OCTOBER 18, 2017 VOLUME 102 ISSUE 10
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News
Gulf Park campus holds a pumpin patch.
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Features
Toddler of USM professor battles with leukemia.
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Entertainment
Freshman Lanie Leach writes about her first homecoming.
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Campus debates Latin distinction resolution Ashley Hobson social media editor
On Tuesday, Oct. 10, Honors College Dean Ellen Weinauer sent an email to every Honors College student informing them the Student Government Association recently passed a resolution regarding how Latin distinction is awarded at The University of Southern Mississippi. The following days saw forums, debates, social media posts and opinions arise from many students at USM both for and against the legislation. Currently, Latin distinction is awarded at Southern MIss based on the completion of a comprehensive examination and the writing of a thesis which involves personal research overseen by a thesis mentor. The legislation would move to award Latin designation based solely on a student’s GPA and without completing a comprehensive exam or thesis. All
Alyssa Bass
entertainment editor On Wednesday, Oct. 4, students, faculty and staff were notified via email of USM’s new tobacco-free policy to be implemented on both the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses beginning on Jan. 1, 2018 with the help of Tobacco Free Campus Taskforce spearheaded by The Moffitt Health Center. When the current 19 smoking zones on the Hattiesburg campus were implemented, their stay was meant to be temporary according to the five-year-old policy, which cited the deadly effects of secondhand smoke from a 2006 Surgeon General study. Now, in 2017, the university’s motivation in moving towards a smoke-free campus has not wavered. Chief Communications Officer Jim Coll referred to a study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that found cigarette smoking to be the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year. According to Coll, “By going tobacco-free, the University envisions a cleaner, healthier environment in which students can learn, employees can grow professionally and the community can enjoy all that USM has to offer.” Coll was not alone in his vision of a tobacco free environment in fall of 2016 according to a referendum vote
Courtesy Photo students can sit for a comprehensive examination and write a thesis for Latin designation without completing Honors curriculum their freshman and sophomore years. SGA President Cameron Cloud provided the following information concerning the timeline of the
legislation. “On Thursday, October 5, 2017, your elected student body senators on the Hattiesburg campus supported the proposal with a final vote of 23-2-1 (yea-nay-present),” he said. “On Friday, October 6, 2017, your elected student body representatives on the Gulf Park
regarding smoking on both USM campuses. On the Hattiesburg campus, out of 1,873 student responses, the option of “I support a smoke/ tobacco-free campus” received 1,285 votes (68.61%). The option of “I support the current smoking zone policy” received 588 votes (31.39%). On the Gulf Park campus, out of 265 student responses, the option of “I support a smoke/tobacco-free campus” received 132 votes (50%). The option of “I support the current smoking zone policy” received 132 votes (50%). One student abstained from answering. However, senior sociology major and former smoker Samuel Mingo sees the policy as an infringement of smokers’ rights and would like for the smoking zones to remain intact. “Smoking rates have been on the decline among youngsters, so that’s good for them, but older smokers who have smoked their entire life are not going to give it up just because USM thinks it’s a good idea to tell people they ‘have to be’ healthy,” Mingo said. “I mean, that’s what we are getting at, isn’t it? USM is making the choice for an individual on what a person can and cannot do with their own body just to promote some delusional utopian ideal of a society of lemmings. What’s next, zones for people who use too much Axe body spray?... Cigarettes are how a lot of smokers relax. Is it ideal like doing yoga? No, but that is a choice for an individual to make, not me or you.” Those found in violation of the
policy will either receive a warning or be served with a fine. Notably, Coll said the policy will mostly rely on “self-governance,” encouraging USM faculty and students to “respectfully explain” the tobacco-free policy. In hopes of estimating the number of smokers on campus, The Social Science Raesearch Center at Mississippi State University administered a web-based survey to full time undergraduates at USM in during the spring 2016 semester. The study found that 51 percent of participants had tried cigarette smoking with almost 15 percent claiming to be a consistent smoker, smoking at least once in the past 30 days and four percent smoking at least 20 of the past 30 days. USM alumnus Jack Hammett believes the university “disregards the power of addiction.” “Having smoking zones in place cuts down on having to smoke in public and, in turn, on smokers feeling guilty for bothering the people around them,” said Hammett. “I’m a smoker. I’m aware of the way my habit affects people nearby. It stinks, it makes me look like an a*****e and it gives people bad impressions of me. Most smokers feel that way, and most smokers want to quit as much as their loved ones want them to quit. But that’s the power of addiction—it stays whether there are rules against it or not. The real problem is pushing against addiction itself. Maybe setting up programs to help college smokers—and even alcoholics—get clear of their addictions would be
campus supported the proposal with a final vote of 6-3-3 (yea-nay-present).” Following Weinauer’s announcement, Cloud announced that SGA Senate would host a forum on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 11:30 a.m. to allow students the opportunity to have their opinions heard by SGA.
