Peter, Bjorn and John go mostly instrumental on Seaside Rock See page 6.
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S P The
Serving Southern Miss since 1927
Thursday, September 25, 2008
MCT Campus
Volume 93, Issue 11
First presidential debate tomorrow Bob Worth Meryl Dakin Printz Writer
Zachary Lee/Printz
Gabe Robbins, a physics major from Denver, Colo., and Joseph LeBeau, a political science and enterpernuership major from Denham Springs, La., register to vote at a booth set up in the Union by the Civitan Club. Deadline for vote registration in Mississippi is Oct. 6.
With only five weeks remaining until the 2008 Presidential election, the two major-party candidates will meet in Oxford Friday night for the first of three televised debates. The subject of the debate, to be moderated by Jim Lehrer, host of the PBS show Newshour, will be foreign policy and national security. The event will mark the first time a presidential debate has been held in Mississippi. Many Americans still associate Ole Miss with the riot that broke out
Barack Obama
John McCain
over the admission of African American student James Merideth 46 years ago, which left two people dead and 166 federal marshals injured. A wall of the Lyceum building, the symbol of the university, is still pockmarked from bullets fired during the riot. Stephanie Meincke, director
of the Mississippi Campus Compact, described the significance of the debate’s location further. “I think it’s been talked about in terms of Ole Miss being the site 40 years ago of voter discrimination,” Meincke said, “and to be able to have the first debate there is an astounding sign of how far we’ve come as a nation.” She added that statistics from the Mississippi Campus Compact Voter Registration and Engagement Project showed a steady rise in youth voters in Mississippi. Most recently, voter turnout increased to 52 percent in 2004 as compared to 43 per-
cent in 2000. Kara Palmer, freshman elementary education major from Minneapolis, Minn., said she will definitely tune in when the debate begins at 8 p.m. “I think as the elections approach it’s important that we all take the time to look at the candidates and their platforms and decide for ourselves,” Palmer said. “I think debates are a good way to see if they do have solid answers for big questions.” USM Political Science department chair Alan McBride said that hosting the debate offers the school and the state a chance to show that progress has been DEBATE continued on page 3
Saunders addresses plans for USM Lesley Walters News Editor
During the Fall Convocation held in Bennett Auditorium Wednesday afternoon, President Martha Saunders gave a State of the University address. Saunders recognized new members of the university community, celebrated recent achievements of students, faculty and staff, and announced her “personal priorities” for the rest of the year. Those priorities included increasing student retention, raising employee salaries, developing the new Gulf Coast campus and planning for next year’s centennial celebration. This year, Southern Miss saw its highest freshman enrollment on both the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses. “I think the fact that we have a record freshman class and the campus morale with faculty and staff is so positive just sets the tone for a great year,” said Joe Paul, vice president of student affairs, “and I think a lot of the credit goes to the president because she’s an optimistic, positive person, and it causes everybody else to feel that way.” “This outstanding class also reflects great quality with more than 50 Presidential scholars, nine National Merit scholars and 50 members of the Honors College,” Saunders stated. David R. Davies, dean of the Honors College, said after the convocation that the college has also seen its highest enrollment ever at 150, with an average ACT score of 31. “All the statistics and indicators within the college are great,” Davies said, “and when things are looking good for the Honors College, they’re looking good for all of Southern Miss.” Saunders said the Strategic Enrollment Plan will be ready for implementation by January. She added that a new freshman resi-
At A Glance • Record enrollment • Increased salaries • Allocate resources and lower engery costs •Give back to the community dence hall, which will house 900 students, should be “coming out of the ground” early next semester. It is planned to open for the fall semester of 2010. Student athletes are also doing well, Saunders said, with 78 percent of female students graduating from the program and 77 percent of male students graduating, which is the highest of any university in the state. Saunders also announced that this year there are 90 new faculty members, 57 new staff members since August alone, three new deans and two vice presidents, “and what a wonderful difference this infusion of new blood makes.” While Saunders would like to see a raise in employee salaries, she also recognized a growing economic problem. The Chief Financial Officer provided reassurance, Saunders said, when he reported: “’The bills are paid and there’s money in the bank.’” “That is good news during these difficult times, but we don’t need to forget that the country and the state are facing some serious economic challenges,” Saunders stated. “We will work hard to secure our fair share of state resources, but the size of the pie appears to be shrinking ... In other words, we’re going to have to get creative.” She added that the Division of Business and Finance is working with the Office of the Provost to develop a program to allocate resources. The Office of Sustainability has been set up in that division to help lower energy costs. Fundraising efforts with alumni and friends of the university are
Top: Members of the USM executive cabinet join other Southern Miss faculty and staff to hear President Martha Saunders give the State of the University address during the 2008 Fall Convocation. Right: President Saunders addresses the audience on where the university is and where the university is going over the course of the year during her State of the University address.
also being strengthened and refocussed. Meanwhile, funding for research and sponsored programs during the past fiscal year reached about $91 million, Saunders stated, which “far exceeded that of some of our peers.” She compared this figure to the funds secured by Texas Tech and the University of Alabama, who received $48.7 million and $68.9 million respectively. “Although congressionally-directed funding is becoming more difficult to obtain,” Saunders said, “we are encouraged by the quality and size of our competitive awards.” Saunders also suggested that members of the university com-
munity should give back to the community so that “we at Southern Miss will become known as a caring campus.” She pointed out that while the Hattiesburg campus is urged to raise $100,000 for United Way this year, that same organization has contributed $300,000 to centers on campus, “so you see, we receive each year far more than we give.” “As you seek out opportunities to give back, consider this: the average salary of Southern Miss employees is 50 percent higher than the average salary of all Mississippians,” Saunders stated. “Much has been given to us, and for that I’m grateful.”
