Monday, April 20, 2015 Volume 99 Issue 52

www.studentprintz.com

N E W S F E A T U R E O P I N I O N S P O R T SFallen Eagles Candidates Tinder Track and Field

Assessment of major players in 2016 presidential race.

Reporter gives dating app the ol’ college try.

Eagles achieve 2 first-place finishes in Baton Rouge.

PAGE THREE PAGE FIVE PAGE SIX PAGE SEVEN

University to honor memory of lost members of USM community.

The Golden Eagle Intertribal Society (GEIS) at The University of Southern Mississippi hosted the 13th Annual Powwow April 17-19 in the Petal Middle School gymnasium.

The free, family-oriented event hosted people and tribes from all over the country and included traditional Native American dances, dancing competitions, music and art, as well as food and vendors.

Multiple attendees commented that the point of the powwow was to invite all members of the community, both Native American and non-Native American, to fellowship and learn more about the Native American people and culture.

“What we are doing here is inviting people to meet and greet and become aware of the Choctaw presence and the Indian presence in our nation, especially here in Mississippi, and to get to know us,” said Tammy Greer, a Southern Miss professor and faculty adviser for the GEIS.

“We are here to share part of our culture with the public,” said Vance Beaver, an attendee, competitive dancer and member of the Muskogee Creek tribe of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. “The powwow is for us to see old friends (and) meet

new friends. It’s a happy time.” The powwow, which used to be on

the USM campus and was moved for space reasons, also featured a School Day April 16 when local elementary school children played

games and made crafts inspired by Native American culture in order to learn more about the American Indians. Greer said the GEIS also has another School Day in November and traveled to schools

throughout the year. On campus, the group holds ceremonies and events in the Medicine Wheel Garden located between the Liberal Arts Building and the International Building.

Greer encouraged the USM community to come to the various events and to learn more about the GEIS.

“There’s a lot that you may know (about Native Americans]) and there’s a lot that you may not know, and the only way to figure that out and to meet a people and to really have a relationship with a people is to come and meet people,” Greer said.

Beaver also mentioned his desire to see students be more involved in the powwow and GEIS in order to build new relationships.

“We recognize all tribes. You are a tribe, I am a tribe and we are intertribal,” Beaver said.

According to the press release, in addition to the GEIS, the event was hosted by the Center for American Indian Research and Studies, the Petal Chamber of Commerce and the city of Petal. Sponsors listed were the Mississippi Humanities Council, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Office of the Tribal Chief, Southern Miss President’s Office, College of Arts and Letters, College of Science and Technology, Visit Mississippi, the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, Pearl River Resort and various local businesses.

For more information about the GEIS contact, Tammy Greer or president Nicklaus Shumake.

Emma Reeves Printz Reporter

USM Powwow connects tribe, community

USM’s Golden Eagle Intertribal Sociey hosts the Southern Miss 2015 Powwow this weekend at the Petal Middle School’s gymanisum. Colorful outfits and songs of Native American tribes display through dance, and many interesting and historical pieces of the Native American culture and history are available for purchase at booths around the gymanisum for the duration of the event.

Michael Kavitz/Printz

Ever wanted to run for office? One Southern Miss student did, and he decided to do so even while still in school. Austin Howell, a senior economics major, will run as a Democrat for the Mississippi House of Representatives in District 107, which includes George and Stone Counties.

The Democratic primary election will be uncontested, which means that Howell is guaranteed to run against the Republican nominee in the general election Nov. 3. The Republican nominee will also run uncontested in the primary, which is

common for incumbents. In this case the incumbent is Doug McLeod, a business owner who has been the representative for District 107 since defeating Democrat Douglas Lee in 2011.

According to the official Mississippi House of Representatives website,

McLeod was born in December 1960, putting him at 54 years old this year, making him more than twice as old as his 22-year-old challenger.

Despite what Howell concedes is a serious challenge—defeating an incumbent is a long shot, especially for a Democratic challenger in a state as red as Mississippi—he said he had no choice.

“I have always intended to enter public service at some point in my life, but the current state of Mississippi has inspired me to throw my hat in the ring,” Howell said. “Mississippi is home to the most hard-working, creative, spiritual and giving people in the whole nation. This is why we deserve better from our state

government. Our schools remain underfunded, our infrastructure is subpar and our unemployment rate is 7.8 percent—the highest in the country. This is unacceptable.”

Howell runs on a platform which focuses on fiscal responsibility, economic development and education, as well as attempting to inspire millennials to get out there, enter the political arena, run for office and try to make a difference. He said his campaign will attempt to broaden the voter base, and that he will “reach out to people who are often forgotten about by the legislature when making major decisions.”

These people include students,

rural residents, educators and blue collar workers. Howell also has an idea of how he wants to reach out to these individuals.

“I plan to publish newspaper and radio ads, deliver political rally speeches and walk door-to-door to spread my platform,” the candidate said.

Students seemed to think it was interesting that one of their own – regardless of party – is running for a state office.

“It’s pretty neat to see someone who is still in college attempting to win higher office, and I think that SGA definitely helped put him in the position to do that,” sophomore SGA senator Rachael Reeves said.

