2012_03_19

The

S TUDENT P RINTZ www.studentprintz.com

SERVING SOUTHERN MISS SINCE 1927

March 20, 2012

BASKETBALL

Wildcats end Golden Eagles’ NCAA dreams Kyle Smith Printz Writer The Southern Miss men’s basketball team’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1991 was ended by the Kansas State Wildcats on Thursday in Pittsburgh, Penn.

Kansas State (22-10), which has won its opening game in its last three tournaments, used 50% shooting to take down the Golden Eagles, which shot just 36.7% on the day.

“That happens,” Southern Miss forward Darnell Dodson said.

“You make shots, you miss shots.

We had a cold spell over a long run. We went through some troubles on both sides of the ball.”

In the first half, both teams struggled to find points. Rod-

ney McGruder led Kansas State in the first half with 18 of his 30 points. Southern Miss got off to a rocky start, shooting only 10 for 30 and scoring only 27 points in the first half.

In the second half, Southern Miss got off to a quick start by taking a 45-40 lead when Dodson hit a 3 pointer. From there, however, Kansas State went on an 18-6 run and made the Eagles play catch up the rest of the game.

While the Eagles did come within three points after Dodson made a steal off an inbounds play and followed with a dunk, they could not capitalize on any opportunities to go ahead. Southern Miss missed another opportunity to make up the difference when Maurice Bolden missed four consecutive free throws with the game tied. Kansas State

took over from there and never let go of the lead.

Kansas State was led the entire game by freshman point guard Angel Rodriguez, who helped seal the deal for the Wildcats with a clutch reverse lay-up in the final minutes. Rodriguez also hit three free throws down the stretch to extend the Wildcats’ lead. Kansas State’s Jordan Henriquez dominated in the post by adding 15 points, nine rebounds, and six blocks. McGruder was the leading scorer for the Wildcats with 30 points.

Southern Miss was led by point guard Neil Watson with 16 points and three assists. LaShay Page added 15 points, and Dodson added 14 points, four steals, and 10 rebounds for the Eagles.

See NCAA, 3

Volume 96 Issue 45

NATIONAL

Chant puts pep band in spotlight Ashton Pittman Web Editor News that the Southern Miss men’s basketball team had lost to Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament Thursday was overshadowed by racially charged taunts from the pep band.

“Where’s your green card?” members of the USM band chanted at Kansas State freshman point guard Angel Rodriguez, who is Puerto Rican and therefore a U.S. citizen.

USM interim athletic director Jeff Hammond told the Hattiesburg American that the band director stopped the chants.

USM President Martha Saunders issued a statement immediately.

“We deeply regret the remarks made by a few students at today’s game,” Saunders said. “The words of these individuals do not represent the sentiments of our pep

band, athletic department or university. We apologize to Mr. Rodriguez and will take quick and appropriate disciplinary action against the students involved in this isolated incident.”

Hammond met Kansas State athletic director John Currie Thursday to discuss the incident.

“I want to reach out to Conference USA and anyone else who is impacted by this and take full responsibility,” Hammond told the Hattiesburg American. “This does not represent the state or university. This is not acceptable.”

Andy Bearden, a vocal music major at USM, felt the same.

“I am deeply appalled that the university that I love has been so misrepresented by just a few individuals,” Bearden said. “I just want to say that, as a student of Southern Miss, this is not representative of the university as a whole. USM is a very diverse and accepting university.”

US PRESSWIRE

US PRESSWIRE

Southern Miss Golden Eagles guard Neil Watson (5) shoots in the second round of the 2012 NCAA men’s basketball tournament against the Kansas State Wildcats at the CONSOL Energy Center.

IRISH-ITALIAN FEST

COLLEGE HALL

BASEBALL

Kansas State Wildcats guard Angel Rodriguez (13) in the second round of the 2012 NCAA men’s basketball tournament against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at the CONSOL Energy Center.

