September 11, 2019

SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM • SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 | VOLUME 105 | ISSUE 03

SERVICE ANIMALS

PG 4

WARDROBE ESSENTIALS PG 5

IT: CHAPTER TWO

PG 6

9/11: The South reflects on attack MEGHAN FULLER NEWS EDITOR ollowing the terrorist attack in 2001, the citizens of Manhattan experienced an emotional aftershock, which led them to a crisis response.

While the attack was in New York, the South experienced loss as well.

Assistant chief for the Hattiesburg Police Department Peggy Sealy said she was working at the station as a detective that day. Sealy said she watched the footage of the towers crumbling in the conference room with her fellow

officers.

“It was real, but it didn’t feel real,” Sealy said. “I couldn’t believe it, that an event like that would take place here.”

Hope Burke, a survivor of the attack and a native of Alabama, was in Manhattan at the time.

Burke was 19-years old at the time, and She had just moved to New York in 2001. She remembers having to cross the Brooklyn Bridge and not having her purse because she left it at work. Burke worried about her roommates’ safety, who were police officers for the NYPD. She remembers the sirens blairing, the

smoke billowing and traveling to a safe place. Burke eventually found a Marriott that let her stay there for free.

“I always tell people that it was a shock. It’s hard to explain, but I had tunnel vision,” Burke said. “I could hear my brain telling me what to do, but my mind was foggy.”

Burke said she believes that the most

important part of the experience was when citizens came together to support one another.

“They took something that day, from so many of us,” Burke said. “No one cared about anything but helping their neighbors that day.”

CONTINUED | PG 2

Kathleen Hetherington | Printz

NEWS SEPTEMBER 11, 2019

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

MEET THE STAFF Executive Editor

Alyssa Bass alyssa.bass@usm.edu

Managing Editor

Olivia Saldana olivia.saldana@usm.edu

News Editor

Caleb McCluskey caleb.mccluskey@usm.edu

Entertainment/Opinion Editor Jack McCallum john.mccallum@usm.edu

Feature/Lifestyle Editor Karigan Teer karigan.teer@usm.edu

Sports Editor

Makayla Puckett makayla.puckett@usm.edu

Multimedia Editor

Blair Ballou blair.ballou@usm.edu

Webmaster

Omer Arshad omer.arshad@usm.edu

Photo Editor

Brian Winters brian.s.winters@usm.edu

Design Editor

Emily Brinkman emily.brinkman@usm.edu

Graphic Designers

Brian Winters brian.s.winters@usm.edu Lillie Busch lillie.busch@usm.edu Kathleen Hetherington kathleen.hetherington@usm.edu Alexandria Moore alexandria.casey@usm.edu

Printz Advisor

chuck.cook@usm.edu

Tracy Sustaita | Printz

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Burke now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her family. She visits Manhattan every year with her son Kingston for the anniversary of 9/11. They pass out their favorite book, “One Tuesday Morning,” by Karen Kingsbury to the people at Ground Zero in an effort to help those who are still grieving.

Dawn Tisdale, a counselor in Mississippi, flew to New York shortly after the attack to help with the crisis response.

Tisdale, who was 36-years-old at the time, first heard about the attack while working at Petal High School as a counselor. During school that day, the front office got a call from a concerned parent who told them to turn on the news. When the word spread, many students began checking out of class,

Dawn Tisdale looks at 9/11 news article.

while others visited Tisdale for guidance.

Tisdale had to focus on the students at the time, but she was worried about her family members. She wanted her family close to her during the disaster.

“My biggest concern was: Where to next?” Tisdale said. “Were the attacks going to continue?”

Petal High School had trained their counselors specifically for this type of crisis. Tisdale was trained by NOVA Crisis Response. A week after the attack, she was called to New York to assist survivors and their families. She was scheduled to help with crisis response just a few blocks away from Ground Zero. Tisdale remembers the flight there and how terrified she was.

Upon landing, she saw Manhattan as a war zone.

“You could still smell the smoke. There were police officers on every corner,” she

said. “You see it on TV from a different perspective, but this was real. They were still finding bodies.”

Tisdale said she helped 50 to 70 families a day while working 14 hours each session.

As she helped others, her family worried for her safety back home. While she guided people affected by the disaster, she benefited companies as well. Tisdale held a crisis debriefing for a culinary school near the attack. She said could not believe how thankful people were that she gave up her time to help them.

“Talking about it can help you work through it,” she said. “It’s okay to grieve, even now.”

Tisdale visited New York years after her crisis response To Tisdale, the city isn’t just a tourist destination.

“It’s not the same anymore. It’s not full of tourists, just survivors,” she said.

