Issuu

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Volume 99 Issue 38

www.studentprintz.com PAGE THREE

PAGE FOUR

NEWS

Eagle SPUR

Students apply for undergraduate research funds.

PAGE SEVEN

PAGE SIX

F E AT U R E

OPINION

S P O RT S

South Mississippi breweries gain popularity.

‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ falters in all ways but one.

Team begins season with 3-0 sweep of Murray State Racers.

Craft beer

Movie review

‘Vera Stark’ opens theater season Yolanda Cruz Copy Editor

The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Theatre opens its spring 2015 season with Lynn Nottage’s “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark.” The ﬁrst act tells the story of Vera Stark, played by secondyear MFA student Hillary Lewis. Vera is a struggling actress living in 1930s Hollywood, trying to land her breakout role while working for America’s sweetie pie Gloria Mitchell, played by third-year MFA student Emma Harr. The second act is set in 2003, when analysts and experts in their ﬁelds examine the last interview Vera did in 1973 before she disappeared from the

public image. After 40 years, Vera has become a big star, but it seems the spotlight is not as sweet as Vera thought it would be. “I fell in love with this script when I read it,” Lewis said. “It is based on the stories of real actresses during this time, some who didn’t even get credited for their work. This story is very dear to my heart.” While Vera goes on to star in hundreds of pictures after her breakout role, the play shows how she is always remembered for her ﬁrst and always living in Gloria’s shadow. “The second act shows the journey Vera has taken over the years and the struggle she has been through. Even in 1973 after she’s been in so many movies and

marched with Dr. (Martin Luther) King, she just wants to not be in Gloria’s shadow,” said Michelle Taylor, a third-year MFA student and director of “Vera Stark.” The message of racial disadvantage is clear. Vera’s roommate Lottie, played by ﬁrstyear MFA student Jasmine Neal, played classic roles on Broadway such as Shakespeare’s Juliet, yet in Hollywood she is in the same situation as Vera. Also during this time, no one looks at AfricanAmerican actors unless they are playing some sort of slave, a testament that hit home whenever a director Gloria is trying to impress does not even look at Vera or Lottie until they play in the southern stereotypes, even though they have

been serving him all night. “It’s good to know the history of where we come from, but we have to see that things are still more than race,” Neal said. “It’s also about identity,” Harr said. “Gloria is supposed to have this sweetie pie persona to get a role but you see how different she is at home, which is also different from how she is with Vera. In the last interview you see her want to take the mask off she’s worn for so long, but she can’t because there is nothing underneath.” The show opens at 7 p.m., Feb. 21 in Tatum Theatre located inside the Theatre and Dance Building. It runs again Feb. 26-28. There are matinee shows at 2 p.m. on Feb. 22 and March 1.

Susan Broadbridge/Printz

Emma Harr and Hillary Lewis act out in the upcoming play “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark.” The performance will be held in the Tatum Theatre located inside the Theatre and Dance Building starting this Saturday at 7 p.m.

Baseball

STATE Burned teen case still a mystery Jesse Hammett Printz Reporter

Two months after the death of Courtland teenager Jessica Chambers, Lisa Daugherty, mother of Chambers, is now urging prospective sources to come forward and share information that could lead to the murderer’s arrest. Daugherty reported to The ClarionLedger on Feb. 11 that only a few people have provided potentially helpful information about the case.

On Dec. 9, 19-year-old Chambers was found on the side of Herron Road in Courtland with burns covering most of her body. She died in the hospital only hours later, her mother noting that she stayed alive long enough to know that her parents were with her. When asked to comment on the teen’s murder, Courtland and Batesville residents expressed hesitation to discuss the issue for fear of having their identities revealed to the killer. “I believe people around here know more about what’s going on than what they say,” an anonymous store clerk said. “The police say they’re getting warm, but it’s a cold case. They’re not going to ﬁnd whoever did this.” Another anonymous source said he or she believe that the murderer is still in town, and that he or she could be right under authorities’ noses. Various workers in Batesville noted that the death could be the result of white supremacy activity due to Chambers having dated black individuals in the past three years. Even Daugherty said that residents are too afraid to provide more information that could help authorities with the case, according to USA Today. She said

