Volume 100 Issue 32
Monday, February 1, 2016
www.studentprintz.com
Hopson replaces Monken: Psychonomic LOCAL
Former USM coordinator returns as head coach Julius Kizzee Sports Editor
Former Alcorn State head coach Jay Hopson has been named the 21st head coach for the Golden Eagles in what will be his third stint in Hattiesburg. The news broke on Twitter late Saturday night when athetic director Bill McGillis tweeted a picture of himself and Hopson together, captioning it, “We’ve got a football coach! #SMTTT.” Hopson boasts a bevy of coaching experience, primarily on the defensive side of the ball. His first job was as defensive backs coach at Marshall from 1996-2000. His next stop occurred at Southern Miss under USM legend Jeff Bower. Hopson returned to USM after taking the same position at Ole Miss, coming back as the defensive coordinator from 2005-2007. After the 2007 season, Hopson made stops in Michigan and Memphis before taking the head coaching gig at Alcorn State from 2012-2015. Most fans on social media expressed their joy after the announcement after a silent signing process. Cincinnati offensive coordinator Eddie Gran, Florida offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, Arizona Sate offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and University of Alabama at Birmingham head coach Bill Clark were all names in the pool for the opening at Southern Miss. Fortunately for Hopson, McGillis was seeking a specific candidate. “I want to find a head coach that can win in 2016, because we are going to have a championship football team,” McGillis said. “We would love to have a head coach who could be here for the next 18-20 years.” The importance of Hopson’s return is simple: His name carries heavy weight in Mississippi. In his 24 years of total coaching, Hopson spent 12 of those years in Mississippi. With stints between USM, Delta State, Ole Miss and Alcorn State, Hopson has the Mississippi ties and history for McGillis to believe that Hopson will stick around for the long run, building his legacy in the process. With National Signing Day just
Society awards grant to Kuczaj Kendra Parks-Smith Printz Reporter
USA TODAY Sep. 6, 2014; Alcorn State Braves head coach Jay Hopson talks to linebackers Damon Watkins and William Thomas in the first quarter of their game against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at M.M. Roberts Stadium.
three days away, Hopson must cover some ground with recruits. One prized recruit over the signing period was junior college receiver Marquez McNair, the late Steve McNair’s nephew. Although uncertain for the last few days, McNair confirmed his commitment to the Golden Eagles in an interview with the Hattiesburg American. “Great hire,” McNair said. “Ready to get this thing back rolling.” Another recruit, three-star defensive linemen Lorenzo Dantzler, confirmed his pledge on Twitter just 20 minutes after Hopson was named the next head coach. “Mark my words,” Dantzler said. “Southern Miss will be the 2016 C-USA Champions #SMTTT.”
The common reservation among fans stems from the last defensive coordinator that Southern Miss hired – Ellis Johnson. Most fans remember the ride Johnson took USM on when he failed to win a single game in 2012. Although this year it may seem impossible to go winless after a 9-5 renaissance season, expectations exist for Hopson to take the team further than in Todd Monken’s tenure. “You can’t have somebody that’s going to take us all the way and then we lose,” said Vincent McMurtery, senior entertainment production major. “Then we come back the next year and not even get [to the conference championship.]” Hopson will face a few hurtles as he installs his new system at Southern Miss with a
team laden with seniors at key positions. Nick Mullens, Dylan Bradley and D.J. Thompson all will return in 2016 to lead the Golden Eagles, but the question is: How big is the learning curve going to be? After Monken and Lindsey’s departures from Southern Miss, only one key offensive mind remains in offensive coordinator John Wozniak. Wozniak, however, has only coached one offensive game in his Southern Miss coaching career in the Heart of Dallas bowl when Southern Miss put up 31 points against the Pac12’s stingy defense. Although Hopson has many obstacles to get over while he takes his first steps at Southern Miss, his team is talented enough to weaken the challenge he will face.
