October 17, 2013
W W W. V S U S P E C TAT O R . C O M
Inside This Issue
Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour comes to Valdosta, pg. 4
- OPiniOnS: “Campus markets aren’t cheap” - FEATURES: “Bryan welcomes 15,000 to farm” - SPORTS: “Murray holds the torch”
Today at VSU PoPcorn - Sigma iota Chapter of alpha Phi Omega is selling popcorn for $1 at the Student Union display table a, from noon to 3 p.m. Search for the manateeS - Come to the mandatory pre-trip meeting, at 6 p.m. at the Student rec Center pool, to learn about the kayaking trip in Wakulla river, fla. those who go on the trip will join the search for manatees. Lunch will be provided. the trip is set for Oct. 19 at $30.
Women’S Self-defenSe claSS - in reocgnition of Domestic Violence awareness Month, Health Promotions is offereing raD, the selfdefense class for women, for free to students, faculty and staff. the class meets in the Student Union Ballroom a at 5 p.m. the class will be offered until Oct. 22.
Weather Today Sunny
88 H 65 L
Friday
PM Showers 85 H 63 L
Saturday
Partly Cloudy 82 H 62 L
Today in History
Will Lewis ManaGinG eDitOr walewis@valdosta.edu
the VSU student that was stabbed last thursday night is recovering and was released from Shands Hospital on Monday. antoine Bray, sophomore vocal performance major, was questioned by officials from the Georgia Bureau of investigation and VSUPD on tuesday about the assault. “i know that (the GBi) have interviewed him,” Major anne farmer, VSUPD, said. “i know that Will Leschber went with (agent Callahan) yesterday to his home, where he’s from, to interview him.” Bray said that his recovery is going well since the incident. “i’m doing pretty good,” Bray said. “the recovery is going well. (it’s) just a grueling process. i’m not gonna
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know when i’m coming back (to school) until the doctor tells me.” Bray also said that he was not allowed to comment on the investigation. at 9:28 p.m. last thursday night Sgt. Heidi Bertsch, VSUPD, was dispatched to the area between reade Hall and Georgia Hall to respond to a stabbing. Witnesses reported seeing Bray running towards the two residence halls after the incident. Officer Caleb reid was the first to respond to the scene and immediately began to administer first aide. Sgt. Leschber credited reid’s actions with helping to save Bray’s life. VSU utilized its campus alert system to notify students of the assault. “there has been a stabbing in VSU pedestrian mall area,” the alert read. “VSU Police
Von Kennedy / The SPecTaTor
Thursday night VSUPD received the call of a stabbing on campus. Officers taped off main campus from West Hall to Palms Quad, investigating the report and patrolling as students walked across campus throughout the night.
on the scene. anyone with information should call 229259-5555 with information.” Special agt. Steve turner,
GBi, said Bray was stabbed near nevins Hall, before being found by Georgia Hall. Bray was transported from
campus to South Georgia Medical Center and later transferred to Shands HospiS e e B R AY , P a g e 2
GOVERNMENT REOPENS SGA explores After 16 days House announces deal to end shutdown.
Sept. 30: Sept. 24-25: Senate rejects Ted cruz, house provisions r-Texas, curbing healthcare threatens to use law. house reworks shutdown bill shutdown bill, to weaken delaying healthcare healthcare law law. for a year.
Oct. 4: republicans connect shutdown fight to need for congress to renew federal borrowing authority by oct. 17.
Oct. 11: Bipartisan Senate group works to reopen gov’t and prevent the U.S. from defaulting.
Oct. 2: Oct. 1: Democratic Partial federal shutdown begins, Senate ignores measures to around 800,000 open select parts workers of the national furloughed. gov’t, citing that the entire gov’t must reopen.
Oct. 12: John Boehner, r-ohio, tells republicans negotiations have stalled.
Oct. 15: house GoP efforts fail after Boehner does not gain republican support for alternative plans.
Oct. 16: harry reid, D-Nevada, and Mitch Mcconnell, r-Kentucky, announced deal on reopening the gov’t through Jan. 15, extending debt limit to Feb. 7.
Source: aP Infographic by: Jennifer Gleason & Will Lewis
Suspect arrested, others sought in ATM robbery Allison Ericson S ta f f W r i t e r abericson@valdosta.edu
Find Us Online
w w w. v s u s p e c ta t o r. c o m
Police continue to investigate last Thursday night’s assault between Nevins and West Hall.
