Volume 100 Issue 36
Thursday, February 18, 2016
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Hate-crime cold cases potentially abandoned in 2017 Camille Myrick Printz Reporter
During the civil rights era, African-Americans disappeared without a trace across the South. The criminal justice system neglected thorough investigation of these murders for years, allowing the risk of the unsolved cases. Emmett Till, for whom the titular law was named, was a 14-year-old African-American boy brutally murdered in 1955. His story prompted a movement supporting the reopening of other unsolved murders during that time. In 2007, congress passed the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, directing the DOJ and FBI to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of these unsolved homicides. Unfortunately, many cases remain unsolved due to lack of financial resources and the passage of time. Many of these cases lack evidence considering many of the perpetrators and potential witnesses of these crimes are deceased. Kevin Greene, assistant professor and co-director of the Center for Oral History
ON CAMPUS
Courtesy Photos (From left to right) Clifton Walker, Emmett Till and Wharlest Jackson are victims of violent crimes during the Civil Rights Movement.
and Cultural Heritage, lectured Tuesday about the importance of resolving the cold cases of civil rights murders. He
specifically urged his audience to familiarize themselves with the Emmett Till Civil Rights law that expires next year.
“Many of the people who are aware of the circumstances surrounding these deaths are passing away every day,”
Greene said. “And most local police departments don’t have the resources or capabilities to reopen these cases.” Greene, while highlighting a handful of the 126 unsolved cases of civil rights homicides in the South, told stories of cases that had been successfully solved and closed. “It can be done,” Greene said. “I’m not trying to naysay that this is impossible. There are initiatives going on out there that are investigating these things. There are universities looking at these particular cases.” The lack of attention these cases received from investigators over the past ten years constitutes the issue. Though some have been solved and perpetrators have been convicted, the majority of the murders are left a mystery, with no resolutions for the victims’ families or prosecutions for the crime. Due to the passage of time, the opportunity to dig into the remaining evidence is quickly closing. “The important part is, this [law] runs out in 2017,” Greene said. “We’ve already heard the COLD CASE CONT. ON PG. 3
HPD carefully considers body cams for purchase Joshua D Starr News Editor
The Hattiesburg Police Department says it is close to selecting which body cameras it will purchase for officers. “There is money budgeted for the purchase of new cameras, and we have just finished the testing phase,” said HPD Lt. Jon Traxler. The Hattiesburg City Council budgeted $180,000 in the fall of 2015 for the purchase of body cameras by the Hattiesburg police. HPD has been thoroughly reviewing cameras and suppliers since the money was allocated from the city’s general fund. Traxler said that HPD acquisition and implementation the new cameras will benefit the city of Hattiesburg in a number of ways. “The reason we want to add more equipment for the officers that will better serve the community is, number one, it will cut down on liability for the department, and number two, it will help with the collection of evidence for cases within the department,” he said. “Number three, it will give the community a
better sense of security because we’ve got cameras on the street.” Ward 1 City Councilman Kim Bradley said liability and transparency concerns are a major reason he supports the cameras’ purchase. “I believe firmly that it’s something that the officers need to protect themselves as well as protect the citizens,” he said. “Whether visual or audio, if there a problem, you have a record of it.” Joshua Hill, assistant professor in the School of Criminal Justice, specializes in the field of crime and criminal justice politics. He said, as with the body cameras, technologies have been doted during shifts in the paradigms of criminal justice politics. “With all of the heavily covered shootings of unarmed, particularly African-American, folks, there’s obviously been a pretty massive shift in how the politics of criminal justice in general is being filtered and also the technologies associate in hoping to stop those,” he said. Hill said people should remember that technology can be useful but is no magic bullet. The pros and cons have sort of
been clear since earlier adoptions of technology, like dashboard cameras. At the time of the Rodney King beating, they were [trying to] address some of these problems,” he said. “Technology often seems like a solution to a problem when in reality it may not be nearly as much of a solution as it first seems to be.” Hill said many people and communities are eager to find solutions to their problems. “There has been some discussion of the benefits of body cameras from the perspective of potential victims of police misuse of force, but also police officers themselves can be protected by body cameras,” he said. Bradley said he thinks the cameras will be a good addition to the force. He said as HPD moves toward a purchase, it is being careful not to repeat mistakes of the past, when the HPD spent $100,000 on body cameras. “The city had gone through this process [in 2012] and the body cams the police department turned out to be a flop,” Bradley. “They sent a crappy product here that did not work. We returned them [...] The company has since gone bankrupt,
and we were not reimbursed the money we had paid for a product that didn’t work.” Bradley said considering this prior experience, he is confident HPD’s new purchase will be shopped smartly. “My understanding is that with due diligence they researched three or four different companies that had a product out there,” he said. “I am certain that they got references, talked with police departments that are using the cameras that we’re choosing and that we’re going to
have a product that’s going to work.” HDP is still seeking reimbursement for the 2012 purchase. In regard to the prior purchase, Traxler said testing results mislead the department. “Due to them not be of the quality that we had originally tested, they were sent back to the company, requesting a refund,” Traxler said. “The company went bankrupt and was sold to another company, that company sold to a third company, and we’re still in litigation with that third company.”
