April 10,2019

SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • APRIL 10, 2019 | VOLUME 104 | ISSUE 23

NEWS • MATRICK PROFILE

SPORTS•SOFTBALL SWEEPS UTSA

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Getting to know the new SGA President.

Golden Eagles get first conference sweep of season.

PG 6

PG 12

Southern Miss introduces Jeremy McClain as new AD ANDREW ABADIE EXECUTIVE EDITOR

#TAXSEASON #UNPLANNED #SHAZAM #FINALFOUR

University honors fallen Eagles KARIGAN TEER PRINTZ REPORTER

eremy McClain was officially introduced by President Rodney Bennett as The University of Southern Mississippi’s next athletic director on April 8 in the Trent Lott

Center.

“I was really familiar with Jeremy, with his quality of work, familiar with his national connection and familiar with all the things that a university president needs to be familiar with,” Bennett said. “When thinking about a person for this position, there were other individuals that were sort of on the list as you were, at least a list in my head. [It] revealed on certain terms the characteristics if you certainly put them on a sheet of paper and mark down that paper with a check mark, it just spoke to Jeremy McClain.”

Southern Miss began its search for a new athletic director in December 2018 after former athletic director Jon Gilbert left to serve as East Carolina University’s athletic director.

McClain had served as Troy University’s athletic director since 2015, but prior to his time at Troy, McClain was Southern Miss’ deputy director of athletics, where he oversaw the day-to-day operations for three years. McClain also served as Delta State University’s athletic director prior to his time at Southern Miss.

Under McClain’s tenure, Troy saw multiple conference championships in football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. The school also broke attendance records in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball, softball and soccer.

McClain also oversaw and negotiated a partnership with ESPN3 and ESPN+.

“I was an AD for six years [at Delta State] before I came to Southern Miss and I was fortunate enough that Jeff Hammond hired me to come to Southern Miss,” McClain said. “Going to Troy allowed me to be back in that chair and really at Troy we had an opportunity to build something. It was a great kind of landscape, I wouldn’t say a blank canvas but there was a great opportunity to effect change and so it allowed me to think [strategically] to put a plan in place. My four years at Troy was a great experience and helped prepare me for whatever comes my way because we really had a chance in a short period of time and those four years to affect that institution in that department in a really good, positive way.”

Bennett said that McClain will be signed to a fouryear deal and that the contract will receive the same “considerations” that former athletic directors Bill McGillis and Jon Gilbert were offered. Gilbert made an annual salary of $350,000 while at Southern Miss.

However, Bennett also stated that some details of the contract still needed to be figured out before being released.

Southern Miss baseball coach Scott Berry believes that the hire will bring stability as well as history with the athletic department.

“I was very encouraged when I got the word that Jeremy was going to be the new athletic director,”

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Berry said. “What was really important to me is that we were getting someone that knew the landscape of Southern Miss and knew the challenges of Southern Miss. There’s a reason why Jeremy came back. It’s not like some of the others who have been here. He came back home. It feels like he can take us to another level and with a plan in place based on probably a lot of the time he’s spent here when he worked here.”

For men’s basketball coach Doc Sadler, he was also pleased to hear the news of McClain’s hire and is very optimistic on McClain’s plan to maximize the resources that Southern Miss has.

“The coaches that are here have had the opportunity to work with him,” Sadler said. “I think the biggest key is what he said, and that’s maximize what we have. We have things, but let’s get the most out of that. That’s probably what I’m encouraged by, what we do have and he understands that and he’s going to allow us to use those things.”

According to Bennett, Interim Athletic Director Jeff Mitchell and Interim Deputy Director Brian Morrison are currently slated to remain on staff.

Jeremy McClain speaks at the Trent Lott Center.

“Jeff Mitchell and Brian Morrison have been outstanding employees for The University of Southern Mississippi,” Bennett said. “I’m very excited about the three of them working together and I would submit that you would be hard-pressed to find another athletics administrative team that can be better than or more effective than Jeremy, Jeff and Brian. I think that our group has the ability to compete at any level against any group of senior athletic administrators.”

McClain says that he plans to start in May, but his appointment to the position is still pending IHL Board approval. McClain will start his position no later than July 1.

“I’m not a guy who is out looking for a job and I wasn’t looking for this job. If I’m going to come to a place I’m going to be committed to it,” McClain said. “What I am going to do here is be committed to being here long-term.

There’s nothing I think worse than walking away from something when you haven’t gotten to the finish line and completed what you wanted to complete. My plan is to get us to the finish line on a lot of things we are trying to do, so I plan on being here for a while.”

n an effort to honor the memories of members of the Southern Miss community who died within the last academic year, the Student Government Association sponsored the annual Fallen Eagle Memorial Service. This year’s ceremony took place on Monday, April 1 in the Thad Cochran Center.

Prior to speeches from various Southern Miss community members, the male a capella group, Spirit of Southern, performed “Nearer My God To Thee” for guests of the ceremony.

Senior entertainment industry major and Spirit of Southern member Darius Rogers said he was humbled by the experience.

“I didn’t know anyone honored in this year’s ceremony. However, my Big Brother of the Eta Phi chapter of Phi Mu Alpha here at Southern Miss died in 2017, so singing for the Fallen Eagle Ceremony is very sentimental and emotional,” Rogers said.

After the performance, dean of students and assistant vice president of student affairs Eddie Holloway, Ph.D., described the history of the ceremony.

“In 2003, the Student Government Association embarked on starting the annual Fallen Eagle Memorial Ceremony,” Holloway said.

“Our aim today is the same as it was then—to give significance, high value and honor to our fallen Eagles. Once an Eagle, always an Eagle. May their spirits and their memories remain tall in our hearts and in our minds.”

CONTINUED | PG 4

INTRODUCTION APRIL 10, 2019 ANDREW ABADIE

MAGGIE MATTESON

GRANT CHIGHIZOLA

OLIVIA SALDANA

ALYSSA BASS

MADISON COLLINS

CARLTON MCGRONE

CALEB MCCLUSKEY

Executive Editor andrew.abadie@usm.edu

Photo Editor margaret.matteson@usm.edu

Managing/Sports Editor grant.chighizola@usm. edu

Copy Editor olivia.saldana@usm.edu

News/Features Editor alyssa.bass@usm.edu

Multimedia Editor madison.collins@usm.edu

Entertainment Editor carlton.mcgrone@usm. edu

EMILY BRINKMAN

Design Editor emily.brinkman@usm.edu

Assistant News Editor caleb.mccluskey@usm.edu

BRIAN WINTERS

Graphic Designer brian.winters@usm.edu

LILLIE BUSCH OMER ASHAD

Graphic Designer lillie.busch@usm.edu

Webmaster omer.ashad@usm.edu

CHUCK COOK

Printz Advisor chuck.cook@usm.edu

It’s on US calls for campus to stop sexual violence ASHLYN LEVINS

PRINTZ REPORTER he first week of April is It’s on US Week at Southern Miss. The Sexual Assault Prevention Ambassadors alongside the Student Government Association brought awareness to sexual assault and domestic violence by providing resources and information to students.

In the United States, one in three women and one in six men will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

It’s on US is a social movement created by the White House that the university adopted in 2014. The SGA and SAPA, along with other groups on campus, have taken a vow as a community to stop sexual violence.

Kick-off for the week started on April 1 in the Thad Cochran Center. The SGA set up a table to inform students of the initiative and events throughout the week.

A What Were You Wearing showcase in Cook Library was installed Tuesday to help students understand that anyone can be a victim of sexual assault no matter how covered they are. The art installation was sponsored by the Committee on Services and Resources for Women as well as the Shafer Center for Crisis Intervention.

Melanie Leuty is the current chair of CSRW and helps advocate for positive change for women.

“CSRW is a committee at USM comprised of faculty and staff–we don’t currently have any student members, but they are welcome to join–who are committed to serving the campus and surrounding community to

identify needs, locate resources and advocate for positive change for women,” Leuty said.