The views represented in The Student Printz’s columns and editorials do not represent those of the faculty, staff or administration of The University of Southern Mississippi. We welcome letters to the editor representing similar and contrasting opinions. To be eligible for publication, all submission must include name, class distinction, major, phone number and email address. Submissions should be emailed to printzeditors@ gmail.com by 5 p.m. on the Friday before publication. Please limit them to 500 words or less. The Student Printz reserves the right to refuse publication or edit any material on the basis of clarity, space or journalistic ethics.

Opinions expressed in The Student Printz are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The Student Printz, its publication manager, USM, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning or the USM Board of Student Publications.

Comic by Darius Harris | Printz

NEWS SEPTEMBER 11, 2019

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

Hub Dance Collective presents “Re-Connect”

KAYLYN JONES PRINTZ REPORTER

ub Dance Collective presented its 7th annual fall dance concert series “ReConnect” at the Southern Miss Theater and Dance Building Sept. 5 and 6.

The concert comprised of Southern Miss faculty with guest artists such as Lauren Guynes and Katherine Moore, and according to assistant professor of dance and performer Brianna Jahn, the performances are a contemporary blend of solo works, group improvisations and a series of duet and trio performances. “[We are] a collection of artists that have come together to show you how we connect and how we want to connect with the community,” Jahn said.

Established in 2012, the Southern Miss-based dance company, Hub Dance Collective, has become a wellknown spot for professional modern dance. The company has toured around the United States to Illinois, Texas, Michigan, New York and Alabama.

Made up of four Southern Miss faculty members, the group independently has also performed outside of the United States in countries like Mexico, France and Brazil.

Jahn said most of the collectives dances usually started with improvisational structures with different movements which evolve into the dances that are shown on stage. She also said the music is picked by the audience which gives the collective room to stretch their improvisational wings.

“As people are buying their tickets, they are going to choose which song they want us to dance to that night,”

Jahn said. “When we are on stage we won’t know what’s coming on until it’s on.”

Associate professor of dance Kelly Lester said the concert combines both live dance and video performances.

The first performance set the stage with Kelly Lester’s 10-year-old piece “Relative Triptych,” which focuses on family dynamics.

“I was psychologically thinking about family dynamics and how they come together and how we have commonalities and also how we frustrate each other in our families,” Lester said.

Not only does Lester choreograph dances, but she was also featured in dance pieces such as “Recurrent” – choreographed by Jahn—and the second to last performance “The Third Thing You See.” “I try to be really present in the moment and enjoy it,” Lester said. “I feel like there is so much of our lives spent thinking forward. What’s the next thing we’re going to do? But for me, really being present in the moment and living it is my main motivator,” Lester said.

“The Third Thing You See” became an apparent crowd-pleaser with its jazzy music and high energy. The dancers smiled as they performed. The piece then ended with a large round of applause.

The concert ended with the piece “Let This Serve as a Warning” choreographed by director of the school of Performing and Visual Arts Stacy Reischman Fletcher. The performance was lit with overwhelming shades of green and orange. The dancers performed in intense, stop-motion-like movements and left the audience on their feet in applause.

Courtesy photo of Hub City Dance Collecive

Joseph A. Greene building reopens doors EARL STOUDEMIRE PRINTZ REPORTER oseph A. Greene Hall reopened its doors after two years of construction, and the College of Education and Human Sciences found a new home within its walls.

The university started construction on the building, which has been in use since 1968, in the fall of 2017 when it closed its doors.

The project took an estimated $13 million to complete.

“This consolidated footprint will create an identity for faculty, staff and students that comprise the professional programs in our college,” Dean of Education and Human Sciences Trenton E. Gould, Ph.D., said in a previously released statement. “The proximity will connect the college in ways we haven’t experienced before.”

The first floor holds the Dean’s office, student advisement and support center, a biomechanics lab, anatomy lab, food lab and an exercise science teaching and lab space.

Each lab has its own specialties such as motion capture cameras, gas stoves, etc.

The second floor holds the Child and Family and School of Social Work while the School of Kinesiology and Nutrition is located on the third floor.

Assistant psychology professor and researcher in social and quantitative psychology Lucas Keefer, Ph.D., teaches in one of the auditorium classrooms and had numerous compliments to give the building layout.

“It’s definitely nice to have bigger classrooms,” Keefer said. “The equipment is faster; screen is nicer; and you can read things better on the screen. ... It has been a good gain for everyone.”

With the new advancements made within this building, exterior and interior changes that should be noted include new roofing, thermally glazed windows and security devices at each entryway with an internal surveillance system and state of the art lighting.

Keefer said even finer details that should be noted are the dedicated seats at the front of some classrooms for students with disabilities.

“I haven’t had a room that has dedicated spots for [people with disabilities],” Keefer said. “Everyone makes sure that people have seats that are wheelchair accessible, but the more invisible disabilities which are learning or visual, they have seats available for that, which is great.”

There will be remaining spaces that this college will hold within Owings-McQuagge Hall, sharing space with the School of Library of Information Science in Fritzsche-Gibbs Hall. All buildings are centrally located close to each other for the College of Education and Human Sciences.

