Thursday, February 23, 2017 Volume 101 Issue 38
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Guy stresses social, racial issues JULIUS KIZZEE
sports editor
This year’s Armstrong-Branch Distinguished Lecture Series featured Jasmine Guy, who is famous for her role as “Whitley” in “A Different World.” Guy stressed her views on social issues, women’s rights and even telling audience members to put their phone away to take in a moment in real-time. “I don’t like talking to people who ain’t looking at me,” Guy said in reference to the numerous millennials in the crowd who were holding their phones up to record the famous speaker. On Feb. 21, Bennett Auditorium was filled to near capacity as not only students were invited to attend the festivities, but also community members, who took part in the hourand-a-half long lecture. The lecture also honored the legacies of previous Southern Miss students Gwendolyn Armstrong-Chamberlain and Raylawni Adams Branch and their impact on the community. The two women enrolled at the university in the 1960s and were met with harsh criticisms in their daily walks at Southern Miss. Guy says that she would have handled the criticism in the only way that she knows how. “I had my own personal compass,” Guy said. “I wasn’t an explosive person. I’m not going to go at people
every time someone comes at me like that.” Ajanae Tolliver was one of the people in the crowd with their phones up in the air when Guy starting speaking. Once Guy told the audience to put their phones down and pay attention to what she had to say, all of Tolliver’s attention went straight to the NAACP Image Award winner. “When she told us to put our phones up, I was one of the ones that had my phone out, too,” Tolliver said. “I wanted to record it, and I wanted to have this memory for a long time. I wasn’t realizing what she was actually saying in real-time.” During her speech, Guy spoke about her experiences working with celebrities such as Jamie Foxx, Will Smith, Whoopi Goldberg and even Spike Lee on the movie “School Daze.” Through all of the prominent actors that she shared the stage with, she showcased the history of black prominence and how it should not be overlooked. “Our history is not racial history – it is American history,” Guy said. “Our black American history should be incorporated into the American story. Be smart about what you’re learning.” She spoke about social and racial issues facing minorities today. “Do we care about white people losing their jobs?” Guy asked the crowd. “Let me tell you something,
Kenyatta Ross | Printz Clarence Magee presents a plaque to Jasmine Guy with a hug following her speech on Feb. 21 in Bennett Auditorium. it’s not trickle down – it’s trickle up. If you help us at the bottom, we’ll help y’all. Y’all will still be billionaires. But give us a chance to educate our kids and take care of our parents. We’re in this thing together.” In her closing remarks before giving
recognition to both ArmstrongChamberlain and Branch, Guy said something that seemed to resonate with most of the students in the audience. “While you’re in school, please take advantage of the people who are
interested and invested and educated to give you enough to help you get into your field,” Guy said. “I still don’t see a lot of kids rising to the occasion, rising to the present. We may not be able to change the world right now, but you can also self-educate.”
Students ‘checked out’ ACCESS’ Human Library MADISON ETHERIDGE printz reporter Students and visitors went to Shoemaker Square Wednesday, Feb. 22 and encountered The Human Library. Campus advisor for Advocacy for Civility Change Equality Safety and Social Justice (ACCESS) Marie Adkinson helped students select “books” to “read.” Some of the books on the “shelves” included “Female to SelfMade Man,” “Political Awakening: My Vietnam Protests,” “Gay Pastor: Activism is Ministry,” “From Gang Banging to Graduating,” and 15
other “books” were there as well. Each “book” was represented by a person with a story to tell and stereotypes to dismantle. In this way, they constituted a Human Library. The Human Library began in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2000, according to humanlibrary.org. The founders, Dany Abergel, Asma Mouna, Christoffer Erichsen and Ronni Abergel originally started a “non-government youth movement” called “Stop the Violence” after their friend was attacked during a night out. According to the movement’s website, the organization was asked to create an event for the Roskilde Festival in Copenhagen, and they introduced the Human Library. The
original event lasted four days, eight hours each day and featured more than 50 “books.” Since 2000, the Human Library has spread all over the globe. In order to arrange the Human Library on USM’s campus and use the organization’s official logo, Adkinson had to apply for a special license. When Adkinson was accepted, she reached out to several friends with unique stories and asked the ACCESS members to refer people to her for the event. This Human Library was among the first in the state of Mississippi, comprising of eight non-students and 11 students. ACCESS member Jesslyn Williams referred her younger sister, Jayla
Williams, who was born with hemihypertrophy – a genetic disorder in which half of her body grew larger than the other half. The disorder affected not only her face and body, but also her brain, which caused her to have learning disorders. Jayla continues to face constant bullying in school, but has a large family support system in Birmingham. Jayla’s mother Deborah contributed to the “reading” process, because communication does not always come easily for Jayla. “She recently had surgery on her face, to reduce the asymmetrical appearance,” Deborah Williams said. “She thought it would change her life, but the kids at school still harass her.”
