Thursday, January 26, 2017 Volume 101 Issue 30
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‘Where do we go to be safe from this point forward?’ USM professor relives twister terror
Adriana Garcia | Printz The Sandra and Chris Winstead stand in front of their damaged home after an EF-3 tornado hit on the morning of Jan. 21 in Hattiesburg.
JULIUS KIZZEE sports editor
As a tornado hit the Pine Beltarea in the early morning of Jan. 21, the community was torn apart both physically and emotionally. Lives were lost, homes were destroyed and belongings were scattered like the families displaced by the storm. This is a story of perseverance and of a community coming together. “All of our good friends started showing up [the next morning] and our family,” said Hattiesburg resident Sandra Winstead. “The
look on their faces – I hadn’t had a concept of what they had seen.” The storm tied community members together more than it separated them. “So many people came to help,” Sandra said. “Friends and people we know. There were people coming through our house, we had no idea — they just came to help. They ended up doing so much more than we would ever have thought.” Various organizations and community members in Hattiesburg and surrounding areas like Petal went out on Sunday and throughout the week to help their neighbors.
Chris Winstead, a Southern Miss professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, said he was thankful for the help from the USM community. “People just came from everywhere,” Chris said. “People from our church, people from USM. People we didn’t even know. Our neighbor across the street is a pastor and one of his church members went over to work at his house, ended up coming over here and getting this big tree off of our house.” Winstead and his wife were in their 8x4 bathroom when the EF-3 tornado hit their house. The
next day, the ceiling was gone, and sunlight shone through the insulation in the living room and bedrooms. “The first thing I thought was, ‘Where do we go to be safe from this point forward?’” Chris said. “You knew it had to be bad because of all the insulation. [We] really [needed] get to someplace in our house to wait for daylight.” Their main concern was the safety of their parents, who lived across the street and whose houses were unscathed by the storm. “We immediately called both sets of parents because they’re really close to us,” Sandra said. “If there
was someone’s house it needed to happen to, we’re glad it’s our house.” Their house was the center of most of the recovery efforts in the neighborhood. No matter how much damage had been done to his house, Chris said that he is thankful that the only things lost were material possessions. Their neighbor was not so lucky. “I keep thinking on how thankful we are,” Chris said. “But the gentleman down the street — he lost his wife. Anytime you start feeling a little too giddy about [yourself ], it’s tempered though with the knowledge that not everybody was so fortunate.”
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INTRODUCTION THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017
Meet the Staff Fall 2016 Cam Bonelli
Executive Editor
catherine.bonelli@usm.edu
Jack Hammett
Managing Editor
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Hiba Tahir
Entertainment Editor
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Julius Kizzee Sports Editor
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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.
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NEWS THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017
USM community to name live oak LORA LAVIGNE printz reporter The University of Southern Mississippi’s Tree Management Task Force has opened a treenaming contest for the last surviving live oak tree on the Hattiesburg campus. “The university is known for having four 100-year old live oak trees, but three were taken away in the 2013 tornado,” said Superintendent of Campus Landscaping Loren Erickson. The last surviving oak tree is nuzzled between Kennard Washington Hall and Southern Hall. Michelle Shinall, assistant director of marketing and campus relations at the Physical Plant, said the tree is a university icon. “This tree is located in an area where people are laying clothes on it, hanging around, taking pictures and enjoying its presence,” she said. The University Communications Office brought the idea of having a tree-naming contest to the Physical Plant’s attention. “What better way to honor it than by giving it a name?” Shinall said. Erikson and Shinall are both
members of the Southern Miss Tree Management Task Force, a nongoverning committee of certified arborists. Founded in 2011, the organization is made up of eight faculty members and one student representative who are in charge of anything tree-related on campus. Southern Miss was titled a Tree Campus U.S.A by Arbor Day Foundation with a landscaping team that “strives to maintain a healthy and thriving community forest,” Shinall said. According to the National Arbor Day Foundation’s website, “Trees bring beauty to a building’s environment, as well as increased energy efficiency and greater tenant or homeowner satisfaction.” All USM community members, including alumni, are welcome to participate in the naming. “In the contest, we are looking for creativity, uniqueness, something that is witty yet connects students, faculty, staff and alumni to the university in some way,” Erickson said. Submissions to the contest will be accepted until noon on Feb. 1. The USM community will vote upon entries from Feb. 2 - 9, and the Task Force will narrow the choices down to the top five. The name of the oak tree will be
Courtesy Photo | revealed on Arbor Day, Feb. 10 – coincidentally the anniversary of the the 2013 tornado. Festivities will begin at McLemore Hall with the planting of three new live oak trees, leading up to the big reveal.
