Issuu

The

S TUDENT P RINTZ www.studentprintz.com

SERVING SOUTHERN MISS SINCE 1927

November 22, 2011

Volume 96 Issue 25

ON CAMPUS

Tabletgate:

Students asked to return Samsung Galaxy Tabs Mary Margaret Halford Executive Editor

Justin Sellers/Printz

Approximately 700 tablets distributed to students and faculty/staff for the U-Tab pilot program will soon be tagged and inventoried as state property.

Southern Miss students participating in the U-Tab pilot program will have to return their tablets upon leaving the university or graduating, and three university officials have been put on administrative leave pending completion of the investigation surrounding the mix-up with the tablets. Chief Information Officer Homer Coffman and Director of Procurement and Contract Services Mike Herndon have been placed on paid administrative leave. Bob Lyman resigned from his position as provost Wednesday afternoon but will remain a faculty member as a psychology professor and is currently on paid administrative leave, according to a press release sent by University Communications Friday afternoon.

Students who received the tablets in August are now being asked to bring them back for proper inventory and tagging, according to an email sent by Joe Paul, Vice President for Student Affairs. Seven hundred tablets were distributed to students, faculty and staff in August. “In our excitement and haste, we failed to properly inventory the tablet devices before distributing them to you,” Paul stated in the email. Officials are reviewing whether college board policies regarding contract review and state bid requirements were violated during the process of giving out the tablets to students. The tablets were also never tagged as state property, according to the press release. McNair Scholars, Honors College students, SGA elected officials and Southern Style

See TABLETS, 3

LOCAL

Lady Eagle arrested for possession Rachel Vigers, a starting senior forward for the Lady Eagles basketball team, was arrested Saturday night in Pearl River County, jail records showed. Vigers, 22, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, according to the Pearl River County Sheriff ’s Department, where she was still being held Monday night. She was arrested after police stopped the vehicle she was a passenger in because of an expired license plate.

During the stop, Vigers removed the 907 grams, or about two pounds, of marijuana hidden in the front of her pants and turned it over to police, according to the Hattiesburg American. The driver received a citation and was released. Possession of over 500 grams and up to 5 kg of marijuana is a felony in Mississippi, and is punishable by six to 24 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. Vigers, who missed the last two games for the Lady Eagles (1-2), was the team’s leading scorer last year, averaging 16 points and six rebounds.

She is from Baton Rogue, La. and is in her second season on the USM basketball team. She transferred to Southern Miss from Copiah-Lincoln Community College. Women’s basketball coach Joye Lee-McNelis did not immediately return a call requesting comment Monday night. However, athletic director Richard Giannini announced Monday night that Vigers had been dismissed from the team for violations of team rules. There will not further comments from the athletic department on this matter, according to the press release.

SOUP CAN

DRAKE REVIEW

FOOTBALL

Staff Reports Printz Writer

Justin Sellers/Printz

Southern Miss Lady Eagles No. 32, Rachel Vigers, was arrested Saturday and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell.

WEATHER Tuesday

81/62

Wednesday

68/43 Thursday

Page 4

Page 6

Page 8

71/45

INDEX

Calendar ........................ 2 News .............................. 3 Feature ...........................5 Arts & Entertainment......6 Opinion............................ 7 Sports..............................8

Calendar

Page 2, Student Printz

The

Student Printz

Serving Southern Miss since 1927

Executive Editor Mary Margaret Halford mary.halford@eagles.usm.edu 601.266.6431

Managing Editor Hannah Jones hannah.jones@eagles.usm.edu Art Director Justin Sellers justin.sellers@eagles.usm.edu Sports Editor Travis Thornell travis.thornell@eagles.usm.edu Web Editor Ashton Pittman ashton.pittman@eagles.usm.edu Copy Editor Stormy Speaks stormy.speaks@eagles.usm.edu

Mark Your Planner 22 23 24 25 26 8 a.m. “Bears on Patrol” Collection Union Lobby

8 a.m. “Bears on Patrol” Collection Union Lobby

11 a.m. Food Drive for the Salvation Army TCC Lobby

11 a.m. South Mississippi Children’s Center Fundraiser Union Lobby

11 a.m. Help Us Help the Community Toy Drive Union Lobby

7 p.m. The Point Union Room B

Webmaster Chris Greene chris.greene@eagles.usm.edu News Content Adviser Chuck Cook 601.266.4288 chuck.cook@usm.edu Designers Taylor Fesenmeier Taylor Henry

WHERE’S SEYMOUR?!

