The Student Printz: Sept. 9, 2020

SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 | VOLUME 106 | ISSUE 5

CONTACT TRACING EXPLAINEDPG 5 NON-ESSENTIAL FOOTBALL PG 7

USM VS. USA

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Southern Miss football undergoes leadership change after first game of season

CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR Photo courtesy of Southern Miss Athletics

n Sep. 7, the Southern Miss Athletic Department announced that Head Coach Jay Hopson resigned from his position, with Assistant Coach Scotty Walden taking over as interim Head Coach.

Hopson’s resignation comes four days after Southern Miss lost 32-21 to South Alabama

in the season opener. Prior to the game, Southern Miss was 75-18-1 against Sun Belt Conference opponents, and listed as 13-point favorites against South Alabama.

Rumors of the news began to circle late Sunday before the school officially announced it on Labor Day afternoon.

Hopson was in his fifth season as Head Coach at Southern Miss. During his time

at the school, he posted a 28-23 record, becoming one of three coaches in Southern Miss’s history to post four consecutive winning seasons to start their coaching tenure.

However, this streak seemed to have ended, as, including the end of last season, Southern Miss has lost four straight games. Before the start of this season, six players opted out, leaving the team to make last-

minute adjustments. Hopson summed up the season opener and his last game as head coach as a “disappointing loss”.

Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain explained the decision in a statement released online.

“Coach Hopson came to me after last Thursday’s game to discuss what was on his heart

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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 9, 2020

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Southern Miss releases procedures for game day events CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPROTS 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 9,000-

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

Courtesy of MofямБtt Health Center

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

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NEWS CONT. FROM PG 1 and after much discussion over the weekend, he and I agreed that new leadership for our football program is needed,” McClain said. “Coach Hopson has been a part of our program for 10 years. I appreciate his commitment to Southern Miss and wish Jay and his family nothing but the best.”

Hopson expressed his mutual agreement with the decision.

“After heartfelt discussion with Jeremy, we have come to a mutual agreement for me to step down as head coach. I am in total agreement with this

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 change in leadership and truly believe it is in the best interest of the players, coaches and this entire program,” Hopson said.

“I cannot thank Dr. Bennett and our administration enough for the opportunity that they gave me. I wish Southern Miss nothing but the best and am thankful for all that they have done for me and my family.”

Southern Miss fans had mixed reactions to the change in leadership. Senior history major Ron James says he agrees with the decision.

“I believe Coach Hopson lost the team,” James said. “I think it started late last season then it just bled over to this season.

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Players transferring is never a good thing.”

McClain has chosen Scotty Walden, Co-Offensive Coordinator and Wide Receivers Coach, as the interim Head Coach to replace Hopson. Walden, 30, will be the youngest coach at the helm of the football team since Reed Green became head coach in 1937 at the age of 26.

Walden is in his fourth year at Southern Miss. Prior to coaching at the school, he spent time as an Offensive Coordinator at Sul Ross State University and East Texas Baptist University (ETBU). In 2016, he served as Head Coach

of ETBU, posting a 7-3 record and leading the country in scoring offense with nearly 50 points per game.

James also voiced his support of Walden as interim Head Coach.

“He’s young[,] but he’s very well respected in the coaching world,” James said. “He’s energetic and I think we need that in the program.”

Southern Miss will play its first game under Walden’s command on Sep. 19 at home against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. This will be the first conference game of the year for Southern Miss.

Students wary of in-person classes, but Dean of Students remains calm CARTER LISHEN PRINTZ REPORTER As many classes move to in-person formats this week at the University of Southern Mississippi, the Dean of Students is confident the university will mitigate the spread. However, some students have stressed COVID-19 fears in returning to faceto-face sessions.

“I don’t feel safe spending time on campus,” junior English licensure major Laurel Lukes said.

Lukes, who has a pre-existing medical condition that makes her at increased risk for infection, will live at her home on the Gulf Coast this semester.

“It’s frustrating being isolated from everyone I know,” Lukes said. “But it’s more frustrating that many of my friends dismiss my concerns. I see so many people neglect all social distancing and mask guidelines already” All USM were held classes virtually for the first few weeks of the fall semester, with some exceptions for lab components and other classes.

The decision came in late July after a period of heightened daily new COVID-19 cases in Mississippi.

