Monday, May 1, 2017 Volume 101 Issue 53
student printz Four Eagles sign with NFL teams
SERVING SOUTHERN MISS SINCE 1927
www.studentprintz.com
JULIUS KIZZEE sports editor
For the first time since 2011, the annual NFL draft took no Golden Eagles. Record-setting quarterback Nick Mullens and other draft hopefuls – offensive linemen Cameron Tom and Will Freeman, defensive lineman Dylan Bradley and defensive back D’Nerius Antoine – were among the USM athletes to not hear their names called on Draft Day but were signed to free-agent deals. However, one of the most beneficial parts of not being selected in the NFL draft is being able to choose where you
spend your professional career. The athlete can choose the city they want to live in, the coaching staff they want to work under and also what depth chart they would like to infiltrate to show what they have. Mullens decided to take his talents to the California Bay area and sign a freeagent deal with the San Francisco 49ers. Mullens may be able to gain playing time if he is able to showcase his skills early. Another prominent member of the Golden Eagle family is former offensive lineman Cameron Tom, who decided to take his talents to New Orleans and join the Saints. Tom, a four-time All-
Conference selection, was considered likely to be drafted in the annual April draft. However, the offensive lineman has a pretty solid chance of making the roster if he carries on the same accolades as he did from college. Other former Golden Eagles that signed free-agent deals include former defensive lineman Dylan Bradley, who inked his free agent deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Former Southern Miss linebacker Ja’Boree Poole, who was seen as a long shot to get into the NFL, is reportedly being invited for a three-day tryout with the New York Jets. Lastly, multi-talented lineman Wil
Freeman signed with the former NFC champions Atlanta Falcons; and former defensive back D’Nerius Antoine is headed north to be a part of the Chicago Bears rookie mini-camp. For all of the former Golden Eagles, it will be an uphill climb to make their prospective rosters. But look no further than former Southern Miss running back Jalen Richard, who parlayed his free agent status to be a possible starting running back this season for the Oakland Raiders. The NFL season kicks off September 7 when the Kansas City Chiefs will play the newly-hosted world champion New England Patriots.
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INTRODUCTION MONDAY, MAY 1, 2017
MEET THE STAFF SPRING 2017 Daisy Stutts
Cam Bonelli
Photo Editor
Executive Editor
daisy.stutts@usm.edu
cambonelli93@gmail.com
Jhaimee Bullock
Jack Hammett
Design Editor
Managing Editor
jhaimee.bullock@usm.edu
jackhammett92@gmail.com
Sarah Anne Schloemer
Kaitlyn Watkins
Web Master
News Editor
sarah.schloemer@usm.edu
kaitlyn.watkins@usm.edu
Nan Beauti
Hiba Tahir
Copy Editor
Entertainment Editor
afnan.beauti@usm.edu
hiba.tahir@usm.edu
Julius Kizzee Sports Editor
southernprintz@gmail.com
studentprintz.com
Chuck Cook
Amber Cobbins
chuck.cook@usm.edu
amber.cobbins@usm.edu
Printz Advisor
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.
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.
