SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927•WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM•JANUARY19,2022 | VOLUME107 | ISSUE15
DS4EVER REVIEW
OMICRON VARIANT
PG 3
PG 6
SOUTHERN MISS BASKETBALL PG 8
Southern Miss students enter new school year among threat of omicron variant KYRA LAMPLEY PRINTZ EXECUTIVE EDITOR
W
ith the rise of the
COVID-19 from Jan. 2 through Jan.
omicron variant of
15 after only reporting 90 total pos-
COVID-19, it’s become
itive cases throughout the entire fall
clear that Southern Miss’
semester.
faculty and students will have to face a fifth semester of the virus. COVID-19 has impacted in-person learning since 2020, the start of the pandemic. Students were sent home
Dr. Jeffrey Williams, the assistant director and physician at Moffitt, said that a rise of cases is inevitable with students returning to campus. “We definitely expect an increase
for the remainder of the Spring 2020
in cases [and already are]. Fortunately,
semester—having to complete all their
most cases have been mild,” Williams
classes completely online.
said.
This was a difficult time for the
This surge of COVID-19 is attribut-
Golden Eagles, but they nevertheless
ed to omicron being the most con-
persevered to a return to some nor-
tagious variant yet but as with other
malcy last semester.
waves of the virus, there is a peak and
The fall 2021 semester was an adjustment as students learned how to
then a decline. “Omicron is the most contagious
navigate the world of in-person classes
variant that we’ve had so far in the
again. Campus events were limited in
pandemic, thus I think we will definite-
attendance and mask mandates were
ly see an increase in case numbers the
enforced in all campus buildings.
first two weeks of the spring semester,”
And now, the spring 2022 semester
Dr. Melissa Roberts, Executive Director
is filled with anxiety as the first day of
at MHC said. “The good news is that
classes approaches.
once the omicron surge peaks, the
Like the rest of America, COVID-19
case numbers will decrease rapidly.
cases have drastically increased in Mis-
Current models suggest Omicron will
sissippi since the holiday break and
peak in Mississippi by the first week of
are steadily rising as the days pass by.
February.”
According to the Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH), there were 22,456 new cases of COVID-19 in the state reported just from Jan. 14 through Jan. 17. The Moffitt Health Center (MHC) reported 181 positive tests of
These numbers pose a threat to the start of the spring semester, continuing the importance of the university’s COVID-19 guidelines.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
The Lucas Administration Building pictured during the fall semester.
Charlie Luttrell | Printz
NEWS
JANUARY 19, 2022
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MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS SM2 News Director Charlie Luttrell charles.luttrell@usm.edu Executive Editor Kyra Lampley kyra.lampley@usm.edu Sports Director Austin Lindsey austin.lindsey@usm.edu Printz Photographer Sean Smith seanasmith@usm.edu Printz Reporters Seth Daspit seth.daspit@usm.edu Cordaveon Carter cordaveon.carter@usm.edu Dima Mixon joshua.mixon@usm.edu Moffitt Health Center’s last update from Jan. 18 shows 181 positive COVID-19 tests during the span of Jan. 2 through Jan. 15. The MHC had just 90 positive tests through the entire fall 2021 semester.
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 Moffit Health Center reported a 30.9% positivity rate in their COVID-19 tests from reserves the right to refuse publication or edit Jan. 2 through Jan. 8, a dramatic increase in previous records, as indicated in the far any material on the basis of clarity, space or right of the chart. journalistic ethics.
Opinions expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, its publication manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications.
Courtesy of Moffitt Health Center
Courtesy of Moffitt Health Center
NEWS
JANUARY 19, 2022
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Omicron variant The guidelines have mostly remained the same but the university now recommends students, faculty and staff to receive a COVID-19 vaccination booster in addition to receiving your first two shots. “Think of the vaccine as a “shield” or “bulletproof vest” which offers another layer of protection,” Dr. Melissa Roberts, Executive Director at MHC said. “The vaccine doesn’t always stop a person from getting infected, but it helps to keep symptoms mild and protects most people from hospitalization and death,” said Roberts. “Omicron, for most vaccinated people, is truly a flu-like illness: misery for a few days then recovery,” Williams said. According to the Moffitt Health Center, everyone on campus should follow these physical distance practices to stay as safe as possible: -
Stay at least 3 feet from others
(about an arm’s length) at all times. -
Do not gather in groups larger
than the size allowable by the current federal, state and local executive orders. -
Stay out of crowded places and
avoid mass gatherings. -
Handshaking and other forms
of physical contact are discouraged. This is a condensed list, but a more detailed list can be found on the university’s website. The use of face coverings is mandatory and must be worn indoors for all students, faculty, staff and visitors, regardless of their vaccination status. A new recommendation for this semester is the use of the Everbridge app, which is free to download on Google Play and Apple App Store. The app offers several features including self-assessment (with symptom check capabilities), is confidential and has contact tracting.
