Monday, November 9, 2015
Volume 100 Issue 22
www.studentprintz.com PAGE THREE
PAGE FIVE
NEWS SGA
Cabinet successfully finishes Battle of the Bands contest.
PAGE SEVEN
PAGE SIX
F E AT U R E
OPINION
S P O RT S
Foreign students celebrate home country’s independence.
Country star’s latest album centers on romance.
Golden Eagles come out on top against Marshall, Charlotte.
Panama
Tim McGraw
Volleyball
‘It’s not about hate’ Flag supporters protest recent events Alan Rawls
Executve Editor A group of about 20 people gathered at the front of The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hattiesburg campus Sunday afternoon to protest President Rodney Bennett’s removal of the state flag. Loosely organized via Facebook posts, the protest began at about 3:30 p.m. and ended around 5 p.m. Protesters stood amid a sea of state flags in the cold, damp air as passersby and drivers yelled and honked to show their support. One of the leaders of the protest, Mark McPhail, explained the reasons for the protest. “I feel like this is just a case of taxation without representation,” said McPhail, a local welder, fabricator and shop foreman. “The taxpayers and the voters of this state have spoken to keep the flag, and one person doesn’t have the right to take it down (at) a school that’s funded by the state.” The protest comes just three days after USM’s Student Government Association voted 18-6-2 in favor of a resolution to officially remove the state flag from both the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses. Senior political science major and SGA senator Nathan Barron wrote the resolution, R05F15, saying 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. But while students and SGA officials alike believe they can democratically remove the flag, supporters of the state flag argue that to do so is actually undemocratic. According to The New York Times, 65 percent of Mississippi citizens in 2001 voted to keep the state flag as is. Protesters like McPhail believe that if USM and other state institutions want state funding, then they should honor the wishes of the citizens who fund them. “It just comes down to (this): if you’re paying for something, you ought to get what you’re paying for,” McPhail said. “And that’s the bottom line for us. It’s not about hate. It’s not about race.” Protester Josh Sasser, a native of
Mississippi but currently a forester working out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, drove all the way to Hattiesburg Sunday morning to participate in the protest. “People think we’re fighting for a part of the flag, but we’re fighting for the whole flag, bars and all,” Sasser said.
statute, MS Code § 3-3-16, which describes the design of the state flag, not only fails to mention the alleged Confederate symbolism but also ascribes the stars to the original States of the Union. Thus, though the Confederate battle flag may have been used for racist, terrorist purposes, the Mississippi state flag
disagreement about the current state flag on our campuses and in our communities,” Bennett said in an email Oct. 28. “I am looking forward to a time when this debate is resolved and USM raises a state flag that unites us.” SGA’s recently passed resolution says, “Furthermore, The University of
in a new Mississippi flag, they say they will gladly fly that flag. “If it is voted on again, to be changed, then I’ll support that flag,” McPhail said. “As long as it’s voted on by everyone and not just changed in a backroom at night somewhere, I think we’ll all be fine with it. It will represent our state—by the people.
Mary Alice Truitt/Printz Protesters Michael Barefield, left, and Mark McPhail, right, stand at the front of the USM campus on Sunday afternoon to show their opposition to President Bennett’s decision to remove the state flag from the campus.
Among the protesters was local attorney Michael Barefield, who represented The United Sons of Confederate Veterans in the original flag lawsuit of the 1990s, which resulted in the 2001 state flag referendum. Barefield was one of the chief organizers of the protest Sunday afternoon. He argues that the
was never intended to symbolize even the Confederacy. Nevertheless, Bennett’s original decision to remove the flag and the subsequent SGA resolution all but cement the university community’s decision to no longer fly the state’s flag until a new one is designed. “While I love the state of Mississippi, there is passionate
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.” Many supporters of the state flag echo said sentiment. If a second referendum, which Gov. Phil Bryant hopes to have in 2016, were to result
Everyone votes for it. I’m fine with that.” Until such a time, however, Mississippians like McPhail will stand in support of their current flag. “To me, it’s not about hate or race or the Confederacy or Civil War. It’s about the state of Mississippi. Almost everyone else will tell you the same thing.”
Page 2 | Monday, November 9, 2015
INFORMATION MEET THE STAFF OF FALL 2015
EDITORS & STAFF
Dirty Birds •
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 3:12 p.m., simple domestic assault was reported off campus. The case remains open.
•
On Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 9:51 a.m., larceny petit was reported at Scott Hall. The case remains open.