Students were given the opportunity to attend a selfdefense class in the R.C. Cook Lounge on Wednesday.

The class gave students information on how to defend themselves from unwanted touching, harassment and assault.

The Title IX office provides consults for victims of sexual misconduct or sexual discrimination.

Title IX coordinator Rebecca Malley, Ph.D., can help students and employees learn about resources for sexual assault victims.

“The Title IX office serves both students and employees and is a place where those who feel they have been a victim of sexual misconduct or sex discrimination may come to consult about next steps available to them, as well as resources,” Malley said.

“Sexual misconduct includes all forms of sexual harassment, which itself includes stalking, intimate partner violence, unwanted touching, cyberstalking, sexual exploitation and also sexual assault. In a nutshell, the goal and purpose of Title IX is to stop sex discrimination and harassment, prevent it from recurring and remedy any of the effects on the person or campus community.”

It’s on US Week concluded with Denim Day on Thursday, April 4. The day was dedicated to fighting against victim blaming. The campaign for Denim Day started after the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction due to “the victim wearing tight jeans…thereby implying consent.”

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Luckyday celebrates scholars at annual gala ROSY VANEGAS PRINTZ REPORTER

outhern Miss’ Luckyday program is known for encouraging the collegiate leaders of the Hattiesburg campus through acts of service and community, and they displayed their gratitude toward everyone who has played a role in this program for the scholars the night of Friday, April 5.

Luckyday scholars, alumni and faculty sponsors made the trip through downtown Hattiesburg to get to The Venue at the Bakery early Friday evening to let the festivities begin. The drive to the site produced the same type of vibe for the decor in the building: a contemporary take of a simple small-town lifestyle. With minimalistic table decorations and string lights galore, the committee of eight Luckyday Scholars captured the essence of Hattiesburg.

After a dinner, a few members of the Luckyday staff came up to the stage to show gratitude for those involved in making the night possible. After giving thanks to various committees and “Friends” of the program, Luckyday scholars Jasmine Richardson and Haley Templeton presented the first award of the night to professor of practice of management, Russ Willis. Willis was given the Luckyday Goodness Gracious I’m Thankful award from the Goodness Gracious committee, one of the newest from Luckyday.

The night carried on to celebrate four scholars with the Servant Leadership Award, granted to one

person in each class. The recipients for the awards from freshman to senior are as follows: Sadie Willis, Hadley Howell, Hayes McGregor and Deidra Ollie.

Howell, a sophomore communications major at Southern Miss, spoke fondly of her experience within the program.

“As a sophomore, Luckyday is the air that I live and breathe,” Howell said. Howell said she is thankful for the opportunities Luckyday has given her.

Sara Bibbs, a senior child and family sciences major, had nothing but kind words to say about her time in Luckyday. Bibbs said the organization has shaped her into a caring person capable of uniting the community.

“The whole thing about Luckyday is community service and learning how to be a servant leader, so being a servant first, learning from people in the community, just really understanding where they come from, to create this community where we’re helping each other, that’s what I’ve learned from Luckyday,” Bibbs said about the organization.

Larry Sparkman, Ph.D., said he feels that the best thing about Luckyday is the connection the connection members of Luckyday have.

Sparkman, who has been working with the program here at Southern Miss since 2002, extended on this faith instilled within the students.

“The community, the connection, the friendship, the support people offer each other, that’s my favorite thing,” Sparkman said.

Sparkman said he has appreciated his students, past and present, who have contributed to Luckyday.

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Larry Sparkman speaking at Luckyday.

Second Chance Prom offers students a re-do of their prom MARISSA HAAS PRINTZ REPORTER

he Southern Miss PRISM Office and the Gay-Straight Alliance co-hosted their annual Second Chance Prom for those who did not get to attend their first prom or simply wanted a re-do of the night.

High schools often do not allow those in the LGBTQ+ community to bring a same-sex partner to prom or impose dress codes that conflict with the way they want to present themselves, so this event served as a way for them to get a second chance at their high school prom.

The Second Chance Prom’s theme was a masquerade ball, and it was complete with food and a DJ. “It gives students an opportunity to be who they truly want to be. I know in high school there are a lot of restrictions, and this is just an opportunity where students can be who they want without any restrictions or limitations,” Tegi Jenkins-Rimmer, program manager for the Office of Multicultural Programs and Services and GSA advisor, said.

Hazel Tepec, sophomore media production and computer engineering major, said that the event gives students a chance to be their full, authentic selves.

“The second chance prom means having a chance to do-over, a chance to be your full potential.

In high school, you try to show out or present yourself as someone who you really aren’t, but us going to the second chance prom actually gives us a chance to be who we actually are and actually be free,” Tepec said.

“We’re in the South, and it’s not unknown that a lot of schools in the South don’t like to promote any sort of LGBTQ-related things, so I believe it’s really important. It’s a step in the right direction to have people be who they actually are. It’s really important to me.”

The event gave students a place to dress how they want and be who they want– something that may not have been offered to them in high school.

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“I think this is important because not all of us are allowed to show who we are in high school, so we need more representation where we can be ourselves, and this space allows us to do that,” Jaq Jefcoat, senior English licensure major said.

Tepec said there was a rule that students from outside schools could not attend his high school’s prom. Tepec said he disliked being around the same people he was always with.

The event was open to all students and invited those who are not in the LGBTQ+ community to join.

“It’s important to get people to understand the LGBTQ+ community on a different level in a more casual, fun environment.

Personally, I just want people to understand that there are different cultures and different aspects around the world. There are different people everywhere you go,” Maya Caradine, senior criminal justice major, said.

Pictured: Nicholas Bilbo and Kayla McCready

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Downtown hosts semi-annual Artwalk ROSY VANEGAS PRINTZ REPORTER

ver 30 vendors came out to the Semi-Annual Art Walk in Downtown Hattiesburg. The main portion of the walk took place on Main Street, and it was filled with bright colors, a calm setting and friends and family gathered to celebrate art.

The Art Walk took place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon, and even though it was scheduled to thunderstorm during the event, the team behind the Hattiesburg Art Walk did not even so much as flinch as they knew they were going to keep the show running. The Art Walk acquires its vendors through an application on their Facebook page, though people of all backgrounds are welcome to attend the public event.

The Art Walk caters to all types of art from music and paintings to food and a lesser known forms of art like macrame.

Sabra West, who has only taken up art in the past year, said she showed up to the event with an optimistic attitude. This was West’s first Art Walk in Hattiesburg.

“My grandparents have always been like, ‘Do the Art Walk, do the Art Walk,’ you know. I grew up doing art, and since I had a venture in this, I decided I would give it a try,” West said.

Vendor Vixon Sullivan found himself at the Art Walk for the same reasons. Sullivan is a creator of multiple ceramic works from plates to sculptures to earrings. Sullivan has been making ceramic art for five years now, and although he does not reside in Hattiesburg, he said he loves coming to the semiannual event for the community.

“I’m just trying to be a part of the community,

attaching myself to the local art events, and actually I have been for five years,” Sullivan said. Sullivan said he has enjoyed becoming a part of the artistic lifestyle of the Hattiesburg atmosphere, and that is what makes him want to return.

The event itself is put on once in the spring and once in the fall by Visit Hattiesburg. Director of Communications Paige Crane works to market the city of Hattiesburg.

“I love that each of the vendors have a unique vision and a unique story to tell through their art, and so this gives us an opportunity to see a lot of art and a lot of different stories all at one time,” Crane said.

Crane also said she loves the idea of Hattiesburg spreading the concept of art in a natural world.

There was a separate spot of the walk where families and friends gathered to watch others create art on the sidewalk with chalk and others did it themselves. This became a fan favorite with the children of the fair.

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FALLEN EAGLES CONTINUED FROM PG 1 Mississippi pastor Bruce Case reflected on both the impact left by the nine fallen Eagles and the spiritual element of the college experience.

Case mentioned memories that friends and family had shared about their loved ones.

