Volume 100 Issue 37
Monday, February 22, 2016
www.studentprintz.com
Cook library hosts first 16 mm film festival Andrew Dutton Printz Reporter
The University of Southern Mississippi Cook Library presented its first ever 16 mm film festival in the Cook Library Art Gallery Feb. 18. The library event screened two short educational films. Southern Kernel’s Gourmet Popcorn provided popcorn as attendees watch 1956’s “Better Bulletin Boards” and 1968’s “Marijuana.” “Better Bulletin Boards” demonstrated the process for properly making and utilizing bulletin boards. According to the event page on the USM website, the film provided a retro ’50s perspective from a time when bulletin boards dominated schools. The event allowed a short intermission before screening “Marijuana,” starring and narrated by famed musician Sonny Bono, who informed students about the dangers of the drug and its use. Audience members seemingly enjoyed themselves throughout the two movies’ showing. “I thought the presentation was outstanding,” said attendee Phil Sykes. The audience chuckled throughout the films. Sykes said the movies were not intended to be humorous. “This wasn’t funny,” Sykes said. “If you get right down to it, even with the bulletin board video, the basic concept remains in the digital age.” Jennifer Brannock, curator of Rare Books and Mississippians at Cook Library, felt differently. “When people laughed at things, it was just because of the kitschy nature of it,”
Austin Sylvest/Printz Viewers watch one of the featured films at the 16 mm Film Festival on Thursday, Feb. 18.
Brannock said. She said the film festival was for entertainment purposes and not really meant as an educational seminar. Michelle Frasier-Robinson, librarian for Education and Psychology, said she enjoyed the films and the festival format.
Keeping the film festival an hour long with two short screenings is better because people might not stay interested for much longer, she said “It’s something for people just to pop in, look at and move on,” Frasier-Robinson said. The 16 mm film collection
is not currently accessible to students through the library. According to FrasierRobinson, the Preservation Committee is currently working to decide what films stay and go, because they are deteriorating. Frasier-Robinson said because of the large number of films in
the library, they have thought about doing a film festival every semester. “We had a fairly good turnout,” Frasier-Robinson said. “I think that once word gets out about them, maybe they’ll become popular, and I think we should try to do it again.”
ON CAMPUS
Racially-charged grafitti in library sparks investigation Camille Myrick/Lora Lavigne Printz Reporters
Dean of Students Eddie Holloway announced the university’s plan at to take action after profane graffiti was found in the Cook Library on Feb. 15. “This incident will be addressed and have more or heightened security to make sure nothing like this happens again,” Holloway said during a speech for the Department of History’s A Crime That’s So Unjust event. A Crime That’s So Unjust, part
of the university’s Black History Month iti nerary, took place the day following the incident. Brooke Bullock, sophomore mass communications major, attended the seminar and witnessed Holloway speak on the issue. “At the black history seminar ,questions were raised about the incident and Dr. Holloway reassured us that firm measures are in place,” she said. On Feb. 15, custodians performed their daily cleaning routine on the morning and discovered a shocking word graffitied on the
wall in a bathroom in Cook Library. The cleaning staff immediately informed the university police of the offensive vandalism: the N-word, scrawled in ink. The perpetrator penned more racial innuendos than the infamous racial slur. UPD Chief Bob Hopkins explained the morning’s events. “Custodial went in to clean one of the men’s restrooms in Cook Library, and when they did, they found graffiti that was inappropriate that had been printed in bold on one of the walls,” Hopkins said. “It
was some comments disparaging [African-Americans], and it also mentioned the KKK and Trump 2016.” UPD acquired surveillance footage of the area around the bathroom. Throughout last week, investigators reviewed that footage to scour for any clues to identify the tagger. “We know when it was first found and when it was last cleaned,” Hopkins said. “We are working backwards from there, reviewing footage to see what we can see as far as who could have possibly been
the perpetrator. We still have a long way to go and about three days of footage to review.” Hopkins said an adequate punishment will be easier to determine once the guilty person is identified. “It could be a misdemeanor vandalism, or it could be more, but we’d have to look at the law as it related to that,” Hopkins said. “Right now, all we know is that there is no physical victim or anything of that nature. It would INVESTIGATION CONT. ON PG. 3
INFORMATION
Page 2 | Monday, February 22, 2016
MEET THE STAFF SPRING 2016 Ardan Thornhill
Julius Kizzee
ardan.thornhill@eagles.usm.edu
julius.kizzee@eagles.usm.edu
Jack Hammett
Hunt Mercier
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patrick.mercier@eagles.usm.edu
Executive Editor
Managing Editor
Joshua D Starr
Sports Editor
Photo Editor
Fadi Shahin
News Editor
Assistant Photo Editor
sprintznews@gmail.com
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Nan Beauti
Jules Peralta
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Jonathan Urbina
Chuck Cook
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Copy Editor
Entertainment Editor
Aubrey Sanders
Web Editor
Printz Adviser
Katherine Frye
Design Editor
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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.
