SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • FEBRUARY 10, 2021 | VOLUME 106 | ISSUE 19
“FRESH GIRL” REVIEWS
PG 5
INAYAH LAMIS
PG 6
STUDY APPS
PG 7
NEWS
FEBRUARY 10, 2021
MEET THE STAFF Executive Editor
Brian Winters brian.s.winters@usm.edu
News & Features Editor Mary Murphy mary.s.murphy@usm.edu
Sports Editor
Charlie Luttrell charles.luttrell@usm.edu
Multimedia Editor
Earl Stoudemire earl.stoudmire@usm.edu
Design Editor
Marissa Haas marissa.haas@usm.edu
The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not represent those of the faculty, staff or administration of The University of Southern Mississippi. We welcome letters to the editor representing similar and contrasting opinions. To be eligible for publication, all submission must include name, class distinction, major, phone number and email address. Submissions should be emailed to printzeditors@ gmail.com by 5 p.m. on the Friday before publication. Please limit them to 500 words or less. The Student Printz reserves the right to refuse publication or edit any material on the basis of clarity, space or journalistic ethics.
Opinions expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, its publication manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications. Courtesy of MofďŹ tt Health Center
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NEWS
FEBRUARY 10, 2021
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Kids Hub gives kids space for a brighter future KARA LOWE PRINTZ REPORTER hild abuse is still a rampant problem in the world. Kids Hub Child Advocacy Center, a non-profit child advocacy organization in Hattiesburg, MS, hopes to one day make that a thing of the past. Thoroughout the years it has been active, Kids Hub has utilized an integrative team approach for addressing child abuse. Their multifaceted approach uses advocacy, education and referrals to prevent child abuse and help those currently suffering. By doing so, Kids Hub provides forensic interviews and victim advocacy services to child victims of abuse and their non-offending caregivers. Kids Hub provides forensic interviews and victim advocacy services to help children and non-offending caregivers alike. In particular, they make it so children have a comfortable place to open up about the abuse they’ve suffered. When an abused child shares their story, especially if their abuser goes to court, they have to disclose very personal information to a variety of different people. This may instill many more emotions and fears into those children who have already faced a traumatic event. Kids Hub, like other Child Advocacy Centers, try to reduce the number of times a child
Photo courtesy of Kids Hub Child Advocacy Center
has to share their story with adults who are, by and large, strangers to them. To help make this process easier, the team will provide toys and stuffed animals to entertain and preoccupy these children, so they aren’t so afraid during their forensic interview and/or their time at the center. Kids Hub in particular provides a special Teddy Bear Closet full of stuffed animals for children to adopt and take home. “The Teddy Bear closet is one of my favorite features at Kids Hub,” said DiDi Ellis, Executive Direct of Kids Hub Child Advocacy Center. “When kids come to see us, they tell us some pretty terrible things they have experienced, but these teddy bears at the end of their visit help to end our time with them on a
positive note. The bears seem so simple, but the kids truly adore this part of the visit.” The stuffed animal each child adopts not only provides comfort, but can also be used as a positive symbol of their experience at the child advocacy center. “From time to time, [especially] for some of the little kids, I will take them and their teddy bear around the office and have people fill them full of hugs,” Ellis said. “I tell them [that,] if they ever need a hug, squeeze the bear tight and the one we put in will just pop out.” In order for Kids Hub to stuff their closet with an assortment of stuffed animals, they hold donation drives throughout the year. Anyone can donate a new or gently used stuffed animal to Kids
Hub’s Teddy Bear Closet by dropping off or shipping them to Kids Hub Child Advocacy Center at 22 Millbranch Rd. STE 1000, Hattiesburg, MS 39402. All of these donations will be sanitized by a team at the center before being placed in the Teddy Bear Closet. Another amazing way to donate is by purchasing a Teddy Gram in honor of a loved one for Valentine’s Day. These donations will provide a new teddy bear to a child who visits the center, as well as provide your loved one with a Valentine’s Day card stating a donation has been made to the Teddy Bear Closet in their honor. “Seeing the excitement of a child while picking out a stuffed animal is one of the most amazing parts of my day,” said Macy Mitchell, Community Outreach Educator of Kids Hub Child Advocacy Center. “The giggles and the smiles that are expressed during this time are inspiring[,] and a great reminder that[,] despite the horrors [they] have faced, at the end of the day [these] are still children.” The Teddy Grams are $10 each and will be sold until February 28th. Anyone who is interested in purchasing a Teddy Gram can visit https://kidshubms. networkforgood.com/events/26715-valentine-s-teddy-grams. They can also find information on how to support Kids Hub Child Advocacy Center through their social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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NEWS FEBRUARY 10, 2021 WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM Activists call out voter suppression under the guise of a new Mississippi election law CARTER LISHEN PRINTZ REPORTER ow often do you vote? Do you make it to every election, or do you occasionally skip one? You may think twice about missing the next election, though, because Mississippi voters could soon be penalized for failing to exercise their right to vote. Two bills are currently awaiting consideration on the Mississippi House and Senate floors that would kick inactive voters off statewide registries. House Bill 4 and Senate Bill 2588 contain similar policy language, but only one bill can be passed into law. Each bill stipulates that registered Mississippi voters who do not vote after four years (or two federal elections) will be removed from voter registries if they fail to return a voter confirmation form sent by election officials. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, along with other supporters of S.B. 2588, told reporters at the state capital that this bill is necessary to keep accurate voting rolls in Mississippi. “I don’t think you need to go further than the last election to see people have questions about that,” Hosemann said. This law, as well as Hosemann’s statement, allude to the baseless claims of widespread voter fraud present in the Nov. 2020 election, which were largely boosted by former President Donald Trump and his supporters after his defeat.
