January 30,2019

SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • JANUARY 30, 2019 | VOLUME 104 | ISSUE 14

OPINION • HATTIESBURG COFFEE Courtesy Photo

SPORTS • ABADIE COLUMN

Devon Dollar | Printz

A review of the best coffee shops in the local area for college students.

Abadie calls for better student involvement at basketball games.

PG 8

PG 11

Doleac announces his next film MICAH GRAVES

PRINTZ REPORTER

Alex Harris

graduate student, worked as a set designer on the theatrical production of ‘Hedwig and the Angry Itch,’ which Doleac directed. Lindsey said he was great to work with.

“From the beginning, he was really involved in the process, and the conversations were really good,” Lindsey said of her time working with Doleac. She continued, “It was actually a really lovely process. It was my first time in set design, and it definitely gave me [a good start] for my career.”

O’Mary said the best way to understand the film industry is to get practical experience outside of the classroom.

“It’s the things you don’t expect are the real obstacles while working,” O’Mary said. “People

Miles Doleac on set of “Hollowed Ground”.

shouldn’t feel that they don’t have a shot to work with us. Anybody is always welcome to come to us, and we can get them experience.”

Doleac praised the variety of talents and locations to film in Mississippi and O’Mary’s willingness to help people of all levels of experience get into the industry.

“We feel like we’ve made a connection with this community,” Doleac said. “I think we’re finally starting to reap the benefits because we’ve committed to being here.”

The most recent of Doleac’s films is “Hallowed Ground,” a film he described as a “female-forward and socially relevant” horror film, which will premiere at the Grand Theatre June 7.

Brandon Rue announces campaign ALYSSA BASS

NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

n the fifth grade, Brandon Rue watched one of his political inspirations, the first African American president, former president Barack Obama, be sworn into office. Almost 10 years later, Rue is preparing to make his campaign announcement for representative of Mississippi House District 102 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31 in Thad Cochran Center room 218.

The junior communication studies major from Meridian said he has “always been the student who has been involved in everything.”

Maintaining an image demanding of

The SGA plans to continue events and expand more projects CALEB MCCLUSKEY

PRINTZ REPORTER

ocal filmmaker and Southern Miss professor Miles Doleac, Ph.D., announced that his next feature-length project ‘Bat Boy’ will be filmed summer 2019 in Hattiesburg.

Doleac announced the film on Facebook Jan. 12, where the writer for ‘Bat Boy’ Jim Bulian announced filming would begin in May. Bulian has worked as associate producer on earlier films by Doleac.

Doleac said he was excited to branch out into a genre of film he had not covered before. “It’s a coming of age film about two brothers in the 1970s, one of which suffers from cystic fibrosis, and their connection through baseball over a summer,” he said.

Doleac also compared it to the classics like ‘Stand By Me’ and ‘Sandlot.’ He said the difference between this film and his past films is that this one appeals to the child inside of him.

“I like things that are a bit more stylized, hardhitting or cutting edge, but something about this script appealed to the nine-year-old kid in me,” Doleac said. “[‘Bat Boy’ has] this dreamy, nostalgic nature to it. I think it’s mostly about family and the bond between the two brothers.”

Producer and collaborator for ‘Bat Boy’ Wesley O’Mary said the movie was relatable and nostalgic and has clear and simple themes. “[Doleac’s] films have always had multiple things they might be saying—they leave a lot for the audience to decide upon, but ‘Bat Boy’ is very direct,” O’Mary said. “What attracted me to it were the friendships in the script.”

The biggest challenge Doleac said he would face is finding the cast, which will mostly be made up of children.

Lindsey Kelley, second year Southern Miss

#SHUTDOWN #SAINTS #SUPERBOWL #ACADEMYAWARDS

respect is necessary for Rue these days. Even comedian Chelsea Handler knows his name after reading a Deep South Voice article about his activism.

The day before the senate race between Hyde-Smith and Mike Espy, Handler tweeted “People like Brandon Rue are leading the charge to the future.”

Freshman public relations major and intern on Rue’s campaign, Kaitlyn August met Rue during one of his voter registration drives.

August said shortly after registering to vote, she met him again in the library, where he explained his campaign values.

August said she believes Rue has a good chance of securing undergraduate votes after learning he supports equality in education and more funding for teachers and higher

education.

“Being a college student, how could you not resonate with that?” August said. “He’s young.

He’s fresh. He’s not tired out. He’s not bogged down by ‘big business’ as some would say. He’s not in it just for the money. He’s really in it to make a difference.”

Rue received national attention during the fall semester for leading 250 students in walking to the polls, a press release condemning Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and helping bring Sen. Cory Booker from New Jersey to campus.

CONTINUED | PG 5

tudent Government Association executive officers have many plans and ideas for the Spring 2019 semester including issues of parking, Senate legislation and events.

Junior political science major and SGA Attorney General Lauren-Hunter Gaudet said the SGA judicial board has many plans that she said should benefit the student body. The SGA judicial board is the branch of the SGA that governs over appeals and interpreting the SGA’s governing documents.

Gaudet said the judicial board is in the process of polling and surveying the student body about how much they know about parking.

“We want to know what [students] don’t know about parking,” Gaudet said. “We want to get that information, so we can work in the future to get information out.”

Gaudet said the judicial board works with parking management during the appeals process, meaning that the board helps to decide if an appeal is worth considering by striking the appeal or reducing the fee.

Gaudet also said they constructed a record of precedence, which is a record of every decision the judicial board has made and will be used to help determine oncoming appeals. The record will be public to judicial board members and regular students alike.

“Over eight meetings we kept a record of precedence and we wrote down the type of appeal—maybe a quick reason.

Just a quick summary of the appeal and how we voted on it,” Gaudet said. “We are working to make [the record] look clean.”

Gaudet and the judicial board are only one side of the multi-branch organization.

SGA Senate, headed by senior psychology major and SGA Vice President Corai Jackson plan on creating more legislation that Jackson said will help the student body.

“This semester we are looking to produce a lot more quality legislation,” Jackson said. She also said she is looking to make the Senate more productive.

Senate’s first session will occur Thursday, Jan. 31 at 5 p.m. at Scianna Hall, and Jackson said the session schedule will not be completed until Tuesday, Jan. 29. She also said she and the Senate are excited to get the opportunity to pass more legislation that will affect the student body as a whole.

CONTINUED | PG 3

INTRODUCTION JANUARY 30, 2019 ANDREW ABADIE

MAGGIE MATTESON

GRANT CHIGHIZOLA

OLIVIA SALDANA

ALYSSA BASS

MADISON COLLINS

Executive Editor andrew.abadie@usm.edu

Managing/Sports Editor grant.chighizola@usm. edu

News/Features Editor alyssa.bass@usm.edu

CARLTON MCGRONE Entertainment Editor carlton.mcgrone@usm. edu

EMILY BRINKMAN

Design Editor emily.brinkman@usm.edu

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Photo Editor maggie.matteson@usm.edu

Copy Editor olivia.saldana@usm.edu

Multimedia Editor madison.collins@usm.edu

CALEB MCCLUSKY Assistant News Editor caleb.mcclusky@usm.edu

BRIAN WINTERS

Graphic Designer brian.winters@usm.edu

CHUCK COOK UMER ASHAD

Webmaster umer.ashad@usm.edu

Printz Advisor chuck.cook@usm.edu

In-state festivals offer entertainment BETHANY MORRIS PRINTZ REPORTER

s spring approaches bringing in warm, sunny days after a chilly winter students desire to be outdoors and unwind from the stress of work and school. A great way to unwind is to hit the road and experience the many festivals that Mississippi has to offer. Festivals allow students to experience a little piece of the town where the festival is being held. Festival goers get that hometown feel while roaming and shopping the local shops, which may appear to be just a little hole in the wall only to discover they’re little hidden gems.

Festivals are an inexpensive way to experience new cultures and towns. The streets are filled with local food vendors, artists, musicians and shop owners. The town’s economy also receives a boost from the festival goers supporting local businesses while buying goods from the vendors.

Some festivals are geared towards food like the Crawfish Music Festival in Biloxi or the multiple BBQ festivals across the state. There are some festivals that are solely music festivals such as the B.B. King Homecoming Music Festival and Natchez Festival of Music. Cultural festivals such as Frida Fest and CelticFest that bring a cultural experience to the festival goer.