seeTEEN, page 3

INFORMATION

Page 2 | Thursday, February 19, 2015

MEET THE STAFF OF SPRING 2015

EDITORS & STAFF Kathryn Miller

Alan Rawls

Crystal Garner

Mary Sergeant

kathryn.miller@eagles.usm.edu

gregory.rawls@eagles.usm.edu

crystal.garner@eagles.usm.edu

mary.sergeant@eagles.usm.edu

Executive Editor

Joshua Campbell Sports Editor

joshua.campbell@eagles.usm.edu

Yolanda Cruz Copy Editor

yolanda.cruz@eagles.usm.edu

Managing Editor

Multimedia Editor

Parker Brewer

Cody Bass

parker.brewer@eagles.usm.edu

cody.bass@eagles.usm.edu

Design Editor

Social Media Editor

Julie Gore

Hayley Howard

Nikki Smith

hayley.howard@eagles.usm.edu

ashly.smith@eagles.usm.edu

Web Editor

Susan Broadbridge Kara Davidson

Graphic Designer

Chuck Cook

Katherine Frye

chuck.cook@usm.edu

katherine.frye@eagles.usm.edu

Lesley Sanders-Wood Advertising e-mail Advertising Manager printzad@usm.edu

Printz Adviser

Ad Designer

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News Editor

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Editorial Policy

Source: www.alberichcrosswords.com

ACROSS 1 Axes elm, possibly, to obtain woody tissue (5) 4 Wise guy runs story during interminable strike (5,4) 9 The Italian general is set back by information deﬁcit ultimately – that’s careless (9) 10 Wine producing region prepared for unfavourable weather? (5) 11, 22 dn I hope inn’s cooking with some quality ingredients – thus observing this motto (4,4,3,3,1,5) 12 Powerful drug needed by hospital department (6) 14 Going hungry around Spain? Far from it (8) 17 Approved translation of Norse Edda mostly (8) 19 One has to go through the wardrobe to locate it (6) 22 Travelling bag accompanying wife to old road motel, perhaps (11,4) 24 I complain about her (5) 25 Slow scoring? (9) 26 Never failing to be naive at all times (9) 27 One is required from the stage designer – and then again, not! (5)

Opinions

DOWN 1 Will she get cross with husband that is very quietly engaged digesting a set of books? (9) 2 Stone has a new record at No 1 (5) 3 Pottery made originally by one in German city (7) 4 Have a mind to observe seizure (3,3) 5 As describes quite new pieces in collection? Yes and no (8) 6 Birds – cat’s eating one of them (7) 7 Reportedly was short of an empty container for milk production? (9) 8 Shrewd woman invested in Cyprus (5) 13 Henry VII stood for it - and vice versa (5,4) 15 Ostentatious dignitary is reserving love for the higher placed of the two Europeans (9) 16 Once more use fruit that’s no good (2-6) 18 Swindling cartel includes a politician (7) 20 Article – one of ﬁve – on God by Italian philosopher (7) 21 Inert metal principally extracted with nitrogen (6) 22 See 11 23 I’m stoned, man – that’s not right (5)

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.

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.

NEWS NATIONAL

Thursday, February 19, 2015 | Page 3

ON CAMPUS

Payne Center workers Eagle SPUR offers respond to NBA controversy research grant Emma Reeves Printz Reporter

Earlier this month, Los Angeles Clippers player Chris Paul was fined $25,000 after criticizing a female referee’s calls during a game. According to USA Today, Paul said the calls were “ridiculous” and that “this might not be for her.” Many people took the comments to be gender-based slurs, though Paul claimed his remarks had nothing to do with gender. The National Basketball Players’ Association also claimed that Paul meant no disrespect. “I watched this game. I personally think she wasn’t doing a great job. If a man was calling the way she was, I believe he would have made the same comment,” said Chelsea Willis, a junior therapeutic recreation major and intramural official at The University of Southern Mississippi Payne Center. “I believe that there is really no way to really know if he was being sexist or not unless he comes out and says it,” she said. Nevertheless, according to a sports blog for the Washington Post, the NBA’s fine was not based

Courtesy Photo

on gender, and the blog said, “The league issued the standard fine associated with criticizing a referee in a public forum.” Representatives of the Payne Center, Associate Director of Recreational Sports Thomas Deus, as well as senior international studies and economics doublemajor and Program Assistant Conner Miller, both agreed that the job of an official is a difficult one. The two agreed that the Payne Center staff is dedicated to standing behind its officials. “They make the call. Their call is what we stick with,” Miller said. “We expect our participants to treat (officials) exactly the same whether

they are a male or a female.” When asked what would happen if a situation like Paul’s occurred during a Southern Miss intramural event, Willis said that her supervisers are quick to ensure equality and would take control of any situation. Miller said a participant acting inappropriately would be ejected from the game and would have to undergo an extensive, yet fair, evaluation process before the suspension was removed. Deus said that if the evaluation revealed that it was a serious case of discrimination, further action would be taken. “We would probably move it along to the university so that this was not just an intramural event, this was a university event where this participant who was being vulgar needs to be handled,” Deus said. As a response to the Chris Paul incident, Deus said, “What I really hope it doesn’t do is deter females from trying to become an ofﬁcial.” Deus and Miller both said that any student willing to help is welcome to train and apply. As Willis succinctly put it, “Gender should have nothing to do with anything.”

