Volume 87 Issue 3
SEPTEMBER 11, 2014
Inside This Issue
- OPINIONS: Don’t prevent free speech rights at VSU - FEATURES: Uber offers alternative to cab fare - SPORTS: D-2 championship rematch set for VSU, WSSU
Today at VSU Remembrance Vigil- In honor of those lost on 9/11, join the Women of Diversity, President William McKinney and Dr. Charlesworth for a remembrance vigil on the front lawn at 9 p.m.
This Day in History On this day we remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001 .
On the Web
Stars pay respects at Rivers’ funeral
w w w. v s u s p e c t o r. c o m
Check out Tatyana Phelps’ story, “Cops’ force deadly,” on the web!
See page 4 for more
Ben Carson arrival sparks protest Cole Edwards
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR csedwards@valdosta.edu The anticipation surrounding the appearance of Fox News personality Dr. Ben Carson will finally be satisfied tonight as Dr. Carson is scheduled to speak at 8 p.m. inside Whitehead Auditorium while a multitude of protestors demonstrate outside the facility. Dr. Carson is expected to give a speech entitled “America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made this Nation Great” in an event that sold out within three days for an estimated $2,500 per table, according to the VSU website.
Young VSU worker killed in collision
The event also generated backlash from a portion of the VSU community that felt Dr. Carson’s extremely conservative views on the Affordable Care Act, gay marriage and other topics are extremely divisive and even damaging. In an open letter released last week, VSU President Dr. William McKinney argued the importance of a university’s free expression of ideas and stated he had no intention to cancel the event despite protest from over 600 students and community members who signed a petition. Several student organizations, as well as members of the community, have organized a protest to take place outside the event beginning at
6 p.m., according to Ashley Praine and Jarrett Wilson, co-presidents of the VSU Sociology Club. “Based on the VSU mission statement, many students feel as though Dr. Ben Carson’s presence on campus contradicts the university’s promise to create a ‘nurturing and respectful environment’ on campus,” Praine and Wilson said in a statement released to The Spectator. The club spent Wednesday night making signs for their planned peaceful protest. “Dr. Carson simplifies complicated social issues such as poverty, and frames them as individual shortcomings, rather than social problems,” Praine and Wilson’s statement
read. Though tickets to the event, “An Evening with Dr. Carson,” are sold out, additional seating to watch Dr. Carson’s address via HD live broadcast in Jennett Hall are still available for $10 for general admission and $5 for students. Tickets can be purchased online at www.valdostastate. org/BenDr. Carson. Nick Rudnik, a political science student at VSU, who has been very outspoken against the event, disputed Dr. McKinney’s argument. “The Ben Dr. Carson controversy is not an issue regarding free speech or robust political discourse,” Rudnik said in an email Wednesday night.
Kayla Stroud/ THE SPECTATOR
See Carson, page 2
Blazers win 38-10 against Golden Rams
John Stephen
MANAGING EDITOR jsstephen@valdosta.edu
Weather Today P.M. T- Storms
Friday Isolated T- Storms
Saturday P.M. T- Storms
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A young VSU employee died after colliding head-on with another vehicle on Sept. 4 in Lowndes County, only a few miles from his home, according to an article published by the Valdosta Daily Times. Cody Morris, a 22-yearold maintenance worker at VSU, was driving through a severe thunderstorm when he collided with a vehicle on Rocky Ford Road, near Mt. Zion Road. The driver in the other vehicle was 28-year-old Crispino Hernandez, also a Valdosta resident. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene and had to be extricated from their vehicles, according to Georgia State Patrol Cpl. William West. According to WALB News 10, GSP arrived at the scene around 5:30 p.m., but worked into the night trying to figure out exactly what happened. “We are not 100 percent sure what the contributing factors were, but we are sure that weather conditions played a part,” West said to the VDT. Rocky Ford Road was shut down for several hours as emergency workers cleared debris from the road, according to WALB. Music Funeral Services handled Morris’s funeral and posted an obituary for Morris on its website, commemorating his life. “(Morris) was full of life, free-spirited and loved by all. He loved hunting, fishing, camping, muscle cars and the hills of Tennessee,” the obituary read.
See Morris, page 2
Alex Tostado/ THE SPECTATOR Kenny Murphy takes down Jessie Atkins in VSU’s 38-10 victory last Saturday against Albany State. The Blazers allowed 206 total yards, including only 39 rushing yards. On Saturday, VSU will face No. 12 Winston-Salem State and its prominent rushing offense. It will be a Top-25 matchup and a 2012 D-2 Championship rematch in which the Blazers defeated the Rams 35-7. The game will be played in Powder Springs, Georgia.
