Volume 100 Issue 44
Thursday, March 24, 2016
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Nation’s second GRAMMY Museum opens in Delta Hiba Tahir Printz Reporter
Cleveland celebrated the grand opening of the state’s official GRAMMY Museum, the second of its kind in the U.S. Events celebrating the small delta town and the new museum filled the weekend, attracting 14,000 patrons. “It doesn’t matter who we are, what we are or where we are, we all love music,” said Lucy Janoush, president of the Cleveland Music Foundation, during the event. A prominently-placed sign in the museum reads, “Mississippi is synonymous with music.” Cleveland Mayor Billy Nowell said the state’s musical heritage made it the obvious choice to house the first official GRAMMY Museum to be built outside of Los Angeles. “There are many reasons why Smithsonian Magazine named Cleveland, Mississippi No. 2 on the list of ‘The Top 20 Small Towns to Visit in 2013,’” said Nowell in a public letter. “But chief among them is the fact that for a city our size, Cleveland offers a wide variety of cultural, culinary, recreational and entertainment experiences.” These experiences exist within Cleveland’s Delta State University, home of the Delta Music Institute’s Entertainment Industry Studies program. The close proximity of DMI’s audio recording space facilitate a special partnership between the GRAMMY Museum and DSU. “First and foremost, the GRAMMY Museum is meant to be an educational institution,” said Bob Santelli, GRAMMY Museum executive director. “It’s a place for information and inspiration. In the end, we want to
LOCAL
make an impact on young people.” The museum’s expansive array of features provides plenty of opportunity for educational enrichment. Its 28,000 square-foot space and $20 million estimated cost allow cutting-edge technology that has granted it the right to crown itself as the “most technologicallyadvanced music-themed museum in the South.” In addition to its interactive exhibits, the museum also offers a wide variety of permanent and traveling GRAMMY exhibits. Upon entering, visitors have the opportunity to watch GRAMMY video footage in the Sanders Sound Stage. The 140-seat theater hosts a wide array of public programs that complement the museum’s exhibits and include artist interviews, live performances, film screenings, lectures, featured artist-in-residence, education classes and more. The museum also features more than 300 artifacts, including everything from Bob Dylan’s guitar to Beyoncé’s 2014 GRAMMY gown. Visitors have the opportunity to listen to a highlights reel of past GRAMMY Awards telecast performances and acceptance speeches as they observe the noticeable differences in the GRAMMY award trophy over the years. Other features include a large, colorful dance floor where GRAMMY winner Ne-Yo teaches visitors dance moves; songwriter/producer pods where visitors can write and record their own blues song before mixing it and storing it in the Museum’s archives; an expansive array of instruments visitors can play as long as they desire; and a small acoustically enhanced room where visitors can trace the evolution of recorded
Printz Reporter
Students from USM’S Department of Nutrition and Food Systems will provide the final nutrition education session to parents and teachers participating in the Healthy Hawkins program on March 29 . The Healthy Hawkins program, a four-week course held every Tuesday in March, is an initiative promoted by The Office of Health. Jodi Ryder, Health is Golden Initiative director, believes there is massive need for the program. “We need to work better to educate our surrounding community about nutrition and fitness,” she said. Through the Healthy Hawkins program, staff from the Health is Golden Initiative and students
from the College of Health bring awareness to nutrition and fitness, and educate attendees on good nutrition and fitness choices.
We need to work better to educate our surrounding community about nutrition and fitness. Jodi Ryder,
Although attendance has not been close to what was originally expected, the response from those who have participated has been positive. “I feel that they’ve received very usable knowledge,” Ryder said. Participants learned how to eat
Miss. lags in recent report Elizabeth Lee Printz Reporter
Courtesy Photo
sound by listening to various artists on wax cylinder, gramophone, vinyl records and stereo vinyl, cassette, 5.1 surround and MP3 headphones. “[At the GRAMMY international level] you’ll get the blues, you’ll get alternative. You’ll get all of those pieces, those things that a lot of people say even generated from styles from Mississippi,” said GRAMMY external affairs manager Vickie Jackson. “That’s the thread that runs through all American music.” Despite comprising only 15 percent of the total exhibits, the Mississippi section is immediately distinguishable thanks to the giant interactive table in its center. This Mississippi Music Table, the most technologically advanced exhibit the museum has to offer, allows visitors to browse through Mississippi artists and view their lineages, photos, songs, awards and more. Across from it rests the Mississippi Music Bar, where users can sit on bar stools, put on headphones and scroll through an endless selection of hit songs performed or written
by Mississippians. Organizers hope that these exhibits will encourage tourists from all over to come to Mississippi. “We’re really focused on working with Visit Mississippi and bringing people not just from around the United States, but a lot of international travelers as well,” Jackson said. “People typically come from Memphis and go the New Orleans track. We want to make sure that they make the Delta a stop.” In attempts to appeal to a large variety of patrons, the museum also regularly hosts traveling exhibits curated by the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE. Their first is “Ladies and Gentlemen… The Beatles!” which will be on display through June 12 and has already drawn large crowds of enthused fans. From April 1-2, the Museum and Delta State University will present “Beatles Symposium 2016: From The Cavern To Candlestick,” an exciting event featuring discussions with noted Beatles historians, live music, film screenings and more.
