FEBRUARY 28, 2018 VOLUME 102 ISSUE 21
3 www.studentprintz.com
News
Southern Miss brings opera to campus.
5
Entertainment
Be sure to check out Swipe Right this week.
7
Sports
Lady Eagles snap losing streak on Senior Day.
serving southern miss since 1927
New changes made to advisement and registration for summer and fall semesters Lanie Leach printz reporter
“Positive changes” have been made to advisement and enrollment times according to Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Amy Miller. Beginning this spring, advisement and registration will occur at the same time. Open enrollment will start on March 5. In past semesters, advisement and registration has been separate. Most students would be advised and then wait for weeks for their registration window to open. “Students get busy with classwork, jobs, organizations, and so on, so sometimes people would delay signing up for classes,” Miller said. “Other students might try to sign up when their window opened only to discover that the classes they selected with an advisor had filled up. What we are doing this semester is giving students a longer window to get advised and registered at the same time. So a student should be able to leave advisement registered for their summer and fall classes.” Because she can now register for her classes during her appointment with her adviser, Emilee Hoang, freshman graphic design major, said she is most excited about not having to worry about signing up for classes the day they open. Before students make their appointment, Miller suggests that students pre-schedule their desired classes and put them in their shopping carts on SOAR and prepare questions for their adviser.
Courtesy Photo “I know that some students might not know the best way to pick their classes, and we have lots of resources to help,” Miller said. “I suggest that students start with their Degree Progress Report (or their semester-by-semester guide) and make a list of classes they have not yet taken and need to.” Another change to the advisement
and registration process is the class schedule. The semester will be two weeks shorter with classes starting on Aug. 29 and ending Dec. 3-6. “Because the semester is shorter, and the break is longer, class periods had to be lengthened to ensure that we had all required class contact minutes,” Miller said. “So students need to be aware
that the meeting times for classes is very different next year – classes will be a bit longer, and breaks between periods are longer as well- great for moving across campus between classes or grabbing a snack.” Friday classes will also no longer be readily available. Junior biological science major Holland Murphree said,
“I think it’s good to get [my classes] done in advance, but I don’t like the no Friday classes. I think it promotes laziness. I know I have problems with time management, and that will make it more difficult to me.” Summer and fall classes will be available on SOAR on Feb. 27. Open enrollment will begin on March 5.
International food fair gallery
The International Food Fair featured food from international students’ home countries.
Abhishek KC, Printz contributor The International Food Fair was hosted on Thursday, Feb. 22 in the Baptist Student Union. Southern Miss students, faculty and staff were invited to try food from a variety of countries.
Students try food from different countries that are represented in the student body at Southern Miss.
FEBRUARY 28, 2018 ANDREW ABADIE
Assistant Sports Editor andrew.abadie@usm.edu
SARAH ANNE SCHLOEMER
www.studentprintz.com
KENYATTA S. ROSS
The Student Printz
NATHANIEL SCHUMANN
@studentprintz
Webmaster sarah.schloemer@usm.edu
KAITLYN WATKINS
Executive Editor kaitlyn.watkins@usm.edu
HIBA TAHIR
Managing Editor hiba.tahir@usm.edu
Photo Editor kenyatta.ross@usm.edu Features Editor nathaniel.schumann@usm.edu
MORGAN CLARK
News Editor morgan.clark@usm.edu
ALYSSA BASS
KYLE WILLIAMS
Sports Editor kyle.e.williams@usm.edu
CAMERON CUMMINS
Entertainment Editor alyssa.bass@usm.edu
Printz Designer cameron.cummins@usm.edu
JHAIMEE BULLOCK
AMBER COBBINS
ASHLEY HOBSON
CHUCK COOK
Design Editor jhaimee.bullock@usm.edu Social Media Editor ashley.hobson@usm.edu
Printz Designer amber.cobbins@usm.edu Printz Advisor chuck.cook@usm.edu
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
Sexual Assault Student Educators and Advisors (SASEA) is a new student organization at The University of Southern Mississippi whose mission is to promote and facilitate discussions among peers regarding the issues of sexual assault.
