2008_09_11

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S P The

Serving Southern Miss since 1927

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Volume 93, Issue 7

University officials looking into ‘killer’ classes Candi Johnson Printz Writer

While enrollment figures for the fall semester are still unsettled, the University of Southern Mississippi has seen a recordhigh number of incoming students this year. A dip in the number of returning undergraduates from Hattiesburg, however, has led faculty and administrators to address factors that may be affecting retention.

According to the minutes from the faculty senate meeting

held on Friday, the Office of the Provost is investigating a list of courses that undergraduates find especially difficult. The office is trying to determine if these classes could be detrimental to retention and what the University might do about it.

Interim Associate Provost Bill Powell said his office is reviewing “courses with the highest rate of grade distributions of less than a C,” which they informally refer to as “killer courses.”

The review is in its preliminary stage, so more research must take place before a list of spe-

‘‘

I forgot about a lot of due dates because there was no one to remind me and I didn’t know I could meet with my professor in an online -Travis Williams class

cific courses is made up.

Powell said there are several questions to ask regarding such courses aimed at “enhancing the climate for student success at USM.” Some of those questions address needs for improvement in student placement, course sequencing and academic support

’’

Pascagoula Coaching Major

services like the Writing and Speaking Centers, Powell said.

Powell said “killer courses” occur at all levels of undergraduate study, whether those classes are held on campus or online.

He added that there are “only a small handful of online courses that fall within the category.”

According to Learn-Source. com, there are advantages and disadvantages to online learning.

It allows students to maintain a very flexible schedule. Unlike traditional classes, which require students to attend on fixed days and times, online classes allow you to attend whenever, and wherever, you decide.

Lexi Washington, a senior psychology major from Natchez, Miss., opted for an online English class because it was the best fit for her schedule.

“I am not the traditional student and since I am very busy

with secular work, I cannot always attend regular classes,” Washington explained. She said she did not experience any difficulty with the class and was grateful for the opportunity.

Unfortunately, not all students have the same experience. According to a research article, “Distance Learning, the Internet, and the World Wide Web” in the online Education Resource Information Center Digest, online learning can present a challenge for those who perform better in structured environments or who may not be technology savvy.

ONLINE continued on page 3

FREE RIDE

Refunds delayed for late applicants Missing information, Hurricane Gustav among other factors contribute to delay Bob Worth Printz Writer

David Jackson/Printz

Students try out the new Eagle Bikes outside the Liberal Arts Building Wednesday. Bikes are located across campus and are available for students and faculty to use.

Eco Eagle peddles out free bike program for university Lesley Walters News Editor

Students frustrated by limited parking and a long trek to class finally have an alternative means of on-camput travel.

USM’s Office of Sustainability “rolled out” its new bike loan program Wednesday, placing a row of 17 single-geared bicyles in front of the Thad Cochran Center and encouraged students to make use of the free service.

When Kyeonee Russell, a freshman from Union, saw the row of distinctly-colored Eagle Bikes, he asked Larry Lee, chief officer at the Office of Sustainability, “How much?”

“It’s free,” Lee explained to the theater major. Lee then told Russell how the program is intended to work: When a student arrives at the intended building, park the bike on a rack, unlocked, so someone else can use it for further travel.

“Man, that’s cool,” Russell said with a smile. He was the first student to make use of the EcoEagle free-share bikes.

The bright yellow and black Eagle Bikes were purchased from a local retailer for about $300 each, including maintenance fees, Lee said. Ten of the 17 bikes are also equipped with a basket to hold briefcases or backpacks.

“We want to see everybody riding [Eagle Bikes], not just students,” Lee said. “Faculty

and staff should feel free to ride them. I encourage it.”

Lee said he would rather see members of the faculty and staff riding Eagle Bikes than golf carts, which are sometimes powered with gasoline.

Lee said the free-share system is the first phase of three for the bike loan program. The second phase will be a lease program that allows any member of the campus community to lease an Eagle Bike for personal use throughout an entire semester for a low fee. In the third phase, students, faculty and staff can rent an Eagle Bike for a shorter period of time - a day or a week, for instance - for an even lower fee.

In each case, bike chains will be distributed along with the bicycles to provide security, Lee said.

“I’m pretty sure they’re probably going to go missing,” said Kyle Taylor, a freshman international business major from Bruce, as he sat atop one of the Eagle Bikes he found outside the Liberal Arts Building.

Lee said while the issue of theft is a real threat to the program, the Office of Sustainability has taken several precautions to lessen that threat.

“It’s a very unique bike ... If they show up off campus, we’re going to do what we can to mitigate that,” Lee said.

Lee said each bicycle has a sticker with a serial number, a USM bike permit and an EcoEa-

David Jackson/Printz

Eco Eagle has placed 17 bikes throughout campus. The bicycles were purchased from Moore’s Bike Shop on Hardy Street.

gle sign attached to the frame which explains what to do if it needs repairing and where it should be parked. The sign also urges riders not to remove the seat, lock up the bike or take it off campus. Lee said he is considering the use of a Global Positioning System, or GPS, to keep track of Eagle Bikes.

Student Government Association President Melissa Cirino said USM administration officials and everyone involved in the project know there is the threat of theft in providing bicylces for public use.

“It is an honor system, and I think any time you deal with an honor system with the public, there are certainly concerns,” Cirino said. “But we’re hoping that students will recognize it as a service to them and act on their good will to keep the bikes

on campus.”

The SGA was involved in the advisory process of the bike loan project by providing a student perspective on issues regarding usefulness and location, Cirino said. She said the issue of oncampus parking has been a persistent problem, and the new program will provide a more efficient and environmentally healthy way for students to get around campus.

