Volume 100 Issue 38
Thursday, February 25, 2016
www.studentprintz.com
‘Three times before [age 16], I should have died.’
Holocaust survivor shares story at USM Andrew Dutton Printz Reporter
Sixty-five years after being freed from almost certain death in one of history’s most horrific mass exterminations, one Holocaust survivor broke his silence. Lazlo “Leslie” Schwartz honored USM Feb. 24 by attending the Hattiesburg campus and sharing his story for a screening of the documentary “The Mühldorf Train of Death.” On the morning of April 30, 1945, American troops marched into Seeshaupt, Germany. The American liberators, a unit of AfricanAmerican soldiers, were sent to investigate a train car that had stopped nearby the German town of Tutzing. The train experienced several attacks for the past five days from Allied planes. There, the American soldiers learned the train carried not military personnel nor equipment but Leslie Schwartz and the surviving Jewish prisoners who had been sent to die. Schwartz was born on Jan. 12, 1930 in Baktalórántháza, Hungary. His father died when he was 8 years old, and his mother remarried. Following the Nazi takeover of Hungary, Schwartz experienced the worst that humanity had to offer. When Schwartz was 14 years old, the Nazis took him, his family and other Jews from their village to be transferred to Jewish ghettos of Auschwitz. When asked, Schwartz hid his true age, which grouped him alongside the adult men and perhaps which ultimately contributed to his survival. The night Schwartz saw his mother and sister for the last time, he, along with other men suited
ON CAMPUS
Austin Sylvest/Printz Leslie Schwartz’ shares his story of surviving the Holocaust after a screening of the documentary, “The Muhldorf Train of Death.”
for labor, was forced on a train to Dachau, the first of the German concentration camps. Schwartz remembered the thick air of finality that filled the void left as hope was lost. “There were those of us who were smokers, would give their bread away for cigarettes and starve themselves to death,” Schwartz said. Malnourished, abused and overworked, Schwartz transformed from a healthy teenage boy into what he described as “a bag of bones.” Schwartz recalled one man in particular named Christopher Ludwick Konnol, a kapo in charge of a few prisoners at Mühldorf
concentration camp. He was not Jewish but was a communist whom the Nazis had imprisoned. “This Konnol was one of the most brutal, vicious guys,” Schwartz said. Schwartz said when it would rain, Konnol would tell the prisoners in his charge to undress, go outside and come back. When they came back, Konnol ordered them to kneel down and lick the floor. Schwartz describes the depravity of his captures in stark imagery, even when detailing the actions of one of the Nazi’s most notorious figures: Josef Mengele. “This German-Jewish man, Mengele did an experiment on him,”
he said. “He sewed up his rectum.” Schwartz’s struggle for survival culminated in “The Mühldorf Train of Death,” a documentary focusing on the last days of his internment during World War II. In the film, Germans transported more than 3,600 prisoners in 60 to 80 wagons from Mühldorf to Tyrol. The Nazis intended to kill all prisoners on the train, an endeavor with which they almost succeeded. During the five-day train ride, Schwartz was shot twice in the neck and jaw, and Allied warplanes had attacked the train several times believing it was a military transport. The Allies only stopped their attack
after realizing the identity of the train’s passengers. “It was when one of us got the bright idea to stand on top of the car and wave off the planes,” Schwartz said. When the American unit found Schwartz, he was in dire straits. Lice had infested his gunshot wound, and he was stricken with typhoid fever. “Three times before the age of 16, I should have died,” Schwartz said. Most of all, Schwartz thanks the American soldiers who came to save him during his most dire hour. “You cannot imagine what it meant to us survivors. As far as I was concerned, there was no other land that was so precious than America,” Schwartz said. In addition to the American military, local German civilians came to aid the freed prisoners. Barbara Huber, Martin Fus and Agnus Reich never left his memory for one day. He did not know Huber for more than 65 years, but he remains eternally grateful for the love he was shown. “For me, these three kind people showed me that Germans were not all the same,” Schwartz said. Through so much pain and torture, Schwartz managed to keep his spirits alive. “We can all face the brutal but sometimes beautiful reality that we are all connected and that freedom from hatred truly is possible,” he said. Schwartz created a hero within himself, and his determination spurred in him a will to survive. “It was important for me to tell the story,” Schwartz said.