The Task Force recently announced that 49 entries have been submitted. Those who are planning to submit are encouraged to do so early. In case of duplicate names, the Task Force will only select the
earliest dated submission. The winner of the contest will receive a plaque with their name on it during the Arbor Day Ceremony. To submit your name in the contest, visit the USM Physical Plant website.
Author, activist to present ‘A Suicide Survived’ at USM MADISON ETHRIDGE
printz reporter
Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services will present “A Suicide Survived: The Kevin Hines Story” on Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. at The University of Southern Mississippi’s Thad Cochran Center. Kevin Hines was diagnosed with
Courtesy Photo |
bipolar disorder when he was 19, and two years later, in September 2000, he jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Hines is one of only 36 people (less than 1 percent of the 2,000 people who have jumped from the bridge since its completion in 1937) to survive the fall, and he is the only one to have fully recovered physically,
wrote Bryn Athyn College Chair of Psychology Erica Hyatt. According to KevinHinesstory. com, since his recovery, Hines has traveled across the globe advocating for mental health. His story was featured in the 2006 movie “The Bridge,” and in 2013 he published his memoir, “Cracked, Not Broken: Surviving and Thriving After a
Suicide Attempt.” Currently, in between speaking engagements, Hines is producing a documentary called “Suicide: The Ripple Effect.” In addition to advocating and attempting to reach others with his own story, Hines holds positions on the boards of several councils and committees, including the International Bipolar Foundation, the Bridge Rail Foundation, the Mental Health Association of San Francisco and the Survivors Committee for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Today, he serves as an Ambassador to the National Council of Behavioral Health, according to his website. In the years since his suicide attempt, Hines has been honored with numerous awards, including The Clifford W. Beers Award (Mental Health America’s highest honor), a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council of Behavioral Health and more than 30 U.S. military excellence medals as a civilian. In an article for his Huffington Post blog entitled “After My Suicide Attempt, I Made this Plan to Stay Alive and Well,” Hines wrote, “These stories of triumph over adversity are not just important for readers and followers of the mental health movement (an absolute civil rights movement of this or any time) but “imperative” for so many people’s
continued survival. Hines credits his Kevin Ryan, his uncle, for supporting him through his recovery; educating him on public speaking, suicide prevention, and mental health; and encouraging him in his speaking and advocacy careers. Ryan’s own struggle with substance abuse and his dedication to helping others during his recovery inspired Hines to incorporate healing others into his own recovery. “Our goal in presenting Kevin Hines’s story is to raise awareness about suicide in young people and help their parents, peers and educators better understand this issue and how they can help,” said Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services Chief Officer Debbie Sanford. This event is free and open to all members of the Hattiesburg community. After his presentation, Hines will be available to sign copies of his memoir, “Cracked, Not Broken.”
Email or text Marcus: 228-213-3781 or
whynottryitagain@hotmail.com
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NEWS THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017
SAE raises $3K for tornado relief fund LORA LAVIGNE
printz reporter
The University of Southern Mississippi’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Fraternity has raised more than $3,000 through a GoFundMe page for Hattiesburg tornado relief. Last weekend, an EF-3 tornado struck the Pine Belt, leaving four residents dead and hundreds of others homeless. Along with the damage of many homes, students of William Carey University were forced to evacuate, as their campus was directly hit by the storm. On Saturday morning, about 20 members of SAE went to WCU and joined Toby Barker’s volunteer group. At the work site, the fraternity brothers found that there was an overwhelming number of volunteers but few supplies.