Jayla is classified as a junior in high school and takes part in an Individualized Education Program. She dreams of becoming a physical therapist or opening a cupcake business. Danni Lee, a member of ACCESS, joined the Library to talk about her father and his struggle with a severe drug and alcohol addiction. She said she remembers adoring him as a little girl but grew suspicious when his disappearances were sporadic and strange. He called to apologize to her for his failings as a father after several months of separation. continued on | pg 4
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INTRODUCTION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017
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NEWS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016
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Students, employers network at Career Fair LORA LAVIGNE
printz reporter
The University of Southern Mississippi’s Career Services hosted its annual Career Fair on Feb. 21, allowing all students and alumni to network with a large number of employers in the Thad Cochran Center. USM’s Career Services designed the Career Fair for students to learn about future jobs, discover internship opportunities, network, present resumes and make impressions with local and state businesses. The fair provided students an opportunity to explore a variety of careers while looking for a professional position. “We tell every student whether you’re a first semester freshman or last semester senior to come,” said Career Services Marketing Specialist Tonya Williams. “Sometimes, if you have never had experience at a fair, it can be uncomfortable to walk up to a table and talk to an employer.” Nearly 100 employers from a variety of industries prepared booths to potentially hire students for full-time, part-time, on-campus and off-campus jobs. In preparation for their job fairs, Career Services provides a resource center containing information on
careers related to particular majors. They also host workshops and oncampus mock interviews to help prepare students for a successful experience at the fairs. “I was very nervous walking into this because I am looking for internship opportunities,” said sophomore fashion merchandising student Tori Jones. Jones said attending job fairs is great practice for her. “I think it’s a good experience to see what kind of jobs are out there and go ahead and get a jump-start on building relationships early,” she said. The workshops provided for students focus on giving extra attention to whichever skills they need to improve. Counselors gather with students to concentrate on resumes, elevator pitches and give personal attention on how to nail an interview and get the job. Badge Pass Executive Vice President of Technology Christian Eaton said the company has four job openings and that they came to the career fair because they are looking for college graduates. “We didn’t want to hire off of a text site or go to a headhunter about it,” Eaton said. “We wanted to personally be able to talk them, talk about their majors, tell us what
Shraddha Bhatta | Printz USM Students attend Career Fair on Feb. 21 in the Thad Cochran Center. they’ve learned and just get that one on one with them.” Several employers like Badge Pass said they are looking to hire students within the next three to four months. “This fair is a unique opportunity to get some face time with
employers, otherwise, under most circumstances, there would be a barrier,” Eaton said. The list of employers is provided on the university’s Career Services webpage to allow students to prepare for specific employers pertaining to their major and to find exactly who
is hiring for what position. Students can look forward to the Career Fair twice a year or once a semester. For more information on what to do before, during and after a job fair interview, visit usm.edu/careerservices.
Department hires new Associate Dean Yardick ANNIE JOHNSON
printz reporter
Kathy Yadrick, former University of Southern Mississippi Chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Systems, recently accepted a new position as the Associate Dean of the College of Health. She formerly took on limited responsibilities as the Associate Dean in 2011 but was asked to take on the position entirely after the former dean stepped down. Yadrick, once a Chemistry major, said she found food and nutrition a good fit. “I always liked food,” Yadrick said. “I liked to cook, and I also liked nutrition.” Yadrick received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Michigan State University and her Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. Yadrick said she always knew she wanted to work in higher education. She said she ended up at The University of Southern Mississippi after an unplanned trip to visit friends in Hattiesburg on her way to Disney World. Though being at Southern Miss was not her initial plan, Yadrick said she loves her community.
