SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • OCTOBER 7, 2020 | VOLUME 106 | ISSUE 9
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Level Up: Collegiate esports advance during pandemic
CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR Photo by Charlie Luttrell | Printz
ince March, professional and collegiate athletics have faced many operational challenges due to COVID-19. Although there are plenty of struggles sports have had to endure, the pandemic has also presented an opportunity for growth for the emerging realm of Esports.
Before COVID-19 halted inperson operations in the spring, the Esports program at Southern Miss, Eagle Esports, had recently formed. The program had its first formal signing day last February. Now, the program is finishing a new game arena in R.C.’s Lounge and preparing for competition. Eagle Esports has five
competitive teams that each compete in different games and their respective tournaments. There are teams for ‘Rainbow Six’, ‘Overwatch’, ‘Rocket League’, ‘Call of Duty’ and ‘League of Legends’. ‘League of Legends’ (LoL) coach and player Joshua Morgan explains the unique benefits that COVID-19 brought to esports.
“With COVID, everything’s remote and online,” Morgan said. “I do know for a fact that the collegiate scene went from 450 something teams last spring to over 700 this fall. Obviously, [there’s] nothing good about
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NEWS MEET THE STAFF Executive Editor
Brian Winters brian.s.winters@usm.edu
OCTOBER 7, 2020
Southern Miss releases procedures for game day events CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPROTS EDITOR
News & Features Editor Mary Murphy mary.s.murphy@usm.edu
Entertainment/Opinion Editor Meg Fuller meghan.fuller@usm.edu
Sports Editor
Charlie Luttrell charles.luttrell@usm.edu
Photography Editor
Meg Fuller meghan.fuller@usm.edu
Multimedia Editor
Blair Ballou blair.ballou@usm.edu
Social Media Editor
Bethany Morris bethany.morris@usm.edu
Design Editor
Marissa Haas marissa.haas@usm.edu
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n Aug. 25, the Southern Miss Department of Athletics announced special game day procedures for the 2020 football season. The procedures address various safety concerns of COVID-19 and reflect new guidelines put in place from Gov. Tate Reeves’ recent executive order on college football. Fans should expect these conditions at Southern Miss football home games this year: -There will be a 25% seating capacity at M.M. Roberts Stadium, or approximately 9,000-
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. Courtesy of Moffitt Health Center
10,000 fans, allowed into the stadium each game. -Individual tickets are currently not available for sale. Fans are encouraged to buy season tickets to attend games. Season tickets are also limited due to attendance restrictions. -There are 1,000 tickets available for students to sit in the student section. -Fans in attendance will be required to wear face coverings at entry and at all times in the stadium. Face coverings will be recommended while seated too. -Fans who do not live in the same household will be required to socially distance from each other by at least six feet. -All tailgating and social gatherings on campus will be prohibited before games.
-There will be a limit on cash transactions at concession stands. Cashless payment will be accepted and encouraged. -Hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the stadium. There will be signage and floor decals to encourage proper social distancing in waiting zones. These procedures will apply for the seven home games at M.M. Roberts Stadium this year. The Southern Miss Golden Eagles will begin the season at home on Sep. 3 versus the University of South Alabama. To read more information about game-days and to stay updated on the football season, visit www.southernmiss.com.
