The Student Printz: March 3, 2021

SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • MARCH 3, 2021 | VOLUME 106 | ISSUE 22

GILMAN SCHOLARSHIP

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DAFT PUNK

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TEACK & FIELD

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Latest Hattiesburg Zoo expansion adds new animals, new restaurant for visitors

Photos by Morgan Lawrence | Printz

MORGAN LAWRENCE PRINTZ REPORTER espite struggles during the pandemic, the Hattiesburg Zoo has lots of new and exciting things in store for city residents and animal lovers

alike.

The biggest of these changes, literally and metaphorically, is the Hattiesburg Zoo’s latest expansion. The construction of this new area has been visible from Hardy Street for two years now and is in its final development stages. Various zoo staff members hope to see it open sometime in Spring 2021.

This expansion adds roughly 25% to the zoo’s total square footage in the

A few of the construction projects the Hattiesburg Zoo has began.

northwest quadrant. New, exotic animals like giraffes, hyenas and different kinds of primates will call the expansion home, with more and more to be added.

These new editions will further expand the 200+ different species available at the Hattiesburg Zoo, as well as add a few new countries to the mix. In the building which will house the giraffes, staff members will be adding 21 flags in honor of the countries where giraffes originate from.

A less noticeable, but still very significant, change comes with the Zoo’s hours. The Hattiesburg Zoo had reduced its hours significantly over the past year because of the pandemic, but recently announced they would return to normal

operations within the next few days.

Starting March 1, the Hattiesburg Zoo will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.

The news gives hope to community residents that the town is once again returning to normal despite lingering COVID-19 cases. When the initial stay at home orders went into effect nationwide, many beloved, tourist-friendly operations had to shut down and/or reduce their hours. But agencies like the Hattiesburg Convention Commission have helped keep community favorites like the Pocket Museum, the Saenger Theater and the Hattiesburg Zoo open and operational even through the worst of the pandemic.

Rick Taylor, the Executive Director of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, works closely with these attractions in hopes of a better community.

“We, at the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, are an attraction management agency, just like with The Pocket Museum and Saenger Theater,” said Taylor. “Our job is to operate and manage these areas for the economic and social aspect of the community for a good quality of life to the residents.”

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NEWS

MARCH 3, 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.

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MARCH 3, 2021

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The Gilman Scholarship: a new opportunity to study abroad

JENNIFER SHIELDS PRINTZ REPORTER eketa Virgin, a Senior International Business major, has one piece of advice for future Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship applicants: “Just take advantage of the opportunity in front [you] and not worry about anything else.”

The Gilman Scholarship, which awards up to $5000 for people looking to study or intern abroad, received its namesake after the late congressman Benjamin A. Gilman.

He led the effort to create the program in 2001 through the International Academic Opportunity Act. “The Gilman Program provides grants for undergraduate U.S. citizens of limited financial means to study and intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity,” the official Gilman website explains.

Virgin, whose minor is Spanish, has elected to take the Spanish in Spain program offered by the Study Abroad Office at the University of Southern Mississippi.

In addition to aid she’s seeking through the university, Virgin also applied for the Gilman grant. Because it is such a competitive grant, Virgin struggled just to get through the application part.

“It’s a lot, but it’s worth it,” said Virgin.

There are four different written parts to the application process. Students must

Courtesy of Southern Miss International Programs

first submit a general application, detailing their personal information, school records and chosen study abroad program. Then they must write a Statement of Purpose, which explains why the applicant wants to study abroad in the first place, including its benefits academically. They must then write how they will aid in “Building Mutual Understanding” between countries through meaningful relationships. Finally, in order to help other students find the Gilman program, the applicant must create a “Follow-on Service Project Proposal” to inform others about the scholarship.

There are some benefits to studying abroad, even more so with the aid of the Gilman scholarship. Students can gain new skills by studying abroad, as well as learn about new cultures that they may otherwise be unfamiliar with.

“Study abroad is a special experience for every student who participates,” Gilman once explained. “Living and learning in a vastly different environment of another nation not only exposes our students to alternate views, but also adds an enriching social and cultural experience. It also provides our students with the opportunity to return home with a deeper understanding of their place in the world, encouraging them to be a contributor, rather than a spectator in the international community.”

