Monday, August 29, 2016 Volume 101 Issue 2
student printz SERVING SOUTHERN MISS SINCE 1927
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Frats lend hand to flooded homes
Courtesy Photo |
LUKE SMITH
printz reporter
As students prepared for classes last week, a group of Southern Miss students volunteered their time to help flood victims in Louisiana. Daniel Honore, a Baton Rouge native and senior construction management major at Southern Miss, witnessed firsthand the generosity of his fellow students in his family’s time of need. The heavy rain in Louisiana left 4 feet of rainwater in his family’s twostory home off Perkins Road in Baton Rouge. Water began accumulating in Honore’s home on Aug. 12, while Honore was in Hattiesburg. “My parents sent me a picture of about 4 inches of water in the house,”
Honore said. “They had started to put everything on cinderblocks. It’s happened before at our house. Water just kept on coming, so they decided to leave and stay at a friend’s house.” The water continued to rise all Saturday, reaching about 2.5 feet. On Sunday, things began to look brighter as the water receeded, but Monday it started again and reached about 4 feet. Honore, who was still in Hattiesburg, was not able to get to Baton Rouge to help his parents until Tuesday because the interstate had been closed off. “That Wednesday, I had family and friends come help and we actually started getting water out of the house,” Honore said. Back in Hattiesburg, a group of Southern Miss fraternity members had prepared a trip to Baton Rouge Monday before school to help flood victims.
Invest 99-L escalates to depression in gulf CAM BONELLI
executive editor
On Aug. 28 at 4 p.m. the National Hurricane Center reported that Invest 99-L has formed into a tropical depression.
“Sixteen IFC students from different fraternities traveled to Baton Rouge to help clear houses,” said Greek Life Director Charles Childress. These students were able to find time away from their busy back-to-school schedules to help people who lost everything in the flood. Honore, a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, reached a hand out to these students. “This past Monday, members of Greek Life were coming down to help in a different part of Baton Rouge,” Honore said. “I told the president of SAE that I’d appreciate it if some of them came my way to help out, and so Charles [Childress] said it was fine for them to come my way. I think I had six or seven from my fraternity come and help out at my house. We were able to clear out everything from the house.
The next day we were able to gut out our sheetrock, just because they came and helped clear our two-story house.” Honore said he was grateful for his brothers’ help and that not as much would have been accomplished had they not come to help. “My siblings had to go back to school that Monday, so all our help was gone by then,” Honore said. “The help of the fraternity guys was huge. It made a huge difference.” While the members of SAE helped Honore, other members of the IFC were in a different part of town helping clear houses. Zachary Irons, a senior and member of Pi Kappa Phi, was a part of this group. “I pretty much found out about it the day before at an IFC meeting,” Irons said. “[I} figured I’d go down and start
helping with the cleanup at some houses.” “It was really humbling to see each neighborhood, as far as you could look down there were just piles and piles of basically rubble from inside their houses,” Irons said. “Furniture, flooring from the houses, carpet, dry-wall– literally everything in their houses was ruined up to 4 feet from water damage. So we went through and started cleaning all that out. It was humbling to see how quickly things can go in an instance.” Honore said he walked away from the experience grateful for his friends. “It just takes one phone call to make a huge difference,” he said. “They really didn’t hesitate. When I told them about it, they immediately asked how they could help.”
Meteorologists project that Tropical Depression 9 will make landfall along the US Gulf Coast later next week, according to AccuWeather Hurricane Center. The tropical depression was located 60 miles south of Key West, Florida when reported Sunday and current atmospheric conditions could increase the depression’s strength. According
to AccuWeather, residents of northeastern Gulf Coast between Alabama and the northwestern Florida peninsula can expect flooding and strong winds if the storm escalates. “Enhanced showers and gusty thunderstorms can be expected with localized flooding possible along the system’s path,” reported AccuWeather Meteorologist Ed Vallee.
Predictions point to the depression making landfall Thursday afternoon along the northeastern section of the Gulf Coast stretching from Alabama to Florida. “At this time, there are no direct tropical impacts expected in South Mississippi from this system,” reported WLOX First Alert Meteorologist Wesley Williams.