Planning committee to hold forums on Cross Creek Lesley Walters News Editor
The Gulf Coast Cross Creek Planning Committee is holding three forums this week to gather input from students, faculty and staff as they plan the design and eventual construction of the seventh Southern Miss teaching site. Faculty and staff are invited to the first of the forums today from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center Room 218 A and B. Another forum for students will be held Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. in the Union RC’s Lounge, during which pizza will be provided. A third forum will take place Wednesday
from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for faculty and staff in the Union Hall of Honors. Sid Gonsoulin, associate vice president of student affairs, and Bryan Billings, the director of project planning at the Gulf Park campus, are co-chairmen of the Planning Committee, which is made up of about 40 students, faculty and staff. Gonsulin said the forums were scheduled to “throw a net out as wide as we can to receive input from students, faculty and staff.” Pat Joachim, Gulf Coast associate provost, is chair of the Leadership Team which operates under the Planning Committee. She said that forums on the Gulf Coast will be held at
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We are there to serve the students; that’s who we are responsible to...So if we are going to plan the very best campus for them, we need to know what they want and what they think they are going to need.
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-Pat Joachim, Gulf Coast Associate Provost
the same time as those in Hattiesburg with the same format and presentation “so that everyone is getting exactly the same information.” “We are there to serve the students; that’s who we are responsible to,” Joachim said. “So if we are going to plan the very best campus for them, we need to know what they want and what they think they are going to need.”
Gonsoulin said that students have the rare opportunity to help build a campus “from scratch,” adding that in the past 20 years or so, only a handful of universities have had such a chance. He added that while he would like to see students from every college of study represented at the forum, “the students who really should participate are the ones who might be taking coursework not only here, but
on the coast as part of their curriculum.” “It’s a great opportunity for anybody involved in the process and an incredible opportunity for the University of Southern Mississippi and the Gulf South,” Gonsoulin said. Since President Martha Saunders signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment in April, a major focus of the planning process is to build with the environment in mind. The commitment requires that all new construction projects be built within certain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. “I hope we can turn it into a
model sustainable campus,” Saunders said. Billings said the Cross Creek campus will also give Southern Miss the opportunity to build a campus “in an area more accessible to the residents of the Gulf Coast region” that is well out of harm’s way in case of another major hurricane. The 200-acre site selected by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning in April 2007 was donated by Cross Creek Technology Center LLC, which is jointly owned by Hancock Bank and W.C. Fore. It is located approximately five miles from the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach, just north of Interstate 10.
Page 2
www.studentprintz.com | Thursday, September 25, 2008
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Campus Events TODAY •10 a.m. -- Know your Numbers, Thad Cochran Center presented by Student Health Services •5 p.m. -- The Big Read, Hattiesburg Cultural Center featuring Zora Neale Hudson’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God FRIDAY •2:30 p.m. -- Graduate Student Association Meeting, McCain Graduate Library, Room 203 •7 p.m. -- Southern Miss Volleyball @ Tulsa -- Tulsa, Okla. •7 p.m. -- Southern Miss Soccer @ Memphis -- Memphis, Tenn. •7 p.m. -- Center for Writers Series presents Ellen Bryant Voigt -- International Center Auditorium •7:30 p.m. -- Viewing of the Presidential Debate at the Powerhouse, free food 8 p.m. -- Poetry Reading by Ellen Bryant Voigt, International Studies Auditorium SATURDAY •All Day -- Southern Miss Cross Country Invitational Hattiesburg •10 a.m. -- Museum of Art presents “A Private Collection of Japanese Prints” -- Museum of Art •12 p.m. -- Southern Miss Gulfcoast Softball Tournament -- Softball Complex on 4th Street •2 p.m. -- Southern Miss Softball vs Gulf Coast and Nicholls State respectively, Southern Miss Softball Complex •4 p.m. -- Southern Miss Softball vs Gulf Coast and Nicholls State respectively, Southern Miss Softball Complex •5 p.m. -- Big Read Kickoff at the Hattiesburg Public Library •6 p.m. --Southern Miss Softball vs Gulf Coast and Nicholls State respectively, Southern Miss Softball Complex SUNDAY •All Day -- Fall Retreat for Wesley Foundation -- Camp Beckwith •1 p.m. -- Southern Miss Volleyball @ SMU -- Dallas, Texas •2 p.m. -- Southern Miss Soccer @ UAB -- Birmingham, Ala. •4pm: Jaqueline B. Hairston spiritual songs concert, Administration Building MONDAY •11a.m. -- Transcontinental Fireball Rally, viewing at the Bottling Company Music Warehouse •7 p.m. -- Southern Miss Choral Showcase Concert -Bennet Auditorium
If you want your event listed in Campus Events, please send your event information to: printz@usm.edu
