The Student Printz September 22, 2016

Thursday, September 22, 2016 Volume 101 Issue 8

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Open parking forum offers solutions JULIUS KIZZEE sports editor

On Sept. 21, University of Southern Mississippi President Rodney Bennett and Vice President for Finance and Administration Douglas Vinzant led a forum in Thad Cochran Center Ballroom I to discuss improving student and faculty parking problems.

The hour-long session featured members of the USM community such as Chief Communication Officer Jim Coll, President of SGA Caroline Bradley, Provost

and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Steven Moser and both undergraduate and graduate students.

President Rodney Bennett and Vice President for Finance and Administration Douglas Vinzant “This was a great opportunity and probably the first time we had this much discussion about parking,” Vinzant said. “I think this is the start of us setting up a permanent parking and transit services council with a lot of representation from students as well as faculty and staff. I only see

that as a good thing.”

Bradley said students should feel open to discuss the issue.

“I encourage you to spend this hour with an open mind while you can hear what Dr. Vinzant has to say when he is presenting,” Bradley said. “I hope you feel comfortable enough to ask questions and share ideas when the floor is open.”

Vinzant presented 14 slides that explained campus parking obstacles and solutions to students’ concerns. One solution Vinzant pitched was to have a permanent parking and transit that includes

access students, faculty and possibly even outsiders to the university.

“I feel really good about the conversation we had tonight and laying the foundation for better communication on an ongoing basis,” Vinzant said.

The parking and transition committee that Vinzant pitched could be effective as soon as this semester and will meet at least twice a semester — once in the beginning and once toward the end.

“Our goal is to respond to your

questions in an open transparent way while making sure that we all understand the financial impact of each option for improvement,” Bennett said. “I also anticipate that Dr. Vincent plans to discuss the formation of a parking advisory in the near future.”

For the campus, the addition of a parking and transition committee to add clarity to a situation where students are becoming more and more outspoken on their difficulties on finding a parking spot on campus — whether a commuter, faculty or resident.

Julius Kizzee | Printz Vice President for Finance and Adminstration Douglas Vinzant talks to the Southern Miss community during the Open Parking Forum on Sept. 21.

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INTRODUCTION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016

Meet the Staff Fall 2016 Cam Bonelli

Executive Editor

catherine.bonelli@usm.edu

FIND US ON THE WEB The Student Printz

Jack Hammett

Managing Editor

jesse.hammett@usm.edu

@studentprintz

Garrett Minta News Editor

garrett.minta@usm.edu

Hiba Tahir

studentprintz.com

Entertainment Editor

hiba.tahir@usm.edu

Julius Kizzee Sports Editor

southernprintz@gmail.com

Hunt Mercier Photo Editor

hunt.mercier@usm.edu

OPINIONS 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.

Jhaimee Bullock Design Editor

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Hannah Heneghan

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hannah.heneghan@usm.edu

Printz Designer

EDITORIAL POLICY The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not necessarily 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 submissions 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.

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NEWS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016

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Administration extends course deadline

JOCELYNE SIMS printz reporter

The University of Southern Mississippi extended the deadline for the Academic Integrity Module to Sept. 22. Originally, administration sent out a mass email on the week of Sept. 12 stating the mandatory course must be completed by Sept. 16.

Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Amy Chasteen Miller said the date was extended because of the university-wide email transition.

“Academic integrity is important,

and I’d rather for students to complete this course rather than receive a penalty for something that could have been avoided or something they didn’t understand,” Miller said. “Your USM degree says a lot about you as person when employers know of our academic integrity initiative. We want everyone to recognize that the students at this institution are not only hard workers but that they are also honest and trustworthy.”

Senior Kaitlyn Koehn said although she completed the course a day before the due date, she did not read the email and

nearly scrolled past the link on Blackboard.

“I check my email frequently, but the email about the course didn’t stand out,” Koehn said. “It wasn’t until I logged into blackboard that I noticed a weird link with a note that said I will be locked out of my account if I don’t complete the course. Luckily, I saw the link and finished just in time.”

“I didn’t know anything about it,” said Senior Jazmine. “But I am able to log into my account. I hope that means they prolonged the due date!”

The academic integrity module’s

sole purpose is to educate students on the importance certain vocabulary words and academic terms.