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INTRODUCTION MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016
Meet the Staff Fall 2016 Cam Bonelli
FIND US ON THE WEB The Student Printz
Executive Editor
catherine.bonelli@usm.edu
Jack Hammett
@studentprintz
Managing Editor
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Hiba Tahir
Entertainment Editor
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Julius Kizzee Sports Editor
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ARTICLES FEATURED Fall 2016 ONLINE • Insomnia Cookies opens in the ‘Burg • University changes to Office 365 • Yiannopoulos’ latest ban • J.D. discusses personality politics CORRECTION: The School of Computing has not yet received IHL approval to launch the computer engineering program but has received permission to plan the program. The date of launch for the program has not been released.
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.
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 MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016
Are y’all ready for ‘mor chikin?’ TICHINA WILSON
printz reporter
Students can expect a more streamlined dining experience at The University of Southern Mississippi due to renovations and improvements to Chick-fil-A, Starbucks and the Fresh Food Company over the summer. Eagle Dining General Manager John Meyer cleared up any rumors surrounding why Chick-fil-A has yet to be reopened. He said the oneweek delay for a better customer experience is worth the wait. “The real holdup of that is really our new [point-of-sale] system – our new cash register system,” Meyer said. “It’s coming Tuesday and will start being installed on Tuesday, [then] completed by Wednesday for an opening on Thursday.” Many students said they appreciate the changes. “I feel like change is good because sometimes you get tired of the old things,” said senior recording industry production major Jarrett Taylor. “New looks will make people want to go eat at Chick-fil-A more.” Meyer said Starbucks has received positive feedback from students on campus, with many saying it seems bigger since
the renovations. “We didn’t change the footprint of the space at all,” Meyer said. “We just removed some of that bulky furniture and the curved half walls. That by itself gave the appearance that it is larger because we removed all the things that were blocking your view.” The Fresh is now equipped with new features that are even available at new times. “We made a few changes – both to the stations, as far as what the stations offer – in addition to the aesthetic [and] a change in our hours,” Meyer said. The Fresh partnered with the Image Center on campus to use photographs owned by the university as the basis for murals in the cafeteria. “We enjoy that mural so much that on the other side of the beverage station, there is a dull gray wall,” Meyer said. “We’re going to put another mural there.” Meyer said since the addition of these design elements, the establishments have already seen an increase in student usage. “My favorite thing about the remodeling is finding that the cafeteria has gotten some updates,” said junior sports coaching major Dexter Williamson. “I don’t really do
Hannah Heneghan | printz Starbucks, but I think the cafeteria and Chick-fil-A has made great additions to the campus.” Meyer said these additions do not stop at simple aesthetic touch-ups. The International station has been moved, and #TopIt has been added to the lineup. “People are rediscovering the International station because we
moved it into the main area,” Meyer said. “Now where International used to be we have a new station called #TopIt. We played on ‘To The Top,’ which is a USM [staple].” Meyer said he is most proud of the all-day make-your-own waffle bar, which is the most popular station. Meyer said Monday through
Thursday, students will now be able to get into the Fresh through the glass doors located by the waffle station until 9 p.m. Food availability will consist of anything from the grill, pizza, the #TopIt station and the waffle station. Meyer said the changes made are the result of suggestions from students.
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NEWS MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016
USM announces School of Ocean Technology
Courtesy Photo |
JENNY TATE
southern miss now press release
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has taken transformative steps to fortify its reputation as the leader in marine education and research along the Gulf of Mexico with the formation of a new School of Ocean Science and Technology (SOST). The new school, housed within the College of Science and Technology, brings together marine-related research and education programs under one administration and harnesses elements from key areas of the University including the Division of Marine Science (DMS) based at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County; the USM Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) and Division of Coastal Sciences in Ocean Springs, Miss;
and the University’s fleet of five research vessels. The fleet includes the new 60foot R/V Jim Franks, completed in February 2016, and the 135-foot R/V Point Sur, acquired by the University in February 2015. The R/V Point Sur is the only oceanographic class research vessel home-ported in the northern Gulf of Mexico east of the Mississippi River. “Through the new School of Ocean Science and Technology, the University will position itself as a national leader in marine science research,” said Dr. Steven R. Moser, USM provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Our faculty and staff in the school will continue to provide high-quality educational and research opportunities in the northern Gulf of Mexico, allowing us to better understand our coastal resources and the associated impacts
those resources have on our economy and community.” Dr. Monty Graham, chair of the Division of Marine Science and interim director of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, will serve as the school’s director. Graham points out that the establishment of the new school reflects the nexus between USM’s identified center of excellence in marine science and education with an emphasis on stakeholder engagement and economic development. “The ultimate goal of the School of Ocean Science and Technology is to increase productivity of USM’s research, education and economic development enterprises through enhanced coordination of research and education programs, improved opportunities for external funding, and increased focus on community and industry relations,” Graham
said. “Factors we are using to gauge our success are increased graduate and undergraduate enrollment, increased scholarly output by faculty, and meeting the educated workforce needs of the growing blue economy on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.” Michael Jones, president of The Maritime Alliance – a non-profit based in San Diego whose mission is to promote blue jobs and blue tech around the world – applauds USM for what he believes the new school will provide for the Gulf Coast region’s environmental and economic sustainability. “It is important and timely to see USM organize its already significant marine science efforts into a new School of Ocean Science and Technology to better focus on the vibrant Gulf Coast’s blue economy,”
Jones said. “Enhanced interaction between academia, industry and policy makers at new, state-of-theart facilities will promote innovation, better prepare the entrepreneurs and workforce of tomorrow, and create exciting growth opportunities for the region. For more information about the University’s School of Ocean Science and Technology, visit www.usm.edu/ocean.
