Monday, September 12, 2016 Volume 101 Issue 5
student printz SERVING SOUTHERN MISS SINCE 1927
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Golden Eagles shut out Savannah State, 56-0: ‘Everything was bouncing our way’ JULIUS KIZZEE
sports editor
The Golden Eagles closed this contest as fast as they ran on the field in their opening home game of 2016. Savannah State, coming off of a 54-0 loss to Georgia Southern, came into the Rock looking to redeem themselves. The Golden Eagles, however, were too tough a matchup for the Tigers. “I thought we played with good effort today,” said Head Coach Jay Hopson. “I thought we prepared hard this week, and we were focused.” The Golden Eagles’ first score in the game came at the 5:33 mark in the first quarter with a Nick Mullens rush for one yard, which was his third touchdown scamper of the season. For the rest of the game, the Golden Eagles blitzed the Savannah State Tigers. “We had to handle business, go out there and get the dub,” said junior running back Ito Smith. “It’s big being balanced [offensively]. It’ll open up things in the run game. If you can run the ball, you can pass.” Before Mullens sat down toward the end of the second quarter, the senior quarterback threw for 216 yards and three touchdowns. Mullens also threw his fourth interception of the season on his first throw of the game. “You just got to shake it off,” Mullens said. “I have to protect the ball and get it over the guy, not throw it right at his hands.” The Savannah State quarterbacks were under duress all night. By the end of the first half, Southern Miss had tallied
Cam Bonelli | Executive Editor Quarterback Nick Mullens looks for an opening to pass the ball against Savannah State on Sept. 10, 2016. three sacks and hit the quarterback an additional two times. The defensive line held control of the game throughout. Combined, linemen
Dylan Bradley and Derrick Dixon tallied eight tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss in the first half. Southern Miss led Savannah State in
total offensive yards by a comparison of 420-9. The deficit would grow by the end of the game by a margin of 615-41. “Everything was bouncing our way,”
said receiver Marquise Ricard. “We just took what they were giving us. That just adds up in the long run.” The second half saw more of the same dominance. Southern Miss put in their backups as soon as they came out of the locker room after halftime. The secondstringers did not disappoint, extending the lead to 56-0 by the end of the third quarter. “Before the game, the leaders on the team and the coaches were stressing that as long as we execute and hold them to nothing that we would come out great,” said defensive lineman Xavier Thigpen. “We see our offense scoring and moving the ball. We’re just saying, ‘Let’s just go out there and execute so we can keep giving the momentum back to them.’” For the second game in a row, Southern Miss had at least two backs rush for at least 100 yards, with Ito Smith tallying 128 yards on eight carries. Running back George Payne added 116 yards on 14 carries. The defense, who shut out their first opponent since 2009 against Alcorn State, held Savannah State to 41 yards on offense, the fewest a C-USA team has ever allowed an opponent. The Tigers’ longest offense drive only went 26 yards downfield on any given drive. The defensive line led on through the night. By providing early pressure on the quarterbacks, the rest of the defense was able to play more freely and with less effort. “It was actually fun,” Thigpen said. “We were saying to either meet me or beat me [to the quarterback].” Southern Miss will host Troy at home on Sept. 17 at 6 p.m.
