The Student Printz: March 17, 2021

SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • MARCH 17, 2021 | VOLUME 106 | ISSUE 24

HATTIESBURG & COVID

Photos by Amber Scott | Printz

PG 5

HARRY & MEGHAN PG 6

LADY EAGLES

PG 7

Southern Miss (9-5) finished an eventful weekend series against the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in winning fashion with a grand slam walk-off from freshman Reed Trimble. The play gave the Golden Eagles a 6-3 victory and the team’s first series sweep this season. Southern Miss earned a 13-4 victory Friday and a 1-0 victory Saturday.

NEWS

MARCH 17, 2021

MEET THE STAFF Executive Editor

Brian Winters brian.s.winters@usm.edu

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

Sports Editor

Charlie Luttrell charles.luttrell@usm.edu

Multimedia Editor

Earl Stoudemire earl.stoudmire@usm.edu

Design Editor

Marissa Haas marissa.haas@usm.edu

The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not represent those of the faculty, staff or administration of The University of Southern Mississippi. We welcome letters to the editor representing similar and contrasting opinions. To be eligible for publication, all submission must include name, class distinction, major, phone number and email address. Submissions should be emailed to printzeditors@ gmail.com by 5 p.m. on the Friday before publication. Please limit them to 500 words or less. The Student Printz reserves the right to refuse publication or edit any material on the basis of clarity, space or journalistic ethics.

Opinions expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, its publication manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications.

Courtesy of Moffitt Health Center

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NEWS

MARCH 17, 2021

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Pen Pal program offers the elderly connection despite COVID-19 BRIAN WINTERS EXECUTIVE EDITOR or residents at nursing homes, COVID-19 has severely limited socialization and family contact. Though they were isolated for their own safety, as people 60 years and over are more likely to die from COVID exposure, these elderly patients have sorely missed human contact over the last year. A group of Southern Miss social work graduate students, with The Walking Joy Nursing Home Project, hope to change this.

The project seeks to enhance the lives of individuals living in low-income nursing homes heavily impacted by COVID-19. The goal is to bring joy and social connection into the lives of nursing home residents who may have otherwise lacked resources and social

Brian Winters | Printz

support during the pandemic.

“We believe this goal can be met with the help of generous donations from our community, friends and businesses,” Jerome Kolbo Ph.D, Director for the School of Social Work, said.

“We recognize this virus has affected many lives, but we believe your assistance can make a huge difference to this population of older adults, who are one of the populations suffering most during this pandemic.”

Angela Mata, a masters of social work student, said the project started during Fall 2020, when it was at least slightly easier to get back onto campus.

She said the project worked with a nursing home in Hattiesburg last semester and got 64 residents adopted by the community. Mata said one of the best parts of the project is its simplicity.

“It’s pretty much just match-

ing a resident with an adoptee, they send [the adoptee] a care package and letters,” Mata said.

“We had an awesome experience last semester and this semester we are working with a nursing home in Gulfport.”

Mata said the project got all 90 residents of the Gulfport nursing home adopted, and the pen pals are now in communication with each other. The success of Gulfport has encouraged the project to reach out to another nursing home in Hattiesburg. Mata is also hopeful that other community organizations will lend a helping hand with the program to further expand what they are capable of.

“We had a meeting with Boy Scouts, so that’s how we got the last few [Gulfport] residents adopted, cause we went to the meeting and families were so excited saying they wanted to

get their kids involved,” Mata said. “It’s been a really good experience for us [overall].”

The interns for the project hope the project lasts beyond COVID-19 and goes on for years, as the project has been extremely beneficial for all those involved. For anyone interested in helping out the Walking Joy Nursing Home Project, the nursing home residents request these items the most in care packages: -Arts and crafts items -Word Find/puzzle books -Decorations for rooms -Toiletry/hygiene items -Individually-wrapped snacks “We appreciate any support you may give, no matter how small, and your generous donation will be recognized on our School of Social Work Facebook page,” Kolbo said. “If you have any questions, please contact faculty advisor Karen Aderer at 228-671-9557.”

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NEWS

MARCH 17, 2021 WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM Hattiesburg commemorates lives lost to COVID-19

CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR Photos by Charlie Luttrell | Printz

he City of Hattiesburg commemorates the lives lost to COVID-19 in the Forrest and Lamar counties by placing more than 220 empty chairs in Town Square Park. Mayor Toby Barker and other officials held a sunset vigil March 11 to remember the lives lost a year after the start of the pandemic.

