SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | VOLUME 107 | ISSUE 6
SELF-HELP
FIRST SATURDAY
PG 3
PG 6
ALABAMA
PG 8
“A Bitter Disappointment”: IHL Decision Undercuts Faculty Push for Vaccine Mandate GARRET GROVE PRINTZ REPORTER
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he Faculty Senate of the University of Southern Mississippi will move
forward on a vote in mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for students and employees on campus despite recent rulings from the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL). On Sept. 17, the IHL Board of Trustees amended a statement in August related to a vaccine mandate. Previously, the trustees prevented the educational body from issuing a vaccine mandate across all eight IHL institutions. It now adds that a proof of vaccination cannot be considered a condition of enrollment or employment at affiliated colleges and universities.
The Lucas Administration Building on an overcast day.
Loren Jones | Printz
Faculty Senate President Brian LaPierre stated that, while the move made by the IHL is “a bitter disap-
supported a vaccine mandate. Professor Jeremy Scott is the South-
but that we can’t mandate them.” Robert Leaf represents the Divi-
ing constraints,” Leaf said. Prior to the IHL announcement,
pointment”, the Southern Miss vac-
ern Miss chapter president of the
sion of Coastal Sciences in the Faculty
the faculty senate had been in talks
cine resolution will still be voted on.
AAUP. He also serves in the Gover-
Senate. As a senator who is neutral
with the administration about institut-
“I look forward to the October
nance and Handbook committee of
toward the vaccine mandate resolu-
ing more stringent measures against
1 meeting to see my colleagues and
the Faculty Senate. Like LaPierre, he
tion, he instead focused his attention
COVID-19. In a July letter obtained
look how we will move forward on
expressed his disappointment with the
on the nuances of the administration’s
by the Student Printz, the faculty sen-
this,” LaPierre said.
IHL’s decision.
process.
ate wrote a list of recommendations for Fall 2021, including mask man-
“As professionals and leaders of
“The limited conversations I’ve
-- the American Association for Uni-
education, we have the responsibility
been in with Dr. Bennett [makes me
dates, dynamic course delivery options
versity Professors (AAUP) -- is also
to protect and promote reliable in-
think that] he’s fully aware and very
and vaccine mandates. Some of these
in support of a vaccine mandate. In
formation,” Scott said. “They’re kind
concerned about the health and safety
a poll of its members released Sept.
of saying two things at once. They’re
of the USM community and is really
17, 88 percent of the respondents
saying that they support vaccinations,
trying to work within some challeng-
Another faculty group on campus
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
NEWS ONLINE THIS WEEK •
‘Montero’ is the album we didn’t know we needed
MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS
SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM Homecoming Committee names University President for Grand Marshal
SM2 News Director
Charlie Luttrell charles.luttrell@usm.edu
Executive Editor
Mary Murphy mary.s.murphy@usm.edu
Entertaiment/Features Editor Loren Jones loren.jones@usm.edu
Sports Director
Austin Lindsey austin.lindsey@usm.edu
Printz Reporters
Seth Daspit seth.daspit@usm.edu Garret Grove garret.grove@usm.edu Scarlett Gully scarlett.gully@usm.edu A’Darius McCormick adarius.mccormick@usm.edu University President Rodney Bennett recieves Grand Marshal appointment.
MARY MURPHY EXECUTIVE EDITOR he Student Government Association (SGA) unanimously voted for University President Dr. Rodney Bennett to serve as this year’s Grand Marshal for the Homecoming parade. The Homecoming parade is one of Southern Miss’s oldest traditions, beginning all the way back in 1925. It was also one of the many events that had to be postponed or canceled last year due to COVID-19 concerns. However, as Southern Miss continues to push for on-campus events this semester, Homecoming Week festivities are planned to resume as normal. Jerry DeFatta, the Executive Director of the Southern Miss Alumni Association, announced this year’s Homecoming game with particular excitement. “After more than a year of being unable to host in-person events for alumni and fans, Homecoming 2021 will be a particularly special time for Golden Eagles,” said DeFatta. “Homecoming is always an exciting time on campus as we recognize alumni who have played a vital role
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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.
in the life of the University and welcome home graduates in celebration of their loyalty to our alma mater.” The Homecoming parade, taking place on Oct. 9 this year, is led by the Grand Marshal, who later selects the best float in the parade. A new Grand Marshal is selected each year by the SGA, usually to thank them for years of service to the school. The SGA said that their decision to give Bennett the title was largely based on his work throughout COVID-19. They believe that his efforts to resume normal university functions should be recognized by the campus at large, as they believe his “vision” helped many get back onto campus this year. “What better way to reward the person who worked so hard to get us back here, back in black and gold,” said Lucas Williams, the current SGA president. “He was always persistent that we were safe, and then when it was safe, we did it right and did it big. I know he didn’t do it alone, but he sets the vision for the institution.” Bennett was honored at being named Grand Marshal and thanked the SGA for their decision.
