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S P The
Serving Southern Miss since 1927
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Volume 94, Issue 1
Student loan refunds go gold this spring Meryl Dakin Printz Writer
Students will receive refunds in a new, extensively more efficient way this spring. Southern Miss has partnered with Higher One, a company that provides colleges with a more streamlined approach to refund distribution. In the past, students have received checks for the remainder of their unused scholarships. Like many students, sophomore West McKellar, religion major from Hattiesburg, said he found problems with this method of refund disbursement. “Although the leftover money is calculated almost immediately at the beginning of the semester, I have personally never seen the check until weeks and sometimes months later,” he said. Kaycie Hall, junior English
major from Jackson, agrees that the process of receiving refund money in recent years has been problematic at best. “One semester I received only a portion of the money,” she said. “I didn’t see the rest until weeks and many trips to the Business Office later.” On its website, Higher One explains how it handles thousands of student refund cases to diminish the difficulty of that process for a university. First, the university identifies which students are eligible for a refund and the amount of each refund. Then USM will send a file to Higher One with an identifier for the student and the amount of the disbursement. USM wires Higher One the money, and Higher One distributes each refund to the students. The company also handles all exceptions and customer service. Chris Cook, assistant bursar at USM Business Services,
said that they have been working on implementing this new program for two years. “We got requests from students for more options when it came to receiving refund money,” he said. “This method will cut down on costs and time.” Cook added that because of the new options, the strain on university administration to print checks, mail them, and deal with delays and wrong addresses will be eliminated. For the students, the process is even simpler: the same day Southern Miss releases the disbursement amounts, Higher One will mail a card to the student. Cook explained that these cards are the “keys” to the refund money. Upon receiving them, students will be presented with three options: check, direct deposit or debit. “Students will see checks in about five to 10 days, direct deposit in 2 to 3 days, and
Custom textbooks hinder buybacks At the turn of each semester, college students face the familiar errand of purchasing costly textbooks. Southern Miss officials, faculty and managers of the campus Barnes and Noble bookstore are looking for ways to keep cash in students’ pockets. University administrators recently increased the credit limit for students to purchase textbooks on their student accounts to $900. Barnes and Noble General Manager Kathy Haymen said a student can use up to $900 of that credit to purchase textbooks, but only $150 for general merchandise, and $200 for supplies. Students can return textbooks purchased for the spring semester for a full refund before Jan. 20 if they present receipts. By comparing the prices of textbooks sold on campus, near campus and online, one can see that the Barnes and Noble prices are, typically, slightly higher than the alternatives. But Haymen said her store would match the price of any “brick and mortar” bookseller as long as the price can be verified. Provost Robert Lyman said that part of the higher cost could be attributed to convenience, since the store is located on campus, and textbooks can be charged to student accounts. Another possible contributor to the higher prices, Lyman said, are custom textbooks required for certain courses. “In most cases, customized textbooks are just maybe a buck or more than non-customized texts, and that doesn’t seem to be the real problem,” Lyman said. “The inability to sell them back, I think, is probably the largest problem.”
INDEX Calendar
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Dirty Birds
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Opinions
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Entertainment 6 Sports
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www.studentprintz.com
David Jackson/Printz Junior nursing majors Willetta Thompson, Myranda Jackson, and Renae Berry check their mail in the Hub.
the key card can be activated as a debit card within 2 to 3 hours,” Cook said. The debit cards are accepted anywhere MasterCard is taken. In order to accommodate students who want to receive cash quickly from the refund money, Cook said that three
automated teller marchines are being installed on the Hattiesburg campus so that students won’t have pay ATM fees to another bank. Cook said that over 200 universities are already participating in the new method of loan refund reimbursement.
Jason Tomlinson, vice president of finance and administration at the University of Louisville, described the energy saved by switching to the new program. He said the decision to sign with Higher One “was a push from the Bursar’s Office really, but it came out of both the desire to become more efficient as well as to accommodate student requests for electronic methods of collecting their refunds.” Now, with Higher One handling every step, students receive their money faster and the problem of tying up Louisville’s administration with the check refund system is fixed, a situation USM’s students and faculty may see this semester as well. Cook added that USM is one of the first colleges in Mississippi to make the switch to Higher One.
Lesley Walters News Editor
Lyman addressed this problem to the faculty senate in November, when Haymen came to speak on behalf of Barnes and Noble. Both encouraged faculty members to exhaust all other alternatives before “adopting” texts that were ineligible for sell-back. During the meeting, Lyman described the issue of custom textbooks as “a festering wound that would not heal.” According to meeting minutes, Lyman explained that, “Departments use them at USM to package sets of articles or chapters from various venues; not to make a profit.” Haymen agreed that some of the customized texts that Barnes and Noble -- as well as other booksellers -- cannot buy back are necessary for many courses, in which case, there is nothing wrong with adopting those texts. Haymen said Barnes and Noble gave nearly $600,000 in cash back to Southern Miss students before Winter Break, but that number has been steadily in decline over the past few years because of package-deals and customized texts. “That’s just money that doesn’t go back into the pockets of students,” she said. Barnes and Noble will reimburse 50 percent of a textbook’s cost to students at the end of each semester when they are returned. Students can return the textbooks purchased for this semester by Jan. 20 for their full price if they present a receipt. “It’s a market-driven process,” Lyman said, “and I can understand that [Barnes and Noble] would want to buy back books that they can then re-sell.” David Jackson/Printz Cherilyn Collins, a freshman biology major, searches the book store for her required reading. See page 3 for more on textbook prices.