Stan Kuczaj, director of the Marine Mammal Behavior and Cognition Laboratory, was recently awarded a $50,000 grant for a workshop displaying The Evolutionary and Psychological Significance of Play. Kuczaj’s work displays the act of playing’s significance in different species and how it has varied throughout evolution. “During this workshop, we will be discussing the variations in animal play and evolutionary play in variety with culture as well,” Kuczaj said. “People will lead that into human play and will be talking about different functions in various cultures. For example, what exactly is play? How do we know what it is and does? What kind of different ways to play are there amongst different species?” Kuczaj and his graduate students have studied abroad multiple times for the purpose of gathering information for the proposal. Kuczaj and his students study different animals and investigate the meaning behind animal play as well as the different types of play such as solo play and social play. Kendal Smith, marine animal behavior and cognition graduate student, shadowed Kuczaj as he studied dolphin interactions at the Roatan Institute for Marine Science. “Dr. Kuczaj frequently films this population for observational data, so the dolphins have grown accustomed to his presence,” Smith said. “Many of the younger dolphins, appear to crave his interactions as an opportunity to play with him. Dr. Kuczaj enjoys interacting with the dolphins. He also is perceptive when judging and respecting each animal’s boundaries.” The workshop proposal was chosen among 30 proposals for the Leading Edge Workshop in Chicago last summer. Kuczaj WORKSHOP CONT. ON PG. 3
INFORMATION
Page 2 | Monday, February 1, 2016
MEET THE STAFF SPRING 2016
Ardan Thornhill
Julius Kizzee
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EDITORIAL POLICY The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not necessarily 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 submissions 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.
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NEWS
ON CAMPUS
USM hosts Black History Month Southern Miss Now Incorporating the theme “Celebrating 50 Years of African American Excellence at Southern Miss,” USM will mark Black History Month in February with several events on the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses, while also paying tribute to the 50th anniversary of the school’s desegregation. Officially designated by the U.S. Congress in 1986, Black History Month celebrates the contributions African Americans have and continue to make to American history and development. In Sept. 1965, Gwendolyn Armstrong and Raylawni Branch were the first African Americans to enroll at the University. USM’s Black History Month programming schedule includes the following details: Monday, Feb. 1, 6 p.m. – “Black to the Past,” R.C.’s Lounge, R.C. Cook Union, Hattiesburg campus. Sponsors: Phi Beta Sigma, AASO, Zeta Phi Beta. Tuesday Feb. 2, 12 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – “Forgetting About the Greatest Black Generation,” to be presented by Dr. Douglas Bristol, R.C. Cook Union Hall of Honors, Hattiesburg campus. Sponsor: USM Department of History. Wednesday, Feb. 3, 6
WORLD
p.m. – “Black History Family Feud,” Seymour’s in the R.C. Cook University Union, Hattiesburg Campus. Sponsor: USM NAACP chapter. Thursday, Feb. 4, 12:15 - 1 p.m. – “For My People: A Celebration of 250 Years of Black American Poetry,” R.C.’s Lounge, R.C. Cook University Union, Hattiesburg campus. Sponsor: USM Department of English. Wednesday, Feb. 10, 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., R.C. Cook Union Hall of Honors - “Behind Every Good Man is a Civil Rights Heroine: Women in the Mississippi Movement” to be presented by Dr. Rebecca Turri. Sponsor: USM Department of History. Monday, Feb. 15, 6 p.m. - “Black PrivilEDGE,” Woods Theater, Hattiesburg campus. Sponsor: USM Department of Theatre. Tuesday, Feb. 16, 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – “A Crime That’s So Unjust: Civil Rights Cold Case Murders and their Legacies,” R.C. Cook University Union Hall of Honors, Dr. Kevin Greene. Sponsor: USM Department of History. Tuesday, Feb. 16, 6 p.m. – “Black PrivilEDGE,” Fleming Education Center Auditorium, Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach. Sponsor: USM Department of Theatre.
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 6 p.m. – “My Black is _____,” R.C. Cook University Union, room A, Hattiesburg campus. Sponsors: USM Association of Black Journalists and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Thursday, Feb. 18, 12 p.m. – Soul Food Luncheon, Fresh Food Company, Thad Cochran Center, Hattiesburg campus. Sponsor: Eagle Dining. Sunday, Feb. 21, 4 p.m. – “Honoring African American Artists and Composers,” Marsh Auditorium, Hattiesburg campus. Sponsor: USM School of Music. Tuesday, Feb. 23, 12 – 1:30 p.m. – Forum presentation by Dr. Max Grivno, USM Department of History (sponsor), R.C. Cook University Union Hall of Honors, Hattiesburg campus. Wednesday, Feb. 24, 6 p.m. – “The Power of Colors,” R.C. Cook University Union Hall of Honors, Hattiesburg campus. Sponsor: USM NAACP chapter. Thursday, Feb. 25, 12 – 1:30 p.m. – “Strategies for Success in Graduate School,” Thad Cochran Center room 218 A and B. Sponsor: USM Graduate School. For more information about Black History Month at Southern Miss, contact Valencia Walls atvalencia.walls@usm.edu.