Anna Kate Baygents, the Program Manager for the Office of Study Abroad, says another major benefit of study abroad is its adaptability. Any student can utilize study abroad to complete their degrees. “[Because when] you study abroad, you get Southern Miss academic credit,” said Baygents.

Since not every student can afford to study abroad, Southern Miss tries to expose its students to as many opportunities for international scholarships as possible.

Southern Miss has also repeatedly proven that its students are capable of being Gilman recipients despite the steep competition throughout the country.

“One in four applicants become a recipient of the Gilman Scholarship. At Southern Miss, our students have proven those chances even better,” said Carlee Causey, the Project Director for Nationally Competitive Programs.

During the Fall 2020 cycle, nine out of 11 applicants became Gilman scholars.

During the 2019-2020 school year, 50 Southern Miss students became Gilman scholars. These numbers are incredibly promising, especially for a national program that accepts roughly 3600 applicants per year.

Although COVID-19 has prevented some students from using the program to study abroad, the Gilman Scholarship has a way to make it so students can still make their trips. If a student’s program is canceled or in a high-risk area, the student can defer their grant to another semester.

Students also have the option of taking a virtual or hybrid study abroad program.

To apply for the scholarship, go to their website at https://gilmanapplication.iie. org before the extended deadline of March 9. To explore Southern Miss study abroad programs, please visit the Office of Study Abroad’s website at https://www.usm. edu/study-abroad/index or their office in the International Center.

Voters approved a medical marijuana program last November. What’s happened to it?

CARTER LISHEN PRINTZ REPORTER recent legislative medical marijuana program leaves the fate of compassionate care for Mississippians in limbo, adding onto the legal challenges Initiative 65

faces.

On Feb. 12, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosseman called the Mississippi State Senate for a midnight vote on Bill 2765. Though a previous vote on the measure had failed, this session passed it, sending it off to the statehouse for approval.

The bill, authored by Sen. Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven, would be a legislative alternative to Initiative 65, which is an amendment to the state constitution to create a medical marijuana program. Initiative 65, approved during the November 2020 election cycle, formed as the result of a massive, years-long grassroots campaign throughout the state. It also beat a similar legislative alternative bill, Initiative 65A, in that same cycle.

Many supporters of Initiative 65 are angry with Bill 2765, saying it’s the legislature’s attempt to override a program that voters overwhelmingly supported. Some even believe

it to be a coordinated effort by Republican leadership to control something they didn’t want to begin.

“The establishment is trying to coerce senators into voting against the will of the people,” The Mississippi Alliance for Cannabis wrote on its Facebook page.

There are distinct differences between Initiative 65 and Bill 2765, especially economically. Initiative 65 proponents feel the competing measure would favor larger, outof-state cannabis businesses at the expense of local in-state growers.

Patients under Bill 2765 would also have to fork over a seven percent sales tax on their marijuana prescriptions. This would be the first prescription medication tax in the state of Mississippi, which, according to Mississippi Today, would largely be directed to education in the state. Initiative 65, meanwhile, explicitly works against that tax, exempting marijuana prescriptions from general fund taxes while including fees that are fed right back into the medical marijuana program.

Supporters of Bill 2765 like Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, claim it’s merely a “backup plan”. They point out that the bill includes “trigger language”, meaning it would only go into effect if 65 is gutted by the courts.

“It’s a backup plan in case the [Mississippi] Supreme Court rules the referendum unconstitutional,” said Wiggins. “[Otherwise, you] won’t have a program at all.”

This provision was created in response to legal troubles Initiative 65 is facing. Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler filed a lawsuit aimed at dismantling Initiative 65 just days before the November election. Though the suit is filed against the Mississippi Secretary of State, she says her real battle is against “pot shops” in her city.

Butler’s complaint claims that the process of gathering signatures to qualify for the ballot was unconstitutional. For an initiative to qualify for the ballot, organizers must gather signatures from the state’s former five congressional districts, even though Mississippi currently has four congressional districts after reapportionment following the 2000 Census.

If she’s successful, she would also wipe out every other grassroots initiative Mississippi voters approved during the last 21 years.

Shortly after the November 2020 election, the communications director for the original Medical Marijuana 2020 campaign, Jamie Grantham, said this “frivolous” lawsuit was “without merit”.