Bike theft a problem during break Andie Szabo Printz Writer
Several bikes were stolen from Hillcrest Residence Hall during Winter Break. Students returned from break to find broken chains on the bike stands where their bicycles had once been. Haley Massey, a sophomore English major from Brandon, was one of several students who discovered her bike was missing. “I definitely plan on going to student government about a more efficient security system, about security cameras around the dorms or more isolated ar-
eas,” she said. “These kinds of things shouldn’t be happening on campus.” Lieutenant Dickinson of the University Police Department offered advice to prevent future bike theft on campus. The chain on the bike may also be important. He advises buying a metal U-bolt bike lock instead of the traditional chain. If your bike is worth enough money, it might be wise to invest in an expensive chain that cannot be as easily broken. “In our experience, bikes are usually stolen during a break by non-students,” he said. He added that during holiday breaks, it is a good idea
for students to find a place to store their bikes, like in a dorm room or at home. Another victim of bicycle
‘‘
it in my room,” she said. “I drive a VW Beetle; I couldn’t exactly bring it home.” Dickinson urged students
I definitely plan on going to student government about a more efficient security system, about security cameras around the dorms or more isolated areas
theft, Tamara Doyle, a sophomore forensic science major from Biloxi said it was “physically impossible” to bring her bike home during the break. “I thought there was going to be security and that it wouldn’t be necessary to put
’’
-Haley Massey, sophomore
to write down a bike’s serial number and keep a record of it in case the bike is stolen. Bikes that are found on campus and turned in are kept for 90 days before they are discarded. The Department of Parking Management provides bike
permits for $10 that remain valid as long as one is enrolled at Southern Miss. To apply for a permit, one must provide the serial number, color, make, and model of the bike. The benefit of the parking permit is that if a bike is stolen, Parking Management will have a record of the serial number that they can report to police. Officials agree that once a bike is stolen, recovering the bike can prove difficult. The important thing is prevention. Keeping track of a bike’s serial number is the only way the police can identify a stolen bike.
Page 2|News
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www.studentprintz.com |Tuesday, January 13, 2009
DirtyBirds
12-01-08 Mississippi Hall - Petit larceny - A resident reported the theft of a blue Lajolla bicycle. Southern MS Dr - Motor Vehicle Accident - MS Uniform Crash report on file. 4th St Lot - Petit Larceny - A student reported the theft of a pink Roadmaster bicycle. 12-02-08 Union - Grand Larceny - A student reported the theft of a MAC 1 laptop. Cook Library - Petit Larceny - A student reported the theft of 2 textbooks. 12-03-08 Thad Cochran - Medical Assist - An employee was transported to FGH by AAA ambulance. Ross & Montague - Hit and Run - Incident report on file. Pinehaven Apt - Domestic Abuse - Incident report on file. Panhellenic - Medical Assist - AAA ambulance responded but the reporting party refused treatment. Owings-McQuagge - Medical Assist - A student was transported to FGH by AAA ambulance. 12-04-08 Panhellenic - Disorderly Conduct - Forwarded to Dean of Students. 4th St Lot - Vandalism - An employee reported his parked vehicle’s fender and door were damaged. Hillcrest - Service Non-Criminal - AAA ambulance responded but the reporting party declined treatment. Panhellenic - Medical Assist - AAA transported a resident to FGH. Cook Library - Petit Larceny - A student reported the theft of three textbooks. 12-05-08 Panhellenic - Hit and Run - MS Uniform Crash report on file. Charles Lane - Disturbing the Peace - One campus citation was issued for Noise Violation. 12-06-08 Performing Arts - Welfare Concern - Incident report on file. Forrest Ave - Motor Vehicle Accident- Incident report on file. 12-07-08 Jones Hall - Service Non-Criminal - The R.A. on duty reported a resident was sick. The resident refused medical attention. Elam Arms - Service Non-Criminal - The R.A. on duty reported a resident was sick. The resident refused medical attention. Black & Gold Blvd - Hit and Run - Incident report on file. 12-08-08 Panhellenic - Medical Assist - A resident was transported to FGH ER by AAA ambulance. Cook Library - Petit Larceny - A student reported the theft of a bookbag. Payne Center - Petit Larceny - A student reported the theft of a red and silver Next bicycle. 12-09-08 Sorority Village - Petit Larceny - A student reported the theft of a blue cruiser model Schwinn bike. Hillcrest - Hit and Run - Incident report on file. 12-10-08
Jones Hall -- Petit Larceny - A resident reported the theft of an iPod from his room. Elam Arms - Property Damage - A student reported a tree limb fell onto her parked vehicle breaking the rear window. 12-11-08 Bond Hall - Hit and Run - Incident report on file. 12-12-08 Thad Cochran Center - Shoplifting - One post arrest citation was issued for shoplifting. Liberal Arts Bldg - Petit Larceny - A staff member reported the theft of an external hard drive from an office. Johnson Science Tower - Grand Larceny - A staff member reported the theft of a microscope lens. *update - The equipment was located. 12-13-08 Service Dr - Field Interview - A non-student was identified and released to the Salvation Army. 12-17-08 Softball Complex - Police Assist - UPD officer located the vehicle belonging to the suspect in the armed robbery of Dollar General on Hardy Street. The vehicle was released to Hattiesburg PD. The suspect was arrested a short while later off Hutchinson Ave. 12-23-08 Off Campus - Police Assist - UPD officer responded to an assist officer call from HPD. Hardy @ 31st Ave - Police Assist - UPD officers responded to assist HPD on a bank robbery incident. 12-26-08 Johnson Science Tower - Disorderly Conduct One post arrest citation was issued for Disorderly Conduct-Failure to Comply and a verbal trespass warning given. 12-29-08 Fraternity Dr - Petit Larceny - A resident reported the theft of a TV, Sony Playstation, 2 XBOX games and a composite photo. 12-30-08 Panhellenic - Disturbance - Incident report on file.
2009
01-01-09 109 Fraternity Dr. - Grand Larceny - A resident reported the theft of a ritual flag and book from the house. 01-02-09 Cook Library - Petit Larceny - A student reported the theft of a Trek 4500 black & gray bicycle. 01-03-09 31st @ Montague - Police Assist - One state citation was issued for Improper Turn. Bond Hall - Petit Larceny - A student reported the theft of a 26” silver Next bicycle. 01-04-09 Elam Arms - Field Interview - A visitor on campus was identified, interviewed and released. 01-05-09 Dubard School - Incident Report - Faculty member reported to UPD that three department computers were unable to be located. Kennard Washington Hall - Harassment- A staff member reported to UPD that she was receiving harassing emails.
David Jackson/Printz As classes kick off Monday morning, students and faculty gather their mail at the campus post office.
