The Spectator, September 18, 2014 by The Spectator

Volume 87 Issue 4

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

MOUTHS CLOSED, EYES OPEN NAACP takes over pedestrian mall to protest Ferguson Elan Waite

Editor in cheif ewaite@valdosta.edu

Top: NAACP board members stand on the pedestrian mall. Top left: Tamelonie Thomas stands with handwritten sign. Middle left: Students stand near Ashley Hall. Bottom left: Two young students share the same sign saying “We are America”. Top right: Students stand with hands in front of them during the silent protest. Bottom right: Student puts tape over her mouth with “Stop the violence“ written on it.

Inside This Issue

- OPINIONS: Power to the protesters

- FEATURES: Minority Messiah prompts contro versy - SPORTS: Blazers look backwards to move forward, avenge loss

A group of around 50 students gathered between West and Ashley Hall Tuesday, armed with potent signs expressing their outrage for the recent events in Ferguson, Missouri, as part of a planned protest. The students involved did not speak, not due to lack of opinion, but by choice. The silence was meant to speak volumes. The silent protest was orchestrated by NAACP president Ashleigh Mansfield, a graduate student studying early childhood education. “We wanted to do something with police brutality and everything that’s going on,” Mansfield said. “I didn’t want it to be rowdy. I just want to make a statement. This issue has been brought to campus and we are talking about it. We are not being stagnant.” Citizens everywhere have expressed their feelings toward the series of events that have transpired after Michael Brown, an unarmed teen, was shot and killed in Ferguson, Missouri, in early August. Participants gathered around Mansfield before the start of the protest to write sayings on the tape and signs. The popular slogan surrounding the controversy, “Stop, don’t shoot,” appeared on the tape that covered a few of the participants’ mouths. Once they assembled in the two lines they stood still and waited, looking straight forward. Students walking through the daunting display of civil disobedience seemed intrigued, astounded and, at times, intimidated. Jenae Newell, an undecided sophomore, said at first she thought the protest was weird,

“

I didn’t want it to be rowdy. I wanted to make a statement. -Asleigh Mansfield NAACP president

but after learning the protest’s purpose, she was supportive of it. “It’s a strong protest – definitely catches my attention,” Newell said. The goal of the protest was to get students to stop and join in the lines, according to Mansfield. One student did just that after coming out of her class in West Hall. Shikari Martin, a sophomore, undecided major, seemed interested in the protest as soon as she saw the demonstration. “I saw it and I realized what it was for, and it’s an issue that really hit close to home,” Martin said. “I didn’t have anything else to do so why not join in on something I feel strongly about.” Members involved with the silent protest shared a mutual respect for the cause. Once the silence was broken students began to discuss how they felt it turned out. “It’s a good cause,” Briah Manuel, senior exercise physiology major, said. “A lot of people really don’t know what’s going on, and this is a good way to get people to start asking questions.” The protest ended with Mansfield thanking everyone involved and posing for one last picture with her cabinet members. “It went great, and I am so happy,” Mansfield said. “It exceeded my expectations.”

VSU alumnus gains buzz in country music circuit, remains humble See page 4 for more

On the Web w w w. v s u s p e c t o r. c o m

Check out LaShawn Oglesby’s story, “Sociology club hosts peaceful protest,” on the web!

PAGE 2 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

Both sides show up for Carson event SGA talks FLEX,

commencement LaShawn Oglesby

Staff Writer lsoglesby@valdosta.edu

Mike LaGon/THE SPECTATOR Stella Henderson/THE SPECTATOR Dr. Ben Carson signs books for supporters at VSU (left), while protesters demonstrate outside VSU’s Fine Arts building (right).

Cole Edwards

Multimedia Editor csedwards@valdosta.edu Days after a controversial speaker came to VSU’s cam pus, people are still buzzing about the event. A renowned John Hopkins neurosurgeon and potential 2016 presidential candidate, Dr. Ben Carson, spoke to a sold-out crowd last Thurs day at VSU, including Gov. Nathan Deal. In a speech entitled “Amer ica the Beautiful: Rediscover ing What Made This Nation Great,” Dr. Carson spoke at length on his often harsh up bringing in both Detroit and Boston, as well as the current political and educational land scape of America. “Those who have the ability to learn are those who make progress,” Dr. Carson said, citing his childhood pursuit of education. “America is a land of dreams. Education represents the great economic divide. We have got to get

Corrections A portion of the story titled “Ben Carson arrival sparks protest” that ran in the Sept.

back to instilling in people the importance of education in the Information Age.” Dr. Carson remarked on the estimated 93 million voters who did not vote in the 2012 election, saying not to vote for a party just because a fa vorite candidate did not make it in is “the same as voting for the other side.” “The majority of America has been beaten into submis sion, and it’s time for them to wake up and stand up in what they believe in,” Dr. Carson said. “It is quite easy to be come an informed voter. We are not each other’s enemies. We the people are the pin nacle of power, and to vote is to protect that power.” While giving a brief history on his nearly 40 years at John Hopkins, including operations separating conjoined twins who were born joined at the head, Dr. Carson spoke on the power of knowledge and the human brain. “Think about what God has blessed us with,” Dr. Carson