Monday, February 1, 2016 | Page 3
WORKSHOP CONTINUED and two others, Lance Miller and Alex de Voogt, came together to submit the proposal to the Psychonomic Society to discuss the panel at the invite-only event. Sixteen international participants will also join the event to discuss not only different mammals, but also the perspective of play on reptiles. After the Leading Edge workshop in Chicago, the participants and Kuczaj will take their research and develop a conclusion at the Psychonomic Meeting. The Department of Psychology has seen the workshop as a positive reflection of the work and research it performs and the beneficial work that Kuczaj has displayed in the process.
“The study of play is an area of research we devote time and resources toward in our lab,” said undergraduate lab coordinator Erin Frick. “Reflecting positively on the work, we will continue to do here and see how important it is to connect and work with other leading researchers in the field on this interesting subject.” The workshop is a step in furthering the awareness on the aspects of play and how it develops or affects mammals and other species. After almost 20 years of research with the lab students and himself, Kuczaj seeks to further his investigations and come to a conclusion on the variations of play and how it affects these animals.
Courtesy Photo
NASA: 2015 rated hottest year on record Hiba Tahir Printz Reporter
Last year proved to be the Earth’s hottest since humanity started keeping track, according to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Independent analyses by NASA and NOAA revealed that globallyaveraged temperatures in 2015 surpassed 2014 by 0.23 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, 2016 is expected to surpass 2015 in terms of average temperatures. The last time the new record exceeded the old record by that much was in 1998, but thanks to increased human-made emissions, global average temperatures have risen nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 19th century. NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies said 2015 is part of an ongoing chain of consecutively rising temperatures for the past three decades, 15 of the warmest occurring between 2001 and now. Partly to blame are phenomena like El Niño or La Niña, which contribute to temporary variation in global average temperatures by warming or cooling the Pacific Ocean. There was a warming El Niño ongoing for most of 2015, although GISS director Gavin Schmidt believes the year was remarkable without it. “Last year’s temperatures had an assist from El Niño,” Schmidt
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said. “But it is the cumulative effect of the long-term trend that has resulted in the record warming that we are seeing.” According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report, there is more than a 90 percent probability that human activities over the past 250
years have warmed our planet. Furthermore, there is a more than 90 percent probability humanproduced greenhouse gases have caused much of the observed increase in Earth’s temperatures over the past 50 years. Moreover, the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios projects “an increase of global
GHG emissions by 25 to 90% between 2000 and 2030, with fossil fuels maintaining their dominant position in the global energy mix to 2030 and beyond.” “Climate change is the challenge of our generation, and NASA’s vital work on this important issue affects every person on Earth,” said NASA administrator
Charles Bolden in a Jan. 20 news article that announced the 2015 surface temperature news. “Today’s announcement not only underscores how critical NASA’s Earth observation program is, it is a key data point that should make policy makers stand up and take notice - now is the time to act on climate.” According to an early 2014 Pew Research Center poll, many Americans agree, with 71 percent saying the government should do whatever it takes to protect the environment. Although that number is higher among Democrats at 88 percent, 50 percent of Republicans also agree. Consequently, many 2016 presidential candidates have discussed the climate change issue. Bernie Sanders, who referred to climate change as “the single greatest threat facing the planet,” has proposed taxes on carbon emissions and eliminating tax breaks for fossil fuel companies. Hillary Clinton set a goal to produce one-third of U.S. electricity using renewable sources by 2027. Although Republicans are less likely to believe in the necessity of climate regulations, some GOP candidates have proposed their own plans. Chris Christie has called for a “global solution” rather than unilateral cuts by the United States and Carly Fiorina supports tax credits for renewable energy.