CAMPUS EVENTS
Today All Day -- Co-Rec Bowling Registration -- Payne Center -- Basketball Registration -- Payne Center -- Table Tennis Registration -- Payne Center -- Learn to Swim Registration -- Payne Center
-- Free Coffee and Beignets 9pm to 12am -- Powerhouse 8 p.m. -- Wesley Foundation JAM -Wesley Foundation
Tomorrow All Day -- Co-Rec Bowling Registration -- Payne Center -- Basketball Registration
-- Payne Center -- Table Tennis Registration -- Payne Center -- Learn to Swim Registration -- Payne Center 7 p.m. -- Men’s Basketball @ Tulane -New Orleans, La.
News Briefs - The Southern Miss Repertory Dance Company will present a dance concert Saturday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Advanced Education Center auditorium on the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. The concert, which is free and open to the public, is part of the Discoveries: Gulf Coast Performance Series and will feature faculty and student works that showcase modern dance and ballet. The Dance Company describes the performances as one that will take the audience through a range of feelings including wonder, fear, urgency, calm and exploration. For more information on the Southern Miss Repertory Dance Company performance, visit www.usm.edu/ gc/discoveries or call 228.865.4573 - Four University of Southern Mississippi resident assistants were recently recognized by the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) for their Make a Child Smile program. Ashley Cox of Ellisville, Brittany Purvis of Mobile, Ala., Ryan Sumrall of Stringer and Haleigh Smith of Mobile, Ala. invited their Southern Miss colleagues to write cards for children who suffer from chronic or lifethreatening illnesses. The RA staff provided cookies and brownies, colored cardstock, markers, stickers and envelopes for students who participated. For their service to the community, the four received the Regional Community Service Project award. - The Office of Sustainability at Southern Miss will kick off this semester with a discussion forum set for January 20 at 5pm in the RC Cook Lounge. EcoEagle is also holding its development meeting on January 26 at 12:00pm in the TCC, room 214. The Green Initiative is providing lunch for students interested in volunteering for new projects to be involved in this semester. According to Larry Lee, Chief Sustainability Officer, the goals at Southern Miss are “to be the model of sustainable thought and practice within our state and region.” The Office of Sustainability encourages students to voice their own opinions and introduce new ideas for projects. EcoEagle’s volunteer form can be found at: http://www.usm.edu/green/projects.php. - University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Nursing in the College of Health has named Elise Jordan, a senior nursing major from Mandeville, La. as the recipient of the Wesley Medical Center Nursing Scholarship. “When we chose to establish a nursing scholarship at The University of Southern Mississippi, the board’s intent was to ensure that a deserving nursing student receive it,” said Ron Seal, CEO of Wesley Medical Center. “We are both pleased and excited that our vision for this scholarship has become a reality.” Jordan works as a pharmacy technician at Wesley Medical Center and serves as a College of Health Ambassador. A regional and leadership scholar at Southern Miss, Jordan worked as a biology lab teaching assistant and a writer for the Student Printz. She plans to graduate in May 2010 and pursue a nursing career at Wesley Medical Center.
www.studentprintz.com |News
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 | Page 3
Students have options when buying textbooks in the Hub City Ben Sutton Chris Deschamp Printz Writers
Shopping around for the lowest prices on textbooks can be a hassle, but textbooks for the most basic classes can add up to hundreds – even thousands – of dollars very quickly. Knowing where to go for deals, even beyond the price tag, can be the saving grace for a frugal college student. The on-campus Barnes and Noble’s bookstore is probably the most convenient location for purchasing books, but what is gained in convenience can hurt your wallet. Paying more for textbooks is easier, however, because students can add the cost to their student accounts and pay for the books over the semester. The Campus Bookmart, located across Hardy Street from the USM campus, has fairly low prices for its textbooks. On average, their prices on many of the most expensive books are about $10 to $20 cheaper, making the slightly longer walk across the street tempting. Although the prices at the Campus Bookmart are a better deal for slightly more effort, some students may prefer to get
their books through an Internet source. Students can save more than $40 on some textbooks searching Amazon.com and other Web sites, though the standard cost of shipping usually adds about $4 to the total. There are several other problems with shopping for textbooks online. Books can take days or more to reach a student. While nearly every textbook can be found on these sites, specific editions and custom textbooks can be difficult or impossible to find online. The hassle itself could turn some students off to shopping for texts online. Esteban Samper, a junior marine biology major, said he finds it both easier and cheaper to buy books directly from students on campus who are eager to be rid of them, rather than from a store. “I usually look at the science department to see if there are any fliers first,” Samper said. “If there are no fliers, then I go to Amazon.com.” Like-minded Southern Miss students created a Facebook group, the USM Textbook Exchange, to give students an alternative to sell books through the campus bookstore. Students who join the group can post what textbooks they need or the
books they have and no longer need. K-J Lockley, a sophomore entrepreneurship major from Hattiesburg and creator of the USM Textbook Exchange, saw a growing need for students to find a cheaper way of getting their required textbooks. “The bookstore hasn’t changed their prices to match the economic climate, so we had to change our methods,” she said. “The group gives an opportunity for students to get what they need by bartering, which we especially need in this time of economic crisis.”