Art festivals such as Day in the Park in Laurel and Art in the Pass at Pass Christian give local artists the chance to share their talents.

Hattiesburg and other local towns host their fair share of festivals and events.

Junior elementary education major Kaylee McLaurin is from Laurel and has attended multiple events held in her hometown. Laurel is known for Loblolly Fest in Oct., Day in the Park in May and Pancake Day on the first Saturday in Dec. Senior interior design major Mary Hannah Clark is also from Laurel. Clark’s favorite events that Laurel hosts is Day in the Park and

Pancake Day. “I enjoy going to local events like Day in the Park in Laurel because I would go every year as a kid, and it’s very nostalgic when I walk through the park. It leaves me with amazing, good memories,” Clark said.

Junior Spanish major Elvia Marin enjoyed her time at Frida Fest in Bay St. Louis. The day is dedicated to honoring the Mexican artist and feminist icon Frida Kahlo and her many accomplishments in the world of art.

The festival also features information about art and the Mexican culture. The day’s festivities include taking pictures in photo booths, face painting, eating delicious Mexican cuisine and even a Frida Kahlo look-alike contest.

“I think students would really enjoy the view of the ocean on their left while walking along and seeing all the ladies dressed up as Frida at the festival,” Marin said.

All the girls agree that festivals and local events are the best way for students to unwind from the stress that college brings upon them while being gentle on their wallet. For many the food at the festivals is reason enough to check out the local food vendors that may soon become the go to place to dine.

“My favorite part of festivals is always the food, the vendors always serve delicious treats,” McLaurin said. “With all the great food at festivals it’s so hard to choose from but you can never go wrong with a good corndog.”

Festivals provide festivities that will interest a wide variety of people from a foodie, a music lover and those with an artsy mind. There’s always something happening across the state nearly every weekend and month.

Some upcoming spring festivals in MS are: Double Decker in Oxford April 22-33, Spring Downtown in Hattiesburg March 2 and Hubfest March 30, Loose Caboose Arts and Crafts Festival in downtown Newton March 30, Day in the Park in Laurel May 4 at Mason Park and Frida Fest takes place in Bay St. Louis July 13.

NEWS JANUARY 30, 2019

STEP UP regrowing plants on campus BRIAN WINTERS PRINTZ REPORTER

he STEP UP Advisory Council hosts garden outreach meetings every Tuesday at 9 a.m. in the Medicine Wheel Garden on campus.

STEP UP is part of Southern Miss’ Institute for Disabled Studies, which has worked to provide technical assistance, training and support for Mississippians with disabilities and their families. The work emphasizes education, assistive technology and emergency preparedness.

President of STEP UP and sophomore social work major Kahla Myers said she would like to help make the campus “more beautiful as a whole.” Myers said she is hoping people, disabled or not, will apply.

The STEP UP Advisory Council is composed of youth and young adults with and without disabilities and promotes leadership abilities and self-advocacy by allowing members to guide and lead themselves. Liaison between IDS and the STEP UP Advisory Council and STEP UP advisor Becky McKeehan said membership is composed of the Southern Miss and Pine Belt communities.

The garden program will conclude after the group reaches their plant replacement goal.

Scott Mullin, assistant advisor to the STEP UP Council, said their work at the

garden is one of many ways they give back to the community. “We work at community gardens, thrift stores and the animal shelter,” Mullin said.

STEP UP has a community outreach component which includes community service and advocacy for people to find and use their voice.

“We have a lot of community-based recreation,” McKeehan said. “Sometimes we participate in different community events.”

Myers said working with STEP UP has allowed her to be more involved on campus.

“Before this year, I was shy and always stayed in my dorm,” Myers said. “We do events and community service. We also have fun and do things like go to the movies.”

STEP UP has seen growth in membership since last year.

“I have been in this role since last January,” McKeehan said. “We’ve had some really good growth. We have some members who have definitely stepped up and drive the organization.”

“We encourage anyone who would like to participate to do whatever they can,” Mullin said. “It is not mandatory for a person to take part in every event.”

STEP UP has a paper application located at Bond Hall or online under the Community Partnership Advisory Council tab at usm.edu/ids.

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SGA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Jackson said that one piece of legislation is being made with association with Parking Management to reduce parking fees with donations to Eagle’s Nest.

“If you donate X amount of nonperishables, you get X amount taken off of your parking ticket,” Jackson explained when asked what the process would be.

Corai said they would also tackle parking concerns, mentioning the legislation that Senator Andrew King created to take faculty parking spaces out of Pearl St. by the Liberal Arts Building. Though the legislation was not passed, Parking Management did decide to remove the spots and changed commuter parking in the Theater and Dance building to staff and faculty. “[The spot removal] is definitely something we can harp on and we are proud of that even though we didn’t have to create any piece of legislation,” Jackson said.

Jackson also said the SGA plans to do a plethora of events during the spring semester starting with The Big Event, which will be Feb. 24.

“The Big Event is underway right now, so that is one of the biggest events in the spring that we have to look forward to,” Jackson said. “It is one of my favorites.”

Senior communication studies major and SGA President McKenna Stone said the big event is a day in where students meet and volunteer for community service projects across Hattiesburg.

“All the students [participating] are going to meet at The Rock for an hour-ish pep rally and then they will be disseminated across Hattiesburg to do community service for a couple hours,” Stone said.

Stone said the SGA plans to collaborate with the City of Hattiesburg more in the spring semester, and her personal goal is to further develop Varsity, the volunteer program Stone created with the help of executive officers and implemented in the fall semester.

“I think we did such a good job in the fall rolling [Varsity] out. We had over 200 students find a home in Varsity,” Stone said. “It is really encouraging to know it is doing what it is supposed to be doing intentionally.”

Stone said she was happy to see Varsity’s retention rate. Many students that signed up for Varsity have also gone on to look into working with the SGA formally.

Stone said they plan to expand Varsity to a wider platform, using their volunteers at Southern Miss or Hattiesburg events not sponsored by the SGA. Stone said the SGA is also gearing up for elections, and that many people have already begun to announce their running. Starting Monday, Jan. 28, students will be able to sign up to run for executive officer positions. On Feb. 26 and 28 the student body will vote.

“Right after the Big Event, students will go out and vote for their next SGA officers,” Stone said.

Breaking down the 2018-2019 government shutdown GRANT CHIGHIZOLA

MANAGING/SPORTS EDITOR or 35 days, President Donald Trump and Democratic congressional leaders, most notably current Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, were at odds regarding funding for border security and a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, a top priority and campaign promise for the president.

The stalemate resulted in a partial government shutdown that began Dec. 22, 2018, and lasted until Trump signed a spending bill into law that was passed by both houses of Congress on Jan. 25.

The shutdown was the longest on record in American history.

Associate professor of political science at Southern Miss Joseph Weinberg, Ph.D. explained how funding for the government usually works.

“Any money that [the federal government] spends has to be appropriated by Congress,” Weinberg said. “The way it used to work— when things worked—was that you had spending bills that got passed in September that would begin the fiscal year in October, and you would get your money for the following year.”

The spending bill that was passed is a short-term “continuing resolution;” however, it only provides funding for the government until Feb. 15. The bill also includes no new funding for border security or a border wall.

Those hit hardest by the shutdown were non-essential and furloughed federal government employees. Around 800,000 workers went without pay during the shutdown. Some of those employees worked without pay while

Courtesy Photo

others were sent home without pay for the duration of the impasse, including employees of the National Park Service, NASA, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, Internal Revenue Service and the United States Coast Guard, among others.

Many of the employees of these agencies were either asked to stay home or worked without pay for the duration of the shutdown.

Now that the government has reopened,

federal employees will receive back pay for pay that was missed during the shutdown.

The president has insisted on $5.7 billion to fund and build a border wall but has been met with resistance by members of the Democratcontrolled House of Representatives.

The shutdown also caused controversy surrounding the scheduling of the president’s annual State of the Union address to Congress. On Jan. 3, the start day of the 116th Congress, the newly sworn-in Pelosi

sent a letter to the president inviting him to address a joint session of Congress on Jan. 29.

As the shutdown continued, Pelosi issued another letter to the president on Jan. 16 suggesting the postponement of the address until the reopening of the government or the submission of the address in writing.

