Thursday, November 5, 2015
Volume 100 Issue 21
www.studentprintz.com PAGE THREE
PAGE FIVE
NEWS
Ed Wheeler
Photographs, documents latest to be displayed in Cook Library.
PAGE EIGHT
PAGE SIX
F E AT U R E
OPINION
S P O RT S
House provides music release for punk scene in Hattiesburg.
Pop star returns with new but disappointing single.
Men’s team exhibition game set for Thursday night.
Porn Hall
Adele
Basketball
SGA to vote on removal of state flag Alan Rawls
Executive Editor The Student Government Association at The University of Southern Mississippi will vote Nov. 5 on a resolution to officially remove the state flag from both the Hattiesburg and Gulf Coast campuses. Senior political science major and SGA senator Nathan Barron authored R05F15, “A Resolution to Remove the Mississippi State Flag from University Grounds,” on the basis that, “the (flag) does not represent the values of the Student Body or of the University and is inconsistent with the Southern Miss Students’ Creed,” according to the resolution. “This is organic,” Barron told The Student Printz. “This is from the ground up, and that is what we want in Senate: for the students to get involved. (Now) that we know that the flag has been down, it has become exciting news.” According to SGA Vice President Kyle Stoner, students continue to send their opinions to senators via direct email and the Speak Up Southern Miss application on the SGA website. Their input, Stoner said, is of great value to the Senate. “As the elected voice of the student body, the Student Government Association
Courtland Wells/Printz Photo Editor Students arrive at the front of campus Oct. 28 to show their support for the Mississippi flag amid protests.
Senate is responsible for representing the diverse voices of the student body of The University of Southern
Mississippi through democratic processes,” Stoner said. “This resolution was created by a senator in order to allow for the
student voice to be heard on the current event of the State Flag of Mississippi.” The vote comes just over a
week after the Oct. 28 removal of the state flag from the front of the Hattiesburg campus. That Wednesday, students and faculty protested both against and for flying the Mississippi state flag on campus. “The Confederate battle flag represents violence, oppression and hate to many Mississippians and to people all over the world,” said Susan Hrostowski, associate professor of social work and organizer of the flag protest. “Such a symbol does not reflect the best Mississippi has to offer. It is as offensive to many as the swastika.” Counter-protesters like junior psychology major Christine Miller disagreed. “To take it down feels like you’re rejecting everything you are and how far you’ve come, as if you’re spitting on all the progress you’ve made,” Miller said in a story by The Student Printz. The SGA Senate resolution says, “Furthermore, The University of Southern Mississippi shall not raise the flag of the State of Mississippi on the Hattiesburg or Gulf Coast campus as long as the Confederate emblem, in whole or in part, remains on the flag.” The Student Printz will report the SGA Senate’s vote later Thursday. Stay with The Student Printz as the story develops.
ON CAMPUS
Documentary chronicles journalist’s life Nan Buti
Printz Reporter On Tuesday, the Liberal Arts Building screened “Eyes on Mississippi,” a documentary on legendary Mississippi journalist Bill Minor. “Eyes on Mississippi” examines the major life events and career efforts of Minor. He began his career in 1947, including coverage of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi for The Times-Picayune in New Orleans. Ellen Ann Fentress, the documentary’s director and producer, was bestowed with a pre-screening reception in the Liberal Arts
Building lobby where history enthusiasts and others interested in Minor’s story mingled. Fentress compiled major and minor events that Minor covered in not only Mississippi, but all over the world during his role as a journalist. For three years, Fentress visited Minor to shoot videos in the making of the documentary until she was able to put together an hour-long historical memoir of Minor’s life. Minor was presented the Harvard University’s Louis Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism in 1966 and received Columbia University’s John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism in 1997. At age 93, he is one of the country’s oldest
working journalists. “This is a fantastic story that is long overdue for a treatment,” said Fentress. “Bill lived an amazing life being a witness to all of these events.” Fentress saves 40-plus hours of film for her other intended projects. “He’s taken me from 1947 on to the present time, and for all these events, he has been an eye witness,” she said. “He was in the car taking John Kennedy to the airport in Jackson in 1957, he’s had a private meeting with J. Edgar Hoover and for an assignment, he went to William Faulkner’s house at 10 o’clock to drink bourbon one night in the late ‘50s.” Fentress said that Minor had