“Each individual we remember today was living a thin moment. Perhaps more alive than most in this world, chasing down and closing in on their dreams. I know this sacred place we call Southern Miss is not the same place, because they made an impact on this community,” Case said.

After friends and family were invited to receive plaques honoring their loved ones, incoming SGA president Michael Matrick gave the closing remarks for the ceremony.

“We are a true family at the University of Southern Mississippi. Once you’re a Golden Eagle, you’re a part of our family forever. It is so important to remember that those who are not with us anymore are still a part of our family,” Matrick said. “I love the phrase ‘to the top’, because I know our loved ones are at the top, and that’s what we’re trying to reach.”

Students, faculty and staff honored in the Fallen Eagle Memorial Service:

Dr. Erin Boade, English professor in the School of Humanities; Jada Bright, senior journalism and public relations major, Slidell, LA; Donald Daley, senior liberal studies major, Stone Mountain, GA; Rodney Gould, University Police Department; Talitha Mack, senior recreational therapy major, Roswell, GA; Jacob Meek, sophomore business administration major, Ethel, LA; William Smith, senior business administration major, Petal, MS; Joshua Territt, freshman construction engineering major, Biloxi, MS; Austin Weeks,junior construction engineering major, Vancleave, MS.

People wait for Art Walk.

Live at Five returns to Town Square Park JAMES MASSENGALE PRINTZ REPORTER

ack your folding chairs, blankets and coolers and come to Town Square Park on Friday evenings because Live at Five is back in full swing. The event is a free, outdoor concert series in Downtown Hattiesburg and takes place on Friday evenings in the spring and fall from 5 to 9 p.m.

Local blues legend Tommie, “T-Bone” Pruitt and the Rhythm Rockers kicked off the 2019 Spring season of Live at Five on April 5.

Sarah Newton started Live at Five in the Spring of 2007. Newton said the idea formed when she was president of the Downtown Association.

“This is our twelfth year,” Newton said. “My parents were involved with a program held in Baton Rouge and suggested I start a concert series in Hattiesburg. In a way, I helped start Live at Five as a way to pay tribute to my father.”

Newton said Live at Five has a great impact on the community because it brings people together.

“I think the event helps bring people together in a way that there aren’t other opportunities for people to come together,” Newton said. “That’s what makes this event so special.”

Newton said Live at Five has grown over the past five years.

“I love knowing that people enjoy it,” Newton said. “Even my kids ask me, ‘When does it start?’

They call Town Square Park ‘Live at Five Park.’”

“Live at Five has become an event that is synonymous with Hattiesburg’s quality of life,” Mayor Toby Barker said. “It has become part of the very fabric and culture of our city. Traditions begin because people have passion and ideas and want to do something for the community.

Traditions are sustained when the community goes and attends and supports these events.”

Marye Runnels and her husband John own South Mouth Deli and have been food vendors at

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Live at Five for the past three years.

“We enjoy the people and the atmosphere,” Runnels said. “I think that the staff is really easy to work with. They’re very supportive, and all the people who participate are just awesome. It’s a great atmosphere, and I love going down there and hearing music. It’s just a fun time.”

Local artist, Bill Anderson, uses Live at Five as a way to showcase his art to the community.

Tommie T-Bone Pruitt opens Live at Five.

“My experience with Live at Five is it’s always welcoming to local artists who want to get their work out there,” Anderson said. “Even before I was selling my art, I was regularly attending Live at Five.

“I like the way Live at Five brings the community together to enjoy music and food. I think that atmosphere draws people to hang out with their friends and family and that’s why it has

become a staple,” Anderson said.

This season of Live at Five will include performances by The Red Clay Strays on April 12, Neal Francis on April 26, Luke Winslow King on May 3, Sugarcane Jane on May 10 and Soul Sessions on May 17.

For more information on Live at Five check out their Facebook Page Live at Five H’Burg or at www.hattiesburglivemusic.com/live-at-five.

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Italian opera ‘The Elixir of Love’ performs at Mannoni CONRAD ACOSTA PRINTZ REPORTER

he Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company performed “The Elixir of Love,” an Italian opera about a love potion, at the Mannoni Performing Arts Center on Saturday, April 6.

The opera follows the plight of Nemorino, a man living in a small town in the country, as he vies for the love of Adina, a woman who lives in the same town. Things get complicated for him when a high ranking official in the military comes to town and begins to court Adina and is seemingly much more successful than our protagonist. In desperation, he turns to a love potion sold by the traveling Dr. Dulcamara, which is actually just wine.

The company performed the entire Opera in Italian with English subtitles being provided by a projector above the stage. The tone of the story was very lighthearted with exaggerated expressions and actions being used often to convey humor to the audience.

Josh Cook, a doctoral student studying choral conducting and the person who played Dr. Dulcamara, said that this lighthearted tone was a big reason why the production is so

Hritik Pathak | Printz

enjoyable, not only to watch but also to be a part of.

“I got to ride out on this big bike called the penny-farthing, and my costume is really wacky. I was able to just be goofy. It’s not a serious as a lot of other roles I’ve done before,” Cook said, “I got to play with the

Alumnus Julian Walker discusses book, ‘A Year Without You’ CONRAD ACOSTA PRINTZ REPORTER

he School of Education hosted Southern Miss graduate Julian Walker to talk about his poetry book “A Year Without You” and his career Thursday, April 4 in the Polymer Science Building.

Walker is an actor who has starred in “Being Mary Jane,” “Saints and Sinners,” “Blackbird” and a movie that will be coming out on BET on April 16 called “Finale.” His book “A Year Without You” is a collection of poems that describe his experiences at Southern Miss and those after his graduation.

The book talk was structured in a Q&A format with Kyellin Abrams, a freshman media production major, acting as the host for the evening.

One of the first things discussed and recurring themes of the evening were the concept of self-love.

Hritik Pathak | Printz

Walker discussing his book.

Walker said when he was writing the book he felt as if he couldn’t refer to himself with a capitalized “I” because he was still going through his journey of finding his self-worth.

“When you love yourself, and when you’re a friend to yourself first, you know how you’re supposed to be loved,” Walker said. “But when you don’t even know how to love or be a friend to yourself, how can you do that for someone else? That was one of the issues that I had: I gave and gave and gave to make sure that everyone else was good, but after I graduated and I was by myself I didn’t know how to nurture myself.”

Walker talked about his experiences with therapy.

He emphasized that there should be no stigma behind a person getting help with their mental health and said it is just as necessary as getting a physical checkup.

Abrams said the event came about because his class was reading the book, and his professor and Abrams decided to invite the entire student body to see Walker speak.

Abrams said he was able to connect to Walker’s story because he is a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

“I am a member of the LGBTQ+ community myself,” Abrams said. “It was nice to see someone who is part of that community come out with a great book that is not only dedicated towards the LGBTQ+ community but also just people in general.”

Director of the School of Education Sandra Nichols, Ph.D., said that she would like to see more talks like Walker’s that are focused around books or concepts that are being covered within the School of Education.

“I would like to broaden students’ experiences and expose them to different things,” Nichols said. “It’s important to not think about what you’re doing as in a box. You may get a degree in education as a teacher or in English as a writer or whatever the case may be, but there are a lot of different genres that you can touch.

And the goal of these talks is to show students that.”

The cast of “The Elixir of Love.”

audience a lot as well because my character essentially lives breaking the fourth wall, so it’s just a really fun role.”

Many of the actors felt that one of the most important aspects of the production was how each person fit into the picture to create

the tone and atmosphere that they were going for, including Candice Easterling, a senior music education major and a member of the chorus, who said that her role is reflective of that collaborative energy.

“My favorite part of being in this group is definitely the teamwork, getting to know each other and bouncing off one another’s vibes and energy. That’s what really helped us all come together,” Easterling said.

“The chorus is very important for the opera because we add a lot of the drama and the texture to it.”

