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The
Serving Southern Miss since 1927
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Volume 93, Issue 15
Presidential debate affects students’ decisions Meryl Dakin Printz Writer
The second debate between the presidential hopefuls in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday night created a flurry of reactions from students on the Southern Miss campus. The primary question after any debate is the natural, albeit vague, “Who won?” According to Troy Gibson, professor of political science and international affairs, Obama was the clear winner. Gibson said Obama’s main objective in the debate was to “hold his lead,” and he accomplished that. Jimmy Thomas, broadcast journalism and criminal justice major from Mendenhall, agreed with Gibson’s assessment. “I felt
that Obama made his point more clearly than he did last time and came out on top,” Thomas said. Though a McCain supporter, Ben Sutton conceded that Obama performed well. “Obama, as always, was a compelling speaker but as far as their actual points I think they were fairly even,” said Sutton, a sophomore polymer science major from Hattiesburg. “However, in the sense that McCain really needed to have a stand-out debate to turn the polls in his favor and he didn’t, I would say Obama won.” Several students disagreed with this analysis. Senior Dylan Pair, casino resort management major from Ocean Springs, and junior Brandon Hodges, marketing major from Hattiesburg, were impressed by McCain’s command of foreign
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I propose that if there could be a third party nominee, it really should be Tom Brokaw ... He was pretty much the manliest of anyone that stage...
policy. “McCain did a very good job last night as far as getting his point across about foreign policy and cutting government spending,” Hodges said. “I think they both did really well but I thought Barack Obama showed his inexperience,” Pair said. “You could definitely tell McCain had the upper hand in foreign policy.” Regardless of style and performances, Gibson didn’t believe the debate made a significant difference in the
Crisis brings tough times to Hub City Samantha Gholar Printz Writer
Media networks and political figures have recently been warning that Wall Street’s woes may impact Main Street, but the dilemma could reach as far as Hardy Street. Amid weeks of unpleasant financial news, consumers have been reluctant to spend their hard-earned dollars. As their customers’ purse strings draw tighter, businesses across the nation are feeling the pressure, and Hattiesburg is no exception. Thomas Robb, assistant store manager of Rite-Aid on Highway 49, has become more concerned in the past weeks about the condition of the business of his store. “Customers are buying much less than this time last year,” Robb said. “Most customers are only buying necessities.” Robb said he is concerned with the amount of merchandise that hasn’t been moving off the shelves lately, but is confident in the holiday strategies he plans to implement for customers. “Around the beginning of November, we are starting promotions in the store to keep customers purchasing,” Robb said. “If a customer purchases $50 or more, the store sends them a $25 gift certificate.” Robb is also concerned for his employees, who he says have begun to worry about their job security. “We’re unable to give anyone promotions or raises,” Robb said. “They can’t get any overtime and we’ve had to cut hours and knock
everyone -- including me -- back to part-time. A lot of these cashiers are parents and it’s rough on them.” Cowboy Maloney’s, an appliance store, is pulling in about $3,000 during the week, said salesman Zach Johnson, but many customers are “coming in, looking around and leaving.” The store has seen hit a dry spell of purchases over the past four weeks, Johnson added, since customers are reluctant to purchase luxury items. The employees at Cowboy Maloney’s are also being cut, Johnson added. Workers in their warehouse have been cut by 25 percent, leaving only few members of the workforce there, he said. There is one business in Hattiesburg that is doing well despite the financial crisis. The Grand 18 Theatre and its employees have yet to feel the weight of the unstable economy, said Michael Herrington, assistant operations manager. “We’ve had no lay-offs or hours being cut, and we’re doing much better than we were this time last year,” Herrington said. “We’re actually at a surplus of customers. We have 20,000 more customers this year than we did at this time last year so we’re going to be hiring extra employees for the holidays.” Herrington explained that the physical procedures of the theatre have remained unchanged since the beginning of the year. The company is even eliminating waste and saving money by purchasing their stock in larger quantities. “The entertainment market is different than any other,” the senior international business major said. “Consumers will still go to the
Run-offs today Homecoming court to be decided Lesley Walters News Editor
After an impressive voter turnout for the homecoming elections Tuesday, runoff elections will be held today for every category, said J.R. Robinson, election commissioner for the Student Government Association. “We’re very pleased with the voter turnout,” Robinson said. He added that this year’s election brought out “some of the largest numbers we’ve seen in years,” which he would like to see maintained in future elections. Runoff elections are being held today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the lobbies of Joseph Cook Library, Liberal Arts Building, Thad Cochran Center and in the Bolton Hall Classroom. Robinson said that in order to win a title, candidates must earn at least 50 percent of the vote, plus one more vote. All students can vote for Mr. Southern Miss, Ms. Southern Miss and Homecoming Queen. But students, including graduate students, must vote for Homecoming Maids within their classification. Students who have not yet voted in the election can still vote in the runoff.
