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Serving Southern Miss since 1927
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Volume 93, Issue 8
Eco Eagle bikes missing after one week Lesley Walters News Editor
Less than a week after the Southern Miss Office of Sustainability launched its free-share Eco Eagle Bike program, most of the 17 bicycles are missing. “We were all expecting this,” said Larry Lee, chief sustainability officer, “we just weren’t expecting it in a week.” The bicycles were purchased from Moore Bikes for about $300 each, including maintenance fees. James Moore, the owner of that establishment, came to the USM campus Friday to address the issue that many gear chains on the bicycles were loose and needed repair. Lee said that as he and Moore began tracking down the EcoEagle Bikes for maintenance, he realized most of the bicycles were missing. Lee said Moore and University Police Chief Bob Hopkins are helping the Office of Sustainability relocate the EcoEagle Bikes. He added that some have been found close to downtown Hattiesburg, while several have been spotted around local apartment complexes. “I can’t lie and tell you that I’m not disappointed,” Lee said. He added that the sign attached to the EcoEagle Bikes clearly explained that they should not be removed from the USM campus. “We didn’t expect it to happen so quickly - or people to blatantly disregard the rules of the program.” Lee said that the Office of Sustainability, with the help of Moore and Hopkins, will collect
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I am ecstatic that it’s going on. But I am furious that people are taking bikes ... It’s a shame that right we can’t institute a free bike program; I hope that sometime in the future, we’ll be mature enough as a community to do that.
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-Matthew Stephen Planchard, Biology major
as many bicycles as possible and the committee will regroup to decide the fate of the program. Lee added that “everybody is dedicated to having a bike program,” but he does not know how it will end up. “The people who really wanted the program are going to be disappointed,” Lee said. Lee said the unfortunate outcome of the first phase of the bike program, a free-share honor system, might force the second phase, in which students can “check-out” a bicycle from the Office of Sustainability for the rest of the semester. Bike chains with locks will be distributed with each EcoEagle Bike, if that is the case, Lee said. Students who know the location of a missing EcoEagle Bike should send an e-mail to green@ usm.edu, Lee said, so that the bicycle can be picked up and held in case the leasing phase of the bike program does eventually launch. Dustin Boone, a senior microbiology major from Laurel, said he never had the chance to make use of the EcoEagle Bikes, though would have liked to. “I think it’s ridiculous,” Boone said. “I mean, with everything Dr. Saunders is doing to try to get us to go green ... I can’t believe that people would take ad-
vantage of something that’s being given to them.” Matthew Stephen Planchard, a sophomore environmental biology major, said he sent an email to Lee during the summer about the bike-share program in Toronto, Canada, because he “though it would be really awesome to get a program like that on campus.” “I am ecstatic that it’s going on,” Planchard said, “but I am furious that people are taking bikes ... It’s a shame that right we can’t institute a free bike program; I hope that sometime in the future, we’ll be mature enough as a community to do that.” Matthew Stephen Planchard, a sophomore environmental biology major, said he sent an email to Lee during the summer about the bike-share program in Toronto, Canada, because he “though it would be really awesome to get a program like that on campus.” “I am ecstatic that it’s going on,” Planchard said, “but I am furious that people are taking bikes ... It’s a shame that right we can’t institute a free bike program; I hope that sometime in the future, we’ll be mature enough as a community to do that.”
Photo Illustration by Bradley Jackson
Wright recalls memories of father, discusses his work Samantha Gholar Printz Writer
Bryant Hawkins/Printz
Julia Wright, daughter of novelist Richard Wright, visits the university Sunday as apart of an international tour celebrating her late father’s 100th birthday. Wright spoke about her father’s struggles as an African-American, and how they are reflected in his works.