Rachel Massingill/Printz
Lt. Jon Traxler demonstrates traffic stop procedure with officer Megan Rue.
INFORMATION
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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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ON THE WEB Hoverboards banned on campus Andrew Dutton/Printz Reporter
State’s first ABA program thrives Hiba Tahir/Printz Reporter
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NEWS
GULF PARK
New act explores race, privilege Darrin Williams Printz Reporter
The ensemble performance at USM’s Gulf Park Campus Feb. 16 in Long Beach raised questions about what is “Black PriviLEDGE?” Before the performance the director, senior theatre design and technology major, Kensey Coleman told the troupe to break a leg. The troupe’s name is Harlem. It is composed of African American thespians, dancers and all types of entertainers. Coleman, whom worked on the play since the summer 2015, welcomed everyone in attendance. “There is always one showcase per semester,” Coleman said. “I thought why not? I was inspired by the racial tensions of late.” Three images filled out the stage. One image was a black figure with the word “Harlem” written in colors above. Another
was clearly an African figure. The figure was adorned with all sorts of different types of garb that would be typical of the different African tribes. The figure also had his fist raised. The last image was that of a noose, a cross and a crown. All of those images have deep seeded feelings associated with them within the black community. One scene depicted five black people wearing white masks trying to be something they are not. The scene ended with the line, “Be who you are.” In the barbershop scene, black privilege was associated with a few notable concepts in the black community. The most notable concept was allowing materialistic views to determine self-worth. The play presented the question: Is modern black culture is a farce? In another scene, a person stood on stage alone and spoke his inner frustrations about, among other things, being the only black
friend to 37 white friends. He also spoke about creating a bridge to true self. The play touched on issues facing black people and their identity in society today. Coleman thinks black people today feel as if they are owed something. “We as a community [are owed,]” Coleman said. “Black people, we have a tendency to feel entitled.” What is black privilege anyway? “It can’t be defined,” Coleman said. “It is important to bring exposure to the aesthetic of privilege though.” Coleman said Harlem has never traveled from Hattiesburg to perform as a troupe before the performance at the Gulf Park Campus. “Harlem is about growth,” Coleman said. “We send out feelers at the beginning of each semester to find new members.” The final line of the play asked black people to raise fists for something you believe in.
GULF PARK
Team promotes community involvement Lora Lavigne Printz Reporter
The Institute for Disability Studies on the Gulf Park campus and USM’s Golden Eagles wheelchair basketball team will host a free clinic Feb. 20 at the Payne Center. During the awareness promoting exhibition, IDS invites attendees to learn and play wheelchair basketball with the Golden Eagles. IDS, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing education, independence and quality of life for persons with disabilities, has hosted this event for nearly six years. Grants and foundations fund the event with in-kind support from USM. “As an institute designed to serve individuals with disabilities through assistive technology, evaluation, consultation and recreation, we enjoy working with the wheelchair basketball team and witnessing them grow through such a great program,” said Devin Bellman, management assistant for program services at IDS. Bellman said with the institute’s involvement with the wheelchair basketball team over the years, the team has had mind-blowing, competitive and hardworking natural athletes. “The most rewarding thing about working with the Golden Eagles and other members of the institute is knowing that you are helping someone who is vulnerable from whatever circumstances that led them here and [watching] them gain that sense of accomplishment while taking charge of their life,” she said. The team normally consists of 10 members, with recruiting from Veterans Affairs, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and the Wounded Warrior Project, as well as through word-of-mouth.