NEWS
OCTOBER 7, 2020
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Moffit Health Center corrects skewed COVID-19 testing data CARTER LISHEN PRINTZ REPORTER
offitt Health Center at the University of Southern Mississippi corrected a misrepresentation in COVID-19 testing data last week that caused a skewed positivity rate of 22% since August 5. The heightened rates were the product of missing testing data from the athletics department. Weekly, Moffitt Health Center reports their COVID-19 testing data on their website. However, as a precaution, all student-athletes must receive COVID-19 screenings from Moffitt each week. Since Moffitt began reporting data, only positive cases were included on their website, not the large amounts of negative athletics tests. After noticing how this affected their positivity rates, staff members reacted accordingly to keep their reports accurate and transparent. “We were concerned when we noticed the skewed positivity rate and thus worked quickly to gather [athletics data] so that information could be updated to reflect a more accurate depiction of testing on campus,” Kayla Johnson, Moffitt Health Center’s Health Education and Promo-
tions Coordinator, said. Though the delay in the athletics data was not explained, the additional results have lowered as a result. Moffitt Health Center’s website reported that the corrected positivity rate on campus is now around 5% for all tests taken since August 5 with 1766 negative athletics surveillance tests added to its reporting. The difference these results make to the overall detection rate is apparent especially with its weekly reporting rates. For the week of September 13-19, Moffitt first reported 43 positive COVID-19 cases after 162 total tests were taken, equating to a 27% positivity rate. After including 658 negative athletics surveillance tests, the rate for that week shrunk to 5%. The new positivity rate is on par with the U.S. positivity rate of 4.7% as of October 2, according to Johns Hopkins University’s national reporting data. The reason why these tests change the data so much is because the ratio of positivity cases decreases with this new data added on. A COVID-19 positivity rate is the quotient of the number of positive tests divided by the number of total tests performed for a given area. The more data provided, the more accurate the overall results. “The percent positive will be high if
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the number of positive tests is too high, or if the number of total tests is too low. A higher percent positive suggests higher transmission and that there are likely more people with coronavirus in the community who haven’t been tested yet,” Johns Hopkins Epidemiology professors David Dowdy and Gypsyamber D’Souza said. Johnson said Southern Miss’s percent of positive cases will vary each week, but increased testing helps to lower that rate and mitigate the spread of the virus. This is something Johnson wants to see more of from students. “I think what we are seeing currently is that many patients are waiting to be tested,” Johnson said. Johnson still wants students to practice surveillance testing even if they show no symptoms, though. Because of the large
number of asymptomatic cases associated with COVID-19, carriers may not know they are infected and unknowingly spread the virus to others. She also added that efficient testing can aid contact tracing. “The sooner we can identify positives and potential close contacts, the sooner we can get those individuals in isolation and quarantine” said Johnson. “This reduces the chance of spreading the virus to more people.” It’s important to note that data reported by Moffitt pertains only to tests performed on campus at the health center. It does not include tests students have received at other off-campus healthcare providers. If you believe you may have come into contact with COVID-19 or are displaying symptoms, contact Moffitt Health Center at 601.266.5390 or review procedures at usm.edu/student-health-services.
Southern Miss’ Unmanned Maritime Systems fourth class graduates BRIAN WINTERS EXECUTIVE EDITOR
he School of Ocean Science and Engineering (SOSE) at The University of Southern Mississippi held the Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMS) Certificate program for the fourth year in a row, starting in late August 2020 and finishing this past week. The class of15 graduates held a ceremony while observing COVID-19 guidelines. Graduates, guests, faculty and speakers maintained a six-foot distance and wore masks. The ceremony was also streamed live via Zoom for those who could not attend in person. Through the UMS Certificate program, students learn foundational material in oceanography and ocean engineering principles related to unmanned undersea and surface vehicles (UUVs and USVs), such as powered vehicles and gliders. The four courses, totaling 10 credits, are compressed into five weeks of instruction and are intended to provide sufficient background to safely operate these vehicles in challenging marine environments. During the UMS course, each student obtains a kit containing parts from which
they build an educational glider. Building this glider helps them to understand electronics and soldering, as well as ballasting dynamics critical to safely operating UUVs and USVs. At the end of the course, the students race the gliders in the tank at the Marine Research Center in Gulfport. The person who has adjusted the programming and ballasting to be most efficient usually wins. “The experience of teaching a diverse group of students in unmanned systems in the hands-on small classroom setting allows for collaborations which will continue beyond the classroom,” tnstructor Kevin Martin said. “Oceanography, especially unmanned systems, is a small ever-growing group of scientists[, and] collaborations allow for the advancement of this technology and field.” While the program successfully graduated 15 students this year, it was not without obstacles. “The students and staff of this year’s UMS Certificate program did a superb job to overcome delays due to the pandemic and an active tropical storm season,” Rich Delgado, the Coordinator of the Unmanned Maritime Systems program at SOSE, said. “They made the 2020 session another successful opportunity for learning the fundamental principles of unmanned systems operation.” The UMS Certificate program is unique in
Photo courtesy of School of Ocean Science and Engineering that it is the only one of its kind. Beginning in 2017, the fourth graduating class brings the total number of graduates from the program to 78. Chris Winstead Ph.D., Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, is one of many who hope to see the program continue on for years to come. “We like to think that we continue to lead in academia and in research for the maritime industry or ‘Blue Economy’. It’s really a focus for the University for our Gulf Coast opera-
tions[,] and we also want to be an enduring partner not only in the Blue Economy[,] but in our national defense,” Winstead said. Winstead also expressed to the graduates, “We look forward to having you on [Team Blue] well into the future.” To learn more about the School of Ocean Science and Engineering at Southern Miss, call 228.214.9010 or visit https://www.usm. edu/ocean-science-engineering.
