Monday, September 28, 2015
Volume 100 Issue 11
www.studentprintz.com PAGE THREE
PAGE FOUR
NEWS
USM Foundation
University selects interim director for permanent position.
PAGE SEVEN
PAGE SIX
F E AT U R E
OPINION
S P O RT S
Students share stories about motherhood while in college.
Rap artist shows maturation in latest album.
Despite loss, Eagles prove they are much improved.
Pregnancy
College celebrates nursing student
Review
Friends, faculty show support for breast cancer survivor
Hunt Mercier/Assistant Photo Editor Corey Auerswald (center) is surrounded by friends and classmates from the College of Nursing at a surprise party for being cancer-free on Sept. 24. Auerswald received her last round of chemotherapy on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
Julius Kizzee Printz Reporter
From a registered nurse in her hometown of Lake Village, Arkansas, to the confines of the Hub City, Corey Auerswald has never seen a challenge too big for her to conquer. One of her closest friends, CRNA nursing major Lauren Robertson, has seen the compassion of Auerswald touch the lives of everyone around her. “She (is) sweet and super smart,” Robertson said. “She took the best care of her patients and everybody loved her.” On Thursday, Sept. 24, the
College of Nursing threw a surprise party for Auerswald, who is going through her last round of chemotherapy. From students across the department to professor Vickie Stuart, everyone came out to support a woman who touches so many of their lives. “I think this captures the essence of Dr. Bennett’s initiative on student retention,” Stuart said. “At the faculty level, student level and everything in between, we were able to keep her in the program.” Day by day, Auerswald comes to class, never having a frown on her face. “(We see her) as a regular
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student, just one that has been dealt a great challenge in life,” Stuart said. “We wanted her to know that we supported her and the decisions that she made on how she would approach the disease.” Auerswald never saw an obstacle she could not overcome. She was already a recognized nurse back home but wanted to chase a bigger dream. That is when she decided to pack it all up and move to Hattiesburg, hand-in-hand with Robertson. They were accepted into the nursing program at USM in January 2015, and Auerswald has nearly kept a 4.0 GPA while maintaining
a family life back home. With a husband and a two-year-old child to keep happy, Auerswald is juggling a heavy load. With Robertson by her side, she sees no challenges that could bring her down. “Shortly into the first semester, she felt a lump,” Robertson said. “I said, ‘Oh Corey, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.’” As a nurse, Auerswald knew how to take care of herself. She regularly went to the doctor for check-ups, had healthy eating habits and exercised regularly. But that healthy lifestyle would not prepare her for the news she heard while at a check-up at the
doctor’s office, while studying for an upcoming final exam. “We took our books for finals and we were studying on the couch in the waiting room,” Robertson said. “She went back and she knew from the ultrasound what it looked like— it was breast cancer.” Distraught by the news, Auerswald could not believe it happened to her of all people. She realized that she had a family history of breast cancer, but she was very careful. With a healthy lifestyle combined with monthly checkups at home, she never imagined that it could happen to her. But her spirit could not be broken. Her classmates helped to pick up the slack while she went through her treatments. Also, the nursing program at USM created a Go Fund Me page to show support for Auerswald. On that page, they raised over $10,000 in only four months. “One thing they did for me was to make a website for me,” Auerswald said. “They would always make such nice comments and everything.” Auerswald was never fazed by the diagnosis, because that is just the woman she is. Her classmates uplift her, and her family supports her through her treatments. People are motivated to help her through in any way that they can. From that, Auerswald touches more people than she could have ever imagined. Auerswald may have cared and helped those patients back in Arkansas with just her nursing skills. But she inspires many more with her fighting spirit in her battle with cancer, just by coming to class.