USM funds directed to fulfill the needs of students Darrin Williams Printz Reporter
Student organizations are preparing to apply for funding through the Student Government Association at USM. The IHL board approved the $20 per semester student activity fee and a $35 per semester capital improvement fee in May 2015. The school implemented the fees in fall 2015. For the fall 2015 semester, USM had a total of 14,579 students enrolled. Gulf Park campus’ population has stayed at about 2,900 since fall 2013. At first glance, fees seem
minuscule, but based on population estimates, at $20 a student, Gulf Park campus alone should gross $57,720 for student activities. USM Hattiesburg’s student population is at approximately 11,693 students, grossing a $233,860 budget for student activities. At $35 a student, Gulf Park campus’ budget for capital improvements at $101,010 for the 2016-17 school year, placing USM Hattiesburg’s budget at $409,255. USM’s Chief Financial Officer Douglas Vinzant said the revenue generated by the fees could make USM a more competitive university.
Executive assistant to the president Thomas Burke said, “[USM] is certainly sensitive to the cost of education and is committed to keeping down costs but not at the expense of a quality educational experience for our students.” Burke said Gulf Park campus’ interim Vice President of USM’s Gulf Park campus Steve Miller and Director of Student Affairs Christy Elias would work hand in hand with the SGA and others to determine the distribution of the student activity fees for the Gulf Park campus. Gulf Park SGA president McKenzie Irish said she is happy
student will have input in the use of the student activities fee. “It is only right that the student body should be able to decide how their hard-earned money is spent,” Irish said. “After all, the student activities fee was implemented to help improve [student lives] on campus.” “The process began with informational sessions that explain the process to applicants,” SGA Equality Chair Zachary Irons said. “A representative from each organization must be present at one of the two sessions in order to apply for funding.” FUNDING CONT. ON PG. 3
Hunt Mercier/Photo Editor SGA Treasurer Candidate Franky Lopez explains to the audience what he wants to do if elected as SGA Treasurer on Wednesday.
INFORMATION
Page 2 | Thursday, February 25, 2016
MEET THE STAFF SPRING 2016 Ardan Thornhill
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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. 25-27 and Mar. 8-10 Southern Miss Theatre presents “The Matchmaker” by Thornton Wilder - Tatum Theatre, Theatre and Dance Building The farce runs for its opening weekend and has preparations to have audiences laughing as the slapstick period piece unfolds.
Feb. 26, 8 p.m. After-Valentine’s Day Variety Show, $4 - Java Werks Hardy Action Theatre presents a night of improv comedy with special guest magician, Hype, at Java Werks this Friday. The night is set to include guest interviews, music, skits and dancing.
OPINIONS
Feb. 27, 1-4 p.m.
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.
Signing and comic book workshop with Tim Fielder- Southern Fried Comics Tim Felder joins Southern Fried Comics for an afternoon of comic book signing and brief children’s workshop at 2 p.m.
