The Student Printz: September 2, 2020

SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 | VOLUME 106 | ISSUE 4

POCKET MUSEUM

PG 3

OAK GROVE WALKOUT SOUTHERN MISS THEATRE PG 5

PG 6

Southern Miss football takes a stand against racial injustice

CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR Photo by Charlie Luttrell | Printz

n Aug. 28, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team canceled practice and marched together to protest racial injustice.

The team marched together from M.M. Roberts Stadium to the front of campus, joined by coaches, administration and students.

The recent attack on Jacob Blake, a black man shot seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, has intensified nationwide protests and debates against police brutality and racism.

Various sports leagues and athletes have taken action on the matter. Players in multiple professional leagues boycotted games, starting with the National Basketball Association and the Women’s National Basketball Association. Later, other leagues such as the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and National Football League canceled games and practices in response to the

recent events.

Southern Miss players announced their decision in a message on Twitter, saying, “We live by a brotherhood. We hold ourselves to high standards on and off the field of play. We cannot be silent to instances of racial injustice in our country any longer.

We are not practicing today.

Instead, we are standing up against racial injustices and extending our brotherhood to actively speak out against racism.”

Head Coach Jay Hopson voiced his support for his players’ decisions on Twitter.

“We as a coaching staff fully support our players in a march against social injustice,” Hopson said.

Hopson also talked about the importance of the team’s brotherhood in a conference a day earlier.

“We really would like for the country [...] to look at us or look at a lot of football programs and see

how brotherhood works,” Hopson said. “Brotherhood is everybody standing together, loving each other, helping each other because there’s strength in diversity.”

Junior linebacker Devin Thomas explained how the team came together to tackle this issue.

“Football is what we do -- it’s not who we are,” Thomas said. “It did bring us together and either we can be united as one or we can have groups. I think last night and today we’ve chosen for good that we’re going to be united as one.”

Thomas says that he knows some people don’t agree with their message, but he asks them to be open-minded.

“You don’t have to like what somebody does or like how somebody looks, but there’s a common denominator for everybody and that’s respect,” Thomas said. “That’s all that we want and that’s what we demand and we’re not going to settle for anything else.”

Freshman offensive lineman Emanuel Rushing says he believes this experience will help strengthen the team’s relationship together.

He also talked about what he thinks the demonstration will achieve in the community.

“You can’t really change the way people think, but you can throw out what you’re really trying to say,” Rushing said. “As long as you get the point down and it’s not harmful to the community, then I think it’s really all worth it.”

Junior communication studies major Sean Smith says he decided to come out to show support for the players’ protest because he respects and believes their message.

“I feel like it shows maturity for one and responsibility in not ignoring what’s going on in the nation today,” Smith said. “Just coming out today and watching them show solidarity together as a

CONT. ON PG 4

NEWS MEET THE STAFF Executive Editor

Brian Winters brian.s.winters@usm.edu

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

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.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

Southern Miss releases procedures for game day events CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR 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 9,00010,000 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 2, 2020

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

Pocket Museum breathes ‘signs of life’ to Hattiesburg side streets CARTER LISHEN PRINTZ REPORTER

ave you found Mississippi’s tiniest museum? You may have walked right past it! The Hattiesburg Pocket Museum is the Hub City’s quirky new hideaway.

Madison Crimm, the University of Southern Mississippi’s admissions counselor and recent graduate, was certainly surprised to find it.

“I was shook,” Crimm said. “I thought it would at least be some closet or something.”

The tiny museum, which features a new off-the-wall exhibit each month, is merely a window display in a downtown Hattiesburg alley. A collection of 112 colorful, patterned Swiss Army Knives comprised the Museum’s debut exhibit earlier this month, with information about the knives hung adjacent to the display.

Sponsored by the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, which manages, among other things, the

Hattiesburg Convention Center, the Hattiesburg Zoo and, the Saenger Theatre, the Pocket Museum’s exact location is a secret.

Finding the museum, its anonymous “Curator” said, is part of the fun. He believes the experience of finding it will be something that people are more likely to cherish and remember. He also encourages visitors to explore downtown Hattiesburg, where they can visit many different restaurants and shops.

As curious residents flock downtown to see the whimsical new museum, it seems the Curator’s plan may just work.

“It reminded me of how unique Hattiesburg is,” Crimm said. “What other city has a pocket museum?,” The Curator also says the Pocket Museum is only the beginning of a long-term plan to “activate” that alley.

The Convention Commission, with the City of Hattiesburg, will slowly “morph” the alley into a lively event space over the next two-years.

Part of the plan includes renovating a sky bridge over the alley.