GREEK LIFE
CPC honors Hazing Prevention Week Elizabeth Lee Printz Reporter
Last week, the College Panhellenic Council, which is the governing body for The University of Southern Mississippi’s eight National Panhellenic Council sororities, participated in National Hazing Prevention Week by promoting the campaign on social media each day. Elise Seale, a senior
interdisciplinary studies major, serves as vice president of risk management on CPC’s executive board and discussed the event. “I think National Hazing Prevention Week is a great time to remind each chapter of the opportunities they have to welcome their new members without the threat of hazing,” Seale said. “We want these new members to feel comfortable in their new organizations, and our social media campaign throughout
the week emphasized that hazing is not an effective or acceptable way to welcome new members.” On Monday, CPC promoted an online anti-hazing pledge on Facebook by encouraging sorority members to sign it on HazingPrevention.org. The pledge was to report and prevent any known hazing before or as it occurs and to spread awareness about hazing. On Tuesday, the focus was on
debunking hazing myths. CPC tweeted about several common misgivings about the harms of hazing, including “hazing builds unity and character,” “hazing is okay as long as it is nonviolent and nondangerous” and “women are not involved in men’s hazing.” On Wednesday, CPC posted links on both Facebook and Twitter to a short documentary called “We Don’t Haze,” which brings to light truths about hazing in today’s
world, both within and outside of Greek Life. On Thursday, CPC hosted a trivia game on Twitter regarding hazing policies specific to Southern Miss’ Greek system. They also held a roundtable with new member educators and risk management chairs to review hazing policies. In addition, the standards and risk management chairs will be doing a HAZING, SEE PG. 3
Page 2 | Monday, September 28, 2015
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NEWS
Monday, September 28, 2015 | Page 3
ON CAMPUS
STATE
Mercier named executive Mississippi no longer director of USM Foundation most obese state Camille Myrick
on the university,” Mercier said. “Two very recent examples of that are Scianna Hall and the Dale Center for the Study of War and Society.” Those giving can be assured their monetary gifts go directly into projects beneficial to USM. Mercier stressed that trust is important to build between the foundation and donors. “It operates in such a manner that alumni and friends of the university feel good about investing in our students, faculty, staff and programs,” Mercier said. As the new executive director, Mercier will be the highest-ranking professional at the foundation. She will be responsible for managing the day-to-day procedures of the
organization. This important role is not unmanageable for Mercier, who proved her capability during her interim trial as executive director. Chad Driskell, vice president of external affairs, made it clear that securing the position for Mercier was an easy decision. “I have great confidence and trust in the ability of Stace Mercier to be the permanent executive director of the USM Foundation,” Driskell said. “(Mercier) possesses great leadership skills, has proven management experience and provides an attention to detail that is uncompromising. This move gives us a solid leadership structure and allows us to move forward in assembling the highest caliber development group possible.” Not only has Mercier garnered the attention of her superiors, but also of those working side-by-side with her. President of the USM Foundation Board Reed Allison noted the qualities Mercier possesses from firsthand observation. “Having had the privilege of working closely with (Mercier) the last few years, the foundation leadership and I are very excited about her title of executive director of the foundation being made permanent,” Allison said. “I am very confident that with her vision and leadership skills, Stace is the right person to take the USM Foundation to the next level.”
In addition to the council as a whole promoting hazing awareness and prevention, each individual chapter designed graphics and provided member testimonies to show their support of the week’s purpose on social media. Amanda Ladner serves as vice president of public relations on the CPC executive board and helped market the campaign on social media. “We, as sorority women, cannot truly live out the values of our
ritual if we create an environment where respect is forced rather than earned,” Ladner said. “Our council is supportive of each other both as individuals and chapters, and it’s encouraging to see the positive feedback and support of this week by each of our eight sororities on campus.” For more information on hazing prevention and the “These Hands Don’t Haze” campaign, visit Southern Miss CPC’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
Printz Reporter
Stace Mercier is passionate about the betterment of The University of Southern Mississippi, and so the USM Foundation named Mercier executive director earlier this month. Mercier has been actively contributing her capacities to the foundation for over 10 years, previously serving as the chief financial officer and associate director for finance. “I am excited about being named the permanent executive director for the foundation,” Mercier said. “Regardless of the title, I have always been committed to doing my very best to advance the university. The future of Southern Miss is bright, and the foundation will be an integral part of shaping that future.” The USM Foundation, established in 1959, is responsible for the university’s fundraising ventures and is associated with the Alumni Association, the Trent Lott National Center for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship and the Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families. Donations made to the foundation can be used for many purposes, from scholarships to building projects. “Charitable dollars play an important role in providing funds that can make a transformative impact
HAZING CONTINUED preventative online course so that they will be prepared to prevent hazing and handle hazing incidents within their individual chapters should such incidents arise. On Friday, CPC finished off Hazing Prevention Week by tabling at the fountain from 12:30 until 2:30. Members had a sheet and different colored paint for people to add their handprints as part of the “These Hands Don’t Haze” campaign.