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.
Mississippi bills aim to keep graduates, raise cigarette tax Will Veazey printz reporter
the people I went to school with... We want to keep our best and brightest from leaving the state.”
About 40 percent of Mississippi
However, the College Board
college graduates leave the state
report has been scrutinized for
within five years according to
not accounting for out-of-state
a report by College Board. As
students. Despite this, Rep. David
these
take
Baria, D- Bay St. Louis praised
their skills and business ideas
recent
graduates
the bill and said his two daughters
elsewhere, this has made millennial
may consider attending college in
economic growth in the state
Mississippi.
difficult. The Mississippi House of
Representatives
plans
on
If the bill passes in the Senate, it will become law on July 1.
combating this by using House
In addition, Senate Bill 3048
Bill 1550 to slash income taxes for
could raise the tax on cigarettes
four-year university graduates who
from 68 cents to $1.50 per pack.
remain in state after graduation.
According to the Heart Association,
Authored by Rep. Trey Lamar,
the tax “has the potential to prevent
R-Senatobia, this bill gives recent
14,000 premature smoking-related
graduates an incentive to stay
deaths, prevent 22,800 children
in state after completing their
from becoming adult smokers,
education by promising tax cuts the
and to help 26,500 current adult
first three years after graduation.
smokers quit.”
If graduates purchase property or
The bill hasn’t been completed
begin a business with at least one
at this time. Rather, the House
employee, they could receive the
put the tax addition language
tax exemptions for an additional
into a bond bill, which keeps the
two years.
possibility of a tax increase alive
“House Bill 1550 is designed
in the House should they choose to
for us to have a discussion on the
officially vote on it and make the
issue,” said Rep. Lamar. “I have
tax increase a law.
seen a lot of this [brain drain] with
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February 28, 2018
Kaitlyn Watkins executive editor
The university announced on Feb. 20 that Dee Dee Anderson was named the preferred candidate for the position of Vice President for Student Affairs and Vice Provost. Southern Miss SGA sponsored open forums for the three candidates early in the spring semester. Anderson returned to campus after the announcement to continue her interview process. She currently serves as Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Development at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. Prior to her appointment at UT-C in 2006, she served as Dean of Student Development at Louisiana Tech University. According to the Southern Miss website, the Office of Vice President for Student Affairs and Vice Provost “holds supervisory responsibility for a wide range of
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activities, programs and services that enhance the quality of life of the university community.” The Vice President for Student Affairs is in charge of many areas on campus including Greek Life, UPD, student organizations, volunteer opportunities and more student-related departments. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Steven Moser said the screening committee led by Associate Dean Julie Reid was in charge of selecting finalist candidates from a pool of applicants earlier this spring. “Dr. Anderson is a visionary and dedicated student services professional with demonstrated experience in building student services programs, increasing student engagement, developing the student experience outside the classroom, and strategic and longrange planning,” Moser said.
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Press release: community meeting to focus on the University of Southern Mississippi disaster plan The University of Southern Mississippi is seeking input from employees, students and surrounding communities on finalizing updates to the university’s disaster resistant university plan. The updated plan
also includes provisions for the Gulf Park Campus and the Gulf Coast Researcah Laboratory. A public meeting is set for March 1, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. in the R.C. Cook Union, Room C, on the Hattiesburg campus.
A campus advisory committee has led the effort to develop a campus-specific disaster plan designed to reduce the university’s vulnerability to potential natural and man-made disasters. The draft plan includes strategies
designed to provide a safer environment for the university community, to ensure the continuity of operations and to protect university assets in the event of potential hazards. The plan will be available for
viewing online at www.usm.edu/ safety. For more information, contact Clint Atkins, Physical Plant Assistant Director of Fire/ Safety & Custodial Services, at 601.266.5748.
