October 10,2018

SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • OCTOBER 10, 2018 | VOLUME 103 | ISSUE 07

NEWS•HARRIS & BRENT WIN

SPORTS•BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

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Hannah Beaver | Printz

Meet the 2018 Mr. and Ms. Southern Miss winners.

The Printz sports writers predict 2018-2019 basketball season.

PG 6

PG 12

Ms. Gloria honored as Grand Marshall Bethany Morris | Printz

KARIGAN TEER PRINTZ REPORTER

loria Peterson, food service associate at Southern Miss, can often be found serving comfort food to students at Fresh Food Company. Affectionately called ‘Ms. Gloria’ by Southern Miss students and faculty, Peterson is known for regularly shouting upbeat catchphrases such as “How you percolating,” “It’s Hump-Day” and “It’s Friday!” On Friday Oct. 5, the Student Government Association surprised Peterson by honoring her as the 2018 Homecoming Parade Grand Marshal. As Grand Marshal, Peterson will join one of the university’s oldest traditions and lead the homecoming parade down Hardy Street and through campus as well as choose the winning parade float. “When Ms. Wynde Fits brought up the topic of choosing a 2018 Grand Marshal at one of our homecoming meetings, one person at the table suggested Ms. Gloria before Ms. Wynde could even finish her sentence,” junior elementary education major and homecoming director Asia Montgomery said. “Ms. Gloria is one of a kind. She is truly loved by the Southern Miss student body. She is true to who she is and her beautiful personality will bring joy and happiness to anyone’s day. It never gets old to hear her asking everyone who comes through her line in the fresh “Hey baby, how you percolating?” Fried Chicken Wednesdays (Hump Day) and Catfish Fridays would honestly not be the same without her. Ms. Gloria brings so much positivity to Southern Miss, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Southern Miss would not be the same without Ms. Gloria,” Montgomery said. Peterson has devoted over 26 years to creating a positive atmosphere for students and faculty at Southern Miss. Peterson said her love and compassion for both the students and the university drives her to be happy when she serves students at the Fresh. “I’ve never been to college, but I understand you’re away from home, away from your parents and away from your normal surroundings. You don’t want to come in here and see sad faces. You need a smile every morning, and there’s no harm in smiling,” Peterson said. “How you percolating,” is one of Peterson’s most well-known catchphrases. “God gave me that, she said in regard to the phrase. “He sent that phrase to me years ago, and I’ve been saying it from then on to try to bring a smile to people’s faces.” No matter what, Peterson makes an effort

Ms. Gloria was surprised at the Fresh with the title of Grand Marshall of the Homecoming parade.

to remind students that every day is a great day. Students often say Peterson’s catchphrases and upbeat attitude are their first memories at Southern Miss. “This makes my heart so happy. When I had an 8 a.m. class my sophomore year, Ms. Gloria’s positive attitude made doing things that early in the morning so much easier,” senior English major Katie Miller said. Other students who were present during the surprise mentioned that they have never seen Peterson without a smile on her face. In response, Peterson said, “The more you smile the prettier you’ll be.” Last year, Peterson was named to Aramark’s 2017 Ring of Stars class, which is comprised of frontline employees who proudly serve the company’s customers and consumers. She was selected for her ability to uplift people with a kind word or a warm welcome. Although Peterson’s

influence on students is obvious, she had no idea how important she was to the student body. “I didn’t know people cared about me like this. This is more than an honor; y’all really don’t understand how much this means to me,” Peterson said through tears of joy. “Honestly, I did not expect Ms. Gloria to be as surprised as she was. To see her excitement and those tears of joy really showed her love and appreciation for Southern Miss. When she hugged me and cried on my shoulder, I could feel how grateful she was to be chosen as the 2018 Grand Marshal,” Montgomery said. Students occasionally ask Peterson how she is percolating. “I love when students sneak that in on me. They’ll be waiting for me not to say anything, and they say it. And it makes me smile. I understand why they smile when I say that,” Peterson said. “By the way, I’m percolating just fine.”

•Kavanaugh •Scott Wilson •Aquaman •McGregor Center for Human Rights and Civil Liberties hosts immigration panel MARISSA HAAS

PRINTZ REPORTER

he Center for Human Right and Civil Liberties at Southern Miss hosted a panel Oct. 2 to discuss immigration policies and their effect on the lives of both immigrants and U.S. citizens. “How do you introduce a subject as polarizing as immigration in 2018 and still be balanced? Watch us,” David LeVia, panel moderator, said to introduce the topic. Lilie Bush, junior public relations major and intern for The Center for Human Rights and Civil Liberties, helped organize the panel. “The panel is important because immigration is such a controversial topic,” Bush said. “I believe everyone, including myself, has opinions on immigration without fully knowing what is going on or what we are talking about. The panel provided a nonbiased environment for individuals, especially students, to ask questions and learn more about whichever perspective they advocate.” “The official position of the Mexican federal government is that in term of immigration, we do have a shared responsibility in this phenomenon. I think it’s very important for us to recognize our responsibility and a need to work together,” Lorena Salazar, Consulate of Mexico in New Orleans, said. The Consulate of Mexico works to make sure that immigration and deportation cases are handled in a humane, respectful and legal way. “I can see the human face of what immigration really is,” Salazar said. Salazar’s office helps immigrants with daily decisions they might need to make, like finding hospitals and enrolling their children in school. She also works closely with ICE and DHS officers to ensure that immigrants are being treated fairly. “I think one thing that is often left out of this discussion is that immigrants have families. When you’re talking about arrest, detention and deportation, you’re not just holding one immigrant hostage, you’re usually holding an entire family [hostage],” Patricia Ice, Director of the Mississippi Immigrants’ Rights Association, said. Different government agencies handle different aspects of immigration policies. “Most of what [the panelists] have talked about on dealing with immigration and immigrants is something that ICE itself doesn’t do. The Department of Homeland Security started after 9/11, and it’s the newest department in the federal government. ICE is one of three government agencies that deal with immigration,” Charles Wall, Deputy Chief Counsel for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said.

CONTINUED | PG 3

INTRODUCTION OCTOBER 3, 2018

KASSIE COLEMAN PRINTZ REPORTER

A few USM students are paying for their college education in a particularly controversial way—they are dancing at the Outer Limits. The Outer Limits is Hattiesburg’s local strip club located on U.S. Highway 49. It employs several students as dancers, bartenders and bouncers. “Since my parents don’t give me any financial support for school there is no better job for me. I make enough money to pay for my bills and to pay for tuition at USM,” said a dancer who will be enrolling at USM in the spring. The dancer asked that their name not be identified for safety purposes. Chris Couty, owner of the club, said that he was pleased to have students from both of USM’s campuses working at his club. He said, that it is a positive aspect that the club adds to the community. “Both parties are making money and the students are able to afford an education that

they couldn’t afford with an ordinary job,” Couty said. The dancers earn their pay strictly from tips. One dancer from USM said she can make between $200 to $300 a night. This is much better than the usual minimum wage jobs offered to college students. The women earn tips from stage dances and from private dances. GRAPHIC ON PAGE: One dancer from USM said she can make between $200 and $300 a night. Couty said that customers sitting in the audience can get personal lap dances for $10. There are also booths were the customers and the dancer of their choice can go into for a private dance. This costs the customer $20 if the dancer has on bikini briefs and $40 if is she is nude. Customers are never allowed to touch the women, even in the booths they are required to stay 6 inches away from the girls. Angie Anderson, the bookkeeper, said that the women are very comfortable with their jobs. “We’re all like a family and the women know they are respected and taken care of,” Anderson said.