University President Martha Saunders said in a news release the Eagle Bikes should be “very popular.” There are only 17 Eagle Bikes in use so far this semester, and that popularity might lead some students to complain.

“We need more!” said Keaura Lawson, a sophomore library science major from Brandon.

“There were only two bikes at the LAB. We need more.”

With prices for everything from gas and food to books and supplies rising, students expecting financial aid refund checks can become antsy.

But USM officials say don’t worry, the check is probably in the mail.

USM Assistant Bursar Chris Cook said disbursal checks are issued according to a standard process involving lenders, the financial aid office and the business office. Cook said because of different schedules among those entities, students often receive their refunds at different times.

“There are situations when you may get your check before a friend,” Cook said. “That may be because you applied earlier.”

David Williamson, USM’s interim director of Financial Aid, said financial aid awards begin arriving during the first week of class, and must be posted to a student’s account within 14 days of its arrival.

“This year, we started receiving money on the 25th of August,” he said.

Financial Aid Office personnel post awards Monday through Wednesday each week. Cook said once the funds are posted to a student’s account, “we refund every Friday.”

Williamson said the two most common causes of delayed refunds are incomplete entrance counseling examinations and “over-awards” that resulted when a student was awarded aid for full-time enrollment but then dropped to part-time status. He said Financial Aid Office presonnel are orking toward a three-day turnaround on refund checks.

“That’s our goal for next year,” Williamson said.

Connie Lang, manager of accounts receivable for USM’s Business Services office, said students can make the process easier themselves by making sure all necessary pieces of information are in the right place. “(When) pieces of information are missing, or maybe a student is not registered for the correct number of units, refund checks are likely to be delayed,” Lang said. She also said students who do not use an on-campus post office box must have an up to date address on file with the university to receive their refund check.

“You can do that through SOAR now,” she said.

Senior Chemistry Major Travis Erves, from Vicksburg, blames himself for his delayed refund.

“I should receive it next week hopefully,” Erves said. “I know it’s going to be late. I applied late.”

Williamson said that the best way for students to receive their refund check quickly is to apply early. He said students should fill out their aid application as soon as they file their taxes.

“A late application means (the refund) won’t be in the first batch,” he said.

Photo Illustration by Maggie Sanford

Daughter to speak Sunday Special to the Printz

The eldest daughter of acclaimed novelist Richard Wright will be on The University of Southern Mississippi campus Sunday as part of her international tour celebrating the 100th birthday of her late father and honoring his legacy and Southern roots.

Julia Wright will present “Richard Wright’s Homecoming: The Centennial Return of a Native Son” in the Thad Cochran Center, Ballroom III Sept. 14 at 5 p.m. The event is sponsored by the university’s Department of English, Center for Black Studies and Committee on Services and Resources for Women. Ad-

mission is free.

A native of Roxie, Miss., Wright overcame the racial, economic and political challenges faced by African-Americans during the Jim Crow era to become one of the world’s most celebrated writers. His works “Native Son” (1940) and “Black Boy” (1945) are testament to his personal struggles against adversity and his skill of using “words as weapons.”

“Wright’s novels, especially “Native Son,” may illicit a range of responses from readers who are made aware of their common humanity with his powerful, passionate use of language,” said Southern Miss English professor Dr. Sherita Johnson.

Wright also lived in Jackson DAUGHTER continued on page 3

News

Page 2 news@studentprintz.com www.studentprintz.com/news

CAMPUS EVENTS TODAY All Day – Permanent Collection Exhibition – Museum of Art 11:45 a.m. – Wesley Foundation Thursday Lunch – Wesley Foundation 7:30 p.m. – Dr. Bruce Tychinski Faculty Recital – PAC

Maggie Sanford/Photo Editor

EJ McCabe, a criminal justice major from Mendenhall, browses through posters in the Union Wednesday during the poster sale.

TOMORROW All Day – Permanent Collection Exhibition – Museum of Art 3 p.m. – Southern Miss Volleyball v. Texas A&M – San

Diego, Calif.

4 p.m. – Southern Miss Soccer @ Southeastern Louisiana – Hammond, La. 7 p.m. – Southern Miss Volleyball v. San Diego – San Diego, Calif.

SATURDAY All Day – Southern Miss Cross Country @ Memphis Twilight – Memphis, Tenn.

6 p.m. – Southern Miss Football @ Arkansas State – Jonesboro, Ark. 7 p.m. – Southern Miss Volleyball v. UC Fullerton – San Diego, Calif.

SUNDAY 2 p.m. – Southern Miss Soccer v. Louisiana-Lafayette – Track and Field Complex 4 p.m. – School of Music Faculty Recital, “Mississippi Chamber Circle” – Parkway Heights United Methodist Church MONDAY All Day – Women’s Golf @ Cincinnati Fall Invitational – Cincinnati, Ohio

Page 3|News

www.studentprintz.com | Thursday, September 11, 2008

Poynter named distinguished alumnus Special to the Printz Lou Ann Poynter, well-known state and community business leader and staunch University of Southern Mississippi supporter, has been named 2008 Distinguished Alumna by the College of Business.

Poynter, who received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in accounting from Southern Miss, will be honored with a dinner Sept. 19 at the Lake Terrace Convention Center.

“I am deeply honored to be recognized by the College of Business with this most prestigious award. The education I received in the College of Business at Southern Miss provided the foundation for my career in banking, and any success I have had can be traced directly back to those roots,” said Poynter.

The Distinguished Alumni Award was established by the College of Business to recognize outstanding achievement by an alumnus. Bob Pierce, executive director of the Alumni Association, says that he can

think of no one more deserving of the award.