UPCOMING EVENTS Feb. 23, 12 p.m. The USM Department of History will sponsor a forum presentation by Max Grivno at the R.C. Cook University Union Hall of Honors.
Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m. The International Center will host a screening of “The Muldorf Train of Death”documentary and a Holocaust survior as guest speaker on Tuesday at the International Center.
OPINIONS Opinions expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, its publication manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications.
Feb. 24, 12 p.m. Career Services will host a career fair in the Thad Cochran Center on the second and third floors. The event will last from 12-4 p.m.
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NEWS Rodeo provides fun, funding Letter to the Editor Monday, February 22, 2016 | Page 3
ON CAMPUS Alexis Ware
To The Editors:
Printz Reporter
The city of Hattiesburg welcomed the Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic Rodeo on Feb. 19 and 20. This year marked the 31st year the USM Department of Recreational Sports hosted the event. April Jordan, marketing and public relations coordinator for the department said the the Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic rodeo is fun targeted at people of all ages. “The Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic rodeo is a longstanding tradition in the Pine Belt,” Jordan said. The event began as a fundraiser to support the former equestrian center at Southern Miss. However, for the last 20 years, the rodeo has funded student development and scholarships. Junior nursing major Mary Blair Ward received the Coca-Cola scholarship. Because of her employment with recreational sports as the program assistant for facilities, she was able to apply for the scholarship. Ward said the rodeo is a great community opportunity and has worked as a volunteer for two years. “I think it’s an opportunity for family fun, because it’s very family-oriented and great for kids,” Ward said. “I think it’s great it can bring to have people of all ages to come out and also partner with the university and give students the opportunity to volunteer and to get scholarships.” For senior child and family studies major Michaela Harper’s family, the rodeo is a tradition.
Courtesy Photo/University Communications Participant takes hard turn in barrel race during 2012 rodeo.
“I grew up going to the rodeo at least every other year,” Harper said, “My family usually made it an event for everyone to get together and bond.” The rodeo featured several competitions, including bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, clown acts, steer wrestling, team roping, calf roping, girls’ barrel racing and bull riding. This year, local rising country star Travis Clark and pro rodeo clown Lecile Harris entertained for the event. Tracie Fowler, president and CEO of United Way of Southeast Mississippi, served as this year’s grand marshall.
She appeared in the parade during the rodeo’s intermission, throwing beads and T-shirts for the spectators to enjoy. These things are all of Harper’s favorite reasons to go to rodeos. “I love the overall atmosphere of the rodeo, [including] the animals, the entertainment, the food — and every year they have horse sales and competitions, which I love,” Harper said. Jordan said she expects the rodeo’s success to continue for many years to come. “Throughout the years, the community has really turned out for this event, and this year is no change,” Jordan said.
INVESTIGATION CONTINUED probably just be a misdemeanor vandalism, destruction of state property, at this point.” He said though the graffiti was racially charged, it cannot be labeled as a hate crime without a physical victim. “No one considers it a hate crime at this point,” Hopkins said. “We are just calling it an inappropriate comment. There is no victim, per se, involved; just inappropriate language — which we’ll try to find out who did it if we find some video of them.” USM sophomore psychology major Saiera Burgos sighed when she heard about the incident. “That’s just ignorance,” Burgos said. “Someone is just trying to piss someone else off.” Fayth Stewart, a USM freshman music major, reacted similarly. “I can’t believe we still live in a generation that thinks racial diversity is a bad thing,” Stewart said. “The human race has a long way to go. Diversity is good and necessary for our social development. Accepting diversity helps humanity thrive to it’s
Hunt Mercier/Photo Editor Graffiti covers a wall located in the Cook Library.
full potential.” UPD has one lead: They have identified one student who saw the graffiti before Monday morning. His statement may aid the investigative process. “We’ve been talking to some people in custodial who clean up pretty regularly,” Hopkins said. “The
last time it was cleaned was [Feb. 12], and this was Monday morning when they found it. We did find a witness who saw it early Sunday morning around 1 p.m., so that kind of narrows down the timeline.” If you have information on this incident or to report a crime, contact UPD at (601)266-4986.