ON CAMPUS

SGA senator pursues House seatJ.D. Rimann Printz Reporter

Courtesy Photo

INFORMATIONPage 2 | Monday, April 20, 2015

MEET THE STAFFOF SPRING 2015

EDITORS & STAFF

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.

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OpinionsExpressed 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.

Dirty Birds• OnThursday,April16,vandalismwas

reportedattheobservatorybythegolfcourse.TheincidentoccurredbetweenApril8andApril16.Thecaseremainsopen.

• OnThursday,April16,vandalismwasreportedatGPAvenueoftheOaks.Theincidentoccurredaround9:38p.m.Thecaseremainsopen.

Police Contact InformationWhen reporting, the followinginformation should be provided:• Natureofthecrimeoremergency• Name,addressandphonenumberof

thecaller• Locationofincident• Descriptionofthesceneandsuspects• Descriptionofanyvehiclesinvolved,

especiallylicense

platenumbers

University Police911 (emergency)601.266.4986 (non-emergency)Bond Hall, First Floor West

Monday marks the fifth anniversary of the massive oil spill that contaminated the northern Gulf of Mexico, which was the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history.

As most remember, the explosion on the British Petroleum platform occurred when oil riggers drilled about 50 miles southeast of Louisiana. During the blast, 11 people died and 17 others were injured, according to a USM press release. The oil leak lasted 87 days and more than 200

million gallons of crude oil pumped into the Gulf of Mexico. From Florida to Texas, about 16,000 miles of coastline were affected by the spill.

University of Southern Mississippi researchers began robust research after the spill and continued their efforts ever since.

“USM has been at the forefront of the oil spill research almost since day one,” said Read Hendon, director of the Center for Fisheries Research and Development at GCRL, in a USM press release. “Having the northern Gulf of Mexico quite literally in our own backyard positioned us strategically and practically to be a

lead institution in studying the spill.”Jessie Kastler, coordinator of

program development at GCRL’s Marine Education Center, said multiple types of research will continue including lab, field and modeling studies, organism life histories and molecular responses to oil, water movement across the Gulf, dispersant interactions with oil and water and development of safer materials to disperse oil in future spills, according to the press release.

Kastler also said researchers are developing new tools and techniques to study the impact of oil behavior on physical ocean processes and

impacts on organisms from plankton to large mammals.

“These studies will continue for years to learn specific pieces of information that will be joined to draw a complete picture of how the Gulf and its organisms responded to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill,” Kastler said in the press release.

Although research efforts are still in full swing, problems still linger in the coast’s waters.

According to the Sun Herald, oil still dots the seafloor, dolphin deaths have more than tripled and even some fish developed skin lesions and oil in internal organs. The

Associated Press released a survey to assess the health of the Gulf of Mexico post-spill, the Sun Herald reported. AP surveyed 26 marine scientists and asked them different aspects of the weak ecosystem, and on average, they graded an 11 percent drop in overall health of the Gulf of Mexico.

The survey also noted that before the spill, the Gulf waters were a 73 on a zero-to-100 scale in overall health, while now it has dropped to 65. Scientists reported the health of sea turtles, oysters, dolphins, marshes and the seafloor had the biggest drops on the scale.

NEWS Monday, April 20, 2015 | Page 3

ON CAMPUS

USM continues oil spill researchKathryn Miller Executive Editor

The Student Government Association (SGA) at The University of Southern Mississippi will host the annual Fallen Eagle Ceremony Wednesday. The ceremony, which began with a piece of legislation from the SGA Senate, was created in order to honor the members of the USM student body, faculty, staff and administration who died during the academic year.

“Here at Southern Miss we are a family,” SGA President Jeffrey George said. “So I believe it is important we take a moment to stop and honor those that our family has lost over the past year. The Fallen Eagle Ceremony is a

great way to do that, and I am honored to be a part of it.”

Furthermore, SGA Vice President Kyle Stoner said the ceremony is ultimately a way for students to simply connect with and honor the memory of fellow golden eagles.

“Essentially, this event will be a time of reflection for our students, faculty and staff on what it means to ‘Live Golden’ and ‘Be a Golden Eagle,’” Stoner said.

Likewise, a former SGA president will address these topics of what it means to ‘Live Golden’ and ‘Be a Golden Eagle,’ according to Stoner. Also, Stoner said that a local area religious member will give an address.

The ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center Room 216. For more information, call 601.266.4406 or email SGA@usm.edu.

ON CAMPUS

SGA to honor fallen eagles Wednesday

Colin Cameron Printz Reporter

The Increasing Minority Access to Graduate Education (IMAGE) organization at The University of Southern Mississippi will host a weeklong advocacy for minority students. The 2015 IMAGE week will be Monday through Saturday.

“This week will be necessary to this university since we have so many more minorities from exchange programs,” said Jessica Jenkins, an IMAGE member and junior biology major. “It’s a week for minorities to shine.”

This week, IMAGE celebrates its organization and its participants who have several activities promoting IMAGE planned, which are open to all students on campus.

The goal of IMAGE and its efforts are to broaden the participation of underrepresented minority students on campus, as well as to increase recruitment and retention, as well as promote graduation of minority students to encourage a diverse workforce.