October 17, 1931
Source: History.com
On the Web
Stabbing victim in recovery
Capone goes to prison Gangster al “Scarface” Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion and fined $80,000. Capone’s arrest ended the reign of one of the most notorious criminals of the 1920s and 1930s. He was transferred to alcatraz island after being accused of receiving special treatment and manipulating the system in prison. Capone was released early in 1939 for good behavior. Capone gained momentum as a gangster by helping run Johnny torrio’s alcohol, gambling and prostitution businesses. after torrio’s retirment in 1925, Capone took charge.
VOLUME 85 iSSUE 9
a Valdosta man was arrested Wednesday in connection with an Oct. 3 incident in which a VSU student was kidnapped and robbed at gunpoint on campus. Police remain in pursuit of other suspects involved in the incident. Michael Humphrey of Valdosta was arrested and charged in kidnapping and
armed robbery and is being held at Lowndes County Jail. all of the charges are felonies. Humphrey is not affiliated to VSU in any way police said. according to VSUPD a student whose name is being withheld by police was abducted at gunpoint at the athletic field house on West Mary St. around 11p.m. according to the Valdosta Daily times, the victim reported being held at gunpoint by two black males.
an attempted kidnapping by suspects meeting the same description was reported that same evening. the victim was then taken to his apartment and robbed. after the victim’s apartment was robbed one of the suspects forced the victim to accompany him to the Bank of america atM at the University Center. after the victim was forced to withdraw $1,000 from his S e e R O B B E RY , P a g e 2
safety concerns Joe Adgie SOCiaL MeDia eDitOr jmadgie@valdosta.edu
is VSU safe? the SGa asked that question during Monday night’s meeting while discussing ways that campus safety could be improved. this was in response to the stabbing incident that took place late thursday night. the stabbing was not the first violent incident to occur at VSU this month. exactly one week before, on Oct. 3, an armed robbery was reported on campus where an individual was forced to withdraw money from his bank account at gunpoint. these incidents and more have the SGa – and students as a whole – wondering about the safety of their campus. “Students have been saying that they don’t feel safe on campus,” Senator edgar James said. He got this information from students at the Happening back in august. “i talked to two or three parents who picked their children up, and even though (the students are) adults, they still feel that they are their babies, and they’re considering taking their child from VSU.” James remarked that the statistics paint a different picture from what has happened over the last two weeks. “i’ve looked at the statistics, and crime at VSU is a lot lower than any other university in the state of Georgia,” James said. Despite these remarks from James, a look at the Daily Beast’s College Safety rankings tell otherwise.
“ I’ve looked at the
statistics, and crime at VSU is a lot lower than any other university in the state of Georgia. ” - Senator edgar JameS
the most recent rankings, published in 2010, placed VSU as the 324th most dangerous college campus in the nation – and the ninth most dangerous in Georgia. “One of the concerns that parents had is that they need more ... patrolling,” James said, which set off some debate about the cost of patrolling and the effectiveness of existing patrolling. “Students were mostly concerned with once we try to get more officers, will it cost more money for students, will it be a financial concern, because you’re hiring more people with the university,” Senator Candicee Childs said. “there were also concerns because this is happening at, what, nine or 10 o’clock. that’s pretty early in the evening, so a lot of people were wondering where were the officers, or where they were on campus at time. Where was the security at?” One senator discussed how more officers could help with escorts. tori Baldwin was in the Odum Library during the lockdown. She discussed her options to get back to her residence at Langdale Hall, which involved going through the pedestrian mall, or “the other way, which is a little shadier, less lighting.” “i asked if there was any See SGA, Page 2
News
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OCTOBER 17, 2013
BRAY
SGA
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tal in Gainesville, Fla. VSUPD partnered with VPD and the GBI to establish a perimeter around the scene and gather clues. The Valdosta Crime Lab worked with police through the night. Buildings around campus were closed down as police combed the area for a suspect. Residence halls remained on shutdown until 11:58 p.m. The on-scene investigation was concluded and the scene was cleaned at approximately 2:30 a.m. Agent Michael Callahan, GBI, was selected to head up the investigation with the assistance of VSUPD. Bray maintained a steady stream of updates on his Facebook page before being released from the hospital Monday. Turner declined to comment on any progress made in the investigation and on if a suspect had been named. The violent assault has caused students to question how safe they are on campus. “It was a scary thing to know that we are an open campus and to know that people do come on campus and attack people was a scary thing,� Kirstie Douglas, senior accounting major, said. “I do feel like our security needs to be better, like, the motion sensor lights need to actu-
ally work properly,� Christopher Duncun, sophomore accounting major, said. “They turn off when people walk by them.� According to Thressea Boyd, director of VSU Communications, there have been no major changes regarding security on campus. “Valdosta State’s highest priority is the continued safety of the campus community and safety processes and procedures are under continual evaluation,� Boyd said. “Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to be aware of their surroundings and report suspicious activity to the VSU Police.� Farmer emphasized the importance of vigilance on the part of the student. The buddy system, she said, is essential to remaining safe on campus. She also addressed the availability of university police for escorts in and around campus. In order for students to get an escort they should call from one of the many campus call boxes, or phone the non-emergency police number. VSUPD also offer student safety tips to anyone who comes to the office with concerns about their well-being at school. Any students with information regarding the stabbing should contact VSUPD at 229259-5555.