Another thing that a lot of the actors had to deal with was singing the entire show entirely in Italian and having to convey the intended tone to a majority English-speaking audience. David Walker, a senior voice BA major and the actor who played Nemorino, has done two other Italian operas besides this one and said that it is definitely a challenge.

“We have coaches that we have to work with in order to speak the language properly,” Walker said.

“Different spots of the words and different parts of the phrases have to be accentuated very differently. Just memorizing the language is easy, but it’s another thing to know what you’re saying while also going through this kind of acting progression while also singing. It’s definitely challenging, but it’s rewarding.”

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Incoming SGA President Michael Matrick talks leadership, service CALEB MCCLUSKEY ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR erving the community, traveling whenever he can and watching nature documentaries in-between, junior sociology and communication studies minor and, as of April 10, Student Government Association president 2019-2020 Michael Matrick said he wants to make a difference for students during his term.

Matrick grew up in Brandon, Miss., and attended Raymond High School. He said he had a fairly normal high school experience. He said he was extremely active in extracurricular activities. He was on the competitive swim team, in show choir and theater all four years of high school and he was also a part of student council but could not remember his position.

“I really liked my extracurriculars. That was—to me— where I got to hang out with friends and kind of relax even if we were doing some work or practice,” Matrick said.

“I just liked hanging out with people and getting to know them.”

Matrick said one of his most memorable experiences in high school was senior year during their annual canned food drive that put them in a competition against neighboring schools.

“When we did our canned food drive, me and one of my good friends at the time went to one of the local grocery stores, and we sat out there all day just begging people to drop off cans,” Matrick said.

Matrick said he did not count the number of cans he and his friend ended up getting, but it was well over a thousand. He said his school won the drive.

“It was nice to see that we helped a little bit,” Matrick said. “We were able to not only gather those but help drop them off at the food pantry, and they were able to show us just how many people actually came to get food.”

Matrick said this experience was his first big wake up call that the world was bigger than just his hometown. He said this helped him to want to learn about people and their personal experiences and make connections to those people.

“That was one of those really big, impactful moments for me of like, ‘Oh wow, I’m pretty privileged, and I need to

stop and think about that sometimes,’” Matrick said. “We are very good at staying in our one area, and we don’t really like to think about the whole as much, but there’s billions of people in this world, and that was one of my driving forces growing up.”

Matrick switched majors a few times when starting at Southern Miss. He started as a theater major, moved to nursing and landed on sociology, where he stayed. He said changing his major was part of the process of college life.

“I don’t know if sociology is often something people just

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run into college wanting to study, but over time, I learned to appreciate it and learn more from it,” Matrick said.

Matrick said in his first year, he was not very involved with the campus, and he did not really understand why because he was so active in his high school.

“In my mind, it was, ‘let’s see how this first semester goes, see how it goes and maybe do stuff later on,” Matrick said.

Matrick said he felt like something was missing, and that is when he joined Southern Style. This helped him to get

involved and build friend groups.

“What got me involved [with SGA] was I kind of went out on a limb,” Matrick said. “The reason I got involved in the first place was to really try to look at what’s happen now on our campus.”

Matrick said when he was a part of the Southern Style team, he was working with incoming students, but he also wanted to help students already at Southern Miss.

“I started to get to thinking, ‘What else can I do?’ and I said, ‘Well, why not student government because you work

Pictured: Michael Matrick

with current students?’” Matrick said.

Matrick said he was emailed by senior communication studies major and SGA president 2018-2019 McKenna Stone, and he was ultimately given a position in cabinet as the executive director of communications.

Stone said she and Matrick met a year ago when he had an interview for a cabinet position. She said she could see his passion for Southern Miss, service, diversity and inclusion.

“He walked in and killed the interview,” Stone said. “I said, ‘This guy has got to be on my team. He is phenomenal.’”

Stone said she called around to learn about Matrick, and she only got good feedback. She said her decision to appoint as an executive director Matrick was a little unusual because he oversaw an entire branch of people as his first position in the SGA. “Usually when people apply for cabinet for the first time, and they haven’t been in SGA yet, they start as an assistant director, co-director or director,” Stone said. “There is still a lot of responsibility in that, but they are not managing people, but I saw so much potential in him.”

“I’ve enjoyed [working in the SGA] so far. I really have, and it had its times when it has gotten really busy and very stressful because we do so much and want to try to do so much that it is hard to get a handle on things,” Matrick said.

As executive director of communications, Matrick worked closely with many students. Sophomore marketing major Halle Johnson worked with Matrick as the public relations and marketing assistant director.

“He is always so bright and friendly,” Johnson said.

“With [Matrick], it feels like you’re not working. You’re always working, but he always makes it fun.

Johnson said the meeting Matrick runs are always fun and engaging, and he listens to everyone’s input.

Matrick started his SGA career in a leadership role and moved to the leader of the student body for the whole of Southern Miss and its campuses. He said leadership is not innate in someone but can be brought out. He said he values good leadership and the role leaders play in organizations.

“A leader is someone who, if everything goes wrong, they can still smile and say, ‘That’s my bad. That’s my fault,’ even if they have nothing to do with it,” Matrick said.

Matrick said he does not regret a moment of his college life.

“There is not an experience in college that I would want to change,” Matrick said. “Has everything gone my way?

No! Things have happened to me that have been bad, but I still think of those as learning experiences. The only way you can have success is if you fail along the way.”

Dean of Education Trent Gould takes permanent position KARIGAN TEER PRINTZ REPORTER hroughout his 16 years at Southern Miss, Trent Gould, Ph.D., has assumed various roles and positions, not only as a professor, but also as interim director of the School of Kinesiology and co-director of the Applied Research Biomechanics Research Laboratory. After serving as interim dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences since 2018, Gould officially began his position as the permanent dean on April 1.

Prior to the academic reorganization that took effect July 1, 2018, Gould stepped into the dual role as interim dean of the College of Health and the College of Education and Psychology. Looking back on this role, Gould remembers the most significant task was to integrate the operations of the two colleges.

“In October 2017, the school leadership and dean’s office began to caucus together.

This allowed us to develop and get settled into our new structure, build our rapport and begin to establish a new culture,” Gould said through email.

Looking forward, Gould believes it is important for his office to recalibrate its mission and vision to better serve the faculty, staff and students within the professional schools now that the academic reorganization is taking place.

One of the things that Gould is looking forward to the most with his new role is the move into the recently renovated Joseph Green Hall, which will house the School of Kinesiology and Nutrition, the School of Child and Family Sciences, the School of Social Work and the College of Education and Human Sciences dean’s office.

“In addition to this exciting move, we will be consolidating the college footprint on the Hattiesburg campus by moving the School of Education from JB George into Owings-McQuagge Hall with the School of Psychology,” Gould said.

Gould said the School of Library and Information Science will also move from Cook Library to the first floor of Fritzsche-Gibbs Hall while the second floor of FritzscheGibbs Hall will house the Institute for Child Nutrition and the Psychology Behavioral Health Clinic. These shifts in location will allow the entire College of Education and Human Sciences to be centrally located on campus.

Professor of education Hani Morgan has known Gould since 2014, the year they both served as members of the University Research Council. Morgan now serves as a member of the dean’s advisory council, and he praised Gould’s authenticity and concern for others.

“From my work with him, I see that he is genuinely concerned about the challenges faculty face on a regular basis. I am looking forward to seeing him continue his

commitment to responding to the faculty’s needs,” Morgan said. “Dr. Gould also has a strong interest in strengthening the relationship between Southern Miss and the Hattiesburg Public School District. I have seen this relationship become stronger in the past two years under his leadership, and I hope it continues to strengthen.”

Pat Sims, associate professor and director for the School of Child and Family Sciences, serves as a member of the dean’s advisory council with Morgan. She has known Gould for the past two years and praised his leadership throughout the university reorganization.

“Dr. Gould worked closely with school directors and associate deans from the former College of Education and Psychology and the College of Health to create an effective and cohesive leadership team for the new college.

I am most impressed by how quickly he gained an understanding of each discipline housed within the college,” Sims said.