STATE

AG Hood leads anti-Google crusade Colin Cameron Printz Reporter

Mississippi is attempting to investigate Google in response to Google’s “recent behavior.” While members of the electronic entertainment industry openly described the investigation as nothing more than “political theater,” 11 other states have joined the investigation pursuit. The controversy of the situation centers around a subpoena issued by Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood and whether or not that subpoena should be considered or blocked by law. Ultimately, Hood claimed that he has the power to examine Google’s behavior and should be allowed to collect evidence against the company before a court intervenes, while Google has claimed that it is immune to such inquiries under the 1996 Communications Decency Act that states Internet companies cannot be liable for third party actions, according to the Hattiesburg American. The premise of the investigation is primarily focused on whether or not Google is promoting illegal activities through advertisement content and its auto-complete service - suggesting searches such as “how to buy oxycodone.”

States that have followed in support of the investigation include Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Although, according to a brief written by the Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, a court victory for Google could ultimately limit the states’ future abilities to conduct investigations and “every attorney general’s ability to protect the public from false, misleading and deceptive business practices by such companies.” According to the Hattiesburg American, the Digital Citizens Alliance and others ﬁled a brief that says a previous $500 million settlement between Google and the federal government in 2011 should refute any claim that Google cannot be investigated again. “The justice department could not have reached that half a billion dollar settlement if the courts enjoined the investigation in its infancy out of premature concerns that the investigation would inevitably run afoul of federal law and the Constitution,” the groups said. However, Google representatives and those in opposition to the investigation also

claim the investigation is more than just an attempt to protect Internet-going citizens from specific content. They suggest it is an opportunity to exercise official powers at the bid of private industries and a “back-door” attempt to implement a previous unpopular anti-privacy bill known as SOPA, which collapsed in 2012. “For nearly two years, Attorney General Hood pressured Google to remove and censor content that he and Hollywood (don’t) like – even though he lacks the legal authority to do so,” said Google’s general counsel Kent Walker. “Attorney General Hood’s extraordinary 79-page subpoena is an unjustified assault on free speech and we’re asking the federal court to set it aside. We regret having to take this matter to court, and we are doing so only as a last resort.” “Hood’s crusade against Google looks and smells like an effort to simply squeeze the billion-dollar (company) to provide some settlement money,” wrote the Natchez-Democrat in a January editorial. Both sides presented their positions before U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate in Jackson Feb. 13. The results of the court hearing are soon to be released.

Nan Buti

Printz Reporter

The Eagle Scholars Program for Undergraduate Research (Eagle SPUR), established in fall 2013, is a competitive research experience opportunity, in which students conduct independent research under the supervision of a faculty mentor. The $1,000 grant allows each student to creatively research a desired topic with the use of supplies, equipment and other needs such as traveling. The funds can also be used as a stipend for the student. All full-time students in good standing may apply to the program by sending in a proposal describing their project, how they became interested in the topic and how they expect to carry out the work. Students must also have their mentor complete a form acknowledging their support. Each semester around half of the applications are funded. Applicants are determined as winners for the grant depending on rankings by three faculty members reviewing proposals. The selected Eagle Scholars must complete their projects the following semester, then fulfill the requirement of submitting a two-page report describing the work at the end of the semester. Upon completion, Eagle Scholars are also expected to showcase their findings at a conference or convention within the next year. Eagle Scholars are required to enroll in and attend UNV 392, a one-hour course that provides workshops to enhance professional skills, such as research methods, conference presentations and ethics. The program typically runs for one semester, depending whether students request extensions. “We highly encourage them to participate in the Undergraduate Symposium for Research and Creative Activity in April, but they are also able to give a paper at another conference in their discipline or even publish it in a journal,” USM professor of anthropology Marie Elaine Danforth said. Benefits of the independent