many prominent friends, including Civil Rights Movement activist Medgar Evers. “The film reveals how important that relationship was to him and Mr. Evers,” Fentress said. During his reporting era with The Times-Picayune, Minor made vital achievements, quietly reporting for The New York Times and Newsweek. He was often one of the only journalists on the scene as historic events took place. Minor narrated news for nearly seven decades in Mississippi during his time as a journalist. He believed that the more eyes there were on Mississippi, the more pressure there would be for transformation. As a continued effort to publicize
Minor’s motives, Fentress created a tax-deductible charity called the Eyes on Mississippi Fund that allows supporters to donate toward Minor’s work. Upon his retirement from The Times-Picayune in 1976, Minor had ability to take on opportunities in places across the country. Instead, Minor chose to remain in Mississippi and start the Alternative Weekly in Jackson, where Fentress worked for Minor’s newfound production. “Capturing this story needed to be done and I am so happy we’ve been able to document the story for future generations,” said Fentress. “There is an awareness that BILL MINOR, SEE PG. 3
Page 2 | Thursday, November 5, 2015
INFORMATION MEET THE STAFF OF FALL 2015
Dirty Birds •
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 10:38 a.m., larceny petit was reported at the bike rack next to Owings-McQuagge Hall. The case remains open. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 12:38 p.m., larceny petit was reported at East Memorial Drive. The case remains open. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 3:12 p.m., simple domestic assault was reported off campus. The case remains open.
• •
Police Contact Information
When reporting, the following information should be provided: • • • • •
Nature of the crime or emergency Name, address and phone number of the caller Location of incident Description of the scene and suspects Description of any vehicles involved, especially license plate numbers
University Police 911 (emergency) 601.266.4986 (non-emergency) Bond Hall, First Floor West
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The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not necessarily 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 submissions must include name, class distinction, major, phone number, and email address. Submissions should be emailed to printzeditors@gmail.com by 5 p.m. Friday. 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.
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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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NEWS
Thursday, November 5, 2015 | Page 3
ON CAMPUS
Art exhibit highlights oil rig careers Julius Kizzee News Editor
Cook Library will display a new exhibit entitled “The Photographer as Participant Observer: Ed Wheeler and the Gulf Oil Rigs, 1981-1985.” The exhibit will open with a reception Thursday with a discussion by author and professor Joe Millichap. The discussion will address photographs and documents displayed. The discussion will also address southern culture in historical and literary terms and Wheeler’s experiences as a photographer and teacher. Earlier in the semester, the library displayed a series of paintings by Clinard “Clint” Martin entitled “Red Tails: 332nd Fighter Group, Ramitelli, Italy, W.W.II.” The paintings were displayed for a little under a month, and now Wheeler’s gallery will get its work displayed for the Southern Miss campus and the Hattiesburg community. The exhibit will be in conjunction with the release of a special issue of The Southern Quarterly,
a journal for the Arts and Letters in the South. The exhibit will document a subculture using “participant observation” methodology. The Southern Quarterly, published by the College of Arts and Letters, has been in circulation for more than 50 years. The Southern Quarterly previews and highlights scholarly endeavors such as photo essays, portfolios, book reviews and photographs that make an impact in southern Mississippi and beyond. The exhibit will chronicle images of the oil rigs stationed in the Gulf of Mexico back in the ‘80s, where Wheeler was stationed in 1980 as a gallery hand. The images capture men wrestling pipes, the camaraderie among them and even Wheeler handling the oil field intricacies himself from time to time. Wheeler, a southwestern Oklahoma native, is a World War II veteran, before spending 12 years working for The Dallas Morning News. While he worked in Dallas, he went back to school to get two photography degrees at East Texas State University. In 1977, he moved to Hattiesburg
Courtesy Photo
to teach at Southern Miss until his retirement 20 years later. He was recognized with the Robert Garland Award for outstanding service as a photojournalism educator in 2007 for his impact at USM. While at the university, he helped the careers of many photojournalists
who went on to win several Pulitzer Prizes. His work is displayed in not just Mississippi, but in museums in Louisiana. Wheeler was inducted into the MCJ Hall of Fame in 2007 while he was a professor emeritus. The discussion and reception will be headed by Joseph Millchap,
a professor emeritus of English at Western Kentucky, who will develop and delve into the discussion of the importance of photography to southern culture. The reception will begin at 4 p.m., with the program starting accordingly at 4:30 p.m.