Lyn Suggs, the manager, said extra bouncers are hired to ensure the dancers’ safety. He said that they take care of the women in more ways than required. After the parking lot is cleared at the end of the night, the bouncers walk the women out to their cars. The city constantly harasses the club and tries to hinder its success in the community. “I just wish that the city would leave us alone because we aren’t doing anything wrong,” Suggs said. A blow came to the club when the city issued an ordinance that said the club could not sell beer. Couty said that before the ordinance, the women were only topless and now most of them dance completely nude. Other domino effects, the age of admission dropped from 21 to 18, and the club has had to advertise more. “We’ve never tried to rub the club in the city’s face, but still the politicians are out for political points and continue to work against us,” Couty said. Couty said, that he knows the increase in advertisement had offended many people. However, until the club is allowed to sell beer

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again, the club would have no choice but to continue advertising as much as possible. “I believe that the beer will be back,” Couty said. He feels that since the club was serving beer before the law was passed, the club should be allowed to continue selling beer. There is an appeal before federal court now and Couty said is very optimistic about the outcome. Jeffrey Hollimon, the Forrest County board of supervisors attorney, disagrees with Couty. He said that research showed that alcohol only enhanced the dangers surrounding the type of entertainment that the club offers. The supervisors made a decision to pass the ordinance to safeguard the property values of surrounding land, not for political reasons, Hollimon said. He also said that passing the ordinance was based on moral and safety issues that the board saw the need to address. Similar ordinances have been upheld by the U.S. district court and Hollimon said that the Outer Limits lawsuit would probably be unsuccessful. The club is open Monday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

NEWS OCTOBER 10, 2018

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The Talk makes debut at Southern Miss JESSICA FIELDS PRINTZ REPORTER

aving become an official student organization during spring 2018, The Talk is one of the newest student organizations on campus. The club dedicated to mentoring young girls in the Hattiesburg community through lectures and spending quality time with the children. Sophomore elementary education major and Co-Vice President Teraviah Jackson said the organization began with a group of five friends who wanted to make a difference in their community. They began volunteering at Aldersgate Mission, a United Way Education Partner focused on scholarship and fostering social development. “While volunteering there we started to notice a couple of girls were getting into arguments on the playground,” Jackson said. “That’s when we knew something had to be done. We became mentors at Aldersgate, and then we decided that maybe we could expand more and create an organization on campus. We got all of our paperwork together, we did all of our interviews and through motivation, consistency and dedication we did it. With those three things, we founded The Talk.” Jackson said the goal of The Talk is to be a listening place where everyone, especially underprivileged youth, can have their opinions and voices heard. “When we realized how the generation is today, we realized how they needed guidance from people closer to their age and not from older people,” sophomore interior design major and

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Co-Vice President Tya Gibbs said. The Talk is currently preparing for its Halloween themed fashion show, The Talk’s Spooky Fashion Show on Oct. 23 in Union B at 7 p.m. The models and designers will be Southern Miss students. The entry fee is $2 or two donated shirts. Proceeds of the show will be donated to girls who attend Aldersgate. Sophomore elementary education major and President Chuna Lott said leading an organization like The Talk is exciting but challenging.

“I won’t say that it has been easy, but I also won’t say that it’s been tough, but it has been a struggle,” Lott said. “I would agree that it was been a struggle, but because we were friends before we started this organization it made it easier for stuff to get done,” Gibbs said. “People have their own part of the organization. People have their own personalities so for me that made this process easier.” Although the members of The Talk are friends, they understand the line between friendship and

business. “I’ve learned that it is difficult to work with other people,” sophomore psychology major Brayla Lawson said. “Especially when you thought it would be easier because we are all friends. But when to come into a situation like this you have to understand that it’s a balance between the two and that there is a line.” To find out more information about The Talk, search for The Talk USM on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

detention center in Texas and had firsthand witnessed mothers being locked up with their children. While detainment and family separation has been a hot topic of 2018 immigration policy, by far the most talked about issue surrounding immigration has been the border wall that President Donald Trump proposed during his election campaign. “We do not believe that the wall will have a permanent effect in terms of immigration and drug trafficking. We also have a trafficking problem in Mexico—arms trafficking. Lots of the murders committed in Mexico are carried out with American arms. A wall would not solve this issue.” Medina said. Medina said that the Mexican and American governments need to work together to solve these problems, as well as promote economic growth. One issue that undocumented immigrants face is having to worry about being detained when they commit minor offenses. Local law enforcement officers can detain immigrants and then transfer them to immigration centers. “It is not the job of local law enforcement to be doing the work of immigration services,” Medina said.

It is also important to note that concerns about immigration is not something that is new. Ice said there were at least two million immigrants deported under Barack Obama’s administration. However, Medina said that immigration laws need to be changed. “Immigration laws have been designed with racist intent. We are criminalizing immigrants from black and brown countries without benefit of due process,” Medina said. As a representative of ICE, Wall said that it is a good idea to question who should be detained and why. Immigration law is not based on morality, according to Wall. If people want to change immigration law, they have that power. “You need to vote and change the law,” Wall said. Southern Miss students have the power to enact change, as well. “You have a very special and significant power within the environment and community that you’re in,” Reginald Virgil, translator at Gulf Coast Latinx Services, said. “Stand firm for what you believe in, fight for change and be that encouragement for others. You cannot expect change if you do not do anything to make it happen.”

CONTINUED FROM PG 1

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1ST * In the parking garage, an individual was reported to be stalking another individual and was found to be in possession of a weapon. The individual was not a student and was arrested. The incident was reported at 5:57 AM and took place until 6:45 AM. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2ND * At 10:21 AM, a student was found in possession of a controlled substance (misdemeanor) at Scott Hall. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3RD * No incidents. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4TH * On Golden Eagle Avenue, a student was found in possession of a controlled substance (misdemeanor) at 1:14 PM. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5TH * At 1:16 PM, an individual was arrested for public drunkenness at Scott Hall. * At 10:39 PM on the third floor of the parking garage, a student was arrested for possession of a controlled substance (misdemeanor) and possession of alcohol by a minor. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6TH * No incidents. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7TH * At Hillcrest Hall, an individual was arrested for public drunkenness at 1:10 PM.

ICE handles both homeland security investigations and enforcement and removal operations, according to Wall. While the original mission of ICE was to prevent acts of terrorism, they have drifted away from their original mission because their operations are influenced by the administration, according to Melinda Medina, Community Organizer at Mississippi Immigrants’ Rights Alliance. “[Trump’s] fear-mongering narrative created a hateful and unwelcoming environment for all immigrants,” Medina said. Panelists were asked if they believed that immigrants should not be deported if they committed a serious crime, which is a pressing topic when discussing sanctuary cities. Medina and Ice both believe that immigrants should be deported if they committed a serious offense; however, there’s some confusion on what a detainable offense is. “It is not a crime to cross the border without authorization unless you’ve crossed several times,” Ice said. Ice also believes that “[Parents] should not be separated from their children and they should not be locked up with their children.” Ice had previously visited an immigration

Margaret Matteson | Printz

Members of the Center for Human Rights and Civil liberties discuss immigration.

NEWS OCTOBER 10, 2018

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Visiting Writers Series brings award-winning poet BENJAMIN ROARK PRINTZ REPORTER

The first ever Latino recipient of the Yale Younger Poets Prize, Eduardo C. Corral, came to the Southern Miss campus on Oct. 3 to read from his award-winning debut collection “Slow Lightning.” Corral is heavily decorated and recognized with a lengthy list of prominent awards within the literary community. He is most noted for his ability to blend the English and Spanish language effortlessly, delicate handling of history and alert examination of sexuality. Corral, who identifies as gay, has become a proud voice to be heard inside and outside of the literary world. Corral described his introduction into poetry as an “accidental discovery,” saying his professor recognized his potential. “He saw something I did not see. He said, ‘I want you to write more poems for me and start reading poetry,’” Corral said. Notable poets like Derrick Walcott and Elizabeth Bishop were suggested for him to read. “That’s where I fell in love writing from reading those poets. Their language stunned me,” Corral said. Head of the English Department, Luis Iglesias, Ph. D, gave Corral a warm welcome to the university when he arrived. “Eduardo Corral is the first Latino recipient of the very prestigious Yale Younger Poet Prize whose list of recipients reads like a who’s who of the most distinguished poets of the last 40 years,” Iglesias said. Iglesias then brought to the stage Adam Clay, an assistant professor of English who specializes in creative writing and poetry. “Eduardo is a wonderful literary citizen. If you follow him on Twitter or Facebook, you’ll see him tweeting amazing things and supporting young writers and doing great things for our community,” Clay said. Corral began with readings from his debut

Blair Ballou | Printz

collection and then gave the audience a preview of his next collection. Corral’s second book comes out in 2020 with Greywolf Press. The tentative title of his second collection is currently selected as “Guillotine.” The floor was then opened for a Q&A session, including a question about the nine-and-a-halfyear process of preparing his collection. “It wasn’t about knowing when it was ready but accumulating enough pages I was happy with,” Corral said in response. “I must have

Eduardo C. Corral, author of Slow Lightning, speaks at Visiting Writers Series.

written enough poems for two manuscripts, but I kept jettisoning ones that I knew were not as strong as the other poems.” Several questions followed which Corral aptly reporting back in-depth answers which showed his proficiency and ability to convey information effectively. His answers garnered nods of the head from an audience that unanimously agreed with his enlightening replies. Corral commented that what started as an audience of one has grown into a distinguished

literary career. Corral currently teaches in the Master of Fine Arts program at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is currently a Hodder Fellow at Princeton University. The Visiting Writer Series will wrap-up for the semester on Nov. 15 with poet, essayist and cultural critic from Columbia, Ohio, Hanif Abdurraquib. The event will be free to attend and will be located on Southern Miss’ campus in International Center 101.