Senior and Honors College student Caroline Bradley voiced her concerns at the forum. “[The senate] said they talked to a lot of students, but I believe the reaction since 9:30 in the morning when Dr. Weinauer sent the email proves contrary to that,” she said. “To further that point, many Honors College students emailed after Dr. Weinauer sent the email and instead of getting something back like ‘Hey I hear you’ it was a copy and pasted email. So, we’ve been shown numerous times since this resolution passed that our voice is actually not valued and I think that’s one of the biggest frustration points. In the past when resolutions like this that would affect the entire university regardless of the philosophy was behind it there were multiple forums held, online surveys, there were people talking about it before it even got presented in meeting and that did not happen. . .” CONTINUED ONLINE
Hiba Tahir, Printz Students utilize the designated smoking area behind the Liberal Arts Building. more beneficial, but we all know that such things cost money.” According to junior communications studies major and vice president of SGA McKenna Stone, SGA was responsible for establishing a definite time frame for a smoke-free campus. SGA has been working towards a smoke-free campus since fall of 2014 with the passing of R09F14 “A Resolution to Establish The University of Southern Mississippi as a SmokeFree Environment by Fall 2016,” which called for cessation efforts and the referendum vote previously mentioned. Taking the SGA’s cue, Moffitt Health Center began offering free visits at the clinic to discuss tobacco cessation and prescription medicines like Chantix and Zyban at the Moffitt pharmacy with no copay for most insurance plans. Health Educator and Promotions Coordinator at the Moffitt Health Center Kayla Johnson said there will
be more resources and promotion of those resources thanks to a grant given by the CVS Health Foundation. “Preliminary efforts include creating awareness through educational programming and a media campaign, the installment of signs, and the promotion of cessation resources available to those desiring to quit using tobacco,” Johnson said. “Funding from the grant will also be used to train members of the USM community to actively assist in tobacco cessation efforts.” On the Tobacco Free Campus Taskforce are appointed representatives from the Office of Health Promotion, Faculty Senate, Staff Council, Student Government Association, Student Affairs, Recreational Sports, Athletics, Physical Plant, Department of Public Health and the University Police Department. For more information, contact the Moffitt Health Center at 601.266.5390.
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EDITORIAL POLICY The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not necessarily represent those of the faculty, staff or administration of The University of Southern Mississippi. We welcome letters to the editor representing similar and contrasting opinions. To be eligible for publication, all submissions must include name, class distinction, major, phone number and email address. Submissions should be emailed to printzeditors@ gmail.com by 5 p.m. on the Friday before publication. Please limit them to 500 words or less. The Student Printz reserves the right to refuse publication or edit any material on the basis of clarity, space or journalistic ethics.
Dr. Dan-el Padilla Peralta, author of “Undocumented” and an advocate for reforming America’s immigration laws, will address the University Forum at Southern Miss on Tuesday, Oct. 24. The Forum speech will take place in Bennett Auditorium at 6:30 p.m.
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.
Long Beach campus hosts pumpkin patch Lanie Leach printz reporter
To swing into fall, the Gulf Park campus of Southern Miss is hosting a Golden Eagle Pumpkin Patch as a fundraiser for the Association of Office Professionals and Comparative Cognition and Communication Lab, both of which reside on the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. Admission is free and open to the public. Pumpkins and gourds of all shapes and sizes will be on sale, prices ranging from 50 cents to $50. The Association of Office Professionals fundraiser will go towards facilitating trainings, presentations, membership drives and other events taking place on the Gulf Park campus. The Comparative Cognition and Communication Lab fundraiser will be used to facilitate the purchase of equipment and fund graduate research projects and presentations. From Oct. 16-31, the Golden Eagle Pumpkin Patch will be open on the South Lawn of Southern Miss’ Gulf Park campus. The pumpkin patch will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., if the weather permits. The pumpkin patch will include a free craft table and photo area. At 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 21, the pumpkin patch will host a children’s costume contest and have a professional photographer on site from 10 a.m. to noon.
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Renovations to continue on Shoemaker Square fountain drain Natalie Buckley printz reporter
The University of Southern Mississippi’s Physical Plantas finished renovations on the Shoemaker Square fountain on Oct. 11. The Physical Plant was working on the fountain due to water leakage. The lights inside the fountain were taken out due to their lack of function. The Plant removed the ball and cleaned it, and they sealed the base to stop the leaking and prevent future leakage. In addition to sealing the base, they also repainted it a blue similar to the fountain in front of the Administration Building. The renovation was temporarily delayed and was barely completed in time for homecoming festivities. According to Michelle Shinall, assistant director of marketing and campus relations, the Plant had to wait seven days for the waterproof membrane to cure and that filling the fountain before the membrane cured would have resulted in a voided warranty. Also, students were unable, and will be unable from now on, to sit in chairs in the fountain during the traditional homecoming fountain
Gabrielle Williams, Printz
sit because the Plant thinks that they may have contributed to the fountain leaking and would damage the new paint job on the base of the fountain. Shinall said that the fountain’s drain, which is located about 20 feet from the fountain, has collapsed, and the Plant will start working on it after homecoming. The completion date for the drain repairs is to be determined, but its construction will not affect the running of the fountain. The Plant repairs and renovates the fountain and other projects at USM as needed. Current projects include the Lucas Administration Building repairs estimated to be completed this fall, the Cochran Center Theatre project estimated to be completed next fall and Joseph Greene Hall renovations estimated to be completed this January. The Plant also plans to renovate Fritzsche-Gibbs Hall, Harkins Hall and Southern Hall in the future. The Physical Plant is located on campus at 118 College Drive. For more information about the Physical Plant and its services, contact 601266-4414 or fill out a contact form at www.usm.edu/physical-plant.