said. “He blessed us with a brain in His image. That brain has hundreds of billions of neurons. You can’t overload the brain. What can your brain do if you actually put your mind to something?” Dr. Carson also openly discussed the country’s fiscal irresponsibility, warning that the country could potentially become a third world nation if not more careful. “We have an $18 trillion debt,” Carson said. “If we paid that off by $1 billion every day, every week, every month, it would take us 50 years to pay it off.” The event went on despite the appearance of protestors, including members of the VSU Sociology Club, outside Whitehead Auditorium who were critical of his extremely conservative views over is sues such as gay marriage and the Affordable Care Act. “His message is a message of bigotry,” said Ben Vieth, a VSU grad student who was among the protestors. “The

message that he has is hurtful to students.” Despite a petition signed by over 600 students and com munity members demanding Dr. William McKinney cancel the event, Dr. McKinney argued the importance of free expression at universities in a letter released before the event. “I believe that we do our selves the greatest disservice when we silence civil debate as a result of controversy,” Dr. McKinney wrote. When an audience member asked if he planned to run in the 2016 election, Carson said he was waiting to see what happens in this November’s elections. “I’ll put everything I have into helping save this country for the next generation,” he said. “If the people of the country decide they like big government, I’ll go away and play golf. But if they want to be a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people, I’ll run for president.”

11 print issue was inadver tently left out of page 2. To read the full version, visit vsuspectator.com.

In the same issue, the Pop Addict column on page 4 ap peared without a byline, but was written by Stella Hender son.

In the same issue, the article titled “Uber offers an alternative to cab fare” should have been attributed to Kayla Stroud.

Sept. 19 1:30-3 p.m. Powell Hall-West, Second Floor (Career Opportunities) Regional recruiter Grant Matthews will be at this meeting to answer questions about volunteer experiences with the Peace Corps and to give helpful tips concerning the application process. For more information, contact Matthews at gmatthews@ peacecorps.gov. VSU Cheerleading Tryouts Sept. 19 3-5:30 p.m. PE Complex This is a second tryout for the 2014-2015 season. A standing tuck is the minimum requirement. For more information, visit vstateblazers.com or contact coach Ariel Harmon at 229-4440525. Men’s Lacrosse Informational Sept. 19 6 p.m. Odum Library Room 1480

The Spectator prints free classifieds for current students of Valdosta State University only. These must be no more than 40 words, or a $9.30 charge will apply. Classifieds for faculty, staff, student organizations, stu dent-owned businesses and the general public cost $9.30 for up to 40 words. Ads should be sent to the Spectator or delivered to our office in 1238 Hopper Hall. The deadline is 5 p.m. Thurs day, a week prior. If payment applies, it should be submit

This meeting is mandatory for new and returning players as well as potential managers and is open to anyone who loves the game of lacrosse. For more information, contact Kyle Denslow at kdenslow@valdosta.edu. Art Exhibition Opening Reception Sept. 22 7-8:30 p.m. Fine Arts Gallery This exhibition will feature sculptures and mixed media paintings by Jack King and Bryce Speed. It runs through Oct. 10.

The sudoku grid consists of eighty-one squares in a nine by nine grid. To solve the sudoku, each square in the grid must contain a number between one and nine, with the folAnswers on Page 5 lowing conditions: * Each row of nine cells must contain each of the numbers from 1 to 9 once and only once. * Each column of nine cells must contain each of the numbers from 1 to 9 once and only once. * Each of the nine 3 by 3 boxes of nine cells must contain each of the numbers from 1 to 9

7 2

4 1 8

3 7

5 4 7 5

6 3

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9 3 6

Police Briefs

Upcoming Events Peace Corps Information Session

After the SGA secretary debate Monday night in Jennett Hall, the SGA proceeded to have its usual meeting, and the highlighted topics were the commencement survey, expansion of restaurants students could use with their FLEX card and the new bus app, “Where’s the Blaze.” The commencement survey, which asks what days the commencement services should be held, is open to all students and can be found on the VSU homepage. It asks students to give their classification, analyze each of the two suggested options and then choose between one or neither of the options provided. The SGA wants to promote the commencement survey so VSU students will participate

in it. Director of auxiliary services, Shannon McGee, was a guest at Monday’s meeting. She informed all in attendance that auxiliary services is working toward students being able to use FLEX at more restaurants such as Zacadoo’s and The Mix. According to McGee, students can let auxiliary services know which restaurants they would like to see accept FLEX. They are also working toward having another bus shuttle that will take students to more locations within the city of Valdosta. The SGA and auxiliary services would also like to see an increase in downloads of the new app, “Where’s the Blaze.” The app allows students to track where the red, black and night shuttles are at any time. The app can found at http:// www.wherestheblaze.com.

Sept. 17

Sept. 15

A vehicle was broken into. The car was not locked because the locks were not working. The car owner reported that nothing was taken, but she thinks the car was opened because things were moved around, compartments were opened, and her seats were moved forward.

A car’s license plate was stolen, but the owner is unsure if it was taken while at VSU.

Sept. 16 A female student reported her vehicle had been broken into.

Sept. 14 A 19 year old male was arrested for a DUI, a misdemeanor possession, was cited going the wrong way on a one-way street, and had a drug-related object taken from him. Sept. 12 A bookbag was reported stolen from Palms Dining.

Air Force ROTC Blood Drive Sept. 23 12:30-5:30 p.m. Student Union Ballroom People who give blood at this drive will receive a free Chick-Fil-A coupon. To make an appointment, contact Matthew Hendricks at mwhendricks@valdosta.edu.

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LRG SIGN “YARD SALE,” bolted wooden, hand painted. Missing Sat. 9/6 PM, corner Oak & Gornto. Handmade 30 yr. old family heritage item. Return to Rouse House behind Val. Fam. Medicine. Call or text: (229) 834-0547; (229) 292-7806; or call: (229) 242-3719. REWARD OFFERED

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SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 3

Our point of view...