Sims went on to praise Gould’s effort to establish relationships with key stakeholders throughout the state, particularly in the area of K-12 education.

“Dr. Gould is a thoughtful and collaborative leader, and I look forward to his continued leadership in the College of Education and Human Sciences,” Sims said.

As he begins his role as inaugural dean, Gould simply said he is grateful for the opportunity.

“I am humbled by the executive administration’s belief in, and support of, my leadership. I look forward to working with our faculty, staff and school directors in the upcoming months as we develop the strategic goals that will guide our path into the future.”

Courtesy Photo from Office of the Dean

OPINION APRIL 10, 2019

y mom has always been the type of person to let me know that “This is the last time you’ll ever do/be (insert whatever here).”

For example, on my last day of high school, she came into my room (before my alarm clock went off) to tell me, “This is your last day as a high schooler ever!” While yes, it was true, it freaked me out a little, as it always has. This year was no different when, on the night before my 20th birthday, she told me, “This is the last time you will ever be able to call yourself a teenager!” So, this is the story detailing why I officially feel like I’m

running out of time.

I hope that last sentence gave you Prince of BelAir vibes like it gave me.

Anyway, I went to my grandfather’s beach house over spring break for a few days, and it was without my family. This was the first time I had ever done that. Most people my age would jump at this chance; however, I sat on the porch, looking out into the ocean at the oil rigs illuminating the distance with the strangest feeling of my existence.

I kept thinking about how old I was getting and how old everyone around me was getting, which distressed me. Is this how 20 was supposed to feel?

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I mean, 20 really isn’t a big jump from 19.

Nothing changes except the reminder that you’re not a teenager anymore. You’re not allowed to drink or rent a car, but you can drive, vote, fight for the U.S.A. and get into crippling debt trying to better yourself!

There’s no roadmap for life. There’s no user guide. There’s no direction. Some people are getting engaged, some are getting pregnant and some have amazing jobs in cool places. Me? Well, today I’ve binge-watched “Game of Thrones” since about 9 a.m. Now it’s about 9 p.m.

Am I missing something here? What am I

Opinion: Coffee LAUREL THRAILKILL PRINTZ REPORTER

n a chilly morning, the promise of a warm drink may be just enough motivation to drag yourself out of bed to get ready for class. A steaming cup of coffee or tea is many people’s drink of choice on a day like this. Or maybe it’s a hot summer afternoon and you’re dying for something to quench your thirst. An iced coffee or tea might just hit the spot. When it comes to the two universal favorites, however, it can be tough to pick just one.

It’s an age-old debate and everyone has an opinion, but as a coffee drinker myself, I encourage you to go for the coffee.

With coffee, you can choose from a huge variety of drinks. The different ways to appreciate coffee are practically endless. From the cappuccino to the mocha and beyond, no two coffee drinks are exactly alike.

One of the main reasons people drink coffee is for the energy boost it offers. If you didn’t get enough sleep or are just feeling mentally exhausted from work or school, coffee can go a long way towards making you feel more alert and focused.

Many believe that drinking coffee will stain your teeth and thus avoid it.

A recent study from the Wiley Online Library, however, has determined that tea is much more likely to darken your teeth than coffee is. Coffee may not leave you with the freshest breath, but if you’re looking to whiten your teeth, coffee might be a better alternative to tea.

It may sound gross, but coffee can also help improve the diversity of your gut bacteria which can bring on a myriad of health benefits. Coffee is packed with antioxidants that provide numerous health gains as well such as protection against some forms of skin cancer.

Both coffee and tea admittedly have their benefits. When it comes to choosing between the two, however, the benefits of coffee just can’t be outweighed.

Opinion: Tea LILLIE BUSCH PRINTZ REPORTER

t first, tea and coffee appear to be similar.

Both can be enjoyed either hot or cold. Both drinks provide caffeine, albeit in various dosages. Whether sweet, strong, light or bitter–there is the “right” flavor for every person.

At the end of the day (or at the start), tea is better than coffee. Tea boasts more benefits and convenience.

The benefits of drinking tea are as extensive as the flavor possibili-

actually “supposed” to be doing!?

Satire aside, I see other people have everything figured out, but I’ve changed my major four times. I don’t even know what I’m doing at this point. Sure, I have a better idea of what I want to do with my life, and I have a LinkedIn profile (so adult of me), but am I doing this right?

I have this inspirational quote as my phone’s screensaver that says, “You may not end up where you thought you were going, but you will always end up where you are meant to be.” I guess I should just read that more and trust that. One day, I’ll figure it out.

ties. Both ginger tea and green tea aid digestion and bloating. Peppermint tea is an antioxidant. Chai tea is the best for a rainy day. Or perhaps instead of caffeine, you dream of a full night’s sleep – if that is the case, then chamomile tea is the solution.

On the other hand, the best part of drinking coffee is the energy boost. Yet, the caffeine comes at a cost because coffee, while offered in a variety of flavors, is not always in your best interest. Too much coffee intake results in shakiness, stress, and headaches. Taking breaks from coffee induces harsh caffeine withdrawals, which can include migraines, irritability, and headaches.

Recovery of caffeine or a drug addict? The lines are blurred.

Perhaps, when deciding between tea and coffee, you do not really care about the benefits and instead prioritize convenience. In the long run, coffee costs more to prepare than tea, both in time and price.

Coffee requires a longer amount of time to make if from a coffee pot.

Keurig coffeemakers are quick but expensive. With preparing tea, you pour hot water into a mug, drop in a bag of tea and you are set to go.

Drop a bit of sugar in the tea if you feel particularly fancy.

Or, you know, you can ditch the argument and just drink water.

You will be healthy, energetic, and hydrated.

OPINION APRIL 10, 2019

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Who will win the Game of Thrones?

MORGAN USRY PRINTZ REPORTER

unday, April 14 signals the beginning of the end to “Game of Thrones,” when the first episode of the eighth and final season premieres. As Cersei Lannister says in season one, “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.” So who will come out as the victor in the final season?

The author of the novels, George R.R. Martin, has said that the ending of the series will be “bittersweet.” Though the books and show differ in many ways, they are still expected to have the same general ending.

From this clue, it can be gathered that there will certainly be a lot of sadness and death, as there is in every season, but not everything will be lost in the end.

Although there are numerous intertwining plot lines, the most important of season eight will be the fight between the people of Westeros and the White Walkers. This conflict has been slowly building since season one and will finally come to a head in the coming episodes.

While the White Walkers are supernatural beings that have many advantages against the human characters, they probably won’t win in the end since that would mean the end of civilization in Westeros as we know it.

That being said, there will definitely be numerous human casualties and probably the loss of several beloved characters. It really wouldn’t surprise me if there were only a few dozen humans left after the final battle is over.There’s no way of knowing for sure who will survive and who won’t, but I do have an idea about the two main

Courtesy photo from HBO

characters.

Jon and Daenerys, who are now romantically involved as of the seventh season finale, are now central to the fight against the White Walkers and the struggle for the Iron Throne. While we all would like for them to have a happy ending ruling over the Seven Kingdoms together, that probably won’t happen. This is “Game of Thrones,” after all.

‘Unplanned’ fails at contributing to conversation LILLIE BUSCH PRINTZ REPORTER

ome movies are sly in their political underpinnings– such as Jordan Peele’s latest blockbuster “Us.” Other films unabashedly deliver their agendas like a fist to the face. The recently-released movie “Unplanned” falls into the latter category. Subtlety is not in its vocabulary.

“Unplanned” follows the true story of Abby Johnson (Ashley Bratcher), a former Planned Parenthood clinic director, who became a strict anti-abortion activist after witnessing a 13-week abortion via ultrasound. The film begins with Johnson witnessing the abortion before featuring flashbacks that led to the “pivotal” scene. The film is also a screenplay adaption of a memoir by Johnson.