Photo Courtesy of Southern Miss
“I am delighted to serve as Homecoming Grand Marshal as part of our return to a full slate of game day activities this fall,” said Bennett. “Our students have demonstrated a deep commitment to making their mark on the next chapter of our Southern Miss Story.” Homecoming Week is set to begin Oct. 4, with the SGA and other on-campus organizations planning multiple activities for students to participate in. The parade itself will be held on Oct. 9 shortly before the Homecoming game. This year, the Golden Eagles (C-USA 1-3) will face off with the University of Texas at El Paso’s Miners (C-USA 3-1) at The Rock. “I look forward to celebrating a very special Homecoming this year as we gather together once again to commemorate traditions that have characterized the Southern Miss we know and love for decades,” said Bennett. For more information about this year’s Homecoming Week festivities, check out the Student Alumni Association’s official schedule at southernmissalumni.com/homecoming.
NEWS
SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
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Downtown Hattiesburg announces First Saturday event series LOREN JONES ENTERTAINMENT/FEATURES EDITOR
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owntown Hattiesburg will begin its new First Saturday event series on Oct. 2, including various pop-up events, street markets, live music and activities. The event series will happen monthly and feature different themes, activities and specials from local merchants. It will be open to visitors and locals from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. The event is family-friendly, with organizers encouraging everyone to come out and explore all that Downtown Hattiesburg has to offer. “I encourage people to get out and explore Downtown. It will be a fun activity for everyone,” said Andrea Saffle, Executive Director of the Downtown Hattiesburg Association. First Saturday will be packed with events throughout the day. One such event is Milo’s belated birthday party at the Pocket Museum. The first 300 people there will get birthday cake-flavored snow cones starting at 11:30 a.m. Many of the stores will also be offering specials during this time. The Sage Den will have mystery boxes for sale or free with a purchase, along with a raffle to win one. 525, a women’s boutique, will be serving mimosas at the store all day, as well as hosting pilates in the town square park at 9 a.m. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the
A map overview of First Saturday, with various events and times listed.
Hattiesburg Zoo’s ZooMobile will provide free trolley rides for guests. The route will begin and end at the Historic Saenger Theater, with stops along the way to event locations, retailers and restaurants. The ZooMobile is to help make travel between stores and events easier for everyone, even though many of the shops are within walking distance from each other. To encourage walkability within the district, visitors will notice that some streets will be closed. These streets include: • Mobile Street, in front of The Lucky Rabbit, • the corner of Main Street and Batson Street, near
Fairley’s Wings • Tennessee Street by Blooms, • and Forrest Street by The Porter Pub. Guests are encouraged to find centralized parking somewhere nearby and catch the ZooMobile to get where they want to go. “We love collaborating with other local businesses to host exciting events and activities. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to welcome back regulars and friends as well as a way to invite visitors to explore Downtown.” Roy Windham, owner of The Porter Pub, said on a poster advertising the event. “No matter which
Photo Courtesy of Downtown Hattiesburg
Downtown restaurant, shop or attraction you visit, we know you will find something to enjoy here.” Many of the local businesses participating are looking forward to this event. They hope this will be a way for them to draw in new and existing customers. Moreover, it is an excellent way to help bring life back to Downtown Hattiesburg during these not-sonormal times. The organizers hope to see people there having a good time. For more details on First Saturday, be sure to follow Downtown Hattiesburg on Facebook or visit the Downtown Hattiesburg website.
NEWS
SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 “A Bitter Disappointment” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 measures did get instituted, such as the mask mandate, but the vaccine mandate was not. In addition, the Student Printz reached out to President Rodney Bennett’s office. Chief Communications Officer James Coll spoke on his behalf. Coll indicated no plan or consideration from the administration to institute a vaccine mandate. It is worth noting that, during the initial COVID surges, the administration made a lot of their decisions regarding COVID based on advice from the Senate. Bennett even directly sought counsel from the Senate to correctly implement safety measures going into Fall 2021. This advice all ended up within the July 2021 letter.