ROBBERY
Upcoming Events Oct. 18 As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Dept. of Modern Language and Classical Languages will host lessons on how to make Mexican Salsa. The lessons will take place in the Turner Arts Center for 5 to 7 p.m. There will be a team meeting for the 48-Hour Film Festival at 6 p.m. in room 1001 of the Mass Media Building.
A political symposium will be held in the University Center, Magnolia Room at 7 p.m. The symposium will honor the 50 Years of Integration. Oct. 23 VOD Indie presents “No Soliciting!� at 6 p.m. in the University Center Theater. .
Continued from Page 1 account he was then released. The suspect then fled the scene. According to Major Anne Farmer of VSUPD the investigation is on going. Farmer would not comment further on the case. The VSUPD requests anyone with additional information to the crime to please contact the police department at 229-333-7816.
police escort because I was by myself, and they said that all police were tied up with figuring out the scene that they couldn’t escort anyone anywhere,� Baldwin said, “even to the parking lots.� These ideas and more will be discussed by SGA executives and President William McKinney’s cabinet in a meeting on Thursday. In other SGA news: The budget, before the meeting, stood at $19,468.78. Three monetary things were voted on during the meeting, and all three were confirmed by the SGA Senate: -$75 to the finance committee for a bake sale. This bake sale is intended to raise money for Relay for Life. -$250 to the Miss VSU Pageant. This will purchase co-sponsorship of the event program. Alicia Stabler, who represented the pageant during the meeting, asked for $220 but got $250 as the SGA saw the event as beneficial to the community and to the individuals taking part in it. -$228 to a memorial weekend for Marcus Holmes. This will purchase wristbands with Holmes’ name on it.
HAPPY ‘TATOR DAY!
Oct. 22 Phi Beta Fraternity will host its first ever Halloween Party in the Student Union Ballroom B from 8-10 p.m.
Police Briefs OCT. 9: A light purple and white Schwinn Ranger bicycle was stolen in front of Patterson Hall. OCT. 10: A student was stabbed on the pedestrian mall. OCT. 11: A black “Adventure Time� backpack, carrying a Macbook Pro laptop was stolen from the Student Union. A BOLO was called for a black male and was closed about a half hour later.
OCT. 13: A Volkswagen Jetta was vandalized in the Georgia/Langdale parking lot. OCT. 13: A car was pulled over on the ramp between the 1st and 2nd floors of the Sustella deck. OCT. 14: A sign in front of a local’s house was vandalized. OCT. 15 Four black males, who were not believed to be stu-
dents, were sitting outside of a room in Centennial Hall. Robert Sadler, 21, of Valdosta, was arrested and charged with giving a false name to an officer and misdemeanor obstruction of an officer. Two criminal trespass warnings were issued. A window was shot out with a BB gun at a local’s house, possibly happened from the sign vandalizing incident. Window was replaced by local’s father.
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OpiniOns
ocToBer 16, 2013
vSuSpecTaTor.com | page 3
Our point of view...
Campus markets aren’t cheap i
t is obvious that items such as produce, canned goods and other dinners and snacks in Sustella and Langdale markets are overpriced. no matter how much we complain about this, prices show no promise of dropping in the future. However, there is a way to save your money. One might assume that the markets raise their prices to increase their own profit. However, there is a lot more that factors into the price of an item than just item cost and store profit.