Meghan Fuller | Printz

Stocked with live music, lights, art, drinks and seating, the Curator intends to inject many “signs of life” into the alley so residents aren’t afraid to explore their city and all its back alleys.

“It’s a great place to come [… to] have a beverage and just stroll downtown,” the Curator said.

The Pocket Museum has already served as a beacon of hope for the commission after the outbreak of COVID-19 robbed them of around two million dollars from its peak summer season revenue, thereby slowing plans for the museum’s alley.

The Curator said that, despite the grim circumstances, he knew his staff could complete this project, and, decided to collect donations to get back some employees the pandemic

forced him to furlough.

“We can still do things,” the Curator said., “[Life] is still going on, and we can still excite the public about what we’re doing.”

The Hattiesburg Pocket Museum currently welcomes around 100 visitors per day on weekends and 35 per weekday. The museum also has new exhibits scheduled through February.

September’s exhibit is sure to feel nostalgic, the Curator teased, but the October exhibit might spook you.

“To understand what it is,” the Curator said, “you have to come see it.”

Interested in submitting your own unique collection for display? Visit www.hattiesburgconventioncommission.com, and look for the museum’s assistant curator, Milo the Mouse!

Cook Library opens with new changes EARL STOUDEMIRE PRINTZ REPORTER ith Southern Miss reopening this fall welcoming students back, Cook Library does the same, stirring up some new renovations for all to enjoy.

The latest addition is a new collaboration zone for students to work in on the first floor, which replaced the old art gallery. The Bower Academic Center for student athletes is still under construction, but it and an advisement center for all students are in the final stages of development.

Cook Library staff member and Assistant to the Dean of University

Libraries for Publicity and Outreach, Dawn Smith, is excited to see how this building can better serve others.

“We hope that this renovation will carry us another 20-30 years into the future[,] and we hope as we go that we can do more things to the things in the building that haven’t been able to do with this renovation[,] so we’re very excited and we think it’ll be a great thing for a while,” said Smith.

With Cook Library having a good start reopening this fall, some students shared how they are liking the new changes.

“Everything is more updated and that’s really nice, especially the treadmills, you can get exercise in while doing work since everything is online,” said Julianne Vaughn, a

Photo Courtesy of Cook Library Facebook Page

sophomore criminal justice major from Tupelo, MS. “The area I was [in] a nice spot right by the window. I like having the scenic area, and it’s a nice little study desk area so I can have all of my stuff laid out nice and organized,” said Todd Coulter, a freshman nursing major from Ocean

Springs, MS. Cook Library’s current fall hours can be found online at https://lib. usm.edu/. Students visiting Cook Library should also make sure to follow COVID-19 guidelines listed at the front of the library to promote social distancing, and remember to keep quiet and study hard.

FEATURES

SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

CONT. FROM PG 1 group, as a team, family, a group of people who consider themselves brothers under one common goal shows solidarity that I respect.”

Smith also says the one thing he wants people to take out of this event is that anyone can be involved. “[This] isn’t just a black thing,” Smith said. “Anybody that has African-American friends, people they consider family, church members […] you don’t want to see them ending up on a newspaper or ending up as a hashtag. I say that you should be able to come out and join.”

Charlie Luttrell | Printz

Southern Miss Golden Eagles as they begin their march .

Sorority members voice concerns relating to COVID laxness BRIAN WINTERS EXECUTIVE EDITOR he University of Southern Mississippi’s Greek life held their recruitment week from Aug. 10 to Aug. 15, with Bid Day being held on Aug. 15. The laxness among some members of sororities regarding COVID-19 has caused concern among other members.

Shayla Fisher* is a member of a smaller CPC chapter on the Hattiesburg campus.

Fisher said a lot of members of her chapter did not want to do Bid Day. However, despite these concerns, the general consensus across the row was to have Bid Day during this semester. Fisher realized pretty quickly that some sororities haven’t been following guidelines as strictly as they have.

“I know for us, we had a sheet where we wrote down temperatures of everyone who came inside the house before they were even let in,” Fisher said. “We were following the state mandates, but we have seen laxness with other chapters and even with certain members across the board.”

Fisher said some sorority members have been going to off-campus parties, which has been worrying to her.

Rhiannon Lynch* is also a member of the same CPC chapter. Lynch explained advisors for Greek life dictate what members do and, though members can give their opinions, it is ultimately up to the advisor. She said she feels like this is a side of Greek life that is not known about.

“We can give our opinions but if they don’t agree or want it that way, we have to do whatever they say,” Lynch said. “We came up to advisors with different ideas [during recruitment week] and they said ‘no, you have to do it this way.’”