“Sadly, given the security concerns and unless the government re-opens this week, I suggest that we work together to determine another suitable date after the government has reopened for this address or for you to consider delivering your State of the Union address in writing to the Congress on January 29th,” Pelosi’s letter said.

A third letter from Pelosi to Trump on Jan. 23 reiterated the stance of the Speaker and majority caucus.

“I am writing to inform you that the House of Representatives will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the president’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber until the government has opened,” the letter said.

At the time this article was written, a new date for the State of the Union address has not been determined.

If the president and Congress cannot reach another agreement to fund the government before Feb. 15, then another shutdown may occur. In a tweet posted Jan. 25, Trump suggested that another debate over funding for border security could ensue if a deal is not reached over the next three weeks.

“I wish people would read or listen to my words on the Border Wall. This was in no way a concession. It was taking care of millions of people who were getting badly hurt by the Shutdown with the understanding that in 21 days if no deal is done, it’s off to the races!” the president’s tweet said. *Printz reporter Caleb McCluskey contributed to this report.

NEWS JANUARY 30, 2019

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AIDS Services Coalition encourages HIV testing ALYSSA BASS

NEWS/FEATURE EDITOR he Moffitt Health Center and AIDS Services Coalition of Hattiesburg will offer free HIV testing in honor of National Black HIV Awareness Day Feb. 7 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Hub. The human immunodeficiency virus is usually spread through sexual contact. Once someone contracts the virus, they have it for life. However, early diagnosis and proper medical care can prolong the lives of those infected.

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African Americans consistently have the highest rates of HIV when compared to other ethnic groups.

HIV testing coordinator for the ASC Natasha Thomas said the goal is to persuade African Americans, especially males, to get tested during the health fair.

African Americans accounted for 341 HIV diagnoses of 428 in 2017, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health. Between 2013 and 2017, African American males have accounted for most of the diagnoses with differences between the sexes up to 237.

“A lot of those cases are from rural areas,” Thomas said. “They don’t have a lot of doctors. If you’re a young black gay male, that’s another thing.

That’s another stigma. A lot of people just don’t feel comfortable with knowing they’re young, black and gay and going out to the doctors openly.”

With gift cards as incentives, Thomas said students can expect to be pricked in the finger of their dominant hand and receive their test results in 20 minutes. Students will receive their results privately.

Thomas acknowledged the stigma surrounding sexual health that tends to hinder people from getting tested.

“We’re trying to make sexual health a general conversation,” Thomas said. “We know that people are having sex, and we want to provide them with the services on how to protect themselves at all times,” Thomas said.

Health educator and promotions coordinator

for the Moffitt Health Center Kayla Johnson said students have “so many outlets for education now that are literally at our fingertips.”

“I also believe that you can give a person all the information in the world, but at the end of the day, it is up to the individual to make the choice to use protection, practice other safe sex tips or abstain from sex altogether,” Johnson said. “Overcoming the myth that ‘It won’t happen to me’ is part of the battle. Until people acknowledge that fact that one in two sexually active young people will get an STD before the age of 25 and most of them will not know it and make a valid effort to protect themselves, education can only be effective if the person is willing to put knowledge into action.”

Thomas attributed high STI rates and misinformation about sexual health to poor sex education in Mississippi, specifically the abstinenceonly or abstinence-plus policy for public schools, which prohibits teaching abortion and the proper condom use.

Field organizer at Planned Parenthood Tyler Harden experienced this way of teaching during her secondary education in Lamar County.

“I remember in seventh or eighth grade that they would give people certificates if they promised to be abstinent,” Harden said. “I remember people going to the Powerhouse at USM for presentations to get money. Once they got there, the presenters would dazzle them and tell them this whole presentation is about being abstinent and saving yourself for marriage and then give them a gift certificate for a certain amount of money. I want to say it was $25 or $30 just for saying they would be abstinent.”

Harden said she also remembers a “shameful” tape exercise, where a piece of tape would be stuck to someone’s arm and passed around to everyone else to demonstrate how “unclean” a person would be by having sex with multiple people.

As a young adult, Harden said she learned most of her information about sex and emergency contraceptives from the Planned Parenthood website.

Harden said talking about sex with her parents in her adolescence made her parents uncomfortable.

“I think that a lot of black people think that if you mention sex, you give kids permission to explore sex,” Harden said. “It’s something that you’re going

Bethany Morris | Printz

to explore eventually, so why not give people the tools to do it safely?”

Harden said she was inspired to work at Planned Parenthood because she was interested in the connection between black people and health after learning her grandmother died shortly after childbirth and her grandfather contracted HIV in the 80s.

After visiting Planned Parenthood for information about birth control during her time as

an undergraduate, she said she finally felt “heard, listened to and seen” for the first time.

Harden said she would advise black students to “find providers and teachers who don’t look at you as something that needs to be saved but as someone who already has the autonomy to make your own decisions.”

Students can receive free HIV testing at the Moffitt Health Center or the ASC now. For more information about the ASC, visit ascms.net

Theatre Department hosts Robert Icke JESSICA FIELDS PRINTZ REPORTER

he Southern Miss Theatre Department started off its spring semester by hosting the 2019 Blaine Quarnstrom Playwright Series featuring playwright Robert Icke Jan. 24-27.

The playwright series included two question and answer sessions reflecting on Icke’s passion for his work and his contributions to the theatre industry, four writing workshops and a staged reading of one of Icke’s versions of the Greek Tragedy, ‘The Oresteia’.

Icke is the associate director at the Almeida Theatre in Islington, London. His work includes adapting and directing renowned plays such as ‘Mary Stuart’, ‘The Crucible, ‘Uncle Vanya’ and ‘The Oresteia’.

Professor Robin Aronson, M.F.A explained how Icke’s journey to Southern Miss began.

“I run the British studies and theatre program in rotation. In 2015, I had made plans to go to Robert’s production of the ‘Oresteia,’” Aronson said. “I just thought this was a really good introduction of Greek Tragedy [for the students]. When we got to the theatre, we go in, we sit down, it opens and everyone in a matter of time starts to process that this is a really unbelievable production.”

Aronson said there was something genuinely intriguing about Icke’s work that was distinctively different from anything else that she had seen.

“We all discovered this individually,” she said. “We all looked at each other like, ‘Is it just me or is this outstanding?’ So, intermission comes we are all just like ‘What is this piece?’ It was very different from what we were expecting. You can go anywhere in Greek theatre from togas, to large Catherine shoes, the masks, but this was a very contemporary production.”

Icke has won countless awards and honors for his work in theatre including the Evening Standard Award, the Critics Circle Award and the UK Theatre Awards. Icke is also the youngest winner of the Olivier Award for Best Director.

Icke’s success in the theatre industry is linked to the way he approaches his plays. He toys with the concept of being morally correct and concept of utilitarianism.

Icke said, “One of the greatest things theatre can do is manipulate audiences with art.”

Icke elaborated on this concept by explaining a scene from the play ‘The Oresteia’ about the idea of child sacrifice.

“I can show you a scene that makes you feel like you want the child to die, and then in the next scene I can make you not want the child to die,” Icke said. “Basically, I can play with you for an hour, and I can stir the issue inside you in quite a direct way. I can engage with you in a way that is not cerebrum to do with argument, but we’re talking about a child. In the last scene that happens just before the intermission is you watch the child die.”

Icke said he was inspired by the Greeks’ handling dark topics in a respectable way.

Icke said tragic topics must be handled with proper respect or the message can be misconstrued.

“I think tragedy has a particular role to play in culture,” he said. “It’s a very deep and profound emotion and I think when you get tragedy right and it’s very rare that it’s done well and it’s quite an intimidating thing to attempt but I think really great tragedy can release you back into your life with a really great sense of joy.”

Theatre graduate assistant Joshua Rapp said Icke’s presence forced the actors to understand the script as more than just words on paper.

“As actors, we are allowed to circumnavigate the potential pitfalls of the script and develop our own instinctual choices faster,” Rapp said. “The discussions

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can then veer away from ‘What does this mean?’ and ultimately transform into ‘This is the context, so what does it mean to you?’ Seeing both sides of the process in real time, especially with a playwright of his caliber, is pretty incredible.”

Aronson expressed how seeing Icke’s rendition of ‘The Oresteia’ impacted her students forever.