With last year being the first in which IMAGE has hosted its week of festivities, IMAGE members hope to continue to increase the participation in their special week.

“The outcomes have been great within the organization, but we aim to appeal to and involve the entire campus in our events,” said Alexis Sanders, IMAGE president and a junior biological science major.

The week advocates campus and community involvement as well as student academic success.

“We offer students opportunities to relieve stress through fun social events and learn information that they need very much for their future through workshops,” Sanders said. “We hope that these events would improve the students’ college experience which would contribute to their success.”

A different event will occur each day throughout the week, including

bake sales, workshops, community service opportunities and socials and kickbacks. Students desiring to get involved this week can attend any of the posted activities.

Students are especially encouraged to attend the workshops financial literacy and identity theft and help the organization during its bake sales.

“Today, there are endless opportunities for minorities to attain a graduate education but the issue is that minority graduation rates are not as high as they should be,” Sanders said. “It is also that they do not know of these opportunities so it is IMAGE’s task to present them to minority students.”

IMAGE also strives to prepare and equip students for professional and graduate schools. IMAGE at USM is internally funded and operated through the Louis Stokes Mississippi Alliance for Minority Participation Program, in which minority students receive a variety of support in their academic endeavors to ensure their success.

Below is a list of IMAGE week (April 20 - April 25) activities:

April 20: Bake Sale Fundraiser, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., TCC Lobby

More You Know Workshop: Financial Literacy, 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., TCC 216

April 21: Baseball Game Fundraiser, 3:30 p.m., Pete Taylor Park

April 22: Bake Sale Fundraiser, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., TCC Lobby

April 23: Identity Theft Workshop, 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m., JGH 114

Laser Tag Social, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m., Laser Mania

April 24: IMAGE Kickback 6 p.m. RHA Center

April 25: Longleaf Trace Community Service, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Longleaf Trace

ON CAMPUSGroup advocates diversity in weeklong event

Nan Buti Printz Reporter

Essentially, this event will be a time of reflection for our students, faculty and staff on what it means to ‘Live Golden’ and ‘Be a Golden Eagle.’

-Kyle Stoner, SGA vice president

The 2015 Ultimate Men’s Health Guy Search Contest received national attention as Men’s Health Magazine searches for the cover model of its November 2015 issue.

The competition, which started March 15, required males over the age of 18 to answer specific questions in a 100-word essay before uploading one to three photos taken in the last 30 days.

One contestant sparking controversy is Aydian Dowling, a transgender activist and bodybuilder. With nearly 44,000 votes, Dowling is leading the competition as he aims to become first transgender Men’s Health cover model.

Dowling revealed to Today.com that while he was born a female, he has been on hormonal replacement therapy and recognized himself as a man since early 2009.

“My core is the same person, but my confidence has grown tremendously,” Dowling said as he explained how fitness gave him a peace of mind. “So once I identified as trans, I started working out. I wanted my outer body to match how I felt inside.”

The “reader’s favorite” runs a trans-inspired clothing company as well as “BeefHeads Fitness,” a YouTube channel catering to the transgender community of fitness enthusiasts.

The upcoming Supreme Court ruling of gay marriage and Dowling’s ambition have also caused discussion at Southern Miss as some students realize both decisions could open the eyes of

many closed-minded people. “I personally think that it would be

wonderful if Aydian Dowling could be on the cover of Men’s Health magazine,” said Taylor Vines, a senior history education major and executive chair of the USM Gay Straight Alliance.

Vines went on to express his belief in equal treatment and the need for our country to start a conversation on gender.

“Far too often, people see the conversation about (LGBTQ+) rights as being about the right of gay men and lesbians to marry, and I see Dowling’s desire as a way of showing that there is more to the struggle than just marriage,” Vines said.

Men’s Health magazines promotes healthy lifestyles among men, especially athletes who can relate to this controversy regardless of gender, gender identity or gender expression.

“I see why people could have a problem with the cover, but being an athlete I also see why he deserves it considering the hard work he’s put in,” said Norville Carey, a junior sociology major and forward of the Southern Miss men’s basketball team.

With an upper hand in the competition, Dowling can almost look forward to entering the next phase of the competition, which will include celebrity judges selecting nine semi-finalists to conduct telephone interviews and screenings.

The winner of the contest is based on physical fitness, healthy lifestyle, community service and reader’s choice. They will not only

appear on the cover, but also receive a year’s supply of Isopure

protein products.For more information on Dowling

or to cast a vote, visit, ultimateguy.menshealth.com/entry/347/.

NATIONALStudents weigh in on Men’s Health controversy

FEATUREPage 4 | Monday, April 20, 2015

Sydne’ Autry Printz Reporter

Courtesy Photo

The inaugural National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program (NRT) was brought to The University of Southern Mississippi due to a project by professor Derek Patton.

The graduate education training project puts Southern Miss in the company of other research universities, including University of California, Berkeley, Pennsylvania State University and Northwestern University, among others.

“This is simply an outstanding result, which speaks directly to the confidence the National Science Foundation (NSF) has in (Patton) not only as principal investigator, but a future leader in our field,” said Jeff Wiggins, director of the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials.