Students collaborate for National Day of Service LUKE SMITH
printz reporter
Several University of Southern Mississippi students volunteered their time on Saturday morning to help improve the Thames Elementary School’s community garden to commemorate the 15th anniversary of 9/11. The Southern Miss Center for Community and Civic Engagement coordinated the event as part of the 9/11 National Day of Service. “The #WeAreHattie Project is a collaborative project between Southern Miss through the CCCE, the United
Way and Volunteer Hattiesburg,” said Chris Ferrell, the program coordinator of the CCCE at Southern Miss. “We have collectively planned different projects throughout the Hattiesburg area just to give people different projects to do to benefit the community as a whole as our means of commemorating [9/11]. ” Perry Overstreet, a graduate student pursuing his master’s degree in forensic science, said it was important for him to give back to the community. “Hattiesburg is where I’m from, and I used to go here to Thames, so just to be able to give the kids a garden that they can come play in and maintain is a positive way to give
back,” he said. Overstreet said he still remembers the tragedy of 15 years ago. “I was in second grade,” he said. “On that day in particular, I remember my teacher’s daughter was a nurse in New York, so I remember her being panicked and people crying. We turned on the TV to the news, and we saw what was going on. We couldn’t quite grasp it at the time.” Members of the University Baptist Church, who have adopted the Thames Elementary community garden as a service project, were also on site to help. Church member Lida MacDowell recalled 9/11 better than most students at
the site. “It was a scary thing,” she said. “It was a very sad thing, and [it] made you want to help other people like they helped the people in New York.” “I remember I was in the ninth grade, so that would put me around 13 or 14 [years old],” Ferrell said of his own experience. “I remember when I first heard about what happened, I was in band, the first class of the day. Word was traveling, and a student that sat next to me told me what had happened. Then, as we went through the day to our different classes, our classrooms had TV, and we turned on the news, and that was the news on every channel all day.”
As far as what that means now, in the present day, being able to come together to remember that, out of a tragic event, we can still create something positive for ourselves and our communities. That’s what we’re doing here at Thames Elementary and with our other community projects throughout the weekend.” Volunteers throughout Hattiesburg participated in the two-day community service event at several locations across the city Friday and Saturday. The weekend’s activities concluded Sunday morning at Hattiesburg’s annual 9/11 memorial ceremony at the #1 Fire Station on Main Street.
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INTRODUCTION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2016
Meet the Staff Fall 2016 Cam Bonelli
Executive Editor
FIND US ON THE WEB The Student Printz
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Managing Editor
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Hiba Tahir
Entertainment Editor
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NEWS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2016
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Students petition for more parking JENNIFER ROBINSON
printz reporter
On Sept. 1, three University of Southern Mississippi students updated a petition in response to the Elam Arms gravel parking lot’s unavailability and construction on new parking not being finished for another 12 to 24 months. The students originally wrote the petition calling for more suitable parking on campus. Kiara Cervantes, senior choral music education major and author of the petition, said the first day of class was mass chaos when everyone came to school. “[The University] gave [students] a notice, but it was barely mentioned and far down in the Mailout,” she said. “I feel like they should have given us more information because it was a big deal – news [the lot was closed] was spread by mainly word of mouth.” Cervantes said students were late to class or missed class because they could not find a parking spot. “I felt like this was a good opportunity to do something about it,” Cervantes said. “I was frustrated. I felt like there were so many people complaining about it, and something needed to be done.” Choral music education junior Katie Glydewell said the majority of students, not just a few, are complaining about parking issues. “I think it’s ridiculous that they increased the price of parking but have fewer spots,” she said. “I’m already waking up around 6:30 a.m. for my 8 a.m. classes, so I shouldn’t have to wake up earlier.” Junior choral music education major Nykkoa Morris said on Mondays, she goes to work at 3:30
Courtesy Photo| p.m. at Laser Mania and that parking issues on campus have contributed to her being late for work. “My ensemble doesn’t get out until 3:15 p.m,” she said. “I already have problems going through the school zone to get to Hardy. Parking doesn’t just affect my school life at this point, but it also goes into my work. It’s a butterfly effect. If I’m always late, I could lose my job.” The petition calls for three solutions from Parking Management: Reevaluate the zoning designations, remove metered parking and negotiate with the current owners of the Elam Arms lot to allow students