Three Bands brought the soul to Soul Fest CALEB MCCLUSKEY PRINTZ REPORTER

he third installment of the Leaf River Fall festivals hosted by WUSM showcased Hattiesburg’s most soulful acts in Soul Fest, which included Brotha Josh and the Quickness, Icemen and the Stooges Brass Band of New Orleans. Much like the previous festivals, Soul Fest started at 3 p.m. Loyal music lovers began to trickle into chain park for the first act. Brotha Josh and the Quickness took the stage with their new lead guitarist, Thomas Catlett. Harrison Cunningham is a senior advertising major. Cunningham enjoyed the show but felt the venue was harder to find than it should have been. “It is a nice thing to do—I just wish it was in a more central location,” Cunningham said, “It is kind of out of the way. I actually got lost getting [to Chain Park] because my GPS didn’t work.” Cunningham appreciated the mellow atmosphere of the festival. He said it fit the mood of the day and was very relaxing. The festival was held at Chain Park in Downtown Hattiesburg. Assistant professor of Entertainment Industry in the School of Communication Jonathan Pluskota, Ph.D., said they chose the park because of its wonderful acoustics. According to Southern Miss Now, Hattiesburg was one of 15 small-to-mid-sized towns to be awarded a grant from the Levitt Foundation in the summer of 2017. The Levitt Amp Hattiesburg series is what brought rise to the Leaf River Fall Festival series. In 2018 Pluskota said he applied for a different grant, which they were not awarded, but the Levitt Foundation stepped in to offer a continuing development grant to keep music going in Chain

Park. Pluskota, with the help of a few colleagues, set up the festivals’ line-ups. “We wanted each week to be themed something different because it sends a message to people so they know what type of music out there.” Each band was given 90 minutes to play on the stage with the show running until 9 p.m. The second band to perform, a six-piece band known as the Icemen, played a little over the time limit. On stage, lead vocalist and bassist Bill “Bass Picker” Harris told his bandmates they would play until they were kicked off stage. Harris said though they played at the Levitt Amp Hattiesburg series last year, they are still more used to playing in a more cramped venue. The Icemen plays at Nick’s Ice House every Thursday. “It’s strange for us to play the big stages. When we play at [Nick’s Ice House], it is a tight little spot.” Harris said “When you take seven or eight of us and squish us in a little stop, its great, and we can hear each other.” J’Marcus Alfred, who works for the University Communication at Southern Miss, is an avid music goer in Hattiesburg. As a photographer, he goes to different shows and venues to photograph bands for fun. Alfred said he thinks it is cool that it’s a free event for the public because it gives people a chance to come out and together. Alfred said he likes events like the Fall Festival because there are not interferences. “There isn’t any real hindrances for me. You can just show up and do what you want to do,” Alfred said, “Obviously, you can’t jump on stage, but no one is going to be like, ‘Hey you, stop taking pictures.’” The next installment of the Leaf River Fall Festival is Future Fest that is centered around up-and-comers in the Hattiesburg music scene, according to Pluskota. Groove House, Floridamen, Midnight Revel and Paul Johnson and the About Last Nights will play at Future Fest Saturday, Oct. 13.

Caleb McCluskey | Printz

Brotha Josh and the Quickness perform.

NEWS OCTOBER 10, 2018

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Circle K committed to serving Hattiesburg BETHANY MORRIS PRINTZ REPORTER

new organization making its way to Southern Miss is Circle K Club. Circle K Club is a nonprofit collegiate service organization and is the world’s largest student-led service organization. With the motto “Making the world better, one project at a time,” Circle K Club is a collegiate version of the service-oriented high school club Key Club. In order for the Circle K Club to be official, there must be 10 Southern Miss student members. For national recognition, there must be 15 participating students. Circle K Club does not stop after college, being a member is a lifestyle. Being involved in this service organization is continual from Key Club in high school to Circle K Club in college and Kiwanis in adulthood. Junior public relations major Jillian Wohlgemuth serves as president. Influenced by her parents being in their local Kiwanis Club, Wohlgemuth joined Key Club. After she graduated from high school, she searched for a new service environment. Wohlgemuth was asked if she would start a Circle K Club on the Southern Miss campus by the Hattiesburg Kiwanis club. Wohlgemuth hopes that Circle K Club will be a diverse and inclusive club. “I hope there is a growth in membership where a member from each demographic is represented in Circle K Club,” Wohlgemuth said. Vice President Nicole Gomez was also a member of her high school’s Key Club. Being from New Orleans, she saw that many people needed help in her community. Gomez is hopeful that this club will thrive and serve the community of Hattiesburg in a great capacity. Freshman nursing major Gomez said she hopes to see the club grow during her next three years at Southern Miss.

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“I am excited about planning and organizing the service projects,” Gomez said. “I hope that we can do projects such as donating stuffed animals to children in hospitals, hosting a bingo night for nursing home residents and tutoring children in an after-school program.” Members will complete at least five hours of service a month. These service projects will benefit the surrounding Hattiesburg

community at least once a month. “By serving the Hattiesburg community, I am working with a diverse group of people that make me love this town even more, and I am able to give back just a small portion of what Southern Miss has given to me,” Wohlgemuth said. The Circle K Club will sponsor the Trunk or Treat in October with Woodly Elementary. In November, Circle K Club plans to partner

with Edward Street Fellowship Center’s food pantry by having a food drive to collect canned goods. The organization encourages everyone who donates to write words of encouragement on the bags that are given to those in need. Circle K Club will have their next meeting at 5 p.m. on Oct. 3. For more information on Circle K Club, follow the group’s Facebook page at Southern Miss-Circle K Club.

October begins Dyslexia Awareness Month ASHLYN LEVINS PRINTZ REPORTER

ctober is Dyslexia Awareness Month. Dyslexia is the most common reading disability and affects 70 to 80 percent of all people with reading disabilities. Even though dyslexia cannot be seen, it is still a disability that affects the everyday life of those who are diagnosed. Although dyslexia affects each individual differently, it makes reading extremely difficult and requires a lot of concentration. Those diagnosed with dyslexia can be slow readers who have difficulty comprehending what they read. Students with dyslexia in grade school are allowed an Individualized Education Program. IEPs give struggling students extra help in whatever way they need. Students with dyslexia will receive help with reading on daily work, quizzes and other assignments because classrooms as a whole will move forward sooner than they are ready. Due to the “slowness” of students with dyslexia experience, they are deemed as dumb or slow by their peers. When a child is diagnosed with dyslexia, it can be a struggle for the whole family. Dyslexia is frustrating for those affected and those around them. A child may have difficult reading something as simple as “The brown dog jumped over the cow.” A child with dyslexia could read the sentence as “The brown cow jumped over the dog.”

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Junior polymer science engineering major Sarah Gaston struggles with dyslexia every day. “It affects me in class when I’m trying to take notes. Like in discrete math because it is word problems and I have always had a hard time trying to pick out the main important facts,” Gaston said. “Also with typing papers, I think a

sentence is fine but when someone revises it, I’m missing words and grammar is off.” Dyslexia is different for everyone. Some see letters “jump” around on the page, while others read sentences in a different structure. A new website, “Dsxyliea—Geon,” created by Victor Widell, simulates what a person with dyslexia

may experience while reading. The idea for the website came from his friend who struggles with dyslexia. For her, she can read, but it takes a lot of focus as the letters would “jump” around. Widell heard of typoglycemia, a term used to describe the cognitive process of reading a scrambled word with only the first and last letter the same. Widell took this idea and applied it to Javascript to make a website that scrambles words and emulates dyslexia. President Donald Trump released a message on Oct. 1 recognizing Dyslexia Awareness month. President Trump encouraged all Americans to become more aware of the disability in order to better support those who struggle from it. “We are committed to improving the learning environments and working conditions for all Americans—especially the creative thinkers and great Americans with dyslexia,” Trump said. Dyslexia is not a disease, therefore does not have a cure. It is a learning disability. Children diagnosed have to learn to live with the disability or fall behind in school. President Trump also promised to make sure resources are fully available to those diagnosed with this disability. “This month, we especially recognize the extraordinary contributions of individuals with dyslexia, and pledge to ensure that any child or adult struggling with dyslexia receives the resources needed to succeed in school and excel in any field,” Trump said. “My Administration remains committed to working with families and schools to improve early identification of dyslexia and benefit from advanced research on dyslexia.”