Printz Designer
FIND US ON THE WEB The Student Printz @studentprintz studentprintz.com
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NEWS MONDAY, MAY 1, 2017
‘Crucible’ actors discuss experiences on set AUTUMN BROWN
printz reporter
The Department of Theatre presents Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” at Martha Tatum Theatre. “The Crucible” is the third and final main stage performance for spring 2017. Director of “The Crucible” and theatre graduate student Corey Bradberry chose the American classic as part of his graduate thesis. This is the acclaimed play’s second debut at the Martha Tatum Theatre since its 1999 production. According to Bradberry, “We did not reference the 1999 production, though some faculty members were around for the initial production, which opened our Tatum Theatre.” Set in 1692 Salem, Massachusetts, “The Crucible” explores the partially fictionalized story of the Salem Witch Trials in a Puritan colony. The play is an allegory to 1950’s McCarthyism – a time engulfed with panic, accusations and paranoia. Bradberry said “The Crucible” parallels to today’s political climate. “Anyone watching ‘The Crucible’ will immediately spot its relevance to the national dialogue today,”
Bradberry said. Even with the play’s setting in 1692, “certain lines erupt from actors’ mouths that you’d swear were written in response to headlines from this morning.” Senior theatre performance students Jacob Thomas and Will Lovorn, who acted in “The Crucible,” commented on what they hope modern audiences learn from the play. “I hope the audience leaves talking. Not just about the show, but the implications. And yes, I am speaking politically,” Thomas said. He referenced the allegory between today’s political setting to the 1690’s Salem Witch Trials. “I don’t have to say any names, but I know that in America in 2017, there are people with power taking advantage of our fears, exacerbating them even. ‘The Crucible’ encourages modern audiences, in my opinion, to really use our heads in the wake of fake news and ‘alternative facts.’” Lovorn agreed with Thomas about how fake news instills fear in the masses. “Today, it’s undeniable that fear –and conversely, fear mongering– is ever-present. You can’t scroll through Facebook or check the
news without coming across something that invites fear, or at the very least, worry. ‘The Crucible’ lends us the tragic example of what happens when a group of people give in to such fear and paranoia; they collapse from the inside.” “Corey is a wonderful director,” Lovorn said. “He’s extremely detail-oriented, and without his commitment to such intensive and detailed world building, we wouldn’t have the show we do.” Thomas praised Bradberry’s indepth research. “Our director… scheduled the entire first week of rehearsals for world building,” Thomas recounts. “He assigned us different research topics like the Puritan Era, the Witch Trials, The Red Scare, and modern witch trials to get a look at what was driving our characters.” According to Thomas, the actors created their own “Puritan Ten Commandments,” setting them in the world of the play, instead of, “‘acting’ like we believe in witches.” This realism drove the cast’s acting. Playing the character of Giles Corey, Lovorn states, “The main challenge I faced with this play was playing a character that is sixty-one years my senior.”
Lovorn said with the help of one of his directors, he conquered the age difference. “The main factor in portraying someone so advanced in years didn’t lie mainly in physicality, but rather in perspective,” Lovorn said. Lovorn emulated his character by, “letting [his] core strength go lax, and shifting all [his] weight to [his] heels, to simulate how precariously a man of that age has to move to avoid falls and injuries.” Thomas describes his characterization of Judge Hathorne as “quite the rollercoaster.” “My biggest challenge was balancing the history behind my role against the world Arthur Miller wrote, and making Hathorne a three-dimensional character.” Director Corey Bradberry uses the verb “pull” to fuel the actors’ acting. “One of [the characters] John Proctor’s lines is to accuse the court of ‘pulling down heaven and raising up a whore. The verb ‘pull’ became critical to our production, influencing the designs as well as the performances themselves,” Bradberry said. This word’s significance captures the spirit of the play for Bradberry.
“The actors incorporate a physical motif of ‘pulling’ through an outstretched prayer, very different than our clasped-hands notion of it today. They also work to pull the truth from each other,” Bradberry said. Lovorn commented, “My favorite experience from this production was opening the show with my fellow collaborators and friends...It was a joy to open the show, and it’s been doubly that for every show since.” “There’s no better feeling than going in and having fun with your friends...there is nothing like building a whole story and living in a different place and time with people who are committed to the same goal,” Thomas said. “This production is killer, filled with top-notch talent that showcases the abilities of the USM Theatre Department at its peak,” Bradberry said. Corey Bradberry has been directing for over 10 years. He will graduate in May with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Directing. “The Crucible” is Jacob Thomas’ fourth main stage performance and Will Lovern’s eighth performance.
