Wednesday September 16, 2020

SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 | VOLUME 106 | ISSUE 6

TITLE IX CHANGES

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CONTACT TRACING APP FACEBOOK LIVE EVENTS PG 5

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HAPA unveils new mural in Downtown Hattiesburg

River Prince finishes work on his mural.

BRIAN WINTERS EXECUTIVE EDITOR Photo by Brian Winters | Printz

ver the last year, new murals have made an appearance throughout Hattiesburg. These murals were created by the Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art (HAPA), which just completed its newest mural project this past week. The mural was worked on in collaboration with Laughs 4 Life and is titled ‘Hub City, Smile’.

Work on ‘Hub City, Smile’ began on Sep. 1 and finished on Sep. 10.

The mural is located on Mobile Street near The Lucky Rabbit and Bottling Company, featuring an inspiring message alongside a standalone larger-than-life smile.

HAPA, a program of VisitHATTIESBURG, began in 2014 by community members and

donors passionate about publicly sharing accessible art. Over the last six years, HAPA has purchased and placed art throughout the city in parks, neighborhoods, public buildings and businesses while also raising awareness for works of art already in the area.

“Partnerships within the community have allowed HAPA to increase local public art this year more than ever before,” Marlo Dorsey, Executive Director of VisitHATTIESBURG, said. “By joining with Laughs 4 Life on this mural, we will continue to elevate Hattiesburg’s outdoor space with inviting public art containing meaningful messages that a diverse and vast audience of locals and visitors will enjoy.”

Laughs 4 Life is a non-profit group with the mission of

generating smiles and laughter throughout the Hub City.

Established in 2016 in response to founder Kent Oliver’s personal cancer battle, Laughs 4 Life has contributed nearly $600,000 to organizations that help those facing cancer and other health conditions both locally and statewide. Laughs 4 Life intends to bring more smiles to the Hattiesburg community through its efforts, including this gift of public art.

“Laughs 4 Life felt the presence of a physical smile within the overall mural design was an important component,” Oliver said. “We wanted to create a destination for people to proudly showcase their happiness, and we hope the sharing of this joy through pictures across social

media or other platforms will allow the community to embrace the role of spreading happiness throughout the region.”

The artist of the mural is River Prince, the owner and operator of Prince Sign Co., which does murals, hand-painted signage and fabricated signs. Prince said he was excited to work with Oliver and Dorsey on the mural.

Prince explained that, as he went back and forth with Oliver and Dorsey on what the mural should be, they landed on something outside of the box. They decided to do a mural with a smile structure in the front of it for people to immerse themselves with it.

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NEWS MEET THE STAFF Executive Editor

Brian Winters brian.s.winters@usm.edu

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

Southern Miss releases procedures for game day events CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPROTS EDITOR

News & Features Editor Mary Murphy mary.s.murphy@usm.edu

Entertainment/Opinion Editor Meg Fuller meghan.fuller@usm.edu

Sports Editor

Charlie Luttrell charles.luttrell@usm.edu

Photography Editor

Meg Fuller meghan.fuller@usm.edu

Multimedia Editor

Blair Ballou blair.ballou@usm.edu

Social Media Editor

Bethany Morris bethany.morris@usm.edu

Design Editor

Marissa Haas marissa.haas@usm.edu

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n Aug. 25, the Southern Miss Department of Athletics announced special game day procedures for the 2020 football season. The procedures address various safety concerns of COVID-19 and reflect new guidelines put in place from Gov. Tate Reeves’ recent executive order on college football.

Fans should expect these conditions at Southern Miss football home games this year: -There will be a 25% seating capacity at M.M. Roberts Stadium, or approximately 9,000-

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.

Courtesy of Moffitt Health Center

10,000 fans, allowed into the stadium each game.

-Individual tickets are currently not available for sale.

Fans are encouraged to buy season tickets to attend games.

Season tickets are also limited due to attendance restrictions.

-There are 1,000 tickets available for students to sit in the student section.

-Fans in attendance will be required to wear face coverings at entry and at all times in the stadium. Face coverings will be recommended while seated too.

-Fans who do not live in the same household will be required to socially distance from each other by at least six feet.