WEATHER Tuesday

85/63

Wednesday

84/65 Thursday

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INDEX Calendar ........................ 2 Sudoku ............................2 News .............................. 3 Feature ...........................5 Opinion ...........................6 Sports...............................7

Calendar

Page 2, Student Printz

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Student Printz

Serving Southern Miss since 1927

Mark Your Planner 20 21 22 23 24

Executive Editor Mary Margaret Halford mary.halford@eagles.usm.edu

10 a.m.

Triple Play Money Drop TCC Lobby

10 a.m.

Triple Play Money Drop TCC Lobby

10 a.m.

Triple Play Money Drop TCC Lobby

10:30 a.m.

SGA Philanthropy Commission: Who Wants To Be A Hero?

Union Lobby

10 a.m.

Her Campus Southern Miss Informational Booth TCC Lobby

10 a.m.

Her Campus Southern Miss Informational Booth TCC Lobby

11 a.m.

L’Association Française Bake Sale Library Plaza

11 a.m.

SMCCC Relay for Life Fundraiser Union Lobby

11 a.m.

CSA Information Table Shoemaker Square

11 a.m.

TOMS Shoe Drive/Bake Sale Shoemaker Square

The

601.266.6431

Managing Editor Hannah Jones hannah.jones@eagles.usm.edu Art Director Justin Sellers justin.sellers@eagles.usm.edu Copy Editor Stormy Speaks stormy.speaks@eagles.usm.edu News Editor Justin Mitchell justin.mitchell@eagles.usm.edu Sports Editor Josh Seabrook joshua.seabrook@eagles.usm.edu Design Editor Lisa Gurley lisa.gurley@eagles.usm.edu Webmaster Chris Greene chris.greene@eagles.usm.edu Web Editor Ashton Pittman ashton.pittman@eagles.usm.edu News Content Adviser Chuck Cook 601.266.4288 chuck.cook@usm.edu Designers Taylor Fesenmeier Taylor Henry Ad Graphic Designer Kiza Jordan jennifer.f.jordan@eagles.usm.edu Senior Sales Representative Angel Wells angelique.wells@eagles.usm.edu Advertising Manager Lesley Sanders-Wood 601.266.5188 lesley.sanders@usm.edu Advertising e-mail printzad@usm.edu

Find us online at: www.studentprintz.com The Student Printz is published every Tuesday and Thursday during the fall and spring semesters.

Signature Offset of Hattiesburg provides printing services.

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

11 a.m.

SMCCC March of Dimes Fundraiser Union Lobby 11 a.m.

TOMS Shoe Drive/Bake Sale Shoemaker Square 5 p.m.

Forensic Science Society Meeting IC 207 6:30 p.m.

NPHC Fear Factor JGH 115 7 p.m.

Episcopal Church Fellowship Dinner SA HUB Open Space 1st Floor 8 p.m.

Wesley Refuge Wesley Building

11 a.m.

Call to Action Kony2012 Union Lobby 5:30 p.m.

Maintaining A College Budget Stout Hall B 6 p.m.

Tri Delta Triple Play Payne Center and Intramural Field 6 p.m.

Phi Mu Alpha Interest Meeting LAB 102

11:45 a.m.

Thursday Lunch at Wesley Wesley Building 12 p.m.

Greek Summit Summer Project Info Lunch Union Room A 7 p.m.

Balls of Fury Dodgeball Tournament Payne Center Basketball Court 7 p.m.

Waiting To Exhale: Drug Abuse/Suicide Prevention Union Room B

8 a.m.

SMAC Executive Officer Interviews TCC 227 10:30 a.m.

SGA Philanthropy Commission: Who Wants To Be A Hero?

Union Lobby 11 a.m.

QueDelta Union Lobby 11 a.m.

NPHC Divine Days of Distinction Union Lobby 11 a.m.

Membership Drive/ March of Dimes Awareness TCC Lobby 11 a.m.

TOMS Shoe Drive/Bake Sale Shoemaker Square

Happy Saturday!

News

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Student Printz, Page 3

ON CAMPUS

Greeks hope to make home run Stormy Speaks Copy Editor The women of the Phi Epsilon chapter of Delta Delta Delta sorority at the University of Southern Mississippi will host their 21st annual Triple Play, a cheerleading and softball competition among the fraternities and sororities on campus benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, all this week.