Though the weight of the Faculty Senate’s resolution is in question, it still carries a lot of meaning and importance to its leadership, notwithstanding the IHL directive. “Just because they say this doesn’t change what we think, what our opinions are or what the good information tells us,” Scott said. Despite some uncertainty about next steps, LaPierre remains confident as well. “This resolution will have a second reading on October 1,” LaPierre said. “Like I said, this process will continue, and our dialogue with the administration will continue.” This is an ongoing story, and will be updated as information comes out.
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NEWS
SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
The Pride marches back onto field, trumpets blaring SCARLETT GULLY PRINTZ REPORTER
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lthough this past year has limited The Pride's ability to perform live, the marching band kicked off their 2021 football season at the Pride Preview in August. Since then, they have resumed performing, much to the delight of onlookers. The Pride Marching Band made its first public performance as the Normal College Band on Oct. 2, 1922, during “Music Week”. This performance featured the band as the “Normal College Quartet”, but quickly grew into the expansive band we know it as today. Whether performing in concert halls or at “The Rock” for halftime entertainment, The Pride’s performing ensembles are sure to make you feel like you are a part of the nearly century-long tradition. “My favorite performance by The Pride is when they perform on the field with high school students for All South Band Day. I look forward to seeing this moment every year during every football season,” said Cherie Gully, a Southern Miss Alumnus. Though The Pride is well known for their performances at every football game, they are involved with a number of other competitions and festivals throughout the year. The Pride has performed in various locations on both national and international levels. Every member of The Pride plays a crucial role in completing the band’s overall sound and appearance. In addition to instruments, the Pride is accompanied by the Precision Dance Team, also known as the Dixie Darlings, baton twirlers, the Color Guard and, recently, even a dance line.
I spoke to a fellow member of The Pride, Dixie Darling Sydney Beech, who expressed her excitement to be back on the field this season in the wake of the COVID-19. “It feels really good to be back. If performing for people is your gift, this past year made it really hard for us to be able to fulfill that ability. Being back on the field made me so much more grateful for my abilities,” said Beech. The Dixie Darlings are just as well known and beloved as the iconic dance team for The University of Southern Mississippi. The Pride Marching Band features their Dixie Darlings in every performance, dedicating an entire song to their high kicking feature. The Pride opens its arms to any individuals who may be interested in joining its tradition of excellence. Beech believes that being involved with Pride has allowed her to have a deeper connection with game day energy that the student body may not experience. “Being a member of The Pride as a Dixie Darling has enriched my experience as a Golden Eagle,” said Beech. And the fans, in turn, appreciate The Pride’s involvement in university festivities over the years. Their performances continue to give fans, students and alumni a sense of happiness every time that they make an appearance on the field. “The Pride is clean and technical when it comes to the way they execute their formations on the field,” said Gully. For more information about The Pride of Mississippi’s Marching Band, make sure to follow them on Facebook.
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ENTERTAINMENT
SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
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Self-Help melds experiences of members for sound that sticks in your head SETH DASPIT PRINTZ REPORTER
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he band Self-Help hails from the mountain college town of Boone, North Carolina. Despite coming from wildly different musical backgrounds, Self-Help manages to successfully turn all the experiences, sounds and times of its members into one unique sound. The band’s first project, ‘Adult Cartoons’, released in late 2018. The album showcased Self-Help’s variety of creative interests, creating lingering selfdoubt in songs like “Joy in Crying”, inducing contemplation in instrumental tracks like “Nums Nums” or “Sick on a Saturday” and stumbling into chaos during poppy songs like “Prison Cell Delight” and “Not Shit”. “Not Shit” is a song that does not feel like its actual runtime because of how unbelievably satisfying and catchy it is. Lead singer and guitarist John Stych’s trademark whimsical lyricism, supported by strong guitar hooks from fellow guitarist Edward Rojas, makes it a tune that’ll stay in your head long after you listen. Their debut didn’t feel or sound like a nervous fresh start shivering on chords. Instead, it was a strong, catchy and thoughtful backbone for a band with a singular, yet branching sound. Even having said that, SelfHelp’s second album, ‘If I Left the Country…’, is still an evolution from ‘Adult Cartoons’. The album shows clear stylistic and technical improvements, with the band trying their hand at country with the thoughtfully written “Birds of a Feather”. They also ended up enlisting
Group shot of Self-Help.