Love trumps Louisiana legalities

Power to the protesters

Mike LaGon/ THE SPECTATOR

he news is rarely pretty. In fact, it’s often ugly and

grim. ISIS, Ferguson and Syria are just a few of the issues that grace—or disgrace — headlines. What is it, as future journalists, that make us continue in a career field that has to wait for bombs to drop and shots to fire for us to have a job? Yes, as journalists, we thrive off of conflict. It is what fuels our profession. What we thrive off of more—people reacting to the news. Two protests have occurred recently on campus. One protested a speaker’s event whose views offended many students. The other reacted to the tragic death of an unarmed teen that transformed Ferguson, Missouri into a social chasm. We at The Spectator have been busy covering these protests. Most of us jumped

up at the moment a protest was mentioned. Why? The core of journalism is to bring to light issues that people want and ultimately need to know about. Simply put, if people are protesting, they are paying attention. If people are not paying attention, then people do not care. This is the never-ending battle that journalists face—how to engage their readers enough to get them to care. Protests, done effectively and peacefully, accomplish change. Issues do not get resolved, unless people stand up and express their views. We, from an editorial point of view, may or may not agree with what is protested. Individually, each member of the staff might have a differing view. The one thing that we do all agree on is that protesting brings solutions to life. New ideologies are born and new voices are heard.

This editorial was written by a member of the editorial staff and expresses the general opinion of The Spectator.

Lia Amristead

Staff Writer jparmistead@valdosta.edu U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman’s Sept. 10 decision to uphold Louisiana’s ban on gay marriage has angered LGBT advocates. Feldman argued that supporters of same-sex marriage in the lawsuit did not show enough support as to why it should be legal in the state of Louisiana. LGBT members expressed their anger proudly and loudly in the press, on camera and in print, about how wrong and discriminating Feldman is against same-sex relationships. According to Equality Louisiana President Tim S. West, Feldman defined what it takes to be a family in the southern state of Louisiana as a way to prevent LGBT couples from accomplishing the freedom and ability to legally marry in

the state of Louisiana. Feldman believes that families need to maintain their structures that only include a biological mother and a biological father, according to West. This is completely unreasonable and, frankly, a ridiculous reason to keep same-sex marriage illegal in Louisiana. Most LGBT supporters are thoroughly upset with the continuance of the ban (as

Courtesy of MCT Campus

they should be) and plan to fight for the freedom of marriage in the state. Tom Merrill, chair of Baton Rouge pride, has high hopes of the ban being dismissed in the future because, according to Merrill, “it’s just one judge’s ruling.” Just because one judge continued the ban does not mean that all LGBT fans and advocates need to give up on

the idea of equal rights for all. The judge completely ignored other judgments and refused to recognize that samesex marriage is performed in other states, increasing the anger of LGBT members. The judge just wanted to be different and keep “order” in the state as much as he possibly could. Order, in his opinion, is straight marriage only, with children who have both a biological mother and father. What about love? If a person loves another, they should be allowed to spend the rest of their lives together legally, no matter if they are different sexes or the same sex. LGBT should not give up after one judge saying “no” to gay marriage. If LGBT advocates keep working toward their goal, they will soon succeed.

Letter to the Editor

VSU living in the past To the Editor: In the aftermath of the Mark George and Ben Carson fiascoes, some friends and I compiled a list of concerns over the way things are done at VSU: welcome to ataViSm U.... Definition: atavism: reversion to an earlier type; a throwback; so, think of the baby born with a tail; or, in more general terms, think of VSU, where humanism and progressivism are paid lip service and the status quo is sacred. Welcome to ataViSm U., where a faculty member and alumnus is vilified for his anti-racism work. Not only that, but his organization’s funds are seized. Welcome to ataViSm U., where the administration takes its cues from a neo-confederate (John Hall) and wins applause from a self-proclaimed “pro-white, pro-south, pro-independence” website: “God bless ata-

ViSm U! At least there’s one Southern school that’s trying to protect its people” (see http://www.occidentaldissent. com/2014/08/18/poor-markpatrick-george/). Welcome to ataViSm U., where it’s taken 100 years to install a person of color in an executive leadership position and where a woman has never been president or provost. Welcome to ataViSm U., where environmental activists (from S.A.V.E.) are told by one of the VP’s that their concerns over climate change are groundless and that their efforts are misguided. Welcome to ataViSm U., where a speaker whose shtick is Social Darwinism is invited to speak at the rate of $43,000 per speech. Welcome to ataViSm U., where students of varying sexual preference are too frightened to demonstrate against sexual oppression and where sexual harassment is kept hush-hush. Welcome to ataViSm U.,

where John Scopes is still on trial. Welcome to ataViSm U., where those in charge of the food court are oblivious of the connection between nutrition and disease, as they feature two Chik-fil-A’s (infamous for homophobia) and Nathan’s hotdogs. Welcome to ataViSm U., where graduation ceremonies are D. U. L. L. (“we built this building and we built that building”...I wonder how parents who’ve driven for hours expecting to be inspired feel about such banalities?) Welcome to ataViSm U., where the old prez’s lecture series (hello, Wade Davis, Jonathan Kozol, Harry Kroto and Joel Best— a National Geographic explorer in residence, a best-selling Harvard educator/author, a Nobel Prize in chemistry winner, and a renowned social scientist, respectively) is canceled, but the new prez finds money for three new administrators