“it’s not like i’m paying $2 for an item and marking it up 1,000 percent,” pete Harkness, resident district manager of V-State dining, said. “it doesn’t work that way. One of the problems is we have other costs involved in running the business. We have an added cost that we have to pay the university that has to be figured into the equation.” Harkness explained that aside from giving the university their commission, the markets also have to pay their employees and supply
them with benefits. another reason prices are higher than grocery store prices is because the markets cannot buy in the same magnitude as other stores. there are some items in the on-campus markets that cost about the same price in grocery stores. frito Lay and Coke products have a presale price that the markets abide by. “We’re locked into corporate pricing,” Harkness said. “Meaning frito Lay has a cooperate pricing that they do with everyone, so we’re
able to pass that same pricing to the consumer; same with coke.” Other items, however, are marked up around 65 percent, which is not affordable to most college students, even with Blazer Bucks and flex accounts. if you live on campus, you are required to have some sort of meal plan. for example, Centennial Hall adds $475 of Blazer Bucks to the original costs of living there. One might expect that much money to last throughout the semester; however, if you are
doing your weekly shopping at the markets, then you will see that your bucks are gone in a month or so. Our advice is to only use your VSU accounts for items such as frito Lay and Coke products. for everything else, hop on the special VSU bus that goes to Walmart and the mall to get your bread, produce, milk, etc. By using your cash and accounts simultaneously for specific items, you will save money in the long run. not only will you save money by doing the above,
but it may also send a message to VSU. as if going to school here isn’t expensive enough, we shouldn’t have to over pay for on-campus grocery items. therefore, VSU should consider not asking for a share from the markets’ profits. We can’t blame the markets for their heavy prices. However, we can shop smarter. express your opinions by sending the staff a tweet at @vsuspectator.
This editorial was written by Sarah Turner (seturner@valdosta.edu) and it expresses the general opinion of the editorial staff.
Offer drinks at games Neil Frawley S p O rt S W r i t e r ndfrawley@valdosta.edu
it's fall, and it's Saturday. You wake up, turn on SportsCenter, open up the fridge and crack open what will be the first of countless beers. You sit down on the couch, and you lean over to the person next to you and you say to them, "Happy game day!" and you clink your beer of choice. Beer, tailgating and football is one of the most american combinations there is in our nation. Before the game, beer pours like a golden, sudsy waterfall. However, once the games begin, there's not a drop to be found. Well, not for most universities at least. Some universities do allow sales of alcohol at their stadiums, but the nCaa doesn't allow sales at on-campus stadiums. this prohibits places such as the VSU pe Complex and Billy Grant Stadium from selling alcohol. the rule technically doesn't apply to Bazemore-Hyder Stadium because it's not an on-campus stadium, however, it is owned by the Valdosta
Board of education which prevents alcohol sales. On one hand i think it is good because it is a high school stadium too, and i completely agree that it would be in great distaste to place beer advertisements in the stadium. But, at the same time, it isn't just a high school venue, and on Saturdays when VSU
The rule technically doesn't apply to Bazemore-Hyder Stadium because it's not an oncampus stadium. is hosting games i think VSU fans with proof of age would enjoy watching the game while also enjoying a beer. You might think that if beer was sold at games it might cost more than what students would be willing to pay, but i don't think it would completely discourage students as well as parents and alumni from spending the higher prices.
it would work the way sales at movie theaters work, where drink and snack prices are higher than just about anywhere else, not because that's how much the theater needs to sell it for but because it's the only place patrons at the venue can get what they want. if VSU could pull about 6,000 fans per game, i think there would be a potential to make some money. as much as West Virginia's $520,000 they made in their first season? probably not, but i think there is money to be made, and i think it could help pay for things at VSU. Ultimately, it would be tough for the school board to allow alcohol to be sold in a stadium that is shared by a high school, and unless VSU was absolutely sure it could turn a profit high enough to justify the added security and potential violence that might ensue, it is highly unlikely that Bazemore-Hyder stadium would ever allow it. But i think it's interesting to consider what the benefits might be, especially seeing other universities make the switch and find success doing so.