continued TEEN more people may be willing to talk if they were offered more protection by the police. Hearsay continued to spread in Panola County. This month, Ali Alansai, a store clerk who was reportedly one of the last people to speak to Chambers on the night of her death, was forced to leave town due to receiving death threats after being quoted in various articles. Other news outlets have reported that Alansai has not revealed his current location for personal safety reasons. A ﬂier posted at the scene of the assault reads that the state ﬁre marshall is providing awards of up to $5,000 to anyone willing to come forward with information leading to the arrest and arson conviction of

research program include students being able to refine their technical and analytical skills, gaining professional experience and connections, attaining selfconfidence and learning how to work in a collaborative setting, skills preparing them for graduate school and beyond. The program provides students with an opportunity to undertake their major of choice as a possible career. “We are very proud of Eagle SPUR in that it is the only program of its kind in the state,” Danforth said. “It represents a rare opportunity for students, and many who have participated have gone on to great success.” In early February 2014, Eagle Scholar Anthony Abshire gave an oral presentation based on his research at the 47th Annual Southeastern Undergraduate Research Conference at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and was awarded first place in the Biochemistry/Organic division. Junior dance performance and choreography major and fall 2014 Eagle Scholar Samantha Russell researched the movement of visual artists such as sculptors and painters, and translated that movement onto the body of a dancer, creating a dance for film. Her project, with the guidance of mentor Elizabeth LentzHill, assistant professor in the Department of Dance, worked to prove that the process of creating art is artistically complex itself. The dance for film will be presented on Saturday, March 28th at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Theatre and Dance Building. Russell will also present at the Undergraduate Research Symposium in April. She has conducted her project since the beginning of the fall 2014 semester and will present her findings at the end of March. “All of my research has taken place on USM campus,” Russell said. “It shows that you don’t have to wait until you graduate and leave USM to start doing what you’re really passionate about.” REST- ONLINE the person responsible for the teen’s murder. Those with potentially helpful information are encouraged to call 601.359.1061 to reach the state fire marshall’s office. Callers may choose to remain anonymous. Additionally, Panola County authorities are offering a $54,000 reward to persons who can give them leads to the murderer’s arrest. The Panola County Sheriff’s Department is handling the case at large, and its contact is (662) 563-6230. On Jan. 31, a candlelight vigil was held at a church in Sardis, Mississippi, to honor the teen’s birthday and memory. A temporary memorial has been erected at the site of Chambers assault on Herron Road. The memorial includes bouquets, cards, stuffed animals and notes wishing Chambers a happy birthday. Chambers would have been 20 years old Feb. 2.

Page 4 | Thursday, February 19, 2015

LOCAL

FEATURE

Craft beer movement hits Mississippi Lindsey Kelley Printz Reporter

Walk into a local bar in Hattiesburg, and it is quite possible to see lines and lines of beer on tap, sporting names like Lazy Magnolia, Southern Prohibition and Chandeleur Brewing. These beers are not the runof-the-mill domestics; they have been specially crafted in smaller, family-run breweries across South Mississippi and the rest of the state. According to the brewery’s website, Lazy Magnolia, the state’s oldest package brewery, opened in 2003, permanently changing the way that the South views beer. Lazy Mag currently offers to over 14 states in the Southeast region and has a strong presence in the Pine Belt, dishing up local favorites like Indian Summer, Jefferson Stout and the Southern Miss-inspired Southern Gold Honey Ale. “I’m a huge fan of their Timber Beast,” said Brian Goff, a senior psychology major. “I’m partial to rye pale ales and this one is deﬁnitely high quality.” A local Hattiesburg brewery on the rise is Southern Prohibition, founded in April 2013 and growing in popularity. Emily Curry, sales manager, said SoPro grew out of a local brewpub, The Keg and Barrel. Current SoPro owner Quinby Chunn and his wife moved from Blanco, Texas, in 2008 with the ambition of opening a brewery in Hattiesburg. “Ben Green, our head brewer, had been working as the brewer for Keg when it was a brewpub,” Curry said. “I came along a few months before we opened

Kelley Joe Brumﬁeld/Printz

Co-owners Matt Diiorio and Andy Crumpton provide Hattiesburg with a diverse selection at The Golden Growler off Hardy Street. The Golden Growler is a popular place for college students interested in craft beer.

to do sales and since then we have added some great folks to our team in achieving great beer in the South.” SoPro offers four of what they call their “ﬂagship” beer yearround: Suzy B, Jack the Sipper, Devil’s Harvest and Mississippi Fire Ant. There are also several

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY 8:30AM-4:00PM TUESDAY & THURDAY 8:30AM-6:00PM

popular seasonals such as Hipster Breakfast and Sinister Minister. SoPro is currently available throughout the state of Mississippi and in New Orleans, the North Shore and Baton Rouge in Louisiana. The company has also recently expanded availability to the Memphis area.