The university considers data security for students, faculty and staff of the utmost importance. When potential risks are discovered, the university takes appropriate measures to eliminate such problems as well as examining areas of potential vulnerability routinely as part of an ongoing security program for enterprise information technology. The Feb. 15 article focused on the fraudulent acquisition of a university photo ID and in no way should that issue be confused with the protection of data regarding individual records that are protected by the university’s information security measures. In this particular case, it was revealed that a firsttime student’s ID card could potentially be claimed by another individual, if that individual offered basic details of the student’s information. Even though the functionality of the card is disabled once the legitimate student claims their ID, the potential for other forms of fraudulent activity remains unless the fraudulent ID card is destroyed or perpetrator is apprehended. In order to address this concern, Photo Services developed an internal procedure in late January requesting photo identification for new issuances of USM ID Cards. The procedure has since been reviewed and approved by the appropriate university personnel. Effective Feb. 15, the
revised procedure implemented for Photo Services is as follows: • All students, faculty, staff and affiliates are required to show a government-issued photo ID in order to receive a university-issued ID card. • Anyone who does not own a valid form of photo ID may be verified using information related to their classification as a student (according to the offices of admissions and registrar) or employee (according to the university human resources). • Any issues arising from the verification process or inability to properly identify an individual will be referred to the UPD for assistance in resolving the issues. Finally, Photo Services would like to reassure the university community that current USM ID cards have not been compromised by use of the prior process. At the present time, no evidence whatsoever of ID fraud has been discovered or reported as a result of the former procedure. If you have any questions or concerns related to your USM ID, please contact Photo Services at (601) 266-4149. Sincerely, Jacob M. Cochran, Associate Director, Procurement & Contract Services Danny Rawls, Manager, Photo Services David J. Sliman, Chief Information Officer
NEWS
Page 4 | Monday, February 22, 2016
LOCAL
Player advances to national EA Sports tourney Garrett Minta Printz Reporter
The American Outlaws, an organization dedicated to supporting soccer in the U.S., hosted Hattiesburg’s first Gamer Cup at the Keg & Barrel Saturday. EA Sports provided the Outlaws local chapter 135 with Xbox One consoles to host its first participation in the third annual FIFA gaming national tournament. “We support the men and the women’s team,” said Justin Schmidt, Hattiesburg chapter president. “Basically, the more we can get the U.S. into soccer, the better our team will get.” Schmidt oversaw the local tournament and said the winner of each chapter will go to the national championship, and the winner of the championship will play against a U.S. player or a former U.S. player. Tournament winner Drew Lick will play in a national
competition May 6. Other prizes included an official American Outlaws stein and copies of FIFA 2016 for the Xbox One. There was also a drawing for gift cards, and nationally, all participants are entered into a raffle for an Xbox One and PS4. “I feel good, because it was a good game,” Lick said. “It was especially difficult, as he was using one of the best teams in the league. I really don’t know what to expect [at the championship], but I’ll play some more. I’ll play a lot to get ready for it.” Keg & Barrel owner John Neal said the bar is an officially licensed American Outlaw bar and has the merchandise to prove it. He expressed his support for the game and for the local chapter while discussing plans of future events. “We are huge soccer supporters, so it’ll be something if they continue, we will continue for sure,” Neal said. “If they don’t,
HATTIESBURG’S
PREMIER STUDENT LIVING COMMUNITY
we’ll sure consider it.” The American Outlaws are raising the question of why soccer is undervalued in the U.S. In a 2014 study by Reuters, two thirds of Americans opted to not watch the World Cup, and 86 percent of Americans know nothing or almost nothing about the World Cup. This shows that the U.S. is generally disinterested in the globe’s favorite game. According to the American Outlaws website, the organization derives its name from this disinterest: “When we started bringing soccer fans together to watch soccer and travel to US games in Nebraska (not known for soccer), we were part of an outlier group of sports fans, in a sea of American football, baseball and NASCAR fans.” A brief report from the United States Department of State Bureau of International Information Programs said soccer’s popularity is growing and almost every kid in
America is enrolled in some kind of youth soccer program. Even though the majority of kids are in youth soccer, the adults still do not follow the sport. The
American Outlaws aim to address adults’ lack of involvement. The organization has further events planned in the coming months.