Patton, an associate professor in the School of Polymers and High Performance Materials, was the principal investigator on a collaborative proposal titled “NRT: Training Next-Generation Scientists with Experimental,

Theoretical and Computational Competencies for Complex Interfaces (INTERFACE).”

According to a Southern Miss press release, the award is just above $2.8 million, covering five years.

“Our vision is to immerse students in a new model of graduate training that combines theory with experiment, employs a common vocabulary and develops expertise in both computational and experimental techniques,” Patton said in a Southern Miss press release. “Our goal is to provide students with the skills needed in industrial, academic and national labs to drive American competitiveness and enable advanced materials innovation.”

The Southern Miss project was created to train materials researchers with interdisciplinary data-driven research and education coupled with professional development, which will equip them with the skills necessary for the time.

“In addition, by reviewing (Patton’s) selection of co-PIs it is clear to me that (Patton is) providing broad support to the

college and university which will lead to heightened educational opportunities for many students and programs,” Wiggins said.

The program was created to encourage development in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) graduate training and will feature a series of workshops with training in professional skills such as project management, problem solving, conflict resolution, high performance teamwork, business etiquette, research ethics and oral and written communication, according to the National Science Foundation website.

According to Patton, approximately 40 NRT trainees will come through the program at Southern Miss over the next five years. Over that time the trainees will take part in internships, which will expose them to career paths spanning academia, industry, national labs and government policy.

“This NRT program should provide an excellent opportunity to recruit high quality students into our graduate program,” Patton said in a Southern Miss press release.

ON CAMPUS Professor draws research program to USM

Nikki SmithNews Editor

Courtesy Photo of Derek Patton

FEATURE Monday, April 20, 2015 | Page 5

POLITICS

A look at candidates in pursuit of Oval OfficeTed CruzRepublican

Back in 2011 Ted Cruz was relatively anonymous. While a rock star in the legal world (he had won the “Best Brief Award” from the Association of American Attorney Generals for five years in a row while the Solicitor for Texas), he was little known outside of courtrooms in Texas and Washington, D.C.

Fast forward five years and he is now considered a

dark horse candidate for the presidency, a rapid rise for the 44-year-old senator from Texas. Known for his oratorical skills, Cruz is a conservative’s conservative, both fiscally and socially. From gun rights to deregulating Wall Street and abolishing the IRS, if you are a voter looking for the most conservative president since Reagan, Cruz is the way to go.

RepublicanMarco Rubio

Another young, Hispanic 44-year-old senator who was swept into office during the Tea Party-dominated elections in 2012, Rubio is often compared to Cruz for obvious reasons. Once seen as one of the most conservative members of the Senate, Rubio has recently come under fire both for not being conservative and for being too conservative. He likes to compromise, which tends to be an asset in the general campaign but a

disadvantage in the primary. Rubio should be able to raise a

large amount of money from his home state of Florida. His stance on issues tends to be more fluid than firm, and so far he has yet to announce his main campaign planks. He will certainly be in favor of some form of immigration reform, however, as that was his signature bill that he attempted to pass during his time in the Senate.

RepublicanRand Paul

Rand Paul is the least orthodox Republican in the field. The senator from Kentucky has held some rather interesting views in areas such as foreign policy and marijuana legalization. He will likely struggle for donations significantly more than either Rubio or Cruz, and certainly more than Clinton, and his campaign rollout has fallen somewhat short

of successful, as he has clashed with the media and been accused of being sexist in the last week and a half.

Still, his message of expanding the Republican Party to groups like college students and minorities who have traditionally voted Democratic may well resonate with general election voters, if he can make it that far.

DemocratHillary Clinton

The Clinton name has been gold in American politics for over 20 years now. While it might occasionally have been tarnished gold, it has won election after election. Hillary is the hands-down favorite to win the Democratic nomination, and it is not hard to see why. She has huge clout, the support of President Obama, millions

of dollars in her war chest, her husband and his popularity, and of course, that last name.

While a couple of sacrificial lambs might be offered up in the primary, Hillary should cruise to victory. Her views tend to be very centrist, and significantly less liberal than those of the Elizabeth Warren wing of the party.

Information gathered by J.D. Rimann

Honors classes are more worthwhile, more stimulating, and more motivating than regular classes. College is a journey meant for students to embark on to enrich their educational experience and not only that, but their life experience. By students enrolling in honors classes, their chances at a better future grow as a result of their sparked ambitions.

Class size, professors, course load and student engagement play a signifi cant role in the overall college experience, and the Honors College allows for the best in all categories by offering the right class size and quality professors.

The Honors College at The University of Southern Mississippi is the 6th oldest public honors college in the nation, as well as the oldest in the state, and offers several educational opportunities to high-achieving students. How could anyone disregard taking an advantage of such an opportunity? Although the sound of taking rigorous honors courses may be intimidating, the benefi ts far outweigh the fearful pre-notions.

“I think it’s much more intimidating to be lost in a crowd than it is to have your faculty members know you and care about you,” said Dean of the Honors College Ellen Weinauer. “Also, as an educator, I have always believed that it is my job to hold the bar high, and then to give students the tools and support they need to reach that bar.”