“Lou Ann is absolutely one of the most amazing people I have ever had the opportunity to work with,” said Pierce. “Not only is she a brilliant financial mind and outstanding leader, she has a delightful personality and possesses a strong passion for the betterment of Southern Miss.

“Lou Ann, in addition to her professional success, has given generously of her time and financial resources for the benefit of the University. She is a role model for any college student — study hard, work hard, become successful and don’t forget about your alma mater along the way. I could not be more proud to claim her as one of our own,” Pierce concluded.

During her professional career, Poynter was president and CEO of Magnolia Federal Bank for Savings prior to the merger of Magnolia Federal with Union Planters Bank. She then served as senior executive vice president and head of the Mortgage Banking Division of Union Planters Bank, N.A. before her retirement in 2004. She

Online:

Continued from page one Robert Johnson, a senior architectural engineering major from Gulfport, chose an online construction course because it was the only class offered for his major. Although he agrees that many students chose online classes because they are more convenient, Robert says he would prefer to attend regular classes.

“I have always had trouble with online classes,” Johnson said. “I have had too many problems submitting assignments and even just trying to get to the class online. You have to go to three or four different tabs just to add the class.”

Research studies in the Journal of Online Learning and Teaching say that motivation is particularly critical for success in online education be-

cause students take more control over the learning process.

Because there are no mandatory classes to attend, some students neglect their studies and class assignments.

Travis Williams, a senior coaching major from Pascagoula, said he was unsuccessful in his online English course because he did not apply himself.

“I forgot about a lot of due dates because there was no one to remind me and I didn’t know I could meet with my professor in an online class,” Williams said.

Williams said a lot of students think about regular classes more than online classes and neglect assignments in online classes. “Luckily my professor let me drop the class,” Williams added.

served on the board of directors of Union Planters Corporation, MemLou Ann Poynter phis, Tenn., and Regions Financial Corporation, Birmingham, Ala., through June 2005. She was active in the Mississippi Bankers Association and served on the board of directors of the America’s Community Bankers and the Financial Managers Society Inc. Former president of the Southern Miss Alumni Association, Poynter is a member of the Alumni Hall of Fame, past president of The University of Southern Mississippi Foundation and currently is a member of the College of Business Advisory Council. Along with her husband Louis, who is also a Southern Miss alumnus, Poynter made the Ogletree House Campaign Lead Gift for restoration and expansion of the historical campus building. Most recently, Poynter and Dr. Aubrey Lucas, president emeritus

of the university, co-chaired of the successful Ogletree House Campaign.

Poynter currently serves on the board of directors of the Greater Hattiesburg Community Foundation and has served on the executive committees of the Area Development Partnership, the Public Education Forum of Mississippi and the Mississippi Economic Council. She also served a five-year term through July 2004 as a commissioner on the Forrest County Industrial Park Commission. She is a certified public accountant (retired).

The Poynters have one daughter, Melissa, who graduated from Southern Miss in 2002 and received her juris doctorate from the University of Mississippi in 2006. Melissa currently resides in Birmingham, Ala., with her husband, Jeffrey Powell ’03.

Former College of Business distinguished alumni include Bruce Aust (2007), Bill Ward (2006), Chevis Swetman, (2005), Jim Payne (2004), Harry Walker (2003), Gene Carlisle (2002) and L.D. Brinkman (2001).

Daughter:

Continued from page one before moving to Memphis, Chicago, New York and, eventually, overseas. He left the United States in 1946 to escape racial injustice and to secure civil equality for himself and his family. He traveled the world and eventually settled in Paris, but never returned.

Southern Miss history professor Dr. Curtis Austin described Richard Wright as an “American icon who wrote his way out poverty and oppression.”

“His importance to the state of Mississippi and the nation as a whole can hardly be understated since he set the bar on literary excellence with his scathing, but truth-filled novels and short stories,” Austin said.

Julia Wright has lectured widely in the United States

and in Europe on her father while also working on a memoir of her life with him, using the Richard Wright working title “Daughter of a Native Son.” For more information about this event, contact the Southern Miss Department of English at 601.266.4319 or the Southern Miss Department of Marketing and Public Relations at 601.266.4499.

Return of a Native Son

Where: Thad Cochran Center Ballroom III When: Sept. 14 at 5 p.m

Classifieds for as low as $3.75!

To place your ad, go to www.studentprintz.com and click “Classifieds” or call (601) 266-5188

Opinion The

Student

printz

Students: regardless of choice, choose

Serving Southern Miss since 1927 Andy Hess Executive editor Abby McMullen Web Editor Lesley Walters News Editor Jesse Bass Opinions Editor Eric Nagurney Entertainment Editor Tyler Cleveland Sports Editor Sebe Dale IV Multimedia Editor Maggie Sanford Photo Editor Brandon Phillips Circulation Manager Crystal Scretching Graphic Designer

With the approaching election in mind, the Editorial Board here at the Printz wants to remind you to stake a claim in the future of this nation by getting yourself involved with the electoral process.

Edison Media Ethics published a national exit poll after the 2004 election with detailed demographic data. The poll says that only nine percent of voters in 2004 were between the ages of 18 and 24. Further, only eight percent of voters were between the ages of 25 and 29.

The poll can be found online on the University of Connecticut’s opinion archive website at ropercenter.uconn.edu.

We all know that polls have intrinsic flaws, but this information speaks for itself.

Many of us in this age bracket aren’t voting.

In a place with a large student population such as Hattiesburg, if all of us students registered and voted, the impact could be significant. Most of us have a legal right to vote in this election, and if we all use that right, our voice as young people could be

Publications Manager Maggie Williams

Security needs to pay attention The Student Printz is published every Tuesday and Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. Printing is done by Signature Offset of Hattiesburg.

