SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • NOVEMBER 20, 2019 | VOLUME 105 | ISSUE 12
“OK, BOOMER” PG 5
CHARLIE’S ANGELS
PG 6
RESPECT THANKSGIVING
PG 7
Re-examining Hattiesburg’s history: Local leaders explore The Lost Cause CALEB MCCLUSKEY NEWS EDITOR Photos by Brian Winters | Printz
onfederate monuments have been a hot topic in recent years, and though Hattiesburg has one itself, it isn’t where true remnants of the Confederacy remain. From the name of Forrest County to the picture of a Klansman hanging in the Forrest County Circuit Court Office, Hattiesburg has its share of fragments of the Confederacy. The monument is a small piece in the puzzle of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy. According to history professor Susannah Ural, Ph.D., who specializes in Civil War history, the Lost Cause was a movement to re-examine how the country viewed the Civil War and the Confederacy. It retold history as a brave and noble fight for state rights rather than a brutal rebellion sparked by slavery. “Some of the purposes [the United Daughters of the Confederacy] saw for themselves was not only preserving the
memory of the Confederacy and what their own fathers had done but also education,” Ural said. “But whose experiences are you trying to preserve?” Ural said this ideology, which began in earnest in the late 19th century, came up when veterans of the confederacy and their children felt they needed better representation throughout America. Groups like the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the United Sons of the Confederacy began a movement to erect monuments honoring Confederate soldiers. Councilwoman of Ward 2 Debra Delgado said the Lost Cause is the only instance she knows of where a losing side was able to write the history shown today. She said she understands that people feel they are a part of a great heritage in the South, but they should not forget the ugly side of its history. “I can appreciate the fact that some people feel that they are a part of a glorious heritage, but their heritage was improperly framed,” Delgado said. “We were never taught the true history of Mississippi, and from what was taught historically about
the cases of the Civil War, particularly in the South, it was all wrong. It was about slavery.” Ural said confederate monuments are not a monument to the Confederacy but, instead, are monuments to the Lost Cause and should be looked at in that view. In 1910, The UDC erected a monument in Hattiesburg. Hattiesburg and Forrest County were not established until after the Civil War. Originally, the area was part of Perry County. Ural said history is not black and white, especially in the Pine Belt. “If you look at that monument, it talks about this united support that was shown in this community during the war,” Ural said. “Perry County and Jones County and the seminary area were incredibly divided in this war.” Ural said the monument does not cover up the fact that the area was divided, but it does ignore the fact. She said this is the problem with the monument and the Lost Cause ideology because it leads to conflict in memory and people forgetting important events in the history of the area. “One of the most interesting parts of this area of the Pine Woods and South
Mississippi during the Civil War is just how divided this region became,” Ural said. Ural said South Mississippi was not united in the Civil War. She mentioned the Town of Seminary because the man it is named after was a Civil War veteran that started with the Confederacy but later fought for the Union. “That was South Mississippi during the Civil War,” Ural said. “It was Unionist, Separationist or split, so to me, that is what monuments like [the one in Downtown] miss.” Ural said the idea of taking down a monument is not easy either because it has to be agreed upon, voted on, and the cost of removing a monument can add up. She said not only would removal possibly be costly, but there may be no place for the monument to go. She said instead of removing monuments, Mississippi and Hattiesburg should do a better job of teaching the true meaning behind the monuments.
CONTINUED | PG 4
NEWS NOVEMBER 20, 2019 MEET THE STAFF Executive Editor
Alyssa Bass alyssa.bass@usm.edu
News Editor
Caleb McCluskey caleb.mccluskey@usm.edu
Entertainment/Opinion Editor Jack McCallum john.mccallum@usm.edu
Feature/Lifestyle Editor Karigan Teer karigan.teer@usm.edu
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The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not 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 submission 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.
Opinions expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, its publication manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications.