Despite Bid Day being in-person, the philanthropy events and the chapter’s sisterhood event have been completely converted to online only. Fisher and Lynch both said they have been explicitly told there can be no in-person events and everything must be virtual.

“We were already looking at philanthropy events being entirely virtual and we are having to come up with new ideas for that,” Fisher said. “I don’t think we are even planning for anything to be even relatively in-person.”

Fisher said it is not the on-campus events that she and Lynch worry about. They be-

Marissa Haas | Printz

lieve more focus should be put on off-campus safety as well as the on-campus safety.

Not that on-campus safety should be neglected. Communication has proved an increasing concern among sorority members.

Lynch said they do not know if there is a plan for what to do if someone living in the house gets sick.

“We do not know if there is a plan or not,” Lynch said. “If they have, they haven’t told us what that actual plan would be or if they even have one.”

Lynch said a common fear is a form of the “Panhellenic Plague”, where, if one house gets a sickness, every house will have it. She pointed out that COVID-19 could just as easily go across campus from one simple person, and that it’s easy spread is not talked about enough.

“At least for us, we have Germ-X stations all over and [we are] taking temperatures if [members] come to pick anything up,” Fisher said.

Lynch added that, when she helped members picking personal items up, the chapter had Clorox or bleach spray to wipe down after one or two people came in.

There is also a big push for Sorority members to not focus on the fact that there is a pandemic going on. The only time to

mention the pandemic is if a member talks to another member about it. Lynch said this was done so incoming freshmen will not think about how they lost their senior year of high school. However, Lynch and Fisher believe this should not end up minimizing the importance of social distancing.

Lynch said there were many people who thought recruitment week could have been pushed back to September to see how things were going to go during the first few weeks of school, so Greek life could plan better.

“There wasn’t a lot of flexibility on the advisor’s part,” Lynch said.

Fisher agreed, adding that there was a fear about having to do a different process that is not as formal when everyone had been preparing all summer for a formal recruitment.

“There were many of us, at the beginning, who said it should all be virtual,” Fisher said.

“It seemed they were holding on to keeping at least one day in person, but I was hoping they would have done it in the spring.”

Fees have been a major concern amongst new and old recruits alike. Fisher said her chapter was told not to deposit anything unless it could be refunded, as it was unknown what would occur during the fall semester.

She said she thinks it should have been considered doing continuous open bidding, or

“COR”. COR is when Panhellenic Council sororities take in new members outside of the formal recruitment process.

“At least in the past, COR has always been on the backend,” Fisher said. “CPC only just started being more vocal about it, but I think there is a push for formal recruitment every single year.”

Fisher said COR could be handled better in a pandemic. Formal recruitment could have up to 400 people involved, but COR would have around ten people at most. Fisher said COR seems like a better idea in the fall, as there is also nothing being held during the semester.

“I think waiting until spring when everyone had a better plan would have been better,” Fisher said.

Despite the worries about how certain sororities have been handling COVID-19, Fisher wanted the Southern Miss community to know that not every Greek life member is a part of the laxness.

“A lot of us are taking this very seriously, even in the house,” Fisher said.

When asked for a response, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life did not give any comment. *Names have been changed using a random name generator.

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 Oak Grove alums assist current students during walkout

EARL STOUDEMIRE PRINTZ REPORTER n Friday, Aug. 21, crowds of Oak Grove High School students organized a walkout from school due to ignorant acts of racism being allowed during their senior run on the first day of school.

That Monday, on Aug. 17, footage can be seen of seniors shouting “white power” during the annual senior run. Three boys coming to the run had in their possession a Trump flag and Blue Lives Matter flag. The Trump flag was taken away due to a past incident in 2017, but the Blue Lives Matter Flag was allowed.

One OGHS Alumni, Sumar Beauti, a current senior at Southern Miss, gave insight to what happened in 2017 and why instances like that could no longer be tolerated.

“I was an alum in ’17[,] and my class was the class that brought the Trump flag to our senior run.” Beauti explained. “When they brought that Trump flag, it was very upsetting to a lot of students and we tried to voice our concern to the administrators, but they swept it under the rug. We as students didn’t know what else to do now that we just told administration, no one did anything, we just felt like no one really cared. When I saw that this was happening at the high school again this year, we know what that symbolizes today and that it is a symbol for opposition of Black Lives Matter.”

Fellow OGHS Alum Angel Walker is the

executive director of outreach for the New MS Youth Project, and shared her thoughts on the culture her alma mater brought as well.