Mississippi Today reported that the Nov. 2020 election saw an increase of around 8.6% of voters from 2016. Many critics of these proposed bills wonder why the state would punish voters at a time when more Mississippians are empowering their voices than ever before. One of those critics, Peg Ciraldo, is the president of the Pine Belt League of Women Voters. “Instead of encouraging people to vote, we’re working on voter purging,” Ciraldo said. “There’s concerns about that.” Part of her concern is the ulterior motives behind the want for these bills to advance. She believes that many state lawmakers are worried about changes in the state. “[Lawmakers] are concerned that people are voting in a way they don’t like,” Ciraldo said. This is evident in the state’s most recent voting history, too. Last November, Mississippi residents voted to abolish a Jim Crow-era state election law that was known to limit opportunities for black politicians to reach statewide office. As of writing, said law is still in effect. Ciraldo also said that state lawmakers pushed back against calls for a new state flag despite voting a new one into effect.The previous flag, which is still the preferred one for many state Republican lawmakers, featured the racist Confederate battle emblem. Ciraldo sees these bills as nothing more than a tool of voter suppression aimed to keep select people in power, despite a long, bloody history of racist voter suppression. These bills would also affect college students and lower class residents, as they will have a lot more difficulty finding the time to get to polls and, if taken off
Marissa Haas | Printz the registry, re-register to vote. It’s worth noting that, according to statistics from the Pew Research Center, lower-income voters tend to be black. The political divide between Republicans and Democrats in Mississippi also mirrors the state’s racial split at 60% and 37% respectively. And, according to Democratic data firm TargetSmart, the majority of those Democrats -- 27% -- are black. Ciraldo feels these voting bills are an effort by the majority in the state to effectively silence the minority, and she knows why. “[Many Republican lawmakers] believe their way is the right way and do not feel comfortable giving everyone the right to vote,” Ciraldo said.
Rather than punish Mississippians for being busy, Ciraldo believes state leaders should be encouraging unity and democracy. “We need to encourage a democracy,” Ciraldo said. “We don’t have a democracy if we do not encourage everyone to vote. Mississippi is awakening to a new day, where people are getting out to vote. They feel that they have power here. People went out to vote because they felt empowered. They felt that they had something to say, and they made great efforts to get out there.” Mississippi is changing every day. If voters remained empowered, those in power may finally start to look like those they represent.