“I worked with a group of people to develop this module in a way that is particular to Southern Miss,” Miller said. “You must complete the module to gain an understanding of Southern Miss’s academic integrity guidelines and to make sure that you are aware of recent changes.”

“The XF grade allows professors to fail a student due to academic misconduct,” Miller said. “All information pertaining to the

grade can be found in the academic integrity module. In contrast, the module also teaches students how to appeal an XF grade if presented with one.”

According to Miller and students who have completed the course, the academic integrity module takes about ten to fifteen minutes to complete.

To find more information about the Academic Integrity course, email Amy Chasteen Miller at integrity@usm.edu or compliance@ usm.edu.

America loses with two-party system GARRETT MINTA

news editor

Seth McFarlane recently tweeted, “Remember: This November you can help elect President Donald Trump just by voting for Gary Johnson or Jill Stein!

Happy Election Year!”

This is demonstrably wrong, but more than that, it promotes fear politics that swing ballot boxes in all different directions.

Libertarian nominee Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein both fell below the 15 percent mark to appear in the televised presidential debates alongside big ticket party nominees Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Gary does not have a statistical chance to win. When Johnson’s name is not in a few of the polls that decide whether or not he would share the debate stage with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, did he ever have a chance to begin with?

Unfortunately, this is one of the peddled fears and feelings that have been around for decades. The “voting for anyone other than us is wasting your vote” sentiment is in no way new or true.

By casting your ballot for someone for president, you let your voice be heard in this representative democracy.

Now that is the idealistic way for the system to run. However, the actual system tends to be much darker and uglier than anybody would like to admit.

The DNC scandal that broke a month ago and other tips and hints from party

officials have left the people knowing that there is no longer a balance of power existing between the government and the governed.

Clinton and Trump have both made great strides to alienate voters this election season. They are desperate to get the electorate on their sides, but nothing seems to be working. According to Five

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Thirty Eight, the disapproval numbers for Trump tops over 50 percent with Clinton’s disapproval number reaching close to 40 percent.

These numbers are staggering and display a bigger trend than people may be willing to discuss. Trump is disliked because of his routine offensive remarks that mire him in controversy,

and Clinton is disliked thanks to her constantly being steeped in controversy since her days as the First Lady. There will be no clear winners in November, only losers.

Almost half of the population feels disenfranchised one way or another, and Johnson may seem like their saving grace. However, even his run is less than

ideal with one large problem looming over him: He is not on a big party ticket.

Johnson has a high number of young supporters, and disenfranchised ‘Bernie or Bust’ supporters have flocked to Stein. Part of Johnson’s appeal is his third-party status, could very well be the reason he will not win in November.

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FEATURE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016

Center helps students discover goals, internships JAMUAD BELL

printz reporter

This year The University of Southern Mississippi established the Center for Pathway Experiences to enhance and promote significant quality experiences connected to a student’s post-graduation goals such as internships, research and other forms of fieldwork,” according to the center’s web page.

The Center of Pathway Experiences was proposed two years ago as part of the Quality Enhancement Plan. Currently, the office operates under Assistant Provost of Accreditation William Powell.

The center further establishes The University of Southern Mississippi’s accreditation, according to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Colleges.

The mission of the commission is to create a definite requirement for strong educational quality and improve the effectiveness of its member institutions.

Pathway Experiences provides scholarships to students who pursue internships. The center’s goal is to enhance the pathway experiences for undergraduate students and to promote academic initiatives with faculty.

“Most of our scholarships benefit summer internships,” said Pathway Experiences Director Gonzalez said. “So our deadline is March 1.”

The scholarships reach upward of $3,000 depending on the nature of the internship and the amount paid from the providing company.

“We help in any part of the application process,” Gonzalez said.

Pathway Experiences also assists

students by providing them with application experience and helping students improve their resume.

They also work with the Hattiesburg and Goldpark Communities.

Pathway is also located in the Goldpark Community.

The center is currently looking into graduation cords recognition so that those who have participated in Pathway Experiences learning can earn a graduation cord.

Erica Adams, a junior special education major, said this is a good thing.

“If [the students] have internships, they are taking their future seriously,” she said. “They deserve the scholarships and the incentive to pursue Pathway.”

“The addition of the Pathways Experiences program on our campus will allow a much-needed concentration on developing

learning opportunities for our students,” Director of Career Services Rusty Anderson said.

“Employers and graduate school admissions officers often cite a preference for students with career-related experiences or research backgrounds.