This app is recommended for use by the entire Southern Miss population. For the app to provide campus officials with accurate information, everyone is encouraged to participate. Temperature monitoring kiosks will remain in several locations across campus and those on campus are encouraged to check their temperatures daily, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Students and employees should stay home if they are sick or if a household member is diagnosed with COVID-19, regardless of their vaccination status. Williams said MHC has seen patients with a combination of these symptoms: headaches, body aches, sore throat, congestion, cough, chills with or without fever, stomachaches and diarrhea. Those with COVID symptoms or who have had close contact with a COVID-positive individual are encouraged to contact the MHC or their primary healthcare provider to discuss their symptoms and schedule an appointment for testing. The MHC has full diagnostic (PCR nasal swab and antigen testing) and surveillance (rapid antigen and antibody blood) testing available. Employees should notify their supervisor and Human Resources if they are positive. Students should notify their instructors and the Dean of Students Office. The Moffitt Health Center can be reached by phone at (601)-2665390 or by email at clinicadmin@ usm.edu.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Courtesy of Moffitt Health Center
ENTERTAINMENT
JANUARY 19, 2022
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Fumes dumpster dives into local scene
SETH DASPIT PRINTZ REPORTER
H
attiesburg’s Fumes is more than just enraged vapor – they’re cohesive and consistent with genuine, fresh innovation to hardcore music in town. Vocalist Ash Smith leads the charge, raving about social annoyances, police and climate change. Smith believes society acknowledging a problem with the climate is the first step to any progress. “Nothing will ever change if it’s just something you push to the back of your head because you don’t feel like it’s something you have to think about,” Smith said. These abrasive messages can’t be performed without the power of the rest of the band: Hampton Martin on drums, Blaine on bass and David Fink on guitar. The song, ‘Fumes’ sets the tone as the first song on the band’s self-titled Fumes perform at a show. tape. Smith’s pinpoint delivery of, don’t care if / I smell like ass! / “It’s the same thing every day / Dumpster diving / in the trash!” Decompose / And waste away…,” Blaine’s bass keeps the backencapsulates the motivations bebone of the songs steady with a hind how a hardcore vocalist can tone reminiscent of a dog growlfeel so angry or betrayed in their ing. vocals. Coming from the dated Jack‘Dumpster Dive’ is a highlight, son, Mississippi hardcore scene, syncing a guitar riff and continBlaine finds that the influences of uous snare hits that turn into a these times still impact his playing drumroll, which almost acts as a style today. curtain reveal “It wasn’t until I started playing for the opening vocal lines, “I in Hattiesburg that I started play
when joining the group, but persistent practice spurred progress. “It’s definitely fun, but it takes some kind of discipline,” Fink said. “We’ll usually work on a song at a slightly slower pace and get it ironed out as much as we can composition-wise and then say, ‘Cool, now let’s play that but faster.’” Once the band reaches the ‘cool but faster,’ phase, that’s where discipline matters most. A prime example is the song, ‘P.S.S.,’ one of the group’s longer takes that fits basically two songs into one, despite running around only a minute and a half. Fink and Blaine play numerous riffs while Martin’s neck-break drumming serves as a reminder that the tempo should be fierce – even if the guitarists’ fingers start to cramp – find a way to keep up. Courtesy of Flip Poole Powering through this ing bass, so those hardcore bass pain bleeds, figuratively, into the essence of the band and hardcore tones I heard in Jackson transiin general, which is the method in tioned over with me,” Blaine said. “Something about the higher end, the madness. “One of us will say, ‘This part punchy tones stuck out to me.” needs a slide or some noise, or Bass riffs sneak their way into the song’s transitions and stand to even play the same riff but out as heavy, few-second melodies. with higher notes.’ I try to keep it consistent, but sometimes it’s a Opposite of Blaine, Fink swifttossup,” Fink said. ly shreds with dead notes and To support Fumes, visit Earth chaotic pick scrapes all the while Girl Tapes’ Bandcamp page to standing as still as a statue. listen to their self-titled tape. Speed was not his wheelhouse
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The Weeknd fails to deliver on ‘Dawn FM’ CORDAVEON CARTER PRINTZ REPORTER
