SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 | VOLUME 103 | ISSUE 02
NEWS • NIGHTLIFE REVIEWS
Caleb McCluskey | Printz
SPORTS • GAMEDAY ANALYSIS Brad Crowe | Printz
A preview of upcoming shows at the Thirsty Hippo.
A breakdown of Southern Miss’ 55-7 win over Jackson State.
PG 5
PG 12
•College Gameday •John McCain •Aretha Franklin •Ariana Grande
New food truck debuts on campus BRAD CROWE
ALYSSA BASS
PRINTZ REPORTER On the afternoon of Aug. 30, students and staff got their first taste of “The GrubSlinger,” Eagle Dining’s new food truck. The truck made its debut at Shoemaker Square on The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hattiesburg campus. The list of items on the initial menu included a pulled pork panini, a jalapeño mac & cheese hotdog and Coney Island fries. Many students and faculty members were thrilled to find out they would have a more convenient, affordable and tasty dining option available to them as they begin the 2018-2019 academic year. Eagle Dining representatives have been in discussions since last spring about ways to make their meals more accessible to those in various places around the Southern Miss campus. This new “meals on wheels” strategy provides the perfect way to do so in the most efficient manner possible. The company will be able to provide both breakfast and lunch to people all over campus on a daily basis with the ability to relocate to any spot that best serves their customers. “After conducting surveys and focus groups on campus, we felt that a food truck would be the perfect concept to reach students throughout campus,” John Meyer, Resident District Manager of Eagle Dining, said. “We are excited about all the new offerings this will bring to campus.” According to a press release by Aramark
NEWS EDITOR
Brad Crowe | Printz
Marketing Manager Lauren Brescher, The GrubSlinger plans to keep their menu fresh with changes to the menu from day to day. Along with breakfast burritos and specialty roasts, the truck will offer daily themes for students to enjoy, such as hot sandwiches and paninis on Mondays, tacos on Tuesdays, hot dogs on Wednesdays, burgers on Thursdays and specialty fries on Fridays. They will also be serving food on game days at The Rock this fall, with a location set up near the Jim & Thomas Duff Athletic Center. Since the truck will always be on the move,
students can keep track of its location by following Eagle Dining’s Twitter account (@ EagleDiningUSM) where daily updates will be posted. Cash, credit and dining dollars from USM student meal plans will all be accepted as payment methods. Anyone interested in trying out The GrubSlinger for themselves is encouraged to connect with Eagle Dining via Facebook and a Twitter and follow along as they continue working to offer a more expansive dining experience.
Constitution awaits Senate vote CALEB MCCLUSKEY PRINTZ REPORTER
he Student Government Association has officially finished the first draft of their constitutional rewrite. With the completion of the first draft, SGA Senate will speak and go over the changes during their first meeting Thursday, Sept. 6 at 5 p.m. Over the summer, the SGA’s constitutional committee held five meetings in order to review and rewrite the SGA constitution. A committee composed of SGA executive members such as SGA President McKenna Stone and SGA Treasurer Matthew Keller
along with judicial board members Justice Reid Renfroe and Justice Ruth Ann Reeves took to the constitution with a fine-tooth comb, changing vague wordings and creating entirely new sections. Among the changes was the addition of a new article on finance. The article will add spending and a new fee advisory committee to the budgets section. Before the addition, SGA spending codes discussed but had not been in writing. “A lot of students don’t see university spending policies up close and aren’t too familiar with them, so we just want to make sure they see that there is something behind [spending],” Keller said in a previous interview. Stone admitted earlier this summer that
there were misuses of the SGA’s purchase card, which is a credit card specifically used for SGA spending, but she believed there was no misconduct. The strict rules on who may obtain the p-card will be in writing, barring anyone who is not an executive member of the SGA. Not only did they add a section on spending, but they also added an article in the Senate bylaws to impeach senators. Currently, there is no process by which a senator is impeached from duty, which means they have no way to be held accountable for misconduct.
CONTINUED | PG 3
outhern Miss students can expect a day full of music in Downtown Hattiesburg during the 15th annual Eaglepalooza on Saturday, Sept. 15. Local bands will perform on the Leaf River Fall Fest stage at 3 p.m., and alternative rock band Colony House will headline the Main Stage. Director of Eaglepalooza and junior criminal justice major Jessica Barnett said her team strived to listen to student opinions this year through social media polls in May. “After we reviewed the results from the social media polls we posted, we found that the Indie genre won with the most amount of support,” Barnett said. “So from there we wanted to collectively offer a diverse range of talent to promote unity through a music festival atmosphere that could cater to people with different tastes in music.” “With the theme of a music festival in mind, we pushed to look at unique artists that we felt represented the Indie genre and would mesh well with the student body and the Hattiesburg community, so we are offering a lineup of local artists at 3 p.m. at the Leaf River Fall Fest Stage in collaboration with Jon Pluskota here at the University to promote developing community relationships with USM students.” Calling it “a natural fit,” Jon Pluskota is an entertainment industry professor who has been encouraging a partnership between the Eaglepalooza team and his Mass Communication and Journalism students for years. Through the Levitt AMP concert series, some of his students gained experience in production. “Last year, we received a grant for a 10 concert series - the Levitt AMP Hattiesburg series - and our students worked the entire series. The intensity of that series demonstrated our students skill, abilities, and commitment to making such events a success,” Pluskota said. “A lot of our collaborative partnership success is due in large part to the willingness of SGA President McKenna Stone and Dr. Wynde Fitts to listen to ideas as to how we can help expand their event and help make it a success. In the end, we both had something to offer one another, and through this partnership, we are able to have a stage at EP to help promote the local music scene while creating a longer event.”
CONTINUED | PG 3
INTRODUCTION SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM
NOTES FROM THE STAFF •The Student Printz has unveiled our new website which aims to feature more multimedia content to better serve our readers! Check out the new www.studentprintz.com! •Due to the scheduled print time of this paper, we are unable to provide coverage of the recent tropical development. However, we will offer full coverage of this event on www.studentprintz.com and the Student Printz Facebook and Twitter pages. •Students, falculty and staff should monitor and be aware that any emergency notifications from the university will be released through Eagle Alert. In addition, all students, falculty and staff should review and make sure their contact information is properly updated at usm.edu/safety/eagle-alert.
From the Normal College News, Jan. 6, 1923:
New Tees Are In Stock
ou say that jealousy and water are a queer combination but they are connected at Normal College. During the holidays, for some reason, Mr. George, Mr. Emmett Thomas, Miss Catherine Bilbo and Miss Morris were crossing a stream by means of a footlog. Here is where jealousy and water make connection. It looks like a mere accident but the detective agency of the college have figured out the following plot which is generally accepted as true. The gentlemen in question have for some time been rivals for the affection of Miss Bilbo and by a mutual agreement agreed to drown themselves and the young lady. They sent Miss Morris across first, so that she might grab a convenient Magnolia tree and swing on for dear life. The jealous lovers knew that when they started across with the young lady in question the the log would break which it did. Now in their secret heart neither of the men were determined to drown. Each one intended to let the other one drown and secretly slip out of the water with the young lady in his arms – a hero. But lo and behold when they reached the bank they were both carrying Miss Bilbo. Now laugh, Ha, Ha, Ha.