MARCH 17, 2021

ENTERTAINMENT Life is Beautiful will be first music festival held since COVID-19 outbreak SKYLA LANGLEY PRINTZ REPORTER he Life is Beautiful (LiB) music festival in Las Vegas will be the first music festival held since the beginning of COVID-19, and tickets for it sold out in record time.

The festival, taking place Sept. 1719 in downtown Las Vegas, features Billie Eilish, Green Day and Tame Impala as the headliners. Other performers include A$AP Rocky, Modest Mouse, Glass Animals, Noah Cyrus, Haim, LANY, Young Thug and Ludacris.

Tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. last Friday and everything, including general and VIP tickets, sold out in about an hour. Tickets for the three-day passes cost $330, VIP passes cost $685, VIP + passes cost $1,495 and an “All-In” package cost $2,995.

Officials said information on purchasing single-day tickets will be announced soon.

“After a year away, we’re not only excited to welcome our fans back to Downtown Las Vegas, but also our partner artists, chefs, speakers and creators of all forms,” David Oehm, the Life is Beautiful CEO, said. “We believe in the power and connection that comes with live experiences and we’re thrilled to reunite and celebrate a collective return to discovery, serendipity and [togetherness]!”

Many concerts and music festivals, including big names like CMA Fest, Coachella, Voodoo Fest and Glastonbury, decided to cancel events in 2021 due to the uncertainties about the pandemic. Some musicians and festival coordinators hope the vaccine will make it easier to meet in public, but most decided to cancel events to be on the safe side.

“We have always put the health, safety and security of our community first,” Lauren DelFrago, the festival director of Life is Beautiful, said in an official statement. “As we prepare to produce the 2021

festival, we feel a heightened sense of responsibility to our staff, partners, performers and attendees, and continue to work closely with local and state officials to ensure a safe return to live music.”

Musicians and performers scheduled for the festival lineup are both nervous and excited to get back on stage. A$AP Rocky, in an interview with Forbes, said he was excited to perform on stage again.

“That’s what helps towards the whole process of bringing music and releasing music, it’s all about the connection you get with the listeners. That’s what’s missing, that empty void of seeing them at a live show and them reciting back everything that they memorized. And for them to be there with you[,] it means a lot,” A$AP Rocky said. “It’s art formation that gets both parties through certain situations and times. I think that’s the connection. We’re having that digitally, virtually and over streams, but I can’t wait to do that physically [again] and see people in the flesh.”

Forbes’s Steve Baltin interviewed LiB officials Justin Weniger and Craig Asher Nyman to better understand why the team decided to promote live performances in the midst of a pandemic. When asked about the festival’s safety and social distancing protocols, Weniger admitted he was unsure of things to come.

“I don’t think anybody has a crystal ball to know exactly what the world will look like in September or what the conditions and protocols will be. But we’re just listening, everyday we’re working with local authorities, we’re working with everyone that has information to make sure we’re providing the best and safest festival experience possible,” Weniger said.

“If there’s a world where we’ll need to do that [track vaccines] in September, if there’s a world where the world is completely back to normal in September, we’re gonna meet [in] the moment and provide the best [and] safest experience as we can at that time.”

Fans and performers alike are excited to gather for the first time in over a year to celebrate live music, but only time will tell if COVID will allow it to happen.

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Photo courtesty of Life is Beautiful

Harry and Meghan talk racism, abuse with Oprah MARY MURPHY NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR he Duke and Duchess of Sussex participated in a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey on March 7, discussing racism, double standards and isolation in and out of the

royal palace.

Meghan Markle first made headlines in 2016 when she entered into a relationship with Harry of Sussex, a member of the British royal family.

As a biracial woman and divorcee, Markle was considered an unconventional pick for a royal bride, and was immediately swarmed by the general public. The attention only increased after they got engaged in 2018, and again when they became non-senior members of the royal family in 2020.

Winfrey, who has been friends with the royal couple for several years, met with the Duke and Duchess in a mutual friend’s courtyard. They were not paid to be interviewed, and Winfrey did not pre-approve any questions before the cameras started rolling. The resulting interview has opened the door for wider discussions on public perception and mental health, especially as it pertains to public figures.

Winfrey talked with Meghan alone for the first half of the interview. The Duchess was candid about her struggles fitting in with the royal family, coming into the family as a total outsider.