Groups say Israel failed to plan for the safety of Gaza civilians Ahmed Abu Hamda Shashank Bengali McClatchy Newspapers
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israel’s offensive in Gaza has forced as many as 90,000 Gazans to abandon their homes, and thousands more may soon have to flee in search of safety, humanitarian aid organizations said Monday. For civilians caught in the crossfire between Hamas militants and Israel’s military, however, there’s no escape to safety abroad and no sure sanctuary in Gaza. Some families have had to move repeatedly to escape the violence. In the 17 days since Israel began pummeling Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, Mohammed al-Sultan’s family has moved four times, from house to house, shelter to shelter, having left all their possessions behind. Now they’re among hundreds of displaced Palestinians who are sleeping in cold concrete classrooms in a schoolhouse that’s serving as a temporary shelter in Gaza City. “They have no place to hide, and no place to run,” said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who announced that he would visit the region this week to push for a cease-fire that the U.N. Security Council has ordered but that Israel and Hamas have ignored. Senior Israeli officials said they’re close to achieving the objectives they set for the war: stopping Hamas militants from firing rockets into Israel and preventing the group from re-arming itself. Relief officials and human rights groups, however, said the Israeli military failed to plan for the safety of civilians in one of the most densely populated patches of the Middle East. When Maj. Avital Leibovich, an Israeli military spokeswoman, was asked at a news conference on Sunday where civilians would be safe in Gaza, she suggested that refugees could find shelter in the razed Israeli settlements on Gaza’s northern border with Israel. That would require refugees to go through Israeli-controlled military
areas, however. Israeli officials said that Hamas operates from the vicinity of homes, schools and mosques, making fighting in civilian areas unavoidable. Of the more than 900 Palestinians who have died in the conflict, about half were civilians, according to Gaza medical officials. “They (Israel) knew this operation was coming, they knew what the geography and demographics of Gaza are like, and apparently they didn’t plan for the humanitarian needs,” said Fred Abrahams, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, a New York-based advocacy group. So 1.5 million Gazans remain bottled up inside their tiny coastal strip _ at about 140 square miles, roughly twice the size of the District of Columbia but three times as populous. Al-Sultan’s family has been on the run since the early days of the Israeli offensive. On the morning of Dec. 28, he was sitting with his wife and two daughters in the garden outside their home in the Salateen section of Gaza City when an Israeli airstrike hit nearby, jolting them “like a volcanic eruption” and sending shards of shrapnel into his back, he said. The bespectacled 60-year-old went to a hospital, and his family moved in with his brother, but four days later a night of heavy bombardment forced them to move again, to the home of a friend in a neighborhood close to the beach. They moved so fast they carried nothing with them, not even alSultan’s ID card. “Four or five days and the bullets reached us again,” al Sultan said. They moved to a U.N.-operated shelter, but it was overflowing with people, so when they got word over the weekend that another shelter was open at the Salaheedeen school in Gaza City, they moved for the fourth time in two weeks. And perhaps not the last, he said. The U.N. has opened 36 temporary shelters housing more than 28,000 people, but two of those have come under fire. Relief officials said that tens of thousands
more displaced Palestinians are on their own, staying with family members or friends. In the shelters, many of them in school buildings, most food comes from Palestinian or international charity groups. Women and girls wash clothes in buckets and hang them to dry anywhere they can find. Men haul desks into courtyards and sit idly or huddle in chilly classrooms to pass the time. Human rights experts said the plight of displaced Palestinians is particularly severe because Gaza is completely sealed off from its neighbors, Israel and Egypt. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has allowed in scores of wounded Gazans to receive medical care, but despite public pressure he hasn’t agreed to host a large refugee population from such a volatile region. “Gaza is truly exceptional,” said Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. “The way this conflict is unfolding, they clearly could be at risk wherever they are.” The U.N. has said that Egypt and Israel could be in violation of international refugee laws that give people in war zones the right to seek asylum in foreign countries. “Normally people can at least dream of going somewhere safe,” Colville said. “Gazans can’t.” Even Gaza’s so-called safe areas aren’t safe. In what international humanitarian groups describe as one of the deadliest incidents of the conflict, an Israeli artillery strike on Hamas targets last week landed near a school that the U.N. had opened as a temporary shelter for displaced families, reportedly killing more than 40 people. Israeli military officials said they’re investigating the incident but that their ground forces were merely returning fire from Hamas fighters operating from near the school. U.N. officials didn’t dispute Israel’s contention that militants sometimes use their shelters as cover, but they’ve called for an independent inquiry. The tensions over the war reverberated into Israeli politics Monday when Israel’s election committee
voted overwhelmingly to ban the nation’s two Arab parties from running in next month’s national election. Ultranationalist Israeli lawmakers proposed the ban. They accused their Arab colleagues of betraying
Israel and supporting terrorism because some of them have visited Israel’s enemy neighbors, Syria and Lebanon. Arab lawmakers vowed to appeal the ruling. Despite fiery rhetoric from Hamas leaders who have vowed
to keep fighting, Israeli officials continued to declare that they had dealt a substantial blow to Hamas’s infrastructure in Gaza. Israel’s security Cabinet reportedly is divided between ending the conflict and sending ground troops deeper into
Opinions
Page 4 opinions@studentprintz.com
A new year with old economic resolutions Patrick Laughlin
Printz Writer
It seems appropriate, even symbolic, that Inauguration Day is always so close behind New Year’s. Both stir up the feelings of freshness: out with the old, in with the new. And though many are looking forward to the change that President-elect Obama offers to the war in Iraq, hole in the ozone... Let’s face it: everything else pales before the need to change our economy. Out with the hard times, in with the prosperity. We’re all looking for the economic crisis of 2008 to be toasted away with the old year, and
President-elect Obama makes it sound that easy. The idea of celebrating the new year is pretty ironic, actually. Think about it – we lift champagne and frolic and promise ourselves that we will stop smoking, swearing, and eating Pringles. Every year. Now, it’s almost two weeks into 2009, and how many of us have negotiated our way out of our resolutions already? The years start to blend together, just like our broken promises to ourselves, until the change we toast to every new year becomes just a promise to make ourselves feel better. The Obama administration, despite its hip look, is really just a tired promise. Politically and economically, it will be just 2008 going on 1979. I realize that it’s so last year to
say that Obama will be just like President Jimmy Carter. Really, this sort of thing should have died when the election ended, right? Not so, as we all know that our economic position has become the most urgent issue of today. Obama has declared the economic crisis as the first item on his presidential agenda. I fear we can expect 2009 to be the twenty-year anniversary party of Carter’s economic blunders. Blunders really aren’t arguable. During Carter’s term, the United States saw double-digit inflation and high unemployment. The nation was spectacularly screwed up, considering the man was only in office for four years. Obama is hurtling headlong down this path, as he intends to buy his way out of our problem.