(who, education critics say, add little value to an undergraduate’s education). Welcome to ataViSm U., where a football player is released from jail moments before a playoff game and returned to jail after the game. Hey, but A.U. won, 31-28 (see http://jacksonville.com/ tu-online/stories/120402/ col_11134440.shtml). Welcome to ataViSm U., where the only women on display during visitation weekend are the dancing “Red Hots,” who perform for the crowd, after which a middleaged male administrator shouts “aren’t they hot?” Welcome to ataViSm U., where the Greek system remains segregated. Welcome to ataViSm U., where adjunct faculty haven’t had a raise since 2005, and where graduate student funding is diverted to another admin position. Matthew Richard, VSU Associate Professor

pitching a fit about a seat. Over the past few months, multiple planes have stopped mid-flight due to passengers arguing over the reclining seats. Some passengers lean their seats back the allotted amount and manage to cause enragement by the passenger sitting behind them. If you’re on an eight or 16-hour flight, it is no surprise that you want to be comfortable. Maybe you want to get better sleep or maybe your back is hurting from sitting in the seat for so long. Leaning back your seat should not spark a fight at 37,000 feet. The selfishness of passengers is incredible. Losing a couple of inches in front of you should not be a valid reason to land a plane at an unscheduled stop. Those selfish passengers make everyone else on board late for their meetings and arrivals because they didn’t want

someone leaning back in their space. If you want more leg room, you can pay for it, literally. In some airlines you can pay an extra $60 to receive more than the normal 31 inches between seats. So if you are willing to complain about the rights of other passengers, fork out your own money. Passengers should be allowed to recline their seats and make themselves comfortable without having to worry about the airplane becoming a boxing ring. It’s a trivial problem that should be better handled by flight attendants, airlines and fliers themselves.

Do passengers reserve the right to recline? Students debate right to recline airplane seats Tierra Francois

Staff Writer tsfrancois@valdosta.edu Is 31 inches enough space to separate you and a total stranger from invading your personal space? According to American Airlines, this is the amount of space between seats on an airplane. There have been many disputes as to if a person should be able to recline their seat on an airplane. Some people find it annoying and disrespectful and I agree. The limited space between these seats gives a person every right to not want someone in their lap. Imagine being on a flight for five hours with someone else’s chair on your knees. To be as comfortable as possible, you need the full 31 inches. A poll about traveler etiquette was answered by 1,500 people. Ninety percent of participants said planes are unreasonably cramped.

They also complained about how rude it is to recline your seat even if you are in the premium coach section. These seats have four extra inches between them and still seem to be too close. “I’m taller than average certainly, but most coach seats don’t fit me and it makes it uncomfortable for people in front and behind me,” said Jason Scott, a 6’6” traveler from North Carolina. Not only do these seats not accommodate taller people, but what about people that are on their laptops or trying to enjoy a meal? A flight from Newark to Denver was stopped in Chicago when a business man used a “Knee Defender” (a tool a passenger can buy to prevent the person in front of them from reclining their seat) to stop the person in front of him from reclining his seat. This issue with these seats not only causes a disruption, but it becomes unfair to the

person that pays ridiculous prices to travel by plane. The average plane ticket costs around $300 which is rather costly. Paying this amount of money, I would personally

have expectations to be rather comfortable. Flying the whole way with someone’s seat on my knees is not my idea of comfortable.

Jordan Hill

Opinions Editor jorhill@valdosta.edu Imagine making an unscheduled landing while in

Courtesy of MCT Campus

the middle of your flight, not because of a malfunction, not because of a hijacker, but because another passenger is

Spectator Staff

Editor-in-Chief: Elan Waite Managing Editor: John Stephen Business Manager: Kristen Varney Circulation Manager: Abbie Baggerly Opinions Editor: Jordan Hill Features Editor: John Preer

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Opinions expressed in The Spectator other than editorials are the opinions of the writers of signed columns and not neccessarily those of The Spectator and its staff. All rights reserved. Reprints by permission of the editors. Views in this newspaper are not neccessarily those of the Valdosta State University administration, faculty and staff.

PAGE 4 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

VSU alumnus arrives on country music scene, remains humble

Lia Armistead

Staff Writer jparmistead@valdosta.edu

Valdosta’s own Seth Ennis took on Nashville, Tennessee, this past summer to further his career in country music and get his name out there. The country singer has been interested in music almost his whole life. Starting out, however, his parents made him take piano lessons when he was five years old, along with his older brother. Ennis dreaded the piano lessons so much that he made a deal with his dad so that he did not have to continue. If I took piano lessons for three years,” Ennis said, “and if I learned the theme song for Charlie Brown, he’d let me choose any instrument. As long as I bought the instrument he’d pay for the

lessons.” Ennis took his dad up on this offer and delivered magazines until he raised enough money for a drum set. From there he started singing and taught himself guitar. Now he sings and plays piano, drums and guitar, not having taken a single lesson since elementary school.

more than anybody it seems,” Ennis said. “Those are probably my favorite moments when I can just take it back a couple notches and just be around friends and jam out.” Ennis’ inspiration comes from his father, a man whose story Ennis describes as “rags to riches.” His father instilled the idea of determination in Ennis as a boy, and from there he worked to make his father and his entire family, his biggest support system, proud. “The inspiration behind what I do is not just because I love music,” Ennis said, “but because I’m such a determined person and I want to make people proud more than anything.” Many country singers have inspired Ennis to continue his journey in the country music world. His biggest influence is Vince Gill.