ON CAMPUS
UFO research to become mainstream science Andrew Dutton Printz Reporter
A team of scientists have set up the UFO Detection and Tracking project to legitimize the research and investigation of Unidentified Flying Objects seen on Earth and beyond, according to The Express. Mainstream scientists have been involved in the Search for Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life Institute. The group looked light years into the cosmos searching for any radio frequencies coming from alien technologies but have been reluctant to embrace the issue of flying saucer and other UFO sightings.
UFODATA, which currently seeks financial backing through crowdfunding websites, wants the subject to be taken seriously. According to UFODATA’s website, the organization wants to create a systematic, rigorous science of UFO phenomena. Their goal is to exploit technological convergence by building a large network of automated surveillance stations with sophisticated sensors that will monitor the skies 24/7 in search of aerial anomalies. The group is led by Mark Rodeghier, scientific director and president of the J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies in Chicago
and Alexander Wendt, professor of political science at Ohio State University. They claim technology is so advanced and available to the masses that the skies can be scoured night and day. “We expect to build on the best work of the past and do what the scientific community as a whole has failed to do: take UFOs seriously and study them rigorously,” Wendt said. Space Daily reported that the project is not interested in the majority of reports that can be explained but the remainder of reports that cannot be so easily explained. Even with all the effort being poured into the search for extraterrestrial
Lavenue Clifton/Printz Manager Justin Adcock and employees Sabrina Watts and Dolly Slade look over items at the Bombshell Comics store as they get ready for Free Comic Book Day with a giveaway of 12,000 comics on Saturday morning.
life, professors at The University of Southern Mississippi do not believe the legitimacy of the study. Lawrence Mead, professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at The University of Southern Mississippi, believes that UFO research will never become mainstream scientific research. “There is not now, nor has there ever been quality evidence that UFOs were anything but known optical phenomena,” Mead said. This, along with there being no upsurge in scientific interest to find out what is going on in any media, gives Mead the belief that UFO research is nowhere near being mainstream
science and that it should not be. “There is no known example of a UFO sighting that has gone unexplained,” Mead said. Explanations include headlights reflecting off clouds, helicopter lights mistaken for flying saucers, mirages and many more containing observer error, according to Mead. Christopher Sirola, associate professor of physics and astronomy, agreed with Mead on the matter. “No serious astronomer takes this seriously,” Sirola said. The closest thing to actual science is the Planetary Society, and they “would immediately announce if they really found anything,” Sirola said.
BILL MINOR CONTINUED
resumes the story in 1965 with the Voting Rights Act. “I am interested in what local people did to advance civil rights in Mississippi, because it was such a hot bid for activism for both the white supremacists and African Americans,” said Hayden McDaniel, research associate for the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage. “To piece all these people that made such a huge contribution together gives us a better picture of what activism looked like in Mississippi.” Fentress co-wrote the documentary with Lida Gibson, who served as film editor. The Mississippi Humanities Council, the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson and numerous private supporters provided funding for the project. This event is sponsored by the university’s School of Mass Communication and Journalism, Department of History, the Center for the Study of the Gulf South and the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage.