Before this building was in the possession of the College of Education and Human Sciences, it used to be the Business Administration Building named after Joseph A. Greene, Ph.D., who was the first dean of the business program. He served for 36 years before retiring. Keefer said when the building was still home to the College of Business, they held a psychology programs there.

Nyaharika Rai | Printz

“We had an industrial organizational psychology program here. It may be at one point made sense to have these buildings beside each other but not anymore, of course,” Keefer said. “They’re still in the catalog too for this program.”

Some students are happy the building is complete, while others are more enthusiastic that the commuter lot beside the building was opened along with it.

“I’m glad it’s finished because that walkway and that small commuter parking lot is so

The Dean’s Office in Joseph Greene Hall.

necessary,” senior English licensure major Jaq Jefcoat said.

Senior psychology major Daniel Stearman said he is happy to see the building complete, but he also said he feels bad that the grass beside the building was worn away.

“Yeah, I’m not going to lie, I was so used to walking through that other side passage that it was really weird to walk down the old shortcut,” Stearman said. “It really sucks that the grass got ruined in that one yard.”

Caleb McCluskey contributed to this article.

FEATURES SEPTEMBER 11, 2019

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

Commuters struggle to find balance EARL STOUDEMIRE PRINTZ REPORTER esearch conducted by Higher Learning Advocacy in Oct. 2018 shows that only 13% of first-year students live on campus nationally.

On Southern Miss’ Department of Housing and Residence Life website, it shows an on-campus population being more than 3,000 students.

With 11,920 undergraduate students registered for the fall semester, there is a larger percentage of students who make the daily commute to campus to fight for a parking spot like everyone else.

For many students, the commute to class is not the average five-to-20-minute drive from Fourth Street, Oak Grove or Petal. It can be an hour drive for some off-campus students to sit in the same classroom as an on-campus student who arrives late to class every day.

The daily routine for junior English major Maggie Ortiz starts at 5 a.m. when her fiancé wakes her, and she gets up and dressed for the drive to her 9:45 a.m. class. Because she lives in Brandon, she leaves home two hours before her class begins.

“I have all five of my classes in one day stacked, so I don’t have any breaks,” Ortiz said. “I just eat snacks throughout the day, and I get home around eight to start my homework.”

Ortiz previously lived in an apartment close to campus, but she decided to be a commuter to be closer to her and her fiancé’s families.

Similar to Ortiz, senior economics major Madison Quick commutes from Gulfport three days a week for an hour and 20 minutes each way. The cost of living was the biggest reason for her to make the daily drive.

“I just commute, since it’s cheaper to spend $300 a month on gas, instead of $700 on an apartment [in Hattiesburg] with utilities,” Quick said.

Senior video arts major Jordan Pitt commutes from Lucedale and agreed with Quick about finances.

Despite the convenient financial savings these

Brian Winters | Printz

commuters have, fear of missing out, or “FOMO,”occasionally kicks in.

“I feel like I do have this disconnect from my university because I’m not into social gatherings like everyone else,” Quick said. “I wish sometimes I was a part of that, but I don’t have time for that, having a full-time job.”

Pitt also said he would be more involved on campus if he did not have as long of a commute. If he had time, he said he would attend games, join the band and get involved in other student organizations.

Despite the struggle that comes with a long commute, all of these students feel that they have improved their time management skills.

“When I was living on campus at Mississippi College, I’d go my room to take a nap or sit on my

computer and play video games or hang with friends somewhere,” Pitt said. “I’d be lazy, but with commuting, a break between classes means I don’t have enough time to go sit on my computer. It almost forces me to do classwork, but it is not something I am complaining about.”

Quick said her schedule is booked from the moment she wakes up until the moment she gets home, so even 20 minutes makes a huge difference in her day.

“It does suck when you are running any time behind,” Quick said. “Me being 20 minutes behind on the road makes a big difference to then have to find a parking spot. I basically missed 40 minutes of class, so what’s the point of walking in?”

Making healthy choices and getting enough sleep have also become more of a struggle for commuters

according to Quick. She said she often turns to fast food because of her demanding schedule.

“I feel like I’m always in a rush to eat and can’t cook food at home, so to eat a home-cooked meal does feel nice when I get to,” Quick said.

Pitt said he is often “too tired to do anything” after his one hour commute to school.

Despite feeling occasional FOMO from college activities and struggling with endurance to go through a long day, the commuter life is a better fit for some students’ individual needs, despite the constant college atmosphere of activities and clubs every day.

With college being a large portion of their days, responsibilities and goals will always have top priority.

“I’m not here to be a college kid, I’m here to get a degree,” Ortiz said.