Garrett Minta/Printz Hattiesburg chapter celebrates after Saturday’s tournament at the Keg.
S T U D E N T SPOTLIGHT with
James Simmons
What are you studying at Southern Miss? A: I am a freshman forensic criminal justice major from Purvis.
What do you enjoy doing during your free time? A: I enjoy golfing, hiking, running and watching Netflix when I have time from school.
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Do you have any interesting talents? A: I can play every brass instrument except for the trombone.
What are your plans after graduating from Southern Miss? A: Once I graduate, I plan to pursue a career as a judge.
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Austin Sylvest/Printz
FEATURE
LOCAL
Monday, February 22, 2016 | Page 5
Erotica author celebrates sixth novel Cam Bonelli Printz Reporter
“He doesn’t ask. He only takes.” The quote interchanges with equally suggestive phrases and photos lingerie-clad women on author Kim Jones’ website. The author’s sixth self-published novel, “Clubwhore,” impressed readers with a unique perspective on the traditional romance novel. On Feb. 18, Pepper’s Parties, Too! in Hattiesburg hosted a book signing for the novel. The festivities began at 7 p.m. with 25 confirmed participants, according to the Facebook page. After she published her second novel, Jones began having book signings at Pepper’s Parties, Too. Jones said she started writing novels in 2012. “It was kind of like hitting the lottery for a small town girl working two jobs and just trying to make end’s meet,” Jones said. “The first day I sold 55 books. The next day I sold 22 books. Then it kind of blew up from there: It was 100 books a day, then 200 books a day and then a thousand books a day.” Her novels capture fictional narratives of the lives of those in a motorcycle club. Brooklyn, a friend of Jones who opted to leave out her last name, said when she reads Jones’ stories, she knows that she inspired one of the characters in Jones’ books. “She [doesn’t] have to change who we are,” Brooklyn said. “Think about it. You’ve met me for 20 seconds. Do you not think if you wrote a book, and you hung out with me, you wouldn’t do it?” A combination of intensity,
Cam Bonelli/Printz Kim Jones, MS native author and 3-time Amazon Best Seller book signing for new book “Club Whore” at Peppers Partys Too
romance, brotherhood and motorcycle clubs occupy the pages of the author’s collected works. Jones accumulates her inspiration from previous experience. “My husband, at the time, was in a motorcycle club, and I was fascinated by the life of an MC,” Jones said. “It was something
that I knew, something that I didn’t have to do a lot of research on, so that’s what I used to draw inspiration from.” Jones said she felt “Clubwhore” is her strongest published work yet. “My original series, the ‘Saving Dallas’ series and ‘Red’ was done completely on my
LOCAL
own,” Jones said. “I had an external editor who was there to correct grammar and sentence structure editing.” According to Jones’ website, she signed a two-book deal with publisher Penguin-Random House for the series “Sinner’s Creed.” On March 5, Books-AMillion in Hattiesburg will host
another book signing for the release of “Sinner’s Creed.” “When I signed with Random House, I realized what I was doing — these guys are the best of the best,” Jones said. “When I sent [my editor] “Clubwhore” she sent back the manuscript and said it needed some minor edits. I ended up having to rewrite 60,000 words. She made me a better writer.” Pepper’s Parties, Too! owner Kathi “Pepper” Sherman said she saw Jones grow from her first book to her second book. “I really thought that in her second book, her characters were more developed,” Sherman said. “Her story had more depth to [her second book] - even from one to two I saw [her] grow.” From self-published to signed author, Jones continues to work on her literary career. Jones will continue to publish novels with Penguin-Random House and is currently working on her eighth novel. Jones said she feels everyone has a story. “I feel like everyone has a great story to tell,” Jones said “And if you have a story that you want to tell my advice to everyone — I worked two jobs when I wrote my first book — don’t give me the excuse that you don’t have time to do it, because I won’t believe it.” The importance of Jones’ success hits closer to home — being that she lives just north of Hattiesburg. Anyone with a story to tell can write with the right amount of determination and drive, whether one self-publishes or finds an agency.