The first four copies of The Student Printz are free. Each additional copy is 25 cents.

Accuracy is important to everyone on the staff of The Student Printz. Please report any factual inaccuracies to the executive editor of The Student Printz as soon as possible.

Opinions are expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, it’s publications manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications.

The Student Printz is located in the basement of Southern Hall Room 013. Applications for employment are available and should be returned to the office.

Reaching us Newsroom: 601-266-4266 Executive Editor: 601-266-6431 Publications Manager: 601-266-6746 Newsroom Email: printz@usm.edu Advertising Manager: 601-266-5188 Advertising E-mail: printzad@usm.edu

Correction In the Tuesday, Sept.

9, 2008 edition of The Student Printz, “Student reactions to incident are varied” contained an erroneous quotation.

The Printz regrets the innaccuracy.

Page 4 opinion@studentprintz.com www.studentprintz.com

While there are many activities going on at the Hattiesburg campus of Southern Miss, my attention has been drawn to something happening in North Carolina. East Carolina University is now investigating claims of police brutality on fans that occurred after the East Carolina victory of West Virginia.

The reason this draws an eye for me is that much like Southern Miss, ECU utilizes the help of local law enforcement to police

heard as it never has before.

Elections have historically had a low voter turnout for the age groups listed above, and we here at the Student Printz would love to see that change.

Keep in mind that we do not endorse any specific candidate, as we argue about that amongst ourselves. What we do endorse, however, is the informed decision of our peers being put into action on election day. We don’t care who you vote for, just that you vote.

If you do decide to vote, make sure you know what you’re getting into. Follow the coverage of the campaigns. Listen to the candidates on the issues. Avoid jumping to conclusions, because after all, they are politicians who are notorious for spinning facts.

A vote for something you regret later is worse than not voting at all.

As an American, you have the right to abstain from voting. If you choose to exercise this right, make sure you do so for the right reason -- if you hate both candidates with a passion for example. Do yourself a favor and don’t let yourself be an American who didn’t vote for a silly reason, such as forgetting to.

There are alternatives if you dislike McCain and Obama equally, such as writing in the name of a leader you do want on the ballot. This is effectively

a vote against both candidates, even if you write in Mr. Potato Head. Just know; if you are eligible to vote and you choose not to do so, you have no right to complain during the next four years.

If you are not registered, now is the time to do it. Voter registration closes on Oct. 4, which is a Saturday. A safe bet would be Oct. 3, however, because not all Circuit Clerk’s offices will be

Letters to the Editor gameday activities. While campus police have always been polite, I myself have witnessed on several occassions other officers being detrimental to students. Just last year I witnessed an officer attempting to pull a student backwards off the wall separating the student section from Carlisle Faulkner field without even warning the student to get off the wall. So the question arises-what if there is another TCU here at Southern Miss? What if East Carolina who is obviously on a roll comes into Hattiesburg undefeated

and is dropped like a bad habit by Southern Miss? Do Southern Miss students have to worry about the same kind of issues going on after a big Southern Miss victory that went on at East Carolina ? I personally don’t think so, but I do think that the East Carolina incident should provide incentive for Southern Miss’ gameday safety crews to make sure that all people responsible for maintaining the safety of fans are on the same page.

open that Saturday. More detailed information about registering can be found on the Printz’s website, studentprintz.com. Mississippi’s Secretary of State website is also quite informative, at www.sos. state.ms.us.

Registering and voting are easy to do, and neither take much time. If you miss it now, then you have to wait at least two years for the opportunity to come around again on the national level.

This country was built on the idea of democracy. We as Americans cannot sit quietly as those ideals our forefathers championed slip through our fingers. We all owe it to ourselves and our grandchildren to get involved.

This is a column of opinion written by the Student Printz Editoral Board.

Comments can be sent to printz@ usm.edu

Palin’s policies hurt the environment

I do not like to dwell on the political realm very often, but unfortunately I am s u r r o u n d ed Brandon with differing Shawn Foles Drescher v i e w p o i n t s Printz Writer and parties, and arguments within this realm that arise and last for…well, a lifetime for some people. What a lot of people have been discussing lately is John McCain’s choice for running mate, Sarah Palin of Alaska.

According to Time magazine, McCain has “flip-flopped” on offshore drilling for petroleum while still opposing opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for exploration of energy purposes. However, Palin believes that ANWR should be opened for drilling.

Alaska is warming up faster than any other state in the United States, with average temperatures increasing by about 3.6 degrees over the span of 50 years. Palin doubts human action is the driver behind the major climate change we are witnessing and continuously supports the use of petroleumbased energy products.

President Bush, for years, asked for more research on the issue of global warming in order to have more time to make firm decisions about the global warming threat and alterations of our energy policies. It seems with Palin we could see a repeat of these claims of “no human impact”, or at least a “clear” human impact on the environment.

Every single living thing on this planet has some impact on the environment around it. It’s just that we humans have an exponentially greater impact, and if we wait for more “research” our actions will be our demise.

According to David Willett, the press secretary for the Sierra Club, “Our main concern with Sarah Palin’s positions are that they are based on what is best for the oil industry, and not what is best for Americans.”

Palin has bashed the idea for strengthening protections for beluga whales and sued the

federal government in response to the Department of the Interior listing the polar bear as a threatened species. It is counterproductive to the aims of the oil industry for these listings and protections; it makes the habitats of these animals offlimits to exploitation.