Senior Sales Representative Angel Wells angelique.wells@eagles.usm.edu Sales Representative Joslynn Araujo joslynn.araujo@eagles.usm.edu Advertising Manager Lesley Sanders-Wood 601.266.5188 lesley.sanders@usm.edu Advertising e-mail printzad@usm.edu

Find us online at: www.studentprintz.com

The Student Printz is published every Tuesday and Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. Signature Offset of Hattiesburg provides printing services. Opinions expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, its publications manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications.

9 a.m. Pancakes For Pancakes Outside near Union

Thanksgiving Holiday No Classes! 5 THINGS YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW about Thanksgiving

Chief Designer Lisa Gurley lisa.gurley@eagles.usm.edu

Ad Graphic Designer James Michael Cox james.m.cox@eagles.usm.edu

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

*Thanksgiving was initially meant to be a fast, not a feast. The devout settlers at Plymouth Rock mostly recognized “giving of thanks” in the form of prayer and abstaining from food. *In 1789, George Washington hailed the holiday, while President Thomas Jefferson called Thanksgiving “the most ridiculous idea” ever conceived. *The tradition of watching football on Thanksgiving began in 1876, when the newly formed American Intercollegiate Football Association held its ﬁrst championship game. *The ﬁrst Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (in New York City) was in 1924, when employees of Macy’s had animals from the Central Park Zoo march down the streets of Manhattan. *Believe it or not, according to research by the Food Network green bean casserole is the number one side dish on Thanksgiving after dressing and cranberry sauce.

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Parking Garage Available to Students on Game Day Students who have valid Southern Miss parking decals now have an additional parking option on football game weekends-the parking garage at Golden Eagle Avenue and West 4th Street. Each home game weekend, students with parking decals will have first access to the garage as space allows. The Southern Miss vs. Memphis football game will be played on on Saturday, Nov. 26th. All vehicles parked in the Century Park and Payne Center lots must be moved no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 25th, while all vehicles in other restricted areas must be moved by 8 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26th. Any vehicle not moved will be towed at the owner’s expense.

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• • • •

Community Health Fraternity Row Elam Arms Gravel Lot Ross Boulevard

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Performing Arts Center CICE Arthell Kelley

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

News

Student Printz, Page 3

local

Small Business Saturday supports locals Jonathan Andrews Printz Writer American Express wants customers to shop for the holidays locally. Their campaign, dubbed Small Business Saturday, will focus on getting shoppers out of big box retailers and away from their computers to buy gifts from local businesses. Betsy Rowell, director of the Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association, said money spent locally has a turnover three and a half more times than it does when it is spent at

ON CAMPUS

a chain. “It’s invested in a bank, which may or not be a local bank,” she said. Jerry Shepherd, who co-owns Main Street Books with his wife Diane said Black Friday is usually a pretty good day for downtown, but it is nothing compared to the turnout at big box retailers. Main Street Books has been open downtown for nearly nine years now and started as a dream of Diane’s. “She wanted to live on Walnut Street and own a business on Main Street,” Shepherd said. “Now, we live on Walnut Street and own a business on Main Street.” Shepherd said it has always

held a special significance to residents of the Hub City, specifically those middle-aged and older people who remember downtown and the atmosphere it held. “They want it to come back,” he said. “You can’t get that with the bright lights and sterile stores. You get a relaxed casual atmosphere,.” Gail Albert, owner of A Gallery and Plum’s Bridal Registry, said the atmosphere is what draws customers downtown. She said instead of getting a boxed item one can always find something unique to gift by shopping locally.