“For it to be such a diverse school it doesn’t embrace cultures well,” Walker said. “[There] was maybe one course that taught Black history only because the teacher felt like it was her duty. I was surprised to hear one of my white peers ask who Martin Luther King was […] and even now [OGHS] still does not [embrace cultures,] because you have students trying to inform others about the struggles about black individuals and you have students going online saying ‘White Lives Matter’ and ‘All lives matter’ ignoring the struggles of Black Americans.”

With the stir for change to occur on Oak Grove’s campus, Walker mentioned a group chat called “Youth Discussion”, organized by New MS Youth Project, was created. With over 175 members and counting, predominantly from the Hattiesburg area, current high school students and alums use the group to chat and gather resources for discussions on racism and police brutality to share with their family members.

The school district instantly lashed out against the walk-out. Any high schooler who participated in the walk-out could be punished by lossing class officer positions, senior awards and hall of fame recognitions, among other things.

“They’re scared of being called out, they know these things have been happening, they know they have been sweeping things under the rug, but now that they are finally being called out for it they’re scared so they want to silence

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

Photo courtesy of Black Lives Matter Mississippi the students to keep from doing that,” Beauti explains. “In today’s day in age where everyone is speaking out about these injustices[,] it is so empowering and all of these kids have so much courage and I’m so proud of them all.”

With Beauti and Walker getting calls from students saying that the teachers and police officers were blocking the exit doors, they had support outside ready to meet them from groups like Black Lives Matter Mississippi, the Mississippi Rising Coalition, New MS Youth and Ground Zero cheering the students on.

Christopher Preston, a member of the Ground Zero group and speaker during the Hal Marx protests, came to this event as well

Students at Oak Grove walkout on Aug. 21. showing support.

“To see that young group of people out there dedicated and committed to standing up for the cause of social injustice was mind-blowing. My confidence in young people was renewed to see them galvanize in such a way and just their passion and being open, very outspoken about what’s not right, it just blew me away to be honest,” said Preston.

With these events and times for change in the Oak Grove school district, superintendent Tess Smith has decided to step down from her position. Dr. Steven Hampton is set to take over at the end of October, with Smith helping in the transition.

Student shares research about STDs ERYKAH DRONE PRINTZ REPORTER exually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are infections that have plagued roughly 19 million Americans. Over half of those infections are obtained by teenagers and young adults from the ages of 15 to 24. College students fall widely into this demographic, and some Southern Miss students are concerned with how STDs affect them on their campus. To better ease their worries, one Southern Miss student decided to engage with this issue directly.

On August 20, 2020, I sat down with senior Public Health major Christian Strong on a Zoom call.

Strong has spent months researching and surveying Southern Miss students about STDs, especially how they affect students every day.

“Society doesn’t talk about sex, [much less] sexual health,” says

Strong. “In college, we should facilitate an environment where talking about sex is okay.”

As with many diseases, the most vulnerable are minority communities, such as LGBTQ+ people and people of color. STDs affect these communities so much so that diseases like HIV and AIDS were considered “gay plagues” when the first cases were discovered back in 1981.

Seeing as college campuses are full of both of these demographics, to be young and uneducated on sexual health makes behaviors when maneuvering through new sexual relationships a very slippery slope for students. Strong made sure to focus on both of these groups in his research, finding that those affected

by STDs need better resources from the school to both manage these diseases and prevent future spread.

“Viruses are very intelligent, and they know what they’re doing, so we must know what we’re doing,” Strong said. “We need more sem-

inars and free screenings for all incoming students.”

Strong also said that high schools need to improve sexual health education, as they do not get real enough about diseases students could potentially get or important preventative measures like vaccines.

Strong and I also spoke a lot on how health classes only really taught students abouts parts of genitals and personal health, but not real sexual health. The only preventive measures many programs cover are abstinence and condoms. We both were in agreement that these measures do not prepare students to truly have agency over their body and sexual identity.

Strong was especially passionate in discussing this, even more so about how Southern Miss can improve discussion surrounding STDs. Not only should the university improve discussions about STDs in general, but students could bring more awareness to prevention meth-

ods and prevalence of STDs with each other by communicating their importance to others, especially to their partners.

“Prevention is key,” Strong says.

Strong also had big ideas on how students at Southern Miss could be more transparent about their STD status. He believes everyone should have “status cards”, so that when they are screened for STDs, the cards will reflect their infection status to inform future sexual partners.

He believes this will help normalize talking about sexual health, especially amongst partners.

To learn more about STD prevention, please visit https://www. cdc.gov/std/prevention. To learn where you can receive STD testing in Hattiesburg, please https://www. plannedparenthood.org/health-center/mississippi/hattiesburg/39401/ hattiesburg-center-4078-90330/ std-testing-treatment.