Online students from across the nation choose USM TARA BURCHAM
Southern Miss Now
Students from around the nation are finding their way to The University of Southern Mississippi through online learning. “A lot of people don’t know this, but our online programs are reaching students in every state in the nation,” said Director of the Office of Online Learning Tom Hutchinson. “The quality of our education coupled with affordability has made students from Alaska to New York choose Southern Miss.” SouthernMisshousedsomefamous former students and Mississippians, such as NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre and musician Jimmy Buffett. However, the university educates students from across the country. “We offer over nine undergraduate and 21 graduate programs fully online using the same faculty that teach our face-to-face classes,” Hutchinson said. “We reach out through Facebook and other online marketing to let people know about all of our quality programs, and students from all 50 states have responded. Since we offer part-time and full-time enrollment, students can fit their studies around
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their busy schedules.” Marla Freitag, a resident of Eagle River, Alaska, is a full time teacher at the Anchorage School District. She said she would recommend Southern Miss to others because of the quality of instruction and personalized learning. “Southern Miss has allowed me the opportunity to train in specialized areas that I did not know
were available to me,” Freitag said. “I have accomplished so much during my time here. I would recommend this school to anyone considering a master’s degree or certification in education.” Across the country in New York, Tony Allegrino lives in Binghamton and studies construction engineering technology. Even though he is in New
York, Allegrino said he chose Southern Miss because it was accredited. He said the personal attention he receives is one of the strengths of the program. “The professors have been very helpful and always willinga to put the extra effort into making sure you get the most out of their class,” Allegrino said. Students are not the only ones
who recognize Southern Miss has something special. Affordable Colleges Online ranked Southern Miss the #1 Most Affordable Online College in the Nation for 2016-2017. Hutchinson said the quality education combined with the competitive cost are just a few reasons why online students from all 50 states are flocking to the programs. “We offer a host of services to our online students to keep them connected to the university,” Hutchinson said. “These include free online tutoring through our Writing Center, ways to save money on textbooks, study abroad options and the Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families, which offers an abundance of free resources to online military students.” Hutchinson said he is pleased with the reach of Mississippi. “Our goal is to provide academically rigorous programs to students from around the nation, and we are proud to bring a touch of Mississippi to students from coast to coast,” Hutchinson said. The University of Southern Mississippi offers both undergraduate and graduate programs fully online. To learn more, visit online.usm.edu.
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FEATURE MONDAY, MAY 1, 2017
Students share concerns over financial aid KENDRA SMITH-PARKS printz reporter Due to higher tuition and laws against stacking state grants, students are looking for external sources to receive money to pay for school or other life expenses. “Many millennials are thinking, ‘Why go to a community college to get a technical degree, when I can go work at a company at Nissan and make $45,000 a year,” Assistant Professor for Higher Education Eric Platt said. “Many people don’t want to be in massive debt. Our generation is feeling it harder than most. Millennials are extremely attuned to what they have in monetary value.” The College Board in 2015 initiated plans to increase instate tuition to over $7,000 for the first time in 2016 to 2017. The cost of community college
continued to rise 7 percent. The U.S. Census states through the years of 20102014, Mississippi had a poverty rate of 22 percent compared to the United States average of 13.5 percent. Individuals who are unable to keep up with the cost of education or fear of student loan-induced debt are gravitating away from education. “High school definitely didn’t prepare me at all and I feel like it should. I dropped out of college in 2014, but now I’ve graduated from a trade school and working on getting a certificate in being a hairdresser,” Hattiesburg resident Kim Moore-Beatty said. “It’s allowed me to use my creative outlets, opened up more opportunities in the field, and it’s significantly cheaper education than a university.” “I dropped out this semester with a year left. I have been to