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FEATURE
Page 4 | Monday, February 1, 2016
STATE
Mississippi continues to expand beer selection Cam Bonelli Printz Reporter
Beer enthusiasts rejoice. On Jan. 12, D.G. Yuengling and Son, Inc. announced that the brewery will now distribute beer in Mississippi. “For some reason there’s never been a distribution in Mississippi, but it’s always been a popular beer,” said Seminary resident Samuel Fairchild. “The larger is basically like a better Budweiser. I had always heard about it. People would always bring cases of it from Alabama, but I was never interested in it because I knew I could never get it in Mississippi.” Previously, if a Mississippian wanted to drink Yuengling, he or she would have to cross the stateline to Alabama. Ryan Kimball, Yuengling brand manager of Southern Beverage Company, said that the process to get Yuengling to Mississippi has been several years in the making. “This was not something that just popped up in the last year,” Kimball said. “We knew there was an overwhelming desire for Yuengling in Mississippi. We worked very hard to sell the state of Mississippi and Southern Beverage to them.” The 200-year-old brewery distributed exclusively to 17 states until Mississippi became the 18th. Yuengling and Son, Inc. currently has two manufacturing facilities in Pottsville, Pennsylvania and
Cam Bonelli/Printz Yuengling among other craft beers continue to make their way to state shelves after SB-2878.
Tampa, which both contribute to a small distribution area. Keg and Barrel owner John Neal said they could not produce enough to meet demand, so they built another brewery. “So now they have two huge brew houses, and they can produce double or three times what they were producing,” Neal said. “The economics of beer—the more you can produce to sell, the larger your equipment is [and] the more efficient [they] are able to sell the beer at the same price as those
larger breweries.” Southern Beverage Company and Rex Distributing of Gulfport managed to prove the demand was high enough to distribute Yuengling in Mississippi. After Mississippi’s change in beer laws in 2012, distributers approached breweries such as Yuengling to expand the craft beer market. Kimball said that he believed Yuengling knew the demand was present. “They could have gone to any state they wanted, but we made
sure they knew just how high the demand for their brand was in Mississippi,” Kimball said. “At the end of the day, we are super pumped that they chose us to represent their brand throughout our footprint.” The fifth-generation familyowned brewery produces several seasonal and staple beers, three of which are now available to purchase in Mississippi. Yuengling appeals to purchasers in search of a quality craft beer at affordable price points. Fairchild
said Yuengling is cheap and easy to drink. “There’s three [types] that they have,” Fairchild said. “[Yuengling’s] light, lager and Black and Tan. I’ve gotten into the stouts more recently, and I can get the Black and Tan cheaper.” Neal said that since Mississippi has updated its antiquated beer laws, it has helped bring in more craft beers. “Raise Your Pints is the reason that we are seeing all of this growth in craft beers in Mississippi,” Neal said. “There’s craft beer bars opening, there’s breweries opening and it’s all because of Raise Your Pints.” Raise Your Pints, a group with a mission to bring quality beers to Mississippi, campaigned for five years to raise the minimum alcohol content, until July 2012, when Mississippi passed Senate Bill 2878. The bill allowed Mississippians to sell and purchase beer with a higher alcohol content from the previous five percent to eight percent by weight, according to the group’s website. Since the passing of Senate Bill 2878, the expansion of craft beers in Mississippi has grown. Mississippi’s thirst for craft beer came with a high demand to bring new brews to local restaurants and bars. Although it took several years, new laws and hard work from beer enthusiasts and distributors, Mississippians can now enjoy Yuengling.
NATIONAL
Smart drugs, online resources offer study boosts Camille Myrick Printz Reporter
With technological advancements and psychological research, students are no longer limited to taking and memorizing notes and reading heavy textbooks to ensure academic success. In a desperate effort to keep up with university expectations, offbeat study resources have appeared across the Internet and medical field. These resources have both positive and negative consequences on campus culture. Medical research is fighting black markets on college campuses with the creation of legal smart drugs. ADHD and ADD medications, such as Adderall and Ritalin, are in high demand, especially for those who need an extra boost to make it through allnight cramming sessions. Now, students can opt out of illegal drug use for safe and legal alternatives. A recent study from the University of South Carolina found that 1 in 6 college kids misuses ADHD drugs to enhance academic performance, often debated as an ethical issue in that many see taking any such drug as an unfair advantage. These issues were discussed as part of the Intelligence Squared