ENTERTAINMENT

SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

“Love In Time of Corona”: hit and miss

JAKORI BEAUCHAMP PRINTZ REPORTER

he latest Hulu and Freeform miniseries, “Love In Time of Corona”, follows the lives of four different couples and how they operate their households during the COVID-19 pandemic

in California.

With the show billing itself as the first “pandemic romance show,” it wasn’t as eye-catching as the billing wanted it to be. After briefly watching the show, many noticed that it wasn’t much different from any other Hulu, Netflix or Freeform original series.

In the first episode, “The Course of Love”, the show introduces the main four couples, setting up their lives so far and how they are personally connected.

The first couple we meet is one of two of the black couples featured on the show, film producer James, portrayed by Leslie Odom Jr., and his wife Sade, portrayed by Nicolette Robinson. Although James is usually away from home, the pandemic reconnects him and Sade, and they explore their relationship once more now that they’re spending a lot more time together.

We’re next introduced to musician Elle and stylist Oscar, portrayed by Rainey Qualley and Tommy Dorfman respectively. They’re roommates who navigate single life during the pandemic by crushing on neighbors and going on Zoom dates.

After that, we meet college students Sophie, portrayed by Ava Bellows, and Jordan, portrayed by Tyler Alvarez. Sophie and Jordan just went through a breakup a little before

Illustration by Marissa Haas| Printz the stay-at-home order, meaning Sophie has to move back home. This further complicates things between Sophie’s parents Sarah (Rya Kihlstedt) and Paul (Gil Bellows), as they have to pretend to be happy together when, in reality, they have recently decided to separate.

Finally, we meet Nanda, James’s mother and Sophie’s former teacher, portrayed by L. Scott Caldwell. She’s looking forward to celebrating her 50th anniversary with her husband Charles, portrayed by Charlie Robinson.

However, Charles is struggling to recover from pneumonia, and is unable to come home from a facility because of COVID-19 mandates.

Throughout the duration of the first episode, it’s easy to notice that all of these

plots have been recycled. Sade and James are a typical mainstream Hollywood black couple.

You have the light-skinned black woman with the dark-skinned black man. It’s very rare to find a younger dark-complected woman in the starring roles in these kinds of shows, nevertheless in a black-on-black relationship.

In addition, Elle and Oscar portray a typical friendship between a stereotypical white queer male and his stereotypical straight white best friend. It’s no surprise that Sophie, being the woke white girl, is paired with Jordan, being the selfish white privileged male. There are no new things being done with these relationships, so they get extremely boring extremely quickly.

The actual enjoyable parts of the show revolved around James, Sade, Nanda and Charles. There was a much more unique emotional aspect with these couples than many others. One of the most inspiring parts of the show was a Facetime dinner date between Nanda and Charles. Nanda, in particular, is really well done, as she reflects often on her past parenting, reevaluating her relationship with her estranged son during quarantine.

James and Sade also have a more interesting dynamic than the other couples, as, at one point, they argue over whether or not to bring a child into a world where police brutality and systemic racism are ever-present concerns.

However, out of those bright spots, the overall show is pretty bland and not eye-catching. A lot of the storylines used were just recycled storylines that many have already seen before from better shows. The show is also very unrealistic, considering there were no concerns about financial instability among any of the characters.

“Love In The Time of Corona’s” casting and storylines are too uninspired and too boring for it to proudly bill itself as the first “pandemic romance show”. “ Majority of the characters seem well-off and or living above the poverty line in nice homes, with some of them even living in mansions. This pandemic shows contrast’s from other shows strictly by being set in a time during a pandemic to other shows. It’s a light hearted romantic comedy with drama beneath the surface that is wrapped up within the 4 episodes. This show even shed minimal light on what’s happening in regards to COVID-19 and focuses mainly on the storylines and dynamics of the characters.”

Southern Miss art and theater continue amid pandemic SARAH BURSE PRINTZ REPORTER OVID-19 has made socialization go entirely online thanks to our constant usage of technology. In-class discussions have moved to chat rooms. Instead of watching a theater production amid a crowd, many are experiencing performances behind a screen. This trend has continued with Southern Miss, as the School of Performing and Visual Arts gets used to new production styles amid a pandemic.

In an interview with Dr. David Coley, assistant professor and producer in the Theater Department, he spoke about how the theater program is dealing with the pandemic. While theater production is difficult to portray virtually, the department itself is hoping to showcase all of the talent within the Southern Miss community through their shows.

This is Coley’s first semester of teaching and working with Southern Miss’ theater program. He expressed his excitement to teach theater history while managing the productions. Though Coley wasn’t prepared for this hectic semester, he believes that the faculty and students will excel regardless.