The brewery, based on Mobile Street in Hattiesburg, has tours every Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. to showcase how the beers are made along with several other perks. “We aren’t going to tell you our secrets unless you come down to the brewery for a tour,” Curry said. “(It is) $8 for a tour and a souvenir glass (plus) free samples to anyone (over the age of) 21.” Hattiesburg has had a history of supporting local craft beers since the mid-2000s, fostering the grassroots lobbyist organization Raise Your Pints (RYP). RYP fought for the passage of Senate Bill 2878, which raised the permissible alcohol content in beer from 5 percent by weight (6.25 percent ABV) to 8 percent by weight (10.1 percent ABV). This allowed for greater freedom in brewing and encouraged new breweries to crop up across the state, such as Crooked Letter Brewing in Ocean Springs and Yalobusha Brewing in Oxford. Hattiesburg also was nominated as a craft beer destination in the December 2014 Beer Advocate, a high honor in the craft beer community. More and more bars and pubs are opening their selections for local craft beers, and The Keg and Barrel continues to host its annual Outlaw Homebrew Competition. “It is an exciting craft beer community, “ Curry said. “But we have a long way to go to have the people of Hattiesburg

and Mississippi to realize the magnitude of this culture growing all around (us).” Whitney Miracle, brand manager from Southern Prohibition, encourages Mississippians to eat local food and drink local beer by promoting the new organization Drink Mississippi. “Whether you work in the foodservice industry or just love grabbing a pint of awesome Mississippi made beer, Drink Mississippi is your way of connecting with like-minded folks that are enthused about all the great offerings Mississippi brings to the table in the craft beer market,” she said. A $30 membership allows for free brewery tours at all of Mississippi’s seven breweries, with more to be added in the coming year. Participants receive free glassware to bring-to-bottle shares, discounted tickets for Mississippi craft beer festivals, a free year’s subscription to DRAFT magazine and discounts at local bars and restaurants that are Drink Mississippi supporters. Mississippi is continuing to grow as a craft beer community, and the addition of new breweries, promises to continue bringing the state new and varied beers to sample. For more information on local craft beers and to support the Drink Mississippi movement, check out their website at www. drinkmississippi.com, which launches on March 6.

FEATURE

Thursday, February 19, 2015 | Page 5

ON CAMPUS

Miss USM starts non-proﬁt for book donation Mary Sergeant Printz Reporter

A chemistry major with an emphasis in biochemistry and a minor in biology, Miss University of Southern Mississippi Hannah Roberts takes the phrase “girl power” to a whole new level. Not only is she disciplined in her studies, but Roberts also finds time to give children the opportunity to indulge in one of her favorite pastimes: reading. As a child, Roberts spent much time in the waiting rooms of doctors’ offices. It was in those offices that she began to realize her love for reading. So, in 2005, after noticing a lack of reading materials in doctors’ offices, she started a non-profit organization called Pages of Love. “Pages of Love is a non-profit book donation program that collects new or gently used children’s books,” Roberts said. “These books are cleaned, given a stamp or sticker with the organization’s information and are then donated to hospitals and clinics around the Southeast.” Since its foundation in 2005, Pages of Love has collected and donated over 20,000 books. Roberts received her first donation from her own book collection of

roughly 50 books. “Pages of Love has definitely made me incredibly grateful for my health and also for my literacy,” she said. “We often take for granted these simplistic attributes, but through my many hospital visits and donations I have seen, firsthand, how blessed I am in these areas.” One of the most inspiring moments Roberts experienced occurred when she was in high school. Months after donating a large amount of books to Blair E. Batson Hospital in Jackson, Roberts received a letter from a very grateful mother of a patient at the hospital. The young patient and her mother then hand-delivered hundreds of donated books to Pages of Love. “This moment truly taught me about the impact that something as simple as a book can create,” Roberts said. She is also a firm believer that women can pursue and achieve careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). “Girls should be encouraged to investigate these areas early in life when they are still making decisions about what they want to be when they grow up,” Roberts said. Like the heroine of her favorite novel, “Jane Eyre,” Roberts is

another woman who is paving the way for women across the world. During the rest of her reign as Miss USM, Roberts hopes to donate 10,000 more books through

Pages of Love. So far, she has donated 2,000. “I believe that a book can allow a child to forget about an unpleasant situation — at least for a moment

— and enjoy the gift of reading,” she said. To get involved with or donate to Pages of Love, contact hannah. roberts@eagles.usm.edu.