On Monday, Tri Delta partnered with Caliente Grille to host Caliente Give Day, a profit share night benefiting St. Jude, which is Tri Delta’s national adopted philanthropic partner. On Wednesday, the cheerleading competition will be held at the Payne Center at 7 p.m. Greek organizations will perform choreographed routines consisting of cheering, stunts, tumbling and dancing. The softball tournament will begin on the intramural fields at 5 p.m. on Friday and resume at 11 a.m. on Sat-

urday, and the Home Run Derby will be held following the tournament. Each participant pays for a certain amount of pitches, and the Home Run Derby King and Queen will be crowned at the end of the event. A money drop will also be held all week in the Thad Cochran Center. Each fraternity and sorority will have a picture of the chapter’s Most Valuable Player in a jar that will be used to promote competition while collecting loose change for charity. Last year, Phi Mu sorority and Pi Kappa Phi fraternity won the cheerleading competition, and Phi Mu and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity won the softball tournament.

Tri Delta donates all the money raised from the week’s events to St. Jude, which costs $1.7 million to run on a daily basis.

Last year, the sorority raised approximately $12,000 during Tripe Play. This made Tri Delta at Southern Miss the top fundraising chapter of its size in the nation for the past two years.

NCAA, from 1 After the game, coaches from both sides pitched their thoughts on the Eagles. Both agreed that Southern Miss played a good game.

“Hats off to Southern Miss,” Kansas State head coach Frank Martin said. “They’re one of those teams that the more I watched them on film, the more concerned I got because of their experience, their athleticism and their toughness.”

Southern Miss head coach Larry Eustachy also shared his thoughts on the Eagles’ loss.

“It wasn’t a lack of effort,” Eustachy said said. “You know, it really wasn’t. So I’m not disappointed. You cannot fault this team’s heart and this effort.”

The loss eliminated the Golden Eagles from the tournament to end their season with a record of 25-9.

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Junior nursing major and Tri Delta’s philanthropy chair Laney Phillips is hopeful to make this year their third to win the award.

“I think we have some big shoes to fill this year, Phillips said. “It’s such a humbling experience to be able to see that the money we raised goes straight towards that cost.”

This year, Tri Delta will be expanding the tournament by adding more brackets to create more teams, which junior biological sciences major and Tri Delta president Jennifer Drivon hopes will raise more money for St. Jude, in addition to more sponsorships and donations. Drivon said the chapter has been working hard to

bring the issue of childhood illness to light.

“Triple Play is a way for our chapter to get the university and community involved in something that is very special to Tri Delta,” Drivon said. “We’ve all been impacted by or known someone affected by cancer in some way. This is our time to give back and support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the fight against cancer.”

Working to help St. Jude is a mission that is important to many members of Tri Delta, and one member has even been a patient at the hospital.

“It’s an awesome feeling knowing that each dollar we raise or

hour we invest is going to an outstanding cause, whether our money is going towards the power bill, a plane ticket for a family or a lifesaving surgery,” Mary Catherine Barbato, a junior and member of Tri Delta, said. “We not only highlight all the amazing things St. Jude will do for their patients; we also bring the problems these children face to the community as well.”

Triple Play is open to all members of the community, and Drivon encourages people from the Greek Life, Southern Miss and Hattiesburg communities to come out and have a ball while benefiting a good cause.

News

Page 4, Student Printz

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

local

Annual festival lets the Irish out Megan Fink Printz Writer

Fourth Street was alive on the morning of Saint Patrick’s day with the Irish-Italian Festival parade. With a royal court starring Southern Miss campus police chief Bob Hopkins, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church deacon Ralph Torelli and Deanna Favre, this year’s leftover Mardi Gras beads certainly did not go to waste. Marching along with the parade was bagpiper and instructor Matthew Bealle and a few of his students.

“I turned down a four-digit wedding job in New Orleans to come play [today],” Bealle said.