World War II, in which Bill was a Navy officer, was the greatest generation and some people from then are not going to be here forever, so it’s important to capture stories right now.” Included in the film are iconic civil rights lawyer John Doar, New York Times journalist Claude Sitton, civil rights leaders Myrlie Evers-Williams and Dr. Robert Smith, former Mississippi Gov. William Winter, Pultizer Prize winner Hank Klibanoff and The Times-Picayune editor Jim Amoss. What Fentress calls the “five-year labor of love,” the 66-minute film draws on antique images and footage from 16 archives across the U.S. The documentary covers events from the 1940s to 1964, to the Freedom Summer murders in Neshoba County. Fentress hopes that the documentary will gain national attention, as she plans for a sequel to the documentary that
Page 4 | Thursday, November 5, 2015
FEATURE
LIFE
Students lose track of health by year’s end Alexis Ware Printz Reporter
The semester’s end is a busy time for college students. From impending finals to holidays and festivities, students’ health can be pushed to the back burner. Students may not consider their health in their day-to-day activities, but it is something of which they should be mindful. Students’ tight schedules can make maintaining a well-balanced diet and regular exercise routine difficult. Though some may find it hard to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into their fall routine, Dorothy Reynolds said it will benefit students long term. Reynolds is a USM alumna in nutrition and food systems and now works as adjunct faculty in the Payne Center. Students’ primary excuse for not exercising is a busy schedule. “You don’t have to come to the gym for an hour and do it all in one
lump,” Reynolds said. “Break it up into segments. You can utilize your dorm room, use the floor for pushups or the chair and do tricep dips. Also do jumping jacks to keep you awake instead of grabbing for the chips while you’re studying.” Anastasia Kasper, a junior nutrition major, has made maintaining a healthy lifestyle a prominent part of her college career. Despite her full schedule, she realized the importance of health practices. “On the weekends, I like to sit down and reflect on all of my time commitments for the week,” Kasper said. “I write in my planner a time slot where I can fit in going to the Payne, whether that be at 6 a.m., in the middle of my classes or at 9 p.m. after all of my meetings and classes have passed.” With limited time, budget and food options, healthy eating proves to be a challenge for many college students. Reynolds advises students prepare meals and snacks. If students have healthy options
on-hand that require little preparation, they will not be as inclined to grab the unhealthy fast foods and snacks. “Maybe the night before or a week ahead of time, mix up a trail mix with nuts and dried fruit or pack fresh fruit and add an ice pack to your lunchbox,” Reynolds said. “Simple things like that will allow you to have things like that at all times and you won’t be tempted to grab chips out of the vending machine.” Proper hydration is a critical part of a healthy diet. Students should steer clear of drinks with high caffeine content. Energy drinks and some coffee beverages have high amounts of both caffeine and sugar. Coffee without added creams and sugars is a slightly healthier option. Reynolds advises getting adequate sleep instead of consuming caffeine. “Get plenty of sleep so you’re not so stressed out (because) lack of sleep can cause weight gain as
well,” Reynolds said. Water is one of the major nutrients of the body. It is important to every metabolic process in one’s body. Dietary recommendation for how much water people should be drinking is about 13 cups per day for men and 9 for women. These numbers should increase for people who are more active. Students should consume this amount to ensure their bodies are nourished, cleansed and more alert. The changing season impacts the importance of water. “Hydration during the holidays is just as important as hydration during the summer months,” Reynolds said. “Any weather extreme can cause a person to be dehydrated, so you want to make sure that you have adequate water intake.” Staying healthy during the holidays is an important practice. Many people do not consider their health choices during this time. Reynolds said that mindset should be avoided.
“Treat a holiday like it’s a regular day,” Reynolds said. “Moderation is key. Stay focused on the big picture focus on long-term goals, not short-term goals. Stay active—so you want to be sure that you’re burning fuel as you’re taking in fuel.” Switching to healthier lifestyle might be difficult but will help to make student life better. Making time to exercise can be a way to reenergize. “It is important to let your mind and body rejuvenate from all the stress and tension that is put on it during long nights and days of studying,” Kasper said. This change is possible by making small steps to get to the end goal. Incorporating quick workouts and alternating to healthier meals can become a part of everyday life. “One of the biggest ways a person can get geared (toward) living a healthy lifestyle is to surround themselves who are geared in the same direction,” Reynolds said.
