The Student Printz: April 7, 2021

SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • APRIL 7, 2021 | VOLUME 106 | ISSUE 27

SGA OFFICERS

PG 3

ZOO EASTER EGGS

PG 5

DEMI LOVATO ALBUM PG 6

NEWS

APRIL 7, 2021

MEET THE STAFF Executive Editor

Brian Winters brian.s.winters@usm.edu

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

Sports Editor

Charlie Luttrell charles.luttrell@usm.edu

Multimedia Editor

Earl Stoudemire earl.stoudmire@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.

Courtesy of Moffitt Health Center

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NEWS

APRIL 7, 2021

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Southern Miss SGA holds inauguration ceremony for executive officers BRIAN WINTERS EXECUTIVE EDITOR n inauguration ceremony for University of Southern Mississippi Student Government Association (SGA) executive officers was held Wednesday, April 7 at 6 p.m. in Bennett Auditorium on the Hattiesburg campus.

Prior to their swearing in ceremony, the new SGA officers will participate in the Legacy of the Coin ceremony at 4:30 p.m. in the Leadership and Student Involvement offices, located in the Student Activities Hub. SGA executive officers to be inaugurated include: *President: Lucas Williams, a public relations and advertising major from Picayune, Mississippi *Senior Vice President: Cynthia Myles, a political science and legal studies major from Clinton, Mississippi *Vice President for Judicial Affairs: Patterson White, a biological sciences major from Birmingham, Alabama *Vice President for Communications: Ashley Lankford, a communications studies major from Satsuma, Alabama *Vice President of Finance & Administration: Maritza Diaz Castillo; double major in chemistry and criminal justice; Tuscaloosa, Alabama *Chief of Staff, Olivia Williams; marketing major; Laurel, MS *SGA Gulf Park President -- Jayce Lynn Pearcey, a marine biology major from Martin, Tennessee For information about the USM Student Government Association, visit http://www.southernmisssga.org/.

Photo by Kelly Dunn

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NEWS April 7, 2021 WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM Family fun all around at the Eggz-otic Easter Egg Hunt MARIAH REED PRINTZ REPORTER Photos by Mariah Reed | Printz

he Hattiesburg Zoo hosted its Eggz-otic Easter Egg hunt last Saturday, April 3, and it was not your typical Easter Egg hunt. Instead of searching for Easter Eggs in your backyard, Hattiesburg Zoo made it a little more challenging by bringing the Easter Egg hunt to the zoo.

There were eggs placed everywhere throughout the zoo in places that wouldn’t be easy to find. The hunt was made for both adults and children who were up for a good challenge. Demetric Kelly, who works over the Guest Services and Retail at the Hattiesburg Zoo, explained what’s so special about the Eggz-otic Easter event.

“What makes our egg hunt so special here at the Hattiesburg Zoo is [that] we strategically hide the eggs and make the very hard to find, and so that in itself makes this egg hunt not like any other egg hunt that you make go to,” said Kelly.

Kelly also explained the unique prizes for discovering the golden eggs throughout the zoo, giving people of all ages a way to and how the event is made for anyone of all ages.

“There are some really cool prizes, [like] hand-painted ostrich eggs, and this is a really good event for everyone to attend [...] young or old,

everyone participates in this because the eggs are really hard to find,” Kelly said.

There have been many tourists, both local and out-of-state, to visit the zoo for the Eggz-otic Egg Hunt event. There were 100 Easter eggs hidden throughout the zoo for guests to find. The Eggz-otic Easter also had golden goose games, cottontail crafts, photos with the Easter Bunny and more.

Riley S., a guest at the Eggz-otic Egg Hunt, said she had a lot of fun looking for eggs. “[I checked] the petting-zoo where you could go out and pet all them and hold them,” said Riley. “The one I was looking forward to was the koalas. I wanted to know if they were here because koalas are really cute and fuzzy and I want them as a pet.”

Braelynn T., another guest at the event, agreed.

“I was expecting that I would actually find an Easter Egg because I’ve been here once before to hold the sloths,” Braelynn explained, “but I didn’t really explore the rest of the zoo but I kind of just wished to find an Easter Egg.” Other locals who attended the event enjoyed exploring the zoo in unexpected ways.

“This isn’t really my first time here, but I’ve been here many times before and every time I came it’s actually been pretty fun because I get to ride the train and carousel but it’s

a really fun place honestly because I get to see a lot of new animals,” said one guest.

The Eggz-otic Egg Hunt was a one-day only event that took place from 10am to 4pm. Any eggs that were left over or not found during

the event will no longer be accepted for prizes, as you have to find them during the event. If anyone is interested in any future or upcoming events, please visit Hattiesburg Zoo’s Facebook page or visit their website at www.hattiesburgzoo.com.

ENTERTAINMENT

APRIL 7, 2021

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‘Dancing With The Devil…The Art of Starting Over’ unapologetic, yet slightly boring JAKORI BEAUCHAMP PRINTZ REPORTER emi Lovato is doing more than just a redemption tour. This time around, she’s telling the harsh truth with her latest release, ‘Dancing With The Devil...The Art of Starting Over’.