Ignoring the U.S. laws Taylor Stone S ta f f W r i t e r tnstone@valdosta.edu
Over the years, president Barack Obama has racked up quite an impressive list of constitutional violations that should have even his staunchest of followers questioning the true motives behind his actions. the first amendment guarantees the american people incredibly important freedoms, including the freedom of religion: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” So how, then, was president Obama able to simply ignore this vital part of our freedom by issuing an order to faith-based institutions forcing them to provide insurance that covered abortifacients and contraceptives to their employees? article ii, section 3 of the Constitution states that the
president “shall take care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” that particular article must have been missing from the president’s distorted version of the Constitution as he advised attorney General eric Holder to work against the defense of Marriage act in federal courts. rather than “faithfully executing” the
The state of our freedoms is truly troubling laws, our president simply refuses to enforce the laws he doesn’t agree with. arguably one of the most disturbing violations to add to president Obama’s lengthy list is forcing americans to buy health insurance, which is in direct violation to article 1, section 8 of the Constitution. Congress has the power to regulate commerce and
levy taxes, not to force americans to partake in commerce. even though the Supreme Court ruled legislation under the healthcare mandate as a tax, it does not meet the requirements of any of the three types of taxes represented in the Constitution — income, excise or direct. the state of our freedoms is truly troubling, and our country is in disarray on nearly all fronts — fiscally, militarily, socially and politically. things have to drastically change, and the american people have to stand up for the freedoms that are explicitly guaranteed to them. if not, the freedoms that we have always known will become extinct. “i was a constitutional law professor, which means unlike the current president i actually respect the Constitution.” –Barack Obama, March 2007 Oh contraire, Mr. president.
People Poll Are on campus venues, such as the Sustella market, too expensive?
Tameira Turner freshman nursing major
Shane Martin senior psychology major
“i don’t think that the Langdale and Sustella markets are too expensive.”
“it seems like the markup in all campus stores are a little extravagant.”
Want more opinions? Check out the Video People Poll online at: youtube.com/ValdostaSpectator
Fracking hits Georgia Stephen Cavallaro OpiniOnS editOr sjcavallaro@valdosta.edu
fracking, the process of harvesting the environmentally unfriendly natural gas called shale that is being pushed by the government, plows its way through Georgia. in March, i discussed a deal backed by the government between British-owned Centrica and americanowned Cheniere. the agreement was that Cheniere would spread toxic chemicals across america in order to fuel millions of British homes. While the fracking industry builds momentum throughout the nation, so does the opposition. even British activists are taking action to deter the growth of fracking in their nation. early this month, fracking was banned in france. Global fear toward fracking is justifiable. Over the year fracking has been deemed a cause of earthquakes in arkansas and texas. early this month,
Sports Editor: eric Jackson Photo Editor: ritsuki Miyazaki Multimedia Editor: rebecka Mcaleer Web Designer: John preer Copy Editor: Olivia McLean Social Media Editor: Joe adgie Faculty Advisers: dr. pat Miller, dr. ted Geltner, Keith Warburg
We must not continue to allow our own people and land to be exploited to keep foreigners energized. since 2007. fracking has contributed to a plethora of other environmental damage as well. a
study conducted by environment america offers a concise outline of the horrors. Several wells have emerged throughout the state. Opposition to the wells has also been prominent. during the summer environment
Georgia submitted a petition of 1,300 signatures to the Chattahoochee national forest in order to protect the haven from the vile fracking. according to the food and Water Watch, 396 measures have been passed across 21 states to regulate and attempt to stop the reign of terror invoked by fracking. Georgia is not one of those states, but with action fracking can be abolished and our beautiful state preserved. Many fracking operations are conducted by foreign companies or for foreign markets. We must not continue to allow our own people and land to be exploited to keep foreigners energized. a simple plan of action is to spread the word of the dangers linked with fracking. an alternative to fracking that is breaking ground is known as waterless fracking. Waterless fracking employs propan instead of water to perform fracking processes. the new method, while not completely eco-friendly, does open new doors to safe alternatives to fracking.
Contacting Us
Spectator Staff Editor-in-Chief: Jennifer Gleason Managing Editor: Will Lewis Business Manager: Kristen Varney Advertising Manager: aimee napier Circulation Manager: abbie Baggerly Opinions Editor: Stephen Cavallaro Features Editor: Sarah turner
duke University equated an increase of fracking to the rise of pollution in a pennsylvanian water supply, and according to Southeastern naturalist, it has been killing endangered fish in Kentucky
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Online at www.vsuspectator.com Opinions expressed in the Spectator other than editorials are the opinions of the writers of signed columns and not necessarily those of the Spectator and its staff. all rights reserved. reprints by permission of the editors. Views in this newspaper are not necessarily those of the Valdosta State University administration, faculty and staff.