Courtesy Photo
Thursday, February 18, 2016 | Page 3
COLD CASE CONTINUED statistical evidence that it isn’t being funded all that well, and a lot of people who could apply for grants to help solve these are not applying for them. They aren’t really interested, and these cases are getting shut one by one.” One of the only hopes for addressing the damage inflicted by these crimes rests in the preservation of the Till Bill. Students, such as Phi Beta Sigma member Anthony McNair, attended the lecture and were inspired to get behind initiatives and projects that might keep the bill active. McNair said he plans to take this information back to his chapter and start a discussion about supporting the initiative. “I feel like based the principles that all Greek organizations share this would be something we would all look into,” McNair said. “It just has to be presented to everyone and I feel like all people involved
in Greek Life would heavily push awareness of this bill in our community.” McNair said students like him could provide new generation of critical consideration to . “This is important for right now, because we have a fresh platform for people with different mindsets to step in and give their word and opinion,” McNair said. “I plan to bring this back to my chapter and try to support the initiative.” Many lives departed from the South as a result of racial hatred. McNair said though their cases remain unsolved, their legacy survives in the community. “For me, this isn’t about solving another 48-hour cold case,” Greene said. “The point is reconciliation, because these stories still live in communities. People know stories that aren’t even on this list of what happened to folks. By talking to these people, you reconcile the awful nature of these crimes.”
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Golden Eagles wheelchair basketball team gears up for free clinic.
The team gathers people from all over the Gulf Park campus and Long Beach area to participate in their events. Games and exhibitions are scheduled throughout the year as individuals take the time to promote the team. The Golden Eagles’ mission is to provide people with various disabilities the opportunity to compete with fellow athletes and to promote awareness for people with disabilities. “It’s really nice being out there, because you’re able to compete again, and just knowing that you are on a level playing field and able to enjoy sports again,” said Kevin Galloway, a third-year member of the Golden Eagles wheelchair team. “It’s an amazing feeling.” Galloway said his experiences in this program have been personally impactful. “I mean it really is life changing. It gets you involved with a group of people that also have disabilities so they can relate to you,” Galloway
said. “It’s a great bond that also allows us to live a healthy and active lifestyle, which is extremely important for somebody with a physical disability.” Interested persons must be physically unable to play regulation stand-up basketball. The current team includes members with spinal cord injuries and birth defects as well as war veterans and accident victims. As a team within the National Wheelchair Basketball Association, the Golden Eagles join over 130 wheelchair basketball teams competing on a national level. Saturday’s event will include an exhibition game against Jackson’s Mace wheelchair basketball team. Following the exhibition, visitors will be welcome to join in and learn how to play wheelchair basketball with the Golden Eagles. The Golden Eagles plan to move their team to the Hattiesburg campus next season to tap into a new community base.
