Volume 100 Issue 45
Monday, March 28, 2016
www.studentprintz.com
Freedia deems Miss. ‘a right-to-twerk’ state Jack Hammett/Cam Bonelli Printz Staff
Drinking patrons darted in and out of The Dollar BOX Showroom on Friday night, cutting streaks through the artificial fog that spouted from the stage. A projected sign reading “MISSISSIPPI IS A RIGHT TO TWERK STATE” bathed the crowd in blue and red. When the opening DJ’s set came to a close, the air grew tense. A procession of dancers stalked onto the stage with confidence. Then came Big Freedia, sporting a black robe that seemed to wave off the pressurized atmosphere as it fell away at the start of the first number. Two weeks before Big Freedia’s initially scheduled February performance, The Dollar BOX Showroom owner Ben Shemper received a phone call from Mississippi’s Alcohol Beverage Control board. The ABC said Big Freedia’s performance would be too sexually inappropriate to go on, according to The Times-Picayune. “So [the ABC] expressed if there was gyrating at the show, it could be shut down,” said Big Freedia’s co-manager Reid Martin. “What we wound up doing is going up the ladder, if you will, and asked to speak with the ABC’s legal team and enforcement team. This is free speech. The way we read the law was that we were not in violation of anything.” The ABC law prohibits “activities that include live entertainment or conduct which is lewd, immoral or offensive to public decency, including any live act or performance
IN BRIEF
Cam Bonelli/Assistant Photo Editor Big Freedia and The Divas perform at the Dollar BOX Showroom on March 25.
It is expression, it is speech and it is an art form. Reid Martin, Big Freedia’s manager Cam Bonelli/Assistant Photo Editor Big Freedia belts during her March 25 performance.
which appeals primarily to sexually oriented.” The law bans mud wrestling, bikini contests, beastiality, masturbatory activity and strippers– none of which Big Freedia and her dancers qualify as, according to Reid. Reid said Big Freedia’s attorney spoke on the phone with the ABC’s chief of enforcement and deemed that twerking could not constitute lewd behavior. “I guess they had seen some things on YouTube that would be
deemed a violation,” Reid said. “We wouldn’t violate [the regulations]. We’ve played in Mississippi so many times. Our last show before this was the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum. I’d like to chalk it up to misunderstanding.” Reid said eventually the ABC and Big Freedia’s team came to an accord, and the show was rescheduled. And Big Freedia returned with a vengeance. “We had to stand up for ourselves,” Reid said. “I was shocked and in
disbelief. When I heard it, I really didn’t think it was true. In my career in managing artists, it’s certainly the strangest thing that’s ever happened to me.” Reid said Big Freedia made a statement by coming back to Hattiesburg to perform. “It is expression, it is speech and it is an art form,” Reid said. “There’s no question about it. What those dancers do is incredible. It was definitely a statement.” Big Freedia’s statement in coming
back to perform resonated with the Showroom crowd. Amanda Kleinhans, a senior sculpture major at USM, said Freedia “brought it” like she always does. “Closing out senior year, who else would you want to see other than Big Freedia,” Kleinhans said. “My professor told me about the show being cancelled. I think the whole lewd acts thing is ridiculous in such a progressive time. I think it’s partly censorship and, obviously as an artist, I don’t believe in censorship.” Donald Thibodeaux, a dancer who tours and performs with Big Freedia, said he was glad the show was rescheduled because the performance was worth the time and energy. “The crowd loved us,” Thibodeaux said. “We left our hearts and our sweat on the stage. We grind every day. It’s our craft. Everybody has an art. Everybody perfects an art.” Thibodeaux said from day one he felt Freedia’s hospitality. His experiences with the Big Freedia team have been very positive. “At the end of the day, she’s still a person,” Thibodeaux said. “I treat her like she’s my mother.” The music TV channel Fuse appeared at the show and helped Freedia film footage for an upcoming music video and her reality show. Following her performance, Freedia hurriedly left to attend a New Orleans birthday bash. When asked for comment, she politely declined. Now, with no opposition from regulation officers, Mississippi is now a “right-to-twerk” state.