Printz Archives

Senior Hannah Roberts will be at the Ogletree House Sunday afternoon hosting a “Princess for Pages” event. “Pages of Love” is a non-proﬁt book donation program that she has been working on for the past ten years.

Page 6 | Thursday, February 19, 2015

OPINION

REVIEW

‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ ﬁlled with pitfalls Bradley Presson Printz Reporter

In the film adaptation of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” Christian Grey tells his girlfriend and BDSM submissive Anastasia Steele that for rolling her eyes at him he will have to punish her, in this case by spanking her. Well, if Grey were able to watch my eyes while I forced myself to sit through “Fifty Shades of Grey,” I do not think I would ever sit again, but I think I would take the punishment if it meant I could forget the film. “Fifty Shades of Grey” is without a doubt one of the most painful viewing experiences I have ever had in a movie theater. Never before I have I seen such a horrific combination of bad filmmaking. From the laughable dialogue to the shallow onenote characters and muddled plot, “Fifty Shades of Grey” is a nonstop cinematic disaster. From the onset, the film does away with any pretense that it serves as more than fantasy fodder, although who fantasizes about this type of shallow relationship I’m not sure. The film starts with the protagonist, Steele, meeting Grey at his office for an interview where she is filling in her for her sick journalist roommate. Though they have zero chemistry and the interview is mind-numbingly terrible, Grey starts to become enamored by Steele. From this terribly disjointed and heavy-

handed beginning, their romance becomes even more baffling as they constantly fight just to make up and then segue into the next sex scene. For a movie centered on two people and their romance, “Fifty Shades of Grey” forgets to make these people or their relationship interesting or worth following. Out of the two, Steele has a little more personality. While she is the stereotypical mousy, compliant virgin, she actually seems vulnerable and moderately realistic; but still, she has no backstory and all of her relationships with other characters are so shallow that it is completely laughable. Grey on the other hand is entirely one-dimensional. He’s a suave and mysterious millionaire badboy that is into sexual deviance; yet he’s got a troubled past and an inner sensitivity, or at least that is the way he’s supposed to appear to the viewer. This would work if he were given any semblance of a personality or if his typically troubled past background was not the most corny and ridiculous part of the film. In addition to the paper-thin characters, there is no character development throughout the entire film and a middle school student could have written more believable dialogue. The film also fails to adhere to general principles of filmmaking. One of the most glaring instances of this is how the film would

STATE

change its mood from lighthearted to serious without any real cause, the only cue being a change in music. If the only clue to the viewer that this scene is serious is a shift in music, that’s a pretty big red ﬂag that something is not working to deliver the emotional impact you intended. There’s still a laundry list of

problems that I could address, like how Grey is disgustingly controlling or how the ﬁlm could be cut in half and still accomplish just as little as it did in the two hours of my life it wasted or how much I hated the clichéd open-ended ending that resolved nothing and drove home the fact that I wasted two hours of my life, but there’s

Courtesy Photo

only so much space to write in. If there’s one positive thing in this ﬁlm, it’s that it looks good. It looks like a big Hollywood blockbuster, and multiple scenes look fantastic. Some of them also look terrible, with some overly obvious CGI, but in the midst of this disaster the visuals are the most redeeming quality.

Miss. leads nation in ‘Fifty Shades’ viewers Karyn Lewis Printz Reporter

Just when you thought being a Mississippian couldn’t get any more embarrassing, we’ve gone from being the poorest and most obese state in the nation to being the most eager to see Hollywood’s most recent sexually explicit film, “Fifty Shades of Grey.” The American Family Association and its president Tim Wildmon urged everyone not to see the movie. AFA said the movie promotes domestic violence, aside from its graphic sexual nature. “Nothing in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ builds up society, respects or empowers women or demonstrates healthy relationships,” Wildmon said in an interview with The Clarion Ledger. “Rather, the film glorifies abusive relationships and glamorizes abusive tendencies such as stalking, bondage sex, intimidation and isolation,”