Two students robbed at Drexel Park John Stephen
MANAGING EDITOR jsstephen@valdosta.edu Two VSU students became the victims of armed robbery when they were walking through Drexel Park a little after midnight on Sept. 9, according to police reports. Lt. Cindy Cobb of the VSU Police Department said the offenders – meaning more than one – stole a phone and multiple wallets. The phone was later recovered, but Cobb is unsure if the wallets have been recovered yet.
“
We ask that students stay out of the park after dark (and) be more attentive to their surroundings
”
Lt. Cindy Cobb, VSU Police Department
Immediately after the crime occurred, a message went outto all VSU students via the University’s Campus Alert System, which utilizes email, texting and voice calls to inform students of emergencies and safety issues. The message revealed that Valdosta City Police had reported an armed robbery near campus and gave a number to call for those with any relevant information; no other details were provided. Drexel Park is situated right next to campus along Patterson Street and Brookwood Drive. The park sees a significant
amount of pedestrian traffic throughout the day and night. Cobb said the VSUPD is thankful the victims did not suffer any life-threatening harm and reported that they will be patrolling the park area more often. Cobb also advised students to be more careful when traveling through the Drexel Park area. “We ask that students stay out of the park after dark (and) be more attentive to their surroundings,” Cobb said. “The offender(s) may approach appearing to be a student; (they) linger around, and then they rob.”
PAGE 2 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM
SEPTEMBER 11, 2014
V-State mobile app immobilized VSU’s new mobile app has been unusable for past several weeks Kristin Whitman
Staff Writer krwhitman@valdosta.edu The new V-State mobile app is the latest buzz, but this bee is missing its stinger. After a lot of advertisement across campus, the mobile app is currently experiencing errors on certain mobile devices, including iPhones. The V-State mobile app was designed to interactively connect users with their school by making services available in
their everyday lives while on the go. Everything from Blazeview to transportation routes and emergency services were to be available to students, faculty and staff. However, after downloading the app users will see a message pop up when they try to click on any feature: “An error has occurred while loading this feature.” Not only do these issues affect VSU students and faculty, but multiple universities
This error message appears when a user tries to access any part of VSU’s latest app. When the app will be working again is unknown.
John Stephen/THE SPECTATOR
Students combat financial aid issues Mayah Cantave
Staff Writer mcantave@valdosta.edu Financial aid complications for the Fall 2014 semester are causing trouble for VSU students and employees alike. It’s been almost four weeks since classes started and students are still having financial aid difficulties. Some recent problems include the inability to pay for fall tuition and the inability to buy books. The financial aid office was backed up because of the volume of students and the extra federal documents needed to award the disbursement of loans and scholarships, according to Doug Tanner, director of financial aid at VSU.
Morris
Continued from page 1 Morris attended Lowndes High School and was known for the lime green El Camino he drove, the car he was in when the fatal accident oc-
Standard processing time for student federal documents is between seven to 10 days. Since there was heavy backlog, the processing time was much longer this semester. The backlog has negatively affected some students. Some students who did not receive their award did not have funds to buy books. Other students even had their classes canceled and had to re-register. Many students are frustrated with the financial aid office. “Employees were rude; they didn’t want to help anyone,” Khiry Clements, senior journalism major, said. The backlog has affected not only students, but VSU employees as well. There is little to be done about resolving financial aid
issues. “Because most of the factors which caused these delays were due to federal requirements, there were limitations on what we could do to resolve them,” Tanner said. Many VSU employees are working overtime and even weekends to help with the backlog. The financial aid staff ensured that students waiting for their award would not have their classes canceled because of the heavy backlog. “Everything we do is subject to review by (several) groups, so we have to be absolutely sure that we have everything in order before we make an award, even if it causes delays and inconvenience for students,” Tanner said.
“I wish there was an easier process that would help both the students and VSU employees,” Eboni Skerrit, senior biology major, said. According to Tanner, about 80 percent of students, both graduate and undergraduate, are in need of some kind of financial aid this fall, including HOPE, Pell Grants and additional loans. More than 85 percent of undergraduate students are looking to receive financial aid. In addition, loans are the most used form of financial aid. VSU has distributed or plans to distribute about $38 million in loans for the fall semester. Grants and scholarships that distributed this semester total to about $17 million.
curred. Dr. Barbara Radcliffe, interim head of VSU’s middle grades, secondary, reading and deaf education department, knew Morris and had only good things to say about him.
“Cody was a ray of sunshine in the College of Education and Human Services,” Dr. Radcliffe said in the comments section of Morris’s obituary page. “He always had a smile on his face and would say, ‘swell’ when asked how he was.
