The Student Printz: November 17, 2021

SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • NOVEMBER 17, 2021 | VOLUME 107 | ISSUE 13

USM FIGHT CLUB

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‘DUNE’ MOVIE REVIEW

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BASKETBALL V. LOUISIANA MONROE

PG 12

Annual International Education Week helps students express culture

Loren Jones | Printz

Two students model traditional fashions from around the world during IEW’s Fashion Show.

GARRET GROVE PRINTZ REPORTER

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he Study Abroad Office at the University of Southern Mississippi successfully launched and concluded their annual International Education Week (IEW).

IEW, which spanned from Nov. 8 to Nov. 12 at Southern Miss, is actually part of a national initiative to encourage international exchange and education worldwide. International Education Week is an annual event jointly orchestrated by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Educa-

tion. This year, it stretches from Nov. 15 to Nov. 19 in many parts of the country.

Southern Miss’s IEW celebration put an intense focus on giving students from other countries a space to learn and exchange their experiences and cultures with international and domestic students.

This began with the Cultural and Diversity Fair within the Thad Cochran Center this past Monday. It gave international students from all around the world a chance to talk about

their home countries.

This event was centered on students currently studying English within Southern Miss’s English Language Institute (ELI). Founded in 1947, the ELI currently has 11 full time students and two part time students.

One of those 13 students is Anh Nguyen, who is originally from Bien Hoa, Vietnam.

“I have never enjoyed any event like this before, so I really like it. I can meet a lot of people from another country,”

Nguyen said. “It’s a lot of countries and a lot of things to learn.”

Students within the ELI program strive to obtain fluency in English. After students complete the program, most pursue further education to obtain undergraduate or graduate degrees. Nguyen plans to enroll as an undergraduate student in the spring and study mathematics.

The Tuesday and Wednesday

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NEWS MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS SM2 News Director

Charlie Luttrell charles.luttrell@usm.edu

Executive Editor

Mary Murphy mary.s.murphy@usm.edu

Entertainment/Features Editor Loren Jones loren.jones@usm.edu

SMTV Executive Producer Sarah Kofman sarah.kofman@usm.edu

SM2 Creative Director Lohn Lenoir lohn.lenoir@usm.edu

Sports Director

Austin Lindsey austin.lindsey@usm.edu

Printz Reporters

Cordaveon Carter cordaveon.carter@usm.edu Garret Grove garret.grove@usm.edu Jackson Howell jackson.howell@usm.edu Dima Mixon joshua.mixon@usm.edu

The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not represent those of the faculty, staff or administration of The University of Southern Mississippi. We welcome letters to the editor representing similar and contrasting opinions. To be eligible for publication, all submission must include name, class distinction, major, phone number and email address. Submissions should be emailed to printzeditors@gmail.com by 5 p.m. on the Friday before publication. Please limit them to 500 words or less. The Student Printz reserves the right to refuse publication or edit any material on the basis of clarity, space or journalistic ethics.

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

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

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Southern Miss Research Lab awarded $6.3 million contract JACKSON HOWELL PRINTZ REPORTER

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he United States Air Force Research Lab recently awarded a $6.3 million contract to the University of Southern Mississippi and Florida State University.

The funding will be used to research composites, and the objective is to find military-grade applications for them. The specifics of the research are otherwise confidential.

Each university has its own respective research group, and the Southern Miss team is led by Polymer Science Professor Dr. Jeffrey Wiggins.

The research team began work in October, and will continue to work over an 18 month period. Wiggins’ research group includes researchers and faculty members from the university, such as Dr. Jason Azoulay, Dr. Olivia McNair, Dr. Sergei Nazarenko, Dr. James Rawlins, Dr. Yoan Simon and Dr. Jinhai Yang.

“All I can really say is that the project is in place to develop multi-functional composite materials, which are smart materials that they are using to build airplanes,” said Wiggins.

“The goal is to help create multifunctional aerospace grade thermoset composites. The grant helps [us] establish baselines for new techniques [and] new technologies, and it allows us to push ourselves to do new things,” said McNair. “With some of the infrastructure that’s been established, I think it will position us uniquely to any other place in the United States [with how we’ll] be able to achieve some of the things they have asked us to do.”

Wiggins also mentioned Southern Miss had an estab-

lished relationship with the Air Force Research Lab, which played a part in earning the grant.

“I’ve been working with the Air Force Research Lab for a number of years,” said Wiggins.

“We have had students at the Air Force Research Lab. They have hired our students in the past, so we have a long-standing relationship.”