The Pathways Experience opportunities will give Southern Miss students a competitive edge in career progression.”

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University Libraries to host Open Access events DAWN SMITH

press release

University Libraries will participate in Open Access events during the month of October in an effort to provide The University of Southern Miss academic and research community the opportunity to learn about the potential benefits of open access, particularly those related to open textbooks.

Open Access events take place around the world and are now entering the 10th year. Through a series of events, university faculty and students will be able to attend sessions on open textbooks and Open Educational Resources.

Attendees will learn the basics of open textbooks and OER, how they work and can benefit faculty and students, how to create an open textbook and hear experiences and perspectives of open textbooks and OER from a combined faculty and student panel.

“The University has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to student success in recent years, and open textbooks complement these efforts wonderfully,” said University Libraries Institutional Repository Coordinator Josh Cromwell.

“Because open textbooks are free, they ensure that students have

access to all required readings for their course while also alleviating the financial burden of purchasing expensive traditional textbooks.

Open textbook programs at other institutions have saved their students [more than] $1 million in textbook costs over a fiveyear period. We believe that open textbooks at Southern Miss can offer that same level of benefit for our students.”

Cromwell manages The Aquila Digital Community, the university’s institutional repository, and is one of the organizers of Open Access events.

Open access to information – the free, immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research and the right to use and reuse those results as you need – has the power to transform the way research and scientific inquiry are conducted.

It has direct and widespread implications for academia, medicine, science, industry and society as a whole.

Open access has the potential to maximize research investments, increase the exposure and use of published research, facilitate the ability to conduct research across available literature and enhance the overall advancement of scholarship.

Research funding agencies, academic institutions, researchers and scientists, teachers, students

and members of the general public are supporting a move towards open access in increasing numbers

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every year, and the recognition of open access is a key opportunity for all members of the community to

take action to keep this momentum moving forward.

FEATURE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016

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Outsider’s Perspective: Temporary punk JULIUS KIZZEE sports editor

Within the first 10 minutes of arriving, I had no idea what was going on. I had never been around so many kids in dark clothes and vibrant lipstick. I knew I had no business being in the crowd of 50 people listening to music I rarely hear.

“Everyone’s ability to squeeze into such a small space – I don’t know how [they do it],” said freshman and Memphis native Aaliyah Muhammad, who was attending her third show of the year.

The house is known as the Porn Hall. It features everything from vulgarities sprayed in the backyard to Chef Boyardee in the kitchen cabinets. But that is part of what makes the place more intimate for the crowd. “[Hampton Martin] lives here with, like, this solid core of punks in Hattiesburg, [who] have thrown amazing shows for bands in the past few years,” said Jordan Carr, a band member of Chasm. “Any Midwest punk band is going to play a show in this house.”

By the 11th minute of being there, I was captivated. Several bands played on through the night.

I was now a temporary punk in Hattiesburg.

“We don’t get a lot of punk [in Memphis],” Muhammad said.

“It’s really great to see a change in everything, especially in the people, the dress and how comfortable everyone seems like they are. It’s actually a real great environment to be in.”

These people are not the confused bunch as portrayed on television.

The media tells us punks are rowdy people with no sense and who want to destroy everything. But these people were genuine, despite actually throwing their bodies against one another in a violent manner.

“It can get super hectic, but it’s never unmanageable,” said Porn Hall owner and resident Hampton Martin. “The people in there all know each other and know what they’re doing – kind of. It’s never like a madhouse where you can’t control it.”

These punks were actual people – not some crazy drugged-out kids who never had a care in the world for their well-being. Mind you, I was one of only three black people in the entire audience.

But just as soon as I saw race as being a factor in telling myself, “I shouldn’t be here,” others would dispel that notion with kind words and sincerity.

“It’s just people having fun and

playing loud music,” Martin said.

“Just kind of free to be who you are, and no one really gives a f—. Do what you want.”

Shows go as one might expect. Yes, people did mosh, but no, I did not get thrown around in the crowd. I stood toward the back with my camera and observed the phenomenon.

The show ended at 10 p.m. – only three hours after I walked in the door.

“I’m constantly worried about the police breaking [it] up,” Martin said.

“If it gets too big, I’ll have to start telling people, ‘No, you can’t come in.’”

That is Martin’s only concern.