NEWS SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 EAGLEPALOOZA CONTINUED FROM PG 1 Hattiesburg bands Brotha Josh and the Quickness, Lanna Wakeland Band and Paul Johnson and The About Last Nights will begin the day by performing on the Leaf River Fall Fest Valley stage. Leader of Brotha Josh and the Quickness Joshua Holt graduated from Southern Miss in 2018 and said he never imagined that he would one day play at Eaglepalooza. “I always thought it’d be cool to perform, but I’m really privileged and honored to be asked to play at Eaglepalooza,” Holt said. Holt said students can expect “a healthy dose of funk and soul,” adding that “If you’re into soul and deep grooves,” you’ll enjoy the band’s set. The indie and rock lineup sets itself apart from previous Eaglepaloozas. Rapper B.o.B. performed in Reed Green Coliseum in Oct. 2017, and “Pretty Girl Rock” R&B singer Keri Hilson performed at Spirit Park in Nov. 2016. Barnett said her team wanted to appeal to a large audience with headline openers The Weeks, who describe themselves as “longhair Mississippi glam rock,” and The Hot 8 Brass Band, a jazz group from New Orleans. “When we decided on our Main Stage acts, we really wanted to focus on a diverse sound that multiple people could enjoy,” Barnett said. “For example, The Weeks are opening right before Colony House takes the stage, so people who enjoy Rock music might come out to hear The Weeks play and stick around for Colony House and end up falling in love with their take on the Indie genre and their stage presence.” Like some of her peers, Barnett had never heard of one of the bands prior to planning the event. “Prior to planning this event, I had never really listened to the funky brass sound that they produce, and they have such a unique culture to their music that those who listen to them kick off the Main Stage at 6:30 p.m. will be very pleased with the quality and energy they produce in their performances,” Barnett said. Not only will Southern Miss students notice the change in genre, but also the change in location. SGA President McKenna Stone, alongside Mayor of Hattiesburg Toby Barker, Vice President for Student Affairs Dee Dee Anderson and Dean of Students Eddie
Holloway announced in July that Eaglepalooza would return to Downtown Hattiesburg. The last time Eaglepalooza was in Downtown Hattiesburg was 2015. “I know that each team that came before our team put in a massive amount of work and
WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM
effort that we did for this year, and I believe that aiming for a music festival atmosphere will help us grow together as a community to promote local businesses but also highlight the capabilities of student lead initiatives such as Eaglepalooza,” Barnett said.
Courtesy Photo
SGA CONTINUED FROM PG 1 With the reorganization, comes the merging of schools. The committee worked to change how the Senate represents schools new and old. The new system that SGA Vice President Corai Jackson proposed will have a senator to represent each individual school within the various colleges, leaving them with three fewer seats to be filled with senators representing the campus at large. “This [new reorganization] means that each student is insured representation by at least campus at large, but also by their representation in their school and if not in their school, in their college,” Stone said. Within the Election Code, the committee agreed the Attorney General should not be allowed to endorse candidates in the same way the election commissioner is barred. Election commissioner Katie Rogers said there would be a conflict of interest with not only with her office but also with the Attorney General if they were to endorse a candidate because recall elections and appeals could be skewed by favor. She went as far as to extend this barring of endorsement to the whole Judicial Board. They also found the need for a brandnew code of ethics being written by Attorney General Lauren- Hunter Gaudet in association with the other members of the committee. During the meetings, Senate President Pro Tempore Caroline Carney also proposed the addition of the SGA contract to the Senate bylaws. Among the larger additions, smaller additions and clarifications were made. One such addition is the new sub-branch Varsity. Varsity is a new way for students to volunteer for events ran by the SGA. With the completion of the drafting process, the committee waits for a response from the SGA Senate, which will take one week to introduce the changes and another to vote upon them. After the voting has been completed, the new constitution will be open to the eyes of students and be voted on during homecoming elections.
SGA launches a new way to volunteer CALEB MCCLUSKEY PRINTZ REPORTER
ore than 70 students have signed up to volunteer for upcoming events with the Student Government Association through their new sub-branch Varsity. Varsity is a volunteer-based group focused on helping students connect and support the SGA with events such as Eaglepalooza. SGA President McKenna Stone explained that the reason she originally wanted to run for SGA president was Varsity. Before becoming president of SGA, she felt students did not have a lot of opportunities to serve in SGA. Stone feels that Varsity is the perfect answer for those who want to get involved, but do not have enough time or commitment to become an SGA member. “We want Varsity to be a place for any student to get involved,” Stone said. “We want it to be managed for people’s schedules.” Using the SGA website, students can currently sign up to help with Eaglepalooza and Mental Health Awareness Week. Students will also be able to sign up to assist with homecoming, the Miss USM Pageant, Lighting the Way for the Holiday Season, The Big Event and It’s on Us at a later date. “We need manpower to make Eaglepalooza happen. We need a village to make homecoming happen. There are so many events we need help with,” Stone said. “Before this year, we were getting that help from SGA.” Senior Aaliyah Elbert never had time to get
Blair Ballou | Printz
involved with SGA, but, as a political science major, many of her friends were. “[Volunteering] was something that I wanted to do after seeing all of my friends got involved,”
The new Varsity logo.
Elbert said. “[Varsity] gives me an opportunity, as someone who’s never been a part of SGA, to experience what I could’ve done if I had served.”
Students that sign up to volunteer are required to attend a two-hour training session and will be given a free volunteer shirt and lanyard with their name tag. “I think it will be a great way for transfer students and freshmen to get familiar with USM culture,” Stone said. “They will get to meet all kinds of students, get to network, get leadership experience, community service hours and put it on their resume, and maybe they will fall in love with what they are doing.” Holly Stringfellow, a junior biological science major, said that being in Kappa Delta means she needs to complete community service hours. She believes Varsity is a good way to get involved with an established organization while filling those hours. “A lot of Greek life members have a hard time getting those hours, so I think it is great that they have the option to do community service on campus and really impact the people that we’re with every day,” Stringfellow said. Stone said her biggest goal with Varsity is to let students know that they have a voice in SGA. “It’s not me making decisions for the student body. It’s not even [executive officers] making decisions,” Stone said. “Every decision we make comes from feedback from the student body.” Stone said she hopes people serving in Varsity will be able to network and share ideas with those in branch leadership roles and talk about issues on campus. Stone wants Varsity to be a stepping stone for those looking to join SGA in a leadership role. “If anyone wants to know a little about SGA,” Elbert said. “This is definitely the route to go.”