“Hattiesburg grows on you,” she said. “It’s nice here.” As the new associate dean, Yadrick said her responsibilities will include “a little bit of everything.” Yadrick said she participates in a number of university committees that seek input across the university. She oversees the development of the department curriculum and reviews research that involves people as participants. Yadrick also serves on the Institutional Review Board with the university and works on the Implementation Committee that is working on new software that will help the department schedule classes more efficiently. Yadrick said she thoroughly enjoys being involved all over the school. “One thing I like about performing these responsibilities is I really have an opportunity to interact with people around campus not just in my department,” she said. Yadrick said she is able to get the perspective of other people of other academic positions capabilities. She said she has worked with the Student Success Committee, Provost Office, as
well as other disciplines. “We’re all in this together,” she said. “It’s important that we have a strong support system amongst each other.” Yadrick said she feels as if her job is her commitment to her students. Ashley Lovetere, a former student of Yadrick, said USM strives to make students feel at home. “The professors here are so family-oriented,” Lovetere said. “You’re able to talk to them oneon-one, and they really care about you your life outside of school. She’s so sweet, and she has a wonderful way of critiquing and giving good feedback.” Yadrick said she strives to continue the achievements of the College of Health and would like to continue to: produce graduates who fill an important need in health care, develop important research, support the younger faculty as they develop their careers and continue to engage their students. Yadrick plans on staying in her position until her responsibility at Southern Miss is completed, but until then she says she is “always ready to be of service.”
Courtesy Photo |
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NEWS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016
EagleTHON raises $10K in donations NAN BEAUTI
copy editor
The nonprofit campus organization EagleTHON raised $10,017 for the kids of Children’s Miracle Network at Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital at its dance marathon event Feb. 18. Participants and donors danced and supported the organization’s purpose. EagleTHON promotes Children’s Miracle Network hospitals and raises money for Blair E. Batson in Jackson. Last fall, the organization focused primarily on profit shares and its event, Karaoke for a Cause.This spring’s fundraising included many local sponsorships. The group also hosted For The Kids or FTK week featuring different events and fundraisers including a “1K in 1 day” event and a “Puppy
Love” event on Valentine’s Day, in which the group partnered with Southern Pines Animal Shelter and brought puppies on campus for students to relax and play with for a donation of at least $1. During the week, the group also hosted the “Table of Terror,” for which well-known campus leaders volunteered. President of External Affairs Melissa David said this event was the biggest success of the week. “People could come by and pay money to make them eat some pretty disgusting things,” David said. “We had mayo all the way to pig’s feet. The only way that they could get out of eating was by matching the price that the donor had given.” Senior biology major Amani Mohamed was part of the catering committee at EagleTHON.
“Being able to get in touch with different restaurants in the community and having them support us by catering without getting any profit out of it showed me how positive and caring people are,” Mohamed said. “This event
is so important for the children receiving the profits because they are able to get assistance to receive their treatments and know that there is an organization that supports them and is willing to go out of its way to make sure they get the care they need.”
David said the group raised more than $10,000 in its first year. “I cannot wait to see how much this program and total will continue to grow with all of the love and support Southern Miss has to give,” she said.
Shraddha Bhatta | Printz Members of EagleTHON dance with children from Blair E. Batson at their Feb. 18, 2017 Eaglethon event.
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Students ‘checked out’ ACCESS’ Human Library Danni said she rejected his apology, only to find out the next day that he overdosed shortly after his phone call to her. Her father’s death and the lack of any support from her family caused Lee to turn to alcohol, drugs and other dangerous habits in high school. After a long process with herself “to determine who she was and who she wanted to be,” she shelved the coping mechanisms. Now a junior at USM, Lee studies athletic training and hopes to work
with collegiate athletes. She said she likes to counsel on the dangers of addiction, an activity she hopes will help not only her friends, but her future athletes. “Some people are offended, like they don’t want to talk about that,” Lee said. “Others are like, ‘You’re the light I’ve been waiting for.’That’s what I do, inspire and electrify.” When asked if she fears the genetic disposition of the alcoholism disease, Lee became more serious. “I have to be careful,” she said. “I
always ask others if they’re willing to throw away everything for one night out.” These stories represent only a sample of the “literature” available at the Human Library. Adkinson hopes to hold the event once a year, with even more books. “Talking to any or all of these people will ground you in an immense way,” Adkinson said. Other Human Library events can be found on humanlibrary.org.