‘Healthy Hawkins’ programs impact community lifestyles Hiba Tahir
STATE
well on a budget. They went shopping with $10 and made healthy choices like fresh fruits and vegetables. “It became a mini-competition,” said USM instructor LaShaundrea Crook. “They really enjoyed that.” Although the Healthy Hawkins program will soon end, there is speculation that similar programs will be introduced in the fall. “Right now, we’re just talking to adults, but one of the Hawkins Elementary coordinators asked if our dietetic students were interested in coming back and offering it to the students in the classroom and we think we can,” Crook said. Mississippi is one of only six states that require physical education in every grade. Yet according to data from the President’s Council on Fitness, only one in three children
are physically active every day. Additionally, only one in three adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week, more than 80 percent of adults do not meet the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities and more than 80 percent of adolescents do not do enough aerobic physical activity to meet the guidelines for youth. The council’s statistics regarding nutrition and obesity are just as dire: The number of fast food restaurants has more than doubled since the 1970s, and in 2008, an estimated 49.1 million people, including 16.7 million children, experienced food insecurity – or limited availability to safe and nutritionally adequate foods – multiple times throughout the year.
A new study from Loyola University’s Jesuit Social Research Institute reported that the five Gulf South states — Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas — rank the lowest among U.S. states and Washington D.C. on issues like poverty, race relations and immigrant exclusion. Mississippi ranked 50th. Louisiana trailed at 51st, Texas at 49th, Alabama at 48th and Florida slightly higher than the rest at 41st. The rankings, published in the JSRI’s quarterly report, JustSouth Index, provide policymakers, employers and residents a better understanding of where the Gulf South stands in terms of social issues. “Our purposes are to educate the people of this region and to point out how we together can make the kind of changes that promote far greater social justice, equity and inclusion for all of us who live here,” said Fred Kammer, JSRI executive director. The index includes factors such as average income, health insurance coverage, housing, public school segregation, wage and employment equity and immigrant youth outcomes. According to the index, the average income of poor households in Mississippi is $9,891 per year, which is less than half of the income needed to meet the federal poverty level. Thirty-five percent of the poor in Mississippi do not have health insurance, and 89 percent are burdened by high housing costs. Both figures are well above the national average. In terms of exclusion, 23 percent of Mississippi public schools are still segregated, and 31 percent of immigrants have difficulty speaking English. The index recommends steps to ameliorate conditions of the poor include increasing wages, expanding Medicaid, supplementing federal aid programs for income and housing with state programs, investing more into poor school districts and expanding English-as-a-secondlanguage programs. The JSRI exists primarily to promote social research and analysis under the paradigm of theological reflection. The research group also used their findings to develop strategies for improving social conditions in the Gulf South, one of the poorest and most racially disparate regions in the country, according to their website.
Page 2 | Thursday, March 24, 2016
INFORMATION
MEET THE STAFF SPRING 2016 Ardan Thornhill Executive 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.
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Batman vs Superman or Civil War: Which Will Be Better?
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“I’d say ‘Civil War’, because they haven’t shown everything in the trailers, and it leaves room to the imagination.” -Dezmond Smith, Psychology Major “In ‘Batman v Superman,’ the CGI is outrageous. There’s CGI obviously in Civil War, but in ‘Batman v Superman’ it’s crappy.” -Lance Kirby, Geographic Information Technologies Major
“I would definitely have to say that ‘Batman v Superman’ is going to be better because we have a brand new cast of superheroes, [and] to see Superman and Batman fight — it’s a tale as old as time.” -Hannah Hill, Hospitality and Tourism Management Major
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NEWS
LOCAL
Thursday, March 24, 2016 | Page 3
Dupard, Moore re-invited to prestigious conference Julius Kizzee Sports Editor
“Society kind of says that young people are ignorant, bashful and they just don’t know a lot,” said junior music major Jeremy Moore. “Those things empower me, encourage me and inspire me that the things that I also have deep down inside of me [are] to know that I can do those things [to help the world.]” Moore is one of two USM students being recognized for their desire to not only make a change in their lives but also in the lives of others. Moore and senior biology major Kristen Dupard have been selected for the second year in a row to attend the Clinton Global Initiative University. The Clinton Global Initiative University, launched in 2007, holds an annual event to engage students on college campuses and develop a new generation of leaders. “We have students all over doing really great things,” Dupard said. “This year they’re wanting to highlight us based off of the work that we’ve done.” Students are able to attend plenary sessions, working sessions and other events form strong bonds with their peers as they grow individually. The highlight of the event is not only getting to
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meet former President Bill Clinton but to share ideas with other students beyond the boundaries of their respective universities. Dupard and Moore’s influential idea is to promote voting among students and young people in the Hattiesburg area. In the 2012 elections, only 45 percent of young people in the age group of 18-29 voted in their respective area. Although in Mississippi, young residents placed second in the nation in turn out with 68.1 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. To Dupard, that number is just not high enough. “We don’t really try to push people to do anything that they don’t want to do,” Dupard said. “By having debate watch parties, voter registration drives, Jeremy and I, we really try to convince them that they matter and that these issues the politicians are talking about, they affect them whether you live in Mississippi or Timbuktu. You really have to think about ‘how is this issue going to affect me 10 years from now.’” Every week, Dupard and Moore can be found on campus in front of the Fresh Food Company helping students and others sign up to vote. As a result, they have helped more than 300 people get their voices heard. Dupard has helped people find their voices for more than 10 years.