NEWS SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM
Battle of the bands: the game after the game BRAD CROWE
PRINTZ REPORTER
espite poor weather conditions leading up to kickoff, an impressive crowd of 29,976 fans filled The Rock on Sept. 1 for Southern Miss’ home opener against Jackson State. This opening game marks just the third meeting between the two programs. Though Southern Miss jumped out to a large lead in the first half of play, a vast majority of those fans remained in their seats, anxiously awaiting the contests that were set to take place at after the game between two of the South’s most renowned music programs: Southern Miss’ Pride of Mississippi Marching Band, and Jackson State’s Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band. The Sonic Boom, led by interim director Dowell Taylor, is traditionally one of the largest and most popular marching bands in the state. They are led by five drum majors, known as the “Jackson Five,” and have recently been referenced to by the likes of Time Magazine, Motown Records, and hip hop artist Drake. Southern Miss’ Pride of Mississippi Marching Band has quite the history as well. The band performed at the inauguration ceremonies for both President Franklin D. Roosevelt and President Jimmy Carter. In the 1980s they were listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most televised marching band. Most recently, The Pride competed in the Limerick International Band Championships in Dublin, Ireland, and was awarded “Best Band Overall.” The bands entertained the crowd at halftime with shows featuring well-known tunes. The Pride performed hits by different generations of iconic pop bands, such as “Everybody” and “I Want It That Way” by
Brad Crowe | Printz
the Backstreet Boys and “Daydream Believer” by the Monkees. The Sonic Boom followed that performance with a list of hits including the Spice Girls’ “Say You’ll Be There,” Ariana Grande’s new single “No Tears Left to Cry” and “In My Feelings” by Drake. Following the end of the 55-7 victory for the Golden Eagles, fans stuck around to see the bands have a little fun with each other
The Pride of Mississippi drumline performs in Battle of the Bands.
in head-to-head competition. Each group played through a number of songs from their halftime show along with a couple of other tunes, and for each there was a song in response by the other band. The Pride’s “Tennessee Waltz” was matched by the Sonic Boom’s rendition of the famous Lion King tune, “Circle of Life.” Lastly, the two bands’ drum lines met
at the 50-yard line to hash it out in a drum battle. Each unit played three cadences before applauding and respectfully shaking hands to congratulate one another for their performance over the course of the evening. The event proved yet again that there is much more to Saturdays at The Rock than just football.
Transfer students discuss choosing USM KARIGAN TEER PRINTZ REPORTER
ach student has a different reason for why he or she chose to attend a specific college. Degree options, scholarships and social life are among these reasons. According to Southern Miss’ Office of Institutional Research, the student population is composed of about 50 percent transfer students. After making several weekend trips to visit her boyfriend, junior English major Hollie Priest said she eventually fell in love with Hattiesburg’s atmosphere. Before enrolling at Southern Miss, Priest attended Delgado Community College in New Orleans and Southeastern Louisiana University. Priest said her 45-minute commute to SLU caused her to not be involved in student life. “I always wanted to be involved, but the drive made it so difficult to do anything outside of just going to class,” Priest said. Now, her commute has been decreased by 40 minutes, giving her the opportunity to become involved in one of Southern Miss’ 238 student groups. “I kind of feel like it’s too late to do certain things like a sorority or SGA, but there are so many other things here that I want to try,” Priest said. “We literally have a tea club!” Although Priest felt like she was missing out on a “true college experience,” she does not regret attending smaller schools before working her way up to a university. “I was able to get used to how college works without diving straight in,” Priest said. “I would have been intimidated by USM if I had come straight out of high school.” However, Priest’s previous schools did not have
Bethany Morris | Printz
the rigorous workload that she was hoping for. “They weren’t necessarily bad schools,” said Priest. “I just felt like I wanted a more academic experience because I’m not really into the party scene, and I think Southern gives me that.” Like Priest, sophomore English major Kat Hasselbring is another student who attended other schools before Southern Miss. Hasselbring attended both the University at West Alabama and
(Pictured: Kat Hasselbring [left] and Hollie Priest [right].)
Jones County Junior College before transferring to Southern Miss. Hasselbring felt that she was hanging out with the wrong crowd prior to coming to Southern Miss. “I think before coming here, I really saw what I didn’t want my life to be like,” Hasselbring said. “My parents live here, so I think coming back will help me get where I need to be. I was really able to get that teenage rebellion out of the way. I feel
like I’ll take school seriously now, and I’ll actually enjoy it.” Hasselbring said she currently has a strong social life outside of Southern Miss, so she does not feel as much pressure to get involved in student life. “I already have a friend group and a job, so I don’t want to join a bunch of things for the sole purpose of making friends. Maybe next semester I’ll join the tea club with Hollie,” she joked.
NEWS SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM
Hub Dance Collective hosts ‘Meet Me Again’ JESSICA FIELDS PRINTZ REPORTER
he Hub Dance Collective presented its first show of the semester, “Meet Me Again,” in the Theatre and Dance Building on Aug. 30 and 31. Kelly Ferris Lester, co-founder of the dance collective and a dancer herself, said that the collective started as a small idea. “We started [the Collective] in 2012. We started actually by just making a dance piece. It was just four faculty members,” Lester said. “We started it so we could just continue our artistry, and then we decided we wanted to make a full show. And then we had so much fun we decided that we wanted to keep doing this.” The Hub Dance Collective not only includes current faculty and students in its shows, but alumni also participate. Graduate of the Department of Dance Lauren Guynes said she returned to the Southern Miss campus to demonstrate her growth as a dancer. “I’m actually performing a piece that I did my senior year here. Becca McCarther choreographed it and she reset it for the Hub Dance show,” Guynes said. “There’s a halfway new cast and I’m coming back five years later hoping to make this dance better than it was the first time around.” Dance professor and dance collective member Brianna Jahn said that audience members will leave the show with a new view of dance. “Every audience member comes in with their biases, and I don’t mean that in a bad way,” Jahn said. “They come in with their perspective of the world and their aesthetic and perspective of dance, and they’ll leave with
Courtesy Photo
a unique version, which is really great about live performance because you’ll be sitting next to someone sharing the exact same experience and it’s totally different.” Lester said that they add unique elements to its shows that showcase the process of dance
for unacquainted audience members. “When you come into the show, we have live musicians. You will see us in the space warming up so that the audience knows that we just don’t appear and suddenly we can do all these things,” Lester said. “There’s a process to it.
The dances are all different, so you are going to have dances to jazz music, some to piano and some to even choral music.” For more information on scheduled performances, visit the Department of Dance webpage on the USM website.