“That’s an extreme honor to have that much trust instilled in you,” said McNair. “To have the opportunity to solve some real-world problems in real time is very unique, and I’m happy and excited that the Air Force chose Southern Miss to be able to accomplish some of those feats.”

Wiggins also spoke about the importance of the funds, especially for future projects.

“The funds that are provided by research sponsors like the Air Force Research Lab, other laboratories and major corporations are critical for the university to progress and to have the level of research that is necessary for us to properly prepare our country’s next generation of scientists and engineers,” Wiggins said. “It makes sure that our scientists and engineers are working in areas of national relevance and national need - not only for defense, but for competitive needs for the country as a whole.”

The research is not limited to just faculty, either. Students can also get involved with Wiggins’ team.

“One thing that we are very proud about is being able to help develop our students into the next generation of composites engineers [and to have them] ready to solve problems, ready to

identify different types of techniques and understand different methods to measure material properties and make new materials,” said McNair.

Both Wiggins and McNair emphasized how important this research was for students when it comes to the workforce. “[The School of Polymer Science and Engineering] has allowed us to develop expertise in many different fields and international recognition for the research and work that we do. It allows our students to get good jobs all over the world,” said Wiggins.

“We have had several research graduate-students involved in the program to a pretty good extent.

That, to me, is a win-win all the way around,” said McNair.

“It’s the same at Florida State.

They also have graduate students working in the research lab, solving problems and measuring techniques.”

McNair also noted that Southern Miss and Florida State are closely working with each other because of this project. She emphasized the importance of teamwork in their field, especially with the different areas of expertise.

“I imagine they [will] be our best friends for the next year or so,” McNair said.

The collaboration marks another historic advancement for the nationally recognized School of Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Southern Mississippi. For more information about the program, visit www.usm.edu/polymer-science-engineering.

NOVEMBER 17, 2021 WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM NEWS Annual International Education Week CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 festivities kept campus organizations supporting International Education Week busy, and many students across campus engaged.

The study abroad office was behind the Study Abroad Fair, which occurred last Tuesday, to explain some of the programs they offered. For example, they explained that Southern Miss’s biggest and longest-lasting study abroad program, the British Studies Program, will span the entire month of June.

There are currently 14 students studying abroad this semester, and the Study Abroad office hopes to add onto that next semester.

Later that evening, there was a presentation on Haiti and a game night, both orchestrated by the Southern Miss Activities Council. The game night also featured international foods and drinks, such as boba tea, for students to enjoy.

The events on Wednesday occurred on both the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses.

A Lunch and Learn happened on Long Beach while a Cricket match and movie night were hosted in Hattiesburg. Staff

from the ELI participated in the Cricket match, and helped out with refreshments during the ‘My Louisiana Love in the Hub’ documentary.

Kacey Cole participated in the Cricket match and is the Assistant Director for the English Language Institute. She proudly displays the name of each student, as well as their country of origin, in ELI within her office.

“We haven’t done much in the last year and a half because of COVID, so the Center for International Education is trying to do more for our students this year, to let them know there’s a great big community, not just of international students, but of people who are willing to welcome them,” Cole said.

On Thursday, the Study Abroad office began their annual photo contest on Instagram. This year’s theme was “International Day of Dress”, which called on the university community to display clothing that best represented their cultural background and heritage.

Results of the competition were announced the following day.

An international food show-

case was also held in The Fresh and featured dishes inspired

by Jamaica, France, Italy and India. The line for the crepes bar was long, and the jerk chicken received a good review from Jamaican student Maegan Williams.

The biochemistry major did more than eat chicken on Thursday, however. Later that evening, Williams also participated in a fashion show in the Union. During the show, she dawned a bandana dress, a symbolic and ceremonial garment of clothing within Jamaica.

Williams believes events like the fashion show for International Education Week are not just exciting for participants and audience members, but informational as well.

“I feel like a lot of students just don’t know or they’re curious, but they just don’t know how to get involved,” Williams said. “And so events like this bring everyone together from different cultures, and if there’s something that someone [is] curious about, they can meet that person.”

Jessica Bunales is the As-

sistant Director of Southern Miss’s Study Abroad programs.

She expressed a similar sentiment to Williams.

“It’s so much fun to go and learn from these students and see things that they do back home and how they can bring that to us,” Bunales said.

The last event for the week was a cooking show, streamed live on the Study Abroad’s Instagram page. It featured two Spanish delicacies: garlic mushrooms and marinated dogfish.