four different schools between community colleges and universities. I worked hard for way too long and was promised scholarships that I never received. I decided to drop out because I was sick of wasting time and money with nothing to show,” previous USM student Sarah Knock said. “Now I work full-time in a field I wanted to work in after graduation.” Despite rising costs, there have been proposals and programs on ways to keep students to and stay in school. Due to the cut of state grants, it is hard for students to have to ability to afford school and students often find it difficult to go forward with figuring out how to afford it. “I am going to be working full-time this summer, and saving up what I can to pay the difference, as I’m losing $1,000 that I’ve relied on to help me
with my expenses for the last three years for the 2017-2018 academic year,” Southern Miss anthropology major Gary McDonald said. “I’m nervous for the coming year, as I’ll have to work 30+ hours in addition to my studies, research, and extra-curricular involvement. I’m concerned that I won’t be able to give enough dedication to each.” McDonald will be working as a Conference Assistant this summer with the University. He will be working towards his Pharmacy Technician License to apply for jobs in the school year. “Students don’t want to stay in line like they are in a DMV. People don’t want to come to the office only to be told that they don’t have to the correct paperwork. In some institutions, students are on their own and don’t
have parent’s advice to help others and people aren’t going to stick around if someone is discouraging them,” Platt said. Due to some kids not having the family to explain and guide them through financial aid, financial aid literacy is important for navigating paperwork and the Free Application for Student Aid. Since the cost of tuition is going up, people need financial aid. Financial aid can be difficult to comprehend and some students do not want to stick around. “I went to extreme measures to get through to the financial aid office at the University of Southern Mississippi. Because of the frustration behind the process of financial aid paperwork, I began to get discouraged and gave up,” Moore-Beatty. continued online |
Eagle Dining ‘throws away’ beloved restaurant KAITLYN WATKINS news editor A Stone’s Throw announced April 24 that it would be closing on Wednesday, April 26. “Please make sure that you grab your favorite meal before Thursday,” Eagle Dining said on Facebook. “We appreciate all of our wonderful customers. Also- we plan to take menu favorites and bring them to the Power House menu.” Students and alumni expressed their concerns in comments under the announcement. A Stone’s Throw was a late-night dining location near Wilber Hall which was especially popular with freshmen. Prior to the opening of A Stone’s Throw, the building held a Quizno’s. “This grab-and-go locale is in the Freshman Quad and open until midnight during the week and 1 a.m. on weekends. It features pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads and snacks,” Eagle Dining’s website said. Chicken tenders, Philly cheesesteaks, wings and curly fries were all favorites from the menu that commenters asked to have moved to the Power House menu. Eagle Dining will continue to take feedback and add to the menu at the Power House in the fall 2017 semester. “Closing Stone’s Throw was a difficult decision.” said
Executive Director of Eagle Dining Gavin Moon. “With the closure of the old residence halls, the operation was no longer viable. We do plan to move some menu favorites over to the Power House.” Many people reminisced about memories they had at A Stone’s Throw, including skipping class to go eat there and other memories from freshman year. Eagle Dining promised a latenight weekend location and said they would reveal more information at a later date. The building where A Stone’s Throw was located will remain empty for the moment. “At this time, we have not determined what will replace that location because of where the building is located,” Eagle Dining said. However, a brand-new location called Freshens will be going into Asbury Hall this May. Freshens will offer options such as crepes, smoothies and rice bowls, adding more variety to campus dining. “We are very excited about Freshens going into Asbury Hall and feel confident that it will be a popular location for students, faculty and staff and visitors,” Moon said. Eagle Dining also plans to add a hot Vegan Station to the Fresh Food Company starting this fall along with other new menus items. Kaitlyn Watkins| Printz
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ENTERTAINMENT MONDAY, MAY 1, 2017
Meet Kaitlyn Watkins, 2017-2018 Executive Editor with | ashley hobson Kaitlyn Watkins is a fun, quirky, friendly student who has found a new home at USM. Transferring from William Carey University at the beginning of this Spring semester, she has quickly found her place on campus and has fallen in love with the atmosphere that has come to define USM. In just a few short weeks Watkins has transferred Universities as a Sophomore, become a News Editor here at the Student Printz, and joined Alpha Chi Omega. Graduating from Lamar Christian School before heading to William Carey, Watkins is no stranger to change–especially during the past semester. From changing schools to changing majors, she’s finding she fits in at USM quite nicely. In her own words, “I just wasn’t happy at Carey. I tried to make it work, but it just wasn’t the right atmosphere. I felt like I needed to get out of my comfort zone.” For Watkins, that comfort zone wasn’t just a college campus, but a college major as well. She is not shy in telling you about the things she’s passionate about. Those things just happen to be English and cute little kids. She fell in love with English and all it had to offer, but also
