Monday, April 20, 2015
Volume 99 Issue 52
www.studentprintz.com PAGE THREE
PAGE FIVE
NEWS
Fallen Eagles
University to honor memory of lost members of USM community.
PAGE SEVEN
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F E AT U R E
OPINION
Assessment of major players in 2016 presidential race.
Reporter gives dating app the ol’ college try.
Candidates
S P O RT S
Tinder
Track and Field
Eagles achieve 2 first-place finishes in Baton Rouge.
USM Powwow connects tribe, community Emma Reeves Printz Reporter
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 nonNative 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
ON CAMPUS
Michael Kavitz/Printz
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.
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.
SGA senator pursues House seat J.D. Rimann Printz Reporter
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
Courtesy Photo
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-todoor 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.