to park there until construction is complete. “Our student body as a whole is not necessarily displeased with the quality of the lots currently provided,” the petition states. “Hundreds of students, however, are concerned with the distance from their available parking zones to their classroom destinations. Students are now under the impression that the institution is not interested in the betterment of the campus for their sake, causing them to feel unheard by their university government.” It also outlines student concerns for more parking such
as time management concerns, professionalism in how students dress, the price increase for parking versus fewer parking spots and student affairs not being prioritized. The Printz reported on Sept. 1 that Parking Management said it plans to begin constructing new parking lots for student use and implement a mass transit system within the next 12 to 24 months. “The wording in the university’s response makes it sound like there will be two brand new lots,” Cervantes said. “Even if this were the case, that would only add 235 spots, which doesn’t compare to
the number of spots that were sold. But moreover, when you look at the campus map, it seems as though the university is only looking to pave and improve current lots rather than add new ones. “This is being done with the revenue from selling the lot across Hardy Street, yet it still doesn’t address the needs of the students. Students aren’t concerned with the fact that they are parking in gravel. They are concerned that they are paying $162 for a decal to search for a spot and walk 15 minutes to their classes.” “If they do just redo these lots then it will make parking worse,” Glydwell said. “There will be lines in those lots instead of students parking close together.” Another issue the petition mentioned was game day parking. Cervantes said students don’t have the lot on Hardy Street now. “Residents move their cars to the parking garage to make room for fans and visitors,” Cervantes said. “If the parking garage is already full on a daily basis, I don’t know where visitors are going to go.” In response to suggestions that students bike or walk to campus, Glydewell said with the weather walking or biking won’t always be an option. Glydewell said she knows students who are bringing a change of clothes because the ones they wear to class are drenched in sweat after walking to class. Cervantes said the petition has more than 400 signatures and that she does not plan to stop until she meets her goal of getting 1,500 signatures. The petition is now available online at change.org under the title “Improve Campus Parking at USM.”
Music director pushes for international presence DAISY STUTTS assistant photo editor This summer, The University of Southern Mississippi welcomed Richard Kravchak as the new director of the Department of Music for the fall semester. According to Southern Miss Now, Kravchak is a renowned oboe and English horn soloist who has travelled across multiple continents performing solos and ensemble pieces of varying styles. Kravchek has received degrees from the Eastman School of Music, the Juilliard School and Florida State University. He has been invited to perform both contemporary pieces, which is what he specializes in, and pieces from many different historical periods. Some of these performances include The International Double Reed Society, The North American Saxophone Alliance, Festival Forfest, the
International Clarinet Society and other distinguished organizations of musicians, according to Southern Miss Now. Kravchak has performed in ensembles, concertos and chamber music recitals around the world. He was honored with the Platinum Apple Award by United Teachers of Los Angeles, named Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Teacher of the Year and was named a Bravo Finalist by the Los Angeles Music Center. Kravchek said he is incredibly passionate about the future of the celebrated music department at Southern Miss. “I think that Southern Miss’ music department is an undiscovered gem, and my goal is to make it a discovered gem,” Kravchek said. According to Kravchek, USM is not just one of the highest quality departments in the state but in the whole southeast.
Claire Sanguinetti, a third-year graduate student working on a dual masters in choral conducting and music theory, said Kravchak is a jolly person. “[He] has made sure to say hello to me every time he sees me,” she said. “He seems like the type of person that knows what he is doing and will make a personal effort to further each student’s career.” Kravchek said he has also invested in new advertising measures to bring more attention to the department’s arsenal of performances and awards, such as new banners surrounding the music buildings and programs that will send music students all over the world to showcase the department’s talent. “I want to try to send an ensemble to Peru to play a concert,” he said. “It’s an up and coming plan.” Kravchek said he hopes to see his students’ performances spread across the world.
