Thursday, September 15, 2016 Volume 101 Issue 6
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‘An industry without accountability’ Student experiences costly lesson in informed consent HIBA TAHIR
entertainment editor When junior international studies and biology major Briana Hardman found herself stressed beyond her means last semester, she decided to take advantage of campus resources and seek counseling from USM’s Community Counseling and Assessment Clinic. (CCAC). Hardman, whose family’s lack of resources and hesitant views about psychiatry kept her from ever seeking treatment before, kept coming across fliers advertising free counseling services at USM. “I’d never gone to counseling before,” Hardman said. “I didn’t really know what to expect. Some people in my life told me it’d probably be a good idea.” Although Hardman’s journey began in the CCAC, she was soon referred to Student Counseling Services (SCS) thanks to significant risk factors in the past – ones that included her older sister’s suicide and its many repercussions. “My sister’s death has had an inexplicable impact on my life,” Hardman wrote in an Odyssey article detailing the experience. “Her absence every day since has left me with a deep longing that resonates with our family and friends alike. The path I traveled to in adulthood twisted under the shadow of loss. That ache doesn’t go away and that is okay. There isn’t going to be a day that I’ll wake up and suddenly not have lost my sissy.” At SCS, a representative gave Hardman a risk assessment in order to determine if she was an immediate danger to herself or others. Unwarranted conditions like suicidal ideation were “slapped” onto Hardman’s file without her knowledge, as well as incorrect dates that probably had a massive impact on the suggested treatment methods. “I lost my sister to suicide three years ago,” Hardman said. “In my records, they wrote that I lost my sister within the year, which is really different in how you treat someone, because they already would’ve developed some coping mechanisms in three years. That would be incredibly different than within the year.” Representatives also called Hardman an alcoholic and said she was failing all her classes. “I don’t really know where that miscommunication came from,” she said. “I wrote that at most I’ve had an alcoholic beverage once every two weeks. I told them I was stressed out about an honors class. They kind of exaggerated a lot of what I told them.” Following the risk assessment, Hardman was offered a free evaluation by a psychiatrist regarding medication
options. Hardman, lured by the fact that the evaluation would be “short, sweet and free,” reluctantly agreed. From there, she found herself quickly swept away in an experience that cost her family thousands in medical expenses and left her psychologically and emotionally drained. “The prognosis seemed grim,” she wrote. “Obviously, my psyche was home to risk factors that raised a red flag before sinking the whole boat.” Hardman was taken to a psychiatrist at Pine Grove, where a social worker decided that she had to be committed immediately for 72 hours in the adult psychiatric ward. “The fact that Pine Grove is an inpatient facility was never discussed,” wrote Hardman in her article. “The cost and burden of inpatient treatment was never discussed. The entire time I had been in contact with counselors at USM, I was very clear that I do not want to commit suicide or hurt myself, only that I still think about my sister’s death, but here I was being told that I’m a clear danger to myself and those around me.” At Pine Grove, Hardman faced threats of longer incarceration and forced
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medication, as well as involuntary strip searches. She was denied basic hygienic accommodation. “Prescription medications are [banned] as well, but the emphasis on [my] heart condition inspired Pine Grove to provide me a few pills out of the goodness of their heart,” Hardman wrote. “Later at the prescription counter where every patient had to wait in line at predetermined times of the day, a nurse berated me for not having all of my medications there. Silly me.” Hardman was eventually released after the “only mental health professional” she encountered agreed that she didn’t need to be there. “Pine Grove’s sad reality is that everything that occurred, not all being covered here out of my own desire for privacy, is perfectly legal,” Hardman wrote. “Furthermore, these practices are known to Southern Miss and supported. The director over SCS worked at Pine Grove for several years and currently maintains a relationship with the facility by providing training and lectures to those employed there.” After her experience, Hardman is pursuing the implementation of a “policy