Debates in Oct. 2015. Two teams argued the ethics of allowing students to take smart drugs. Nicole Vincent, an associate professor of philosophy, law and neuroscience at Georgia State University, opposed smart drug usage. She argued that the use of smart drugs causes unnecessary pressure and competition. “The idea is the same as what happened with doping in sports,” Vincent said. “We don’t want those people to take the medications and then push everybody to have to do that as well, to coerce them and diminish their freedom because somebody decided to [take steroids].” Alternatively, Nita Farahany, professor and director of Duke Initiative for Science and Society, made a point that restricting these drugs cheats students out of being freethinkers. According to Farahany, it is society’s responsibility as a culture to pursue intellectual enhancement, regardless of the means. “First, colleges should empower students to make their own choices about how they will change their brains,” Farahany said. “And second, the gradual improvement of our brains is a social good we should pursue in society.” If students choose not to jump
into the unknown by taking legal smart drugs, the alternative would be time management and close care of mental health. Campus counseling centers are a key component of student success. Counselors are available to talk with students about issues of any severity, from being overwhelmed in classes to coping with a psychological disorder in the college setting. There are other ways to prepare and study for classes. Online resources such as ratemyprofessors.com gives students a preview of what they can expect from certain instructors. By finding professors who are rated well, a student may be able to organize a class schedule that best fits his or her learning needs. A student may gauge the difficulty levels of tests, teaching styles and personalities of professors via others’ ratings and reviews. Travis Kitch, lecturer of anthropology at North Dakota State University, said these reviews can be misleading in some cases. “Take what’s said with a grain of salt,” Kitch said. “You’re dealing with anonymous commenters who may have personal grudges
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against a professor, and it gives some people perhaps an opportunity to say things they wouldn’t normally say.” You can even see how attractive professors are depending on how many chili peppers they are rated. Once enrolled in a course, there are some preemptive strikes that can be made to ensure success. Over holiday or summer breaks, studying in advance and becoming familiar with the material that will be covered can be a leg up. USM requires the usage of Blackboard where teachers post class materials and syllabi for
student access. Finding these syllabi and class outlines will guarantee that students are not blind-sighted by any material or scheduled exams. There are unlimited ways to succeed in college, but all require effort. Time-management, religiously consulting academic calendars and developing unique organization methods will keep stress to a minimum and classes under control. A little digging and research will aid in choosing the right courses, and a legal boost could make all the difference.
FEATURE
BLOG
Monday, February 1, 2016 | Page 5
From the small town and beyond: Where are they now? Briar Blakley Printz Reporter
Small neighborhoods, small towns, small state. The lists for the odds of opportunity go on and on for many Mississippians. Many are forced to go beyond the state borders for inspiration. But what if there were role models, people who have reached unimaginable milestones, right under our noses? Although they may have traveled far, they managed to carry their southern hospitality with them. They could reassure what some may consider a cliché quote; “It doesn’t matter where you come from. All that matters is where you’re going”. You can be from Mississippi and still be recognized nationally perhaps for being runner-up for Miss America, named the first and youngest Masterchef and performing on national television. At least that is the case for former USM students Whitney Miller, Hannah Roberts and myself. After multiple rounds of auditioning and traveling for months, I finally landed a blind audition on The Voice. The experience was surreal. Making it to the top 20 felt like I had truly made my family and hometown proud: Not only by being a small town girl that made it to national television, but by having the opportunity to highlight the community who shaped my talent. Since appearing on the show, I have had the opportunity to sing at multiple venues and be recognized by both Mississippi and National representatives, experienced substantial iTunes sales and released my first EP entitled “The Enlightenment.” Since the show, I have been focusing more on being creative with songwriting and getting people to understand my music and myself as an artist. I will be releasing a sophomore EP titled March Badness in which I am partnering with USM Enactus’s president, Terrance Horton and recording production student Will Pope. The EP will be combination of Electronica hip-hop with 80’s influence. As an electronica artist, I hope to inspire those around me while learning from the best. Hannah Roberts is no stranger to inspiring those around her using her platform to be a role model to many young girls. One can say that the earlier part of her success began here at USM where Roberts was a biochemistry major and later crowned Miss University of Southern Mississippi 2015. After debut of gaining the title of Miss Mississippi, the Mount Olive native went on to represent Mississippi in the Miss America 2016 Pageant placing first runner up. With constant feedback and interactions with social media fans, Hannah continues to serve and represent Mississippi well. She continues to tour the state, with appearances at chamber of commerce meetings, children’s