Productions are still being held by

Photo courtesy of Theatre Department Page

the theatre program, but all of them will be online only. This shift in the environment will impact the audience as well as the actors. Actors will have to perform in the walls of their homes or their environment without audience feedback. Producers will then mashup all the videos into one big performance and play them on a livestream.

These brief changes allow the actors and actresses to create their own stage, using any atmosphere or setting of their choosing. The students will be using their imagination to give the audience a real theatrical experience. This not only allows the students to develop an

appreciation for in-person theater, but for the audience as well.

“Actors won’t be limited to one stage,” Coley said.

The theater program still has a sense of normality as they perform online.

The first production that will be held online is Lauren Gunderson’s “The Revolutionists”. There will be a handful of “performances” of the show, lasting from Sept. 24 through 26 at 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 27 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on the program’s website.

Also according to the Southern Miss Art Department’s website, art students are similarly making the most out of

creating amid the pandemic. While many artists may struggle to virtually showcase their artwork, the department itself is making the most of it. As they proudly say on their website, they’re “[turning] restrictions in our environment into opportunities for art and expression.”

On Aug. 29, 2020, The Hub Dance Collective live streamed a special concert that shared solutions for collaborations on and offstage. Those who missed the show can attend a second showing during the Art & Design Faculty Show on Sept. 10. The Southern Miss Art Department once again urges those interested in events to view their website for more information.

The Southern Miss Art and Theater program continues to set examples of how students and faculty are striving throughout the pandemic. Both programs are using their luxury of having the technology to still communicate with their audience in meaningful ways.

Through multiple productions and informative opportunities, audiences can still gather virtually to view all that the department has to offer.

To learn more about all of the events going on with the Performing Arts, please visit https://www.usm.edu/performing-visual-arts/performances-exhibitions.

OPINION

SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

Republican Convention helps Trump reelection DIPIN SUBEDI PRINTZ REPORTER he Republican National Convention was held between Aug. 24 to Aug. 27 to convey the Republican agendas among the people of the nation, emphasizing the importance of re-electing President Donald Trump.

Although the past achievements and future ambitions of the Republican party delineated throughout the event might sound outlandish and outrageous to Democrats, this convention has succeeded in reinforcing the faith of Republican voters towards Trump, with the campaign now focusing on the ability to pull undecided voters to their side.

Guest speakers during the event extolled the achievements of Trump during his past four years in office. Convention speakers frequently repeated the motto of “Promises Made, Promises Kept” in their speeches. Some of the main achievements listed during their speeches included the ascending stock market with its latest record-breaking figures and the descending employment rate. The speakers also talked up the fulfillment of Trump’s promises throughout his 2016 campaign, now that they didn’t have to worry about being “fil-

tered” by mainstream news outlets.. Also, The people of America were also reassured by their president that the country will not have to be terrified of terrorists anymore. The pledge to bring soldiers home from unwanted, needless wars was a good proposition that Trump personally delivered towards the end of the ceremony.

The Republican party nominated Trump for the eradication of an even worse political system that would disrupt the nation’s integrity from the inside: socialism and communism. Joe Biden was mercilessly castigated throughout the convention by Republicans who felt that he was weak and a grotesque failure compared to the strong and successful Trump.

Trump himself derided far-left Democrats and promised that he would not let Biden instill “communistic” values in Americans who still strive for greatness.

Trump was articulate about his relentless pursuit of solutions and remedies that provide relief to citizens in need nowadays.

His coronavirus relief package was among the many solutions he mentioned. The defamation of Biden continued as he mentioned that workers need their jobs instead of Biden’s “hollow words of empathy”.

Trump also outlined his major plan to make the United States a leading nation in the world once again, this time in terms of

Illustration by Marissa Haas | Printz

discovery and technology. The establishment of the United States Space Force to conduct space operations that will possibly include landing on Mars could make America a powerful nation once again.

The Republican party ended their campaign by reminding people to revere American values such as liberty and to abide by the Constitution.

There were some pretty blatant problems throughout the Republican National Convention. Vice President Pence’s remarks were completely illogical, touting the importance of opening up schools amidst this fatal pandemic and his faulty reasoning on the continuation of fracking,

which he claims makes America independent on fossil fuels. It is understandable that Trump’s priority is patriotic American citizens, but the Convention’s excessive pride in history seemed to advertise nationalism and present an inability to change, which would not be great to tout so proudly considering current events.

All in all, though, the Republican National Convention did an outstanding job in bolstering the campaign to reelect Trump and Pence for President and Vice President.