requiring fully informed consent in regards to treatment and reimbursement” for the expensive inpatient stay she was forced to endure. She will not forget the devastating effects of her experience. “My problems with anxiety have only gotten worse because of this, and in dealing with Southern Miss afterward, I have been shown the dark side of the school I love – an industry without accountability,” she wrote. However, she does not think her experience should deter other students looking for help. “I think it’s really important to stand up for yourself and know your rights,” she said. “You’re not inherently wrong just because you’re having problems.” Although Deena Crawford, director of USM Student Counseling Services, could not comment on Hardman’s specific case, she said there are several safety measures in place in order to prevent such things from happening. First, each counselor consults with others. Another measure is talking to the student along the way and making him or her aware of what can possibly happen, as well as what will happen. Finally, every student who seeks counseling services
must sign an informed consent form. “Anybody who goes into Pine Grove has to sign a piece of paper that says we can pay for my treatment and (gives) consent for treatment,” Crawford said. “Before they’re even assessed, there’s pieces of paper they have to sign that gives all that information.” Crawford said that the referral to Pine Grove has always been voluntary. “We’ve never taken anybody that did not want to go,” she said. Although informed consent has always been a part of the process, Student Counseling Services revised its Informed Consent for Safety Assessment form this past summer to “break down the Pine Grove part step-by-step” in order to combat misinterpretation. In the 2015-2016 school year, SCS dealt with 3,863 service appointments, 302 consultations and 215 emergencies. There are no statistics for referrals and admittances to Pine Grove, but Crawford said they have started keeping track of those numbers starting this past summer. “So that’s not going to be our intention, especially (as) good counselors,” Crawford said. “As director here, I make sure we’ve got good counselors.”
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INTRODUCTION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
Meet the Staff Fall 2016 Cam Bonelli
Executive Editor
FIND US ON THE WEB The Student Printz
catherine.bonelli@usm.edu
Jack Hammett
Managing Editor
@studentprintz
jesse.hammett@usm.edu
Garrett Minta News Editor
studentprintz.com
garrett.minta@usm.edu
Hiba Tahir
Entertainment Editor
hiba.tahir@usm.edu
Julius Kizzee Sports Editor
southernprintz@gmail.com
Hunt Mercier Photo Editor
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Sarah Anne Schloemer Web Master
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CORRECTION: IN THE SEPT. 12 EDITION, A QUOTE FROM “FLU SEASON IN HATTIESBURG” HAS BEEN REDACTED BECAUSE IT WAS PUBLISHED WITHOUT CONSENT.
ARTICLES FEATURED ONLINE • Golf finish first in UFC Intercollegiate Conference’ • Updown Trampoline park opens • Zazen sessions held Tuesdays and Thursdays
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NEWS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
Financial inclusion becomes priority in ‘Burg GARRETT MINTA
news editor
Hattiesburg will be one of eight cities to participate in the Mayor’s Institute on Financial Inclusion in Chicago, Illinois in April. This program is designed to educate mayors and city officials on financial inclusion and to determine what works best in practice. Financial inclusion, according to the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, is assisting those financially disadvantaged in obtaining formal financial services. The initiative is part of the Financial Inclusions and City Leadership, a program to encourage financial literacy for residents. “The FISCL project will expand to become a peer learning community open to any city committed to working collaboratively to increase the financial health of its residents,” a MetLife official said. “FISCAL builds on the research of a ‘City Scan of Local Financial Inclusion Efforts’ involving 118 cities nationwide on the issues of economic insecurity and expanding access to financial opportunities for lower income families.”
