The
S TUDENT P RINTZ www.studentprintz.com
SERVING SOUTHERN MISS SINCE 1927
February 28, 2012
Volume 96 Issue 41
LOCAL
Robbery suspect roams campus Tyler Hill Printz Writer On Monday evening, Hattiesburg police were still searching for a suspect who robbed a bank near campus earlier that morning. Police said Hancock Bank at 33rd Avenue and Hardy Street reported the robbery at 10:59 a.m. Monday. According to a Hattiesburg police spokesman, tips were sent in throughout the day, but no arrests were made.
Southern Miss students received Eagle Alerts after the robbery, the first being around 11:30 a.m. describing the suspect as a white male with blond hair wearing a green-grey jacket and ball cap. About three minutes later, the second Eagle Alert was sent to students stating the suspect was spotted near the Liberal Arts Building on campus. A third Eagle Alert was sent around 12:20 p.m., changing the description of the suspect to a man in his mid 20s with brown
hair and a goatee who was wearing a brown jacket, blue jeans and a blue striped polo shirt. According to the University Police Department, the suspect was seen on North 31st Avenue running by the LAB, which was the last time anyone specifically reported seeing him. Hattiesburg police said they don’t believe the suspect was armed, and they disclosed that the suspect received “very little cash, but not a lot” from the robbery. Though the suspect was not
believed to have been armed, police urge people to take extra precaution and immediately notify authorities with any information about the robbery. Hattiesburg police issued a statement regarding future interactions with the suspect. “If you see, or think you see, the suspect, call 911 immediately.” Any information on the suspect can be reported to the Hattiesburg Police Department at 601-544-7900 or the University Police Department at 601-266-4986.
Courtesy of HPD
ON CAMPUS
Students prepare to cycle for hope Justin Mitchell News Editor
This summer, four members of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at the University of Southern Mississippi will participate in Journey of Hope, a cross-country cycling trip that raises money to benefit disability awareness. Journey of Hope is sponsored by Push America, an organization owned and operated by Pi Kappa Phi that primarily focuses on raising awareness about
people with disabilities. Johnathan Faler, Kalen Kenney, Justin Moreira and Robby Smith will represent the Theta Alpha chapter of Pi Kappa Phi when they make the 4,000-mile bike ride from the West Coast to Washington, D.C. They will be assigned to cycle one of three routes: north route, trans route, or south route. Cyclists will depart from Seattle, Wash.; Oakland, Calif. or Pasadena, Calif. in early June and arrive in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 5. “This is the 25th anniversary of Journey of Hope,” Smith, a sopho-
Justin Sellers/Printz
Justin Moreira (left) and Kalen Kenney (right), members of the Theta Alpha chapter of Pi Kappa Phi, raise funds for Journey of Hope.
OSCARS
more marketing major and cycler in the journey, said. “This year, the Theta Alpha chapter of Pi Kappa Phi at Southern Miss has four men participating, a record breaking amount.” Throughout the journey, the cyclists will stop in various cities around the country and participate in friendship visits in which they will interact with disabled community members. “We will wake up every day as soon as the sun comes up,” Faler, a sophomore international business major, said. “At night when we stop, we will conduct a friendship visit where all of us will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with people with disabilities.” The cyclists will participate in many activities during these visits, such as puppet shows, bowling, dances and wheelchair baseball. Kenney, a sophomore international business major, said he is excited about the friendship visits. “We’re trying to break down the barriers,” he said. “It’s not about the cycling, it’s about what you do when you get off the bike.” This year, Journey of Hope is aiming to earn $600,000. Each cyclist must raise $5,500 to partici-
BASKETBALL
OPERA
To donate: Justin Moreira: ipush.convio.net/goto/ridefordisabilities Kalen Kenney: support.pushamerica.org/goto/kalenkenney Johnathan Faler: support.pushamerica.org/goto/ johnathanfaler Robby Smith: @RobbySmith283 on Twitter pate. This means that the four men from Southern Miss must raise $22,000 total before next Thursday. “The point of raising money is so that Push America can distribute grants across the whole nation to every local community where we stop, Moreira, a junior microbiology major, said. “The goal is for the nation to become more handicapped friendly.” All four participants have raised over $12,000 so far but need to raise $10,000 more in a little more than a week. They have created several incentives to raise money, including bussing tables at a church-sponsored fish fry, sending out hand written letters and e-mails and doing interviews for local news and radio stations. Moreira and his band, Waypoint,
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held a CD release party in December 2011, and all proceeds went to his cycling budget. Moreira was also featured on Southern Miss’s branch of hercampus.com as a “campus cutie.” The men also collaborated with sororities on campus to create “Sororities for Hope.” The top two fund-raising chapters that donate to Journey for Hope will be allowed to sticker their Greek letters onto the bikes and helmets of the participants. Faler, Kenney, Moreira and Smith will know which route they will commit to by April 1. “We want Journey of Hope to be more well known,” Moreira said. For those interested in donating, see the shaded box for contact and donation information.
INDEX
Calendar ........................ 2 Sudoku ............................2 News .............................. 3 Arts & Entertainment......4 Feature ...........................5 Opinion ...........................6 Sports...............................8