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Lora Lavigne Printz Reporter
According to the State of Obesity website, Mississippi broke a two-year streak of being the most obese state in America. Mississippi has moved down the rankings to land at the position of third most obese state. After several years of being ranked on the top of the obesity charts, numerous questions have surfaced as to what Mississippians are doing to improve their health. The answer to this question is quite simple: it is not in the sense that Mississippians are improving, but the fact that America’s health is getting worse. “It’s great it hasn’t gone up,” said State Health Officer Mary Currier. “But the only reason is other states got worse, not because we got better.” The most updated obesity charts present the top three states rapidly increasing from the previous year, showing no improvement whatsoever. According to the chart, Mississippi did not increase or decrease, which proves that the extra weight Mississippians are carrying has become the actual norm. De’Jonelle Gleeton, a junior dance major, expressed her passion for living a healthy, happy lifestyle. “By studying dance and anatomy, I have become more aware of my body and the things I intake on a daily basis,” Gleeton said. “Over the past few years, I have become more cautious of what is okay and not okay to add into my diet and more people need to have realization of this. “ She added that most people become too comfortable in their current lifestyle and resist change. Arkansas, West Virginia and Mississippi now exceed 35 percent in the rates of obesity. Twentytwo states have rates above 30
percent, 45 states are above 25 percent and every state is above 20 percent. Arkansas has the highest adult obesity rate at 35.9 percent, while Colorado has the lowest at 21.3 percent. Mississippi also ranks third in the nation for the health problems linked directly to obesity–diabetes and hypertension. Health care professionals from the Mississippi Department of Health have said that Mississippi must move from disease treatment to disease prevention, pointing out that high obesity rates cost the nation billions of dollars in battling obesity-related diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and arthritis. Katy Zeruing, a senior nutrition and dietetics major, expressed how Mississippi is affecting the nation’s health and image. “Instead of taking this news as a victory lap, Mississippi needs to realize the importance in maintaining a healthier lifestyle,” Zeruig said. “Not only are we affecting our personal self, but the children of tomorrow, and America today.” She also explained that adding a daily exercise routine and counting calories can make a big difference. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half of all Americans live with a preventable chronic disease, and many such diseases are related to obesity, poor nutrition and physical inactivity. Adult obesity in Mississippi has increased dramatically over the past 15 years and is expected to increase significantly in the next 20 years. This growing epidemic has important consequences for our nation’s health and economy. Obesity increases several risk factors, and by making a difference today, we can change the world tomorrow.
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Jessica Bourgeois
Mary Blair Ward
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STUDENT BODY MAID HOMECOMING QUEEN
Jessica Thompson
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MISS SOUTHERN MISS MR. SOUTHERN MISS
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Katrell Lewis
Page 4 | Monday, September 28, 2015
FEATURE
ON CAMPUS
Pregnancy in college not the end for some Alexis Ware Printz Reporter
Brianna Spears was beginning her third year at The University of Southern Mississippi when she started feeling flu-like symptoms. After getting sick at work, her boss advised her to go to the clinic. When the nurse asked her to take a pregnancy test, she was certain she was not pregnant, but took the test anyway. The doctor returned, and Spears listened attentively to the doctor’s diagnosis. To Spears’ surprise, the doctor told her she was pregnant. “I thought, ‘She’s in the wrong room (and) she’s talking to the wrong person,’” Spears said. Spears called her mother soon after finding out. Her mother helped her control her initial feelings and realize that she would be able to handle having a baby while finishing out her college degree. At the start of her senior year, Darrionne Myles faced a similar problem. After finding out she was pregnant, she was shocked. “I have had a plan that I stuck with since I started college, and it only included me because I wanted to travel with my friends and have a career first before anything,” Myles said. Unlike many women who get pregnant in school and have to face judgment early on, no one knew Spears was pregnant for nearly her entire pregnancy. She did not start to show during the first semester she found out, and she only told one person. In the spring, she took online classes, so people only learned of the news when she posted photos to social media. She chose to keep her pregnancy private because she did not want people to shame her for being a Christian who was having a child before marriage. However, that did not stop negative opinions once the word spread. Spears said her experience was similar to if she had gotten pregnant in high school. “If you’re in school, and you
don’t have a career going, you don’t have a house of your own and you don’t really pay your bills, people think you’re going to fail,” Spears said. Myles told people close to her. Her family remained supportive, although some of her friends were disappointed. Though her pregnancy made her schoolwork more difficult, Myles worked to stay on track for graduation. “My teachers have been very supportive as well, which is shocking,” Myles said. “They were understanding when I told them everything that has been happening.” Financial hardships were one of the most difficult aspects of having a child while in school. Spears said she was not able to be a full-time student, have a fulltime job and be a full-time parent. “I tried the part-time job thing, and it didn’t work out,” Spears said. “I didn’t have anyone to help me on the weekends with my fiancé living out of town.” Even with those challenges, Spears did not fail as a student. Becoming a mother changed Spears’ behavior as a student for the better. “When I first came to USM, I didn’t like it, so I wasn’t taking schoolwork that seriously,” she said. “As soon as I had my baby, I started to get on the Dean’s List.” Spears realized being successful in school is the best way to prove all of the people with negative opinions wrong. Though her pregnancy was not part of her plans, Myles does not think having her baby will negatively affect her life. “A baby doesn’t stop your dream,” Myles said. “I still plan on traveling and doing what I wanted to do—I just will have a little shadow behind me as I go.” It was two years ago when the doctor told Spears she was pregnant. She now has a one-year-old daughter, Amina. Spears learned to overcome the challenges that come with being a mother while in school and to not allow the negative opinions of others to get her down. “(Amina is) my motivation,” Spears said. “She makes me happy. She keeps me smiling.”