FEATURES OCTOBER 10, 2018

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Brent and Harris named Mr. and Ms. Southern Miss MARISSA HAAS PRINTZ REPORTER

he Student Government Association of Southern Miss held homecoming elections Sept. 25 and 27. Meet the winners of Mr. and Ms. Southern Miss, Jonathan Brent and Imani

Harris. Mr. Southern Miss Jonathan Brent is a senior accounting major from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Being in close proximity to campus has facilitated a lifelong love for Southern Miss for Brent. Both his parents and grandparents attended Southern Miss, and his grandfather even taught at the university. “Southern Miss has always been in my blood,” Brent said. “I’ve always been here on weekends for games and stuff. Every stage in my life, Southern Miss has always been a vital part in it. My college decision wasn’t hard at all for me.” Being a student at Southern Miss has given Brent a new personal attachment to the institution. Going to sports games on campus and serving the community has been an influential part of Brent’s Southern Miss story. He has served as a member of Southern Style and is a part of the Honors College, Eagle Connection, Eagle Elite, SGA, the IFC board and Pi Kappa Phi, among other organizations. Brent decided to campaign for Mr. Southern Miss to represent the university and encourage student involvement. “I see all the drop-off in involvement—whether that’s a lack of people running for elections, not associating with any organizations, or a lack of people going to and staying at football games,” Brent said. “I think that there’s an increase in the students who may hop in their car, go to class, go back in their car and go home.” Brent hopes to instill a love and sense of pride for Southern Miss in students and change the culture of non-involvement. “I hope you can see that’s kind of the common thread of how much I love and would do for this place, and I hope others can feel that love and divein like that, whether they have one year left, one month left, or all four years left,” Brent said. Brent is appreciative of everyone who voted for him and offered him support through this election. “It’s been one of the craziest weeks of my life,

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but I would love to thank everybody. Know it’s for them and it’s not just for me. Thank you Southern Miss,” Brent said. Imani Harris was elected as Ms. Southern Miss. Harris is a public relations major from Petal, Mississippi. “I am passionate about women, helping them find their purposes and creating spaces for them to explore identity and find their voices. I think my involvement portrays that fact very well,” Harris said. Harris was a part of Southern Style 2018 and is current the student advisor and past president for the Afro-American Student Organization. She is

Jonathan Brent (left) and Imani Harris (right).

also the founder and president of Queens Uplifted, an organization dedicated for creating safe space for black women on campus to explore identity. Harris’ journey to becoming Ms. Southern Miss was a long-running dream. “I decided to run because it has always been my dream to be Miss Southern Miss. My sophomore year it started out as a superficial or shallow thought, but it slowly became a title I truly believed I embodied,” Harris said. Harris originally deterred herself from running because she believed her lack of Greek affiliation would not allow her to win. She said that she is grateful for winning because of the meaning

behind the vote. “This has meant the most to me because of the implications of me winning,” Harris said. “It implies that Southern Miss doesn’t care who you are or where you come from. It implies that you can be and do whatever you want to do at this university. It implies that you can put a little trust in the fact that people will see your work, your heart, and want to reward you for it. It implies that you can trust Southern Miss.” Harris ran a campaign called “Find your Voice,” where she highlighted others’ Southern Miss stories through a blog and other social media platforms. “The ‘Find your Voice’ campaign is an extension of my Southern Miss story,” Harris said. “It’s the idea that Southern Miss takes you where you are, embraces you, loves you, and then places you back and your feet feeling like you are more of yourself than you’ve ever been. This university equips you and helps you to find and learn to use your voice to better yourself, the people here, and this university as a whole.” Like Brent, Harris also wants to help students find their place on the Southern Miss campus and reach their full potential. Harris showcased the stories of prominent student leaders to help inspire those who haven’t found their voice to do so at Southern Miss. “Southern Miss helped me find my voice by giving me the space to create an organization that helped me figure out who I was by helping other women through the processes of finding themselves. I have been able to directly involve myself with helping other people find their voices and create their Southern Miss stories,” Harris said. Harris aims to keep sharing stories of confident, capable student leaders in order to show others that they can find their voices, spaces and community on campus. “This campaign isn’t something that should just stop because the elections are over. I also would love to take this project into the greater Hattiesburg community to help younger students begin to find their voices as well. My Southern Miss story is awesome but it would’ve been a lot less painful if I knew a little bit of who I was before I got here. Students don’t have to wait to decide,” Harris said. Mr. and Ms. Southern Miss will be featured in the homecoming parade at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, and will be recognized at the homecoming football game later that day.

Facing the reality of breast cancer ASHLYN LEVINS PRINTZ REPORTER

reast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer amongst women. According to the American Cancer Society, a woman has a one in eight chance of developing breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. About 266,120 new cases of breast cancer are predicted to be diagnosed by the end of 2018, and roughly 40,920 women will die from it. Cancer is a disease the world works tirelessly to find a cure for. So many diagnoses are made each year that it is difficult to find someone whose life has not been touched by the disease. During junior year of high school, my family took in my aunt who had been suffering from stage four breast cancer. She could no longer care for herself. For two years, my family watched how breast cancer depleted her health and the effect it had on her family and friends. My aunt was in the Army working in intelligence at the Pentagon. She was the hardest working woman I had ever met, and if she wanted to, she could have conquered the world. My aunt owned a ranch, grew most of her food, had the most unfinished DIY projects and raised two boys on her own. She was strong, dedicated, independent and had no problem talking to strangers at the grocery store. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and then again in 2009 with metastatic breast cancer, stage four. For the longest time, my aunt would not let the cancer beat her. She fought every single day until she passed. Along

with being strong and dedicated, she was also as stubborn as stubborn goes. Breast cancer was not going to knock her down. In 2014, her health began to decline rapidly. That is when we decided to bring her in, and that is when the independent and fierce woman I knew had to face the grim reality of breast cancer. For a while, her health—as bad as it was— remained stable. She could move well with a walker, make her own dinner and care for her three dogs. Though her health was failing, her faith grew every single day. Our church family welcomed her with open arms, and they wrote letters and sent meals. It was a blessing during a dark time. During my spring semester of senior year, my aunt’s health was at its lowest, and any day could have been her last. She struggled with giving up her independency and allowing my mom to care for her. It took all she had to get out of bed, but even on her worst days she had a smile. The weekend before graduation we brought in hospice, and after a few days she took her last breath. As I watched her pass, a part of me wondered, “After all the fighting, this is it?” I struggled for a long time trying to come to terms with her cancer. Throughout my senior year, I faced depression because no matter what I did, I could not heal her. During her last few days, my aunt was barely conscious. She could hear us speaking to her, but did not have the strength to eat, drink or open her eyes. The morning she passed I was sitting with her, because that is what we did most of the time. When she passed, it was as if time stopped, and all I could hear was my grandmother saying, “This is it…this is it.” I was angry and heartbroken and lost. I did

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not understand how someone could go through years of battling cancer only for it to be over in a matter of seconds. It was not fair for her to be taken so soon, and I wish I could have had more time with her. Cancer takes everything, and breast cancer

is the most common thief. I do not know when, but at some point during her battle I believe she accepted the possibility of death. One day we will find a cure to cancer, but until then, we must never stop fighting.

OPINION OCTOBER 10, 2018

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MS foster care system ranks last in nation MAKAYLA PUCKETT PRINTZ REPORTER

arlier this year, lawyers asked a federal judge to remove Mississippi’s control from the state’s foster care system. The state has been extended multiple deadlines regarding changes that need to be made to the system. Each time the state has failed to make those changes. Currently Mississippi’s foster care system is ranked last in the United States. This could be partially due to the fact that the state has the highest percent of children in homes that earn poverty level income. As a whole, Mississippi has the highest poverty rate with a total of 20.8 percent falling below the poverty line. Mississippi also has the second highest number of children in single parent families, the second highest child food insecurity rate and the second highest infant mortality rate. According to News Mississippi, there were 6,094 children in the foster care system in April of 2017. As of May 2018, there remained 5,403 children in state custody. These children could be placed in foster care due to abuse, neglect, parental incarceration, abandonment or even voluntary placement. While the number of children in the foster care system fluctuates, the system is widely understaffed and underfunded. In an attempt to salvage the foster care system, the state has been in the process of separating the Department of Child Protective Services from Human Services in recent years. The split is the best solution lawmakers could devise in order to route more money and resources into DCPS itself. At the start of 2017, DCPS was able to hire 478 additional social and case workers. However, the ratio of cases to workers still remains too high. At times, as many as 40 cases are assigned to one employee. This high ratio can also cause low quality service for the children in the system. The safety and well-being of the children of Mississippi should be at the utmost importance to legislators. While there are many issues

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funneling through the state’s congress, the condition of DCPS should take precedent. This is not just another money issue; it can be the difference between life and death or, if nothing else, quality of life. Foster care is meant to serve and protect the state’s youngest citizens who are

in danger. It is also the job of Mississippi residents with a safe, stable and financially secure environment to open their homes to those who need it. Kids should be able to be kids. That means they should not have to worry about where they

are going to sleep or where the next meal is coming from. While Mississippi is considered the poorest state, it is also considered to be the most hospitable. The question remains: How is that reputation being upheld when it comes to our own children?

Kavanaugh hearing emphasizes national division WILL VEAZEY

PRINTZ REPORTER

ustice Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court on Oct. 6, 2018. This confirmation comes after an absolute media circus and heaps of public unrest regarding Dr. Ford and Brett Kavanaugh’s hearing a week before. The Kavanaugh issue is on the minds of most people I talk to on campus. It is absolutely incredible how divided we all are on this issue. My opinion on the Kavanaugh confirmation does not matter. I could write about what I think, but I would just be adding to the infinite cesspool of opinions on this issue. I am not partisan in any way on this issue. I genuinely just want to see America make it through this and remain a place my future children can live in. Our country is more divided than it has ever been, according to studies done by Politico. com, and this Kavanaugh confirmation was the exemplification of just how deep the divisions are. When I watched the hearing, I wasn’t amazed by the testimonies of Kavanaugh or Ford. What amazed me was the level to which Republicans and Democrats fundamentally disagree on every single subject. In the hearing, the senators could not agree on a single thing. This is the same in my experience with talking to liberals and conservatives. Both sides could not disagree more about everything.