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Letter to the Editor
The First Amendment and college campuses: Why educating students on rights is important Turn on the news today and you see multiple examples of the First Amendment in practice on college campuses and day-to-day life. Without the First Amendment, we wouldn’t have the freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly or petition. These freedoms allow for the freedom of expression for everyone in the United States. Recently, college campuses have come under scrutiny with acts involving First Amendment rights. While some think more should have been done to restrict these acts, oftentimes some freedoms would have been violated if that was the case. Acts like these show how crucial the First Amendment is to education on a collegiate level and beyond. Students on college campuses don’t know their rights contained in the First Amendment. They might know the big freedoms like free speech and free press but according to a survey conducted on The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hattiesburg campus, only 64.47 percent of respondents could name all of their rights contained in the First Amendment. 27.63 percent of respondents thought their right to bear arms was contained in the First Amendment, how-
ever, that right is actually the Second Amendment. It’s statistics like this that are concerning for our campus and college campuses around the country. How many college-aged students across the country don’t know their rights? If students don’t know their rights then how are they supposed to know when their rights are being violated? This is why First Amendment education on college campuses is so important. In order to be able to defend ourselves and our rights, college students need to know more about the First Amendment. Recently, students have seen groups come onto campus and voice their opinions. There’s the pro-Mississippi flag people who sit at the front of campus in support of the state flag and in protest of Southern Miss removing the state flag from being displayed at the front entrance - they know their rights. There’s the group who congregate by Shoemaker Square to speak about anti-abortion and spread their message - they know their rights. Why is it that we don’t see more students on campus voicing their opinions like these groups do? A focus group conducted on the Southern Miss
campus revealed that some students don’t feel comfortable voicing their opinion due to the potential backlash they might receive for their opinions. By educating students on their rights and teaching students to consider other viewpoints, campuses would make students feel more secure voicing their opinions. The First Amendment is critical to the success of students on college campuses. Without it, there would be no freethinkers, no creativity, no free expression and no real conversation about social issues facing society today. While students don’t want to be faced with opinions that oppose their own, it is important to listen and understand all sides of the issue in order to not only have a well-defined position on the argument, but to be credible in their own opinion. The First Amendment on college campuses promotes this by ensuring that everyone’s opinion can be heard no matter how controversial it might be.
Allyson Staton & Morgan Schwartz Printz Contributors Senior public relations majors
Comic by Darius Harris | Printz
Correction: In the Nov. 13 edition, Allison Smith’s first name was misspelled, and her major was incorrect in the “Hillcrest cafeteria closing upsets residents” article. She is a psychology major.
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Students rely on Eagle’s Nest for basic needs ASHLYN LEVINS PRINTZ REPORTER o bring awareness to food insecurity, the Student Association of Social Workers and the Eagle’s Nest hosted an event on Nov. 14 to kick off the 2019 National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. “When the recession hit, I found myself living in my car with my dog,” Clare Cady, director of the College and University Food Bank Alliance, said. “I was looking for a job, and I found a job on a college campus that was looking at trying to help hungry and homeless college students.” The CUFBA is an organization focused on partnering with campus-based programs to help address food insecurity, hunger and poverty among college students. The CUFBA has partnered with the Eagle’s Nest food pantry over the past three years to build a program for students, faculty and staff who are in need. Data from Feeding America indicates one in five people in Mississippi struggle with hunger. The Eagle’s Nest food pantry works to provide relief to those struggling with food security. College students struggling to access food also face a struggle in their school work. “Students have learned to count on us being here,” associate professor Tamara Hurst, Ph.D., said. “Knowing they don’t have to worry all day long about where their food is going to come from allows them to concentrate on their studies.” Hurst is the faculty mentor for the Eagle’s Nest food pantry and works alongside graduate assistants and interns. “We have been open for three years, and our third anniversary was Oct. 12,” Hurst said. “We used [the CUFBA’s] toolkit to get things started.” The CUFBA was co-founded by the Michigan State Student Food Bank and the Oregon State University Food Pantry. The group now consults with colleges and universities across the nation since 2012. Since then, the
Lillie Busch | Printz
alliance partnered with the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice at Temple University and the Lumina Foundation. To bring more awareness to hunger and homelessness in communities, the Student Association of Social Workers and the USM Eagle’s Nest kicked off the 2019 National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week with a presentation by Cady. “People know there are people homeless. People know there are people hungry, but they often think of it as an abstract problem,” Cady said. “ Instead, now we can connect to things happening near us and find ways to
Tamara Hurst, Ph.D., discusses food insecurity with Clare Cady.
contribute.” In spring 2019, the Eagle’s Nest food pantry and Eagle Dining joined the Swipe Out Hunger program, which allows students to donate their Eagle Dining guest swipes to the food pantry. Students who want to donate swipes can fill out an application at the Eagle Dining office or the Eagle’s Nest food pantry. The USM Eagle’s Nest is open on Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The pantry provides necessities including food, toiletries and hygiene products. The pantry is in continuous need of donations as well as volunteers due to how many people rely on the assistance
the pantry provides. “In September, we were averaging around 50 or 60 visits a day, and about 40% of that are repeat visitors,” Hurst said. Raegan Varnado is a graduate assistant at the School and Social Work and one of the interns at the food pantry. Varnado is available to anyone with questions about donations and volunteering, and can be reached by email at Raegan.Varnado@usm.edu. For more information about the Eagle’s Nest food pantry or donating swipes, call the Eagle’s Nest at 601-520-9733 or Eagle Dining at 601-266-5376.