Frat brothers cook bugs in new ‘Burg biz Lindsay Adkisson Printz Reporter
While attending the university, USM alumni Paul Sims and Trey Viehweg were brothers in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. In the fraternity house, they discussed partnering to build a business. Sims was an entrepreneurship major, and Viehweg studied hospitality management. Viehweg was working for a company in Jackson when Sims introduced him to a place there called the Crawdad Hole. From this grew the idea to bring a relaxed crawfish restaurant to Hattiesburg. South Mississippi Crawfish Company hosted its grand opening Saturday at 11 a.m. The little shack off Old Highway 11 in Hattiesburg reflects the pair’s desire for an informal, come-asyou-are atmosphere. “It’s too easy of a format and too easy of a business model to not have something like that in a college town,” Sims said. “It kind of fits Hattiesburg, kind of
fits the vibe.” The SMCC originally started as a catering business and served private parties and functions for a year before the owners decided to create the restaurantstyle dining experience. It currently inhabits the little steel shack that was once another seafood restaurant. Sims said the company plans to add a kitchen soon. The owners currently use a vat on the side of the shack to cook the crustaceans. Sims said he could see the possibility of the company running two locations in the future. He hopes to expand to Downtown Hattiesburg soon and have a similar setup. Sims and Viehweg said the hole-in-the-wall restaurant style is part of the SMCC’s brand. “[It’s] a place for people to come eat crawfish or take them to go with an outside atmosphere instead of being inside a building,” Viehweg said. “You don’t have that much here in Hattiesburg.” The SMCC experience is
unique to Hattiesburg. Sims said the restaurant will be open Thursday through Saturday until the crawfish sell out. He hopes it might promote the growth of college-tailored restaurants and places where students can relax and hangout. “I would hope that we would have a cool little vibrant college community,” Sims said. “I think college towns like Hattiesburg and Starkville and Oxford and all those need little places where people can just come and hangout.” Within an hour of the company’s opening on Saturday, they had an abundance of customers. A group of friends came to the grand opening and shared their thoughts on the experience. Debbie Brown from Oak Grove said the group came there before when it was a different restaurant that sold fish. Brown said they heard about the opening through Facebook. “We need a place like this,” said Brown.
Courtesy Image
Rachel Crosby, a friend in the group, said she liked the establishment’s setup. She agreed that it fits the
Hattiesburg vibe of eclectic things to do “[I] really hoped they would do great,” Crosby said.
OPINION
Page 6 | Monday, February 22, 2016
LEGAL
Kesha silenced by Sony in legal battle Jonathan Urbina Entertainment Editor
On Feb. 19, New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich ruled against Kesha’s request for an injunction that would allow the singer to part ways with a six-album Sony Records contract. The “TiK ToK” singer’s request stands on sexual assault accusations brought against her longtime music producer, Dr. Luke (Luke Gottwald). At the hearing, Kornreich said, “You’re asking the court to decimate a contract that was heavily negotiated and typical for the industry.” Kesha claims staying under the contact would be not only detrimental to her career, but to her well-being. In a sworn-in court statement, she referred to her former producer as a monster. When Sony agreed to allow Kesha to work with an alternative producer, the singer expressed fears that the label would fail at marketing any new music as a way to punish her. The news of the ruling comes after Kesha’s highly publicized stint at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center where she received treatment for an eating disorder.
In an open-ended letter written after her treatment for Elle UK, Kesha said, “I felt like part of my job was to be as skinny as possible and, to make that happen, I had been abusing my body.” Kesha’s mother partly blamed the singer’s eating disorder on abuse. A rep for the producer said, “It is unfortunate that at a time Kesha is suffering immensely and trying to heal at a treatment center, her mother is taking this approach with the media.” Following the court ruling, fans of the singer immediately took to Twitter to defend the abuse victim trending the hashtag #FreeKesha. “She wasn’t even asking him to be put in jail, she just didn’t want to work with him,” one tweet read. Another account tweeted a photo of the singer sobbing in the back of the courtroom with the caption, “Does this look like a liar?” As for industry colleagues, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Lorde and Lily Allen were a few big names who rallied behind the singer. Demi Lovato voiced her support and demanded a call to action by tweeting, “I’m also ready for self-proclaimed
feminists to start speaking out or taking action for women’s rights.” The women’s rights Lovato refers to centers around laws that warrant the government to decide the validity of rape accusations. The truth is, in this country, rape cases are typically only won when there is enough evidence to prove it. Most victims are too scared to speak out against their abusers until after all evidence is gone. The true paradox through this all is the fact that the music industry has proved to be forgiving to artists like Chris Brown, who plead guilty to domestic violence against Rihanna. Whereas punishment seems to be the only consequence for Kesha, a victim in the situation. Sony’s unwavering decision to hold the singer under contract, even after the public voiced its disapproval, speaks volumes for its code of integrity. Clearly, the numbers brought in by Kesha’s music are more valuable than the singer’s well-being. Releasing her would mean another conglomerate would be capitalizing off of her talent - something Sony finds more harmful to itself than the mental deterioration of one of its artists. It should also be
Courtesy Image
pointed out that the singer is only asking for a “temporary” departure from her contract. What the public needs to understand is that events like this are not uncommon for artists in the music industry. Labels design contracts to make artists slaves to their labels - that is nothing new - but at
what point is the line drawn where the integrity of the artist is taken into consideration? The same goes for the judicial system: When do rapists stop being protected by the law? Enough is enough and Kesha, whether she likes it or not, is becoming the perfect example of the many flaws in the system.