“She’s had months to make her voice heard, and she never did that,” Grantham

said. “My hope and prayer is [sic] that the Mississippi Supreme Court will honor and uphold [the intention behind Initiative 65].”

The effort to overturn 65 in the courts is even receiving national attention and support.

The American Medical Association (AMA), along with the Mississippi State Medical Association, filed an amicus brief to back Butler’s efforts to dismantle the program, citing numerous public health risks and burdens on physicians.

Initiative 65 also has a fair bit of national support, however. Paul Armentano, the Deputy Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, spoke out against AMA’s statement on Facebook.

“AMA’s position is woefully out of step with both public opinion and scientific consensus, as well as with the opinions of the majority of physicians,” Armentano said.

As of writing, there’s no telling how long Initiative 65 could be held up in the courts.

The case will go before the state Supreme Court this April before the medical marijuana program is even off the ground. If the amendment can withstand these legal battles, The Mississippi State Department of Health, the agency tasked to run the program, will start to issue patient identification cards and treatment center licenses Aug. 15.

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CONT. FROM PG 1 Taylor has also been working with the Hattiesburg Zoo in order to keep its construction on schedule. He hopes that this new addition will further bolster the zoo economically and increase tourism in the area.

“The zoo has been growing over the past number of years and this expansion continues that growth,” Taylor said. “With the 25% added, the zoo will now be able host larger events because of the large pavilion.”

Popular annual events like Zoo Boo, Lights of the Wild and the Renaissance Festival bring in a large crowd. Taylor estimated that the Hattiesburg Zoo hosts roughly 200,000 guests a year. After this construction is complete, there is a new covered pavilion that guests can visit. During regular park hours, the pavilion will contain benches and chairs for guests to relax, as well as add more social distancing and gathering space.

“The new area cost about 3.4 million dollars to build,” Taylor said.

“The goal is that with this investment we will increase revenue and profit to keep growing and expanding.”

While the Zoo seems to be thriving now, it was not always this way. Its success nowadays both locally and

Morgan Lawrence | Printz

nationally is a far cry from its rocky start.

“It’s very unusual for a city our size to have a zoo,” Taylor said.

“The cost and the requirements have changed and lots of cities our size have had to discontinue their zoo.

Some years ago, the Hattiesburg Convention Commission assisted the city by helping to grow the zoo economically. [...] The zoo now sustains itself and does not require government funding.”

With the new expansion and old hours back in action, Taylor believes the Hattiesburg Zoo will bring in even more fans because of its family friendly, educational and fun environment.

“What we do is not only promote conservation but also education,” Taylor notes. “Most people who visit the zoo will never be able to visit Africa and this gives them a glimpse into what animals can be found there.”

Not only will this new vicinity expand on the Asia and Africa themed location of the Zoo, but guests will also be able to visit a second restaurant called Ladah Cantina. The cantina will serve Americanized African food and treats to its visitors. Because of the Ladah Cantina’s location, guests will be able to watch the giraffes and hyenas behind glass

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM screens. Some taller visitors might even be able to peak into the hyena habitat, as hyenas can’t jump and therefore require a much shorter fence to keep visitors safe.

One of the people behind developing Ladah Cantina, Guest Services Manager Demetric Kelly, is also a USM alumni and a previous Student Printz staff member. Kelly’s current job helps make sure that the customers are always happy.

“My job ranges from priority guest services to retail,” said Kelly. “I oversee retail and help choose all the items in our gift shop. I also oversee the daily operations like making sure that the zoo is ready for the public.

I’m sort of our ‘guest zookeeper’.”

Kelly, as the “guest zookeeper”, does a lot to make sure that every little detail in the Hattiesburg Zoo adds to its enjoyability. Like many, he’s excited for the new expansion, and hopes people will take advantage of the space.

“Everything that I do my goal is to make sure that guests leave with something to remember and will hopefully bring them back here,” Kelly said. “I’m hoping to see our normal guests return to see something new, but I am also hoping that this will attract more visitors that haven’t had a chance to come yet.”

Kelly has seen a lot of great change

at the zoo since he started working for the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, and wants it to continue for the betterment of the community.

“I’m hoping to educate adults and children alike who have never seen giraffes to promote education,” Kelly said. “The new cantina will bring new food and the pavilion [will allow space] for more events and weddings, which will be great to have. We’re hopeful to bring a lot of people to Hattiesburg and we are proud of this new exhibit.”