Students find safety, comfort in service animals KARIGAN TEER FEATURE/LIFESTYLE EDITOR hen senior psychology and criminal justice major Emily Bouzemann came to Southern Miss, she had no idea that she would develop post-traumatic stress disorder due to domestic violence from her ex-boyfriend. Likewise, senior public health education major Tiffany Alsbury did not know that she would be diagnosed with lupus as a freshman, then diagnosed with bipolar II disorder as a junior.

Both women originally got their dogs Allie and Molly as normal pets. However, after realizing they needed extra assistance to deal with their illnesses, Bouzemann and Alsbury chose to have their dogs trained and certified as service animals.

Bouzemann struggled with going out in public after she was diagnosed with PTSD, but her dog Allie is trained to notice her triggers. Allie has been trained as an emotional support animal for two years after Bouzemann’s therapist noticed how much she relied on her dog.

“I would have anxiety attacks being around certain groups of people, especially on campus. My ex still goes here, and she’s trained to bark at him when she sees him so I can walk in the other direction,” Bouzemann said. “Whenever she sees someone in a military uniform, she tucks her head under my chin to let me know she’s there.”

Bouzemann said that although Allie provides fantastic support, both she and Allie still have mental and physical scars from the abuse they experienced.

“Once when my ex and I were having an argument, he was yelling. While Allie was trying to get our attention, she hyperventilated and had a seizure, so now she only has one ear that works,” Bouzemann said. “We’re basically each other’s support.”

Like Bouzemann, Alsbury struggles with anxiety

Micahel Sandoz | Printz

and being overwhelmed in public.

“I have lupus and bipolar II disorder, so I have panic attacks when I get overwhelmed. She will distract my face and apply pressure therapy against my chest,” Alsbury said. “It’s kind of like a dog version of being hugged.”

Alsbury has been diagnosed with lupus for three years and with bipolar II disorder for about six months.

“I originally got [Molly] because I was having symptoms of bipolar, but it takes a long time to get diagnosed,” Alsbury said. “Ever since my freshman year when I was diagnosed with lupus, it kind of overwhelmed my body, so I got her as a regular dog

for support.”

Prior to having Molly, Alsbury struggled with taking care of simple daily tasks.

“When I’m in big crowds of people, I get overwhelmed because I feel like people are looking at me and talking about me,” Alsbury said. “When I have a dog, it’s easier because everyone looks at her and not me. Even though that’s not what she’s there for, it kind of helps in different ways.”

Though senior psychology major Cassidy Wood does not require a service animal, she volunteers as a “puppy raiser” and teaches future service dogs basic commands and socialization. Her current dog Eva will go on to be a guide dog for a blind person.

“I’m a Delta Gamma, and we partnered with Service for Sight,” Wood said. “We’ve been volunteering with their local branch, Gallant Hearts, since before my freshman year. I really have a heart for dogs, so I asked to get involved more.”

Wood does not know how long she will be training Eva, but she said she is enjoying her time with Eva as much as possible.

“A lot of people have told me that their grandmother had a guide dog, or their father had a guide dog, and they’ll thank me for doing the training because I really don’t know the people I’m doing it for,” Wood said. “It’s really rewarding.”

Although the service animals provide essential assistance for these women, they do come with certain struggles.

“Some days I don’t want to take her because I feel like she is a distraction for other students, and I don’t want to be that person,” Bouzemann said.

Alsbury said that people will often run up to her dog and pet her without asking.

“I get scared when people run up to her that she’s going to freak out,” Alsbury said. “Even though I don’t mind people petting her when I’m not struggling as much, asking is the proper thing to do.”

All three women agree that service animals provide necessary assistance for college students.

“I think service animals are super important because they help people with things that others don’t even see, things like disabilities and mental illness. I just think they help people lead a normal life that they wouldn’t be able to do on their own,” Wood said. “A lot of times, people don’t want to rely on another person, so having a dog gives them the independence that they need.”

Alsbury agreed with Wood and said service animals provide help with issues that no one else can see.

“I think college students go through a lot with their mental health, struggling with their schoolwork, making friends,” Alsbury said. “I think service animals are important because they help people’s disabilities be less seen.”

LIFESTYLE SEPTEMBER 11, 2019

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

Graphic by Design Team | Printz

Wardrobe Essentials LILLIE BUSCH PRINTZ REPORTER n the South, there are not seasons so much as varying degrees of heat. The seasons and changing styles of New York Fashion Week do not exist below the Mason-Dixon line. Besides chevron print, oversized t-shirts and Nike shorts, what else can be considered “wardrobe essentials” in the Bible Belt?

For the average college student, wardrobe essentials are individual pieces that can be dressed up or dressed down. Wardrobe essentials also tend to be solid colors and not print.

Such clothing items are as timeless as our love for mismatched families and love-hate relationships.

THE WHITE TOP An important item for any wardrobe, regardless of gender identity, is a fitted white t-shirt or tank top. White shirts make any outfit appear clean and well put-together. White is also easy to pair with other pieces or colors.