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SPORTS
BASEBALL
Monday, February 22, 2016 | Page 7
USM opens season with 3-0 sweep Julius Kizzee Sports Editor
The Southern Miss baseball squad opened up their 2016 campaign this weekend against Eastern Illinois, sweeping the Panthers 3-0. USM’s goal for this season was to not just finish strong, but to also start fast. “Start faster, and continue to finish strong,” said head coach Scott Berry. “It’s just simple the game-by-game approach.” Eastern Illinois was the first to strike in the series, scoring on an unearned run at the top of the second inning. USM was able to come out of the inning giving up only one run. First to put point up for the Golden Eagles, Taylor Braley went deep for USM’s first score of the season and the first home run. The Golden Eagles’ motto finally came to fruition in the bottom of the fourth inning when they drove in three runs led by a Dylan Burdeaux single to start the rally. It only took three hits to get three runs on the board, and Southern Miss actually had more to give as they left two stranded on base. The Golden Eagles would drive in one run in both the fifth and seventh innings, and in turn, held the Panthers without a run for the rest of the game. Southern Miss would carry over the momentum into the second game of the series, blasting Eastern Illinois 18-1. The scoreboard said it all, with
Austin Sylvest/Printz Southern Miss players execute double play against Eastern Illinois Feb. 21.
Southern Miss scoring 18 runs on just 13 hits and no errors. The offensive prowess of USM was all across the roster as eight of the nine USM starters recorded a hit. The focus of the game was not the route that USM put on Eastern Illinois but rather the return of Michael Gilbert. The entire crowd rose to their feet after the senior infielder returned to the field for the first time in a year and a half from severe head and knee injuries. Gilbert made two plate appearances but did not get on base. “It’s been a long journey, for sure,” Gilbert told the Hattiesburg American after the
contest. “I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to experience that again. Words can’t describe that feeling of walking up to the box and having the whole crowd stand up and, more importantly, having my teammates coming out in front of the dugout.” Although Gilbert was not in on the action for Southern Miss offensively, his presence at the top of the sixth inning was a good feel for Southern Miss fans everywhere. Later on in the year, Gilbert’s ability to help the USM offense will be tested. The last time he saw extended time for the Golden Eagles was in 2014, when he batted a .229 with two doubles
and six RBIs. After the emotional second game of the series, the Golden Eagles were finally faced with adversity from the Panthers. Kirk McCarty kicked things off in the game striking out five Panthers in only two innings, and six in four innings pitched. He finished the day with five innings pitched, giving up six hits, four runs and struck out six batters. USM was able to get on the scoreboard first with a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Eastern Illinois quickly strike back with a score of their own in the top of the fifth. Heading into the top of the sixth inning, the game was all tied up at 1-1. Eastern Illinois took advantage of McCarty’s fatigue in the inning, racking up three runs in short order. Luke Lowery was called in to complete the inning, getting Southern Miss out of trouble. By the end of the sixth inning, the Golden Eagles had fell behind 4-2. Southern Miss would have to rally in the seventh inning behind a Braley solo ding over the fence. In the subsequent bottom of the eight, Nick Dawson and Tim Lynch capitalized on the eight and ninth home runs for USM’s ninth home runs of the season. The Golden Eagles capitalized on a weaker Eastern Illinois squad and look forward to keeping the momentum going against stronger competition later in the season. USM will face LouisianaMonroe on Tuesday at home at 6 p.m.