“When you’re watching this piece, you want to know, ‘Who is this individual? What are the thoughts behind it?

Who is this artist?’ Coincidentally Robert had a talkback that day and then we contacted him because his work just had a tremendous impact on the students.”

To find out more about the Department of Theatre’s upcoming events, visit www.usm.edu/theatre.

NEWS JANUARY 30, 2019

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Hattiesburg airport deals with government shutdown ASHLEY BERRY PRINTZ REPORTER

s the longest government shutdown in United States history comes to a close, airports like the Hattiesburg-Laurel regional airport are still experiencing the effects.

President Donald Trump signed a bill Friday, Jan. 25 to reopen the government for three weeks. However, the decrease in employees reporting to work has affected the overall flow of airports resulting in situations such as forced shut down terminals, flight delays and a lack of security.

The lack of travel activity from passengers as well as the halt in payment has affected the attendance of TSA employees at HattiesburgLaurel airport. Currently, there are only two flights coming in and out of the airport which include Dallas-Ft. Worth and Chicago. There is one flight every day to each city.

Airport Executive Director Tom Heanue said there are other contributing factors regarding the lack of attendance. The distance traveled to get to work, the limited number of passengers on each flight and the large gap of time between flights all contribute to the lack of employee attendance.

“TSA personnel comes from all around,” Heanue said. “Some are coming from south of Columbia as well as Florence, so that’s a drive considering they need to be here at 4 a.m., and there are only a few people on each flight,” said Heanue.

With passenger boarding at a historic low for the Hattiesburg-Laurel airport, the decrease in TSA employees has not been as big of an impact on overall airport functions quite yet.

“There have been some TSA employees calling in sick, but with the number of TSA employees regularly on staff here, the airport hasn’t been impacted much yet,” Heanue said.

However, the gap between the two flights has left the airport personnel feeling as though

RUE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Rue said he thought he was not doing enough until he received positive comments from the Southern Miss community congratulating him on increasing voter engagement.

However, he did notice negative comments after he spoke out against Hyde-Smith’s “public hanging” comment.

“I believe what she said was extremely wrong, so why not speak out against it?” Rue said.

“Regardless of what race you are, you should feel some type of way about it, especially here [at Southern Miss]. We pride ourselves on being diverse and inclusive. That’s the least inclusive thing that you can say and do, so how can anybody on this campus come out against me on that?”

Rue said he feels the experience prepared him for possible backlash he might face during his campaign.

Although Rue gained campaign experience with former Mayor Johnny Dupree, Kathryn Rehner and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy, Rep. Jeramey Anderson allowed Rue to take on bigger roles during his campaign against Steven Palazzo for the U.S. House in 2018.

Anderson’s campaign gave Rue the opportunity to speak and host multiple campaigning events and work on student engagement.

Rue said Anderson, the youngest African American to be elected into the United States legislature at age 21, is one of his role models.

“I see what he’s doing, and it makes me feel like I can do it as well,” Rue said.

Small business, economic opportunities, education reform, expanding healthcare and decreasing brain drain will be Rue’s campaign platform. Citing numerous statistics, Rue said he wants Mississippi to stop ranking near the bottom in almost all of those areas.

Being the second of nine children to graduate high school and being a first generation college student, Rue

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a large amount of their day is being wasted especially since they will not get paid for the hours spent there.

“Since flights are down right now, the second and last flight does not leave until 4 p.m,” Heanue said. “This makes the employees question if they want to stay at work or leave. I have some employees just staying and sleeping because they live so far.”

Heanue said he believes that if passenger boarding increases and the government shutdown drags on, it could pose a problem for passengers. Although it is a small airport with only two flights, if there are not enough TSA personnel on staff to keep things running smoothly at the airport, flights may not go

out on time, which would, in turn, affect connecting flights.

With the government shutdown coming to a close, the Hattiesburg-Laurel airport employees will most likely be returning and ready to work their shifts.

Heanue is trying to encourage more Hattiesburg locals to use the airport before there is no longer an airport to use.

“There’s a lot of people that use it and like it’; there’s a lot of people that don’t know it’s there,” Heanue said.

Junior kinesiology major and Chicago native Alexis Douglas said she will continue to use the airport.

“It’s an experience for sure,” Douglas said.

“It’s definitely a lot different from my airport back home in Chicago, but the process is very quick and efficient. Also, parking is free.”

Senior general business major Catherine Repsher said the airport is a flyer-friendly and quaint place to fly out of town from.

“The workers make it an easy process for less experienced flyers like myself,” Repsher said.

Heanue said although the airport is an easy and reliable source of transportation, he is worried about what will happen if passenger boarding does not increase. He said he believes the building will still be here, but there will not be any more flights.

said education is his number one priority.

Rue said coming to Southern Miss gave him the freedom to learn who he is. During his time as a student, he has been a member of the Student Government Association Senate, Student Alumni Association board, African American Student Organization and the Student Involvement Ambassadors.

Currently, Rue is the president of Southern Miss’ College Democrats and has been offered the position of president of the Mississippi College Democrats.

Representation and mentorship from black men have played key roles in Rue’s life, and he has attempted to pay it forward by founding ELEVATE, a nonprofit organization composed of college students that works with fifth graders at Woodley Elementary School to promote leadership skills and empowerment.

Still, there is worry that Rue is seen as unrelatable.

Sophomore nursing major Zykimbreia Fields serves as Rue’s campaign director and one of his best friends.

Fields said the two discuss the way Rue is perceived “all the time.”

“He says, ‘I don’t think people know me as a person.

I think they just know me as a figure.’ He’s the type of person to keep his guard up. If you’re ever in a situation where you get to see him put his guard down, it’s a beautiful thing,” Fields said.

Inspiring others to be politically involved is the main goal of Rue’s campaign.

“I want to give people hope,” Rue said. “I want students to look at me and say, ‘Dang, we can actually do something outside this university.’ I want people to understand this is for all of us. I want people to be more aware of what’s going on. I think now I’ve shifted from just a college student to an actual candidate.”

The residents of District 102 will cast their vote for Rue or incumbent state Rep. Missy McGee Nov. 5.

To learn more about Rue’s campaign, visit brandonrue.org.

Alyssa Bass | Printz

Pictured: Brandon Rue

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Forty-thousand Mississippians petition for medical marijuana CALEB MCCLUSKY

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

attiesburg is home to the Mississippi headquarters of activist group Mississippians for Compassionate Care, who are determined to get a medical marijuana bill on the 2020 election ballot. They have gathered almost 40,000 signatures across Mississippi as well as gained the support of some local officials.

CEO of Grassroots Community HQ and manager of Medical Marijuana 2020 Jonathan “J.B.” Brown said he found an outlet in activism after his time in the U.S. Air Force. He worked on two campaigns for Ron Paul after he finished touring in Iraq. “[Campaigning for Paul] was my first taste of activism, grassroots organizing and working with other individuals to make social change,” Brown said.

Brown said he was asked to help with the campaign after he successfully worked with veterans in Louisiana to extend PTSD and a few other diseases on their list of acceptable ailments.

Brown said when the campaign started in September 2018, its goal was to reach 86,185 signatures before Sept. 6. They gained almost 40,000 signatures in five months and clock in at around 1,000 signatures a day.

“Medical marijuana is something we think Mississippi is ready for,” Brown said. “We have a significant chance to amend state policy.”

The group sends petition gatherers throughout not only the Pine Belt area but also Mississippi. Gatherers often make appearances at shows and events downtown wearing shirts that read “Sign the Petition: Medical Marijuana 2020.”

Junior history major Bailin Caldwell is one of 70 statewide who gathers signatures for the campaign. He said his motivation is to help those who can benefit from medical

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marijuana get access to it.

“It is super fun being able to interact with people and inform people on what medical marijuana does and how it can benefit people,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell said working as a petition gatherer has been rewarding, and he enjoys discussing medical marijuana when asked. He said the reception he gets while on the clock can be varied. He also said he will continue to work as a petition gatherer until the campaign was complete.

“Being able to support a cause that I really believe in is the best job ever,” Caldwell said.

Brown said regulating cannabis is an issue that is often brought up, but the bill proposed would regulate and restrict access to it. He emphasized that the amendment does not include the use of cannabis recreationally.

