Volume 100 Issue 41
Monday, March 7, 2016
www.studentprintz.com
Hattiesburg, state checks motorists Joshua D Starr News Editor
A particularly burdensome process for the state’s judiciary and law enforcement branches is set to change with the September enactment of an insurance verification law passed in 2015. The law will allow law enforcement officials to check if a driver has valid auto insurance through a new system that links insurance information to a vehicle’s registration number. The system is intended in part to curb the high proportion of uninsured motorists in the state. According to the latest estimates of the Insurance Research Council, an organization dedicated the research and analysis of public policy matters, Mississippi ranks third in uninsured motorists at a rate of 22.9 percent. As the state waits for the new system, the Hattiesburg Municipal Court has continued to take the full weight of the city’s responsibility to ensure that those operating motor vehicles abide by state law. At the beginning of each traffic court session, Hattiesburg Municipal Court Judge Jerry Evans announces that the proof of auto insurance provided to the court will be verified. He warns the room that those who provide false information to the court will be detained and can face the state’s most severe misdemeanor punishment: a $5,000 fine and/or one year in jail. Evans said almost every session one or two people leave the courtroom following his announcement. About a year and a half ago, the Hattiesburg Municipal Court was tipped off to a trick being employed by a computer savvy segment of the population who have falsified insurance information in an attempt to skirt a significant fine levied on the uninsured. Since then, the court began dedicating resources to call insurers to check the legitimacy of insurance information. “A student at USM, her mother [...] I guess was in a hurry and mistyped [the card] — it said ‘certified diver,’” Evans said. “It was obvious it had been photoshopped, so that caused us to have to start checking them. And we started finding that it was not uncommon for people who were coming to court, especially younger people who knew how to do it.” Evans said there is an obvious motive to providing falsified insurance to the court. He said people try to take advantage of the state’s insurance statute in order to avoid the $500 fine plus court costs and to avoid getting insurance.
ON CAMPUS
Myrlie Evers-Williams to visit university for lecture David Tisdale Southern Miss Now
Joshua D Starr/Printz Hattiesburg Municipal Court restricts its parking lot to government personnel and its roads to legal drivers.
“If they come in and show that they have proof that they had insurance at the time, the statute mandates that we dismiss it,” he said. Evans said in the past, the court was catching more than 10 people per month with fake insurance, though the number has dwindled. He said he makes the announcement to give those tempted a chance to reassess. Still, some take their chances.
present to us.” HPD Chief Anthony Parker said hattiesburg police currently take insurance documents at face value. “[The officer] looks at the card and if it seems valid he takes it as proof of insurance,” Parker said Gary Chism, chair of the Mississippi House Insurance Committee, said that under the current system, due to time constraints, Mississippi law enforcement agencies are unable to
The caveat is don’t photoshop an insurance card and take it to the court trying to beat the system because it’s not going to happen in Hattiesburg. Judge Jerry Evans “Some people just sit there and think it’ll just slide through and we’re not really going to go call their insurance company, but we in fact do,” he said. While the municipal court vets each card, Hattiesburg Police Lt. Jon Traxler said the current system restricts police as HPD officers are unable to check every insurance card they receive. “If we had a way, a national database that that was tracked through, that would be just like a driver’s license,” Traxler said. “Mississippi does not have that. We have to take what they
check the legitimacy of insurance cards provided to them. There’s really no way they can do that,” Chism said. “At night, there’s nothing for them to verify it with.” Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said he state legislature has tried for at least the last six or seven to address the issue of uninsured motorists not buying the mandatory liability coverage. “To address the issue, the legislature has asked the Department of Insurance to consider data dumps by which insurance companies would dump data to the highway
patrol or some other entity on who had insurance and who did not, which have been done in several other states,” Chaney said. Chism said Mississippi outsourced data acquisition to a private vendor. He House Bill 946, the legislation that allows for the new system, will give police the ability to catch more uninsured drivers before they reach the courts. The testing period for the system began March 1. “A police officer would be able to key to in your tag number and [the system would show] whether you have valid insurance,” he said. “By Sept. 1, something will be in place.” Chism said under the new law, being an insured driver will remain a secondary offense, which, unlike primary offenses, cannot precipitate a traffic stop. “Whenever they pull you over for either a ticket, an accident or at a roadblock, they can instantaneously tell whether that card you just gave them is valid or not,” he said. Evans said after talking presenting his discovery to other municipal court judges at judicial conferences, the risk of accepting false information apparently does not concern them. He said Hattiesburg Municipal Court, however, has a responsibility to deter insurance falsification. He said though everyone occasionally does something stupid, they should avoid testing the Hattiesburg system. “The caveat is don’t photoshop an insurance card and take it to the court trying to beat the system because it’s not going to happen in Hattiesburg,” Evans said.