With honors classes being smaller than the average class, students are allowed to interact with one another and more importantly, their

professors. The small settings of the honors classes are benefi cial in many ways for students in taking any course.

“In these small classes, students don’t get lost,” Weinaur said. “They know one another and their professor well, and they are able to engage the material more directly and fully than they would in a larger class where information is delivered to them.”

Although not all institutions’ honors curriculums and advantages are the same, the overall benefi cial nature of being a part of the Honors College will allow long-lasting effects and advantages to students. Honors College offers fi rsthand experiences, ranging from traveling to religious sites to touring famous cities. These experiences drastically boost learning by putting words into action and would not be possible with larger classes.

“I would never have dropped the advantage of being in the Honors College,” said sophomore biology major and Honors College student Savannah Steadman.“Even before coming to college, my peers and I were preached to on how benefi cial the Honors College is by teachers and parents.”

There are many advantages to being a part of the Southern Miss Honors College. The Honors College at USM or any university is made out to be a very supportive community, with fun programming, events and a caring staff. Honors students are known to have higher GPAs, be more involved and be high achieving. If students often cite the Honors College as a “second family,” then they wouldn’t be expected to abandon this family. It is fair to say that the Honors College is, in fact, worth it.

The Honors College has always been associated with stress and high workload, but it is said that in the end it would pay off. Will it really though?

If you hear what many people have to say about Honors College, they will tell you it won’t matter. A discussion blog on collegeconfidential.com lists many people who have said it isn’t worth it. From many of these graduates, it didn’t matter to their employer that they got into the honors program.

So, if it won’t help you get the employer’s attention, what’s the point in having it on your resume? To me, it is unnecessary for you to stress yourself out writing a thesis, attend classes and possibly have a job all for nothing.

An article from careerrealism.com answers the question “How long do your college honors matter?” Author of the article and CEO of Great Resumes Fast Jessica Hernandez said in the article, “Do college honors matter? The answer is: it depends. For most recent graduates who lack significant work experience, school activities can give some meat to your resume.”

“However, if you’re applying for a position as an accountant, the hiring manager probably doesn’t care you were inducted into the honor society for history at your school,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said things like graduating with honors and GPA don’t really matter

in the real world and it paints you as someone who thinks in the collegiate world rather than the professional. Based on that information alone, it seems like the Honors College is not a tantalizing prospect.

One story of an Honors College experience could convince you entirely. An article on the dailycollegian.com talks about the experience one student had while attending the University of Massachusetts and being in their Honor’s program.

The student, Chris Shores, was at first happy at the prospect of being in the Honor’s College. He believed that being accepted would make his college experience worthwhile and could be used as a defense for any critics.

That’s when everything went sour. He had been led to believe in his first semester that there would be separate housing for honors students, but there were none. He thought then there would be honors-only floors in the dorms, but that wasn’t true either.

As far as classes go, Shores was entirely disappointed. “It was my understanding that opportunities like the Honors RAP (Residential Academic Program) would allow me to feel a part of a community of honors students. But when I took the class, I saw it as just a class with students on my floor,” he said.

To Shores, it was a huge disappointment to get into the Honor’s program and I’m sure it will disappoint newcomers as well.

Nan ButiPrintz Reporter

Andrew DuttonPrintz Reporter

OPINIONPage 6 | Monday, April 20, 2015

VIEWPOINT

LIFE

Students debate payoff of extra workHonors college worth it Employers ignore honors

This was the beginning of a short, unexpected journey through the realm of online dating.

My name is Lindsey Kelley and I’ve been single for almost four years.

I’d seen the strange name sprinkled throughout the random girly magazines my roommates read, usually speaking about how great it was or how addicting.

I’d never really considered online dating; for me, it felt somewhat sketchy and kind of desperate. I am completely and utterly happy being single. As mean as it sounds, I love being accountable for no one’s feelings but my own, as well as being able to work as late as I need to without having to worry about someone waiting at home. I hate texting. I’m not too great at being vulnerable. And a boyfriend feels like an obstacle to conquer rather than a partner.

So, when I was assigned the

story to roam Tinder and see what I thought, I thought I’d absolutely hate it.

For a little background, according to Tech Crunch online, Tinder began in spring 2012 by three University of Southern California grads. It exploded across the market and soon expanded onto Android formats. Now, it’s internationally known as the app that transformed a generation’s view on dating.

How it works; when you download the application, it connects it to your Facebook. It doesn’t post to Facebook, but does connect your friends and interests to your profi le. You set up a profi le using images pulled from Facebook and a short biography. Within the discover range, which can be anywhere from one to 100 miles away, people can swipe right and show their interest, or swipe left to reject a person’s profi le. When two people swipe right on each other, it makes a match. From there, the two can message or exchange numbers.

So, with a little disgust with myself, I picked my fi ve favorite photos of myself, added a short, quirky quip about myself, and then I began to swipe.

First off, swiping is addicting. In some ways, it felt like I was at a really big buffet, choosing what I did and didn’t want in a man. Cute and has a dog? Swipe right. Has nothing but guns and dead fi sh in his pictures? Swipe left. Is it Bruce Wayne? Oh, you know I swiped right. (True story. I matched with Batman.)