Faculty discusses the creation of schedules MOLLY SCHRAEDER PRINTZ REPORTER very semester, students at Southern Miss sign up for the next semesters’ classes. What they often fail to realize, however, is how much work faculty and staff put into the creation of the class schedules. “It’s collaborative, and it’s also complicated because rarely can you move one thing without having to make other adjustments,” The interim director of the School of Humanities Matthew Casey, Ph.D said. The executive vice provost for academic affairs, Amy Chasteen Miller, Ph.D., has been working in the provost’s office for the past four of her 22 years at Southern Miss. Miller said her role in scheduling is to support the people who create the schedules. She also works with a scheduling task force, which creates strategies for scheduling that maximize students’ access to general education courses. Miller said the process begins when the office of the provost gives guidelines to academic programs and schools. Then, the schools submit schedules to their respective deans. In each college, the deans then review schedules to minimize conflicts. Casey said scheduling is like writing a long and important college paper, and he said it is always in the back of the schedulers’ minds, but they tackle it piece by piece. English, history, philosophy and religion all fall under the School of Humanities, so Casey said he meets with faculty and staff from these departments to begin drafting a schedule. He said they get a sense of faculty preferences and then continue to adjust until they have the best possible outcome that also follows the provost’s guidelines.
Nyaharika Rai | Printz
The interim director of the School of Communications John Meyer, Ph.D., compared schedule making to building a house of cards. “You always have things like a faculty member gets sick or goes on sabbatical. Now that course they were going to teach won’t be offered. What are we going to do? So then other faculty might have to adjust, and—oh no—your house of cards is falling apart,” Meyer said.
Matthew Casey, Ph.D., says he takes faculty preferences into consideration when drafting schedules.
Meyer said classes also differ every semester so that teachers have the opportunity to teach a favorite class, and so that students can have the opportunity to take different electives. Meyer also said building a schedule creates the least amount of problems for the least amount of people is one of the hardest things faculty and staff have to deal with each semester. Miller said the schedule is also created
with previous feedback in mind. “Because of our efforts to understand different perspectives on last year’s calendar, we were able to adjust for the upcoming year in ways we believe will be of benefit to everyone,” Miller said. Schedules are made many months in advance. Miller said the creation of the summer and fall 2020 schedules will begin soon, so that students can register for classes come March advisement.
FEATURES NOVEMBER 20, 2019
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Students ditch plastic to help environment MORGAN USRY PRINTZ REPORTER ow more than ever, sustainability has become a trending topic worldwide. Issues ranging from climate change and pollution to deforestation and water conservation have sparked passionate support and debates about if and how people can help the environment. One sustainability issue that has been gaining attention recently is the use of plastics, specifically singleuse plastics. One of the reasons for this is that singleuse plastics, such as water bottles and plastic straws, are a major contributor to plastic pollution due to their convenient and disposable nature. Sophomore kinesiology major Arianna Braswell said she tries her best to live sustainably and avoids single-use plastics whenever possible. “Anything that you can do to help the environment is worth doing, no matter how big or little the impact is,” Braswell said. “I remember my dad making fun of me for lessening my plastic use, but a few months later after watching and reading the news, he understood the problems that I was talking about.” Braswell said she credits social media for promoting and educating people about plastics, especially among the younger generation and is glad the issue is being discussed more. “Since the younger generations are more worried about this problem and thankfully there are a lot of us, this issue is being talked about more and more,” Braswell said. “Also, thanks to social media and the easy access that most of us have to it as well as the platforms that celebrities and influencers have, environmental issues have spread like wildfire, and more young people are being educated.” But as the issue gains more attention, she is also worried about the topic of environmentalism being politicized wrongly politicized. “I know that this topic has become a political thing, and it shouldn’t. It’s a human rights thing because if we don’t have a safe and clean environment, we will suffer. I know that some younger adults are worried about having kids because they don’t want their child to grow up in a