COVID-19 may have slowed down construction, but the spirits of the staff remain high. Giraffes are big animals that will bring big changes for Hattiesburg. No matter their interests, everyone can have something to be excited about when the latest Hattiesburg Zoo attraction opens its gates.

“Seeing these animals makes it matter whether you care if the Amazon rainforest burns down or not,” Taylor said. “If you don’t support efforts to reduce this cause and things like poaching, then these animals will be gone. That’s a big part in education and exposing these ideals to kids.”

Be sure to keep up with the latest Hattiesburg Zoo updates by following @HattiesburgZoo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

ENTERTAINMENT

MARCH 3, 2021

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Bryson Tiller’s Very Boring ‘Anniversary’ JAKORI BEAUCHAMP PRINTZ REPORTER ryson Tiller released the deluxe version of his third studio album ‘Anniversary’ this past Friday. While not necessarily bad, ‘Anniversary Deluxe’ rarely deviates from its original subject matter and lacks a lot of spectacular content from Tiller.

When Tiller announced ‘Anniversary Deluxe’, I honestly really didn’t have a reaction to it. The singles before the original ‘Anniversary’ drop weren’t as vulnerable or unique from what we had already heard. It felt like he was forced to make ‘Anniversary’ because of a contract, not because he had anything new to say. If he wanted to re-release ‘Trapsoul’, he could have just re-released ‘Trapsoul’. The original ‘Anniversary’, in comparison, seemed far more hollow to me than anything, like a deliberate rip-off of Tiller’s own material.

‘Anniversary Deluxe’ added four songs and one interlude to the original ‘Anniversary’ tracklist. It gave me flashbacks to Ariana Grande’s ‘Positions Deluxe’, which gave us the exact same amount of new content.

Considering Grande has also been incredibly repetitive recently, I wonder if they coordinated launch dates.

It breaks my heart that ‘Anniversary Deluxe’ is probably the new Bryson Tiller standard. He’s certainly fallen a long way from ‘Trapsoul’. Tiller’s debut managed to

be both raw and fun. He seemed to know exactly what his target audience wanted to hear when they needed to hear it. ‘Trapsoul’ was exciting and its success promised a lot more great things.

Yet it seems Tiller is unwilling to branch out and experiment more with his sound, despite initially gaining a lot of praise for doing just that. He seems to believe that repeating the same messages in slightly different tones will once again strike Triple Platinum. I don’t want to say Tiller peaked with his debut, but with this release, it’s seeming that way.

It wasn’t even just this release that brought this, either. The deluxe version of ‘Trapsoul’, which dropped in Sept. 2020, also wasn’t interesting. That deluxe initially got a lot of hype on social media because he added a few songs that had already leaked from his initial ‘Trapsoul’ recording. Actually listening to ‘Trapsoul Deluxe’ is an entirely different story. None of the songs were any new, different material that we had ever heard before. It was like listening to ‘Groundhog Day’ put to a beat.

My main thought while listening to ‘Anniversary’ and its deluxe was “Eh.” It was clear from the beginning this was just another Bryson Tiller project. There would be no innovation or fun to be had otherwise.

If you already like ‘Trapsoul’, you honestly could have just relistened to ‘Trapsoul’ and gotten the same effect. This was just the same content in a new package.

It would be one thing if ‘Anniversary Deluxe’ had any real effort put into it. If

Photo courtesty of Complex this album turned out to be R&B excellence, this would be a much different review. But it didn’t even give us that much. There weren’t any remixes and, aside from Big Sean, no new features. These were just run of the mill Bryson Tiller songs.

What’s worse is that I can’t even say I hate ‘Anniversary Deluxe’. I have no feelings on ‘Anniversary Deluxe’. “Inhale”, “Always and Forever”, “Sorrows”, “Keep Doing What You’re Doing”, “Next To You” and “New You”, which I initially loved, still sounded great on the deluxe. Even the few new songs

on ‘Anniversary Deluxe’, like “7:00” and “Still Yours”, sounded great. Of the new songs, I think “Still Yours” is the best because its production and vocals stand out the most to me. And if the best thing I can say about your new song is that it “stands out” better than the others, then that’s a problem.