C-SPAN hightens happenin’ history Kacie Bailey Printz Writer Last Friday, C-SPAN revisited the Hattiesburg campus to tape a segment for their Lectures in History series. After presenting a talk at the Gettysburg Civil War Institute this past June, Susannah Ural, professor of history, was asked to participate in the lecture series. C-SPAN recorded the June event and approached her about setting up a taping during the academic school year. According to the C-SPAN website, “Each week, American History TV sits in on a lecture with one of the country’s col-

lege professors.” Topics for the series range from presidential histories to specific historical periods like the Cold War and, for Ural, the election of 1860. For this segment, Ural’s “Survey of United States History up to 1877” class was filmed as students looked at the events leading up to the American Civil War. “I’m teaching an undergrad methods class for history majors this semester that wouldn’t really work, so C-SPAN went with my undergrad U.S. history survey and the election of 1860s,” Ural said. Before taping began, students were asked to hold questions until the end of the lecture. Near the end of the class pe-

riod, the live microphones stationed around the class were turned on to record students’ questions. While Dr. Ural said she tries to avoid the spotlight, she said having C-SPAN film a class shines a positive light on Southern Miss. “It shows Mississippi students asking good questions,” Ural said. She also said that for those who watch the series outside of Mississippi, it will fight negative stereotypes about students from the state. American History TV airs weekends on C-SPAN and features “48 hours of people and events that help document the American Story.”

Tagging will resume after Thanksgiving break on Nov. 28 and 29 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Nov. 30 from 1 until 6 p.m. The tablets, purchased with a grant, are valued at $530 each. They are similar to the iPad and feature a camera, video recorder and WiFi. Because the tablets were purchased with state money, they are state property and cannot be given away, Paul said. This was discovered after the fact during an investigation by the university attorney and internal auditor. Davies and Paul met with Honors College students Friday evening to apologize for the incident and answer any questions students had.

“Mistakes were made and unfortunately students will have to help us make up for those mistakes,” Paul said. Paul added that students will not be held responsible for damages to the devices, and a grievance process will be established for students who invested money in their tablets. “We are contemplating giving students an option to request reasonable reimbursement at the time they turn the machines back in for any out-of-pocket money they may have spent,” Paul said. At the meeting, students asked if they would be able to purchase their tablets from the university upon graduation, and Paul answered by saying he was unsure because the pro-

“Being downtown, people who are travelling want to see the heart of the city, and they want to buy unique things to take home,” she said. Not only does downtown offer unique opportunities for a special find, but, according to Albert, it also offers something that big box stores cannot: personality. “We want to tell you about the person behind the item,” she said. Albert said most pieces in her store, including paintings, pottery and hand-blown glass, among other decorations, have at least a paragraph of information that tells the creator’s his-

tory. She and the other employees of her store can also give specifics about the products themselves, such as where they were made, the process through which they were created and whether they are food safe. Both business owners said they are prepared for Saturday. They will offer specials to customers, and there is something available for everyone at every price point. “You can get a special gift, one you can’t find anywhere else by shopping independent and local,” Shepherd said.

Don’t be a Turkey Fitness Challenge The Payne Center at The University of Southern Mississippi hosted its Don’t Be a Turkey Fitness Challenge this year for 21 days leading up to Thanksgiving Day. Susan Bone, assistant director of wellness, created the program to encourage healthy diet and exercise habits during the holidays. Participants who signed up were expected

to hold themselves accountable by coming to the gym regularly, signing in at the front desk, and recording what they did to work out. Bone said the challenge was meant to teach people to put themselves in the right mindset and use self-motivation to push themselves to make health and wellness a habit.

Tablets, from 1 members, along with some faculty/staff and Gulf Coast campus students, received the tablets at the beginning of the semester for free. They were under the impression that they would be able to keep them. “These computers will be yours to keep should you remain enrolled in the Honors College for the 2011-2012 year and remain in good standing,” said Dave Davies, dean of the Honors College, in an email to recipients of the tablets at the beginning of this year. Inventory and tagging of the tablets began Monday, and Paul said he was pleased with the turnout of students. About 60 people came to the Student Activities Hub to have their tablets inventoried.

cess of selling state property is a fairly elaborate one. “We are as disappointed as you guys are,” Davies said at the meeting. “We understood that you would get to keep the tablets, and we were absolutely delighted with that. Turns out iTech was in error, and as dean of the college I’m disappointed.” Johnathan Wilkes, a senior Honors College student from Purvis, Miss., was furious to learn that he would have to return his tablet. “We’re all very upset, and something needs to be done,” Wilkes said. “We know this isn’t the fault of the Honors College. We just want help from whoever got us into this. They should get us out.”