-All tailgating and social gatherings on campus will be prohibited before games.

-There will be a limit on cash transactions at concession stands. Cashless payment will be accepted and encouraged.

-Hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the stadium. There will be signage and floor decals to encourage proper social distancing in waiting zones.

These procedures will apply for the seven home games at M.M. Roberts Stadium this year. The Southern Miss Golden Eagles will begin the season at home on Sep. 3 versus the University of South Alabama.

To read more information about game-days and to stay updated on the football season, visit www.southernmiss.com.

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

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Here’s How the Title IX Policies and Procedures Have Changed HANNAH HOUSTON PRINTZ REPORTER

he United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights mandated a new Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy and Grievance Procedure to be implemented nationwide on Aug. 14. Southern Miss’s Title IX office assures that even though policies have changed, the office is still a viable resource to connect the community to the help they need.

USM’s Title IX Head Coordinator Rebecca Malley, Ph.D., and Deputy Coordinator Cristin Reynolds, believe that the new changes include both positive and negative additions to sexual harassment investigations and hearings.

The new policy first defines several terms regarding sexual harassment that previously had been left to interpretation, including stalking, domestic violence and sexual assault.

The new definition for sexual harassment is “unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so objectively offensive, pervasive, [and] severe that it effectively denies a person equal access to the recipient’s

educational program or activity”. Previously, to file a complaint on the basis of sexual harassment, one only had to meet either “offensive, pervasive or severe unwelcome conduct”, but now a claim must meet all three.

Additionally, the jurisdictions for which the Title IX office can investigate claims have changed. Now, a Title IX sexual harassment complaint must only involve persons of the campus community (including faculty, students and vendors), take place on property owned or overseen by Southern Miss and have occurred in the U.S. However, Malley says this should not stop someone from filing a complaint.

The Title IX office provides supportive measures for emotional, mental and educational progress on sexual harassment and assault. The jurisdictions and requirements to file a complaint do not have to be met to seek supportive measures. Title IX also asks to be made aware of any misconduct even if someone does not want to file a claim so that strides can be taken to prevent further harm.

“We understand that this is not an easy process to deal with, and what is important for us is making sure we have a safe campus community, but also to help people be successful during

Courtesy of Title IX Office

their time here, which is why we have those supportive measures,” Reynolds added.

Sexual assault investigations can now be lowered to an informal process if the complainant wishes. If the claim continues as a formal investigation, there are now more review periods to ensure both parties have provided all the information as best as they can and review, accept or challenge any opposing evidence brought forward.

“This is a positive in that it does give the opportunity to more frequently add input, but it is also a challenge because it adds twenty days to the process before the hearing,” said Malley.

A formal sexual harassment case now requires both the complainant and respondent to have a trained advisor to speak on their behalf during the cross-examination of a hearing. The Title IX office will appoint a trained advisor to each party. Southern Miss is not required to provide any party with

a lawyer, but a lawyer can be used as a party’s advisor.

If a complaint does not meet the sexual harassment definitions or jurisdictions for Title IX, the complainant can still meet with the Dean of Students to handle the issue under a code of misconduct.

“We’re not looking for guilt or innocence[.] The process itself is looking for a violation of USM’s policy,” Reynolds said.

Adia Reed, a junior criminal justice major, still trusts the Title IX Department Team.

“I absolutely love Dr. Malley[.]

She was so comforting throughout the process and consistently made all efforts possible for me to get justice,” said Reed.

If you would like to file a complaint for review, please visit their official online complaint page or visit www.usm. edu/title-ix.

Students coping with a condensed schedule SARAH BURSE PRINTZ REPORTER abor Day weekend could not come fast enough for some Southern Miss students. With classes still online and fewer breaks due to a condensed schedule, this semester has already been a whirlpool of the unknown.

“I feel like I am going into this semester blindly,” said Maxwell Menard, a sophomore double majoring in English and Sociology. Menard, like many students, doesn’t want the school to close down again, but the packed semester schedule on top of COVID-19 concerns only makes him feel overwhelmed.

Morgan Lawrence, a junior communications major, is also stressed adjusting to a new environment. Lawrence recently transferred from Southwest Mississippi Community College and is still learning the layout of the campus while adapting to online courses.