Opera brings magical performance to campus Jarrod Colley printz reporter
The Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company is no stranger to the best operas in history and to the best musical theatre performances. Within the past few years, the company has put on productions of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado, Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto, Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Phantom of the Opera, and they will soon present Giacomo Puccini’s final opera Turandot. The wide span of talent and ability shown by the members of the company to perform drastically different productions like this is a testament to the performers and all of the faculty at our School of Music. On Thursday night, the fifty member team performed an evening of music showcasing both sides of the genre, from the icy
melodies of Puccini to the bumping lines of Rodgers and Hammerstein. This performance, aptly titled the Magic of the Musical Stage, was a one-night only performance. The graduate students in the choral department were able to direct individual tunes that they wanted to hear performed for this event, and they chose everything from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte to LinManuel Miranda’s Hamilton. Many members of the ensemble were featured for the first time as soloists, and some familiar voices also took the listeners on a magical journey for the ears and eyes. Aerialist Tjaden O’Dowd Cox’s performance of “Les Oiseaux Danse la Charmille” from Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffman. In this particular piece, a magical doll sings and dances across the stage. The only downside? She needs to be wound up. While this was not an issue at first, it became an issue quite quickly when she was
suspended over twenty feet in the air. Thanks to some quick thinking of her inventor, the doll was able to finish her song to thundering applause. The two sides of the musical stage are often very different, but they inspire the listener all the same. The Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company’s stellar performance, mixed with incredible choreography, lighting, and orchestration made for a night that was full of magic for anyone in the audience. Music has an ability to make the listener feel something upon listening, and that inexplicable ability to change someone and influence them is precisely the definition of magic. It goes without saying that there are many wonderful things happening in the Orchestral and Choral departments at our university.
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February 28, 2018
Up-and-coming photographer held first exhibit Caleb McCluskey printz reporter
Almost 200 people came to Jazmo’s, a local downtown bar, to support Trey “Rayno” Malone, an up-and-coming photographer from Southern Miss. Rayno, as his friends call him, is a senior at Southern Miss majoring in media production. He has been shooting pictures for over a year and believes his quick success should be attributed to his love of people and documenting events. “The first time I started taking pictures it was pretty bad, but I just stuck with it. I went from shooting small stuff to these big portraits of rappers.” Malone said, “I always loved photography in general. I love documenting people. What I really want to do with photography—or just media period—is I want to be the person who documents these great events in music.” Malone’s goal is to become a photographer for a major music media outlet like Complex or The Fader, and do tour photography. This should be evident by the number of rappers he has photographed in the exhibit.
Malone stressed the fact that he was using a basic camera, a Nikon D3300. “I thought everyone had these big cameras, so I couldn’t do it.” Malone said. “They are more professional, but I found my pictures were twice as good. Not to sound braggy, but it is just because it is not always about what you have. It is about the artistic vision.” Writer and professional blogger Sydney Lucero agrees with Malone’s sentiment. She said that he has the eye for photography and elaborated, “The work of color is the greatest thing about them. There is an essence being captured with the color.” Lucero’s friend John Hollins said that he thinks it is great to see a young photographer getting his work out that. “He captures the essence of hip hop, it’s really beautiful,” Hollins said. Kennedy Thompson, senior kinesiotherapy major, said that she knows Malone because he takes pictures of a lot of her friends, and that he is a known around campus for the quality pictures he produces. Junior psychology major Japriest Jerry said he met Malone when he
was his RA during his freshman years and has followed him since. Both would come to an event like this again. “Basically, what I do is spectate and try to cultivate and give artists a platform for art, music, dancing and poetry,” Trey Sullivan, the owner of Jazmo’s, said. “I have been watching Malone from afar; taking pictures of artists and people in general while developing his style, so I really wanted to give him a platform to show his talents to the world.” “Downtown is the heart of the city,” Sullivan said. “It is something fresh, promoting something different culturally for the city and his bringing all the cultures together. It is pretty cool to have all the places downtown come together and make a movement.” During the event, the cops came on a noise complaint that was called in by the neighboring apartments. The Hattiesburg police declined to speak on the matter, but Sullivan said that there are a lot of apartments nearby and complied with the police by shutting the entrance and turning the music down.