‘Dancing With The Devil…The Art of Starting Over’, Lovato’s seventh studio album, dropped this past Friday.

She discusses a lot of the struggles she faced on her new journey with sobriety.

‘Dancing With The Devil...The Art of Starting Over’ is a very solid project highlighting both her highs and lows and has very few blunders within it.

The premise of this album deals with much heavier content more directly than Demi’s previous efforts. The album

Photo courtesy of Demi Lovato’s Facebook

features pop princess Ariana Grande, emerging singers Noah Cyrus and Sam Fischer, along with rapper Saweetie.

The album opener, “Anyone”, gives a clear picture of what’s to come. It gives an insight into her journey to sobriety, but isn’t afraid to talk about the difficulties she’s had during it. Her struggles are shown with much more explicit detail in the title track, “Dancing With The Devil”. She’s never spoken about her struggles with drug abuse and relapse so brazenly, especially since, for years, she was mostly seen as an ex-Disney star.

The lines “it’s just a little white line, I’ll be fine, / but soon, that little white line is a little glass pipe” are incredibly raw and direct.

Next up is an emotional tune, “ICU (Madison’s Lullaby)”. This song addresses the effect Lovato’s overdose had on her little sister, Madison. She tells Madi-

son that she’ll be there for her no matter what, and that she believes in her sister.

The album deals with more than just her struggles with addiction, though.

When Lovato sang “I was blind, but now I see clearly / I see you” in “ICU”, it was more than just clever wordplay.

In her documentary series of the same name, Lovato said she suffered from temporary blindness after her overdose and still suffers from blind spots. Lovato also addresses her eating disorder in the song “The Way You Don’t Look At Me”.

Lovato goes on to talk about other events in her life, good and bad, since her overdose. The first section features a string of unabashed songs that highlight the singer’s harsh truth, telling everyone listening to take her as she is, all or nothing. “California Sober” explains that she’s tired of being known for her

addiction issues, instead talking about her many redemptions over the years.

Other bright spots include the dark yet breezy “Melon Cake”, “Met Him Last Night” with Grande, “The Kind of Lover That I Am” and “My Girlfriends Are My Boyfriends” with Saweetie. The album also ends with the reflective and introspective “Good Place”, which gives an update on where Lovato is currently in life.

With 19 songs and 57 minutes of content, ‘Dancing With The Devil…

The Art of Starting Over’ is truthful and endearing, leaving listeners with a more nuanced impression her previous albums couldn’t. Though the project doesn’t live up to the standard Lovato set with her previous album, ‘Tell Me You Love’, it’s far from a bad project. This is her most raw era to date and the title lives up to the album.

OPINION

APRIL 7, 2021

DIPIN SUBEDI PRINTZ REPORTER

groups on social media. If someone is only ever hearing news from like-minded people, they can easily fall prey to the spread of vicious propaganda.

When a lot of people hold a specific set of ideas in higher esteem, they do not feel the need to confirm the source of information. As a result, even people who claim to be moderate might end up having extreme beliefs. This is how fake news outlets so effectively spread misinformation.

Without greater scrutiny, people are far too willing to claim that they are “righteous” in spreading fake news.

Every opinion their political party holds is only ever seen as rational, and never investigated further. If I am a conservative that only ever sees news which glorifies my party, I will naturally believe that only conservative parties hold sane opinions.

Such beliefs create a huge rift among people with different beliefs and opinions. It is harder to get people onto a common ground while fake media outlets keep confirming their narrow views of the world. Anyone who opposes my belief suddenly becomes an extremist.

Negotiation, communication, coordination and compromise are almost entirely

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Google takes action against fake news -- others must follow oogle has made several headlines for spending millions of dollars to prevent the spread of misinformation on social media. Other big corporations must follow Google’s lead, as this is the only way to fight against polarization and save our modern democracy.

“Polarization” has recently become a popular word. It is normally attributed to political leaders, as they often operate as ideological puritans with a distinct set of political beliefs in line with their party.

However, these effects have been grossly underestimated. The contagious nature of political polarization has also severely affected common people, as bite-sized information is constantly circulated through social media to target audiences. This information, often created independent of truth, has an unspeakable and firm grasp on people, who often lose the ability to recognize common ground with controversial issues.

One of the biggest consequences of polarization is the rise of fake news, mainly targeted to specific political

Photo courtesy of Google LLC

unattainable, as these methods are only seen as an obstacle. Some people even argue that yielding to opponents is a form of surrender.

It is surprising and ridiculous that we can claim to know everything through our purblind political lens. Attesting everyday activities of a person to their political inclination is the best example.

It shows how we have been duped by fake news, showing how they successfully get us to see the world as they intend us to see it. In creating a space where fake news is better accommodated, these media outlets do not need to be as stealthy

as they used to in the past.

As citizens, we always have to confirm the news we consume before we embrace it, and must readily accept to view our opponents as equals. But even then, it is not completely possible to stay away from misinformation, as these outlets are everywhere.

Big corporations like Google, then, have a huge role in stopping fake news.

If successful, they can help secure fair elections, get rid of unwanted foreign governments meddling in politics and even help promote harmony in our society.