“Fresh Girl” serves up reviews on Southern Miss food MARY MURPHY NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR he Fresh, the go-to dining hall for students at Southern Miss, is basically a staple for any student that commutes to or lives on the Hattiesburg campus. And it seems that this includes any Golden Eagles online, as The Fresh has recently received the attention of an anonymous food critic on Instagram. The Fresh Food Review (@usmfreshfoodreview), which started posting towards the end of January, posts a new review on food from The Fresh every day. Though a majority of the reviews are fairly positive -- as of writing, the average review out of ten is seven-pointfour -- there have been a few scathing ones littered throughout. “There is nothing I love more than a SINGLE meatball, soggy chips and green beans for lunch!” Fresh Girl, the creator of the account, wrote while reviewing a truly abysmal meal. “This ‘meal’ was truly horrible! [...] Idk if they know[,] but people still have to eat on the weekend!” In the few weeks it has been active, The Fresh Food Review has almost garnered two hundred followers. Most of the commenters have fun talking about The Fresh on new posts, especially when it is about a meal they really enjoy. “Nothing goes harder than Fish Friday,” Instagram user @grace.breisacher commented on Fresh Girl’s review of a catfish meal. “Looks tasty!” @owbarker, another Fresh Food Review fan, commented on one of The Fresh’s Italian dishes. “What a scrumptious breadstick!” The Fresh Food Review is the latest student run account about Southern Miss. Another
Marissa Haas | Printz Instagram account, Bathrooms of USM (@ bathroomsofusm), posts the good and the bad of various Southern Miss bathrooms. It even allows other students to submit their takes on bathrooms around campus. “There’s a P in privacy[,] but no privacy in this pee,” Instagram user @davisoar wrote about a particularly cramped bathroom situation in Hickman Hall. The identity of The Fresh Food Review’s creator, Fresh Girl, is currently unknown. They also do not tend to post outside of their food reviews, perhaps to help maintain the
anonymity of the person involved. What is known, however, is that the creator is clearly having a lot of fun running the account. They have been consistent in posting every single day, even being able to comment new things on repeated meals. Their followers also seem to have a lot of fun with the account, content with engaging with the food reviews more than the person behind the account. That’s the real appeal behind accounts like this, really. Students get to connect with others over similar topics, even if through an anonymous source, and get to do so with
every new post. Want to keep up-to-date with The Fresh, including what meals will happen on what days? Be sure to check out The Fresh Food Company’s menu at https://usm.campusdish. com/LocationsAndMenus/FreshFoodCompany. The Campus Dish also has info on other on-campus dining options, such as Subway, Oath Pizza and various P.O.D. stations. You can also check out food-based offers and events throughout campus by following @ eaglediningUSM on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
ENTERTAINMENT
FEBRUARY 10, 2021
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It ain’t 2001, but Inayah has us “Fallin”
JAKORI BEAUCHAMP PRINTZ REPORTER ew Orleans R&B sensation Inayah Lamis returns to the scene after two years with a brand new single, “Fallin”. After listening to the song, I am glad to say I wasn’t disappointed. Inayah, best known for her singles “Best Thing” and “Suga Daddy”, took a hiatus after releasing her first album, ‘S.O.L.A.R.’, in 2019. Or, to be more precise, she surprised us with a break during the pandemic. Though she dropped a lot of freestyles and features throughout 2020, she abruptly stopped posting new content, leaving many of us confused. When Inayah reappeared on social media after her abrupt break, she revealed that she was several months pregnant. This left me worried that we wouldn’t see
Photo courtesy of Soundcloud
another Inayah release for at least another year, since babies tend to take up a lot of your time. It seems Inayah has different plans in mind, however. She dropped a sneak peak for an upcoming single, “Missing it”, only a month into 2021. The new single tease reignited my excitement for Inayah. I, like many other fans, was ready for some new music. However, when Inayah dropped the promo and the snippet of “Fallin” last week, my excitement and curiosity peaked. Most of Inayah’s music, especially her freestyles, center around heartbreak and men being garbage. So I was pretty surprised to see her release a song about falling deeply in love with someone, because she hadn’t explored this subject before. Inayah hit us with something
different than what we were used to hearing from her, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The chorus and second verse of “Fallin”, where she spoke about being loved naturally, really resonated with me. The up-tempo styling of this song also reminded me of one of her other songs, “N.A.S.”, but “Fallin” spoke on an entirely different topic. I think this is a step in the right direction, and a very important choice she made. The “Fallin” music video was also pretty unique for Inayah, since we got it not even 12 hours later. This video made me proud of Inayah’s growth and the team she is building around her. This video had a decent budget and was very well produced. The concept, the makeup, the lighting and the actors complimented her per-
fectly. I just wish it had an actual concept that went with the song instead of focusing on it looking “cute”. Regardless, I enjoyed the video a lot and have re-watched it several times. The video hyped the song up so much for me that I cannot stop listening to both simultaneously. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Inayah’s new single, “Fallin”, a lot more than I thought I would. I am now ready for a few more singles and hopefully a sophomore album by the end of the year. So long as that isn’t too much to ask for, of course, considering she’s soon going to be in mommy mode full time. I have a renewed sense of happiness about Inayah and I can’t wait for future releases.