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NEWS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2016
Schwartz brings mystery to USM bookstore JAMAUD BELL
printz reporter
On Sept. 10, locally-famous attorney Richard Schwartz hosted a book signing at USM’s campus bookstore for his 2015 novel “Two Dead and Counting” and saw a turnout of more than 20 people. Known for his slogan, “One Call, That’s All,” the law practitioner owns a firm called Richard Schwartz and Associates and currently has 13 lawyers working under him. His firm specializes in personal injury and car accident cases, serving every city in the state. “When I was six,” Schwartz said, “I wrote a list of everything I wanted to do. One of those things was writing a book.” Schwartz was raised in Jackson and now lives in Hattiesburg. He attended and graduated from Millsaps College and the University of Mississippi’s law school. “When people think of lawyers, they
think of all the bad things,” Schwartz said. “But people have to make decisions during tough times, and lawyers help make those decisions. I became a lawyer because I enjoy helping.” Schwartz’s “Two Dead and Counting” is a mystery novel chronicling a murder investigation led by detective Jack Kendall. “The cover is Lady Justice,” Schwartz said. “You know, she is supposed to be blind and impartial. I thought she fit the cover because the characters try to swindle the justice system.” Schwartz’s idea for the cover is his own, but he hired a professional graphic artist to complete it. “It took me five years to get this story published,” Schwartz said. “It is time consuming, but that was because I was learning. Now that I know what I am doing, it is definitely easier.” Schwartz’s second book, “Pearl River Mansion,” is set to be released in
March 2017. “I found the novel to be a refreshing treat,” wrote reader Glen Stripling on goodreads.com. “It has a bit of a complex plot with various characters that are noble in some ways but also have their own selfish agendas.” Other reviews ranged from “great read” to detailed analyses of certain characters. John Grisham is another attorneyturned-author. “John Grisham was in my law class,” Schwartz said. “I can’t remember any of the names of his books, but I do know they follow the same genre as mine.” Grisham graduated from Ole Miss law school in 1981. He practiced law for 10 years before becoming a full-time author. John Grisham’s “The Firm” was a best-seller in 1991. “I think everyone has a good book in them,” Schwartz said. “You don’t understand how good it feels to have it out there.”
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Mississippi tied for second in obesity GARRETT MINTA
news editor
A new report from the Trust for America’s Health entitled “The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America” showed that Mississippi is tied with West Virginia and Alabama for the second highest obesity rates in the nation at 35.6 percent. The study examined 2014 and 2015 and Louisiana with the highest adult obesity rate of 36.2 percent. However, health on The
University of Southern Mississippi’s campus shows a different percentage. According to a study done in 2013 by the American College Health Association, 18 percent of USM students reported being obese, and another 24.5 percent reported being overweight. The national average for the same year for adults over 20 years of age was 37.9 percent, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “Just a few pounds is stressful for the joints,” said Lisa Wright, a Health Educator at the Moffitt
Health Center. Wright said 2.1 percent of college students ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day and 30 percent of students reported zero days of moderate to intense exercise. The Trust for America’s Health report said there are multiple ways to help lower obesity rates. “Providing adequate funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund, and for the Centers for Disease Control, and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion/Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity would increase support to state and local health departments,” the report said. The report advocated for childhood prevention efforts. “Supporting better health among young children through healthier meals, physical activity, limiting screen time and connecting families to community services through Head Start; prioritizing early childhood education opportunities under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA); and implementing
the updated nutrition standards covering the Child and Adult Care Food Program,” the report said. Stanford Health Care website said one of the bigger issues with obesity is the risk of diabetes. “Healthcare professionals are seeing earlier onset of Type 2 diabetes (normally an adult-onset disease), cardiovascular disease and obesity-related depression in children and adolescents,” said Stanford Health Care. “The longer a person is obese, the more significant obesity-related risk factors become. Given the chronic diseases and conditions associated with obesity, and the fact that obesity is difficult to treat, prevention is extremely important.” “Today, twothirds of U.S. adults and nearly one in three children struggle because they are overweight or have obesity,” wrote the Campaign to End Obesity on it’s website. “The effects of the nation’s obesity epidemic are immense: taxpayers, businesses, communities and individuals spend hundreds of billions of dollars each year due to obesity, including nearly $200 billion in medical costs.” The Fresh Food company has a way of tracking how many calories one consumes and to use the leaf guide to find healthy choices. Wright said that the Payne center as a way for students to get exercise on campus.
ENTERTAINMENT MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2016
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The Weeks discuss show in ‘Burg, musical influences, culture
Daisy Stutts| Assistant Photo Editor The Weeks perform at the Dollar Box Show Room on Sept. 10, 2016.
