The All State

» ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES — There had to be an auction, but so soon? A black velvet dress that belonged to Whitney Houston and a pair of earrings she wore in “The Bodyguard” will be sold to the highest bidder next month.

Celebrity auctioneer Darren Julien said Sunday the pieces and other Houston items became available after the singer’s unexpected death on Feb. 11 and will be included among a long-planned sale of Hollywood memorabilia such as Charlie Chaplin’s cane, Clark Gable’s jacket from “Gone With the Wind” and Charlton Heston’s staff from “The Ten Commandments.” But could it be too soon to profit from Houston’s passing? She was just buried on Saturday.

“It’s a celebration of her life,” Julien said. “If you hide these things in fear that you’re going to offend someone — her life is to be celebrated. These items are historic now that she passed. They become a part of history. They should be in museums. She’s lived a life and had a career that nobody else has ever had.”

Houston is “someone who’s going to maintain a collectability,” he said. “For people who are fans of Whitney Houston and never would have had a chance to meet her and never got to talk to her, these are items that literally touched a part of her life. They are a way to relate to her or be a part of her life without having known her.”

The singer’s floor-length black dress is valued at $1,000 but likely to collect much more. Same goes for the vest she wore in “The Bodyguard,” listed at $400, and the faux-pearl earrings that start at $600.

Houston fans and other collectors can bid online, by phone or in person during the “Hollywood Legends” auction on March 31 and April 1. Lots will be shown during a free public exhibition beginning March 19 at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, Cali., just blocks from the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where Houston died at age 48. TAS

» By CONOR SCRUTON – cscruton@my.apsu.edu

“You should totally eat there, but you have to go at 2 a.m.”

Readers who have seen my column before are probably familiar with the fact my All State coworkers have a tendency of pushing me towards certain destinations in my travels. When we were discussing possibilities last week, our photo editor suddenly became very excited.

“Have you been to Kelly’s Big Burger yet?” she asked me as her face lit up. I hadn’t — and I’m always up for a good burger — but I was unsure why she insisted on making me go in the middle of the night. In any case, she made a point to come along and personally make sure I got the full Kelly’s experience.

Kelly’s Big Burger, while out of the way, is almost as much of an iconic restaurant among students as Johnny’s. It’s located at 405 N Riverside Dr., only a few blocks from campus and is a great example of a classic diner.

Like any good diner in the South, Kelly’s has a menu filled with deep-fried appetizers, big burgers and milkshakes.

I wasn’t too hungry at the time, so I unfortunately skipped an actual burger on this trip. What I did try, though, were fried mushrooms and chicken fries, which totally hit the spot as a late-night snack. I also got a milkshake, which was made fresh and definitely one of the best I’ve ever had.

These are some pretty solid choices if you make your way to Kelly’s, but you may also want to ask around. What I realized when I mentioned the restaurant to some friends is they all had different suggestions for Kelly’s food, and it’s probably because it’s all just that good. In other words, the diner has a whole lot more to offer than I could eat in one night.

Kelly’s is definitely great for a college student’s budget, as they have plenty of menu items under $4.

It’s also a nice place to grab a booth and hang out with friends for a cheap dinner trip.

They’re open seven days a week for almost 24 hours, but I would recommend checking out the Kelly’s Big Burger Facebook page, as some days have odd gaps in operating hours.

I can understand why my photo editor wanted me to eat so late. Kelly’s has the diner atmosphere of being “frozen” a few decades back, in the best way possible. Most college students have been on a midnight diner run at some point, and that’s the sort of time when you get a real feel for Kelly’s.

I really do have to thank The All State, because I think I have a new favorite late-night food option. TAS

You have to dress a certain way. It’s really about the style. The most acceptable style is a buttoned down shirt, jeans that are the correct size and Sperrys. The more expensive it looks, the better.”
— Brian Hartley, freshman History major

As a man, you have to have goals and a direction where you want to take your life. You have to dress nice. You have to be fit, in shape. Society doesn’t like a fat man.”
— Joshua Gatling, freshman Legal Studies major

[Guys like] when a girl is assertive, not meek. Guys don’t want that. Within the African-American community, there are natural sisters and weave sisters. Men prefer a weave.”
— Leah Webster, sophomore Business Management major

Guys prefer light skin over dark skin. I think we’re all beautiful. Saying we all have to look a certain way breeds insecurity.”
— Melaricca Patton, sophomore Criminal Justice major

» By KATELYN HAMAKER – khamaker1@my.apsu.edu

The Clarksville community came together Saturday, Feb. 18, to help raise money for Haiti, a country still stricken by a violent earthquake in early 2010. ReLoveHaiti is an nonprofit organization founded by Zac Gillman and Mike Rainier.

Gillman was moved and inspired after seeing the damage done by the earthquake, and made it his mission to make a difference. He created two events to help raise money for the cause: A 5k Race and One-Mile Fun Run as well as a benefit concert.

He appealed to Clarksville’s youth for help and they have shown support. Their hard work and dedication has paid off and people are beginning to notice.

In years past, he has raised several thousand dollars. This year, he set a goal of $7,000 and surpassed that, raising almost $8,000. “It is truly inspiring to see this amount of people come together for this cause and raise this amount of money,” Gillman said.

Operation Haitian had 400 running participants and 250 people attended the benefit concert.