Look for less bang for your buck this year, as inflation goes on the rise. After all, if the Obama administration is going to pump money into the economy, the money must be attained in one of three ways: by borrowing it, by raising taxes, and by printing money. Borrowing is a joke, as no country will lend money to a nation with a multi-billion dollar debt. And raising taxes during a recession? Serious no-no. So, all that’s left to the Obama squad is to print money. The dollar will slowly devalue. Also, you may want to think about keeping the job you have. As Obama increases the capital gains tax this year, the middle class will stop investing in all forms of capital gains such as stock. Soon, to meet expenses, small business will lay off work-
ers, and voila – less jobs. Of course, in between reviving the Carter years and thinking up even cuter and more meaningless buzzwords, Obama casts the blame for the crisis on a socalled “selfish capitalist system,” exemplified by companies such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. This is prophetic in a way, since these two corporations were begun as a result of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal. They were partially owned by the government, and in fact stand as a testament to the ultimate failure of a state-run market. President-elect Obama will do himself a favor this year if he shies away from decades-old mistakes. Hopefully, our new President will enact some means of encouraging people to invest,
such as by rethinking his plan to raise the capital gains tax, allowing us to pull ourselves out of the crisis at hand. It would be helpful to recall another New Year’s tradition: that of singing “Auld Lang Syne.” A song dedicated to the years gone by, it reminds us to always keep the past at hand, since the future depends on it. And since the looming economic crisis at hand will be the primary focus this year for President Obama, it would serve his administration well to remember the mistakes made only three decades ago, and it will help 2009 to become in every manner a new year. This is a column of opinion written by Printz Opinions Staff Writer Patrick Laughlin. Comments can be sent to printz@usm.edu
Good changes? Sarah Coleman
Printz Writer
It’s a new semester and a new year, and I think this will most definitely be a year of change. There are going to be some major changes happening in Washington pretty soon. We’re about to have a new president, a new executive staff, and a few new members of Congress. I know I used the word “new” a lot in that last paragraph, but it can’t be helped. I’m not sure if President-elect Obama fully grasped to what extent his campaign go-to word, “change,” would foreshadow 2009. Be reminded that change isn’t always a good thing, despite the proclamations of Obama’s campaign. Don’t get me wrong, I am convinced that Obama will bring some of the good kind of change to America, but we as a nation need to be realistic and know that not all of the changes that will take place in 2009 will necessarily be to our benefit. Take for example the economy. In case you haven’t heard, the situation isn’t pretty, and this year hasn’t exactly started out on the right foot in the stock market. Companies in the automotive industry are begging for government bailouts, and major retail chains are dropping like flies. Whenever I see GMC pickup truck commercials on TV, I can’t help but sigh and commend their efforts--however far-fetched--to sell their gasguzzling vehicles at just about any price. I drive by the mall, where stores like Goody’s are
closing their doors for good, and am thankful that, as a mall employee, I still have a job. The bottom line is that money’s getting tight, and it’s going to affect all of us at some point. When America elected Barack Obama, we voted primarily for this concept of “change.” We voted for things like more widespread access to health care, education reform and the like. Unfortunately, this whole recession thing might get in the way. Despite Obama’s every good intention, some of these changes are going to have to take a back seat to the economy. All of the positive changes Obama wants to make once he is in office are going to require one thing—money. Naturally, we have to ask ourselves: where is the money going to come from? How is this possible when our economy is obviously doing so poorly? The answer is that he’s not going to be able to do all of these things just yet. I doubt we’ll see many of these changes until our economy is fixed, or at least on the track to recovery. Despite all this negative talk about the upcoming year and the struggling economy, I do think that the soon-to-be President Obama will deliver. I believe positive change is on the horizon, but I think fixing the economy has to come first. Therefore, while 2009 will certainly be a year of change, I’m not sure that it will bring about exactly the kind of change we were expecting. This is a column of opinion written by Printz Opinions Staff Writer Sarah Coleman. Comments can be sent to printz@usm.edu
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Serving Southern Miss since 1927 Andy Hess Executive editor
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Abby McMullen Web Editor Lesley Walters News Editor Jesse Bass Opinions Editor Eric Nagurney Entertainment Editor
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Tuesday, January 13, 2009| Page 5
David Jackson Photo Editor
Tyler Cleveland, Sports Editor I’d love to write in this space that this year’s rendition of my New Year’s resolution is bold and working smoothly; but sadly, I stopped making these pledges years ago. Why? Because I’m not going to stick with it, and I know that. So why set myself up for a letdown? If you want some solid advice, don’t concentrate on just one thing for the new year, better yourself every day in a different way. Andy Hess, Executive Editor My New Year’s resolution comes in three parts: 1. Kill my love affair with Facebook: It’s time to change the way I use the Internet. This one will last for about two weeks. 2. Lose 20 pounds: I’m getting married in August and I don’t want to look fat in my wedding photos. Plus, now I have an excuse to go to the gym. I have a feeling multiple columns will come from this. 3. Go to class: This one’s obvious. Jesse Bass, Opinion Editor I never got behind the New Year’s resolution concept. I figure needing to buy a new calendar is an awfully arbitrary occasion to choose to better yourself. I break my life into more meaningful segments (semesters for example) and resolve to do things as needed. This semester I plan to take it easy. I know I can get everything done without nearly as much stress as my personal history reflects. Sebe Dale IV, Multimedia Editor This year I have done things differently than most--I made my New Year’s resolution in July. During a trip to London with USM’s British Studies Program, I vowed to be a better person to myself and others. I have been consumed by this resolution over the past six months and I have made significant changes. So, if I must keep tradition and make a resolution to bring in the New Year, I will. I will continue to push toward being a better person for myself and for those I come in contact with. Lesley Walters, News Editor As always, I resolve to organize my life. I will write to-do lists every day, and will rejoice a little to myself when I scratch through each day’s list. I will put money in my savings account every month. On that same note, I will not miss any more credit card payments this year. Lastly, I will quit smoking. I mean it this time. Seriously, this is my last pack -- really. Eric Nagurney, Entertainment Editor My resolution is to be less lazy. It’s not that I’m a particularly lazy person, but being less lazy really couldn’t hurt. I waste too much time on the internet or just hanging out, when I could be doing something productive. Tied in with this is an attempt to procrastinate less, as I spend more time worrying about schoolwork than actually doing it. It’s worth noting, though, that I didn’t make this resolution until January 3rd. That doesn’t really bode well. David N. Jackson, Photo Editor New Years resolutions are a joke. Very few people work to achieve their goals and increasing numbers have stopped spending time even thinking about bettering themselves. According to Welch Media there has been an almost 50 percent drop in people who make New Year’s resolutions, and of the people that make them only 8% feel they achieved their goal. So I guess if I was forced to state a goal for this New Year it would be to not waste time thinking about something I will probably fail at anyway.