DAISY STUTTS
assistant photo editor “I think that The Weeks’ music has so many elements to its genre that everyone can find a sound that they relate to. How did you guys get your unique sound from the culture of this area?” I was lucky to have been able to interview The Weeks before their show at the Dollar Box Show Room in Downtown Hattiesburg. What I didn’t know going into the interview was that by asking the question above, I would learn much about the musical history of the state I grew up in. A big part of understanding and appreciating a band’s sound is knowing their inspiration, which is tied closely to the history of the area they originated from. Mississippi’s rich culture of blues, soul, hip-hop, country and rock ‘n’ roll all manifest in a totally unique way in The Weeks’ sound, which is usually described as alternative southern rock. The guys met through a mutual interest in the musical culture Jackson had to offer when they first became interested in playing music. “It was unreal the amount of music coming out of Jackson between 2002-2007,” said guitarist Samuel Williams. “There was never any feeling that we were in a small
town because we saw music all the time. But you can even go back to the year 1900, and there was stuff going on in Mississippi, a lot of eclectic stuff, that changed the world. Mississippi is way more diverse than anybody knows.” From being 13-year-olds paying extra cover to go to shows to becoming a major part of a Jackson’s musical personality, they’ve really focused on staying true to their Mississippi roots and local inspirations. It’s important to the members to convey a sense of personal connection to the music through their live performances, an attitude stemming from they way they were received by the music scene in their hometown. The band was taken in by the regulars and musicians at the shows they grew up watching, something they hope to do for the kids out there watching and forming their musical futures. They described themselves as “accessible,” which is spot-on. They value interaction. During the acoustic segment of their performance, the band sat on the floor in front of the stage while everyone in attendance sat around them. They made the performance personal to the audience, which I think makes their perspective on making music and touring so
unique. The band also gave some insight on what to expect from their upcoming new album. Their main goal in writing seems to be finding a light-hearted view on making music they all had when they first started the band as kids. The guys are focused less on the typical construction of an album and more on experiences that inspire music that’s fun to play. The new album was described as “more aggressive [than previous album ‘Dear Bo’] and smart, but loud and fast-paced rock.” Overall, they’re locked in on balancing out the maturation that has come from their experiences writing and being on the road with the energy that naturally occurs in their style of music. The very best part of getting to talk to The Weeks was how downto-earth they were. They made an interview feel like a casual conversation while also really being able to pinpoint their goals as a band. This is definitely evident in the way they interact with their audience. These guys are genuine people who take a musical career seriously enough to be successful and refined, but also know how to truly enjoy what they do. Their good energy is contagious and their sound is one of
a kind but also a nod to the musical game-changers that came out of the state of Mississippi. The Weeks are well on their way to being one of the
greatest names to come out of the South and are absolutely 100 percent deserving of that recognition.
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OPINION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2016
Rowling’s approach to diversity problematic HIBA TAHIR
entertainment editor It’s that time of year again. Footballs are flying through the air, candy corn is lining the shelves of your favorite grocery and J.K. Rowling is adding new content to the Pottermore digital universe. Only, Rowling’s enthusiasm for a franchise everyone else left behind (albeit reluctantly) a decade ago is not confined to a single season. In the years following the magnificent conclusion to the seven-book series, tired fans have been bombarded again and again by new stories, spin-off movies and sorting quizzes. In the beginning, it was exciting and newsworthy. Now, it inspires little more than an eye-roll in the greater literary community, not least of all because of the extremely problematic representation prevalent in many of Rowling’s more recent works. This occurs specifically, in “A History of Magic in North America,” an explanatory (but obviously fictitious) origin story about Illvermorny, Rowling’s Hogwarts counterpart in North
America. Rowling’s American wizarding school is problematic in its representation of Native American spirituality and religion, which Adrienne Keene of Native Appropriations writes “are not fantasy on the same level as wizards.” “We fight so hard every single day as Native peoples to be seen as contemporary, real, full and complete human beings and to push away from the stereotypes that restrict us in stock categories of mystical-connected-tonature-shamans or violentsavage-warriors,” wrote Keene in a March blog post. “Colonization erases our humanity, tells us that we are less than, that our beliefs and religions are ‘uncivilized,’ that our existence is incongruent with modernity. This is not ancient history, this is not ‘the past.’ The ongoing oppression of Native peoples is reinscribed everyday through texts and images like this. How in the world could a young person watch this and not make a logical leap that Native peoples belong in the same fictional world as Harry Potter?” Keene also brought up the