“I never heard a single complaint or negative comment from this young man. He will be greatly missed by his VSU-COEHS friends,” Dr. Radcliffe said. Funeral services for Morris were held at Music Funeral Services Sept. 5 and 6.
Sept. 12 2 p.m. UC Cypress Room Active For Life is a 10-week program sponsored by the American Cancer Society. It is offered free of charge to VSU faculty, staff and student employees interested in enhancing their overall health and well-being. The kick-off event will feature fitness personality LaKeasha Brown. Magic Show Sept. 16 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Student Union Theater
CAB presents “The Norman Magic Experience” starring national touring magician Norman. The night will be full of magic, comedy and audience participation.
Sept. 9
Voter Registration
A female student reported her wallet was stolen in the University Center restroom.
Sept. 17 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Main Campus Members of The College Republicans of VSU will be available to help students register to vote, regardless of political party affiliation. For more information, contact Chris Allen at VSUCR1@gmail.com.
week.” Over two weeks later, the app is still unusable, proving the problems to be more extensive than IT originally thought. All 24 features that were once available on the app are now down due to these unresolved issues, including the emergency information. An update is being worked on to resolve the errors, but IT is unsure of when it will be finished.
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
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1 9
5 1
2 7 9 4 8
6 4 5
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5 6 1
2 3 6
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Police Briefs
Upcoming Events Active For Life 2014 Kick-Off
across the country using the same app platform are experiencing similar problems. When the app will be up and running again is still unknown at this time. “The team already submitted a ticket to D2L and Apple,” Brian Haugabrook, IT’s chief information officer at VSU, said in an Aug. 24 email. “The turnaround time for Apple is about two weeks, and it has been about 10 days. It should be corrected this
Two students were the victims of armed robbery in Drexel Park (see page 1 for details). Sept. 6
by the Oak Street Parking Deck. A male student reported his wallet was stolen from the game room in the Student Union.
Sept. 5 A female student was arrested and charged with underage possession of alcohol. Sept.4 A female student reported that her wallet went missing
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VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 3
SEPTEMBER 11, 2014
College students need healthier options
Our point of view...
Don’t prevent free speech rights at VSU “Keep him away!” “Let him speak!” Controversy has been surrounding Dr. Ben Carson since it was announced that he’s coming to VSU. Dr. Carson is a Fox News personality who has been invited by VSU’s Harely Langdale, Jr. College of Business Administration to speak today. Dr. Carson, like any American citizen, has the right to be heard by whoever is willing to listen. Dr. Carson is known for his right-wing ideologies, which do not sit well with many people. The argument that Dr. Carson is out of his element because he is a doctor and not a politician or an economist is irrelevant. It is not said in the First Amendment that people who have doctorates in specific fields can speak; it says all citizens can speak. It has also been said by some that Dr. Carson’s views are divisive and that VSU should host speakers that have a goal of bringing this country together.
Jordan Hill
Opinions Editor jorhill@valdosta.edu
In fact, VSU would be divisive to not allow Dr. Carson to speak. Furthermore, just because an opinion may be seen as “divisive” does not mean that it cannot be heard. In John Stuart Mill’s “On Liberty,” Mill argues that all opinions should be heard for three reasons. If they are true, they are reinforced; if they are false, they are corrected; and if they are partially true and partially false, a debate is started to bring the truth to light. All opinions need to be heard so the truth can always be found. Dr. William J. McKinney, president of VSU, has been very adamant of allowing Dr. Carson to be on campus. In a letter addressed to the students, faculty and staff of VSU on Sept. 2, Dr. McKinney said, “Our public colleges and universities exist to serve the public good through the free and open exchange of ideas.” VSU has no intention of canceling the event with Carson, and rightfully so.
This editorial was written by a member of the editorial staff and expresses the general opinion of The Spectator.
Georgia irresponsible to give gun rights to criminals Kenzie Kesselring
Assistant Opinions Editor klkesselring@valdosta.edu Would you give a convicted murderer back their gun ownership rights? The common sense answer is absolutely not, but the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles might. According to Georgia state law, anyone who has been convicted of a crime that is punishable with imprisonment exceeding one year cannot own a gun. However, criminals in the state of Georgia have the option to apply to have their rights to own a firearm reinstated. To be considered for reinstatement in Georgia, a convicted criminal must be done with their sentence and probation for five years and cannot have been convicted of any additional crimes. This person also must have three references, unrelated to him or her, state that they are rehabilitated and feel comfortable with this person owning a gun. According to the Washington Times, 1,400 Georgia felons have had their gun rights reinstated between 2008 and 2013. This is the highest rate in the country and it is not going unnoticed. Of these 1,400 criminals, 358 of them were convicted of violent crimes, 166 were convicted of drug related
crimes, and 32 are convicted murderers. It is downright ridiculous that the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles is giving convicted murders their gun rights back. People can change. We all know that. As true as this is, it is unjust for people who have previously killed someone or committed another violent crime to be allowed to have a gun on their person because who’s to say they won’t do it again? This is endangering the lives of law-abiding citizens. There need to be more regulations put into place before felons have the option of owning a gun. A good place to start would be making the felon be 10 to 15 years off of probation versus five. This would give the person in question more time to recuperate their life before they are given this privilege back. Another step to this process should be the requirement of intensive psychiatric evaluation of the felon. Receiving a letter from someone who knows the felon stating that they are fine now is not enough to prove that any changes have been made. Even if stricter regulations were to be required by the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles, it would still be outlandish for a convicted murderers to have their gun ownership rights reinstated.