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Since America officially became a nation in 1783, there have been political divisions. However, in the past, the parties were able to see the perspective of the other side and make compromises. This was possible because although the politicians of the past disagreed, they respected the other side’s difference of

opinion and respected them as individuals. We have officially departed from any semblance of respect. The problem is greater than us being simply divided. The problem is that Republicans and Democrats don’t respect each other as people. Politics becoming this personal has caused it to become more of an

“us versus you” type of political atmosphere, and it is extremely destructive to the country. Liberals and conservatives alike are both equally guilty. There is no moral high ground on either side. Liberals are too short-minded to open their minds to see where conservatives might be coming from, and conservatives are the same way. I often wonder if the divisions in America can ever be reconciled. For many liberals; all Trump supporters are racist, bigoted, sexist and un-intelligent people. For many conservatives, every liberal is elitist and crazy. How can we share ideas and grow as a nation if we automatically dislike someone with a differing view? It’s impossible. We have to hear each other out. The Kavanaugh confirmation comes as sad news. Though, not because he was confirmed but because of how deranged and insane our country has become. To be honest, I think the Kavanaugh confirmation transcends the politics of it. The confirmation gave America a glimpse of how divided we are, and how much work we have to do to sort this out. If we do not work this out I genuinely believe this is what will destroy our country. It will not be the liberals’ fault, just as it will not be the conservatives’ fault. It will be everyone’s fault who does not realize that we are a family, and we are not getting away from each other. If America is to survive for our grandchildren, we have to learn how to listen and love each other.

ENTERTAINMENT OCTOBER 10, 2018

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‘Venom’ works best as a psychological-horror film CARLTON MCGRONE ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

rom the smoldering dregs that was the destable “Spider-Man 3” comes Sony’s surprisingly decent film in the “SpiderMan” universe, “Venom,” an anti-hero themed film that doesn’t really know what it wants to be. Despite this, the film is tons of fun and provides and entertaining two hours, especially for those that enjoy monstrous alien fights. Going into the film, there wasn’t much hope that “Venom” would turn out to be more than a film moviegoers will look back fondly on before immediately forgetting about it. Unfortunately, “Venom” doesn’t escape this realm of soon-to-be obscurity, but it does have some staying power due to how utterly strange the film is. Rather than constructing “Venom” around the narrative of Spider-Man’s most iconic villain, the film asserts a refreshing psychological-horror plot that will keep viewers interested at least midway through the film. In a completely separate universe from 2007’s questionable “Spider-Man 3” and 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Venom” exists in Sony’s working set of films in their own Spider-Verse. “Venom” follows the incredibly buff reporter Eddie Brock on the case of a lifetime, but when he digs too deep into a powerful organizations dastardly plans, Eddie loses everything. After a mission of space exploration ends in a crashlanding, otherworldly beings called symbiotes are brought to Earth by the crazed Carlton Drake, CEO of the Life Foundation. While his purpose in doing so may seem just, Drake soon reveals himself as a spiraling scientist obsessed with the evolution of mankind. Through a series of admittedly terrifying scenes of torture through forced bonding, the symbiote Venom soon finds his next host in Eddie Brock. Both human and symbiote drive each other to heights unknown to one another until a monumental threat forces the two to cooperate for the fate of the planet. As one can probably tell after stumbling through the film’s busy synopsis, the plot of “Venom” seems to be hanging by short thread, held together only by Tom Hardy’s stellar performance. Though the film’s storyline tells the tale of an evolving set of characters jammed into two hours, its plot is almost non-existent. The film attempts to break away from the beaten path that Marvel and DC have developed

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for superhero movies, the film actually constructs a narrative that goes absolutely nowhere. The film’s main villain, Riot, appears out of thin air, and Eddie’s and Venom’s budding bromance develops much too quickly to be believable. There’s no grand adventure or actual goal in sight for our antihero, leaving no room for interpretation or examination on any issues. This, however, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The movie’s strengths lie in its ability to become so mindlessly entertaining while providing an interesting horror plot in its beginning stages. Several scenes of human experimentation and breaking, contorting body parts will leave viewers squeamish and may even provoke many to look away. The scenes of Eddie’s first few encounters with the parasyte Venom are truly terrifying and nightmare-inducing, and even seeing the way that Venom fights when he’s taken over Eddie’s body mirrors various stellar horror movie tropes.

Audiences will wince and cringe at the way Venom hunts his enemies before viciously tearing off their heads. Eddie’s psychotic episodes only add to the in-depth horror of the film. Truly hitting rock bottom, Eddie begins hearing voices and tearing into raw meat while snarling at passersby and vomiting whatever he consumes. Venom’s effects on Eddie are truly detrimental and may even be a bit scarring to any younger viewers. Though, as a pseudo-superhero flick, there had to be some sort of action in the film, which was not completely disgusting. Considering the full Venom “costume” was completely done in CGI, the many battle scenes with the monstrous alien taking on military forces were decent enough to seem believable. However, Venom’s battle with the symbiote Riot will forever be something of a mess of cinema-magic.

Akin to the clustered battles in the “Transformers” franchise, Venom vs. Riot is a mess of gooey, incomprehensible CGI. Considering their powers are never truly made clear throughout the course of the film, it’s easy to get lost in the morphing limbs. Essentially, closing your eyes during these seems would give the same effect of watching it, which speaks volumes of the movie’s script. Part comedy, part horror, part action-thriller, “Venom” clearly doesn’t know what it wants to be. Though considering the film’s lackluster, predictable ending, the director is clearly on board for a sequel, which is more than certain considering the amount of movies Sony already has planned for its Spider-Verse. While “Venom” will most likely be a box office success, it may leave a similar infamous mark much like its “Spider-Man 3” predecessor.

Bendis heads Wonder Comics for young heroes NATE SCHUMANN COPY EDITOR

C Comics announced a new imprint called Wonder Comics at New York Comic Con 2018 on Thursday, Oct. 4. This new imprint, called Wonder Comics, is set to have the specific purpose of featuring young heroes, both pre-existing ones and ones that are new to the comic scene. Wonder Comics is headed by longtime comic writer Brian Michael Bendis, who will oversee the imprint. Bendis had spent nearly the last two decades working for Marvel Comics, but he formed a contract with DC Comics and started working for DC earlier this year. “[Wonder Comics explores] that moment where you discover who you’re going to be and what your place in life is going to be, but you’re going to have to fight for it,” Bendis said. The stories told under Wonder Comics will take place in the main continuity DC Comics publishes most of its comic book content within. Upon Wonder Comics’ announcement, four ongoing comic titles that the imprint will debut with have been revealed: “Young Justice,” “Dial H for Hero,” “Wonder Twins” and “Naomi.” “Young Justice” is the flagship series for the new imprint, and it will be the first to release in January 2019. The series will be written by Bendis himself and drawn by Patrick Gleason. DC has made a “Young Justice” comic in the past, printing from 1998 to 2003. This series was the first to bring together Robin (Tim Drake), Superboy (Conner Kent), Impulse (Bart Allen) and Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark). Ever since these characters were first grouped together, these four have been consistently with placed together in comics—forming the newest Teen Titans incarnation after “Young Justice” ended. The four, however, have not been seen in comics since their Teen Titans team disbanded in early 2016. “People have been asking for them over and over again,” DC Comics Co-Publisher Dan DiDio said about

the foursome. “But we don’t want to bring them back and have nothing to do with them. It wasn’t until Brian came back and said he wanted to do Young Justice that we decided it was time to bring them back.” “Young Justice” gained more renown after an animated series by the same name gained popularity. The television series has a third season in the works that is set to release soon, and the anticipation for it by fans has kept the “Young Justice” name on their radar. The new “Young Justice” title reunites these four into a new Young Justice team, the team that united them the first time around. Besides these four, the new Young Justice team is set to feature two new characters: Ginny Hex and Teen Lantern. Ginny Hex is the “great, great, great, great granddaughter” of Jonah Hex, a Western hero who operated in the late 1800s and has an established history in DC. Teen Lantern is a young Bolivian girl who has learned how to artificially tap into the Green Lantern Corps’ power source and use similar powers. In addition, Bendis revealed that another preexisting hero, Amethyst of Gemworld, will be joining Young Justice. “Dial H for Hero” is a concept that DC has used in the past. Characters in these stories find an item called the H-Dial, which gives its user the ability to transform into a random hero with a random set of powers. The hero these “H-Dialers” becomes changes each time, and the H-Dialer cannot control what sort of hero he or she becomes. H-Dialers have traditionally been teenagers, with few exceptions. Two H-Dialers, Chris King and Hero Cruz have had affiliations with the Titans. The H-Dialer in the promotional art for Wonder Comics appears to be a new character named Miguel. The series will be written by Sam Humphries and drawn by Joe Quinones. “Wonder Twins” features Zan and Jayna, known as the Wonder Twins, along with their pet alien monkey Gleek. The series will be written by Mark Russell and drawn by Stephen Byrne. The Wonder Twins are young alien heroes who first debuted in the older cartoon “Super Friends” and made their mainstream comics debut in the ‘90s. The Wonder Twins can activate their powers by