Thirsty Hippo throws Back to School Bash CALEB MCCLUSKEY PRINTZ REPORTER
enres will collide at the Thirsty Hippo’s Back to School Bash Friday, Sept. 7 at 9 p.m. with neo-soul funk band Brotha Josh and the Quickness, surf rock band Wildframes and alt-country band Flordiamen. “If there are any freshmen here and they haven’t heard about Hattiesburg’s music scene, I think this show would be a good jumping off point to see a different part of the town,” singer and guitarist Josh Holt said. Brotha Josh and the Quickness is a fivepiece neo-soul band that takes inspiration from the greats of soul, funk, blues and jazz. The band formed in 2017 and have been steadily growing their style since. “I think this bill is very interesting because we have surf rock and roll with Wildframes, us doing our soul thing and Floridamen doing their folk thing,” Holt said. “It brings a variety of people to the show.” The band has worked toward an album that they will release this fall. “We are tracking pretty much all of the hits that we’ve been playing for the past year,” Philip Tapscott, bassist for Brotha Josh and the Quickness, said. Wildframes, who had released their own album last April, is a band heavily influenced by 60s surf rock. “[Wildframes] have a lot of energy behind their music,” Tapscott said. Holt explained they are interesting because they are different from a lot of the music in the area.
Caleb McCluskey | Printz
“We are definitely heavy, garage rock with heavy surf influence and we are pretty unique in that respect.” William Bird, drummer for Wildframes said, “Our personality is also pretty different.” Bird explained these differences stem from Wildframes vocalist Leeann Rogers’ eccentric stage presence, often throwing party favors into the crowd and dressing in costume to inject her personality into the music.
“When I first came to Hattiesburg, I thought there wasn’t much here,” Bird said. “Once [I] started going to other places, I found that there was a thriving music scene, and as a student, it would be awesome to see more of my fellow students at these shows.” “There are few bands that really do folk rock,” Holt said. “Floridamen has that category with them which I think is very interesting.” Flordiamen is a 4-piece alt-country band
have been together for about two years. Floridamen blend country, folk and rock in a way wholly unique to themselves. Keyboardist for Floridamen Joel Gallaspy said the differences in genres between the three bands exemplifies Hattiesburg’s diversity. “[The show] definitely has a lot of different genres, but it works because you have a local music scene that supports its bands,” Gallaspy said.
Would like to inform Students, Faculty and Staff of changes to Traffic and Parking Regulations and the availability of parking lots/spaces, as well as other information you need to know for the 2018-19 academic year.
PAYNE CENTER PARKING LOT - With the construction of the USM Volleyball and Wellness Center Complex underway, approximately 200 commuter parking spaces in the west half of the Payne Center parking lot are not accessible for parking. The spaces will be blocked until the construction project is completed in late 2019. The exact net gain/loss of parking places is not known at this time. For the safety of all, please stay outside of the boundaries of the construction fence and observe all directional signage in the area.
USM and the City of Hattiesburg have partnered to add a Hub City Transit route that is internal to USM’s Hattiesburg campus. All active students, faculty, and staff can ride at no charge with a valid university ID card. Without an active ID, fares on the Hub City Transit system are only 50-cents. The system will operate Monday through Friday, 7:30 am until 6:30 pm, starting from the Hillcrest gravel parking lot and stopping at set points all across campus. Students can take advantage of the perimeter Open Zone parking lots and ride to the heart of campus. As an additional benefit, there are transfer points along the Gold Route where you can connect to other lines of the Hub City Transit system, creating improved transit access all over the City of Hattiesburg. If you have questions, please refer to the contact information at www.usm.edu/parking For more information regarding the Hub City Transit system and its other routes, please visit www.HattiesburgMS.com Interactive Hub City Transit Map: https://bit.ly/hctroutes
•Warning citations will be issued for non-registered vehicles on the first violation only; no other warning citations will be issued in the academic year. •Faculty and staff spaces are outlined in lime green. •The license plate recognition system verifies if a license plate is registered and a virtual parking permit has been purchased. If Parking and Transit Services is unable to view/access the license plate number or VIN number, the vehicle is subject to a citation, boot or tow. Please visit the Parking and Transit Services website for tips (PDF) about registration, specialty tags, VIN number, adding a vehicle, etc...). •Be sure to validate that you have registered your vehicle, purchased a virtual parking permit and reviewed your information before you submit and complete the process. •Please keep your email receipt for your records. It will contain your virtual parking permit number. •All vehicles parked on university-controlled properties/teaching research sites must adhere to the Traffic and Parking Regulations.
The University of Southern Mississippi hereby gives notice of enactment of the University’s Traffic and Parking Regulations for the academic year 2018-19, in effect on the Hattiesburg (Hattiesburg, Miss.) and Gulf Park (Long Beach, Miss.) campuses and at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (Ocean Springs, Miss.), including the Halstead Road and Cedar Point locations. These rules and regulations are enacted by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, state of Mississippi, and are effective from and after Aug. 15, 2018. The full text of such rules and regulations are on file at usm.edu/parking, and a hard copy is on file at the Department of Parking and Transit Services in McLemore Hall on the Hattiesburg campus, the Department of Parking and Transit Services office on the Gulf Park campus, and the Oceanography Building at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
OPINION SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM
Dear freshmen, here’s what to expect LANIE LEACH
PRINTZ REPORTER aking up at 6:30 this morning and driving through early morning traffic wasn’t fun. Being a few minutes late to class due to said traffic was, as you may have guessed, not fun. But welcome back to school Golden Eagles! It’s going to be a great year! Since I have now begun my sophomore year, I thought I would bestow all of my wisdom that I’ve accumulated throughout freshman year to all the new Eagles here on campus. So, without further ado, here is what to expect during your first few weeks at Southern Miss. First, understand how you learn and how you study best. College and high school are definitely
not the same at all. Things are much more fast paced, and that being said, some teachers allow you to miss class, though that does not mean that you should. It’s up to you to grow up and make sure you are taking care of yourself. College is where most people meet their best friends and future spouses, but this is also where you will get an education to further your future career. Now, don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have fun. If you are the kind of person that likes to throw yourself into your studies then great, but that doesn’t mean you should keep your nose in a book for four years. Go to the football games, make some friends and make memories too. Basically, what I’m trying to say is to find a happy medium. Speaking of football games, if you have never been to a Southern Miss game, you need to know a few key things. Most importantly, whenever John Cox, the voice of the Golden
Eagles, says, “Southern Miss,” the correct call back is to yell “To The Top” at the top of your lungs, which usually happens after a first down. It took several games before my boyfriend and his roommate caught on, so don’t worry if you miss it the first few times. Hattiesburg is no stranger to random weather occurrences. One minute it’s sunny and the next you are running to your next class in a torrential downpour. Take a rain jacket or umbrella everywhere, or you will probably get soaked. Hattiesburg is also known for our incredible drivers. Just kidding, they’re all terrible. Even you will most likely become a horrible driver, solely through association. Hattiesburgers do not particularly pay much attention to the colors of stoplights, so just be prepared to slam on your break whenever driving, especially down Hardy and 4th Street. People on campus also have their own little
quirks, or should I say the people who “visit” campus. During the first few weeks of classes, be prepared to walk through Shoemaker Square and witness a group of self-proclaimed Christians chanting hate speech to anyone that walks by. You will also notice groups of students denying everything that group says. So power to you guys! You’ll learn that college is really hard sometimes, and I don’t mean just the academics. You’ll struggle with making friends at first, and that’s okay. You’ll struggle with time management. You’ll miss your friends and family back home. It’s okay because you are not alone in any of this. I was a freshman too, and I’ve been there. You’ll be fine as long as you jump out of your comfort zone, spread your new-found Eagle wings and soar to the top.