As a former Bryson Tiller stan, I am very disappointed in the direction that his music has taken. I may still listen to his upcoming releases, but if ‘Anniversary Deluxe’ is the new standard, I don’t have high hopes for them.

Daft Punk announces break up with “Epilogue” MARY MURPHY NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR aft Punk, an internationally famous electronic music duo, officially called it quits Feb. 22 with the release of “Epilogue”.

Released on Daft Punk’s official YouTube channel, “Epilogue” is an eight minute short film repurposing clips from the 2006 experimental sci-fi film ‘Electroma’. It serves as an unofficial end to the group’s time, and is currently the only accessible thing on their website.

In “Epilogue”, the members of Daft Punk, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, walk in full costume through a desert. Bangalter abruptly stops, bowing his head as De Homem-Christo doubles back. The two look at each other, and the wind whistles around them. Bangalter then takes off his jacket, revealing a self-destruct button on his back. De Homem-Christo, after some hesitation, presses the button, activating a minute long timer.

The loud, electronic beeping of the timer echoes throughout the scene as Bangalter calmly walks away. De Homem-Christo looks on as Bangalter, well out of reach, once more stops. With only a few more seconds left, Bangalter clenches his fist, keeping his head towards the desert’s horizon. When the timer ends, Bangalter explodes.

As the dust settles, “Touch”, the seventh song on Daft Punk’s final studio

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album, plays. Full of synths and strings, “Touch” also transitions the film from ‘Electroma’ clips to an original illustration. Daft Punk’s iconic silver and gold hands frame a golden light, with a caption that almost seems to be missing an accompanying epitaph: “1993-2021”.

“Epilogue” ends with more ‘Electroma’ footage, now showing De Homem-Christo walking towards a sunrise. “Touch’s” chorus echoes one final message for fans as the video ends:

“Hold on, if love is the answer, you’re home.”

After the video was released, Kathryn Frazier, who worked as Daft Punk’s publicist for years, told Pitchfork that, yes, the group was splitting up. No official reason was given, and, considering Bangalter and De Homem-Christo are famous for their commitment to anonymity, many doubt any explanation will be given.

“But if this is the end for Daft Punk,

perhaps we shouldn’t mourn too much,” Justin Sayles writes for The Ringer. “We should be thankful that they went out with a little mystique, helmets on and all.”

Fans flooded social media with tributes to Daft Punk as the news quickly went viral. Single and album streams went up exponentially, and The Rolling Stone reported that digital album sales skyrocketed an astounding 2650%.

Daft Punk, active for 28 years, were considered industry juggernauts. All four of their studio albums -- “Homework”, “Discovery”, “Human After All” and “Random Access Memories” -- had songs that received Grammy nominations. Of these nominations, “Random Access Memories” won four, including “Album of the Year”. They also collaborated with a wide variety of artists over the years, such as The Weeknd, Kanye West, Giovanni Moroder and Julian Casablancas.

Many were drawn in by their unique music style and presentation, as they experimented with the true limitations of talk boxes, synths and real world instruments for years. They remain one of the few bands to have hits in three separate decades, with songs like “Around the World”, “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” and “Get Lucky” charting across the world.

It is unlikely that there will ever be a band quite like Daft Punk again. Though it’s painful to see them go, their music will continue to inspire fans and artists alike for years to come. Rest easy, robots.

SPORTS MARCH 3, 2021 Southern Miss Track and Field triumphs in uncertain season CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR hen freshman Cassidy Teuscher first set foot on campus last fall, there were a lot of uncertainties about her new college life. As Teuscher adjusted to college and its abnormalities during the COVID-19 pandemic, she did not know if she could compete this year, as the track and field/cross country seasons held off on announcing a schedule for spring.

Five months later, Teuscher led the Southern Miss women’s track team to its first Indoor Conference Championship in school history.

“When we got here, we didn’t even know if we were going to have a cross country season, so everything’s a surprise, every week is something new, but I’m very grateful for what we have been able to do and it was really exciting to be able to win,” Teuscher said.

The women’s team had eight finishes on the podium at the Indoor Championships, with one gold from Vivette Green in the 200m dash, four silvers and three bronze winners. Teuscher was the top-point finisher with 16 points total.

For Head Coach Jon Stuart, winning the Indoor Championship came as the result of years of preparation and trust. After finishing near the bottom of the championship for years, the women’s team finished second place in 2018.