constant struggle her community faces to protect their sacred sites “from being destroyed by mining, fracking and other forms of ‘development.’” “[These sites] have deep roots in our spiritual beliefs, hold sacred power and connect us to our ancestors. If Indigenous spirituality becomes conflated with fantasy ‘magic’ – how can we expect lawmakers and the public to be allies in the protection of these spaces?” Rowling’s blatant disregard of an entire faith and culture would be easier to forgive if she’d made any effort to correct her errors. But she’s made no such effort. Furthermore, when a Native American writer who tweets from the handle @CyborgN8VMari tweeted at Rowling regarding the incident, Rowling promptly blocked her. Rowling’s problematic behavior is not uncommon in the literary community. Lack of good representation has inspired the creation of organizations like We Need Diverse Books, which “advocates essential changes in the publishing industry to
produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people.” We Need Diverse Books recognizes how massively impactful books can be, especially in the hands of young readers. By pushing for wider representation of diverse ethnic, cultural and religious minorities, as well as for the LGBTQIA community, people of color, people with disabilities and gender diverse people, We Need Diverse Books reiterates the humanity of and inspires empathy for those who are often overlooked. “There’s this idea that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror,” said Junot Diaz, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” in a speech to a group of community college students in New Jersey. “And what I’ve always thought isn’t that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror,” he said. “It’s that if you want to make a human being into a monster, deny them at the cultural level any reflection of themselves. And growing up, I felt like a monster in some ways. I didn’t see myself
reflected at all. Part of what inspired me, was this deep desire that before I died, I would make a couple of mirrors. That I would make some mirrors so that kids like me might seem themselves reflected back and might not feel so monstrous for it.”
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9/11 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2016
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Thoughts on 9/11: A look at being American
J.D. RIMANN
printz reporter
I remember seeing the second plane crash into the World Trade Center live on television 15 years ago Sunday. I was homeschooled at the time and was at home with my mom that morning, waiting to start my first lesson of the day. My mom received a phone call telling her to turn on the television; a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. Everyone thought it was an accident – a tragedy, but an accident. My mom left the room to get something, and that’s when the second plane hit. I was only eight years old, but I knew instantly a hideous and cruel crime had occurred. Like so many other Americans, my family and I would stay glued to our TV for the coming hours, days and weeks. Our nation came together like it never had before. Collectively, we started to piece together what had happened and who had committed this appalling act of war against our country. I’ve cried every year on 9/11 since then. I think of the firefighters and police officers rushing up the stairs of the towers, bravely embracing certain death so that others might live. I think of the young men and women not hesitating to give their lives in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and a dozen other places most of us had never heard of before that dreadful day. I think of the mothers who lost sons, the daughters who lost fathers, the sisters who lost brothers and the tears shed not for national loss but for personal bereavement. I think of those so desperate they chose to jump rather than suffocate in the smoke and flames. I think of those brave souls on United 93, who in their final hours chose to fight, kill and die to save thousands of others. I also often think of the men who hijacked those planes, and the men who ordered them to do so. The thought that these men killed thousands of us – thousands of Americans, simple folks like you and me – purely because they were Americans. These men chanted
“Death to America,” and death to America came. That refrain has continued prominently in the last 15 years. A dozen times – Chattanooga, Ft. Hood, San Bernardino and Boston – terror struck blindly as more Americans died at the hands of men purely because they were Americans. To these men, being an American is a crime, and the only just punishment for that crime is death. Think about that for a moment. Somewhere out there are people who want to kill you – not for anything that you have done – but because of the country in which you were born. These individuals seek to see your blood flow purely because it is American blood. They do not care if you are black or white, rich or poor, young or old, atheist or Christian or gay or straight. All they see is that you are an American, and therefore, in their eyes, you are condemned to death. That should be a sobering thought. That should be a thought that unites us. That fact alone should encourage you to support the military, and that fact alone should encourage you to – if nothing else – respect the police officers who are our domestic line of defense against these would-be killers. Take some time this week to think about that people out there are willing to die to kill you and that your fellow citizens are willing to die to protect you. I want you to consider your value as a citizen of this great nation. America has killed to protect you, and Americans have died to protect you. Everyday, blood is shed on your behalf. It truly is an honor and a privilege to have been born into our nation and our people – the greatest nation and the greatest people on Earth. We are not perfect, and we never will be. We have our differences, and we have our problems. Therefore, let us always acknowledge our differences and constantly strive overcome our problems. However, let us also always remain united and steadfast in our resolve to do so. Never forget. God Bless America.