TRACK USM showcases individual talents at LSU Twilight Deantae Smith Sports Reporter
The Southern Miss men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams sent a small group to compete in the LSU Twilight meet this past Friday. Senior Christopher Monroe broke his own school record in the triple jump with a jump of 15.52m (50’11”). Monroe’s recordsetting jump was good enough for third place. Senior Jamar Sims finished sixth in the long jump with a jump of of 6.81m (22’04.25”). On the women’s side, Brashe Wood and Danisha Jones held fifth and sixth place finishes in their competitions. Wood tossed the weight 16.73m (54’10.75”). Jones had a mark of 16.65m (54’07.50”). Kayla Taylor led the Golden Eagles in the shot put portion of the competition with a toss of 13.10m (42-11.75) to finish second. Jones threw the weighted ball 12.60m (41’04.25”) to finish in third place. Wood finished fourth, throwing a 12.48m (40’11.50”). Annette Gaskins placed fourth with a jump of 5.60m (18’04.50) in the long jump. While, Sharday Branch jumped 5.27m (17’03.50”) and finished in ninth place. The Golden Eagles return to the track, February 24-25 in Birmingham, Ala. at the Conference USA Indoor Track and Field Championship.
BASKETBALL
Golden Eagles drop fourth straight road game Kyle Williams Sports Reporter
Fadi Shahin/Printz Kourtlin Jackson goes in for a dunk.
USM kicked off its two-game road trip against UTEP and UTSA this past weekend. The Golden Eagles dropped both games, putting their away record on the year at 2-10. USM traveled to El Paso, Texas to take on the UTEP Miners on Thursday, losing in a close one, 78-73. Three Golden Eagles would finish in double digits led by senior Kourtlin Jackson, who contributed 17 points while shooting an impressive 8-of-14 from the floor. The Golden Eagles would see tough times early. They failed to muster a single basket in the first 5:38 of play, missing their first seven field goals. With USM struggling, the Miners’ own Lee Moore and Earvin Morris proved to be too much for th Eagles as they singlehandedly scored the first 13 points of the game, putting USM behind 13-0. USM would not allow the scoring drought to affect them for
a long period of time. Michael Ramey and Michael O’Donnell scored a combined 15 points in the last four minutes of the first half to help USM cut the deficit to only two, 36-34. USM’s hot start at the end of the first period would carry on to the second half. The Golden Eagles managed to score 12 of the first 16 points by both teams in the first period. O’Donnell’s presence would be felt again as he drained a 3-pointer that sparked a 10-0 run for the Golden Eagles first lead of the game, 46-40. A few more shots would fall for the Golden Eagles before turnovers and missed opportunities lead to a rally by the Miners. Miner Dominic Artis capped the rally off with a steal around the eight minute mark. Artis’ steal would lead to four more consecutive scores to ultimately tie the game, 52-52. Both teams would go back and forth with the lead until the final moments of the ball game. Late mistakes by the Golden Eagles would eventually cost them the
game, 78-73. After a tough loss on Thursday, USM looked to bounce back two days later against UTSA. Southern Miss and UTSA both came into the matchup with horrendous losing streaks. UTSA on a nine game losing streak and Southern Miss on a five game losing streak. From the opening seconds, both teams displayed how determined they were to get a win, with each starting the game with a pair of 3-pointers. After the hot start in the first few minutes, the Golden Eagles struggled to maintain the intensity and struggled to score points. The Roadrunners managed to put together a 11-0 run during USM scoring drought’s, putting them ahead 30-19 with 7:40 in the second period. J.R. Harris and Ryan Bowie accumulated double digit points in the first half alone, shooting a combined 52 percent by themselves helping the Roadrunners lead grow. UTSA would also connect on 10of-15 from the three-point line in
the first half. Southern Miss fell behind 42-31 going into the second half. Southern Miss’ early struggles would once again carry with them into the second half. USM missed their first nine shots while UTSA went on a 9-0 run to increase the lead, 51-31. Much like the first half, USM struggled to score the ball. Shooting a mere 32 percent for the game, the Golden Eagles never managed to get the ball into the hoop. UTSA on the other hand would have no problem scoring, shooting an impressive 51 percent from the floor and 64 percent from the 3-point line. The hot hand of UTSA would lead them to a 74-53 victory over The Golden Eagles. Jackson would be the only Golden Eagle to break double digits. Not one Golden Eagle would shoot better than 40 percent or connect on a decent percentage from the 3-point line. Southern Miss looks to end their losing streak next Thursday against Rice at Reed Green Coliseum.
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