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NEWS
ON CAMPUS
‘Matchmaker’ courts audiences Nan Beauti Copy Editor
Despite losing a scheduled dress rehearsal amid Tuesday’s severe weather, director Louis Rackoff feels well-prepared for Southern Miss Theatre’s season-opening show on Feb. 25. “The Matchmaker,” a theatre favorite written by Thornton Wilder, involves mistaken identities, wit and surreptitious meetings. Horace Vandergelder seeks a wife and hires marriage broker Dolly Levi to find his match. That is, until Dolly falls for him before the romance spearheads into a series of amusing complications. Dolly Levi from “The Matchmaker” inspired the hit musical “Hello Dolly!” The play is an old-fashioned farce that uses conventions such as characters hidden under tables and in closets, men disguised as women, a complicated conspiracy to match lovers and a happy ending in marriage. The main character, Dolly Levi, came from French playwright Molière’s comedy L’avare, or The Miser, from which Wilder lifted some scenes directly. “It has crazy plot twists,” Rackoff said. Despite losing a scheduled dress rehearsal due to the university’s severe weather closing, director Louis Rackoff feels well-prepared for Thursday’s show. “It’s a delightful comedy and piece of Americana about people who want to find more adventure in their lives,” Rackoff said. The crew took a number of hours Wednesday evening to rehearse for the opening performance. “We took an hour to practice scene changes, and from then we had a number of people who pitched in out of the goodness of their hearts to help us practice,” said Rebeca Lake, set designer. “Even when something goes wrong, the cast has so much life and takes in the moment.” “One of the most beautiful things FUNDING CONTINUED The informational sessions took place Feb. 23 at 12:15 p.m. and Feb. 24 at 5:15 p.m. in the SGA office on the Hattiesburg campus. The SGA will accept applications from Feb. 25 to March 11. SGA Senate Budgets and Appointments Committee will interview applicants March 21-24. “I recommend that organizations bring an itemized budget for the committee,” Irons said. “It is important to be organized and prepared to answer various questions about the requested funds.” Irons said the process is similar to other legislative allocation systems. “Next, the committee will move to deliberations and then the dean of students reviews the recommended allocations,” Irons said. “After that, the Senate must approve the allocations. Finally, the SGA
Thursday, February 25, 2016 | Page 3
N I S T A E B G R U B E H T To be included contact beatsintheburg@gmail.com
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about this show to me is not just the couples that find each other, but also the friendships that are created between people of all ages,” Lake said. “Often, nowadays, the older and younger generations stay separate and even suspicious of each other. We miss out on valuable friendships. That is the beauty of this show and of theatre. People of all ages and walks of life coming together.” Rackoff said the department chose to be the spring opener because it offers ideal roles for the actors. “We were looking for a show that would do that,” Rackoff said. The Department of Theatre tries to rotate genres for its plays every four to five years, according to Rackoff. “We put on different plays from different times and mid to early American theatre was one of categories this year,” Rackoff said. “The writing is brilliant and the dialog is witty and fun with heartfelt characters. It’s a great choice for the department.” “The Matchmaker” was modified as ”Hello, Dolly!,” which began in 1963 and ranked as one of Broadway’s longest-running musicals. The playwright uses monologue to speak to the audience. Characters pause the play and talk about what is
occurring in the storyline. “This gives an opportunity for audience to think about what’s happened,” Rackoff said. Beginning the week before classes started in January, the crew rehearsed five days per week, four hours per night, with one week off, totaling approximately a month of rehearsal time. “We have had intensive rehearsal, but it’s been a lot of fun,” Rackoff said. “We’ve put in a lot of hard work to get a great result. It’s very pleasing from that point of view.” Rackoff expects large numbers the event he believes will be an interesting live performance of contemporary material. “This semester’s shows offer incredible variety,” Rackoff said. Other performances will take place on Feb. 26 and 27 and March 8, 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. There will be a pre-performance talk at 6:30 p.m. on March 9. The theatre’s next performance is “Moby Dick – Rehearsed Adapted” by Orson Welles from the novel by Herman Melville in April at the Hartwig Theatre followed by “The Seagull” by Anton Chekhov in late April and early May in the Tatum Theatre.