Community races to promote neighborhood recovery Elizabeth Lee Printz Reporter
The Longleaf Heights Neighborhood Association hosted the Resilience 5K race in Hattiesburg on March 26 in an effort to promote neighborhood recovery efforts in the wake of the EF4 tornado that struck the city in February 2013. The tornado affected the Longleaf Heights neighborhood and destroyed parts of the city. Event organizers hosted the event to celebrate the local community’s recuperation efforts since the storm. “We feel it’s not only important for a neighborhood to rebuild but also withstand outside pressures, like when the tornado cut through the neighborhood several years
ago,” said event organizer Brian Casey in an interview with WDAM. “We want to encourage the neighborhood to come back and rebuild.” According to the Longleaf Trace’s website, the race marks the opening of the newly finished Phase III section of the Longleaf Trace, which stretches about two miles from Southern Miss Gateway located behind Century Park North to Main Street Downtown. Runners began and finished the race at Westminster Presbyterian Church on 25th Avenue, which was hit hard during the 2013 tornado, looping down the newly paved portion of the Longleaf Trace and through the Longleaf Heights neighborhood. Organizers intended the race to
strengthen relationships between community residents and local business owners. In the spirit of this purpose, runners who dropped off their registration forms at local businesses, including T-Bones Records, Moore’s Bike Shop and Sacks Outdoors, before March 17 each received one $5 gift card to the stores. In addition to those sponsors, other local businesses, such as Soccer Locker, Southern Prohibition Brewing, Freedom Pharmacy and the Hattiesburg Zoological Society, also supported the event. Money raised from the race’s sponsors and registration fees will be used to replace neighborhood signs and fund outreach efforts in other areas of Longleaf Heights.
Fadi Shahin/Printz Runners of the 5k Resilience race run in downtown Hattiesburg on March 26, 2016.
INFORMATION
Page 2 | Monday, March 28, 2016
MEET THE STAFF SPRING 2016 Ardan Thornhill
Julius Kizzee
ardan.thornhill@eagles.usm.edu
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Hunt Mercier
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patrick.mercier@eagles.usm.edu
Executive Editor
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Joshua D Starr
Photo Editor
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News 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.
DIRTY BIRDS Monday, March 21 • A mishmash of crimes took place just before 3 a.m. in the parking garage around the first floor handicap area when officers discovered a weapon, drug paraphernalia and a controlled substance in a student’s possession. The case remains open. • Around 2 p.m. near the Mannoni Performing Arts Center’s west loading dock, police investigated a report of unlawful taking of a vehicle. The case remains open. • Around 10:40 p.m., university police arrested an adult trespasser at the Kennard-Washington parking lot. Tuesday, March 22 • University police began investigating an off-campus sexual battery reported just before 1 a.m. The case remains open.
POLICE CONTACT INFORMATION
OPINIONS Opinions expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, its publication manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications.