•
On Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 11:43 a.m., larceny petit was reported at the Charles Lane bike rack. 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
Contact Us The Student Printz is on social media. Keep up with the latest news on and off campus at all times!
Editorial Policy
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.
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.
@studentprintz
The Student Printz
@studentprintz
NEWS
LOCAL
Monday, November 9, 2015 | Page 3
Hub City to host Veterans Day parade Andrew Dutton Printz Reporter
Mississippi’s largest Veterans Day celebration will take place in Hattiesburg on Nov. 11, and will be hosted by the Hattiesburg Veterans Committee, a coalition of local veterans organizations and the City of Hattiesburg. According to a press release from the Hattiesburg Veterans Committee, festivities for the holiday will actually begin Nov. 10 at 11 a.m., when The University of Southern Mississippi’s Air Force ROTC program starts its 24-hour vigil at the
Veterans Memorial Park. The cadets will guard the four pillars containing the names of 173 men from the greater Hattiesburg area who have lost their lives in combat from World War I to today. At 7 p.m. on Nov. 10, the men and women of the Air Force ROTC will read the names from those granite pillars. The next day, beginning at 10 a.m. at Hardy Street Baptist Church, the annual Veterans Day parade, sponsored by the Magnolia Chapter of the Armed Forces Top Enlisted Association, will begin. According to the Hattiesburg American, the chapter had been
EAGLEPALOOZA
DLX to open for Echosmith Hiba Tahir
Printz Reporter The DLX was recently named the winner of the Southern Miss Student Government Association’s first ever Battle of the Bands contest after a live voting round.
Sophomore Johnathan Parr believes Eaglepalooza is a fantastic opportunity to unite people through music. As a music major, he is particularly excited to see the disparity between Eaglepalooza and the concerts he typically attends. “I get to experience a different
Printz Archives
The Battle of the Bands was SGA’s attempt to incorporate a local opening act in Eaglepalooza, an annual SGA-sponsored free concert that started in 2004 and continues to draw increasingly larger crowds to Historic Downtown Hattiesburg. On its website, SGA explained that it annually “expands student and community collaboration to make this much anticipated event a success,” seeking especially to “provide local businesses and organizations plenty of opportunities to come together and invest in their community and local university, leaving Hattiesburg a richer and more pleasant place to call home.” DLX frontman and USM alumnus Shawn Chambliss was drawn to this sense of community. “I’ve seen Eaglepalooza grow from the beginning,” Chambliss said. “Hattiesburg, USM and Eaglepalooza all have a special place in my life.” Chambliss was excited to have the opportunity to open for Echosmith, a band that itself has opened for Taylor Swift and toured with Twenty One Pilots, his favorite band. “Pursuing an opportunity to be a part of that was a no-brainer,” Chambliss said.
kind of concert setting where the visual aesthetic of the performance is also as important as the music,” Parr said. The DLX was formed about three years ago, when Chambliss met his best friends Mark Wheat, who plays drums, and Ethan Manning, who plays guitar. “We started playing around with some singer-songwriter stuff I had written, quickly threw it out the door and started to craft what would eventually become our own little genre-blending, off-thewall pop sound,” Chambliss said. They were soon joined by Mark’s then-girlfriend and now-wife Joy, who provided background vocals and played keyboard. For the first year and a half, The DLX focused on planning live shows and finding how to set themselves apart from other acts. A year ago, they released their first song to the public and started playing shows. “We pride ourselves on not just playing music, but giving the audience an entertaining show visually as well,” Chambliss said. The 12th annual Eaglepalooza concert is sponsored by SimTex and will be in downtown Hattiesburg on Nov. 21, at 8 p.m., following USM’s football game against Old Dominion.
looking for volunteers to partake in the parade for over a month. Marion Walley, president of the Magnolia Chapter of AFTEA, discussed what she has planned for veterans in the parade. “I’d like to have a lot of convertibles because I’d love to put World War II vets in them and ride them down the street,” Walley said. “We’d like anyone who wants to be in it to be in. Motorcycle groups, anybody with antique cars, older cars—we’d love to have them.” Dozens of bands and units will proceed down Hardy Street past the Hattiesburg Veterans Park in one of the largest parades in Hattiesburg
GREEK LIFE
this year. Ted Tibbett, Hattiesburg Veterans Committee chairman, will open the Veterans Day program at the park at 11 a.m. The program will include music from the Petal High School band, vocals from various music outlets and naming the Hattiesburg Veteran of the Year. Darryl Brady, the senior executive director of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Regional Office, is expected to make a Veterans Day speech at the program. Brady was appointed director of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Regional Office in Jackson in 2013. In the case of bad weather, the
program will be in Jackie Dole Sherrill Community Center. The event will also be attended by federal, state and local officials. The Mississippi Youth Challenge will participate along with hundreds of area youth from local schools. According to a press release from the Hattiesburg Veterans Committee, thousands are expected to attend the event. The Veterans Day parade has become one of the biggest events in the city and state each year. The public is invited to attend all the events including the reception afterwards at VFW Post 3036, across from the Veterans Park.