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New year brings good intentions Eric Nagurney
Mark Langham, Milkspillers owner “I didn’t make a resolution. I don’t know why, but I just never do. Just not my style, I guess.”
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
Entertainment Editor
David Davies, honors college dean “My resolution is to be more organized and just try to stay on top of things. I’ve got Google Calendar to remind me to do that.”
As
Eric Nagurney, entertainment editor “My resolution is to be less lazy. Whether I succeed should be evident in how this section looks. Am I keeping my resolution? Tell me at entertainment@ studentprintz. com!
Maria Clapp, junior “To save money. I didn’t do a good job of that last year.”
the calendar year changes, one question is lodged in the minds of many: what will your resolutions be this year? The custom of setting goals for the coming year in the form of New Year’s resolutions can be traced back to the ancient Romans of 153 B.C. During this year, the Romans placed the head of Janus, a mythical king whose two faces allowed him to look into the past and future, at the top of their calendars. With
Janus as a symbol for resolutions, Romans began to look for forgiveness from their enemies at the beginning of each year. For Americans, resolutions tend to lean more towards self-improvement than seeking the forgiveness of enemies. According to usa.gov, many of the most common resolutions for Americans are health related ones like losing weight, drinking less alcohol, and quitting smoking. Other popular resolutions are more focused on personal and financial issues like getting a better
Josh Aldy, recent graduate “I resolved to do something to further my goals each day. Even if I don’t have a lot of time, I want to at least take a moment to do so.” education, saving money, and finding better employment. While making a new year’s resolution isn’t difficult, keeping it can be another story. A survey by research group Harris Interactive found that 66 percent of adults usually make resolutions, but only 17 percent keep them. Though more women (74 percent) make resolutions than men (58 percent), a higher percentage of men (22 percent to 14 percent in women) say they keep the resolutions. When asked what the biggest obstacle in keeping
resolutions, the most common answer was financial limitations, with the lack of time and motivation following as other common reasons. If you choose to take on a New Year’s resolution, don’t let it stress you out too much. Though announcing your resolution to others can be a way to motivate yourself into keeping it, most resolutions are ultimately personal goals. If you fail, there’s always next year.
Twitter combines texting, blogging Eric Nagurney Entertainment Editor
If the person next to you in class seems to be texting more than usual, they might not just be chatting with a friend. They might be Twittering. Twitter is a website (www.twitter.com) that is one part blogging and one part social networking. Through either the website or their cell phones via text message, users can type messages (known as “tweets”) to display on their Twitter site. By choosing to follow others on the site, users can keep up with the tweets of their friends. “I started using Twitter because I thought it would be a good way to keep up with my boyfriend in Nashville and my friend Annie, who is currently
studying abroad in England, throughout the day,” said junior English major Kaycie Hall. Unlike other blogging sites, such as Livejournal or Blogspot, built on a word processing structure, Twitter limits messages to 140 characters. This makes the messages users write appear similar to Facebook statuses. In fact, users can choose to synchronize their Facebook status to display their latest Twitter post. Though Twitter’s popularity has surged in the past year, the site’s origins date back to 2006. Originally started as part of Obvious, a California-based creative environment, the project’s prototype was created in March 2006. The service made its public debut five months later, and broke off into its own
company, Twitter Incorporated, in May 2007. While the perception of Twitter as a frivolous social networking device looms large, the site is being increasingly used for more serious pursuits. One of the major benefits of the service is that its text messaging feature allows users to blog from anywhere. When Mike Wilson’s flight from Denver slid off the runway on takeoff, he was able to report his thoughts on the scene via a series of tweets on his page under the name 2drinksbehind. No major news outlets reported the stories until about half an hour after Wilson’s posts. Wilson’s use of Twitter to report a disaster wasn’t an isolated incident. During the earthquake in China that killed 12,000 people last May, Twitter
users from the area hit sent reports while the quakes were still happening. Last year, the site’s servers were overloaded twice from the amount of users reporting an event: first during MacWorld, then during the State of the Union address. The use of Twitter in reporting hasn’t been limited to amateurs. Many major media outlets, such as CNN and Fox News, have started Twitter sites that are updated at least once an hour. In addition, particular reporters for these outlets, like CNN’s Don Lemon, have their own sites in which they post their thoughts and news. To get the latest updates from the Student Printz, follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/studentprintz.
Though most of the celebrity Twitters out there are fake, there are some real ones! Check out a few of the most interesting: MC Hammer (MCHammer) - The 90’s rap star is a surprisingly prolific blogger, racking up over twenty tweets just during the past weekend. Shaquille O’Neil (THE_REAL_SHAQ) - Shaq’s posts range from the expected (thoughts on basketball) to the bizarre (one post simply reads “SHAQ”). Snoop Dogg (snoopdogg) - Snoop’s Twitter is, disappointingly, all business. Most of his posts are simply advertisements for television appearances or his show. John Cleese (JohnCleese) - The former Monty Python member’s site is mostly responses to other members and, thus, somewhat hard to follow. It is funny when he posts “Ha!” only to follow it with “Ba!” eight hours later, though. Barack Obama (BarackObama) - Our newest president’s Twitter has gone unsurprisingly silent since his election. Past updates documented his campaign thoroughly.