hospitals and more in effort to spread hospitality. Roberts also continues good will through Pages of Love, a charity she began in 2005. “Through Pages of Love, I was able to donate 1,500 books to the Eudora Welty Library in Jackson for distribution to children in need,” Roberts said on a recent Instagram post. Roberts looks forward attending medical school this fall at The University of Mississippi Medical Center located in Jackson. “Being #MissMississippi is a dream come true, but it’s a dream that only lasts one year. My ultimate goal is to become a plastic surgeon, and today I’m taking my badge photo and getting fingerprinted for UMMC! August is just around the corner! #afterthecrown” Roberts said last month on Instagram. Clearly, a little southern hospitality goes a long way. Whitney Miller said that it was her 97-yearold great-grandmother that inspired her to begin cooking at an early age. At 22, Miller won the title of Fox’s first U.S. Masterchef, gaining numerous fans worldwide. Even after winning on national television, Miller went on to obtain her nutrition degree from USM. Miller has worked with celebrity chefs like Guy Fieri and Curtis Stone and has been featured in Southern cuisine cooking promotions in Tianjin. However, she describes the road to stardom to be quite intimidating. “Auditioning for Masterchef was one of the scariest things I’ve done. I was a 22-year-old senior in college competing against people twice my age and with twice the experience in the kitchen,” she said. She said that the judges worried about how well she would perform in the challenges, but her hard work proved her to be the best competitor despite all odds. Miller’s career skyrocketed after the show, with some recent accomplishments including the release of her cookbook “Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes with Southern Charm.” Miller worked with Panera Bread as the featured food expert and frequently acts as a guest host for ABC’s Birmingham Talk of Alabama’s TV cooking segment. Currently living in Plant City, Florida, she has donated her services to nonprofit organizations, such as the American Heart Association and the Mississippi Muscular Sclerosis Society. Miller cites the ability to inspire children and young adults through cooking and culinary endeavors as her top priority. Facing the world with humble beginnings can be a scary experience. What makes it all worthwhile is becoming a role model for someone with big dreams. Before the show, I did not identify as a risk-taker. My new philosophy is to do what you feel and not let the fear hold you back. After all, you can only get older. The success stories of these ladies could only take place by taking advantage of time. They, as well as myself, hope to inspire others to do the same.
After multiple rounds of auditioning and traveling for months, I finally landed a blind audition on The Voice.
BRIAR BLAKLEY Courtesy Photo
I was a 22-year-old senior in college competing against people twice my age and with twice the experience in the kitchen.
WHITNEY MILLER Kelley Joe Brumfield Photo
Being #MissMississippi is a dream come true, but it’s a dream that only lasts one year.
HANNAH ROBERTS Donald Kravitz/Getty Images
OPINION
Page 6 | Monday, February 1, 2016
ENTERTAINMENT
Sundance: Review of this year’s top picks First Girl I Loved
Birth Of A Nation
Jonathan Urbina Entertainment Editor
Every year, silverscreen stars from around the world travel to the midwest to debut their latest independent film performances. In the mountains of Park City, Utah, the Sundance Film Festival welcomes hopefuls looking to get their work to the masses through notoriety by production companies like Paramount Pictures and streaming outlets like Netflix. This year, the competition was stiff. Filmmakers strived to achieve critical acclaim similar to films such as “Winter’s Bone” and “Little Miss Sunshine” — both of which seeing Sundance debuts in years prior. Luckily for moviegoers, filmmakers did not hold back, making for one unique year in film. The following Sundance films are what movie buffs should keep an eye on:
Directed by: Kerem Sanga Starring: Brianna Hildebrand, Pamela Adlon, Dylan Gelula
Directed by: Nate Parker Starring: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Gabrielle Union This film discusses topics of racism, religion and the definition of unity through the story of African-American slave, Nat Turner. Since its initial debut, the film has received Sundance’s Top Prize and has been acquired by Fox Searchlight for $17.5 million.
One of the only romantic films to debut at the 2016 festival, this film tells the story of adolescent love and the questioning of one’s sexuality. Sanga, the film’s director, walked away with Sundance’s NEXT Audience Award.
The Hollars
Goat
Directed by: John Krasinski Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Krisinski, Anna Kendrick
Directed by: Andrew Neel Starring: Nick Jonas, Virginia Gardner, Ben Schnetzer The fraternity centered drama, produced by James Franco, tests the lengths in which frat brothers will go for one another. After debuting at Sundance, the film was sold to Paramount Pictures.
Morris From America
A matriarch is diagnosed with a brain tumor, forcing her New York City graphic novelist son to return home to face the dysfunctional life he left behind. The film received an unheard of standing ovation by audience members after its Sundance screening. Sony Pictures Classics has since acquired the film for U.S. and Asia distribution deals.
Swiss Army Man
Directed by: Chad Hartigan Starring: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Gabrielle Union The film takes audiences through the life of an African-American 13-yearold boy living in Germany. At Sundance, Hartigan took him the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award and sold the film to A24, who has plans for U.S. distribution within the year.