USM enjoys Greek Week Hiba Tahir
Printz Reporter The Office of Greek Life hosted Greek Week on its Hattiesburg campus last week to promote Greek unity among the College Panhellenic Council, the Interfraternity Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. The events took place from Nov. 2 to 6 and incorporated plans made by a Greek Week committee that included representatives from all three councils. “In years past, Greek Week has been non-existent or a very competitive event,” said codirector Kelly Liles, vice president of philanthropy for the College Panhellenic Council, in a letter before the event. “Our goal for Greek Week this year is for it to be a fun week to promote Greek unity among all three councils.” On Nov. 3, Greek Life hosted a meal packaging event at the Wesley Foundation, where a select group of
volunteers helped fight world hunger for the non-profit organization Stop Hunger Now. According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, hunger kills more people annually than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Greek volunteers did their part by packaging thousands of meals and sending them abroad. Jordan McHenry, a member of Delta Gamma sorority and a participant in the event, enjoyed having the opportunity to come together as a Greek community. “We had so much fun listening to music and talking while working,” McHenry said. “It’s great to be reminded of how our love of service unites us as a Greek community.” The committee planned to package 10,000 meals within two hours and they ended up exceeding the goal by a few hundred meals. On Wednesday, a “Peg it Forward” event took place, in which Greek
members stopped by Shoemaker Square to pick up wooden clothespins with encouraging messages. They then passed them on to other Greek members, before taking pictures together to post on social media with hashtags like “#USMPegItForward.” Greek members were asked to adhere to one condition only: to give their pegs to someone not in their own council or chapter. The event encouraged inter-council mingling. On Thursday, Greek Life hosted “Pizza with the Presidents,” a come-and-go event that featured a free lunch of pizza and cookies in the Greek Life office. Chapter presidents were encouraged to get to know other chapter presidents from various councils. Throughout the week, various chapters sold raffle tickets in the Thad Cochran Center for numerous prizes, including gift cards from Material Girls, Randy Price and many more. All proceeds from raffle ticket sales went towards Stop Hunger Now.
Page 4 | Monday, November 9, 2015
FEATURE
ON CAMPUS
Students discuss pro-life demonstrators Briar Blakley Printz Reporter
agreement. These students stopped to inquire more about the Christian faith. But students who wanted to walk through Shoemaker Square to grab a bite to eat before their next class believed this approach was somewhat disturbing. The group has been both accepted and rejected by students who find the exhibit interesting or otherwise. Some students expressed that they believed the message came from a good place but lacked sensitivity and appeal. “They have a good message, but they can’t determine people’s love of God by looking at them as they walk past,” said senior music major Anjwon Eaddy. “The way they are doing it is kind of iffy to me.” Shoemaker Square is no stranger to controversial groups who choose to exercise their right to freedom of speech, protected under the First Amendment. Vegitarian leaders, atheist support groups and more come out to utilize their access to hundreds of students who will choose whether to ignore or adhere to the group’s views. Emile Cantrell also observed the group, saying, “They’re fine, as long as they are not hurting anybody.”
Kate Dearman/Courtesy Photo Brady Leatherwood protests with the women’s rights advocates in Shoemaker Square in 2014. Students gather around in between classes to watch the anti-abortion activists that frequent the Southern Miss campus.
If ever a student walked in front of the Hub and wondered why he or she were faced with images of dead fetuses and preachings about the fate of humanity, the abortion protesters gave answers about their visit. “We are gonna tell people that life is like a vapor,” said pro-life protester Johnny Brekeen. “It’s here for a moment, and then it vanishes away.” About once every month, the group visits campus to inform others of their beliefs and encourage them to live a lifestyle according to the principles of Christ. Recently the group visited campus again and said that their ultimate goal is to tell people about the good news of Jesus. “There is good news, and there is bad news, and that is every soul after our bodies die is gonna live for eternity, and we’re going to stand in front of Jesus, and he’s going to say, ‘Depart from me. I never knew you,’” Brekeen said. “Or he’s going (to) say, ‘Well done, good and faithful (servant).’” There were students who walked by and showed the protesters that they were in
Aaron J. Stewart/Printz Archives Pro-life protester Johnny Brekeen stands among the anti-abortion signs being displayed on the USM campus near the fountain.
