SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • OCTOBER 2, 2019 | VOLUME 105 | ISSUE 06
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Center for Military Veterans finds a new home All photos by Caleb McCluskey | Printz
CALEB MCCLUSKEY NEWS EDITOR SM Foundation announced a fundraising initiative with the Center for Military Veterans, Service Member and Families Sept. 27 after privately raising $1.8 million for a new building, which will be on the corner of Pearl Street and 38th Avenue. The building will be named Quinlan-Hammond Hall of Honor. “At USM, we take our role as a military-friendly institution very seriously, and we work hard to support the educational goals of our service members who have given so much to ensure our freedoms are protected,” President Rodney
Bennett said. Bennet said the university is proud to be a military-friendly school and saw the need to expand from the previous building, which was significantly smaller with 1,600 square feet compared to the new proposed building’s 5,200 square feet. “As our student military population continues to grow, we must continue to provide them with adequate space and resources designed to meet their needs,” Bennett said. The Foundation needs $600,000 to complete the project. The building will provide more than 1,700 student veterans with a conference room, study space for small groups or individuals, a library with adjoining lounge, student meeting areas and staff office spaces. “This space will be a significant campus landmark and a safe haven, allowing our student
[veterans] to connect with others who share similar experiences,” the center’s director, Maj. Gen. Jeff Hammond, who is now retired from the military. The building will be constructed on previously undeveloped land, according to the owner of Spring Architecture and Engineering Rich Bekesh, who was one of three who designed the building. “The great thing about architecture is that from time to time in our careers we have an opportunity to produce buildings that have a positive impact on people’s lives,” Bekesh, who is not only a Southern Miss alumnus and veteran, said. “This is one of those buildings.” Chairman of the board of First National Bankers Bankshares Inc., Southern Miss alumnus and veteran Joseph F. Quinlan Jr. is the lead donor for the project. Quinlan said he is honored to have his name attached to the building along with Hammond’s.
Quinlan said he saw this as an opportunity to not only give back to his university, but also to give back to those in military service. “I see veterans coming home from conflicts looking for the fulfillment of a lot of promises that are made: aid, medical services, etc., and a lot of times, it just seems to fall through the cracks,” Quinlan said. “This is our way of trying to give back some of the respect that these veterans and their families so richly deserve.” Any funds raised over the $2.4 million goal will go into an endowment to provide support for the center. Quinlan said they want to have the complete funding by the end of the year. “We are well over halfway in the funding to this, but I would tell you that it is going to require some more giving and some more asking,” Quinlan said. Individuals can donate by going to the USM Foundation website.
NEWS OCTOBER 2, 2019 MEET THE STAFF Executive Editor
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Feature/Lifestyle Editor Karigan Teer karigan.teer@usm.edu
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Political candidates speak at forum KLARIA HOLMES PRINTZ REPORTER he African American Student Organization and NAACP partnered to host their first political forum Sept. 23, in which candidates discussed issues such as voter turnout, education and agriculture. The event, held in the Luckyday Multipurpose Room, featured several Mississippi politicians, including senior communications major Brandon Rue, Jay Hughes, Jennifer Riley-Collins, former Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny Dupree, Rickey Cole and Connie Moran. AASO President Kelsi Ford said the main goal of this forum was to educate the student body. “We are trying to bring educational pieces to students. Our organization is centered around cultural, social and academic services,” Ford said. “In the social aspect, college students don’t vote because they make up excuses like they don’t know who to vote for.” During the event, Rue, who is running to be state representative of District 102, said some students are not aware of the ways students are blocked or deterred from voting in Mississippi. “There was a lawsuit that was trying to get college students to not be able to vote in their college towns, which is ridiculous,” Rue said. “It was a direct attack on college students. For me, that’s one issue that I highlight the most. Students aren’t voting, and they don’t want us to vote.” Dupree, who is running for secretary of state, said this deterrent leads to very low voter turnouts that skew the outcome of the election and leaves only a small portion of the community to decide for everyone else. “You cannot get where we need to go by only having 10 or 15% of the people vote. In Venezuela, Hong Kong and Korea, there are millions of people marching in the streets right now. Why?” Dupree said. “They want what we have. All these nations want is to make sure they can elect people who are going to represent them.” Riley-Collins, who is running for attorney general, took a different approach to the issue of low voter turnout. She said the problem would be best solved with making voting more streamlined with online voter registrations and easier access to early voting. “The number one way to address the myriad
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of issues that Mississippi faces is to innovate the right to vote,” Riley-Collins said. “We need to make sure that people are able to vote early without excuse, and we need to make sure that people are able to register to vote online. We do everything else online, including paying our taxes. Why shouldn’t we be able to register to vote online as well?” Voter rights and turnout was not the only issue raised during the forum. Speakers also mentioned public education and the issues revolving around it. Hughes, who is running for lieutenant governor, said he believes that reforming the public education system within the state is the first step. “Education is the single greatest equalizer,” Hughes said. “It is the single greatest economic tool we have and the path out of poverty. We have to make sure we have the resources to allow the mind to be the best it can in every county, not just in the wealthier districts.” Rue said he believes in educational reform as well but also feels it starts with the teachers. “Systematically, we have some failures in our state that sabotage our educational system,” Rue said. “I think our teachers should be paid at least the southeastern average. Our teachers are paid the lowest rates in the country, and because of
that, we’re losing a lot of them.” Cole, who is running for agriculture commissioner, said he thinks one of the problems lies within Mississippi’s agricultural scene. “I think we outsource too much of our food. Ninety percent of what we eat in Mississippi is produced outside the state, which is a $6 billion yearly drain on our economy,” Cole said. “If we could bring one-sixth of that back to our state, that’d be a billion dollars. As far as food being made locally, that’d create 13,000 jobs, which is twice the amount of jobs at the Nissan plant in Canton.” Moran, who is running for public service commissioner, said she wants students to be aware that she’ll fight for them. “I want the students at Southern Miss to know that I will be their ‘watchdog’ in Jackson for your utility rates,” Moran said. “They should know that I value education and economic development and that I want to create an infrastructure that will help create jobs in the future.” Elections will be held Nov. 5. For more information on voter registration and precincts visit MS.gov, and information on the candidates can be found on their respective websites. Klaria Holmes previously worked for Hughes as an intern.