To have your Samsung Galaxy tablet tagged, take it to the Student Activities Hub during the following times: Nov. 28- 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Nov. 29- 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Nov. 30- 1 until 5 p.m.

News

Page 4, Student Printz

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

local

Soup Can Saturday sizzles for the homeless Justin Mitchell Printz Writer Last weekend, Click Boutique & Gallery and Twelve Oaks Shoe and Accessory Garden

hosted Soup Can Saturday to collect canned goods items to donate to Christian Services for their annual Thanksgiving dinner celebration. The public was invited to

drop off perishable food items at Click Boutique from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. last Saturday. Adam Myrick and Jason Le Viere, owners of the two boutiques, wanted to do something

Christopher Little/Printz

Adam Jason, co-owner of Click Boutique & Gallery and Twelve Oaks Accessory Garden, stacks cans collected during Soup Can Saturday.

for a local organization gives back to the community. “Our 400 or so cans raised will benefit Christian Services, a local grass roots organization that has moved mountains for Hattiesburg,” Le Viere said. “They provide a soup kitchen, Meals On Wheels, Thanksgiving dinners and career services to the people who live here.” Evans and Le Viere also created a raffle that gave donors a chance to win a prize pack worth a total of $175 to shop at various venues in downtown Hattiesburg. Among the prizes were gift cards to Click, Twelve Oaks, The Skylight Lounge, The Depot Coffee House and Bistro and Polly Esther’s Closet. People who donated items were allowed to enter their names into a raffle in order to win the prize package. “Each canned good donation got you another chance in the hat, like a lottery,” Evans said. Evans and Le Viere said they were pleased at the number of people that took the time to come downtown and support their Thanksgiving cause. “La Tonya Frelix was the winner of the drawing, and she ac-

tually brought her five canned goods on Friday because she was going to be out of town,” Evans said. The duo said they love doing things to benefit the community because it’s important to support Hattiesburg, especially an area such as downtown that has been thriving thanks to new business. “We chose downtown over other parts of Hattiesburg because it’s just cooler,” Evans and Le Viere said. “There’s nothing generic or cookie cutter about it. When we were creating the prize pack for Soup Can Saturday, we wanted it to be hip and highlight the hot spots of downtown.” Evans and Le Viere hope that Soup Can Saturday becomes an annual event. “We take nothing for granted,” they said. “We recognize that our community has blessed us this year. Soup Can Saturday was a way for us to pass on our blessings. Compassion is always in fashion, and we encourage our customers to pass on their blessings this holiday season.”

National

Facebook slams porn spam Abby Loranger Printz Writer If you’re one of the 800 million Facebook users worldwide, you’ve probably encountered the wave of graphic spam posts during the past week. Among the spam were pornographic images that included PhotoShopped images of celebrities and photos depicting graphic and gory violence, causing mil-

lions of Facebook users to ask how the virus infiltrated the social networking site so quickly. According to CNN, the spam was a result of a “hack that exploited security flaws in some Web browsers.” The most common way that the viruses are spreading come in the form of links that make some sort of promise to the user - redirection to a new video or song, answers to a quiz or free plane tickets, for example. According to USA Today, social networking sites are easy targets

for spammers because “people are more likely to trust and share content that comes from people they know. This makes spam, scams and viruses easy to spread.” Andrew Noyes, a Facebook spokesperson, said that the spam perpetrators have been caught and the company is currently “working with our legal team to ensure appropriate consequences follow.” What is odd is that the spam “doesn’t seem to be generating any sort of benefit for the scam-

mers other than generating outrage from Facebook users.” However, the vivid pornographic and violent images have offended some users, even causing some to close their accounts. Jenna Shaffer, a freshman, shared her disgust about the recent wave of spam. “I’m friends on Facebook with my little brother and my grandmother, and my account got hacked,” Shaffer said. “I didn’t realize, but I had been sharing those images with them. I am embarrassed beyond words and horrified that I was responsible for my little brother being exposed to such graphic content.” Ian Goodnow, a sophomore, had a lighter take on the recent spam wave. “It doesn’t really bother me,” Goodnow said. “I just laugh it off. It’s not something I would delete my account over.” According to Facebook and security firm Symantec, less than 4% of the site’s content is spam. Compare that to email, where a whopping 89% of content is spam. In a press release statement, Facebook described “educa-