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National League of Cities will host in conjunction with the MetLife Foundation the project. An official at the MetLife Foundation said the initiative will help other cities around the country better understand financial inclusion and how it benefits residents. “The cities and expert facilitators discussed a wide range of opportunities and challenges with an emphasis on peer-learning discussions,” a MetLife official said. “MetLife Foundation has provided support for the two-year Financial Inclusion Systems and City Leadership (FISCL) initiative to provide expert technical assistance and other resources to enable cities to build sustainable, collaborative, community-wide systems to improve residents’ financial health and stability,” the MetLife official said. Assistant to the Mayor Valerie Arnold said there are multiple avenues being explored to educate people on financial inclusion. Ideas range from giving children savings accounts at banks – which is still only in the discussion phase – to teaching students about financial literacy in schools. The MetLife Foundation gave Hattiesburg a $35,000 grant to promote three objectives in
financial inclusion. About $15,000 went to a financial master plan that would be the framework for how the city goes about the initiative. “We’re trying to get a plan written so our community knows where all of these resources are, what’s available and how they can contact these resources and [help] them with these financial resources,” Arnold said. Another $10,000 went to promote the Bank On program, which was launched last year. The third objective is to teach financial literacy at the City of Hattiesburg Youth Summer Camp. “A couple of years ago we were teaching it to the coaches,” Arnold said. “This year we primarily focus on the children of the camp and teaching them financial literacy. So we’re hoping next year that we’ll have a curriculum together where we’re [teaching] it to the camp students as well as the coaches.” The City of Hattiesburg partnered with 13 different financial institutions that offer services for a nominal fee to help improve credit rating, get out of debt and understand the loan and mortgage processes.
Hannah Heneghan | Printz An entree from the restaurant The Porter.
Pub appeals to ‘Burg populace DAISY STUTTS assistant photo editor Hattiesburg resident have reacted positively to the new addition to Historic Downtown’s restaurant and bar scene. Located in a historic building right in the heart of downtown, The Porter Public House has drawn a diverse crowd in the few months since its founding. “The Porter has a dimly lit, chill atmosphere that was very relaxed,” said Hattiesburg resident Faith Pierce. “It’s different from anywhere else in Hattiesburg. I loved that it had a real British pub feel to it – the way it’s decorated is kind of rustic. I feel like there is something at Porter for all ages to enjoy.” Regulars at The Porter love its unique contribution to the area and the “hang-out” attitude of the place. “The Porter is small enough to be inviting but is just big enough to have a lot to do,” Pierce said. “Not to mention the great food.” The Porter will soon host several events, such as Craft Beer Week beginning Sept. 17 and Oktoberfest on Sept. 27 to Oct. 1. Both events are expected to have great turnouts according
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to General Manager Evan Curry. The Porter will host varied events in the Hattiesburg community with Trivia Tuesdays, which includes booze, board games and team-based trivia competitions. Wii Wednesdays, when attendees are invited to play video games, are a new addition to the weekly schedule of activities at Porter. According to Curry, the restaurant expects to host live music events in the near future. The Porter Public House opened in April, and information about the restaurant can be found on its Facebook page.
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NEWS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
Author invited as first university forum speaker ALYSA BASS
printz reporter
Introduced by Southern Miss Civil War historian Susannah Ural, Victoria Bynum became the first speaker of Southern Miss’s 2016 Forum Series on Sept. 13 in Bennett Auditorium. Bynum’s arrival filled the auditorium with those connected to the university such as Honors College students, professors and graduate students. Forum Director Andrew Haley said Bynum’s approach was unique. “I heard Dr. Bynum speak last spring,” Haley said. “I knew then that she had to be our first speaker.” After briefly describing the main characters in “Free State of Jones” Knight and his second wife and freedwoman Rachel Knight, the majority of Bynum’s speech consisted of her criticism of Hollywood’s influence on how Americans think about the Civil War. Bynum introduced the idea of “the lost cause,” a mainstream take on the Civil War. To exhibit the lost cause theory at work, Bynum directed the audience’s
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attention to the 1915 film “Birth of a Nation.” Bynum credited the movie for sending the message of black men loving white women so much that they would quickly resort to rape. Bynum said the “Jezebel” stereotype directed toward girls with mixed race is exemplified by lustful housekeeper Lydia Brown. In addition, according to Bynum, the movie romanticized lynching and the number of lynchings increased following the movie’s release. “The overall message from ‘Birth of a Nation’ in general is that unrestrained black men and interracial mingling would destroy society,” Bynum said. “‘Birth of a Nation’ was a huge success.” Bynum said she found that her grandparents were fans of the movie after reading her grandmother’s memoir. “She and my grandad had gone to see ‘Birth of a Nation’ and had just been really impressed by its vision of America, and I just thought, ‘Wow, there’s grandma, taken under the spell of Birth of a Nation,’” Bynum said. Bynum said movies following “Birth of a Nation” like “Gone with the
Wind” and “Tap Roots” all fell victim to Hollywood’s “lost cause” phenomenon that often romanticized slave owner’s relationships with their slaves or house keepers, which is exhibited by characters Dabby and Mammy, who are the help and “friends” with the white women. In regards to the success of the “Free State of Jones” book and movie, Bynum said she has received favorable reviews from historians because it was one of the first movies to reject the lost cause viewpoint. She closed by saying that she wanted more from the movie, specifically in regards to Serena and Rachel Knight, Knight’s wives. “I really believe we need a second movie that explores Newt Knight’s sexual affairs,” Bynum said. “This would require Newt to be more human than heroic. Such a movie would have to raise the issue of patriarchal power in a society based on racial bondage. It would recognize that Newt Knight might have all the class awareness in the world, but that he also lived in a world of white male dominance.”