Freshmen review Golden Eagle Welcome Week MARISSA HAAS PRINTZ REPORTER
olden Eagle Welcome Week (GEWW) serves as an official introduction and welcome week for first-year students to the Southern Miss campus. GEWW gives students a chance to meet new people, familiarize themselves with the campus and interact with both freshman and upperclassmen students. “I loved GEWW so much. It was so much fun,” Dominique Moore, business administration major, said. “It was really helpful with getting to know and meet people. That was the best part. I love the spirit. It’s just awesome. I also really liked my GEWW leaders.” One of the most time-honored traditions of GEWW is the painting of the Eagle Walk by students. “It was a lot of fun,” Jordan Maxwell, chemistry major, said. “My favorite part was definitely painting the Eagle Walk. We were running out of time on some of the things, and we didn’t get to go to all the panels.” For some students, what GEWW group they’re placed in can either make or break their experience. “I liked my group,” Leonard Welch, accounting major, said. “They welcomed me with open arms and made me see how friendly it is here, compared to where I come from. I loved the talent show. There’s a lot
of talented people here, and I like that they recognized that.” Not all students had a great experience with their group, though. “My only negative situation with GEWW is that my leader had an attitude, because my group didn’t ask a lot of questions,” Zyhkiria Howell, broadcasting journalism major, said. “Other than that, I had a good time.” When asked about their GEWW experience, some students found that participating in GEWW events could be exhausting, mentally and physically. “I’m a homebody,” Marissa Theodore, foreign language licensure major, said. “I don’t like big crowds, so I tried to at least attend half the day. It was good for some parts. I didn’t really like the walking. I feel like they spaced their events out on purpose. I’m not very fit, so walking was not my strong point. I didn’t wear comfortable clothes the first day, so I was dying, but the rest of it was good.” A positive benefit of GEWW was that it gave some students the chance to explore the campus atmosphere before the start of classes. “GEWW gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of new people here,” Leonard Welch, accounting major, said. “It gave me the opportunity to tour this campus. It also gave me an outlook on how college would be.” “GEWW helped me know where everything was at, because all of the meetings were in the halls that my classes were in,” Howell said.
Hannah Beaver | Printz
Students participate in the painting of the Eagle Walk.
Overall though, many students felt GEWW was an enjoyable experience. “It was a really great experience and I really liked how you could see the history of Southern Miss,” Taylor Boykin, speechlanguage pathology major, said. “It made
you feel very at home. I’m from Mobile, so I didn’t really think I was going to fit in with everybody. But you can really see how everyone has their own little personality and they can all mash in to make one big family.”
OPINION SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM
Mollie Tibbetts: every woman’s fear personified LANIE LEACH
PRINTZ REPORTER
hen walking to my car, to class or to my front door, I always have my keys with me. Most people do, in fact. The difference is what I hold with my keys-mace and a defense keychain. The reason being is that I often don’t feel safe. It’s not just me, though. The girl sitting next to you in your night class does not feel safe walking back to her dorm at night. The girl across the room in the library at 10 p.m. hates walking to her car so late because she does not know what will happen along the way. The girl walking really fast to her car in the parking lot at the mall does not feel safe. It is hard for girls to feel safe today after hearing of abductions, dates gone wrong and so many other horror stories. One of the most recent of those being the story of Mollie Tibbetts. Tibbetts was a collegiate woman at Iowa State University. She had a boyfriend and she liked to run. It’s fair to say that she lived a fairly normal life. Until one day she went missing while on a run and was gone for more than one month before her body was discovered. Cristhian Bahena Rivera was arrested following the discovery of Tibbetts’ body and admitted to murdering Tibbetts. Rivera stated that he saw Tibbetts running and began to pursue her. Tibbetts told him she would call the police if he did not leave her alone, making Rivera angry. Rivera claimed that he then blacked out and later woke up in an intersection in rural Poweshiek County, Iowa. After interviewing a few women on Southern Miss’ campus, it is clear that this story embodies the fears of women all over the country. “Being a woman from New Orleans, I was taught from a young age to watch my
(Pictured: Mollie Tibbetts)
Courtesy Photo
cup, watch my friends, watch the men I’m in contact with and watch my location,” Rebecca Reed, sophomore and early childhood education major said. “[Mollie Tibbetts’] story heightens my senses and hits me with the realization that Molly was someone who was my age, involved in many of the same organizations as I am in, and was just as close to her family as I am today. Mollie’s story helped me recognize that the world is scary.”
“Mollie’s story affects me because she was someone my age,” Gracie Toler, senior business management major, said. “When I was running on the [Longleaf Trace] last week, I was approached by a man who flagged me down as I was running. He was asking me all sorts of odd questions and finally asked if I’d be coming back by. I was hesitant and told him, ‘Possibly in a while.’ “He then insisted that he would wait
for me,” Toler continued. “I thought that maybe he would have gone and left the trace or continued walking farther down. As I was headed back I saw him in the distance sitting on a bench, waiting. I made a point to call my sister and just kept running by without acknowledging him. He then followed me for a minute or two and finally gave up. I didn’t stop running though until he was fully out of sight. The whole thing is just so eye opening that you need to be 100% aware of your surroundings. I always like to assume the good in strangers, but these signs just rubbed me so wrong. I am now more conscious about who is around me.” “Mollie’s story affects me because it makes me feel even more unsafe,” Hanna Robertson, sophomore education major, said. “Anything can happen. We have all heard our parents warn us about that, but you never really think it could happen to you. This just hits so close to home. A 20-year-old girl going missing after a run, just to be found dead a month later. It could have easily been me, or any other college girl. It wakes you up a bit.” “Mollie’s situation really makes me feel sad. Like, she was only two years older than me,” Caroline Douglas, freshman journalism major, said. “Every time something like this happens, it just makes me feel more unsafe, but in a sad way. It’s almost like a new normal, like all of this happens and we accept it as a part of what happens to young women, and she’s used as a cautionary tale. She’s a person, you know what I mean? But now she’ll just be an example, story, or cautionary tale for young women trying to live in a world where we’re consistently preyed on.” Tibbetts’ story is not an immigration story, and it’s is not just a cautionary tale. Her story should awaken our society as a whole, to the fact that women have the fear of being kidnapped, raped or beaten, but we should not have to be so afraid. Things need to be changed, and that change needs to happen now.