Hub City offers frightening good fun for all creatures Bradley Booth printz reporter
Halloween time is upon us, and there are many exciting things going on in Hattiesburg. You may ask what a fellow Hattiesburger can do to have a “spooktacular” Halloween. There are plenty of Halloween events planned on campus and throughout the Hattiesburg area that can make this Halloween the best you have ever had. To start off your festivities, you will need a pumpkin so that you can enter USM’s Association of Office Professional’s pumpkin carving contest. The deadline to enter is Oct. 20 at 5 p.m.,and the winners of the contest will receive two tickets to the Oct. 24, 7 p.m. showing of “Phantom of the Opera.” To enter your pumpkin into the contest and find further details, you can go to AOP’s webpage on The University of Southern Mississippi’s website. Next on your Halloween bucket list, get ready to reminisce and bring in the season with “Halloweentown” at the Saenger Theatre on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. The ticket is $5, and if “Halloweentown” doesn’t spark your interest, there will also be a showing of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Oct. 27 for $10. After your exciting cinematic experience, you can head over to the Hattiesburg Zoo for its annual “ZooBoo.” The 20th annual ZooBoo will be held Oct. 25-30 from 5:30- 8 p.m. and will feature exciting Halloween activities throughout the zoo. Guest are encouraged to wear costumes. The tickets are $10. USM psycholog y major Shelby Caffarel expressed her excitement about the Saenger T heatre movie showings. “Halloweentown is my favorite movie to watch to get into the H a l l owe e n s p i r i t , ” C a f f a re l said. “I normally have to watch Halloweentown on a small TV in my living room. Now, I get the immersive experience of watching it in a theatre.” If you want to get a head start on working off your freshman 15 or Halloween candy binge, go to the
Courtesy Photo Department of Recreational Sports’ Zombie Fun Run on Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. The one mile run will be held in the Payne Center parking lot, and the run is free for USM students with student IDs. There will also be prizes awarded to participants with the best costumes, so make sure to come dressed for the season. On Oct. 27 from 4-7 p.m., The USM chapter of Roots and Shoots and the Department of Biological Sciences will be hosting an event in the Johnson Science Tower. This
event will be free to the public. If you are still looking for more Halloween excitement that day, head on over to Hattiesburg’s African American Military History museum for their annual Booseum event. The event will be from 6-8 p.m. and costs $2. To cap off your Halloween bucket list, get ready for a bloodcurdling historic tour of Downtown H at t i e s bu rg. O n H a l l owe e n night, Downtown Hattiesburg will be hosting the inaugural “Dearly Departed Walking Tour.”
According to WDAM News: “Tours will depart from the Saenger Theater in downtown Hattiesburg every 30 minutes beginning at 6 p.m., with the last tour leaving at 9 p.m. The guided walking tours will highlight various locations in central downtown, ending at the Porter Pub, where tour takers will board the Hattiesburg Trolley to Oak Lawn Cemetery. Tours will last approximately 55 minutes and will include two snacks and two beverages, which are included in the $25 ticket price.”
Elementary education major Kristen Holmes said she loves the Halloween season and expressed her interest in attending some of Hattiesburg’s Halloween events. “Last year I didn’t realize there were so many events in the Hattiesburg area,” Holmes said. “Now that I know what’s out there, I plan on trying to really take advantage of all the events.” Regardless of your budget and age, the Hattiesburg community has something for everyone.
Professor and family face silent struggles Ashley Hobson social media editor
On any given day, hundreds of students walk through the doors of Owings-McQuagge Hall. Classes are held, tests are given, teachers lecture and students alternate between note-taking and textsending. However, tucked in the back corner of one of the professor offices is the dimly lit office of Lindsay Wright, Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Online Program Coordinator for the Department of Child and Family Studies here at USM. On top of the regular duties professors are trusted with, Wright is dealing with something much larger and much more important. Her 23-month old daughter, Kaitlyn, has been diagnosed with leukemia. However, Kaitlyn’s fight against leukemia didn’t start recently. K aitlyn’s mom says they’ve been monitoring her blood since she was two months old. “Kaitlyn was diagnosed with a form of pre-leukemia when she was
six months old, but in reality we’ve been monitoring her blood since she was about 2 months old,” Wright said. Leukemia, the most common form of childhood cancer according to the American Cancer Society, is a cancer which affects early bloodforming cells. AML, or Acute Myeloid Leukemia, the specific kind of leukemia Kaitlyn has, is known to affect red and white blood cells. Specifically causing there to not be enough mature blood forming cells in the body. This means that Kaitlyn’s red, white or platelet count could be too low causing symptoms ranging from high fevers to weakened immune systems. A loved one being diagnosed with cancer is enough to strain any family, but the Wrights are showing what love can do to keep them together. Since Kaitlyn was diagnosed at just 20 months old, the Wright family has had to adjust and adapt to the new needs of their baby girl. This included being in and out of the hospital and usually away from each other as well as other family.