C
oming off a great year of music in 2021, The Weeknd started off the year by releasing his next anticipated project, ‘Dawn FM’, but the album fell short of expectations. After his huge commercial and critical success of his album, ‘After Hours’ in 2020, many were ready to see how this album would paint the picture of music to come this year. He had grand expectations from his fans and music lovers everywhere. With After Hours and his previous music, he caused a huge resurgence in a genre many thought was long gone. The 80s synth type pop and R&B wave went out of style a long time ago but The Weeknd brought it back and did it fantastically. This is why everyone expected much more from ‘Dawn FM’ which ended up being slightly disappointing. The Weeknd is one of this generation’s greatest talents to ever create music. With his unique style and unusual persona, he creates an experience for his listeners that puts them in his world and his state when making the album. ‘Dawn FM’ was not short of that, but lacked so much.. The album had features from Tyler the Creator and Lil Wayne and also had Jim Carrey hosting the album along with some spoken word from the great Quincy Jones. With all this being revealed, my expectations were heightened to name this as a potential album of the year, already in January. It’s safe to say I got ahead of
myself. Though this album was very star-studded, it just seemed like something was missing. It wasn’t a complete letdown but it felt as if it was thrown together. It took a year for Abel, aka The Weeknd, to write and produce the album. He gave us his typical 80s style that we have gotten for the last year. He just did not put his Album art for ‘Dawn FM’ own unique spin and twist on the album that listeners expected. If it takes a year to release an album, fans will expect something different. For someone who is as talented as The Weeknd, ‘Dawn FM’ is a disappointing turn. The best part of the album is its production. He had some great songs on there and Jim Carrey and Quincy added a great storytelling element to the album but there was also a lot of misses. The album run time was 52 minutes with 16 songs and only 10 found their way into my playlist. The best song from the album was “Here We Go…Again”, which had a feature with Tyler the Creator. Along with the production, The features and storytelling were the best part of this album and made it seem complete. “Dawn FM” had a lot of potential, but I feel as if it was rushed and deserved some more time in the studio before its release. Rating: 6/10
Courtesy of XO/ Republic
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JANUARY 19, 2022
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Gunna’s ‘DS4EVER’ provides a well-needed trend to start 2022 CORDAVEON CARTER PRINTZ REPORTER
G
unna’s long-awaited project, ‘DS4EVER’ released and slightly underperformed from expectations but still delivered some memorable moments that has everyone “pushing p”. Even though The Weeknd dropped his album, ‘Dawn FM’, the same week, Gunna still made waves with ‘DS4EVER’, proving his status as a unique and special artist of the current generation in hip-hop. Before this album, Gunna hadn’t released a solo album since 2020. He was featured on ‘Slime Language 2’, a collaboration with Young Stoner Life and Young Thug and had many apperances on features and other artists’ albums. His last project, ‘Wunna’, raised expectations for his next album and it was evident that he was trying to raise the bar, even down to the smallest details. The marketing of ‘DS4EVER’ was excellent. He was dropping off snippets left and right, raising the excitement for this project more than anything he had produced before. That hype has led some to say that this is the best album of the year so far and to be quite honest, they may be right. There are not a lot of albums to choose from, as it is halfway through the first month of the year, but it
Album cover of ‘DS4EVER’
should be at the top for quite a while. That should be credited to the delivery, flow and production of this album. Gunna has a unique sound that can’t be duplicated. If you like the storytelling raps of J. Cole or Kendrick Lamar, he isn’t that. You listen to Gunna for a good time. The drilling and melodic beats paired with Gunna’s catchy hooks of his high-pitch and heavily processed voice is a stylistic choice that fits the purpose of his music. He does a great job of getting you hyped up and that is
Photo Courtesy of Gunna Music
what this album did. That being said, it still isn’t a revolutionary project. The things Gunna raps about are not relatable in any kind or type of way. That type of rap is appealing because it’s easy to listen to, but we’ve all heard the countless rap songs with bars about money, cars and girls. It’s not meant to be deep music but posed to be more of the enjoyable, party music that you can turn on and vibe with. People have different tastes in music and this might not appeal to you, but I suggest