“I understand the intention behind holding online classes,” Sherrice Wright, a junior political science and public relations double major said. “It gave students a ‘mandatory’ quarantine period, and honestly that’s what made a lot of students feel comfortable returning.”

However, Wright isn’t comfortable with going back to face-to-face classes, either, worried about another new spike in cases as a result.

“I […] am very scared to return to in-person classes, especially after a holiday with noted travel like Labor Day,” Wright said.

Wright, though never outright saying so, goes on to imply that students

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who may visit a COVID-19 hot spot should further quarantine after Labor Day traveling and not return to the classroom.

“I understand both sides of the issue […,] but I do feel as if returning to the classroom is not the safest option,” Wright said. “I feel like it’s going to lead to more students thinking we’re back to normal when we’re just not.”

Lukes agreed with that statement, saying that she thinks there’s a great danger in this attitude among students. Dismissing “the gravity of the situation” could easily lead to more infections.

However, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Sirena Cantrell is confident students can now safely learn in-person this semester.

“Our campus leadership has

worked countless hours to ensure the courses will be offered safely and adhere to the USM Community Standards,” she said.

The Community Standards aim to mitigate COVID-19 spread on campus by requiring all to wear masks, keep social distance (in class, around campus and in residence halls), wash their hands and perform daily COVID-19 symptom screenings. The standards also cover how in-person classes will be handled through the USM Flight Path: Fall 2020 Action Plan. The plan explained that courses that are too difficult to translate virtually were prioritized for in-person instruction. Other courses must be taught as a hybrid or fully-online course to abide by proper social distancing. Additionally, classroom capacity will not exceed 50 students this semester.

Cantrell also made sure to add that students who do not follow the USM Community Standards will be disciplined according to the university’s Student Code of Conduct.

But not all of junior psychology major Landry Smith’s classes will be in person, and he is torn over how to feel about those that are.

“I wish some of my classes, like molecular biology, ethics or Spanish, were in person just for the sake of how difficult it is for me to learn it […] online, but I also know there’s a risk when attending in-person classes,” Smith said.

All USM students, faculty and staff had to complete an online COVID-19 training with information on public health and safety protocols within the first two weeks of classes. Just how effective this training was or will be remains uncertain.

NEWS

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Southern Miss administrators discuss contact tracing BRIAN WINTERS EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Chart courtesy of CDC

ith students returning to classrooms on Sep. 7, faculty and students are curious about how contact tracing will work during the semester. According to the COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols page from the Moffitt Health Center, the Mississippi Department of Health is tasked with contact tracing.

Southern Miss-coordinated contact tracing begins when an individual associated with the university is highly likely to be or diagnosed with COVID-19 from a laboratory-confirmed test. From there, Southern Miss’ contact tracing interdisciplinary team will step in.

Thomas Deus, the Associate Dean of Students, said a staff member from the interdisciplinary team is assigned to each student that has a positive case in order to activate individual contact

tracing.

“We hope to complete the process within 24 - 48 hours, including talking to those students who are considered close contact,” Deus said.

Deus also explained how contact tracing would be conducted. The staff member, upon learning about the positive test result, will contact the sick student as soon as possible.

“We attempt contact via phone and email. Once we start talking to the student we ask them how they are doing, if there is anything they need and where they are currently staying for their quarantine,” Deus said. “We then talk to the student about where they might have been infected, when they started experiencing symptoms and who they might have been around.”

The most important information being looked for is where the student has recently been where they have been in close contact with other people. Close contact is defined as being six feet of another person for over 15 minutes.

“Once we receive the list of close

contacts, we then call those students and inform them they have [been] in with someone who tested positive,” Deus said. “Due to HIPPA policies, we are not allowed to disclose the name of the person infected.”

Deus reminds everyone that it is encouraged for students to get tested at the Moffitt Health Center, isolate and monitor symptoms as soon as they come up.

Steven Moser Ph.D., the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, said in an email that Southern Miss has an army of contact tracer volunteers that have been trained and certified through Johns Hopkins to help monitor COVID-19 cases. There is also a student affairs team managing student life outside of the classroom available and a group of faculty and staff that have guided the generation and implementation of protocols for positive cases inside the university.

“Our positive cases are low and manageable, but our ability to be successful next week through November

will depend on our commitment to the Community Standards and our persistent encouragement for compliance,” Moser said.