Beth Cunningham/Printz Brianna Spears is a senior broadcast journalism major. A full-time student and mother, Spears holds her one-year-old daughter Amina on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi.
FEATURE
Monday, September 28, 2015 | Page 5
ON CAMPUS
Religious diversity thrives at USM Nan Buti
Printz Reporter Although 82 percent of people in Mississippi claim to be Christian, there still exists an array of different religious groups in the Pine Belt and at The University of Southern Mississippi. Amid the conservative Christian culture of this, the Bible Belt, USM stands out as a place of greater tolerance and respect for diversity. These groups or individuals who do not profess to be Christians may feel as though they do not fit in with the crowd. Some feel like lone outcasts, while others do not think twice about the fact that they are different. At USM, most feel the community is open-minded and passionate about diversity. “Some members of the USM community are welcoming and appreciate having a diverse campus,” said Daniel Capper, philosophy and religion professor. “Others are ethnocentric and intolerant, arrogantly asserting the superiority of their religion and blindly demeaning anyone who is different from themselves. Finally there are many folks in the middle who appreciate diversity and don’t want to be intolerant, yet still sometimes put up false boundaries.” The university encourages and promotes acceptance in the classroom and workplace and continues to strive for a higher sense of inclusion for students of various ethnic and religious backgrounds. “We have a number of professors, staff members and students who work to create a more accepting campus every day,” Capper said. USM is home to many religious and non-religious groups. Some might argue that being a minority in the South has its challenges, but others claim that it comes with advantages. “Coming from an ethnic or religious minority background in the Deep South certainly has its challenges,” Capper said. “But there are benefits, too. Folks from minority backgrounds tend to have a bigger picture of the world that they operate from, as they are required to participate beyond the bounds of the dominant culture. They often have broader minds, and a broad mind brings joys that a narrow mind cannot imagine.” Undoubtedly, Southern Miss is religiously and ethnically diverse, with students and faculty from all around the globe, including China, India, the United Kingdom, Africa, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and others. Students from different cultures and backgrounds shared their responses to how well they acquiesce with the rest of campus. Incidences of religious discrimination do occur, even at
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this university. “USM is extremely diverse, but tolerance is a different issue,” said senior biology major Emily Wilson. “I’m conflicted on saying that the university isn’t tolerant because I have a lot of friends who are unique, open and caring to people of any gender identity, ethnicity, religion or skin color, but I’ve also been discriminated against for various reasons by many people on this campus. I would say there are places at USM to find acceptance, but there are also places where you are going to meet heavy resistance if you are not white, heterosexual, upper-middle class, Baptist or Catholic.” “I don’t think I fit in at all,” junior business administration major Cristian Gomez said. “It’s
strange how the fact of being a minority pushes me to change myself so I can feel more accepted in a culture I don’t quite understand yet.” Although Gomez and his family practice Christianity, they do some things differently as compared to other families. “I know that my family and I are a lot different from most families religiously for the simple reason that all we do involves our religion,” Gomez said. “Being devout Catholics, as a family we have a daily routine of praying every chance we have.” Junior biochemistry major Karthik Balamurugan believes that USM is greatly diverse after socializing with students and faculty of different religious backgrounds and beliefs.