All that glitters isn’t gold during recruitment KARIGAN TEER PRINTZ REPORTER
here is obviously no way to appease every type of person when it comes to a national organization. However, it seems like the only type of person to which sororities market themselves is… me: upper-middle class and white. We have all seen the glittering recruitment videos full of beautiful, giggling women, all smiling and hugging each other as if it is the best day of their lives. After watching the recruitment videos shared onto the Southern Miss College Panhellenic Council Facebook Page, I was left with one lingering thought, “all of these girls look the same.” I certainly do not think this is done purposefully, nor am I under the impression that there is zero diversity in each chapter. I am aware that there are women of color, members who have different body types and people who come from radically different backgrounds. As a whole though, I do not believe the minority is who the sororities aim to recruit. I should preface this by saying I do not have any sort of personal vendetta against sororities or sorority recruitment. I have never, and will never participate in the recruitment process, but not because I think sororities are “bad”. On the contrary, I believe sororities have the capability
to create a rich environment of diverse, successful women-as long as every woman is given a fair chance. Sororities offer a strong group of women who pride themselves on uplifting each other, the opportunity to help one’s own community via philanthropy and lifelong advantages of networking. I often hear stories from women who believe their decision to pledge a sorority was the best decision of their lives. I wholeheartedly believe these women, but it makes me think about the fact that, prior to recruitment, some potential new members (PNMs) are already at a disadvantage due to their appearance or financial situations. Each sorority has different values it claims to uphold. Most of them say they support individuality, but it seems like each year, every PNM is forced into this group-think mentality of dressing the same, acting the same and thinking the same. I know this is not the case for every member of every sorority at USM, but I think in order to get rid of the stereotype of “skinny white sorority girl”, the sororities should aim to get rid of the videos full of bubbles and glitter and focus on sharing their ideologies and diversity. Luckily, recruitment has positively changed in recent years. According to two anonymous USM students who were previously involved in Greek life, the recruitment process has taken on a more “no frills” approach. Instead of doing “skit days” where the members are essentially bombarding the PNMs with the glitz and glam of each sorority, they are
Courtesy Photo
doing “sisterhood day”, which, according to the Southern Miss CPC website, allows the PNMs to learn about the friendships and personalities in each chapter. Even some of the recruitment videos include members talking about what makes their sorority unique and inclusive.
The recruitment system is not inherently a bad one, but in my opinion, it simply needs to be updated. More emphasis on the values of each chapter, along with testimonies from members with diverse backgrounds would likely make it easier for PNMs to truly feel welcome.
ENTERTAINMENT SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM
‘Sweetener’ may be Ariana Grande’s best album CARLTON MCGRONE ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
ppearing just after her more steamy, sensual album “Dangerous Woman,” the rising star Ariana Grande slows down her good vibes in order to throw her heart on display in her latest pop, love-sick album, “Sweetener.” Grande may have had the smoothest transition from television to a successful pop career of any modern cultural sensation, and her solo act shows no sign of slowing down with the release of “Sweetener.” With each track offering different tastes of her usual pop-style, there’s a little bit here for everyone. The wildly popular singles Grande initially released prior to the launch of “Sweetener” were clearly just a taste for what fans could expect upon encountering the album’s various sounds. Starting off with the abridged, smooth a capella cover of “An Angel Cried,” Grande sets out to show that there are plenty of sides to her other than her predominantly fast-paced love songs. “Raindrops” serves as the perfect introduction to this album dedicated to bursting feelings of passion and more than likely displays her feelings for comedian Pete Davidson. “Raindrops” has quickly become a fanfavorite of the album with audiences begging for an iconic full cover of this ancient tune. Upon the album’s first listen, moving down the track-list is such an effortless, almost mindless task as Grande’s tunes tend to blend together and blur into a story dedicated to evoking high emotions. “Blazed” with Pharrell Williams sets a low bar with a fast beat and infectious lyrics that ultimately cumulate into a song that can be fun to dance to rather than sing. “The Light is Coming” is a lessthan-favorable jam featuring the fluctuating Nicki Minaj, and “R.E.M” is best left to the Queen Bey herself rather than Grande’s soft voice. The true meat of the album begins with her
single “God is a Woman.” Grande finally bursts from her cocoon of romance and emerges as a realized sexual being. Surprisingly explicit, even considering the tracks on her previous album, “God is a Woman” is really where “Sweetener” starts to portray Grande as a young, powerful woman in love who’s not afraid or apprehensive about making a spectacle of her passion and sexual desires. The headliner of the album, “Sweetener,” is the most surprising addition to her discography, to say the least. In this, Grande moves from a powerful, beautifully orchestrated tune to a song that’s indescribable even after its first listen. A song that seems to literally explain how Grande likes “the way he licks the bowl,” “Sweetener” seems to be the perfect follow-up to “God is a Woman.” It provides a similar rhythm behind suggestive, sensual lyrics that continue the hyper-sexual trends of the album. Every following song is a highlight for their own reasons with only “Borderline” bringing down the album with a generic set of lyrics and rhythms. Fanfavorite “Breathin” shows all the signs of being her next hit, and “Successful” shows the artist bragging about her growing fame while also boosting up the self-confidence of women around the globe. “Better Off” serves as the perfect crescendo before Grande concludes the album with three of the strongest songs she’s released thus far. At just over three minutes, “Goodnight n Go” feels so short and incomplete, yet it’s packed with woeful emotions that come along with parting ways with someone, whether it’s for one night or forever. Grande fans simply want more of this stand-out tune, but its briefness cannot compare to the oneminute song “Pete Davidson,” a ballad dedicated to her fiancé. “Pete Davidson” may just be the most beautiful song of the album, and its conciseness seems to build on that blissfulness. With her declaration that he is, in fact, her soulmate, Grande formally addresses her relationship in the most sincere and cordial way while inviting her fans to share in this whirlwind of emotions after a random, lifechanging encounter.
Courtesy Photo
Her magnum opus of sorts, “Get Well Soon” is maybe Grande’s finest creation to date. Though it may never make it to mainstream success of her more poppy tracks suited for radio, “Get Well Soon” blends a myriad of sounds and Grande’s styles into a song dedicated to those affected by anxiety and mental illnesses. Just the song’s first verse perfectly captures what it may feel like to be physically here on Earth but floating in a terrifying, unknown space. As a dedication to those that lost their lives at
her Manchester concert, Grande also tacked on 40 seconds of silence, bringing the album to a close with its final tune being five minutes and 22 seconds, the date of the tragic bombing. Much like an intimate lover that wants to comfort a significant other, Grande packs “Get Well Soon” with encouraging lyrics that she hopes will comfort anyone who hears them. In its own way, this wrap up to “Sweetner” is its own separate love letter that can be passed along, no matter the relationship.