However, be careful of where you select that treasured white top. The average Gildan 6-pack from Walmart is made of thick material that feels and looks bulky. For a nice fitted look, I suggest buying a shirt that is comprised of thin fabric and 100% cotton.

THE LBD To contrast your new white top, you should acquire a LBD. A little black dress, similar to a white t-shirt, is a versatile piece of clothing. In the fall, you tie a plaid button-down around the waist. In the summer, the dress is perfect for a date night outside.

In general, dresses are a very underappreciat-

ed piece of clothing. I once owned 20 of them in high school.

DENIM For bottoms, a wardrobe essential is a pair of dark-wash denim jeans. “A wardrobe is incomplete without a nice, solid pair of jeans,” McKenzie Ellis, a senior video production major, said.

There is a variety of jean fits at your disposal: sorority women resurrected bellbottoms from the dead; ripped denim makes emo hearts happy; and jeggings provide the comfort of casualwear and stretch.

For a college student wanting a more mature look, I encourage investing in jeans that are straight-legged and bootcut. A pair of classic Levi’s is perfect for almost any occasion and season.

One more denim essential is the denim jacket. I

remember picking out my jacket at the local mall and taking it home. Waiting for when the weather is cooler, she now sits in my closet on a designated hanger.

I am not the only one that believes a jacket is an absolute must-have.

“My favorite item is my oversized denim jacket,” Ellis said. Me too, girl.

WHAT DID WE LEARN? Ultimately, a wardrobe is only complete if you love the clothes you wear.

“I think wardrobes are incomplete if your personality doesn’t shine through,” junior recording industry management major Chloe Emfinger said.

Emfinger said her favorite item in her wardrobe would have to be a pair of bright green pants.

“Don’t be afraid to get weird and have questionable pieces, as long as you like them,” she said.

How to go green by living clean LAUREL THRAILKILL PRINTZ REPORTER ollege students usually have their attention divided in many different ways. Students concern themselves with classes, jobs and internships. With all the buzz happening on a college campus, many students do not have environmentallyfriendly living on their minds. What some students do not realize is that there are ways a college student can live eco-friendly without having to break the bank or make any major lifestyle changes.

If you are considering becoming more eco-friendly but do not have a good enough reason, consider this: Your health and the health of your family, friends and loved ones will be at risk if humanity as a whole is not willing to make a change. According to a study by the Global Carbon Project, total carbon emissions from industry and fossil fuels rose to 36.2 gigatons of CO2 in 2017.

Recycle

An eco-friendly lifestyle change that may seem obvious is recycling. So many students neglect to recycle, however, because they feel that it will be timeconsuming and difficult. In reality, recycling is so simple. Set aside a few small bins to separate out your plastics, cans and cardboard instead of throwing them away. When the bins are full, all you have to do is drop them off in the appropriate receptacles at the Southern Miss Physical Plant. You may have to put in a little extra effort in your daily routine, but you will feel so much better knowing you are doing something positive for the earth.

Reduce

Another simple way to start living eco-friendly is

Alexandria Moore | Printz

by reducing your use of single-use plastics and other disposable products. According to The Globalist, an average person living in North America uses 220 pounds of plastic each year. That figure may surprise you because most people do not think about the amount of plastic they throw away every day. You can cut back by avoiding plastic bottles and plastic silverware. Dishes might be inconvenient, but the long term benefits for the planet are well worth the effort.

Rethink

One of the most important things you can do to help the planet, however, is being mindful of the products you buy. Your role as a consumer determines the future of our planet. Many products contain unnecessary

plastics in their packaging, or the materials are not sourced in an eco-friendly way. This is not to say that you should completely change your shopping habits, but it is something to keep in mind the next time you find yourself at the store.

Some people argue that it is okay to use disposable plastics as long as they are recycled. This is unfortunately not the case. Saying that it is okay to use single-use plastic if you recycle it is an overly simplified way of looking at the issue.

Recycling is an industry like everything else, and in North America, there isn’t much of a domestic market for recycling. In short, putting your plastic in a recycling bin won’t make a difference if no one can make money off of it. There is sadly no guarantee that what you put

into a recycling bin will ever actually get recycled.

Ride

Riding a bike to work or school is another great way to cut down on carbon emissions and get in some good exercise at the same time. If biking isn’t your thing or not a possibility, consider carpooling or using public transportation.

Relax

In short, living eco-friendly is not a lifestyle. It is something that everyone has the means to do to some extent. No one is expecting you to make a big change, but it is time to take responsibility and help our planet while we still can.