OPINION FEBRUARY 10, 2021 COVID-19 vaccines are not optional DIPIN SUBEDI PRINTZ REPORTER t has almost been a year since COVID-19 appeared in the United States, but it is as lethal as ever. But whereas we were virtually defenseless before, several companies have since invented vaccines to quickly dampen the malignant effects of COVID. These vaccines, instead of uniting the nation, have surprisingly divided us. There is a lot of vehement mistrust about the vaccines, which has created a fear of vaccines among a lot of people. This anti-vaccine movement should be deemed unethical, however, as they are basing their incorrect judgments based on unqualified assumptions. Inoculating ourselves with the COVID-19 vaccine will not only help achieve herd immunity, but will also prevent the virus from replicating. As there are also very low chances of reinfection, we as a nation can slow down the spread of COVID-19 significantly. This is especially good news for those who are most at risk, as they are less in danger of catching the virus and experiencing significant complications, including an
increased risk of death. However, we must still remain vigilant even after the vaccine becomes widely available. COVID-19 can still mutate, which will make the vaccines ineffectual. In order to stop the variants of COVID-19, more attention, time and resources will need to be allocated to create better vaccines. Thus, we should also be aware that getting vaccinated now will help us prevent another virus outbreak, saving many lives. Since all of the COVID-19 vaccines are distributed and approved by the Food and Drug Administration, we can rely upon the judgment of the experts who deal with public health on a daily basis. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have been proven to have an efficacy rate of nearly 95%. This rate of this efficiency is applied to all people who have recieved the vaccine, regardless of their sex, age, ethnicity or race. Also, almost everybody is able to receive these vaccines without major concern. There are some people who have severe allergies to the ingredients of these vaccines, but both Moderna and Pfizer are working to correct this issue as soon as possible. Despite all of this, there are multiple groups online that are spreading rumors
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Photo courtesty of BBC
that the COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous. Historically, vaccines for similarly deadly diseases like polio or smallpox took years to develop, test and roll out. The comparatively quick turn-around time for COVID-19 vaccines has made many suspicious, as have its reported high rates of success. What we must remember, however, is that our technology has evolved by leaps and bounds since the polio and smallpox vaccines. Technology back then was
comparatively immature, and did not give researchers the same amount of information on a vaccine’s efficiency or problems. It is also important to note that, unlike before, a quick alteration to a defective vaccine is possible. COVID-19 vaccines have been drastically cutting infection rates since they have been approved. If we want to see the end of this deadly virus, we should vaccinate ourselves and motivate others to vaccinate as soon as possible.
Study apps to manage hectic spring semester MARY MURPHY NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR ith another online semester underway, many students dread the months to come. Online classes can be hard to keep track of, especially when it comes to remember what assignments are due on any given day. Are you already struggling to keep things together this semester? Maybe these apps can help. Microsoft To Do Need to set up a virtual to-do list? Microsoft To Do is a great place to start. There are a lot of apps that can allow you to make to-do lists, such as Reminders and MinimaList. However, I would recommend using Microsoft To Do, at least when it comes to class work. Because Southern Miss mainly utilizes Microsoft Office for campus operations, Microsoft To Do is connected to various other Microsoft apps, such as Outlook. You can set reminders on your To Do list that will appear in your email, which can be a great help while juggling a lot of tasks at once. Microsoft To Do also has a pretty straight forward design that you can further customize with ease. You can write new goals and delete old ones with a swipe or a click. It’s a breeze to navigate, completely free to use and works both on your phone and your laptop. Flora Having trouble staying focused in general? Flora can help with that.
Flora is a time management app that you can install on through Google Play or the App Store. Whenever you need to focus on, say, writing a term paper or studying for an exam, simply open the app and set a timer that can last anywhere from five minutes to two hours. Once the timer starts, a seed will gradually grow while you work. If you leave the app, the seed will die, and you will have to restart the timer to plant another. However, if you successfully plant a seed, it will be added to a virtual garden that can include plants from all around the world. Your garden can even lead to real trees being planted, as you can optionally donate some money to Trees for the Future to help reforestation efforts across the world. Flora is easy to use and features simple yet elegant designs. It’s an easy way to stay off your phone to get actual work done. Because Flora does not currently have a browser extension, I would also recommend using a similar time management app, Forest, that does. Though it does not have nearly the same amount of features that Flora does, it is relatively non-evasive and is also a pretty solid way to stay focused. Study! Need to manage study time specifically? Study! will help you do just that. Study!, only available through the App Store, is designed to help manage studying. Study! gives you the option to allocate time both for studying and for a break, which can repeat as many
Marissa Haas | Printz
times as you want. It’s a bit similar in functionality to a traditional Pomodoro Clock, where you work in short bursts before taking a longer break. Though this isn’t the flashiest app around, Study! can help promote better studying habits. A lot of college students struggle to manage their time effectively, and, as a result, neglect their own health while they cram at the last minute. Study! reminds its users to take care of themselves while they work, and, for
that, I feel it deserves a mention. This is far from a comprehensive list of apps or browser extensions you can use to manage schoolwork. Though I personally like using these apps, I know they are far from a one-size-fitsall solution. However, it’s important to stay on top of things during yet another weird semester. These apps help me stay focused while the rest of the world is unfocused. I hope that can be true for you, too.