(601) 268-9393 www.womenspavilionms.com
Carly Snyder| Printz People sit at tables waiting to be ‘checked out’ during the Human Library event near Shoemaker Square on Feb. 22, 2017.
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FEATURE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017
Mardi Gras: Carnival of the South DAISY STUTTS
photo editor
Mention Mardi Gras and most people think of New Orleans, with its countless parades and its reputation for putting on months of celebratory events. Others might associate the holiday with Mobile, the original home of Mardi Gras in the U.S. Also known throughout history as “Carnival,” Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday whose French-to-English translation is “Fat Tuesday.” It can be traced to Mobile, 1703, when French settlers brought it to America. The time period we know as the Mardi Gras season was intended to allow Roman-Catholic believers to essentially get the party out of their system through binging on large feasts, drinks and extravagant displays in the streets. This period of freedom leads up to Ash Wednesday, a ceremony still celebrated in many contemporary Christian communities. After Ash Wednesday, one enters the season of Lent, which is a 40-day fast from certain indulgences. In its journey to a modern holiday, Mardi Gras has managed to pick up countless traditions, many of which are downright odd.
Some people attend extravagant balls or ride in ornately-decorated parade floats, and one may wonder how exactly they ended up there and why. Freshman psychology major Madison Rossignol said her family has a long tradition of being involved in New Orleans krewes. “[New Orleans] families put a lot of hard work and funding into having the best social events and parade presence – they even buy or make really intricate throws for the parades,” Rossignol said. Krewes are social organizations, similar to cotillions, according to Rossignol. On the other side of the Mississippi River, Mobile celebrates Mardi Gras in its own way. Mobile’s Mardi Gras story involves many important social movements such as “AfricanAmerican Mardi Gras,” which was its own set of celebrations that took place during the Civil Rights Movement. Another Mardi Gras facet with a history is king cake, with its hidden plastic baby and official colors. The King Cake represents the Catholic recognition of “Epiphany” or “Little Christmas,” a holiday that takes place on the 12th day of Christmas. The plastic baby hidden inside the
Cam Bonelli/Printz Participant of the sixth annual Caerus parade hands out beads during the event on Feb. 11th 2017 in front of the University of Southern Misssissippi. cake makes a little more sense in the Catholic context, as it represents the baby Jesus. As for the colors green, purple and gold, seen everywhere during Mardi Gras season, there is a complicated historical association. Many New Orleans natives believe
green, purple and gold represent the values of faith, justice and power, respectively. The distinctive cultural phenomenon that is Mardi Gras in the South offers plenty of opportunities to get involved without traveling
far. There are countless well-known parades in New Orleans, Mobile and Pass Christian, along with celebrations right here in Hattiesburg. No matter how you spend your Mardi Gras break, the message still stands: “Laissez les bon temps rouler!”
‘Clean Kitchen’ authors host book signing PATIENCE JOHNSON
printz reporter
Jamie Page and Kellar McAlister, Clean Kitchen 12 Week Challenge coaches and authors of “Clean Kitchen: The Cookbook,” held their first book signing Monday at South Mouth Deli in Hattiesburg. Page and McAlister believe healthy living is achievable and that it should not require the kind of restrictions typically associated with a nutritional lifestyle. Clean Kitchen began as a fourweek program developed by Versus Strength and Conditioning gym coaches in Hattiesburg. Two cycles into the program, Page and McAlister realized they needed more time, so they extended the program to 12 weeks. The program now aims to push simple assignments, habits and lessons every day, and, as weeks progress, more advanced tasks are steadily added. “We weren’t sure if people were going to buy into a 12-week program, but we realized that’s what is needed for people to get a good handle on the type of habits we were trying to teach,” Page said. “It was easier for people to slowly get into what we were teaching them so it would stick.” According to Page and McAlister, Clean Kitchen brings a unique application to healthy eating, such as recipe revamps, in which a meal’s unhealthy ingredients are substituted with healthy ones that achieve the
same flavor and textures. “We started doing our recipes purely because we didn’t want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen, but we also like really good food,” Page said. “Not everybody loves to cook, and you’re not going to be a good cook. We just want somebody that is used to getting take-out to look at the recipe and not feel overwhelmed. They take 20 minutes max, probably, to prep or even cook.” Hattiesburg resident Susan McClain said she enjoys the Clean Kitchen style of preparation and cooking. “It’s healthy food offered in an appealing way,” McClain said. “I know this cookbook will help me eat better.” As directors of the Clean Kitchen program at Versus, Page and McAlister strive to influence healthy habits. The duo published the cookbook through Amazon in January and presented the book as a supplement to their Clean Kitchen program. The goal of Clean Kitchen is to change a person’s mindset and his or her relationship with food, according to Page. “A lot of people are afraid to eat,” Page said. “What you put in your body is your health, so if we can help them change their mindset on what it means to be healthy and act on it, then they’re not scared. They feel confident, and it just changes them physically and mentally. We call it a [brain-retrain], because in that first month we are totally trying to combat
Courtesy Photo | Authors of “Clean Kitchen” book pose for a photo at South Mouth Deli book signing on Feb. 20. against what everybody thinks they should be doing.” South Mouth Deli partnered with Clean Kitchen and now offers a Clean Kitchen section on its menu, according to owner Josh Rodgers.