“People think that this is something that it isn’t. You say, ‘medical marijuana,’ and

they think you’re trying to sneak recreational in,” Brown said. “Nowhere in [the proposed amendment] does it say you can smoke pot on the corner for fun now. That is a whole different set of issues.”

Brown also said he thinks people often mischaracterize the proposed amendment based on other states’ history with medical marijuana. He said that on every petition they have a copy of the amendment for people to read.

A patient would be restricted to a set amount of two ounces to be in their possession. Any patients found with more than two ounces either by saving it or by being bought on the black market would be held liable in the court of law.

Brown also said the likelihood of abuse in disbursement would be unlikely because records will be kept across dispensaries.

Brown said many representatives have

openly supported the campaign. Brown recited a list including representatives Chris Bell, D-Jackson; Joel Bomgar, R-Madison; Dana Criswell, R-Olive Branch; Abe Hudson, D-Shelby; Kabir Karriem, D-Columbus; Rob Roberson; R-Starkville; and Jeff Smith, R-Columbus.

Though he is not on the list of open supporters, House Representative of District 106, which encompasses Lamar and Pearl River County, John Glen Corley said he is not against a bill for medical marijuana and that it has come up in session briefly before.

He said he is for medical uses but does not extend the use of cannabis recreationally because he views it as a gateway drug. He also would agree to the bill only if the cannabis supplied were a “non-addictive type.” “[Medical marijuana] certainly has a place in a physician’s bag of treatments,” Corley said over the phone.

Brotha Josh performs debut album at the Thirsty Hippo KARIGAN TEER PRINTZ REPORTER

n Saturday, Jan. 26, local neo-soul band Brotha Josh and The Quickness performed at the Thirsty Hippo in celebration of their debut album “Touro Street”. The album was released on all streaming platforms on Jan. 25.

The show was opened by Empty Atlas, an indie band rooted in both Hattiesburg and Jackson.

In regard to the band’s reasoning behind choosing the Thirsty Hippo as the venue for their release show, lead vocalist and guitarist Joshua Holt said, “It’s one of the coolest venues [in Hattiesburg], and it has a great atmosphere that just works with our style.”

The band exemplified their relationship with the venue by stopping their show mid-performance to serenade one of the Hippo’s bartenders, Mason Beasley, for his birthday.

In addition to their own songs, the band also performed covers of songs by artists such as Stevie Wonder and Anderson Paak.

“We’ve performed the songs before, but this was our first time performing the entire album from start to finish, and we feel really good about it,” Holt said.

Philip Tapscott, bassist and senior music major at Southern Miss spoke of previous performances with Empty Atlas.

“I had a couple jazz ensembles at Southern with their guitarist, Brennan, and we also already performed with them at Duling Hall in Jackson last July. We both opened for some band from Texas,” Tapscott said. “It was supposed to be a huge show,

Caleb McCluskey | Printz

but no one ended up coming.”

Empty Atlas guitarist Brennan White produced Brotha Josh and The Quickness’ album, in addition to providing the guitar solo on the band’s single “You Should Know Well”, the song both Holt and Tapscott agreed was the most fun to perform.

“People really dance to it—those are always the best performances,” Tapscott said.

White was invited to perform the single alongside Brotha Josh and The Quickness, proving the obvious camaraderie between them.

As a local performer, White said he appreciates being able to befriend and play with high caliber musicians such as Brotha Josh and the Quickness.

Brotha Josh and the Quickness performs at the Thirsty Hippo.

“I think the camaraderie is definitely there because really, we’re all a bunch of local musicians just hoping we don’t have zero people show up to our concerts because that’s always traumatic starting out,” White said. “I don’t think [people] realize how paramount their attendance is to self-esteem and art of local musicians, so the camaraderie is a necessity for local musicians to even function.”

After the show, Southern Miss alumnus Nelson Nipper praised Brotha Josh’s most recent performance.

“I’ve been to seven or eight of their shows, and they get better and better every time,” Nipper said.

“They are fantastic live performers—they somehow

manage to keep the flow going throughout their entire show.”

When talking to attendees after the show, Holt said he appreciates Hattiesburg’s diversity and acceptance.

“My favorite aspect about Hattiesburg is how diverse the music scene is. [There is everything] from punk to jazz, to indie—Hattiesburg is a breeding ground for great music,” Holt said.

As a recent graduate from Southern Miss, Holt reflected on what he would be doing if he was not a performer.

“I’d definitely be stuck at some miserable job, wishing I was doing this instead,” Holt said.

JANUARY 30, 2019

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OPINION JANUARY 30, 2019

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Top five local coffee spots in Hattiesburg KARIGAN TEER PRINTZ REPORTER

he Hub City offers a seemingly never-ending list of music venues, comfort food and year-round sporting events. With the popularity of coffee chains such as Starbucks or Einstein Bro’s Bagels, local cafés can be easily overlooked. However, with a quick drive around Hattiesburg, you may stumble upon various local gems that immediately overshadow coffee chains with their charm, quality and atmosphere.

5. Java Werks-2902 Hardy St. Unit 10 Directly across the street from Southern Miss, Java Werks is the most easily accessible coffee shop, aside from the on-campus Einstein Bro’s and Starbucks. If you’re looking for time to kill between classes, this is the place to go. In addition to Java Werks’ extensive variety of coffees and teas, they also offer homemade Venezuelan arepas. Purely based on accessibility, Java Werks is the best option for Southern Miss students on busy class days. The coffee itself gets the job done but does not stand out.

4. T-Bones Records & Café-2101 Hardy St. Hattiesburg wouldn’t be Hattiesburg without T-Bones. Their cold brew coffee is brilliant; not too bitter, not too sweet. My favorite is the Layup with amaretto flavoring and soy milk. Although T-Bones is technically a café, they offer delicious sandwiches, soups and salads, many of which are vegan-friendly.

On a sunny day, enjoy your coffee on their cozy patio; for rainy days, chill inside, enjoy some music and look through their amazing record collection.

3. The Depot-209 Buschman St. Like T-Bones, The Depot is a well-known brunch spot for Hattiesburgers. While coffee is not their

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main focus, they offer an array of quality, locallyinspired beverages. I had the Hub City Mocha, which was a blend of white and dark chocolate with a mild espresso. The latte was slightly too milky for my taste, but it paired perfectly with their highly praised gouda grits. Because they close relatively early, The Depot best functions as a weekend reading spot—beware, they do not offer Wi-Fi, so you’re stuck with old-school pen and paper.

2.

Equinox Coffee-1901 Hardy St.

Despite being a newcomer to the Hattiesburg coffee scene, Equinox has quickly become a local

favorite of mine. They offer a standard list of lattes and cold brews, but a unique element to the menu is their bubble tea (I recommend the vanilla). The location itself is relatively quiet, despite being full of customers the majority of the time. I found it easiest to read at Equinox; the atmosphere left me comfortable, yet energetic enough to stay focused.

They do not offer food, but a selection of dairy and fruit ice pops will make an appearance in the near future.

1.

Grin Coffee-508 Broadway Dr.

Immediately upon walking into Grin, I felt like

I magically left the Deep South and stepped into a coffee shop in the Pacific Northwest. A simple selection of basic espressos and cold brews prove that fancy names and concoctions are unnecessary if you have quality coffee. Grin uniquely roasts their own beans in-house, so the coffee is always ridiculously fresh. I asked the owner, Tommy, for his recommendation, and he surprised me with a Vietnamese cold brew blended with a splash of sweetened condensed milk—I’m still lusting over it.

Despite only having a few bistro tables and chairs, Grin’s low-key atmosphere creates a comforting environment that is perfect for escaping the daily Hattiesburg hustle.

MAGA video sparks massive controversy online CARLTON MCGRONE ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

fter a video of pro-Trump Catholic school students supposedly taunting a Native American peace protester surfaced, news outlets latched onto this information, framing the incident as an assault on both sides of the protest.

Garnering attention from several different political groups, an anti-abortion march led by Covington Catholic High School students was called under national ridicule after several different media sources reported varying stories on the incident. While some sources clearly framed the students of participating in abusive behavior towards the peaceful Native American-led protest, others claimed that the video’s brief clip was taken out of context, intentionally slandering the students.