According to him, playing music past 10 p.m. will allow the law to intervene and stop the punks from expressing themselves and enjoying the scene. The fact that it is growing in popularity and bringing people like me, the Porn Hall could lose its secrecy.

“I kind of like that it’s underground,” Muhammad said.

“I’m kind of afraid it will lose its underground tone. But I think it all depends on the [punk] community.”

The Porn Hall will host numerous shows throughout the school year.

However, Martin specifically would like to keep the location secret, so you will have to get your golden ticket to see it all go down.

Swipe Right: Tinder experience of Mississippi Hijabi HIBA TAHIR

entertainment editor

Aristotle attended Plato’s Academy at the tender age of 18. Bill Gates was just 20 when he co-founded Microsoft, Oprah was 32 when she earned her first million and I was nearly 19 when I discovered the dating app Tinder.

First, it’s necessary to note that I am not the intended Tinder audience. As a Muslim girl who dons the hijab – you know, “that thing” people constantly ask if I will get killed for removing – I’m probably not the sort of person most guys in south Mississippi expect to see pop up on their screen. The hijab, combined with my blue contacts (honestly, why is this still a question I get? Of course they aren’t real), and incredibly original food metaphors (“I put the Hiba in Hibachi”) makes me an automatic right swipe for a lot of people.

I mean, I’m assuming.

My 600 matches are always somewhat mind-blowing to me because, despite accusations to the contrary, I am not a nice person. I am honest to a fault. I am enthused by cheese sticks and corny humor, cloudy skies and making people uncomfortable. Somehow, 600 young men in the Hattiesburg area were willing to take that chance, and consequently, I’ve learned a few things.

First, I have one automatic right swipe of my own – guys holding fish in their profile pictures. I send them all the same first message: “Nice minnow! :-)” The response is always something along the lines of “hahaha that’s funny.”

You can hear the asphyxia in those 16 letters. You can see the pain between each letter of that macho laughter.

“Like me please,” each character begs.

“Validate me again!”

I don’t answer. A few minutes later, they’ll inevitably say, “What’s up?”

It’s suave. It makes it sound like they don’t care. They can do bigger things.

Let them show me.

But this is where I show them mercy.

This is where I level the playing field.

“Just my cholesterol,” I say, and pleasantly surprised, they laugh again. They can see a future together.

They can see our entwined wrinkled hands reaching for statins at the local pharmacy.

This brings me to my next lesson – honesty begets hilarity, even when I don’t tell my own truths. I don’t have high cholesterol. I’m not as foreign as I pretend to be. I’m not The Proclaimers’ number one fan. But if you act embarrassed enough, people will believe anything.

I have a whole legion of frat boys in Hattiesburg and the surrounding

area convinced that my head will spontaneously combust if I pull my hijab off, and the only way to stop it is to traverse the Tibetan mountains seven times by Toggenburg goat.

Of course, it’s not always sunshine and rainbows. I often find myself incapable of responding at all. The other day, someone randomly messaged me “ISIS?” Was he asking? Was he legitimately concerned that I’ve partnered with a militant group and thought the quickest way to complete my mission was to download a hookup app?

If ISIS is a bunch of overly confident girls in frilly frocks trolling frat boys on Tinder, maybe we’ve been going about this whole war thing the wrong way.

Julius Kizzee | Printz

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OPINION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016

Margot Robbie to diversify maledominated DC universe

‘Blair Witch’ scares no one in sequel

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JACK HAMMETT managing editor

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ALYSSA BASS printz reporter

After starring in Warner Bros. movies “Focus,” “Tarzan” and “Suicide Squad,” actor Margot Robbie signed a deal with Warner Bros. on Sept. 14 to develop and produce films with LuckyChap Entertainment.

Most exciting to “Suicide Squad” fans, Robbie is officially producing and starring in a Harley Quinn solo film.

Harley Quinn became a DC cinematic universe fan favorite after debuting in the live-action “Suicide Squad” film in August, but Robbie didn’t initially understand why.

“I just didn’t understand how she could be such a badass and then fall to pieces over some guy,” Robbie said. “I found that really frustrating. Fans seem to really love that about her, that she has this complete devotion to a guy that treats her badly.”

Critics of the movie have argued that the Joker’s and Quinn’s abusive relationship is romanticized because most of the abusive scenes filmed for the movie were cut or revised. For instance, the scene in which Harley Quinn jumps from a falling helicopter with her “Puddin’” inside was changed; originally, the Joker would push her out of the helicopter so she would fall to her death.