The widow of a civil rights movement icon who continues her husband’s work advocating for racial equality and social justice will be the guest speaker for The University of Southern Mississippi’s 2016 Armstrong-Branch Lecture. Myrlie Evers-Williams, chairwoman of the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Institute and scholar-inresidence at Alcorn State University will speak at 7 p.m. March 8 at Bennett Auditorium on the USM’s Hattiesburg campus. Admission is free and the event is open to the public. Medgar Evers was a prominent leader in the Mississippi civil rights movement in the 1950s and early 1960s in Mississippi, serving as the state’s first field secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Assassinated outside his home in Jackson on June 12, 1963, his murder prompted President John F. Kennedy to seek a comprehensive civil rights bill, which was later signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. Myrlie Ever-Williams worked alongside her husband in the civil rights movement. She was one of the first African-American women to run for Congress, worked as an executive in the private sector for Selligman and Latz, Inc. and Atlantic Richfield Company and was later elected chairperson of the NAACP. In 2012, she became the first woman and layperson to give the invocation at a presidential inauguration. In 1998, she founded the Medgar Evers Institute, later named for both her and her late husband by its board of directors in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Evers’ assassination. In addition to her work at Alcorn State, she is an active author, lecturer and educator.
Myrlie Evers-Williams
INFORMATION
Page 2 | Monday, March 7, 2016
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EDITORIAL POLICY The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not necessarily represent those of the faculty, staff or administration of The University of Southern Mississippi. We welcome letters to the editor representing similar and contrasting opinions. To be eligible for publication, all submissions must include name, class distinction, major, phone number and email address. Submissions should be emailed to printzeditors@gmail.com by 5 p.m. on the Friday before publication. Please limit them to 500 words or less. The Student Printz reserves the right to refuse publication or edit any material on the basis of clarity, space or journalistic ethics.
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NEWS
ON CAMPUS
Monday, March 7, 2016 | Page 3
Transgender activist to speak on awareness, acceptance Alexis Ware Printz Reporter
Over the last couple of years, the transgender community has risen to mainstream visibility. Shows like “I Am Jazz,” “Transparent” and “Becoming Us” have sparked the conversation nationwide. The New York Times reported that though there have not been any definite statistics, a 2011 study suggested that about .3 percent of people in the study identify as transgender, which is about 700 thousand adults. With this growing number, some people feel that transgender awareness is increasingly important. The Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Studies along with other departments and organizations invited transgender activist Jessica Lynn to present a lecture on
transgender awareness on March 10. Assistant Professor of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Studies Katie James said society’s ingrained perception of gender leads to the importance of transgender awareness. Lynn will discuss her experience, how she knew she was transgender, what that means and how it has affected her life. Lynn tours nationwide and speaks at colleges to raise transgender awareness. “What we want to do in bringing in the speaker is to think about the ways that people like Jessica Lynn complicate our ideas of what is means to be gendered — and complicate them in good ways,” James said. “Gender isn’t something that’s biological. It’s something that is constructed socially, so bringing awareness to an
Courtesy Photo from yourtruegender.org
issue where people feel like their gender identity doesn’t match with their ascribed status is a very sociological idea within itself.” James said bringing this awareness can be beneficial for
both students and faculty. Austin Allen, a senior communication studies major and Gay Straight Alliance council member, said this awareness is important. “Transgender awareness is important because transgender people face extreme marginalization and a lack of representation both inside and outside the LGBTQ community,” Allen said. “Transgender people are the more likely to face employer discrimination, be victims of violence and struggle with homelessness than other LGBTQ people.” Allen said Mississippi has passed a bill through the House of Representatives that would allow employees the right to refuse services, including legal issues and medical attention, to trans individuals. Allen felt that while
the university has shown a willingness to better understand sexual orientation and gender identity, there is always room for improvement. “There needs to be more conversations on both the student level and administrative level about how to better protect the rights of LGBTQ students,” Allen said. “Thankfully, we are fortunate enough to have LGBTQ activists come speak on our campus whereas other schools may not be so fortunate.” For James, having Lynn come to the university will aid in promoting inclusivity. James said this lecture is extremely relevant because a lot of people have these experiences and do not identify with societal norms. She hopes the lecture will urge people to leave their comfort zone and learn more about these groups.