ON CAMPUS
SGA, Physical Plant team up for USM Can Camille Myrick Printz Reporter
One candy wrapper or cigarette butt thrown on the ground may not seem like a big deal when considering the campus’ size, but a bit here and there can build into a problem. The USM Student Government Association and the Physical Plant have teamed up to prevent trash from accumulating on campus by starting an antilitter initiative called USM Can. The preventative measure start-
ed in April and targets incoming freshmen with three simple steps. Michelle Shinall, associate director of marketing and campus relations for the Physical Plant, said students have to pick up litter when they see it, throw it away and use positive peer pressure to encourage others to do the same. “This is students’ home away from home, and they should take pride in their campus,” Shinall said. This year incoming freshmen were invited to take a pledge
against the spread of litter during Golden Eagle Welcome Week. Shinall said freshmen would start the legacy of a litter-free USM by “keeping campus beautiful.” Freshmen and other students who take the pledge to walk three more steps to the trashcan will not be the first to take responsibility for the litter problem. “There are 200 members of the Physical Plant, and every time we see litter, we stop and pick it up,” Shinall said. Other campus staff are required
to help with garbage pick-up on a daily basis. “The Physical Plant uses many resources to prevent a major litter problem,” Shinall said. “Custodial staff are required to clean up the outside of buildings they clean once a day, and the parking garage is checked for garbage up to three times a day.” Surprisingly, instead of the outside of dining locations, parking lots are the most cluttered places on campus. “The parking garage is usually bad because students throw garbage under their cars,” Shinall said. “Parking lots are a big problem.” Southern Miss is not the only campus with a litter problem. The University of Mississippi is noticeably hindered by a wealth of garbage. Chandler McKinley, chairperson for Students for a Green Campus at Ole Miss, said the title of Most Beautiful Campus is an honor that can only be maintained by students who throw trash away. “This award was not won overnight, but it can be lost overnight,” McKinley said. “We need to realize how great of a campus we have and should always be working towards keeping it great. We have the Most Beautiful Campus, and it wasn’t us who made it this beautiful. Our job is to maintain what has been gifted to us and respect the years of work and money that has been put into making our campus so beautiful.” Southern Miss, adorned with decade-old oak trees and historical buildings, is also beautiful. There are many qualities, new and old, that are degraded as a result of garbage. Earlier this semester,
Cam Bonelli/Printz
tailgaters that visited campus for the USM vs. MSU home game demonstrated this by leaving a sea of red Solo cups and paper plates strewn on the ground— and they do not even go here. Students have a heavier responsibility to the campus they are residents of and frequent on a daily basis. If for no other reason, faculty, staff and students should be motivated to reach for the trash can for their best campus experience. To those who ignore the USM Can initiative, University Police can address individuals who litter if they see it happening. But the litter initiative is not intended to bully students into being environmentally aware and conscientious. Those behind the initiative want students to pick up litter because they want to. “We don’t want to threaten students so they will pick up trash,” Shinall said. “They should want to keep it clean because this is their home.”
FEATURE
Thursday, November 5, 2015 | Page 5
LOCAL
Punk scene thrives in underground venue
Concert-goers enjoy music at the Porn Hall.
Porn Hall patrons dance to the hardcore punk music.