As a film, “Unplanned” is poorly executed. The cinematography resembles an Instagram filter; the acting is overdramatized; the characters are written into cliché roles. For example, you have the antagonistic career-driven boss, Cheryl (Robia Scott) and the saintly do-gooder husband, Doug (Brooks Ryan).

Unsurprisingly, a movie about such a politically relevant subject faced marketing hurdles and social backlash. Various television channels, including Hallmark and HGTV, refused to air advertisements for the film, citing the topic as either inappropriate or the “R” rating too much for television. Even social media platforms wavered; Twitter briefly suspended the “Unplanned” handle during the movie’s opening weekend.

Regardless of the marketing and social hurdles, what “Unplanned” fails to do is contribute anything meaningful to the conversation about abortion. At its core, the film is blatant propaganda with a flawed argument.

“Unplanned” continues to fail at contributing to the conversation by clearly alienating the audiences that do not align with its beliefs.

The movie largely antagonizes pro-choice individuals while validating the pro-life movement. This is seen not only in the movie’s script but also in the lack of professionalism on both the official movie and Abby Johnson’s separate Twitter handle.

“In the end, it doesn’t really matter how much the pro-life movement is willing to help children after they are born…although we are basically the only people adopting and providing help,” Johnson said in a Tweet.

There is no validity in this statement, however. Johnson also told pro-choice advocate Alyssa Milano that “you and your tiny bun” had “no relevancy in this conversation” if Milano refused to see the film.

The movie account retweeted Johnson’s Tweet and, adding that there was still no reply, “Maybe if Alyssa saw #whatabbysaw she would truly be an advocate for women from the time of conception.”

Unfortunately, the heightened tension between the pro-choice and pro-life sides of the abortion chasm is not surprising. The current political climate largely involves pointing fingers and only listening to perspectives that further support an individual’s established beliefs.

Another fallacy in the movie’s argument is that “Unplanned” cannot, or refuses to, look beyond its religious Christian lenses. The movie does not cite a reason against abortion that does not include religion. If Johnson and the filmmakers truly wish to “end” abortion, they must acknowledge the scope and variety of individuals that find themselves pregnant. Not every woman is a God-fearing Christian.

A true effort in the abortion argument would have not made abortion appear so black-and-white. As if converting to Christianity would solve every pregnant woman’s problem. The script does not ask “Why does this woman want an abortion?” but rather concludes that every pregnant woman is selfish and making a “bad” decision.

As a film, “Unplanned” accomplishes nothing that has not been done before. As a political argument, it falls short. However, as religious propaganda, it excels.

The most likely scenario is that one of the two dies in the upcoming season, most likely Daenerys.

In the most recent season, there are several times where Daenerys brings up the fact that she doesn’t think she can have children. Because of the many pointed references to this, many think she will become pregnant with Jon’s child in the upcoming season. Then like her mother, Daenerys will die in childbirth. This leaves Jon to rule over the Seven

Kingdoms and raise their child, who is now a glimmer of hope in the aftermath of death and destruction from the final defeat of the White Walkers. This would really fit in with the idea of a “bittersweet” ending.

As for the fate of other characters, we’ll have to wait and see, but as far as Jon and Daenerys go, this will probably be their ending.

ENTERTAINMENT APRIL 10, 2019

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‘The Twilight Zone’ reboot lacks complexity ASHLYN LEVINS PRINTZ REPORTER

merican actor, comedian and filmmaker Jordan Peele has been trending on social media lately due to his recent entertainment releases.

With the release of “Us” back in March, fans of his thriller and horror genre were excited to finally get a taste of his newest release, a reboot of “The Twilight Zone,” which premiered on CBS AllAccess on April 1.

The original series aired its first episode in 1958 as an American anthology television series. Created

by Rod Sterling, viewers watched individual stories of characters dealing with disturbing events and ended with a moral to the story. Each episode encompassed what Sterling wanted to say about real-world issues through incorporating science-fiction as a lens of examining the world.

Peele’s reboot of the series is simple but neither good nor bad. It is missing the unsettling events which held an overall moral the original series had. “Black Mirror” is closer to a modern “The Twilight Zone” with the twists and unpredictability in each story. Peele’s reboot is too predictable and lacks the dark twist from the original series.

Another problem with the reboot is that the episodes are too long. The stories dwell into subplots that take away from the characteristics of

the original show. The first episode, “The Comedian,” has a run time of 55 minutes, compared to the 30 minute episodes from the original series. This episode stars Kumail Nanjiani as Samir, a stand-up comedian who does not seem to satisfy the audience. After advice from a great stand-up, Samir adds more of his personal life to his jokes. However, the more popular he gets, the more he loses. The moral of this episode seems to get lost. Are we not supposed to put our personal life into our art?

Peele’s films “Get Out” and “Us” gave audiences the suspense and horror he is becoming known for. However, the first two episodes released in his “The Twilight Zone” reboot are lacking the dark thrill the series originally popularized.

I am hoping with the next two episodes to air, “Replay” on April 11 and “The Traveler” on April 18, that the rest of the series will bring more of the grim atmosphere while incorporating a moral of today’s issues.

Peele’s “The Twilight Zone” is less of a reboot and more of an original anthology series. When “Black Mirror’” first aired in 2011, creator Charlie Brooker had the style of the original “The Twilight Zone” in mind. Both series, the 1950’s “The Twilight Zone” and “Black Mirror” make the audience think, while Peele’s reboot lacks the complexity.

Courtesy photo from IMDb

Ben Platt’s debut album launches solo career BAILEY WILSON PRINTZ REPORTER

ward-winning Broadway actor Ben Platt, famous for his roles in hit musicals like “Dear Evan Hansen” and “The Book of Mormon” recently released his debut album “Sing to Me Instead.” His ability to tell the stories of the characters he portrays is undeniably remarkable, but in “Sing to Me Instead,” he tells his own story.

“Ease My Mind” is seemingly the staple track on the album because of the song’s music video. In the video, the singer/actor officially comes out as gay to the public. While this is important on Platt’s part and an admirable step to be taken, it is also important to recognize how beautiful the song is. In an interview with the “Daily Beast” newsletter, Platt explained that he did not want this declaration of his sexuality to be the main point of the album, rather the music in and of itself.

Most of the 12 songs featured on the album are melancholy in nature, detailing the events of past relationships, whether they be romantic, platonic, internal or even family-oriented. Songs such as “Bad

Courtesy photo from Ben Platt’s Twitter

Habit,” “Ease My Mind,” “Grow As We Go,” “Honest Man” and “Hurt Me Once” all deal with Platt’s personal relationships and the lessons he has learned in each respective relationship. Meanwhile, songs like “In Case You Don’t Live Forever” and “Run Away” offer an emotional look on family relationships that Platt both made and never got to make.

In the multitude of songs on the

album, several are appealing simply because they spur tears from listeners.

Happy, sad or angry tears can be expected on the first listen. Some of the songs are relative to Platt’s specific situations; however, they are vague enough for the listener to relate to them in his own specific fashion.

While the album is mostly sad, the music has a high replay value. It is possible to listen to any song on the

album that has a sad feel to it and let it provoke sadness, but if listened to again, one will find that endings in the real world are neither happy nor sad but inspirational.

Platt features a “feel-good” song on the album, “New,” as well. The song offers a bright and upbeat feel that really makes the audience feel good, especially after a breakup. “New” features many impressive riffs by Platt and has an overall feeling of personal empowerment. “Temporary Love” is a misleading track but is actually quite happy and has a heartwarming music video.

The album is full of songs that are fun to sing along to regardless of their emotional content.

Anyone who wishes to have a good cry and allow their heart to indulge in a variety of emotions should listen to this album and listen to it well. “Sing to Me Instead” has a 45-minute runtime, but to truly ingest the music on the album, one should listen to it at least twice. The songs are amazing and relatable to anyone who has ever experienced heartbreak at the expense of a relationship, or lost a loved one or has parents they love deeply. “Sing to Me Instead” is a truly exceptional debut album by Platt and should be enjoyed by everyone.