Weiner (Documentary) Directed by: Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg Starring: Anthony Weiner
Directed by: Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Krisinski, Anna Kendrick Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe The most controversial film to hit the screen this year about a man who rides a farting corpse through the ocean. Critics stayed puzzled by the film, even as its directors awarded for their directing at Sundance. The North American rights to the film have been acquired by A24.
Frank & Lola
A glimpse inside the political campaign of notorious mayoral candidate, Anthony Weiner, along with an overview on the current political landscape. Think House of Cards, but real. The film was the winner of the U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize and was acquired for theatrical distribution by IFC Films.
The Intervention
Directed by: Matthew M. Ross Starring: Imogen Poots, Michael Shannon, Justin Long The ultra dark love story depicts what happens when a Las Vegas love affair goes awry. The star-studded film was sold to Universal Pictures for $2 million.
The Fundamentals Of Caring
Directed by: Clea DuVall Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Cobie Smulders, Natasha Lyonne
Directed by: Rob Burnett Starring: Craig Roberts, Selena Gomez, Paul Rudd
A slightly comedic taste of what a marriage intervention would entail among four couples. Lynskey was honored at Sundance with the Special Jury Award for her individual performance in the flick.
Based on the Jonathan Envison novel, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, the film offers an unfiltered look at life as a caretaker for a disabled teen. Netflix acquired it in a pre-festival pick-up.
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SPORTS
TRACK
Monday, February 1, 2016 | Page 7
Golden Eagles break records at Vandy invite Julius Kizzee Sports Editor
Southern Miss traveled to Nashville to participate in the Vanderbilt Invitational and managed to break three Southern Miss records in the process. On the first day, Dana Dillistone, Mariam Kromah, Kristin Zarrella and Alondra Hoyos competed in the women’s distance medley relay, running a time of 11:51.39. Zarrella opened on day two of the competition by breaking a school record of a 4:51.24 in the mile by running a 4:49.98 in an eighth-place finish. Zarrella’s previous best was a 5:05.17, a six-second difference from what she ran in this event. Kromah broke another school record by running a 54.21 in the 400-meter dash, placing first. Senior Christopher Monroe went on to break the third school record of the day with a triple jump best of 15.23 meters. “Zarrella really started day two off with a bang, by breaking
the school record in the mile,” said John Stuart, head coach. “The very next event, (Mariam) Kromah wins the 400 and sets a school record as well. And then to cap it off, Chris Monroe sets a school record in the triple jump.” Not to be outdone, senior Elbert Rogers placed second in the men’s 400-meter dash with a 47.43. “There was a great deal more competition this week and our upperclassmen leaders really met the challenge,” Stuart said. “We had some great efforts from the freshman. We are going to continue to expect these efforts going forward.” Many more Golden Eagles participated in the invite, placing anywhere from sixth place to tenth. With the overall talent on the track and field teams, coach Stuart says he looks forward to keeping the momentum going. “I’m very pleased with our overall effort and we are going to continue to build momentum,” Stuart said.
Courtland Wells/Courtesy Photo Southern Miss Golden Eagles guard Cortez Edwards (1) has his shot blocked by UTSA Roadrunners Ryan Bowie (14) on Jan. 30.
ON CAMPUS
NIASS attendees discuss new safety techniques Darrin Williams Printz Reporter
The convergence of sports security professionals from all over the country to USM’s Gulf Park Campus culminated Jan. 28, the final day of the 2016 National Intercollegiate Athletics Safety and Security Summit. On the morning of Jan. 26, summit moderator Gary Gardner, director of NCS4 Lou Marciani and director of Championships Sharon Cessna, and Alliances with the NCAA welcomed everyone to the summit. Host of the event Alison Crumpton mentioned USM’s new MBA program with emphasis on sport security management. Carl Walter, industry
solutions manager for ESRI with an emphasis on National/Homeland Security, attended the summit and said students entering the security management field need real world experience in geographical information system technology. GIS is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage and present all types of spatial or geographical data. One can describe GIS as a layered map. The interface allows the user to click some of the many types of data to show on the map or grid at a time. GIS would collect data from social media within a certain mile radius of the event, CTV footage and more for use by sports security officers. Security could use the data to help keep pedestrians safe
during events such as nationally televised games. Randy Tiblier, event manager with Swetman Security, managed the safety of the pedestrians on USM’s campus during the Mississippi State game this past semester. “Athletics, marketing, UPD and Swetman Security — all of us — met weekly from June through August [to prepare for the game],” Tiblier said. “It was a collaborative effort.” Some of the issues discussed at those meetings were strategizing over different what-if situations and scenarios. “Sometimes dignitaries, such as congressional representatives, come to nationally televised games,” Tiblier said of one such scenario. “Our job is to ensure
Courtesy Photo
they are not bombarded.” The Mississippi State game kicked off at 9 p.m., a time which could have been problematic. “The highway patrol, the Hattiesburg and Laurel police departments and the Forrest County sheriff’s department all came down,” Tiblier said. “They helped out from education to numbers all the way to manning
assigned posts.” The game was a sellout. The Rock’s maximum capacity is 36,000. Roughly 50,000 people were on campus the day of the Mississippi State game. Security, crowd management, emergency action planning and an array of briefs filled the National Intercollegiate Athletics Safety and Security Summit’s final day.