A New Orleanian, she was one of the many residents affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She said the storm not only shaped how her life would look from that point on but how she would be influenced seeing her world turn upside down. “I had to start completely over,” Dupard said. “I had people really pouring into me and really telling me that Kristen you can be somebody, you can do something and make a difference. So by me being able to recognize my voice and see my voice heard because other people saw something in me and didn’t allow that pain to consume me but to funnel me in a way that I can make a difference.” That desire led Dupard and Moore to meet at Southern Miss, where their friendship hit the ground running. Driven to give a voice to the voiceless, they were initially unsure how they would do it. As African-Americans, they wanted their demographic to be better represented in the polls. “If you’re not registered to vote, then your demographic is poor, not represented on grand juries and because of that then you can’t have a certain opinion when things don’t go your way,” Dupard said. “We want to empower their voices and we want them to exercise their right. So many people have fought and died for us to have this right.” At the 2015 event in Miami,
Courtesy Photo Jeremy Moore (left) and Kristen Dupard (right)
the weight of that fact became especially evident to Moore. He saw how all the other students did not let their backgrounds shape their future. He met students from across the country, the world and even as close to home as Ole Miss. Like Dupard, these students had dramatic turns in their lives and are still affected by certain factors in their lives. He saw those lessons and decided to keep those in mind as he interacted on a daily basis. However, one lecture in particular opened his eyes even wider, a lecture that taught him something he said he would never forget. “There’s so much truth that deserves to be told in the world, and you can’t just let it pass you
by,” Moore said. “I realized that there was so much that I was oblivious to in [how] I live from day to day.” After they return from their second trip to Clinton Global Initiative University, Dupard and Moore will continue to make strides for young people getting their voices heard. One of those strides will combine the current generation and the influence of technology. “Jeremy and I are working on a project to potentially work with the secretary of state, Delbert Hosemann, to take voter registration online,” Dupard said. “[The program] helps us to really make realistic solutions to these problems.”
Apple introduces new iPhone during Keynote address Andrew Dutton Printz Reporter
Apple unveiled the new generation of iPhone and iPad during an event held in San Francisco March 21. The new iPhone SE, a 4-inch phone with an aluminum design, 64-bit A9 chip and M9 motion coprocessor, is the most powerful 4-inch iPhone ever, according to Apple. Apple Engineer Greg Joswiak said the iPhone SE is twice as fast as the iPhone 5s, and its GPU processors are three times faster than the previous model. In addition to faster processing speed, the iPhone SE has a longer battery life, 12 MP iSight Camera, access to Hey Siri, retina flash for better quality photography in the dark and faster LTE speeds. iOS9, available as a free download, adds features to many apps on the iPhone. These features include password protection for Notes, convenient health suggestions via the Health app and a new Night Shift feature that shifts the colors of the iPhone light to match the time of day. “The iOS 9 is the biggest we’ve ever done,” Joswiak said. Joswiak said the new iPhone is also the most affordable to ever hit the market, prices starting at $399 for the 16GB memory model. Pre-ordering began March 21, and the phone will be available by March 31.