giving it a chance. The album does not change the rap game but adds to what’s there in the genre. Don’t go listening to this album expecting anything more than that. ‘DS4EVER’ could have had more but served as a pretty good album to start off 2022 with a bang. This album has a run time of 55 minutes with 19 songs and only nine found a home in my library. There was a lengthy list of features on this album, including Chloe Bailey, Chris Brown, Lil Baby, Future, Roddy Rich, Young Bleu, Future, Young Thug, 21 Savage and Kodak Black. 21 Savage certainly had the best feature on the project on the strongest song of the project, ‘thought i was playing’. Chloe Bailey and Young Thug also had memorable performances. The second-best song on the project has to be ‘pushin p’, which has caused an internet sensation with his selfcoined term. His other song with Young Thug, ‘Mop’, also deserves to be on the podium. Overall, this album is a great way to start off the year and has its name for the best rap project of 2022 so far. It wouldn’t be very of you to not give it a chance. Rating: 7/10
ENTERTAINMENT
JANUARY 19, 2022
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‘No Way Home’ hits home for many viewers S KYRA LAMPLEY EXECUTIVE EDITOR
pider-Man is undoubtedly one of the most popular superheroes in the world and ‘No Way Home’ proves that. The film captures viewers’ hearts, dropping jaws as the unexpected unfolds and for some, evoking tears with its recollection of nostalgia. As of Jan. 15, the film has grossed over $1.16 billion in box office sales and is expected to bring in more revenue as the new year continues, showing its commercial success. The new installment features actors Tom Holland as Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man and Zendaya Coleman as Michelle “MJ” as they continue to navigate the villain-filled world of Spider-Man. Special guest appearances from Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina and Jamie Foxx. Marvel fans were over-joyed as the former Peter Parkers and each of their main villains reprised their past roles. As the world learns that Peter Parker, an ordinary high school kid, is Spider-Man, Parker and his friends face one of the biggest challenges that high school seniors face around the country- getting into college. They all have their eyes set on MIT, but all three are rejected due to their involvement with superhero shenanigans. Being the selfless person
in
gest supervillains from their era. To top the movie’s script and production, Holland’s performance as Parker was by far the best that it has been throughout his five other appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His emotions were raw, unchartered and impactful as he navigated his new way of life in ‘No Way Home’. He continued to successfully portray his role of a cofused, doubtful and sometimes carefree high school student and this performance highlighted his superb acting skills. Audiences should expect to be amazed by Holland’s incredible performance and fans of the series should be prepared to bring a tissue or two for its emotional climax. Parker has not only capTheatrical release poster of ‘No Way Home’ Photo Courtesy of Marvel tured the hearts of those that he is, Parker asks around him in the cinematic Doctor Strange to fix things in hopes of making their lives universe and superhero faby making the whole world normal again. natics but the hearts of those forget his existence. One of the best parts about around the country. Strange creates a spell this movie was the outstandIf you haven’t watched ‘No that Parker consequentially ing cinematography as is Way Home’, get ready for two unleashes, and things take a expected in a Marvel film. and a half hours of an emoturn for the worse. At one point in the movie, tional roller coaster full of unEven though Parker thinks all three Spider-Men could be expected twists and turns as that his life is ruined, he finds seen fighting side by side with Parker saves the world from a way to fix the lives of others. each other and their unity ra- chaos once again. He creates a formula that can diated through the big-screen, Will there be a fourth incure villains’ powers. connecting the different eras stallment of the current franThrough a time-traveling of Spider-Man movies togeth- chise? portal, Parker brings back er. No one knows when that familiar villains such as Doc This was perhaps the most day will come now, but fans Ock, Green Goblin, Sandcaptivating part of the movie can only hope that Parker man, Electro and the Lizard as the trio dominated the big- returns to the big screen.