With America in the height of political controversy, no one is unfamiliar with the massive surge of protests sprouting around the country against virtually any issue, political or otherwise. As the coverage on protests has grown to support the weight of this overflow of revolt, it comes as no surprise that news outlets would attempt to gain viewers and clicks by banking on the popularity of “Make America Great Again Controversy.” As an overwhelming amount of the comments have shown, though, this approach to “unbiased” coverage demonstrates underhanded tactics meant to tarnish the reputation of high school students.

The video of a young man sporting an MAGA hat staring smugly into the eyes of a protesting Native American man surfaced on Twitter from an already questionable source. It didn’t take long for the video to gain traction, but several details were not included with the clip such as the taunting from an

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extremist Muslim group making threats against the Catholic students.

Whether or not the boys’ chanting of “build the wall” is offensive is essentially a moot point considering they had every

right to do so. However, according to sources such as The New York Times, the Catholic school boys were simply chanting their school’s motto when the Native American man began banging his drum as if to bring peace to a violent protest. Of

course, the situation only escalated with onlookers and students recording the two groups, begging for violence to occur.

Later updates on the story saw CBS News essentially backpedaling on their earlier story about the video, framing the students as the villains of this incident without knowing the surrounding context. This resulted in Fox News reporting on how the students’ reputations were smeared, causing an obvious audience to lean towards Fox rather than competing news sites.

On social media, an almost immediate line was drawn upon the video’s appearance. Supporters of President Trump defended the boys’ actions while anti-Trump supporters bashed the students, going so far as comparing a still from the video to young white men abusing a black restaurant customer during segregation.

Heated debates such as these only represent the dangers of mindlessly consuming controversial media without context or substance. This situation shows that it is far too easy to simply take things that are seen on timelines at face value. Rather, the execution of proper, thorough research has shown time and time again that almost nothing occurred as it may have seemed.

Despite my views on Trump and the border wall, this situation demonstrates people’s great hunger for political controversy. If a simple clip could spark so much chaos, America is truly doomed as future presidencies loom in the near future.

Only by breaking through the closed-minded tendencies that Americans have adopted can there be truly unbiased reporting. Instinctively jumping to conclusions and believing in poorly researched sources is a habit that can be easily broken through conducting personal research by relying on several reputable sources rather than simply checking Twitter News.

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“Black Panther” nominated for Best Picture WILLIAM LOWERY PRINTZ REPORTER

lack Panther” became the first superhero film to be nominated for Best Picture during the Academy Award announcements Tuesday.

The film will go up against movies such as “BlackKklansman,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “A Star is Born” and “Vice,” amongst other pictures. The film’s nomination for this award marks a huge turning point in the superhero genre.

Released on Feb. 16, 2018, to positive reviews and financial success, “Black Panther” being nominated for such a prestigious award shows people how far superhero films have come. Previously, such movies were recognized more for their technical achievements rather than storytelling prowess.

For example, 1978’s “Superman” won an honorary award for its visual effects, same for “The Avengers.” Heath Ledger received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in “The Dark Knight,” but no one expected them to be nominated Best Picture, until now.

“Black Panther” is one of six Disney coproductions selected for the awards. “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and “Christopher Robin” were chosen for Best Visual Effects, while “Mary Poppins Returns” made the list for Best Costume Design, Best Original Song and Best Original Score.

This year’s nominations featured many surprises.

Although a box office success, critically, “Bohemian Rhapsody” only managed an average of 62 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Plus, the film’s original director, Bryan Singer, has come under fire recently for sexual abuse allegations.

Despite this, “Bohemian Rhapsody” has been nominated in five different categories, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Rami Malek as the late Freddie Mercury.

“Roma,” an independent production released on Netflix, was also selected for Best Picture, Best Foreign Film and Best Original Screenplay, while its star, Yalitza Aparicio, was nominated for Best Actress.

“Roma” is Aparicio’s film debut, so to be selected as a candidate for this award is a big deal.

Reactions to the announcements have been mixed.

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Critics are happy with some of the nominations but are unsure about others.

Spike Lee, an acclaimed director responsible for “BlackKklansman” was chosen for the Best Director category, the first time this has happened in his career.

On the other hand, Bradley Cooper, who starred in and directed “A Star is Born,” wasn’t chosen.

Critics felt films such as “Bohemian Rhapsody”

didn’t deserve to receive as many nominations as it did, especially for categories like Best Editing and Best Sound Editing. Also, while “Black Panther” was chosen for Best Picture, its director, Ryan Coogler, was left off the Best Director list.

The last time the Academy Awards did not have a host, it was in 1989. Thirty years later, history repeats itself as this year’s ceremony will be hosted by rotating

selection of individuals after Kevin Hart had to step back from the job due to coming under fire for old jokes and tweets aimed at the LGBTQ+ community.

Regardless of one’s thoughts over the selection of movies, there’s no denying the list is diverse. People will have the chance to see what film wins what when the Academy Awards commence on Sunday, Feb. 24.

Future plays it safe on “The WIZRD” JACK MCCALLUM PRINTZ REPORTER

uture Hndrxx Presents: The WIZRD” is a hard hitting yet expected album from Future with the typical trap bops one expects from the Atlanta rapper.

Nothing outstanding comes from “The WIZRD” and this album just serves as a way for Future to put out content and make money while he is still a hot artist. “The WIZRD” is not bad and Future does what he does well, but do not go into this album expecting a shock. Future still gives the to be expected carefree bops like “Jumpin on a Jet” and “F&N.” “Never Stop” is a nice serving of classic Future with lots of drug and sex references over a trap beat. This is a strong album intro with how it is truly a sneak peak of what the listener is going to get out of the rest of the album.

“Jumpin on a Jet” is a banger and more of classic Future. The production is super fresh with catchy lyrics about constantly boarding jets, something everyone can relate to. The theme of air transportation continues with Future celebrating his successes on “Rocket Ship.”

Future delivers yet another mumble rap banger with “Temptation” where he discusses his struggle to avoid life’s temptations. This is a cute little song, but it sounds like at least five other Future songs.

“Stick to the Models,” “Servin Killa Kam” and “Promise U That” are all catchy, okay tracks that are expected of Future. They might not be awful, but they all sound like filler tracks tossed in to accumulate more album streams.

Two of the strongest tracks on “The WIZRD” are “Crushed Up” and “F&N.” Sure, Future might just be going his typical route on these songs, but they are the strongest examples of him doing what he does best. “F&N” especially

shows how Future is making an attempt at bringing his sound into the future.

Some truly terrible vocals make an appearance on “Call the Coroner.” This track is unneeded and annoying.

Nothing is said on this song that has not been said by Future on one of his six previous studio albums.

The only song worse than “Call the Coroner” is “Overdose,” which features more atrocious vocals from Future. There is only one song titled “Overdose” that should be acknowledged, and that is Ciara’s. “Krazy but True” is not much better than Future’s “Overdose” and sounds like filler.

“Goin Dummi” a fun and catchy track with chuckleworthy rhymes of mommy, tommy and tsunami. Travis Scott’s feature on “First Off ” is definitely one of the more interesting parts from “The WIZRD.” This is probably due to how it is just refreshing to hear someone other than Future’s voice.

Richie Souf ’s production on “Faceshot” and “Ain’t Coming Back” really keeps the energy of the album up.

Just when the listener thinks they might be getting tired of the whine in Future’s voice, Souf comes through with a fresh sound. These tracks’ lyrics and vocals are what one would expect out of Future, but the production really helps breathe new life into that sound.

Future should have just cut the album there, but he just had to get to twenty tracks, so he tossed in “Tricks on Me.” This is a filler track and nothing new is said or done.

Nineteen85’s production is the only thing that could be argued as being slightly interesting, but it is not.

“The WIZRD” is exactly what one would expect out of a Future album, banging trap beats and mumble rap.

Future could have cut half the tracks because twenty tracks is too long for any album. Despite that, “The WIZRD” has some bangers and Future deserves his props for having twenty tracks but only three features.

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SPORTS

JANUARY 30, 2019 Women’s tennis opens season with three consecutive wins MAKAYLA PUCKETT PRINTZ REPORTER

he Southern Miss women’s tennis team started its spring season at home with a 4-0 win over Florida A&M on Friday, a 4-0 win over Jackson State on Saturday and a third 4-0 victory on the road against Alcorn State on Sunday.