STATE
Candidates vie for Miss. votes on campaign trail Garrett Minta Printz Reporter
The presidential primary baMississippi voters will cast their choice for the presidential nominations Tuesday night, with 40 delegates up for grabs. According to RealClear Politics, Trump is poised to win Mississippi on the Republican ticket, and Clinton is 44 points ahead of Sanders, readying a win on the Democratic side. “On the Democratic side, the Mississippi primaries are close to meaningless: Mississippi will never cast its electoral college votes for a Democratic candidate,” said Nathan Barron, a junior political science and economics double major. “In fact, many of Clinton’s delegates are currently coming from Republican states.” Barron said there has been relatively scarce campaign efforts have been made within the state. “Minus a few visits by the Trump campaign and an establishment fundraiser dinner for Kasich, there has been little action in the Magnolia state,” he said, “Someone is going to walk away from Mississippi with a win, but it won’t be anything to hang a hat on.” Tamia Watts, USM Chapter president of the NAACP chapter, said the NAACP will not give a primary endorsement. “Since this is a primary, the NAACP has not endorsed any candidate for president yet,” Watts said. “But in the general election, an endorsement should be expected.” Watts said the Mississippi primary is of particular importance. Watts said, “The primary in Mississippi – this year is very important,” she
Mike Davidson/Courtesy Photo
said. “In recent years, many candidates have not spent that much time in Mississippi, because the primary would be already decided. Not only will voters be choosing a president of their choice, but they will
also be choosing a candidate for the House of Representatives.” Each of the campaigners have been hosting events to spark interest in bids for their respective nominations. According to his website,
Gage Skidmore/Courtesy Photo
Sanders has phone banking events lined up to get the word out about his campaign by calling locals in the community. According to the Sun Herald, Clinton has allied herself with local politicians, including
Meridian Mayor Percy Bland, Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny Dupree and Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber. She has also been planning events like phone banking to reach out to local residents. Bill Clinton, who was spotted in Jackson recently, has come under fire as of late due to his visits to polling places in Boston. Trump’s campaign has been seasoned with speeches, giving another in the Madison County School District March 7. Ted Cruz slated a Monday appearance at Jones County Junior College, but Sen. Chris McDaniel announced late Sunday the event was cancelled. “Unfortunately, I just received a call from the national campaign chairman. The event at JCJC has been cancelled. Ted Cruz will not be in Mississippi tomorrow, as he evidently does not feel well. This is difficult news to deliver, but we trust that God has a plan for the campaign and for Mississippi,” McDaniel said in a Facebook post. Rubio’s and Kasich’s websites say they have no events planned in Mississippi. With Super Tuesday and Super Saturday passing, Donald Trump stands with the most delegates at 382, and Ted Cruz stands in second at 300 even. Marco Rubio trails with 128, followed by John Kasich with 35. On the democratic side, Hillary Clinton leads with a combined delegate and superdelegate count of 1,129 delegates. Senator Bernie Sanders trails with 498. Superdelegates are unelected and free to support any candidate they prefer for president. This is exclusive to the Democratic party.
NEWS
Page 4 | Monday, March 7, 2016
STATE
Bill to protect names in execution process Nan Beauti Copy Editor
The Mississippi Senate passed Senate Bill 2237, which will prevent the names of death row inmates from being released to the public
on March 1. The execution secrecy bill would protect the identities of the executioners, those being executed, pharmacy suppliers of the lethal injection drugs and others involved in the execution process.