president and the vice president of student affairs review it.” Organizations will either receive funding or get a fiveday window to make an appeal to the vice president of Student Affairs April 11. Upon receipt, organizations can use funds from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2016. “[Both of the fees are] to support student-related facility improvements as well as student activities,” Vinzant said. “We are not providing some services that are provided by some universities or in some circumstances under providing them.” Burke said the Gulf Park campus could possibly use the capital improvements fee for health services. The Hattiesburg campus nurses see patients daily, while nurses visit the Gulf Park campus once a week. “There are certainly contractual arrangements that can be made with many types of health care providers on the
Coast, including counseling services,” Burke said. “I am sure those options will be pursued.” Gulf Park students and faculty hope the capital improvement funds from their campus will be used to provide a dedicated fulltime nurse. “I find it curious that the Gulf Coast campus does not have access to the same services as our counterpart in Hattiesburg,” said Mary Stewart, a Gulf Park Spanish instructor. Stewart has ideas for other improvements as well. “Perhaps a day care facility for students, faculty and staff could also be considered in these decisions,” she said. Gulf Park SGA adviser Jack Covarrubias said the fees can go toward student life projects, whether funding a concert series or student life buildings. Covarrubias said all capital improvement projects should directly benefit student life on campus.
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JAZZ DATE NIGHT MARLINS EVERY THURSDAY 7 PM
To be included contact beatsintheburg@gmail.com
NEWS
Page 4 | Thursday, February 25, 2016
ON CAMPUS
Accredidation reviews on horizon for USM Garrett Minta Printz Reporter
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commision on Colleges will soon visit for the university’s 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation review. The visit, scheduled Feb. 29 – March 3, includes a review of nearly 100 core requirements and standards as well as USM’s Quality Enhancement Plan, Eagles Engaged. The accreditation will determine if the university gets state funding. According to the SACS COC mission statement, evaluations are meant “to assure the educational quality and improve the effectiveness of its member institutions.” SACS COC will decide whether the university is performing up to par. Though failure is unlikely by all accounts, in such an event that USM does not pass the inspection, the school would have to go through multiple channels to appeal the decision of the reviewers
and would have severe penalties to financial aid for students. “The Quality Enhancement Plan is basically a process that we use to identify key issues emerging from some of our assessments and focuses on learning outcomes,” said Rusty Anderson, director of Career Services. USM placed an open call to the USM community including students, staff and alumni to get ideas on topics for the QEP Topic Selection Taskforce to consider and base its recommendations. More than 600 people responded, and the top two ideas selected were student success and experiential learning. The QEP Research and Design Team then developed and refined these topics, focusing on gateway courses and pathway experiences. “One is Pathways and that has to do with learning opportunities outside of the traditional classroom, such as interns, externs and research,” Anderson said.
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The QEP focuses on helping students gain experience outside the classroom and gives more of a hands-on training aspect to the job or career a student is considering. “The goal was to really connect a student’s post graduation goals to their current studies,” Anderson said. “So in terms of preparing and helping them validate where they’re heading, also gain experiences to help them achieve that.” According to Director of
Quality Enhancement Programs Julie Howdeshell, the gateways component of the plan focuses on historically difficult courses. Gateways are courses in which a large number of students do not complete or have difficulty passing specific courses with a C or higher. These courses are foundational courses which students must have to graduate. “This process has been going on for over two years, and so some students that are freshman may not, for instance, be as familiar with it,” said Howdeshell. “Also, I would add that many students come to this not necessarily knowing about accreditation or QEPs, but they know what comes from it.” As part of the first QEP, the university established the Speaking Center and expanded the Writing Center. USM added the Writing Center and the Speaking Center to the Gulf Coast campus due to this plan. SACS COC expects a for a
specific set of requirements to be met, according to Patricia Donat, a vice president for SACS COC, “the visiting committee will be looking to confirm ongoing compliance with the principles of accreditation,” Donat said. “The university submitted to the Commission, as part of our process, a Compliance Certification Report in which they provided a narrative and with documentation supporting their compliance with each of the principles of accreditation,” Donat said. A peer-review team evaluates the standards. SACS COC does not pay the reviewers but only reimburses for their travel expenses. The university pays $10,851 annually and the invoice is sent directly to the President’s office. This is then paid through an account for this specific purpose. Accreditation is critical to receiving federal funding and ensuring the quality of institutions of higher learning.