Animal Collective goes electro on Merriweather Post Pavillion Eric Nagurney Entertainment Editor
After seeing Animal Collective live in May 2007, I remarked to a friend that I was really excited for their new record, though I was certain it would sound little like the unfamiliar electronic structure we had heard at the show. Turns out I was right and wrong. Strawberry Jam, the record I was anticipating, didn’t sound anything like what I had heard live, because it wasn’t what I had heard live. The vast majority of their set came from their newest and arguably best record, Merriweather Post Pavilion, an album still a year and a half away at that point. I mention this not just
as an example of how far ahead of the curve Animal Collective tends to be, but of how long Animal Collective as electronic band has been gestating. While many of their past releases have contained electronic flourishes of one variety or the other, Merriweather is really the first in which the group’s electronic side has taken center stage. As big of a shift as this may seem, the most impressive aspect is
that it really isn’t. This is still a distinctly Animal Collective record, complete with their signature joy and warmth. Even by Animal Collective standards, Merriweather Post Pavilion is a particularly warm and joyous album. Second track “My Girls” acts both as album standout and blueprint for the record. Glittering noises and drifting voices weave through the opening segment, transitioning into tribal drums and call-and-response vocals. The song would be great left there, but, instead, it all builds up into Panda Bear’s (aka Noah Lennox) explosive chorus of “I don’t mean to seem like I care about material things/Like my social status/I just want four walls
and adobe slabs/For my girls.” Such dull lyrical musings are commonplace on the record, exhibiting the group’s maturity. Maturity tends to be code for boring in music terms and, yes, the lyrical concerns aren’t exactly exciting. Prominent subjects here are parenthood (“My Girls” and “Daily Routine”), family (“Brothersport”), and food (“Taste”). It’s all decidedly un-hip and blissfully unconcerned with that fact. About as fantastical as the record’s lyrics get is on opener “In The Flowers” when Avey Tare wishes to “just leave [his] body for a night.” Yet it’s at this moment that the slowly building drone of the track explodes into
fireworks of sound. Like last year’s Max Tundra record, this album produces amazing music from mundane subjects. Yet, where that record reveled in its purposeful datedness, Animal Collective’s hybrid of electronic, indie rock, folk, and psychedelica sounds fresh and truly new. The absence of past Animal Collective dealbreakers (primal screams, epic drone tracks, etc.) makes Merriweather the group’s most accessible by default, but make no mistake, this is still a dense, intimidating album for newcomers. It’s basically a pop album by people with no idea how to make a pop album. At times, it seems like they self-sabotage their most
accessible moments, most prominently by placing the record’s most immediate song, the calypsoflavored “Brothersport,” at the very end. This all makes fascinating listening for the initiated, but it’s still a potential stumbling block for newcomers. There’s a certain implication of confidence in releasing a record at the very beginning of the year. Doing so seems to say that this is good enough to remember come December and that the record’s surprises will reveal themselves even more as time goes on. I doubt this was in Animal Collective’s mind, though. They’re perfectly content in their own little daydream nation.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 | Page 7
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Fedora extends contract to 2012 Financial terms to follow
Life after the break
Special to the Printz
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Every day I replay the play in my head Tyler Cleveland Sports Editor
By now, everyone has seen the gruesome video of Southern Miss star wide out DeAndre Brown’s knee injury that ended his New Orleans Bowl in the first quarter of Southern Miss’s 30-27 win over Troy. The 6-foot-6, 230 pound freshman went down after chasing a ball near the end zone in the first quarter, and lain in the end zone holding his left leg, which hung limply like a piece of rubber below the knee. As for Brown, he relives the injury daily from a first-person perspective. “Every day I replay the play in my head,” Brown explained. “I’m running full speed down the field, I look up and see the ball in the air and then I’m down on the ground and all I could hear was the fans screaming. “I saw the cornerback freaking out and Shawn Nelson ran up yelling at me not to try to get up, that’s when I looked down and saw my leg.” The medical team rushed Brown from the field on a stretcher, and took him to Tulane University Hospital for initial treatment. As he left the Superdome, Brown gave the USM faithful a thumb’s up. “I really didn’t feel any pain until they got me in the ambulance, that’s when they gave me the I.V. with the pain medication in it. It wasn’t until we got back to Hattiesburg and they woke me up that they told me Mike McGee had blocked a kick and that we had won.” The break of his left tibia and the two stress fractures required mending and the insertion of a titanium rod to hold the bone in place, which has left Brown in a boot that he will have to wear for the next couple of months while undergoing rehab.
As bad as the injury was, it was not the first time he needed surgery to repair a sports-related injury. As a sophomore in high school, Brown came down wrong while playing in a basketball game and had to get a plate and ten screws inserted into his right foot. “I didn’t freak out as bad with this injury,” Brown said. “My initial reaction was ‘This could be it, I’m done’, but after talking to the doctors I knew everything was going to be alright.” For now, Brown is restricted to upper body workouts and straight leg lunges, but he said he’s optimistic that he can move on to the more active workouts he is used to as a wide receiver. “The doctors tell me I might be able to do some work on the (stationary) bike and do some light leg exercises in a week or two,” Brown said. “Right now I’m just working on getting the muscles in my leg pumping.” As of Monday, Brown’s body weight was 205 pounds, down from 235 at the time of the injury. He said he’s not worried about getting the weight back through muscle training once he can be more mobile. In the mean time, Brown is attending his classes with the help
of his teammates and team trainers, who drop him off and pick him up from his classes so he doesn’t have to crutch very far. He admitted that his injury and stature have made him the object of some whispers and doubletakes as he makes his way around campus, which is not surprising considering videos of his injury have topped 500,000 views on Youtube. “I see people pointing and saying ‘That’s that guy who broke his leg in the bowl game,’” Brown said. “For the people who know me, though, it’s kind of turned into a running joke, so we’re getting our laughs in.” The Conference USA freshman of the year said that he had received hundreds of letters and well-wishes from the fans and teammates and that he is humbled by the outpouring of sympathy. His injury is expected to sideline him for all of the spring practice, but with everything goes according to plan, the freshman All-American will be back for the start of next season. “I won’t disappoint the people who have sent me get-well-soon cards,” Brown said with a smile. “I’m going to come back 100percent, and I hope to break a few more records.”
David N. Jackson/Printz
DeAndre Brown writhes in pain as Southern Miss trainers tend to his broken leg. Brown was transported from the New Orleans Bowl to Hattiesburg where he had a successful surgery.
Eagles basketball continue C-USA play Men face tough road test
The men’s basketball team continues Conference USA play today when they travel to New Orleans to take on rival Tulane (8-7 overall, 1-1 in C-USA). The Eagles are 9-5, and 0-1 in conference play after falling to Tulsa in the C-USA opener. The Green Wave is led by guard Kevin Simms, who is averaging 11.5 points-per-game and shooting .333 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Eagles return home Saturday to host Houston, another CUSA West foe.
Women prepare for rematch with UCF.