When reporting, the following information should be provided: • Nature of the crime or emergency • Name, address and phone number of the caller • Location of incident • Description of the scene and suspects • Description of any vehicles involved, especially license plate numbers
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NEWS
GREEK LIFE
Monday, March 28, 2016 | Page 3
Alphas kick off ‘Alpha Week’ Letter to the Editor Dear students,
Lora Lavigne Printz Reporter
The University of Southern Mississippi’s Mu Xi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity celebrates a 40-year history of goodwill and community engagement at Southern Miss during this year’s “Alpha Week,” March 27 through April 2. During the event, Alpha Phi Alpha raises money for scholarships, university funding and philanthropic efforts. “It is a great way to highlight men in our community with outstanding strides in citizenship as well as interacting more with the student body,” said John Johnson, a USM senior and Alpha Phi Alpha member. USM junior Jaylen Hackett, also an Alpha Phi Alpha member, said he expects the weeklong event to be well received. “For the student body to see our continued effort and impact on campus, I do expect to see a great representation within the educational programs and as well as the numerous social events,” Hackett said. The fraternity has planned several events throughout the week and invites students and Hattiesburg residents to join in on the activities. Kicking off the Alpha Week, participants met for lunch at Cotton Blues following a prayer service at Venture Church on Sunday. On Monday, Union Plaza will host a social music
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and entertainment event for students at 5:15 p.m., followed by a profit share with Glory Bound. On Tuesday, directly following a yard show at the Fountain around noon, Alpha Phi Alpha will host a pie-facing event during which members of the chapter will be hit with pies to benefit the fraternity’s philanthropy interests. All proceeds from the pie-facing event will go to the March of Dimes organization. “This week allows us to host significant programs that will impact the campus community as well as raise awareness among pressing issues,” Johnson said. Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m., the fraternity will host the Cannon-Dozier Project, an initiative addressing the issue students of driving under the influence. Johnson said he looks forward to this event the most. “Driving under the influence has claimed so many innocent lives, and we have the chance to help stop that,” he said. The group will award community men with the Kennard-Washington Men of Distinction Award on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Thursday’s activities include a humorous showcase of women imitating the Alpha’s dance moves at the Payne Center beginning at 6 p.m. The fraternity will wrap up the week with a meet and greet on Friday at 6 p.m. to celebrate the anniversary of the construction of the C.E. Roy Community Center, where numerous alumni will return to fellowship. Kappa Sigma member David Moon said he and his fraternity brothers plan to attend as many events as possible during the week in order to support both Alpha Phi Alpha and its philanthropic efforts. “Our main idea for every Greek organization is to give back to the community and what we do is be very supportive through our philanthropic events,” he said. Hackett encourages the USM community to attend the events and meet the fraternity. “Alpha Week 2016 will be a great opportunity for students to come together, educationally and socially,” Hackett said. For more information on Alpha Week, contact the Fraternity President Lorenzo Spencer at lorenzo.spencer@ eagles.usm.edu.
ON CAMPUS
University hosts 106th Founders’ Day Celebration David Tisdale Southern Miss Now
The University of Southern Mississippi will host its annual Founders’ Day Celebration in Hattiesburg and on the Gulf Coast Tuesday, March 29 and Wednesday, March 30 in recognition of the 106th anniversary of the establishment of the University by the Mississippi Legislature. “Founders’ Day is an important celebration because Southern Miss has come so far since its legislative founding in 1910,” said Jerry DeFatta, executive director of the Southern Miss Alumni Association. “Our journey thus far is a testament to the resilience and determination of our students, faculty, staff and alumni through the years. On Founders’ Day we celebrate the Southern Miss spirit.” For more information about Founders’ Day, visit http://www.usm.edu/about/ founders-day.
As you may know, the Mississippi legislature right now is attempting to pass what they are calling a “religious freedom” bill. But much like the wolf in sheep’s clothing, what this bill (House Bill 1523) really does is give anyone, including government employees, the “right” to legally discriminate against others and hide behind religious “freedom.” This heartless legislation would allow business owners to throw LGBTQ+ people out of their stores and restaurants. It would allow government workers to refuse to recognize the love held by two gay men or women. It would allow foster parents to force their son or daughter into ineffective, harmful “conversion therapy.” We cannot simply stand by and let this happen. The state Senate is scheduled to meet Monday at 2 p.m. We are 100 percent sure they will vote on it. So what do we do? We are planning a series of actions to convince our legislature to vote against HB 1523. This Monday, March 28, we will be gathering as many college students, recent college graduates and high school students from all over the state (wearing their school t-shirts) to meet at the Capitol at noon. There will be two protests running simultaneously. Students will be sitting in the Senate gallery wearing their school paraphernalia. A few weeks ago, Gov. Phil Bryant made a statement urging college students to stay in our state after they graduate. We will be sitting in the gallery and chanting, “We won’t stay in a hateful state!” This way, even if the bill passes through the Senate, the