Like Lawrence, junior biology major Isis Williams is still figuring out how Southern Miss works after transferring from community college. With her graduation fast

approaching, Williams said she feels pressured to get good grades to get into a good medical school.

Labor Day helped students relax and turn off their brains to everything going on.

Various social media posts show students at parties, on the beach or throughout Hattiesburg generally having a good time. However, some are concerned with how students acted over Labor Day, as these same photos show people ignoring mask wearing or physical distancing protocols.

Several students were still able to keep social distancing in mind while having a good time, however. Williams said she made sure to physically distance with her friends while she went swimming over Labor Day. Menard took a road trip to Atlanta and said the change of scenery and open road helped relieve some of his stress.

Though Labor Day was certainly a good change of pace for many, it is not the only thing students have been doing to cope.

Menard said he communicates with his friends and family for a sense of normality.

Lawrence emphasized the importance of time management, as she schedules out a day to relax each week to stay on top of her assignments. Williams said she visits friends and family, takes walks or hikes and eats

Photos by Brian Winters | Printz junk food to stay sane.

University organizations and sports have also been finding ways to keep students involved outside of physically isolating themselves. The Southern Miss Activities Council (SMAC) hosts virtual events every month for students. This past week, SMAC hosted an event called “SMAC & Paint” that students could attend for free. Students were able to pick up their own paint box and paint with other students virtually, providing much

needed contact with others. The current football season has offered students another way to connect with others safely on or off the field, so long as they maintain social distancing guidelines.

Labor Day gave some students the break they needed. Others were not as satisfied with the three-day weekend, but they are pushing through.

“I am taking it one day at a time,” said Lawrence.

FEATURES CONT. FROM PG 1 “I hope they take [the message] intentionally and directly as it says and I hope it puts a smile on their face,” Prince said. “The world is crazy enough and hopefully this will show that there is more positivity than there is negativity.”

Prince hopes people passing by will smile and spread that cheer publically and on social media.

Prince said the owners of the building the mural is located on, Harry and Marcia Goff of Hattiesburg, allowed the mural to be painted to spread positivity through downtown Hattiesburg.

“As we grow public art’s footprint in Hattiesburg, it really

Photos by Brian Winters | Printz

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 is our vision to be a welcoming and creative destination for everyone,” Dorsey said. “We all know that 2020 has presented a lot of curveballs to us and we have all had to really pause and reflect on many things and what matters to us.”

Dorsey said when Oliver initially brought the ‘Hub City, Smile’ project to HAPA, it made him realize that, in times of adversity and in challenges, laughter is the best medicine. Dorsey said it was fitting to have a huge smile for people to enjoy in downtown Hattiesburg, especially nowadays.

“I was kind of taken by two things when I was driving over here, [the first being] just how timely this is, we know how 2020

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has been just a year and it isn’t even close to being over with,” Mayor Toby Barker said. “The message here of ‘we’re going to get through this’ and it says despite having to worry about infection rates, and hospitalizations, our city is still making progress.”

Barker, who was present for the Sep. 10 ribbon cutting ceremony for ‘Hub City, Smile’, said the mural shows the strength of the city’s citizens, showing off their talent and diversity and overall passion for Hattiesburg.

“We had the realization that Laughs 4 Life, like so many other events, were not going to move forward the same way that it has in the past, and with that said we didn’t see it as an obstacle we

couldn’t overcome,” Oliver said.

“As we thought further about the fact there wasn’t going to be an event, we thought that event is only built around one night, so what could we do to take the vision and enhance it throughout the community on a more permanent basis.”

Oliver said Laughs 4 Life was glad to have had the chance to partner with HAPA and Prince and created a mural with a meaningful and lasting impact throughout the community.

“The comma following Hub City is very intentional[.] [It’s] a reminder to us all to pause, a reminder to our community to find positive things within sometimes difficult circumstances,” Oliver

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 Everbridge helps Southern Miss community with contact tracing

BRIAN WINTERS EXECUTIVE EDITOR

he University of Southern Mississippi launched a university-wide mobile app this week as an addition to its continued efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

All Southern Miss students, faculty and staff are encouraged to download the free app in either the Apple or Google Play stores by searching “Everbridge.”. The app has multiple features, including a daily symptom checklist, direct links to the Student Health Services at Moffitt Health Center for scheduling a COVID-19 test and contact tracing. University leaders stress that the information within the app is confidential and secure, and its success is contingent on usage.