Collective bargaining will benefit workers in the future DIPIN SUBEDI PRINTZ REPORTER abor unions provide a way to help workers congregate and solve their issues by collectively bargaining with their employers. This helps better secure worker’s rights, safety and wage distribution in the workplace. With millions of people unemployed due to an unprecedented crisis, unions need to remain, as it allows workers to demand the attention they require from employers, pandemic or not.

It is a fundamental human right for workers to have adequate standards of safety at their job. Many essential workers during the pandemic worked without personal protective equipment and safe working conditions. Likewise, paid sick leaves, and, more importantly, job preservation, were also important concerns for workers during the pandemic.

Had they had the ability to negotiate better safety and financial requirements with their employers, such situations would not have to arise. It only makes sense to support labor unions and help to raise the collective voice of workers to address such calamities. Not only would it help employees require their employers to keep essential benefits at times of crisis, but also improve their quality of life.

Unions could also help minorities, as racial disparities and unequal wages have plagued the labor market for a long time.

Nonwhite people earn, on average, less income in the workplace even if they boast

Photo courtesy of Gallup

the same level of education and experience in their field as their white counterparts.

However, a majority of these workers are not represented by unions. Setting equal standards for wages and benefits needs to start through collective bargaining, as it shows employees want to reduce wage inequality in the workplace. It is also argued that workers who belong to the minority group “get a larger boost from unionization” as a direct consequence of collective bargaining.

An increase in union membership can also have a spillover effect on workers who do not even have a union membership. If

the working conditions are better, wages are higher and benefits are greater in a union job, employers of a non-union workplace must uplift their standards too in order to hire and retain their workforce.

There are multiple ways in which workers can safely create unions. A major way to secure worker rights is through government intervention, and one current bill may radically change things up.

Labor legislation called Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO) has recently passed the House of Representatives and awaits the approval of the Senate. This bill, if enacted into law, will ensure that

employees are justly treated by the employers by securing worker’s rights to engage in collective bargaining. For instance, captive audience meetings will be prohibited under one of the provisions of the bill so an employer cannot intimidate or threaten an employee interested in joining a union by firing them.

If the government introduces laws like PRO, workers will be in much better shape to face crisis or unfair work conditions in the future. The need to secure workers’ rights is more crucial than ever, but job conditions will only improve if union memberships do, too.

SPORTS

APRIL 7, 2021

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Southern Miss softball falls to Mississippi State in extra innings CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR outhern Miss dropped a Southeastern Conference showdown at home in a 2-1 battle against Mississippi State.

The Golden Eagles took the Bulldogs to nine innings tied at 1-1, but the Bulldogs scored a run and retired the side to escape with the victory.

“We’ve got to quit playing games like we’re expecting something bad to happen and go out there and play a game like you expect to win, and that’s kind of a mentality that needs to change a little bit,” Head Coach Brian Levin said.

The Golden Eagles have lost all five of its games against Southeastern Conference opponents this season, but finished its non-conference slate with an overall 18-12 record. Levin said the way his team played against tough opponents proves their strength.

“I think we’re in a pretty good place going into conference play,” Levin said.

“We’ve played some quality teams and played them well and I think we’ve proven we can play with anybody if we’re on our A-game.”

Mississippi State earned nine hits in the game, but Southern Miss pitchers Karsen Pierce and Kaylan Ladner kept the team in the game, allowing only two runs.

“Up to this point, we’ve proven we can pitch. We’ve got some quality pitchers and Karsen and K.K. [Ladner] showed out tonight and did a really good job,” Levin said.

Pierce started for the Golden Eagles on the mound, staying on through five innings. She allowed seven hits and one run through his tenure, striking out two batters. Pierce also delivered at-bat for Southern Miss, notching two of the team’s three hits. This included the team’s only score of the game, with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth.

“She’s seeing the ball well and I think as a team, we were doing a little better job [starting] in the third inning to get into a little deeper counts,” Levin said. “We were able to see more pitches and I think that helped as Karsen came in the fifth and got one later. I think that was a team thing that we were able to get deeper into counts and see more pitches, which helped them.”

Mississippi State struck first after loading the bases in the second inning.

Photos by Charlie Luttrell | Printz

Pierce allowed one run, but prevented further damage.

The Bulldogs’ pitcher Emily Williams retired Southern Miss’s first 12 batters before freshman Maria Smith hit a single in the fifth inning. Levin credited Mississippi State’s pitchers for their win. Mississippi State’s pitchers struck out 14 of Southern Miss’s batters.

“They [Mississippi State] have quality pitchers,” Levin said. “They [threw] against all the SEC teams, so it was a challenge but if we expect to win our conference tournament and go to a regional[. That’s] who we’re going to

play, so we’ve got to be able to step up to those types of pitchers.”

Ladner took the mound from Pierce in the sixth inning and prevented any runs on loaded bases, keeping the game tied 1-1. Ladner earned the loss, though, after allowing the game-winning RBI double in the ninth inning.

She finished with three strikeouts and allowed two hits, one run and four walks.

Southern Miss will now begin its conference schedule starting with an away series against UTEP. The Golden Eagles will face Mississippi State again at Starkville on April 14.