SPORTS
JANUARY 19, 2022
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Southern Miss falls to late push by Louisiana Tech AUSTIN LINDSEY SM2 SPORTS DIRECTOR
S
outhern Miss returned to the ball at the rim,” Ladner said. “I thought Reed Green Coliseum Sunday our guys were very active on the offensive afternoon for the first time in glass.” a month, falling to Louisiana The game saw many lead changes with Tech 76-62 after a late push by the eight and eleven ties, unlike the 80-57 Bulldogs. thrashing on Thursday night in Ruston, With 3:51 remaining, Louisiana Louisiana. Tech led by only five at 65-60 after “We set down and played defense a three by Southern Miss’ DeAndre more today than we did Thursday. Our Pinckney but erupted on an 11-2 run to primary focus was cutting back on them close the game with their second victory getting offensive rebounds and playing of the week over the Golden Eagles. defense for 40 minutes,” Ladner said. ``We lost our detail on defense. I Ladner gave credit to Louisiana Tech, thought our defensive effort up until who has now risen to 6-0 in conference that point had been really good,” Southplay and an overall 15-3 record. ern Miss Head Coach Jay Ladner said. Louisiana Tech’s forward Kenneth To close the end of the first half, Lofton Jr. dominated the Golden Eagles, Louisiana Tech’s Keaston Willis hit a scoring 23 pts, six rebounds and two buzzer-beater three at the to give the Tyler Stevenson attempts a layup against La Tech. Austin Lindsey | Printz Bulldogs a 30-26 lead. assists on 10 of 16 shooting. Southern Miss forward Tyler Stevenson also Willis’ buzzer-beater was a taste of what was “He is a load. He is an outstanding player had a double-double tying his season-high of to come in the second period. 21 pts and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes of play. and headed to be All- American,” Ladner said. Southern kept the Bulldogs under 35% “He stepped out away from the basket and hit Southern Miss led the rebounding category shooting on defense before allowing a 62% with a slight 40-38 margin and controlled the some face-up jump shots. The kid is skilled and from the field in the second half. offensive glass 15 to 9 but could not garner the A bright spot for the Golden Eagles was the a great young man. They have a heck of a player second chance point battle, losing 13-9. performance of forward DeAndre Picnkey, who there.” “So many of our offensive rebounds were at set a career-high with 21 pts on 6 of 13 shoot The Golden Eagles play Southeastern Bapthe rim. We were all over the rim and struggled ing, adding a double-double with 11 reto get fouled there even though we had the tist College next at home Wednesday, Jan. 19. bounds.
Lady Eagles improve home record with pair of wins
DIMA MIXON PRINTZ REPORTER
S
minute, and she fired us up, and we went on outhern Miss returned to Hattiesour own little run,” Davis said. burg after 31 days of absence to Lauren Gross came right out of the timedefeat the Lady Techsters of La out and nailed her first three-pointer of the Tech 65-60 and then take down game, followed by a basket by Kelsey Jones UTEP 55-49. and the Lady Eagles were back in business, “Praise the Lord,” Head Coach Joye only down by two. Lee-McNelis said on returning to HattiesGrayson checked back in with around two burg. “The players were excited, and we minutes to play and scored the game-tying have talked a lot about protecting our home basket. After back and forth possessions with court.” the game tied at 60, Rose Warren found The Lady Eagles did exactly that, fighting Davis in the corner, who gave the Lady Eagles with conference rival La Tech in a game that the go-ahead three-pointer to seal the game. started competitive and lasted throughout, “Those are the kind of moments we live with both teams playing well defensively and for as kids. You’re counting down 5..4..3.. hitting tough shots. those are the kind of moments we live for “If I could pick one aspect of our game that I am most proud of, it is our defense,” and knowing my teammates have my back Lee-McNelis said. “I thought it was very solid. allows me to take that shot with confidence.” I thought we stood firm in it.” Davis said. The Lady Eagles jumped out on a 9-4 run In their game against UTEP, the Lady Kelsey Jones drives for a layup against UTEP. Sean Smith | Printz to start the second quarter and translated Eagles continued their defensive success by Lady Eagles. Melyia Grayson picked up her their defense to offense; they had five steals, which limiting UTEP to 27.4% shooting. fourth foul not even 90 seconds into the period and led to four fast break points. Grayson was instrumental on the defensive end, Southern Miss went scoreless for the fourth quarThe second quarter boost gave Southern Miss a earning six blocks. ter’s first three minutes, forcing Lee-McNelis to call 32-28 halftime lead. Jones led all scorers with 16 points and tallied a timeout as the Lady Techsters held a seven-point In the third quarter, Southern Miss got off to a double-double with 11 rebounds and Davis posted lead. hot start but was halted by an 11-3 run to end the a career-high of nine assists. “Coach [Lee-McNelis] told us we needed to lock quarter for the Lady Techsters. The Lady Eagles play next on Saturday, Jan. 22 back in. I think we all realized we hadn’t scored in a Then, the fourth quarter trended poorly for the against MTSU at 2 p.m.