Stop preparing for a climate crisis; we’re already there MEGAN FULLER

ENTERTAINMENT/OPINION EDITOR lobal leaders have been stressing to their citizens for years to begin preparing for a climate crisis when, in actuality, we’re already in one.

With wildfires in California, destructive hurricanes in the south and massive flooding in China, 2020 has proven to not only be the “Year of the Pandemic”, but to also be the peak of the ultimate climate crisis. However, it’s almost as if everyone has forgotten, amidst the outbreak of COVID-19, the one thing that could destroy the Earth as we know it: our own stupidity.

Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at the Breakthrough Institute, recently tweeted about this issue through the California wildfires.

“One telling aspect of California wildfires is that the number of fires has actually declined while average area burned has increased more than three-fold,” Hausfather said. “Its changing conditions – dryer fuels from a changing climate, greater fuel loading from fire suppression – that are to blame.”

While our planet is literally on fire, we’re still continuously burning fossil fuels and taking part in deforestation, completely ignoring the fact that certain areas of the Earth will be uninhabitable by the end of the century.

There is also the matter of more powerful hurricanes. A study published by an economics professor at Oregon State University declared that storm-related deaths increased under most climate change scenarios by 52%. While we should still be preparing for the massive hurricanes headed towards the south, we must also understand they might be a direct result of global warming and addressing it accordingly.

However, like with our fossil fuel usage, we fail to understand that the climate crisis isn’t

Illustration by Marissa Haas | Printz

just an environmental issue. It’s also a health issue.

Between droughts and increased exposure to the sun, climate change has a negative effect on the population as a whole. As warmer seasons lengthen, many insects also are likely to travel farther, carrying deadly diseases as they expand their range. While health departments are all seemingly focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, they also must prepare for the related health issues that go hand-in-hand with the climate crisis.

While many problems regarding health, such as heat stress, air quality or even access to clean water are obvious, mental health is also an important issue in regards to climate change.

In regards to the current hurricane forming -- at writing, Hurricane Laura -- many extreme weather events affect those who witness it, which can manifest as anger at displacement, grief over loss of loved ones or even trigger later episodes of PTSD. The mental health of the Americans involved in these storms should be a top priority for government and health officials.

While climate protection within the United States dates back to the first Earth Day in 1970, this country still has a lot of change to go and not a whole lot of time to do it. By disregarding recent environmental data, dismantling the Clean Power Plan and loosening emission standards, the current administration should start rethinking the importance of climate change, especially with the way 2020 is going.

If we’re being honest, there’s no way to fully judge if any other administration would have handled the climate crisis perfectly, but anything is better than the current policy of nothing at all. As far as the future goes (and by future, I mean the upcoming election,) you can either have a habitable planet or our current leadership. In other words, you can’t have both.

The world at large needs to accept that we’re in a climate crisis and do something about it now rather than wait until it’s too late.

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

Southern Miss football moves on from recent player opt-outs CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR

s the Southern Miss Golden Eagles’ season opener versus South Alabama approaches, the team adjusts to the recent loss of six players who opted out of the season.

Four players on defense and two on offense have opted out of the 2020 football season, listing the uncertainties of COVID-19 as the primary reasons for their decisions.

Five of the six players have publicly announced their intent to enter the transfer portal as graduate transfers.

Head Coach Jay Hopson says he backs the players’ decisions.

“We support them,” Hopson said.

“These are crazy times. [...]We let our players know we support them in any decision and we wish all of those guys the very, very best.”

Senior defensive lineman Jacques Turner was the first player to publicly announce his decision on Twitter. Turner thanked his coaches, teammates and fans for his time at Southern Miss. He finishes his career at Southern Miss with 93 tackles and 14 sacks.

Two more defensive linemen, Shannon Carswell and Garrett Crawford, also announced their decision to opt-out of the season shortly after. The final defense lineman to opt out was senior linebacker Racheem Boothe. Boothe finishes his career at Southern Miss

with 166 total tackles and 10 sacks.

Junior defensive lineman Dominic Quewon, still actively playing this season, speaks on these losses at the defensive line.

“Unfortunately, we lost a couple of guys, a couple of key guys, but all we can do now is really just capitalize on the opportunity that was given to us,” Quewon said.

“There’s not much we can do after that, but we’re just going to keep grinding and keep going, moving forward.”

Quewon will start at defensive end for the season-opener in what will also be his first game as a Golden Eagle.

On offense, the Golden Eagles lost junior running- back Steven Anderson and senior wide- receiver Jaylond Adams.

Assistant Coach Scotty Walden says he supports Steven and Jaylond’s decisions and is excited about the depth of the team moving forward.