ENTERTAINMENT September 11, 2019

“IT Chapter Two” provides mixed experience CONRAD ACOSTA PRINTZ REPORTER Graphic by Kathleen Hetherington | Printz

ndy Muschietti’s “IT Chapter Two” is a strange mixture of jumpscares, comedy, highly disturbing imagery and interesting character development. Taking place 27 years after the first movie, the story follows the now-adult members of the Loser’s Club as they are called back to Derry with a mission to kill the demon known as “IT” once and for all.

The tone at the beginning of this movie is tense, with each disturbing scene adding to the intensity of dread, but this trend is very quickly disrupted by the oversaturation of comedic relief. Bill Hader’s character is often the vessel for this comedic relief. It makes sense because his character is a professional comedian, but it often completely destroys the tension in any given scene.

A certain level of comedy is necessary for a lot of horror films to give the audience a break from the disturbing atmosphere, but at a certain point, the film’s status as a horror movie gets called into question.

The score is another aspect of

this film that does not help build the atmosphere of tension that it so clearly tries to achieve. For most of the scenes, the music has a generic horror movie ambiance, but there are a few scenes that randomly interject upbeat pop music into what would otherwise be a disturbing moment. This just serves to further devalue the horror aspects of the film.

When it comes to the actual horror elements themselves, the film mainly makes use of visual horror. The use of grotesque imagery is well-executed with an almost Lovecraftian flair; the use of jumpscares, however, is slightly overdone.

Jumpscares are an inevitability when a horror film has an antagonist like an ancient demon taking on the form of a killer clown, but that does not mean that they have to be used every single time that the villain has a scene. Every time anything remotely out of the ordinary comes into frame, the audience knows to expect a jumpscare within the next few seconds, accompanied by a very unnecessarily jarring music cue.

The plot is consistently interesting; there is not a single point in the film that can be accurately referred to as “the boring part.” One problem the writing has, however, is the rules of the antagonist are not well established.

In some places, the story becomes confusing because “IT” is acting

against the ways that had been previously established. For this reason, the ending that the movie has seems quite random and comes out of nowhere. By that point, the established rules of the film’s universe had been broken so many times that seemingly anything could happen and it would be canonically established as the ending.

By far the movie’s strongest aspect is its character development. The film starts out by giving the audience insight into a personal conflict that each of the characters is going through, and throughout the story, the perspective is able to shift between the six main characters without making them seem shallow. “IT Chapter Two” is one of those rare films where every character gets a complete and satisfying arc.

One slightly off-

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

You’ll Float Too. putting thing is that none of the characters act in realistic ways at any point in the story. This does not necessarily take away from the quality of the film because it commits to this unrealistic style. Every scene is almost like the film’s representation of a page from a comic book, with its highly exaggerated imagery and comic-like tone.

“IT Chapter Two” is a mixed bag. As a horror movie, the oversaturation of comedic relief and overreliance on jumpscares causes it to fall flat. As a characterdriven thriller, however, it delivers a compelling story with memorable characters. In the end, although it could have been better, it is certainly a memorable experience and a good conclusion to the film adaptations of Stephen King’s classic story.

Too much too late: Chappelle is our own creation KLARIA HOLMES PRINTZ REPORTER o truly comprehend Dave Chappelle’s new stand-up, ironically entitled “Sticks and Stones,” there’s a fundamental conversation that must take place. It seems that we’ve entered an age where free speech and art are treading the thin lines they’re drawn on, which is becoming a large problem.

In the 65 minute-long Netflix special “Sticks and Stones,” Dave Chappelle manages to cover a slew of topics ranging from abortion, suicide and the LGBTQ+ community, prompting some outrage – but mostly praise. Days after the special was released, the Rotten Tomatoes reviews were in and they weren’t completely matching up. The audience reviews for the show were at a whopping 99% while critic reviews of the show were almost two thirds lower.

I personally enjoy comedy as much as the next person, but not at the expense of others’ internal or external struggles.

In this age of warranted political correctness, the only reason why the Dave Chappelles of the world continue to find this behavior acceptable is that there is no defined line as to when art and free speech stop being simply art and free speech. Instead, they’ve

Graphic by Brian Winters | Printz

become buzzwords and excuses for those to air out what might be in their hearts: outright bigotry.

As an artist, you have the right to create whatever content makes you happy. But to profit from the struggles you have never faced, and even those you have, is disrespectful. And quite

frankly, it’s getting old.

What Dave Chappelle and many others are doing isn’t new. Political incorrectness has always been a thing, and for most comedians, it is their schtick. Because of this, it is an unoriginal and tacky way to continue your legacy.

Using your platform to air out personal thoughts and feelings towards marginalized groups does nothing but give oppressors more ammo. It starts as a simple joke aimed at one of these groups and backed by free speech.

It ends with those words or ideas justifying their opinions on that group.

Chappelle addresses the viewers’ choice to watch his special multiple times throughout it, and he’s right.

Every individual who’s expressed their disappointment and anger about the special used their own free will to make a conscious decision to watch it. Dave Chappelle didn’t wave guns in our faces or bribe us to watch. We chose to.