CONTINUED ONLINE
news.usm.edu
Suspects unknown in campus auto burglaries JOCELYNE SIMS
printz reporter
On Aug. 22, four unknown suspects allegedly attempted multiple auto burglaries on The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hattiesburg campus. Members of Kappa Sigma were among the affected students. “I came home to news of the break in,” said Kappa Sigma Fraternity member Josh Wilkerson. “We were in Baton Rouge assisting the flood victims that day, and when we returned, I found out what occurred.” According to University Police Department Capt. Rusty Keyes, the investigation is ongoing.
“We are currently investigating all the burglaries,” he said. “From what we can see, three vehicles’ windows were broken, and one case involved an unlocked vehicle.” Keyes reminded students, staff and faculty to take precautions when leaving items in vehicles. “I want to encourage our students and staff to put their property out of sight or in the trunk,” Keyes said. “We are working with the Hattiesburg police to try to determine suspect information. If anyone sees any suspicious activity in our parking areas, please call the campus police at 601-266-4986.”
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OPINION MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016
‘Trumping’ the Hitler trope in politics J.D. RIMANN
printz reporter
In my own opinion, Donald Trump is a corrupt and elderly hedonist, an unbalanced trust fund kid who is giving a very impromptu run for president. I did not think he would make it this far, and I don’t know many others who did either (although my former debate partner did, or deserves an anonymous tip of the hat for that prescient prediction). Recently, though, the Goddess of Pop Cher went a few steps further than “corrupt and elderly hedonist,” and got me thinking about historical parallels. While giving the opening remarks at a Hillary Clinton fundraiser last week, Cher became one of the latest individuals to compare Donald Trump to Nazi Fuhrer Adolf Hitler, joining a group which includes comedian Louis
C.K. (who wrote in an email to his fans in March that “[Trump] is Hitler. And by that I mean that we are being Germany in the 30s.”), three Mexican presidents, a group of Oxford dons who recently claimed that their tests reveal that “Trump is more psychopathic than Hitler” and Salon writer Fedja Buric (actually only implicitly, taking a different twist on the dictatorial topic by penning an article entitled “Trump’s not Hitler, he’s Mussolini”). Of course the “Person X is Hitler” trope has a long and distinguished history in American political parlance, and I would point any interested party in the direction of Michael Lind’s excellent article on the subject in the Mar. 8 edition of Politico Magazine. While the comparison is hardly original, it is fairly commonplace (both points amply backed by the fact that the
Fadi Shahin | printz
Google search “Donald Trump Hitler” returns 14.3 million hits). However, regardless of its originality or partiality, the question to be asked in response to this most common of accusations is: is this a fair comparison? Is the billionaire real estate mogul truly comparable to one of the most terrifying, powerful and cruel world leaders of all time? Well, yes and no. In the most common area of comparison, beliefs, however, the answer is a clear no. For starters, Der Fuhrer was an ideologue, plain and simple. His beliefs as expressed in Mein Kampf might as well have been carved into stone tablets and remained unshaken into his last days in his Berlin bunker. Hitler claimed he wanted to destroy the parliamentary system of the republic, and then he did. Hitler claimed he wanted to destroy the European Jews, and then he did. Hitler said he wanted to go to war with the Soviet Union and then—after a brief period of peace under the MolotovRibbentrop Agreement—he did. Even when it would have been in both Hitler’s interest and those of the Third Reich to not do these things (examples include not invading Soviet Russia and instead focusing on Great Britain, or not exterminating the “sub-human” Slavs and instead treating them as allies against the Soviets, or not destroying the Jews because aside from its sheer evilness it was also a pretty irrational act) Hitler did them, because he truly appears to have believed in them. If nothing else,
Donald Trump speaking to his supporters at his rally in Jackson, Mississippi on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016.