“We’ve got a bunch of hungry guys on this football team from running back to receiver to DB, you name it,” Walden said. “They want to be the best in the country [...] and I think when you got a group like that, they’re anxious to step up.”

Senior quarterback Jack Abraham also spoke on the team’s depth, specifically in the backfield.

“There’s talent two to three deep on this team and I think that guys will step in and get the job done, especially at running back,” Abraham said. “I think we’ve got some really good talent at running back

Makayla Puckett | Printz

and I’m excited to see those guys out there.”

Junior RB Don Ragsdale will slide into the starting spot for the season-opener. Offensive linemen Kevin Perkins, Dee Baker and Frank Gore Jr. will also likely get a share of carries and be utilized on offense. The Golden Eagles finished #13 in Conference USA in rushing offense last season, which they hope to improve with these new players.

“To be honest with you, we’re so loaded at RB, it’s a blessing, it’s

Pictured: Jaylond Adams, one of the players who opted out.

a good problem to have,” Walden said. “We have to be smart about getting our best players on the field.”

Coach Hopson also spoke of the impact new signees have had on the team.

“At some of these spots, we’re really blessed because we’ve had some good signees coming in,” Hopson said. “I’ve been really pleased with some of the new guys. [...] I think we had an outstanding signing class last year[,] so that’s certainly a positive.”

Gov. Reeves’ executive order on college football impacts Southern Miss game days CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR

n Aug. 20, Gov. Tate Reeves issued an executive order that regulates how the upcoming college football season will be conducted within the state.

The order restricts attendance at any college football game to a maximum of 25% of the stadium’s capacity, requires masks to be worn and prohibits tailgating outside of the events.

“This is the minimum that each school is required to do in their college stadiums this fall to keep our players and our spectators safe while allowing college football to occur,” Reeves said.

Reeves issued the order exactly two weeks before the Southern Miss Golden Eagles would begin the season versus the University of South Alabama.

“As you know, the University of Southern Mississippi has a game in two weeks on a Thursday night [...] we wanted to put out the plans, give everyone some time to review and also to be able to implement them,” Reeves said.

At the M.M. Roberts Stadium, the seating capacity is 36,000. Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain says that the school will follow the maximum 25% seating capacity in accordance with the executive order.

“Our total [capacity] is going to be between nine and ten thousand,” McClain said.

Last year, the average attendance for the five home football games at M.M. Roberts Stadium was 24,765. To ensure that fans will be able to fit in with the limited attendance this year, Southern

Photo Courtesy of Tate Reeves’ Facebook

Miss is giving priority to season ticket holders and students. Still, McClain says that there will have to be a limit on each group.

“We are going to have different numbers for the different groups,” McClain said. “To kind of fit into that space, there will be some limitations, so we’re going to try to make that number high enough that a lot of our students can get in but there might be some that would like to come to the game that don’t get the opportunity and hopefully if they don’t come to the first one, they’ll come to ones later in the year.”

There will be a limit of 1,000 general

admission tickets available to students.

Students will still sit in the student section and will also be required to follow social distancing guidelines.

For players, the loss of fans will be felt too. Junior defensive back Natrone Brooks says that it will be an adjustment.

“I think it’s going to play a role where you really don’t have fans to give you that extra boost,” Brooks said. “You’re really just going to have to fight yourself and push through without the crowd.”

The executive order also impacts game day traditions at Southern Miss.

The order bans any social gatherings

outside of stadiums, which includes using the Eagle Walk and tailgating.

The ban on tailgates comes as an especially big blow to fans at Southern Miss. Hattiesburg resident Greg Busche has been tailgating with his family and friends at Southern Miss for the last twenty years. Busche says he understands the safety concern, but believes that tailgating could still be done safely.

“I think we need to have some form of tailgating with some stipulations to it as far as how many people could be to an assigned zone or area, kind of like what they’re doing with the stadium,” Busche said. “I don’t think we need to shut down tailgating completely because there are people like me that have been doing it religiously and never missed a game for twenty years.”

McClain says he is upset that fans will not be able to have the same experience, but agrees with the measure.

“I’m not happy that we won’t have the same game day experience, but I think it’s the right call,” McClain said.

“I would just ask people to understand that if we’re going to have an opportunity to compete and play college athletics this fall, specifically football, in this case, these are the things we’re going to have to do.”

McClain says that the guidelines will come down to individual responsibility and asks for fans to comply.

“There’s some level of social responsibility that comes with this, so we’re going to ask people to do those things because we’re trying to get over the hump and trying to get back to the things we love doing,” McClain said.

For more information and to stay updated on new Southern Miss game day policies, visit www.southernmiss.com.