realized that she needed to protect that passion from the drudgery of a 9-5. “I’ve always loved to read and write and I never had a clear plan, so I would go and try to find jobs that fit my interest. I realized I could have a job where I could do [reading and writing] every day. I planned on getting a degree for a job in publishing, but because I love it so much I think that doing it every day as a job would burn me out. I really want to do it more as a ‘for me’ thing.” That is how she found her calling in Elementary Education. “I’ve been working at Venture teaching a Sunday school class for about a year now. I realized whenever I would talk to people about [teaching] how happy it would make me. Watching them learn things just excites me so much.” Watkins has found the perfect place to leap out of her comfort zone while stretching her writer’s hand as next year’s Editor for the Student Printz. Even though it is typical for the Editor to be a major in degrees like journalism, Watkins brings with her unique experience. She worked on annual staff in high school before serving as the managing editor
of The Cobbler (William Carey’s student newspaper) while serving as an intern at Dime magazine. But Watkins is already thinking towards the future of the Student Printz. “I really want to work on clearer communication with the campus. I want to represent every side of everybody. Really just making sure we get every side of the story and hear the student’s concerns.” Which is no knock on the current Editors. “I’ve really loved every minute of working with the Printz so far, and I’m going to miss those who are leaving so much. I’m also not sure how I’m going to live up to them.” A large part of change is learning from the bad and the good, mixing together lessons learned while not fearing the outcome of a mistake. Watkins has been around the writer’s block a time or two, and has picked up her own unique voice and skillset. While we’re sure she won’t be perfect, she will be the best version of herself. And with such a great community around her, we’re sure she’ll take the Student Printz to a new level–taking us right along with her.
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OPINION MONDAY, MAY 1, 2017
‘Lust for Life’ recalls 1932 Hollywood suicide AUTUMN BROWN
printz reporter Lana Del Ray brings illfated pop (and literary) icons to life in downhearted ballads, immortalizing their stories in extensive vamping and repetitive melodic phrasing. Whether rocking “Ultraviolence” alongside Jim Morrison or singing the “Body Electric” like Walt Whitman, Lana Del Rey paints old Hollywood to life in much of her music. This is a running theme in the second-released song from her upcoming LP “Lust for Life.” On April 16, Lana Del Rey dropped her eponymous single “Lust for Life” featuring The Weeknd. . Several pop culture scholars have connected the haunting music video’s imagery and lyrics to the 1932 suicide of Peg Entwistle. Entwistle was a successful Broadway actress who got her first major role in David O. Selznick’s Thirteen Women; however, her role was cut in the final production of the film. The distraught actress followed the lengthy trail to the then “Hollywoodland” sign, climbed up the “H” and jumped to her death. She achieved the fame that eluded her in life as the only person in history to commit suicide of the Hollywood sign. The opening lines of “Lust for Life” alludes to the Hollywood sign’s “H” as Del Rey sings, “Climb up the H/Of the Hollywood sign, yeah...The world is mine (do it, do it)/There’s nobody here.” These words linger throughout the song. Though it seems as if Del Rey’s painting a couple stealing moments together on this iconic symbol, a closer look at the lyrics suggests otherwise. Entwistle stood atop that scaffold over 80 years ago. In that fateful moment, the world may not have been hers, but life was in the controls of her grasp. The eerie lyric “do it, do it” echoes Entwistle’s inner voice, egging her on to jump. The “H” is exactly where several filmmakers claim to have seen Entwistle’s ghost. An ethereal Del Rey inhabits this “H” in the “Lust for Life” album trailer. The pop siren says, “Luckily for me, I live right inside the middle of the H of the Hollywood sign and this is how I spend most of my nights, perched high above the chaos that swirls within the City of Angels below.” Another visual used in the music video is the ladder that appears behind Del Rey in a
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later scene from the “Lust for Life” album trailer. This symbol connects to Peg Entwistle’s suicide; allegedly, Entwistle brought a ladder to help her climb up the “H.” In a recent interview with online music magazine Pitchfork, Del Rey’s album trailer director Clark Jackson explains the purposeful placement of each item, quoting, “We also wanted to put in a whole bunch of hidden tie-ins to the rest of her album. In the end there are not very many items represented there, but each of them means something—each thing was placed on purpose.”