AT A GLANCE
1 The new iPad pro scaled down from a 12.7-inch display to a 9.7inch display and weighs less than a pound. “It is a revolutionary device,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president in world-wide marketing. The new iPad Pro is 40 percent less reflective, 25 percent brighter and has 25 percent greater color saturation. In addition to having the same parts and features as the iPhone SE, it is smart-keyboard accessible and can use the new Apple drawing pencil. “This is the best lineups of iPads by far,” Schiller said. The new iPad Pro is being sold for $599 at 32GB memory, $749 at 128GB memory and $899 at 256GB memory. Like the iPhone SE, it will be available March 31.
iPhone SE New 4-inch iPhone with upgraded specs and new features to be “the most powerful” and affordable iPhone yet at $399 for the 16 GB
Apple CEO Tim Cook gave an update on the Apple Watch, saying it was the number one selling smart watch in the world. The Apple Watch will be receiving an upgraded woven nylon band which will feature in a variety of colors. Apple began selling the watch for $299 on March 21. Cook said the future of television is applications. The new updates for Apple TV is added folders to help organize your content, dictation command for passwords and access to your iPhoto library. At the start of the event, Cook addressed the recent conflict between Apple and the federal government over the tech company’s encryption software. In this address, Cook said Apple would not back down
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iPad Pro Smaller, less reflective, brighter with deeper color saturation with features similar to SE, pre-order available March 31
Apple TV Free update available for download that allows users to better organize content, dictate passwords and access iPhoto library
Apple Watch New woven nylon band available in various colors
from its stance on protecting customer privacy. “We owe it to our customers and we owe it to our country,” Cook said. “We will not shrink from this responsibility.” Shortly after, Cook introduced Apple Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson to the stage. Jackson discussed the company’s environmental efforts in the fight against climate change. More than 93 percent of their facilities worldwide run on renewable energy, according to Jackson, and of those facilities, all are renewable in the United States and China. In this effort, Jackson introduced a new Apple machine named Liam, who deconstructs
older model iPhones and salvages the materials to make new iPhones. Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams also took to the stage to discuss Apple’s involvement in health. Williams talked about Research Kit, an application on iPhones created to help in this initiative. With Research Kit, people willingly enroll as participants for studies in different diseases. One such was a study on Parkinson’s disease. “The goal of Research Kit was to use technology to solve problems affecting our health,” Williams said. To this end, Williams introduced Care Kit, a framework to build apps for people to take a more active role in their own care. This app tracks a person’s symptoms and helps track their condition. A person can even share this information with their doctor. “You decide what apps you use and who you share this information with,” Williams said. The new Care Kit launches in April. This would be the last event held in the San Francisco town hall, as Apple’s CEO also announced they would be moving into the company’s new headquarters currently under construction. Cook said they plan on moving by next year. “We’re always pushing forward and innovating,” Cook said.
FEATURE
Page 4 | Thursday, March 24, 2016
LOCAL
Linguistics scholar explores textual confusion Nicolas Kubicki Printz Reporter
Academic lecturer Joel Hoffman took the stage in front of a packed auditorium Monday night to give a lecture that could effectively turn some worlds upside down. Promoting his new book, “The Bible Doesn’t Say That,”
Courtesy Photo
Hoffman asserted that the Bible does not call homosexuality a sin, that “coveting” is not as big of a deal as it is made out to be and that the death penalty is biblically OK, at least as far as the Ten Commandments are concerned. Hoffman, who holds a linguistics doctorate, said the largest obstacles inherent in modern understanding of an ancient text like the Bible are mistranslation and inaccurate quotation. To illustrate his point, Hoffman divided people into three groups: what he called “professional atheists,” like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins; “radical fundamentalists,” who take every word in the Bible as fact and disregard all else and, finally, those who try to reconcile science with the Bible. “We’re missing the point, that this was written in a pre-
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scientific era,” Hoffman said. “This was not supposed to be literal truth.” Hoffman said the Old Testament is divided up into three parts that can be identified by the ages of the characters. In the beginning, near the creation of the earth, people live many hundreds of years. In the second, which deals with the creation of the Israelites, Hoffman said that people only live for a few hundred years. “These ages are clearly symbolic,” Hoffman said. He said the Babylonians had trouble multiplying large numbers, but small numbers were fine. “Moses lived to be the age of 120, which is two times three times four times five, a nice Babylonian round number,” Hoffman said. The third part regards Jewish life in ancient Jerusalem as historically valid according to Hoffman. “Historians and archaeologists only have evidence for the third part,” he said. “They have no evidence for the first or second part. In the third part, people live what we would call scientifically plausible lifespans.” Hoffman said it appears as if the authors purposefully exaggerated the ages in the first and second parts to illustrate an obvious sign that these sections
are not historical. Then pausing, Hoffman glanced around the room as if to a punch line. “Some people missed the sign,” he said to the delight of the audience. Continuing as the laughter abated, he said the first two parts of the Old Testament were more like art than science and that those trying to use science to understand them are doing themselves a disservice. “In this regard, it was much more like art,” Hoffman said. “Art is supposed to tell you something meaningful, and it doesn’t have to be a photograph.” Addressing the selfcontradiction in the Old Testament, he said that it should not be used as a marker against evolution, because it contradicts itself before it even begins to contradict science. In regard to the creation story, Hoffman discussed how Genesis introduces both genders of humankind as being created together, which is directly followed by the story of Eve being created from the rib of Adam. He also supported his point with the dual stories of Noah and the flood as evidence. He said that despite being contradictory, the stories are valuable not in terms of the events they depict, but instead as fables with important messages.