The Operation Haitian and 5k and One-Mile Fun Run was held at Beachaven Winery at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, and raised almost $7,000 alone. “This race is really growing and we hope to keep it going each year as a new tradition in Clarksville,” Gillman said.

Later on that night, the third annual benefit concert was held at the Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville. It featured Chris Crow, The Beautiful Refrain, Bryce Merritt and Joel Crouse as headlining artists.

A couple special moments happened during the concert. Chris Crow performed a memorial song for two teens that passed away last August: Jack Amos and Amy Stringer.

Jeremy Williams of APSU also performed for a third consecutive year and the surprise guest was Jenna Davis of Rossview High School.

For more information on ReLoveHaiti, please visit: www.relovehaiti.com. TAS

» By TRENT SINGER – tsinger@my.apsu.edu

The Bat Govs opened their 2012 season on Friday, Feb. 17, against the Illinois State Red Birds at home, in which the Govs won the first of a four-game series, 9-6.

It was senior third baseman Greg Bachman who helped lead the Govs to their third consecutive opening-day victory. Bachman ended the day with six RBI, three of which came from a home run in the first inning.

Junior left fielder Cody Hudson contributed a single-run home run in the fifth inning to help the team extend its lead, 9-5.

Shortstop Reed Harper went 4-for-5 at bat on the day, including one of six RBI in the first two innings of the game.

Although the Govs allowed six runs in their opening-day matchup against the Red Birds, they displayed a nearly perfect defensive effort in Saturday’s double-header.

APSU stifled Illinois State in the first game, 2-0, by only allowing four hits defensively.

Senior LHP Zach Toney improved to 1-0, throwing five strikeouts and allowing only four hits. In the second inning, Toney overcame the Red Birds threatening with bases loaded. Senior center fielder Michael Blanchard also helped by hitting a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate.

However, the second game provided a dramatic finish to send the Govs to 3-0. After three and a half scoreless innings, the Govs came to the bat tied with the Red Birds in the bottom of the seventh.

Already having one RBI on the day, Harper added his second after hitting a walk-off home run, giving the Govs a 3-2 win and solidifying an impressive three-game start to the season.

The junior out of Clarksville High School finished the game hitting 3-for-4, while helping his team defensively to allow only four hits in the game. APSU began the game allowing two Illinois State runs in the first inning, but fought back to tie it up in the second and third innings.

Despite the dramatic win, APSU struggled mightily in Sunday’s matchup. Determined to win, the Red Birds cruised to a 10-1 victory, dropping the Govs to 3-1 in their first series of the season.

The Govs will now take to the road this week to play Memphis on Wednesday, Feb. 22, and Georgia State Friday through Sunday, Feb. 24-26.

Following the series of road games, the Govs will come home to host Iowa, Akron and Youngstown State in the Riverview Inn Classic, March 2-4. TAS

» By TRENT SINGER – tsinger@my.apsu.edu

Coming off a conference home loss against Morehead State, the Govs bounced back to their winning ways on Saturday, Feb. 18, with a 71-68 victory over former conference rival Youngstown State.

The starting lineup combined for 35 points, but the key performer was senior guard TyShwan Edmondson, whose last 20-point game came three weeks ago in a win against UT Martin. Edmondson scored 23 points off the bench while logging more playing time than any other Govs player.

The Govs ended the night with 51 total rebounds, 26 coming from seniors Melvin Baker and John Fraley. Baker finished with seven points while Fraley finished with nine.

Josh Terry scored 14 points in the win while icing the game with his free throws, shooting a perfect 10-for-10.

“I thought our rebounding and our free-throw shooting really made a huge difference,” head coach Dave Loos said after the game. “We also had a few guys make some shots and that was big for us.”

After the game, Terry spoke about the team’s success from the free-throw line, where they shot 77.8 percent, finishing 21-for-27.

“We work on it everyday,” Terry said. “I think we were just concentrating. We didn’t want to beat ourselves.”

The Govs started rather slow, allowing the Penguins to score nine unanswered points in the game’s first three minutes.

Head coach Dave Loos responded by calling a timeout to allow his players to regroup.

“I was just trying to stop the bleeding, to be honest,” Loos said. “We just needed to stop their momentum.”

During the first half, it was Terry’s leaping block that turned heads and got the crowd back into the game. The Govs rallied back to tie the score at 24, eventually heading into the half down by five, 28-33.

In the second half, APSU outscored Youngstown State, 43-35, and in the middle of the second half, the Govs came alive by going on a 15-5 run to take a 57-52 lead.

Although the Penguins showed life by hitting key three-pointers late in the game, Jerome Clyburn forced a turnover with only a few seconds remaining to essentially seal the Govs’ victory.

Forwards Chris Freeman and Will Triggs, along with senior guard Jerome Clyburn, combined for 13 points from the bench.

Eight Govs players contributed points to the win, while Youngstown State finished with only two points from the bench.

The Penguins finished with four starters scoring in double-digits, led by guard Kendrick Perry and forward Damian Eargle.

The team will finish the regular season by playing UT Martin on the road this week before coming home for the season finale against Southeast Missouri on Saturday, Feb. 25.

The Ohio Valley Conference tournament will take place next week. As the showdown at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville approaches, Loos hopes his team is ready to continue to fight.

“We were desperate for a good game, and we really needed a win,” Loos said.

“I hope this game propels us into next week and we can get on a roll going into the tournament.” TAS