CONTINUED FROM PG 1 There is also a question of the legality of removing a statue. Ural said it is illegal to remove Confederate statues in Mississippi, but laws like that can be changed. Ural referred to MS code 55-15-81, which specifically prohibits the altercation of any war monument, including the war between the states. “It’s just a law. Laws can be reviewed. They can be changed,” Ural said. Southern Miss alumna Lisa Foster, who has a Masters of History with a focus on war and society, researched the monument thoroughly. She said a monument is less pressing than the name of Forrest County and the painting of a Klansman hanging in the Circuit Court Office in Downtown, where the monument is located. “This bothers me. When you talk about monuments, they’re complex. It’s not really up to me to decide if a monument should stay or go,” Foster said. “There are so many different ways to look at it, but with that painting, there’s not a whole lot of different ways to look at it.” Nathan Bedford Forrest was not only a Confederate general in the Civil War, but he was also an early member of the Klu Klux Klan, a hate group well known for lynching and violence against African Americans, which still exists today. Forrest was not only an early member, but he was the KKK’s first leader, gaining the title of Grand Wizard. According to Ural, there are no records of Forrest ever coming to Perry County or Hattiesburg before the naming of the county or after. Forrest isn’t just controversial for the role he played in the KKK, but he also is known for the brutal massacre of African American soldiers at Fort Pillow. For these reasons and more, Delgado believes the name of Forrest County should be changed. “[Forrest County’s name] should be changed,” Delgado said. “My children say we need to cross out the r, but I think it should altogether be changed.” Delgado said she remembered there being a painting of Forrest in City Hall when she first
Illustration by Lillie Busch | Printz
destroyed world,” Braswell said. Junior nursing major Sydney Stone said she has tried to stop using plastic straws and other single-use items after seeing many posts and videos on social media about their harm to the environment. She also said while she doesn’t consider herself to an environmentally conscious person, she does try to avoid some single-use plastics. “It can be difficult because so many restaurants plastic straws out automatically and often you don’t even realize, but I do try to do my best because I feel like we all have some responsibility to help our planet,” Stone said. While individuals are turning away from single-use
started working as a councilwoman. She said one day she saw a woman touring some children in City Hall. They stopped at the painting of Forrest. The woman told the children that Forrest County is named after him and went on to say that he was a hero of the Civil War. “I went straight into the mayor’s office to say, ‘You need to watch what you are allowing in this building because they’re continuing the lie of history to tell these young children,’” Delgado said. “[The painting] disappeared right after that.” President of the Forrest County Board of Supervisors David Hogan said there must be a vote to change the county’s name. He said he nor the other supervisors could move toward changing the name unless there are significant public concerns. “As far as the name of the county is concerned, it is my understanding that it is up to the state. I am all for putting [the name change] on the ballot, and if the people of the state are ready to make a change, that is absolutely what we will do.” Hogan said that he does not want to remove the painting of Forrest nor the Confederate monument because he wants to preserve history— the good and the bad. He said the installment of Vernon Dahmer’s monument and other civil rights memorials in Hattiesburg help to tell a more complete story of the South. “We want to be inclusive, and I really don’t want to take away from what we are getting ready for Mr. Vernon Dahmer by talking about the Confederate monument,” Hogan said. “I want us to concentrate on Mr. Dahmer.” Ural said people aren’t learning from Confederate monuments because they are onesided. She said the addition of Dahmer’s statue is a good example of instead of removing statues, adding statues that tell the history that people want to be remembered. Forrest County supervisor Rod Woullard, who represents District 4, said he feels the name Forrest should be changed but is more concerned with Forrest’s painting in the Circuit Court office. He said not only is there a painting of Forrest in the hall, but also in their green room, a room meant for a meeting. Woullard said that one day the painting of Forrest in the green room disappeared, and he was blamed for the disappearance. He said he
plastics more and more, businesses and organizations are also trying to reduce their usage per customer demand. Office of Sustainability’s sustainability coordinator Melissa Olsen said Southern Miss has made some progress with reducing their single-use plastic usage, such as switching to reusable containers and paper straws on the Gulf Park campus. “We have been working with Aramark to implement the use of paper straws and reusable or biodegradable to go containers,” Olsen said. “Due to cost, they have unfortunately switched back to Styrofoam and plastic straws.”
Olsen recommends students who are trying to avoid single-use plastics should always carry a reusable water bottle, use reusable straws and purchase a small utensil kit to use when eating out. Braswell said the main thing she thinks the university should focus on better dining materials for students eating at The Fresh. “I feel like they could change the Styrofoam boxes to a recycled/recyclable material, and the plastic utensils definitely could be made from bamboo or some recycled material.”
Caleb McCluskey | Printz
The painting of Nathan Bedford Forrest hangs in the Forrest County Circuit Clerk’s office.
had not touched the painting though he found it disgraceful to hold a meeting with that painting in the room. “It was less than 30 days that they had found another picture of him and hung it back up,” Woullard said. Author’s note: This is the end of the three-part series where news editor Caleb McCluskey digs into the history
of Hattiesburg. He started the process of this series a month ago and has spent hours talking with interviewees, researching historical documents and generally obsessing over the end product. There is a lot more to say about the history of Hattiesburg and its inclusivity, but the only thing left is to understand history and make conclusions based on that. Is Hattiesburg inclusive and accepting? The answer varies from person to person and viewpoint to viewpoint.
LIFESTYLE NOVEMBER 20, 2019
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Students participate in No Shave November MEGHAN FULLER PRINTZ REPORTER ach year, many take part in No Shave November by growing out their facial hair in order to raise cancer awareness, and Many go as far as to make bets in order to raise money for the cause. Students at Southern Miss also participate in the popular fad in order to start a conversation about cancer awareness. While some do not make bets in order to raise money, many believe the act of growing out hair does bring attention to why No Shave November began. Sophomore majoring in sports coaching education Christian Santamaria said she began participating in No Shave November as a high school student. “My friends and I made bets to see who could last the longest without shaving,” Santamaria said. While Santamaria does participate, he keeps his beard lined up in order to still look professional. He said he has a serious job and that his boss prefers to have a clean-cut staff. According to the official rules for No Shave November, the act of grooming and trimming is allowed. In order to keep his beard in perfect shape, Santamaria uses beard oil and beard butter to keep it moisturized. He recommends using supplements for those wanting to grow a beard, as some can look patchy in the beginning. “Beards grow different for everyone, but
there’s nothing wrong with a little help,” Santamaria said. Many connect No Shave November with the Movember Foundation, which promotes raising awareness for various issues. This foundation focuses on the broad topic of men’s health along with awareness for mental health, prostate and testicular cancer. While many correlate the cause with beards, the Movember Foundation began by growing out mustaches in order to raise donations and begin conversations regarding men’s health. Junior kinesiology and exercise science major Ricky Anthony Plaisance III said he participated in No Shave November many times. “I think I look better with a beard, and people always compliment it. So I figured why not let it grow,” Plaisance said. Plaisance has made bets with friends to see who can last the longest without shaving throughout the month. In order to keep his beard neat, he shaves his neck and aligns his cheeks, but Plaisance doesn’t trim his face. Those who wish to grow beards have often tried biotin in order to grow or thicken their facial hair. Others often scrub their face in order to remove dead cells and make way for their hair to grow. Although many believe that facial hair and scalp hair both grow at the same rate, this is a common misconception. Plaisance said allowing facial hair to grow out is a step to eventually finding the right beard shape. “Shaving won’t make it grow quicker,” Plaisance said. “Grow it out for the month to see where it is.”
Charlie Luttrell | Printz
Jonathan Wilkerson, a senior accounting major, said he began growing his beard just to see how long it could grow. Although he is growing it out, he does maintain the shape in order to stay professional. “I do shave my neck because I feel like I look less put together if I don’t,” Wilkerson said. Wilkerson said he thinks his beard makes
him look older, which is an appeal for others growing their beards out as well. While he does enjoy his beard length, Wilkerson said it takes time in order to truly grow out perfect facial hair. “You just have to get past the trash-stache phase and find the style that fits you,” Wilkerson said.
‘OK, boomer’ draws the ire of older generations WILLIAM LOWERY PRINTZ REPORTER heck any recent social media postings from millennials or Generation Z, and chances are there’s at least one meme posting with the phrase “OK, boomer.” Boomer is a reference to people born in the babyboom generation between 1944 and 1964. Those in the millennial and Generation Z age groups have come under fire from this particular group for the concepts they advocate for and their ways of living. The end result is a battle of old versus new. “The older generations have been talking back to them for so long I think they are fed up with it,” Hattiesburg resident Jonathan Freddes said. Freddes was born in 1955, and he said the difference between now and then is that the current generations have social media, which easily allows them to speak out against their older peers. “Communication is different because if you talked back to someone, no one else really heard about it, and also people took things a lot easier back then and didn’t take everything to harm,” Freddes said. According to a survey called the Millennial Impact, the most important issues amongst millennials are education, employment and wages. It is expected that by the year 2030, 75% of the workforce will be made up of people considered millennials, according to a report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “What’s different with the rebellion going on now versus say, the hippie movement of the 1960s, is because of economic and technology changes,” senior international marketing major Michael Scott said. “Technology and fashion have changed drastically over the past 15 years. Because of this, it hasn’t allowed the generations much time to adjust to these advances.” Scott said the millennial generation is a more
Meghan Fuller | Printz
communal one, referencing how in the United Kingdom, people who just got out of college get to live in flats easily, whereas the older generations didn’t have such living opportunities. Southern Miss Starbucks employee Brandon Badon said he feels the current generations are being looked down upon for having values the older generations don’t understand.
Johnathan Freddes said he feels like younger generations are to blame for the negative view of baby boomers.
“I once read an article where one of the presidents of Disney tweeted about how the boomer generation needs to sit down and let the millennial generation take the reins, which surprised me,” Badon said. Despite this, Badon said he feels calling people from older generations names isn’t helping the millennials and Gen-Z make a name for themselves. “I feel it’s exacerbated the situation. If this was
happening in the 90s, it would have been a minor incident, but the instantaneous nature of the internet and news has made it more problematic than it actually is,” Badon said. “I think people from different generations have always talked back to the previous generations, but there were never any labels put on them. There’s always been a generation gap,” Freddes said.
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‘Charlie’s Angels’ provides more laughs than thrills CONRAD ACOSTA PRINTZ REPORTER lizabeth Banks’ “Charlie’s Angels” is a fun way to pass through a few hours over the Thanksgiving holiday, but, unfortunately, it isn’t much more than that. Charlie’s Angels has been a cultural icon for decades, but for many members of the younger generations, the only real exposure to them has been through second-hand references on shows like “The Office” or “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” That changed Nov.15, as we finally got a modern-day iteration of the iconic spy thriller franchise. However, it ended up being less of an edge-of-your-seat adventure, as one would expect it to be, and more of a lukewarm attempt at a comedy or action film. The main factor holding this movie back is the lackluster nature of its plot and general storytelling. Banks opts for a stereotypical “There’s a dangerous weapon out there, and we can’t let the bad guy get their hands on it,” type of story, which has been done countless times, and each one is less exciting than the last. Using a clichéd story is not a problem, but when a certain story structure gets used this much it removes all sense of tension from the film. The audience knows within the first 15 minutes the basic chain of events for the entire film because practically every spy movie since “Dr. No” has done the exact same thing. Another aspect of weak storytelling comes
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in the form of character development, which is a shame because the film has some very interesting main characters. Kristen Stewart’s character is a chaotic-neutral wildcard who is revealed to have been an heiress to some sort of fortune, but for some reason, she gave it up. The main character Elena, played by
Naomi Scott, is a tech developer who becomes fed up with not being taken seriously about a safety issue, becomes a whistleblower, survives being targeted by a professional assassin and then promptly decides to become a spy. These are both incredibly colorful foundations on which to build a character, but the movie never takes that step. Both
characters remain as a concept throughout the whole film with no character development. Characters played by Elizabeth Banks and Ella Balinska aren’t even given that much and remain complete blank slates with no tangible development or backstory. This lack of development makes an already clichéd story more bland. The soundtrack continues the theme of mediocrity by being nothing more than generic orchestral tracks and unfitting pop music. There were several moments in the film where it seemed like the speakers randomly connected to some makeup tutorial because the music was just so out of place for what is supposed to be a spy thriller. The music could have been for the movie to salvage some semblance of tone or tension, but it also falls short in that aspect. The film does not reign mediocre in every area, however, as the comedic elements actually work quite well for what they are. The jokes, mostly coming from Stewart’s character, are well-written, punchy and well delivered, giving the movie a bit of flavor for what is otherwise a saltine cracker of a film. Stewart gives a commendable performance as the comic relief and this movie would put one to sleep without her character’s oneliners. This is not a bad movie by any means, but it also certainly is not a good movie by any means. With nothing to keep you hooked but also nothing to make you turn away, it’s a good movie to turn your brain off and relax for a while. “Charlie’s Angels” is nothing more than a movie to passively pay attention to while it’s playing on Freeform during the holidays.
‘HSM’ series defies expectations of cringe MORGAN USRY PRINTZ REPORTER igh School Musical: The Musical: The Series” is a lovably wholesome and quirky show with a unique take on the trend of rebooting movies and shows. Instead of remaking or continuing the story of the “High School Musical” movies in an effort to pull in nostalgic viewers, the show takes a meta approach that pays tribute to the movies in a fun way. “HSMTMTS” is one of two nonscripted original Disney Plus shows. The series is set at East High School, where most of the “High School Musical” movies were filmed. The series covers the school in a mockumentary style as its theater department puts on its first production of “High School Musical: The Musical.” The show also follows the typical teen drama of the musical’s cast members as they prepare for their performance. Fans of the movies might be hesitant to watch the show due to fear of it ruining a childhood classic, but this show is aimed at original fans of the movies as much as it is those who grew up after the “High School Musical” craze. There are subtle references and hints to the movies throughout the first two episodes that fans will notice. These allusions usually aren’t too obvious and
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over the top to avoid being cringy. The show does poke fun at the movies a few times, but in a way that would make any good-natured fan laugh. The show’s mockumentary style also contributes to its self-aware tone and helps to set it apart from the movies. Scenes with individual characters talking directly to the camera help add depth to personalities that usually are
not present in shows aimed at teens. Another relief upon watching the show is that the characters aren’t complete replicants of the original characters. They each have unique personalities that might be somewhat reminiscent of the movie characters but aren’t too similar to be seen as remakes. Main character Ricky may be a boy who auditions for the musical without
any past interest in theatre, but he’s not a clone of Troy Bolton. Like in the movies, the characters act like teenagers, but without being exaggerated Generation Z stereotypes that are seen too often in media. Importantly, most of the actors that are supposed to play teens are actually teenagers or at least look like it, which is uncommon. The new cast of characters also brings more LGBTQ representation than the original movies. There are two gay teen characters in the show, and one is cast in the traditionally female role of Sharpay. One of the main characters, Nini, also has two moms. It’s nice to see LGBTQ characters fit in seamlessly in “HSMTMTS” given how the movies refused to acknowledge Ryan’s sexuality. Being a show about a musical, the music is an important part of the show that fits into the plot and isn’t painful to sit through. Unlike in the movies, characters don’t dramatically burst into song for no reason. Instead, the songs are usually kept to being part of a rehearsal for the musical and are acknowledged in the plot. While most of the music has been from the movies, the one original song so far was impressive and shows potential for the series to have its own unique music. Defying expectations of a series created to profit off nostalgia, “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” is a witty take on a childhood favorite that both old and new “HSM” fans will enjoy.
OPINION NOVEMBER 20, 2019
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The Electoral College strips voters’ power MORGAN USRY PRINTZ REPORTER he Electoral College is an outdated system that doesn’t properly represent the will of the entire population in the election of U.S. presidents. Replacing the Electoral College system with a national popular vote would be the more democratic and representative option. Perhaps the biggest problem with this system is that the winner of the election doesn’t always win the popular vote. This has only happened five times, but two of these times have been within the past 20 years. Most recently in the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton received nearly 3 million more votes than Donald Trump. That’s the largest margin in history for someone who won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College. While this is a rare occurrence, it shouldn’t be possible for someone who the majority of Americans didn’t vote for to become president. Another big issue with the Electoral College is the “winner-take-all” system that 48 states currently use. Under this rule, states give all of their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the state popular vote, no matter how small the win might be. This makes it impossible for even a large minority in a state to have any representation in the presidential election. This leads to another issue in elections, which is voter turnout. Voters in solidly Republican or Democratic states are less likely to participate in presidential elections because they feel that their vote doesn’t matter,
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and they’re not wrong. In a state like Mississippi that is almost certain to vote Republican, there is basically no point in voting if you’re not voting for a Republican candidate. The “winner-take-all” method also en-
courages candidates to only campaign in swing states where the election outcome is more unsure. This means that candidates can often ignore the issues and concerns of voters from states that firmly lean one way or the other.
Thanksgiving deserves
Proponents of the Electoral College argue that the system keeps elections from being decided solely by people in big cities and gives equal footing to rural areas and small towns. The reality is that the Electoral College disproportionately inflates the importance of smaller states and undervalues more populous states. The most extreme example of this is in the case of Wyoming and California. Wyoming, the least populous state with 586,107 people, has three electoral votes. California, the most populous state, has 55 electoral votes. This means that each individual Wyoming vote weighs 3.6 times more than a vote in California. Wyoming’s three votes are more powerful because if a candidate gets two votes out of the three they win the state, but it takes more for a candidate to win California’s majority. Getting rid of the Electoral College would require amending the Constitution, which isn’t likely to happen anytime soon, but some states have taken another route to change the system. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is a group of states that have pledged to give their state’s electoral votes to whoever wins the national popular vote, but this won’t take effect until the compact has at least 270 electoral votes, which is the amount needed to win the election. So far the compact consists of 15 states and the District of Columbia with a total of 196 electoral votes. Until a Constitutional amendment can pass to abolish the Electoral College in favor of a popular vote, the most democratic and fair option, this National Popular Vote Interstate Compact seems like the best course of action to take.
Illustration by Derrick “DJ” Reed | Printz
more appreciation
MICHAEL SANDOZ PRINTZ REPORTER s soon as the calendar page flips on spooky season, candy wrappers fill trash bins, jack-o-lanterns get tossed and costumes are stowed away until next year. After waking up around noon to a throbbing headache from last night’s higher than average candy and Jack intake, I flip on the TV to an unpleasant surprise. Faster than my phone could change the date, ads had already incorporated jingling bells, snowflakes and a jolly, obese senior citizen into their marketing schemes. Unfortunately, this is not a surprising event since the holidays have continued to take a larger fraction of each year. I’d be inclined to play along myself if it wasn’t for one thing; arguably the greatest time of year is being completely ignored. For most, the fall season begins in October when women begin looking for their sexy cop or devil costumes and just about every drink in the United States is laced with pumpkin spice. By November, the majority of people are surely burnt out on fall before the first leaf has even fallen or the weather drops below 80 degrees. November is the month when the weather cools off, the leaves begin their fiery fall display and the most wholesome American holiday is celebrated: Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is much more than a story about pilgrims and Native Americans gathering for a
feast. Every family or friend group has their own Thanksgiving traditions that make the day unique for everyone. But generally, if you partake in Thanksgiving, you gather with family or friends, gorge on delicious food until you are in a coma, nap and maybe watch or play some football with a beer in hand. I always eagerly anticipate grandma’s lasagna, beating some 8-year-old punks in backyard football and seeing family I have not seen in a while. But all these events lay in the shadow of an awful holiday created by the ever-growing consumerism takeover of Christmas: Black Friday. While an entire dissertation could be written on how consumerism in Christmas has essentially created an abnormally long holiday season, one can easily attribute the overshadowing of Thanksgiving to designation of the day following as a day to save money on Christmas gifts. If you don’t believe that money and material items drive the human being more than anything, including sex, then look no further than YouTube, and you will see the true animal side of the human race. This “holiday” is why companies and stores begin their cheesy Christmas advertisements so early; what gets you in the Christmas shopping spirit more than ho-ho-hos and snowmen? “So what’s the big deal, Michael? Don’t we all still celebrate Thanksgiving and have a good time? Don’t be such a Scrooge.” Hey now, I love roasting chestnuts on an open fire and saving a few Washingtons just as much as the next guy, but overshadowing a holiday meant to make us reflect on all that we have in life with a holiday
that has become increasingly about greedily accruing more possessions is not a good thing. We all, myself included, want to think about what we’re going to get instead of about what we already have. The entire spirit of Thanksgiving is ruined when all we can think about is the deals we’re going to score tomorrow and a holiday that is a month away. That is why when I see reindeer in commercials on Nov. 1, a small fire lights in me at the thought that we have no such emphasis on a wholesome holiday like
Thanksgiving. That is why when I walk through Walmart and already see candy canes and hear silver bells, all I can do is sigh and put some half-priced Halloween candy in my cart.
SPORTS
NOVEMBER 20, 2019
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Cross country concludes 2019 season MAKAYLA PUCKETT SPORTS EDITOR he Southern Miss cross country team ended its season at the NCAA DI South Regional Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, Nov. 15. Seven runners qualified for the race after the team placed second in the Conference USA meet on Nov. 2. First to cross the finish line for the Golden Eagles was Sandra Szpott with a time of 21:06.8, which put her in 36th place in the race. The senior also led the Golden Eagles in the conference championship race by earning ninth place with a time of 17:32.06. Szpott earned a spot on the All-Conference Second Team as well. Just 25 seconds later, Emma Kate Holdbrooks crossed the finish line in 58th place with a time of 21:31.4. Following Holdbrooks was sophomore Lina May with a time of 21:36.2 and a placement of 61. In the conference championship race, May finished in 12th place and Holdbrooks finished in 13th, which earned both runners All-Conference Second team honors. Following closely behind May and Holdbrooks during the conference race was Kate Mattox who finished in 15th place. Mattox came in 76th with a time of 21:50.6 at regionals. Nine runners later Monika Gebarzewska crossed the finish line with a time of 22:02.9 and a placement of 85. Gebarzewska placed 25th in the conference race. Finally, for the Golden Eagles was Katelyn Cartwright in 101st place with
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a time of 22:19.3 and Regen McGee in 156th place with a time of 23:15.8. In Bowling Green, Cartwright ran her personal best with a time of 18:27.85. and McGee placed 34th. The Golden Eagles also competed in the City Auto Memphis Twilight Clas-
Sandra Szpott runs at the Commodore Classic on Sep. 14.
sic on Aug. 31 and finished in fourth place with 112 points. At the Commodore Classic on Sep. 14, Southern Miss finished in eighth place 232 points. For the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational, Southern Miss placed sixth with 193 points. For the last race of the regular
season, the Golden Eagles placed second in the Blazer Classic at UAB with 94 points. At the conclusion of the season, the Golden Eagles will prepare for the indoor track and field season starting in January.
Football Gameday Parking Notice
PARKING IS AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: 34th
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