“In this regard, the Bible is a lot like a newspaper,” Hoffman said. “Some things are exactly what happened, some things are opinion, some things are even like comics. When we try and shove all these things into a mold, we do a disservice to the original.” Shifting, Hoffman then launched into his criticism of the mistranslation of the Bible with the Ten Commandments. “They’re pretty commonly misunderstood,” he said. “The Ten Commandments are not a legal code — they are a moral code.” Hoffman said that while other parts of the Bible deal with civil law, the Ten Commandments deal strictly with moral law. “The American legal system, for example, tells you what will happen if you break the law,” he said. “It doesn’t tell you whether or not you should break it.” The first mistranslated Commandment he brought up is “Thou shalt not covet,” as stated in King James Version of the Bible. “The verb ‘chamad’ is mistranslated,” he said. “It’s translated as ‘covet,’ which is an internal state or a thought, but ‘chamad’ is actually an action. The verb actually means ‘to take.’ The Ten Commandments do not take a position on how you feel.” Hoffman said the Pope’s
FEATURE
Thursday, March 24, 2016 | Page 5
in ‘The Bible Doesn’t Say That’ book, lecture do not take a position on how you feel.” Hoffman said the Pope’s recent declaration that the death penalty should be abolished because it violates the Ten Commandments is based on a misinterpretation of the Sixth Commandment. “It’s not my position to tell a religious movement what to believe or what to promote, but it’s not in violation of the Ten Commandments,” he said. “The verb refers only to and specifically to illegal killing. They take no position on legal killing, which for the Bible, contains self defense and the death penalty.” Hoffman reiterated that, elsewhere, the Bible deals with the civil law and what to do in the place of illegal killing He said the Ten Commandments are the moral law against it. In what might have been the most controversial section of his lecture, Hoffman addressed the problem of inaccurate quotation — what he called “missing the general context” — particularly in the context of homosexuality in the Bible. According to Hoffman, the Old Testament does not condemn homosexuality. “The most commonly quoted line against homosexuality is from Leviticus: ‘You shall not lie with a man as you would a woman. It is an abomination,’” he said. “First of all, the Hebrew word there does not mean abomination. It means ‘taboo.’ So in other words, it’s not something that’s universally wrong, but culturally inappropriate.” Hoffman said Leviticus as a whole is a list of culturally inappropriate things for the time it was published. “While male homosexual sex is something listed in a group of things that are culturally frowned upon, it is not called a sin,” Hoffman said. “The Bible does not address all of homosexuality, and it does not use the word ‘sin.’” Hoffman said that while religious tradition has every right to teach such a thing, it cannot be said that it comes from the Bible. “There is a huge difference between things that are a sin and things that are not a sin,” he said. “To overlook that difference to make a point is to gloss over something that is fundamentally important. This is a quotation used out of context.” Hoffman said in situations like this, religious tradition and Biblical teachings are certainly allowed to differ, but claiming the Bible calls it a sin is not fair to the religious tradition or the ancient text.
“When Rick Warren says that he wishes he could accept homosexuality, but he can’t because the Bible forbids it, that’s misleading,” he said. Hoffman quoted the same part of Leviticus also used in arguments about mixing wool and linen cloth together in clothing to emphasize his point: “If you want to say that you are locked in to the position of the Bible because you follow every bit of it, then you are equally bound not to wear clothes made of wool and linen,” he said. “If you’re not going to listen to that part, you cannot say that you have no choice in the matter.” Hoffman said he believes the interpretation of Genesis says man should not be alone. He said if people shouldn’t be alone, and if it turns out that some men can only be with men and some women can only be with women, then Genesis may demand society accepts homosexual unions. “To reduce all of this to a single quote saying ‘the Bible says homosexuality is a sin’ is a disservice to all of those people, to those who care about the issue and it’s a disservice to the Bible,” he said. Turning to Corinthians, which also addresses homosexuality, Hoffman said its reference is extremely difficult to both translate and interpret. “Corinthians is hard because while it’s broader in what it addresses, it still doesn’t call it a sin, which I think is important,” he said. “But it’s not as clear, because a lot of the words were made up for the text and that makes it hard to figure out their nuances. The only thing clear from those texts is that some sexual behavior is unnatural, whether it’s some homosexual sex and some heterosexual sex or all
homosexual sex.” Hoffman addressed an audience member’s concerns about people discriminating against others based on their personal freedom of religion as well. “Nowhere in the Bible does it say whether you should or should not provide flowers to two men getting married,” he said. “I think it’s important to respect religious traditions as much as you can, but when two core principles come into conflict, there’s a point of difficulty.” Hoffman said he believes that those who think two men getting married is violating God’s will have a right not to be forced to violate God’s will. “Equally it seems to me that if we have a country based on equality before the law, you have an obligation to honor that equality,” he said. “This is the difficulty, that we have two core principles, and you can’t do both.” Hoffman said it is important to respect those who you don’t agree with because they are also pretty sure they’re right. “For example, Jewish people and Christian people read the same text and do different things, and America is the one place where we recognize that that’s OK,” he said. Hoffman said that the most important part of using the text is the translation and interpretation, and bringing it into modernity. He said that if religious leaders wish to interpret the text in a certain way, then that is their prerogative. However, it is misleading to say that their decrees come straight from the text. “Everyone is following an interpretation of the text,” Hoffman said. “There’s not really anyone who is actually following the text itself.”