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NEWS
Page 4 | Thursday, February 18, 2016
STATE
New regulation may result in Uber spread Nicolas Kubicki Printz Reporter
For those who travel out of state in large cities, the phrase “get an Uber” might be common language. Due to regulations being taken in Jackson, it might become much more common. For those unfamiliar, Uber is a mobile ride hail company. In layman’s terms, it’s a taxi service that operates on a mobile platform. One downloads the app, inputs their destination and can select a number of people that will soon pick them up, take them to their destination and drop them off for a small fare. The selling point with a company like Uber is that it operates through real people and their normal cars. Unlike traditional taxi services, there is no leaning out in the street to compete with others and no stepping into the road to flag down a car that may or may not stop. Uber cars are for-hire chaffeurs. They pay their fare and rate the driver, and
their interaction is at an end. Uber operates all over the world, but in Mississippi they operate only in Oxford, Jackson and formerly the Gulfport-Biloxi area. While Uber is thriving in other places, specific legislation is being taken to regulate the service due to the direct competition with traditional taxicab companies. According to Pacific Standard magazine, cab drivers working under traditional companies sometimes have to wait for years to receive a “medallion,” or a license to operate the cab. This license can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. CNN reported that the most recent price in New York City was $740,000, with an all time peak of over $1 million. Some drivers are required to pass rigorous tests and in some places are allowed to work only the one job. Compare that to Uber’s requirements which state drivers must have a background check, three years driving experience, an
Courtesy Image
in-state license with registration and sometimes insurance for the state the driver operates in. Jackson is one of those places passing legislation to regulate Uber. Previously, the city allowed Uber to operate under their own supervision, the city council drafted an ordinance in Dec. 2015 that would require drug testing and fingerprinting for all drivers along with a $5,000 registration fee to apply for a license of operation in the city and a $500 annual fee. The new ordinance has removed the provision for drug testing and fingerprinting, but retains the need for Uber to pay a registration and
annual fee. According to the Clarion Ledger, the council hopes that the new ordinance will allow Uber to function while prioritizing the safety of the riders. “We’ve taken them out of a grey area and given them a specific lane,” said Councilman Melvin Priester, author of the revised ordinance. “The lack of drug testing is uniform. That is something I wasn’t aware of when I initially proposed this ordinance.” Forbes reported that almost 90 percent of passengers using Uber were picked up in less than 10 minutes, compared to less than 40 percent for those using taxicabs. With the amount of reliable public transportation in Hattiesburg still low, the possibility of Uber is an exciting one. In some areas, Uber has even had an effect on decreasing drunk driving. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, alcoholrelated fatalities in cars counted for 34.3 percent of all traffic deaths in 2015. In California, according to the California State Highway Patrol, once Uber began operating, the number of alcohol-related crashes for drivers under 30 dropped by 6.5
percent. In 2015, Uber compiled a report with MADD detailing the decrease in drunk driving and alcohol-related accidents in places they serviced. “It would be nice to know that people had a sober driving option readily available to them all the time rather than on weekends or during holidays,” said Victoria Sappington, a Southern Miss alumnus. While Jackson is cooperating with the service, it still remains a difficult full move into Mississippi. In 2014, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported that Police Chief Joey East of Oxford said he considers Uber to be an unlicensed taxi company and as such could not operate in the city. In July 2015, Uber was forced to withdraw from the Gulfport-Biloxi area due to ordinances passed by the Harrison County Motor Vehicle for Hire Authority, commenting that if the laws were changed, it would be open to working with local authorities. A spokesperson from Uber said the company will likely be able to work with the regulations passed in Jackson but was unable to comment on a possible expansion into Hattiesburg.
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Bill addresses women’s rights issue Emerald Alexis Ware Printz Reporter
As breastfeeding has become normative with 77 percent of new mothers choosing to breastfeed their babies according CDC report, public discussion has shifted from whether or not women should breast feed to whether women should breastfeed publicly. Mississippi legislature is considering a bill that would allow women to breastfeed publicly without covering their breasts. Senior physics major Myer Milbrath said he does not care if women breastfeed in public, but does think may they will do so if allowed. “I don’t feel like many people would take advantage of that, even if [a law was] passed, just because, you know, public nudity and all that,” Milbrath said. “People generally aren’t accepting of that regardless, at least here in the United States.” Senior interdisciplinary studies major Symora Watts is expecting a child and holds a similar view. “I feel like breastfeeding is bonding time with the mother and child, and they should be able to have privacy,” Watts said. “I think that if women breastfeed in public, they will not get the privacy they need because people are constantly staring and asking questions,” Watts said. Madison Etheridge, a sophomore English major, said the legislation would free women
Courtesy Photo
to perform a vital, natural function and help the public elevate its approach to the issue. “It’s about time women have the ability to use their breasts for what they’re designed to do – when and where they need to do it,” Etheridge said. “I think that anyone who has a problem with this has subscribed to the hyper-sexualization of breasts in today’s media.” Etheridge and Watts each said that businesses should be held responsible if they were to not follow the proposed legislation. Milbrath, however, thinks believes businesses should have a choice in the matter. “I think that it should be [businesses’] choice, since it is their private property they do
own it,” Milbrath said. “It’s like smoking. Even if it’s allowed in the state, private businesses can still say, ‘No, don’t do that here,’ like this university for instance. We have the designated areas for that, even if it’s not illegal.” On and offline, many have argued that breastfeeding is natural and should be treated as such. “I do think it’s a step in the right direction for women to be allowed to use their bodies in public for something other than someone else’s viewing pleasure,” Etheridge said. While the Senate chooses to pass the bill, some, like Ethridge, think its consideration shows Mississippi is becoming more aware of women’s rights.