Turner case inspires nationwide sexual assault awareness DAISY STUTTS
assistant photo editor The recent sexual assault case surrounding Brock Turner acquired much media coverage and sparked controversy due to his 6-month sentencing and subsequent release after 3-months for good behavior. News of Turner’s punishment for the rape of a 22-year-old woman on the Stanford University campus caused concern for college students, friends of college students and parents.
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The University of Southern Mississippi houses multiple organizations on campus focused on bringing awareness to sexual assault and makes efforts to promote safety, education and justice. It’s On Us is a nation-wide sexual assault awareness campaign that strives to create safe environments for women and men while educating on bystander awareness. Southern Miss has adopted It’s On Us as a campus organization,
backed by Alpha Chi Omega and other groups. It’s On Us offers the opportunity to take a pledge against sexual violence. “To recognize that nonconsensual sex is sexual assault,” the pledge states. “To identify situations in which sexual assault may occur. To intervene in situations where consent has not or cannot be given. To create an environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable and survivors are supported.” Carlee Welch-Dick, current director of It’s On Us, said the the fall and spring activities hosted by the organization are focused on education of statistics and how bystanders can get involved and help. “I know USM would have taken the right measures,” said Ava Wolf, recent USM alum and previous director of It’s On Us. “I think there is much more to it than university safety. It’s laws and policies.” Greek Life organizations are often associated with similar cases. Alpha Chi Omega supports domestic violence awareness as its national philanthropy and holds many events every year to combat the issue. Many students said their concerns for safety are most prevalent toward the party culture that is associated with Greek Life. In response, fraternity men have joined the fight against violence as well. “I believe men, especially fraternity men who often represent various organizational
values, should take a more active role in creating awareness of sexual assault and [take vaster preventative] measures than the current standard,” said Sigma Nu Fraternity member Will Thompson. “We should be the ones supporting and rallying for the It’s On Us campaign. We have the power to change that.”
Turner’s case results have strengthened the drive to end sexual violence at universities. Organizations across the board are taking the issue more seriously since Turner’s case to ensure that college campuses are safe for students and non-students.