Gabrielle Williams, Printz Rayno showcasingg some of his work at Jazmo’s. Malone has yet to plan another exhibition, but says he has some ideas on his next steps. Jazmo’s holds open mic nights every Thursday from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.,
and Sullivan said he has something special planned for Hub Fest this year. You can find a list of the events planned at Jazmo’s on their Facebook page.
N8’s Nook, Chapter One: Fajita Fettuccini Nate Schumann features editor
Welcome. As college students, many of us are on the cusp of adulthood. By the time we graduate, we hope to have the skills and knowledge to live in the world. One of those skills is cooking. As someone who loves to cook, I have amassed a few favorite recipes that I would like to share. A favorite among my friends and family, the first recipe I would like to share is what I call fajita fettuccini: a fajita-inspired pasta dish that uses fettuccini noodles. This recipe serves 8-10 people. Ingredients: 1 lb Velveeta cheese (or Velveeta substitute) ½ lb Velveeta, Queso Blanco (optional) 1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies (or another brand) 1 cup of milk 2 tbsp. sour cream Either a combination of 1 red bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, and 1 sweet onion (from the produce section of a grocery store) or 1 bag of three-pepper and onion blend (found in the frozen food isle of some grocery stores) 2 or 3 chicken breasts (as desired), pre-cooked and shredded 1 package of sizzle steak (optional)
Assorted spices – 2 tsp. cumin, 2 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1-1/2 tsp paprika, 1-1/2 tsp Tony Chachere’s seasoning (optional), 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp seasoning salt – or to taste This dish cooks best with a slow-cooker, like from Crock Pot, but you could use a large pot on the stove as well. 1. To begin, cut your Velveeta into small cubes and dump them into the slowcooker. Open your can of Rotel and pour its contents on top. Add the milk and sour cream and stir before putting on the lid and setting the cooker to high. 2. Next, either chop up your fresh veggies or add the entire bag of frozen ones into a large, deep skillet. Sautee them with butter or canola oil (I prefer butter) until all veggies are soft and the onions are translucent. Add your spices and mix well. 3. Take your sizzle steak and slice it further into thin strips. Add them to the same skillet as your veggies and mix them. Let the steak cook until it is browned. Add some water to the skillet and cover, letting it simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes so that the steak can become tender. 4. During this time, you can stir the cheese mixture in the slow-cooker. It should be forming a smooth consistency by now. You can also use this
time to shred your chicken if you have not already done so. 5. Once the steak and veggies have finished simmering, add your shredded chicken into the skillet and mix everything well so that everything is coated in spices. Afterward, you can dump the contents of the skillet into the slow-cooker with the
cheese mixture. Gently stir. 6. Place the lid back onto the slow-cooker and leave it for an hour. After that, the dish should be nice and melty. Put it on warm. You may need to add more milk for a smoother consistency, as desired. 7. Use the hour before the slow-cooker is finished to cook
your fettuccini noodles. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and then place your raw fettuccini noodles inside, letting them cook until tender. 8. Serve the fajita-styled sauce over the fettuccini noodles and enjoy. Alternatively, the sauce can be put over tortilla chips and eaten as nachos.