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. Comic by Darius Harris | Printz
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.
Correction: In the September 25, 2019, edition, Southern Miss professor Sam Bruton’s last name was misspelled as Burton in the news story “Methodist group explains importance of acceptance.”
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Major companies look to hire students at career expo
EARL STOUDEMIRE PRINTZ REPORTER
he career and internship expo will be hosted by Career Services Oct. 8 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center. Assistant Director of Career Services Kathy Killam said she is excited to share the opportunity
with students. “At this time we have 101 employers registered for the Career and Internship Expo,” Killam, who is the main planner for the event, said. “I anticipate more to register before the event, and we will have a packed house.” Several major companies coming to this expo include PepsiCo, MGM Resorts International, Yates Construction, Naval Oceanographic Office, Enterprise Holdings, Cintas Corporation, Ge Aviation and many others. “The expo is an excellent opportunity for students and alumni to network with employers who are looking for candidates to fill their vacancies,” Killam said. “It is also a way for students to learn more about the opportunities available to them and what is required for positions they may be interested in.” Southern Miss alumnas Benny Hubbard was a fall 2017 graduate in business administration. He said the event helped him get the job he is currently working, which is at the W Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, through the Voyage program under Marriott. “I was already at an internship with Enterprise, but I went to the career fair because it is always good to have other options open,” Hubbard said. “I stopped at the Marriot table to give them my résumé.” Hubbard said he and the recruiter talked about the Voyage program that day. Within two days, he got a call from the company for an interview. Through the program, Hubbard found a position at the W Hotel. Senior biological sciences major Michael Wilson said he is attending the career fair to gain more knowledge and direction in his field “What I hope to achieve is knowledge,” Wilson said. “I want to see what jobs they have to offer because my plan is to go to medical school to become a doctor.” Killam said students should prepare for the expo by doing research into the companies into they are interested in.
Courtesy photo from Southern Miss
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“Find out what they are looking for, and develop talking points and questions about the organization or opportunities for when you speak to the representative,” Killam said. “Prepare and practice your 30-second elevator pitch. Of course, have multiple copies of your
polished resume, and dress professionally on the day.” Hubbard said something all students looking for employment should keep in mind is confidence in yourself. “Confidence is key. Interview with everyone you
can, and let them choose you so have options to choose from instead of having all of your eggs in one basket,” Hubbard said. “It got me the chance to get out of Mississippi, and it has been a great time so far. It’s been a good experience.”