Going from a size six to 10, or from a 34- to 36-waist is not a college student’s dream. But it is the reality. Two years ago, an Auburn University study tracked 131 students through four years of college and learned that 70 percent of them had gained weight by graduation. The average gain was 12 pounds. It’s not surprising that college students
gain weight while earning their higher education. With options like Papa John’s, Moe’s and Chick-fil-A on campus, it’s easy for students to pick up the unhealthy fast food and take it back to their dorm to eat. VSU does offer healthier options. In the Student Union, students can purchase fruit, wraps and salads. It’s great to see a change in campus health, but what is going to stop students from the simple fix of going to the vending machine, which saves time and money?
"Piled Higher and Deeper" by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com
Letter to the Editor
McKinney’s defense of free speech questioned Dr. McKinney’s recent letter to the VSU faculty claiming he is an ardent defender of free speech and dissent is simply absurd given his recent actions against the Mary Turner Project (MTP) and his refusal to address serious questions about the Ben Carson event. On July 28, Dr. McKinney personally ordered the deactivation of my VSU email account because I, on behalf of the MTP and Lowndes SCLC, exercised my right to free speech and academic freedom when I challenged the state of Georgia to stop funding racist Confederate activities. Moreover, Dr. McKinney’s action was motivated by the single complaint of a VSU graduate who thinks black people are “savages” and genetically “different” from whites. Today Dr. McKinney attempts to justify his deci-
sion by referencing various VSU “policies” that he and his staff cannot produce. After weeks of requesting to see those policies, the MTP has concluded they don’t exist. Dr. McKinney’s recent letter championing himself as a defender of free speech and dissent, because he once defended a provocative artwork, is in itself an attempt to silence and dismiss legitimate questions that have been repeatedly raised about the Carson event. To date Dr. McKinney has refused to address these concerns. They include the following. 1) Given that Dr. Carson is not academically credentialed to speak about American history, because he holds no degree in history, political science, business and/or economics, why is the College of Business and VSU paying him $43,000 to discuss a topic he’s not qualified to speak
Sports Editor: Alex Tostado Photo Editor: Sierra King Multimedia Editor: Cole Edwards Web Editor: Tyra Mills Copy Editor: Tatyana Phelps Social Media Editor: Jordan Barela
about? He is a retired neurosurgeon. Wouldn’t he be better suited to discuss medicine or neurology in the College of Nursing? 2) Given that Dr. Carson regularly expresses his religiously based negative beliefs about the G/L/B/T/Q community, don’t his views violate VSU’s own “commitment” to not discriminate or encourage discrimination at VSU on the basis sexual orientation, as outlined in VSU’s mission statement, VSU’s nondiscrimination policy, and in VSU’s “Safe Space Training” for staff/faculty? 3) Given that VSU knows that Dr. Carson is a likely Republican 2016 Presidential candidate, with an active and well-funded Political Action Committee, and given countless GOP leaders have been personally invited to “network” with him, why was the MTP targeted for its “politi-
cal” activity? 4) As many have requested, why won’t Dr. McKinney simply commit to bring another nationally known and comparably compensated speaker, in addition to Dr. Carson, who might offer a scholarly informed, additional political perspective? To date, Dr. McKinney has refused to do that. In all, Dr. McKinney’s actions against the MTP and his dismissal of legitimate questions about the Carson event demonstrate he is no champion of free speech or dissent. Defending free speech and dissent comes with risks and at a price for those who do it. Thus far in his role as president, and as someone makes $340,000 annually, it is a risk and price Dr. McKinney has been unwilling to pay. Mark Patrick George PhD (VSU ‘89)
People Poll: What are your memories of September 11, 2001?
Alexis Tyler Sophomore Biology “...I just remember my teacher crying; a lot of teachers were just gathered together talking, but they weren’t really telling us what was happening.”