Jackson said he wanted Del Rey fans to question, “‘Why a ladder? Why the seven planets?’ As songs and the rest of the album are released, they will become more clear.” In addition, Del Rey references dying young, a common topic in her music. She sings, “Then, we dance on the ‘H’...Till we run out of breath/Gotta dance ‘til we die.” The Weeknd sings, “They say only the good die young/That just ain’t right.” Peg Entwistle was only 24 when she died, so this parallels the fallen star. While Lana Del Rey has
not admitted that there is a connection to Entwistle’s suicide, the substantial amount of evidence links the suicide to
Del Rey’s visuals and lyrics. The audience will have to wait for the rest of Del Rey’s album, which is set to release in the spring.
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OPINION MONDAY, MAY 1, 2017
Shea Moisture misses target audience with new ad TICHINA WILSON printz reporter Internet trolls have now declared Shea Moisture as #canceled. The personal care company is now issuing an apology after the company’s key demographic, African-American wome, rejected its new ad campaign. The 60-second snippet produced by VaynerMedia sparked outrage on social media. The ad was part of the company’s #EverybodyGetsLove campaign. It features a series of women talking about how Shea Moisture products delievered them from “hair hate”–or at least that’s what the brand wanted the public to take it. Since 1912, the brand has been “a better way to beautiful.” Many were taken aback to see only one African-American woman was featured in the advertisement. The ad also featured a blonde, two redheads and a black woman with a curly hair texture. Many black women with all hair types such as curly, kingky and tightly coiled tresses took to social media with the hashtag #AllHairMatters to
show they were the loyal customers who supported the brand from the beginning. Shea Moisture pulled the Facebook post and wrote, “Wow, okay- so guys, listen, we really f-ed this one up.” Given the discrimination that black woman often face when it comes to hair and beauty standards, the disproportionate number of white voices speaking out in the ad about the sensitive topic of “hair hate” was called out on social media as whitewashing, a marketing ploy, and a rejection of black women, according to NBC News. “This was not our intent. And I understand how that feels to them,” said Sundial Brands CEO and founder Richelieu Dennis. “While the campaign is heavily representative of women of color, we didn’t explain to the community what the larger campaign is about, which is about women’s hair challenges.” Vayner Media has not commented publicly on the controversy. Bloggers, including Marie Denee, spoke out about the campaign.
Denee told Adweek, that the backlash wasn’t because the ad featured Caucasian women. It was because the brand’s longtime customers, who were mostly African-American women, felt dismissed. As Denee put it, an ideal campaign would have featured a variety of women in all the spots rather than creating one clearly aimed at a white audience. She specifically referenced a recent Pantene ad, which celebrated black women and said “the climate was very unfavorable” to release such a campaign at a time when both Shea Moisture and Carol’s Daughter have been accused of “whitewashing.” The company is now playing cleanup, the marketing team has even contacted some people directly on social media. “Shea Moistures DM to me.. where is the personal attack? why just message me? THE ENTIRE USA is confused by your ads and not just black folks,” @RStewartJewelry tweeted. “@RStewartJewelry @LifeByDesi They messaged me too. I wasn’t
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impressed. One of them thought that ad was fine and they need to be FIRED,” @arshajones responded. Dennis, CEO of Shea Moisture parent company Sundial Brands, talked to Fast Company about what he’s learned from the experience. “The people who are unhappy here aren’t necessarily saying they
don’t like white women,” Dennis said. “What they are saying is, for decades they’ve been underserved and white women have plenty of products on the shelves and advertising aimed at them, and that we should keep our focus on our audience, and not lose that focus just because we’re broadening our audience.”