Jesse Hammett Copy Editor
Talk of the Porn Hall trickles down from Hattiesburg’s fringes and all through its central venues, a kind of livewire static that strikes conversation in any given show’s crowd members. People discuss it in the way they might do so about the phantom-like underground pizza guy whose legend perseveres. Albeit the Porn Hall was never a true secret, it is underground in every sense but the literal without the benefits of online presence and funded advertising. It is the one true DIY venue in the city. Word of mouth is the Porn Hall’s strength. Derek Ellis, a Hattiesburg native and Porn Hall regular, noted the importance of such a venue to the local scene and even to artists who come from out of state. “They always have really good shows and really good turnouts,” Ellis said. “It’s usually a lot of hardcore punk bands who play, and a lot of times I’ve never heard of them. But they have a lot of bands from Chicago and other places coming down.” In short, the spoken word still has power in the digital age. Not many venues can claim to have booked bands from beyond the state border without using all the mainstream channels for advertising. Even still, a local bar or club can swing that feat once in a while, but the Porn Hall is a house. Zach Burton lived in what would become the Porn Hall for about a year before it became a venue. “One of my roommates moved out, and my cousin Hampton moved in,” Burton said. “Hamp-
ton and I have always played in bands together, so when he moved in, we took it as an opportunity to have a practice space. It wasn’t until a friend of ours was booking some bands he knew and he jokingly asked if we could have it at our house.” According to Burton, the house became the Porn Hall about two years ago this month. Hampton Martin, vocalist for Baghead, guitarist for Big Bleach and Burton’s aforementioned cousin, cited an accept-
Courtland Wells/Printz Photo Editor
ing community as a part of why the Porn Hall is important for wwlocal music. “For me, having shows at the Porn Hall is having me and all my best friends in a cramped room, listening to intense, weird, goofy (or) powerful music where we’re all free to react in any sort of outlandish way without the fear of someone making fun of us or some meathead shoving us around,” Martin said. “The Hattiesburg punk scene—or at least this
iteration—is still very new and innocent. We’re too small of a scene to start alienating one another, and I think everyone realizes that.” Martin also noted the venue’s intimacy. Because the place is so small, and because bands and set-ups take a certain degree of space, people tend to make immediate connections with one another, even with small turnouts. In effect, people are always willing to help out if the need arises. “The music will be going, and people will be jumping up and down, rolling around on the crowd or just running around,
Courtland Wells/Printz Photo Editor
but the moment someone falls or takes a spill, everyone is right there, ready to pick them up again,” Martin said. DIY venues have the final word in keeping a music scene alive. This is due to their affordability and the way they can allow people to make connections. Word of a good band will spread by mouth, making advertisement a matter of letting nature run its course. This is what makes such venues significant. Information on the Porn Hall is distributed on a need-to-know basis. In the interest of the venue owners, no information will be given here.
OPINION
Page 6 | Thursday, November 5, 2015
MUSIC
‘Hello’ hits high, low notes Camille Myrick Printz Reporter
Courtesy Photo
English pop artist Adele has been absent from the music scene for the past three years. On Oct. 23, she broke her silence with the release of her single “Hello.” The song is from her upcoming third album “25.” “Hello” is a soulful piano ballad that has struck emotional chords for many listeners. Almost everyone has experienced the pains of calling an ex in hopes of reconnecting. The lyrics of Adele’s single explore how isolated one may feel on the other side of the phone when they call and get the answering machine—again. Musically, listeners can hear the regret wrapped up in the call, and the continuous missed connection creates a sense of helplessness and rejection. When I first heard “Hello,” I was disappointed with a few aspects of the song. The opening reminded me of the classic Adele I used to know
in high school, but soon I found myself thinking, “I have heard this before.” Lately, all pop music has the same format, chord progression and lyrical melodies. “Hello” is a typical pop song, and I don’t think there is anything original about it, except for Adele’s bluesy interpretation of the music. My favorite part of the song is the chorus when Adele starts to belt, and I felt reminiscent of the famous “Rolling in the Deep” track that is basically a classic now. What made Adele’s music so powerful when she first started out was her unique style. Her voice was unlike anything pop music fans had heard before, maybe because she does not have to be autotuned. Her music was played on mainstream pop radio stations, but the core of her music was not pop. Blues and jazz combinations from her original music is what put Adele on the map, and that
is where she operates the best. Though it is catchy, “Hello” is just a basic pop track with Adele’s voice on top. If the original artist performing “Hello” were Taylor Swift or Selena Gomez, it would have had the exact same effect, but try to put Swift or Gomez on a blues track and the end result would just be weird and out of place. Adele is representative of a musical genre quickly going out of style. She is a true jazz/blues artist and her voice would be showcased infinitely better on a jazz/blues track. I think Adele may have sold out to the pop scene just to get her voice back out there, but I hope the rest of the tracks on her upcoming album are more true to her style. I also think Adele did an amazing job with the song, despite the genre, and many artists can’t do that. “Hello” has gotten mostly rave reviews since its release. Adele’s new album “25” will be released on Nov. 20.