“There was a slight bit of disappointment because I thought we might have a chance to win, but at the same time, I just knew that good things were happening,” Stuart said. “It’s just one of those things that give you motivation that the things you’re doing, the policies you have in place, the schedule you have,

the way you train every day. It’s a confirmation that you’re doing the right things.”

Stuart says Kate Maddox and Sarah Parnell’s third and fourth finishes in the mile run “snowballed” the team’s momentum.

“Each athlete just did really well in their event to score more points for us, and next thing you know [...] it all adds up at the end of the day,” Stuart said.

The women’s team was tied for second place at the start of the final day. Stuart remembers that he told the coaches and players, “We’ve got a chance.”

As the women competed for a chance at first, the men’s team finished in sixth place and gathered two titles/ Trey Johnson won the 400m title, and Corvell Todd claimed the high jump title.

In his first year at Southern Miss, Todd also ranks sixth in the nation in high jumping. Stuart says Todd is “quiet as a mouse”, but speaks through his performance and work ethic.

“I feel like nobody can outwork me, and it took a lot to get there,” Todd said. “I just make sure I continue to work hard and stay in my position.”

Todd, a three-time NJCAA National Champion, says that he is determined to break the school record for high jump and eventually claim an NCAA title.

Teuscher also set records with and earned Freshman of the Meet, but had fought to compete this spring after she suffered from complications with her asthma over Christmas break.

Teuscher explains that she stayed committed by running 30 minutes each day over the break. She returned to regular workouts with teammates and coaches before her indoor debut at the Jaguar Invite on Feb. 7, where she set a record for completing a 3K as a freshman.

As the championship came to a close, Teuscher had one more event to finish: the 3K. “I was like, you know what, this is my last race. If I break my leg sprinting, I’m gonna do it, and I don’t

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Courtesy of Southern Miss Athletics think I’ve ever run that fast in my entire life. [...] I was just sprinting my heart out,” Teuscher said.

Teuscher mainly credits her teammates for what happened next, as they gave her motivation by cheering from the side.

“Every lap I would come around, and my coach is in the corner and is losing his mind, and I was like, okay this is good, these are good reactions. I had people yelling at me every quarter of the track cheering me on,” Teuscher said. “I know that, if I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t have pushed myself as hard as I did.”

Teuscher finished second and cut 11 seconds off of her personal-best. The 4x400 team later finished in fifth place to cap off Southern Miss’s victory. Stuart describes the moment when the team realized that

first place was theirs and got their hands on the trophy.

“Once we held the trophy up, it was just a lot of fun,” Stuart said. “We just all wanted to yell ‘Southern Miss To The Top’, and just watch the kids celebrate because it’s a lot of fun to have them screaming, laughing and running around. [...] It hasn’t happened very often for us, so it’s a great feeling.”

Stuart already has his sights on the outdoor championship and says the team is putting in extra work to prepare for the outdoor season. The season officially starts March 26 at the Bulldog Relays.

“We’ve got an outdoor championship that’s coming up, but this indoor one felt really good,” Stuart said.

Southern Miss drops last regular season series against FAU CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR outhern Miss lost both games in its last conference series of the season against Florida Atlantic University (FAU), finishing the regular season with an 8-16 (4-13 Conference

USA) record.

After trailing by 17 in the second half, the Golden Eagles narrowed the score within three points with two minutes remaining. However, FAU made two straight threes and won the first game 69-60.

“We had the momentum. The crowd was into the game. [... It] was just a momentum shift,” guard LaDavius Draine said of the loss.

The Golden Eagles were initially caught off guard by the Owls’s shooting game. While the Owls only made 3-15 from the perimeter in the second half, the team made 10 of its 17 attempts in the first half.

“We give up a lot of size and so we have to help with an offside defender to keep [Karlis Silinis, FAU forward] from beating us at the rim and they did such a good job of throwing the ball against that man,” Ladner said. “Some of them haven’t traditionally been great three-point shooters, but you’ve got to give them credit. They stepped in there tonight and made them in the first half.”

The Golden Eagles had a double-digit deficit at halftime as the Owls scored 30 points from the perimeter. However, they adjusted plans accordingly to pick up momentum in the second half.

“We did a better job in the second half based on adjustment. I have to give Coach [Kyle] Roane credit for that,” Ladner said.