Leto had a screen time of roughly 15 minutes in “Suicide Squad.”

Leto told BBC Radio 1 that he thinks there is enough Joker footage cut from “Suicide Squad” to make a standalone

Joker movie.

Because Leto was absent for the majority of the film, many viewers rooted for the Joker’s and Quinn’s romantic reunion.

However, Robbie now has the opportunity to portray the character as independent.

Since 1992, Harley Quinn has appeared in numerous comics, some of which feature her as the protagonist, so Robbie shouldn’t have trouble finding a story or two that highlight Quinn’s hidden quirks.

In addition, before the solo film was confirmed, rumors of the film including other female supervillains and heroes flew.

While a few of the villains and heroes that may be featured (Batgirl, Poison Ivy and Birds of Prey) are only known to avid comic book readers, the inclusion of these characters will bring would expand the DC fanbase to more women.

DC may look to gain more female fans over the next few years by including prominent female characters, as “Wonder Woman” is set to premier in 2017.

Fans will likely have to wait a few years for Robbie’s Harley Quinn spinoff.

DC has a long list of movies to be released within a span of four years, including “Justice League,” “Aquaman,” “Shazam” and “Cyborg.” Considering Robbie’s commitment and interest in her character, she may use her time wisely to evaluate and perfectly portray the antiheroine.

“I wish people would stop doing that,” Lisa said after a fellow character reconvened with her by committing yet another fantastically loud jump scare.

Those words had been mine half an hour before.

“Blair Witch” hit U.S. theaters Sept. 16 and grossed $9.7 million in its opening weekend.

Directed by Adam Wingard (“V/H/S”), the film is a sequel to the late-90s cult horror hit “The Blair Witch Project.”

The creators failed to recognize the importance of subtlety in filmmaking. This is painfully evident in their eagerness to “modernize” the story and shoehorn smartphones, Bluetooth cameras and a drone.

Furthermore, we get tastes of flying tents and characters being transported to another dimension.

You think I’m kidding. Yep, this is a canon “Blair Witch” movie.

As one can imagine, the film, much like other contemporary horror entries, relies heavily on jump scare marathons to keep the viewer interested. As one can also imagine, this element gets boring. Characters incessantly jumping out of the woods and evidently slapping the camera for effect at first comes off as

irritating but quickly becomes apparent as lazy filmmaking.

Speaking of lazy, my favorite character in the movie didn’t appear on screen. Our prettyboy protagonist heads off to the woods to find his sister, who had disappeared at the end of the original “Blair Witch.” I found myself happily sympathetic because I wanted to find his sister, too. But I soon realized that this relies on the viewer having seen the original movie and that the characters can’t stand on their own.

While some critics (who are idiots) might call it a minor flaw, one of the film’s greatest problems is, spoiler, that the black character dies first. I honestly didn’t know we were still doing this kind of thing. I thought we’d fixed the problem by having all-white casts these days. (This is meant to be sarcastic. I am an advocate for diversity in all creative fields.)

Eduardo Sanchez’s and Daniel

Myrick’s original, “The Blair Witch Project,” once did what modern horror films fail to do: It scared us.

Looking back, the elements that made the film effective are remarkably different from the horror tactics used in films like “Paranormal Activity” and “Insidious.” The buildup lasts the entire movie. The film centers not on noisy jump scares but quiet dread. The cinematography, wrought with intentional film grain and pixelation, makes the viewer feel vulnerable.

However, this installment is so blatant that we even see the witch on screen. There was a time when directors knew that not being able to see a force terrorizing characters was a potent storytelling device. One of the reasons films like “The Shining” and even “The Blair Witch Project” birth legacies is that their makers understand fear of the unknown.

10/7 - Big Freedia 10/21 -

Queen of Bounce

Cedric Burnside with Cary Hudson

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OPINION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016

Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act serves no justice J.D. RIMANN

printz reporter

Last week a major bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously after passing in the Senate earlier this year. This is noteworthy in this polarized and partisan age. Even more striking, however, is just how unwise of a bill it is.