Evan Owen Freshman Undecided “...I didn’t understand it until I got home and my mom had just woken up for her night shift and was like ‘we need to go get gas right now,’ and I remember sitting in line at the gas station and getting as much gas as possible.”
Advertising Manger: Aimee Napier Graphic Designer: Mike Lagon Faculty Advisers: Dr. Pat Miller, Dr. Ted Geltner, Cindy Montgomery Reporters/Photographers: Lia Armistead, Mayah Cantave, Jessica Cooke, Kenzie Kesselring, LaShawn Oglesby, Marquez Slaughter, Kayla Stroud, Taymara Tait, Christopher Webb, Austin Wells, Kristin Whitman
Connor Wyatt Junior Political science “...We were in the third grade, we didn’t understand what was going on really, and we thought it was just an accident. Then the second plane hit the other tower, and it was like ‘What’s going on? Are we being attacked? What’s happening?’”
Contact Us
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
A great idea is to buy healthier food to cook for yourself, but how can you cook healthy food in a dorm room where you only have a microwave? Drinking water is easy and simple but that is not going to prevent college students from gaining the freshman, sophomore, junior or even senior 15. We need inexpensive, on-campus, easy solutions. To see healthy, easy alternatives, check out Hailey Nelson‘s solutions at www. vsuspectator.com
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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 11, 2014
Uber offers an alternative to cab fare ride makes it in time for the class that he or she is already Brittany Penland five minutes late for. Staff Writer Uber is a company that bdpenland@valdosta.edu allows customers the oppor Pulling up the Uber app on a smartphone is seemingly much easier than attempting to hail a cab during rush hour. Even in a town as sparsely populated as Valdosta, the taxis are few and far between. A commuter student would have to go through the mundane task of sifting through various cab services in search of the best available. Then after that, he or she would have to wait, hoping that his or her
tunity to take private rides from rental drivers throughout their local area. This service reaches an upward total of over 70 cities throughout the country today. Scheduling rides is as simple as a click of a button. The process is done by contacting the private driver through the free Uber phone app that is available on any mobile device. The San Francisco based rental company can be
described as similar to that of a taxi service. You request a pickup and a car is sent to your location. However, unlike a big, checkered yellow car that we automatically associate with taxis; an Uber vehicle could vary, dependent upon the driver. They use their own vehicle to transport you. Another big difference between Uber and taxi services is that Uber’s drivers are not licensed chauffeurs. Although drivers are screened and monitored, they are nothing more than random drivers who come after receiving a chime from their
phone indicating customers. The Uber drivers have to use their own personal auto insurance policy while driving for the company and they are not required to get commercial liability insurance. Also, with Uber, they strictly require that you make payments with credit cards. Taxi payment type generally depend on the particular service. Although Uber has its faults, it still appears to be the new “it” thing right now. The company continues to expand its routes. Who knows, maybe it’ll come to Valdosta one day.
Stars pay respects at Rivers’ Funeral We all know Joan Rivers is the old lady that makes rude comments about other celebrities, but she was a pioneer for women in comedy. Rivers passed away last week, while in a coma, which she fell into while undergoing a normal throat procedure. Rivers’ funeral was star studded and full of laughter, just as she would have wanted. Audra McDonald was one of the many stars to pay their respect to the late comedian, and she did so by singing “Smile” during the ceremony. Jonathan Koppenhaver, better known as War Machine, a mixed martial arts fighter was charged with attempted murder and sexual assault against his ex-girlfriend, Christy Mack. Mack, an adult film star, was sitting at her home with a friend, when Koppenhaver broke into her house unannounced. Koppenhaver saw that Mack was with another man and proceeded to attack them both. Mack and Koppenhaver were not together for several months. Koppenhaver will be held without bail and Mack has many surgical procedures lined up for her facial and oral injuries. On a lighter note, who is ready for the iPhone 6? Apple announced on Tuesday what the phone looks like and what it features. But consum-
8 ways to a more healthy lifestyle Hailey Nelson
Staff Writer hjnelson@valdosta.edu
Joan Rivers, the caustic comedian by berating her fellow celebrities, died last week at age 81. Many of those same celebrities turned out for her funeral.