Courtesy/Doug Smith, Florida Dept. of Corrections
HATTIESBURG’S
PREMIER STUDENT LIVING COMMUNITY
Although the bill passed 32-18, it was held for further debate before moving to the House. According to the bill, anyone who releases secret information, such as the name of a pharmaceutical supplier, could be sued for damages. People in the execution process who are protected from public disclosure include former and current state execution team members, current and former drug suppliers and witnesses who request to remain anonymous. Committee Chairman Sean Tindell said protecting the identities of those involved is neccessary. Tindell said a proposed amendment would reveal the drug suppliers but would protect the identity of the Mississippi’s in-state pharmacy. He said the pharmacy makes the drugs as an alternative to other drug providers, which are often hesistant to provide the lethal medication. State Attorney General Jim Hood helped draft the legislation and said it was his duty to protect those involved in the capital punishment process. “If there’s a method by which I can carry it out without people getting abused, the executioner, the pharmacy that provides the drugs, I think we owe them that protection,” Hood said. Anti-death penalty advocates have threatened executioners and companies that provide the lethal
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introduced any evidence to that effect in court. “If we’re going to be in the business of putting people to death, there needs to be as much openness as possible,” said Layne Bruce, executive director of the Mississippi Press Association. Arkansas and Georgia adopted similar bills in recent years. The Mississippi law could affect an ongoing court case, the decision of which could compel the Mississippi Department of Corrections to release details about its execution process and drug supplier. The Mississippi Supreme Court opened to arguments in November but has not made a decision on a lawsuit that aims to force the state to divulge information about the execution drugs supplier. The state appealed the decision of a lower court judge who ruled for disclosure as a public record in March. Tindell believes family members of victims and the condemned deserve privacy when witnessing an execution. “I think it’s important to the victim’s family and the condemned’s family,” Tindell told the Associated Press. “Those people don’t want to have their names plastered all over the newspaper.” Hood said he supported the restriction out of respect for the families of murder victims, and restraints on publication before the bill’s effect are unconstitutional.
SGA elections bring in new administration Andrew Dutton
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drugs, calling them “murderers.” “We’ve had honest, hardworking Mississippi residents who have refused to work on the execution team because of fear for the safety of their families and concerns about retaliation inside and outside the prison,” Hood said. “As long as we have the death penalty in Mississippi, we have a responsibility to protect the state employees who assist in carrying out executions. The businesses that agree to supply lethal injection drugs must also be free from the intimidation and strongarm tactics of some anti-death penalty activists.” Some opposed to the execution secrecy legislation believe the execution process would be completely kept from the public. Opponents suspect the execution process could be performed inhumanely and believe restraining reporters and other witnesses from reporting names could infringe on First Amendment rights, which guarantee freedom of speech and publication. “I would not want a family member to know that I supply the drugs,” Rep. Forrest Hamilton, a pharmacist, told the Associated Press. Jim Craig, a lawyer suing the state on behalf of some deathrow inmates, disputes claims that any person or business has been threatened. The state has not
Printz Reporter
The Student Government Association at the University of Southern Mississippi held elections on March 1, resulting in a list of new faces arriving in office. Students elected officers for the positions of president, vice president, senate president, treasurer, election commissioner and attorney general. All but one executive candidate participated in a Greek Life organization. There are over 250 students working in five different branches of the SGA and President-elect Caroline Bradley said each student brings a unique quality to what it means to be a student at USM, a member of SGA and a representative of the student body. “We have initiatives in place for students to raise their voices and be heard because SGA’s driving force is to make a difference with the students in mind,” Bradley. Bradley said she hopes to improve and develop student IDs, maintain a good relationship with Cook Library, build up the Student Initiatives Branch of SGA Cabinet along with the Speak Up Southern Miss initiative, improve parking and find affordable textbook alternatives. “SGA will continue listening to the students to hear what other changes they want to see at USM as well,” said Bradley. According to the USM SGA
website,Bradley’spositionasPresident involves helping to coordinate the University’s five signature events, creating new events and creating committees, such as the Election Commission, involved in coordinating these events .
We have initiatives in place for students to raise their voices and be heard because SGA’s driving force is to make a difference with the students in mind.