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OPINION Casual Burn delivers fiery performance at Hippo Page 6 | Thursday, March 24, 2016
ENTERTAINMENT Cam Bonelli/Jack Hammett Printz Staff
On March 21, The Thirsty Hippo hosted performances by Casual Burn of New Orleans, Mouth Reader of Tennessee, Tomato Face of outer space and Stellatone of Hattiesburg. Casual Burn cranked up the event with the night’s first set at 10 p.m. with at least 30 confirmed patrons in attendance. Stellatone closed out the night. Casual Burn set things rolling like a jet-fuel powered slingshot. Though they classify themselves as swank-ass barbecue rock and roll, they were plenty punk enough for us between singer Monet Maloof’s perfect rough-and-rowdy vocals and drummer Nathan Bluford’s rapid precision. Guitar player David Sabludowsky and bassist Carlos Knoop served as the meat of the performance and supplied a hailstorm of riffs that kept even the stiffest necks moving. Maloof said although they do
not subscribe to a specific genre’s conventions, the one they prefer to be billed as is “good time sleazy driveway music.” The name Casual Burn was an understatement. The heat left by this band propelled the momentum for the evening. Up next to bat was Mouth Reader from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This band offered a cool transition from the casual burn felt from the first set. Notably, the band positioned the drummer at the forefront alongside his bandmates, emphasizing the equal importance of each instrument. The band kept a tight and smooth groove that rolled off the audience with every crash of drummer Ethan Rose’s cymbal. The amalgamation of each sound — the bass, the guitar, the drums, the vocals — created a mass of lo-fi, luke-warm spilledbeer sound that welcomed the listener to throw a punch or two. After a cool-down from Mouth Reader’s funky, lo-fi grooves, a vaguely Red Hot Chili Peppers
reminiscent band performed. Wacky, wild, weird and from outer space appeared Tomato Face. If red spandex and tomato masks were not enough to keep your eyes locked on their performance, vocalist and bassist Chase Price’s commanding presence retained audience engagement. Smooth, slick spoken-word style vocals on top of funky and precise bass lines punctuated by humor and the tight drumming of Jake Umberger created the perfect recipe for Tomato Face’s set. Printz informant Jordy Boof stood in awe of Price’s precise and insane ability to play bass and sing at the same time. His prowess is impossible. He shreds like no one ever has and sings effortlessly while doing so. Watching Price perform felt like stuffing 40 of the hottest peppers imaginable into one’s mouth. The sting of his bass and Price’s ability to play, perform, sing and entertain left no room for disappointment,
NATIONAL
only the need to cool off from his multi-faceted talents. The much anticipated Stellatone played the night’s final set beginning at roughly 12:30 a.m. Frontman Dylan Kern is a triple threat. He sings, he plays and he writes like a master. The man is a true gem among Hattiesburg musicians and perhaps acts as a kind of marker for the quintessential Hattiesburg rock sound. The question on everyone’s mind is usually, “How is this guy not nationally famous?” Stellatone boasts a sound slightly more aggressive than that of Him Horrison. If we heard correctly, there may or may not be some Misfits influence in their style, which is welcome. There was not a sour note played at the Hippo on Monday. All of these bands are well worth their weight in tomato-colored spandex. Whether the band hailed from outer space, out of town or out
Cam Bonelli/Assistant Photo Editor Monet Maloof and Carlos Knoop of Casual Burn perform during the first set at the Thirsty Hippo on March 21.
of Hattiesburg’s city limits, each brought a unique sound that resonated a unified frequency of skill and presence. To learn more about any of these bands, visit their Bandcamp and Facebook pages. The Thirsty Hippo hosts regular music events.