A protester holds up two signs against abortions on campus.
Briar Blakley/Printz
FEATURE
Monday, November 9, 2015 | Page 5
ON CAMPUS
Panamanian students share experiences Alexis Ware Printz Reporter
In Panama, the month of November brings many days of celebration. On Nov. 3 the people of Panama fill the streets to celebrate Panama’s separation from Gran Columbia. They wear their traditional clothing and don patriotic colors of red, white and blue in a parade filled with mostly high school bands. Alexis Fong, a graduate student from Panama studying music, played clarinet in the parade during his high school band days. Fong remembers taking great pride in getting to perform. “I love the parades because it’s part of your life, like when you were in high school, you were walking through the street, and everyone was looking at you,” Fong said. “It’s very fun to see all the college (students) walking through the streets.” In many ways the parade is a competition. The people watching determine which school has the best band. “Nov. 2 is (the) Day of the Dead, and at exactly 11:59, everything starts,” said Miguel Centeno, a freshman architectural engineering major who participated in the celebrations. “From Nov. 3 in the early morning until Jan. 6, we have parties in Panama. We start celebrating Christmas. We mold together with Christmas and everything, (and) nobody works. Everyone just has fun.” Though they have fond memories of the celebrations in Panama, Fong and Centeno have spent this year adjusting to American culture. Fong has been a student at USM for two years and remembers some of the most surprising aspects of
American college life. He was shocked the first time he saw tailgaters on campus. “When you have the games, and all the families are on campus—when they came here, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s beautiful,’” Fong said. Centeno finds that Mississippi is very similar to the countryside of Panama, which is one of the reasons he chose Southern Miss. But that is where the similarities end. “(American culture) is 100 percent different—totally different,” Centeno said. “College is different, architecture is different, language is different (and) activities are different.” Though he has had to adjust to living in a different country, he has enjoyed reaping the benefits of being a college student. One of the benefits he is most excited about is freedom away from his parents. “I like that my family is not here checking what time I get back to my apartment, or where I’m going or what I’m doing,” Centeno said. “Here there is more freedom. We can do whatever we want. We can go wherever we want. In Panama, parents are always there asking what you are doing, and they tell you (that you) have to get back before a certain time.” Both Fong and Centeno miss the friendliness of life in Panama. Even more than in the South, communication within the community is very open. “When you live in Panama, your neighborhood is part of your life,” Fong said. “Here you can go years without talking to someone if you don’t reach out.” Though there are many differences between life in Panama and America, Fong and Centeno work to find their place and enjoy their time here before they return to Panama.
Courtesy Photo
Members of the Panamanian club hold their native country’s flag at the English Language Institute.
Fadi Shahin/Printz
Courtesy Photo
Page 6 | Monday, November 9, 2015
OPINION
MUSIC
McGraw shows sensitive side in new album Julius Kizzee News Editor
Tim McGraw released his 14th studio album entitled “Damn Country Music” on Nov. 6, much to the country culture’s anticipation. Before I started listening to the album, I had to realize that I had never listened to anything like this before. Country is not my forte of music critique, but I dived into the Tim McGraw musical experience and was thoroughly impressed. From the outset of the first song, “Here Tonight,” his lowly vocals and the hard-pressed bass kick make McGraw’s musicality unique from anything I’ve heard. Naturally, I listen to
mostly hip-hop and soft R&B, so it was unique to me to hear these kinds of notes, period. But the combination of all of the elements gave McGraw the perfect ambience for his work. The bass-heavy interludes from the first two songs give the album a down-South, hardnosed feel. His sensitive side comes out often in the album, and it’s a journey that you must take along with McGraw. His vocals are mostly baritone interludes—and even monotone at times—under the instruments. I wish I could hear his vocal range a bit more, but it plays well into the overall feel of the record. Every song has its own message, but it sometimes can be hidden behind the great
quality of the melodies. Those melodies are hiding his central message—love—from
Courtesy Photo
the album, especially in his song “Love Runs.” He sings about the many nuances of love and the intricacies of it.