“You’ve got a restaurant that has kind of embraced [the program’s] theories and its way of doing things, so we’re going to kind of wrap that into what we do here,” Rodgers said. “We’ve got a number of their items on
our menu that we’ve retrofitted to fit their style of cooking.” The Clean Kitchen 12 Week Challenge registration begins April 10.
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OPINION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017
Cursive bill unnecessary for elementary curriculum ALYSSA BASS
printz reporter
On Feb.8, the Miss. Senate passed bill SB2273, which would require cursive writing to be included in the elementary curriculum. Students are expected to “create readable documents by the end of fifth grade” and, if their school district allows, pass a proficiency test in reading and writing cursive. If the bill is made law, it will go into effect during the 2017-2018 school year. Republican state senator for Olive Branch and also the proposer of the bill David Parker said in a Facebook post that the purpose of the bill is for young students to be able to read historical documents. “As the father of college children, a high schooler and a kindergartener, I am excited that the form of English used in our original founding documents will not appear to be a foreign language to the children in
Mississippi,” Parker said. After reading the Facebook comments filled with happy grandmothers, retired teachers and parents, my initial reaction was one of indifference. However, as I kept reading, I realized that maybe I did not care about the bill because I had already learned how to read and write in cursive. During my fourth grade English class, I can remember learning it and being fascinated by cursive writing. My English teacher never referenced historical documents being written in cursive or introduced cursive like it was a foreign language. I remember it being taught as a way to distinguish yourself from others with your signature. Perfecting one’s signature could be called an art form and a way of expressing one’s self. And maybe that is what made learning cursive so fun for my classmates and me. I wonder that if my teacher had introduced it as a way of interpreting old documents that
it may have felt like a burden, and I would have possibly rebelled against using it in my free time. Furthermore, I find the argument of teaching cursive to be able to read old documents, particularly those pertaining to American history, weak. These days, children are not handed the originals; their history books offer printed “translations.” Documents like the Constitution are available in print online and are even pocketed. Print writing is simply easier to read, and technology only perpetuates that idea. A slightly better argument for cursive writing in school would be the psychological benefits that come from learning it. However, those benefits are hard to quantify. Those in favor of cursive have said that it increases writing speed and helps children with dyslexia. In an article by London writer Phillip Ball, Ball notes the lack of evidence for these claims. Beginning by saying that “Tests on writing speed
have been fairly inconclusive in the past,” and goes on to cite a 2013 study. University of Toulouse in France teacher Florence Bara and University of Sherbrooke in Canada teacher Marie-France Morin compared the writing speeds of their students. Cursive writing is strictly enforced in France while Canadian teachers allow their students to pick their handwriting style. In the end, cursive writing was actually slower. A mixture of print and cursive handwriting was actually the fastest and most legible. Regarding dyslexia, there may be some evidence that cursive writing helps. Karin Harman James, an associate professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University said, “Some children who have trouble printing letters do benefit from learning cursive because they do not have to take their pencil off of the paper as much,” James said. James continued to say, “These
children are the exception, and the results cannot be generalized to all children learning to write.” In a response to James, Ball said that manuscript has a hidden advantage. “Some recent studies suggest that freeing up cognitive resources that are otherwise devoted to the challenge of simply making the more elaborate cursive forms on paper will leave children more articulate and accurate in what they write,” Ball said. But no one ever brings these arguments when advocating for cursive to be taught in school – most arguments for cursive writing are selfish, centered around being able to read family letters from the past if not popular historical documents. Cursive writing has become tradition, but I am not sure if it is worth being advocated for in Mississippi legislature, especially when our world is more technologically-savvy than ever. Today, children need cursive to sign documents, but nothing more.