Wildmon said. To make matters worse in the Bible Belt state, Tupelo — the location of AFA’s headquarters — was the first Mississippi city to have a theater sell out of tickets for the film. I don’t see a problem with Mississippians being eager to see “Fifty Shades.” Apparently the entire nation wanted to see it. If New York, Los Angeles or even a Southern city such as Atlanta had the highest percentage of people who wanted to see the movie, no one would care. Maybe this is a sign that it’s Mississippi’s government that’s super conservative rather than its people. I have not seen “Fifty Shades of Grey,” but from what I have heard and what the movie trailer conveys, the movie is rated properly. According to People Magazine, there are 14 minutes and 17 seconds of sexual activity in the movie, but it’s not the only one with a high on screen sexual activity percentage. Plenty of films of similar natures

to “Fifty Shades” have long runtimes of sexual activity. “Basic Instinct” has 9 minutes and 19 seconds, “Y Tu Mama Tambien” has 6 minutes and 51 seconds and “Blue Is The Warmest Color” has 10 minutes and 28 seconds of on-screen sexual activity. There are plenty more movies

with large amounts of onscreen sexual activity. That’s why there are ratings. If parents and theaters exercise movie restrictions properly, there shouldn’t be any problems. Along with “The Interview,” “Fifty Shades” wouldn’t have been considered being banned

from theaters if society hadn’t fed so much energy into it. With state representatives making racist comments and our state ranking third as the dumbest state in the nation, having the highest percentage of people wanting to see a movie should be the least of our worries.

SPORTS

BASEBALL

Thursday, February 19, 2015 | Page 7

Southern Miss makes statement in opening sweep Julius Kizzee

Sports Reporter Southern Miss opened up its 2015 season against Murray State, sweeping the Racers in a three-game series. In the first game of the series, the Golden Eagles got off to a slow start, scoring their first run in the fourth inning. Dylan Burdeaux faced a 3-2 count in a scoreless game. With a pitch down the middle, Burdeaux launched the ball to left field and recorded his first home run of the Golden Eagles’ season. It was Burdeaux’s fourth home run of his career. “We faced some good arms in our own guy. All of us feel really good at the plate right now,” Burdeaux said. “It was a good start. I couldn’t ask for anything better.” Burdeaux went 2-4 with three RBIs and scored two runs in the opening game of the season. Christian Talley pitched through six strong innings, giving up five hits and one earned run. Talley recorded his first win of the season over Brock Downey of Murray State. Talley threw 93 pitches, 61 for strikes, faced 23 batters and struck out 11. It was the fourth time he recorded double-digit strikeouts in his USM career. “I always feel like I get stronger as I go,” Talley said. “I always build off of strikeouts to end the inning.” The offense erupted in the fifth inning for the Golden Eagles with six runs off five hits. Michael Sterling, Connor Barron, Matt Durst and Burdeaux each drove in runs in the inning to widen the gap for the Golden Eagles. Murray State replaced starting pitcher Brock Downey in favor of Brandon Hicks midway through the fifth inning. “In the fifth inning, we had some momentum, we had some great at-bats,” USM head coach Scott Berry said. “We kind of got the momentum going for us and that’s the way I like (us) to play.” Southern Miss held onto the lead and cruised to a 7-4 win as Luke Lowery, Taylor Braley and Ryan Milton each pitched strongly out of the bullpen. Milton picked up his first save of the season. In the second game of the series, Southern Miss pitcher Cody Carroll got off to a poor start, giving up two runs in the first inning. “I think he relied on two pitches today, instead of three,” Berry said. “Honestly,

Morgan Covington/Printz

Senior Matt Durst swings at the home plate against Murray State in the opening of the Southern Miss baseball season this weekend.

he gives up the two runs in the first inning, and then he settles down.” Carroll then proceeded to only give up one run for the rest of the game. He pitched 6.2 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the game was knotted up at 3-3 and USM was looking for a spark to untie the game. Connor Barron batted second in the inning and doubled to center field and would score on a Nick Dawson single up the middle. Nick Dawson advanced to second on a fielding error that put Burdeaux on first base, and Matt Durst was next to bat. Durst singled to center field, advancing Burdeaux to second and scoring Dawson. Berry called for a double steal with pinch runner Chase Reeves stealing second and Burdeaux stealing third. A Ryan Ellis single to the right side scored Burdeaux while Reeves advanced to third. Breck Kline came in to pinch run for Ellis, while Tim Lynch stepped up to the plate. Lynch doubled down the right field line, enabling Reeves to score from third and Kline to reach third from first base. A Chase Scott single to the left side scored Kline and moved Lynch to third. Austin Roussel grounded out to second base, scoring Lynch from third to cap off a six-run seventh. “If you look at that seventh inning, we just got that momentum rolling in that six spot,” Berry said. “(Barron) really got us going on a