ENTERTAINMENT
“Then love runs through your veins like the wax of a candle flame, the first time that she says your name and you just come undone,” he sings in “Love Runs.” His drum set is varied in its elements, in each and every song. Sometimes, it uses brushes such as in “How I’ll Always Be,” or it uses heavy kick on songs such as “Losin’ You.” My personal favorite is “Want You Back,” in which he sings about the memories of his past companion. His resentment and compassion flow through his lyrics, making the mood of the song a great one to understand his feelings. The guitar solo also adds a great feel to the moment. Love is a tricky element and
feeling, according to McGraw’s lyrics. It cannot be classified or clarified by anything. One of the disappointing facets of this album is most of the tracks sound the same or share a similar message. McGraw is sad or disappointed in love, and he hopes to find a solution to his intimacy problems. In all, I enjoyed the album for its musicality and the instrument variation. I wish that he would have shown more variety in his music and that he would have different varying tempos in his music. The album dragged along at some points when his message was the same going across for many songs at a time. McGraw gained a fan with this project.
NATIONAL
Del Toro’s new film disappoints Trump hosts SNL Jesse Hammett
J.D. Rimann
Copy Editor
Tom, there’s a hole in your roof. Maybe you missed that. Oh, and your entire house is sinking into what appears to be a blood canyon, Tom. Did I mention there are screaming ghosts in the bathroom? Also, your sister lives here. Isn’t that weird since you’re married, Tom? These are a few of many questions I asked “Crimson Peak” semiantagonist Tom Hiddleston after cringing my way through an hour of awkward dialogue. It’s difficult to refer to Tom Hiddleston’s character as anything other than Tom Hiddleston, because I can’t seem to separate the actor from his roles. At this point, as I haven’t been able to escape seeing his face every time I browse the Internet, all of his characters are Tom Hiddleston to me. “Crimson Peak,” directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Matthew Robbins, debuted internationally on Oct. 16. The film was made on a budget of $55 million and stars Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jim Beaver and others. It currently holds a 70 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The most difficult thing to swallow while watching the film is how increasingly unbelievable the scenarios get. The plot is this: an English man named Tom Hiddleston—excuse me, Sir Thomas Sharpe—comes to America and meets protagonist Edith (Wasikowska). The two fall in love over the course of what feels like a few minutes, shenanigans ensue, they get married and they move back to England in a fit of impulsiveness. Sharpe’s house is a mansion that barely has any ceiling at all. In addition, yes, his sister lives there, too, and the walls ooze with bloodred clay. Apparently that’s what your walls do when you build your house on top of a clay deposit, which seems like something only weirdos would do in the first place. The clay is the reason the house
Printz Reporter
and the hill on which it’s situated are nicknamed Crimson Peak in the film. The moniker probably has nothing to do with blood or ghosts—of course not. But funnily enough, the film itself has barely anything to do with blood or ghosts, which is opposite of how it was marketed. I was promised blood and ghosts, you Piccadilly dirt bags. This brings me to the red motif and how I’m supposed to feel like it represents something important and thought-provoking. Sometimes movies attempt to take on the literary value of books. It can work to a degree, if done carefully— Frank Darabont’s “The Shawshank Redemption” comes to mind—but del Toro’s latest work jams its attempts into the audience’s face such that it feels like an insult. Tom, do you mean to tell me that everything colored red in this movie is pretty much evil? Gosh, I had no idea. The film’s meat and bones are not its only failing points. Wooden performances also stunt the piece, as actors come off as being unable to figure out how to portray characters who exist in the late 19th century. Hints of English accents and awkward speech patterns alone are enough to keep the viewer from full immersion. The only actor who seemed to grasp his role was Jim Beaver, but there is an unfortunate lack of Jim Beaver for a good threefourths of the film. His absence is a colossal lapse in judgment on the creators’ parts, especially given
Courtesy Photo
Beaver’s track record. However, the script was written circa 2006, so shoehorning his character into the rest of the movie likely would have made things messier. Writing has never been one of del Toro’s stronger points. That much is obvious to anyone who has seen his 2013 flick “Pacific Rim.” That said, the writing in “Crimson Peak” is perhaps among the film’s worst elements. Characters’ reactions were unbelievable, the scenarios and dialogue were riddled with clichés and it was a chore to attempt to relate to anyone. As I mentioned, the script was finished in 2006, and I can’t help but feel as though it saw no edits or changes since then—a sort of “junior high first draft,” in a manner of speaking. The movie isn’t awful. It’s fun to stare at while slurping down a Coke, to see it but not necessarily watch it. It’s a passable autumn movie that doesn’t make one’s evening better or worse. Yet there is plenty of praise for the film, and all praise thrown its way is valid. But the fanfare surrounding it and del Toro’s past works is almost hysterical. “Crimson Peak” is being heralded as this year’s godsend film, which makes me wonder if these people have ever seen a good movie. There’s no substance here, and I mean none at all. Give “Crimson Peak” a pass unless you don’t mind seeing a throwaway period piece that features a ghost here and there.