Southern Miss Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Denny Bubrig, Ph.D., said if people use the app, the university will have the ability to potentially move quickly with notifying people that they have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19.

“Just as with personal records in our

health center or financial aid, personal information is treated with care and is never used for anything other than the intended use, which, in this case, is to make sure our campus stays healthy,” Bubrig said.

Self-reporting a positive test through the app can help prevent the spread of the virus. If the positive patient was within 15 feet of another person for 15 minutes or longer, that person will be notified that they have been exposed -only if they also use the app.

Everbridge runs on Bluetooth technology, which makes it possible to anonymously link a known-positive app user to another app user they saw soon before getting tested. When a person is alerted about their potential exposure, no identifying information about the positive patient will be shared or accessible.

The app is one more tool in Southern Miss’ arsenal against COVID-19.

At the start of the fall semester, Southern Miss researchers began analyzing and returning results for COVID-19 tests in a university laboratory within 24 hours. Student Health Services at Moffitt Health Center also has a 15-minute rapid antigen test in addition to antibody blood tests.

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Photos by Brian Winters | Printz

“We’ve been working to develop every resource and every tool that we possibly can think of to help manage and mitigate the impact of COVID-19,” Bubrig said. “The implementation of this app is just another example of a collaborative effort to do that, and now we need members of the campus to work with us in using it.”

Current Southern Miss faculty, staff and students should follow these steps to download and access the app: • Search and download “Everbridge”

in your phone’s app store.

• Search and mark “The University of Southern Mississippi” as your community within the app.

• Enter your Southern Miss ID (ex: w123456@usm.edu) and password to sign-in.

• Opt-in to services in which you wish to participate.

For more information on the University’s COVID-19 response, visit http:// usm.edu/covid-19.

How Students are Experiencing Social Life During a Pandemic HANNAH HOUSTON PRINTZ REPORTER lthough social distancing guidelines are in place on campus, students are still finding ways to socialize this semester.

Though some students can be seen in small groups on the Centennial Green or other campus lawns, there are fewer students hanging out around campus during the pandemic due to COVID-19 concerns.

“I’ve mostly been hanging out with my two best friends and we will hang out in my room or in my sorority’s chapter room,” Virginia Presley, a senior public relations major, said. “We wear our masks in common areas of course! Sometimes we’ll go to Colludium and we follow the guidelines they have in place, too.”

Other students are using this time to connect with their room-

mates.

“In McCarty we have media rooms, so we go there to socialize, do homework together, but mainly we just hang out in our dorms,” said junior Christopher Brown.

Students have also been utilizing on-campus dining locations to stay social. Anna Haynes, a sophomore Spanish major, works for the Starbucks on Campus, where she has noticed several groups of students hanging out together. However, some students have been taking social distancing precautions less seriously than others.

“In Starbucks, I have seen a mixture of [students] following and not following guidelines,” said Haynes. “I will say the majority are wearing their masks when they are supposed to do so.”

Students have learned to get creative to stay social, especially online. Haynes said her friends are mostly staying in touch through non-physical ways.

“We don’t go out, [but] we facetime a lot or play online games together,” said Haynes.

Skyler Bishop, a senior history major, also has been using the internet to connect. He has been participating in the Payne Center’s online Zoom group workouts and says they’re just the boost he needs.

“It helps me feel productive and I guess it lets me interact with people outside my household,” she said.

As far as socialization off-campus, Noah Cheeks, a recent Southern Miss graduate and Brewsky’s employee, says students are less likely to attend popular bars.

“I can tell that people kind of come in [to Brewsky’s] and then they leave because they feel like, well there’s not a lot of people here, let’s go somewhere else[. …]

This used to be the place to go for students, but that’s changed,” said Cheeks.

As shown above, being unable to safely go out has caused many

to radically readjust. However, some students have not had to go through the same socialization changes since the pandemic.