PagE 4 | vsusPECTaTOR.COm
Features
OCTOBER 17, 2013
Bryan welcomes 15,000 to farm Sarah Turner f e at u r e s e d i t o r
seturner@valdosta.edu
the academy of Country Music awards entertainer of the Year, Luke Bryan, performed in Valdosta saturday night to a sold-out show of 15,000 people. the show took place on the fields of the Valdosta wake Compound. “this is a titletown kind of thing,” Bryan sang to an anticipating audience as he came on stage after a threehour preshow. Bryan performed all of his popular songs as well as songs from his new album, “Crash My Party.” the show began with a song from his third album, “Kiss tomorrow Goodbye.” the Georgia native brought out thousands of fans to what was an entertaining yet po-
tentially dangerous show. the closer to the stage, the more reckless fans became. there were numerous fights as fans tried to push themselves closer to the stage. security was on their toes to keep the concert orderly. farther back from the stage was a large area for people to set up chairs and avoid the dangers of the stage excitement. tailgating for the concert began at 2 p.m., and the gates opened at 5 p.m. while the show began at 6 p.m., Bryan didn’t come on stage until 9 p.m. opening the show was Chancie Neal, who sang some acoustic, feminine numbers and can be compared to Miranda Lambert. Neal knew how to get the crowd going as it was her fourth time performing on the farm tour.
second on stage was Cole swindell, known for his 2013 hit, “Chillin’ it.” finally, before Luke hit the stage, the Peach Pickers entertained the audience for around an hour. Luke Bryan is from Leesburg, Ga., which is just north of albany, about two hours from Valdosta. “i really like that he’s real,” Katie odum, senior psychology major, said. “i like that he’s from Georgia, and i like that he stays here.” as it was Bryan’s sixth-annual farm tour, he has proven to remain loyal to his Georgia fans. “the farm tour has become a tradition for Luke, so while it's likely he will continue, there are no confirmed plans in place at this time,” Mary Catherine Kinney, Bryan’s publicity coordinator, said.
Sarah Turner/THE SPECTATOR Luke Bryan sings to 15,000 fans at the Valdosta Wake Compound on Saturday. The concert marked the end of Bryan’s sixth-annual Farm Tour.
Call boxes offer more protection than we think Cole Edwards s ta f f w r i t e r
csedwards@valdosta.edu
Ritsuki Miyazaki/THE SPECTATOR A call box outside of the Fine Arts Building.
there are 28 tall, yellow boxes topped with a flashing blue light around campus. the boxes have “eMerGeNCY” written down the side; however, the boxes are not only there for intense situations. “we get calls on everything from ‘my car is broken down,’ to thefts, to a student simply wanting an escort to walk them back to the residence halls from the oak street lot,” Chief scott doner, director of university Police, said. all together there are 131 call boxes around campus.
Besides the 28 free-standing boxes, there are also phones located in the elevators, residence halls and parking decks. any of the boxes can quickly connect you to the university Police dispatch when activated. all call boxes are in working order and checked every month by environmental and occupational safety. doner said that his force is able to tell which callbox you are calling from, and the police staff is well-trained for a quick response. “it of course depends on where you are located on campus, but even if you press the button on north campus, our response time is generally just a few minutes,” doner
said. “it’s another way of providing safety and security for the campus.” Call boxes are being added to the campus all the time, especially in the construction of new parking decks and buildings. “we try to make sure that every elevator, every level of the parking decks and every residence hall has a call box, so no matter where you are located on campus, connection to the university Police is not far away,” Meredith Lancaster, associate director of environmental and occupational safety, said. students don’t always have a cell phone handy or may get bad reception in some areas like the parking deck, so the call boxes offer a peace
of mind around campus. she encourages students to visit the environmental and occupational safety page, under “student resources,” on the Vsu website for a complete list of the different types of emergency phones and their locations.
Scan the QR code to read Abbie Baggerly’s story on the new art exhibit “We Two Founts!”