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FEATURE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
LILAC seeks to bloom into sorority HIBA TAHIR
entertainment editor When senior resident assistant Nicole Thomas saw her residents engaging in typical sorority girl events, she found herself desiring a similar feeling of sisterhood. However, she couldn’t find a sorority that she felt fully comfortable with. “I couldn’t find one that actually represented me and everything I believe in and everything I wanted to get out of it,” said Thomas, an accounting major. “I didn’t want to pay to feel uncomfortable.” Thomas contacted her best friend Megan Evans, a fellow USM student who was immediately enthused by the thought of helping Thomas begin the process of bringing a multicultural sorority to the USM campus. “We’re both really big on diversity,” Thomas said. “I don’t want to just be with one type of person. I want to be around a whole bunch of colorful people.” Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc best fit their interests. Founded at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1997, Theta Nu Xi embodies the ideals of scholarship, service, sisterhood, leadership and multiculturalism. In order to colonize a chapter at USM, Thomas was first asked to create an interest group of ten undergraduate women in their first semester of junior year or lower. Together, she and Evans formed LILAC, an interest group with the
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ultimate goal of becoming a Theta Nu Xi chapter. “I was racking my brain thinking, ‘How am I going to get ten people?’” said Thomas, who cried when she counted 89 people on her interest roster. “Now that I see so many people are reacting and really support this, I just want to reach as many as possible,” she said. “I’m shooting for 200.” LILAC stands for Ladies Innovating Leadership and Change, and its members participate in events that emphasize the five tenants of Theta Nu Xi - scholarship, service, leadership, sisterhood and multiculturalism. LILAC must be maintained for three academic months before it can formally submit a Declaration of Interest in order to become a chapter. During that time, each tenant must be represented by at least one event. Thomas already has several
planned, and potential new members were quick with ideas for additional events at the group’s first and only meeting on Wednesday, September 14. The enthusiasm was palpable. Savannah Gamble, a freshman marine biology major, was eager to join the organization. “I have an interest in diversity and acceptance,” said Gamble. “I feel like sisterhood in the future can possibly help me.” Thomas is aware of the power of diversity and its often farreaching effects, especially in light of the current political and social climates. “Diversity is probably the most important thing ever just because of the way the world is,” she said. “We’re moving forward against racism, but we’re not really moving that much. I hope that I reach the people who don’t think it’s okay to be diverse. I want to let people know that it’s okay, that
there are people like [them] out there, and that we are all fighting for the same goal.” To find out more about LILAC, contact
Thomas at USM_thelilac@mail. com, find the group on Facebook or follow @USM_thelilac16 on Instagram.
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OPINION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
Tim ‘Cooks’ up underwhelming release CAM BONELLI
executive editor
Apple’s ad “Don’t Blink” features the release of the iPhone 7 and brings tears to one’s eyes – tears of laughter. In an attempt to connect with an audience who loves overhyped technology, Apple has made an ad that crams the entire release event into 107 seconds of bad ideas. Firstly, the phone looks identical to the iPhone 6 and 6 plus. And now, if you can handle it and are edgy enough, you can get an iPhone 7 that’s blacker than black – “A black so black, it’s black to the core,” which is an actual quote from the commercial. Then Apple introduced some new upgrades like the A10 fusion chip techno thingamajig, 25 percent increase in retina display, two speakers so you can play your
bad music loudly for all to hear and a longer battery life. Apple claims it’s “the longest battery life of any iPhone ever made,” – so for all we know it could be 20 seconds longer. Oh, you can also drop your phone in the toilet with no worries, because the iPhone 7 is water resistant. The only thing that looked halfway decent was the 12 megapixel camera – being that I’m a photo nerd, this is the only modification that captures my attention. The iPhone 7 Plus will have two lenses, optical zoom capabilities and could possibly change the landscape of photojournalism and citizen journalism as a whole – or give you the ability to make your dog an internet sensation. The biggest drawback of iPhone 7’s design equates to Apple’s need to push its forward-thinking presence and
Courtesy Photo | win the title of “The Most Edgy Phone Maker Award 2016.” I feel like Steve Jobs repeatedly told Tim Cook AirPods were stupid, and no we aren’t going to make them, Tim, stop asking. Then Steve Jobs died, and now we have the new “lightning port” technology (an equally stupid name compared to AirPods) because the technology of a headphone jack apparently isn’t edgy enough. Due to copyright reasons, “AirBuds” were not a plausible name choice for the new $159 headphones with the capacity to hold a charge for five hours. So not
only do you have to charge these buggers, but now you have the ability to lose them easily because they have no cord connecting them. The internet has already began its outpour of jokes regarding AirPods’ design, functionality and practicality. Just to annoy everyone who recently purchased an Apple Watch, Apple announced the new and improved Apple Watch 2. It’s water resistant, has a GPS tracker, has a brighter screen than its predecessor, is made with material four times stronger than steel and, as an added bonus, it can taell time.
For this release, I believe I’ll stick with my current device. Not because I’m a stickler, but because it seems like Apple’s reselling the same design with the same problems. But if you’re just gunning to get the iPhone 7, locate your nearest Apple wizard or whatever it is, spend five minutes of your life waiting for the chip to read on your card to watch 749 big ones go down the drain and this monstrosity is all yours, baby.