Allison Morgan, a senior forensic chemistry major, says her routine has stayed fairly normal.

“It really hasn’t changed much for me, to be honest. I’m either with my family or going to a friend’s place since we couldn’t go to restaurants for the longest time,” said Morgan.

While there are places on- and off-campus to meet with friends to socialize, it is imperative for students to remember to wear their masks in groups of people that are not in their household to stop the spread of COVID-19.

To learn more about Southern Miss’s current pandemic guidelines, as well as how to stay connected with others throughout this time, please view the Flight Path at www.usm.edu/flightpath.

ENTERTAINMENT

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

Theaters in Mississippi start opening up

Illustration by Erin Collins | Printz

BRIAN WINTERS EXECUTIVE EDITOR fter months of closures due to COVID-19, theatres in Mississippi have started to open back up. In Gulfport, two theaters were brought back into operation, with Cinemark 16 reopened on Aug. 25 and The Grand Theatre reopened on Aug. 28. Both companies have implemented precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Grand Theatre teamed up with CinemaSafe, a program that promotes protocols and guidelines supported by leading epidemiologists so movie theaters can operate safely.

Information about The Grand’s precautions relating to COVID-19 can be found by going to the health info tab on their website. Most of

the changes revolve around state mandates and physical distancing guidelines. Guests to The Grand must wear a mask in all common areas, including in the lobby, concession stand area, corridors and restrooms. Employees at The Grand are also required to wear facial coverings and gloves during their shifts and continue to frequently wash their hands.

Guests may take off their masks once they are seated in the theatre in order to eat and drink, as social distancing will be enforced by the ticketing system and auditorium capacity limits. The ticket system will allow groups of guests who order tickets at the same time to sit together, but will otherwise force a twoseat gap on either side of the guest.

The Grand is also not accepting paper cash at the concession stand.

Guests can exchange paper cash at

Guest Services for a gift card if the guest does not have a credit or debit card for payment.

Guests can pre-order both tickets and concessions for pickup at a designated area of the concession stand to create a fully touchless theatre experience.

Cinemark 16 also teamed up with CinemaSafe to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The overall auditorium capacity at Cinemark 16 is being reduced for safety and to comply with state guidelines. Seats adjacent to the guest will be blocked and tickets for those seats will be unavailable.

Showtimes are also being staggered to allow more time for guests to exit and prevent overcrowding in the theater’s restrooms, halls and lobbies. Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets online, with it no longer being required for the guest

to carry a printed ticket to go watch their film.

Tickets can still be purchased at the box office, but guests will no longer need to hand the ticket to ushers. Instead, it only needs to be shown to the usher to correctly direct the user to their section.

Both of these theaters are taking extra precautions to clean the area and make sure it is safe for guests.

Concession and kitchen areas are being sanitized frequently. Guests are also asked to practice physical distancing when in line for concessions and as they walk through the halls.

The movies currently being shown at both theaters range from new releases to old classics, allowing guests to choose from a wide range of options. Visiting either cinemark. com or thegrandtheatre.com will show what movies are being shown

OPINION

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

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Facebook Live events should become more common BRIAN WINTERS EXECUTIVE EDITOR COVID-19 has made it hard for large or small events to go on as they normally would. This does not mean they have not been able to go on, however. By hosting events online through Facebook Live, several groups have been able to get together virtually and enjoy the company of other people.

These fully online events are hosted either through Facebook Live or by giving anyone interested in a certain event a private Zoom link. These types of events allow for participants to socialize and to learn from the comfort of their own home.

After various stay-at-home orders were announced, Facebook added a new section in the events tab for people to search for online events, which can range from livestreams of hot air balloon races to virtual auctions. With required social distancing guidelines either preventing or restricting events and gatherings, virtual events are a perfect alternative.

One example of a recent event that occurred was a Zoom meeting with George H. W. Bush’s White House photographer David Valdez. It occurred on Sept. 8 and allowed for more people

to experience the talk than previously thought. Event-goers were able to join a Zoom meeting instead of having to miss out because the event was being held states away. It also allowed for more people to ask questions and understand Valdez’s answers, as the room around them would not be too loud to talk over him.