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first making contact. Zan has the power to transform into anything related to water in any of its forms. A couple of his most powerful transformations include a frost giant and an ice golem. Jayna can transform into any sort of creature, whether it be a regular animal or a mythical creature, like a dragon of phoenix. In mainstream comics, the Wonder Twins have had affiliations with the Justice League Task Force and Young Justice. The Wonder Twins have never had a comic title before, marking this Wonder Comics title as their first. “Naomi” is a comic title set to feature a brand-new character with the same name. Bendis described Naomi as “a young woman of color who’s growing up in an allwhite town who begins to look into her own pre-adoption

past to discover a secret that will introduce a whole new mythology to the DC Universe with ripple effects stretching across Wonder Comics and other books.” The series will be co-written by Bendis and David Walker and drawn by Jamal Campbell, and the series will debut after “Young Justice” in January 2019. Bendis explained why he approached DC with the idea of an imprint for young heroes. “This is an opportunity to express a lot of themes I was already deal with, with Miles Morales and Riri Williams [at Marvel]; that moment of life when everything is at its most passionate. You’re at your most emotional and most powerful,” Bendis said. “It’s literally a list of things people have been screaming at me to bring to DC Comics.”

ENTERTAINMENT OCTOBER 10, 2018

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Kim Petras gets spooky on Halloween-inspired EP JACK MCCALLUM PRINTZ REPORTER

ising German pop-star Kim Petras surprised fans when she released her new EP “Turn Off the Light, Vol. I” midnight Oct. 1. The EP is perfect for lovers of all things 80s, synth-pop and horror. While Petras delivers a few bops perfect for the season, there is still an icky feeling left when realizing this EP is produced and written by Dr. Luke. Petras was inspired by films like “Halloween” and albums like Britney Spears’ “Blackout,” which is evident in the 80s synth-pop sound present throughout the EP. There is even a feature from Elvira to fully bring forth the Halloween vibe. The EP starts off with the ominous sounding “o m e n” that truly brings forth the image of running away from a monster. The song features a minimum amount of Petras but serves as a proper introduction for what lies ahead. It is clear from “o m e n” that this EP is not going to be the same bubblegum pop sound of “Heart to Break.” “Close Your Eyes” is an incredibly catchy synth-pop banger and a highlight for Petras. There are corny lyrics in the song like “I want your legendary kiss, you know it got designer taste.” The complaint of blah lyrics can be pushed aside when remembering that this is a super catchy pop song not asking to be taken too seriously. The cheekily titled “TRANSylvania” is an electronic/house track referencing Kim Petras as a trans woman and also the myths surrounding vampires in Transylvania. It is an okay dance song, but the decision to put a three minute long song without a word uttered by Petras on her debut EP is definitely questionable. Petras has writing credits on this song, which is slightly confusing and in all honesty this song just seems to serve as a way for Dr. Luke to show off. “Turn Off the Light” is another high point on the EP with a fun and campy Elvira feature. The song is the essence of a good time and the

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influence of “Blackout” is obvious with the heavy production and breathy talk-singing Petras does. Petras keeps the good songs coming on “Tell Me It’s A Nightmare” which, like “Close Your Eyes,” is a super catchy synth-pop song not asking to be taken super seriously. This is emphasized with silly lyrics to fit the Halloween theme like “be careful when you love me, I’m only out for blood.” This is followed by “I don’t want to die…” which keeps the Halloween spirit with the organs and echoing eerie voices to create an interesting dark pop track. At only two minutes in length,

the song is a simple pop Halloween song and that’s about it. The track is not too interesting or groundbreaking but it keeps the theme of the EP. Probably the best song from “Turn Off the Light,” “In the Next Life” is a flawless horror pop mix complete with creepy sound effects. A literal chill enters one’s spine as the chorus of “In the Next Life” begins, fully exemplifying the dark pop vibe Petras has been trying to accomplish. The song “Boo! B***h!” is a perfect closure for Kim Petras’ EP with its beat that fully brings forth the electronic Halloween party vibe. However, just like “TRANSylvania” the song was not produced

by Kim Petras and she only says three words, so it seems more like a Dr. Luke track than a Kim Petras track. Like the rest of the EP, there is a gross feeling left when realizing that the same Dr. Luke from #freekesha is producing and writing the pop EP of the highly hyped Kim Petras. Yes, “Turn Off the Light, Vol. I” is a super catchy EP that sounds perfect for the Halloween season. It is concerning however that Kim Petras has primarily garnered success in queer communities, the same communities that were boycotting Dr. Luke just last year.

‘Mega Man 11’ is entertaining but challenging WILLIAM LOWERY PRINTZ REPORTER

eleased in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the original “Mega Man” is an action-adventure side-scroller where players control Mega Man, a robot who travels through eight levels, defeating bosses and acquiring their powers, before taking on the bad guy, Dr. Wily. The game was a success and spawned a line of successful sequels and spin-offs. The series went dark after “Mega Man 10” came out in 2010. Aside from appearing as a playable character in “Super Smash Bros.” for the Wii U and 3DS, fans were unsure if Mega Man would make a proper return. This year, publisher Capcom announced “Mega Man 11” for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. The game, which came out on Tuesday, received positive reviews. Currently, the game holds an average score of 81 on Metacritic. “Mega Man 11” doesn’t deviate heavily from its roots in terms of story or gameplay. Once again, the evil Dr. Wily has taken control of eight robots in an effort to get revenge on his former colleague, Dr. Light. So, Mega Man sets out to stop the mad doctor for the eleventh time.

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“Mega Man 11” is an action-adventure platformer. Whereas other platformers guide the player from one stage to the next, the “Mega Man” series does not. Instead, gamers can choose which of the eight stages to tackle before confronting the final boss, Dr. Wily.

Each robot Mega Man faces has their own unique stages, enemies and special abilities. Blast Man’s level is set at an abandoned theme park filled laser tripwires that trigger explosions when activated, while Tundra Man’s stage takes place at a frozen castle, littered with slippery ice to tread over.

When the game begins, Mega Man only has his blaster, the Mega Buster, but by defeating the bosses, he can acquire their powers for use in other stages. Part of the fun in “Mega Man 11” is the satisfaction of taking down one of these tough mooks, acquiring their powers and then testing out their abilities in another stage. To reach a boss, though, gamers will navigate Mega Man through perilous stages littered with enemies, traps and bottomless pits waiting to take him out. The game features four difficulty options to choose from, which dictates the number of checkpoints available and how many lives Mega Man starts with. Make no mistake, this game is tough. Expect to die quite a bit in “Mega Man 11,” it’s not easy, but memorizing enemy patterns and stocking up on equipment before choosing a stage can make things a little less stressful. It’s hard, but a type of hard that rewards players who play patiently and hone their skill. “Mega Man 11” is a good throwback to the days of gaming where titles didn’t hold the player’s hand or lock their content behind a paywall. This colorful but challenging sidescroller exceeds most with its fast-paced, creative gameplay and unique approach to level design. It may stick to a tried-and-true formula that’s kept the series going for 30 years, but it’s a fantastic formula at that.

SPORTS OCTOBER 3, 2018

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Golden Eagles win against top-ranked Charlotte JALEN DOGAN PRINTZ REPORTER

Southern Miss goal in the ninth minute turned out to be the only goal on the scoreboard for either team Friday evening as the Golden Eagles (9-3, 3-2 C-USA) came out with the win. Charlotte (84, 4-1 C-USA) entered Friday’s match as the top ranked team in Conference USA. Freshman Olivia Durham netted the only score of the game at the 9:11 mark. Senior Hannah Abrams set up Durham for the oneon-one situation against Charlotte goalkeeper Abby Stapleton. Shortly after in the 14th minute, Charlotte junior Megan Greene appeared to counter Durham’s goal, but it was ultimately waved off due to an offside penalty. The Golden Eagles ended up attempting several more shots, but Stapleton recovered from the first goal allowed and was able to come up with key stops. However, Durham’s goal was the only goal needed, as the Southern Miss defense pitched a shutout. Sophomore goalkeeper Kendell Mindnich finished the match by recording three saves. The Golden Eagles finished the match with a total of fifteen shots and six shots on goal. The 49ers finished the match with a total of 12 shots and just three shots on goal. Charlotte also committed seven fouls during the game, compared to three for the Golden Eagles. Southern Miss also accumulated three saves, and the 49ers accumulated five saves on the afternoon. The Golden Eagles return to action on Thursday as they look to grab another win against a 4-5-1 UTSA squad at the USM Track & Field and Soccer Complex in Hattiesburg. Game time is set for 4 p.m. Devon Dollar | Printz

Golden Eagles celebrate after a goal.