When Kaitlyn was first diagnosed with pre-leukemia, she had a low dose of chemo which caused Tony Wright, who was previously a salesman for Toyota of Hattiesburg, to be out of work for two months to be in the hospital with Kaitlyn. Since then, they’ve been in and out for different lengths of time with 25 days being the longest stretch so far. This stretch could be beaten at any moment, however, due to the how chemo affects the body, especially the body of a toddler. “ I t ’s n o t n e c e s s a r i l y t h e leukemia, it’s what you get when you have no immune system,” Wright said. “We just finished round three [of chemo], and we’ll be starting round four soon.” “We’ve decided we can be a family again when we’re together and this is all over,” Wright said. “[Tony] goes up with her during the week and I can come up on Friday afternoon. As much time as I can give him out of the hospital room is the goal because it’s hard to be there when she’s sick, but it’s also hard to be
there when she’s well because then you have a toddler in a hospital.” This doesn’t mean that they’re alone in this fight though. Since Kaitlyn’s diagnosis, the Wrights have seen an outpouring of support. “All of our family is in Georgia, so my parents [Kaitlyn’s grandparents] come to visit when they can,” Wright said. “We’ve now had two potential hurricanes stop that, but when she gets cleared we’re going to take a week and go visit.” But when family can’t be there, the community steps in. “My coworkers are my go to,” she said. “My department is a bunch of therapists, so I’ve been very fortunate. I can send one text message and the whole department will rally.” And if you’re wondering how Kaitlyn, just a toddler, is handling this battle, just ask her mom. Of course she has her good days and bad days, but her mom says one minute she can be refusing medicine and having to have a nurse hold her down and the next she’s hugging the nurse and laughing.
“She’s very forgiving, but toddlers can learn to say no and it means something,” Wright said. “You want to respect their opinion and the hardest thing is now when a nurse comes in to give her medicine. [Kaitlyn] is spunky, forgiving and got a double dose of stubborn from her mom and her dad. She’s just loving and funny,” and that hasn’t really changed throughout the treatments. By all accounts, Kaitlyn remains to be a very strong little girl fighting an extremely hard and long battle. If you would like to help the Wright family, there will be a blood drive on October 27th (which just so happens to be Kaitlyn’s second birthday) across from the Baptist Student Union on campus.
Eagle’s Nest Food Pantry continues to feed students Crystal Tolible printz reporter
The Eagle’s Nest Food Pantry celebrates its one year anniversary this past week. The food pantry derived from the Student Association of Social Work with a mission to provide on-campus resources to USM students, staff and faculty. Director of Community Engagement Amanda Brown said that they saw a need for students on campus and they knew that something had to be done. They wanted to provide a place where the USM community could have basic necessities whether they had the money for it or not. “The idea had been discussed for a couple of years, even before I had become a part of the program,” Brown said. “So, I did get to experience it coming from an idea, to reality.” The out-of- state students, and international students are some of the one who are most affected by lack of access to food. It is especially hard for those students during the holidays when access to food options are limited. The increase in tuition has also taken its toll on the USM community as a whole. On Oct. 12, 2016, Eagle’s Nest Food Pantry finally opened in the basement of the Hub. They wanted to provide nutritious and healthy food for students both on and off campus. Though students do have the option of having food provided by The Fresh, they don’t always get the food that they need. They not only provide food, but also hygiene products and school supplies. The Eagle’s Nest Food Pantry strictly operates on community monetary and non-perishable food donations. Though they have been successful in their first year, they plan to expand even more this year. The food pantry now offers bilingual services, recipes that are dorm friendly for on-campus students and free health screenings offered by Southern Mississippi Rural Health Initiative. They will be also be implementing the new Backpack program which
Courtesy Photo will be filled with child friendly foods sent home to children every weekend at the Child Development Center. Thanks to volunteers and students,
the food pantry was able to stay open to provide food for the USM community during the summer. If you are interested in donating, stop by the
Hub basement and drop off your items there. For those who are interested in volunteering, pick up volunteer packet or visit their website at sasw@usm.
edu. The Eagle’s Nest Food Pantry also accepts online donations on their website. Visit eaglefever.usm. edu to in order to give your donation.