Outrageous Fyre Festival crashes and burns TICHINA WILSON printz reporter Too bourgeois for Coachella, won’t go anywhere without your yacht or want to hang out on an island? Well Fyre Festival is the “lituation” for you– or at least it was supposed to be. The festival was organized by rapper Ja Rule and his business partner Billy McFarland. Fyre Festival was supposed to be a weekend in the Bahamas—basically paradise, with “the best in food, art, music and adventure.” Guests shelled out cash for a hefty fee of $3,200 to $4,400 for a plane ticket from Miami to the island of Great Exuma. Some even paid up to $250,000 per person. They were expecting to stay in lavish geodesic domes, feast on amazing food and enjoy the likes of artists such as Migos, Major Lazer, Rae Sremmurd and Blink 182. When guests arrived on April 28 to what they thought would be an epic two-weekend festival, they were met with everything but that. The partygoers were met with a categorical disaster, to say the least. Amenities, gourmet meals, musical acts and luxurious housing were nowhere in sight. “So Fyre Fest is a complete disaster. Mass chaos. No organization. No one knows where to go. There are no villas,
just a disaster tent city,” @WNFIV tweeted. “The dinner that @fyrefestival promised us was catered by Steven Starr is literally bread, cheese, and salad with dressing. #fyrefestival,” @trev4president tweeted. Over 6,000 people were expected to fly but only about 1,500 were able to because it got too sketchy, according to People.com. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism has now spoken out. They offered their deepest apologies to those who traveled to Exuma for the event. “We are extremely disappointed in the way the events unfolded yesterday with the Fyre Festival,” they said. “Hundreds of visitors to Exuma were met with total disorganization and chaos.” Amidst all the controversy, Blink-182 pulled out of the festival because they felt the environment wasn’t fit for their performance. “We’re not confident that we would have what we need to give you the quality of performances we always give our fans,” they said in a statement. In a situation such as this, guests would think they could just pick up and catch the next flight home. They were shocked to find that they not only could have massive delays, but some were even stranded. The festival canceled its inbound charter flights to the Exumas as well but
festival officials ensured that refunds would be dispersed. “Things got off to an unexpected start at day one of Fyre Festival,” a statement posted to the festival’s Instagram said. It added that it was “working to comfortably accommodate guests,” would refund those whose inbound flights it had canceled, and that it would soon post a revised itinerary for the remainder of this weekend and for next.
Fyre Festival’s website now states that the festival “is being postponed until we can further assess if and when we are able to create the high-quality experience we envisioned.” “Due to circumstances out of our control, the physical infrastructure was not in place on time and we are unable to fulfill on that vision safely and enjoyably for our guests. At this time, we are working tirelessly to get flights
scheduled and get everyone off of Great Exuma and home safely as quickly as we can,” the website said. In the end, guests were promised an experience of a lifetime and definitely got an experience but not a positive one. If this year’s attendees want, they will be able to attend next year’s festival with free VIP passes, according to Fyre Festival officials.
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SPORTS MONDAY, MAY 1, 2017
Lady Eagles clinch final home series against Charlotte THOMAS TURNER printz reporter The Southern Miss Lady Eagles seniors closed out their final home stand this Saturday, pouring on nine runs in the third and fourth innings of Saturday’s contest, runruling the 49ers. Seniors Tori Dew and Lauren Holifield turned in a series full of fielding gems in route to taking the weekend series against Charlotte, two games to one. The Lady Eagles dropped the second game of a doubleheader on Friday 6-3, but played well throughout all three games, turning strong defensive
stands into runs. “This team is really unique,” Holifield said. “A lot of the teams that you see, they crack under pressure, but our team seems to excel under pressure. The main thing is when we get under pressure, our defense comes in, and we have the feeling that we have to get it done. It’s not an option to make errors.” Junior pitcher Samantha Robles (8-7) dominated on the mound in every inning she pitched, turning in a complete game one-hitter in game one, including a career game high nine strikeouts. In game three, Robles returned to pitch two
innings of solid relief, steering the Lady Eagles to the 9-1 victory. She allowed zero runs throughout the series. Robles was not the only pitcher to find the strike zone, as senior Danielle Block (3-0) recorded Saturday’s victory, allowing one run on only three hits. Block provided the swing in momentum that the Lady Eagles would need to finish off the 49ers when she pitched out a one out, runners on the corners situation in the top of the third inning. In the bottom of the third inning, the Lady Eagles would put four runs on the board and never look back.