governor would know what we want and have the incentive to veto it if and when it reaches his desk. There will also be a silent protest happening on the second floor of the Capitol. At the same time, we will be filling up a petition for college students around the state to deliver to the governor. Then on Tuesday, there will be a rally outside the Capitol at noon. We really want as many college students from all over the state involved, especially on Monday. If you can’t make it to an event, you can still make a stand. Organize a protest in your community or on your campus. And find out who your legislators are (OpenStates.org is a good resource), call, write or e-mail them and tell them to fight against this bill. They are elected to answer to us. This is our chance to take a stand. Our chance to make a difference and show other folks in Mississippi that we don’t always have to be last. We may not have the resources like North Carolina or Georgia, but we can beat this. Pass this message along to as many other college students, high school students, recent college graduates as you know. Share it on all of your social media outlets. Use the hashtag #noHB1523 and help us spread the word. We want a diverse group of people in the Capitol. We need to do this, y’all. I hope you all are ready. Change is coming. I’ll see you on Monday. For planning or logistical help, please email or call 769-208-3890. Natalie Offiah, JSU student & organizer Anna Davis, USM alumna & organizer
community community
Tuesday, March 29 Stennis Space Center Teaching and Research Site 12 p.m.: Ceremony, George A. Knauer Marine Science Building, room 101
Wednesday, March 30 Gulf Park Campus 9 a.m.: Ceremony and reception, Hardy Hall Ballroom Gulf Coast Research Laboratory 9 a.m.: Ceremony, dining hall Hattiesburg Campus 3 p.m.: Founders’ Day Ceremony, Mannoni Performing Arts Center; campus and community members invited. 4 p.m.: Founders’ Day reception Location: North lawn of the Mannoni Performing Arts Center; campus and community members invited. (Rain site: Intermezzo at Woods Gallery in Marsh Hall-Fine Arts building)
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FEATURE
Page 4 | Monday, March 28, 2016
GULF PARK
Music festival engages community, highlights culture Nicolas Kubicki Printz Reporter
Music echoed across the USM Gulf Park campus on March 26 as the university’s Jazz and Blues Festival played out across the day. The festival, a free annual event, hosts a variety of family-friendly entertainment, numerous musical acts, children’s activities and local food and crafts vendors sprawled
across the campus’ South Lawn. Steve Miller, a Gulf Park vice president, said the campus makes for an ideal setting for a weekend festival. “We look forward to hosting our community and neighbors,” Miller said. Aaron Broussard, Gulf Park event services coordinator and chair of the 2016 festival, said the festival is the Gulf Park campus’ largest
Cam Bonelli/Assistant Photo Editor Attendees enjoy performances at the Jazz and Blues Festival March 26.
ON CAMPUS
community outreach event. “Mississippi is the birthplace of blues, since it really started here, and blues is nice because while it’s very relaxing, it can also be upbeat,” Broussard said. Having played at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival, Bonnaroo and South by Southwest, the Stooges Brass Band returned to USM Jazz and Blues Festival to headline this year. According to its website, the band provides a “blast of true New Orleans spirit engaging audiences with their innovative blend of traditional New Orleans brass sounds, contemporary jazz and hiphop beats.” Broussard said though he was particularly excited to see the Stooges, but he enjoyed seeing all the acts. “Whenever you have great performers and great bands lined up like we do, and you can get the crowd involved, it really adds to an event,” Broussard said.
An hour after the festival started, children age 12 and under had the opportunity to search for 10,000 eggs in an Easter egg hunt. Broussard said the hunt is a major draw for families looking to bring their children. While the event has significant sponsorship from companies like Lamar Advertising and Coca-Cola, Broussard said these sponsorships are taken only to cover the costs of the event. He said student organizations on campus were encouraged to assist with the event, especially with the children’s activities like face painting and bounce houses. “The revenue that comes from something like this is distributed to the student organizations that help out, to really give them incentive to give back,” Broussard said. “It’s a really great opportunity for them.” Since the event falls on the Saturday before Easter, Broussard and Miller believe it provides the perfect opportunity for the community to enjoy themselves, and
that vendors have come to expect it. In the midst of all the celebration, one group attempted to use the momentum provided to further their own cause. Flag For All Mississippians, a group dedicated to creating a state flag that represents all Mississippians, gathered at the festival to collect signatures for its petition for Ballot Initiative 55. Sharon Brown, sponsor of the initiative, said that while she was not present at Saturday’s event, it is projected to have been successful. “We have to finish counting the signatures and get them together, but we seem to have done well,” Brown said. Broussard said that despite the small bit of inclement weather that occurred earlier in the day, it was a great success. “Everyone that I talked to responded positively, and our team has had an extremely positive response,” he said. “Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and have a good time.”
Science professor rejects conventional teaching techniques Garrett Minta
You sit there, you take notes and you listen to some professor drone on about some subject, and then you’re expected to have all of this wonderful knowledge that you just apparently absorb. Turns out the human brain doesn’t do too well with that. Christopher Sirola, associate professor of physics and astronomy
Printz Reporter
Once the world leader in scientific exploration and discovery, the United States currently lags behind in science education, being ranked 38th out of the Top 40 world nations, according to a 2015 report by the World Economic Forum. In an attempt to improve scientific education at USM, one associate professor of physics
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and astronomy offers students an opportunity to actively engage the subject, thereby increasing comprehension and retention of information. USM hired Christopher Sirola as a specialist in science education to shape the field. Sirola believes conventional teaching models that encourage rote memorization are limited and ignore natural learning processes. “Most lectures are passive,” Sirola said. “You sit there, you take notes and you listen to some professor drone on about some subject, and then you’re expected to have all of this wonderful knowledge that you just apparently absorb. Turns out the human brain doesn’t do too well with that.” Sirola said as a social species, humans learn through interaction, and his teaching methods emphasize active participation. “The better way to learn is to be more actively involved and one of the better ways to do that is to have them talking to each other,” Sirola said. “Humans are a social species and a great deal of how we learn is interaction.” He said finding ways to encourage students to think critically is essential to his teaching methods. “One of the big things that has been tried, and sort of works, in this field is called ‘cooperative learning,’” he said. “That is you get students into small groups and when you do a lesson and activity, you structure it so that they share with each other as they’re doing that activity. The idea is that it helps promote learning amongst the entire group.” In Sirola’s classes, students work together on quizzes and
other assignments and come to conclusions as a group. Students are encouraged to critically consider the group answers and decide whether they agree. Then, informed by group participation, each student turns in a quiz assignment sheet to be graded individually. “You can get the benefits of some group work,” Sirola said. “If you wish, you don’t have to, I don’t make it a requirement, but if you want to collaborate with friends and neighbors on a quiz, you’re free to do that.” Sirola also encourages class participation beyond graded assignments, integrating critical thinking exercises during the course of his lectures. “I’ll take the class and divide it up into two sides: ‘Yes, Pluto should still be on the list,’ and ‘No, Pluto is no longer a planet’ — and you, on your own, have to come up with as many reasons to defend your position as possible,” Sirola said. Students defend their positions based on whether Pluto possess any of a number of planetary characteristics, such as having moons, significant mass and an orbiting pattern similar to other planets. Sirola said considering these various factors engages students and teaches them to apply critical thinking skills to other facets of their studies. Sirola believes it is the duty of teachers to provide USM students with the best education possible, and that is what he aims to do. “You’re forking over a lot of money — a lot of time, a lot of effort, and we should be doing right by you guys,” Sirola said. “That’s what it is ultimately all about.”
FEATURE
LOCAL
Monday, March 28, 2016 | Page 5
EAGLE SPUR RECIEPIENT TO PERFORM ONE MAN SHOW Hiba Tahir Printz Reporter
Senior dance performance and choreography major Jay Marion will star in “The Audition,” on March 30 at 7 and 8 p.m. The program is a “devised autobiographical dance theatre work” funded by an Eagles’ SPUR grant from the USM Center for Undergraduate Research. Marion, who graduated from the Mississippi School of the Arts with an emphasis in dance, answered some questions about his project.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30TH 7PM AND 8PM WOODS SHOWCASE THEATRE FREE ADMISSION
s
Interesting. So there’s a story line throughout? Yes. It’s a story line. It’s myself basically coming to terms with who I am, facing serious situations I’ve dealt with and learning that you don’t have to wear a facade for people all the time. You can be open and honest with yourself while being yourself. It’s for mature audiences because I talk about strong content that may not be for audience members who aren’t well aware of the world that’s around us or [who may not be] comfortable with slang language and comments that I’ll be [making.] The material in the show [is] strong but with a purpose. I wanted people to know that Did you choreograph it yourself? Tell me more about the process. you don’t have to always cover up bad things that have happened. I want people It’s not a dance show. Shocker, I know. I’m a performer of many hats. I grew up in musical to see that because of those things, I’ve turned into a stronger, better person. theatre and trained really extensively in voice, acting and dancing. This [is] a devised dance theatre project, meaning I derived a script from my autobiographical experiences, staged the What do you hope they’ll take away from watching your performance? blocking, designed the lights, designed the sound [and] hired 14 crew members to do specific Everyone is different and experiences many different things. One thing I parts. It took me six months to perfect it and craft it into a production that has a beginning, hope that [they] take away [is] some form of entertainment. As a creator and middle and end – all based on my life. I think that’s what gets people. They associate my performer, I want to gain experience and feedback of others. I want people face with dance, but this isn’t just a dance show. It’s an everything show for everyone. to know that you can love yourself and be who you are without trying to get people to see someone different. This is my first try at doing something like this, so if I touch just one person out of the two performances then I’m happy. In what ways?
e
[It’s] relatable to everything in that we all go through that period of finding who we are, losing a loved one, being bullied … it just so happens that I’m discovering who I am as a performer through an audition.
.
e
How did your background affect this project, and how did it come to be? This project is something I’ve been wanting to do since I was in high school. I’ve always dreamed of doing my own show and showcasing my talent to the people. I’m very ambitious. I’ve been super involved on campus and in my major. It’s led me to pursue challenging obstacles. I applied for the Eagle SPUR through the USM undergraduate center for research and wrote a 2,000 word proposal on why my project is important and beneficial to my theatrical community. I put my passion and soul into that proposal for a year-and-a-half, and it was finally accepted amongst other really innovative projects.
There will be a “Q&A session for the curious” following the performance, during which Marion will answer questions regarding his performance and the process of creating his project. Marion emphasizes the show is for a mature audience.
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OPINION
Page 6 | Monday, March 28, 2016
POLITICS
Cuba: New relations may heal old wounds Garrett Minta Printz Reporter
The headlines for the last few days have been ablaze all displaying President Obama’s visit to Cuba, the first time a U.S. president has visited since before the Cold War began in 1928. The U.S. is turning over a new leaf with Cuba and Raúl Castro, who took over the presidency after his brother, Fidel Castro, fell ill. Our nation has had an embargo on the country of Cuba since before a little nuclear incident called the Cuban Missile Crisis, when Russia attempted to stockpile nuclear missiles in silos on the small island about ninety miles away from the U.S. The situation frightened Americans, driving the nation to bring out a blockade of warships to prevent Russian ships from completing their delivery. Then-president John F. Kennedy oversaw the whole ordeal, with presidents playing musical chairs in and out of the White House and boasting the same anti-communist stance all the way up until Reagan uttered the iconic phrase, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall.” But what was the Cold War? And why do we as Americans still harbor so much anger and malice toward the countries that were involved? Let’s start by looking at the countries that were involved. We had Korea, Vietnam, China (albeit sporadically), the U.S., Cuba and
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possibly more. Why do we know these names? The Vietnam War, the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the threat of Red China are all events we remember to this day, and we still have military presences in most of these countries. The idea at the time was that we were to fight communism wherever it may surface. This strategy worked up until we started to make a peace with them, which helped bring Russia into global politics on a large scale. Now, Cuba is still not a democracy. They are very much still controlled by a dictatorship, the one
Fidel Castro put in place and which his brother is currently running. But he is far more relaxed than his brother was, if one could call it “relaxed.” Just in the last decade, they were able to purchase phones and newer model cars, and the black market there sells just about anything you’re willing to buy. What is it that America has done with Cuba to help or even interact with our Caribbean neighbor? The answer is an embargo. The Cato Institute said this embargo is an economic, political and social blockade from the U.S. This forced the Cuban government, and by chain
of events, their people, to depend on the Russians for oil and trade. Instead of trying to reason with the regime, and open them up to trade and democratic philosophies, we completely blocked them off and sealed them in a box. This embargo does neither country any good, especially because of a 1998 U.S. Defense Intelligence report that said Cuba is no longer a danger to any countries in the region, including the U.S. The embargo could in theory also penalise other countries who would try to initiate third party trade with Cuba, independent of the U.S.
According to the United Nations, this embargo was largely condemned as a human rights violation on the part of the U.S. and has only hurt the people of their country. It opened the door for their dictators to claim immunity to policy failures that they can directly blame on the embargo and other sanctions the U.S. has put against Cuba, according to the Cato Institute. This trip from POTUS could be the turning point in these relations, the ability for us as a country to move past one of the biggest nuclear scares of all time. This could show the world that America will no longer hold decades-old grudges that cripple economies and have been decried by every major council, including the United Nations. Cuban people do not deserve to continue suffering for the choices made more than half a century ago. The U.S. should be working to help the Cuban people to maybe become a full-fledged democracy again. As Julia Cooke, an author who visited Cuba while studying abroad, said in an interview with NPR regarding Cuban and U.S. relations, “I think that’s one really unique thing about Cuba is that contemporary Cuba is very cognizant of how detached politics is from life. It’s second nature to them to say, ‘Your government stinks, but come on in and have a rum with me.’”
SPORTS
BASEBALL
Monday, March 28, 2016 | Page 7
USM sweeps Roadrunners out of The Pete Julius Kizzee Sports Editor
Southern Miss (19-6, 5-1) continued its hot start to the 2016 season with a 3-0 sweep over conference foe University of Texas-San Antonio (10-13, 1-5). The Golden Eagles’ bats were hot the entire series as they totalled 34 hits in only three games. “Right now, we’re a tough lineup to pitch to, from top to bottom,” said coach Scott Berry. “But that’s a credit to our guys, our hitting coaches and the plans they have.” The series started off in dramatic fashion as Tim Lynch hit his first walkoff of his Southern Miss career, giving the Golden Eagles their 17th win of the season in the opening game. “I actually think I had a couple in high school and maybe a couple in travel ball,” Lynch said. “Defintely to do it here at The Pete is awesome, and the fans are great, but to do it especially in a game like this.” Lynch led all batters with two hits and two RBIs, including both to tie the game and win it, respectively. Taylor Braley got the game started in the second inning, homering for the second-straight game. That lead was quickly doubled when Chuckie Robinson knocked in an RBI double to extend the Golden Eagle lead. The good times were quickly spoiled for Southern Miss as UTSA knocked in four runs on just three hits in the top of the fifth inning. The Golden Eagles would ease their way back into the game with a Robinson groundout in the sixth inning to bring in Lynch for the score, making the game 4-3.
SOFTBALL
Joe Harper/Courtesy Photo Kirk McCarty winds up for a pitch against the Roadrunners on March 26.
UTSA would hold the advantage into the ninth, when Tim Lynch knocked in a walkoff, two-RBI single to give USM a 6-5 win in the first game of the series. In the second game of the series, head football coach Jay Hopson got the night started with the opening pitch for the game. The Golden Eagles subsequently jumped on UTSA early and often. USM would score four runs through five innings before UTSA answered back with a run of their own in the top of the sixth inning,
making the score 6-1. Braley was the man of the night as he sparked a five-run eighth inning with the team’s first grand slam of the season. It was the first grand slam since Michael Sterling in April 2015 and Braley’s eighth home run of the year. The Golden Eagles would keep on cruising to a decisive 11-2 win over the Roadrunners while capitalizing on 14 hits. In the third game of the series, junior Dylan Burdeaux stole the show.
“We started being aggressive early,” Burdeaux said. “I was actually being aggressive and trying to put a swing on it.” Burdeaux totaled four RBIs and two home runs in the series finale. Those homers were his sixth and seventh of the season, respectively. Not to be outdone, Kirk McCarty turned in his own dominating performance himself. McCarty pitched seven innings and struck out nine batters while only giving up six hits in the
contest. To McCarty, he could have thrown a lot more strikes across the plate. “I wanted a lot more, that would have been a lot of fun,” McCarty said. “Great day to hit the ball allaround, played defense and [a] great way to get the sweep.” The team’s performance was all-around dominant, as Daniel Keating and Hunter Slater also hit home runs themselves. Only three out of the 11 batters that saw a pitch were not able to get on-base, in an efficient Southern Miss offense. “As an offense, we always expect ourselves to score more than they do,” Burdeaux said. “No matter how much they score.” A dominating pitching performance by McCarty combined with a plethora of hitting gave the Golden Eagles their 19th win on the season, and their fifth victory in six games of conference play. The Golden Eagles have won their last 15 of 16 Conference USA games dating all the way back to last season and have captured their third series sweep of this season. On another note, USM is scoring 9.2 runs per game in conference play. “It’s just hard to do in division one baseball, no matter who you’re playing,” Berry said. “It requires a lot of focus from your team for three straight days. I told them Friday that we couldn’t look ahead to Sunday, we had to take it one game at a time. They had to show up, be present every day both mentally and physically. I feel like our club did that all three days.” The Golden Eagles will face instate rival Mississippi State on March 29.
Golden Eagles’ record drops after fourth season series loss Kyle Williams Sports Reporter
After a tough series loss to University of AlabamaBirmingham on March 20, Southern Miss looked to get back on track against nationally ranked No. 23 Florida Atlantic in a three-game series. The Golden Eagles are 1-7 against nationally ranked opponents this season. In the first inning of game one, sophomore Emily Lochten contributed a single, which brought home both runners to give the Owls an 2-0 lead. FAU homered in the bottom of the fourth inning and scored the last point of the game for both sides, solidifying the win, 3-0. Conference USA Owl pitcher of the week Kylee Hanson came into the contest recording 23 strikeouts the weekend prior to facing Southern Miss. In the first game on Friday, Hanson pitched a complete-game shutout and recorded 10 strikeouts. Her pitching proved to be worthy of the award as she earned her 13th
Courtesy Photo
win of the season against the Golden Eagles. After a scoreless outing in the first game, Southern Miss rallied back in game two with a threerun inning to claim a 3-2 victory. Holifield’s double to right field gave the Golden Eagles their first points of the day and their first lead, 2-0. Holifield then managed to advance to third
base and score off of a Bailey Stokes’ sacrifice bunt to give the Golden Eagles an 3-0 lead. FAU would start a rally in the bottom of the seventh inning but pitching by Southern Miss’ Samantha Robles proved too much as she retired one batter after giving up a home run. Then, a popped fly ball into the infield gave Southern Miss their first
win against a ranked opponent this season, 3-2. On Saturday, Southern Miss looked to be on pace for another scoreless outing as the Golden Eagles did not record a hit or run until the top of the fourth inning. Tori Dew doubled to right center field, ending Kylee Hanson chances of throwing a no-hitter for the day. A Katie Clearly
sac bunt would advance Dew’s pinch runner, Arielle Pollock to third with one out in the inning. After advancing Pollock, Lauren Holifield’s sacrifice ball flew to left field to bring home Pollock and tie the game 1-1. The fourth inning would prove productive for both sides as FAU would not leave the inning without producing runs of its own. Just like Southern Miss’ start to the fourth inning, Emily Lochten doubled to center field. Melissa Martinez singled after that but was able to advance to second as the throw was off by Southern Miss and allowed Lochten to advance home and score. After the score, Tatum Buckley doubled to bring home Martinez and give the Owls a 3-1 lead. Southern Miss would score one more time but the efforts would not produce enough to claim a victory as FAU won 3-2 and took the series, 2-1. Southern Miss is set to face Mcneese State Tuesday at home. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.
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