Swiping was fun, especially when my roommates got involved. We’d cluster around my phone, giggling and chatting about each of the profi les in turn. For once, internet dating felt normal and, dare I say it, cool.

While I’m on the topic, there are some awesome profi les and some that are just plain boring. I scrolled through literally hundreds of pictures of guys with dead fi sh proudly displayed in their hands, or some assortment of bleeding dead animal. Was I supposed to be impressed by the size of

their fi sh? Were they trying to make some sort of unconscious comparison to something else?

Lucy Ridge, a former Tinder user and senior interdisciplinary studies major, said this about what she hated about a profi le: “My least favorite thing was when guys would only post pictures with more than one person. How am I supposed to tell if you’re the hot one or the ugly (one) when the same four people are inyour pictures?”

Lauren Thompson, a senior hotel, restaurant and tourism management major, said she looked for profi les with people who had similar interests. “I looked for a funny description and pictures of guys doing outdoorsy things or playing with animals,” she said.

After the initial swiping spree, I sat back and waited for messages. I matched with four different people in a week. After a few days of waiting, I took the initiative and tried to start a conversation. No dice.

I wouldn’t say I was crushed, but I was disappointed. Even though I’m not huge on dating, I guess I was

hoping that Tinder would change my mind and maybe help me fi nd a method of dating that I could fi t into my busy schedule.

While Tinder might not have worked for me, for some others it has been a pretty successful tool in their dating lives. Ridge said she had several successful dates on Tinder and even found the right one.

“I am currently dating a wonderful guy I met on Tinder,” she said. “We’ve been dating almost three months and honestly, I’m still surprised I found him. We’ve talked about it and realized that without Tinder we probably never would have met, and I’m defi nitely glad I was on Tinder.”

Tinder doesn’t seem to be slowing down, with more singles registering every day all around the world. Currently Forbes said there are over 1.2 billion Tinder profi les, and that over 15 million matches are made per day.

Maybe one day, I’ll be lucky enough to fi nd the right guy. However, I have a feeling that I won’t meet him through Tinder.

Lindsey KelleyPrintz Reporter

A single woman’s Tinder experience

Southern Miss drew a tough weekend series facing off against the No. 16 Florida Atlantic Owls at Pete Taylor Park. Southern Miss entered the weekend series on a two-game win streak and a record of 20-12-1 overall and 8-6 in Conference USA play, good for fourth in the conference.

The biggest opponent for both teams was the weather. The weekend was expected to see heavy rain fall, so they were forced to play a doubleheader on Friday and play the fi nal game of the series on Saturday.

Southern Miss jumped to an early fi rst inning lead in game one. Michael Sterling led off the bottom of the fi rst inning for the Golden Eagles with a double to center fi eld on the fi rst pitch he saw. Connor Barron drew a walk, and after a Dylan Burdeaux fl yout, Taylor Braley singled to left fi eld to bring in Sterling and gave Southern Miss a 1-0 lead.

Two batters later, Matt Durst reached fi rst base on a wild pitch; Braley and Barron were both able to advance bases on the pitch. Chase Scott added to the Golden Eagle lead with a single that brought Braley and Barron home, expanding the lead to 3-0.

The Eagles looked like they had complete control of the game until the third inning when the Owls started to chip away at the Southern Miss lead.

Christian Dicks led off the third inning with a single to right fi eld. C.J. Chatham followed with a single to left fi eld to put runners on fi rst and second. The next two Owl batters struck out looking.

With two outs, runners on fi rst and second, Brett Lashley brought Dicks home on a single. With two runners on base, the Golden Eagles got out of the inning when Brendon Sanger grounded out to second base.

The Owls edged a little closer in the fourth inning when Roman Collins hit a solo home run to right fi eld. With the score notched at 3-2, Southern Miss added to the lead in the fourth.

Roussel led off for USM and

doubled to center fi eld and advance to third on a sacrifi ce bunt. Roussel scored on a Barron single to center fi eld, pushing the score to 4-2.

Florida Atlantic exploded in the sixth inning for four runs, taking control of the game. Brendon Sanger put the Owls in good position when he reached fi rst on a walk. Sanger reached second when Ricky Santiago singled up the middle. FAU’s Collins struck out looking before Esteban Puerta reached fi rst on a hit by pitch.

With one out and the bases loaded, Southern Miss brought in Luke Lowery on the mound to relieve Cody Carroll. Santiago and Sanger scored when Dicks doubled to center fi eld, evening the score at 4-4. Chatham followed with a two-run single to score Dicks and Puerta.

Christian Talley came in for Lowery and was able to get out of the inning when Stephen Kerr lined out to center fi eld for the third out.

FAU put the game out of reach in the seventh inning. Lashley led off for the Owls and singled to get on base. A catcher’s interference call put Sanger on fi rst and advanced Lashley to second. After Santiago struck out, a fi elder’s choice put runners at the corners for FAU.

Puerta put the Golden Eagles away when he tripled, bringing in both runners and pushing the lead to 8-4. USM failed to muster any more offense and lost game one 8-4.

