New Howdy Online to Incorporate Dating Feature
Aggies will soon have a new way to meet.
In January, Texas A&M Information Technology announced the development of an updated version of “Howdy,” Texas A&M’s official online portal used for accessing grades, eCampus, transcripts, and more. Texas A&M IT is offering students an opportunity to test out the beta version of the “New Howdy” on the landing page before upgrading all student accounts this summer.
One of the most discussed features of “New Howdy” is the new “BurningDesire” application, a dating feature designed specifically for Aggies. In an exclusive interview, Myron Walden, Associate Director of IT Infrastructure Operations, told The Mugdown, “When developing ways to upgrade the Howdy Online experience, we took a thorough look at what college students are seeking in their online interaction. One thing that kept being mentioned was online dating apps such as Tinder and Grindr and we finally said, ‘Let’s look into this.’ ”
TAMU IT conducted dozens of focus groups and trials and is feeling confident that Aggies will find the feature a great addition to Howdy. Walden says that the interface will come naturally to anyone who has ever used Tinder; users will be able to give an X or a thumbs-up to other users. If two users give each other a “Gig ‘em,” they will be matched and will be able to talk through a built-in chat feature.
Some of the features that Walden says sets it apart from other dating websites and apps include:
- Exclusive membership to current Texas A&M students. No more Blinns or Bots!
- Option to easily send your class schedule in the chat box.
- Easily include your involvement in registered student organizations in your bio.
- Ability to set a wide range of filters, such as class year, Corps membership, and more.
- Unlock achievement badges for your profile, such as Distinguished Student and Senior Boots.
- Proven dependability of the Howdy servers.
Thanks to Texas A&M IT, this could be the year you won’t spend Valentine’s Day alone. Try out the new feature for yourself at http://newhowdy.tamu.edu
-North by Northgate
If you’ve ever wondered who you have to thank for “north” at Texas A&M being pointed towards the local bar district instead of the north pole, look no further. A political activist and local alcoholic, his claim to fame and life achievement was convincing the city of College Station to legally define “north” as “of or denoting the direction from any specified area, city, or country towards the Northgate Entertainment District.”