Caroline Bradley
Election commissioner-elect Christen White, a psychology major, will head the Election Commission, which coordinates the Homecoming and SGA officer elections. The commission handles any voting process that Student Government sponsors to the students. “I really appreciate [the students] support in electing me,”White said. Francis Lopez, a sophomore accounting major treasurer-elect said, “It was such a rewarding feeling to know that the student body voted to elect me into this position.” As treasurer, Lopez’s responsibilities include working with advisors to keep up with
the SGA budget and oversee the philanthropy commission, which makes it possible to fund students attending USM. “I felt elated, honored and ready to take on my newest outlet for leaving Southern Miss better than when I found it,”Jesse Robinson, a junior mathematics major who was elected Vice President and President of the SGA Senate. Robinson’s role as vice president and senate president involves him representing his campus at large in the SGA Senate, which is made up of the vice president and 35 elected senators. Autumn Sobel, the incumbent attorney general said, “I would like to thank everyone who believed and supported me throughout this journey.” Attorney general of the SGA appoints Judicial Board members. The Judicial Board upholds the SGA constitution and university laws. SGA represents the voice of the student body of USM in matters of protecting a student’s rights, opinions, academic freedom and promotes academic responsibility as well as university pride. The SGA Senate meets on a weekly basis to discuss issues or concerns that impact the student body. The Senate produces pieces of legislation have to be implemented by the SGA President and the university president before being implemented into new university policies.
FEATURE
ON CAMPUS
Monday, March 7, 2016 | Page 5
Fraternity prank garners viral response Nicolas Kubicki Printz Reporter
The spring semester promises a period of renewal for students hoping to change for the better and improve their GPAs. Spring also offers the necessary nuisance of student government elections. While some students planned routes across campus to avoid being mobbed by overzealous campaigners, two students in particular had other plans. Phi Kappa Tau fraternity brothers Patrick Ferlise and Patrick McDermott put an almost yearlong plan into motion. With the slogan “We Just Wanted A Sign” emblazoned across the bottom of a stack of satirical campaign signs, team “Better Than You” had a finished product on its hands and were ready to unleash the signs upon the public. On the night of the SGA election, the duo strategically placed their five campaign signs around campus. “We wanted to make sure that they stayed up and nobody stole them,” Ferlise said. “If we’d put them up for the main election, people would have taken them down.” At first glance, the signs do not look out of place from others seen on election day. Upon closer inspection, however, the signs’ listed qualifications reveal their humorous intent. Qualifications like
Nicolas Kubicki/Printz Fraternity brothers Patrick Ferlise and McDermott proudly display their satirical SGA campaign signs.
“Halfway decent in use of Microsoft Word,” “Will bring Panera Bread to Hattiesburg” and “Willing to build a snowman” are a far cry from what the real SGA candidates claimed as attributes. “We ended up using VistaPrint for the signs,” Ferlise said. “We printed eight total. Five to go around campus, one for each of us, and one for our campus adviser.” The benign prank cost the pair
just $150, about an hour of work and months of waiting. According to the pair, the price was worth it. “We wanted to do something that we hadn’t seen before, but obviously we had to wait until spring,” McDermott said. “We didn’t tell anyone about it ahead of time just to keep it under wraps — even the fraternity didn’t know.” The popular website Total Frat Move, the self-described No. 1 college
comedy website, posted pictures of the signs to its Twitter and Facebook on March 3. The two posts combined have been liked over 1000 times and shared almost 400 times, with the caption “Making a Mockery of Student Government Elections.” “It’s been mostly a bunch of Southern Miss people sharing it, but it’s still a lot of exposure,” Ferlise said. Charles Childress, assistant
director for the Office of Conference and Fraternity Housing Operations, said he hopes nobody would be discouraged from running for an elected position due to the joke. “You do have to have some fun in life, but some people really take a chance by running for an elected position,” Childress said. “Hopefully by trying to add some levity to the situation nobody is alienated.” People responded positively to the prank on Twitter and Facebook. “Every time I check my phone I have a new message about it,” McDermot said. “After we put it up that night, we got our first Snapchat at 1 a.m., and it’s been nonstop texts and calls ever since. We didn’t know it was going to take off like this, but we’re glad it did.” Unfortunately for the pair, the SGA received a record turnout of voters for the first election, which led to their canceling the scheduled run-off. The signs, along with others left over from the election, were likely picked up by the USM Physical Plant. “I went to class at 12:30 p.m., and by 1 p.m. they were already taken down, but they were up long enough,” Ferlise said. “Everyone’s been telling us, ‘wow, we’re going to do that next year,’ and all I can say is ‘you’re just ripping us off now,’” McDermott said. “But imitation is the highest form of flattery.”