“I think that as kids, many of us follow and practice the religious beliefs that our parents grew up with and that some of them began to explore new beliefs at some point in college,” Balamurugan said. “For example, I was raised as a Hindu, but now I consider myself to be agnostic after coming to college. Living in the Bible Belt, I don’t believe my ideologies really fit in with the rest, and I don’t think that they should, given the differences of opinion.” Different students share different beliefs, but they do not use those beliefs to offend each other; instead, they kindly accept those differences. Although many students do not feel like they fit in with their settings, they actually relate to
more students than they think. Being immersed in USM’s diverse campus, minorities can coalesce with one another. “It’s hard to come out and tell people outright that I’m Buddhist,” Wilson said. “Honestly, most of the time someone ends up trying to save me, even after I explain that I’m also capable of being a Christian and Buddhist and that I have periods where I regularly attend church. I get a lot of shocked reactions because I’m a young, middle-class white woman, and I am expected to be a staunch Southern Baptist due to being raised in the Bible Belt.” USM’s campus is ranked number 720 in ethnic diversity nationwide, with a student body composition that is above the national average.
OPINION
Page 6 | Monday, September 28, 2015
ENTERTAINMENT
Mac Miller excels individually in “GO:OD AM” Julius Kizzee News Editor
A few years ago, Mac Miller was not seen as an artist atop many lists for “best modern rapper.” No one respected the young guy from Pittsburgh, who first started to make his rap songs to give his friends a fun time and something to which they could relate. Now, at age 23, Mac Miller is regarded as one of the best upand-coming artists, even though he has been on the rap scene for over five years. His previous works include “Blue Slide Park” and “Watching Movies with the Sound Off,” which never really exploded on the forefront of the rap game. Now, he has evolved into a new sound with his new album, “GO:OD AM.” Miller has always been a mixtape artist of sorts, releasing four to date since 2011, but he has always been on numerous features throughout the years. He transitioned from a suburban kid who wanted to make everyone feel good about themselves to the rapper who just wants his music to have a lasting impact for generations to come. This is where “GO:OD AM” comes into play. In the beginning of the album, Miller lets the musicality speak for itself. He isn’t the type of rapper to yell on every song, or to even overplay his instrumentals. He
usually sits back and meshes well with the beat, which is a skill most artists in this genre don’t have. Throughout the album, he never overplays the instruments with raw lyricism, but rather chooses to flow with the vibe, creating a smooth, harmonic beat. As the album moves along, Miller is growing up steadily through his lyrics. Not all of his songs touch on mature subjects such as investing money, sexual relations or buying homes, but he does have a more mature sound than he did a few years ago. He does have his childish moments, such as on “Two Matches” or “In the Bag,” but overall, he is himself through the entire tape, showing off his individuality. There aren’t too many features on the album, but they include Lil B, Chief Keef, Juicy J—just to name a few that actually got to appear on the album. In this series of recordings, Miller is able to excel as an individual, before ever having his music tainted with another vibe or feel from another artist. I would recommend this tape to any young kid or young adult looking for an artist who loves hard beats that don’t overwhelm the instruments. His flow is phenomenal, and he is never overreaching or playing outside of his element. What Miller lacks in lyricism and metaphors, he more than makes up in soft tones and relatable storytelling.
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SPORTS
Monday, September 28, 2015 | Page 7
FOOTBALL
USM nearly pulls upset after huge comeback
Bruce Thorson/USA Today Southern Miss running back Jalen Richard runs against Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive end Ross Dzuris in the second half at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska won 36-28.
Julius Kizzee News Editor
Southern Miss traveled to Nebraska for the third time in four years, falling 36-28 against the Cornhuskers, despite showing a valiant effort in the final moments. USM fell to 1-5 alltime against Nebraska, but this game was much closer than their recent showdowns. “I love the way our guys competed,” said head coach Todd Monken. “We’ve got a good group of guys in there. We’ve got the right guys moving forward.” Southern Miss struggled out of the gate both offensively and defensively, giving way to Cornhusker quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr., going 4-of-4 on the opening drive and an early score to make the game 7-0. There was no answer for the Golden Eagles, but there were numerous injuries on the defensive side of the ball coming into the game. There was no Anthony Swain at linebacker, and also both junior college safety transfers
Deshadrick Truly and Devonta Foster were both out. That gave way for players such as Terrick Wright, Xavier Thigpen and Picasso Nelson Jr. to get extended playing time. The Golden Eagles just could not get the offense going in the first half. Four of the seven Southern Miss drives in the first half ended in punts, one ended in a fumble and the only points they could have produced never happened after Parker Shaunfield botched a field goal. Shaunfield finished 0-for-2 in the game on field goals, missing from 33 and 44 yards out. “This is a game of emotions,” Monken said. “At halftime we were lucky to be where we were, to be real honest. They dominated the first half.” Going into halftime, Southern Miss was down 22-0 with no answers. Nick Mullens was not having a great game, the running game was not producing and coach Monken was just looking for an answer. But when the Golden Eagles came out of halftime, they came out with a ferocity.