If the 19-million-acre ANWR in the northeastern region of Alaska is opened for drilling, we can all kiss the bears, especially the polar bears, and the sandhill cranes, gray wolves and herds of caribou that live in the region goodbye. It is said by many that the reserve is “one of the last places on earth when a human being can kneel down and drink from a world stream without being poisoned or polluted.”

John McCain even stated that we set aside this land and called it a refuge for a reason. This is a refuge for the animals who depend on the environment. It is a refuge; it should only be disturbed when all options are completely out the window for refueling our addiction to oil. We are looking into and researching alternative fuels to get off our addiction. The reserve in Alaska – ANWR – does not have to be touched, ever.

Not all the news about Sarah Palin is dour. She has done some good work in Alaska in terms of improving sewer systems and roads while cutting property taxes by about 40 percent. She supports the Alaska National Guard, even traveling to Kuwait and Germany to visit with its members. She holds high approval ratings as governor. However, if you are not an advocate of saving the environment and lessening the carbon footprint of humans, my approval rating for you is null and void.

So, McCain has chosen a VP, one in my eyes, unworthy of helping lead America forward in terms of turning around the current environmental issues set upon by us and breaking our oil addiction. If McCain is elected, I hope pressure from the oil industries and the standards on which the VP stands does not sway his beliefs on environmental issues.

Brandon Drescher is a staff writer for The Student Printz. Comments can be sent to printz@usm.edu

Page 5|Opinion

www.studentprintz.com | Thursday, September 11, 2008

Obama book misleads readers A look at the New York Times bestseller list contains an interesting entry this Evan Jones week: The O b a m a Printz Writer Nation by Jerome R. Corsi, who apparently also authored the anti-Kerry swift boat veterans book of 2004.

A few thoughts entered my head upon seeing this book, the first being that fans of underhanded political smear tactics also find puns funny, and the second being that it’s curious that the dust cover billed the book as something along the lines of “from the author of the swift boat veteran book.” This is curious to me, because the book is being promoted on the basis that it was written by the author of another political hack-job.

This struck me as somewhat akin to making a movie poster for

World-War II with the tag line “From the people that brought you World War I.” The fact that literary kneecapping like Corsi’s has become a marketable commodity is proof-positive that the level of the political discourse in this country is at an all time low.

The attacks of such books are at least familiar in that they occur within the confines of traditional media. Obama has found his situation to be particularly unique in the fact that most of his attacks come from none of the usual sources, but rather through a murky array of forwarded emails that allege everything from being sworn into the senate on a Koran, to Obama not being born in the United States.

It would seem that people would be skeptical of getting information on presidential candidates from the same place as requests to transfer money out of royal Nigerian bank accounts, but this is a post-Karl Rove, post-

Fox News America, and politics are a dirtier game than ever.

I can only assume that McCain supporters will be quick to classify this as the work of just another Obama apologist, but they have been too focused on the finishing touches of the beehive portions of their Sarah Palin murals and are missing the point.

The point is, regardless of party or ideology, we as members owe too much to the sanctity of our democracy to give any credence to such dirty politics and trickery.

Feel free to agree or disagree with Sen. Obama because of anything he has said, written or worked to make into law, but the next time one of your friends you watch Grey’s Anatomy with sends you an email saying something about the democratic nominee being a secret Muslim, do your democracy a favor and mark it as junk.

Evan Jones is a staff writer for The Student Printz. Comments can be sent to printz@usm.edu

Proper care essential for pet safety Haskel Burns Printz Writer

I want to address something today that has been bothering me for a long time – the issue of animal care. There are some people out there, however, who have no reason to own a pet simply because they don’t know how or don’t care enough to take care of it properly.

I’m not necessarily talking about physical abuse; it’s just that a lot of people who take in animals don’t really know what they’re getting into. A pet is just like a child in the sense that it needs attention, proper medical care and a nice, stable environment. People seem to think that they can get dogs, cats, fish or any other animal, and the pet will just take care of itself.

The biggest problem I’ve seen lately is dogs running loose. I live in a very small neighborhood in Oak Grove, and every day on the

way to work or school, I have to stop to let dogs cross the road.

I understand that dogs need room to run around and play, but these people leave their dogs out day and night. Even big dogs can have fenced-in yards. I was jogging around the neighborhood a few nights ago and one actually ran up to me and bit me. It didn’t bite me hard enough to draw blood, but believe me, it still hurt.

Outside cats can be another problem. I wasn’t aware of this until a few years ago, but cats can carry a fatal disease known as Feline Leukemia (or FIV). People can’t get it, but it is very easily transmitted between cats just from contact with each other. There is no cure for the disease, but there is a vaccine that can prevent your cat from getting it. The problem is that people don’t vaccinate their cats and just throw them outside.

Once a cat contracts the disease,

it will eventually die; FIV affects cats in the same way that AIDS affects humans.

I do believe that animals should be allowed to go outside, but only under supervision. There are simply too many things that can happen to your pet if you leave it outside 24-7. I know people who have had family pets for years, only to have them come up missing because someone stole them or some careless person ran over them on the road.

If you make the decision to bring an animal into your life, be prepared to take full care of it.

There’s a reason that cats and dogs are domesticated animals. Don’t just throw them outside and expect them to fend for themselves.

This is a column of opinion written by Printz Opinions Staff Writer Haskel Burns. Comments can be sent to printz@usm.edu

Help Southern Miss go green by recycling this when you’re done!

Entertainment Welcome Back brings local acts to Saenger

Page 6

entertainment@studentprintz.com www.studentprintz.com

Eric Nagurney

Entertainment Editor

Downtown’s Saenger Theater is holding a Welcome Back Hattiesburg event featuring local bands Dark Knights of Camelot and Chance Fisher Saturday.