‘Disenchantment’ is no ‘Futurama’ or ‘Simpsons’ WILL VEAZEY
PRINTZ REPORTER etflix’s new original animated series “Disenchantment” is the baby of “The Simpsons” and “Game of Thrones.” The show takes place in a contemporary medieval-fantasy world dominated by magical creatures and feudalism and follows an alcoholic princess, her guardian demon and an elf. Right off the bat, in episode one I got the sense that there was something acutely different about this show. Although “Disenchantment” made me genuinely laugh, I felt that it missed the mark on some of its characters.
The story is fantastically written. As far as I am aware, there are not any truly funny medieval shows or movies out there, which is a shame considering the amount of hilarious jokes that can be written about the fantasy genre and the medieval time period. “Disenchantment” brings that landscape into the forefront, and everything seems to align perfectly for an incredibly funny show. However, the characters are, for some reason, not that funny. Some of the best jokes in the season are the little things happening in the background that you may not have noticed, such as in the first episode when everyone carries on normally despite the destruction happening around the citizens. I do not remember many occasions
The Southern Miss vs. Jackson State Football game will be Saturday, Sept. 1. Century Park North and Pete Taylor parking lots will close at noon. Physical Plant parking lot will closed at 4 p.m. All vehicles in these locations must be moved no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 31. Students who park their vehicles at Century Park North will not be allowed back into the lot until 6 a.m. Sunday morning. All other vehicles parked in restricted areas must be moved by 8 a.m. on game day (Saturday). Any vehicle not moved will be towed at the owner’s expense.
PARKING IS AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS:
If a vehicle is towed for a football game, a towing fee must be paid to Parking and Transit Services before the vehicle is released. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Parking and Transit Services 601.266.5447 or 601.266.4943
Courtesy Photo
when the main characters truly made me laugh. To put this into perspective, in the show “Rick and Morty” the characters are without a doubt the unifying factor, which makes the show as a whole incredibly funny. For whatever reason, however, “Disenchantment” does not have nearly the amount of charm that other successful shows have. The characters are without question the reason for this lack of spark. Matt Neal of ABC Radio Australia put it perfectly when he said, “[The show is] boldly different to Groening’s other work, while looking and feeling familiar. It’s short of greatness, but engaging enough to warrant returning for season two.”
Because the project is so different and frankly such a risk for the show’s creator Matt Groening, it deserves respect in its own right and deserves a second season to see where the story ends up. It is absolutely not fair to try and compare this work to “The Simpsons” or “Futurama” because of how drastically different this show is lined up to be, and it’s been a task in and of itself to refrain from doing so. All in all, “Disenchantment” missed the mark on how great it could be. Though, that does not mean the show is not entertaining. It is much better than most shows out there, yet it’s missing something that would make it great.
SPORTS SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM
Golden eagles go 2-2 in Rebel Invitational BRAD CROWE
PRINTZ REPORTER outhern Miss’ volleyball team traveled to Oxford to compete in the Rebel Invitational Volleyball Tournament hosted by Ole Miss from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2. The Golden Eagles finished the weekend with a 2-2 record in four games versus Ohio State, Little Rock, Samford and Ole Miss. Its first competition on Friday was a backand-forth battle against the Ohio State Buckeyes in which the Golden Eagles fell just shy of victory, 3-2. After winning sets one and three and losing sets two and four, Southern Miss dropped the fifth and final set by a score of 15-9. Senior Kylie Grandy led the Eagles with 21 kills and a .302 hitting percentage in the match. The second contest of the weekend pitted Southern Miss against Little Rock on Saturday, Sept. 1, and the Golden Eagles handed the Trojans their first defeat of the season. Junior Catherine Repsher registered three service aces and a .538 hitting percentage, while Grandy tacked on an additional 21 kills to her weekend total. Southern Miss won their second match on Saturday in another five-set battle against the Samford Bulldogs. After dominating the first two sets, the Eagles dropped sets three and four but salvaged the win with a 15-13 victory in the fifth. The victory set them up to face the host team Ole Miss Rebels on Sunday afternoon. After building early leads all weekend long, the Golden Eagles got to play the role of comeback kids on Sunday, winning sets three and four to force an epic fifth set showdown. However, the home team Rebels ultimately won 15-10 in the final set. Overall, the Eagles led in assists, digs, blocks and kills against a
(Pictured from left to right: Kellie Garraway, Catherine Repsher, Madison Lawler.)
Hannah Beaver | Printz
very talented, one-loss SEC opponent. Grandy stuffed the stat sheets over the weekend with 83 kills and three aces in the Golden Eagles’ four matches during the invitational. She’s now posted a season total of 121 kills and 10 served aces, and boasts a .301
hitting average through seven contests. After sweeping three opponents last week and splitting four games this week, the Golden Eagles now have a 5-2 overall record on the young season, placing the team in a tie with UAB for second in the Conference USA
standings behind UTSA, Florida International and Rice, who are in a three-way tie for first. Next weekend they will travel to Tallahassee, Florida where they are scheduled for three more contests against Florida A&M, Florida State and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Southern Miss extends streak to four wins DARRELL REESE JR. PRINTZ REPORTER
he Southern Miss Golden Eagles (3-1) defeated the Grambling State Tigers (1-4) with a final score of 4-3 at Grambling State University on Aug. 31. With the win, the Golden Eagles extended its winning streak from two games to three. Southern Miss came out firing early with senior Ashton Stennis scoring a goal to make it 1-0 in the 10th minute. Sophomore JoAnnie Ramos had the assist on the goal. Grambling State then responded by tying the game up 1-1 at the 23:47 mark. On the same end, Grambling State’s Sarah Dunbar scored on an assist by Jordan King in the 29th minute, making it 2-1. That score was Grambling State’s first and only lead of the ball game. Before the half ended, Ramos scored on a free kick from 25 yards away. That score allowed the teams to enter halftime with the game tied 2-2. After halftime, the Golden Eagles came out in full force, with sophomore Miah Zuazua putting Southern Miss back on top 3-2 after drilling a penalty kick in the 62nd minute. Zuazua has been a consistent scorer for the team this season and it showed again. Zuazua has scored at least one goal in each of team’s wins so far and leads C-USA with
a total of five goals this season. Senior Hannah Abrams found the back of the net with less than two minutes remaining in the game and scored with the assist from sophomore Keely Hoppmeyer to put the Golden Eagles up 4-2. With 1:17 remaining in the game, Grambling scored again making it 4-3. Still, Southern Miss held on for the win. On Sept. 2, Southern Miss went head-tohead with Southeastern Louisiana University for the second game of a five-game road trip. Sophomore Miah Zuazua was not shy about getting her team on the board, as she gave the Golden Eagles its first and only point of the night with a goal in the 16th minute of the contest. Zuazua’s goal is of the sixth of the season for C-USA’s leading scorer. During the second half, Southern Miss redshirt freshman goalkeeper Sarah Preston showed off her vertical skills when she saved the tying goal for Southeastern with 16:36 remaining in the game. Southeastern had seven total shots, compared to Southern Miss’ six, but Southern Miss had five shots on goal to Southeastern’s four. The final score was 1-0 in favor of Southern Miss as they increased the winning streak from three to four. Southern Miss is set to face Stephen F. Austin in Nagodoches, Texas on Sep. 7 at 7 p.m. Devon Dollar | Printz
Miah ZuaZua scores against Grambling State and Southeastern.