Thursday, September 25, 2008 |News
www.studentprintz.com |Page 3
Debate
continued from page one. made. “Mississippi doesn’t get many chances to be in the positive spotlight,” he said. Robert Greathee, a senior accounting major from Noxubee County, said the debate “is going to be a positive thing for Mississippi.” The subject of the second debate, to be held in Nashville, will be issues raised by the audience. The final debate, in Hempstead, New York, will address domestic policy. McBride said that presidential debates rarely have a significant impact on decided voters. “People usually end up where they started,” he said, but added that undecided voters can be swayed by the debates. College Democrat Roy Logan, a junior administration of justice major from Petal, agreed, saying that the debates “will give people who have not made up their minds a chance to see the candidates in a different setting.” McCain and Obama enter the debate separated by only 3 percentage points, which makes winning over undecided voters crucial to both candidates. McBride pointed to experience as McCain’s chief asset, describing him as “someone who’s been around for a long
time, and certainly a patriot.” Representatives from the USM chapter of the college republicans did not respond to requests for comment. McBride described Obama as “a real bright guy, well spoken,” and pointed to his Senate record as evidence that he is “someone who examines things from both sides of the aisle.” Senior marketing major James Phillips, from Quitman, said he doubs that Mississippi will figure prominently in the event. “I think we’ll be put in the spotlight a little bit, but overall the Obama - McCain issue is going to be more prevalent,” Phillips said. Rumors about racist demonstrators were on the mind of of Steven Kariker, a freshman biology major from Long Beach. “That wouldn’t look good for us as a state,” Kariker said. “I think if everything goes the way they want it, it should come out good for us.” At the time of publication, McCain proposed canceling or delaying the debate so that candidates could meet with the President as part of a bipartisan team to address the ongoing credit crisis, because “it is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.” Obama disagreed with this idea, and his campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs said that at the debate site in Oxford Friday night there will be “a stage, an audience, a moderator, and at least one presidential candidate.”
What’s your opinion regarding the presidential debate in Oxford?
“I’ll be watching the debate because I it’s my first time to vote on any candidate and I want to be involved.”
blogs video exclusive content
Denver Taylor, Senior History
“No I won’t be watching, because honestly I think I have better things to do than watch two grown men argue like schoolgirls. I do know there are problems in the country but they don’t directly affect me. You know I’m 21 years old I don’t have to worry about that kind of stuff till I’m in my mid sixties.”
Anthony Smith, Senior Computer Science “I didn’t know there was one. I’ll definitely watch it if I catch it on to help me make my decision. I don’t know who I’m going to vote for yet, I’m in between and keep going back and forth.”
Molly Richard, Freshman Audiology “I’ll definitely watch if I have a chance because I haven’t really been keeping up with the presidential campaign so far.”
Chelsey Payne, Sophomore General Studies “I probably won’t watch it then but I’ll watch it later. I’m interested because I’m now able to vote so I want to be able to express my opinion that way. I just haven’t looked into it enough.”
PEOPLE’S POLL
Ordavian Charston Junior Forensic Science
Obama & McCain on foreign policy
We cannot afford four We face many dangerous “more “threats years of a strategy in this dangerous that is out of balance and out of step with this defining moment.
” • For the strategic withdrawal of troops from Iraq • For creating regulations that make legal immigration easier For strengthening the Nuclear Proliferation Act as well as relations with North Korea •
world, but I’m not afraid of them. I’m prepared for them.
”
• For staying in Iraq and continuing reconstruction efforts • For securing borders and making social welfare more attainable for legal immigrants • For a missile defense system to protect from nuclear attack.
Catch the debate live on ABC Friday at 8 pm
studentprintz.com
Opinions
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Page 4 opinion@studentprintz.com
Debate should clarify policies Election Day is approaching, which means it’s almost time for you to decide how you’ll vote. If you haven’t made up your mind yet, there should be some familiar questions Chris floating around in your Deschamp head. Printz Writer Should I vote based on experience or personality? Should I vote based on one or two issues, or on the entire platform of a candidate? Even though I don’t trust any of these guys, should I vote for the one I distrust the least? Should I just flip a coin? Assuming we aren’t going to vote for a third party candidate, let’s take a look at our choices. There’s the time-tested John McCain or is there? What kind of a president would McCain be? Would he be the old, aislecrossing, moderate conservative who ran for president in 2000? Or would he be the staunch, Bush-friendly conservative he’s tried to paint himself as more recently? Maybe he would be a new McCain as he’s tried to sound in the last few weeks.