ENTERTAINMENT APRIL 10, 2019

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‘Pet Sematary’ revived for the big screen can easily find themselves reflected in King’s characters as well as the situations the characters find themselves in. This creates a sense of attachment and investment from the audience. When something terrible happens to these characters, the audience feels it because the characters have become a projected version of themselves in a sense.

This is one thing the remake of “Pet Sematary” gets right, however. Writer Jeff Buhler does an admirable job of drawing in the audience and maintaining the ambiance that makes a King story such a unique and special experience. It’s true that Buhler has made some changes to the original story, but he does so in a way that makes the characters seem all the more human, and that is one part of what makes the film so terrifying. It feels real and believable. It puts you in a mindset that it could happen to you.

At times, however, the script leaves questions unanswered and holes in the plot. The remake sometimes strays a bit too far from the original story as well. As a King fan or even simply someone who has read the book or seen the original film, you may be disappointed. While the remake is good cinema, it could have been better. It feels weak and halfhearted at times in regard to really bringing the story alive.

Overall, the remake of “Pet Sematary” does a decent job of bringing the story to the big screen for a new generation.

For people unfamiliar with the plot, the enthralling events of the plot may be enough to impress. For a seasoned King fan, however, the remake is simply subpar.

LAUREL THRAILKILL PRINTZ REPORTER hat if your pet died but it wasn’t really gone? What if you could find a way to bring it back to life? Would you do it? No? Well what if it was your own child? What lengths would you go to to bring them back? This is the premise for prolific author Stephen King’s 1983 novel “Pet Sematary.” A fan favorite, many consider it to be one of King’s best works. When it was first adapted for the big screen in 1989, the film received mixed reviews. Now for the second time, “Pet Sematary” is being converted to film.

While the remake of the classic chiller is delightfully horrific, it still leaves a little something to be desired. So far, the film has received mixed reviews as did the original film adaptation. One thing that can be said for the remake is that it seems a bit smoother and more polished in contrast to the jarring and somewhat disjointed original film.

The Creed family, consisting of Louis, Rachel and their young children, move to Maine only to discover that their new property has an eerie burial ground for pets. The Creeds are told about the mysterious nature of the cemetery by their elderly new neighbor Jud. The family, however, decides not to heed his warnings and soon find themselves face to face with the dark and sinister essence of the old cemetery.

One thing that makes King’s stories so impactful is his three-dimensional characters and settings. The audience

Courtesy Photo from IMDb

‘Shazam!’ the best from DC in years JACK MCCALLUM PRINTZ REPORTER atest from the DC Extended Universe, “Shazam!” is a hilarious, heart-warming film that succeeds in its ability to build intriguing characters and plot lines while maintaining a self-awareness that has been absent in recent superhero movies.

Directed by David F. Sandberg, the movie “Shazam!” is about 14-year-old Billy Batson and his discovery of superpowers that are given to him through an ancient wizard named Shazam. This ancient wizard has been searching for the right person for ages, luckily finding Billy as soon as a bitter, evil bald man named Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (played by Mark Strong) unleashes the Seven Deadly Sins onto Philadelphia.

Billy, played by Asher Angel, is transformed into the superhero Shazam simply by saying his name. This switch back and forth between being Billy and Shazam, played by Zachary Levi, comes in handy during a few battles and silly situations.

Levi’s portrayal as Shazam is truly standout and brings the most laughs. The visual gag of Shazam’s retro costume and him obviously being twice Billy’s age allows for quite a few funny moments. Some great moments come out through Shazam’s interactions with his foster brother and roommate Freddy Freeman, played by Jack Dylan Grazer. The two of them

provide both emotional and funny moments, like the scene at the gas station where Shazam uses his older-looking face to buy beer.

Freddy is a very interesting and fun character with his quick wit and relatable humor. Without fail, he delivers joke after joke, many of which are about the cause of his disability. He also relates to the audience with his extensive knowledge on superheroes, particularly Batman and Superman. This brings a level of self-awareness to the film and lets the viewer connect on a different level than other, more serious superhero movies.

The entire foster home is full of great characters and moments. After seeing glimpses of Billy’s sad backstory, the viewer immediately wants the best for him, and that comes in the form of warm, loving foster parents. All of the kids are particularly funny and interesting, and it makes the viewer want to know more about these kids and how they got there. The backstories of all the kids could definitely have been improved upon, but this could always come in later films.

The Seven Deadly Sins created a lot of great evil, villainy scenes through their host body Dr. Sivana. While there were great moments like the scene at the board meeting, the scenes with the Sins were confusing. It was hard to tell each one apart and truly ascertain what they actually did. They still created a lot of crazy and exciting moments particularly at the Rock of Eternity.

No good superhero movies come without a good supervillain, and that is provided

in “Shazam!” by Strong’s portrayal of Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. His traumatizing, emotionally volatile childhood and early (arguably harsh) rejection by the ancient wizard lead to his evil ways and obsession over discovering magic.

The opening scene that shows how he became this way allows for the viewer to feel for Dr. Sivana, something that is rarely seen in superhero movies. Not only does he wear a

Courtesy Photo from IMDb

really nice leather jacket with a fur collar, but he is also a layered and relatable villain.

“Shazam!” is so good in part because it shows the amount of growth from DC’s films and also because of how fun and heartwarming it is. It can be hard to find movies that are truly just an enjoyable, exciting experience for all, but this feels like that. “Shazam!” is a step in the right direction for all superhero films.

SPORTS APRIL 10, 2019

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Baseball shows resilience midway through season ANDREW ABADIE

EXECUTIVE EDITOR ollowing a weekend sweep over Marshall, Southern Miss now sits at 20-9 and 10-2 in Conference USA which puts them at second place in the conference standings.

There are several narratives that have been talked about with this Southern Miss baseball team.

After losing three of its last four games and dropping its last conference series to UTSA, glimpses of the early season problems seem to return. Instead, for a second time this season the Golden Eagles showed resilience by displaying the ability to bounce back and swept an 18-10 Marshall squad that entered the weekend with a .296 batting average.

During the weekend itself, Southern Miss trailed in every game of the series to the Thundering Herd. However, the team showed its resilience, especially in the final game of the series after they came back from a five-run deficit after giving up a seven-run sixth inning.

Another key from the weekend was the return of starter Stevie Powers, who gave the Southern Miss bullpen a much-needed rest. In five innings during the second game of the series, Powers allowed two runs off five hits and struck out two.

Overall, Southern Miss is hitting .281 on the season, with Bryant Bowen, who is coming off weekend heroics, sits at the top of the offensive leaderboard with a .400 batting average and is tied with Matt Wallner with five home runs. The pitching

Brad Crowe | Printz

staff posts a 3.73 ERA, which ranks as the best in C-USA. Despite three more conference series in the season, it is becoming more evident that Southern Miss is setting itself up with a home showdown against Florida Atlantic which sits at the top of C-USA with a 23-9 overall record and 11-1 conference record.

Between then and now, Southern Miss will have to play Florida International (13-19) in the coming weekend series and then play Charlotte (12-18-1) and Middle Tennessee

Montenegro celebrates a huge hit just before the winning walk-off.

(13-18). In the coming midweek games, Southern Miss will have already faced Ole Miss, by the time of this publication and then will have rematches against South Alabama, Louisiana-Lafayette and University of New Orleans and Ole Miss.

To look ahead even further, Southern Miss is still projected to make the NCAA tournament, but the notion of hosting did go out the window after dropping the series to Mississippi State and being swept

by Gonzaga. So far, Southern Miss has

been projected to play in a Baton Rouge Regional and a Starkville Regional, both of which seem logical.

With that said, there is still a lot of baseball to be played, but Southern Miss is certainly still well in control of its own destiny as it tries to find its way into the postseason.

Southern Miss will travel to FIU for its next conference series, with Friday’s first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. in Miami, Florida.