If a student does become too ill to complete their work, the Assistant Dean for Student Outreach will work with the instructors to extend assignment deadlines and allow students to make up any in-class work. If a student that tests positive lives on-campus, the student will have the option to move into an isolated room or to return home. If an in-class instructor is exposed, the department will look to share the teaching load with faculty, graduate assistants or teaching assistants.

“The most important thing is for students to remember to social distance, wear a mask, wash or sanitize their hands often and monitor their health, specifically looking for common COVID symptoms,” Deus said. “It is easy to become comfortable around friends, but they should remember to practice the CDC guidelines with everyone they come in contact with.”

ENTERTAINMENT

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Kaufman’s ‘i’m thinking of ending things’ is missing something MARY MURPHY NEWS/ FEATURES EDITOR harlie Kaufman’s latest film, ‘i’m thinking of ending things’, premiered as a Netflix original on Sep. 4. Though the film is definitely not “all style and no substance”, it is also not the sum of its parts, leaving the viewer wanting something more.

Based on Iain Reid’s 2016 novel of the same name, it follows a young woman (Jessie Buckley) as she contemplates whether or not to end her relationship with her boyfriend, Jake (Jesse Plemons), while having dinner with his parents Suzie (Toni Collette) and Dean (David Thewlis). As the night grows increasingly unsettling, the world seems to start unravelling around the young woman, which leaves her constantly doubting what’s real and what’s not.

By far the best part of the film is how it portrays unreality. Cinematographer Łukasz Żal’s camera work and editor Robert Frazen’s cuts are top-notch, shining throughout the more dream-like sequences of the film. Its post-production makes the viewer constantly second-guess reality, especially through its excellent use of sound and costume design. Attentive viewers will most likely be able to catch on quickly to what’s really going on just by watching for continuity errors.

This attention to detail is fairly par for the course for a Kaufman film. Those

Illustration by Marissa Haas | Printz

familiar with ‘Synecdoche, New York’ or ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ will recognize Kaufman’s directorial and writing style immediately. His script writing is at its best in scenes with the main couple driving through the snow, awkwardly trying to figure out what else to talk about. The viewer feels trapped with the main characters throughout dinner without becoming bored with what’s happening on screen.

This is partially helped by the topnotch acting across the board. Buckley,

even as a late addition to the cast, expertly plays into the awkwardness and horror of each scene she’s in through speaking ticks and nonverbal cues. Plemons also does a wonderful job as Jake, playing him with a level of self-awareness fitting for the character. Another major highlight is Collette as Jake’s mother, who is able to portray both the comedy and tragedy inherent to her story within a single line of dialogue.

All that being said, ‘i’m thinking of ending things’ is not a perfect movie. The

actual plot of the film, much like the plot of the novel, is hinged too heavily on its ending twist and leaves very little breathing room elsewhere. This is especially true for Kaufman’s newer additions to the story, such as a fictional movie by Robert Zemeckis, which only ever seems to get passing acknowledgement.

Its overreliance on visual storytelling, too, only goes so far in engaging the viewer. Kaufman keeps his affinity for subtext in this latest romp, and its visual style is definitely striking enough to keep everyone’s attention. But, instead of enhancing the story, subtext in ‘i’m thinking of ending things’ detracts from the overall experience.

No information in this movie is portrayed without layers upon layers of subtext piled on it, and its efforts to obscure certain facts from the viewer increases confusion rather than rewards vigilance.

There are several sections where the viewer becomes easily lost, especially as reality becomes more and more frayed during the last twenty minutes of the film. Someone shouldn’t have to watch a film multiple times just to understand their first viewing, and this is a major blow to its overall enjoyability.

Though there are certainly many good things about ‘i’m thinking of ending things’, there are also a fair amount of problems with it, leaving a longing while watching never quite satisfied.

‘Madden NFL 21’ fumbles its promise to improve series CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR very August, Electronic Arts (EA) releases a new installment in its “simulation” football series, ‘Madden NFL’. Despite the yearly promises of improved gameplay and new features, this year’s ‘Madden NFL 21’ is no different from its predecessors, and marks a low point in the franchise’s history.

This year, EA developers advertised a slew of “innovative” features that made the game sound better than it is. The truth is ‘Madden 21’ looks like and feels like it is copy and pasted from last year’s game.