FEBRUARY 28, 2018
“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 dream come true.” The above is an excerpt from an earlier Swipe Right column that ran in the paper on Feb. 22, 2017— almost exactly one year ago. It’s hard to believe it’s only been one year, and even harder to believe that I’ve been with the Printz for nearly three now. First, a bit of history. I started as a lowly writer my sophomore year. In my junior year, I was promoted to Entertainment Editor (hence, the One Direction and Fifth Harmony references) and I became Managing Editor my senior year. As you might imagine, I’ve made some difficult decisions in all that time. Like, where best to park to avoid a ticket when I’m in the newsroom late in the night for production, or whether consuming copious amounts of Waffle House’s blueberry pancakes at three in the morning is conducive to health, or whether investigating controversial topics that paint administration or organizations in a negative light is worth it (it so is) or whether sleeping in a darkened corner of the parking garage is conducive to living. My most difficult decision, though, was one I made last week. I have chosen to resign from The Student Printz staff and to end my column with this final post. This was not a decision I enjoyed making. As much as I complain about it, I’ve come to love the newsroom. I’ve come to love speaking to you all through my column. I’ve relished my easy access to this wide platform, and I’ve enjoyed developing my voice throughout the years. The official reason for my resignation is that student workers are allowed to work only 20 hours per week, and I will exceed that as executive editor of The Catalyst, USM’s undergraduate research journal. But I would be lying if I said that I haven’t been looking for an excuse to step down for a few months now. I entered the newsroom as a writer, and now that I’m deep in the midst of (what I hope to be) the final rewrite of my novel, it’s long past time that I return to writing. In the interest of full disclosure, I think it’s also time to admit that I was terrified of submitting that Tinder article in September 2016. I never could have predicted what would result from it, the incredible experiences I would have or the amazing people I would meet. I want to take the opportunity, in this final column, to thank a few people. First, my readers, who are rarely the sort of people I expect them to be: An older gentleman who stopped to talk to me at a protest I was photographing. A professor— whom I’ve yet to meet— who emailed me to say he was sorry he’d missed the week’s column, but he’d been out passing kidney stones. A night custodian who greeted me warmly as I waited in line to buy a book after a reading. Heath at the campus bookstore, who always makes my days brighter and remembers my words better than I do. The UPS guy, who suffers through all my bookmail with a constant smile. And countless others who have asked me if I am “Hiba from the Printz.” My own professors who have encouraged and supported me in both the English and Mass Communication departments. I’ve been accepted to some pretty incredible graduate programs thanks to you! Cam Bonelli and Julius Kizzee, who convinced me to write about Tinder in the first place. My family, who is completely unaware of how much I overshare. (shhhh) And finally, my other, far more dysfunctional Printz family: my coworkers through the years, but especially the ones I leave behind now. I don’t particularly like any one of you--- but I love all of you. Some tears were shed during the writing of this last post. Not by me—but I’m sure by someone somewhere in the world.
80 by 20 orthogonal maze
FEBRUARY 28, 2018
Parkland survivors fight for harsher gun laws Lanie Leach printz reporter
On February 14, 2018, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida suffered many tragedies when an armed former student killed 17 people with an AR-15. As the students, faculty, staff and others mourn these tragic losses, many of the students are creating a movement. Survivors of the Parkland are planning a “March for Their Lives” in Washington DC on March 24. This march is to put forth effort to convince lawmakers to make a change to the current gun laws. “It should not be harder for me to get this girl in fourth period to call me back than it is to get an AR15,” Parkland student Cameron Kasky told TIME. The main goal for the walkout is to ensure that this never happens again. The students have also started using the hashtag #neveragain to highlight the events. Emma Gonzalez, Parkland senior, gave an 11-minute speech at an anti-gun rally in Fort Lauderdale two days after the shooting, and has become one of the country’s most visible gun violence prevention activists because of it. “We are going to be the kids you read about in textbooks,” Gonzalez said. “Not because we’re going to be another statistic about mass shooting in America, but because
… we are going to be the last mass shooting.” She added that Marjory Stoneman Douglas will be in that textbook due to the tireless effort of the school board, the faculty members, the family members and most of all the students. The commitment to creating better gun laws that so many of the students have showed since the shooting is simply inspiring. And they are right, there need to be stricter gun laws. I’m not saying guns should be taken away from law-abiding citizens, but no one really needs an AR-15- or any assault rifle for that matter. Take them away. People locked up Tide Pods when kids started eating those and getting sick, so why not lock up the assault rifles that are killing children too? Students should not have to worry if today will be a day that their school is “shot up.” So why is not more being done to ensure the safety of students? @MrFilmkritik on Twitter tweeted, “You know, when I said I wanted the real world to be more like Harry Potter I just meant the teleportation and the magic stuff, not the entire plot of book 5 where the government refuses to do anything about a deadly threat so the teenagers have to rise up and fight back.” This tweet sums up the problem at hand. The Parkland survivors are doing admirable things - taking matters into their own hands.