AMC’s ‘Preacher’ adaptation done right JACK HAMMETT managing editor
Superhero comic books suck. Overproduced save-the-world-from-thefecal-tornado blockbuster superhero movies suck. As a kid, I grew disillusioned with every adventure or fantasy narrative dealing with the “whole world,” as it were: Let’s save the world from The Evil Thing. All done – the world is safe at last. Then I got my grubby pre-pubescent hands on Garth Ennis’ and Steve Dillon’s “Preacher,” a comic that so suddenly changed how I viewed characters and narrative. The good guys acted like bad guys and vice-versa. There wasn’t a world to be saved because it was already screwed. The characters’ only goal was to find God and “kick his ass.” It was so cool my sugar-addled brain couldn’t handle it. Thinking back, the series likely played on my juvenile cravings to see disgusting violence and curse words. But knowing
that never stopped me from remaining a giddy fan for more than a decade. “Preacher” sucks. I love it. In November 2013, AMC announced that Seth Rogen (ugh) and Evan Goldberg would spearhead the project. I and every other “Preacher” fan on the internet hesitated at the name “Rogen.” To me, he was such an odd fit for developing an adaptation that the thought sounded worse than no adaptation at all. After the season finale aired July 31, my mind had changed about that. Albeit markedly different from the source material, AMC’s adaptation hit every mark I’d hoped it would. It was weird, silly, smart and hideous. It covered the themes of early “Preacher” issues with surprising thoroughness. That thoroughness, however, resulted in the series dropping to a crawl in its middle. Episode to episode I waited for, well, something to happen. More to the point, I waited for a cohesive plot to develop. The writers seemed more interested in fleshing out the comic’s infa-
mous characters than getting around to completing a tangible story arc. Everything surrounding this garbage was as perfect as one could have wanted from the series. Notably, Joe Gilgun’s performance as Cassidy was enthralling. His chemistry with his co-stars and his every witty delivery made me believe I was watching the actual character from the beloved comics. Ruth Negga’s performance as Tulip shone through as well, even though the character was written differently than in the original series. Further, the season’s final episode was probably the most “Preacher” thing to happen in the show so far. The paranormal drama has deservedly been renewed for a second season. Viewers have argued that the first season’s slow pace and character focus was necessary to get the core story snowballing, and they have a point. Critics predict we’ll see a return to the source material next year as protagonist Jesse Custer and the crew head off to find God and “kick his ass.” Any faithfulness to the original series will be welcome.
OPINION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
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#LetGaryDebate gains political ground JD RIMANN
printz columnist Gary Johnson is unlikely to be the next president of the United States of America. The two-time Republican governor of New Mexico and current Libertarian candidate for the presidency of these United States is polling woefully low, with national polls putting him at best at 13 percent, and closer to 9 percent on average. While these numbers can be seen in a positive light when the fact that the Libertarians gained a little under 1 percent of the vote in the 2012 election, they are also something of an indictment of the ability of our political system to support more than two major parties. In this election year the Republicans and Democrats are rolling out literally the two least liked and least popular candidates of all time in Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. And literally is meant as literally as possible; according to the Washington Post both Clinton and Trump are viewed negatively by 60 percent of the American population, a staggeringly high majority in this context. In other words, if there was ever a year for a third party candidate to make an impact and really have a shot at winning the election, it would be this year. Instead, the Libertarian ticket has struggled to make headway. Some of this difficulty is due to gaffes (“What is Aleppo?” was particularly painful), some of this is due to already low visibility and the continued lack of in-depth interest in politics by most Americans, and some of this is due to the major parties working in concert on the only thing they really agree on: crushing any attempts to challenge their hold on power in the electoral system. Take the Presidential Debates. The single largest event of any election year, appearing on and doing well in the Presidential Debates is basically a perquisite for any candidate who would win the election. Unfortunately for Johnson, it is almost impossible for a third party candidate to gain access to the debates. The debates are governed by the officially nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. However, the Commission is not non-partisan in being not affiliated with the parties, but rather non-partisan in the Washington sense of have an equal number of partisans to balance each other out. The Chair of the Commission is Frank Fahrenkopf, former head of the Republican National Committee, and the members include Leon Panetta (former President Clinton Chief of Staff ), Olympia Snow (former Republican Sena-