Last week was an interesting one for the two current leaders of the Republican polls. While Ben Carson was catching fire throughout the week for comments that he made recently, and parts of his autobiography which have apparent inconsistencies, fellow Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump appeared on famed comedy show “Saturday Night Live,” where he effectively spent the night doing nothing more than making fun of himself on national television. In their own way, each of these events spoke to an important and often overlooked part of the modern day race for the American presidency: the need to be both strictly disciplined but also appear to be completely laid back. On one hand, a candidate needs to appear calm, cool and collected all while maintaining strict message discipline. The masters of this in this current presidential cycle are Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. Very rarely, if ever, do they appear flustered by the questions they are asked in town halls, debates or press conferences, and very rarely do their answers to these questions not serve to reinforce the narrative they are attempting to build. When Rubio is asked so-called “gotcha” questions, he keeps composed and typically turns them back around on the questioner, and it is rare that any question he answers is not in some way linked to his theme of looking forward and embracing a “New American Century.” This is not a natural thing to do, which can be clearly seen whenever individuals who are not professional politicians attempt to do it. When Carson is asked a “gotcha” question, he has a tendency to stumble and commit the dreaded gaffe. Take his recent pronouncement that a Muslim could not be president of the United
States. Not only does it make him sound bigoted and ignorant of the U.S. Constitution, but it is also completely unnecessary. Again, the entire mini-controversy over Carson claiming that the pyramids were not burial chambers but biblical grain silos constructed by Joseph falls into this area. There was absolutely no reason to bring it up, and as a presidential frontrunner, he needs to understand that he will be hammered by the media for comments like that. Meanwhile, Trump walked a fine line on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend. We as voters hold presidential candidates to impossible standards. We want individuals who are on message and not committing gaffes, but we do not want them to appear so disciplined. Instead, in the words of that most legendary of political clichés, we want our candidate to be a “guy we could grab a beer with.” What we do not want are candidates who do not take themselves seriously at all. Well, Trump does not have to worry about the gaffe part. His bombastic, made-for-TV personality and history as a reality TV star mean that he is simply not held to the same standards as other candidates. However, he should be very concerned about the second part. He is not taken seriously by half of the population right now, and directly mocking himself on SNL shows that he does not quite take himself seriously at all. The occasional self-deprecating joke by a candidate is one thing, but going full Palin and participating in an hour-and-a-half show that revolves around mocking yourself is dangerous territory indeed for anyone who aspires to the White House. If Carson is serious about the presidency, he needs to tighten up on message discipline; and, if Trump is serious about his candidacy for presidency, he needs to stop being a caricature and start being a candidate.
SPORTS
Monday, November 9, 2015 | Page 7
VOLLEYBALL
Southern Miss sweeps Marshall, escapes Charlotte Joshua Campbell Sports Editor
Fadi Shahin/Printz Southern Miss Golden Eagle Elise Ames spikes the ball against Charlotte.
Southern Miss (23-9, 10-5 Conference USA) got back on track this weekend, topping Marshall and Charlotte after being swept in backto-back matches last week by Rice and North Texas. USM was in a back-and-forth affair in the first set against Marshall and were tied 24-24. Needing to win by two points, Kylie Grandy stepped up with a kill, and then Elise Ames and Kelsey Chambers teamed up to block Marshall’s Shelby Conley’s attempt to tie the set, giving USM the 26-24 win. Sparked by a 10-2 run to close out the second set, USM went up 2-0 in the match with a 25-16 win. Marshall battled the Golden Eagles in the third set and were down by just two, 23-21, down the stretch, but USM pulled away with kills by Stephany Purdue and Grandy to sweep the Thundering Herd. Purdue led the Golden Eagles with 13 kills while Grandy added 10. Sarah Bell tallied 38 assists and six kills on an impressive .750 hitting clip. Mary Pursell was the only Golden Eagle with double-digit digs with 28.