Scenes from Southern Miss’ 75th homecoming
Nick Dykes, Printz
Kendra Cole, Printz
Nick Dykes, Printz
Mica Herrin, Printz
Marvel’s ‘Inhumans’ proves that you don’t need powers to be super Carlton McGrone printz reporter
When the most interesting aspect of your show - that centers around beings with superpowers - is a powerless woman with a laptop, it’s probably not a good sign. Behind the flat, emotionless, stale script and uninteresting motivations lies possibly the only engaging character that’s been introduced to the series. Louise, the scientist that makes a brief appearance after being fired in episode one, teams up with Medusa to find Blackbolt. Though admittedly, Louise is your standard nerd character that knows how to hack because she’s smart and wears glasses. Her tenacious, sassy attitude was the only bearable factor of this week’s episode. Played by the lovely Ellen Woglom, Louise car ried this e pisode, dragging it from its quickly sinking storyline and overall viscous, dullarching plot. Without further ado, the good and bad of “Make Way for…
Medusa.” As you can see, not much of this was good. THE GOOD Despite being one of the only powerless main characters, Louise, though horribly unoriginal, is the best character BY FAR. Though, the silent Blackbolt is a close second, which says leagues about this cast and script. The banter between Medusa and Louise is cringey at best, if not just a bit charming. THE BAD Medusa’s name doesn’t deserve to be a part of the title. Maximus might literally be the least threatening villain in MCU history. His guards are more terrifying than him, which isn’t saying much. The acting, namely Crystal’s actress, is absolutely atrocious at times. I understand that acting is one of the toughest jobs to do well, but this is a Marvel property! I understand making sexual/ social connections between the humans and inhumans is important to the storyline of this season, but
only confusion and a feeling of dissatisfaction follows a scene of a human and Karnak kissing after they’ve known each other for a little more than a day. Finally, the episode was just so darn uninteresting. The lack of anything of substance happening was painful. Several times I found myself asking: When the heck are they going to do anything besides whine about not being on the moon? The episode starts with Blackbolt escaping from prison in a helicopter, though how anyone was called to pick him up is never established. A scientist onboard says that he can help Blackbolt not kill his loved ones whenever Blackbolt opens his mouth. Meanwhile, Louise and Medusa are following the helicopter until they encounter several police cars and are forced to escape Hawaii P.D., losing sight of Blackbolt. Don’t worry though, everything’s alright because the pair somehow magically go free and take refuge in a motel. While Medusa tries
to snap back at Louise’s sarcastic comments about Medusa’s and Blackbolt’s names and royalty statuses on Attilan, the two are able to track down Blackbolt’s location. T he scientist that took in Blackbolt actually has direct connections with Maximus who is still trying to maintain his new seat of power on the moon, again this connection is never explained or expanded upon. The scientist tells Max that he can give Max powers by examining Blackbolt’s DNA. Max, clearly jealous of his brother and spiteful at being reverted to being a human, tells the scientist to kill Blackbolt, but the scientist needs Blackbolt alive in order to give Max powers. Crystal, the princess of Attilan and Medusa’s sister, is now in Hawaii and is crying because Lockjaw, her giant CGI dog, was hit by a “dreamy” guy on a fourwheeler, Dave. Dave conveniently knows a vet nearby who just so happens to be his ex-girlfriend. Cue the uncomfortable, not interesting tension while Crystal
stupidly wonders why her dog can’t be instantly cured. Louise and Medusa interrupt a skirmish between Blackbolt and Max’s guards, and they all escape the lab. Medusa and Blackbolt share an incredibly unrealistic kiss. Karmak, Blackbolt’s cousin who also escaped in episode one but hasn’t been interesting since his introduction, sleeps with a human in her tent in the woods while another jealous human plots Karmak’s death. Gorgon, another of Blackbolt’s cousins and the only other character that’s a bit interesting, is pushed to the side. I literally cannot remember anything significant Gorgon did throughout the episode. The writers clearly have their work cut out for them if they want “Inhumans” to reach a second season, but I still can’t turn my back on Marvel, so I’ll keep watching until the bitter end. Make sure to watch Marvel’s ‘Inhumans’ Fridays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
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Friday the 13th movies are a success, score high ratings Natalie Buckley printz reporter
The box office released four big new movies showing in theaters nationwide this past Friday the 13th, preparing movie buffs for the Halloween season. The movies include “The Foreigner,” “Marshall,” “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” and “Happy Death Day.” “The Foreigner” Directed by Martin Campbell of “Casino Royale,” “The Foreigner” follows a businessman whose teenage daughter is taken by terrorists, forcing him to pursue them and face conflicts with a government official. Resembling themes from Pierre Morel’s “Taken,” the new release is labeled as an actionthriller and stars movie veterans Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan. It is rated R
for violence, language and some sexual material. Rotten Tomatoes critics rated it 56 percent, while audience scores reached 80 percent. “Marshall” Directed by Reginald Hudlin and starring Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson and Sterling K. Brown, “Marshall” is a historical drama based on a 1940 trial in Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall’s early life as a lawyer. With the help of Jewish lawyer, Sam Friedman (Josh Gad), Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) takes the case of a black chauffeur charged with sexual assault and attempted murder of his prestigious white employer (Kate Hudson). Variety’s Peter Debruge praised the movie, saying that “rather than falling into the trap of blindly sanctifying Marshall based on his impressive list of future