Since there are no dogfish in Mississippi, alligator was used as a substitute.

This was done to allude to an upcoming study abroad trip to Spain in July 2022. There are currently 10 Southern Miss students studying abroad in Spain this semester.

To find out more about international scholar services on campus, be sure to email intl@ usm.edu. To get more information on study abroad programs over the summer or next school year, reach out to the Study Abroad office at studyabroad@ usm.edu.

NEWS

NOVEMBER 17, 2021 WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

USM’s Fight Club aims to educate on stage combat safety SARAH KOFMAN SMTV EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

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tage combat must perform two opposing tasks simultaneously: feeling dangerous to the audience while being completely safe for the cast and crew.

To achieve these clashing goals, actors must rehearse throwing and receiving realistic punches and kicks without inflicting harm on themselves or their fight partners. One group at Southern Miss is trying to help do exactly that.

On Monday evenings, a student-led organization called Fight Club meets in Rehearsal Hall 118 of the Theatre and Dance Building to sharpen their stage combat skills.They practice imposing fight moves like uppercuts and heel strikes while intently monitoring how and where they impact. In most cases, they learn to intentionally miss their partners.

Caitlyn Herzlinger, an assistant professor at the University of Southern Mississippi and

A Fight Club student practices a punch.

the Head of Movement for the Theatre Department, guides them as they learn. Herzlinger demonstrates techniques to mimic realistic staggers, facial expressions and pained cries, all while ensuring students use proper techniques to avoid dealing actual damage.

The students in the group, however, have an additional goal.

“They are raising money to actually bring in a certified teacher in theatrical firearms

Charlie Luttrell | Printz

training,” Herzlinger said.

Herzlinger said the group is about halfway towards their fundraising goal, which will enable them to hire a certified theatrical firearms instructor. The certification they receive after taking the course will give them the knowledge and expertise required to safely handle theatrical firearms in future productions.

Fight Club’s president, Taylor Alleman, says students are already learning valuable skills required for using theatrical

firearms during their rehearsal sessions without ever touching a replica weapon.

“Any stage combat whether it be hand to hand or with weapons involves trust and if you break that trust in any way, shape or form, it’s really hard to get it back,” Alleman said.

“That’s with any weapon we ever use, so learning unarmed [combat] and learning how to build that trust and build that connection [and] build that relationship helps with any weapon we’re ever going to use.”

To help Fight Club raise money for theatrical firearms training, you can donate directly to Cody Alexander, the Fight Club Treasurer, on Venmo. Send your donation to @cody-alexander-11, and make sure to comment “Fight Club” with it.

This report initially aired on SMTV on Nov. 15, and was presented by Sarah Kofman. It has been transcribed by SM2 News Director Charlie Luttrell.

To watch all episodes of SMTV, visit the Southern Miss Student Media’s YouTube page.

PHOTO GALLERY

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

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Students learn stage combat in Fight Club CHARLIE LUTTRELL SM2 NEWS DIRECTOR

Herzlinger (sweater with stripes) watches as students rehearse stage combat.

Fight Club instructors Herzlinger and Cody Alexander mock a punch.

Fight Club students rehearse stage combat.

Herzlinger demonstrates a swing to students.

Students watch Herzlinger demonstrate stage combat at Fight Club.

ENTERTAINMENT

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

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TXT’s ‘Chaotic Wonderland’ promises to further up-and-coming boyband LOREN JONES ENTERTAINMENT/FEATURE DIRECTOR

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OMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT), a rapidly rising South Korean K-pop group, just released their newest EP, ‘Chaotic Wonderland’, last Thursday, Nov. 10.

According to HYBE Entertainment (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), TXT, read as “Tomorrow by Together”, is a bright, youthful boyband hoping to break through as the world’s next hot K-pop band, much like their labelmates, BTS. The band is composed of five members: Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Hueningkai. Each member is different from one another, shining in their own way to create synergy throughout the group.

Though still relatively new to the K-pop scene, ‘Chaotic Wonderland’ had some hype around campus. When asked, Southern Miss student Myiesha Roberson said she was excited to give the EP a listen.

“TXT has been one of my favorites since they debuted,” said Roberson.

‘Chaotic Wonderland’ also features songs performed in an entirely different language. The EP, co-released by HYBE and Universal Music, features four tracks, including Japanese versions of “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” and “MOA Diary (Dubaddu Wari Wari)”.

Songs three and four are also Japanese originals, called “Ito”

and “Magic”, respectively.