Golden Eagles take one of two against Spring Hill GRANT CHIGHIZOLA MANAGING/SPORTS EDITOR he Southern Miss beach volleyball team (9-18, 0-8 CCSA) earned its second win at home on the season following a 3-2 win in the first match of the day against Spring Hill College on Saturday. However, Spring Hill won the second match of the day 3-2 against the Golden Eagles. Southern Miss and Spring Hill had faced each other four times prior to Saturday’s matches, with the Golden Eagles winning one of the three.

The pairings of Piper Matsumoto/ Lindsey Legg, Olivia Hepworth/Cyan Blackdeer and Madison Lawler/ Jessica Austin earned victories in the match. Matsumoto/Legg won in two sets by scores of 21-10 and 21-18, while Hepworth/Blackdeer won their pairing by scores of 23-25, 21-16 and 15-6. Lawler/Austin also recorded a two set win, posting scores of 21-17 and 21-18.

Kylie Grandy/Abbey Wilson and Kellie Garraway/Breleigh Favre lost their contests in the first match in three sets.

In the second match of the day, Spring Hill earned victories in three of the five matches. Grandy/ Wilson lost again in three sets, as did Matsumoto/Legg. Garraway/Favre

Kylie Grandy sets ball.

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lost their contest in match two in two sets to the Badgers.

Blackdeer/Hepworth won again in the second match, posting scores of 21-10 and 21-12 against Spring Hill.

Austin/Lawler also earned a threeset victory in the match by winning 16-21, 27-25 and 15-8.

Southern Miss returns to the sand on April 13 for a doubleheader

matchup against crosstown opponent William Carey. The Golden Eagles will first take on the Crusaders at 1:30 p.m., followed by a match at 3:30 p.m.

SPORTS APRIL 10, 2019

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Offense and defense battle at weekend scrimmage BRAD CROWE PRINTZ REPORTER outhern Miss held its second football scrimmage of the 2019 spring training period on Saturday at M.M. Roberts Stadium. The weather was constantly shifting between light rainfall and sunny skies, similarly to the momentum in the scrimmage, which shifted back and forth between defensive dominance and spurts of offensive brilliance.

With one week remaining before the official Black vs. Gold spring game, there were several glimpses into what is to come in the near future for Southern Miss football.

One factor that remained constant throughout the day was the intensity and excitement of the players on both offense and defense, which all the coaches and players maintain is the standard for Southern Miss.

“It’s a mentality, man,” redshirt junior lineman Jacques Turner, who is emerging as a leader for the defensive unit, said.

“If you come to Southern Miss, you’ve got to have that dog in you. You’ve got to come out with energy and make plays if you want to play here.”

Turner’s defense did an excellent job of making plays early in the scrimmage. Coming off a phenomenal 2018 campaign in which they ranked third in the nation in defensive efficiency, the unit feels they have a responsibly to keep pushing themselves, not only for their own improvement but to help the offense improve as well.

The defensive secondary forced several turnovers throughout the contest. What was considered an inexperienced, susceptible group just a season ago is now thought to be one of the team’s biggest strengths, led by returning starters Ty Williams and Ky’el Hemby. A few newcomers showed potential as well, such as redshirt junior Taran Lambert and redshirt freshman Nicario Harper. The two combined for three interceptions on the day, indicating the secondary could be rather deep when it comes to play-making ability.

Redshirt junior linebacker Tyree Evans turned a lot of heads with his performance, continuing to impress both his teammates and coaches with his level of play over the spring.

“That’s a guy who flies when he gets the opportunity to be on the field,” Turner said about Evans. “He has a motor like

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you’ve never seen, and he just never stops running.”

Despite the big start by the defense, redshirt junior quarterback Jack Abraham and his backup Tate Whatley were able to string together a few impressive drives, ending with scoring plays for the offense. Abraham and his receiving corps displayed an increased level of comfort working together, as he connected on long throws downfield to veteran receivers Jordan Mitchell, Tim Jones, Jr. and Neil McLaurin.

Ty Williams and J. J. Jones perform defensive drills at the Spring scrimmage.

Abraham says the comfort just came with time and practice.

“We go out and throw every day after practice,” Abraham said. “It’s great to have that familiarity. We don’t have to come out here and worry about the little things. I know where they’re going to be, and that helps a lot.”

Several new faces received carries out of the backfield as part of a crowded corps of young running backs.

Trivenskey Mosley showed no signs of giving up the starting

position he won over the course of his freshman season, and Steven Anderson seemed to be solidified as the number two option. However, a few newcomers such as redshirt freshman Jordan Kempf and true freshman T.Q. Newsome seemed to indicate that there could be a battle over the summer to decide who will join Mosley and Anderson in their attempt to revitalize the Golden Eagles’ rushing attack after the unit’s struggles in that department a year ago.

Southern Miss softball earns first conference sweep of season GRANT CHIGHIZOLA MANAGING/SPORTS EDITOR

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Karley Nichols celebrates after reaching third base.

outhern Miss (22-16, 8-7 C-USA) swept conference rival UTSA (17-21) in a three-game home series in Hattiesburg from April 6-7. The sweep marks the first time Southern Miss has swept a conference opponent this season and is the second series win for the team in Conference USA play this season.

“It feels great,” Southern Miss head coach Wendy Hogue said. “Yesterday [Saturday] leaving here I thought wow, that’s a good feeling to get a series win on a Saturday and certainly even better to get the sweep on a Sunday. We were very confident leaving here yesterday, but knew we still had a job to do [on Sunday].”

Southern Miss took Game 1 of the series by a score of 3-0.

Following three scoreless innings from both teams to start the game, Southern Miss got on board in the bottom of the fourth inning when centerfielder Destini Brown scored on a UTSA error. The Golden Eagles added their second run in the bottom of the fifth inning after a fielder’s choice allowed Karley Nichols to score.

The Golden Eagles added another solo run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Brown hit a home run to left field, the fourth home run of the season for the sophomore.

Southern Miss pitcher Abby Trahan allowed two UTSA runners to reach base on a single and a walk in the top of the seventh inning but got out of the jam with a game-winning strikeout later in the inning. Trahan pitched a complete game in the contest and struck out nine batters while allowing just three hits.

Brown finished the contest at the plate 2-for-3. Madison Rayner, Lacey Sumerlin, Sarah Van Schaik, Samantha Papp and Nichols also recorded hits against the Roadrunners in the contest.

Southern Miss struck first once again on the scoreboard in Game 2 with a score by Caroline Casey off of a sacrifice fly. The

team put two more on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning when Breanna Blankenship scored an unearned run on a Nichols RBI single and Samantha Papp scored on a Nelson sacrifice fly.

UTSA found life on offense in the top of the fifth inning and scored two runs on an RBI single and an RBI double, cutting the Southern Miss lead to 3-2. However, Southern Miss went on a scoring run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Van Schaik hit a two-RBI double that scored Brown and Sumerlin, which was followed by Van Schaik scoring on a throwing error and Nichols scoring on a Nelson RBI single.

The Golden Eagles held UTSA scoreless the rest of the way to take the 8-2 win. The Game 2 win gave the team its second series win of the season.

Nelson, Rayner and Davis all had two-hit games at the plate in Game 2.

On Sunday, Southern Miss took control of Game 3 in the third inning. Nichols scored the first run of the game after an error allowed Madison Rayner to reach base. Later in the inning, Sumerlin hit a sac fly that allowed Brown to score and give the team a 2-0 lead.

In the circle, Trahan allowed her first and only run in the top of the sixth inning on a solo home run by UTSA. However, Southern Miss scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to seal the 4-1 win.

Trahan finished the game by allowing just three hits and recording seven strikeouts. The junior recorded two complete games on the weekend and allowed just six hits and two walks while also recording 16 strikeouts. Trahan’s season win-loss record is now 11-8 following the series.

“I felt real comfortable this weekend,” Trahan said. “I showed up and worked hard this weekend, I think that showed, I just trusted my teammates, trusted myself and my pitch calling.”

The Golden Eagles return to the diamond on Wednesday with a home non-conference matchup against Mississippi Valley State. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.