T H E U N I V ER SIT Y OF SOU T H ER N MISSISSIPPI PR ESEN TS T H E
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OPINION
Page 6 | Monday, March 7, 2016
LIFESTYLE
Are millennials totes changing the English language? Hiba Tahir Printz Reporter
In January, Washington Post reporter Jeff Guo wrote a blog post titled “The totes amazesh way millennials are changing the English language.” In the post, Guo defines “totes” as an abbreviated form of the word “totally.” The invented word has become synonymous and representative of a new change in direction in the English language. Words like “totes” are cultural phenomena young people find themselves increasingly engaged in on social media. The linguistic trend invovles shortening words by rearranging sounds, and therefore often involves words that “contain unexpected sounds in unexpected places.” Guo claimed “no entry in the English lexicon is safe,” with plenty of examples to back it up. In spite of the critical light in which most of the article seems to view the changes, Guo’s ultimate assertion is largely positive. His argument is that millennials change language to be expressive rather than efficient. But, their added dimension to words has inspired a slew of harsh and critical comments from linguistic enthusiasts everywhere. Washington Post subscribers provided their opinions on the controversial changes. Commenter heirloomtomato
Photo Illustration by Fadi Shahin/Assistant Photo Editor
asserted the belief that the change in language expresses nothing but “laziness and lack of originality.” “Yet one more step, America, in becoming illiterate morons,” commenter MJR3 said. DaveinDallas argued that change in language is “not any indication of stupidity at all” but perfectly normal and indicative of a living, evolving language. “Are we really all going to descend to the minimal content in the examples here?” commenter evacarey said, pointing out that it is also common “for much of the population to be
poorly educated” and that Guo’s examples “give a strong impression of mindlessness.” As an english major, I was immediately intrigued by the headline and even more so by the extensive article that followed. I found myself wondering exactly how true some of the commentators’ claims were. What could the results of such massive changes in language be? Is our need to abbreviate language really a sign of lazy illiteracy, or is it simply an inevitable byproduct of using a living language? As it turns out, the English
language constantly evolves, sometimes in minuscule ways. The Great Vowel Shift in mid-14th to early 17th century England is one commonly cited example. During this period, Middle English evolved into early Modern English, thanks to a massive sound change affecting long, stressed vowels. Vowels shifted upwards and were then pronounced in a higher place in the mouth. This change had long-term implications for a number of things, including the way certain words are spelled. There have been other deceivingly subtle, major changes to the
English language. According to Mental Floss linguist Arika Okrent, there has been a steady shift over time from the “to” to the “-ing” complement with a number of verbs. For example, more people increasingly say “they started walking” instead of “they started to walk.” There has also been an increase in “get-passive,” or opting to say “they got fired” instead of “they were fired.” These are just some of several subtle linguistic changes that, according to Okrent, “may not be noticeable for decades or even centuries.” However, changes in lexicon are hardly anywhere near as subtle today. Just last year, Oxford Dictionaries named an emoji its “Word of the Year,” and “Chillax,” “Crunk,” “D’oh,” “Grrl,”“Obvs,” and “Whatevs” are just some of the words that have been added to the dictionary in the past five years. This raises a question: How does our fast-paced, social media-oriented society figure into it all? Perhaps the seemingly odd linguistic changes Guo examines would have been better received if they had occurred over long periods of time, but if recent changes are any indication, subtlety is a thing of the past and keeping up with modern English might require more adjusting than most non-millennials are equipped or willing to do.