Textbook subscription services may benefit students CALEB MCCLUSKEY NEWS EDITOR extbook prices are the highest they’ve ever been nationally. In a message from the provost, Southern Miss Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Steven Moser, Ph.D., addressed the issue and supplied a possible answer. “We have long realized that the cost of attendance in Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning creates barriers to completion for some of our students,” Moser said. “Our goal has always been to make higher education accessible to all Mississippi students, and this is just one way we could offset those costs through thoughtful, intentional, institution-wide adoption practices around textbooks.” Moser said the Faculty Senate is making steps toward an alternative to the rising prices of textbooks. According to Intergrated Post Secondary Education Data System, students spent an average of $2,000 on textbooks last year. Moser said there has been a rising trend in textbook prices for much longer than many may realize. “The price of college textbooks has been rising rapidly for several decades, much faster than other consumer prices,” Moser said. “Many studies have attributed the root of textbook inflation to a lack of competition, and lack of student choice, that is, students must buy the books adopted by the unit.” Senior nursing major Shelby Hartley said she would have spent $1,200 this semester if not for a friend of the family, who had some of the books she needed, so instead she spent $450. She said she
was worried about getting her books due to the high cost. “I definitely have worried [about textbooks.] It’s not like most of your prereq classes where you can almost always get away without the book,” Hartley said. “In nursing school, you need the book and all the supplemental items that come with it in order to do well, and with homework and lecture starting the week school starts, it’s hard for people who have to wait for financial aid to get their books.” Moser said there are many ways to lower the cost of textbooks, including subscription services and facultycreated units for textbooks. These services are likened to Netflix or other streaming platforms where students pay a subscription fee and get access to all of their books for the semester or a flat rate. “Perhaps it is time as a faculty body to dig in a little deeper to our textbook adoption practices,” Moser wrote. “A $250 yearlong subscription versus that $2,000 average cost would be a significant savings for many of our students who are struggling financially.” Hartley said she agreed with Moser’s statement, and anything that would lower textbook prices would be great for the student body. “I think [a subscription service] would help,” Hartley said. “If all of your textbooks could be accessed for one whole unit price, I think it would be beneficial.” A subscription service would include a variety of content delivery modes from hardcover textbooks to electronic editions, and according to Moser, they have been implemented to great success in other universities. “As an example, the University of Missouri system adopted Cengage
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Subscription Textbook Services, and in the first year saved students nearly $3 million in textbook costs,” Moser said. The university is not the only entity that worries about the price and availability of books; private textbook sellers like the manager of Campus BookMart Jimmy Renfroe said they try to keep textbook prices down by providing rentals and only editions when at all possible. “Best options [Campus BookMart] have right now is either rental or digital copies of a book,” Renfroe said. “It is
normally a lot cheaper than buying physical books.” Renfroe, who has worked in the textbook industry since 1995, said he watched the trend of rising textbooks since he started working. “I’m not sure what drives [textbook] pricing, but I know I have seen the prices go up,” Renfroe said. “I have a daughter in college myself, so I understand. Just try to save where you can. If you like digital books, go that route and save money.”
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Mr. and Miss Southern Miss promote authenticity EARL STOUDEMIRE PRINTZ EDITOR
meet. Make them know you care about them and that they matter to you. Be you, be intentional, be genuine.”
n the midst of exams, football games and other university events, senior theatre major Tony Reimonenq and senior forensic science major Ta’Nika Williams have been elected to the 2019 Homecoming Court as Mr. and Miss Southern Miss.
Miss Southern Miss Ta’Nika Williams
Mr. Southern Miss Tony Reimonenq Reimonenq has been involved in numerous leadership positions, such as the Luckyday Citizenship Scholars program, Housing and Residence Life, the Student Government Association, Eagle Connection, Southern Style, AfroAmerican Student Organization and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. After four years of being students at Southern Miss, Reimonenq said he has learned to be more selfless through his involvement. “This university has taught me that it’s not all about me, and that the reasons I do things is that there are things that are bigger than me,” Reimonenq said. “I don’t need to be so selfish and look for personal gain, but how can I help the bigger picture?” Reimonenq said that his parents taught him the motto of ‘leaving something better than you found it’. He related this motto to his campaign slogan, #Tonythehomie. “In my campaign video, it just shows me in a couple of elements I have served in on-campus, and I’ve gotten the chance to meet so many different types of people because I’ve been so involved. But in all of those areas, I’m still Tony. It’s just being a friend to everyone,” Reimonenq said. Despite his heavy involvement in student life, Reimonenq said he is passionate about serving others..
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Tony Reimonenq and Ta’Nika Williams celebrate homecoming wins.
“I am that homie for you. I’m Tony the homie, we know each other. It’s important to be there for others. It doesn’t have to be me; you can be that homie away from home,” Reimonenq said. “I just plan on taking my experiences here and sharing them with everybody else. People can connect with you when you are being vulnerable and showing yourself,” Reimonenq said. “If I’m asked to speak at events, I’d go to share my story
for others to know the importance of being somebody’s homie away from home.” Reimonenq said creating authentic relationships matters more than any leadership position. “Be 100% you and know how you are is enough—don’t be afraid. People will always remember how you made them feel rather than what you did for them,” Reimonenq said. “If you’re thinking about running, be intentional with everyone you
Like Reimonenq, Williams has also been heavily involved in Southern Miss’ student life, serving in Eagle Connection, NAACP, GEWW, Southern Style, the AASO gospel choir and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Williams said that her experience at Southern Miss helped create her campaign slogan “G.A.M.E.T.I.M.E.” “I wanted to base it off of something I have learned and has made me into who I am today. It stands for Giving your All Makes Efforts Turn Into Meaningful Experiences,” Williams said. “When I came here, I was ready to get involved. But I saw people in these organizations who I thought were on a higher level than me, so I doubted myself and quit before I even tried.” After meeting supportive faculty and staff, William realized that she had been doubting herself. “They pushed me to do whatever I want or whatever I set my mind to. Now I want to do the same, being a role model pushing somebody else who may be doubting themselves or don’t see their full potential have meaningful experiences by the time they graduate,” Williams said. Williams agreed with Reimonenq and said she hopes future students who run for leadership positions are passionate and authentic. “I would say be real. This is not a popularity contest, if you are going to run for something have that platform to touch someone else. Use it for a reason, use it to help somebody else and be real about it. Regardless of winning, during my campaign I felt like I already won because I was able to inspire others,” Williams said.