Another example of a virtual event being held recently was the Southern Miss Alumni Mixer, which was held on Sept. 10. The event allowed for alumni to learn how to make Southern Miss inspired drinks, such as the BlackEyed Susan, as well as Felipe’s Famous Margarita. Attendees were given a list of ingredients before the event so they could follow along and make the drinks themselves. Being held virtually allowed alumni from the school to socialize and meet other alumni even if they were no longer living in Mississippi. It also allowed for alumni who would otherwise be stuck out of state to still be included with Southern Miss.

Hopefully after things return to normal and events are allowed to be held in-person with full capacity, Facebook Live or Zoom will be used to allow for a bigger audience. It allows for people interested in a topic or fans of a certain

Illustration by Erin Collins | Printz

event to experience the event. Even if it requires a ticket, it would be nice to virtually attend an event that might be located states away.

People who cannot leave the house will be able to experience events through the use of Facebook Live and Zoom. This includes older individuals and people who are in the hospital. These people will be able to attend events that they might otherwise not be able to see and stay entertained beyond the world of

their beds.

While it will be nice to return to in-person events, it is also good to know there is a potential alternative for events that might not occur close by. It can only be hoped that broadcasted events will still be common in a post-social distancing world to keep people connected as they are now.

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

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Link between COVID-19 and myocarditis poses concern for college athletics CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR

hile some college conferences have postponed their fall sports seasons due to the threats of COVID-19, others have decided to continue play. Those conferences now must monitor for Myocarditis, a rare heart condition that can be caused by COVID-19.

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that can be caused by multiple viral illnesses, including COVID-19. However, the frequency of Myocarditis cases caused

by COVID-19 has alerted doctors.

Dr. Joshua Blair, a cardiologist at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, explains his experience with the situation.

“After all the experience we’ve had with patients who are coming into the hospital that are extremely sick, we do notice that there is a higher occurrence of Myocarditis with COVID[-19] than we usually expect,” Blair said.

For athletes, the risk of Myocarditis was listed as one of the main reasons the Big Ten and Pacific-12 Conferences postponed their seasons.

“With inflammation of the heart muscle, it can cause a weakening and enlargement of the heart,” Blair said. “That can make a person prone to congestive heart failure and arrhythmias and what’s feared in sports is sudden cardiac death.”

According to “The Myocarditis Foundation”, Myocarditis accounts for 5-22% of sudden cardiac deaths in athletes below the age of 35.

Blair wanted to make it known that despite the serious implications of the condition, it

is not a common complication caused by the virus.

“This is a very rare complication of COVID and it’s actually even rarer in young people,” Blair said. “That doesn’t exclude that it can’t happen […] it is possible, but it’s rare.”

Still, Blair has been working with Southern Miss to ensure that athletes will not develop the condition. Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain says the department has been monitoring the situation since activities resumed in the summer. Now, McClain says that there is also a mandated Conference USA protocol to conduct cardiovascular tests on players who had the virus before they return to play.

“Any of our student-athletes who tested positive through antibodies, meaning they have had the virus at some point throughout the year [...] or someone who had tested positive since they’ve been back with us, they’ve been required to go through cardiovascular testing before they’ve been able to return to play,” McClain said.

Blair says that the training staff at Southern Miss is trained to do Electrocardiogram (EKG) tests themselves. They then send the tracings for Blair to review. The EKG tests allow doctors to see if there are any problems with the subject’s heart.

“You can pick up subtle, structural problems -- things like an enlarged heart, a thickened heart,” Blair said. “It’s a good screen tool because it’s cheap, it’s readily available and it takes about 25 seconds to run.”

So far, Blair says there have been no diagnosed cases of Myocarditis in players at Southern Miss, but there have been abnormal readings that they have watched closely.

“The guys that we’ve seen are back to normal activity and we really didn’t feel like we needed to follow up,” Blair said. “They’re very low risk and weren’t having any problems […but] they are being seen day-to-day

Blair Ballou | Printz by the training staff.”

On top of EKG tests, Blair says players who test positive for COVID-19 also have to undergo troponin level tests and Echocardiograms to ensure there are no problems.

As athletes across the country return to play, Blair explains warning symptoms of Myocarditis.