“The inspiration behind what I do is not just because I love music ... I want to make people proud more than anything.” When he was younger, Ennis moved around a lot with his mom, dad and two brothers (one older and one younger) as his dad was in the military. However, for him, Valdosta has always been his home and the place he will always return to. Ennis loves coming back to Valdosta when he can sit back, relax and hang out with friends while playing guitar around a bonfire. “They love to hear me play

Emulators ROMs, memories I recently got the urge to play a lot of the video games from my childhood. That wasn’t the best idea. Unfortunately, I either no longer had the system or couldn’t find the game cartridges. No Super Nintendo to fix my Super Marion Kart craving, or PlayStation 1 to satisfy my nostalgia for Megaman 7. Fortunately, not all hope was lost; a bit of searching turned up a software program called an emulator. There is an emulator for just about every major gaming system released in the past 20 plus years. If you could picture the emulator as the actual gaming system then ROMs would be the cartridges or discs. Though there are sites that offer free downloads for both the emulators and ROMs, shop around discerningly. Some sites only want to infect your computer with viruses while others just want to spread the joy that comes with retro gaming. Of course, the software isn’t flawless. Rapidly swapping ROMs may cause the emulator to crash, wiping any save data along with it. Also, the more complex the gaming system the larger the file will be. These larger files can slow your games down considerably. To avoid this problem, I tend to stick to emulators for handheld systems. The rudimentary 2D programming runs a lot more smoothly. My emulator of choice is the Visual Boy Advance. This particular emulator allows the user to play a host of Gameboy, Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance games. Since the emulator can play games from three different systems, the range of playable ROMs is pretty expansive. I try to get all my ROMs from the same site to minimize the chance of crashes or freezes. I download my emulators from emulator-zone.com and my ROMs from coolroms.

“I think he has a phenomenal voice,” Ennis said, “but more than anything, I just think he has really lived a clean good life and I respect that a ton about him.” So far, Nashville has been his favourite place to live, bringing him back to his roots

and inspiring him to do what he loves: sing country music. “I love country music. I love the new stuff, I love the old stuff. I love where it’s going, I love where it’s been,” Ennis said. However, his ultimate dream is something that he

thinks about on a daily basis. “I want to be able to do what I love to do for the rest of my life and to leave my own mark on music,“ Ennis said, “to leave something that lasts and [something] people will remember forever.”

“Don’t forget burgers and hotdogs on the grill,” Kyle Greening, junior marketing major, said.

“It’s important to stay hydrated. Don’t rely solely on alcohol and drink plenty of water,” Dani Hermoza, senior Spanish major, said.

Features Editor jhpreer@valdosta.edu

VSU alumnus, Seth Ennis, continues country music career. Ennis will return to Valdosta next month

Minority messiah prompts outrage

“Showing team spirit is an important part of tailgating,” Alisa McCall, sophomore early childhood/special education major, said.

John Preer

Photo courtesy of sethennis.com

Photo courtesy of Adult Swim

“You can’t forget popular games like cornhole for some friendly competition,” Allison Thorpe, senior mass media major, said.

“An official football playlist is a must for a successful tailgate,” Claire Contevita, senior mass media major, said. Created by Brittney Penland

Infamous murderer exposed Stella Henderson

Columnist sthenderson@valdosta.edu

Jack the Ripper

After 125 years, one of the most notorious serial killers has finally been caught. We’ve all heard of Jack the Ripper, the man that killed at least five women around London. Well we now have a name and face to put with this legendary mystery; Aaron Kosminski, a Jewish, Polish-born immigrant who lived in the East End and would have been 23 years old at the time of the murders. The murder was solved by Dr. Jari Louhelainen. He used a technique called “vacuuming” to remove DNA from a stained shawl allegedly belonging to one of the victims, Catherine Eddowes. Two strands of DNA were tested against a descendent of Kosminski’s sister. The first was a 99.2 percent match, while the other strand was a perfect match. We can finally rest easy knowing the mystery has been solved.

Toronto Film festival Into indie movies? Well here are some films that were showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival and won high claims you should check out. The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley is about English mathematician and logician, Alan Turing, who help crack the Enigma code during World War II which comes out November 21. I’m sure you all heard of “Clerks” directed by Kevin Smith, well the cult classic director is trying his hands on horror with a film titled “Tusk”. Starting the charming Justin Long, Long plays a freelance reporter going up to Canada to write a quirky story about a man that was rescued by a walrus. However, when Long’s character gets there, things take a turn for the worst. Find out what happens this weekend when it comes out Sept. 19. If you are a Studio Ghibli fan, then you will want to see

the last movie they produce. “Tale of Princess Kaguya” is a gorgeous, melancholy take on an old Japanese folk tale done in watercolor-style drawings. The movie is evidence that the studio is in its twilight years, its future uncertain and its most successful days likely behind it, but still a must see for fans.

Mocking Jay

The Hunger Games trilogy movie is coming closer to its end with “Mockingjay” coming this November. Well Lionsgate has teased us with mini trailers with little to no sight of Katniss, but earlier this week a full trailer came out. In the trailer, we see Katniss speaking to President Snow, caring for her sister, and fighting along side Gale. The best part is seeing Katniss reaction to seeing Peta alive but not too well. Don’t want to give too much away if you haven’t read the book. Part one to “Mockingjay” is promised to be action-packed and full of emotion. Look forward into seeing it Nov. 21.