Student mothers balance school, work, family KARIGAN TEER FEATURES/LIFESTYLE EDITOR raditional college students notoriously struggle with balancing full class schedules, saving money from their parttime jobs, maintaining their social lives and finding time to sleep. In addition to these stressors, many students must also balance parenthood. Senior English and Spanish double major Haley House had her daughter at 18 years old. She returned to Southern Miss after putting her education on hold for six years. When she got divorced a year after having her daughter, House had to work full time in order to make ends meet. “Finally, I decided I had enough of that life and got up the courage and savings to come back,” House said. Although finances and time management have been difficult, House said that scheduling her classes is typically convenient, and her professors are generally supportive. “I can schedule all of my classes during [my daughter’s] school time and get home right as she gets off the bus,” House said. “I have also found instructors are supportive. If I have an evening class or any extracurricular activity like Spanish Club, they’re very accommodating and let her join the class.” Senior cultural anthropology major Abraxas Pittman was 19 when she had her daughter Gemma. Pittman took a six-month break from school when she first had Gemma, but she graduated with an associate degree from Pearl River Community College in summer 2017 and transferred to Southern Miss the following fall. Like House, Pittman said her professors have been supportive. “All of my teachers in the past and now have allowed me to bring my daughter to class if it were ever needed,” Pittman said. Senior exercise science major Shaden Miller had her son at the end of the fall 2018 semester. Like House and Pittman, Miller chose to take a break from classes.
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“I took off school in spring 2018 and found out I was pregnant in February. I didn’t go back to school in the fall because I was due in November. I didn’t want to have him and worry about school,” Miller said. Since returning to Southern Miss, Miller said she doesn’t think anyone other than her advisor knows she is a mother. “The only time I’ve said anything to my professors about my son is if I need to leave for any reason pertaining to him, but I don’t want my professors to
think I want them to pity me or judge me because I am a young mom,” Miller said. Like House, Miller and Pittman both struggle with time management and balancing their lives as students and as mothers. “It’s hard. I constantly feel bad because I’m always studying, at school or at work. I feel like I’m not getting to help him develop or learn anything because I’m always having to focus on school,” Miller said. “When I do put my school work down, I feel like I need to keep
studying, or I’ll fail or miss something I need to know.” Pittman said that although she does well in her classes, she believes she could do better. “It has not been easy. I struggle keeping up with my courses from time to time, but I somehow manage to keep a 3.0,” Pittman said. “When [my daughter] was smaller, it was difficult to do school work when she was awake, so I had to wait until nine or 10 at night to do my work. Now I go days, even a week without seeing my daughter because of school and then having to go to work right after classes.” Out of these three women, only Pittman utilizes Southern Miss’ child care program at the Center for Child Development. “We love it. The teachers are great, and the staff is wonderful,” Pittman said. “My daughter looks forward to going every day. Her tuition is subsidized because I receive a Pell Grant.” Miller said that she looked into Southern Miss’ child care program but could not afford it because it is not discounted for students. Despite the constant balancing act between classwork and parenthood, Miller said she feels that she was lucky throughout her pregnancy. “I think being young, I have more energy. I worked out up until [I was] six or seven months pregnant really until I couldn’t put my shoes on by myself,” Miller said. In addition to her health, Miller said she received more support from her friends and family than she originally expected. “I was scared at first, but everyone was supportive, and it just made my pregnancy that much more enjoyable,” Miller said. Despite the difficulty with balancing parenthood with her life as a student, House said she is determined to finish her degree to be a good role model for her daughter. “I think the biggest positive is emphasizing the importance of education and determination in achieving your goals, no matter how hard you have to work,” House said. Pittman shared House’s determination to stay in school for her daughter. “My daughter is my main drive, my motivation,” Pittman said. “Without her I would have given up a long time ago.”
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Students more likely to tune in to podcasts WILLIAM LOWRY PRINTZ REPORTER ighteen percent of podcast listeners are between the ages of 18 and 24, according to studies published by media research companies Nielsen and Edison. Over the past decade, podcasts have exploded in popularity. As of 2019, there are 700 thousand active podcasts with 29 million podcast episodes released during this time. The most popular podcast genres include society and culture, business, comedy, news and politics and health. According to Apple, popular podcasts include “Man in the Window,” “The Shrink Next Door” and “The Joe Rogan Experience.” “When podcasts started popping up, it was just a bunch of regular Joes using a new format to express their love of something like genre films,” Arizona resident Aaron Lipscomb said via e-mail. “They certainly weren’t what they are now, but it was still exciting for anybody that wanted to have a voice on something.” Lipscomb is the creator of “Revival House,” a podcasting channel that encompasses several shows such as “Behind the Mask Commentary,” “Cinema Enema” and “Mac and Zach Save the World.” Lipscomb noted the podcasting industry is a lot more commercialized now than when he started the channel back in the early
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2010s. “Celebrities like Chris Jericho or Ice-T will have all the corporate backing and have advertisers and money coming in from day one and they do tend to consume a large part of the listener base even if they can be great,” Lipscomb added. Research by Nielsen and Edison reveals most people listen to podcasts while at home or on the road. For college students like senior kinesiology major Benjamin Ficken, the best part about podcasts is their convenience.
“They’re great to listen to in the background, and a lot of them are very informal,” Ficken said. Ficken started his own podcast at the beginning of 2019 called “The Lowkey Podcast,” where he and his friends discussed pop culture and sports as well as life stories. The podcast was cancelled later because of their struggle to come up with topics. Lipscomb said the biggest challenge facing a lot of podcasts is consistency and finding and keeping dedicated hosts. “Our flagship show has changed dras-
tically from the first day it started,” Lipscomb said. “It was a slow evolution, but it was very natural. Getting other content creators who are like-minded and willing to have a similar mindset while offering something unique I think is a recipe for success.” For those looking to start their own podcast,Ficken believes passion for the material is key rather than focusing on views and ratings. “If you just do it for popularity or to make it big, it’ll get watered down,” Ficken said.
DNA tests provide valuable insight LAURYN BOHN PRINTZ REPORTER
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n the last few years, DNA testing has become popular around not only the country, but also the whole world. Ancestry DNA testing is a genealogical DNA test which looks at specific locations of a person’s genome and estimates the ethnic mixture of an individual. It gives you insightful geographic detail about your history and can be done from the comfort of your home. In addition to providing specific traits a person may carry, Ancestry DNA testing also matches users with potential relatives around the world who have already taken the test. Junior Spanish licensure major Justin Davis and his wife took the test, and they were surprised with the results. “I saw the DNA tests come on the market, and I was extremely interested in doing it. I just knew it would be so interesting to find out the countries my ancestors originated from,” Davis said. “I was positive my results were going to be boring, but I actually found out something super exciting.”
Davis’ test results concluded that 5% of his DNA originated from African countries. The results also showed Davis’ third and fourth cousins are African American. “I even have thought about reaching out to cousins I matched with, but I have a little fear they will think I am weird or something,” Davis said. “Overall, it was definitely worth the time and money for me and for us both as a couple.” These tests can be expensive, ranging from $99 for a basic kit to $120 for a
basic kit with an included trait test. Freshman history major Jacob Lott received the test as a gift due to his interest in learning more about his background. “I got the results back and it confirmed a lot of what I already knew, but it did bring up some more mysteries,” Lott said. “It matched me up with people that I could potentially b e
related to, but I didn’t know how they were related, so that is what I am working on now.” Although many people can study their genealogy without doing DNA testing, others feel testing provides more details on their history. Senior English and history double major Jonathan Puckett has been researching his genealogy since 2006, and he recently worked his way up to purchasing an Ancestry DNA kit. “It confirmed a lot of what I already knew of course after years of research, so there were no surprises in my results. However, I would definitely recommend it to other people,” Puckett said. “It solidifies a lot of things because we don’t always have records for everything.” Results may be a great starting point for more family history research. DNA testing helps individuals who have a difficult time tracking down family records, and the results can often be used to help bridge some of the gaps that may keep people from completing their family tree. “It was so interesting to find out that I have African American roots, and even though it’s small, without those roots, my existence today wouldn’t be possible,” Davis said.
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‘Tall Girl’ not worth Netflix’s price bump MOLLY SCHRAEDER PRINTZ REPORTER
t seems that Netflix has been favoring quantity over quality in its original movies (remember “The Perfect Date” or “Sierra Burgess is a Loser”?). “Tall Girl,” one of the newest additions to the abundant Netflix originals, fits the mold of Netflix’s dimea-dozen mentality. Though I did not hate the movie, Netflix’s recent price increase does not seem to be worth the content it has been releasing. The problem with the repetition of the cliché Netflix formula is the price increase. This year, Netflix’s monthly plans have increased by $1 for the basic plan and by $2 for the standard and premium plans. With this price increase, many consumers are hoping for increasingly good content. However, with mostly negative reviews, “Tall Girl” does not promise that the price increase means higher quality from Netflix’s original content. “Tall Girl” tells the story of Jodi, a high school girl who is,you guessed it, tall. At 6 feet, 1 inch, Jodi is constantly harassed by her classmates for her height. Dunkleman, Jodi’s nerdy bestie, has pined after Jodi since middle school (think Duckie from “Pretty in Pink”). Enter Stig, the devilishly handsome Swedish exchange student who all the girls fall for, including Jodi and her nemesis Kimmy.
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Just so it’s been said, I can’t help but feel like 6 feet, 1 inch isn’t freakishly tall. Don’t get me wrong, it’s tall, especially for a girl, and I don’t mean to lessen the trials people may endure from being above-average heights. But it seems like every other actor in the film was below 5 feet, 5 inches to make her height seem unheard of. So other than the height thing, here’s why “Tall Girl” isn’t worth the price increase. To start with, it received a score of 38 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, not ideal. The characters were all very predictable: the outcast main character,
her spunky best friend, the friend-zoned goof, the modelesque mean girl and the beautiful crush. None of which exactly break any molds. There were also many eye roll-worthy moments: such as when Jodi’s dad invited a tall people club over, the very unexpected “Guys and Dolls” duet or really any of the kissing scenes. With that being said, I can’t put this movie down too much. Because I’ve got to say: I didn’t hate watching it. In the end, Jodi wears heels to her homecoming dance in a show of self-acceptance. She realizes that Dunkleman was the right guy all along. The movie carried valid
messages and moments that made me genuinely feel for the characters. Maybe I’m optimistic, or maybe I’m just a sucker. Either way, I expected to hate this movie, but I came out on the other side of it feeling hopeful and encouraged. Netflix needs to step up its original movie game, especially if they expect customers to continue to pay more monthly. “Tall Girl” is not the content consumers expected to come out of this price increase, but maybe the romantics out there can find enjoyment in these new movies. Hopefully, soon, Netflix will get it right again.
Streaming puts small artists in danger JACK MCCALLUM ENTERTAINMENT/OPINION EDITOR
upcakke recently had a series of disturbing social media posts that ended with a live stream of her threatening to retire and remove her music from streaming services. Cupcakke’s threat exposes some of the scary cons for the legacy and preservation of artists in the streaming era. Cupcakke is an underground rapper whose brash and confident lyrics have gained her a strong, cult-like fanbase. She has recently been trending for all the wrong reasons as her fans watched her broadcast disturbing videos and harass celebrities like Shawn Mendes. This all reached its peak when Cupcakke announced that she was retiring from music. There is plenty more to worry about with Cupcakke’s recent social media behavior than the likelihood of her music disappearing forever. The reality of Cupcakke declaring that she has a gambling problem and canceling her tour is the real thing that we should be worried about. Thankfully, Cupcakke has a loyal fanbase who has already begun the process of preserving her music, so it is unlikely that “Audacious” will vanish any time soon. What is more concerning is artists who are even smaller than Cupcakke who are retiring or removing their music from streaming services. Maybe it is out of selfishness as a fan, but it is always upsetting when an artist with a following of fewer than 10,000 vanishes along with their music. Ayesha Erotica was an up-and-coming producer, writer and singer whose music was glitchy pop that
reeked of the MySpace and tabloid culture of 2007. She initially rose to underground popularity through an Alyson Stoner parody rap as well as her production on Joanne Prada (now known as Joanne the Scammer) tracks. Last fall, pop artist Slayyyter began gaining traction with “BFF,” produced by and featuring Ayesha. Too bad this sudden rise in attention was cut short as Ayesha retired from music and vanished from the internet before 2019 even began. Right before her retirement, it seemed like Ayesha was going to be the next it-girl of pop as she continued to receive praise on both her Slayyyter and solo tracks on music blogs. But no. All Ayesha Erotica tracks have vanished from their original home on SoundCloud, and the only way to listen to any of them is by downloading sketchy links from Reddit users. She seems to want this though, as she chose to jump ship from pop music after the then-new fans of Slayyyter leaked her personal information. Some of Ayesha’s tracks might never fully resurface even as she continues to gain attention for her music. This also really speaks on the nastiness of the internet fandom world. Despite her disappearance, Ayesha Erotica’s tracks “Literal Legend” and “Vacation Bible School” have ended up becoming minor TikTok memes despite the songs’ only availability being as third party YouTube videos. Instagram star and part-time musician Azealia Banks has habitually uploaded music only to have it removed shortly thereafter. Career-defining mixtape “Fantasea” was originally released with the track “Esta Noche,” but that was quickly deleted and it has now been replaced by “No Problems.” Singles “ATM Jam” and “Pyrex Princess” have also both been evicted from their previous iTunes home. This internet music dilemma goes beyond niche
Graphic by Kathleen Hetherington | Printz
artists like Ayesha Erotica, Azealia Banks and Cupcakke, as Lizzo has basically wiped all of her independent music from the internet. “Lizzobangers” is now a rare item and can only be listened to via illegal links from Twitter stans. While Lizzo might have built the foundation of her fanbase through independent releases and mixtapes, she and Atlantic have seemingly decided in wake of “Truth Hurts” that her pre-Atlantic music should not be available to the public. The age of all music being physically released really
is no safer either in terms of preserving an artist’s legacy. This is made especially clear when looking at the Universal fire burning decades worth of masters. One thing is also clear though: the internet is not some allmighty protector of music, especially for smaller artists whose music has never seen a physical release. The time is always now to go purchase and download your favorite artists’ music while it is available. There really is no telling who will be the next artist to attempt at deleting their music from the web.