Essays not enough for sexual assault Nan Beauti Copy Editor
Imagine a scenario: a student commits sexual assault, a crime under both state and federal law, and faces his or her consequence. That consequence? To simply to write a 500 word essay. This scenario, unfortunately, is a common reality. A student from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota was found responsible for sexual assault. The student evaded the necessary punishment and was only required to write a short essay in retribution. But that evasion was only temporary. Last week, students and alumni protested against the small liberal arts school’s lack of action on the situation. However, the student successfully appealed a suspension, which resulted in the reduction of his punishment. The student must also work with a mentor and is suspended from some campus activities. The school also delayed notifying the student body of the assault, according to the student newspaper The Gustavian Weekly. The university failing to legitimately punish the offender at fault is a major insult and disappointment for the victim. Are the victim and her case not worth fighting for justice? If the university calls this justice, its student body might as well give up on its criminal justice system. Students were also concerned about why the university still allowed students under investigation for sexual misconduct could still participate in extracurricular activities. Students from the Womyn’s Awareness Center at the college lobbied against the school’s sexual misconduct policy with a petition calling for sexual misconduct policy reform. “We are done living in fear,”
students said in the petition. Students at an educational institution, there to harmlessly learn, should never have to utter the words “living in fear” nor should they have to actually experience it. Schools’ lack of action and concern for sexual assault situations recently increases the risk of survivors encountering their attackers on campus. While college campuses are places for fostering quality educational experiences, victims and students should not have to face or be in regular presence of sexual criminals. Less than a third of sexualassault cases result in expulsion, according to a 2014 review by The Huffington Post.
We are done living in fear. Women’s Awareness Center petition at Gustavus Adolphus College
A similar case occurred at Occidental College in 2013, when a student’s punishment for rape was writing a book report and female students at the college filed a federal complaint. Last year, Columbia University student Emma Sulkowicz carried her mattress around campus for months to illustrate the pain she felt after the university allowed her alleged rapist to remain on campus. Now that it is obvious that students will not have the tolerance to deal with universities’ lack of concern in regards to sexual assault cases, when is the national uprising supposed to happen? “[USM] is committed to maintaining an educational
environment free of sexual harassment,” the university’s Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence Policy states. “It is the policy of the university that no member of its community shall engage in sexually harassing or sexually violent behavior toward another. Any student or employee who violates this policy is subject to disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the university or termination of employment. Sexual harassment, including sexually violent behavior, is illegal under both state and federal law.” You can predict that most other colleges have similar statements, but their actions are what matter. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex and protects students in connection with sexual harassment, discrimination or violence. The university encourages victims and witnesses to report their cases through the university’s process for sexual misconduct or through the criminal justice system. Whatever the process entails, the university takes action when it comes to sexual misconduct. Violators would be suspended, expelled or sent to jail. According to the FBI, there were an estimated 84,767 forcible rapes reported to law enforcement in 2010. While the national average of sexual assaults has decreased by over 50 percent in the past decade or so, still every two minutes, another American is sexually assaulted. As prominent as sexual assaults are and considering how much damage they cause victims and their families, schools and police departments should do more than requiring a rapist to write a measly one-page essay. If that continues to be the case, offenders everywhere will be seeing the crime as a just another act, as if it is okay and risking committing the act of sexual harassment is worth it.
SPORTS Hopson’s leadership promising in early practice Thursday, March 24, 2016 | Page 7
FOOTBALL Julius Kizzee Sports Editor
At practice, the USM football team no longer hears the fiery coaching style of coach Todd but that of a newly-hired, more softspoken Jay Hopson.
Courtesy Photo
“[We are in] the learning stages of getting everybody right on the same page,” Hopson said. “I thought it was pretty good today.” Southern Miss held its first spring practice on Tuesday in preparation of the upcoming 2016 season. Players took the field in bare-bones gear limited to helmets, and physical contact was minimal. However, what the Golden Eagles lacked in physicality on the field, they more than made up with intensity in their drills. A successful season may have begun with this practice, in which all the coaches and players got to see each other in action for the first time. Yet, without pads and actual plays being called, minimal stock can be placed on the early practices. “You can’t tell on day one,” said Shannon Dawson, the team’s newlyhired offensive coordinator. “Until you put pads on and until guys get some muscle memory to where they know what to do, it’s hard to tell.” Last season, Southern Miss