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OPINION
OCTOBER 7, 2020
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It is traumatizing to be a Black girl SARAH BURSE
PRINTZ REPORTER am going to start this piece with a trigger warning. Racism is a sensitive subject to talk about, but it needs to be talked about, especially as a black woman in
America. Imagine waking up in the morning happy to be alive. Happy that the sky is blue and the sun is out. You turn on the news to check the weather. Then you see the name “Breonna Taylor” flash across the screen. You sit down in a chair and turn the volume up. “Breonna Taylor has been shot in her apartment.” Those words ring in your ears as you look at her black face and feel the pain of every black person in the U.S. You look in the mirror and see her face, your face, your mother’s face, your friend’s face. This is another day of pain for people who look like you. Brett Hankison, one of the officers involved in Taylor’s murder, was recently charged with negligence and endangerment of the neighboring apartment. However, his bond was set at $15,000 and he paid it. The other two officers that
were involved in Taylor’s murder, Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, were not charged. No officer was charged with Taylor’s death. Hankison’s case wasn’t about Breonna Taylor. This is not justice for Breonna Taylor. But the saddest thing about this situation is that I wasn’t surprised the officers were not charged for her murder. Our history has many cases of injustice involving police brutality. Whenever black people hear these stories, the main question on our minds is,“Am I next?” I fear for my life whenever I see blue lights on the rearview mirror. I fear for my life when I walk out my front door. I fear for my friend’s life when they are wearing a hood in a gas station. I fear for the life of all people of color in the United States. It is the year 2020, and we are still being murdered for the color of our skin. What did black people do to deserve this long-lasting discrimination? Black women and men have fought along with our fellow white citizens in the Suffrage Movement, the Civil War, the Vietnam War and many more. So who is fighting for us now? Princess Lambert is a senior Nutrition major. Alongside being an intelligent and passionate student, she is also a black woman. I asked her how she felt being a black
Illustration by Erin Collins | Printz
woman in the United States right now. “Black women have to pick everyone else up, but when it is time for us to be lifted, no one is there,” Lambert said. Lambert spoke about the domestic situation between Meg Thee Stallion and Torey Lanez, where Lanez shot Stallion in the foot after an argument. A lot of black men were blaming and putting Stallion down over the encounter even though she was the one shot. The bottom line is that being a black woman, black man or person of color is systematically, individually and institutionally oppressing. It is a constant struggle to gain opportunities and live a life of great satisfaction. Not only are we dealing with a
pandemic that has hit our community the hardest, but we have to fear for our lives in the presence of police. It should not be an ongoing traumatic event to be a person of color in 2020. “It is traumatizing being black,” Lambert said, “but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” This is a reminder to please vote if you wish to have a voice in this country. Without voting, people of color continue to stay silenced and political leaders continue to do the silencing. If we want real change to happen, we have to change things ourselves. “Black Lives Matter, now and forever,” Lambert said.