OPINION OCTOBER 2, 2019
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Cancel culture creates dangerous mindset KLARIA HOLMES PRINTZ REPORTER e now live in an age of extreme political correctness, which isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s good that society changes to become more inclusive overtime, but this new age of political correctness has created a dangerous, ineffective mindset. Cancel culture, according to MerriamWebster, refers to removing support of public figures on the basis of their objectionable opinions or actions. Cancel culture doesn’t work. It should, but it rarely does. This is because cancel culture has no rhyme or reason as to those it affects. For instance, let’s take a look at actor Kevin Spacey. After allegations of sexual assault came out against him, he was kicked off of “House of Cards” on Netflix and cut from “All the Money in the World,” a movie he had already filmed, and people boycotted supporting him. Now, the only time Spacey is mentioned is when there’s news on his sexual assault case. Spacey is a perfect example of how cancel culture has worked. On the other hand, we have Kanye West who’s been chastised for his ironic support of Donald Trump and his comments on slavery. After his actions, one would think Kanye would be canceled. But he wasn’t. Despite criticism from some, his recent projects have seen virtually the same numbers and attention they’ve always gotten. His recent Sunday Services have garnered large crowds – even celebrity guests like Brad Pitt. After being canceled from cultural relevance due to his assault and abuse charges, R. Kelly was removed from Spotify playlists and virtually
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shunned from the internet. Taylor Swift loves to talk about how she was apparently canceled after a myriad of problematic behavior – mainly cultural appropriation and a general naivety toward major issues – but I question how canceled she was. With Swift still as popular as she’s always been, regularly booking performances and her music receiving the attention it’s always gotten, one should question how canceled she was. Cancel culture has no rhyme or reason to cancel those it does. It doesn’t discriminate based on popularity – i.e. Kelly being canceled, but
West not being canceled. It cancels those it feels like and lets others slide by unscathed. Cancel culture is a double-edged sword because people should be reprimanded and punished for their actions. Some things are inexcusable. On the other hand, cancel culture leaves no room for those who’ve been canceled to change, which is vastly unfair. With cancel culture being so wishy-washy, what should dictate canceling someone? Their influence and how popular they are? The length of time between the action(s) in question and the current times? Repetition of the action?
Another reason cancel culture rarely works is a difference of opinion. As per the examples above, there seem to be larger issues that a majority can agree on, but for the most part, it’s up to the individual’s opinion. However, sometimes that opinion isn’t strong enough to make canceling someone a feasible goal. There isn’t a real solution to cancel culture, but we can all agree that the system that’s in place now is unfair. It’s unfair for some to face the punishment of their actions and others to be just as successful – if not more successful – than they were before allegations.
Hazing Prevention Week presents opportunity for growth LAUREL THRAILKILL PRINTZ REPORTER ational Hazing Prevention Week 2019 took place Sept. 23- 27. What some students may not understand, however, is the significance of this annual event. As NHPW is taking place, now is the time to reflect on past events and understand how we can learn from them. The official sponsor and organizer of NHPW is hazingprevention.org. The organization describes NHPW is “an opportunity for campuses, schools, communities, organizations and individuals to come together and talk about hazing in their communities, raise awareness about the problem of hazing, educate others about hazing and promote the prevention of hazing.” In December of 2018, the Theta Delta chapter of the Sigma Chi fraternity at Southern Miss was asked to vacate their house so the chapter could be temporarily closed and revitalized. The closure was ordered by Sigma Chi International and was supported by Southern Miss. Sigma Chi was not following the new member education program that teaches members about the dangers of hazing, alcohol and drug use. From the 2017 spring semester to the 2018 fall semester, Sigma Chi also had multiple violations of university policy on visitation, alcohol and conduct. Multiple reports regarding alcohol and drugs, some involving minors, had been associated with the Theta Delta chapter of Sigma Chi. This contributed to the need for
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reform. In light of these events, NHPW conveys a positive attitude regarding Greek life on the Southern Miss campus, however. NHPW is all about spreading awareness about the issue of hazing and working together to find pragmatic solutions. NHPW is an opportunity for Southern Miss to spread information to students about hazing and other issues involving fraternities at Southern Miss. It is also a chance to prevent reforms
like the Sigma Chi reform from being necessary in the future. “In keeping with its commitment to a positive academic environment, the university has unconditionally opposed any situation created intentionally or unintentionally to produce mental, physical, psychological or emotional discomfort, embarrassment, harassment or ridicule,” the Southern Miss hazing policy states. The Hazing Prevention Pledge can be found on HPO’s website. The pledge is a call-to-action
for professors, students and others to speak out if they witness hazing. In the end, despite the events of the past regarding Sigma Chi at Southern Miss, NHPW provides a fresh start. The celebration of this annual week-long event offers hope and new beginnings for Greek life at Southern Miss. The hope is that people will be able to learn from their mistakes in the past and use the resources provided to them to make a positive change in their university’s community.
SPORTS
OCTOBER 2, 2019
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Abraham slings the Golden Eagles to 3-2 season WILLIAM BURKE PRINTZ REPORTER edshirt junior Jack Abraham threw 15 passes, completing 10 of them for 227 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Abraham also had a season-long passing touchdown of 74 yards to senior De’Michael Harris to spark the Southern Miss scoring outbreak. Abraham finished the game, completing 19 of 28 passes for 351 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. “Jack is a smart quarterback who knows how to make adjustments before the ball is snapped,” Head coach Jay Hopson said. “He has shown me a lot of the same characteristics Nick [Mullens] showed when he was here. Both great quarterbacks who are smart and know how to check their reads before they line up to take the snap.” Abraham took some shots downfield, some that were caught and some that were well-defended and broken up; nevertheless, there were opportunities for the long ball, and he took them. Southern Miss established a running game against the Miners when they rushed for 168 yards and had an even split between Harris and redshirt junior Kevin Perkins, who both carried the ball 11 times and who both picked up 69 yards, leading the Golden Eagles to a total of 168 rushing yards with the one rushing touchdown coming from Harris.
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Redshirt sophomore Jaylond Adams picked up five receptions for 58 yards and one touchdown. Redshirt senior Jordan Mitchell picked up four receptions for 47 yards and one touchdown. Mitchell also picked up a block punt in the first quarter, creating his first career blocked punt. A blocked punt from Mitchell set up the Golden Eagles to pick up their second touchdown within the first five minutes of the game, giving the Golden Eagles a 14-0 lead. Redshirt junior Quez Watkins picked up two receptions
Jack Abraham drops back for a pass.
for 97 yards. “I am very confident in my receivers to find the space needed to get open, and when the ball is near them, I have both confidence and trust that they will come down with the ball,” Abraham said. Although the Golden Eagles had some missing pieces to their defense, they managed to only allow a total of 294 yards and one touchdown. “Locksley had a long touchdown run for 63 yards, but we still were able to keep him contained for the most part
and put some serious pressure on him from a defensive perspective,” Hopson said. “We played a hard-fought C-USA game, which I thought we played well. UTEP is a good physical team but we stepped up and played the game we knew how to play. We could have played better, but we executed when we needed to and had some big plays on special teams that really played a role in our win tonight.” The Golden Eagles have a bye week upcoming but will be back in the Rock on Oct. 12 against North Texas.
Southern Miss stays stagnant in C-USA MAKAYLA PUCKETT SPORTS EDITOR or the past 25 years, Southern Miss has been a member of “the Conference of the United States of America” as head baseball coach Scott Berry once referred to it. Despite the loyalty the athletic department feels towards Conference USA, it is time to cut ties and move on. Conference USA was founded in 1995 with its original members being Cincinnati, De Paul, Louisville, Marquette, St. Louis, South Florida, Memphis, Tulane, Charlotte, UAB and Southern Miss. Out of the original 11, only three schools remain with Charlotte leaving for the Atlantic 10 between 2005 and 2013. In 2005, six schools left C-USA for the Big East and Atlantic 10, and in 20132014 ,the remaining three realigned with the American Athletic Conference. Each of these teams left C-USA to seek better opportunities and resources. C-USA should be used as a stepping stone to a bigger and better conference as programs grow. Southern Miss has stayed stagnant by remaining in the same conference. In June there was an opening in the AAC after UConn left for the Big East. Southern Miss loyalists took to Twitter to petition for a conference change. Twitter users argued that realigning with previous C-USA members now in the AAC would improve attendance and viewership, sales and overall athletic competition.
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This transition would have ultimately led to a complete change of conference for Southern Miss. By remaining in C-USA, student athletes are unable to grow by facing higher quality opponents. C-USA is also unable to offer the resources and support expected of conferences. A large part of that is television contracts. While conferences such as the SEC and AAC have their own networks bringing in significant funds, C-USA streams games on Facebook, which provides no profit for its members. Although a recent contract with NFL network showed some progress in TV
Southern Miss and UTEP line up at line of scrimage.
revenue. The 10 games a season is divided between the 14 current conference members. Southern Miss only sees $321,000 from television for football. In the context of an athletic budget, those funds are small. The ultimate benefits of changing conferences are more money and more wins. With more television time comes more sponsorships. With more sponsorships comes more money. With more money comes better recruits. With better recruits comes more wins. With two SEC schools in the state, it is easy for Mississippi residents to forget there
are other conferences out there. If Southern Miss wants to be invited to the SEC, they must move to any conference that will extend a bid first. The issue is no one is interested in coming to Hattiesburg. It’s not because of a lack of talent at Southern Miss. It’s because there is a limited reach the city can provide. Conferences seek larger cities with more people and resources which can benefit both parties. As of now, there is no conference with an opening, however, if an opportunity presents itself, Southern Miss should take it.