‘Chaotic Wonderland’ is TXT’s latest Japanese comeback, following their debut Japanese single “Magic Hour” and the first album, ‘Still Dreaming’.

While some people may not like a few of TXT’s recent songs, there is one on this album that (hopefully) many people will enjoy. The song “Ito” will be the opening theme in a Japanese TV drama known as ‘Spiral Labyrinth - DNA Forensic Investigation’, where some police and detectives hunt down a serial killer.

With that in mind, it definitely gives “Ito” a distinct charm among the tracks. “Ito” has a calm and smooth flow that you

would listen to as you relax and unwind after a long day.

The song also comes between “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” and “MOA Diary (Dubaddu Wari Wari)”, which are both upbeat songs, making for an abrupt tempo change.

The song has a haunting that becomes apparent as the song progresses.

The album is on YouTube, Soundcloud and Spotify. The DVD version of the album will be available around the beginning of December, just in time for Christmas, in case anyone has a TXT fan in their life. In addition, it will be available at places like Target and Amazon.

ENTERTAINMENT

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Curious George turns 80 at USM MARY MURPHY EXECUTIVE EDITOR

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urious George, one of the best known characters in children’s literature, was honored with a birthday celebration at the University of Southern Mississippi last Friday.

The party, which took place on Southern Miss’s Hattiesburg campus, was held on Nov. 12 from 4 to 6 p.m. It was hosted by the university’s de Grummond Children's Literature Collection at The Courtyard across from Cook Library.

The birthday was a celebration both for Curious George and for his creators, writer H. A. and illustrator Margret Rey. Southern Miss’s de Grummond collection is home to several papers of the Reys, famously housing them within 300 boxes.

Guests enjoyed music and refreshments at the celebration, and had the opportunity to take photos with Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat. “Still Curious At 80!” also marked the end of de Grummond Collection’s 80-mile walk/run challenge that began on Sept. 1.

The walk/run-a-thon held an award ceremony at the party, honoring the top three individuals and the top team with the most miles. Participants also were able to pick up a specially made challenge t-shirt from the event to mark the accomplishment.

Ellen Ruffin, Associate Professor and Curator of the de

Grummond Children’s Literature Collection, explained that the walk/run-a-thon had multiple reasons behind it.

“This celebration of Curious George’s 80th year of life is one in which we marvel at the relevance George has maintained since his creation,” said Ruffin. “The response to walking 80 miles for George’s 80 years has been far and wide.”

The journey also reflected on the lived experiences of the Rey family. The Reys, a Jewish family, lived in France during the outbreak of World War II. Mere hours before the German army occupied Paris, the Reys managed to escape, and spent several months attempting to get to New York.

One of the few possessions they took with them was the initial transcript for Curious George’s debut book.

Ruffin commented on the harrowing journey shortly before the party began.

“If you have read Louise Borden’s ‘The Journey That Saved Curious George’, you will know that there was a narrow escape the Reys made when escaping Paris [during World War II] as the Nazis were marching in,” Ruffin said. “So, we celebrate.”

For more information about the Rey papers housed at Southern Miss, contact the de Grummond collection at 601266-4349. You can also visit their website at www.degrummond.org.

8 ENTERTAINMENT

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‘Dune’ is great, even if I didn’t want it to be

Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in ‘Dune’.

LOHN LENOIR SM2 CREATIVE DIRECTOR

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une’... ‘Dune’...

‘Dune’. What can I say about ‘Dune’? It is a really good movie, but I wanted to dislike it.

Based on the sci-fi book of the same name by Frank Herbert, ‘Dune’ follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), who is deemed the future of his people. He must follow a specific journey in order to know how to truly lead his people. He waits as his father shows him the ins and outs of being a ruler.

However, Atreides is still young and fearful in his life.

He will eventually have responsibilities that can be only handled through the proper amount of experience, and has known about them all his life. Unfortunately, he has to learn these responsibilities fast, because war is waging

Graphic by Joe Weishaar

between dangerous forces in the galaxy.

Now let’s get down to my personal disappointment.

When I first heard about ‘Dune’, I envisioned a beautiful war based film. And, do not get me wrong, this movie was truly beautiful in terms of the visuals. The cinematographer really showcased his skillset. They made a fantastic decision by choosing Greig Fraser to man the camera.

When I saw how beautiful it was in the trailer, I thought that the fight scenes would be even better. What is a higher compliment than “beautiful”? I do not know, but I was waiting for this film to show me one.