This event will be the first time the Saenger has hosted local bands. If the concert is successful, it will not be the last. “We would like to see Welcome Back Hattiesburg become an annual event,” said Saenger front of house manager Rosie Ricks.

The Saenger has been a part of downtown Hattiesburg for almost 80 years. While the building is mostly known for its theater performances, an effort is being made to change that image. “We want to expose the college crowd to the Saenger,” said Ricks. “We’re hoping that by hosting this type of event, we

can show them it’s not just for classical shows, choirs, or musical theater.”

Though the show is decidedly more modern than most at the Saenger, the theater’s history is

Welcome back hattiesburg

Who: DKOC and Chance Fisher Where: Saenger Theater When: 8 p.m.

Price: $5 advance, $7 door

still a factor. “It’s an honor to play the Saenger, a historical site located in the bowels of western musical civilization,” said Dark Knights bassist Harry Crumpler.

Though both Dark Knights of Camelot and Chance Fisher are regular fixtures of the Hattiesburg live music scene, one can expect this show to be different.

“A place like the Saenger with professional lighting and sound

gives us a chance to expand what Chance Fisher and Dark Knights do,” said Chance Fisher bassist Sam Adcock. “The excitement is bigger and when the excitement is bigger, we’re more excited and the show’s better.”

Dark Knights of Camelot are hoping to use this event as a chance to spring some surprises on the Hattiesburg audience. “We’re looking to take a superhuman batch of material and drop it on an audience right off the bat,” said Dark Knights vocalist/guitarist Ben Shea.

“There’s a nice little twist at the set’s end. It’ll be like the end of Star Wars when you find out Darth is Luke’s Dad.” In addition, Crumpler says to expect a surprise guest.

Tickets can be purchased at TBone Records or online at www. hattiesburgsaenger.com.

Tickets are $5 if purchased in advance, and $7 at the door.

Submitted Photo

The Dark Knights of Camelot perform at Java Werks in Hattiesburg. They will be performing Saturday for “Welcome back Hattiesburg” along with Chance Fisher at the Saenger Theater. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door.

Stand Ins a worthy followup Eric Nagurney

Entertainment Editor

I’ve decided that Okkervil River’s greatest asset is reliability.

Considering the band’s willingness to delve into the ugly side of emotions and penchant for songs seemingly collapsing in on themselves, it’s a weird fit. Yet it’s an equally apt one, as the band’s string of consistently excellent releases prove.

The group’s latest record, The Stand Ins, follows this trend of reliability to a tee.

Originally conceived as the second disc of last year’s The Stage Names, it’s not surprising that the majority of The Stand Ins isn’t quite as striking as that album. Fortunately, it’s equally impressive that the songs contained within never feel like mere B-sides either. This is made instantly obvious by “Lost Coastlines,” the record’s opening

track after a short instrumental intro. A duet with Shearwater frontman Jonathan Meiburg, the song is possibly the happiest, breeziest tune in a catalog dealing heavily in documents of tears and heartbreak.

Like past Okkervil River records, The Stand Ins partially revolves around a single lyrical theme, namely the failures of musicianship. Before you accuse principal songwriter Will Sheff of bitterness, it’s worth knowing that the record’s most lyrically barbed songs are also its most jubilant. “Pop Lie” and “Singer Songwriter” are two of the group’s poppiest, bounciest numbers.

Strangely enough, the record’s most downtrodden and uplifting moments reside simultaneously in lengthily-titled closer “Bruce Wayne Campbell Interviewed on the Roof of the Chelsea Hotel, 1979.” The song’s titular subject is the real name of Jobriath, a singer

preened to become the American equivalent David Bowie. Campbell’s career ended up an enormous failure and the singer died of AIDs in 1983. The song itself begins much as it’s title would suggest: it’s basically a dirge, a perfect representation of a man’s life sandwiched in between failure and death, but ends with jubilant horns as Sheff sings.

Despite the album’s representations of spectacular failures, the actual failures contained in The Stand Ins are decidedly unspectacular.

Songs like “Blue Tulip” and “Calling and Not Calling My Ex” have been done better by Sheff and Co. in the past.

Possessing neither the pitchblack elegance of 2005’s Black Sheep Boy or the ramshackle power of last year’s The Stage Names, The Stand Ins awkwardly finds itself somewhere in between. It’s a fine work by Okkervil River, it’s just not their finest.

www.studentprintz.com | Thursday, September 11, 2008

Page 7|Sports

Men’s golf finishes fourth in tournament Special to the Printz The Southern Miss men’s golf team earned a fourth-place finish at the season-opening Aldila Intercollegiate, finishing ten-under par. The tournament was co-hosted by UT-Chattanooga and Middle Tennessee State and was played at the Council Fire Golf Club.

The Golden Eagles had three golfers finish the tournament under par. Redshirt junior Paul Apyan led Southern Miss with a six-under par 210 after closing the tournament with rounds of 70-72 to tie for 10thplace. Junior Wes Carter tied for 20th-place after finishing 73-70 for 213 strokes. Senior Rocky Cleland finished the last two rounds 70-72 to finish tied for 25th with 214 strokes.

Redshirt freshman Freddie Janneck shot 72 and 70 in the final rounds to finish in a tie for 37th-place, and sophomore Derek Plucienski closed in 86th-place after finishing the tournament with 233 strokes (77-81).

Southeastern Louisiana’s Matthew Carvell shot a tournament record 18-under 198

to win the individual championship. Wichita State’s Dustin Garza, Western Carolina’s Andres Cuenca and Ben Rickett of UT-Chattanooga tied for second-place with 205 strokes.