NATIONAL
Speaker brings fighter attitude to House J.D. Rimann Printz Reporter
“This is the legislative branch, and the power of the purse rests within the legislative branch, and we fully expect that we’re going to exercise that power.” With these innocuous words on Tuesday, newly elected speaker of the house Paul Ryan may have signaled a shift in the way that the House of Representatives will approach several contentious issues, chief among them the budget of the federal government. While President Obama recently signed a new federal government funding bill for the next two years—the last act of now former Speaker John Boehner was to secretly negotiate that funding bill— Congress still needs to detail funding for the various federal agencies, and so there is still the potential for a government shutdown if that does not happen by Dec. 11. Prior to the election of Ryan, both Boehner and current Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell had promised that they would not allow the federal government to shut down again, a promise which effectively undercut their negotiating power with the president. Indeed, they seem to live in fear of a government shutdown. While the media made a big deal about the government shutting down in 2013—and President Obama successfully
convinced many voters that it was a rare event which should serve as proof of Republicans’ inability to govern—this is not quite accurate. Every American presidential administration since Carter (except for that of George W. Bush) experienced at least one governmental shutdown, and so it is not at all
Courtesy Photo
an unprecedented or unnatural event. McConnell and Boehner seemed quite rattled by the dire warnings of the mainstream media and the press blitz by the Obama Administration following the 2013 shutdown, though, and consequently felt like it would be an electoral disaster to allow it to happen again—ironic considering that Republican presidential candidates like Cruz and Carson have turned the shutdown into a rallying cry for their campaigns and are doing quite well in the polls at the moment.
However, as the statement above demonstrates, Ryan is making no such promises, and seems like he might actually be primed to dig his heels in and push back against the demands of the president. This is welcome news for conservatives like Boehner and McConnell as well, who refused to engage with Obama and instead chose to capitulate and live with the best bad deal they felt they could get rather than fight for an actual good deal. Though, for many, Ryan looks like the turning of a page. Following the populist surge of the Tea Party and the subsequent widening of the split in the Republican Party between the true conservatives and the so-called establishment, many Republican voters—especially those at the grassroots—are looking for “fighters.” These are individuals who are elected not on promises of pork barrel policies for their home district or state, but rather on promises of halting government expansion, enacting conservative social policies and pushing back against what the Republican grassroots see as the creeping influence of liberal big government in many areas of life. It is this attitude of “being a fighter” that propelled individuals like Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee into the Senate, and it is the attitude that many Republican voters want to see in D.C. Right now, it looks like Paul Ryan just might give it to them.
SPORTS
Thursday, November 5, 2015 | Page 7
VOLLEYBALL
Ames makes most of senior season Deante Smith Printz Reporter
Courtesy Photo
BASKETBALL
At 21-9 overall, the Golden Eagles are poised to make a run in the Conference USA postseason tournament. Senior middle blocker Elise Ames and the Golden Eagles got off to their best start in school history this season. Ames has seen the volleyball program through its ups and downs, from 8-20 to C-USA title contender. Ames believes the good start was attributed to the team’s personalities. “We have a lot of fun on the court,” Ames said. “We feed off each other’s excitement.” Ames, a three-year letterman from Wildwood, Missouri, has started every match since her sophomore year and has become one of the anchors for a young team. “As a senior, I am really glad we were able to start the season off with a bang and win a lot of big matches,” Ames said. When Ames looked to play on the next level, she knew that she wanted to be in the South for college.