Dubbed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act – it appears to be a rule that every bill that passes in Congress must mention either children or terrorism in the title – this bill would, according to its summary on the U.S. House website, “amend the federal judicial code to narrow the scope of foreign sovereign immunity by authorizing U.S. courts to hear cases involving claims against a foreign state for injuries, death or damages that occur inside the United States as a result of a tort, including an act of terrorism, committed anywhere by a foreign state or official. It [also] amends the federal criminal code to permit civil claims against a foreign state or official for injuries, death or damages from an act of international terrorism.”

Sounds reasonable, right? Wrong.

What this bill will do is allow American citizens to sue sovereign nations for wrongful death in an American civil court and for a broad range of actions.

Theoretically, if a Colombian terrorist stole dynamite from a Colombian army base and used it in a terror attack in the United States, Columbia as a nation could be sued in civil court by the

relatives of the victims and required to pay damages.

Likewise, this bill would expose American diplomats and military personnel overseas open to being hauled in front of a foreign court while on government business, a point illustrated in an open letter released this week by a bipartisan group of national security experts: “If JASTA is allowed to become law, it will completely undercut sovereign immunity protections upon which the United States and all sovereign nations have relied for centuries, and our troops, our diplomats and all U.S. government personnel working overseas could very well find themselves subject to lawsuits in other countries.”

The letter, whose signers included a former Secretary of Defense, a former CIA director and a former U.S. Attorney General went on to say that “the safety and security of our diplomats, intelligence offices, military and other senior officials of the U.S. Government, and their ability to perform their duties without foreign influence or intervention would be seriously imperiled by a process intent on denying them the international immunities that have been accepted by all civilized nations since the 16th century and earlier.”

Of course the fact that this bill would undercut a rule of international politics dating back to the 1500s and has the potential to gravely endanger American lives is not something with which Congress has shown much concern.

The bill is being sponsored by Rep. Peter King of New York. King, a man who is perhaps best known for writing a series of action thriller novels which star an elderly New York Congressman who bears a passing resemblance to one Peter King as the protagonist and hero – seriously, look it up – decided to up the ante from doing nothing to doing something antagonistic to American national interests.

While the bill makes no mention of the 9/11 attacks, the practical outcome of it passing in the short term is that a long-awaited civil lawsuit against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would finally be able to proceed in federal court. Rep. King would be hailed as some sort of hero, at least by the fine lawyers of his New York City district. Most likely, some of the money from a successful lawsuit would find its way into the coffers of this great national hero. All of the members of Congress get to run ads discussing how tough on terror they are, and how they pursued justice for the 9/11 attack victims or something along those lines.

Of course in reality, they have done nothing. No sacrifices have been asked of the American people, and no budget goodies have been cut from any lawmaker’s district. The bill was passed by voice vote, so if things go south, not a single lawmaker will be on the record for having contributed to a negative situation. In all respects, if you are a member of Congress or a trial lawyer wanting to pursue a lawsuit against one of the wealthiest nations on Earth in an American court, this is a win.

However, if you are a fan of justice or logic, it’s another story. Suing Saudi Arabia would not be justice because while yes, the majority of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudis, and yes, money from Saudi citizens has helped fund AlQaeda for years, there is no indication that the Saudi government had any involvement in the attack. The only real winners here are plaintiff lawyers.

If America stops narrowing the sovereign immunities of other sovereign nations, it is only logical that they do the same right back to the United States, which would open up the United States to all sorts of lawsuits from citizens of other countries. America kills foreign nationals routinely, directly and indirectly. Whether through drone strikes in Pakistan, weapons sales in

South America or boat crashes in the Pacific Ocean, people die as a result of American actions. Since America is a sovereign nation, it cannot be held liable for death in the civil court system of any other nation. Since America wants to change that for another nation, other nations may look to change that for America. Imagine the amount of wrongful death lawsuits that could be brought against the United States for civilian casualties due to drone strikes alone.

This act of Congress is a poor decision. It promotes neither justice nor reconciliation and will not act to deter terrorism. President Obama has made known that he will veto this bill when it comes to his desk, and that is a veto with which I can agree.

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SPORTS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016

Keys to Golden Eagle improvement JULIUS KIZZEE

ANDREW ABADIE

printz reporter

The Golden Eagles’ performance against Troy was much similar to when they played Kentucky.

The Golden Eagles had a very slow start that they could not rebound from this time. Southern Miss found itself classically overlooking a highly underrated Troy team.

The Golden Eagles saw many of their problems come from the offensive side of the ball. Turnovers continue to be the biggest thorn in the Golden Eagle offense’s side.