Co-host UT-Chattanooga won the team competition with a 45-under 819. Augusta State took second-place with a 31under par 833. Augusta State earned third-place after shooting a 13-under 851. In fourthplace was Southern Miss with a ten-under 854. North Florida tied for fifth with co-host Middle Tennessee State with 855 strokes.

Oklahoma (860) finished in seventh. Southeastern Louisiana and Western Carolina tied for eighth with a oneover par 865 and Jacksonville State closed in tenth with 870 strokes.

Francis Marion finished in 11th-place with 871 strokes, followed by Furman and Mercer (873), Florida Gulf Coast (876), Louisiana Tech (878) and South Florida (889).

Southern Miss returns to play in two weeks when they travel to Newport, R.I, for the Adams Cup, September 22-23.

Sports Schedule Friday, September 12 • 4 p.m. – Women’s Soccer at Southeastern Louisiana • 6 p.m. – Women’s Volleyball vs. Texas A&M in San Diego, CA Saturday, September 13 • Noon – Women’s Volleyball at San Diego • 6 p.m. – Football at Arkansas St. • 7 p.m. – Women’s Volleyball vs. Cal State Fullerton in San Diego, CA

• 7 p.m. – Women’s Cross Country at Memphis Twilight Invitational Sunday, September 14 • 2 p.m. – Women’s Soccer vs. Louisiana Lafayette • All Day – Women’s Golf at Cincinnati Fall Invitational, Cincinnati, OH Monday, September 15 • All Day – Women’s Golf at Cincinnati Fall Invitational, Cincinnati, OH

Help Southern Miss go green by recycling this when youʼre done!

Sports

Page 8 sports@studentprintz.com www.studentprintz.com/sports

Volleyball team continues 7-0 winning streak Tyler Cleveland Sports Editor

Courtesy of Media Relations

Stevi Cherry, a senior outside hitter from Tampa, Fla., attacks the ball during a pre-season scrimmage. Cherry has a record of 68 kills.

The Lady Eagle volleyball team extended their undefeated season to 7-0 Tuesday night at Reed Green Coliseum by defeating visiting Southeastern Louisiana 3-0.

The Eagles won game one and two 25-22, and game three 2523.

Seniors Ashley Petrinec and Stevi Cherry lead the Eagles, as they have in each match, with 22 total kills and 21 digs.

“We’re playing well right now and the girls have a lot of confidence,” Southern Miss head coach Ricci Luyties said. “Obviously we’re going to get our big test this weekend with the ranked teams that we are going to play in San Diego. Right now though, we’re feeling good about ourselves but we know we have a long way to go.”

The biggest reason the Eagles are off to a great start are the play’s of it’s too seniors, Cherry and Petrinec.

Cherry and Petrinec have recorded 68 and 57 kills, respectively, and both garnered AllTournament honors for their play in the McNeese State Invitational Tournament in Lake Charles last week.

“It’s been really fun,” Cherry said after Tuesday’s win. “We have the best team that I’ve seen since I’ve been here for sure. We all work really well together. We have great setters here that know

how to run all types of plays and our passing has stepped up. All around, everyone is doing something special.”

Petrinec, a Bloomington, Ill. native, said she’s been impressed with the way the team has clicked as a group.

“It’s going really well, I think all the girls respect us,” Petrinec said. “In the past we’ve had a lot of seniors so it’s been hard for one or two leaders to emerge, and I think Stevi and I work really well together and the girls really follow us, we mesh well together. We’ve gelled quickly and worked together, and that’s always been an issue for us.”

The seniors have played great, but that’s not to take away from the younger players who have stepped up.

Junior Angela Hlavaty has recorded 51 kills, and freshmen Lauren Sears and Sarah Jane Bowden have contributed 43 and 42 kills, respectively.

“They’re doing a great job, over half of our starting lineup is freshmen, so it’s been great to see them grow as players,” Petrinec said. “The older girls have been great too. We’ve had issues in the past with older versus younger, but this year they’ve stepped up and we’ve had great chemistry. It helps us to have 14 players who can pull their weight because it helps us in practice to keep the starters challenged.”

The Golden Eagles may be off to their best start in years, but Luyties delayed a coronation of

his team pending their first big test – the San Diego Invitational Tournament.

“The past few year’s we’ve started out losing a few of our first matches, we usually play some pretty tough teams early,” Luyties said. “We’ve beaten some teams that we should have beat, and we’ve suprised some teams that we weren’t favored to beat, but I don’t think we want to get too far ahead of ourselves in thinking that we’re all that great right now.”

“I expect to see a lot of big girls out there, girls that jump real high and hit the ball hard. It will be a bit of an eye-opener for the girls as to what the top teams are and what that level is.”

According to Petrinec, the Golden Eagles are heading to California looking for more than a good showing.

“We have the confidence level that we need going in, and I think we can suprise some teams,” Petrinec said. “We’re going to be that team that everyone thinks they can roll right over.”

Southern Miss will open tournament play against Texas A&M on Friday, followed by a match against the host, 20th-ranked San Diego on Saturday. The tournament will conclude with the Eagles facing Cal-State Fullerton.

“Can we play with them? I think we can stay in the games and might have a chance. The girls have to believe that too though.”

Eagles set to take on Red Wolves this Saturday Tyler Cleveland Sports Editor

the Football Championship Subdivision, let’s throw that game out and take a look at the Texas A&M game to break down the Red Wolves.

In Mark Sherman’s debut as the new head Aggie, Texas A&M allowed 415 yards of offense, including 255 yards rushing. Looking at the playcalling numbers, it’s obvious what head coach Steve Roberts wants to do: Run the football. And he has just the guys to do it.