ers will have to make a choice, the iPhone 6 or the 6 plus? The 6 screen is 4.7 inches long while the 6 plus is 5.5 inches long. That’s a big phone! Other than the phones being longer, they are also thinner, have a better display and are more powerful. New features include slo-mo and timelapse on video settings and you can now save all your debit or credit cards on the phone. You can get the iPhone 6 starting at $199. We all eat Chick-fil-a on campus, but did you know the founder Truett Cathy passed away? Cathy is known for being
the creator of the chicken sandwich. His empire makes more money annually than any other chicken-based chain, while being closed once a week. Over 4,000 people showed up to his funeral. Cathy died at the age of 93. Are you a legend? If not, you should pick up “Destiny,” the new game from Bungie, creators of “Halo”. Destiny is a first person shooter, but is in a category of its own. Instead of being a mass multi-player game, it is considered a shared world shooter. Players are constantly playing online but it doesn’t
gaming world hasn’t been the same. No one could have guessed the impact it would have on the lives of kids who have experienced its awesomeness. What made the Nintendo 64 so unique during its time was
N64 era were “Super Smash Bros,” “The Legend of Zelda” and “Golden Eye 007”. Each game had its own uniqueness when gamers would use the analog stick. In “Super Smash Bros”, the analog stick could move Mario closer so you could punch Sonic in the kisser. While playing “The Legend of Zelda”, it could be used to slice an opponent in half. Or in “Golden Eye 007,” it could be used to survive in a multiplayer match with a friend.I didn’t use this tool to my advantage. Regardless, I relived the console’s legacy and enjoyed the nostalgia.
Nintendo 64 takes gamers on trip down memory lane LaMarcus Wilkerson Staff Writer lkwilkerson@valdosta.edu
A short time ago, my friend and I rediscovered a hunk of plastic that brought us great joy during our childhood. Totally in awe of our discovery, we gently blew away the dust that covered the exterior of the device and plugged it into his TV so we could relive those blissful days. The little piece of heaven that we found under a pile of clothes was a Nintendo 64. Since 1996, when the Nintendo 64 was introduced, the
its controller. Gamers were allowed to mark their target accurately and strike with precision by using the analog stick it featured. Popular games during the
Stay tuned!
New features columns coming soon!
mean you’ll be playing with a lot of people at the same time. Chances are another player will just run past you while battling a bounty. “Destiny” is visually stunning and the most successful game launch ever that Activision has produced. IGN currently has no review for the game, but is working on a multiday review for it because the game is too massive to try to play and review in a day. Let’s be honest here though, who doesn’t want to play a game about saving our galaxy from evil darkness? For someone new to the first person shooter world, “Destiny” is easy to understand, smooth running and most rewarding game I’ve played.
1. Cut out sugary beverages Zero. Zip. That is how many nutrients and vitamins are in your soda. By switching up those daily cokes for water, you will begin to notice you’ll have a lot more energy and clearing of the skin. Try adding in some fruit that has natural sugars that are good for your body. 2. Portion control Not only does it help to lose weight, but it allows your body to consume the right amount of food to maintain your weight. Because of this, your body does not have to work as hard to digest large amounts of food and you can avoid that uncomfortable feeling following a meal. 3. Incorporate fiber For calorie counters, incorporating foods high in fiber is awesome because they are low in calories and give you the sensation of being full. Try shopping for whole grain cereals, fruits and vegetables to get a healthy dose of fiber in your diet. 4. Be active Staying active can help manage stress, weight and improve sleep. Go for a walk, run around campus or even switch out your car and ride your bike to school. Even the Student Recreation Center has
numerous amounts of group fitness classes such as yoga, Zumba and hip-hop to keep you motivated. 5.Supplementary vitamins If you find yourself not getting enough nutrients in your body, a daily multivitamin can help replace some of those nutrients. But keep in mind that a multivitamin can never take the place maintaining a healthy body weight. 6. Substitution Be careful not to replace boredom with binge eating. To avoid the temptations of continuous snacking; think back to being active. Even grabbing a friend to go hang out or walking your dog is more beneficial for the health of your body and mind. 7. Superfoods The name says it all! Superfoods are high in nutrients that contain vitamins and minerals your body needs. Try stocking up on all fruits and veggies, along with salmon and nuts to give you that extra boost of energy. 8. Cut back on the salt Chips, cookies and crackers all contain high amounts of sodium that your body does not need. Look for labels in the grocery store such as “low-sodium,” “no salt added” and “unsalted”. This alone with help with weight loss and your overall health.
VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 5
SEPTEMBER 11, 2014
D-2 championship rematch set for VSU, WSSU Chris Webb
Sports Writer ctwebb@valdosta.edu The VSU football team will play Winston-Salem State in an early season Top-25 matchup. No. 23 Valdosta State (1-0) will take on no. 12 Winston-Salem State (1-0) at 4 p.m. Saturday in the “Cobb County Clash” taking place at McEachern High School’s Cantrell Stadium in Powder Springs, Georgia. It was not too long ago that these two squads met each other in Florence, Alabama for the 2012 Division II National Championship game that saw the Blazers defeat the Rams 35-7 for their third National Championship in school history. Here we are a couple of years later and the two schools look ready to cross paths again. Both teams are coming off 28-point wins last week as VSU overpowered Albany State 38-10 while WSSU easily handled UNC-Pembroke 35-7. “The first thing we have to do is forget about last week,” Head Coach David Dean said about the matchup. “We need to concentrate on what we think is an even better football team coming off a big win. There is a reason why they are No. 12 in the nation.” The Blazers will have to plan for two quarterbacks this week as the Rams plan to split
snaps between seniors Rudy Johnson and Phillip Simms. The two went a combined 24-38 with 230 yards and a touchdown. Johnson also added 45 yards on the ground. “We have been imitating and game planning for both guys,” Dean said. “Depending on who’s in is how we will dictate how to attack them. We are going to be prepared for both of them.” The players seem confident in the work they have been putting in to prepare for Johnson and Simms leading up to Saturday’s game. “We really have been doing a good job getting ready for the both of them,” defensive end Tevin Davis said. “Our
“
We need to concentrate on what we think is an even better football team coming off a big win.
”
-David Dean
VSU head coach
scout quarterback has done a very good job of imitating what one guy does versus the other.” Davis along with the rest of the “Black Swarm” defense will look to build upon last week’s dominant performance and put pressure on the dangerous WSSU offense, run by former Wake Forest offensive coordinator, Steed Lobotzke, who joined the Rams this spring. Lobotzke and his quarterbacks will be trying to get the ball to receiver Marcel Caver, who exploded for 154 yards and a touchdown on 10 catches last week. On the offensive side of the ball, the Blazers will look to get running backs Cedric O’Neal and Austin Scott up and running full steam after the pair combined for just 88 yards in season opener. Scott did, however, add an eight-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, giving VSU a 24-0 lead at the time. Breaking out for a big game will be a tough task against a resilient WSSU defense. The Rams are led by defensive lineman and Alabama transfer Alfy Hill and only allowed 47 rushing yards last week. Despite this, the tandem remain confident in the matchup, as they know huge numbers are possible if everyone can work together and step up like the 2012 team did. O’Neal was able to lead the way for the Blazers that day, collecting 140 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.
Alex Tostado/THE SPECTATOR Justin Williams makes a tackle on Albany State quarterback Frank Rivers (No. 6). The Blazers will play WSSU Saturday in Powder Springs, Georgia.
“On film they still do the same schemes pretty much,” O’Neal said. “Everyone just needs to play as one, from our o-line and the blocking scheme, to the quarterbacks and wide receivers. If we do that I feel we will have a good game like last time.” Look for VSU’s offense to try and wear out the WinstonSalem defense with their depth at running back that includes not only O’Neal and Scott, but up-and-coming sophomore Nick Davis as well. Special teams may be the
NFL suspends Rice due to scandal Shane Thomas
Sports Writer shanethomas@valdosta.edu Video of former Baltimore Raven running back Ray Rice dragging his unconscious wife out of an Atlantic City, New Jersey elevator was good for a two-game suspension. The knockdown leading to the drag-out got him banned indefinitely. On Monday, the now-infamous video surfaced showing Rice knocking out his thenfiancée Janay Palmer in an elevator. In addition to the NFL swiftly suspending Rice, the
Ravens terminated Rice’s contract and Nike cut ties with Rice. How does seeing the full video change anything? Apparently, it changes everything. In July, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell elected to suspend Rice for two games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy following Rice’s arrest for domestic violence. In 2010 when Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was involved in sexual assault allegations on a 20-year-old college student, Roethlisberger was never
Cross country is optimistic about new season Marquez Slaughter
Sports Writer mjslaughter@valdosta.edu The men’s VSU crosscountry team is ready for its fresh start this season at the Fleet Feet Sports/Earl Jacoby Invitational Saturday in New Market, Alabama. This season, the team consists of eight freshman, two sophomores, a junior, a senior and a graduate student. Sophomore and second year team member Joshua Hall was a redshirt last year and is now able to join his teammates in this season’s races. “[The freshmen] came in prepared,” Hall said. “They took the summer training pretty seriously and that did them well because it showed on the first workout from day one... they are out there doing what they are supposed to.” Graduate student Casey Claborn has only run for VSU for two years, but he earned the first team All-Gulf South Conference last year. Senior Jesse Prince was VSU’s top runner in five of six races last year, finished in the top five in four races and also earned first team All-
GSC last year. Junior Nate Wondimu was VSU’s top finisher at the NCAA South Region meet and earned second team AllGSC last year. Freshman Reece Hickok said that the upperclassmen make running for VSU’s cross-country team comfortable because the upperclassmen push them and make them better runners. Hickok’s personal best times in high school were 16:47.94 in the 5K crosscountry and 2:04 in the 800-meter. “I’m kind of nervous about it but excited about it too,” Hickok said. “There are always a lot of emotions going in the first meet.” With the fresh legs of a big freshman class Hall is eager for the future of VSU crosscountry. “Hopefully we should be set for years to come,” Hall said. “Our first race is on Saturday, so we’ll find out whether or not the training has translated over to the races.” The first race will take place at Sharon Johnston Park and is hosted by the University of Alabama at Huntsville.