Southern Miss started off against Florida A&M with a 6-1 win from the No. 2 doubles duo of senior Rikeetha Pereira and freshman Ebru Zeynep Yazgan over Haleigh Porter and Aylen Hubeaut. On the No. 3 doubles court, sophomores Katia de la Garza and Tanit Lopez defeated Rachel Harden and Sophia Osabouhien 6-2.

Although unfinished, the No. 1 doubles team of sophomore Arina Amaning and senior Tjasa Jerse held a 5-2 lead against Mialiniaina Rakotondrazafy and Karen Machisa.

“I felt that we started off very strong at doubles today to get the match rolling,” head women’s coach Steve Schram said of his team’s performance against Florida A&M. “Rikeetha closed out a close match at the end to help us secure the win.

Overall, I was pleased with how the girls played today and we hope to get more of that tomorrow.”

In singles, Pereira won 6-3, 6-4 over Porter, followed by a 6-3, 6-2 win from De La Garza over Hubeaut. Making her debut on the day, sophomore Anastasija Cobanovic won her singles match 6-0, 6-2 over Machisa.

Three courts had unfinished

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matches, including Amaning on No. 1 singles, Jerse on No. 4 singles and Yazgan on No. 5 singles.

The Golden Eagles captured their second win of the season against Jackson State at home on Saturday.

The day started with two 6-2 wins from the No. 1 doubles duo of Amaning and Jerse and No. 2 doubles team of Pereira and Zeynep Yazgan. Jackson State led the unfinished No. 3 doubles match of de la Garza and Lopez by a 5-4 score.

Zeynep Yazgan clinched the first singles win of the day for the Golden Eagles with a 6-0, 6-2 victory on court five against Lucia Placidi. de la Garza also won 6-0, 6-1 over Lily Zhang. Coming through with the final point Pereira defeated Oni Jones in singles by scores of 6-1, 6-1.

“I thought we had great energy all match, which helped us come out strong in doubles,” Schram said. “We’ll need that same energy tomorrow when we go to Alcorn State for a tough road match.

Against Alcorn State on Saturday, Jerse and Amaning won 6-2 on over Anastasia Vaganova and Stefany Grlj. The doubles duo of Pereira and Zeynep Yazgan also won 6-2 against Bianca Birkenstock and Klavdija Bukovec. The Golden Eagles won No. 3 doubles match by forfeit.

In singles play, Katia de la Garza defeated Grlj 6-0, 6-0. Yazgan won against Bukovec 6-0, 6-1 Amaning, Pereira and Jerse all had unfinished singles matched on the day. Freshman Monique Burton also won a singles match by forfeit.

With three wins in the opening weekend of play, Southern Miss starts the season with a 3-0 win-loss record. The Golden Eagles will host West Alabama on Feb. 2 at 2 p.m.

Makayla Puckett | Student Printz

Rikeetha Periera returns serve.

Lady Eagles earn second straight win against Marshall GRANT CHIGHIZOLA MANAGING/SPORTS EDITOR he Southern Miss women’s basketball team (11-10, 3-5 C-USA) won its second game in a row on Saturday with a 64-52 win over Marshall on the road. The Lady Eagles were coming off of a 64-52 win over Western Kentucky on Jan. 24 and are now 3-5 in conference play.

Southern Miss and Marshall traded leads early in the first quarter, but an 11-4 run that began at the 5:33 mark of the quarter helped the Lady Eagles gain a 20-12 lead over Marshall.

The Thundering Herd scored seven straight points to end the quarter and cut the Southern Miss lead to 20-19.

The Lady Eagles outscored Marshall 13-8 in a low-scoring second quarter for both teams, which allowed Southern Miss to take a 3327 advantage at halftime.

Redshirt senior guard Megan Brown scored eight points in the half and had three assists. Junior guard Shonte Hailes also had three assists along with five first-half points.

Marshall cut the Southern Miss lead to three points at the 6:30 mark in the third quarter, but the Lady Eagles responded with another run to expand their lead. A 17-point fourth

Michael Sandoz | Student Printz

quarter was enough for the Lady Eagles to come away with the win.

Brown finished the contest as the team’s leading scorer with 17 points, while Hailes had 13 points and was tied with Brown with five assists.

Juniors Alarie Mayze and Respect Leaphart also finished with 10 and

Respect Leaphart attempts shot.

13 points, respectively.

Overall, the team shot 58.7 percent from the field, 50 percent from the three-point line and 54.5 percent from the free throw line. Southern Miss also had the advantage in points off turnovers with 17 and points in the paint with 36.

The Lady Eagles will return home for a two-game home stretch against conference opponents Florida International on Jan. 31 and Florida Atlantic on Feb. 2. Tip-off for the team’s contest against FIU is set for 6 p.m.

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Southern Miss bounces back against Marshall in dominant fashion ANDREW ABADIE EXECUTIVE EDITOR

arly in the first half, redshirt junior forward Tim Rowe pushed Southern Miss (12-9, 4-5 C-USA) ahead 9-2 with a momentum-shifting threepointer.

Southern Miss dominated Marshall (12-9, 5-3 C-USA) out of the gates with its shooting, going 7-for13 behind the three-point line in the first half and shooting 64.6 percent overall in the 101-51 win on Saturday night.

Still feeling the effects from a close loss on Thursday night against Western Kentucky, the Golden Eagles bounced back as a more focused team, according to junior forward Leonard Harper-Baker.

“I just think we came out with tremendous focus tonight,” Harper-Baker, who finished with a doubledouble of 15 points and 14 rebounds, said. “Coming out the loss against Western Kentucky losing by three.

Tonight, we just wanted to stay focused and keep our foot on the pedal.”

Southern Miss capitalized on Marshall’s recent slate of games, as the team had played five contests in the last 10 days. The Golden Eagles jumped out to an early 12-2 lead and amassed a 48-31 lead by halftime.

At the helm of the team’s early lead was Tim Rowe, who put up 11 points in just 11 minutes of playing time.

Rowe kicked off the Southern Miss’ hot streak behind the three-point line. Southern Miss tied its season-high of 13 three-pointers against the Thundering Herd.

“We really just wanted to go out and play with some energy,” Rowe said. “Marshall is a really talented team. We have a lot of respect for them. We have had a lot of good games in the past. They are coming back from a road trip. Pretty sure they [we’re] tired. We still came out and won.”

The key to the win was Southern Miss being able to dominate inside the paint with 46 points in that area, compared to just 12 for Marshall. The three-point shooting allowed for the Golden Eagles to score easily

Tyree Griffin attempts layup.

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up the middle, but more importantly, the defensive play was just as essential.

Southern Miss held Marshall’s leading scorer Jon Elmore, who averages 19.5 points per game, to just 11 points.

“In the game, we had to do a good job keeping them off the free throw line,” Southern Miss head coach Doc Sadler said. “They are scoring 18 points a game [on the free throw line]. We still gave up 14, but

a couple of them was late and then the biggest thing is that we couldn’t let them score in the lane. I think we gave up 12 points in the lane today. Elmore is such a good player that gets guys easy baskets and we didn’t give up easy baskets.”

An 18-0 run at the start of the second half broke the game open, and the team outscored Marshall 53-20 overall in the half.

In all, the Golden Eagles had five players reach

double-digits and two with double-doubles. Along with Harper-Baker’s double-double, sophomore LaDavius Draine led the team with 18 points, followed by redshirt senior Kevin Holland with assists.

Notably, senior Tyree Griffin had nine points and 15 assists, which ranks third in school history for assists in a single game.

The Golden Eagles will go on the road to play Florida International next on Jan. 31 at 6 p.m.

Abadie: Students are missing out on experiences at Reed Green ANDREW ABADIE EXECUTIVE EDITOR

his past Saturday, I covered the Southern Miss-Marshall men’s basketball game, and I would easily say that it was the most electric crowd Reed Green has seen since I first stepped on campus back in the fall

of 2016.

The Golden Eagles unforeseeably sent a very respectable team, defending C-USA champions Marshall, out of Reed Green with their tails between their legs with a 101-51 win in front of a crowd of 3,300 people.

Unfortunately, the one thing that was lacking were students in the student section. There were roughly a few dozen students who made it out to the game and actually sat in the student section, which was kind of disappointing.