Firstly, tThe gameplay itself is largely unchanged. The commentary, stadiums and player models all look and feel relatively similar to the year before. However, there are slight improvements in lighting and ball carrier movements. Running the ball and testing some of the new, fluid movements is one of the best areas of this game.

The decision to keep and add onto the Superstar X-Factor system is a great move for the franchise. Real-life superstars in the NFL actually feel like themselves with the boosted abilities of their “X-Factor”. It adds an entertaining twist to the gameplay and makes you have to watch your opponent closely if their superstar gets into their zone.

Madden’s career mode, “Face of the Franchise”, also returns this year with a disjointed and boring story of a position battle

between the player, a backup quarterback, and a starting quarterback. The game mode does allow you to play in a new fictional high school and gives you the options of ten real colleges to play at as you advance throughout the story. It would be fun, but the story makes little sense at times and is otherwise predictable. Towards the end of the story, some interactions in post-game interviews have no dialogue and are poorly rendered, adding salt to the wound.

Changes to the “Franchise” mode in ‘Madden 21’ are non-existent. The interface and features are almost identical to games in the past years. This is probably the most disappointing aspect of the game and downright disrespectful to the fans who have asked EA to fix the game mode for years.

Madden’s “Ultimate Team” mode is almost identical from previous years, too. It adds plenty of new challenges and events, but nothing is innovative about the same game mode that has been around for a decade. The monotony of collecting virtual cards and grinding to improve your team is more hassle than entertainment.

The most advertised feature of this game is the new, comical game mode, “The Yard”. It is a 6v6 mode where you play backyard football on various maps with your created player and some of the league’s biggest stars. It is reminiscent of the old and beloved series, “‘NFL Street’ series”.

However, the mode falls short of expectations.

There are only four different locations to play in, the mode and the gameplay itself is still mundane. You can make crazy plays

Illustration by Marissa Haas | Printz

with the backyard rules, but the play calling is overall limited. The flashy customization is fun, but it does nothing to improve the game mode and just introduces another medium for microtransactions. Hopefully, EA will build from this year and improve “The Yard” to make it a recurring game mode for the future.

EA advertises the game as a full product, but it lacks any real improvements or changes to justify its AAA price of 60 dollars.

The main takeaway from this game should instead be a reality check for EA. Currently, the game has the lowest rated user score in

Metacritic history and is, similarly, critically panned.

‘Madden 21’ is equivalent to the essay you scramble to write one hour before the deadline.; iIt is a rushed and unfinished product that should have never been released in its current state. At this point, it seems like EA has just gotten into a habit of releasing unfinished and underwhelming games. However, ‘Madden 21’ might just be the tipping point for the gaming community’s frustration with the franchise, meaning a better product could come soon.

OPINION

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 Football isn’t essential MEGHAN FULLER

ENTERTAINMENT/OPINION EDITOR hile colleges across the nation have turned to online learning in order to protect students and faculty, one thing continues to remain the same: college football.

Essential workers everywhere are putting their lives on the line in order to save someone else’s. However, football games still continue throughout the pandemic, putting those same lives back at risk. Many colleges mandated rules in order for audiences to spectate games, but with thousands in attendance, those rules were never quite followed. Televised games show thousands of fans still continue to crowd stadiums without masks or socially distancing.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges were still deciding on whether or not sports were still going to take place. Players then began to voice their opinions through #WeWantToPlay. It’s understandable that players are eager to continue their passion, but desire shouldn’t be placed before safety. Many players are forgetting that as soon as a teammate or fan tests positive, their dreams are put on

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hold yet again. Now is not the time to be reckless for desire’s sake.

Colleges throughout the nation need to make a decision between the safety of their students and the importance of a game. Many might disagree with these students in opposition, however, forgetting who pays tuition to be there in the first place. Of course football games have to miraculously continue while many in-person events have otherwise been canceled.

Fans everywhere should be willing to accept the decision to end or delay the season, which promotes the well-being of all the players on the field. After all, football is a contact sport, and it’s inevitable that a virus will spread there, especially in a locker room.

NCAA physicians even warned against the continuation of the season, but colleges still continued to schedule games.