tional checkpoints” they are going to set up around the site. These checkpoints will teach users how to identify spam. In order to stay safe and virus free, Facebook users should abide by the following tips: •Don’t click on links that look suspicious, especially if you are being asked to copy and paste a code into your browser. •Don’t click on links sent in messages, even if they are from a friend. Double check with that friend to make sure they sent it before you open. •Consider turning https browsing on in your Facebook settings. • Change your password every so often. Facebook isn’t the only social networking site to be hit with spam outbreaks; Google+ and Twitter have encountered the viruses as well. Facebook has now gotten rid of the majority of the offensive images. “Our team responded quickly and we have eliminated most of the spam caused by this attack,” Facebook said in its statement. “We are now working to improve our systems to better defend against similar attacks in the future.”

Feature

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

PRINTZ

Student Printz, Page 5

Printz Picks: Thankfulness style Printz Staff As Thanksgiving approaches, we are all reminded to take a step back and appreciate the things in our lives that we’re most grateful for. In the spirit of the holiday season, the Printz editorial board has shared what we’re thankful for—whether it’s sincere, sarcastic or made up within the confines of our imagination. Give thanks!

“May your stuffing be tasty. May your turkey be plump. May your potatoes and gravy Have nary a lump. May your yams be delicious And your pies take the prize. May your Thanksgiving dinner, Stay off your thighs.”

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Chris Greene, Webmaster J.R.R. Tolkein’s massive contribution to humanity The music of Pink Floyd PRS guitars Any open-source technologies Other material vices that help me deal with life

Mary Margaret Halford, Executive Editor 1. My fun, outgoing and entertaining staff at The Student Printz 2. My amazing family, friends and sorority 3. Country music 4. Cowboy boots, North Face vests and trucks 5. Justin Mitchell

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Justin Sellers, Art Director Jack D in my Coke Bacon chocolate chip cookies My camera My sled dog Energy drinks

Travis Thornell, Sports Editor How I Met Your Mother Zooey Deschanel Polymers FOOTBAW Drinkify.org

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Hannah Jones, Managing Editor Abundant corporate philanthropy The pleasant aroma of Forrest County Rational and honest GOP presidential candidates Nic Cage’s film career Being purged from the BCS Top 25

2. 3. 4. 5.

Stormy Speaks, Copy Editor My wonderful friends, family, sorority sisters, and boyfriend My education at Southern Miss All the opportunities I’ve been given ChapStick Diet Coke

Lisa Gurley, Chief Designer Family and friends The ups and downs that make me who I am today Education Being raised in a Christian family Food

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Ashton Pittman, Web Editor Twitter The 99% Movement Margie Phelps & Clan Rachel Beech My fan girls

1. 2. 3. 4.

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Page 6, Student Printz

Review

Arts & Entertainment

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Drake’s effort Take Care doesn’t disappoint Drake’s second album shows off lyrical genius

Jonathan Andrews Printz Writer Lil Wayne’s protégé has returned to his unique style of lyrical delivery - clean versus punctuated with hit or miss vocals and, of course, a bevy of well-placed hooks. On the debut single from the album “Headlines,” Drake proclaims his return proudly: “I had someone tell me I fell off/ Ooh, I needed that/ And they wanna see me pick back up/ Well, where’d I leave it at?” Feature artists dot the album’s track list and add variety to Drake’s already diverse style. Nicki Minaj hijacks “Make Me Proud” with her one-of-a-kind flair while Lil Wayne and Andre 3000 (of Outkast fame) redeem a weak performance by Drake on “The Real Her.” Overall, Drake incorporates a range of styles, from a new school take on old school R&B on such tracks like “Shot for Me,” a cut that made me reconsider Auto-Tune as the death of hip-hop and more of a sort of rebirth for it, to “Underground Kingz,” which taps the form of the Southern rap super-group of the same name. Drizzy spits on that track, “I could tell a lie if you askin’ me my whereabouts/ But I might talk that real if you ask me what I care about.” Speaking of production, the album shines on nearly every track, even when the title artist’s delivery is off. The beats, mostly produced by fellow Toronto residents T-Minus & 40, support the aforementioned range of styles