Head coach Joye Lee-McNelis’s Lady Eagle basketball team was chosen by the media to finish first in C-USA East, and they are determined to do just that. The Lady Eagles started conference play 2-1, and will play host to Central Florida Sunday in a rematch from the conference opener, a 65-59 loss for the Lady Eagles. Junior Pauline Love has had an excellent start to the season, averaging 15.9 points and 10.8 rebounds-per-game. --From Special Reports
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss and its football coach, Larry Fedora, announced today that they have agreed to a contract extension, which will be on this week’s agenda for the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning meeting in Jackson. The Golden Eagles recently finished the 2008 season under the first-year coach with a fivegame winning streak and a 30-27 overtime victory against Sun Belt Champion, Troy, in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Southern Miss broke 36 school records and tied six more during the year. The offense enjoyed its highest ever national ranking in total offense at No. 20 in the FBS, after tallying a school-best 5,636 yards as well as a school-best per game average of 433.5. The Golden Eagle defense did not surrender over 100 yards rushing in each of the final five games and forced 29 turnovers during the year which ranked tied for No. 10 in turnover margin in the FBS. “We are very excited about the future of Southern Miss football under the leadership of Larry Fedora and we are pleased to announce the extension of his contract,” said Southern Miss Director of Athletics Richard Giannini. “We are confident Coach Fedora will lead Southern Miss back to C-USA football championships and potential BCS Bowl games, which has always been one of our major goals. “We had a record year in season, individual and bowl game ticket sales, which we attribute to Coach Fedora’s attacking style of play and the fact our team played hard
to the last snap in every game. C o a c h F e d o r a ’s enthusiasm, passion and vision for the game have been most contagious with our staff, team, alumni and fans.” Southern Miss President Dr. Martha Saunders echoed the sentiments of Giannini. “Larry Fedora has certainly made a place for himself at Southern Miss.,” Saunders said. “I have been impressed with his enthusiasm and genuine love for the game of football. Our student-athletes have responded positively to his leadership. He is a great asset to our outstanding athletics program.” Fedora, who is the sixth Golden Eagle first-year coach since 1937 to post at least seven wins in their inaugural campaign, expressed his gratitude to the administration in their faith in him and his staff. “I am grateful and appreciative to Dr. Martha Saunders and Richard Giannini for their confidence in me and my staff,” Fedora said. “I am thrilled about the opportunity to lead this football program to new heights. Southern Miss is a special place with special people who truly care about comprehensive development of our studentathletes.” Fedora’s contract will be extended to the maximum allowed by the IHL, which is four years. The contract runs from December 2008 through 2012. Financial teams are being discussed and will be announced at a later date.
BCS needs work Tyler Cleveland Sports Editor The college football season came to an end last Thursday, and the number one team in the land was crowned... And then so were three other teams. The BCS, which is becoming more and more of a dirty word in the sports world, crowned the University of Florida Gators as the national champs, as did the Associated Press, which is a completely separate entity. The 12-1 Gators are as deserving as anyone, but arguably so were the Texas Longhorns (12-1), Southern California Trojans (12-1), and the undefeated Utah Utes (13-0). Texas coach Mack Brown and USC coach Pete Carroll are both classy guys, and they showed it when they were asked repeatedly about their situation. Both said that there was nothing they could do and enough had been said. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, a bit more rough around the edges, wasn’t pulling any punches after his team finished fourth in the USA Today/Coaches poll. “We’re the only team in the country that doesn’t have to make excuses for a loss,” Whittingham told reporters after the national championship game, “Our strength of schedule was rock solid.” Whittingham even went as far as to vote his own team No. 1 in the coaches poll, which bounds its voters by rule to vote for the winner of the BCS National Championship, which was Florida. The Utah state attorney general is even calling for congress to investigate the BCS to determine whether or not it violates anti-trust laws because it starts half the teams at a disadvantage when it comes to the championship. If you’re going to do that, why not just sue the SEC or Big 12 because they didn’t offer you an invitation to join their conference. I makes about as much since as calling for a congressional investigation. Plus, doesn’t everyone agree that congress has more important things to do? I’ll be honest, I don’t want to hear this coach whine, but I do want a playoff system, and like Barack Obama says, I want it now. But the problem lies in the semantics of any playoff deal. Who would get in, who would be left out and where would the games be played? THE SCENARIOS One scenario is that just the 11 con-
ference champions, plus one at large bid would get in, making it a 12 team playoff. The extra bid would leave room for one team such as Notre Dame or whoever. The problem with that scenario is that it would leave out teams like Texas Tech, Ohio State and Texas, who are clearly deserving, and accept a team like East Carolina, a team Southern Miss dominated, and Troy, who USM beat without DeAndre Brown. The second is a 16 team playoff, 4-round playoff. It would take the 11 conference champions plus five at-large bid decided by an NCAA selection committee, similar to how they do it in basketball. This one is the most flexible, but it still leaves out teams like Oklahoma State, Georgia, Georgia Tech and BYU, who were all among the top 16 teams in the BCS, but wouldn’t qualify in lieu of the C-USA, Sun Belt, and MAC champions. I’m an advocate for the little guy, but in some seasons this could be a real travesty. Who wants the Sun Belt Champion, which traditionally has been cannon fodder for Southern Miss in the New Orleans Bowl, competing in the National Championship tournament? Anything larger than 16 would take too long to play out, and anything less would leave out some deserving teams. THE END RESULT The good news is that there are some big names getting involved in this discussion involving a playoff. Southeastern Conference Director Mike Slive has reportedly been open to talking about a playoff, as has the directors of the ACC and Big 12. Even President-Elect Barack Obama threw his hat into the ring in an ESPN radio interview, where he said he wanted to see a playoff in division 1 and that he would “throw his weight around” to speed the process up. But Big-10 commissioner James Delaney, who seems to be in charge of all of college athletics, is against a playoff, as is the Pac-10 commish and the president of Notre Dame. Even if a playoff was announced tomorrow, money and sponsorships have college football in a deadlock until after the 2010 bowl season. The opposition’s approach of delay, stall and decry is working to perfection, and all of college football is suffering. Tyler Cleveland is sports editor for The Student Printz. Comments can be sent to printz@usm.edu