SPORTS
FEBRUARY 10, 2021
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#McNelisStrong campaign raises cancer awareness around country CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR
Ever since women’s basketball Head Coach Joye Lee-McNelis announced her stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis, the collegiate community has rallied together locally and nationally in support. Southern Miss Athletics started the #McNelisStrong campaign on Jan. 22 in response to a massive outpour of support for Lee-McNelis. The athletic department, to add to the #McNelisStrong campaign, now offers silicone wristbands with “#McNelisStrong” and “tough as nails” written on them. According to Southern Miss Athletics, the athletic department has given out more than 1,500 #McNelisStrong wristbands as of Feb. 5. Around 30 women’s college basketball teams across the country have shown their support for #McNelisStrong by wearing these wristbands, as well as t-shirts and ribbons, at games. These supporters exist all over Conference USA and beyond, including Southeastern Conference colleges Alabama and Arkansas. “I am very humbled. I don’t know that I deserve all the support that people have given me and our family and this program,” Lee-McNelis said about the program after the Lady Eagles’ last home-series against UTSA. “It’s been quite surprising to me. I am very humbled and thankful and I am very blessed because what I think that it does [is] it gives me an opportunity to say that life is not guaranteed, that God gives us a life and we need to take advantage of every opportunity because we don’t know when that day is going to come.” Lee-McNelis says she is also grateful that she can use her platform to raise
awareness and education about lung cancer. “I am a non-smoker and a lot of females that have lung cancer are non-smokers. And so[,] for adenocarcinoma, it does bring attention to that for other women, and men, just to be aware [about the risks] of lung cancer,” Lee-McNelis said. As a part of her goal to raise awareness, Lee-McNelis began working with Forrest General’s Patient Navigation Program. Southern Miss announced the partnership on Feb. 4, and opened a donation line to the program in honor of Lee-McNelis.
The Patient Navigation Program (PNP) has served cancer patients at Forrest General since 2017. The PNP provides an oncology patient navigator to assist patients throughout their cancer treatment process. Martha Dearman, executive director of the Forrest General Healthcare Foundation, explains the program’s purpose. “It is there to be a guiding light for our cancer patients,” Dearman said. “When you come in and hear those words that you have cancer, a lot of times it’s hard to even process anything else that’s going on [...] and so the patient navigator is there. They can help [...] understand some of
the test results or maybe the tests that you’re going to be having to help you work through logistical [or] scheduling issues. If you’re facing barriers to care[,] which is so big and happens so often because cancer treatment is so expensive, they are there to help you find the resources to maybe alleviate those barriers to receive the treatment that you need.” Dearman says McNelis formed the partnership after her daughter, a nurse practitioner, told her about the obstacles many cancer patients face in receiving treatment. “Joye just decided that she wanted to use her voice to try to make a difference and try to help patients that aren’t as lucky as she is as far as having the ability to receive her treatment,” Dearman said. “She’s so gracious, she always gives back and practices what she preaches. She was taught it as a child, and she has let that guide her life[. ...] I was honored to be able to work with her as closely as I’ve been.” Dearman says the response to the partnership has been “tremendous”, and that the donations and heightened awareness will help PNP’s impact. “It’s amazing [that,] if you can just remove small barriers, the difference that can make in a patient and their family’s life[,] because that’s just a journey that’s so difficult to go down and to follow,” Dearman said. “If someone is doing anything to help just alleviate one possible barrier, the impacts are tremendous.” You can request a wristband by contacting grant.keith@usm.edu. Donations can be made to the Forrest General Cancer Center’s Patient Navigation Program directly by texting “GIVE” to 1-833-5858650 or online at https://fghfoundation. com/coach.