The
S TUDENT P RINTZ www.studentprintz.com
SERVING SOUTHERN MISS SINCE 1927
October 16, 2012
ON CAMPUS
Volume 97 Issue 14
GREEK
USM lets the good times soar Greeks spend fall break in service Carly Tynes Printz Writer
For 87 years, the University of Southern Mississippi has dedicated a week to celebrating the alumni and traditions of the school through homecoming. The 2012 celebration began Monday and will continue this week through Saturday. The Southern Miss Student Government Association and Homecoming Committee have deemed the theme of this year’s homecoming week “Let the Good Times Soar,” and the week is packed full of activities for students to get involved in while showing off their Southern Miss pride. ““We wanted to incorporate the fun feeling of the week with a mix of school spirit into our theme,” said Ashley Darda, homecoming director and senior human performance and recreation major. “Because we are the Golden Eagles, we decided the word ‘soar’ would be a fun addition to the theme.” The week kicked off with the annual Eagle Launch party Monday night on Weathersby Lawn, to be followed today by the Golden Eagle Relay Challenge, which is a relay race that leads its participants throughout campus. On Wednesday, Homecoming Gives Back night is scheduled at the Power House on campus, and 10 percent of the purchases made from 5 until 9 p.m. will be donated to the ARC Foundation. Thursday is the Bring It On - Eagle Style dance competition. It will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Reed Green Coliseum. Friday will play host to one of the more traditional events the Southern Miss campus has seen throughout the years: The annual Fountain Sit, beginning at 1 p.m. at the Shoemaker Square Fountain, subsequently leading up to Friday Night at the Fountain,
PITCH PERFECT
Mary Margaret Halford Executive Editor
Emily DeVoe/Printz
Junior Jordan McQueen and senior Rachel Anthony cheer for Team 3 during the Homecoming Kickoff party on Monday night.
sponsored by SMAC, at 7 p.m. on Centennial Green. The week will come to a close Saturday, with the homecoming parade and football game. The parade, set for 10 a.m. in downtown Hattiesburg, will feature floats from various participating organizations. The Southern Miss Golden Eagles will take on the Marshall Thundering Herd at 6 p.m. to round out the celebration. Darda said 39 student organizations are registered to participate in homecoming this year, but everyone is invited to take part in the festivities. “My favorite part of homecoming is feeling the Southern Miss spirit erupt from the student body,” Darda said. “We will al-
ways have a good time celebrating our university’s past, present and future.” Kathleen Warren, a 1985 graduate of Southern Miss and former Dixie Darling, comes back to dance each year for homecoming and plans to be on the field Saturday. She said campus has changed a good bit since she was a student, and homecoming is still one of her favorite Southern Miss traditions to participate in. “I always look forward to the parade, Eagle Walk and tailgating since we didn’t do any of that when I was a student,” Warren said. “Even though we are involved year-round on campus,
WALKING DEAD
FOOTBALL
See HOMECOMING, 3
For three members of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, fall break was not a relaxing vacation at home, but a time to give back to a cause that means so much to them. The three made the 11-hour drive to Eustis, Fla. to spend their fall break volunteering at Camp Boggy Creek, a getaway for terminally ill children. “I know most people enjoy relaxing on their breaks, which would be nice, but I also knew I would have a great time helping kids who rarely get the chance to do things that I am able to do whenever I please,” said Eric Duckworth, a junior business management major who has been to the camp three times. “I knew how much fun it would be.” Camp Boggy Creek, which is a member of the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, is partially funded through Phi Kappa Tau’s fundraising events throughout the year. The camp is for children ages 7 through 16, and their families do not have to pay to send them. During the fall break weekend, Duckworth said there were about 100 kids at the camp. “Seeing how much fun all the kids had is an amazing experience that I would never give up,” Duckworth said. “They are all so thankful for the volunteers because of what we do for them, but they are also giving back to us by showing us that no matter what terrible thing someone encounters to always live life to the fullest.” Jack Ly, a senior polymer
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science major and member of Phi Kappa Tau, said experiencing the trip with his fraternity brothers was very rewarding. “It made the ride there and back more enjoyable, and I felt that I could be more social with the other volunteers and campers,” Ly said. “I considered it my own vacation because I enjoyed it just as much as the campers.” This was Ly’s second time at the camp, and he said his favorite part was “just having fun with the campers.” Mark Rubelowsky, a junior architectural engineering major, has been to Camp Boggy Creek before and said the experience was one-of-a-kind. “I don’t consider it giving up my fall break,” Rubelowsky said. “Going actually made my break better than if I hadn’t gone. I couldn’t be happier with my decision.” For Rubelowsky, like Ly, volunteering alongside his close friends made it that much more fun. “Doing just about anything with my brothers makes any experience better,” he said. “I have no regrets,” Ly said. “I would do it again.” Duckworth, Ly and Rubelowsky were joined by Phi Taus from other schools including University of Central Florida, University of South Florida and and University of Florida. Phi Kappa Tau at Southern Miss hosts a drawdown each year to raise money for the camp. The drawdown this year is scheduled for Nov. 16. For more information about the event, contact Eric Duckworth at eric.duckworth@ eagles.usm.edu.
INDEX
Calendar ........................ 2 Sudoku............................ 2 News .............................. 3 Arts & Entertainment......4 Opinion............................6 Sports...............................7