Biden-Trump debate goes up in flames DIPIN SUBEDI PRINTZ REPORTER he first Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden was a complete waste of time. The once revered debate platform lost all its charm on Thursday night. Neither candidate was able to fully reveal their plans and policies post-election since they were too busy flinging epithets towards each other. The debate drifted beyond barbaric limits, especially thanks to President Trump. Some audiences were enraptured by the impromptu exchanges between Trump and Biden, but saw the debate overall as unorthodox. They could not have been more correct, since a candidate’s oratory skills or decorum does not correlate with their ability to become a Commander-in-Chief. However, if these viewers cared to reflect upon the content of the debate, they would find them-
selves deluded through and through. Trump seemed to have no plan at all. He was a loudmouth bully using dysfunctional, worn-out tactics to intimidate his opponent. He carried a cornucopia of lies, out of which came baseless statistics and rebuttals that came in handy while lashing out at and interrupting Biden. Trump once again portrayed himself as the diabolical catalyst of political polarization. His constant criticism of Democrats was the worst excuse for his failures of handling the COVID-19 spread, pandemic-fueled recession and police brutality. Failing also to condemn white supremacist groups, insteadblaming the protests and upheavals solely on “ANTIFA”, displayed his incompetency and slandered the essence of ‘E Pluribus Unum’. His malicious lies were as misleading as his frequent interruptions. The lies ranged from the loss of ballots due to absentee voting, to distributing vaccines to Democrats alone before elections. None of these lies contained an ounce
of honesty. He also lied about all of his accomplishments, too. He boasted about how jobs soared after he took office when, in reality, manufacturing jobs declined in the United States. His exaggerated importance of the stock market over public health made him nothing short of a lunatic, because the stock markets are not the economy. Biden, on the other hand, maintained a calm demeanor and found some time between Trump’s interruptions to outline his plans. His plans post-election included increasing corporate taxes, better controlling climate change and creating new jobs and infrastructures while the country gradually shifts from using fossil fuels to renewable energy. It was arrant nonsense to hear Trump talk about providing clean drinking water and air for the people, as since he repealed every Obama administration rule that protected surface water resources and reduced carbon emissions, such as the Clean Water Rule and Clean Air Act. With no concrete plan to move forward, these moves
by Trump could have put the lives of many Americans at risk. On grave issues like the wildfires that have been destroying forests of California, the incumbent president continued his tradition of ignoring science. According to Trump, the wildfires had “no connection” with climate change, but were instead due to inadequate forest management. Although he did not comment on it, Trump’s views on the increasing rate of floods and tornadoes as a result of climate change would have been equally preposterous. All-in-all, the debate was a disaster. Trump proved once again that he is not the champion of the multitude, but the elite few. Biden, the actual champion of the multitude, showed excellent composure and was impervious to Trump’s gibberish. The chaos in both the country and the might be a premonition of unprecedented division between right and left-wing ideologies to come, which the candidates should address in the upcoming debates, if they strive for unity at all.
OCTOBER 7, 2020 WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM ‘Psych 2’ great for fans and newcomers alike ENTERTAINMENT
MORGAN LAWRENCE PRINTZ REPORTER
he fan favorite American TV comedy-drama series ‘Psych’, which aired from 2006 to 2014, made a return with their second film, ‘Psych 2: Lassie Come Home’, on the new streaming platform Peacock TV. ‘Psych’ made its first reappearance with ‘Psych: The Movie’ in 2017, which aired through its original cable television channel USA Network. Fans loved the first movie bring back the popular television series, but one character barely made an appearance. Timothy Omundson, who played Detective Carlton Lassiter, suffered a stroke before filming on the first movie began. Because of this, he was only able to make a small appearance while he was in recovery. Now, since the beloved Lassiter, or “Lassie”, missed out on the first film, the entire script of the second movie revolves around him and his life poststroke. The film opens with best friends Shawn and Gus three years after the events of the last movie. While on their way to visit Lassiter in a health care center, the pair finds a severed human hand, meaning there’s a new case to be solved.
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Viewers also learn that Lassiter ended up at the rehabilitation center after being shot multiple times on a case. Although Lasseter’s attack was assumed to be a closed case, Detective Juliet O’Hara, Shawn’s wife, discovers that Lassiter does not seem to recognize who investigators thought was the perpetrator. Now Juliet is on the hunt for the real suspect while Shawn and Gus try to uncover the
shady secrets the rehabilitation center is hiding. On top of all the crime investigations, we cut to Selene, Gus’s girlfriend and Juliet’s best friend, who just found out she’s pregnant. Because Gus is not answering his phone, Selene decides to follow Juliet to find him and just so happens to leave her positive pregnancy test in Juliet’s car. Later on, Shawn and Gus
sneak into Juliet’s car and find the test, which they assume is Juliet’s. Shawn, thinking he is going to be a father, has a crisis, as he’s not ready for this much responsibility. If all that drama is not enough, Shawn and Gus’s old Psych agency building has been turned into a cat bar. No, not a location with drunk cats, but rather a location for people to come grab a drink and pet cats. And, to top things off, Shawn’s dad Henry owns the place, making things even more awkward. Yes, it was a chaotic reunion of our beloved cast. Overall, the movie deserves a 10/10. Learning that the screen writers had to adapt their script to fit the actor was admirable. They did the best they could with what they had and did not find an easy way out, like finding a new actor to play Lassiter. There were times when the backstory of the plot got confusing, but the pieces eventually fit together perfectly. The plot twist at the end which revealed the killer was unexpected, too, and really satisfying to see. It was a perfectly chaotic reunion for our beloved cast. Watching your favorite characters deal with Russian ice bars, rehabilitation patients, killer nurses, a cute dog, a pineapple and a one-handed man? What is there not to love in ‘Psych 2’?
