such a big part of a lot of our lives and played a big role shaping our country,” he said. “It has been yery well documented in the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, national anthem and our currency. “I think it really strikes the heart of a lot of people’s emo tions, and that’s why people have a lot more invested in something like this.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu RHA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Gerrard said he keeps a radio in his room so he can respond to calls, including ones at 5 a.m. During spring break, six First Responder staff members went through special training in, Alabama dealing with weapons of mass destruction. The students had hands-on training in chemical suits work ing with lethal nerve agents. Corbin said the training pre pared the staff if there is ever a terrorist-type attack on campus. “I pray to God that we never have to use that,” he said. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocknews@gwmjc.edu Team CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 teams play in tournaments all around the country and show well at those tournaments,” he said. The other USC team that com peted consisted of three freshmen |i and beat Wake Forest, among oth er teams. “It’s always good when you see younger players want to compete,” Stanton said. “That bodes well for the future of our program.” The team keeps looking to the future, which includes a national tournament in Maryland April 10. They are also looking to grow. “Anybody can join,” Fennell said. “It can even help you out in class.” The team practices Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. on the third floor of the Russell House. Interested students are in vited to come to their practices. “Just show up and have fun,” | Stanton said. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu I-- I gamecock w updated days a week. Because news happens on Tuesdays and Thursdays too. _ i 80upo ■imp ■ imic ■ we*U pay you $50 to travel abroad!* n TRAVEL CUTS as $75 a day! See the world your way .receive $50 cash back when you book by March 31! 800-592-CUTS (2887) www.travelcuts.com uaj|j~ I I UNIVERSITY UNION University of South Carolina This award was created to honor students who have achieved special distinction in some area of campus life, such as residence hall government, student organizations, academic pursuits, community service, student employees, students who have received regional and/or national recognition and athletic accomplishments. Many times it seems that students who have had significant successes do not receive the recognition they deserve. This award is an attempt to provide that recognition. Congratulations to all T.O.A.S.T. recipients: Alaina Anderson Lindsey Adair Allison Albert Carlton Allen Cori Alston Jon Alston Amber Amber Amanda Anderson Katherine Arrington Hannah Bartram Anne Baughman Lauren Bell Ruth Anne Marie Berger Robin D. Billings Sean Bishop Mitch Bisson Jennifer Blackwell T. LaToya Blackwell Grace Blakely Kyle Bohman Stephanie Bookhammer KeHy Bowen Shear! Bowie Salandra Bowman Lisa Boykin Robert Bramhall Susan Brazell Whitney Bridges Nicole Brown William Brown Steven Byrd Garen Cansler Erin Carroll Gerri Carson Drusilla Carter Heath Catoe Mary Ellen Chafin Nathan Chaplin, III £1egan Chapman Jeremy Chassereau Diana Chen Lauren Chestnut Michael Christopher Tara Cloer Ben Cochran Jeremy Coe ERzabeth Coen Chanda L. 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