BASKETBALL
BASEBALL
SPORTS
Monday, March 7, 2016 | Page 7
Open Letter Baseball showcases dominance at Cox Diamond to Shirley Hill Julius Kizzee Sports Editor
Julius Kizzee Sports Editor
The storyline of Saturday’s game against Marshall was not that Southern Miss would fall to the No. 9 seed in the Conference USA tournament starting on March 9. It was about the commemoration of a woman that despite not being on the court anymore, her impact would never leave women’s basketball and Southern Miss as a whole. Thank you, Mrs. Shirley. It was not that you covered women’s basketball, tennis, volleyball, track & field and cross country for several years. You were not just the first female inducted into the Southern Miss Sports Hall of Fame. You were not just one of the most prolific players in Southern Miss women’s basketball history. But, you were always Mrs. Shirley. On the days that I would come into the athletic center, yours would be the first smiling face I saw. You always were willing to help me. Even the days where you had a million of other things on your plate besides helping a wiry, young journalist, you still stopped to help me. I can recall the countless stories that you have told me, just to give me advice. Even when no one would ask me “did I need anything else? Did I want to talk to someone specifically?” You did. You went the extra mile just for a kid who is trying to make it in the journalism industry. Sometimes, it is not about the destination, but the journey. The Southern Miss community has learned that from you over the 39 years you have serviced, you never gave up. Every single day, you gave your best effort no matter the task. When other administration would throw in the towel on a tough assignment, you would pick up where they left off. Although there will never be another Mrs. Shirley, you have left a legacy for others to follow in your footsteps. Thank you for all of your years in service Mrs. Shirley. There will never be another one.
Courtesy Photo Shirley Hill will retire at the end of the spring sports season.
The Golden Eagles traveled to the Cox Diamond Invitational this past weekend to not only participate in the festivities, but to also sweep the competition. Southern Miss was reeling going into the weekend. After starting off their season 7-0 with wins over Eastern Illinois, New Orleans and Northwestern State, the team dropped two straight against a South Alabama team that came into the contest with only one loss. It was a valiant effort from both teams, but USM was not able to rise to the occasion. They would look to turn the tide in the Invitational with contests against Michigan State, Troy and Auburn in a three-game weekend. Pitching would rule the first game against the Spartans, as both teams combined for only two runs scored. Fortunately for the Golden Eagles, they were the victors winning the contest 2-0. “I’m real proud of the way our team grinder that one out,” said coach Scott Berry. “We missed on some opportunities, but the storyline was certainly the pitching behind Cord Cockrell.” Cockrell carried the Golden Eagles on his back by registering a careerhigh eight strikeouts in seven innings pitched. He gave up four hits as he faced 25 batters. Not to be outdone, Nick Johnson pitched two innings himself and gave up only one hit while striking out three batters. On the other side, Cam Vieaux downed four batters and only gave up five hits. To Vieux’s detriment, one of those hits that he gave up led to a Storme Cooper single to drive in Chase Scott for his ninth RBI on the
BASKETBALL
Courtesy Photo Freshman Stevie Powers helped Southern Miss secure the sweep in the Cox Diamond Invitational.
young season. Later in the contest, USM would again score with a Tracey Hadley triple to start off the eight inning. Tim Lynch took a sacrifice fly to drive in Hadley to put the Golden Eagles up 2-0. The Golden Eagles carried over that momentum against Troy, where the offense would explode. Southern Miss would have a total of 12 hits, and four Golden Eagles had two hits each. USM got on the board first in the second inning when designated hitter Hunter Slater doubled out off the pitch. Storme Cooper would bunt in the next at-bat, and Nick Dawson drove Slate in with a groundout to right field. Troy would not be outdone though, after Joey Denison took a pitch to the body, subsequently stole second, and scored on a teammate’s double. The score was 1-1 between both teams
until the sixth inning. Catcher Chuckie Robinson homered to left field in the sixth to make the score 2-1. In the next inning, Jake Sandlin drove in Dylan Burdeaux for the third run in the game, making the score 3-1. That did not put the game out of reach, but Troy was not able to answer the bell and the Trojans were downed 6-2. Southern Miss would be out-hit by a margin of seven to two, and still manage to outscore the Auburn Tigers in the Invitational finale, 3-1. “Both teams played well,” Berry said. “We just capitalized on a few things that they did. Sometimes you don’t capitalize, but today we did.” USM went deep into their bullpen using three pitchers, and limited Auburn to just one run on a single in the third inning. After that scoring possession for the Tigers, it was all Southern Miss.