So, isn’t this our fault?

It is not our fault, and that’s the flaw in Chappelle’s logic. My free will to watch a show does not, and should not allow you to degrade others and use them as the butt of your joke. Chappelle’s newest show is controversial and has caused an uproar for good reason. The time to turn a blind eye toward people abusing their power as an entertainer is over, and it’s about time.

But, it’s not just Chappelle’s fault.

In a way, we as a society have let him and others get to this point of blatant disregard where he and mixed company think this is appropriate behavior. It is time we take “Sticks and Stones” as a lesson and own up to some of the monsters we have created in our silence.

OPINION SEPTEMBER 11, 2019

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

Tragedies desensitize the public LAUREL THRAILKILL PRINTZ REPORTER here is no denying that humanity has had its fair share of tragic events recently.

Some might say we have had more than our fair share. In fact, there is so much violence saturating today’s media that the public’s reaction is becoming disturbingly routine.

Every time it is the same routine. A terrible event takes place, people read about it on social media, they express their horror and sympathy and then they try to forget that it ever happened.

It is not that people don’t care. They do. They are simply tired. There were 340 mass shootings in the United States in 2018 alone. That is nearly one for every day of the year.

How does this cycle of trauma and violence affect us as a society and as people?

A team of researchers at the University of Bradford found that exposure to violent imagery on social media can cause symptoms that are similar to those of post-traumatic stress disorder. The constant stream of violent images from the media makes people feel helpless.

It makes them feel vulnerable. It makes them feel scared.

When people are scared, they try to find ways to cope. With so much negativity surrounding us, people are looking for a way to feel happy, or at least ok. Many simply become desensitized to the tragedies as an unconscious coping mechanism. Most people don’t even realize that they do this.

We have gotten to a point where all we can really hope for is the safety of ourselves and our loved ones. When a tragedy happens, we ask ourselves if

Charlie Luttrell | Printz

our families and friends are ok. If they are, that is good enough. Is this “good enough” attitude really healthy for us?

The answer is no.

According to a study by Traci A. Kennedy of the University of Pittsburgh, the repetitive cycle of violence is creating disturbing results: as people become numb to violence and tragedy, they become more likely to commit acts of violence themselves. Kennedy even found that people’s levels of empathy towards

victims of violence go down after repeated exposure to violent imagery.

Our brains are not meant to process tragedy on a huge scale, so they don’t.

The terrible pictures we see on our everpresent, pulsating screens begin to feel less and less real with each passing day.

When the pictures start to seem less real, the real-life events do as well.

Our society is sick. It is broken. It needs help. People do not care for their fellow humans as they should. The flashing

images on the news saturated with blood make us feel hopeless enough to stop caring completely.

The problem with people becoming desensitized to large-scale tragedies is that people are less interested in trying to solve the issues that caused the tragedies. The tragedies will keep repeating themselves unless we take action. Now is the time to wake up and take responsibility. All we can do is open our eyes and hope that we are not damaged beyond repair.

Pet ownership relieves college stress WILLIAM LOWERY PRINTZ REPORTER ollege can be a stressful experience, and one way that students can ease the tension of college, work and other real-life challenges is by owning a pet.

However, having a dog or cat staying in the dorm is not an easy process.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, over 40 million people over the age of 18 struggle with anxiety. Meanwhile, a survey done by the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors revealed 36.4 percent of students surveyed experience depression.

Different colleges have different rules regarding whether or not pets are allowed. At Southern Miss, owning an animal is only possible if it is registered as a service animal via the Americans with Disabilities Act. Alternatively, emotional support pets must be approved by the student’s doctor.

Service animals and emotional support animals perform the same function, but the difference is that a service animal has to be capable of performing at least one task for the owner. Plus, service animals can be trained to recognize when someone is under stress.

Over two dozen students have a support animal on campus. Pets, whether they stay at home or live in the dorms with the student, can be helpful for people who are trying to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Stress and college go hand in hand, but studies have shown that owning a pet increases the rates of oxytocin, which lowers blood pressure and anxiety levels. Additionally, a pet such as a dog will motivate students to get out and exercise.

Illustration by Lillie Busch | Printz

Although Southern Miss’ rules of owning a pet are strict, the rules should be changed so that it is easier for students to care for an animal in their dorm room.

College students are not kids anymore, and having an animal of their own would not only help them out mentally, but it would also test their skills as a responsible adult.

After all, pets need to be fed and made sure they are happy, just like humans.

The size of dorm rooms is a factor to consider as well.

Not everyone has the luxury of staying in an apartment, and dorms can be fairly small. Students need to consider how much room will be available if any.

For now, students need to have a registered service or emotional support animal if they want the chance to have a furry friend by their side.