“I come every year.” Bealle used

to march with the Alabama Pipes and Drums group but is working on starting a pipes and drums band in Hattiesburg.

The festivities resumed at 4 p.m. with a Celtic mass. With Irish-inspired music and a few prayers in pastor Father Tommy’s native Gaelic tongue, the mass was able to attract enough people to fill the house to the brim with standing room only.

Two parish members dressed as St. Joseph and St. Patrick took part in the celebration as well as a man dressed as an Italian chef and another as a (rather tall) leprechaun.

After mass, the outdoor festivities began. The mild weather invited nearly six thousand festivalgoers to mill around the grounds.

With everything from Italian meatballs served in an ice cream cone to homemade Vietnamese egg rolls, nobody went hungry. One couldn’t go thirsty, either, with complimentary soft drinks and plenty of adult beverages for sale to the over-21 crowd.

According to Father Tommy, five to six thousand people usually attend the festival.

Melissa McCraw/Printz “We’ve got Jim Flanagan, professor of anthropology and a native of Ballyvourney, Ireland, about four thou- performs Irish songs on stage at the 2012 Irish-Italian Festival. sand [here] so far,” he said at 6 p.m. who could balance a tray bear- the Shamrock Shuffle went home on the day of the festival. “So it ing a pint of beer in one hand with $100 and a trophy cup – looks about as we had planned.” was welcome to try and follow perfect for holding one more pint Plenty was going on to keep the Father Tommy’s golf cart three of Guinness. thousands of attendees busy. times around the parking lot.

“My favorite thing about the The rock wall in the front for Points were given for speed, festival are all the families and the older kids and the games how much Guinness was still in people that come out to enjoy and bounce-houses in the back your glass at the finish line, and themselves,” Father Tommy said. for the young entertained the “style,” event coordinator Gregg “And the fact that this year it’s on whole family, and the live mu- Hess said.

St. Patrick’s day is really neat. It sic kept everyone dancing long “We’ve had people trying to just makes it extra special.” into the night. An art show and grab [the glass] with two hands If you missed out on this silent auction was held in the before,” Hess said. “This year, we year’s celebration, “mark your parish hall, and a trip to Ireland have a few more rules.” calendars for next year,” Father with Father Tommy and his Racers under 21 are welcome Tommy said and take the advice family was raffled off. to join too, but “we’ll fill your printed on the back of the festiAt 7 p.m., the Shamrock glass with something else. Coke, val’s Irish green t-shirts: “Let the Shuffle footrace began. Anyone maybe,” Hess said. The winner of Irish out!”

ON CAMPUS

College Hall gets a makeover Kennytta Bolton Printz Writer Melissa McCraw/Printz

Irish-Italian Festival attendees carefully race their beverages to the finish during Shamrock Shuffle, a race in which contestants must carry beer and run as quickly as possible while losing as little beer as possible.

In 1912, Mississippi Normal College, now known as the University of Southern Mississippi, opened as an academic foundation to 227 students and 17 faculty members. Among the five original buildings built to service the students was College Hall, which still stands on campus today.

College Hall was considered the academic building for Mississippi Normal College and originally contained classrooms, administrative offices, a library and an auditorium.

Currently, a six million dollar renovation of College Hall is underway and will be completed in spring 2013. The new building will house the School of Mass Communication and Journalism. The first floor will hold classrooms and offices; the

second floor will hold offices, classrooms, a digital photo lab and a photo studio and the third floor will hold the Student Media Center, The Student Printz, WUSM, The Agency at Southern

Miss and South City Records.

This year marked the 100th birthday of College Hall, and the new building hopes to see another another hundred years or more of academic success.

Mary Alice Truitt/Printz

A construction zone sign cautions pedestrians about the College Hall renovation site.

Feature

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Student Printz, Page 5

SGA

Holmes elected SGA attorney general Arielle Edwards Printz Writer

Sophomore English major Don Holmes’s campaigning efforts paid off just two weeks ago as he was elected Student Government Association attorney general at the University of Southern Mississippi. This position requires him to lead the judicial board as its chairman and to cast a vote in case of a tie.