It started in the fourth inning after Lynch and Taylor Braley were both walked. Then, Auburn misplayed a Scott bunt that loaded the bases, and the next batter, Claudio Rubiera, grounded out to a double play, but not before bringing in Lynch for the score. USM would score again with runs in the seventh and eighth innings, putting the Golden Eagles ahead up 3-1. Auburn would never go on to catch up to that lead. The Southern Miss bullpen was in full effect, as pitchers Kirk McCarty, Luke Lowery and Nick Sandlin as they pitched a combined seven hits, two walks and 11 strikeouts in the contest. Southern Miss completed the sweep after the weekend, and now look to extend their record past 10-2 when they travel to Hammond, Louisiana to take on Southeastern on March 9.
Lady Eagles drop both games to back into tourney Kyle Williams Sports Reporter
The Lady Eagles dropped backto-back home games against Western Kentucky and Marshall to wrap up their regular season. The Lady Eagles would face Western Kentucky on Thursday, falling in a close one 54-53. In the first half of play, the Lady Eagles went through a tough stretch offensively. In the first quarter alone, the Lady Eagles committed 14 turnovers and only scored four points on 1-of-5 shooting. Southern Miss’ struggles would play right into Western Kentucky’s hands as they managed to end the quarter with a 19-4 lead. In the second period, Brittanny Dinkins would score the first 10 points of the quarter to cut Southern Miss’ deficit to five at 19-14. After Dinkins’ 10-0 run, Western Kentucky would have an 11-2 run of their own with a little more than a minute on the clock to once again maintain a comfortable lead, 30-16. Western Kentucky went into the half up 33-22. The Toppers had four players with at least
seven points, and the balanced attack kept the Lady Eagles off-balanced defensively. The second half is where tides would change for Southern Miss. The Lady Eagles 13-4 run coming out of the second half allowed USM to cut the deficit to three, 36-33. The Lady Toppers hot hand would not carry with them into the second half. Western Kentucky’s 27 percent shooting for the quarter and six turnovers led to Southern Miss capitalizing and eventually getting the lead down to only one at the end of the third quarter, 41-40. In the final quarter, both teams came out of the gate trading baskets. After about six minutes of back and fourth scoring between both teams, Western Kentucky took a one point lead with 1:59 left in regulation, 50-49. Four late game fouls proved to be the determining factor for what team would take home the win. Kendall Noble for the Lady Toppers consistent free throw shooting in the final minute proved to be enough as she made all four to solidify the game, 54-53.
After the loss to Western Kentucky, the Lady Eagles finished their regular season against conference foe Marshall two days later. With the backcourt of Keri Jewett-Giles, Brittny Norris and Dinkins, the Lady Eagles dominated the opening minutes of the first quarter. Back-to-back three pointers from Jewett-Giles and Norris and an early layup from Dinkins gave the Lady Eagles an 8-3 lead in the first two minutes. Southern Miss’ own Caitlin Jenkins would score six consecutive points and help Southern Miss’ lead grow to eight with four minutes left, 15-7. Kiana Evans would handle the majority of the scoring for Marshall as she finished the quarter with 11 points, including nine points going 3-of-3 from the three point line, bringing the Thundering Herd within one at the end of the first quarter, 19-18. “We started the game like game-busters” said coach Joye Lee-McNelis. “It’s like starting the second quarter we had a flat tire. Not just one, but many.”
The hot start for Southern Miss would only remain for the first few minutes in the first quarter. The Lady Eagles’ performance through the rest of the game would decline. The rest of the second quarter was tightly contested as the Lady Eagles would enter halftime with a four point lead, 35-31. The third quarter proved to be the defining moment of the game as the Thundering Herd shot 50 percent from the field and threepoint line. With those productive numbers, the Thundering Herd established the lead and never gave it back. “You can’t win a game shooting 14 percent in the fourth quarter,” Lee-McNelis said. Southern Miss went on to lose the contest, 63-53. Caitlin Jenkins contributed 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Golden Eagles. Her efforts allowed her to break the freshman rebound record for Southern Miss in the process. The Golden Eagles will continue their season in the Conference USA Tournament starting on March 9 against UAB.
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