NEWS
LOCAL
‘Burg observes Sexual Assault Awareness month Garrett Minta Printz Reporter
In observance of Sexual Assault Awareness month, the local community addresses the significance of the issue. According to the 2014 Criminal Victimization report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the number of victims of sexual assault and rape was 150,420 for that year. The prevalence rate was 0.06 percent with only about 33.6 percent of the victimizations being reported to police. Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network reports that each year there are about 293,000 victims of sexual assault, 44 percent of whom are under the age of 18. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center said one in five women have experienced sexual assault in their lifetimes, although those numbers have been contested. The number is called into question as the incidents fall under two categories: public health and criminal justice. In the context of criminal justice, the numbers are based on a direct inquest that consider whether or not the person has been assaulted. On the other hand, public health considers assault more inclusively, using a broader, more descriptive conception to include more people. Regardless, the number is still over 200,000 victims, according to data from RAINN. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center also says 91 percent of victims of sexual assault and rape are female, and in eight of 10 cases of rape, the victim knew his or her attacker. Tinder and Grindr have both said that they are not liable for their users’ actions, but these issues are unresolved. This violence is not a new phenomenon. It is just being
Thursday, February 18, 2016 | Page 5
N I S T A E B THE BURG To be included contact beatsintheburg@gmail.com 3818 W 4TH ST WED-THURS: 15:00 - 02:00 FRI-SAT: 17:00 - 02:00
Courtesy Image The USM chapter of Alpha Chi Omega held their Love Is Campaign Feb. 10.
discussed in a new fashion due to new issues arising. Groups like Green Dot are trying to solve this problem with a method called bystander intervention. “The approach that we are taking with lots of communities around the country is a bystander intervention approach, which is really equipping bystanders to recognize some of the warning signs for sexual violence and giving them tools to intervene,” said Jessy Lyons, an associate director at Green Dot. Shelters across the country are trying to make a difference in these assaults through community outreach events. The Shafer Center said the majority of sexual assault cases are perpetrated by someone the victim already knows, and they do not get many cases where the victim identifies meeting his or
her attacker online or through dating services. The Student Government Association has activities planned before spring break. According to the SGA, the association will focus heavily on addressing sexual violence awareness in the Hattiesburg community. The Shafer Center will be hosting an event on Feb. 26 called Walk a Mile in Her Shoes in which men will don high heels and walk on the athletic track to raise awareness for sexual assaults. The event will be held on the USM campus for those who wish to participate. Green Dot also holds events around campus for students and faculty to learn bystander intervention and techniques on how to defuse dangerous situations.
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What is your favorite thing about your major? A: The classes are so much fun! They really help you prepare for your career, and the teachers work tirelessly to help you find job opportunities. Are you in any clubs? A: I am on the Baptist Student Union
leadership team. Also, I am in the Honors College Ambassadors program and a member of the Forensic Science Society.
What are some of your hobbies?
Hannah Heneghan/Printz
A: I enjoy reading and singing my heart out to old musicals. I love arguing about social injustice, and I despise breakfast foods and Taylor Swift!