SportS
OCTOBER 17, 2013
Murray holds the torch Shane Thomas S p o rt S
writer
shanethomas@valdosta.edu
the Valdosta State men’s basketball team took the floor for its first official practice on Monday, led by senior forward David Murray who was named preseason All-Gulf South Conference over the weekend. Murray enters this season as the lone returning starter from last season, a season in which the Blazers finished 19-10 and advanced to the GSC championship game. in that game, Murray scored four points on 2-of-3 shooting before a strained MCL sidelined him six minutes into the action. the Blazers could have used their sharp-shooting forward late in the championship game as the Blazers lost 65-62 to Christian Brothers. Despite the injury, Murray was named to the GSC All-tournament team. “it hurt me to go down in the championship game,” Murray said. “i felt my team needed me out there as one of the leaders on the team. it was sad sitting on the sidelines.” Head coach Mike Helfer understands Murray’s importance to his team and can’t deny the injury affected his team. “Any game that David plays the whole game, our chances are going to be better,” Helfer said. “Any time you lose a good player, you’re going to have to try to win a different way than
you’re accustomed to. we lost by three, but i thought the team showed great heart and determination even after losing David.” the Birmingham, Ala. native is taking his preseason All-GSC selection in stride and admits the honor motivates him as he will be looked upon to provide leadership for a team that has 11 new players. “when Coach called me and told me i was selected, i was shocked,” Murray said. “[the selection] just means i need to work that much harder. when i found out Friday, i was actually in the gym. i’ve been working out four times a day, so it’s about being hungry and humble with it.” Murray played in all 29 games last season, including 22 starts, and averaged 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds while making 60 three-pointers, second-most on the team. Helfer praised Murray’s long-range shooting after Monday’s practice and expressed optimism about the core of shooters assembled for the upcoming season. “when you can make threes, it opens the court and allows guys that can go off the dribble more room to work and get to the rim,” Helfer said. “At times, we struggled with that last year. we didn’t make shots so teams would pack it in a little bit on us. Hopefully, we’ve corrected that with [David] and some of our new guys we’ve brought in that will be able to make some shots.” Helfer says he doesn’t need
PagE 5 | vsusPECTaTOR.COm
VSU soccer faces Cougars Friday ALex TOSTAdO A S S t. S p o rt S
eDitor
ajtostado@valdosta.edu
Valdosta State women’s soccer improved to 9-1-3 on the season with a 1-0 win over Shorter in rome, Ga. on wednesday night. Junior forward Zahimara Fantauzzi scored the lone goal in the 45th minute and had six shots in the game. Junior goalkeeper olivia Mills had two saves in the game. VSU combined to have 22 shots from 11 different play-
ers and 13 shots on goal from eight different players. Shorter had a total of four shots in the match. the Lady Blazers travel to Columbus State on Friday to take on the No. 7 team in the nation. CSU is 8-3 on the season and have outscored opponents 52-15. VSU is looking to break back into the top 25 with what could be a signature win over the Cougars. the Blazers have won two straight games and four of their previous six.
Follow @BlazerSports on Twitter TheJock1150 david Murray, a transfer from Marion Military, leads the Blazers in his second season at VSU.
to remind Murray of his role going into the season. “with seniors, you don’t need to tell them what to do, they already know what to do,” Helfer said. “[Murray] has taken that as his mantra this year. He knows what it’s going to take and what the team needs to do. we’ll give him some freedom but we’re not going to focus on one or two guys, we’re going to try to do it with everybody having a significant role and contributing.” Now fully recovered from
injury, Murray has reasonable expectations for his team, which was picked to finish fifth in the GSC in the preseason Coaches’ poll. “we need to take it one step at a time and not try to win a championship in one game,” Murray said. “we just need to keep coming together. i feel like we’re on the verge of being really good and i love it at the pace we’re going.”
Atlanta Falcons cheerleaders stop in Valdosta
Follow Shane on twitter: @itsathomasthing
P.E. Complex renovation expected to be finished by end of November Lia Armistead S p o rt S
writer
jparmistead@valdosta.edu
Since its opening in 1983, the Valdosta State p.e. Complex has received many renovations, making it one of the Division ii’s top arenas. recently, the Complex which houses the men and women basketball teams, volleyball team, and the men and women’s tennis team, has been receiving an extensive amount of additional renovations to provide students, faculty, staff, players, and fans a more pleasing and comfortable environment. these renovations are being funded by the university’s capital improvement plan, with hopes of providing a more enjoyable Blazer community. the remodeling started in the spring semester of 2012, beginning with all of the air
VSU Athletic director Herb Reinhard expects the project to be complete by the end of November.
conditioning systems being replaced and the installment of a tower in the southeast corner of the building, providing restrooms for the second level. Currently, the lobby, the
bottom level restrooms, and the south hallway locker room are all being renovated to further accomplish this more pleasing environment. According to Herb reinhard, the VSU director of ath-
Even
letics, all of these areas have not received any type of updates or renovations since the building was first constructed in 1983. “i think the VSU students will be pleased and proud of the complex, “said reinhard, “they seem excited!” the athletic staff has been receiving many comments from students attending volleyball matches and the homecoming pep rally indicating that the renovations are turning out well and that they are anticipating the final product. “we’re hoping to be putting the finishing touches on things toward the end of November,” said reinhard, in the midst of the VSU basketball season. the Blazer community has much to look forward to in the upcoming months, after nearly two years of renovations on the 5,350 seat Complex.