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A Letter to Students Demand Action from a gun owner Thomas L. Knapp printz contributer
Dear Students Demand Action, I understand. You’ve witnessed -- far too often at first hand and in the most terrifying circumstances -- the violent deaths of your fellow students. You refuse to accept that that’s just how it has to be. You’re organizing for change. You deserve to be heard. Don’t let anyone talk down to you or minimize your concerns. You want action. I don’t blame you. But it’s important to consider what kind of action you want, how to go about getting it, and what it will accomplish. With respect to gun control laws, it’s worth considering how well those have worked in the past at preventing school shootings. Article 18, Section 922 of the United States Code deems it “unlawful for any person to sell or otherwise dispose of any firearm or ammunition to any person knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that such person ... has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to any mental institution.” Nikolas Cruz was, according to Florida’s Department of Children & Family Services (which had investigated prior
violent incidents in which he was involved) “classified as a vulnerable adult due to mental illness.” But he got a gun anyway. Another part of that US Code section, usually referred to as the “Gun-Free School Zones Act,” deems it “unlawful for any individual knowingly to possess a firearm that has moved in or that otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce at a place that the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone.” But Nikolas Kruz came to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida with his rifle and killed 14 students and three staff members anyway. Nikolas Cruz was, in theory, bound up in a web of laws intended to prevent him from getting a gun or using it to commit murder. Those laws didn’t stop him. Starting with the National Firearms Act of 1934, the US government has, with increasing stringency, regulated the ownership, carriage and use of guns for nearly a century. What have we learned? Among other things, we’ve learned that these regulations don’t work, at least if the goal is to reduce violence. Any list of the most dangerous cities in the United States will heavily overlap a list of the cities with the most draconian gun control laws. The numbers are hard to pin down, but at a minimum there are more than 100 million gun owners, and more than 300 million guns,
Courtesy Photo in America. The Gun Violence Archive claims 15,593 gun deaths in 2017. That’s 15,593 too many. But it’s also one death for every 6,400 gun owners and one for every 18,000 guns, and that includes police shootings, self-defense, and
suicide. I’m writing to you as one of more than 100 million American gun owners who has never entered a school with the intent to kill. We and our guns are clearly not the
problem as such. What is the problem? How to solve it? I wish you luck in doing a better job than your elders of figuring that out.
FEBRUARY 28, 2018
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Southern Miss loses fourth straight to UTEP, 73-44 Trevor Ritchie printz reporter
Southern Miss lost another road matchup Thursday night at Don Haskins Center, falling 73-44 to UTEP. Southern Miss stayed within reach early on, but the Miners went on an 18-5 run in the final three minutes of the half to take a 36-15 lead into the break. Southern Miss did score the first five points of the second half, but to avail. UTEP got its lead back to 20-plus points and never looked back, giving Southern Miss it’s fourth straight loss. Tyree Griffin led the Golden Eagles with his eighth 20-point performance this season. Cortez Edwards finished with 10 rebounds and 9 points, one point short of
his sixth double-double this year. It was Edwards ninth double-digit rebounding game in his time at Southern Miss. “We shot 15 three-pointers in the first half, and that’s not us,” head coach Doc Sadler said. “You’re going to make and miss some shots, so you need to play defense. With eight minutes to go tonight, we were down 16-10, and the game took off and we couldn’t get back in transition. You shoot three-pointers and they get long rebounds out of them.” Southern Miss, who now falls to 13-17 overall, will hold its Senior Day on Saturday against LA Tech. Being the only senior on the roster, D’Angelo Richardson will be the Golden Eagles sole honoree. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m.