Elton John says farewell to the yellow brick road SKYLA LANGLEY PRINTZ REPORTER lton John announced the rescheduled dates for his previously postponed final ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour on his Instagram
last week. John announced in early January 2018 that he would be retiring from touring after embarking on his three-year ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour. His 300 show tour started in Allentown, Pennsylvania in September 2018 and was set to end in Auckland, New Zealand in Jan. 2023. In early March 2020, however, John announced the remaining shows would be postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19. A few months after postponement, John officially released the rescheduled dates in a social media post on Sept. 23. In his announcement, John said the tour will kick off again in Berlin in 2021, with the first date in the U.S. being January 2022 in New Orleans. After a legendary 50-year career, John’s final tour will take audiences on a journey of his life. An English singer, songwriter, pianist and composer, Sir Elton Hercules John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Pinner, Middlesex, England on March 25, 1947. John discovered his passion for music at an early age and taught himself how to play the piano at four-years-old. John proved this talent after he received a scholarship in his youth to a program by the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 1967, John answered a songwriter ad for Liberty Records and met his life-long lyr-
icist partner Bernie Taupin. After John and Taupin switched music labels, the two collaborated on more than 30 albums and sold over 300 million records world-wide, making John one of the best-selling artists of all time. John’s music career started with his first hit single, “Your Song”, from his self-titled second album. John was the most commercially successful from 1970-1976, with his best-selling albums ‘Honky Château’ (1972), ‘Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player’ (1973) and ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ (1973) dropping. One of John’s most famous music trademarks has always been his live performances, featuring over-the-top costumes from the glam rock era. In the late 70s, John came out as bisexual and began dating his label manager, John Reid. In the late 80s, John married one of his recording engineers, Renate Blauel. Four years after their marriage, John and Blauel divorced, and John officially came out as gay. John has been in a relationship with his partner David Furnish since 1993, and the two officially married in 2014. John and Furnish have two children, Elijah and Zackery. In 1990, after battling cocaine and alcohol abuse for decades, John was admitted to rehab. Inspired by his second chance at life, John established his own charitable organization in 1992 to help fight against AIDS. The Elton John AIDS Foundation has raised over $400 million to support HIV/ AIDS programs around the world. In March 2020, John hosted the iHeartRadio Living Room Concert for America to raise funds for COVID-19 relief efforts. In this fundraiser, John raised over $10 million. Through his AIDS Foundation, John also launched a $1
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million COVID-19 Emergency Fund to support marginalized communities around the world. On top of all of this, John has continued to make new music and work on side projects. John helped create the soundtrack for Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ in 1994, and helped produce the soundtrack for the Broadway show “Billy Elliot the Musical” in 2008. More recently, John released a critically acclaimed biopic, ‘Rocketman’, in May 2019. Later that same year, John published his autobiography, ‘Me’, which hit the top spot on the
New York Times’s ‘Best Sellers’ list. Elton John has lived a renowned life, and his final ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour will be a celebration of this life. Everything John has accomplished will come to a bittersweet end following his final tour. After the tour, John plans to use his time to be more involved in his children’s lives. It may be the end of the road for Elton John’s touring career, but his legacy and music will continue to inspire people for many years to come.