“Within the judicial board, our duties will be vested wholeheartedly in the constitution concerning violations and interpretations of the SGA code and constitution,” Holmes said.

The judicial board will work under such terms as to student appeals to disciplinary actions and interim suspensions of students and deal with SGA impeachment proceedings. The board will also handle parking

violations, which Holmes called “the most famous job of the judicial board.”

Holmes said he knew he wanted to seek a position that would ultimately better Southern Miss.

“I sat down and thought really hard about my situation and how I could help better this university by implementing the students firsthand, and that was through the constitution,” Holmes said.

The constitution is the governing factor of the student body here at Southern Miss. Holmes believes that students have not been rightfully recognized by their constitution, and he seeks to bring awareness to an overlooked yet significant part of the student body’s presence here at Southern Miss.

Competition was fierce dur-

the most was that many students probably felt that I was only talking to them to get their votes or to win the election,” Holmes said. “I wanted them to know that I really and deeply wanted to serve.”

Holmes has high hopes for the “beloved golden community” of Southern Miss and hopes to work closely with the other SGA executives, particularly with vice president Allie Solomon and the Senate regarding the constitution. He also aspires to put the entire constituDon Holmes tion on the ballot during the general election ing campaign week, but Holmes next spring. said the overall outcome is what “Many people have expressed mattered most. concern that the constitution was “One of the things I disliked adopted without a proper amount

of students,” Holmes said. “With this I plan on working with election commissioner Jordan West to get voter turnout increased so that students can know what is in their constitution.” Holmes plans to accomplish this by holding meetings with students about the constitution and handing out literature with a section of the constitution on it.

“This will be hard because the students will have to be willing to learn about their constitution, but this is a challenge that I am willing to take,” Holmes said. “This is the challenge I was elected for.

Keeping the students in their constitution is my top concern, as we are always in a constant and endless pursuit of justice.

Applications for SGA judicial board and other SGA positions are currently available on the second floor of the Student Activities Hub and will be available until March 29.

Life

Students balance school and sick parents

frustrating,” Aly said. “I feel very different from other college students.”

On top of going to school full time, Printz Writer volunteering for WUSM as a show Having a bad day? Complaining host on Monday and Tuesday, inabout all the homework you have terning doing PR between Southern to catch up on? Imagine having a Miss and the community, working terminally ill parent on top of that. as a pharmacy technician at Rite Aid University of Southern Missis- and being a member of Phi Mu sosippi senior journalism and public rority and Eagle Ambassadors, Fry is responsible for her mother’s care. relations major Aly “Juggling Fry’s mother was dieverything is agnosed with breast It is difficult, hard,” Fry said. cancer three years stressful, scary and “She needs me ago. Her mother has with her most to undergo chemo- frustrating, I feel very of the time, therapy every week. different from other and when they One would expect aren’t feeling Fry to complain college students. about having to live Aly Fry well enough to work, pay bills, a stressful life, yet run errands or Aly and her mother live with positive and hopeful at- grocery shops it becomes your job titudes. Are you still complaining to do all of these things. Staying in town is important, so things like about that homework?

Having a single parent can be weekend trips and spring breaks tough; having a single parent with at the beach do not happen.”

Fry lives every day of her life cancer may be even tougher. As an only child, Aly is the sole care- with her mother in mind.

“I see her every day to help her, giver for her mother. She moved from Louisiana to Mississippi Fry said. “I can’t put an hour amount when her mother was diagnosed on it…it’s a majority of my life.”

Fry said she would do anything in order to help take care of her.

“My mom actually did chemo for her mother, as she has proved and radiation for two years and by her selfless actions.

“I wish that she could be healed had her left breast removed,” Fry said. She went into remission for of her illness so that she could almost a year, but last Christmas lead a better life,” Fry said. “Howa test showed the cancer had re- ever, I will always be there for my turned and had spread to her liver mom no matter what.”

Mass communication masters and lymph nodes.