Carroll pitched 5.1 innings, giving up six hits, fi ve runs and striking out fi ve batters. Talley pitched 3.1 innings, giving up two hits and two runs while striking out two batters.

Head Coach Scott Berry knew his team could not play the second game with the same attitude they played with in the fi rst game.

“We had to come out and make an adjustment with our attitude to give us a chance to win the series and that’s what we did,” he said.

The Golden Eagles looked like a new team in game two, holding FAU to its lowest scoring output of the year and its fewest hits since March 4.

Kirk McCarty got the call on the mound in game two for Southern Miss and limited the visitors to

just one unearned run over seven innings, giving up fi ve hits and three walks while striking out three to earn the victory and improve to 3-0 on the year.

Durst got the scoring started with an RBI single, plating Daniel Keating, in the fi rst inning. Scott led off the second inning and was hit by a pitch to reach fi rst. Chuckie Robinson was walked to put runners on fi rst and second. Nick Dawson used a sacrifi ce bunt to advance both runners before Sterling grounded out to score Scott and gave USM an early 2-0 lead.

The Owls would fi nally get on the board in the fi fth inning, taking advantage of two Southern Miss errors. The Golden Eagles then exploded for four runs in the fi fth inning to put the game out of reach. With one out, Durst and Lynch hit back-to-back singles. Burdeaux reached fi rst on a fi elder’s choice and second on a throwing error.

Durst scored on the error.Scott then hit an RBI single to

bring Lynch home. USM executed a beautiful double steal as Scott stole second and Burdeaux stole home. Dawson doubled to left fi eld to bring Scott home and gave USM a 6-1 lead. The Owls failed to produce at the plate as USM got the 6-1 win.

The fi nal game of the series was suspended in the third inning, due to rain. The Golden Eagles were down 4-2 with two runners on base when the game stopped Saturday and resumed Sunday morning.

The FAU Owls scored their four runs on fi ve hits in the second inning. Southern Miss answered back just before the game was called with a solo home run by Scott, his fi rst of the year, and an RBI single from Braley.

FAU added to its lead in the sixth when Puerta hit a leadoff home run over the left fi eld wall. USM answered back when Lynch

homered over the right fi eld wall to lead off the bottom frame, making it a 5-3 ball game.

In the seventh inning, FAU added another run when Santiago homered over center fi eld.

FAU put the game away in the top of the ninth, scoring four more runs, increasing its lead to 10-3.

The Golden Eagles had their work cut out for them to come back. Southern Miss chipped away at the lead when Roussel led off with a solo home run. After Ryan Ellis grounded out, Sterling singled and Barron followed up with a double to put runners on second and third. Sterling reached home on a sacrifi ce fl y to cut the FAU lead in half, 10-5. But USM failed to pull any closer and lost their fi rst series in nearly a month.

Southern Miss (21-14-1, 9-8 C-USA) returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Louisiana-Monroe. The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

The Southern Miss outdoor track and field team won two events and captured a total of 18 top-eight finishes at the LSU Alumni Gold Meet.

Both the men’s and women’s team competed in the meet in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Mariam Kromah, a junior sprinter, finished first in the women’s 400-meter, setting a school record with a time of

53.68 seconds.LaSpencia Brown, a junior

sprinter, recorded two top-eight performances in the meet, finishing third in the women’s 100-meter and sixth in the women’s 200-meter.

Jazmyne Gilliam, a sophomore sprinter, recorded a time of 26.11 seconds, finishing seventh in the event. Adriana Allen, another sophomore, finished sixth in the 400.

In the 1,500 meter run, sophomore distance runner

Kristin Zarrella ran her personal best, finishing the event in 4 minutes, 36.4 seconds. Then, sophomore Dana Dillistone ran the event in 4 minutes, 44.47, finishing seventh followed by freshman Alondra Hoyos finishing eighth in 4 minutes, 51.

Redshirt senior thrower Rachel Polk and junior thrower Kayla Taylor dominated the field events. Polk recorded her season-best in the discus, throwing 169-feet, 9-inches while Taylor threw

164 feet 9-inches as a personal-best performance.

From the men’s team, junior sprinter Robert Wells topped the list for the men’s 200-meter, completing the event in 21.36 seconds, followed by junior Derrick Johnson finishing third in 21.47 and Elbert Rogers finishing eighth in 21.78.

Johnson also finished with a personal-best performance and second place in the men’s 100-meter in 10.45 seconds.

In the 400-meter-hurdles,

sophomore Kahlil Frazier finished fourth in the event with a time of 53.94 seconds.

Senior Courtland Wells and junior Jamar Sims competed in the jump events. Wells recorded a second-place finish in the high jump, recording a jump of 6 feet, one-fourth inches followed by Sims posting a jump of 22 feet, 9 inches in the long jump, finishing fifth in the event.

The two teams will return to action on Friday and Saturday at the Southern Miss Invitational.

USM drops rain-soaked series to FAU

Southern Miss gains attention at LSU Alumni Gold Meet

SPORTS Monday, April 20, 2015 | Page 7

BASEBALL

TRACK & FIELD

James JohnsonSports Reporter

Wilton JacksonSports Reporter

Junior Chase Scott sprints as he hits a home run Saturday afternoon before the rain delay against Florida Atlantic at Pete Taylor Park. The Golden Eagles lost 10-5 when the game resumed on Sunday.