“I thought about [fitting in with the royal family] because they made me think about it,” Meghan said. “But I think at the same time now, upon reflection, thank God all of those things were true. Thank God I had that life experience.”

The Duchess also talked extensively about her mental health issues over the past four years.

Though she was fully prepared to leave her former life and career to become a royal, the actual process completely blindsided her. Meghan explained the social isolation and intense media scrutiny, combined with a lack of support from

Photo courtesy of AP News within the palace itself, destroyed her mental health.

The disconnect between Meghan’s public and private lives only got worse from there. Just before they had to attend a function at Royal Albert Hall in 2019, Meghan admitted to Harry that she was dealing with persistent suicidal thoughts. She later described to Winfrey the stress and fear throughout the night, which was a stark contrast to the glitz and glamor the media portrayed.

“This isn’t some abstract idea. This is methodical and this is not who I am,” Meghan said. “But we had to go to this event and I remember him saying, ‘I don’t think you can go,’ and I said, ‘I

can’t be left alone.’”

Once Harry entered the interview, the conversation turned to the institution of the royal family and its many, many problems. Though Meghan and Harry attempted to seek support within the palace itself for several months, their requests often fell on deaf ears.

The Duke and Duchess decided to step back as members of the royal family while Meghan was still pregnant with their son, Archie. The pregnancy itself revealed a lot of internal biases of the royal family, as Harry revealed he was once asked by an unnamed family member “how dark” Archie would be.

There was also a lot of concern about Archie’s safety towards the end of their tenure. Although previous traditions should have given Archie a title, the royal family abruptly changed conventions and did not make Archie a prince. This means Meghan and Harry have to pay out of pocket for Archie’s security detail, even though he faces the same risks the rest of his family does.

Though Meghan and Harry claim they have good relationships with the majority of their immediate family, and especially with Queen Elizabeth II, the institution of the royal family ultimately pushed them away. There was a lack of support and understanding both in and out of Buckingham Palace, and they wanted to be in a better, safer position for their growing family.

Meghan and Harry’s situation has drawn a lot of parallels of that with Harry’s mother, Lady Diana Spencer. Spencer also faced a lot of problems within the royal family, and she repeatedly described her relationship with Prince Charles of Wales as “isolating”. She also had a famously terrible relationship with the paparazzi. Photographers constantly hounded her, and are widely believed to be responsible for her death in 1997.

When Winfrey asked about the parallels between Meghan Marke and Diana Spencer, Harry commented, “My biggest concern was history repeating itself, and I’ve said that before on numerous occasions very publicly. And what I was seeing was history repeating itself, [and far more dangerously,] because then you add race in, and then you add social media in.”

Despite the hardships they’ve faced, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they are looking forward to living and working on their own terms from now on, and are expecting a daughter to be born this summer.

“I’m just really relieved and happy to be sitting here talking to you with my wife by my side,” Harry said. “Because I can’t begin to imagine what it must have been like for her [Diana] going through this process by herself all those years ago, because it has been unbelievably tough for the two of us, but at least we had each other.”

SPORTS

MARCH 17, 2021

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Lady Eagles fall short of completing comeback, ending season CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR he Lady Eagles’ basketball season ended March 10 after the team fell 85-75 to FIU in the first round of the C-USA Championship Tournament.

Southern Miss almost closed the game within three points with less than a minute remaining, but a late rush pushed the lead out of reach for the Lady Eagles.

Southern Miss trailed the entire game, but kept the score close, forcing a total of 27 turnovers and earning 29 points from the mistakes.

“I thought [at] the start they got off to probably made the statement for the game, but our team really fought back,” Head Coach Joye Lee-McNelis said.

Junior Daishai Almond recorded a career-high of 22 points and added six rebounds,

Photo courtesy of Southern Miss Athletics

five assists and three steals for the Lady Eagles.

“I felt really good coming into the game,” Almond said.

“I knew I had to step up for my teammates and lead them and get everyone on board. Unfortunately, we fell short in the first half. We got back in the second, but we just couldn’t finish it all the way through.”

Lee-McNelis says she was impressed with Almond’s performance, and she encourages her to prepare and improve for her senior season.

Almond was not the only top scorer, however. Southern Miss could not stop FIU’s Jiselle Thomas throughout the game as she led her team with a career-high performance of 32 points and 15 rebounds.