Courtesy Photo | “We were told at the volunteer sites that all of the volunteers – [they] really couldn’t do anything to help, because they had to wait
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for people they hired with actual supplies to remove the debris and heavier objects that were in the way,” said SAE President Zac VanNorman. This led members of the fraternity to establish a GoFundMe page in an effort to provide victims and community workers with
resources and supplies to clean up the affected neighborhoods and businesses. “We’re just all about the community and wanting to help in any way we could,” said Fraternity Correspondent Caleb Courtney. “All of the brothers wanted to reach out, and we thought we could take it even a step forward by doing so.” Courtney created the GoFundMe page and used a platform of resources to get the word out in an organized manner. The original post has reached more than 5,000 people and the GoFundMe page has raised more than $3,000 within a few days. “I have friends who attend William Carey who were in their dorms and lost everything,” Courtney said. “All I keep saying to myself is that – for me – it could have been a lot worse.” Southern Miss Residential Life has spent the week relocating William Carey students to dorms such as Hillcrest and supplying them with essentials.
With the brother’s ambition for helping the community, the original GoFundMe goal was set to $10,000. After realizing a number so big may discourage people from donating, the group halved the goal amount. The goal for SAE’s Tornado Relief page is now $5,000. Once their goal is reached, the fraternity plans to either present a volunteer organization with a check or even purchase the supplies necessary for tornado relief. “There [are] a lot of people that when there is a tornado or natural disaster will only go and help the first two days, get what they want out of it and be done with it,” VanNorman said. “We believe that by giving this money out, it should go toward an organization that continuously works in cleanup efforts – not just one person or one group, but an organization that is going to help the entire community.” For more information about the project visit SAE’s facebook page.
Provost extends academic reorganization proposal deadline HIBA TAHIR
entertainment editor Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Steven Moser has extended the deadline for accepting Academic Reorganization plan proposals aimed to explore possibilities in the restructuring of The University of Southern Mississippi’s academic degree programs. Moser said his decision to extend the deadline is “based upon feedback from staff and faculty and grounded in recommendations from the Academic Leadership Council.” “The Plan for Academic Reorganization has been revised to reflect the deadline extension and
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now includes an expansion of Level 2 proposal types,” said Moser, who believes the deadline extension will provide faculty and staff with “time to more fully develop proposals.” Moser said given the most recent recision by the governor in response to a shortfall in current state revenue collections, focus of the review of proposals may shift but will not change the timeline of the plan’s implementation within the next academic year. In spite of reductions to state agency funding, Moser remains optimistic that the plan will cut costs. “The newly announced budget reduction will shift campus conversations addressing
realignment and reorganization to greater emphasis on costs savings,” he said. Moser also said that the Request for Proposals is comprehensive. “Therefore, [it is] prudent for all department and school faculty and staff to be involved in conversations that could lead to cost savings, as well as potential realignments or consolidations in academic programing.” Some faculty are opposed to the administration’s attempts at restructuring the university. USM Department of History professor Douglas Chambers wrote that the plan was “full of blather” in a December letter to the Printz.
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FEATURE THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017 HIBA TAHIR
entertainment editor Back in December, Speaker Paul Ryan told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that he was unconcerned about then President-Elect Trump’s business conflicts. “I have every bit of confidence he’s going to get himself right with moving himself from the business guy that he is to the president he’s going to be,” Ryan said. Enter Sarah Cannon – mom, Hoosier, middle grade author and my treasured friend. Cannon had a problem with Ryan’s comments. So much so that she decided to call him. Not only did Ryan not pick up, but he also left her on hold for multiple hours. “Congressional staffers say calls are the most effective means of communicating with congresspeople, so the fact that he has cut off access like this is very telling,” Cannon said. At that point Cannon realized she’d probably never get through to Ryan but that didn’t stop her. Being the resourceful person that she is, she kept calling for days on end, and she began live tweeting the entire ordeal. What followed was an incredibly vivid saga (with FIVE installments) that she dubbed “Speakerphone,” which can be found on Storify and in which she shares the mundane details of her life in 140-character increments with America’s Speaker of the House as she waits for him to answer the phone – mundane details that include everything from helping her children with homework, to cleaning her house to shopping for instant pots. No one but Ryan knows whether he has seen or will ever see the aforementioned tweets, but I sleep a little better knowing what he was subjected to by one particularly tenacious writer.