help from Attack Cat vocalist Veronika Cloutier on “So Long I Guess” and “Farewell or Whatever”. A strong highlight comes from the track “Doodled Smile”, where the band tugs at the darkest corners of depression, especially with the lyric, “Spiral / Sad sack pile / Bathroom tile / Doodled smile”. This is then followed by a ballad to an adorable cat named Jack in “I Love You Jack”, which is one of the most wholesome moments you could possibly find in an album. Dealing with such vast, contradictory emotions and genres, Self-Help exceeded any boundaries that could have impeded their second record. Several
Photo Courtesy of Sarah Devoti
bands can experience a bit of an identity crisis at their formation, deciding which sound they best fit into and how to stick with it. However, Self-Help takes on multiple musical identities headon and flourishes. This is in part due to each individual member’s experience with the local Boone music scene. All four members of Self-Help dabbled in a wide variety of experimental styles, such as Moral Combat’s cowboy emo, Sentiments’s dreamy electronic pop and Tub’s instrumental improvisation. When asking Stych about the versatility of the band, he explained, “We pretty much just never picked a genre to follow, and whatever we write just
kind of flows out based on how we’re feeling when we write it or what’s been going on in our lives. […] We’ve all played in a bunch of different bands that have different styles, so sometimes we find ourselves hopping back into those sounds.” In terms of any potential creative barriers, Stych agrees that the band’s distinct style helps prevent any problems. “I think the biggest thing that helps us is not limiting ourselves to one specific genre, and from there you can really do anything with any idea,” said Stych. The band tackles many human, relatable topics in their music, too. In addition to “Doodled Smile”, “Whippits”, the opening song on their second album, is another prime example. “‘Whippits’ is definitely centered around living in a small town and living in a constant academic setting. Feeling constantly seen by the people you see daily and it being a somewhat competitive environment and not feeling like you’re necessarily ‘as good’ as everyone else,” said Stych. Now based in New York City, Self-Help is currently recording their third album, as well as getting used to subways and crowded streets. To support the kind members of Self-Help, listen to and purchase their music on their Bandcamp page at self-helpguy. bandcamp.com, which also links to their Spotify page. You can also watch their many live performances on YouTube.
ENTERTAINMENT
SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
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Southern Wing Company hosts first ever karaoke night S A’DARIUS MCCORMICK PRINTZ REPORTER
outhern Wing Company hosted its first event on its third floor Tuesday evening, where all types of Southern Miss students got a chance to sing their favorite songs. Eagle Dining, the main operators of the Southern Wing Company, prepared and hosted its very first Karaoke Night. The invite, posted on Eagle Dining’s official social media, called for all kinds of Southern Miss students to attend. “You don’t have to have a meal plan. You can be a commuter. You can live on campus, off campus. You can just come,” Lauren Brescher, the Marketing Manager for Eagle Dining, said. The Karaoke Night was largely an experiment for Eagle Dining, as they wanted to see how people would react to the possibility. “We want to see how the engagement goes,” Brescher
said. “It just depends on how the students come out for them.” And students came out in droves. A large crowd formed to watch several students sing the lyrics to their favorite hits. The third floor of the Southern Wing Company itself was filled to capacity. The turn out by the end of the event even surprised Brescher. In between songs, she told a student that the turnout might lead to a permanent event. Sophomore Raven Day and three other friends were among the crowd at the Southern Wing Company. Day had not planned to put herself out the way she did. “Honestly, my friend kind of dragged me into it [performing],” Day said. However, Day felt better about the performance about halfway through the group’s rendition of Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor”. “After getting on stage, it
turned out to be pretty fun, and having the crowd to hype everyone up was nice even if we didn’t know how to actually sing,” Day said. Not every student sang at the event, though. Most students attended karaoke night solely to watch or cheer on the performers. Senior Andru Catchings sat front and center as performers would come and go on and off the stage. He said enjoyed the experience of the karaoke night overall. “It was very fun,” said Catchings, “and while I didn’t personally get up and sing, it was very fun to sing along with everyone.” Catchings also heard about the karaoke night’s possible expansion into a permanent event, and he was pleased with the possibility. “That’s great news,” Catchings said. “If my schedule allows it, I’ll definitely attend.” Along with Karaoke Night,
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Brescher said that Eagle Dining plans to host many different events at the Southern Wing Company and its courtyard. “On October 12, we’re going to have the Ruby City Band play out here in the courtyard, so we’re just trying to do [some fun things] for the students,” Brescher said. This event, like the Karaoke Night, would also be held on a Tuesday evening. “We know Tuesday nights not many things are going on in the community, so we thought, ‘Okay, Tuesdays would be good for students to have something to do’,” Brescher explained. Though there was no formal “winner” of the night, as the event was not a competition, every student that came to the event left with a Southern Wing Company baseball t-shirt and koozie.