The fight scenes in this film were dreadful. Oh, did I type “fight scenes”? I mean to type “fight scene”. I am still trying to figure out if it was actually a fight scene as well. Maybe

I fell asleep and dreamt of one. I was very disappointed, because I knew this film had potential to showcase a new style of fight scenes but didn’t.

However, I later had to relax and stop being so judgemental. I now know that this film was not about physical fight scenes. It is about mental configuration. It is about the process of being able to handle a multitude of emotions while still functioning in day-to-day life. The true message of this film is about accepting reality, disregarding false hopes in human nature and believing in a prosperous future.

I started to look at this film for what it was, not for what I wanted it to be. And that’s how I found beauty in every visual aspect, mixed with superb storytelling.

This film is based on storytelling. It was not about the dialogue exactly. It was about how the dialogue matched the beauty within the scenery.

They complimented each other well. I must admit that this was one of the first films I have seen in awhile that could have told a story just based on the scenery, and I appreciated that.

Overall, ‘Dune’ is impressive. It has a lot more positives than negatives. In hindsight, there might not have been any negatives at all. It can get boring at times, because there is so much dialogue and storytelling to sort through, but it is worth it.

Let me be crystal clear: if you are expecting a film based around high contact action scenes, this is not the film for you. However, if you are interested in storytelling and a mentally stimulating film, this movie is for you.

Personally, I enjoyed this movie more than I thought, and I actually might read the book. I feel like I have to see the origins of ‘Dune’ to fully understand and appreciate the concept.

OPINION

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Astroworld is a national tragedy, and people should be held accountable CORDAVEON CARTER PRINTZ REPORTER

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bout two weeks ago, a very tragic event took place in Houston, Texas at a concert known as Astroworld. This event is one of the biggest concert tragedies to have happened since the Manchester Bombing of Ariana Grande’s concert, which saw a total of 23 people dead.

The events at Travis Scott’s Astroworld left ten dead, with the youngest being nine-years-old. We at the Student Printz and Southern Miss Student Media Centers send our deepest condo-

lences to all the families and friends affected by the tragedy of this event.

The worst part about this tragedy is that it could have been avoided. The irresponsibility of the security personnel and Travis Scott himself led to the unfortunate deaths of innocent people, and they should be held accountable.

Scott has held Astroworld as a yearly festival for his music since 2018, when he released his hit album, ‘Astroworld’. The event is one of the biggest concerts in the

entertainment and music industry today. With each year, it grows and gets even bigger, mostly because Scott’s own fan base grows. They want to be able to see their favorite artist perform, which leads to some really bad decisions.

However, I urge the concertgoers who stormed in to take full responsibility for the deaths of their fellow peers.

They acted so ill-mannered, which is crazy, considering how big of a concert Astroworld is. You should all know how to go out of the house and act a certain way.

Running people over and trampling them to death is not the way to go.

That said, the concertgoers shouldn’t be fully blamed.

I think that, though they acted immaturely, Travis Scott deserves way more of the blame for what happened.

The reason I hold Scott kind of accountable for some of the deaths that occurred is because of what he told his young fans to do at the concert itself. He told his fans, who are mostly young teenage boys and girls, that, if they can’t get in, they should storm the gates and force their way into the show.

I know what everybody is going to say: “The people should have been able to control themselves.” But I put the blame on him.

Scott’s call to storm the gates

caused a breach in security and allowed way too many people in, well over the capacity limit. They literally broke the gate down and ran in just because of what Scott said.

This statement was incredibly irresponsible. He should realize by now how powerful his words are to his fans, and that he apparently does not is crazy.

The security and production crew should also be held accountable for not doing a better job of pushing the importance of safety during the concerts. The producers literally sat idly by and allowed Scott to continue with the show while seeing how the scene was unfolding within the audience. They went on with the show, like the innocent lives of those people were not worth it at all.

This is completely and utterly disgusting. The producers and security should be liable for the deaths at Astroworld.

I would like to commend the people who tried their best to stop the concert and help people. Your dedication saved many other lives on that unfortunate day. I also hope this event brings serious awareness to concert safety in the future. Every single artist needs to learn from this, and let’s hope this never happens again.

NOVEMBER 17, 2021 10 SPORTS “Easy is never my choice”: Southern Miss soccer player reflects on life post-injury

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CHARLIE LUTTRELL SM2 NEWS DIRECTOR

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atricia “PG” Gasparovicova, an international student from Slovakia, traveled to the United States last August expecting to begin her journey of playing soccer at Southern Miss. However, she has instead faced the toughest tests of her life.