People may have ulterior motives for not wanting to see Features Editor Jesus played by a black man, jhpreer@valdosta.edu but personal prejudices aside, the character in McGruder’s show is a quintessential Christ It’s been a rough year for figure. any Aaron McGruder fan out In the opening scene he there. After waiting for news greets a local homeless man of another installment to “The with a heartfelt hug and genBoondocks” animated series, tly scolds the filthy bum when there seemed to be light at the he asks Jesus for winning end of the dark tunnel that lottery numbers. was season three. Jesus responds by remind Fans rejoiced, but only ing the man that the world is momentarily. News that the filled with people dying of series’ creator would not famine and pestilence, and participate in the production offers an alternative to the man’s materialism. “I got of season four to work on an some kindness, I got compasunrelated project came as a sion, and I got love for all shock to many. mankind. You better get up McGruder’s absence was on some of that, man.” all too apparent throughout the latest season and the show Jesus and the homeless get into a comical expletivereally struggled without his fueled argument immediately unique touch. This made me beg the ques- afterwards, but that is classic McGruder. tion, what mystery project In between the heavy use could McGruder be working of profanity and portrayal of on that was so important he’d let his brainchild fall to such a illegal activities, the positive message of Jesus Christ is low? sprinkled throughout the plot. I asked myself why Mc The more I watched the Gruder would leave such show, the more I began to rea great franchise like the Boondocks behind to work on ally understand the concept of something so terrible. “Black Jesus.” I have been a fan of Mc If Jesus Christ were living Gruder since I read my first during the 21st century, he’d Boondocks comic strip back probably resemble McGrudin fifth grade. er’s character. According to This gave me reason to the Bible, Jesus Christ surpause and I figured if Mcrounded himself with the less Gruder saw enough potential fortunate, wore meager robes, in the “Black Jesus” concept and on more than one occato devote all of his attention sion enjoyed drinking alcohol to it, then the least I could do with his companions. was give it a try. Instead of looking at the seUnlike a lot of viewers, I ries as a sacrilegious satire, I approached the show with an saw it as more of a modern inopen mind. terpretation of biblical events. Instead of wincing at the If you can just get past the blatant stereotypical porshock value of seeing Jesus trayal of a minority messiah, smoke marijuana and drink I scanned the pilot episode malt liquor, you may actually for the hidden messages and subtle nuances that McGruder find yourself laughing at the probable absurdity of it all. is known for. To my surprise

John Preer

there were quite a few.

VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 5

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

Volleyball loses senior leader, looks to recover Neil Frawley

Sports Writer ndfrawley@valdosta.edu After suffering back to back road losses, the VSU volleyball team (4-2, 1-2) will look to rebound when it faces Union University and Christian Brothers University this weekend. In VSU’s first four wins, not a single match reached the fifth set. That trend continued against Shorter University on Saturday and No. 18 University of West Florida on Tuesday, in which VSU dropped both matches 3-1. Amid the two-match losing streak, perhaps the biggest hurdle the team faces is finding someone to fill the void of senior Krista Bradford who

sustained a season-ending leg injury diving for a ball in a match against Lynn University on Sept. 5. “Losing Krista was a huge loss to us on defense, and on serve receive. And we’re still trying to make up for that adjustment,” head coach Mike Swan said. Despite their start, Swan is concerned about team continuity between sets, maintaining control of leads have posed an issue all season. “That’s the frustrating thing about it for coaches and fans alike,” Swan said. “We can never understand why there’s not a lot of continuity into the whole flow of the match.” Against Shorter, leading 21-19 in the first set, VSU surrendered momentum on a

service error and lost the set 25-23. The bleeding continued in the second set with a 25-13 loss. “The second [set], we were never really in it,” Swan said. “Our service broke down; our hitters could not get a kill to save our life. We hit negative [percentage wise] in the game overall. “The biggest problem we still have is not maintaining leads when we have them, especially late in the game. We were up 21-19; I think we were up the fourth game 22-21. We just have to find a way to stay more focused and not make so many careless self-mistakes.” Against Lee University on Friday, VSU held a 21-15 first set lead before losing the set

Intramural flag football kicked off this week CoRec league Sun- Residence Hall league Monday at 9 p.m. day at 7 p.m. #TBsquad #TeamCreative Nikes The Stealers WeEP Wesley

Wednesday at 9 p.m. Boes n Hoes Dynasty NKOTB P-Rex Someteam Awesome

Centennial Hall Lowndes Life P-Town

Monday at 8 p.m. Centennial Hall Ladies Lowndes Ladies P.D.A. Victorious Secret

“

The biggest problem we still have is not maintaining leads when we have them, especially late in the game. -Mike Swan

MCT Campus

Jameis Winston apologized to coaches, teammates and FSU for actions that resulted in him being suspended for the first half of Saturday’s game against Clemson. Florida State University and its athletic department agreed to suspend Winston after he made “offensive and vulgar” comments on campus Tuesday. “I’m not a ‘me’ person, but in that situation, that was a selfish act,” Winston said to the media Wednesday. “That’s not how you do things around here. I really want to apologize to my teammates because I have now made a selfish act for them.” The No. 1 Seminoles (2-0)

will now have to take on No. 22 Clemson (1-1) without the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Sophomore Sean Maguire is expected to start in his place. “It’s not about Sean, it’s about us as a team. We’re Florida State, not one person can change no game or no outcome,” Winston said. “I can’t go out there and win a football game. Florida State is going to win the football game. “I have to tone it down. I have to. And that’s in the media, everything.” Ironically, Clemson players criticized Winston on Tuesday prior to news of his lewd comments surfacing for a Tweet he made this spring. During a baseball series at Clemson, Winston Tweeted a

1. No. 18 West Florida 3-0 2. Shorter 3-0 3. Alabama-Huntsville 3-1 7. Valdosta State 1-2

Upcoming Matches Fri. Sept. 19 vs. UU Sat. Sept. 20 vs. CBU Fri. Sept. 26 @ North Alabama Sat. Sept. 27 @ Alabama- Huntsville

WSoftball for Co Rec, Men’s and Women’s league- Registration closes Sept. 24. Tennis singles for Men’s and Women’s- Registration closes Sept. 24. 3-on-3 basketball for Men’s, Women’s and Co Rec- Registration closes Oct. 8.