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Lady Eagles snap losing streak on Senior day Andrew Abadie
assistant photo editor After coming off an 89-74 road loss to Florida Atlantic, Southern Miss (14-13, 6-8) snapped its fourgame losing streak against the University of Texas at El Paso (1413, 5-9) in a 60-53 win. “It’s been hard on all of us and it’s been a while since we had a fourgame losing streak,” Head Coach Joye Lee-McNelis said. “It’s taken an emotional toll on us which in turn mentally takes a toll on you which in turn physically takes a toll on you. You start searching for answers. You start trying to figure everything out and sometimes all it takes is a win. I’m thankful that this group has remained resilient through it all and has persevered. I hope this win propels us to a good future.” The Lady Eagles found themselves in a physical contest against the Miners with UTEP taking a 13-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. Southern Miss kept it close and tied the game 25-25 at halftime. UTEP open the second half with a 5-0 run, extending their lead to as much as seven points. UTEP outscored Southern Miss 14-4 inside the paint which was key to their success. In the fourth quarter, the Lady Eagles trailed 50-47, but a combination of sophomore Alaire Mayze’s defensive forcing four steals. Red shirt junior Megan Brown scored ten points helping to create an 11-0 run. “I think our defense generated our
Andrew Abadie, Printz Hannah Lott attempts to shoot three-pointer.
offense,” McNelis said. “We were able to get some steals. We were able to force them into turnovers and be able to get some easy shots at the rim.” Clutch shooting from Brown, Mayze and sophomore Shonte Hailes helped Southern Miss outscore UTEP 20-8 in the final quarter and secure the win. Brown finished the game with 22 points, 18 of which came off six three-pointers. Senior Jayla King scored 10 points, 20 short of reaching 1,000 points for her career. Hailes scored 10 points and Mayze finished with six points and four steals. “The three balls by Megan Brown was awesome,” McNelis said. “For her to get the opportunity and really knock down those three balls is huge for us and that’s a part of her game that she has really worked on.” “I guess I was feeling it because they went in,” Megan Brown said. “I went to sleep burning because I couldn’t throw a rock in the ocean against FAU. I got in the gym and practiced and practice does make perfect. There were moments in the game where others did a lot too. I keep thinking of Alarie Mayze, Jayla King and Shonte Hailes. We don’t win without them on the court. I’m glad I made my shots, but they don’t happen without them there.” The Lady Eagles will stay at home for the last two games of the season. Southern Miss will play Western Kentucky on March 1 at 6 p.m. and Florida International on March 3 at 2 p.m.