After Saturday, Nick Mullens’ interception ratio is now the same as his passing ratio which is at six-even. Although rain may have played as a factor for the 37-31 loss, it cannot be viewed as an excuse.

Penalties also plagued the offense which makes this an issue that needs to be cleaned up.

On another note, Ito Smith continues to stay effective and be a positive aspect for the offense. For another game, he helped carry his team when they needed him most.

The majority of the receivers’ production picked up in the second half, but the group needs to avoid dropping the ball which may have been the difference at times, but again could have occurred due to the weather.

The defense was no cleaner than the offense especially with penalties.

The defense has proven that it can adjust better in the second half and needs to stay that way.

However, the damage it does has been unfixable

sports editor

which means a balance needs to be found. The defensive line led by Dylan Bradley and Xavier Thingpen stayed effective totaling 17 tackles and 4.5 tackes for losses, in a collective effort.

The team seems to be a second half team. The offense overall has to stay effective and control the time of possession. If the Golden Eagle defense is left on the field too long, the secondary is slowly exposed, making the defensive line ineffective.

UTEP has struggled as a team in its pass two games allowing 43 points per game while only scoring 19 points per game.

Despite these poor numbers the Miners will look to utilize their star running back Aaron Jones who they lost after two games last season. Jones is a dual threat as a runner and receiver which could be a good test for the Golden Eagle defense.

The game looks to be a good game for the Golden Eagles to regain momentum but UTEP itself has enough weapons to be a gamechanger.

Commonly, most fans would jump ship and think the Golden Eagles could not win their fair share of games. But, what Southern Miss did not do on the field against Troy, they could improve on for the rest of the season.

“We had some miscues and some mis-executions,” said coach Jay Hopson. “It’s part of football. What we have to do from that is to live and learn.”

Southern Miss almost laid an egg in their 37-31 showing against the Troy Trojans. But besides the last play, the Golden Eagles lagged behind in key areas where the Trojans took advantage.

Even though they were the first on the scoreboard, Southern Miss was quickly blitzed by 17 quick Troy points in just 5:16 in total time in the first quarter that put USM behind, 17-7.

Southern Miss was basically playing catch-up from the first quarter. Combined with the rain that delayed the game, the Golden Eagles were thrown for a loop from the

outset.

“I know it was a rainy day, bad conditions but both teams have to handle it,” Hopson said. “They handled the conditions better than we did. That’s what I told them at halftime, everything that could go wrong for this football team has gone wrong and we’re only down seven.”

Senior quarterback Nick Mullens again had a subpar game, throwing two more interceptions on the season, but led the Golden Eagles to one final play as it came down to the wire.

From the nine-yard line, Mullens threw a post route into the end zone to Isaiah Jones that could not quite get there. The game ended and the questions starting arising on who to blame for the Golden Eagles loss.

“As a coach, you always take the blame for all of it,” Hopson said. “We got to execute better.”

Rewinding back to before the last drive, the Southern Miss offense just looked to be out of sync. Mullens was not connecting on all of his receivers, evidenced by his 24-of-52 throwing performance.

“We deserved every bit of that loss,” Mullens said.

“There’s no other way around it.”

He never really quite caught a rhythm with his receivers throughout the game.

flat-out dropped the pass, the receiving game was not there against Troy as Mullens reached 263 yards of passing on the day.

Looking at the final score, you would think that Southern Miss was gashed on defense. But this is where stats can be misleading.

The Trojan offense only had one drive that had to go longer than 50 yards for a score. Troy was working with short field position all night, which means that the defense can only give up so much.

“We were backed up a lot early in the first half,” Hopson said. “Seemed like to me in the first quarter and second quarter, it was almost like we were always backed up.”

The Golden Eagles were not looking for excuses or looking for reasons to say that they lost the game.

They just ... well ... lost.

But, this is a great learning moment for Southern Miss.

“Certainly that’s what you’re counting on as a football team is that this is a wake-up call,” Hopson said.

“Mistakes or errors that you make kind of amplify in a loss. You learn a lot more from your defeats.”

The Golden Eagles will return to the gridiron against UT- El Paso on Sept. 24.

“It’s our challenge to make this better,” Hopson said. “Adversity strikes us all.

This bunch is a fighting bunch.”

Whether the passes were over or under their intended targets, or the receiver just