Odd
Victoria Johnson/THE SPECTATOR Atlanta Falcons cheerleaders Naiz B. (left) and Lindsay M. (right) were at Publix Supermarket on Oct.16 to support the tailgating team in giving away free gifts to certain customers who bought select items at the grocery store.
Sudoku A N S W E R S
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PagE 6 | vsusPECTaTOR.COm
OCTOBER 17, 2013
Blazer forward battles injury obstacles Alex Tostado S P O rT S
WrITEr
ajtostado@valdosta.edu
Torn but not down. Most people may cringe at the thought of tearing an ACL; for junior forward soccer player, Sydney Smith, this thought became a reality. Twice. Smith first tore her ACL in her left knee before her VSU Athletics senior year of high school. She then retore it after the 2012 season. The Conyers native knew it had tore a second time even though the training staff had told her it had not torn. “I went down saying I tore my ACL but everybody said I didn’t,” Smith said. “All of the trainers looked at me and said my ACL was fine and intact; even the doc-
tor said that when he looked at me.” After receiving an MrI, doctors learned that her ACL was not only torn, but had dissolved. When Smith tore her ACL in high school, the doctors used tendons from a cadaver to replace in her knee. Her body attacked the foreign tissue causing her knee to give out once more. The doctors then took the patella tendon in Smith’s left knee to repair the torn ACL. As a result, Smith came out of surgery having to heal her ACL and patella tendon. Smith received surgery the very next day in Columbus, Ga. “I did rehab every day,” Smith said. “Coming back I had a lot of tendinitis problems but I just worked my best to push through it and be able to get stronger and run on it and get faster.” After all of the physical and emotional exhaustion, Smith still did not look for excuses and it did not go un-
NCAA Division II Top 25 College football rankings 1. Minnesota State-Mankato 2. Northwest Missouri State 3. Colorado State-Pueblo 4. Missouri Western State 5. Henderson State 6. Bloomsburg 7. Pittsburg State 8. West Alabama 9. Minnesota-Duluth 10.UNC-Pembroke 11. Shepherd 12. Valdosta State 13. Washburn 14. Tarleton State 15. West Chester
noticed by her coaches and teammates. “Sydney is a hard working kid and a positive kid,” VSU
her caught up.” Smith’s roommate, junior midfielder Hannah Mulkey, has been front row to see her
Dowling Payne/Blazer Pride Sydney Smith assists kids during ‘Meet the Blazers’ event on Sept. 2.
head soccer coach Mel Heinz said. “She has to be fair to herself. I think she is expecting instant ‘back to Sydney soccer.’ For her, she has keep it honest; she has to realize she just got (cleared to play) and her hard work will get
teammate make a comeback to the field. “It encouraged me to see that she wasn’t discouraged and sad,” Mulkey said. “I knew that she could come back and be a great player.”
Mulkey is rehabbing from the same injury and has looked to Smith as inspiration. “(Smith) was very supportive,” Mulkey said. “She knew how I felt but she wasn’t overbearing and writing it off as, ‘Oh, I’ve already had two and it’s no big thing.’ She was very sympathetic.” Smith told her parents the news of a second tear and they were supportive the whole way. “My mom was with me when we went to the doctor and got the MrI results,” Smith said. “She was just as upset as I was. We were both balling.” The Lady Blazer soccer team is like a family and when one person gets hurt, they rally around each other to lift that person back up. “It wasn’t hard for me to encourage her because I could see how hard she was working,” Mulkey said. Smith also had surgery in the summer of 2012 on her shin
for Compartment Syndrome, which is genetic, which made Smith’s compartment fascia too tight for her muscle. Because of this, Smith had days where she wouldn’t be able to run more than 10 minutes at a time and would have to “crawl off the field because it hurt so bad.” Smith has a passion for the game that not many people possess. The Biology major has been playing soccer since she was 7 years old and cannot imagine being a “normal college student.” Smith wants to be an orthodontist after she graduates but she still has a love for the game. So far this season, Smith has played 66 minutes and recorded one assist. “I think she is progressing the way she needs to progress,” Coach Heinz said. “It’s exciting and that’s why we are dressing her at times and that’s why she is getting a little bit of time in.”
16.Winston-Salem State 17.West Texas A&M 18. Ohio Dominican 19. Carson-Newman 20. Emporia State 21. Indianapolis 22.Indiana (Pa.) 23. Newberry 24.Midwestern State 25. St. Cloud State
al.com
West Alabama fans stormed the field after the Tigers took down No.1 Valdosta State in a 49-30 win in Livingston,Ala. Saturday. The victory dropped the Blazers to 12th in the nation.