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OPINON THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017
Black Bloc embarrasses activists with violence ALYSSA BASS
printz reporter
After Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, the Black Bloc, an anti-fascist group with more than 500 members, went out into the streets of Washington, D.C. to protest Trump. While most of its members were detained by police, one of the members went rogue. This member, who still has not been identified, punched “Neo-Nazi” Richard Spencer live on camera. I learned about the incident on Twitter. Someone had posted a video of Richard Spencer, whom I had no prior knowledge of at the time, getting punched to the beat of a reggae horn. Immediately after I saw the viral video, another tweet popped up posing the question if it was acceptable to use violence
against Neo-Nazis. Someone responded saying, “People didn’t die in WW2 for ya’ll to ask this question.” I immediately laughed, agreed and hit the retweet button. But after researching the Black Bloc, I realized that I cannot support the anonymous member’s random act of violence. In fact, I cannot support the Black Bloc at all. According to writer at The Nation Natasha Leonard, who joined the Black Bloc that day, the Black Bloc’s protest tactics included smashing windows and burning trash cans, “Make America Great Again” hats and a limousine. From my understanding, nothing of what they do is organized, but I suppose that destruction of property is not something that takes careful planning.
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The only thing that is organized about the Black Bloc movement is their clothing. They dress in all black and wear ski masks to hide their faces so the police will not be able to easily identify them. Before it was confirmed that the Black Bloc was responsible for destruction of property in D.C., conservatives on Twitter were blaming it all on the Black Lives Matter protesters. However, I have not seen a lot of condemnation for the Black Bloc. There are a few articles debating if it was morally right to punch Richard Spencer, but other than that, this is old news. And that is how you know that the Black Lives Matter movement was not responsible. The conversation needs to be less about Richard Spencer and more about the double standard we have for protests and riots. If Black Lives Matter had been responsible for throwing punches and lighting things on fire, major news networks would have been discussing it and showing footage for at least a week. Even if it was just one person who began rioting near a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest, the whole group would have been blamed for it. It happens almost every time there is a protest against police brutality. Even if there is no violence, black and brown protesters are still called “thugs,” “criminals” and “bad guys.” Police show up armed in military gear. The leadership of the black community is questioned. And before you know it, half of
America sees Black Lives Matter as a terrorist organization. But when the rioters are white, there is a different response. And guess what most of the Black Bloc rioters were? White. Of the 500 rioters, 200 were arrested and face felony rioting charges, which is great and is exactly what should have happened. However, I wish that they would have gotten more national air time, because I doubt that the majority of Americans are familiar with the Black Bloc. The harsh language that is used to describe black protesters and the occasional rioter (who, by the way, are usually not claimed by the movement) needs to be used when discussing the Black Bloc and white rioters in general. This is not the first time that white people have rioted, but some may think so due to the riots never being called riots. One can find mostly sportsrelated riots started by white thugs dating back from 1984 when the Detroit Tigers won the World Series. Eight rapes, one fatality and 80 were injuries were reported in 2015 when Ohio State University won the NCAA football championship and 90 fires were started. Between those two examples, you can find about nine more, but barely any consequences. Perhaps the only redeemable quality about the Black Bloc is that they show allyship for minority peaceful protestors by creating human shields to protect them from police and not allowing those with “vulnerable immigration
status, arrest records or good reason to fear police repression because of the color of their skin” to participate in Black Bloc, Lennard said. I would think that people who meet that criteria would be smart enough to know that they should not participate without having to be told, but good for the Black Bloc for having rules for membership. According to one-day Black Bloc member Lennard, the main goal of Black Bloc is this: “If bearers of white privilege can do one thing, it is put ourselves on the line and take risks where others can’t.” Lennard is right. If a group of 500 black and brown people got together to take a “risk” and destroyed property and punched Richard Spencer, they would have wound up killed, arrested and surrounded by the military all on live television, and their movement would have been no more. The chance at a good reputation would have been severed. No one asked for the Black Bloc to do this. A bunch of white rioters dressed as bank robbers did not change the outcome of the election or Richard Spencer’s views. The only thing the Black Bloc proved is that they benefit from white privilege enough to not be nationally known and condemned for their crimes. The next time any white rioter or protester thinks that they should speak and act on minorities’ behalves, they should stop and let an actual minority organize the movement.