Santiago: The Student Athlete Perspective ELISHAH SANTIAGO PRINTZ REPORTER

fell in love with the game of soccer around my freshman year of high school, and it quickly began to define me. After I first touched a soccer ball, it became more than just a sport. Soccer became both an everyday thought and a time to prepare my body for something bigger than me. In the beginning, I lived for every practice, every game and loved the countless hours of being in the sun while putting my body on the line. I had desire to play and to always try to improve, because I wanted to be as good of a player as possible. Before I knew it, I was playing in college at the D1 level with people who loved the game as much as me, if not more. Before entering college, I was always told that, “your time in college will be the best years of your life, so be sure to cherish your time there.” I sometimes look back, and realize I do not cherish the game like I did when I first touched a soccer ball. I found myself wanting to give up on the one thing that brightened my entire life, but never understood why until recently. I would try to find someone or something to blame when it came to the lack of passion that I began to develop towards the sport. Whether it was coaches, teammates, or even school, the lack of passion was bigger than all of that and it came from myself. The beginning of my freshman year in college was amazing for me. I was scoring goals, completing passes and, most importantly, making

a name for myself. Everything changed in the fifth game of the season, when I broke my ankle in four different places. I had three reconstructive ankle surgeries that set me out for a little over a year. On top of that, I was in a pessimistic environment that negatively affected me. After recovering from surgery and rehab, things began to look up, but I remained unable to find the good in anything. After my surgeries, my first time touching a soccer ball was a mess. From that point on, I started to feed negative energy to myself. I would tell myself, “you aren’t what you used to be” and “you will never get back to what you were”. It began to affect both my playing style and my daily life. The negative energy affected the person I needed to be in the classroom, on the field and to my friends and family. I had become my own worst enemy because I was too busy trying to blame everyone else. I was about to walk away from my first love and never look back this past year. While writing this, I am getting a little emotional because I never thought I would be capable of wanting to quit. When I told my coach, he pulled me aside, looked me in my eyes and said, “Elishah, I know you can overcome this feeling, because you have overcome so much in just three years of playing soccer in college.” When I saw him getting emotional over this, I knew my job with soccer was not done; I could never give up on something that had impacted my life for so long. I convinced myself that I needed to live freely and push myself through the doubt instead of letting it lead me. As soon as I started to tell myself I was capable of being what I used to be, it started to show. Starting this pre-season, I started playing about

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five minutes a game. Five minutes quickly turned to ten minutes, which became 30 minutes, then 55 minutes; now I am a starter for the 2018 roster. Although my passion for the game fell through, soccer taught me that resilience, mental strength and confidence plays a humongous role in who you will be.

My time with this sport is quickly coming to an end. While this is unavoidable, I know it has done so much for me. I will always have a bond with soccer, as it allowed me to grow in so many ways. I would never change any of the past for the world.

SPORTS OCTOBER 10, 2018

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Golden Eagles lose to Rice in five sets ANDREW ABADIE EXECUTIVE EDITOR

he Southern Miss volleyball team dropped its weekend home match against Rice in five sets on Oct. 7. “I think it was a great match,” Head Coach Stephanie Radecki said. “I think both teams played really hard. I think we saw some really good volleyball, and it’s just disappointing that we ended up on the losing side. I think both teams did a great job today.” Southern Miss is now 2-5 in matches that have gone to five sets this season. Notably, those losses were to Ohio State, Ole Miss, No. 15 Purdue, reigning conference champions Western Kentucky and now C-USA first place leader Rice. Southern Miss opened the match with a 25-22 win in the first set. The Golden Eagles trailed by a score of 4-2 early, but broke away with a 5-1 run that put them ahead 19-14. The Owls battled back and tied the set at 22, but Southern Miss was able to close the set with a 3-0 run. In the second set, Rice took a 15-11 lead. A kill by senior Alexis Coombs started a 4-0 run that helped the Golden Eagles tie the set at 16-16. A pair of errors by the Owls allowed for Southern Miss to take an 18-16 lead, its first lead of the set. Rice battled back and took the lead back at 22-19. Southern Miss put together a 4-0 run and cut the deficit to 22-21, but the Owls persevered and closed the game with a 25-22 win. The momentum stayed with Rice in the third set as it opened the set with a 6-1 lead and extended its lead to 19-9. Southern Miss rallied back and cut the deficit to 23-17, but it was not enough as Rice took a 2-1 lead in the match and won the set 25-17. Southern Miss battled back in the fourth set and opened with an 8-4 lead. Rice closed the game and tied it at 16-16, but Southern Miss was able to hold on and win the set 25-22. In the final set, Rice jumped to an 8-3 lead. Southern Miss was able to and cut the Rice lead to 9-7 but the rally fell short and the team dropped the final set 15-12. “I think we’ve played some really strong teams if you want to focus on something positive, I think we’ve played top 25 teams and really battled and played some great volleyball,” Radecki said. “You

Chandler Marshall goes up for kill.

Nick Dykes | Printz

just have to be prepared to play at a high level. I think we’re doing that it’s just a matter of just completing the match and finishing.” Senior Kylie Grandy led the team with 28 kills, and senior Sarah Bell finished the match with 29 digs and 51 assists. Bell is now over 4,000 assists

and 1,000 digs in her career, making her the third Southern Miss player to accomplish that feat. Bell is just 48 assists away from being No.1 in all-time assists in Southern Miss history. “Those two specifically have done great things for the program,” Radecki said. “They have won a

lot of games. They have produced a lot and I can’t say enough about those two. They are two of the best players I’ve ever coached.” Southern Miss will play Louisiana Tech on Oct. 7 in Reed Green Coliseum.

Golden Eagles Fall to Florida Atlantic, 2-0 JALEN DOGAN PRINTZ REPORTER

outhern Miss is coming off a bye week and a respectable loss to Auburn that seems to have given the team some momentum. The team’s upcoming road game against North Texas will feature a showdown between two statistical passing leaders in Conference USA. “Every game week is a different week and every team is a different team,” Head Coach Jay Hopson said. “We understand [Mason] is a good football player. He’s a guy you certainly have to know where he is at all times and have to prepare. North Texas is a balanced attack; they can throw it, but they can also run it so you have to do your due diligence and make sure you’re solid in every aspect. That’s coach talk, but it’s true. He makes plays, he can get out of trouble and make things happen with his feet so we have to be prepared.” The Mean Green’s quarterback, Mason Fine, leads the league in passing, having thrown for 15 touchdowns and 1,971 yards through the air, which puts him in the top five for passing yards among FBS passers in the nation. Fine also sports a 64.9% completion percentage and has thrown just one interception to date. Additionally, North Texas features a complete offense, with a well-rounded game and two talented wide receivers. “It’s one of those things where he can run around and you try to play coverage because he throws it so well but then he just moves around and he’s very elusive, he’s athletic, so he finally finds somebody open,” Defensive Coordinator Tim Billings said. “If you try to blitz him he sees you coming, throws it right now. So hopefully we can have him make a mistake or two, but we haven’t yet. In six

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games, he’s made one mistake. We’ll do what we do and hopefully, we can rush him with three and four and play coverage if possible. We’ll have to have plan B, plan C and plan D ready for this guy. I don’t think there’s just one way to stop him. The key is we’ve got to try and make them make a mistake or two, and take advantage of it.” The main distinction between the offenses Southern Miss and North Texas are the rushing games. The Mean Green Have 12 rushing

touchdowns. Running backs DeAndre Torrey and Loren Easly lead all North Texas rushers with four touchdowns. However, Easly went down with an injury in the recent Louisiana Tech game and is now out of the season. Nic Smith and Fine have also contributed in the run game, with two touchdowns apiece on the ground. In comparison, Southern Miss has just two rushing touchdowns on the season, one from redshirt freshman running back Steven Anderson and one from freshman

reserve quarterback Tate Whatley. Southern Miss quarterback Jack Abraham is second in C-USA statistically, throwing for 11 touchdowns, five interceptions and 1,276 yards passing. Abraham’s 70.9% completion percentage puts him in the top 10 category for completion percentage in the nation. It is also worth keeping in mind that Abraham is two games behind Fine since Southern Miss was forced to cancel its game against Appalachian State and has had its bye week, unlike North Texas. Despite losing its conference opener to Louisiana Tech 29-27, the Mean Green still look to be favorites after impressive wins over Arkansas and SMU. In the C-USA statistical standings, Southern Miss is ranked fourth in offense and first in defense, while North Texas is ranked first in offense and third in defense. Another distinct difference has been the success North Texas has had with pass rush, recording 18 sacks compared to Southern Miss’ conference low of five. The Mean Green’s numbers reflect an aggressive pass rush. “I just think they are real aggressive,” Offensive Coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “If you look at the structure of their defense they’ll switch the front up a little bit but they are not scared to put everybody up there. They call a very aggressive game. It puts pressure on offenses. You have to make plays. You have to very efficient in the run game because numbers wise they are going to have numbers down there.” For Southern Miss, the focus should be to build off the momentum from the Auburn game by bringing what will be a much-needed pass rush against Fine. As for the offense, North Texas’ defense has been an underrated part of the team’s success and establishing a consistent run game will be needed for Southern Miss to come away with the win.