To be included contact beatsintheburg@gmail.com
OPINION
Page 6 | Thursday, February 18, 2016
POLITICS
Polls misrepresent primary election battles Garrett Minta Printz Reporter
Every four years, the polls become the center of attention, and we all rush to see who leads. The candidates clamor for their respective nominations. Hillary Clinton is leading, but Bernie Sanders is catching up. Trump is leading heavily, but Carson has a higher percentage of younger voters, for example. While we are glad for the availability of polls to gauge people’s interests, they are not always reliable. An example would be those who vote on the snap polls after the debates. Anyone with internet access can vote for a specific candidate. The problem with that is people who are not able to vote get to vote in the polls, inflating the numbers and opinions online. After the first democratic debate, every snap poll online said Sanders won with margins over 80 percent, yet all of the pundits and scientific polls who asked eligible voters said Clinton won. This creates an evident problem. The polls cannot account for every possibility, and those possibilities change constantly. Kasich won second place in New Hampshire, defying pundits and polling
alike. Cruz was not even favored for Iowa, but here he is with eight delegates. Kasich said he will win Mississippi because of friends in high places who will push for him, but his friends will make little difference if the voters are apathetic toward him. While Mississippi is a red state, the field on the republican ticket is still quite extensive, allowing a candidate for any voter’s needs. Kasich will need to appeal to the people and the issues that matter to voters in the South and understanding the state’s priorities if he hopes to win. He almost flew under the radar trying desperately not to stay in the shadows of the press coverage of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. While we see that polling does not always predict the actual result, it is important to not discount it when it does. For both of the democratic primaries thus far, RealClearPolitics has called Clinton the winner in Iowa and Sanders and Trump the winners in New Hampshire. Clinton also fell victim to polling issues as her leads dwindled while Sanders claims the young vote. She has not been able to get her campaign back under control and has lost a lot of her gains since the beginning debates. All the candidates work solid
campaigns, trying to appeal to the most voters. At the end of it all, they are going to say what they were told by their advisers. That will get them elected, which has to be expected in our political system. It is truly tough to nail down what certain candidates believe as often as they change their minds. Clinton in the 90s as the First Lady said she felt marriage should be between one man and one woman, and now, in the past two decades, she has let go of her divine reasoning for opposing LGBTQ rights, championing the issues now that the public is on board. Ted Cruz contradicts himself through commonplace statements. PolitiFact has a registry of all of the false statements candidates said, and a quick perusing of Cruz’s shows that his statements will most likely be recanted the week after he made them. We can agree that it is more difficult for the general public to have a strong and educated discourse when we engage in these frivolous battles on party lines. The more we work to remove the lies and corruption of our democracy, the closer we come to changing the discourse to a more appropriate and helpful debate that can shape policy and our country at large.
ENTERTAINMENT
Pee-wee: back, bigger than ever Joshua D Starr News Editor
As Printz News Editor, if I pretend to know nothing else, I pretend to know our readers. Ya’ll are largely late teen, early twentysomethings that, like me, love the Youtube, the Netflix and occasional beer – illicit or otherwise. Well children, I realized a tragedy. Since I think most of you are good people, I wanted to correct it. You see, I grew up watching Paul Reubens on “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” (on VHS) and in “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure ” and “Romeo + Juliet” (on VHS). Sadly, most of you are too young to be nostalgic about anything, much less remember the magic that is Pee Wee. Granted, you weren’t alive when when his show aired, but maybe you saw him spoofed on “Family Guy.” Maybe you got the reference but as Howdy Doody was to my father, Pee Wee is my friend. I think you should know how great he a friend he can be. Just to cut short any potential Reubens negging, he was arrested in 1991 for indecent exposure in a porn movie house. To be fair, I feel like there’s an unwritten rule that nudity and sexual gratification are expected there. Regardless, he’s made a comeback, and everybody’s over it. So if you wanted to dismiss him based on past crimes, don’t. Before you open your mouth, shut up.
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Anyway, let’s get back to how awesome he is. Consistent, in terms of his youthful appearance, and whimsical and silly to the point of clinical insanity, in his house or out in the world, Pee Wee never fails to lead you on an unexpected and entertaining adventure. For those of you who haven’t experienced Pee Wee, Netflix is offering you an opportunity to meet him in “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday” coming soon to a TV near you. For
your sake, please take advantage of this opportunity. In addition to Pee Wee, you’ll likely meet a talking chair, a funny genie, some sentient flower and, if you’re lucky, a really cool mailman. Directed by John Lee, produced by Reubens and Judd Apatow, and co-starring Joe Manganiello, Jessica Pohly, Alia Shawkat and Stephanie Beatriz, the film will be Pee-Wee’s first feature in 31 years. It’s set to air March 18, so count the days.