S T U D E N T SPOTLIGHT with Hannah Hill MAKE YOUR LIFE
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What are you studying at Southern Miss? A: Hospitality and Tourism Management
What is your favorite thing at Southern Miss? A: I love Eaglepalooza! Seeing a different artist every year is a blast. The concert being free is also a plus. It’s just a good excuse to hang out with friends on a Saturday night and listen to cool music.
Are you in any clubs? A: SGA, BSU, Pride of Mississippi Color Guard and Lambda Sigma Honor Society.
What are some of your hobbies? A: I love planning events and helping people have a fun time. I make scarves and earrings.
VISIT
BOARDWALKUSM.NET TO BEGIN YOUR PROCESS
888.310.7591 22 CAMPBELL SCENIC DR. HATTIESBURG, MS 39401 Hannah Heneghan/Printz
FEATURE Schools opt for alternate language requirements Thursday, February 25, 2016 | Page 5
NATIONAL
Nicolas Kubicki Printz Reporter
When students apply for college, many universities require a foreign language credit to be on their submitted transcript. Unless these students pursue the language, at college, however, many will lose them. If core requirements fail to include a foreign language or if university students do not pursue one, they may finish their academic career lacking an edge in competitive markets. Legislators have introduced bills in Washington, Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas that propose allowing a new language to replace the traditional foreign language requirement in high school computer programming or coding. Those who learn to code and program computers can be said to speak both a native language and their “coding language.” While these students are not bilingual in speech, some people seem to think that it is just as good. According to the Washington Post, the sponsor of the New Mexico bill, Sen. Jacob Candelaria, says that he hopes these classes will give students the edge they need in today’s computer oriented world. “Districts could still teach Latin, French or Spanish,” Candelaria said. “But it provides the incentive for them to incorporate coding into their curriculum without it being unfounded.” In Kentucky, the senate Education Committee voted 10 to one to allow students to substitute coding for a foreign language class, and in
December 2015, the Florida Senate passed Senate Bill 468, requiring schools to offer computer coding classes that fulfill the foreign language requirement at those schools by July 2016. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be an estimated 1.4 million jobs in computer science in 2020, but less than half a million graduates in the field to fill the positions at the time. Sen. Jeremy Ring, who filed S.B. 468 in Florida, hopes for schools to have the same requirements for computer languages as foreign languages in an effort to help students into the field as easily as possible. “If you can have computer language skills, you can communicate with people all over the world,” Ring said.
Some who teach foreign languages oppose the bills. “We hate to see any other subject put in place of having students learn a foreign language,” said Marty Abbot, executive director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Abbot said that schools add coding and foreign language to their curriculum rather than replace one for the other. Stacie Berdan, international career expert, felt similarly. “Substituting one 21st century skill for another actually hurts students, not helps them,” Berdan said to the Huffington Post. Berdan said that while coding is technically a language, it lacks the linguistic and interpersonal challenges one must overcome with a spoken language.
If you can have computer language skills, you can communicate with people all over the world.
“Allowing computer science to replace foreign language credits may actually hinder a student’s ability to get into competitive colleges,” Berdan said. According to NPR, colleges in most of the states with the proposed legislature would have the option of accepting the credit over a foreign language on the transcripts of incoming students, but in Florida, colleges would be required to accept the credit. The USM Office of Admissions reports that incoming freshmen must have at least half a credit in a computer applications or programming course and two advanced electives such as foreign languages or higher maths. Interim Dean of USM Admissions Ann Billings said the university currently holds no provisions for out-of-state student applications with the
replaced credits. “If it was a requirement in that state, we would certainly submit the application for review.” Billings said. “We’re guided by the policies set by the state IHL board.” Billings said she has not heard of any plans for the board to change the policies. “There would definitely be advantages to learning coding in high school,” said Paul Ferguson, a USM computer science major. “Students would start dealing with problem solving early on, too.” Ferguson said while coding is very important in today’s word, he’s not sure if it should replace foreign language just yet. For a career in programming, students who learn a second spoken language and learn a programming language could potentially benefit from learning these skills simultaneously.