“Early in the game we didn’t put our best foot forward,” Monken said. “Really what kept us in the game was holding them to field goals and missed opportunities.” The defense held Nebraska to only 12 points in the second quarter, all field goals. In the second half especially, the Golden Eagles flexed their muscles as they held Nebraska to only seven points in each of the final two quarters. The star of the game for the defense was defensive back D’Nerius Antoine. Antoine finished the game with a teamhigh eight tackles, but it was his crucial interception on the second play of the third quarter that started the Southern Miss comeback. Antoine caught a tipped ball and took it all the way down to the Cornhusker 10-yard line, but a penalty brought them back 15 yards. Despite the penalty, it took Southern Miss only two plays for Ito Smith to take it into the end zone from 17 yards out. That play began the spark that the Golden Eagles needed to stay in
the game. “Our guys never quit; we got a lot of character on our team,” Monken said. “We have good players.” After Nebraska extended their lead to 29-7 late in the third quarter, Nick Mullens and the offense took off. He found Casey Martin in the end zone on consecutive drives to cut the lead to 29-21. Monken knew he needed to steal a possession so he opted for an onside kick, which was recovered by Xavier Thigpen, after the first Mullens to Martin connection. Mullens had a huge game leading the effort, going 26-41 for a whopping 447 yards and two touchdowns. The stat that actually does jump out though, is that he threw no interceptions. “He’s accurate, he’s tough, he’s intelligent and he’s everything we want at quarterback,” Monken said. “There are things we could have done (better) earlier in the game to help him.” After a Southern Miss kickoff, the Cornhuskers started their drive at their own 29-yard line. Nebraska marched down the field to the USM 8-yard line with a 4th and goal upcoming to put the game away by extending their lead 11 points with one minute remaining. Southern Miss fortunately blocked the field goal attempt from Drew Brown, to set themselves for a miracle in the last 30 seconds of the game. Mullens and the offense started at their own 20-yard line, with only 29 seconds left to go, 80 yards and eight points to send the game into overtime. Southern Miss burned all three of their timeouts on previous drives, so time was of a crucial essence. Mullens hit Martin down the middle of the field for 19 yards, who fell down quickly to preserve time. Then, Martin again received the pass from Mullens for 21 yards down to the Nebraska 40-yard line, with less than 20 seconds left. On the final play of the game, Mullens tried to find a receiver to hopefully get inside of Hail
Mary range. Transfer lineman Andrew Peterson was blown up at the right tackle spot, giving up the pressure to defensive end Freedom Akinmoladun for the sack. Mullens tried to hurry the troops for another play, but time expired. “We had them right where we wanted them,” Monken said. “We just didn’t find a way in the end to finish it.” The sack killed the momentum the Golden Eagles had been building up throughout the second half. Mullens and his receivers were alone in their efforts in this game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, in which the Golden Eagles ended up falling 36-28. Running backs Jalen Richard and Ito Smith finished with 18 rushes, but only picked up 51 yards combined. The running game was consistently stuffed on numerous occasions, so the game plan was adjusted to accommodate the comeback for the Golden Eagles. “We couldn’t run the football and we have to be able to run the football to stay competitive,” Monken said. “We have got to find a way to run the ball better.” It was still a tremendous effort and comeback for the Golden Eagles as they scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, with Mullens and Martin coming alive for the Golden Eagles. Martin had 95 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Despite competing against a very formidable Big 10 opponent, Monken was not happy with just coming close. “There are no moral victories,” he said. “We came up here thinking we could win. (There are) just too many little things that we have to clean up as coaches.” Following the emotional loss against Nebraska, Southern Miss will look to get back in the win column, returning home to face North Texas Saturday. The Mean Green are coming off a 62-16 blowout loss against Iowa and are looking to avenge last season’s 30-20 loss against USM. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
VOLLEYBALL
Golden Eagles struggle mightily in 3-1 loss Jacob Kemp Sports Reporter
After a hot start, Southern Miss has cooled off recently and have dropped four out of their last five matches, which included their latest loss, a 3-1 match loss to Florida Atlantic on Friday. The Golden Eagles were out-blocked all match long and fell behind in every set.