OPINION
OCTOBER 7, 2020
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OnlyFans shows the empowerment of sexual liberation
SARAH BURSE PRINTZ REPORTER n 2020, the world has moved from shaking hands to communicating over a computer/phone screen, such as in classrooms and offices. In desperate need of money and contact, more people are now participating in the online Erotic market, especially through the website OnlyFans. OnlyFans is an online platform where producers can post explicit photos and videos for monetary compensation. In order to see the explicit content, the viewer must subscribe to that person’s channel, paying upfront. The pandemic has influenced a spark in users of OnlyFans due to COVID-19 both causing a decrease in jobs and limiting social contact. “OnlyFans saw a spike of 3.5 million users in March, with 60,000 of them being creators,” said Canadian journalist Maggie Gowland. Most of these users are using OnlyFans as their primary income. Jobs are scarce and money is low for a lot of people, so OnlyFans has provided a quick, easy way to earn cash. Even celebrities are on the website to earn back lost money. Influencers like Bella Thorne and Cardi B are users and have publicly posted about it to their millions of
followers on Twitter and Instagram. Even though OnlyFans is a legit business that helps people make a profit, it is also viewed as immoral. Depending on a specific person’s background, they may believe that OnlyFans is degrading and immoral. This is especially the case for the United States, where a lot of social norms are based on religious ideologies. This has not stunted its growth, though. In a society where women are told what to wear, how to carry themselves and to stay covered, OnlyFans gives its users sexual liberation. “OnlyFans is a way for me to access sexual and personal freedom,” says an undisclosed OnlyFans user on social media. Many of us were raised to believe that sex work is degrading and disgusting. Whether people believe in this ideology or not, sex work is a business. Just like a singer, someone who uses OnlyFans is participating in a monetary transaction. I believe that selling explicit content is safer, especially now, than most sex work occupations. Unlike prostitution, users do not participate in sexual activity with their consumers. OnlyFans in particular is a good, safe way to earn money. According to Vice News, CEO Tim Stokely has said that creators earn a commission of “80 percent”. This percentage is more than hair stylists who work at a shop get to keep. This is the main
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reason why this platform is so popular: content creators remain safe while allowing their customers a more personal interaction than other erotic websites. I know many people who are OnlyFans users and they are financially independent as a result. OnlyFans could be empowering for men, women and those who are non-binary. Most explicit content shows men and women who are “socially attractive and fit”, but those are not all possible content creators. It doesn’t matter if you are skinny, curvy, or somewhere in between, you can sell content on this online platform.
Although, not every video or image on this platform is sexual. All over social media, I see people promoting body positivity through OnlyFans. Generation Z are huge advocates for sexual freedom, whether for the LGBTQ+ community, sex workers or erotica actors. OnlyFans shows how Gen Z’s beliefs can be acted on. OnlyFans gives men, women and people who are non-binary the freedom to unapologetically express themselves while making money. Not only does it give users a safe, intimate experience, but does so for anyone, regardless of their identity or body type.
The Chief Justice race intensifies
DIPIN SUBEDI PRINTZ REPORTER
resident Donald Trump and other Republican senators got infected with COVID-19 this week after attending an event at the White House where Trump announced the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. This could be a real horror for other Republicans Senators because every vote is invaluable for her confirmation. Although the Democrats have argued to postpone the process, Republicans don’t seem to budge a bit and are keen about getting their job done – which is unethical. Lindsey Graham, Judiciary Committee chairman and Republican senator from South Carolina, is adamant about keeping the process on track to meet the quick timeline for Judge confirmation. GOP Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who is also in the Judiciary Committee, has isolated himself for 10 days due to COVID, but has announced he will be back for Barret’s confirmation on time. Barrett’s qualifications are unquestionable. As an erudite scholar with a profound knowledge of the Constitution, she would make an excellent Chief Justice. However, given this situation, senators must have different priorities. The Republicans seem nonsensically
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ruthless in completing their task. Bringing COVID-19 in the same chamber as non-infected senators could be disastrous, regardless if they are Republicans or Democrats, as a majority of them are older people more at risk of death. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement, “It is premature for Chairman Graham to commit to a hearing schedule when we do not know the full extent of potential exposure stemming from the president’s infection and before the White House puts in place a contact tracing plan to
prevent further spread of the disease.” He also mentioned that the Democrats won’t accept a virtual senate hearing. Conducting the hearings remotely would have been possible for other events, but the nomination of a Chief Justice to the Supreme Court that will tilt its ideological position for decades to come is a decision to be done in person. Politics aside, this should be a serious concern for all lawmakers involved. Democrats should not mirror the hubris of Republican senators, who did not even wear a face-covering at the nomina-
tion event. There is increasing evidence of the indifference of Republican senators towards public health. Their continual pressure to reopen without necessary precautions and killing the stimulus bill that helps people affected by the crashing economy despite everything shows they were never serious about the pandemic at all. Republican senators and Trump should know that if COVID-19infects a couple more Republican senators, they will be short of the required quorum and all the haste for a new Justice will amount to nothing. The myopic president and the senators also should consider their defeat in the upcoming election should they continue on this way. Talking about the importance of compliance with the law when they got sick by breaking the same guidelines is ridiculously hypocritically and not a great look. The quest for power in the Supreme Court has crossed its limits. The unruly, unethical and crass behavior of the Republican senators shows not only the shifting ideology of the nation’s judiciary, but foretells a nation where hypocrisy fares better than reason. Thus, the nomination process should not be continued until after the election to ensure the protection of lawmakers, sending a positive message to a nation still debilitated by the pandemic.