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Gage Skidmore Photo
SPORTS
BASEBALL
Thursday, February 18, 2016 | Page 7
Golden Eagles eye redemption season Julius Kizzee Sports Editor
After missing out on a NCAA Regional last year, Southern Miss is looking at a season of redemption. Their motto is “start fast,” but coach Scott Berry put a spin on the year-old saying to motivate his team just a bit more. “Start faster, and continue to finish strong,” Berry said. “It’s just simple the game-by-game approach.” USM will open their season this Friday in a three-game slate against Eastern Illinois. Although the Panthers are not a prime candidate that Southern Miss will be waiting to play, they are not taking any opponent lightly. “This team, we realize what we got to do is [focus on] on one game at a time,” said junior Dylan Burdeaux. “Every game is magnified.” Last season, USM was able to rely on the leadership of seniors Cord Cockrell, Connor Barron, Matt Durst and James McMahon among others, when things got sour for the team. Their leadership carved the path for the team this season, as the roster is stacked with 13 players in their last year of eligibility themselves. “Certainly, they have to follow what [the veterans] did,” Berry said. “That’s get out their number one [skills], trust their stuff and compete.” One example of things becoming sour was the Oakland series. No matter which player you ask, they will always refer to the Oakland series as the pivotal turning point of the season. In that series last year from March 6-8, the Golden Eagles dropped two out of three games at home. Oakland was not the caliber of Southern Miss at the time, and the Golden Eagles seemed to have taken their counterparts a little too lightly. “Us dropping that series against Oakland kind of [messed] us up later on,” said junior catcher Chuckie Robinson. “I think we just need to focus on what’s at hand and not trying to downplay our competitors.” After that series, the Golden Eagles did not seem to get it together. They went on to alternate wins and losses against Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State and UAB. Southern Miss finally got it together on March 26, when they reeled off 13 straight wins starting with the first one against UTSA. “Every game really does matter,” said sophomore pitcher Kirk McCarty. “In the long run, every single inning, every out, every pitch, everything comes down to that final goal. Are you going to be in the Regional or not?” This year, Southern Miss will have a bevy of opponents that they will be able to get up for. USM will face opponents such
as Michigan State, Auburn, Alabama, Ole Miss and Rice. Those opponents are certainly nothing to scoff at, and should be taken very seriously for Southern Miss. USM should be prepared for those opponents, as they went 5-0 against SEC competition. The Golden Eagles are not afraid of the spotlight, and they should be well-prepared for it when the time comes. “We know those SEC games are big,” Burdeaux said. “We get up for those games and we talked about this year, you got to get up for every game.” This team will have two strengths: Pitching and experience. The Golden Eagles return six pitchers with USM experience on the mound, and will have that rotation combined with a bullpen with several transfers and freshman. Although USM will lose a huge arm in James McMahon, C Spire Ferriss Trophy award winner, they will have plenty of players who can hopefully fill in his shoes to be the next USM great on the mound. “We’ve got to have those guys that when they take that mound, they have that respect of their teammates,” Berry said. “We’re pitcher-heavy in numbers than position players, in all honesty. We have to have some guys who are capable of playing different positions.” Southern Miss should finish around 43-13 this season. USM should make it back to the Regional for the first time since the 2011 season. They will have to rely on the contributions of reliable hitters such as Tim Lynch, who was a first-team All-Conference USA preseason pick, and junior infielder Dylan Burdeaux who batted a .283 with four homers and 28 RBIs. Not to be outdone, Southern Miss will return leading batter Tim Lynch, who averaged a .313, nine home runs and 32 RBIs. The lasting thing that cannot be put down on a stat sheet is the camaraderie off this team. This team has proven that it will stick together through the ups and the downs, and they look to be focused on one goal. “I really haven’t set any goals, which I don’t know is a good time,” Robinson said. “I just want to go out there and have a good time with my teammates, my brothers and just play as best as I can.” With all of the experience intact for the Golden Eagles season, redemption may be the calling. “Whenever we step on the field Friday night we just have to be in midseason form already,” McCarty said. “We don’t have any time to waste.” USM will open up their 2016 season with a three-game slate on Friday against Eastern Illinois at Pete Taylor Field starting at 4 p.m.
Senior pitcher Jake Winston winds up a pitch at Pete Taylor Park.
Courtesy Photo
Susan Broadbridge/Printz Former Golden Eagle James McMahon pitches against Florida Atlantic at Pete Taylor Park in April 2015.
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