Susan Broadbridge/Printz

Southern Miss ended its spring camp with the annual Black and Gold game at M.M. Roberts Stadium Saturday morning. The white team won the game 22-14 to close out the spring.

“It’s a culmination of your work in the offseason and then the practices leading up to it,” said Southern Miss head coach Todd Monken. “The reason you work so hard and practice so hard is that so you can reap the benefi ts.”

The quarterback competition went into public action today as Nick Mullens and Tyler Matthews went head-to-head for the black and white teams, respectively.

Mullens is in the midst of a quarterback controversy despite being the starting quarterback since midway through his freshman season. Last year, Mullens threw for 2,470 yards and 12 touchdowns for a quarterback effi ciency rating of 122.5. With those numbers and his experience within the system, an argument could be made that Mullens should remain the starter, but Monken has been indecisive on the subject for the upcoming season.

“From what I can recall, we just weren’t that consistent offensively and that’s what happens when you divide up teams,” Monken said. “Nick (Mullens) does certain things well and Tyler (Matthews) does certain things well.”

Mullens started the game for the Black team and completed 17-29 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, one of which was costly in the end.

Mullens had a chance to tie the game with a touchdown and a two-point conversion in the last two minutes of the game, starting at his own 40-yard line. Looking to push the ball downfi eld with the clock ticking down, he was rattled by defensive line pressure, throwing an interception to Deshadrick Truly. After the play, the game was called.

Matthews has shown his arm strength and elite skillset throughout the spring. Matthews was a four-star recruit and the No. 6 pro-style recruit out of McPherson High School in Kansas before committing to TCU. Matthews saw limited action as a redshirt freshman for TCU and came to Southern Miss with the intention of starting.

Matthews got the win on the day, throwing touchdowns to presumed starters Michael Thomas and D.J. Thompson.

“Having playmakers like (Michael) Thomas and D.J. (Thompson) and all the guys we have out there is awesome,” Matthews said. “It just comes down to having faith in them

and letting them make a play on the ball.”

Matthews fi nished 18-of-35 for 326 yards and two touchdowns. Matthews showed good accuracy and poise on the day, but did also throw for one interception to Jerry McCorvey.

“What I think translates is our guys’ effort, energy and body language and how hard they want to work to get this program back on top,” Monken said. “You hope the things you see every day (in practice) is going to translate.”

Sophomore Picasso Nelson, Jr., played on the losing black squad and has made the transition to safety after spending his freshman season as a starting cornerback. The Golden Eagles lost both of their starting safeties from last year’s squad to graduation.

“It’s different playing safety, but I like it,” he said. “We learn (from) our mistakes and we’ll defi nitely get better.”

Depth is the key for the upcoming season as injuries have hampered a thin Golden Eagle roster the past few seasons, especially on the offensive line. Matthews believes the depth on the offensive line this season will help out the deep passing game.

“You just gotta have time for those deep balls,” Matthews said. “We connected on some of those because of the time I had.”

Michael Thomas came in the game as the team’s No. 1 receiver, catching a touchdown on a fade route in the back of the end zone from Matthews.

“I’m always looking for the deep ball—I know I can do that,” Thomas said. “I’m trying to perfect all my routes basically, but the deep ball, I got that down pat.”

It was a defensive battle as both quarterbacks could not get much going, due to heavy pressure. The defensive line was the bright spot of the day as they were able to keep pressure on both quarterbacks. With past defensive line stars leaving, the depth will fi nally show on the fi eld.

The defensive line has produced the likes of Khyri Thornton (who plays for the Green Bay Packers), Rakeem Nunez-Roches, (who should be a mid-round draft pick) and Jamie Collins in recent years. Dylan Bradley is slated to fi ll the shoes as a force upfront as a junior; he fi nished last year with 52 tackles and three sacks. Michael Smith and Xavier Thigpen each had two sacks Saturday and will help fi ll in the depth on the defensive line.

Running back has been a concern all spring with a limited amount of runners available. Ito Smith, the team’s primary starter last season, did not receive any carries in the spring

game as a precaution.Daythan Davis and Tez Parks

were the two primary backs in the spring game. Davis had just 26 yards on nine carries, while Parks gained 70 yards on 18 carries. Jalen Richard has missed the majority of the

spring with academic issues and George Payne missed most of the spring with injury issues.

Although the depth chart has been mostly set, the team is awaiting the arrivals of the rest of their 2015 signing class. Sixteen players from the class have yet

to make their way to campus, but should improve depth.

The Golden Eagles will resume practice in the fall and hope to improve on a 3-9 season from a year ago. The fi rst game of the season is Sept. 5 against Mississippi State at home.

SPORTSFOOTBALL

Matthews outduels Mullens as white team wins 22-14

Page 8 | Monday, April 20, 2015

Senior Chase Scott makes a catch against defensive player Walden Davis in the spring football game Saturday morning in M.M. Roberts Stadium.Susan Broadbridge/Printz

Julius KizzeeSports Reporter

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