SPORTS
OCTOBER 7, 2020
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Southern Miss earns first win of season against North Texas CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR Photo by Meg Fuller | Printz fter three losses to start the season, Southern Miss (1-3, 1-1 C-USA) earned a high-scoring 41-31 win against conference rival North Texas (1-2, 0-1 C-USA). The game also marks Scotty Walden’s first victory as the Interim Head Coach. “These coaches, they fought through so much adversity, these players fought through so much adversity,” Walden said. “I’m just so thankful they got to reap the benefits of all their hard work and we’re going to keep this thing climbing and keep moving in the right direction.” Southern Miss had its best offensive performance of the year, gaining 437 total yards. The team relied on its rushing attack, which also notched a season-high 202 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Walden credited his offensive line for establishing the run game and protecting quarterback Jack Abraham throughout the game. “All those guys I thought just did an amazing job up front for us and paved the road for those backs,” Walden said. While North Texas earned nearly 500 yards on offense, Southern Miss’ defense and special teams forced three key turnovers. Southern Miss scored ten points off of those turnovers, which led to the game’s point differential. “I think we made them earn everything they got,” Walden said. “Don’t give them cheap ones, make them earn it and I think you’ve got a chance to win the game. That’s what our defense did tonight. I was so proud of our guys going and competing. They didn’t dwell on mistakes or dwell on big plays.” After North Texas kicker Ethan Mooney drilled a 49-yard field goal on the first possession of the game, Southern Miss’ offense responded with 17 unanswered points. The Golden Eagles got on the board with a 22-yard touch-
CONT. FROM PG 1 COVID, but one good shining part of it is we now have more participation. In that respect, it has been nice […and] it’s opened doors for esports.” Morgan also noted that teams who had difficulties with traveling to playoff events in different cities due to funding are now finding greater success in entering tournaments due to the pandemic restricting travel. However, there have been downsides to Esports due to the pandemic. Junior information technology major Jonathan Haigh is the coach of the program’s ‘Rocket League’ team. He has a completely new team from last year, but has had difficulty building team chemistry and getting to know the other players since they are unable to meet much in-person. “Everyone gets along pretty well[,] but I would like to have a more personal relationship where I can see them and actually go and get lunch with them or something after a meeting [...] and have a more personal relationship instead
down pass from Abraham to wide receiver Demarcus Jones, which was the first touchdown catch of his career at Southern Miss. Southern Miss then recovered a kick-off and added another touchdown with an 11-yard rush from freshman running back Frank Gore Jr. This was also Gore’s first career touchdown at Southern Miss. Gore finished the game with a career-high in carries (23) and yards (130). “I’m so proud of Frank, and what he’s bringing to the table,” Walden said. “He’s an incredible player and he’s going to be a really good one.” Southern Miss defensive lineman Dominic Quewon sacked North Texas quarterback Austin Aune and forced a fumble on the next drive. Linebacker TQ Newsome recovered the fumble, which set up a field goal by kicker Briggs Bourgeois to increase the Golden Eagles’ lead to 17-3 by the end of the first quarter. North Texas ended Southern Miss’ scoring streak by conducting a 14-play drive, which was finished with a goal-line touchdown rush from running back Tre Siggers. After missing a field goal early in the second quarter, kicker Briggs Bourgeois made a 46-yard field goal to put the Eagles up 20-10 at halftime. North Texas tried to kick a field goal before halftime, but defensive back Ky’el Hemby blocked the kick. On the first drive of the second half, Abraham found receiver Jason Brownlee wide open in the middle of the field for a 68-yard touchdown. Brownlee finished the game with four catches for 110 yards, now having three straight games with a receiving touchdown. On the opposing receiving corps, North Texas receiver Jaelon Darden caught his sixth touchdown pass of the year on a 17-yard pass from Aune. Darden finished the game with 13 receptions and 104 yards. After linebacker Devin Thomas recovered a fumbled punt from Darden, running back Darius Maberry ran his first career touchdown on a four-yard rush. Maberry soon added his second touchdown of the night to put the Golden Eagles up 41-24. Maberry finished with 55 yards on 17 carries. “I don’t know if I could be more proud of one guy than