Drake and various featured artists deliver. The title track “Take Care” is a duet featuring R&B songstress Rihanna. It’s less than stellar lyrically but borrows heavily from the current dance style with a heavy percussion and piano backed performance. The energetic “Just Blaze” instrumental of “Lord Knows,” is backed by a gospel choir sample and features a strong appearance by Rick Ross. “Take Care” goes out on a limb. It takes cues from a number of styles of music: electronic, dance, rhythm and blues and hip-hop styles, both new and old. That limb is supported by a strong foundation attached to the hip-hop tree of women, money and the fast life (and Auto-Tune), but even those safe bets are delivered with that monotone/melodic style unique to Drizzy. The limb becomes a little more shaky as the artist questions the consequences of the lifestyle’s indiscriminate spending and love of drugs, alcohol and sex. Think conscientious hip-hop music that simultaneously questions and embraces the fundamentals that have taken it over in the present day but also pays homage to the poetic roots where it originated. Drake’s unique delivery warrants “Take Care” at least a listen in a rap world saturated with a lot of the same thing.

Have a wonderful holiday we will be back next week! Happy Thanksgiving from The Printz

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Opinion

Student Printz, Page 7

SPORTS

Paterno’s legacy should stay intact Travis Thornell Sports Editor The recent child molestation scandal at Penn State has rocked college sports to its core. Not only has it greatly taken the innocence of young boys and greatly affected their lives, but it also showed that college sports’ methodology needs to be adjusted. The backlash from the firing of legendary head coach Joe Paterno exhibited that college football fans live and die with their programs. The 84-year-old beloved JoePa was fired for something out of his control. Former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, who retired in

1999, was accused of touching young boys in a Penn State locker room shower. Students rioted in the streets of State College, Pa. showing their displeasure on the school’s decision to fire JoePa. One incident involved a 10-year-old boy allegedly raped by Sandusky in a locker room shower. Current assistant coach Mike McQueary, then a graduate assistant, witnessed the alleged attack and told Paterno in 2002. Paterno then informed his higher up, the athletic director, of the incident. The athletic director and leaders of the school should have reported this to the police. Nevertheless, Paterno and his superiors were fired. Paterno, who announced that he would retire at the end of the season, was immediately fired on Nov. 9. This is not the way anyone imagined Paterno going out. The winningest coach in Division 1 football history, with 409 wins

and two national championships, has built Penn State football into one of the best collegiate sports programs in the nation. He has given millions of dollars back to the school and was one of the “good guys” left within the corrupt world of college athletics. Paterno did not allow boosters to buy his players or cover up their deals with tattoo artists for jerseys. Yes, he should have done more to make sure the police were alerted as soon as possible, but to have his legacy forever tainted due to one of his former staff destroying innocent young boys’ lives is undeserving of Paterno’s golden career. In a world lacking any type of hero/father figure, Paterno was one of the closest things we, as sports fans, had. Pennsylvania senators took back honors that Paterno had been nominated for, such as the Presidential Medal of

Freedom. The Big Ten Conference also has decided to take his name off their championship trophy. I believe this to be overblown for Paterno, who did everything to his legal obligations on reporting the incidents he was aware of. In a recent statement, Paterno’s son, Scott Paterno, announced that JoePa was diagnosed with treatable lung cancer last weekend. I have no doubt that Paterno will beat the cancer, but nothing can erase the harm done to the numerous boys hurt by his assistant. I just hope that Paterno’s legacy is remembered for being the greatest and classiest coach to ever roam the sidelines and not for his assistant’s sick abuse of power.

and 60 years ago, my grandparents and parents could not go to the same restroom, school or church as Caucasian Americans yet, many people tell me to stop living in the past, but I argue that the past is still very much alive when situations such as Troy Davis was wrongfully put to death over a crime in which all the details were not even brought forth. Early this year, we were protesting about the Scott Sisters’ obscured sentencing. Just in the last decade, we had the Gena 6 to take in place in Louisiana. If my memory serves me correctly, the KLU KLUX KLAN was present there as well. The mentality brought

forth by slavery is much alive. Take the time to think with me; the swastika was a very power symbol used by Adolf Hitler and the Germans when they were killing millions of Jews. What if we wore that? Is it not the same? They claimed to be playing the Huxtable family from the 1980’s sitcom but, if I am not mistaken, they had many shades of black on their show. As a fellow college student, I feel this is very unacceptable. Phi Mu sorority’s mission statement frowns upon any racial

acts. So the tears you shed because you are on probation do not warrant any sympathy from me. The best argument I have heard over and over is that you did not know. Ignorance never excuses the fact that those actions have affected my life and the lives of many others, whether you care or not. This is not something that should be swept under the rug, as we know has been done in the past.