accomplishments, [the director] treats him as a rich, three-dimensional character.” With a movie poster tagline of “Live hard. Fight harder,” the movie is rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, sexuality, violence and strong language. It has a Rotten Tomatoes critic and audience score of 86 percent. “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” Directed by Angela Robinson and based on true events, “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” describes the life of psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston as he struggles to create the “Wonder Woman” character in a sexist society in the 1940’s. While creating the empowering female character, Marston draws inspiration and help from his wife, Elizabeth Marston, and their lover, Olive Byrne, an unconventional situation that would have tarnished his
reputation and his superhero in that decade if discovered. “The New York Times” described the movie as “a sly and thoroughly charming Trojan horse,” and “Screen Rant” called it “a beautiful tale of romance with the story of Wonder Woman’s origin and her feminist ideals.” The movie is rated R for strong sexual content and language. It has an 87 percent critic score and an 84 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. “Happy Death Day” “Happy Death Day,” which was satisfyingly released on Friday the thirteenth and braces movie-goers for more horror releases as Halloween approaches, repeats a college student’s birthday and day of murder as she attempts to discover who her killer is. Directed by Christopher Landon (“Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones”), “Happy Death Day” climbed to
the top of the box office, making $11.6 million on its first night and $26 million during its first weekend in theaters. The movie is produced by Universal Studios and Blumhouse Productions, who also produced thriller hits “Get Out” and “The Purge.” It is rated PG13 for violence, terror, crude sexual content, language, drug material and partial nudity. “The New York Times” called it “a snappy horror-comedy with a gentle romantic spine,” and Rotten Tomatoes critics rated it 66 percent, while audiences scored it 75 percent. Thrillers, horror and Halloween-type movies releasing nationwide this October include “The Snowman” and “Tyler Perry’s Boo! 2: A Madea Halloween” on Oct. 20 and “Jigsaw” on Oct. 27. “Leatherface” and “Amityville: The Awakening” will be released in limited locations.
Gabrielle Williams, Printz
Remembering old homecoming memories and making new ones Lanie Leach printz reporter
I’ve always known that I wanted to participate in the Southern Miss homecoming events some day. Well, that day finally came on Monday, Oct. 9 - the day The University of Southern Mississippi’s homecoming festivities officially began. And man, was I ready to “Behold the Gold” as I watched our team rake in points. As a child, I remember seeing the standing floats, watching the homecoming parade and hearing which team won homecoming at the football game. I remember rating all of the standing floats in my head (not knowing anything about the teams) and wishing that my choices were the winners when
I heard them being called out at the game. I remember watching the Dixie Darling alumni strutting onto the field. I remember catching candy flying from the top of the fire truck where the cheerleaders were perched. This year, I actually got to be a part of it all. It wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies though. It got stressful once I realized that those bright and colorful standing floats take time - a lot of time. I also never knew that there was a theme - this year it was “Behold the Gold.” I was shocked by the amount of tissue paper we had to use. Our standing float depicted Lofty, the administration building and a field of black-eyed Susans. Other floats had some of the same elements with tons of black-eyed Susans and Seymours.
Throughout the week, e had to participate in certain challenges, all while we were busy trying to finish both the standing and riding floats (oh, and not to mention sleep and go to class). Monday was the dance competition and while watching in the stands of the Reed Green, it made me miss my dancing days in high school. (Note to self: sign up for that next year.) On Tuesday, there was a karaoke contest, and if it weren’t for Facebook likes, I think my team would have won. Wednesday was a day filled with community service opportunities, as well as the social media challenge of finding Waldo on campus. I spent two hours searching and finally found Waldo in Seymour’s. Thursday was the Golden Race. I like to think of myself as being pretty good at Southern Miss
trivia. Little did I know that we had to run all over campus, and I’m still sore. Winning first place was worth it though. Just try and quiz me on all of the USM presidents in order. Friday was the fountain sit, something I had been looking forward to watching for years. I aspire to be the winner of the fountain sit, but with my size I’ll more than likely end up with hypothermia before the fourth question. Saturday’s parade was eventful to say the least. All was fun and games, until our float was turning onto the front of campus. Suddenly my head was inches away from the toll booth that guards campus. The driver didn’t quite calculate that turn correctly, so our float and almost my head ran right into the toll booth. May the left side rest in
peace. The game and tailgating was pretty much like any other game or tailgate so far - hot. I loved watching the homecoming court walk down the field at halftime. The Dixie Darling alumni dancing made me tear up (the older ladies are just so cute!) Everything went great, especially when they announced that my team came in third place overall. It felt incredible to have made that accomplishment with all the hard work everyone put in. Finally getting to experience homecoming as a USM student was exhilarating. I finally got to see and participate in all of the traditions I had seen from afar over the years. I made memories that will last me a lifetime, and I can’t wait for next year.