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- Rick Judd, freshman, Meridian
campaigns. He said issues that highlighted Obama such as the economy were presented, while McCain’s main talking points, like immigration and leadership, were largely ignored. “I don’t think the debate caused movement for either candidate,” Gibson said. “I expect the poll numbers to be largely unaffected.” As far as affecting votes, all surveyed students agreed with Gibson. Pair said he had already decided he would vote for McCain, and “the debate just
reaffirmed my opinion.” Kimberly Houzah, a nursing major from Anniston, Ala., said the candidates were simply saying more of the same. “I still don’t know what to think,” Houzah said. “I really don’t know who I’m going to vote for.” Senior Erin Wallace, from Brandon, was disturbed by both candidates’ behaviors. “They just sounded like squibbling (sic) little teenage girls; they were rude to each other,” the psychology major said. She referred to points where McCain and Obama both made derogatory comments to each other, saying that such actions were “stupid and childish.” “It’s one thing to disagree with each other’s policies -- we can
talk about that -- but to be so disrespectful to who each is as a person is shameful,” she added. Wallace said she wants to see the media focus more on third-party candidates. Rick Judd, a freshman history major from Meridian, had his own recommendation. “I propose that if there could be a third party nominee, it really should be Tom Brokaw (mediator of the debate).” Judd said. “He showed he could keep a great balance between the two parties, and that was really displayed last night. He knew how to keep both candidates in line. He was pretty much the manliest of anyone on that stage [Tuesday] night.” The next presidential debate between the two major candidates will be October 15 at Hofstra University in New York.
EXTRA TRUNK SPACE
Lesley Walters/Printz
Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars sets up elephant rides on Loyalty Field Wednesday afternoon. Showtimes for the circus today are at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Center, events provide support Thomas Lambert Printz Writer
Just a few blocks from the Southern Miss campus, Forrest General Hospital runs one of the largest cancer centers in South Mississippi. Built in 1999, the FGH Cancer Center offers detection, diagnosis, education, prevention, support, screening and treatment programs for a wide range of cancer patients. Forrest General employs 19 radiologists and three radiation oncologists at the cancer center. Researchers and scientists are coming up with new advances in cancer treatments almost daily, said FGH’s Oncology Service Line Administrator, Janet Gallaspy. Though progress is being made with many types of cancers, some forms of the disease aren’t receiving the same attention, she said. “Generally speaking, cancers which occur with less frequency in the population may see less in the way of research efforts since people tend to focus
on those cancers which are very visible and occur in a larger number of the population,” said Gallaspy. “Breast, lung, colon and prostate cancer all occur with high frequency and a great deal of research is focused on these areas. Conversely, gallbladder cancer is rarely seen and receives less attention.” American Cancer Society statistics included in the publication “Cancer Facts and Figures 2008” show 13,400 new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed in Mississippi this year. Of that number, 1,630 of these cases are expected to be cases of breast cancer in women. Breast cancer is the third most prevalent kind of cancer in Mississippi, following cancers of the prostate and lung. Dawn Gillis, a breast cancer survivor and event coordinator for the Forrest General Cancer Center, said education is the key to more women surviving the disease. “If women give themselves proper breast self-examinations and start getting regular mam-
mograms at a young age, they are more likely to catch any cancer in its early stages and, in doing so, may avoid the harsh chemo and radiation therapy,” said Gillis. The cancer center offers education through several different mediums including its cancer resource center, support groups, classes, programs and an easyto-use website, www.forrestgeneral.com/services/cancer/, with guidelines concerning early detection, when to get checkups and how/when to do breast self exams. The American Cancer Society provides information on its website, www.americancancersociety.org, as does the Mississippi Department of Health, www.msdh.state.ms.us/. Medicare also just came out with a new site specifically geared towards caregivers, which can be found at www.medicare.gov/ caregivers/index.asp. Gillis helped found the “Waiting for a Cure” organization that plans fundraising events and helps raise awareness and edu-
cate people about breast cancer. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the organization has numerous events planned around Hattiesburg: · “Paint Southern Miss Pink” activities on campus including the pig race at the Payne Center and the womanless beauty pageant at the Thad Cochran Center. · Oct. 19 is National Mammography Day (FGH Cancer Center performs approximately 450 mammograms per month, according to their 2007 annual report) ·Today at Southern Oaks, beginning at 6 p.m. is a “Girls’ Night Out” seminar focusing on women’s health. · Oct. 18 at Main Street Books, 10 a.m. – Dr. Steven Cunningham will speak about breast cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, etc. · Oct. 25 at Kamper Park, 10 a.m. – “Barking for a Cure” Dog Walk; $2 entry fee; pink doggy bandanas and shirts will be available. Dogs will compete in four classes: mini, small,