Junior tailback Reggie Arnold is a bowling ball of a runner at 5-foot-9 and 220 lbs.,

boundary, and a lot of movement, those kinds of things, at least they have in the past.”

Stopping the Red Wolves’ ground game will be one of the two keys to victory. The other will be taking care of the football.

Looking at the football schedule a month ago, most would have circled this weekend’s matchup with Sun Belt foe Arkansas State as an easy win for Southern Miss, but apUSM @ ARKansas State parently there is more to the Red Wolves than meets the USM (1-1) at Arkansas State (2-0) eye.

Kickoff: 6 p.m.

Arkansas State traveled to Venue: Jonesboro, Ark. Texas A&M in week one and ASU Stadium (18,709 capacity) were able to defeat the Aggies, totaling 415 yards of offense and walked away with an 1814 victory.

Then last week, the Red Wolves hosted 1-AA TexI have started looking at them, and I am going to as Southern, and tell you, they are a really good football team... This rushed for a ridicuwill be a very, very tough game for us lous 441 yards and pounded them mer-Head Coach Larry Fedora cilessly 83-10.

Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora isn’t taking any chances in but has had an extra step on deThrough two games, the overlooking the Red Wolves, fenders. In just two games, he Eagles have forced eight turnstressing how tough he thought has broken out for runs of 24, overs. That’s a great number the game would be at his Mon- 31 and 56 yards and averages and will set a school record day press conference.

9.2 yards-per-carry. Arnold’s for a season if they can keep it “I have started looking at clone, freshman tailback Der- up, and the Eagles will need to them, and I am going to tell ek Lawson, is 5-11 and 210 if they want to beat Arkansas you, they are a really good lbs. and averages 9.9 yards a State. When given the opporfootball team,” Fedora said. carry through two games. Both tunity, the Red Wolves have “This will be a very, very runners are on pace to hit the capitalized on opponents’ tough game for us; they went 1,500-yard mark for the sea- turnovers, and in two games, down to Texas A&M and upset son, and are the main reason their turnover total is ASU opthe Aggies at their home field that Arkansas State is 2-0 for ponents 9, Red Wolves 2. which is a pretty big thing to the first time since 1986.

The good news for the Eado. Texas Southern team came But the Red Wolf ground at- gles is that they made it out in and they just dismantled tack doesn’t stop there. Quar- of Auburn almost completethem the way you expected terback Corey Leonard is a ly healthy. Offensive tackle them to do it. dual-threat quarterback that Calvin Wilson was the only “They have recruited well, has rushed for 107 yards and player to leave the game with they have recruited to their of- thrown for 389 yards in the an injury, and Monday coach fense and defense, and their first two games. Those num- Fedora said he is not worried kids understand the packages, bers are deceiving because about the injury. it’s not like they are learning Leonard didn’t play much af“He got dinged up, the guys something new. So I think ter the Red Wolves took their knee hit him in the helmet, he they are very comfortable with 52-3 lead into halftime against didn’t do much yesterday, and it, their quarterback can run Texas Southern, and they real- today the trainers will take a the ball and he can throw it. ly didn’t need to put the ball in look at him and let me know He executes very well, I don’t the air in that game anyway. something before practice,” know if this is his second, Southern Miss head coach Fedora said. “ I don’t think it third year to start, somewhere Larry Fedora says he expects is anything serious. We really in that area, he has got some ASU to run the ball, but also came out of it pretty healthy, experience. They are playing mix things up. other than some bumps and very well as a team right now; “They are a spread offense bruises.” they have got a lot confidence. that works a lot out of the gun, The Eagles and Red Wolves It will be a very tough game they also do a lot of different will kick off at 6 p.m. Saturfor us.” things formation wise,” Fedo- day and can be heard locally Because Texas Southern was ra said. “They do some unbal- on Rock 104 (104.5 FM). so over-matched, being from anced and formations into the

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Courtesy of King Photography

Shawn Nelson is coming off a career game against the Auburn Tigers. Nelson finished with 12 catches for 118 yards including two touchdowns.

Nelson ready to step up game Tyler Cleveland Sports Editor

Coming off of a career game against Auburn, Southern Miss tight end Shawn Nelson is ready for more.

The senior caught 12 catches for 118 yards, including two for touchdowns, and is well on his way to reaching his own goals.

“After the game against Auburn, my confidence was sky-high,” Nelson said. “I always believed in myself and I always knew I could make those plays. It also plays a big part in my life, and as a player out on the football field. It was good to see myself go out there and make those plays and get my confidence back up, and let myself know that I can go out there and make those plays.”

Nelson said at the beginning of the season that he would be happy with nothing less than 1,000 yards receiving for the season, and through two games he has 15 catches for 153 yards. At his current pace, he will have 918 yards, not counting a possible bowl game.

“I really believe I set a high standard for myself, anybody can come out here any given Saturday and have a good game, but the main key is to be consistent with that, game after game, practice after practice, day after day, week after week, and perform like that,” Nelson said. “ I don’t know if I will get twelve balls again in a game but I know it will be many and I know when they throw the ball to me I am going to try my best to catch it and do the best I can with it.

Opportunities like that don’t

come often so you want to take advantage of it.”

N e l s o n said that with Fedora’s new offense he expects Shawn Nelson Austin Davis to throw the ball his way often even though he lines up at tight end.

“It’s not that we see you as a receiver or we see you as a tight end,” Nelson said. “It’s more on this is what we expect you to do, we expect you to make plays, this is how we are going to use you.’ I sat down with Coach Fedora when he got here, the Friday before I took my name out of the NFL draft, and looked at how Carolina and Oklahoma State used their tight ends, and I bought into it, felt like I fit well with the offense.”