Love or hate Trump, Ivanka’s perfume is number one TICHINA WILSON
printz reporter
Despite talk of consumer boycotts of Ivanka Trump’s clothing line, on Feb. 18, Ivanka Trump Eau de Parfum Spray for Women and Ivanka Trump for Women RollerBall soared to the top of Amazon’s
beauty best-seller list. According to Us Weekly, sales for the 35-year-old businesswoman’s self-titled perfume were so high that the product took the top two beauty spots as of Saturday afternoon. According to MarketWatch, Trump’s perfume has retained the number-one position for six
consecutive days. A 3.4 ounce bottle of the eau de parfum spray, which jumped from $34.99 on Saturday to $67.90 as of Wednesday evening. The roll-on version - which has jumped from $15 Saturday to $33.98 - has the number 13 best-seller position as of Wednesday night.
Her scent is described as “an alluring and feminine floral oriental” that is a “symbol of strength in grace and beauty.” However, not everyone was pleased with the scent when writing their reviews. “[The perfume] has a fascist, [demagogue] racist smell to it . . . scent may have been motivated by daddy,” one user wrote. “Terrible scent,” another user wrote. “Smells like communism.” Not everyone is against Ivanka Trump. Some shoppers are opening their wallets to show support. “We don’t have a lot extra but we felt we needed to show our support for our President and his family,” shopper Miranda Taylor wrote on Saturday. “If buying a $15 perfume helps just a little in sending a message to those companies that are caving in to the left and their intolerant hate of OUR President then so be it.” “Bought this to support Ivanka after the vicious attacks on her business,” another user said. “I *never* buy perfume without trying a sample first but did so this time. Big Bonus - I love the scent! It is fresh and feminine and something I will wear frequently. Another Bonus - the bottle is lovely so 5 stars all around. Highly recommended!” Amazon’s bestsellers are “based on Amazon.com sales and are updated hourly,” according to the site. Several well-known retailers have stopped carrying Trump’s clothing line and are citing sales, not politics, as their reason. “We continually review our assortment and the performance of the brands we carry,” a Belk spokesperson told BuzzFeed. “And we make adjustments as part of
our normal course of business operations.” An activist group started the campaign #GrabYourWallet after the election to boycott Trump family products. Within the past few weeks, Nordstrom has dropped the first daughter’s line altogether, while T.J. Maxx and Marshalls have simply stopped promoting her products in their stores. But because of her sales via Amazon, her brand may remain intact. Many might wonder who the people supporting Ivanka’s brand are. She markets her products to young upwardly-mobile women. Her personal website shows a 20-something year-old model, who one could easily assume is to represent Ivanka herself. However, most women in support of Ivanka are much older, according to NyMag.com. “I am placing [an] order today,” wrote California retiree Debby on the Ivanka brand’s Facebook page. “I hate people telling me who I can buy from. I usually go against it.” Terry, 60, of Hobe Sound, Fla., told the Cut she is disappointed that Nordstrom “would stoop to pulling a very high-class, highprofile person’s line because her dad just happens to be President of the United States and is doing what he believes will keep our country safe. I personally agree with him, as do the majority of my friends and family.” As to no one’s surprise, President Trump was upset about stores such as Nordstrom pulling Ivanka’s clothing line. “My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!” he tweeted Feb. 8.