There’s no way to tell at this point. While McCain changes his mind every few weeks, Obama has remained consistent – consistently vague. Unless you count either “Bush is a terrible president,” or “It’s time for a change” as a policy position, Obama has told us almost nothing about what he would do as president. While McCain has changed his mind several thousand times, Obama doesn’t seem to have changed his mind at all. And, yet, both candidates have the same problem – We don’t know what they’ll do. Of course, Obama has issued (vague) policy positions, and McCain has offered (constantly changing) specifics. But if Obama says something like, “I want to make America strong,” I don’t know if he wants to increase spending on infrastructure, beef up national security, or inject steroids into the nation’s water supply. If McCain favors less government regulation on Friday, then favors more regulation on Saturday, then says he wants less regulation on Sunday, how am I supposed to know which one he’s going to go with? Maybe the presidential debates will
give us some guidance. However, both candidates have shown that they can answer around questions in debates, or avoid them altogether. Both have also shown that their answers to questions can sometimes be something like, “My opponent doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” rather than an actual answer. One thing about the upcoming debates is clear – they could be a determining factor in this election. But what may be even more likely is that they will make people more confused than ever or pressure them to read too much into one or two answers. If there were other viable candidates in the race, the themes that have come to dominate this election – taking an opponent’s words out of context, abstract thoughts of change, and the idea that the other guy is out of touch – might not be enough for either candidate to win. But, since elections are usually decided over things like this, it probably wouldn’t make any difference.
Thursday, September 25, 2008 |Opinion
www.studentprintz.com | Page 5
Texting while driving should be outlawed Olivia Lightsey Printz Writer
Everybody knows what a DUI is, but do you know what DWT is? It’s a new cause for alarm on the roadways--driving while texting. Go ahead and laugh, but it’s a real problem that’s killing people left and right. A study from Transport Research Laboratory reported half of drivers between 18 and 24 admit to texting or e-mailing while driving. I would guess more people do it than admit to it during the survey, making the situation even worse. I do it even though I’d tell my mom that I don’t. But is it safe? Should I do it? Absolutely not. How about texting while driving a train? On September 12, a train ran a red light and crashed in LA, killing 25 people, including the engineer driving the train. Since then, two teens have
come forward and admitted that they received text messages from the engineer just moments before the crash. California has subsequently banned the use of cell phones by train operators. Apparently train operators were not smart enough to realize by themselves that text messaging while driving a passenger train is probably not a good idea. 25 people died before someone thought: Hey, we probably shouldn’t look away from our job when we’re responsible for a whole lot of people’s lives. There are countless reports online of car accidents and consequent deaths due to cell phones and text messaging specifically. How many more people have to die before we get the point? I certainly got it when I heard that those 25 people died as a result of someone’s indiscretion. How many people have I put in jeopardy by looking down at my phone and swerving
around trying to find “w“ on the keypad? How many times have you nearly been hit, or hit someone else, while driving and texting? I don’t know how many times I’ve done it, and don’t want to. It is not difficult to suspend a conversation for the ten or fifteen minutes it takes to drive from point A to point B in Hattiesburg. If you can’t do that, pull over! It’s time to understand that by being permanently attached to our cell phones, we are literally killing people. I’m just as guilty as the next person. And yes, putting my phone up for those few minutes is torture. But I wouldn’t be able to live with knowing that my indiscretion killed somebody, and doubt that anyone else would either. So put your cell phone up while driving! Or at least stop text messaging and have a real conversation with someone over a hands-free earpiece or headset.
Cleaning chemicals a cause for concern Jillian Rochelle Etheridge Printz Writer
As I was walking through the Theatre and Dance building one night, I got a whiff of chemicals. On the other side of the building, the floor was being mopped. The chemicals were strong enough to make me dizzy and become nauseated. This is not the first time the problem has occurred, and I’m not the only person who has this problem. Products that we use on a daily basis have all sorts of awful chemicals in them. How many people know what the quaternium-15 is in many lotions, conditioners and baby shampoos? Quaternium-15 is a preservative found in many things, and it’s used all over the body. It goes by many aliases: azoniaadamantane chloride, hexaminium chloride, and Dowicil 75 to name a few. Over time, this preservative releases formaldehyde. On the Dormer laboratory Web site, they recommend avoiding direct skin contact with products that have this type of ingredient. Unfortunately for consumers, this ingredient is in nearly everything, and we consumers lather it all over our bodies. Most people don’t give a second thought to the health hazards synthetic chemicals can produce. The U.S. Consumer Safety Commission released a booklet in 1997 that described some conditions that can occur with exposure to formaldehyde. Burning sensations in the eyes, throat and nose, fatigue, hives, cancer, wheezing and nausea are just a few notable concerns.
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Formaldehyde is used in paints, cosmetics, insulation materials and numerous other things, including building materials. FEMA, for instance, took a lot of heat for the levels of formaldehyde in the mobile homes Katrina victims were given. People all along the coast were having respiratory problems as the result of the formaldehyde levels. Since it’s in everything, it should be all right in moderation, right? I beg to differ. My father has a serious reaction to formaldehyde and other chemicals, and many people have similar allergies. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Disorder (MCSD) affects roughly fifteen percent of the population, according to a 1995 article that ran in the Miami Herald. That’s a significant percentage of the population that have bad reactions to perfumes, cleaners and just about everything WalMart sells. In fact, my father would not be able to walk into WalMart, or any building at this university for that matter, without having a terrible reaction to the cleaning products and the perfumes and lotions that we wear to mask the dirty, college kid smell. If you experience a serious, life-threatening problem with synthetic chemicals, don’t expect an easy diagnosis. Most allergy tests do not catch MCSD. The diagnosis is based on recurring symptoms. The American Medical Association does not recognize MCSD as a legitimate disease. In fact, doctor after doctor will tell you to see a psychiatrist. In the medical world, chemicals are our friends, apparently. We’re pumped full of them every time we go to
the doctor for a sore throat, headache or moroseness.