tor), and Mike McCurry (former Clinton Press Secretary). Thus the commission, if not outright rigged against a third party challenge, is at a minimum at least likely to not look kindly on one. Anyway, the Commission has a mid-September deadline for candidates to meet the three criteria they use to determine eligibility for the Presidential debates. These three criteria are “evidence of constitutional eligibility,” “evidence of ballot access” and “indicators of electoral support.” The first two Johnson easily has. He is constitutionally eligible to be elected, being an American citizen over the age of 35 (as is Jill Stein of the Green Party). He has evidence of ballot access, as aside from the Republicans and the Democrats his Libertarian Party is the only party on the ballot in all fifty states. The tough one is the “indicator of electoral support.” The Commission rather arbitrarily defines this qualification as requiring that a candidate be polling at or around 15 percent nationally. Now the national five polls used by the Commission to determine this have Johnson averaging 9 percent (though as mentioned above the Quinnipiac Poll has him at 13 percent, but is not one of the polls the Commission uses). This is where the two major parties have the advantage. Being able to define what “indicators of electoral support” are means that
the Democrats and Republicans can work together to set a number like 15 percent in the polls, which they know is very difficult for a candidate starting from a party with low national visibility to hit without national exposure. Then, they deny any viable third-party candidate any national exposure by barring them from the debates for not having the national exposure which only the Presidential Debates could realistically give them. It is admittedly a brilliant catch-22 on the part of the major parties, but it does not help our
democracy and limits us, the voters, to a false choice between only two options. The solution to this is to change the criteria for being included in the debates. Strike the third criterion of “indicators of electoral support” and instead allow it to be the first two. As long as a candidate is constitutionally eligible and they have completed the herculean task of getting their name on the ballot in every state, giving every citizen the ability to vote for them and legitimizing their bid, they should be allowed
to participate in the Presidential Debates. Furthermore, perhaps it is time to examine just what the meaning of non-partisan is in this context. Instead of the major parties packing the Commission on Presidential Debates with former politicians and government officials it should be truly reformed, either by including representatives of the minor parties or by requiring all members to have never held office or been involved in the party apparatus before.
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SPORTS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
Golden Eagles Sweeps ULM, 25-11 ANDREW ABADIE
printz reporter
The University of Louisiana Monroe Warhawks were no match for the Golden Eagle offense, who swept the Warhawks in three sets 25-13, 25-18 and 25-11. Sarah Bell’s and Makareta Rademakers’ 29 assists kept ULM’s defense on their heels by a constant change of offensive attacks. The offense was led by Stephany Purdue, Kylie Grandy, Catherine Repsher and Ashley Berry who totaled 21 kills of the team’s 34. ULM as a team would only muster 24 kills total. Kylie Grandy’s effort was seen universally on both sides of the ball as her defensive presence was just as important as she tallied nine digs. In the first two sets, the Golden Eagles would not trail after taking a 8-7 lead in the first set, finishing with a 25-13 win. Both Grandy and Rademakers would add aces to each of their impressive nights. The second set was just as dominant as the first as the first six points were all scored on kills for the Golden Eagles. Despite a late Warhawk run at the end of the
set, the Golden Eagles still picked up the win at 25-18. Although the majority of the game was relative smooth sailing for USM, the Warhawks still managed to put up a fight on their home turf in the third set. The
Courtesy Photo |
Warhawks tried to rally a very late comeback in a 9-8 score. However, the Golden Eagles clamped down on defense against the Warhawks in the final set, winning it 25-11. “What was great about this match is we had a very balanced
offense,” said head coach Amanda Berkley in a team statement. “It’s a tribute to Maka [Rademakers] and Sarah for mixing it up and getting everyone involved. We passed really well and it helped us get the ball to everyone on offense.
Overall it was a good team win.” Southern Miss extended its season record to 9-3 and looks to keep the momentum going on the road traveling to Arkansas in the Lady Razorback Invitational starting on Friday.