WE HEARD
YOU!
Sen. Jeremy Ring, Florida
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OPINION Political landscape shifts significantly over week Page 6 | Thursday, February 25, 2016
POLITICS
J.D. Rimann Printz Reporter
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A lot of ground has shifted in the political landscape since last week, including speculation surrounding the President Obama’s Supreme Court nomination and the retrospectively inevitable departure of Jeb Bush from the campaign trail. First examining the SCOTUS talk: Of course this is a pivotal issue, as Obama has a chance to replace the most conservative Justice on the bench with a liberal who will impact the Supreme Court rulings for the next 20 to 50 years. Consequently, the GOP Senate has declared themselves unwilling to consider a hearing for any individual whom Obama nominates, although the level of their committment to this stance remains to be seen. Now it can safely be taken for granted that the Republicans will oppose any Obama nominee. The wildcard in the nomination process is the more liberal wing of the Democratic Party, rumored to be opposed to the candidate considered to be the one Obama favors the most,
ON CAMPUS
Judge Sri Srinivasan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the second most prestigious judicial appointment in the U.S. after the Supreme Court itself. Srinivasan would fit the profile of other Obama’s appointee, as he would satisfy several firsts: the first Indian-American Justice and first Hindu Justice. He is only 48, so he would have the chance to shape the rulings of the Court for the foreseeable future. He has been vetted recently, being confirmed to his current appointment in 2013 and sailing through the Senate with a 97-0 confirmation art. However, Srinivasan would likely face at least some opposition from the very left-most wing of the Democratic Party, where Sen. Elizabeth Warren and unexpectedly strong presidential candidate Bernie Sanders hold court. This is because Srinivasan has rather close ties to Wall Street and has represented a former Enron executive and ExxonMobil in court before. In an election year of populist anti-establishment sentiment, this might open him up to the same kind of attacks linking him
to Wall Street as were brought against Jack Lew by Warren and Sanders during Lew’s confirmation hearing for the secretary of the treasury. Second, we have Jeb! finally dropping out of the race. This comes at no surprise. Bush’s entire campaign was based on the premise that he would clear the entire Republican field before anyone ever announced, overawing his opponents with vast amounts of money and his impressive resumé. Unfortunately, this never happened, and indeed in the early months of the campaign, it appeared that Bush was the overawed party, beaten down and belittled by insurgent challenger and today’s apparent frontrunner, Donald Trump. While Bush’s debating performances witnessed a marked improvement in the last weeks of the campaign, his last name and poor performances early on in Iowa and New Hampshire helped to quickly usher him out the door. In some ways, this is a shame, as Jeb is an intelligent and compassionate man who might have proven to be an excellent President.