Most people don’t give a second thought to the health hazards synthetic chemicals can produce....Limiting your dependence on synthetic products is the only way to keep yourself safe.
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-Harold Kumar, President
WebMD.com states that only about half of the fifteen percent of people who go in for an MCSD evaluation show symptoms of depression. According to the Uplift Program, “Everyone, will at some point in their life be affected by depression.” I would be pretty darn depressed if every doctor told me I was insane for being sick. So, what can be done about chemical exposure? Limiting your dependence on synthetic chemical products is the only way to keep yourself safe. There are better and cheaper ways to clean your house and body. Baking soda and white vinegar are the things that clean my dad’s house (doing an excellent job, by the way), and there are other products that do not have as many harmful ingredients. Synthetic chemicals are obviously not natural, and many of our bodies simply reject them. Jillian Rochelle Etheridge is a staff writer for The Student Printz. Comments can be sent to printz@ usm.edu
Some species need protection Special to the Printz On its way out the door, the Bush administration is trying to endanger the Endangered Species Act, legislation that has the support of more than 80 percent of Americans. This is a parting gift to the administration’s friends in the timber and other extraction industries. It has to be stopped. The law has worked, reviving species that were in danger. Take the bald eagle: In 1963, before the act, there were about 400 nesting pairs left. Now there are nearly 10,000. Still, industry officials argue that complying with the act costs them money. And they have a friend in the Oval Office who’d like to help them
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Allowing agencies to police themselves, especially if they lack relevant scientific expertise, is just another form of Bush’s fox-guarding-the-chicken-coop environmental policy.
out. Now, federal agencies _ before they act themselves or approve industry initiatives that may affect endangered species _ must consult with biologists at the Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service. Under the proposed new Department of the Interior rule, the agencies wouldn’t have to consult but could decide on their own. Allowing agencies to police themselves, especially if they lack relevant scientific expertise, is just another form
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of Bush’s fox-guarding-thechicken-coop environmental policy. In recent days the department has extended the comment period on the proposed rule by 30 days. But even after an extra month it will still be a bad idea. It’s not likely to survive a lawsuit. So why do it?
This article appeared in Newsday on Sept. 22
I know it’s hard. I’ve been doing it for a few days now, and I’ve been shocked at how difficult it really is. But I haven’t killed anyone this week, and that makes it worthwhile.
Olivia Lightsey is a staff writer for The Student Printz. Comments can be sent to printz@ usm.edu
Letters to the Editor Have you heard of spellcheck? It is obvious that the paper is in serious need of an editor. It’s one thing for typographical errors to occur in the main text of an article, but to have a word spelled incorrectly in the title of an article is embarrassing. There was an article called “Belt Laws are Rediculous” in today’s paper. While I was reading I felt ashamed that our school paper let something like that slide. Kellie Walters
Corrections:
A headline in Tuesday’s edition of The Student Printz contained a misspelled word. The headline should have read “Belt laws are ridiculous”. The Student Printz regrets the error. Corrections/Clarifications
The Student Printz values accuracy and works diligently to check facts before publication. However, if inaccuracies occur, we want to know. Please report errors to the editor at printz@usm.edu or by calling 601-2666431 or 601-266-4266.
Letters to the Editor
A letter to the editor forum will be open to the expression of fact or opinion that will be of interest or importance to The Student Printz readers. Letters which fit within the scope of First Amendment protection, and that meet other stipulations spelled out in this document will be published on a space-available basis as explained below. Each edition of the paper will include a letters column if letters are available. Letter writers may expect prompt publication of their letters in the paper’s opinion section, as space is available. Letters of up to 350 words will be allowed. Published letters must be free of libel, since the publication is held legally accountable for all content. Although personal controversy will be tolerated, it is the responsibility of the editor to check statements purporting the facts. The editor is also responsible for making decisions as to the pertinence of the letter to the USM community. Letter writers must sign all contributions and the editor must verify the signer and the writer are one in the same through personal conference. Letters will not be published without the contributor’s name. To send a letter to the editor email printz@usm.edu or send to campus mailbox 5088.