The Owls outplayed Southern Miss in nearly every facet of the game. FAU had 52 kills on a .239 hitting clip, 64 digs and registered 10 team blocks. Southern Miss finished the match with 51 kills on .126 hitting, five aces, 56 digs and seven team blocks. Southern Miss started out well and went back-and-forth with the Owls in the first set that included six lead changes.
USM took the lead 12-8 before the Owls went on a 6-1 run and they never let up after that. The match continued to be a back-and-forth contest with Southern Miss finally outlasting FAU, 25-23, taking the allimportant first set. The Owls were not discouraged despite losing the first set and snatched the momentum from the match in the second set, dominating their way to a 25-17 match tying win.
The third set was the best chance for Southern Miss to make a comeback, but the Owls fought back from a 14-9 deficit to cut it to 16-15. Southern Miss did not go away quietly and increased their lead to 21-18. The Owls were just too strong for Southern Miss however and not only fought back to tie the set at 24-24 but took the set 28-26, which was a back-breaker for USM.
In the fourth set, Southern Miss seemed to have lost all hope after the 28-26 loss in the third set, making many costly errors in the fourth. USM was overpowered and lost the match, 25-19. The Golden Eagles dropped to 1-1 in conference play and 13-5 overall. They take the court again on Tuesday, Sept. 29, against South Alabama in Hattiesburg. The match begins at 6 p.m.
Page 8 | Monday, September 28, 2015
SOCCER
SPORTS
Golden Eagles drop first two conference matches Deantae Smith Sports Reporter
Joe Harper/ Courtesy Photo Kiersten Bradley moves the ball away from Cristina Bashara amid rainy conditions Sunday afternoon.
Southern Miss opened conference play versus Middle Tennessee State on Sept. 25 and returned home to face conference foe Old Dominion Sunday, falling in both matches, 1-0. Against the Blue Raiders in the conference opener, the Golden Eagles trailed early with a Blue Raider score in the 14th minute. In the first half, sophomore Karen Torres and Becky McMullan both attempted shots on goal, only to have their shots stopped by Middle Tennessee goalie Kelsey Brouwer. Junior goalkeeper Brittany Taylor made five saves in the first half. Southern Miss came out in the second half aggressively on offense as freshmen Stephaine Garcia and Kiersten Bradley both had shots on goal within the first five minutes, but neither could find the back of the net Garcia’s attempt was wide, while Bradley’s was off the mark high. Minutes later, McMullan
had another shot on goal, but it was saved by Brouwer. The Blue Raiders were able to hold onto their 1-0 lead despite getting off just two shots after halftime. However, the lack of offense did not stop the Blue Raiders from capturing the 1-0 victory. The Golden Eagles played through the rain in Hattiesburg Sunday against the Old Dominion Lady Monarchs. Sophomore Beth Coleman led the team in shots with three, including one that went just inches over the bar. The rainy conditions took a toll on the game as neither team could find the back of the net in the first half. Old Dominion had the advantage in shots with nine, while the Golden Eagles only had three shots on goal. In the 22nd minute, the Golden Eagles best scoring chance came when Coleman’s long distance strike sailed over the crossbar and hit the top of the net. Taylor made four saves in the first half. In the second half, the Golden Eagles had seven
shots, including three solid scoring opportunities. Moments after the start of the second half got underway, freshman Hannah Abrams headed one over the bar. Freshman Mary Kate Smith attempted two solid shots with one of the two being a shot on goal. Coleman, Garcia and McMullan each attempted one shot each. In the 57th minute, the first and only goal of the game came from Old Dominion. Iris Achterhof slipped the ball between two Southern Miss defenders and Madison Hogan was there to put it low past Taylor. Southern Miss fell to the Lady Monarchs 1-0. Taylor, who had six total saves in the 90 minutes of play against Middle Tennessee State, moved into second all-time in career saves for Southern Miss with 251. The Golden Eagles are now 2-6-3 for the season and 0-20 in Conference USA play. Southern Miss returns to play at home on Friday, Oct. 2 when they host Charlotte at 4 p.m.