OPINION THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017
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‘Feminist icon’ stays home during Women’s March
Courtesy Photo |
TICHINA WILSON
printz reporter
After failing to attend the Women’s March hosted in Washington, D.C., pop singer Taylor Swift now has some “bad blood” with her fans on Twitter. The 27-year-old artist did not join the likes of other female celebrities like Rihanna and Cher at the Women’s Marches that took place worldwide this past Saturday. Instead, Swift voiced via Twitter her support for the march. “So much love, pride, and respect for those who marched. I’m proud to be a woman today, and every day. #WomensMarch,” she wrote on Saturday. Following the message, many felt that a tweet did not make up for her absence. Some called Swift’s tweet “gross opportunism,” according to AOL. com. Swift is one of many female celebrities who did not attend, though she is a self-proclaimed feminist icon. She has revolved her brand around being a feminist and inspiring women to stick together. Swift even focused her Grammy Awards acceptance speech for Album of the Year on young women,
insisting they stay determined even when other people (in her case, Kanye West) try to take credit for their achievements. This raises the question of where she was during the marches. Members of the “Shake it Off ” singer’s “girl squad” Lena Dunham and Blake Lively were present. Some say the pop star tweeting was a means of co-opting feminism for her brand but failing to act or undoubtedly misinterpreting the concept altogether. “As a fan of yours, this is some bull—. You do not get to pick and choose when feminism benefits you,” one fan tweeted and has since deleted. Others pointed out feminist celebrities who did attend: “Taylor should be going to the women’s march. Ariana, Demi, Miley…so many others are going. I think Taylor should’ve gone. Sorry not sorry,” another user tweeted. It is no secret that Swift has remained rather silent about her stance in politics. “I don’t talk about politics because it might influence other people,” she told Time magazine in 2012. “And I don’t think that I know enough yet in life to be telling people who to vote for.” This is the reason many wanted
Taylor to use her voice to speak out about President Trump’s attitude toward women. However, the singer stayed silent for most of the election season and chose to not endorse President Donald Trump or former Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton. She only encouraged fans to go vote in an Instagram post. “Her plan – to be as famous and as rich as she can possibly be – is working, and by using other women as tools of her self-promotion, she
is distilling feminism for her own benefit,” Dayna Evans wrote in Gawker. We do not know why Taylor Swift did not attend the Women’s March, but our guess is in this situation she will stay quiet as well.