Entertainment New twist on American history at Saenger
Page 6 entertainment@studentprintz.com
Patrick Laughlin Printz Writer
The history of the United States has never been this uproarious. Or short. Coming this Thursday to the Saenger Theater in downtown Hattiesburg is “The Complete History of America (Abridged).” The show, which starts at 7 p.m., will be put on by the masters of condescending condensation, the Reduced Shakespeare Company. The Reduced Shakespeare Company: whom are more or less what you would get if your Cliffs Notes were both acted out and cheeky. This world-famous acting troupe, currently on their tour of the United States, is known for taking lengthy, often sacred subjects,
and boiling them down into irreverent parodies. Their show, “The Complete History of America (Abridged),” is described on the company’s Web site, www.reducedshakespeare. com, as being “600 years of history in 6000 seconds!” In other words, the parody, which spans “from Washington to Watergate, yea verily from the Bering Strait to Baghdad, from New World to New World Order,” will tackle the entirety of America’s time line in about 90 minutes. The Reduced Shakespeare Company’s Web site also says that the performance will answer questions like: Who really discovered America? Why did Abe Lincoln free the slaves? How many Democrats
Ragweed to play Sunday Eric Nagurney
Entertainment Editor
Oklahoma-based rock band Cross Canadian Ragweed is playing Remington’s Hunt Club this Sunday. Since forming in 1994, the country-rock band has shared the stage with The Black Crowes, Steve Earle, DriveBy Truckers (who are playing the Bottle Company next Tuesday), and Son Volt. The group logs about 260 days on the road per year. This show will be their second time playing Hattiesburg’s Hunt Club. Cross Canadian Ragweed’s music was compared to, “the ‘outlaw country’ of Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings,” by the New York Times. USA Today gave the band high praise, calling them, “one of the better kept secrets around” and that “their best stuff is so good, you wonder why
more people aren’t noticing.” The band is currently supporting their sixth album, and fourth for Universal Records, 2007’s Mission California. The album is described by the Ft. Worth Star Telegram as, “that snarling, red dirt-smeared that grabs you on disc and absolutely kills in concert.” Tickets are $15 if paying with cash, $17 with a credit card. The show starts at 9:00 p.m.
Courtesy of Cross Canadian Ragweed
does it take to screw in a light
fabulous farce of everything we know about American history,” says the Saenger’s front of house manager Rosie Ricks. “They are reviving the show on tour as a “special election edition,” intellectually geared towards current issues.” This “election edition” will feature a phony debate between Obama and McCain, just to show that the mudslinging is not quite over yet. The Reduced Shakespeare Company is touring the States with this timely performance in Courtesy of reducedshakespeare.com honor of the election season, but the other topics they have taken bulb? “The Complete History on are equally ambitious, such of America (Abridged)” is a as “The Bible: The Complete
Word of God (Abridged)” and “The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged).” USM freshman Joel Huber, who has followed these productions via pod cast, says that the company is made up of “really funny guys – regular guys. They have answers to age old questions that have stumped people for centuries.” So agrees fellow freshman Zach Knight, who was introduced to the “The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged)” in his high school English class. “I loved the different take,” Knight said. “Especially after reading the plays in their normal form, it’s good to see a parody of it; it’s something you do in your head anyway, you think, ‘Oh, wouldn’t it be funny if this was acted out differently.’ ”
Seaside Rock an interesting concept Eric Nagurney
Entertainment Editor
After releasing their breakthrough album Writer’s Block in 2006 and hammering a permanent place into our collective skulls with “Young Folks,” there was one obvious path Peter Bjorn & John could take. That path is to release a mostly instrumental album that bears no resemblance to its predecessor. No, that really isn’t the obvious path at all, but it’s the one the Swedish trio has taken on its newest release, Seaside Rock. It’d be foolish to assume that Seaside Rock is the true successor to Writer’s Block. The band has a more traditional follow-up planned for next year, making the project seemed more like a fun experiment than a full-fledged record. As the group leapfrogs genres on almost every track, the record lacks cohesion. It’s evident that Peter Bjorn & John had fun making this record, but it never congeals into a unified whole. While Seaside Rock may be a vanity project, it’s not one lacking of interesting moments. Aggressive
jazz-rockopener“Inland Empire” is the record’s finest experiment. The track’s squealing horns and gunshot percussion sound as threatening as the David Lynch-referencing title suggests. Another highlight is the stutter-step slow build of “Needles and Pills.” The problem with creating an album full of genre exercises is that said exercises rarely evolve into full-bodied songs. Songs like the steel-drum funk of “Say Something (Mukiya)” and the appropriately named “School of Kraut” aren’t fun, but come off as rather insubstantial. It’s hard to shake the feeling that we’re just listening to a practice jam session and the results of those are rarely memorable. What’s less clear-cut is the value of the album’s three tracks featuring spoken-word monologues in Swedish. Obviously the narrative
Courtesy of Wichita Records
quality of these songs is lost on the generally non-Swedish speaking populous of America, so we have to look at these additions on a purely atmospheric level. There’s definitely an intriguing quality that these monologues add to the songs, but it’s disheartening that only one (“Next Stop Bjursele”) contains a particularly interesting composition. It’s unclear whether Peter Bjorn & John are trying to accomplish
This weekend in the Burg Today 7 p.m.- Reduced Shakespeare @ The Saenger Theatre 10 p.m.- Satisfaction: A Rolling Stone’s Experience @ The Bottling Company 10 p.m.- The Squirms and Joe Johnson @ The Thirsty Hippo Friday 10 p.m.- Jay Stevens @ Sidelines 10 p.m.- Matches For The Fuse and No Fuego @ The Tavern 10 p.m.- Sayward’s Porchflies and Big Blue Truck @ Bennie’s Boom Boom Room 10 p.m.- Thomas Jackson Orchestra @ B&E Wine Bar Saturday 10 p.m.- American Sugar, Werewolf Casey, and Agony Eclipsed @ The Tavern. 10 p.m.- Dr. E and the Voodoo Kings @ Keg and Barrel. 10 p.m.- Bliss @ The Bottling Company 10 p.m.- Chance Fisher and Creating A Nuisance @ Bennie’s Boom Boom Room 3 p.m.- Javastock feat. Red Hill City, Dark Knights of Camelot, This Orange Four, Petticoat Junkies, and The Squirms @ Javawerks . 10 p.m.- Ogre Upstairs, That Yellow Bastard, and Human Host @ The Thirsty Hippo 10 p.m. Wes Lee and Hub City Allstars @ M.J. Hooligans anything beyond a cleansing of experimental urges on Seaside Rock. The positive side of the project is that it’s far more interesting and substantial than most vanity oneoffs. If you’re looking for more of the addictive indie-pop of Writer’s Block, you’ll have to wait a year. If you’re looking to hear a different side of this Swedish trio, Seaside Rock is worth a listen.