“It is difficult, stressful, scary and student Keona Anderson’s mother

Arielle Edwards

“

”

was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. She went into remission in January 2009, but less than a year later, in December 2009, doctors found the cancer had spread to her lungs, so treatment began again. She has been through several research treatments with Anderson by her side.

“One treatment in particular made the lung area better, but it then spread to her liver,” Anderson said. “Just a month ago we were told she now has tumors in her brain. She was hospitalized for two weeks to receive radiation and she went through an intense physical therapy program for two weeks.”

During spring break, Anderson helped her mother by teaching her how to feed herself again, walk and how to remember things.

“Right now she needs care every day, every second,” Anderson said. “Taking care of my mother was just as rewarding as being somewhere on the beach.”

Anderson is striving to receive her master’s degree so that she can make her mother proud.

Along with her course work, she also works part-time at Victoria’s Secret and works 20 hours a week as a graduate assistant.

Anderson said that living with a terminally ill parent is one of the hardest things to go through.

“To see my mother go through this is so hard,” Anderson said.

“I believe that prayer will get her through this, and she has very strong faith in God.”

Unlike Fry, Anderson has help in caring for her mother.

“My father is amazing and cares for my mother when I am not able to,” Anderson said.

“They just celebrated their 41st anniversary.” Anderson also has a sister who lives at home who is able to help out, along with two other sisters and two nephews.

“We all work together to make

sure my mother is well taken care of,” Anderson said.

For those students who have someone close to them who is ill, be it terminally ill or temporarily ill, remember that there are students out there who know how you feel, other people who deal with their everyday lives along with helping their loved ones down the path of recovery.

Opinion

Page 6, Student Printz

Student Shout-outs

POLITICS

The GOP, Limbaugh and Reality Megan Fink Printz Writer

“

My name is Nick Powers. I am finally turning straight!!! Ladies find me at McCain Library at 6:30 on Tuesdays and Fridays ;).

For students wondering how to get to the New Bar Survey, go to the Facebook Page “4th Street Bar Survey”, like it and find the link there! Use this chance to make this your bar!!

How come no mention of the disgraceful behavior of the student band? Not only were the “Where’s Your Green Card” chants racist, they were also stupid since the guy is from Puerto Rico, which is already an American territory, so no green card was needed.

Even more disgraceful is the school administration, which couldn’t even spell the guy’s name correctly in the written apology. But a lot more than an apology is necessary. Those band members should be disciplined.

To all of my lovely ADPi ladies- Stay Classy.Be Involved.Stay Classy.

Let’s get right to the point here.

Why would American citizens, both men and women, come to believe that artificial contraception devices and pharmaceuticals are a right? Not just that they have a right to buy them, but that they have a right to have them handed out by the government? Now, the leftist-controlled media, with their firm grasp on public opinion, would like to say that it is only natural. “Why should women be enslaved to men? Why should they give up their jobs and lives and just put out babies? That’s so sexist!

Disrespectful! Let’s all outrage at anyone who disagrees with us! After all, they’re not respecting OUR opinions!” (Don’t get me started.)

However, now that we are taking a moment to read a non-sensationalized discussion of the topic, let’s examine the facts.

Limbaugh is not that popular: his favorable rating is only 19% nationwide and 47% among those who consider themselves Republicans. In my opinion, he is in the same group as Glenn Beck - people who talk off their heads and sound insane because they enjoy making people angry. Far

Racist national publicity stunt #2 of the school year for USM.... Come on man!!!

I am glad I’m not part of PIKE, because I really don’t want to be shit.

”

To see your anonymous comment in The Student Printz, submit it under the ‘Contact’ tab on studentprintz.com.

from what some editorial writers call the “unofficial ideological leader of the Republican party,” he’s really more like the unofficial thorn in the side of the American nation. His inability to be civilized only serves to demonize and invalidate his concept. This annoys non-liberals like myself who enjoy actual conversations.

His words were inflammatory and meant to cause exactly the sensation and attention that his show thrives on for a living. I have sympathy for anyone who has been directly insulted by his words. However, instead of using his idiocy to demonize half the country, let’s examine the real reason that the misguided university student he insulted needs a reality check.

Reality number one: It’s not that expensive. One girl’s report that she must spend $3,000 a year on birth control raises an eyebrow.

The most expensive pill I could find online was $50 a month, which amounts to $600 a year. Perhaps she requires designer pills?

Reality number two: You don’t have to pump your body full of fake hormones to avoid being a stay-at-home mom. You don’t want to be a mom? Fine.

Don’t have sex when you’re ovulating. Abstinence is not only

the natural, organic, chemicalfree way of not having kids you don’t want to have, and it’s also the cheapest. Condoms come in as a close second.

Your outrage at reading the previous paragraph leads directly into reality number three. Yahoo! Answers user “Joefed” is probably far from alone in her sentiment – chosen as “best” by users - that reads, “in this day and age, women and men have sex out of wedlock. We can pretend it doesn’t happen and become a nation of religious zealots who demand chastity from our young people until they marry, or we can attempt to prevent unwanted pregnancies.”

Suggesting self-denial makes me a radical “religious zealot,” in “this day and age,” apparently. It’s an interesting social trait in our society. Why does the suggestion that a man or a woman (Yeah, I said it. Both of you. Takes two tango, honey.) keep it in his/her respective pants for a week of the month inspire such outrage? Is it our right to have sex whenever we want and have the natural consequences prevented by government-funded pharmaceuticals? I don’t remember reading that in the constitutional amendments.

What I do remember reading is something that the liberal-controlled media would love to obfus-

cate with the words of an inflammatory pundit - the first amendment.

Now that we’ve set the antecedents birth control is not actually that necessary (despite what your groin may tell you), and it’s not actually that expensive if you do want the luxury of them - we can address the issue truly at hand. Reality number three: I cannot be constitutionally forced to pay for your ability to have sex without the natural consequences. Suggesting that I can is ignorant.

I’ll gladly help you out if you’re hungry, homeless or just need a boost to get your feet under you.

But I cannot and will not be forced to pay for your sexual habits. If you want it to be a personal choice, it must be a personal expense. If you want it to be the state’s expense, I’ve got news for you, and it comes from Thomas Jefferson: “A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have.”

All the “Vote No on Amendment 26” signs I saw last fall wanted to keep the government out of our uteri. What happened over Christmas break? (Oh, excuse me, “holiday” break.)

This was an article of opinion by Megan Fink, a writer for The Student Printz. Email questions or comments to megan.fink@eagles. usm.edu.

POLITICS

How Santorum swept the South

TO MMP I think we should stop our relationship as my heart is with DMR Bye Love you I was offended by what happened with the pep band on the basketball tournament. I don’t know if to wear my USM T-shirt when I go back home because I will get picked on. It’s all over the news in PR. I have enough already with the profiling law that is proposed here.

The team lost, got karma?

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Ashton Pittman Web Editor After a grueling sprint of campaigning in Mississippi last week, we now know the results of the GOP primary here in the Deep South: Mitt Romney’s pandering didn’t play any better here than it has in the rest of the country, Newt Gingrich’s Southern strategy failed and Rick Santorum won both states.

Gingrich was predicated to win both states with the possibility of a Romney upset in one. Several polls showed Santorum trailing both Romney and Gingrich by at least a few points. The former Pennsylvania senator simply wasn’t supposed to win in two states so culturally removed from his own, but he did.

While the pundits are treating Santorum’s win as an upset, anyone who actually understands the South might not be so shocked.

First, it’s important to understand

why the others didn’t win. Romney started to think he had a shot. He came to Mississippi and obtained the endorsement of Mississippi’s republican governor, Phil Bryant, who won the office last November by virtue of being the next in line among the state GOP establishment.

Similarly, Romney hopes to win the Republican nomination by virtue of being next in line of the GOP establishment. That didn’t impress Southern voters. Nor did Romney’s proclamation that he had developed an affinity for grits and learned to say “y’all.” This is the same guy who attempted to assert his redneck credentials by saying he was friends with NASCAR team owners. Here’s the thing about Southerners: Most of us like our culture. And if you start pickin’ up on some of our tics, that’s just precious But we really don’t appreciate an East coast elite with $250 million swooping in and trying to convince us that he’s really just one of us.

We also aren’t going to vote for you just because you appeal to our darker elements. At a Gingrich rally in Gulfport, there was an appeal to the idea that Obama hates our religion and represents some “oth-

erness.” The man who introduced Gingrich and his wife indicated that by supporting Gingrich, supporters could take America back from Obama and establish a society “where our Christian beliefs aren’t to be questioned.” Gingrich’s biggest applause came when he said he would end Obama’s war on the Catholic church. I imagine the only way he could’ve garnered a greater response would’ve been if he had replaced “Catholic” with “Baptist.”

Then there was the attack on welfare programs. Gingrich pointed out that the Declaration provided for the “pursuit of happiness” and that our founding documents made no provision for “happiness stamps.”

He then reiterated his assertion that Obama is the greatest “food stamp president” in history. Despite the fact that most people on food stamps are white, the GOP has successfully convinced a significant portion of the population otherwise.

And really, what better place to evoke racist sentiments during a campaign than Mississippi?

But Santorum didn’t attempt to exploit us by appealing to the racist underbelly of Southern populism. Nor did he strategically drop

the letter “g” from his vocabulary in an effort to prove that he’s a son of the South. Instead, he came carrying a message that resonated, not with the Confederates among us, but with hardworking people. He fashioned himself as the coal miner’s grandson candidate, reminding us that he inherited the legacy of a man who came home with soot on his face, not the fortune of a father who groomed his son for a life of wealth and power à la Romney.

The bottom line is that Santorum won the South because he is genuine. He really believes what he says.

Here, we have a deep appreciation for someone who is sincere. But we greatly resent someone who we perceive as disingenuous—especially when they so transparently attempt to profit from ignorant notions about who we are.

While Romney was a lost cause in this regard, not even the “true Southerner” from Georgia seemed to understand this simple truth about the South.

This was an article of opinion by Ashton Pittman, a writer for The Student Printz. Email questions or comments to ashton.pittman@ eagles.usm.edu.

Sports

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Student Printz, Page 7

BASEBALL

Above Mary Alice Truitt/Printz

Southern Miss Infielder Isaac Rodriguez tumbles over a Murray State runner as they look to an umpire for a call during the three-game series last weekend.

Left

Mary Alice Truitt/Printz

Southern Miss pitcher Jake Drehoff fires a pitch towards home plate in the third game of a three game series played against Murray State.

Baseball at Ole Miss

Southern Miss Box Score

Southern Miss Sports: Upcoming Games

Baseball:

3/20/12 6:30 p.m. Baseball at Ole Miss Oxford, Miss.

3/23/12 All Day Tennis vs. Boise State Boise, Idaho

Men’s Basketball:

3/21/12 6 p.m. Softball at South Alabama Mobile, Ala.

3/24/12 1 p.m. Softball vs. Tulsa Hattiesburg, Miss.

3/18 vs. Murray State L, 6-4 3/17 vs. Murray State W, 9-7

3/15 vs. Kansas State L, 70-64

Softball:

3/18 vs. UCF L, 3-0 3/17 vs. UCF W, 9-5 3/17 vs. UCF L, 6-0

3/23/12 6 p.m. Baseball vs. Houston Pete Taylor Park

Page 8, Student Printz

The Student Printz

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

pool party & wing battle March 24•12 to 5pm

Buffalo Wild Wings • Pizza Hut • Hooters LIVE DJ SET + FREE WINGS + ENTER TO WIN

help us crown the best wings of Hattiesburg

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT – NOW AN AMERICAN CAMPUS COMMUNITY + NEW VOLLEYBALL COURT

upgraded amenities coming soon: shuttle to campus + upgraded pool area & new sound system + new pool furniture + upgraded fitness center new sand volleyball court + upgraded computer center + upgraded tanning bed + new leather-style furniture options available E AG L E ST R AI L .COM • 6 01. 2 6 4 .6 4 0 4 • 8 E AG L E S T R AI L amenities are subject to change