Southern Miss started the second half slow offensively, making only one of its 11 attempts.

Draine finally sparked the offense with his third three-pointer of the night, and the Golden Eagles started its comeback run.

“That’s been a problem all year. It really has and then we change things around,” Ladner said about the offensive struggles throughout the game. “I thought we did better once we got into a defensive rhythm and started passing the ball and executing on offense, getting the ball side to side. I thought that’s when we were most effective.”

Ladner also says that the offense started playing well when Draine started to produce.

“In the second half, he got going and it’s amazing once he got going, how that opened things up for us because they had to stay attached to him,” Ladner said.

Prior to this series, Draine had slumped to four points per game on 10-41 shooting over the last four conference series. Draine finished the night with a team-high of 17 points on 5-11 shooting and four of eight three-point attempts.

“I’ve just been focusing on shooting the same shot consistently,” Draine said. “I know sometimes, Coach tells me my wrist goes to the right or left a little bit. I just tried to focus on shooting straight.”

The second game was more of the same for Southern Miss: another comeback from a double-digit deficit that fell short.

The Golden Eagles trailed by 16 points five minutes into the second half, but guard Tae Hardy led Southern Miss on its comeback. Hardy erupted in the second half, earning 23 points on seven of ten shot attempts. Hardy made four of six three-pointers. His final three gave the Golden Eagles a one-point lead with three minutes remaining.

“He just got going and that was great to watch,” Ladner said. “I thought he really put us on his back, and he did a great job.”

However, Southern Miss missed its last three shots. The Owls took the win after they made

Charlie Luttrell | Printz three consecutive three-pointers, ending the game 73-66.

Hardy was the top scorer of the game, finishing with 32 points. He also took the title of most points earned in a home game, passing former Golden Eagle Charles Gaines’s record of 36.

“I just tried to go out there and give as much as I could to make the team fired up. It was our seniors’ last home game, so I wanted to go out there and end it with a bang. It was a tough loss,” Hardy said.

Both seniors, Draine and guard Clay Weatherspoon, were in the starting lineup for senior night.

This was Weatherspoon’s first start of his career.

Hardy describes the impact both of the seniors had on him in first year at Southern Miss.

“They are very positive people,” Hardy said.

“Those guys are like two peas in a pod, it’s like you see one, you see the other. Clay’s always telling me at timeouts to stay positive to keep the energy. Clay was a great leader behind the scenes.”

Hardy says that Draine also made him more competitive in shooting, and displayed an example of what a great teammate is.

Southern Miss lost 10 of its last 11 games in the regular season, but Ladner says his team’s spirit is “unbroken” heading into the C-USA Basketball Championships in March.

“Our spirits are good and our guys will come out ready next weekend and keep battling and getting better,” Ladner said. “I have no doubt about that.”

SPORTS

MARCH 3, 2021

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

Southern Miss fights to win series against UConn CHARLIE LUTTRELL SPORTS EDITOR

outhern Miss (4-3) ultimately won its series against the University of Connecticut (UConn, 2-4) by taking the first two games, but the Huskies avoided a sweep by closing out the weekend with a victory.

Game 1 Down by one run in the eighth, Gabe Montenegro delivered a two RBI double, leading the Golden Eagles to a 6-5 victory.

“I knew he had a pretty good slider, so I was trying to look for something and see if he threw that slider away. I was never going to reach for it,” Montenegro said about his last at-bat. “That pitch was exactly it. [...] It was a slider, and that’s exactly what I was looking for, so I was able to hit it.”

Montenegro’s two hits accounted for four of the team’s runs. He also hit a solo home run on the first at-bat for Southern Miss, keeping Southern Miss in the lead for most of the game.

“His first at-bat and last at-bat obviously were special,” Head Coach Scott Berry said. “I knew he’d been there before many times [... but] what a great at-bat, with two strikes and getting set double down the line to put us up one.”

While Montenegro earned the lead, pitcher Garrett Ramsey made his Southern Miss debut on the mound in the ninth to close out the game. Ramsey retired the Huskies quickly, immediately throwing three strikeouts.

“I came out there, just trying to do what I do best, land those sliders, and honestly, I kind of blacked out there at the end,” Ramsey said. “As soon as they swung that bat, I knew it was over.”