SPORTS
Page 8 | Monday, February 1, 2016
Patrick Lowery/Courtesy Photo
BASKETBALL
USM drops two straight FEATURES YOU WON’T FIND against UTEP, UTSA Kyle Williams Sports Reporter
USM fell short on a twogame stop in Texas against the University of Texas-El Paso and the University of TexasSan Antonio. After a 35-point loss to La. Tech on Jan. 24, the Lady Eagles traveled to El Paso to take on UTEP, who came in on an eight-game winning streak. Early in the game, both teams displayed that stopping each other’s offenses would be a major task at hand. A total of five lead changes occurred in the first period alone. The Lady Eagles shot a decent 44 percent from the floor while holding UTEP to just 30 percent in the quarter. With the game tied at 16 after the first quarter, the Miners went on a 5-0 run early in the second quarter to put them up 21-16. The Lady Eagles managed to score just one basket before allowing another 10-0 run for the Miners, putting the score at 31-18. A scoring drought costed the Lady Eagles in the third quarter as they allowed the Miners a 15-point lead. The Golden Eagles allowed the Miners to shoot 57 percent in the second quarter and extend their lead, 36-26. UTEP took a two-point lead heading into the final quarter, 51-49. UTEP increased their lead
to five with a little more than five minutes left on the clock in the final quarter, 59-54. The Golden Eagles did not go down without a fight, as they made a rally of their own to cut the deficit to two with four minutes left in the quarter, 60-58. UTEP showcased impressive defense late in the quarter as they forced the Golden Eagles to commit two costly turnovers and 10 in total for the quarter. The Lady Eagles could not manage to mount a comeback as UTEP shot 7-of-8 from the field in the final minutes of the game to preserve the 72-64 win. Unable to capture their second road win of the season from UTEP, the Lady Eagles embarked on their journey from El Paso to San Antonio to take on The UTSA Roadrunners. After a hot start in the first period for the Golden Eagles, the Lady Eagles failed to maintain that momentum against the Roadrunners. The Lady Eagles were able to score a quick six points but failed to score a single basket after the seven-minute mark in the first period. These scoring struggles allowed the Roadrunners to take a late nine-point lead at the end of the period. The tide seemed to turn in the second period as the Lady Eagles soon saw their own lead as they mounted a 16-0 run. The Lady Eagles maintained a five-point lead going into
halftime, 27-22. Momentum would not stay on the Lady Eagles’ side as they managed to score the first basket of the second half, but failed again to score a basket for more than four minutes. In this time, the Roadrunners capitalized on the Lady Eagles struggles and mounted a comeback of their own. The Roadrunners managed a 7-2 run with a little more than a minute left on the clock to take the lead, 35-34. After gaining the lead late in the third quarter, the Lady Eagles never managed to take another lead. Both teams had shooting woes in the fourth quarter, as both teams shot below 40 percent. Low shooting hindered the Lady Eagles as they were only able to score five points in the quarter. The Lady Eagles went on to lose their first ever to UTSA, 47-41. “You have to say congratulations to UTSA, but we just didn’t score the ball,” said head coach Joye Lee-McNelis. “We had every opportunity, but we didn’t score the ball.” The 41-point output from the Golden Eagles is a recordlow for the season. Jayla King was the only Lady Eagle to reach double figures in points, as it seemed nothing could get going on offense for the rest of the team. The Lady Eagles host North Texas at home on Feb. 4. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
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