Thursday, September 25, 2008 |Sports
www.studentprintz.com | Page 7
Please place me in a recycling bin when you’re done!
Courtesy of King Photography
Senior outfielder Cory Stevens finished last season with a .271 batting average and 29 hits. The Golden Eagles started their Fall practices Monday and will play their first scrimmage against Nicholls State on Oct. 19.
Baseball open fall practices Lauren Moak Printz Writer
The Southern Miss baseball team kicked off fall ball Monday, with practices and scrimmages that will last for the next five weeks. Practice began on Monday with defensive drills. Fall Ball is a preparation session for the new players to become accustomed to the system. The Southern Miss baseball team has reached six consecutive regional, the twelfth longest streak in the country. Southern Miss coach Corky Palmer has added several new additions to his team, one of the most successful athletic programs in the history of the school. Some of the new faces include Scott Copeland, a pitcher, and Travis Graves, a catcher, both from Texas; along with Cody Schlagel, a left handed pitcher from Daytona Beach Community College. B.A. Vollmuth, a freshman from Biloxi High and a third baseman, is one freshman with enough power to factor into
the lineup immediately. Volmuth said he’s handling the transition from high school to college just fine. “I hope to learn a lot from the older guys with their outstanding winning record,” Volmuth said. Kyle Maxie, who handled designated hitting duties last season while sharing the catcher’s role with departed senior Keith Winstead, said he is looking forward to getting back on the field and work towards another winning season. “Fall Ball is a learning experience for the team to make that first stride towards our goals,” Maxie said. The red-shirt junior said he thinks that Southern Miss’, “great players and an exceptional coaching staff” will help them to another successful year. As far as returning players, Palmer said he has some guys coming back that he could build his team around. “I wouldn’t trade Brian Dozier or James Ewing for anyone else in the country, they are outstanding middle infield-
ers,” Palmer said. “They have had a great career so far and I hope they have a great senior year.” Dozier, a shoe-in for preseason all-conference honors, started all 64 games at shortstop last year, finishing with a .342 batting average and tied for the team lead in RBI’s with 46. His counterpart, second baseman James Ewing, led the team with a .359 batting average and also batted in 46 runs. Other returning starters for the Eagles are centerfielder Bo Davis, who hit .314 last season, and starting pitchers Todd McInnis and Seth Hester. On October 19th, the team will play Nichols State in a Fall scrimmage, and the following week the Eagles will finish the season with the annual Black and Gold scrimmage at Pete Taylor Park. “The Pete” will host 34 home games scheduled for regular season, including 20 of the first 23 games. The Golden Eagles will also host the Conference-USA Tournament for the first time since 2005.
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Page 8 sports@studentprintz.com www.studentprintz.com/sports Q&A: Danielle Keplinger
‘It’s a learning experience’ Tyler Cleveland Sports Editor
Left: Rebecca Macias,Right:Sebe Dale IV/Printz
Left: Quarterback Austin Davis makes a pass during practice Wednesday afternoon. The Golden Eagles next game is at home on Oct.. 4, against the University of Texas at El Paso. Right: Austin Davis looks to make a pass Saturday during the Golden Eagles game against Marshall. Davis is the first Southern Miss quarterback to throw for 200 yards or more in three consecutive games.
Davis finds home on new field Tyler Cleveland Printz Sports Editor
After Southern Miss’ first conference loss, a 34-28 shootout to Marshall, redshirtfreshman quarterback Austin Davis stood at the podium in the quiet conference room and told reporters that his team “would never take ‘no’ for an answer.” He said he knows his team is going to be good, and they are going to win games. Austin should know, he’s played for some outstanding teams in his 19 years. At West Lauderdale High School in Meridian, Davis was named all-district at quarterback after throwing for 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns in his senior year. He graduated as the winningest quarterback in school history, and was recruited heavily by Southeastern Louisiana, but football just wasn’t really what he was interested in. His first love, baseball, drew him to Southern Miss to play for head coach Corky Palmer with his older brother, Southern Miss centerfielder Bo Davis. A year ago at this time, Austin was on the other side of 4th Street, taking ground balls and getting ready to contribute at third base to the Eagle baseball team. But after former head foot-
ball coach Jeff Bower resigned and both Jeremy Young and Steven Reeves graduated, Austin saw an opening and made a move. “I met with him when I first got here, and he came into my office and told me he wanted to play football,” Southern Miss head football coach Larry Fedora said. “I said sure, come on out and we’ll give you a shot.” Austin took that shot and ran with it, earning the starting role at quarterback over sophomore Martavius Young and true freshman Bret Jefcoat. “He proved throughout the spring, summer and early fall that he deserved a chance, and he’s taking that chance and doing a great job with it,” Fedora said. “I’ll be honest with you, he’s ahead of where I thought he would be at this point.” Through four games, Austin has thrown for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns. Four games in, he’s on pace to throw for 3,000 yards, which would top the all-time record at for a quarterback at Southern Miss of 2,860 by Dustin Almond in 2005. He’s also the team’s second highest rusher behind Damion Fletcher, with 128 yards and three touchdowns. But it’s not just his performance on the field that impresses his coaches and teammates, it’s the confidence that he exudes at the line of scrimmage and with the media.
Even though he is a freshman, Davis is the unquestioned leader of the offense and was chosen a team captain against Marshall. Fedora called his confidence “essential”. “We saw it in the offseason program, when he was competing for that quarterback spot,” Fedora said. “I saw him compete against some guys that he shouldn’t have been able to win against, and he went out there and got it done.” Davis might be on a hot streak, but his team has struggled to a 2-2 record, something that doesn’t sit well with the quarterback, who has never played on a losing team in his life. “People who know me will tell you that anything I compete in I like to win,” Davis said. “I guess that comes from having an older brother and constantly competing with him.” Bo, a returning senior, said Monday that he’s had a lot of fun watching his kid-brother lead the Golden Eagle offense. “Its been amazing, I’m real proud of him,” Bo said. “Everyone’s excited and everyone around here is pulling for him. It’s not just me but everyone out here knows him real well and it’s kind of turned into a family-type thing, everybody out here is excited for Austin.” Although he misses Da-
SPORTS SCHEDULE FRIDAY 3 p.m. -- Women’s Cross Country -- Southern Miss Invite -- Hattiesburg 7 p.m. -- Women’s Volleyball @ Tulsa -- Tulsa, Okla. 7 p.m. -- Women’s Soccer @ Memphis -- Memphis, Tenn. SATURDAY 4 p.m. -- Softball v. Gulf Coast CC -- Hattiesburg 6 p.m. -- Softball v. Nicholls State -- Hattiesburg SUNDAY 1 p.m. -- Women’s Volleyball v. SMU -- Dallas, Texas 2 p.m. -- Women’s Soccer v. UAB -- Birmingham, Ala.
vis’ speed and defense on the field, Palmer said he’s had fun watching Davis grow on the football field. “Austin is a great kid, and he’s done a good job for them,” Palmer said Monday. “He’s a hard worker. a good student and a coaches dream - easy to deal with.” With all the injuries the baseball team suffered last season, Palmer said he thinks there’s no doubt that Austin would have played some l “I love to play (baseball), and I love to compete, so yeah, I do miss it,” Davis said. “But sometimes in life you have to make tough decisions.” On the notion of coming back to baseball or possibly playing both, Davis said he just has to focus on the task at hand. “I can’t really answer that right now,” Davis said. “Right now I just have to focus on this season and this team. If the opportunity happens to come up in the future, who knows? But right now I’m concentrating on winning football games.”
Danielle Keplinger is currently in her first year in the role of head coach of the Golden Eagle women’s cross country team. A 2005 graduate of Auburn University, Keplinger spent two years as a graduate assistant at Georgia Southern and one year as an assistant at Alabama-Birmingham before taking the job as head coach at USM. Recently, Keplinger took some time to answer a few questions about her team and their upcoming match, the Southern Miss Cross Country Student Printz: How has the season gone so far for your team? Keplinger: “It’s going. We have kind of a unique situation we’re in where some of our 400 and 800-yard-type runners are having to learn to run cross country. We’re getting better every week though.” SP: Haven’t you recruited at your previous stops in your coaching career? K: “I did, I did. My first year at Georgia Southern I was in charge of recruiting and at UAB I was the one who was at a match every other Saturday, making those initial contacts and talking to prospective athletes.” SP: Which of your players have really stood out to you so far this year? K: “The team as a whole has been great about their work ethic. It’s a learning experience for me as a coach, learning their strengths and talents, and for them figuring out my coaching style. From a talent point of view Zuna (Portillo) has been our best runner, but even all the way back to our 6th and 7th runner everyone has stepped it up and really impressed me.
SP: What match would you say has been the best for the team so far this year? K: “Well this is only our third match, but we ran really well at Memphis. It was good for them to see the cross country course on the soccer field under the lights like that. It was a great experience and they all ran well.” SP: How pumped is your team about getting to run at home this weekend? K: “This is our second home meet, and the team is probably a little bit more excited than me because it takes a lot to host a match. I have so much to do that I get caught up in our hosting duties and don’t get to concentrate on the actual competition.” SP: How important is home field advantage in Cross Country running? K: “It depends, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. I think it’s based on each athlete and most of these kids like to run in front of their buddies.” SP: What goals did you set at the beginning of the year and how close are you to achieving them? K: “The thing about track and field and cross country is that its a team sport that can be broken down into individual performances. The goal is to improve each week for the these kids and run their best time at the conference championship.” SP: Are you looking forward to a return to Auburn in the Auburn Invitational next weekend? K: “We’re actually not going, we’ve decided to go to the Great American XC Invitational in Birmingham. I have about five girls in Birmingham that we’re looking at so I want to see them race.”