Southern Miss improved from a 37% shooting accuracy in the first half to 53% in the second, but slumped in its three-point shooting, which proved to be its

downfall. The Panthers scored a total of thirty points from the three-point line while the Lady Eagles could only score one three point basket.

Southern Miss’s loss also reinforced a common theme throughout the season, as they lost all eleven games where they allowed opponents to score 70 or more points.

The Panthers jumped ahead to a double-digit lead in the second quarter, but the Lady Eagles cut the lead back with a run orchestrated by Almond and freshman Rose Warren.

Warren’s steal and offensive rebound both led to buckets for Almond. Almond then assisted Warren to narrow FIU’s lead to 38-31 at the end of the first half.

The Panthers stretched its lead again on a 12-2 run soon after. Senior Allie Kennedy made the team’s only three at the end of the third quarter af-

ter the Lady Eagles began 0-10 from the perimeter.

An and-one play from Kennedy put the Lady Eagles back within ten early in the last quarter. Warren then scored two straight baskets from FIU turnovers. Almond closed the lead to within three, but Southern Miss did not get any closer, so the Panthers pulled away with the victory.

Lee-McNelis says that, despite her cancer diagnosis this season, she will continue to coach for the Lady Eagles next year. She says if the freshmen continue to grow and the junior class develops their skills, the team has an “unbelievably bright future”.

“Nobody fights harder than [her],” Almond said of Lee-McNelis’ decision. “She isn’t going anywhere any time soon.”

“I am really good to go. I look forward to it and look forward to the future of this program,” Lee-McNelis said.

SPORTS

MARCH 17, 2021

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Southern Miss falls in first round of Conference USA tournament, ends 2020-2021 season CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR outhern Miss’s men’s basketball season came to an end March 9 as Rice pulled away with a late run to advance past the first round of the C-USA Championships.

Southern Miss gained a lead in the second half, but failed to stop a 18-3 run that closed the game.

“Up to that point, we literally had everything going for us,” Head Coach Jay Ladner said. “It was an incredible second half.”

The Golden Eagles fought from a seven-point deficit at halftime and gained the lead, but suffered from a scoring drought, an issue that has plagued the team throughout the season.

“How often have we been in that situation?” Ladner asked.

“Most of the time we’ve been fighting from behind and there’s no substitute for experience, but I

Photo courtesy of Conference USA

thought our guys gave a winning effort. I’m incredibly proud of them.”

Southern Miss’s junior trio of Tyler Stevenson, Tae Hardy and DeAndre Pinckney combined for 37 of the team’s 52 points.

Ladner says the outcome only hurt him because it sent off the team’s seniors, Clay Weatherspoon and LaDavius Draine, on a bad note.

“I just hate it for them. I told Coach Richard Williams earlier at our pregame meal that I am praying that LaDavius has a great game tonight,” Ladner said. “I wanted for his sake for him to finish out what’s been an outstanding career, but it just didn’t fall for him and it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Draine finished the game with two points on one of seven shot attempts. He finished his career with 1,131 career points and 220 three-pointers, the second most in school history.

Southern Miss started the game down 10-4, but Hardy tied the game with a three-pointer and an and-one. Pinckney and Stevenson also added to the Golden Eagles’ 12-2 run.

The Owls responded with a 15-2 run of its own, keeping Southern Miss scoreless for more than six minutes. Hardy ended the drought with a jumper before the end of the half, narrowing the Owls’ lead to 27-20.

The Golden Eagles started the second half strong, going on a 11-0 run to regain the lead.

Stevenson and Pinckney made five combined shots in the paint.

While Southern Miss made 10 points in the paint in the first half, the team scored 24 of its 29 second half points from the paint.

The Golden Eagles kept toe-totoe the Owls, who have the top two three-point shooters in the conference. The Owls only got one of its eight shooting attempts from the perimeter in the first

half.

However, sophomore Travis Evee, C-USA’s second ranked three-point shooter, gave the Owls a boost from the perimeter by making four threes in the second half. Sophomore Max Fielder also caused problems for Southern Miss as he notched a 17 point and 11 rebound double-double on top of four steals.

Ladner described the coaches and players as “hurt” in the locker room after the game, but took positives from their reaction for next season.

“There’s a lot of tears flowing right now in that locker room and that makes me proud of our guys in our program,” Ladner said. “It bothers them, and they care. We just got to keep working and get better. We’ve made a step where we can compete, but the bottom line is winning and next year we need to do what we need to do to make a run at this thing.”