IHL rightfully extends gun rights Cam Bonelli Printz Reporter
On Feb. 18, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees revised the firearm policy for state colleges and universities. The revision to policy 1106 redefined “Authorized Persons” to include “those who have in their possession a valid, unexpired state firearms permit with the [instructor-certified] sticker on the back, or the equivalent permit issued a state with a reciprocity agreement in Mississippi.” With this revision, gun policy on public university campuses will reflect that of Mississippi’s state gun laws. Those with conceal and carry licenses can roam public spaces on campus with firearms. However, the policy came with unspecified circumstances. For someone to obtain a concealed carry permit, an individual must be 21 years old pay a fee of $132 have lived in the state for 12 months prior to applying, must not be a convicted felon or have committed a violent misdemeanor in the past 3 years and must have no mental disorders. Concealed carry holders are limited to where they can carry firearms, such as schools, police stations, detention centers, courtrooms and any places prohibited by federal law. Enhanced concealed carry permit holders, to which this new policy revision would apply, have less restrictions to where they can carry firearms. Both permit holders undergo training, classes and extensive background checks. However, the revision also states
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that “students and employees are not authorized to possess firearms on institutional property or at institutional off-campus events regardless of the possession of firearm permits.” This creates a double standard in reciprocity to Mississippi state law by not allowing qualified students and teachers to carry concealed weapons. In a state of emergency, how many nonstudent concealed carrying persons will be available on campus other than the university police? This would mean persons with a concealed carry permit, who were not student, faculty or employees of a university — potentially people who have no reason to be on campus anyway — could possess a firearm in public spaces on campus. This policy does not efficiently describe public spaces, a reason why people with concealed weapons should be on campus in the first place or how it will impact the safety of students positively. According to Everytown for Gun Safety’s website, 168 school shootings have occurred since 2013. Interestingly, the website provided information about an incident involving a student on the Southern Miss campus who was a concealed carry permit holder. The student accidentally shot himself in the leg while sitting in his car on campus and sustained minor injuries. With this incident as an example, concealed carry permit holders can
still make mistakes, and though this time the injuries were not life threatening, the next incident could be fatal.Although this policy prohibits students from possessing firearms on campus, it is possible that a concealed carry permit holder of any age could accidentally engage a firearm and potentially harm a student. According to WDAM, University Police Chief Bob Hopkins said, “It does require people who are going to be allowed to carry on campus to go through a training session, which gives me a little more comfort level that they have the knowledge on how to manage and handle, and also how to protect that weapon in the event they decide they may have to use it.” This revision remains unclear and seems potentially useless to the safety of students on campus. If the Board of Trustees wants to amend gun policy coherently and constitutionally, the policy should be revised to define “public spaces.” Also, guns could create a hostile learning environment that could potentially distract students from their purpose for attending college — to learn and obtain degrees. With the amount mass shootings increasing rapidly, the idea of having those with no purpose to be on school campuses with concealed weapons seems ludicrous. If students, faculty members or employees of the universities cannot possess weapons on campus with a concealed carry permit, no one else should be extended that right. The vagueness of this law and specifications constitutionally infringes on the rights of those who attend public universities.
SPORTS
BASEBALL
Thursday, February 25, 2016 | Page 7
USM draws offensive wild card in UNO game Julius Kizzee Sports Editor
Austin Sylvest/Printz Southern Miss Golden Eagles Kirk McCarty pitches during a game.
Southern Miss continued their hot offensive start to the season defeating New Orleans 7-4 with a productive offense, and a deep bullpen. USM would start the night off with Dylan Burdeaux taking a walk, and Tim Lynch driving Burdeaux to home by singling to center field. UNO would come right back in the third inning with a singling RBI of their own. UNO would take their first advantage at the top of the fourth inning, with a bases loaded pop fly, bringing in Hezekiah Randolph for the score. Another score came in for the Privateers and USM saw their deficit grow to three, 3-1. “Those were situations earlier in the game in which we did not execute well,” Berry said. “It certainly was not our best game, probably our worst game this year in a young, four-game this season.” At the bottom of the fourth, Chase Scott took the 0-2 pitch and homered to left center to
bring in Taylor Braley to tie the game up at 3-3. The Golden Eagles would end up scoring the same amounts in the fifth and seventh innings also. Those runs would keep USM ahead, and giving them the win. As a team, Southern Miss stepped up to the plate 32 times and got 11 hits. The Golden Eagles also struck out six times. Austin Millet collected the win for the Golden Eagles, coming in relief of Hunter Stevens in the fourth inning, giving up one hit, a walk and striking out one in just 2.2 innings. USM would end up using four pitchers in the contest. Leading off the offensive slate was Tim Lynch, who hit three balls in his five at-plate appearances. Taylor Braley and Nick Dawson both had two hits for the Golden Eagles also. “Every win is big,” Berry said. “Our approach this year is to take it one game at a time and that’s what we are doing.” Southern Miss will start their three game series Friday against Northwestern State at Pete Taylor at 6 p.m.