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Dove could have avoided its ad controversy Carlton McGrone printz reporter
A few weeks ago on Oct. 7, Dove aired an advertisement that depicted a black woman taking off her shirt to reveal a white woman, implying multiple white supremacy messages and garnering almost instant reactions of outrage. This caused for frequent consumers to drop the brand in favor of more progressive body care companies. As an African-American PR minor, I’m concerned with what exactly Dove’s public relations and marketing departments were thinking before releasing this ad. In class, we’ve studied dozens of the PR blunders that major companies have experienced over recent years, but I’ve yet to see as disastrous an oversight as this unfold in real-time. As advertisements go through rigorous reviews and reworks, everyone’s asking how something like this could so easily slip through Dove’s many departments. The answer is fairly simple: whether it’s because of a lack of diversity when making decisions or simply a lack of attentiveness, Dove’s employees simply did not catch this glaring misunderstanding. Though, considering this is not the company’s first racial scandal, one has to wonder what is going on with Dove’s marketing teams. Suddenly plagued with an enormous amount of backlash, Dove quickly took down the ad and gave an apology on Twitter and later, a longer apology on Facebook. Despite the apologetic
statements, audiences remained skeptical as to what exactly the company was intending to convey with this message. “Dove is committed to representing the beauty of diversity,” Dove said on Facebook. “In an image we posted…we missed the mark in thoughtfully representing women of color and we deeply regret the offense that it has caused.” Despite popular belief, I do not think that this was an intentional rally against blacks led by Dove. The fact is that companies, even ones as large and prosperous as Dove, make genuine, ignorant mistakes when pitching and going forward with advertisements. Even Lola Ogunyemi, the black model depicted in the commercial, spoke about her initial surprise at the backlash. “I went online and discovered I had become the unwitting poster child for racist advertising. No lie,” Ogunyemi wrote in The Guardian. “I had been excited to be a part of the commercial and promote the strength and beauty of my race, so for it to be met with widespread outrage was upsetting.” Understandably, Ogunyemi said that if there was even a hint of Dove portraying her as inferior to a white woman, she would have been the first model to exit the project, but in fact, she confirmed that the Dove team treated her with the utmost respect and were excited for the ad. She claimed that the goal of the commercial was “to use our differences to highlight the fact that all skin deserves gentleness.”
Courtesy Photo Though I do not blame the company of promoting racism, I do see an obvious lack of diversity amongst the staff at Dove, otherwise blunders like this simply wouldn’t happen. With diverse staff members, offensive and oppressive messages like this would most likely have been caught early on in the production cycle thanks to the range in backgrounds, personality types and experience in marketing and PR. A lack of attentiveness to its target audience is also to blame. Considering the amount of racial tension in the U.S., it only seems natural that audiences
would react negatively to a construed message such as this. Put simply, basic research of Dove’s key publics could have saved the shame that the company has faced over the past few weeks. “There is definitely something to be said here about how advertisers need to look beyond the surface and consider the impact their images may have,” Ogunyemi said. “It is important to examine whether your content shows that your consumer’s voice is not only heard, but also valued.” With the amount of tension in the U.S., it was only a matter of time before
yet another ad riled up audiences. Unfortunately, the victim of this hatred was Dove, but I’m more than confident that the company will recover from this disaster as it has done in the past. We can only hope that it has learned from this and will take their advertisements into more careful consideration.
Should a high school student be suspended for protesting? Natalie Buckley printz reporter
The first words out of one of my friend’s mouth when I told him that a high school girl had been suspended because she sat through the Pledge of Allegiance was “Wait, is that even legal?” The answer is no. Texas high school senior India Landry was suspended when the principal saw that she refused to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance, an act of protest that she told the local news station KHOU she had been doing for the past 200 school days. According to the Washington Post, her high school normally requires students to stand during the pledge even if they don’t recite it, but for the past few months, her “silent revolt” had not been a problem. This was until Oct. 2 when the Houston Chronicle says she was called to the principal’s office for having her phone out during class, and the principal saw her sitting throughout the pledge. School officials reportedly told her, “This isn’t the NFL,” and threatened to have police escort her out of the school if her mom didn’t take her home. The Washington Post also says that the assistant principal told Landry that “she was going to stand for the pledge like the other African-Americans in her class,” assuming that she was protesting just because of her race and not recognizing the reason behind the protest. A Supreme Court case in 1943 ruled that a public school student
Courtesy Photo
has the right not to salute the American flag or say the Pledge of Allegiance if it interferes with that student’s religious beliefs. Another case in 1969 ruled that students have the right to peacefully protest during public school hours. The First Amendment, in its entirety, says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” I guess before these cases, students weren’t considered “people of the United States” as the Preamble of the Constitution says, and therefore, students had no First Amendment
rights at school, even though public school is funded by government. Based on these cases, Landry absolutely has the right to sit during the Pledge of Allegiance. Even though her case is not affiliated with religious needs, she is exercising her right to peacefully protest, no matter the form. Landry was not disrupting the class. She was not yelling
obscenities or violently acting out during the Pledge. She was sitting. She was quiet. She was peaceful. She did nothing wrong. Those with authority need to refer back to the First Amendment and stop thinking that they can force allegiance on people. If you want people to “respect” your nation’s flag, start making your nation something to respect.