This was an article of opinion by Travis Thornell, a writer for The Student Printz. E-mail questions or comments to travis.thornell@ eagles.usm.edu.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR I am a college student at the University of Southern Mississippi. Particularly, I am a African-American college student. I do not know if I am even proud to say that I attend Southern Mississippi. Over the past couple of days, I have heard countless arguments about a black face incident. Some say the students did not deserve the punishment received, while many others feel they did. Personally, I feel that they deserved what they received because they did not take a minute to think about the ramifications of their actions. The sorority decided it was all fun and games because it was an 80’s party. Just 40, 50,

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Student Shout-outs

“

To the girl who received the daisies at her doorstep in Wilber Hall on Wednesday... I really miss you and think about you every second of my day. Enjoy the ﬂowers... I remembered they are your favorite. Do any other seniors feel burned out?? Because I do!!! Publicly bickering over shower lights, skateboarders, and the music coming from Starbucks or boys in a dorm? Life really isn’t that trivial. Try smiling at a stranger :) S/O to my bf of a yr on 11/25. I <3 you & thanks 4 helping me love again. Yesssss! Good men do exist! Stop living under that rock!! SMTTT If the wife of the “Greatest Rapper Alive” didn’t get away with her run in with the Blackface incident and she’s black, what made these girls think that they could get away with it? “We didn’t know” is not an excuse! Dear girl who took up 2 spots today in Theater and Dance parking lot, learn to park...your car isn’t even nice anyway. I’m highly offended that Michael Jackson made himself into a white person. He doesn’t know what it’s like to walk a mile in my shoes! See how dumb it sounds to whine about something stupid? Wynde Fitts you rock! Thank you for being a strong back bone that this school needs. I wish everyone could see just how good you are. WFTTT! Dear person who broke off all the tips off every good stick in the gameroom, Thanks for that, now all that’s left are the bad sticks nobody wants to use. My favorite stick was among the casualties and my game has slightly suffered. Thanks, signed the kids who live in the gameroom

”

To see your anonymous comment in The Student Printz, submit it under the ‘Contact’ tab on studentprintz.com.

Sports

Page 8, Student Printz

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Football

Eagles still alive to win division Travis Thornell Sports Editor All is not lost for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles as they wrap up the regular season against rival Memphis Tigers. After a humbling 34-31 loss to UAB Thursday, the Golden Eagles (9-2, 5-2 C-USA) can clinch the East Division with a win over the Tigers (2-9,1-6) in the Black and Blue Bowl. The game is set for a 3 p.m. kickoff. “We know we still have a chance of reaching our goals,” said senior linebacker Ronnie Thornton after the loss to UAB. “That’s our main focus. We aren’t going to dwell on this loss or take it to heart and not look forward. That’s our main focus - to look forward and solidify our Eastern Division championship.” A loss by Marshall would also give USM its first division title since 2006. The West Division

will be decided Friday at 11 a.m. when No. 8 ranked Houston battles Tulsa. If Southern Miss takes care of business, they will be on the road for the Dec. 3 championship game at either Houston or Tulsa. In order for the Golden Eagles to advance, USM must take care of a Memphis team that has had a struggling year and would love to end their season with a big upset. “They are going to come in here and play their best game of the season,” said head football coach Larry Fedora of the challenge. “That’s what they are going to. They are going to come in here and play lights out against us, and we’re going to be prepared for it. We’re going to have great energy level and we’re going to play hard and play Southern Miss style football.” Saturday will mark the last home game played for the seniors. This will be Fedora’s first senior class that

has been around since the beginning of his tenure. “What makes these guys special is they’ve been through a lot in this program in the past four years, both on the field and off the field,” Fedora said of this senior class. “All of these guys have bought into what we asked them to buy in to. They’ve Justin Sellers/Printz worked as hard Offensive lineman Joe Duhon runs the ball on a flea flicker for the final play of the as we’ve asked game against UAB last Thursday. them to work. They’ve done of these guys and what these when they walk away from this the little things. They’ve taken guys are doing and the way place with their degree. When care of their business. They’ve they carry themselves. They they do that, I’m going to be been ambassadors for this uni- are young men that are getting very proud of them.” versity off the field. I’m proud close to being full grown men