“If you had a player that was having difficulty exerting themselves with significant shortness of breath, having weak spells, maybe a lot of swelling where they’re retaining a lot of fluid, or passing out -- all of those are kind of red flags that something else is going on,” Blair said.

Blair says there is a concern for long-term complications in Myocarditis cases, but it is a very low risk in athletes that are properly monitored.

“There’s a very low risk that they’ll devel-

op problems down the road unless they get reinfected for other reasons like an influenza infection or another viral infection on top of that,” Blair said. “Anybody with Myocarditis, we would probably follow long term to evaluate improvement [...] and if they don’t, they would certainly be excluded from any athletic participation until we thought they were lower risk.”

Blair says there is “almost just as much risk” of developing Myocarditis with other viral infections, but the extra precautions are to be careful due to the amount that isn’t understood about COVID-19.

“We as doctors and scientists are learning on the fly with this thing,” Blair said. “It does not necessarily follow the patterns of other viral infections. [...] [We’re] just learning as we go about this virus.”

Preview: Southern Miss looks to rebound against Conference Rival Louisiana Tech CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR

fter Southern Miss endured a difficult first week with a season opener loss to South Alabama and former Head Coach Jay Hopson’s resignation, the team looks to bounce back in their next game against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

Southern Miss is coming off of a bye week, hoping to be well-rested and polished for the Sep. 19 matchup against Louisiana Tech.

The Bulldogs were scheduled to play their season opener on Sep. 12, but it was postponed after 36 players on the team tested positive for COVID-19. The situation is being monitored before the team travels to Hattiesburg. Barring any last-minute postponement, the teams are still scheduled to play.

Southern Miss holds a 35-16 record versus Louisiana Tech.

Last year, the Bulldogs won the matchup against the Golden Eagles 45-30 and snapped Southern Miss’ four-game winning streak in the series. In that game, Southern Miss quarterback Jack Abraham threw four interceptions. While Amik Robertson, who grabbed three of those picks, is now in the NFL, the Golden Eagles will still have to look to protect the ball better to stay in the game.

However, turnovers weren’t a problem in the first game for Southern Miss. The team moved the ball for 409 yards without a

Blair Ballou | Printz

turnover. Instead, other problems hindered the offense, including six red-zone trips that resulted in only two touchdowns. Abraham noted that it would be an area of “emphasis” for the team to work on during the bye week.

“One of my biggest pet peeves is when we get down there and have a problem punching it [in],” Abraham said after the first game.

Before the season started, Offensive Coordinator Matt Kubik mentioned that the offense will prioritize running the ball. Last

season, Southern Miss finished second-to-last in the conference in rushing offense and recorded only 3.4 yards per carry.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to establish the run game early in some of these games and if it’s not there, we’ve got some athletes to adjust,” Kubik said.

While the Golden Eagles ran the ball 37 times versus South Alabama, the running game never materialized. Southern Miss averaged 2.6 yards per carry last game, an average the team looks to improve

down the road. However, Southern Miss might have trouble improving the run game against Louisiana Tech, with their defense that finished fourth-best in the conference last year.

The offense also looks to continue to utilize star receiver Tim Jones. In the season opener, Jones led the team with six receptions and 139 yards. Wide receiver Jason Brownlee also hauled in five catches and looks to share the load of targets with Jones next game.

Southern Miss’s defense will face a challenge against Louisiana Tech’s second-best scoring offense of Conference USA in 2019. Southern Miss allowed South Alabama to gain 526 yards. While Southern Miss’ secondary got two interceptions, they allowed an average of 20 yards per completion and allowed two receivers to catch over 100 yards each.

With the Louisiana Tech contest, Southern Miss looks to generate some pressure from its defensive line. The Golden Eagles failed to record a single sack in the first game. Last season, the team finished second in the Conference in sacks, and hopes to retain, if not add onto, that number.

While it is difficult to analyze one game’s worth of performance, Southern Miss will face a challenge going against Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs finished last season with a 10-3 (6-2 C-USA) record, and have established themselves as one of the best teams in the conference.

The game is scheduled for Sep. 19 at M.M. Roberts Stadium with kickoff at 6:30 P.M.