Trump rallies for minority voters in Jackson NEWS
LUKE SMITH
printz reporter
On Aug. 24 at the Mississippi Coliseum, Donald Trump emphasized to thousands of supporters his populist and “America first” message with help from a foreign politician. Trump, who trails Hillary Clinton in most national polls, called on the leader of the United Kingdom’s Independence Party and prominent Brexit supporter Nigel Farage to join him onstage to deliver a message of hope to Trump supporters. Farage reminded supporters that most experts and polls were proven wrong when Great Britain voted to leave the European Union back in June. “If you want change, you better get your walking boots on,” Farage said. “You better get out there [and campaign] and remember [that] anything is possible if enough decent people are prepared to stand up against the establishment.” According to CNN, Trump began reading from teleprompters in March despite saying he believes “no president should be allowed to use them.” At the rally, Trump was seen reading from a
teleprompter. He also attempted to reach out to Hispanic and African-American voters that evening. “What do you have to lose?” Trump said to minority voters – though the Jackson crowd was mostly white. “Hillary Clinton is a bigot who sees people of color only as votes, not as human beings worthy of a better future,” Trump said. Trump said unlike his opponent, his policies would always put America first. “My priorities will never change – jobs, wages and security for Americans,” Trump said. “We’ll establish justice and opportunity and safety in every community in the land. I am asking for the vote of every citizen in this country – African-American, Hispanic, all Americans – all Americans who want a better, brighter and stronger future for yourselves and our country.” On immigration, Trump said he condemned Democrats for pushing the amnesty of people who were in the country illegally. “We cannot allow that,” he said. University of New Orleans student James DuPont, who wore a “Make America Great Again” cap, drove from
New Orleans to Jackson to attend the rally. DuPont said he has supported Trump from the beginning. “I like Trump in general,” DuPont said. “I’m okay with him softening some immigration laws for some people, but I still support the wall.” Mississippi College business law student and Dallas native Caleb Ensley said he showed up despite being neutral at this point in the election. “I’m not a die-hard Trump supporter like some other people here,” Ensley said. “I came because I was interested in seeing the possible president. He’s very outspoken. If he were more professional and presidential, I could vote for him then.” University of Mississippi School of Medicine graduate student Graham Casey said it was unlikely he would vote for Trump regardless of his demeanor. “I haven’t really made up my mind yet,” Casey said. “I would definitely consider voting for a third-party candidate though.” After Jackson, the Trump campaign stopped in Manchester, New Hampshire for a rally Thursday evening.
the man was consistent. Trump, on the other hand, not so much. He cannot be said to have evil or racist ideologies, because he cannot be said to have an ideology at all. Trump’s beliefs appear to be endlessly fluid, as exemplified by the mogul’s declaration—in Texas of all places—that he is willing to be softer on immigration and maybe not pursue his trademark “wall” policy (though policy seems like too high of a term for the entire wall idea, which resembles nothing so much as a particularly clumsy propaganda prop). At various times, Trump has been for and against abortion, for and against strict immigration controls, for and against mass deportation, for and against free trade, for and against criminal justice reform, for and against torture and the list just goes on. More broadly one could say that Trump is for and against conservatism, for and against liberalism and even for and against pragmatism. The endpoint of all of this flip-flopping in the context of the comparisons to the Nazi leader, though, is simple: Trump is no Adolf Hitler. (And Louis C.K., if you’re reading this, please go read about the Weimer Republic before making broader time and place comparisons; I have yet to need a wheelbarrow of cash to purchase a loaf of bread.)