Volleyball

Lady Eagles spike Cougars Josh Seabrook Printz Writer The Lady Eagle volleyball team soared to the net on the attack Sunday afternoon with a 3-2 victory over the Houston Cougars. The attack was led by outside hitter Ashley Mell, who got off to a hot start with five straight kills on her own. The Lady Eagles’ streak of eight consecutive points was finally snapped by the Cougars, and the score was then 2315. The Lady Eagles went on to cruise through the first set, winning it 25-16. “I could tell that they were confident today,” said Lady Eagles head coach Abbey Sutherland. “I could tell that they knew that they were in control of the match and that they knew that they were going to win.”

Christopher Little/Printz

Outside hitter Ashley Mell prepares to slam the ball over the net in the game against Houston on Sunday.

Neither team seemed to be able to sustain momentum for a long period of time in the second set. The Lady Eagles went for the kill and finished off the Cougars 25-18 in the second set. The Lady Eagles held a commanding two set lead. The Lady Eagles fell behind early in the third set. Until vicious

Football vs. Memphis

spikes by outside hitters, Mell and Halie Ecker drew the Lady Eagles within two points of those of the Cougars. Mell was on fire, notching 27.5 points and 25 kills. From the very beginning of the match, Mell was on the attack. Senior libero Lisa Knecht showed strong leadership all af-

C-USA games this weekend Tulsa 57, UTEP 28 Houston 37, SMU 7 East Carolina 38, UCF 31 Rice 19, Tulane 7 Marshall 23, Memphis 22

Southern Miss Box Score Football:

11/17 at UAB L, 34-31

Volleyball:

11/18 vs. Rice L, 3-2 11/20 vs. Houston W, 3-1

Women’s Basketball 11/19 at Kentucky L, 88-71

Men’s Basketball

11/17 at Denver L, 59-52 11/19 at Colorado St. W, 79-58

ternoon by setting up her teammates and playing solid defense. Sutherland was extremely impressed with the leadership demonstrated by Knecht not only in this game but all season long. “Lisa is, and I’m not just saying this, the most hardworking, best athlete to coach,” Sutherland said. “She always wants to get better, she motivates her teammates, she’s always trying to do the right thing both on and off the court. She’s just a huge asset to our program, she works so hard.” In the third set, it was Ecker who came out on fire for the Lady Eagles, going on a tear of four straight kills before the Cougars called a time out. Despite the Lady Eagles’ valiant effort, they lost the third set by a score of 25-23. The Lady Eagles’ lead was cut from two sets to one. The Lady Eagles then pushed their lead to 9-2 before the Cou-

gars called a time out to try to slow the pace a little. The Lady Eagles played with a different kind of intensity in the fourth set. Right from the start of the set, USM was on the attack and aiming for the kill. Mell finished the deed with one last kill to put away Houston 25-17. “We were ready to kick some butt,” said Mell, “We were excited. This was our last chance for six of us to play Houston and that urge to just go out there and win.” The Lady Eagles won the match three sets to one behind a strong effort by Mell. “Ashley [Mell] did awesome,” Sutherland said. “She really brought it and ended the match with a great kill.” The Lady Eagles will host Tulane tonight at 7 p.m. This will be the last match of the year as well as senior night for the Lady Eagles.

Southern Miss Sports: Upcoming Games 11/22/11 7 p.m. Volleyball hosts Tulane Hattiesburg, Miss. 11/24/11 11:30 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs. UCIrivine Anchorage, Ala.

11/25/11 5 p.m. Woman’s Basketball vs. Jacksonville State Hattiesburg, Miss. 11/26/11 3 p.m. Football vs. Memphis Hattiesburg, Miss.