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SPORTS THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017
Vandy Invite shows strengths and weaknesses ANDREW ABADIE
printz reporter
The men and women’s indoor track and field team broke several school records in the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville on Jan. 20 - 21. The Vanderbilt Invitational gave the Golden Eagles opportunities to compete against some of the best programs in the country and against some in-conference teams. The short-distance runners showed that they can hang with strong competition but still have more training to do. In the 60m dash, junior Cravorkian Carson’s 6.85 was .01 seconds short of qualifying for the final heat. In the 200m race, junior Alexander Richemond finished sixth running a 21.97. Carson and senior Jamad Smith finished in 13th and 11th
place, respectively. In the 400m race, the Golden Eagles fell off, with seniors Curtis Walker and Lorenzen Burton finishing in 17th and 18th place overall. However, freshman Caleb Parker finished fourth in the 60m hurdles with an 8.08 but finished last in the high-jump. The women’s short-distance had a similar day to the men’s, with both good moments and bad. In the 60m dash, sophomores Kadaria Thompson and Keiyana Gaskin both ran times of 7.72 each, missing the final heat. Gaskin and Thompson also competed in the 200m race finishing 12th and 14th, respectively. Senior Adriana Allen finished seventh in the 400m race running a 55.58. Both teams shared frustrations in the 4x400 relays. The men’s defending outdoor 4x400
conference champions had a rough day finishing eighth out of 11 teams and women finished sixth out of 11 teams. The women’s distance team found success for a second year in a row. In the distance medley Regen McGee, Courtney Filliben, Adriana Allen and Dana Dillistone shattered the school record of 11:52 that was set in last year’s Vanderbilt Invitational, dropping it to an 11:38. On the second day, Filleben also ran the 800m race in 2:13, finishing 11th, and Dillistone ran the one mile in 4:55, finishing ninth. In the women’s 3000m race, freshman Theresa Harto and junior Daphney Stanford finished in 18th and 28th, respectively. “The girls were fantastic in smashing the school record by ten seconds,” said Head Coach Jon Stuart. “Coach [Aaron] Kindt told
me that we had a chance to take that record down, and the girls crushed it.” Meanwhile, the men’s distance team continues to be rocky. Junior Randall Dias finished 21st overall in the 800m race running a 1:58. In the men’s long jump, Richmond finished 12th, freshman Eric Washington finished 18th and sophomore Devonta Brassell finished 21st. In the triple jump, Brassell finished ninth overall, jumping 14.47m. For the women’s high jump, freshmen Zaria Jones and Jamari Drake finished sixth and 10th, each jumping 1.66m. The throwers were the strongest and most consistent for the both teams. For the men’s field, junior Donald Daley competed in shot put throwing 14.10m finishing 24th, but he later shined in the weight throw, finishing fifth and throwing
for 18.42m. For the women, junior Alexis Chiles finished ninth in women’s shot put throwing 13.18m The best performance of the meet for the Golden Eagles was Brashe’ Wood who broke the school record in the shot put. She threw 15.38 meters to break the school record and also get the win for the day. This effort got her the honor of Conference USA field athlete of the week. “We had a good day today and we’re still on pace to be at our best for the C-USA Indoor Championships,” Stuart said. “We will use the next two weeks to get some good training in before we head back to Birmingham for the South Alabama Invite.” The Golden Eagles will travel to Birmingham for the South Alabama Invitational on Feb. 5.
Fans count down to Golden Eagles baseball season
Hunt Mercier | Printz Archive
ANDREW ABADIE
printz reporter
The countdown for college baseball has begun. The Southern Miss baseball
season starts in less than a month, and the defending Conference USA champions will not only be a fun team to watch but more importantly will be the team to beat in C-USA.
The regular season champs, Florida Atlantic, lost six of their starters from last year’s talented squad. Rice, on the other hand, looks to be another competitive group again, but like FAU have lost their fair share of seniors. If the Golden Eagles can figure out their pitching staff quickly, they can easily run the table in the conference. The Golden Eagles will open the season against Northeastern State, who will be a perfect rust-buster and test for them. Northeastern last season was a scrappy team that finished 31 - 27. The biggest key to their success was their pitching staff, which they will look to lean on. Their
team returns their entire pitching staff, including ace Aaron Civale, who finished the season with a 1.73 earned run average and a 9 - 3 record. As a team, Northeastern’s pitching staff posted a 3.71 ERA. Northeastern’s mediocre hitting will hopefully help the Golden Eagle pitching staff find its groove early. As strong as their pitching was last season, Northeastern’s bats were nowhere near as impressive. The team as a whole had a .255 batting average. Northeastern returns almost their entire team from last season and will try to prove themselves when they play the Golden Eagles. Northeastern will be no slouch for the Golden Eagles, but if USM
keeps their heads in the game, then they can look at opening the season with a sweep. The Golden Eagles should ultimately try to embrace the challenge of that pitching staff after they finished last season with a .305 batting average. The Northeastern pitching will hopefully wake the bats up early in the season in order to get offensive production going. The Golden Eagles will open the season on Feb. 17 at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg.