The
S TUDENT P RINTZ www.studentprintz.com
SERVING SOUTHERN MISS SINCE 1927
October 4, 2012
ON CAMPUS
Volume 97 Issue 12
ON CAMPUS
Southern Miss receives Secretary of State check for $366,100 speaks at USM Mary Margaret Halford
Mary Margaret Halford
Executive Editor
Executive Editor On Wednesday afternoon, University of Southern Mississippi Interim President Aubrey K. Lucas stood in the conference room of the Administration Building on campus and accepted a check for more than a quarter of a million dollars from Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann. The $366,100 donated will be used to support the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory at the USM Gulf Park campus in Biloxi. “We are fortunate to have a distinguished scientist, Dr. Eric Powell, as the new director of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, and he will put these funds to exceedingly good use,” Lucas said after being presented with the check. “Dr. Powell has great experience, and I know that this money will come in handy. It will certainly be a good boost.”
Courtesy Kelly Dunn
Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann shakes hands with Interim President Aubrey K. Lucas Wednesday at a press conference.
“We’re really pleased to bring this to the University of Southern Mississippi,” Hosemann said. “They are a leader on the coast in the education community down there, and this is just part of that. We hope it will defer some of the costs of keeping the coast campus viable like they do now.”
The funds come from a settlement agreement reached in 2002 by USM, the City of Biloxi and the State of Mississippi for a piece of property located at Point Cadet in Biloxi. In 2005, when a USM research facility at Point Cadet was destroyed in
See CHECK, 3
While on campus presenting the University of Southern Mississippi with a check for $366,100, Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann visited the College Republicans meeting to talk to students about the importance of voting and other political issues. “I think it’s important to meet the people that not only make our laws but protect our rights as American citizens and Mississippians,” said Jeffrey Runnels, president of College Republicans. “It’s good for students to be able to sit there and ask them questions.” Hosemann, who started the Mississippi initiative for a voter identification law, stressed the importance of students getting out to vote in November. “These people are the ones
who are going to run the place one day,” Hosemann said. “If you want to help control the agenda of this state and country, you have to vote.” Though voter identification will not be implemented in time for the November election, Hosemann explained the process to students at the meeting, adding that USM student IDs will serve as identification when the initiative goes into effect. “Our biggest fear is an uneducated voter,” Runnels said. “It’s another step we have to getting our membership to understand the voting process and understanding the issues we will be affected with on a daily basis.” Runnels said having Hosemann speak at the meeting was a great opportunity for students to interact with a state leader who they might not otherwise have face-to-face access to.
See REPUBLICANS, 3
ON CAMPUS
Students gather to watch presidential debate The Southern Miss Political Debate Society and Communication Studies program hosted a presidential debate viewing party Wednesday evening in the R.C. Cook Lounge. While several students watched the debate in a serious manner, others cheered (and booed) Mitt Romney and Barack Obama as if they were attending an NFL football game. The viewing party brought in
about 40 University of Southern Mississippi students from both parties, including Jarod Keith, a junior news editorial major. “I could have watched it anywhere, but I went to the viewing party because I’m new here and I wanted to see how politically active people are on campus,” Keith said. Keith, who recently completed a press internship for former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in Washington, D.C., is working to extend his political knowledge beyond Capitol Hill. “I think it’s so important for
students to learn about politics, especially as young people who are seeking an education who are consumers of health care,” Keith said. Other attendees included political science professor Marija Bekafigo, political society students, debate students and other students interested in what America’s future has in store.
FASHION
DOWNTOWN
FOOTBALL
Rachel Beech Printz Writer
Rachel Beech/Printz
Brandon Hersey and other students and faculty gather in the R.C. Cook Lounge to view the CNN Presidential Debate broadcasted live on Wednesday.
WEATHER Thursday
87/59 Friday
88/60 Saturday
Page 4
Page
Page 20
89/61
INDEX
Calendar ........................ 2 News .............................. 3 Feature.......................4,17 Downtown........................5 Opinion..........................18 Arts & Entertainment....19 Sports............................20