9/11: Sports intersect with modern ignorance, activism JULIUS KIZZEE
sports editor
Sept. 11, 2001 unfortunately does not usher the memory of Mike Piazza’s famous home run to this day. The date itself is a grave one. New York City’s climate changed. No more were the days that sports could be the biggest news in the States, as tragedy would force itself to be observed. In my eyes, the terrorist attacks in New York City revealed that this country has a long way to go in terms of accepting each other’s differences and respecting the opinions of others. Sept. 11 showed us the power of ignorance. I was only six years old at the time of the attacks. I remember the faint screams in the hallways before lunch and being pulled from school. I was in the first grade. The next time I saw a kid with brown skin was in fifth grade. Fast-forward to today, and we have issues addling minority groups. A black man selling CDs is shot in his chest outside a gas station, but a white man who rapes a girl behind a Dumpster can can be released from jail in three months. When a man sits down due to his beliefs about a song allegedly about slavery, most think that he is too privileged or does not understand the black plight because “he cannot understand what I face and what other black men and black people face on an [everyday] basis,” said former NFL safety Rodney Harrison. What we should learn from 9/11 is that we must understand each other and not ignore our own ignorance. What makes America great in my eyes is that we have not only freedoms but the means to discuss our freedoms openly. The issues that we face today will not be easily fixed. They will not be issues that we can talk about for one day and mitigate. But as sports are an open door for dialogue, we must walk through that door with athletes to compromise on those issues. So as I reflect on 9/11, I do not want to simply understand and remember what America has gone through. I would also like to look forward to America’s progress in terms of understanding and listening to its different voices.
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SPORTS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2016
Eagles exhibit resilience in second half ANDREW ABADIE
printz reporter
On Sept. 10, The University of Southern Mississippi’s women’s cross country team took its younger members to Oxford. The Golden Eagles took on some respectable teams in this four-team, five kilometer meet. “This meet is a great opportunity for some of our younger runners to get some big-time race experience and fill roles that they typically don’t find themselves in,” said coach Aaron Kindt. As a group, Maggie Rice, Savannah McMillon, Chloe Tedder, Devin McGee and Rachel Tedder significantly dropped their team times, going from an average of 21.25 to a 19.31. Chloe Tedder led the Golden Eagle squad at 19:12. Notably, Madeleine Bell ran her first race of the season running a 19:38. “Chloe Tedder really helped set the tone for our squad,” Kindt said. “Happy to see her hard work starting to pay off.” The significant drop in times may have been caused by the Ole Miss and Southeast Missouri State teams who may have helped push the Golden Eagles. Ole Miss has received votes in the national rankings averaging an 17:26 as a team. Meanwhile, Southeast
Missouri State dropped a team average of 17:54, which was 31 seconds faster than their team’s time last season in their conference championship. The Golden Eagles finished third overall, beating Jackson State. Despite the third-place finish, the team
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impressed Kindt with new season bests. “I am pleased with the poise and fight this young group displayed,” Kindt said The Golden Eagles still have a lot of running to do before the season
is over. By the time conference rolls around, the team could potentially have four runners breaking or hitting just above the 18:00 mark. This does not include Dana Dillistone, who was named Conference Cross Country Female Athlete of the Week last week.
Next week, the Golden Eagles will travel to the LSU invitational. The LSU invitational has been traditionally a faster course and if the momentum of success continues, the Golden Eagles could find themselves running some personal bests.