Many have excused allowing football to continue by saying, “We’re bound to get [COVID-19] anyway”. Even Trump has ignored the safety and well-being of students with his recent tweets demanding the season continue.

However, coaches, conferences and university presidents shouldn’t be looking to do “just enough” to keep people safe. They should be fighting for their players’ health, no matter the situation.

While some players have opted out due to the concerns and laxness of

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Illustration by Marissa Haas | Printz

the season, many continue to play in packed stadiums with maskless fans.

It’s easy to understand that while those on the field might be comfortable with each other enough to play a game, those in the stands are also putting themselves at risk by gathering to watch. It’s understandable that colleges have a lot financially on the line in regards to ticket sales and sponsorships, but that couldn’t be more important

than people’s lives.

Until sacking is socially distanced, there shouldn’t be a reason that college football continues. Even risking the lives of those in the stands is incredibly irresponsible and selfish on the universities’ part. Wherever american football is, fans will be there, too. And wherever a maskless fan is, so will COVID-19.

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

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Southern Miss drops season opener to South Alabama CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR

n the first Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) matchup of the 2020 football season, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles lost to the South Alabama Jaguars 32-21.

Three plays into the first possession of the game, South Alabama quarterback Desmond Trotter connected with receiver Jalen Tolbert, who ran past Southern Miss’ secondary for a 73-yard touchdown.

The Jaguars never gave up the lead from there to secure their first road win since 2017.

Trotter and the Jaguars rolled through Southern Miss’ secondary.

In the first quarter, South Alabama set the tone for the game with 162 passing yards. Trotter capped off the quarter throwing a deep ball to receiver Jalen Wayne for a 49-yard gain, which set up a short rushing touchdown to put the team up 130.

Trotter finished the game completing 16 of 27 attempts for 299 yards and two passing touchdowns.

His top target was Jalen Tolbert, who finished the game with six receptions, 169 yards and two touchdowns.

“We were out of position[,] and he [Tolbert] just wanted it more than we did tonight[,] so we’re just going to have to come back and change our whole mindset come next week,” defensive back Malik Shorts said. Shorts led the team in tackles that night with eleven in total.

Despite the defensive woes,

Southern Miss moved the ball on offense for a total of 409 yards.

Quarterback Jack Abraham finished the game completing 22 of 32 attempts for 314 yards. Tim Jones stood out as the top target, gathering six catches for 139 yards.

Head Coach Jay Hopson said the duo was a bright spot in what was otherwise a disappointing game for the team.

“They were definitely the highlight of the game,” Hopson said.

“There’s no doubt about that.”

After a slow start marked by consecutive penalties, the offense got rolling after gaining possession from an interception by defensive back Tyler Barnes early in the second quarter. The turnover led to an eight-play, 79-yard drive. Running back Don Ragsdale spun into the endzone on a two-yard run to score Southern Miss’ first touchdown of the year.

Southern Miss carried the momentum on its next offensive possession, racking up a 13 play drive to the Jaguars’ eight-yard line, but was forced to settle for a field goal. The offense struggled with converting red zone opportunities into touchdowns, settling for three field-goal attempts and turning the ball over on downs one time.

“We just didn’t go out there and execute well enough,” Abraham said. “I really think that’s what it comes down to and we had too many missed assignments. It’s just something we’ve got to come back and really work on this bye week.”

After a 52-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Chance Lovertich, Southern Miss found itself in a 16 point deficit early in the fourth quarter. On the follow-

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ing drive, tight end Naricuss Driver ran in a touchdown on a fourth and goal on the one to close up the score. However, the comeback efforts came too late, as South Alabama still finished the game on top to win the season opener.

Southern Miss now has a bye week. Coach Hopson says that they will use this time to try to fix mistakes made in the first game.

“We got to clean up our sloppiness,” Hopson said. “We got to clean up our alignments, our assignments, tackling, our execution. [...] All we got to worry about now is just getting better. We can’t worry about nothing else.”

Abraham similarly said that the

team should focus on fixing errors for the next game.

“I think the biggest thing for us to move forward and be a successful team is to use it as a learning lesson,” Abraham said. “Get in the film room and fix our mistakes, have that mindset of not letting it happen again.

Southern Miss will play next in a home game versus Louisiana Tech on Sep. 19. The game will be the first conference matchup of the year for the team, and, hopefully, their first win.