Despite coming in with a poor 8-16 record and only five conference wins, Charlotte gave the Golden Eagles all they could handle Sunday on USM’s home court. Charlotte claimed the first set, using an 8-4 run to close out the set to top USM 25-21. But it was USM that lost the set rather than Charlotte winning it. During the run, USM committed four attack errors and two service errors to allow the 49ers to go up 1-0. The second set was a completely different narrative as USM was in control from start to finish. After a kill by Ames gave USM the early 1-0 lead, it never relinquished the lead and tied the match with a 25-13 victory. The third set was a little closer, but USM still clearly outplayed the 49ers on the way to a 25-17 win to put it up 2-1 in the match. But Charlotte did not go away quietly. USM’s only lead in the fourth set was after an Abreia Epps kill put the Golden Eagles up 2-1. The 49ers never truly distanced themselves, but never allowed USM to tie up the set again as they picked up the match-tying 25-23 win. In the deciding fifth set, both
sides were evenly matched. There were nine score ties and four lead changes in the set, including being tied at 12 apiece. But then the Golden Eagles took over. After a Charlotte attack error gave USM the 13-12 lead, Ames rose up to block Anna Henderson’s kill attempt. Bell then set up Grandy for the matchending kill. Four Golden Eagles had doubledigit kills, led by Purdue with 17 as well as four with double digit digs. Bell set the tone for the offense all match, finishing with 51 assists. The Golden Eagles are in sole possession of third place in the conference now and with a win in the season finale against Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 12, they will secure a first round bye. However, a loss could spell trouble for USM as Rice and North Texas both are 9-5 in conference play at the moment. So if the Owls and Mean Green both win their final two matches and USM loses to UTSA, the Golden Eagles would fall to fifth and would not earn a bye. The Golden Eagles will need to bring their A-game Wednesday in order to preserve a first-round bye. First serve is at 6 p.m.
OPPOSING VIEWS
Greg Hardy: Has he been punished enough? Julius Kizzee News Editor
Point This NFL season, there are teams who have had their hopes crushed by their quarterbacks (Texans, 49ers, Bears) and teams who have had their hopes crushed by injuries, like the Dallas Cowboys. Too often we don’t think of what actually goes on inside of an NFL locker room that could serve as detriment to a team’s success. The new emergence of video in the curious case of Greg Hardy only proves one thing—the Cowboys need to release the talented pass rusher. Today. For me personally, it all started when Greg Hardy got into it with his special teams coordinator, Joe DeCamillis, after the Cowboys allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown against the Giants earlier in the season. After his tirade against the coordinator, he was seen on the sideline spatting against an injured Dez Bryant, a quintessential leader on the team. Some say his volatile attitude on the sidelines of that game only provided a glimpse into his nature as a human being: one that does not respect authority and can be a danger to the people around him. The new video and pictures released on Nov. 6 did not only show that he cannot control his temper against women, but they also supported the notion that he may not be able to control his temper against
people in authority. Hardy did choose to apologize for his actions via his Twitter account, @ OverlordKraken. “Just had to say I express my regret 4 what happened in past and I’m Dedicated to being the best person & teammate that I can be but mostly I am Grateful 4 the opportunity to play in NFL #GodBlessHookyStreet.” The most surprising news for me was not that the pictures were released. After all, they were going to come to light eventually following such a high-profile case. Cowboys owner, CEO and general manager Jerry Jones came out with his own statement, via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, after the surfacing of the images, which still puzzles me t o this day. “While we did not have access to the photos that became public today, we were and are aware of the serious nature of this incident. We have given Greg a second chance. He is a member of our team and someone who is grateful for the opportunity he has been given to move forward with his life and his career,” Jones said in the statement. Jones has to let him go, no matter how talented he is. He is a sack-machine, registering 37 sacks through six seasons, highlighted by his 15 sacks in 2013 with the Carolina Panthers. It is not just his past that has brought the notion that he must be released. It is the fact that he has carried over his same erroneous attitude to this day. It’s simple— Hardy has to go.
Joshua Campbell Sports Editor
Counterpoint First thing’s first. In no way, shape or form am I condoning Hardy’s actions of domestic abuse. What he did is disgusting and should not be tolerated under any circumstance. No man should ever lay his hands on a woman. But that does not mean that Hardy’s career should come to an end. After originally being convicted by a judge in a bench trial, Hardy’s case was dismissed after the alleged victim, Nicole Holder, continuously failed to make herself available to the court and “the State concluded that, in her absence, it did not have sufficient legal basis upon which to introduce the initial statement she provided to law enforcement,” the prosecutor stated in the dismissal form. Hardy was completely cleared legally and had the incident expunged from his record, but still paid a heavy price. He missed the final 15 games last season on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, then was suspended 10 games by the NFL to begin the 2015 season. That suspension was eventually reduced to four games. So after being cleared legally, Hardy missed a total of 19 games for the alleged crime. In my eyes, he paid the price for his actions.