“I definitely felt like we took control. We did what we had to do defensively,” Block said. “We came right back out and kept the momentum on our side, we started scoring and really broke it open that inning.” Third-year head coach Wendy Hogue hopes to turn this weekend series victory into a confidence booster to finish off the season. “We do have a couple of games left and we are gonna continue with the confidence and stick to the plan,” Hogue said. “I love how yesterday the bottom of the lineup did some good things for us, Today the top of the lineup did some good
things, so if we can put the top and bottom together, I think we have a pretty good shot next week.” The Lady Eagles will need consecutive losses from UTSA, Charlotte and UAB if they hope to make the C-USA Tournament on May 10. USM improved to .500 on the season after the series, compiling an overall record of 2626, C-USA 9-14. Charlotte ends the series at 26-22, C-USA 8-12 overall. The Lady Eagles will travel to Hammond, LA to face Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday, and close their season out against Ole Miss in Oxford, MS on Wednesday.
Golden Eagles Sweep Middle Tennessee, 3-0 ANDREW ABADIE printz reporter The Golden Eagles swept Middle Tennessee to retain the number one spot in C-USA and improve to 34-12 and 16-6 in conference play. In game one, the Golden Eagles built an early lead after scoring eight runs in the first inning. Matt Wallner hit his 13th home run of the season to drive in the first three runs. Dylan Burdeaux followed with a two-run home run. Matthew Guidry and LeeMarcus Boyd each drove in the final three runs with a pair of doubles to make the
score 8-0. However, the Blue Raiders answered back with three runs in the bottom of the first inning which brought the game to 8-3 after starting pitcher Kirk McCarty fell into pitching trouble. Despite Colt Smith, the relief pitcher, giving up three more runs in the second inning to the Blue Raiders, Smith kept them in check after allowing three runs on eight hits and striking out four in 6.2 innings pitched. The Golden Eagles extended their lead to 11-6 in the third inning after Burdeaux drove in a run on a double.
Slater and Taylor Braley each drove in RBIs on a pair of singles. In the fifth inning, Hunter Slater tacked on another run after hitting a solo-home run. The Golden Eagles finished their scoring in the seventh inning after Mason Irby doubled to center to score. The final Golden Eagle run came on a sac-fly from Braley to give them a 14-6 lead. The Blue Raiders scored one more run in the ninth inning, but it was not enough as the Golden Eagles won game one 14-7. Burdeaux finished 4-for-5 with a homerun and three RBIs and Slater
finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs. In game two, the Golden Eagles built an early lead of 2-0 after Braley hit a two-run home run. In the second inning, the Blue Raiders closed the lead to 2-1. Braley, the starting pitcher, gave up two walks and two singles that resulted in the lone run. The Golden Eagles scored two more runs in after accumulating three singles that led to the two more runs. The Blue Raiders closed the lead to 4-3 after Braley gave up a tworun home run. Braley was relieved and allowed three runs on 10 hits and struck out 10 in seven innings pitched. Relief pitcher Nick Sandlin recorded a save to complete the Golden Eagles 4-3 win. In game three, after a two-hour game delay, the Golden Eagles came back from a 6-1 deficit. In the second inning, Guidry hit an RBI-single to give the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Golden Eagles pitching ran into trouble as the Blue Raiders scored four runs in the second
Julius Kizzee | Printz
inning and tacked on two more runs in the third to build a 6-1 lead. The Golden Eagles began to chip away at the lead in the sixth inning as Burdeaux knocked two runs in with a double. The Blue Raiders continued to fight and hold their lead as they scored one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning bringing the game to 7-3. The Golden Eagles scored two more runs in the eighth inning. Boyd hit a double to drive in the first run and Irby drove in Boyd to score the second run to bring the game to 7-5. After scoring a run in the eighth inning, the Blue Raiders fell into pitching troubles in the top of the ninth inning after walking the first three Golden Eagle batters. The Golden Eagles took advantage and scored eight runs to take the win 139. Notably, Wallner hit his 14th home run of the season to break Darren Welch’s freshman home run record. The Golden Eagles return to Pete Taylor Park to play Florida Atlantic starting May 5.
The infied hudles together to change pitchers against FIU on April 8 at Pete Taylor Park.