SPORTS SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM
Five takeaways from season-opening win GRANT CHIGHIZOLA
helping determine the rotation for the rest of the season.
SPORTS EDITOR
uring Southern Miss’ 55-7 seasonopening victory against Jackson State on Saturday night, many concerns surrounding the team were put to rest while a few new questions popped up. Below are some of the biggest takeaways from the game.
4. Defense is still racking up turnovers In 2017, the Southern Miss defense recorded 18 total turnovers. Tonight, the defense continued to generate turnovers and took advantage of those opportunities, notching four total turnovers in the contest and scoring 21 points off of turnovers. One of the defensive highlights of the game was when senior defensive back Xavier Marion scooped up a fumble for a score in the second quarter and took it 26 yards for a touchdown. Southern Miss also prevented the Jackson State defense from reaching the 100-yard mark of total offense until the third quarter, with the Tigers finishing with only 118 yards through the air. The overall performance of the secondary against Jackson State was solid and a good sign for things to come.
1. Quez Watkins is the go-to option at wide receiver. Against the Tigers, Watkins lived up to the hype that surrounded him during the offseason. The sophomore receiver was quarterback Jack Abraham’s go-to target during the game. In the first half, Watkins grabbed seven passes for 114 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He finished the game with 138 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. Watkins found much of his success during the game by getting into open space while running comeback and curl routes. In addition to his role on offense, Watkins flashed his special teams potential with an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter. After the game, Watkins talked about the rapport he and Abraham have developed so far. “Me and Jack have been at it since the summer, since he got here,” Watkins said. “This week, we’ve just been staying after practice and making sure everything is on point.” 2. Abraham is settled in at quarterback At one point this offseason, sophomore quarterback Jack Abraham was in a crowded competition for the starting quarterback position. However, due to Keon Howard’s transfer and Kwadra Griggs’ suspension, the sophomore signal caller has found himself as the Golden Eagles starting quarterback to start the 2018 season. Abraham showed that he maintains a solid grip on that job with his solid performance against Jackson State, completing 21-of-27 passes for 242 yards and four touchdowns. Abraham looked accurate on most of his throws on the night and often found wide open receivers against
5. Is there a possible backup quarterback controversy in the cards?
Brad Crowe | Printz
Southern Miss football players celebrate after touchdown.
the Jackson State defense. Due to his team’s large lead in the second half, Abraham was pulled in the third quarter and was replaced by redshirt freshman Marcelo Rodriguez, who split time with Tate Whatley for the rest of the game. While there is much more football to be played, Abraham had as good of a debut as one can have. 3. Running game still unsettled With so many talented running backs on the roster this season, the expectation all along was for the offense to employ a committee approach at the running back position. The team did just
that against Jackson State. Early on in the first half, junior Tez Parks and senior T’Rod Daniels split time in the backfield. Although the team finished with 202 yards on the ground, many of those yards occurred in garbage time. Southern Miss also did not reach the 100yard mark in terms of total rushing yards until the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, the team stuck to the committee approach, and the high score allowed sophomore Steven Anderson and freshman Trivensky Mosley to receive carries in the second half. While the running game against Jackson State may not have been what fans are used to seeing, allowing multiple players to get carries is beneficial to
Once Abraham left the game in the third quarter, Marcelo Rodriguez initially took over at quarterback. However, the redshirt freshman threw an interception on his first career pass and finished the night with two interceptions. True freshman Tate Whatley also saw game action in the second half. While he did not record a pass, he showed promise in the run game, running four times for 41 yards and a 15-yard rushing touchdown with 2:48 left to play in the game. Southern Miss Head Coach Jay Hopson said that the plan all along was for Rodriguez and Whatley to both receive snaps if the opportunity presented itself during the game. “I think one of the things we’ve got to always work on is developing as many players as we can,” Hopson said. “At quarterback for sure is no exception, so it was good to see those guys in action. I really thought Tate had a good second half.” Overall, Whatley seems to be the player who will be first in line on the depth chart behind Abraham. However, nothing is officially set in stone, and Rodriguez may get a few more opportunities during the season.
Cross Country opens season with win ANDREW ABADIE EXECUTIVE EDITOR
he Southern Miss cross country team opened its season for the second year in a row with a win at the Mississippi College Opener on Friday, Aug. 31. “Overall we had a really solid day,” Head Coach Aaron Kindt said. “We were well prepared. The group that has looked sharp in practice really came and executed well today.” The race served as a rust buster for the team, as they faced light competition running against Samford University, Blue Mountain College, Mississippi College, Grambling State, Jackson State, Millsaps College, Alcorn State, Philander Smith College, Mississippi University for Women and the University of Alabama. Several runners sat out of the meet, most notably two of the top five runners from last season: sophomore Kate Mattox and junior Savannah McMillon. In addition, freshman Kayelee Payton and transfer Sandra Szpott also sat out of the meet. “We didn’t run our full roster today, but we looked really good effort-wise,” Kindt said. “We have a lot to build off of from
today, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what this team has this fall.” The Golden Eagles placed five runners in the top 10 despite the rainy and muddy conditions. Leading the way for the team was junior Emma Kate Holdbrooks, who finished in second place with a time of 18:23. “Emma Kate Holdbrooks had a really solid summer and we saw this finish coming at the end of track season,” Kindt said. “This was a fantastic opener for her and she’s going to play a big part with this team this fall.” Junior Monika Gebarzewska placed third, junior Regen McGee placed fourth and freshman Lina May placed fifth running times of 18:46, 18:48 and 19:00. “Monika and Regen were really solid and became stronger as the race went on,” Kindt said. “I expect them to be up there later this fall. Lina May, the freshman, a really good first collegiate race from her finishing in the top-10 as our No. 4 runner; an excellent effort from her today.” Rounding out the top five was Sarah McMillon, a transfer from West Alabama, who ran a time of 19:07 to finish in ninth place, respectively. Taking the sixth and seventh spots on the team were Madeline Bell and Theresa Harto, who ran 19:30 and 19:42 to finish in 13th and 16th place, respectively. Finishing eighth and ninth on
Courtesy Photo
Southern Miss cross country team poses with plaque.
the team were juniors Chloe and Rachel Tedder who finished in 26th and 31st place with times of 20:18 and 20:44. Overall, Southern Miss finished with 22 points. Samford took second place with 39
and Alabama finished in third with 75 points. Southern Miss will travel to Nashville, Tennessee to compete in the Commodore Classic hosted by Vanderbilt University on Sept. 15.