The moment she stepped on the Southern Miss campus, she knew it felt right and it would be the perfect fit. The same can be said about Ames to the Golden Eagles program. As a freshman, Ames saw limited action in 15 matches. It was not until her second year on campus that her presence would be felt. As a sophomore, she started in all 31 matches for a squad that went 17-14. Ames registered 276 kills and led the team with a .366 attack percentage. Last season, as a junior, she finished the season with 221 kills and 106 total blocks. Ames’ steady production is seen on the court as well as in the record books, as her .321 hitting percentage is among the best in Southern Miss history. She sits at second in C-USA this year in blocks and ranks among the all-time Southern Miss leaders in solo blocks, block assists and total blocks. The team’s youth has been more of a strength rather than a weakness to a team in a solid volleyball conference. “This year we have a lot (of)
underclassmen that have stepped in to fill big roles on the court and they’re doing a really great job.” In regards to her favorite moment of her senior season, Ames mentioned the Bama Bash Tournament. “We proved everybody wrong with our wins against Alabama and Tulsa,” Ames said. “That’s the tournament that I feel we showed who Southern Miss volleyball really is.” Southern Miss (8-5 C-USA) is fifth in the conference standings. The top eight teams advance to the C-USA postseason tournament. Three games separate the Golden Eagles from ninth place. With her senior season winding down and the pressure ramping, Ames’ belief in her team remains strong. “When we are bringing energy on the court I feel like we could beat anybody,” Ames said. USM will travel to Huntington, West Virginia, Oct. 6 to face Marshall. Southern Miss will return to the Reed Green Coliseum to play the final two home games of Ames’ collegiate career against Charlotte and UTSA.
USM begins season with exhibition Joshua Campbell Sports Editor
Southern Miss will return to the court for the first time since March on Thursday night when they host Millsaps in its lone exhibition matchup before the season starts on Nov. 14 at Memphis. Coming off a forgetful 9-20 campaign in which the Golden Eagles were ravaged by an NCAA investigation that subsequently left them with only seven active players at times, they have a ton of questions that need to be answered. Senior forward Norville Carey is not only the only returning starter, but the only returning impact player from a season ago. He will be leaned on heavily on both sides of the floor and will be the focal point of the offense for the first time in his career. He averaged 10.8 points per game, 5.6 rebounds and shot 54.6 percent from the field in only 27 minutes a game. He began to expand his range last season, making five of his 17 threepointers, but has worked harder in the offseason to make defenses have to respect him more on the perimeter. “I can stretch the floor and make it harder for the big guys to play more on the perimeter where I can use my speed as an advantage,” Carey said. “Or if they don’t play up, I can take the shot.” Outside of Carey, there simply is not a lot of experience on this team. However, there is one semiexperienced player that will play a huge role on this team. He just
has never played in a game as a Golden Eagle. Sophomore transfer Khari Price was the starting point guard for the Dayton Flyers when they upset Ohio State, Syracuse and Stanford in the NCAA Tournament two seasons ago to reach the Elite 8. Although he was not looked to as a go-to scorer or the main facilitator, he helped the team on both sides of the floor. Head coach Doc Sadler said that Price is the most talented point guard he has ever coached, noting that he understands the game like a coach. “I really believe (Khari) Price can be as good a point guard as there is in this league,” Sadler said. “If things go the way that I think they will go, you will really enjoy watching him play the point guard position.” “I know Neil Watson was a great point guard here and I’m sure there were some other ones, but I would put (Khari) Price up there as (being) as good as any point guard I’ve been around and coached.” The only other certainty to be in the rotation is graduate transfer Courtlin Jackson. Jackson was with Sadler at Iowa State before Sadler became the head guy at USM. Jackson is a heady player with good athleticism, winning Iowa State’s dunk contest last season, and has no significant weaknesses. He may not stand out or put up a ton of numbers, but he is the type of glue guy that helps teams win games. Outside of those three players, the rest of rotation will likely be a work in progress as the season wears on.
Courtesy Photo/Joe Harper
Guys like Michael Ramey, Michael O’Donnell, Quinton Campbell and Keljin Blevins could all fills roles on this team among others. But with
so many newcomers, it is hard to predict exactly what this team will look like. Thursday will give an early
indication as to what the rotation will be as well as who will step and earn starters minutes. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. at Reed Green Coliseum.