Name: Sloan Miler
Hometown: Summerville, S.C.
Year: Sophomore
Major: Potentially Psychology (Pre-med)
Favorite Meal: BBQ Sandwich, Rice, and Hash
*Photo by Tori Mason.
HC (Her Campus): What’s something unique that people don’t really know about you?
SM (Sloan Miler): Something cool and unique is that I am a soon to be published author of a research paper, which is exciting. Leaving it like that sounds like I’m just bragging, but I really just did whatever I was told by my mentor (laughs). I applied for a grant through NASA and did research at the Medical University of South Carolina two summers ago. We submitted the paper to BONE and they’re planning on publishing it probably in April. I’m pretty proud of it, and I may be doing research again this summer.
HC: Very cool. What kind of research did you do?
SM: Molecular cellular work in biology – medical research, I guess. It was on the bone. Basically, whenever astronauts go into space, their bone density decreases. Whenever astronauts get back from long periods [in space], they have to be put immediately in a wheelchair, and they have to recover for an extended amount of time. [Astronauts] can only stay so long in space. If we could work on controlling bone density, [humans] could make a trip to Mars. The research I did also relates to osteoporosis and other bone diseases. I was working with a protein called fibulin 1, which is an extracellular matrix protein that my mentor discovered probably 20 years ago. That was neat too.
HC: Oh wow, that’s awesome! So what activities are you involved with on campus?
SM: I’m in the Pre-dental Student Association and the Allied Health Student Association. I was also involved in CHARGE. I like volunteering. I’ve been helping out at a learning center for inner-city kids in Winston Salem. I also love intramural sports. My favorite sports are basketball, golf, and tennis, but the intramurals I’ve played have been beach volleyball, dodgeball, and basketball.
HC: Fun! Besides sports, what else do you like to do for fun?
SM: I like to travel. I like spending time with my family and hanging out friends.
HC: Where’s the last place you travelled? Or your last favorite place?
SM: This hardly counts as travelling but over Christmas break I went to this place called Ligonier in Pennsylvania. It’s right outside of Pittsburgh. It was kind of an unexpected travel destination, but I have a friend who lives there, and I stayed with him and really enjoyed it. I thought it was a really pretty place.
HC: Awesome! Did you guys do anything fun?
SM: Yeah, we shot an oozy.
HC: What’s an oozy…?
SM: (Laughs) It’s a machine gun – his was semi-auto. You should google it.
HC: I’ll definitely have to do that. What’d you guys shoot?
SM: We just did target shooting. I really like guns and hunting and fishing. I’m going on a sweet hunting trip next weekend to this place called Groton, S.C.
HC: That’s really cool.
SM: I’m also a big fan of – no, I feel like a tool so I won’t say it (laughs).
HC: Oh come on! Now you have to say it.
SM: Well, I’m a fan of debutante balls. I’ve been going to them in my hometown for several years. So I guess one of my hobbies is dancing.
HC: That’s not a bad thing at all! What kind of dancing do you do?
SM: Shag dancing. It’s the state dance in North and South Carolina. It’s embarrassing but I do it.
HC: So are you excited for Shag on the Mag?
SM: Yes I am! I missed it last year; I was so bummed. But shagging is a big thing for me. I’ve been doing it for a long time. I used to teach shag lessons in high school.
HC: No way!
SM: Dead serious (laughing). I started a club. It was really fun.
HC: So what‘s your idea of a perfect date?
SM: Preferably one that results in another (laughs). But more seriously, I would like to go somewhere that just feels good. I’d like a low key place, but it still has to be delicious. It has to show her that I have style and taste, you know?
HC: Of course.
SM: So that, and then live music never hurts. Then maybe dessert and a drink after, and maybe dancing (laughs). I like it when girls are good at dancing.
*Photo by Tori Mason.
HC: So what’s your idea of the perfect girl?
SM: Hmmm. Perfect girl…how can you answer that?
HC: It was a bit of a loaded question (laughs). What do you look for in a girl?
SM: Okay – I like somebody I’m really compatible with, someone I have things in common with, someone I just feel very comfortable around. I don’t want to feel like there’s really any judgment, you know? Of course, you got to be able to bring her home to mom and dad. She should pass that test – it’s a tough one (laughs). I’m just kidding. But the perfect girl … I don’t know. A Wake Forest girl? (Laughs). Really. There are lots of beautiful girls here.