5 v. 5 basketball for Co Rec, Men’s and Women’sRegistration closes Oct. 12. Futsal and Volleyball both close registration on Oct. 8. Leagues open for Co Rec, Men’s, Women’s, Residence Hall, Sorority and Fraternity For more information,

Golf scramble- Registravisit imleagues.com tion closes Oct. 8.

photo of Clemson’s Memorial Stadium accompanied with the words “Our house.” “It’s a guy that wants to make it about him,” Tigers DT Grady Jarrett said Tuesday. “He wants it to be about him. We’ll let him have that, and it’s a team game.” Winston does not think that Tweet will be detrimental to his team. “That was a joke in between us players, but some things get blown out of proportion and make it seem like a bigger deal than what it was,” Winston said. “It’s actually a competitive atmosphere. That’s what you want, man. We need more football players that want to compete. If Clemson isn’t going to come here and compete, we’re not going to play

Cross Country women finish third, men finish fifth in first meet of season Women’s results

GSC Standings

Eight other intramural sports included this fall

Winston suspended for first half Brendon Sonne

”

VSU head coach 25-23. VSU escaped with the 3-1 victory. “I think a lot of times when we get behind there’s really just a lot of panicking and

we lose our self-confidence,” Swan said. “But the good thing about volleyball is you have an opportunity to play five sets, and if you look really bad in one, you move yourself onto the next. We’re just going to try to get them to focus more.” On a positive note, Swan is pleased with his team’s defense and is tweaking his roster to fill Bradford’s role as a key defensive contributor. “I do think our defense is much improved,” Swan said. “If we could just terminate a lot more on our blocking; getting quality touches. If we could just terminate a lot more on those and find another outside now that Krista is down—we’ve tried three or four different people.”

Men’s results

Juliana Boehm, senior- First on team, Jesse Prince, senior- First on team, sixth overall 18:59 on 5K course fourth overall 26:00 on the 8K course Meghan McShea, freshman- 21st, Nicholas Schofer, freshman- 19th 20:00 27:10 Tyra Holloway, freshman- 23rd, 20:04 William White, freshman- 33rd 27:43 Danielle Jarnigan, junior- 27th, 20:12 Casey Claborn, senior- 36th 27:48 Kimberly Toscano, freshman- 51st, 21:18

them. If we don’t go out and compete, there’s no reason for Clemson to want to play us. “What I did [Tuesday], that was a selfish act. But that was about competitiveness, because I’m a football player and I compete.” The competitive aspect of Winston’s personality will be put on hold until the second half of Saturday’s contest. “When I do get my opportunity to play, I’m going to do everything I can because I have to accept it,” Winston said. “That’s going to eat me up because I want to be out there on the field.”

Sudoku Answer

2 6 3 7 9 8 4 5 1

5 7 4 2 6 1 3 9 8

1 9 8 4 3 5 6 7 2

9 8 1 3 7 2 5 6 4

6 5 2 1 4 9 8 3 7

3 4 7 8 5 6 1 2 9

4 2 5 6 1 7 9 8 3

8 3 9 5 2 4 7 1 6

7 1 6 9 8 3 2 4 5

PAGE 6 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014

Blazers look backward to move forward, avenge loss Chris Webb

SPORTS WRITER ctwebb@valdosta.edu After combining for 1,177 yards and 55 points in just the fourth quarter last season, two high-powered offenses look ready to light up the scoreboard again Saturday (7 p.m.) at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. When bitter conference rival No. 14 Delta State (1-0) comes into town for a rematch of last year’s high scoring contest, No. 13 Valdosta State (2-0) will be looking for revenge. Last year’s shootout saw the Statesmen escape with a 63-55 win. Both teams are looking to get started on the right foot for the ﬁrst GSC matchup of the year because one conference loss could cost either team a spot in the playoffs. “It’s always important to get off to a strong start in conference play,” linebacker Kenny Murphy said. “We know they are a good team but so are we. We’re just looking to make our ﬁrst step towards the conference championship,

hopefully.” VSU looks to keep the momentum rolling on both sides of the ball after defeating No. 18 Winston-Salem State 2217 last week. The Blazer offense gained 391 total yards, picking up a whopping 229 of those on the ground behind their powerful rushing attack. VSU senior quarterback Jake Medlock, coming off GSC Offensive Player of the Week, led the Blazers going 16-27 for 162 yards. He also rushed 14 times for 76 yards and a touchdown. Medlock, also the team’s punter, garnered GSC Special Teams Player of the Week after a key 75-yard punt late in the fourth quarter. This punt pinned the Rams on their own two-yard line as the Blazers held onto a slim lead, all with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Junior running back Austin Scott recorded his seventh career 100-yard game as he earned 127 yards on 22 carries. Junior Cedric O’Neal was able to punch in two short

goal line chances for touchdowns. Medlock knows the importance of the rushing attack for the Blazers’ offense. “We control the ball and the clock,” Medlock said. “It keeps their offense off the ﬁeld and most importantly gives our defense more time to rest on the sidelines.” The Blazer defense looked rested and ready when it counted most last week, restricting a powerful WSSU team to only 17 points. The “Black Swarm” was successful in pressuring the Rams’ quarterbacks with nine hurries, never letting them get any real momentum moving the ball. They will look for the same results and effort in rushing the passer this week when heralded Delta State quarterback, sophomore Tyler Sullivan, leads the fast-paced Statesmen offense into town. “There is a reason [Sullivan] was the freshman of the year last season,” VSU head coach David Dean said. “He makes good decisions and