finished 9-5 and were the Conference USA West division champs. With most of the roster returning, the focus will be on the preparation that each player puts in for his spot on the team. “There’s always a little more pep in your step when you know you have a chance to win a bunch of games,” said John Wozniak, wide receivers and special teams coach. “The preparation has been really good, and I think the guys have been focused.” Noticeably, the team was aware of the presence of Hopson, their new head coach. Eyes followed him across the field throughout the practice. Hopson is in his first season as the Golden Eagle head coach after making stops at LSU, Marshall and Memphis. USM marks Hopson’s second job as a head coach. In his first, he guided the Alcorn State Braves to a 32-17 record during a four-year period in which he took two SWAC championships. Southern Miss came close to capturing the C-USA Championship last season, and they still have the same expectations to capture it this year under his new staff starting this spring. “To be able to get back working towards a mission with some great teammates and great coaches, is
what it’s all about,” said quarterback Nick Mullens, who threw for 4,476 yards and 38 touchdowns in his junior season. “Moving forward, it’s all about that championship.” Players and coaching staff alike will heavily lean on Hopson’s leadership for this season. Only three coaches returned to the team from the Monken era. Wozniak, running backs coach Lytrel Pollard and strength and conditioning coach Zac Woodfin are still there after the untimely departure of Monken just a few days before signing day. For the majority of the 2015 season, Wozniak was the special teams and wide receivers coach. Then, after former offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey left USM to take the same position at Arizona State, Wozniak was thrusted into the role for the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Dec. 26. Despite having his role changed twice in less than three months, Wozniak has stayed positive and said the transition has been seamless from Monken to Hopson. “It’s been really easy actually,” Wozniak said. “He believes in all the things that help you win games, and that’s why he’s been successful.” Once Monken left, the roles of the entire staff were up in the air. Most of the coaches left on their own
accord, and some were replaced. Wozniak stayed but received a demotion after Dawson came into town after stops as offensive coordinator at Stephen F. Austin and Kentucky. “That’s part of this business,” Wozniak said. “I’m all in, and I’m in to win games. I’m a team guy and I never thought about it.” Hopson’s leadership heavily influences the attitude of Wozniak and others. After an uncertain time for the USM locker room back in January, Hopson has taken his job by the proverbial horns and has swiftly moved the team toward success. “He’s the leader of this program and I can just tell by the way he approaches the guys and the team,” Wozniak said. “He’s a natural leader and that’s going to be really valuable for us.” With Hopson at the helm, the Golden Eagles have their sights on the highest goals in the conference. “We want to compete for championships every year,” Hopson said. “Every year is a different journey and a different year and we know we have got to work hard to accomplish our goals.” USM will continue practicing throughout the spring and culminating with the annual Black and Gold spring game on April 23.
FOOTBALL
Players react to new coaching staff Kyle Williams Printz Reporter
The production that Todd Monken and his staff brought to Southern Miss was unprecedented in 2015. In just three years, his staff took an 1-11 team to a 9-5 team, including a berth in the Heart of Dallas bowl last season. Monken’s improvement on the program led to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offering him a job as offensive coordinator. The offer was one Monken could not pass up. When he accepted it, many questions arose about who would replace him and potentially bring equal or greater success than him. Monken was replaced by Alcorn State’s former head coach, Jay Hopson. Like Monken, coach Hopson brought along an almost entirely different staff with him. Southern Miss will have 12 seniors this upcoming season and many questions may rise about how they feel learning under a new staff. Defensive tackle Dylan Bradley seemed to be excited about the new coaching staff. “When I found out [Hopson] was my coach, I was excited.” Bradley said. “He is bringing that Southern Miss tradition back. Play anybody, anytime, anywhere.” Bradley not only has to adjust his learning curve to a new coach but to a new defensive coordinator as well. Tony Pecoraro came along from Alcorn with Hopson and so far has impressed Bradley. “We had a lot of success last season, but I feel that we will have even more success with [Pecoraro’s]
Julius Kizzee/Printz Players await instruction before the start of spring practice on March 22.
style of defense,” Bradley said. “His type of defense frees us up more. It’s not a bunch of robots out there, but a bunch of athletes out there making plays.” Bradley finished last season with 45 tackles and six sacks. From his comments, he looks to improve upon those numbers with the new defensive look coach Pecoraro brings with him to Hattiesburg. Not only are there different faces on the defensive side, but the offensive side acquired offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson. Coach Dawson comes into this job with a résumé full of previous programs that all improved offensively in little to no time when he stepped on campus. Teams like Stephen F. Austin, West Virginia, Kentucky, New Mexico State and Southeastern Louisiana all saw improvement with Dawson on the staff. Bringing in a coach of this caliber is something quarterback Nick Mullens can use to take his game to the next level. “Working towards a mission with some great teammates and some great coaches is what it’s all about,”
Mullens said. “It is all about getting a championship.” A Dawson and Mullens duo can be something to look forward to. Mullens threw for 4,476 and 38 TD’s, but with Dawson’s background an improvement across the board could be upon Mullens and the Golden Eagles. With difficulties like losing star receivers Mike Thomas and Casey Martin, many think that Mullens will not have a go-to receiver, but Mullens thinks otherwise. “Shannon Smith and Isaiah Jones are two people that have stuck out to me.” Mullens said. “[Those are] two people we are going to depend on moving forward.” The new coaching staff still includes coaches John Wozniak and Lytrel Pollard from the Monken era. The majority of the team feels this season has a different atmosphere. But different could be promising for the Golden Eagles. With the experience of the new coaching staff, Southern Miss’ goals look obtainable as it prepares for the season approaching in September.
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