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Southern Miss improves to 4-2 with shutout win over UTEP Trevor Ritchie printz reporter
Quarterback Keon Howard made his fifth career start as he led the Golden Eagles to a 24-0 homecoming win against the University of Texas El-Paso. Howard was intercepted on the opening drive, setting up what would become a turnover ridden night. Even so, the Southern Miss defense managed to contain a struggling UTEP offense, ranking dead last in C-USA total offense heading into the matchup. On the following Southern Miss drive, Howard charged forward. Howard found wide receiver Korey Robertson for a 23-yard gain that set up an opportunity for a deep shot. Wide receiver Jaylond Adams was the next target, hauling in a 52-yard touchdown reception; the first of the freshman’s career. “It felt amazing to be able to get my first touchdown and make some big plays for my team,” said Adams. “Every week my confidence level gets higher and higher just being around a positive group of guys.” However, this was all the Golden Eagles could put together in the first quarter. Though opportunities did present themselves, penalties and turnovers proved to be the difference. Southern Miss opened the second quarter on the UTEP 18-yard line, but this scoring chance evaporated as Howard fumbled for his second turnover of the game. Moving inside the two-minute mark of the second quarter, a turnover squander ensued. Howard failed to convert on a fourth down attempt, turning the ball over to the Miners. Southern Miss’ defense quickly forced UTEP to punt, but 42 seconds later were forced to punt as well. The Miners then muffed the Golden Eagles’ punt and allowed Southern Miss to recover. Howard set up shop at the UTEP
Kenyatta S. Ross, Printz Junior DL LaDarius Harris (43) along with a fellow teammates force UTEP player to the ground. 30-yard line with 1:06 left in the half and threw his second interception of the game. Fortunately for USM, the Miners gave it right back on yet another fumble on the Miners’ one-yard line. From the goal line, running back Ito Smith slashed his way to a two-yard rushing touchdown that gave Southern Miss a crucial 14-0 lead entering the half. “That fumble was a big fumble; it was a big play because it gives you a two-score lead going into half,”
said Head Coach Jay Hopson. “We were kind of upset with some of the missed opportunities we had and weren’t able to capitalize on in the first half, but I felt like our defense was playing well, so that was a plus.” Quarterback struggles shifted in the second half, as defensive back Cornell Armstrong secured his second interception of the season on a pass from UTEP’s quarterback Ryan Metz during the Miners’ opening
drive. Though unable to capitalize on the turnover, the Southern Miss defense stood tall, holding the Miners to just six first downs on the day. In the fourth, running back Ito Smith refused to be brought down on his way to a 20-yard touchdown run and was later followed by a 38-yard field goal from kicker Parker Shaunfield. With Shaunfield’s longest field goal of the year, the Golden Eagles capped at 24-0 shutout over UTEP, the first shutout vs.
an FBS opponent for Southern Miss since defeating UAB back in 2001. Smith finished with 129 rushing yards and two touchdowns, his fifth straight and 20th career 100-yard game. Howard ended 16-for-27 for 221 yards and one touchdown. Unfortunately for Southern Miss, that was also joined by three turnovers. Southern Miss will take on Louisiana Tech next in Ruston, LA on Saturday Oct. 21 at 6 p.m.
Golden eagles run to a 11th place finish at Crimson Classic Andrew Abadie printz reporter
The Southern Miss women’s cross country team competed in a 6K race at the Crimson Tide Classic on Friday, Oct. 13. “I’m proud of the effort today,” said Head Coach Aaron Kindt. “Kate, Regen and Savannah ran really well. We had a couple people hit a wall so we looked to a couple younger girls to step up and Maddie and Emma Kate did just that.” The Golden Eagles came into the meet ranked 11th in the South Region. Thirty-one teams competed in the meet with nationally ranked Ole Miss (12th), Georgia (25th) and Mississippi State (29th). Southern Miss also competed against several regional ranked teams including Florida State, Lipscomb and Samford to name a few. As well as C-USA teams Middle Tennessee and University of Alabama at Bir mingham. The Golden Eagles finished 11th out of 31 teams beating Florida State, Lipscomb and Middle Tennessee. However, just 20 points helped UAB to a tenth place finish as they edged out Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles placed h i g h e r t h a n F l o r i d a S t at e, Lipscomb and Middle Tennessee, whom are all ranked in the South Region along with Southern Miss. Freshman Kate Mattox led
Southern Miss Athletics the team running 21:32 finishing 34th overall. Sophomores Regen McGee and Savannah McMillon ran times of 21:42 and 21:49 finishing 42nd and 47th, respectively. Junior Madeline Bell ran 22:45 and freshman Emma Kate
Holdbrooks ran 23:02. Rounding out the team was sophomore Theresa Harto running 23:10. The 11th place finish was a strong showing for the Golden Eagles as the Crimson Classic is a precursor the NCAA South Regional.
“We have a couple weeks to make some necessary adjustments and get our top five group back together,” Kindt said. “I think we have a good chance to put together a good season.” The Golden Eagles will now
look to prepare for championship season as the team gets ready for the C-USA championship which Southern Miss is hosting in Clinton, MS on Oct. 28th.