Now, the more nuanced critics will counter this by saying that Trump might not be exactly like Hitler in specific beliefs, but rather is like the Nazi leader in presentation: He’s a fear monger and a demagogue whose chaotic and giant rallies are nightly an eerie parallel to the Sportpalast. Even here, however, the comparisons do not hold up. Lots of would-be politicos have giant rallies with chanting and violence and angry words, at all levels of politics. What really set the Nazis apart from others – and why we still think envision exactly what a Nazi rally looks like so vividly in our collective imagination – was organization and presentation. These carefully choreographed events, with a detailed script and order of events, could not be more different from a Trump rally or from how Trump presents himself. Likewise, Hitler’s and Goebbels’ speeches were always on topic, always pounding away at the same themes over and over again; with Nazis you always knew, for better or worse – and defiantly worse, I mean, it’s Hitler after all – what you were getting. With Trump, every rally has a new surprise, a new stance or a new rambling retraction of a statement from the day before.
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ENTERTAINMENT MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016
Rock ‘n’ Roll Date Party reaches new students JACK HAMMETT
managing editor
“I can’t wait to do it again and again,” said Beastie Boys vocalist Jesse Moore. “Not a dull moment whatsoever. Legendary event.” The world fell away when the band played the destructive opening notes of “Sabotage.” The crowd, so large it barely fit in the venue space, erupted in its chaotic dance. On Aug. 26, the crew responsible for creating Hattiesburg’s nationallyknown DIY and punk scene hosted a cover show at Spice World to raise donations for Baton Rouge flood victims. The event attracted almost
100 confirmed guests who raised a total of $382. The cover group lineup included Beastie Boys, Dead Kennedys, DYS, The B-52s, Minor Threat and Nirvana, respectively. Spice World resident and local punk Sarah Krock helped organize the event and played bass for the DYS and Minor Threat cover groups. She said the idea to donate the funds to Baton Rouge flood victims came around the time “everyone started forming bands and learning the music.” “I was and still am completely in awe of how great all the bands sounded and the amount of donations we collected,” Krock said.
“I think it was the biggest turnout we’ve ever had. The punk crew, according to Krock, decided to give the donations directly to families in need in lieu of larger organizations. “One of our close friends who lives in New Orleans has been working with a few different grassroots organizations that are helping families rebuild their homes and distribute other goods they may need,” she said. DYS and Minor Threat guitarist Hampton Martin, who also had a hand in organizing the event, said the show’s end result was unimaginably successful. “We raised more money than I even thought we would,” he said. “The whole night people were just going nuts, having tons of fun and singing along. I got to play cover sets of some of my favorite bands and watch my friends absolutely nail some of the best songs of all time.” Martin and Krock both said they and the local punks had wanted to do a cover show for a long time. Porn Hall and Spice World familiars made appearances in almost every group – from Limbos vocalist Tyler Ricketts, who sang for Dead Kennedys, to
Dumspell vocalist Mary Spooner, who sang for Nirvana. Moore, also a familiar face, said preparing for the show required “very little effort.” “I’ve been a massive Beastie Boys fan since I was like 8 years old, so I’ve been practicing those lyrics forever like a little twerp,” he said. “That was like a brief moment where it was a pleasure to channel my teenage self.” Moore said the event was the “most energy-packed Hattiesburg DIY show there’s ever been.” “The magic of cover shows is how inclusive for the audience they can be,” he said. “Everyone drops their guard and just goes off. When every person in attendance is singing along, you just get chill bumps and can’t wipe the smile off your face. The songs are fun to play, but the crowd participation took it to another level.” Moore and his Beastie Boys team had chemistry enough that they needed only a single night to practice. During their set, they played “Sabotage,” “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)” and “Gratitude,” which Moore said is a “deeper cut” but sums up his outlook on life.
According to Martin, covering familiar music was a way to attract new people to the local scene. “New people showing up at shows and starting bands is the only way a music scene can survive,” he said. “Nobody wants the same people at every show with the same bands every time.” Martin said the punks put the show together at the beginning of the new school year so they could bring in any USM freshmen interested in joining the scene. “You just know there’s got to be some new kid to Hattiesburg that moved here, doesn’t know anybody really, listens to Black Flag or something and wished they could go to punk shows,” he said. The punk scene cares. Repeatedly and without dissent, its members call those around them their family. Martin said he was once that kid who wanted to go to punk shows. But since he started his own, there now exists a place where the like-minded can congregate and welcome those without a social home. Martin said, “I want to find those people.”
‘Burg band debuts new album HANNAH HENEGHAN printz reporter Jack Hammett | printz Zach Burton grabs Tyler Ricketts, who performed in a Dead Kennedys cover band at the Back to School Rock ‘n’ Roll Date Party at Spice World on Aug. 26.
On Saturday, native Hattiesburg duo Oh, Jeremiah performed an album release show for “The Other End of Passing Time” at the Thirsty Hippo. Alabama singer-songwriter McKenzie Lockhart opened the show, sharing her soul with the audience through song. The crowd reacted positively as she told the stories behind her lyrics. Oh, Jeremiah soon began their set, gratefully welcoming the audience and sharing music from “The Other End of Passing Time.” Though the duo’s stories were not as eloquent and touching as Lockheart’s, they made crowd smile and laugh. They explained the origins of their recent odd music videos. There was not a dull moment – from the slow song about animals falling in love (“Two Animals”) to a song inspired by Oh, Jeremiah violinist Erin Raber’s snoring (“Hello Ghost”). Some of the audience members came prepared, singing all the lyrics to the new music. The group wrapped up the show with an unplugged performance of “Mississippi, I’m Yours” and invited the audience to sing along. The room was filled with humming and singing for the love of Mississippi. Students from both William Carey University and The University of Southern Mississippi attended.
“Hattiesburg is full of so much talent, and the Oh, Jeremiah! [show] was a celebration of that,” said USM senior math and Spanish major Sarah Long. “The Stricklands have worked so hard and are now able to enjoy this new season in their music career. The Hattiesburg
community could not be more proud.” Oh, Jeremiah!’s show was a joyous one, and the new album is recommended. To listen to Oh, Jeremiah’s new album, visit its website at ohjeremiahmusic.com.
Hannah Heneghan | printz
Oh, Jeremiah performs at the Thirsty Hippo on Saturday Aug. 27.
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OPINION MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016
Dive into Frank Ocean’s new album ‘Blonde’ HIBA TAHIR
entertainment editor First and foremost, it’s worth noting that I am not a Frank Ocean fan by any stretch of the imagination. When “Novacane” hit the charts in 2011, I was a 15-year-old cynic still very much entrenched in my adolescent alt-rock stage. No teen desires uncertainty. My obsession for distinct instrumentals and indubitable meanings overshadowed any appreciation for Ocean’s trademark ambivalent ambiance. And yet, five years later, I crave that ambivalence, that “life immortality” Ocean sings of in tracks like “Pink + White” before firmly declaring, “I didn’t care to state the plain” in “White Ferrari.” The entire album is a testament to that claim. “Blonde” is many things, and at first glance it may even appear plain - but dig deeper and you’ll find a multitude of meanings and insight into an incredibly nuanced mind. For example, there’s the color motif. In his track and album titles, Ocean talks in shades of white – white (blond) hair, white Ferraris and white mixed with pink. There are no certainties here; no vivid hues to stake absolutes. Instead, Ocean wants to explore the in-betweens, those broken down shades so ethereal and dreamlike that one hardly has the time to appreciate them before they disappear. Indeed, Ocean spends much of the album dreaming – “I
thought that I was dreaming when you said you loved me … I could dream all night,” he sings in “Ivy.” I don’t know who the “you” is, but Ocean’s pain and irreconcilable love are palpable throughout the entire album. If there’s one thing the listener can be certain about, it’s that Ocean has suffered from many a heartbreak in his time. No one depicts them as neatly and explicitly, but then again, most don’t feel them as intensely: “This love will keep us through blinding of the eyes, silence in the ears, darkness of the mind. It’s till it’s time we die,” he sings in “Godspeed,” my favorite song on the album. “There will be mountains you won’t move … still, I’ll always be there for you.” “I wrote a story in the middle – It’s called ‘Godspeed,’” he wrote about the track in his “Boys Don’t Cry” publication, in a spread that was shared online shortly after the album’s release. “It’s basically a reimagined part of my boyhood. Boys do cry, but I don’t think I shed a tear for a good chunk of my teenage years. It’s surprisingly my favorite part of my life so far. Surprising, to me, because the current phase is what I was asking the cosmos for when I was a kid. Maybe that part had its rough stretches too, but in my rearview mirror it’s getting small enough to convince myself it was all good. And really though … it’s still all good.” In short, Ocean is seeking the oldest, mundane magic known to mankind - positive thinking. “In hell, there’s heaven … Inhale, inhale there’s heaven,” he sings in “Solo” before adding,
Courtesy Photo |
“Mind over matter is magic. I do magic,” in “White Ferrari.” If the constant allusions to sunrises are any indication, this is a new era in Ocean’s life. He is depicting a world
bathed in the soft rays of early morning sunlight, a world where everything can be taken at face value and yet nothing ever is – a world resplendent in long sought-for, and much
deserved magic. Although “Blonde” is not currently available from most streaming services, it can be purchased and streamed on iTunes.
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SPORTS MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016
Golden Eagles falter in USM Invitational LUKE SMITH
Courtesy Photo |
sports reporter
Southern Miss kicked off the 2016 volleyball season with a 3-1 win over McNeese State on Friday night at Oak Grove High School. After dropping the first set, the Golden Eagles rallied to win three straight sets to clinch a win in the opening match of the Southern Miss Invitational. In the first set, Southern Miss quickly took a 10-7 lead before allowing the Cowgirls to battle back and tie the set at 11-11. From there, McNeese State would take the lead and go on to clinch the set 25-21. In the second set, the Golden Eagles trailed 2-1 before winning a hard-fought point to capture momentum. From there, Southern Miss did not look back. The Golden Eagles easily won the second set 25-9 to go into halftime tied at one set each. Southern Miss quickly took a 9-3 lead coming out of halftime and would go on to win the set 25-9. The fourth set was more competitive, with the Golden Eagles maintaining the lead for the majority of the set. The Cowgirls battled to within three points, trailing 17-14. However, Southern Miss tallied the next four points and went on to win the set 25-17. Senior Stephany Purdue led the Golden Eagles with 16 kills and 19 points, while freshman Catherine Repsher had 14 kills and 20.5 points. Coach Amanda Berkley was pleased
with how her team rallied after the first set. “We just had first match jitters in that first set,” Berkley said. “Then, we came out and we got it all out of our system and came to play the next three sets. It was just a total team effort, and it was fun.”
JULIUS KIZZEE
sports editor
On the second day of the Southern Miss Invitational, the Golden Eagles would take on the Grambling State Tigers. USM made quick work of their counterparts shutting them out, 3-0.
Southern Miss dominated the first set by jumping out to a 8-1 lead, then cruising to a 25-11 victory. The second frame saw the Tigers get out to a 3-0 lead, then keep the game competitive throughout. But after the Golden Eagles amped the defense, Grambling was suffocated and faltered to a 12-4 Southern Miss run, losing the set 25-14. Again in the third set, the Southern Miss defense was put on full display by shutting down the Grambling offense to a 25-15 victory, cruising to a 3-0 match win. After their win against Grambling State earlier in the day, Tulane was the next opponent on the docket. “They were a big team,” Berkley said. “Their defense was unbelievable.” The championship game drew a host of fans including former men’s basketball star Chip Armelin, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams and newly enshrined Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre. The Golden Eagles went ahead 7-4 on the Green Wave after a kill from Kylie Grandy. By the time Tulane had wavered momentum to Southern Miss, the first set had been out of reach with USM up 22-17. The Golden Eagles were able to close out the first set 25-22 on a Sarah Bell kill. The second set saw a back-andforth affair between both teams
trading points until Southern Miss took a decisive 20-17 advantage. Following that three point advantage, Tulane went on a 4-0 run to go up 21-20. Both teams fought to the last point and the Golden Eagles were the first to 25 points, then scored the subsequent 26th point and the second set. Using a 5-0 run in the third, the Green Wave closed out the Golden Eagles 25-20 in a quick set. “We had some miscommunications at the end of a very important set,” Berkley said. “We can’t make those mistakes towards the end of sets.” In the fourth, the Green Wave used the momentum from the last set to jump out to a 7-0 lead. But, the Golden Eagles would keep on trying to match their counterparts and coming to tie the contest at 10-10. Again matching at 21, the Golden Eagles fought to take a decisive advantage 24-23. Then Tulane took the match at 27-25. Starting a dramatic fifth set, the Golden Eagles went out to a 7-2 lead. Southern Miss would control the match late into the contest, but squander it late. The Golden Eagles would fall 15-13 in the final set and go on to lose the contest. The Golden Eagles will host the Southern Jaguars on Aug. 30 at Reed Green Coliseum.