couple of innings.” Barron finished the game, going 4-5 with a double, an RBI and his first homerun of the season. Barron finished the series with a .538 batting average (7-13). The explosion in the seventh inning led to another Southern Miss win by a final score of 10-3, heading into the last game of the weekend. The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. James McMahon, who had pitched three scoreless innings, gave up two runs in the fourth to put Murray State within striking distance of the lead. McMahon made his first career start for the Golden Eagles after making 37 appearances as a reliever. He allowed just two runs, five hits, four walks and had four strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work. He was replaced in the sixth inning by Cord Cockrell. The USM offense cooled off a bit, but still managed six runs on ten hits. Burdeaux led the way, going 3-4 and scored twice. Barron went 1-4 while Dawson was hitless in four at-bats. Tim Lynch and Chase Scott had identical stat lines as they both went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored. In the finale of the series, USM had to use five pitchers to close it out. McMahon and Cockrell were joined by the trio of Braley, Lowery and Milton. Milton recorded his second save of the season in the game. Southern Miss ended the series with a 3-0 sweep of the Racers, 6-5.

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Thursday, February 129 2015 | Page 8

Errors lead to Golden Eagles’ ﬁrst loss Ashley Hickman Sports Reporter

Southern Miss fell to the University of New Orleans Wednesday afternoon at Pete Taylor Park by a score of 7-6. The Golden Eagles dropped to 3-1 as the Privateers gained their first win of the season (1-3). Freshman left-handed pitcher Kirk McCarty made his first career start for Southern Miss after a stellar prep career at Oak Grove High School. The Privateers did not waste any time offensively, scoring four runs on five hits in the second inning. Southern Miss was not sharp defensively, committing numerous early errors. The Golden Eagles’ Michael Sterling turned a double play the next inning while McCarty struck out UNO’s Ray Veit for the third out. This was a

huge momentum swing for Southern Miss. Chuckie Robinson gave USM its first hit of the game with a stand-up double in the bottom of the third, but was left stranded as Sterling and Barron both flew out to end the inning. The Southern Miss offense struggled to get things going, as they remained scoreless going into the bottom of the fourth inning. Nick Dawson started off the fourth with a leadoff walk and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Two outs later, Ryan Ellis drilled an RBI single between first and second base. The Golden Eagle bats began heating up as Tim Lynch crushed a two-run homer over the right field fence, closing the Privateer lead to 4-3. Chase Scott followed up with a stand-up double of his own. The two-out rally continued as Robinson stroked a 3-2 pitch

up the middle, sending Scott across home plate and tying the game at 4-4. Sterling popped up to second base, ending the fourth inning. McCarty gave up two hits in the top of the fifth, and was replaced by junior Luke Lowery with one out and runners on first and second. Lowery came out hot, striking out UNO’s Jonathan Santana and Veit. USM’s leadoff hitter Connor Barron increased his hitting streak to six games with a single to right field, but was thrown out attempting to steal second base. Burdeaux reached first on an error by UNO’s shortstop Samuel Capielano and Durst singled up the middle, advancing Burdeaux to third base in the bottom of the fifth inning. Ellis flied out to right field, ending USM’s threat to score. Lowery’s night ended in the top of the sixth inning after

an error by Sterling and then hitting the next batter. Junior Jake Winston relieved Lowery with runners on first and second base. UNO’s Sam Carriere hit a two-RBI single up the middle to give the Privateers a 6-4 lead. In the top of the seventh inning, UNO’s Hezekiah Randolph stole third base and then home on two wild pitches from Winston, increasing the Privateers’ lead to 7-3. Ellis singled to center field with one out on the board in the bottom of the eighth inning. Breck Kline, now at left field, was hit by the first pitch he saw. USM seemed to be threatening with runners now on first and second and Robinson walked, loading the bases with two outs. A wild pitch scored Kline, cutting the Privateer lead to only two until Sterling reached first on an error by UNO’s

second basemen Veit. Another run crossed home plate for USM, cutting the deficit to 7-6. Pitcher Connor O’Brien and the USM defense were able to hold UNO scoreless in the top of the ninth. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Durst popped up foul near the first base line, but none of the Privateer fielders went for it, giving Durst a second chance. Durst singled on a dropped fly ball in short right field, but Kline flied out to end the game. Both teams had 11 hits. The difference was two costly errors and wild pitches for USM and only one for UNO. Lowery took the loss for the pitching staff as UNO’s Jordan Priddle gained the win. Southern Miss will travel to Pensacola, Florida, Friday for three games against North Florida, Saint Louis and Nicholls State.

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