arrested or charged for any crime and the NFL was ready to suspend Roethlisberger for six games. After appealing, Roethlisberger was only banned for four games. Many are questioning the league’s suddenly more decisive stance on the Rice video, and with good reason. According to a report Wednesday by CNN, the NFL and the Baltimore Ravens never saw the full video of the incident until Monday. Since Rice was arrested for domestic violence in February, why did the NFL never obtain the video to do its own investigation?
The NFL developed a new domestic violence policy stating any offense would result in a six-game suspension. By their own premise, Rice should have had his suspension increased to six games. Not only did the NFL not increase the suspension, they contradicted themselves by suspending Rice indefinitely instead of the six games the policy calls for. The NFL prides itself in being the big dog, but all it’s doing is chasing its tail. Follow Shane on Twitter: @ItsaThomasThing
difference in this early season test for the Blazers. Look for Vincent Dallas to make some noise out there, as last weekend he showed he was over his nagging hamstring injury when he returned a kick 85 yards for a touchdown on his second touch. On the other side, WSSU allowed over 330 return yards last week. If they once again allow the return man to get in open space, especially one as dangerous as Dallas, it could spell trouble for the Rams, as field position will play a big
part in deciding this game’s winner. Students interested in attending this matchup can sign up for a free ticket and charter bus ride to the game in the Vice President for Student Affairs’ Office, located on the third floor of the Student Union. VSU is limited to only 200 student tickets, available on a first-come first-serve basis. Follow Chris on Twitter: @CTRSWebb
Sodoku Answer
7 4 6 5 1 9 2 3 8
8 5 1 2 3 4 6 9 7
9 3 2 8 7 6 4 5 1
6 2 3 9 8 7 1 4 5
1 7 9 4 6 5 8 2 3
5 8 4 3 2 1 9 7 6
4 6 5 7 9 8 3 1 2
3 1 7 6 4 2 5 8 9
2 9 8 1 5 3 7 6 4
PAGE 6 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM
SEPTEMBER 11, 2014
Volleyball is riding winning streak, still concerns Neil Frawley
Sports Writer ndfrawley@valdosta.edu
Lady Blazers have long road trip following a 3-0 start to the season, only drop two sets so far this year
The Good • The Blazers are 3-0 and have lost only two sets. • Kelsey Hedman was named one of this week’s Blazers of the Week. The senior outside hitter recorded 20 kills and a hitting percentage of 36.8 in 11 starts.
• Jessica Codato leads the team with 87 assists and also has 15 kills to add. • Transfer Lea Jaklen leads the team in kills per set at 3.18 percent and in total kills with 35.
• Although the Blazers are 3-0 and haven’t had to face a fifth set, coughing up a 24-16 lead against Albany State and a 15-6 lead against Columbus State are calls for concern. • The Blazers, although showing improvement in their service, have 16 serving errors with an average of 2.3 per set.
• After opening the season at home, the Blazers won’t play their next home game until Sept. 19, with long road trips to Cleveland, Tennessee; Rome, Georgia; and Pensacola, Florida between now and then. The 1,260 miles the team will travel is the longest the team will have travelled all season.
The Bad
Alex Tostado/THE SPECTATOR Senior Jessica Codato sets for a teammate during a sweep of Albany State last Saturday. VSU will play Lee University, Shorter University and West Florida.
Upcoming games for Lady Blazers
Fri. @ Lee University
Sat. @ Shorter University Tue. @ West Florida Fri. Sept. 19 vs. Union University Sat. Sept. 20 vs. Christian Brothers Fri. Sept. 26 @ North Alabama
The Ugly • Senior Krista Bradford, after sustaining a leg injury against Lynn University, did not play in the Blazers’ contest against CSU. Details on her condition remain
unknown. On a positive note, the team saw sophomore Natalia Campos return to action. Campos suffered an ankle injury during the preseason.
Alex Tostado/THE SPECTATOR VSU seniors Jenna Kirkwood (16) and Destiny Berry jump to block a shot in their win over Albany State. The Lady Blazers hit the road for their next three games.