Navigating the world through a global pandemic, suffering an injury that sidelined her for two seasons and adjusting to life itself 5,312 miles from her hometown of Pezinok, Slovakia, Gasparovicova has faced plenty of adversity. However, she has not backed down. Now, as she reflected on her first four semesters at Southern Miss, she said she wouldn’t change a thing.

“Easy is always an option, but never my choice,” Gasparovicova said.

Playing soccer was a childhood dream for Gasparovicova. She started playing the sport when she was nine years old, and always told people she wanted to play in Europe. Life took her a different route when she learned about opportunities to play in the United States.

“In my senior year of high school, I met a very good friend of mine and out of nowhere, she just mentioned that she got a scholarship to play in the U.S.,” Gasparovicova said.

Gasparovicova started researching colleges in the United States and yielded offers from multiple schools.

While Southern Miss wasn’t initially at the top of her list, she felt welcomed by Southern Miss Head Coach Mohammed El-Zare and his message.

“From the first Zoom call we had, not only was he expecting me to ask questions, but he was the one that showed interest and kept reaching out and kept sending messages,” Gasparovicova said. “He would be the first person I would reach out to here in the U.S.” That connection would prove to be crucial in Gasparovicova’s time at Southern Miss. While she was excited about traveling to Hattiesburg, she knew there would be a new culture to learn and new people to meet, and expected difficulties in speaking English full time.

Gasparovicova said El-Zare, as a

Patricia Gasparovicova nears her return to the pitch.

native from Cairo, Egypt, was the first person she would reach out to for help when she finally moved. El-Zare said Gasparovicova is like a “daughter” to him.

Gasparovicova also said that support from her friends, family and coaches helped her transition to the States a lot, including the team’s eight other international players. Still, she struggled at times, turning to her faith and hope to continue on.

“If I didn’t have God, I would probably already be home,” Gasparovicova said. “I went through some really hard times. I remember in the beginning of last semester calling my sister and out of nowhere, I started crying because it was just so hard for me. And many times, I was just stuck.”

Gasparovicova’s journey got even more difficult when she tore both her meniscus and her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in January. Because of the delayed COVID season, it not only ended her chance to play in the spring, but also the next season in the fall.

She had surgery in March and walked around campus on crutch-

Charlie Luttrell | Printz

es for six weeks. Slowly but surely, she spent hours each week in rehab, working her way back to running and working with gym machinery.

“I don’t think I’ve ever worked that hard than over the past [seven] months and that’s one of the reasons I’m in very good shape and condition[,] but it’s also been the mentally toughest months of my whole life. [I kept on] by God’s glory, because the strength I have had [...] there’s no way that it wasn’t from Him,” Gasparovicova said.

Gasparovicova also went through her recovery process with another teammate, Samantha Stiglmair, who also tore her ACL. “PG had her surgery a couple of months after me, but it’s been great to just have her because unless you’ve had that injury, you don’t really understand what it takes, you don’t understand what the person goes through,” Stiglmair said. “We’ve just been pushing each other, giving each other support and just been there for each other.”

And throughout injury rehab, they both have learned and grown together. Gasparovicova spent the entire

season watching from the sidelines, supporting her team as the Golden Eagles put together one of their best seasons in program history, reaching the Conference USA Championship game for only the second time.

“I learned that nothing’s all about me. The team is about 22 players -it’s about everybody,” Gasparovicova said. “The thing I was going through, yes it was hard, but I did it because of my teammates and I know the same way I was putting in the hard work since I got injured, they saw it and they could learn from it.”

Stiglmair and Gasparovicova both spent their lives preparing to play their sport at this level. Because their injuries stripped that opportunity away from them, they began to explore their lives outside of soccer more.

Even though soccer is still an important part of her life, Gasparovicova proudly says she knows it’s not everything she has.

“Soccer is something I do and is not something I am,” Gasparovicova said. “Soccer is a huge part of my life.

It helps me with expressing myself or just switching off sometimes, but it’s still not number one.”

Seven months post-surgery, she feels better than ever and is optimistic about her soon-to-be return.

“It’s going pretty good. I’m practicing full contact and I just decided to redshirt this season so I didn’t play any games,” Gasparovicova said. “I’ve missed two seasons and it’s not easy since I came here to play soccer, so I’m putting 110% to everything I’m doing right now to be ready for next season and also not just focusing on myself, but focusing on the whole team.”