We live in a country where second chances are given everyday. Why should Hardy be held to a different standard? Sure he is an NFL player and should be a role model, but being a role model is not in his job description. His job is to make plays. The NFL and its general managers are not persecutors.
Persecution is up to the legal system and Hardy’s case was dismissed. While the circumstances are certainly disturbing and in no way acceptable, Hardy should not be released by the Cowboys. He already paid his dues for what he did and it should not be up to the NFL or Jones to further persecute him.
Courtesy Photo
SPORTS
Page 8 | Monday, November 9, 2015
BASKETBALL
Lady Eagles show potential in exhibition win Deantae Smith Sports Reporter
The Lady Eagles rolled to a 90-49 victory in their only exhibition game of the season against West Alabama Saturday. The Lady Eagles scored 52 of their 90 points in the paint. Freshman Caitlin Jenkins recorded a double-double in her debut, scoring 11 points and grabbing 15 rebounds after ending the first half with only four rebounds. While Jenkins played well, redshirt sophomore Jayla King took the scoring title for the night with her 20 points. King went an efficient 9-for11 from the field and 1-for-2 from both the free throw line and from behind the arc. She also added four rebounds, two steals and two assists. “(King) brought tremendous consistency across the board for us,” said head coach Joye Lee-McNelis. Southern Miss had five players in double-digits in scoring: juniors Brittany Dinkins scored 13 points while Lashyra Cotton and Brittny Norris each scored 11. Most of Norris’ 11 points came from the three-point line, draining three from behind the arc. “We had (Norris) shoot the cover off of it from the parking lot, deep downtown range,” Lee-McNelis said. The Lady Eagles shot 59 percent in the first quarter from the field, while holding the Lady Tigers to just under 49 percent shooting. The second quarter is when the
USM’s women’s basketball team celebrates their exhibition victory against West Alabama Saturday night.
Lady Eagles asserted their will and extended their lead. The defense applied pressure and only allowed six points in the quarter. The Lady Eagles shot 50 percent from the field and held the Lady Tigers to just 14 percent shooting from the field. At halftime, the Lady Eagles had a comfortable 53-27 lead over the Lady Tigers. Southern Miss only committed four turnovers in the first half and had 13 assists on 22 field goals. Thanks to an
aggressive second quarter, the Lady Eagles held West Alabama to 30 percent from the field. The Lady Eagles offense scored efficiently, shooting 55 percent from the field and 41 percent from behind the three-point line. Freshman Keri Jewett-Giles displayed her versatility in the first half in her first start as the USM point guard, scoring nine points, while dishing six assists and grabbing five rebounds. “We saw some unbelievable
bright spots in our two freshmen (Jewett-Giles and Jenkins),” LeeMcNelis said. Jewett-Giles’ spreading of the ball and command of the offense showed why Lee-McNelis has excitement for her potential. Jenkins proved to be a force in the post on both ends of the floor, blocking and altering shots on the defensive end while using an array of post moves offensively. Southern Miss picked up where they left off at the start of the third quarter, scoring six points in the first three minutes. After a quick start, both teams found it difficult to score as both teams’ shooting percentages dipped below 40 percent for the quarter. Southern Miss turned the ball over 11 times in the quarter, but despite their poor shooting and sloppy play, the Lady Eagles were able to push their lead to 64-34 heading into the fourth. In the final quarter, the Lady Eagles used defense to create
Fadi Shahin/Printz
offense, scoring 13 of their 26 points in the quarter off of turnovers. The offense returned to what worked in the first half, and ran their offense through their interior players. The Lady Eagles scored 12 points in the paint in the quarter. “Our defense created some easy baskets in transition,” Lee-McNelis said. “We showed we have to ability to run.” In a game where there were plenty of positives, coach LeeMcNelis points out the team’s biggest flaw of the night. “For our first outing with so many new people, we have to be pleased but not satisfied,” Lee-McNelis said. “We had four turnovers in the first half and 14 in the second. That can’t happen.” Southern Miss will open the regular season on Nov. 13 in the opening round of the Preseason WNIT against Alabama State at Reed Green Coliseum. Tipoff is for 11 a.m.
Fadi Shahin/Printz Southern Miss Lady Eagles Caitlin Jenkins drives to the basket against West Alabama.