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ENTERTAINMENT THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017
HIBA TAHIR
entertainment editor
I was 19 when I discovered the Promised Land. For F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, it was Paris. For William Faulkner and Eurdora Welty, it was Mississippi. For Zayn Malik and Camilla Cabello, it was anywhere their former bands weren’t. And for me – big-headed, Tinder-trolling, aspiring novelist that I was – it was a room on the third floor of College Hall at the University of Southern Mississippi: The Student Printz newsroom, a petri dish of miscalculated decisions and bad ideas wrought by last-minute panic – in short, a young writer’s ultimate dreamcome-true. In the newsroom, I found drama. I found diverse characters with more issues than a bi-weekly entertainment magazine. I found intrigue in the form of extreme sleep deprivation and barelykept deadlines. I found a dysfunctional family full of gossip-obsessed siblings and a weary patriarch better equipped to remember AP rules than staff members’ names (where did ‘Emily’ even come from, and why was she taking valuable space in the conference van?) I found endless someday-novel ideas and material sure to alarm at least 100 percent of my future therapists.
There was that one time last year when my phone rang the minute I stepped out of class. Back then, I was still just a news writer and typically received my assignments over the phone from Josh, our news editor at the time. What I loved most about Josh and his assignments was that he had the ability to make each sound more important than the next. It was thrilling sometimes, but mostly it was just tiring, so when my phone rang that day, my immediate instinct was to let it continue to ring. Eventually, however, I went against my better judgment and accepted the call, whispering a tentative, “Hey, Josh.” Immediately, Josh launched into my latest assignment. I scrambled to find a pen and paper to write it all down. It took several minutes, with a lot of repeating on both ends, and I was all but ready to make up an excuse to leave when Josh suddenly gave an uncharacteristically long sigh. “Right, well, let me know if you have any questions. I should go now. I’m stuck in an elevator.” I balked at the phone, a thousand questions racing through my mind. But Josh hung up before I could ask a single one, and I’m not sure I would have known where to begin anyway. It was not the first time a call from a fellow staff
member left me reeling, and it most certainly would not be the last. When you work in a newsroom, there comes a point when you stop questioning things. For example, I’m positive that at least half of our staff has no idea why we keep referring to an imaginary being named Emily, an AfricanAmerican sophomore – for now – with enough personalities to put Kevin Wendell Crumb to shame. (Emily exists because our adviser mistakenly – and very assuredly – called our new news editor by that name, and our sports editor can’t let it go and has essentially created an imaginary person on whom we can pin all of our problems.) Furthermore, a man by the name of Fernando appeared on our staff caricature board. Do we have a Fernando on staff? No. Have I asked why he’s there? Also no. Am I worried that knowing too much might possibly leave me sleepless for the rest of eternity? Certainly. It’s like thinking of the strange sounds that emit from the other rooms on the third floor sometimes when we’re at production late into the night – if you do it too long and too closely, it starts getting a little creepy. Speaking of creepy things, when you’re up that late searching for the perfect headlines, it can be easy to forget why you chose this glorified self-
torture in the first place. Thankfully though, there are reminders all over College Hall, and they show up in some pretty strange places. There is a sign in the women’s restroom on the third floor which reads, “Do Not Flush Personal Hygiene Items. Place Them in The Trash Dispenser!!!” To this, some poor soul has written the addendum
“WTF? To whom will you be dispensing used personal hygiene items?” I love this addendum because it functions like an English major in society – painfully useless but grammatically sound – and as a grammar nerd, I can find nothing else that better summarizes my insanely nonsensical but somehow rewarding time at The Student Printz.
S M O O R LE G N I S OF R E B UM N D E LIMIT
LE B A L I AVA
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RESERVE YOUR ROOM ON CAMPUS FALL ’17 – SPRING ’18 at www.usm.edu/housing. for
CURRENT RESIDENTS: STAY ON CAMPUS AGAIN NEXT YEAR, AND WE WILL WAIVE THE PROCESSING FEE! ONLINE SELF-REASSIGNMENT (OPENS/CLOSES AT NOON) *See designated time below.
march 1 – 7 Men and Women (2.8 – 4.0 GPA*)
march 8 – 21 Men and Women (2.0 – 4.0 GPA*)
march 22 – May 12
All students currently in housing *cumulative total GPA
Prior to SelfREAssignment reAssignment
. . . .
Review building information for the 2017-18 academic year online at www.usm.edu/housing and communicate with your preferred roommate regarding the process for roommate pull-in; Review the Housing Contract Lease Agreement (online); Test your SOAR login and password on our website to be sure you can access the RMS portal for self-reassignment; and Remember to use Internet Explorer 10.0 or above and turn off pop-up blockers. (MAC users will need to use Firefox. Safari is not compatible with the application portal.)
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