SPORTS
SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM
No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide rolls over Southern Miss
Southern Miss Special Team defends a kick after one of Albama’s nine touchdowns.
CHARLIE LUTTRELL SM2 NEWS DIRECTOR
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he University of Alabama (4-0), the number one ranked team in the nation, proved too much for Head Coach Will Hall and Southern Miss (1-3) to handle, as the Crimson Tide crushed the Golden Eagles for a 63-14 victory. Alabama fired on all cylinders from the first seconds of the game, when wide receiver Jameson Williams returned the opening kickoff for a 100-yard touchdown. The Crimson Tide totaled 606 yards on offense, spearheaded by quarterback Bryce Young. Young continued his stellar start to the season with 20 completions on 22 passes for 313 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. “They’re really good, as good as advertised,” Hall said. While Hall said the score does not reflect where the program wants to be, he said he respected the team’s “effort and attitude” throughout the game against the Crimson Tide, including the offense’s ability to score twice after going scoreless in two games earlier this season. “We’re a young offense that’s growing. It was good to put two scoring drives together against a great team and we can build on this moving forward,” Hall said. Playing in front of 100,077 fans at
Bryant-Denny Stadium, the Golden Eagles faced off both with the opposing team and one of the toughest college atmospheres to play in. “The crowd got so loud that from time to time, you couldn’t even hear. It was really hard,” safety Malik Shorts said. Alabama took control of the tempo in the first half, scoring on its first five drives. Alabama’s Roydell Williams also broke free for a 55-yard gain at the end of the first quarter, adding to the scoreboard with a one-yard touchdown. Southern Miss had an opportunity to score in the first quarter after two passes to tight end Grayson Gunter, but Ty Keyes threw an interception on the drive. Gunter finished the game as the team’s leading receiver with three catches for 61 yards. Prior to the game, he had only caught three passes this season. “Hall put me in a position to make plays and Ty Keyes stayed poised in the pocket and made throws,” Gunter said. “I knew coming into this week I was going to have an opportunity to make some catches and kudos to Hall for making that happen.” In his second start, Keyes threw for 131 yards on 11 of 24 passes for two touchdowns and one interception. Keyes also finished as the team’s leading rusher with 41 yards. “I thought Ty took huge steps forward,” Hall said. “He made some really
Charlie Luttrell | Printz
good throws and shows he belongs in an environment like this. He’s only going to get better from this.” Otherwise, Southern Miss failed to get its rushing attack going, being held to a total of 82 yards on 33 attempts. Starting back Frank Gore Jr. finished with just seven yards on nine attempts. The Crimson Tide succeeded against the Golden Eagles’ second nationally ranked rush defense, rushing for 213 yards. For reference, Southern Miss allowed only 136 rushing yards through its first three games. As the first half went on, Young aired the ball to Williams later in the second quarter, beating Southern Miss’ secondary for an 81-yard touchdown and extending the Crimson Tide’s lead to 35-0. Keyes and Southern Miss’ offense found rhythm late in the second quarter as freshman Chandler Pittman caught a 13-yard touchdown, which was also the first of his career. However, Alabama responded to Southern Miss’ score with a ten-play, 97yard drive to lead at halftime 42-7. Young tossed his fourth touchdown to running back Jase McClellan on a nine-yard score. McClellan then led the Crimson Tide with two rushes for 38 yards in the third quarter, leading to Young’s fifth touchdown on an 11-yard pass to Latu. Shorts stopped Alabama from scoring in the third quarter, giving Young his first
interception of the year from a dropped pass. Shorts also led the team with ten tackles, his most in a game this season. Williams returned another kick for a touchdown, earning his third score of the game in the third quarter. Williams recorded 258 all-purpose yards in the game. “That was disappointing because we had been so good in the kicking game,” Hall said. “We’ve got to get back on the drawing board and look at what happened right there and what the issues are.” Keyes added another touchdown on an eleven-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demarcus Jones in the fourth quarter. Alabama scored two more touchdowns to end the game. “I think we’re a team that’s trending in the right direction,” Gunter said. “We’ve got a young quarterback who’s out there competing every play, we’ve got guys who are spilling it [...] giving everything we have.” With the loss, Southern Miss falls to 5-37-2 against the Crimson Tide all-time. “I’m just proud of our guys. We didn’t give up and gave them a fight,” Shorts said. “This is a learning experience and we’re glad to have played these guys,” he added. The Golden Eagles will next face Rice in Houston, Texas on Oct. 2 to open its conference schedule.