Darius Maberry,” Walden said. “[He’s] a guy that’s fought his whole career and hasn’t really gotten the results he wanted, but we know what kind of player he is [...] we know what he’s got under the hood and I think finally, he said ‘Hey, I’m just going to play with confidence and be me’.” North Texas fought and staged a one-minute drive with two deep passes from Aune. Aune found wide receiver Deonte Simpson for a 37-yard touchdown, bringing the team back within two possessions. However, Southern Miss ran the clock down to prevent any chances of a comeback.
Aune finished the game with 339 yards on 28 completions out of 47 attempts. Abraham passed 235 yards on 16 completions out of 30 attempts for two touchdowns and one interception. Though the game was overall a success, Southern Miss battled with injuries throughout the game. Running back Dee Baker left the game after his first carry. Offensive lineman Byrce Foxworth suffered a hand injury and left the game. The team was also without its star receiver, Tim Jones, for a second straight game.
of just all business and not just messaging me as a coach, but as a person too,” Haigh said. Despite not being able to meet together in-person to play, Haigh says that the team has been able to easily get online and play together. Team Gold took two wins against Shenandoah University and Oklahoma City University to start its competitive play in the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE). The LoL, ‘Overwatch’ and ‘Rainbow Six’ teams are also starting to play competitive matches this fall. “Usually, the spring is the only time ‘League of Legends’ competes and it’s all colleges across the states,” Morgan said. “They decided to move it to the fall. It’s the first time, so I have no idea what to expect. I’ve never run this tournament before. It’s going to be new for everybody[,] so I’m really excited about switching things up.” The LoL team will be playing its competitive matches on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The team also practices and scrimmages against other colleges each week to practice.
Morgan describes how new the scene of collegiate Esports is, especially for LoL. “A lot of people think it’s a lot more established than it is, but it’s not,” Morgan said. “The first LoL tournament for college was in 2016. The first wave of people to compete hasn’t even graduated yet. This is literally the first generation.” Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Denny Bubrig explains his vision for the growth of the program at Southern Miss. “We believe that if we get this going and going the right way, it’s going to be a golden opportunity for recruiting for students [and] it’s going to be an opportunity for students to get involved that haven’t been there before,” Bubrig said. “It also has a position as an opportunity for us to be a regional and one of the national leaders in the context of digital engagement through esports.” Morgan notes that, while Southern Miss formed its program after Mississippi State and Ole Miss did, he believes that the program has grown to
rival the other schools’ programs. “USM is doing an incredible job of staying on the forefront,” Morgan said. “They were the last of the Big Three to get esports. I would argue that their program, what we’ve done with it, is if not surpassed it, we’ve at least caught the other two.” As the program grows, Bubrig says Eagle Esports are also exploring opportunities for the next generation of Esports players. “Esports on the high school level is still just getting started in the state, so we’ve been actively talking with the MHSAA about partnerships there,” Bubrig said. “So how can we help develop that next generation of players and coaches has been something that’s not been far from our minds.” To stay updated on Eagle Esports news, follow @ USMesports on social media. You can also follow and watch live streams of events on the club’s Twitch account, southernmsesportsofficial.
Frank Gore Jr. (pictured against Tulane) led the Golden Eagles’ rushing attack against North Texas with a career-best performance of 130 yards and one touchdown.