SOFTBALL
GOLF
Golden Eagles finish Southern Miss splits series with 10th at Mobile Tourney Ole Miss Deantae Smith Sports Reporter
The Golden Eagles traveled to Mobile to take part in the twoday Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate Tournament. Southern Miss finished 10th out of 16 teams, with freshman Willie Hammond leading the way for the team. Hammond tied for sixth after 18 holes, shooting two-underpar 70, before shooting a 77 on the final 18 for the Southern Miss’ lowest stroke total of 147
Courtesy Photo
and a 32nd place tie. Ryan Argotsinger finished the first round shooting one-underpar 71 which was good enough to tie for eighth in the first round. Argotsinger shot 78 to end his day with a 149, tying for 46th. Nick Cortez shot two-overpar 74, followed by Hayes Weathersby. Weatherby shot three-over-par. Natan Corchis finished the round five-over par. Cortez finished tied for 38th, Weatherby finished tied for 48th, while Corchis ended the opening round tied for 67th. After getting off to a good start, most of the team struggled with the second 18 holes. Southern Miss performed well on the final day of the tournament, as each Golden Eagle moved up the leaderboard on day two. Hammond and Argotsinger each shot twounder par 70 to help Southern Miss clinch a 10th place. Hammond finished 25th, while Argotsinger finished at 34th place. Weathersby shot his tournament-low round of 74 to end up at 224, and Cortez matched that stroke total after shooting a 75 over his final 18 holes as Weathersby and Cortez ended tied for 54th. Corchis shot a 75 over his last 18 for a 226 total and a 62ndplace finish. Nationally ranked Auburn recorded a 278 team score to end the event with a 26-underpar 838, beating Chattanooga 852 by 14 strokes.
Kyle Williams Sports Reporter
Southern Miss would look to bounce back off of a 2-2 performance in The Mardi Gras Invitational with a double header against in-state rival Ole Miss. Southern Miss would split the series 1-1, giving the Lady Eagles their first win in three years against Ole Miss. In game one, both teams failed to score in the first five innings. The Lady Eagles would manage to score the first points in the bottom of the sixth inning. Rachel Johnson got it started for Southern Miss with a walk, 3-2 count and Ole Miss would see two runners in scoring position. Katie Clearly would cap off the inning for the Lady Eagles as her single turned into the game winning RBI to right field. Arielle Pollock advanced to second base and Sydney Pollock would put the second points on the board for the Lady Eagles. Ole Miss would have no answer for Southern Miss as they managed to score once in the inning, but not enough to take the first game. Southern Miss’ productive inning would prove to be enough as they took game one, 2-1. In game two, the tables would turn for the Lady Eagles. Ole Miss would score two quick points in the first inning. Elantra Cox, Natalie Martinez, Ashton Lampton and Sarah Van Schaik would rack in hits
Fadi Shahin/Assistant Photo Editor Southern Miss Lady Eagles outfielder Rachel Johnson (9) celebrates scoring a run in the sixth inning during the game against Ole Miss Rebels’ on Wednesday.
that allowed Ole Miss to gain scoring position. Pitching would play a major role in game two as Southern Miss allowed 12 hits in four innings alone as compared to the five in the first complete game. Julian Johnson for Southern Miss was pulled in the fourth inning after allowing Ole Miss to score multiple times in each inning prior to the fourth.
Ole Miss’ outstanding hitting in the second game proved to be too much for the Lady Eagles as they took game two, 10-1 in five innings. The Lady Eagles split the series 1-1, putting their record at 7-6 and 3-1 at home. Southern Miss travels to Gulfport, MS, for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Softball Classic, Friday through Sunday in hopes to record five wins.
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