Alternatively, the Student Government Association hosts a Mental Health Awareness Week during the fall and spring semesters. One of the things they do to provide stu-

dents some psychological help is they bring out animals for the students to pet and play with. Nothing says adorable quite like a puppy.

With mental health becoming a bigger challenge for students with each passing year, owning a pet at home or on-campus can go a long way to helping them stay strong, mentally and physically. If Southern Miss wants to truly help its students, they might want to consider changing the rules regarding pet ownership.

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 11, 2019

WWW.STUDENTPRINTZ.COM

Southern Miss falls to Mississippi State 38-15 MAKAYLA PUCKETT SPORTS EDITOR tarkville – Breaking the series tie, the Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated Southern Miss 38-15 for a series record of 15-14-1.

“I’m excited about this football team. I think we’re getting better and better each week,” coach Jay Hopson said. “We probably have the toughest non conference schedule in the country, and we know Conference USA is a tough schedule.”

The Bulldogs were responsible for the only scoring drive of the first quarter with a 28-yard pass from Tommy Stevens to Osirus Mitchell.

In the second quarter Stevens passed to Stephen Guidry for another unanswered touchdown. Nick Gibson rushed for 13 yards with 42 seconds left in the second quarter.

Running back Kylin Hill rushed for 125 yards despite being helped off the field in the second quarter. After halftime Hill returned to rush for 3-yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.

The Golden Eagles were unable to get on the board until the third quarter with a 28-yard pass from Jack Abraham to Jaylond Adams in the third quarter.

“I thought the passing game was well,” Abraham said. “The receivers ran some good routes, caught the ball well. ... We had some unfortunate interceptions there at the end just trying

to push the ball down the field.”

At the top of the fourth quarter, Mississippi State’s Jace Christmann kicked a 30-yard field goal for a score of 31-7. With 6:31 left in the game, Abraham threw a 65-yard pass to Jordan Mitchell for a touchdown followed by a pass to Trevor Terry for an additional two points.

“We started hitting a groove in the second half, but we’ve got to do a better job coming out in that first half and putting up some points,” Abraham said. “We were hurting ourselves. It’s something we did last week, and we did a little bit this week too.”

The Golden Eagle offense had a total of 344 yards with 234 of them passing yards. For the remaining 110 yards, Kevin Perkins was responsible for 51-rushing yards.

“As far as coming out running the ball we had a heck of a week at practice. Our O-line stepped up big,” Perkins said. “Everybody had a role to play as far as stepping up so that’s what happened today we brought it together.”

Looking ahead to Troy, the Golden Eagles are anticipating time spent in the film room in order to clean up mistakes.

“I think we’ll go back on film and see the little things we could’ve done better,” Hopson said. “But that’s part of this part of the process. I’m pleased, really, and with the fight, you know, but I’m not happy with the score.”

Michael Sandoz | Printz

Jack Abraham hands off the ball against Mississippi State.

Golden Eagles sees three losses in home tournament JAMES CALHOUN PRINTZ REPORTER he Southern Miss Volleyball team came into the Southern Miss Classic with a record of 0-3 after losing to the University of Seattle, University of Denver and University of San Francisco in the Denver Invitational.

Arkansas State took all three sets over Southern Miss in the match on Aug. 6.

Freshman Gillian Hidalgo led the Golden Eagles in the first game with 10 kills and a .280 hit percentage.

“It felt good to finally play at home.

I’ve been putting a lot of work in and it’s nice to see that I can get that kind of outcome,” Hidalgo said. “It’s always good for the setter to spread the ball out so the other side doesn’t know where it’s going to go, but when I got the ball it felt good. It’s always fun when you get fed the ball.”

In the first set against the University of New Orleans, the Golden Eagles jumped out to an early lead but was overcome by the Privateers offense with a 25-20 win.

UNO continued to dominate in the second set with a 25-18 win. Senior Ashley Berry had seven kills, however, that wasn’t enough to stop UNO from completing the sweep.

“I thought she went out there and did a great job attacking their line and she had a lot of success,” Coach Stephanie Radecki said.

Junior Piper Matsumoto dished out 23

Charles Luttrell | Printz

assists and 12 digs. The Privateers took the second and third set by a 25-18 and 25-19 score, respectively. Redshirt junior Chloe Klusman tallied five kills on a .357 hitting percentage.

For the Golden Eagle’s final match Mississippi State put on a dominant showing

Gillian Hidalgo serving the ball.

with a score of 25-17. In the second set, the Golden Eagles couldn’t overcome the Bulldogs. Berry stepped up throughout the weekend with 23 kills over the two matches against the Bulldogs and the Privateers and a .429 hitting percentage.

“We’re really young with a lot of new

players, 17 young players that haven’t played a whole lot of volleyball together,” Radecki said. “Our returners have never been viewed as big go-to players. They’ve stepped into these huge shoes that need to be filled. One of the biggest goals is to get better every day, and we got better today.”