Sierra King/THE SPECTATOR Sophomore receiver Xay Howard (No. 3), sheds a tackle near the goal line during VSU’s 22-17 victory on Saturday over Winston Salem State. Howard and the Blazers will face off against No. 14 Delta State this Saturday.

consistently has them in good situations.” Sullivan went 34-48 for 520 yards and 4 touchdowns in last year’s victory over VSU and won the GSC Offensive Freshman of the Year over the offseason. He remains a key part of the Statesman offense and presents another major test early in the season for the Blazer defense.

Sullivan went 23-31 for 217 yards and 3 touchdowns in DSU’s opener against Fort Valley State. “They run an up-tempo nohuddle offense that gets right back on the ball as soon as it hits the ground,” Dean said. “It is going to be a mental as well as physical challenge for this football team.” Kenny Murphy, who led

the defense Saturday with 11 tackles, is more than ready for the challenge, though. “Coach Dean always tells us success is not a destination, it’s a journey,” Murphy said. “We know we have to keep working each week to be where we want to be at the end of the season.” Follow Chris on Twitter: @CTRSWebb

VSU soccer seeks first Blazers take down No. 12 overall victory this season Rams, move up to No. 17 welcomes GSC opponents Christian Brothers and Delta State set to visit VSU Kristin Whitman

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR krwhitman@valdosta.edu VSU’s women’s soccer team gears up for another “Gulf War” this weekend with two Gulf South Conference games. VSU takes on Christian Brothers University Friday, Sept. 19 at 4 p.m. for the home opener. They ﬁnish the weekend road trip against Delta State University Sunday, Sept 21 at 1 p.m. The Blazers enter the weekend with a 0-3 record. CBU is 4-0 and DSU is 1-3. VSU is 3-0 all-time against CBU and 2-0-1 all-time against DSU. Senior goal keeper, Olivia Mills, has conﬁdence that this road trip will bring similar success. “There is always a lot of

intensity and grit when we play CBU,” Mills said. “They test us and that usually pushes us to come out with a win.” According to Mills, the team ﬁnds themselves not worrying about DSU as competitors as much as they do CBU, but they realize this year they need to keep their focus when playing them. “This is a team that we need to push through and we need to come away with some big goals instead of small wins.” Mills said. The ﬁrst home game is the one that the ladies have been looking forward to since they started the season. VSU head coach Rebecca Nolin is thrilled to see how playing at home will affect her players. “The team looks forward to the fans that come and the community here at VSU that supports them,” Nolin said. “I am ready for them to be able to show off in front of their

fans.” Even with all the excited about the first home game extra pressure is added on the team when playing at home because, “we don’t lose at home,” Mills said. The Lady Blazers boast an all-time record of 19-4-3 at home. The team plans to leave for the game in Cleveland, Mississippi early Saturday morning so that they will be well rested and have their minds on the game against DSU. “We have a job to do and this travel should not affect our game,” Nolin said. There is one certain thing that the team knows will help them come out on top with their first conference games and that is, according to Mills, the fact they are a close-nit team that loves being able to work and fight for each other. Follow Kristin on Twitter: @KWhit831

Monday, Sept. 22

Wednesday, Sept. 24

Operation ID: From 4- 6 p.m., all housing residents may bring valuable items (laptops, phones, etc.) to Georgia Hall’s main lobby and register these items with University Police. Having valuable items identified with police is helpful in the event items are stolen.

Operation ID: From 4- 6 p.m., all housing residents may bring valuable items (laptops, phones, etc.) to Patterson Hall’s main lobby and register these items with University Police. Having valuable items identified with police is helpful in the event items are stolen.

Self-Defense Class: Holly Wright, with the Counseling Center, will facilitate a session featuring selfdefense techniques for women. The class begins at 7 p.m., in Patterson Hall, and is open to women only. Any male students interested in the course should contact Holly Wright via email at hhwright@valdosta.edu and accommodations will be arranged.

Tuesday, Sept. 23

Thursday, Sept. 25

Safety Online: All housing residents will receive an email message from Dr. Tom Hardy, director of Housing and Residence Life, which will include links to Guidelines for Community Living.

Coffee with Campus Police: From 10 a.m. to noon, students are invited to stop by the Student Union Rotunda for coffee and donuts with campus police officers and learn more about SAM, VSU’s new Safety Awareness Mascot.

September 13, 2014

SCORE

137

RUSH YARDS

229

262

PASSING YARDS

162

399

TOTAL YARDS

391

30:41

TIME OF POSSESSION

21:19

8-21

3RD DOWN CONVERSIONS

9-18

www.valdosta.edu/sam VState_SAM

Sponsored by Housing & Residence Life Events open to VSU students living on campus.