Berry says that Ramsey is their go-to guy to close out games, and did exactly what he showed off in practices.

“I loved his composure,” Berry said. “It was his first time out there in a Division 1 game, big crowd, everybody was amped up, and he was able to slow the game down, block out everything and do his thing.”

After falling to a 3-1 deficit, Reed Trimble hit an RBI double. Christopher Sargent followed with two RBI doubles, giving Southern Miss a 4-3 lead.

Though the Huskies regained the lead in the seventh, Montenegro and Ramsey eventually took them out. Along the way, Ryan Och

Photos by Sean Smith | Printz replaced Hunter Stanley on the mound, and Stanley ended the game with 6.2 IP, including nine strikeouts, nine hits and five runs.

Game 2 Ramsey emerged as the hero yet again as he closed out the second game to secure a 7-6 victory.

“We had been preparing for it going backto-back days in the fall and all throughout early spring, so I was ready for it,” Ramsey said about closing out two straight games. “My arm was ready, and I told Coach to let me have the ball, and I went out there and did it again.”

Ramsey replaced Tyler Lantz in the eighth inning after UConn scored three runs. He recorded three strikeouts and 16 strikes on 23 total pitches.

Sargent shone as the Golden Eagles’ top hitter, earning two home runs for a total of five RBIs. “I couldn’t be more proud of that young man,” Berry said. “He’s a really good hitter. He hasn’t got off to the start that he wants, or we want, but now he’s starting to heat up a bit.”

The Huskies scored in the first inning and

jumped to a 3-0 lead after four straight hits in the third inning. But Dustin Dickerson gave the Golden Eagles its first hit of the day with a double, and Sargent tied the game with a three RBI home run. Said RBI was also Sargent’s first career home run.

“In the fall, I hit a pretty good bit. I guess I was pressing real early this year but to finally hit my first one [home run], it was really nice. It felt really good,” Sargent said.

“The three-run homer was really big there,” Berry said. “We needed that momentum. It was a time when UConn had gone up and scored twice in three innings, and we needed that big blast to get us back in the game. I think it really charged us and gave us some energy to move forward.”

Southern Miss scored two runs in the fourth inning. Michael Wein hit an RBI double and then scored after a sacrifice fly. After Charlie Fischer hit a double, Sargent hit again with a two-run homer to give Southern Miss a 7-3 lead.

The Huskies scored two more runs, but Ramsey prevented further damage to give Southern

Miss the win.

Game 3 Southern Miss looked to complete the series sweep, but the Huskies won 10-7, as its early lead was too much for the Golden Eagles to overcome.

“Well, I was disappointed like I know they were that we had a chance to beat a really sound club three times, but I was still proud of them winning this series being a young club and really grinding out, especially Friday night coming from behind[,] and then [Game Two] being able to come from behind as well and hold off and win it,” Berry said.

Southern Miss started off the game with its largest deficit of the series, as the Huskies stretched its lead up to 7-0 before Southern Miss got on the scoreboard with Dickerson’s solo homer.

“I had put a good swing on it, and I knew once it got into the wind, it was going to go,” Dickerson said. “Once I got back in the dugout, everybody was just saying we’re not out of thisa bloop and a blast, and we’re right back in it.”

After recording one more hit throughout four innings, Southern Miss rallied with four runs and three hits in the sixth.

“We just couldn’t get off the blocks like we wanted to,” Berry said. “I think a lot of that had to do with their guy, [Austin] Peterson. He was mixing it in and jamming our lefties and had a good changeup that made that fastball inside a little bit better.”

Golden Eagle Charlie Fischer hit a solo homer, and Reece Ewing hit a two-run homer in the inning. Billy Garrity then ran home after a sacrifice fly to narrow the score 7-5.

“We had some big hits today [...] but there were other opportunities there that we missed on and over the weekend that we’ve got to do a better job of getting those runs in,” Berry said.

UConn spoiled the comeback with three runs in the seventh and jumped to a 10-5 lead after a throwing error.

Southern Miss managed to score two more runs in the eighth after a throwing error, but were held hitless for the rest of the game.

Walker Powell also earned the loss in his season debut. Powell finished the game with five strikeouts, six runs and six hits allowed in 5 IP. Southern Miss will try to make up for the loss soon, as they play one game against Mississippi State on March 2 and a series against Jacksonville State on March 5.