Gasparovicova hopes to make her debut at Southern Miss this upcoming season.

“We’re excited that PG is coming back. She’s going to be soccer wise as a freshman, but she’s going to be more mature,” El-Zare said. “For us right now, it’s really [about] investing in the offseason in getting them [players] technically and physically to develop more, but also helping them read and understand the game at this level.”

SPORTS

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Southern Miss shows heart, but falls short to No. 15 UTSA DIMA MIXON PRINTZ REPORTER

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outhern Miss showed heart in its fight against No. 15 ranked University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA), leading for the majority of the game, but fell short in the end 27-17.

“This is really hard because we played our tails off. […] I think if Frank stays healthy, we have a chance to win and pull the greatest upset this season," said Head Coach Will Hall.

Running back Frank Gore Jr. started as quarterback, which marked the ninth different quar-

terback Southern Miss has played this season. Gore finished the day with 123 rushing yards and one touchdown.

The Nasty Bunch defense got hot early, and remained a force in the game. On UTSA’s first drive of the game, Eric Scott intercepted Frank Harris’s throw and set up Southern Miss nicely in plus territory.

The game plan was clear early on. Southern Miss tried to keep the ball for as long as possible to keep the high-powered Roadrunner offense off the field.

“We made a collective effort to milk the clock and try and reduce the game,” said Hall. “We told our kids we are going to be in this game in the fourth quarter. Don't let it catch you off guard. They weren't surprised.”

Southern Miss’s vice grip on the ball benefited the defense, as they were well-rested in every possession. They held UTSA to just 164 yards in the first half.

However, Southern Miss's penalties once again defined the game, as it continuously pushed the Golden Eagles back. Southern Miss tied a school record with 16 penalties in one game.

“They had never played in an environment like this, [and] they got better, but it is inexcusable,” said Hall.

UTSA scored first in the game.

On the ensuing kickoff, Cameron Harrell returned it 65 yards and set up Southern Miss in the red zone. Gore capitalized on that momentum and scored a touchdown from nine yards out to take a 7-3 lead.

After Southern Miss’s defense forced another three and out, Southern Miss drove the ball again, kicking a field goal to go up 10-3.

During the drive, Southern Miss brought in Antavious Willis to play at quarterback, taking Southern Miss’s QB count into double digits. After the game, Hall explained his decision to put in so many other players as quarterback.

“Well, they've had some opportunities to play quarterback this year, and it didn't go so great.

So, we decided to go in another direction of what we want to do,” Hall said.

UTSA responded on the next

drive, with Harris finding Joshua Cephas for a 40-yard touchdown, which tied the game up at 10.

Southern Miss led the time of possession at halftime 21:358:25. UTSA, however, led in total yardage, with 164 to Southern Miss’s 121. Southern Miss threw the ball just three times in the first half.

The second half started with another defensive play as Natrone Brooks intercepted Harris’s ball and returned it 34 yards for a pick six. This marked the second consecutive week the Nasty Bunch defense returned an interception for a touchdown.

Southern Miss led 17-10, and all of San Antonio was on upset alert. UTSA went straight down the field, but the defense once again stopped the offense in its tracks. They stuffed Harris on fourth and short, and Southern Miss’s momentum promised greatness.

However, the Roadrunners tied the game on the final play of the third quarter, as Harris found Leroy Watson for a 24-yard touchdown. In the fourth quarter, UTSA capitalized on two critical turnovers by Willis and took a 27-17 lead. They would milk the clock after that to win the game.

As Southern Miss enters the penultimate game of the season, Hall said they will focus on building on their strengths throughout this game to prepare against their next rival.

“They better get us now[,] because there's going to come a day where they can't,” said Hall.

Southern Miss falls to 1-9 and 0-6 in conference play. They will next travel to Ruston, Louisiana, to play Louisiana Tech next Friday, Nov. 19.

12 SPORTS

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

Southern Miss falls in physical match against Louisiana at Lafayette

CHARLIE LUTTRELL SM2 NEWS DIRECTOR

S

outhern Miss fought level in a physical match against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) playing exceptional defense, but fell 66-45 to a late run after being unable to convert on offense.

The Golden Eagles’ defense shone throughout the match, forcing 19 turnovers and limiting the Ragin’ Cajuns to a 32.8% clip from the field. However, Southern Miss struggled to translate their success to the other end of the court.