FEBRUARY 28, 2018
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Southern Miss bullpen causing worry for fans Andrew Abadie
assistant photo editor The verdict is in on the Southern Miss pitching staff for many fans after the final game of opening weekend against Mississippi State, the midweek game against South Alabama and the final game against UT Martin. From what it seems the Golden Eagles have much potential especially with starter Nick Sandlin but the bullpen has caused much concern in the past week. Scott Berry’s starters raised eyebrows for many Southern Miss fans with Nick Sandlin, Stevie Powers and J.C. Keys. “I know that shocked everybody [and] all of a sudden we announce [Nick] as that,” Head Coach Scott Berry said. “We’ve been grooming him for that, knowing that Matt [Wallner] was healthy and that really gave us an option.” The biggest worry for most Southern Miss fans was not having an established starter, but that was put to rest on the opening day of the season as Nick Sandlin pitched to near perfection. Sandlin had not started a game since high school but the former closer has made himself the team’s ace. In 14 innings pitched, Sandlin has struck out 23 batters and holds a 0.00 ERA. Saturday starter, Stevie Powers showed improvement compared to his starts last season but Powers’ role of being a weekend starter could change as the season progresses. Powers found himself in several jams in the past couple games and is the only pitcher to give up three home runs, but what has been interesting to see is how calm he remained in those situations. It was obvious Powers could draw on his prior experience as a reliever and pitched himself out of trouble. The first two days of the weekend
rotation have performed well, but the Sunday game and midweek is where fans became concerned. J.C. Keys and Alex Nelms have so far been the biggest let downs in the pitching staff thus far. Keys and Nelms combined have given up 16 runs on 15 hits. Keys not being able to perform in the starting role has hurt the bullpen, while Nelms in his two appearances has also contributed to weariness toward the bullpen. Despite the negativity, many positives have materialized out of the bullpen and once Colt Smith becomes healthy and Walker Powell can show he is healthy, the pitching staff should have no worries. Keller Bradford has emerged as a great set up man with his junk ball style of pitching. Freshman left-handed reliever Jacob Weirich has shown that he is above the normal level of a college freshman. Weirich has thrown eight strikeouts and posts a 2.70 ERA in the 6.2 innings he has pitched Another surprising pitcher is Cody Carroll who had an 11.93 ERA last year. This year Carroll has thrown six strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched and has given up just one hit, which shows a drastic improvement on his pitching. Matt Wallner looks to be the ace closer, especially after throwing 94 mph fastballs in the opening weekend. The biggest issue to be determined is if Wallner can handle a bigger workload after his injury last season. After failing to sweep UT Martin,coach berry explained his displeasure on the issues that have begun to unfold in the Golden Eagle bullpen. “I think guys that we are counting on are not getting it done for us right now in the early season,” Berry said. “I think we have confidence in them. They need to start showing confidence in themselves and go from there.”
Andrew Abadie, Printz J.C. Keys throws fast ball against UT Martin batter.
Southern Miss Takes Two of Three from Jacksonville State Thomas Tuner printz reporter
Kyle Williiams, Printz Head coach Wendy Hogue huddles with her team at home on Feb. 18
The Southern Miss Golden Eagle softball team (6-8) won two of the three games of their weekend series against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (6-8), 5-4 and 9-6. Senior Samantha Robles recorded both wins for Southern Miss, pitched a gutsy performance to lead the Golden Eagles to victory on Friday night. With the Golden Eagles down two runs in the top of the fourth inning and no outs, Robles hit her third batter to load the bases for the Gamecocks. Despite the poor start, Robles struck out the next three batters on 11 pitches to strand the three Gamecocks runners and swing the momentum back to the Southern Miss dugout. “Well first thing’s first, I have to credit coach Watkins,” Robles said. “I had given up a couple of two-strike hits and she said, ‘expect more of yourself, expect yourself to be better, you need to be better’ right there, that hit me in the heart a little.” Southern Miss head coach Wendy Hogue praised her pitchers endurance and no-quit attitude in working out of the fourth inning jam. “I think that was gutsy,” Hogue said. “That’s a fifth-year senior who wants to
win. She knew that those first couple of runs were on her, and then we allow a wild pitch. I just thought that was big.” The Golden Eagles rode the momentum to a lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, plating three runs and taking the lead 3-2. Right fielder Ciarra Cherry’s two-run RBI pop fly single fell in between two Gamecocks in shallow right field. They added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and held off a strong rally from the Gamecocks in the top of the seventh to record their third consecutive victory. Senior Golden Eagle pitcher Kim Crowson had a rough outing in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, going only 1.3 innings, allowing five earned runs on four hits and one hit batter. All five earned runs came in the top of the second inning, which the Golden Eagles never regained from. Robles again led the way for the Golden Eagles in the rubber match Saturday afternoon. She had two strikeouts in five innings pitched, allowing four runs on five hits. She did not walk any of the 55 batters she faced in games one and three, finishing the weekend series with 11 strikeouts and a 2.85 ERA. Southern Miss hosts Nicholls State on Feb. 28 at 6 p.m.