SPORTS OCTOBER 10, 2018

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Sports writers predict upcoming basketball season GRANT CHIGHIZOLA SPORTS EDITOR

Year five of the Doc Sadler era for the Southern Miss men’s basketball team is perhaps the most important one yet. After a 16-18 overall record in 2017-2018, which included an upset 71-68 overtime win over Middle Tennessee State in the Conference USA Men’s Basketball Tournament, there is some optimism heading into this season. Key on the list is the amount of returning playmakers that the Golden Eagles return for 2018-2019. Redshirt seniors Dominic Magee, Kevin Holland and Tyree Griffin, along with true senior Cortez Edwards will form the playmaking core for the team this season. Edwards led the team in minutes with 1,219 and also averaged a team leading 16.6 points-per-game and 217 total rebounds last season. Griffin and Magee were the only other players to average more than 10 points per game, with averages of 15.0 and 11.7 points per game, respectively. Magee was also the team leader in defensive rebounds with 186. These four veterans will need to be on the top of their respective games this season in order for Southern Miss to be competitive. In terms of schedule, the non-conference slate is headlined by back-to-back road contests against Wichita State and Kansas State in the middle of December. Wichita State sported a 25-8 record last season, while Kansas State made it to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. If Southern Miss can hang with and remain competitive against either of these teams, it will serve as an indicator as to how conference play may shake up. Overall, I think Southern Miss has the tools to match its record from last season or to finish the season with a .500 winning percentage. For that to happen, though, the team must perform better on the road and avoid a 2-11 road record like last year’s squad. Still, the experiences from last season and performance in the C-USA tournament should serve as positive motivation for this team.

BRAD CROWE

PRINTZ REPORTER Last year’s Southern Miss squad certainly made strides and improved on its 9-22 regular season record in 2016-2017, going 16-18 in 2017-18 and reaching the semifinal round of the Conference USA basketball tournament. This year, however, and a mix of veteran and some youth could perhaps prove to be a positive for them, as they return their top six scorers from 2017, including senior Cortez Edwards, who led the Golden Eagles with averages of 16 points, six rebounds and three assists per contest in 2017-2018 Even more great guard play has arrived in the form of freshman Shakur Daniels from Ontario,

DARRELL REESE JR. PRINTZ REPORTER

The Golden Eagles were off to an up and down season to start last year, but this year could be different. The Southern Miss men’s basketball team finished their 2017-2018 campaign with a 16-18 overall record, including an 8-12 conference record. They dominated at home with an 11-3 home record, but struggled mightily on the road, going 2-11. The Golden Eagles have five returning seniors and with that, those guys can provide leadership for the rest of the team. Redshirt senior guard Dominic Magee showed signs last year that he can be the Golden Eagles’ reliable sharpshooter. An example of this is when he for a season-high 27 points in a win over Troy last December. Overall, Magee was third on the team in scoring with 11.7 points-per-game. Senior guard Cortez Edwards is another player that has shown growth over his years at Southern Miss. Edwards is a guy that you can rely on to give you much needed minutes and can come up with key steals. Setting a single-season school record in steals (71) while playing 1,219 minutes last season, Edwards proved that his work ethic is one that should be noticed. Both Dominic Magee and Cortez Edwards proved that they can compete, but this season will be a test not only for them, but for the rest of the team. An 8-12 C-USA record is not acceptable, and I believe Southern Miss Head Coach Doc Sadler understands that. Losing to Marshall twice hurt the Golden Eagles last year, but this year expect a different team dynamic on both sides. Most of the C-USA games that Southern Miss lost last season ended in blowouts. Marshall finished 27-11 (13-5 C-USA) in 20172018. That record alone shows that they are one of the best teams in the conference. Another team to watch out for this season is Middle Tennessee State, who finished with a record of 25-8 (16-2 C-USA) last season. Expect them to finish were they left off this year. However, to be successful in conference play Southern Miss has to get a dominant rim protector and sharpshooter to surround him to compete with the other C-USA teams. One true playmaker is needed as well. Canada, a highly touted recruit who drew comparisons to NBA player Andrew Wiggins with his abilities during high school. Southern Miss’ non-conference schedule features a few really tough challenges this time around, with road games versus SMU, Wichita State and Kansas State, but Doc Sadler and his team may have an opportunity to make up a lot of ground in conference play. I believe a strong showing in their home performances at Reed Green Coliseum could lift the Golden Eagles into the top half of the conference standings with an overall winning record. My prediction is that they finish with at least 18 regular season victories and an opportunity to compete in the NIT Basketball Tournament in March.

JALEN DOGAN PRINTZ REPORTER

Southern Miss looks to have a successful season this year, as the clock is ticking and it is almost time for the season to tip off. The Golden Eagles went 16-18 (8-12 in C-USA) during the 20172018 season and look to get over the hump this year. The 16-18 record may scream mediocrity, but the Golden Eagles’ season could have had a completely different outcome, as six of those losses were decided by ten points or less. Southern Miss, led by head coach Doc Sadler, definitely showed signs of being better than portrayed. A lack of experience should not be a factor was the Eagles have five seniors, three of whom are redshirts, and five more juniors, four of whom are redshirts. Senior guards Cortez Edwards and Tyree Griffin look to lead the crew again this year, as they embraced leadership roles last season. Edwards’ 71 steals set a new single-season school record, as well as his 1,219 minutes played. Edwards also led the squad in PPG with 16.6 and sported a 49.8 shooting percentage. Edwards had ten separate games in which he scored 20 points or more, and was named to the C-USA AllTournament Team. Griffin looks to continue his role as both scorer and distributor. Last season, he had 27 doubledigit games in terms of scoring and simultaneously managed to collect 201 assists. That assist count ranked second in program history behind Dallas Dale’s 222 assists in 1991-1992. This year, Griffin and Edwards will be key leaders for the Golden Eagles. My prediction for the Golden Eagles is a 20plus win season. As I alluded to earlier, quite a few of the team’s losses last year were fairly close. This year, I believe that experience along with Sadler’s coaching will allow the Golden Eagles to close out close games. I believe they will be over .500 and ultimately stand top three in the conference. Middle Tennessee, Old Dominion and WKU look to get even better, as they all come off strong seasons, but I believe the Golden Eagles have what it takes to match up with the rest of the conference Overall, this season looks very promising for Southern Miss and Conference USA basketball.

ANDREW ABADIE

PRINTZ REPORTER

Southern Miss basketball looks to be a contender for the C-USA crown this season. The Golden Eagles return its top five leading scorers from last season, most notably seniors Tyree Griffin, Dominic Magee and Cortez Edwards. The biggest weakness for Southern Miss last year, besides still feeling the remnants of sanctions, was a lack of height. While Eddie Davis transferred to Hartford, 6-foot-11 redshirt junior Tim Rowe returns. In addition, 6-foot-9 redshirt junior Boban Jacdonmi and 6-foot-7 freshman Tyler Stevenson will hope to be the fix to the height problem. Having Rowe, Jacdonmi and Stevenson on the roster will add depth to the position and hopefully be the answer to the mismatches the Golden Eagles had to deal with last season. For the non-conference schedule this season, the team has a nice balance of should be wins and challenging games, most notably against Elite Eight team Kansas State, NCAA tournament qualifier Wichita State and SMU. In conference play, the biggest concern will be how the new schedule format affects the team. After the first seven weeks of conference play are over, team’s will be broken up into groups based on the initial conference standings. Each group will be divided based on seeding, which could potentially hurt Southern Miss, as they had a slow 2-4 start in conference play last year. One perk is that Middle Tennessee’s head coach from last season, Kermit Davis, accepted the same position at Ole Miss. While the traditional conference powerhouse may have a down year under a new head coach, they will still be competitive. Reigning conference champs Marshall will return the conference’s leading scorer, while Old Dominion, Western Kentucky and UAB should also have competitive teams. Southern Miss’ tournament win over Middle Tennessee last year was a true indicator as to how talented the team is. With so many talented veterans, there is no reason the that this team will not have its first non-vacated winning season since 2011-2012. Anything short of that would certainly be a letdown year.

2018-2019 BASKETBALL SCHEDULE