“I thought our defensive effort was outstanding,” Head Coach Jay Ladner said. “We held them to 32.6%, that’s a winning defensive effort. [...] But our turnovers, the inability to rebound the ball sometimes in key situations, we gave up 14 offensive rebounds and our inability to execute. [...] Execution is on me as the head coach, so I’ve got to try to figure that out a little

better.”

The Golden Eagles had a total of 25 turnovers on offense and only four assists. Three of Southern Miss’s starters, Isaiah Moore, Walyn Napper and Jaron Pierre Jr., combined for a total of 14 turnovers.

Despite Moore’s team-high of seven turnovers, the junior forward led all scorers with 19 points on seven of 11 shooting and seven rebounds. His energy showed throughout the game, keeping Southern Miss’s offense afloat with 13 first half points.

“He’s a versatile big,” guard Tae Hardy said. “He can play inside and out and when they sagged off, he made the open shots. When we was in the paint, he was able to create great passing but also score for us. He’s just a big impact on our team because he can do a lot of stuff at 6’10.”

Moore’s contributions in the first half accounted for more than half of the Golden Eagles’ 23 points, and they trailed behind ULL by six points.

While the Ragin’ Cajuns came out on top in the second half by eleven points on a 7-0 run across a four-minute scoreless stretch from Southern Miss, the Golden Eagles staged a comeback. Southern Miss narrowed the lead to within five points on a 9-0 run, firing up the Reed Green Coliseum off of turnovers, but could not generate on offense again.

“It starts with energy from our team and then it’s just contagious around the whole Coliseum,” Hardy said. “We just started with our defense. Our defense carried our offense and then the crowd was into it. We just have to stay on our toes all 40 minutes again.”

Southern Miss’s defense played

past its expectations, but the offense was severely limited by its mistakes.

“There’s a statistic that if you get seven kills in a game, you win the game 95% of the time. We got 11,” Ladner said. “So our statistics are an anomaly, but the anomaly is about the turnovers and offensive rebounds. [...] I just kept thinking that we were just one Jaron Pierre or Tae Hardy or DeAndre Pinckney three away from really taking control of the game and we just never could seem to get to that point.”

The Ragin’ Cajuns figured out their offense,though, ending the streak and pulling away with the game on six three pointers in the final six minutes.

Southern Miss will next travel to Fort Worth, Texas to face Texas Christian University on Nov. 15.

Lady Eagles push past Louisiana Monroe with late boost AUSTIN LINDSEY SPORTS DIRECTOR

T

he Lady Eagles hosted the Lady Warhawks in the Reed Green Coliseum Nov. 13, finding themselves in a close match until a push in the fourth quarter led to a 77-60 win.

At the half, Southern Miss held the lead by a thread at 34-33. Southern Miss guard Domonique Davis led all scorers through the first two periods with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists total.

Entering the fourth quarter, Southern Miss held a two-point lead at 55-53. Louisana Monroe's Kierra Crockett finished the third quarter scoring five straight points for the Lady Warhawks to bring the lead within two.

During the fourth quarter, Southern Miss held Lousiana Monroe to just 14% shooting accuracy from the field. Southern Miss pushed their lead to 19 in the fourth on a 58% shooting accuracy in the quarter.

“We went to the matchup zone, which created havoc for them offensively and in turn allowed us to get things going offensively to the other end,” Head Coach Joye Lee-McNelis said.

The Lady Eagles applied defensive pressure throughout the game, forcing 25 turnovers from Louisiana Monroe and scoring 22 points off of those turnovers.

The game was a very chippy one, with refs blowing the whistle all night. Southern Miss took

a total of 43 free throws, knocking in 27 of them for a 63% clip from the stripe. Louisiana Monroe, meanwhile, went 20-27 from the line, shooting at 74%.

“I was telling the team to take it all the way. We knew they were going to foul us,” said Southern Miss guard Rose Warren.

There were 57 fouls called on both sides in the game.

Davis went quiet in the third, but bounced back in the fourth to drop seven points, two assists and one board. Davis finished the game with a team-high of 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

“My teammates hold me to a high standard and when they tell me to go, [I’ve] got to go. I had

to lock in that third and fourth quarter,” said Davis.

Warren followed Davis with 14 points total, and guard Brikayla Gray also got in double figures with 12 points. Gray also posted seven rebounds and six assists.

Despite the closely contested match, both teams struggled to shoot from the outside throughout the game, and neither team made a single three. Southern Miss shot 0-8 and Louisana Monroe 0-10 from the perimeter.

Southern Miss will now travel on the road to face Southeastern Conference opponent Alabama Nov. 17 at 6 p.m.