As great as the support was from local die-hard fans, it is easily a missing commodity and also hurts the basketball team. Home games are supposed to give the team an edge and create a hostile environment for opposing teams but Reed Green has lacked that in recent years and was certainly missed.

On Saturday night, there was baby racing at halftime which I have to say was very exciting to watch.

There are always giveaways and contests throughout home games, which are administered by the athletic department’s marketing staff. The music playlist is always killer, but there is always one thing missing— student participation.

In case you don’t know where the student section is, it is the two sections right by the band and to be more specific, it is located in sections R and S. I’m pretty sure people have watched the nationally televised games and have seen some pretty awesome student sections across the country and have just admired the enthusiasm. Well, that could easily be Southern Miss, and having some type of environment

could have been the difference in several losses the Golden Eagles have had this year, most recently the 6360 home loss against Western Kentucky.

“People don’t understand home court advantage in college basketball is much bigger than football and it’s eight or nine points,” Southern Miss head coach Doc Sadler said after Saturday’s win. “It’s big. Some teams are so good that they don’t need it; well, we’re not that team. We need all the help we can get.”

Here are a couple of solutions that I suggest to fix the problem: The Student Government Association and other campus organizations need to be utilizing the events and bring the student body together. Just trying to chip in and make students aware of games would be all the difference in the world. At the very least students who are highly involved on campus should be at these games regularly. Lastly, if you are a student that does not sit in the student section, I highly suggest making plans for your new seating location in the student section.

My second solution is that all the athletic coaches should follow the Larry Fedora standard. Back in the days of head football coach Larry Fedora, the entire football team was required to attend basketball and other games on campus. It’s an environment that has slowly deteriorated and at the very least would be refreshing to see fellow coaches support each other, which builds up the Southern Miss environment.

The best part for students is that the games are FREE. Yes, you read that right, so why not go? It is easily an experience all Southern Miss students are missing out on and all it takes is for us the students to build it.

Doc Sadler said it best.

“You get to choose. Do you want a basketball team or do you want a basketball program,” Sadler said. “If you want a basketball program it takes everything. It takes the dance team, it takes the cheerleaders, it takes the band, it takes the fans, it takes everybody. It’s not just us. For us to get it back to where you want to compete for championship games, it’s got to be a home court.”

Devon Dollar | Printz

The Southern Miss student section Saturday night against Marshall.

SPORTS JANUARY 30, 2019

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Softball features a new set of faces and pitching staff ANDREW ABADIE EXECUTIVE EDITOR

he Southern Miss softball team features 10 new faces, including seven freshmen, for the 2019 season.

One of the biggest changes is the presence of a completely new pitching staff.

The Golden Eagles are coming off a 19-36 season in 2018, having missed the Conference USA tournament for a second consecutive season.

However, the biggest addition to the pitching staff and team is junior Abby Trahan, a transfer from Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. Trahan led Saint Francis in pitching in both her freshman and sophomore years, throwing a combined 384.1 innings and had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 289 strikeouts to 96 walks.

For Trahan, leading Southern Miss back to being a more successful program is challenge she more than accepts and is one of the reasons why she chose Southern Miss.

“The culture that I feel was needed to be built,” Trahan said. “I knew that they had not been doing really well the past couple years so I knew that after talking to the coaches they wanted to make a change and the players wanted to make a change and people I knew who played here wanted to make a change. So I was kind of excited to come in built up the program all over again.”

“I love that [Trahan] is coming in with experience from another Division I school, which sounds like titles don’t matter but when you are at this level its reassuring to know that someone has faced really big opponents and had success,” senior catcher Samantha Papp said. “She has this experience that’s really assuring even though that’s a new pitcher, it’s ok because she’s been

Courtesy Photo | St. Francis Athletics

here before and she has the mentality that she can go after it against any opponent, and when she comes on the mound you just watch her, she has this dominating mindset.”

For Papp, who was named to the preseason C-USA all-conference team, a completely new pitching staff is not something she has had to deal with since joining the team during her freshman year, but Papp said it is something she welcomes.

“I think we’re more talented than when

Abby Trahan goes to deliver pitch.

we were last year,” Papp said. “We have a full pitching staff that’s all new, which is interesting for me as a catcher especially. Just learning all their pitches and seeing the ways they interact with each other, but it’s cool getting to hear where everyone’s mindsets are this year.”

Another notable addition to the pitching staff is junior college transfer Bailie Springfield.

Springfield was a NJCAA All-American in one season at Itawamba Community College, where

she posted a 1.54 earned run average and a 20-5 record. In addition, the staff will feature two freshman pitchers, Makenna Pierce and Kaylan Ladner.

In the lineup, Southern Miss will have new faces at shortstop, left field and right field, with a position battle at first base between sophomore Karley Nichols and senior Sarah Van Schaik. In left field, sophomore Kaley Fruge and freshman Carolina Casey will battle for playing time and in right field the decision will be between freshmen Kaitlyn Passeau and Madison Rayner.

Last season, Southern Miss had what seemed to be an endless string of injuries, but fortunately many younger players that saw action which the team will hope to capitalize on as the Golden Eagles return seven players who saw significant playing time.

The rest of lineup is set with Papp at catcher, sophomore Alyssa ‘Tata’ Davis at third base, senior Chase Nelson at second base, sophomore Destini Brown in center field and junior transfer Lacey Sumerlin at shortstop.

Last season the team had a batting average of .264 and Sumerlin will be imperative in raising that average in 2019. Sumerlin played at Georgia during the 2016 and 2017 seasons and sat out in 2018. While at Georgia, Sumerlin started in 121 games for the Bulldogs, where she earned SEC All-Freshman honors, averaged a .256 batting average and hit nine home runs.

“I think it starts game one,” Trahan said.

“Winning game one and just setting the tone. I think game one, if we come out here and set the tone for the rest of the season. I can’t imagine how excited everyone’s going to be seeing that it’s a new Southern Miss program and new players were going to win this year. I just think it starts game one.”

Southern Miss will open the season with the Black and Gold Invitational, beginning with a double-header against Houston Baptist and Central Arkansas on Feb. 8 starting at 1 p.m.

Projecting the 2019 Southern Miss softball schedule BRAD CROWE

PRINTZ REPORTER he opening day of Southern Miss’ softball season is now less than two weeks away, and the Golden Eagles are gearing up to take the field and begin their 2019 campaign. Coming off the first losing season of her collegiate career, senior catcher Samantha Papp—who was recently named a member of the preseason All-Conference USA team—is expected to take a leading role and help the Southern Miss return to its winning ways.

In order to do so, the team will have to maneuver through a pretty competitive schedule that features many familiar faces from last spring.

The action will begin in Hattiesburg on Friday, Feb. 8 when the Golden Eagles host the Black and Gold Invitational, featuring weekend matches against Houston Baptist, Central Arkansas, Tennessee Tech and Jackson State.

The following weekend Southern Miss will travel to Waco, Texas to compete in the Getterman Classic against UT Arlington, Baylor and Sam Houston State. The Golden Eagles will spend a weekend in Tuscaloosa as participants in the Easton Crimson Classic with games versus Saint Francis, Alabama and Michigan State.

In between the three weekend events, Southern Miss will also see action against

Nicholls State, Alcorn State, Jacksonville State and Southeastern Louisiana.

Then comes the meat and potatoes of the schedule in early March, when the Golden Eagles will begin battling against C-USA opponents. They will host home series against Florida Atlantic, Marshall, UTSA and Louisiana Tech. Southern Miss’ conference road schedule will consist of weekend trips to North Texas, UTEP, UAB and Florida International.

A handful of mid-week contests will also be played throughout the month against nonconference foes, including Alabama State, South Alabama and Ole Miss.

For the Golden Eagles, a big emphasis will be placed on taking care of business at home.

The team’s 14-17 home record in 2018 left them unable to weather the storm of a 3-15 record on the road and a 2-4 record in games played at neutral sites.

Conference games at home will be especially crucial, as the Golden Eagles were 2-7 last year against conference opponents that will be coming to Hattiesburg for weekend series this time around. Winning a majority of those contests will be vital to the team’s overall success and hopes of returning to postseason competition.

The journey will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8 when Southern Miss takes on Houston Baptist in its opening game to kick off the Black and Gold Invitational.

Devon Dollar | Printz

Team celebrates home run.