A crowded group of students, faculty, and community members sat and listened to Julia Wright Sunday night as she spoke to the campus about her father’s legacy and 100th birthday. Author Richard Wright, of Roxie, was the son of former slaves and grew up in part of this country’s most oppressive and difficult era. After living the south in his early teen years, Wright bounced around from city to city eventually landing in Chicago. An avid reader and writer, Wright was never formally educated, however he became one of the most educated literary authors of his time. Wright’s most notable work Native Son, was published shortly after the birth of his first daughter, Julia. His novel was a best seller and highly praised by most, how-
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Today’s youth should focus on positive methods of responding to issues and focus more on educating themselves as young men now, just as Richard Wright did, rather than waiting -Sherita Johnson, English professor until they’re older
ever it left Wright with an uneasy feeling for his and his family’s safety, which drove him to flee to Paris, France. There he raised his daughters and continued to write, never returning to the United States. Julia Wright addressed the crowd with a short account of a speech she had written for the former evacuees of Hurricane Gustav in Jackson. “The hurricanes that ravaged the Gulf Coast and the city of New Orleans and the tsunamis of the Pacific, are nature’s way of showing us that it is not happy. We are not living right,” she said. Wright recalled many vivid
memories of her early years in Paris with her father saying “he was always smiling” and stated that her father would compare this society as a repeated pattern of previous ones. She also addressed the issue of her father not returning to the United States before his death. “My father had his eye on the third world at the time of his death and Africa. Had he lived another decade or so, I do believe that he would have been there,” she said. Wright then posed the question she believed that her father would be asking Americans today: “Will the U.S. allow itself to become one of these third world countries?”
Campus groups rock the vote Meryl Dakin Printz Writer
The College Democrats and College Republicans of Southern Miss are working together this fall to encourage student-voter participation in the election in November. College Democrats staff advisor, Melissa Carpenter, says students are working hard to campaign and involve others in the election process. The group is working hand-in-hand with the College Republicans to encourage student voter participation, she said. This harmonious relationship has resulted in an array of activities for the weeks leading up to Election Day November 4. Carpenter said that during the Col-
lege Democrats meeting Wednesday, Senatorial candidate Erik Fleming (D) will speak at 3:30 p.m. in the TCC Room 228. College Republicans President Emily Hoxie said her group will hold a voter-registration drive on Monday at the fountain in Shoemaker Square from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The two groups will hold a party September 26 at the Power House – free food included – to watch the Presidential Debate being held at Ole Miss, Hoxie said. In October, the two groups will host their own debate on the big issues this year, she added. “We try to do everything with the College Democrats so we don’t force people to vote for one candidate over the other,” Hoxie said. “We’re not
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telling people who to vote for, we’re just trying to encourage people to vote and know the issues.” Sophomore Cassie Carreras, pharmaceutical sales major, agreed with Hoxie’s point. “Regardless of political position, I think it’s important to be involved with elections,” Carreras said. “I’d much rather people vote for a candidate I dislike than not vote at all.” College Democrats meet every Monday at 2:00 p.m. and every Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center Room 228. College Republicans meet every Thursday at 6:00 p.m. in Union Room B. All students are encouraged to join the groups’ respective facebook groups and attend a meeting or activity.
Sherita Johnson, a English professor, specializes in AfricanAmerican literature and the works of Richard Wright. “I had been following Miss Wright since the centennial celebration began back in August. I approached her about coming to speak at Southern Miss. At the time she was dealing with a few health issues, but after she was cleared by a doctor a couple weeks later she happily accepted my offer,” Johnson said. Johnson and her students had and intimate dinner with Wright before the forum Sunday night. Allysha Patrick, senior English major from Clinton, said she was blown away by Wright’s enthusiasm and kindheartedness. “She was so different from what I expected. She is very passionate and open to everyone; she has such a beautiful spirit. It was an amazing experience meeting her,” Patrick said. Felisha Simmons-Fields, an
English major from Natchez, also had a good night with Wright. “She was so warm and friendly and she speaks so highly of her father’s life and his work. She represents her father’s legacy in a very positive and uplifting light,” Fields said. Johnson said that Wright’s testimonies about her father’s life and the purpose behind his work are very important for students, especially black men, to know and understand. It’s so important because Wright’s responses to the society and the things around him as a youth were so inspirational. Wright responded with literacy when he was living in an illiterate world,” Johnson said. “Today’s youth should focus on positive methods of responding to issues and focus more on educating themselves as young men now, just as Richard Wright did, rather than waiting until they’re older.”
Stuff your face for a cause
Maggie Sanford/Printz
Marc Smith (right), a senior politcal science major for New Orleans, La., and Tim Janeway (left), a junior computer networking major from Las Vegas, Nev., battle it out during Sigma Nu’s first annual doughnut eating contest Monday. The contest was for a charity which contributes to the Dubard School of Launguage Disorders. To see a video of the contest, visit studentprintz.com/multimedia.