The Spectator 04/16/2015

Volume 88 Issue 12

April 16, 2015

Police nab burgalry suspect near VSU

This Day In History Jackie Robinson breaks barrier On this day in 1947, Jackie Robinson, age 28, became the first African-American player in Major League Baseball when he stepped onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn to compete for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Tatyana Phelps

COPY EDITOR tnphelps@valdosta.edu

Source: History.com Bryce Whitford/ THE SPECTATOR

Weather

SGA presidential candidates face off in a debate Jamel Shorter

Today Scattered Thunderstorms

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Saturday Cloudy

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Chris Hellams (left) and David burdette (right), presidential candidates, address SGA during a debate April 15 in the Psychology Building. The candidates discussed their platforms and their visions as potential presidents for SGA.

STAFF WRITER jhshorter@valdosta.edu For the past week, the campus has been plastered with street signs, posters and yard signs advertising various candidates for the SGA elections, and on April 15 the candidates went head-to-head in a heated, two-hour debate in an attempt to win over students right before the SGA elections.

Elections take place April 16-17, and students can vote through Campus Connect.

The debate, which took place in the Psychology Building, featured the student body sharing their concerns and the presidential and vice-

presidential candidates giving their visions for making VSU better.

The format for the debate was standard. Each debate started with a four-minute opening statement, followed by four questions; each candidate had the opportunity to respond for two minutes, then a two-minute cross-examination followed, and a one-minute rebuttal came after that.

Then, each candidate received the opportunity to ask an opposing question, followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer portion featuring the audience. The debate ended with a threeminute closing statement from each side.

The candidates made it obvious that the student body

Another year, another raise Cole Edwards

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR csedwards@valdosta.edu VSU students might be soon feeling a little pinch in the pocketbook, but they should be happy they don’t go to UGA. VSU is facing a 2.5 percent increase in tuition for the fall semester after the University System of Georgia’s board approved on April 14 a tuition rise for 30 of the state’s colleges and universities.

Fortunately, VSU falls on the lower end of the spectrum, as schools like Georgia Tech and UGA see the biggest increase at 9 percent.

VSU will see a $4.27 per credit hour increase for Fall 2015, while out-of-state tuition will go up $15 per credit hour for students who have up to 15 hours.

Overall tuition for in-state students will now be $2,613 per semester, while the out-ofstate rate will be $9,222.

:

would take priority in all decisions they would make if elected.

There are two campaigns that have dominated the election for SGA’s executive board. “The Golden Ticket” features David Burdette for president, Colleen Kavanaugh for vice president and Jarius Leavy for secretary. The other ticket, “A Force for Change,” features Christopher Hellams for president, Matthew Cowan for vice president and Sequoia Kirby for comptroller.

The Golden Ticket has the platform of “Innovation, Operation and Elevation,” and the slogan of “Envision the Future by the Power of the Past.”

Kennedi Thompson, sophomore exercise physiology

major, is a fan of Burdette’s campaign.

“I believe David Burdette will win president because I like what his platform is based on, and I also see that he is a real people person,” Thompson said.

The platform for A Force for Change is “Community, Security and Blazer Pride,” and their slogan is “F.O.R.C.E: Fostering Opportunities Relationships Change and Equality.”

At the debate, Hellams shared his ideas regarding campus security.

“If we make students feel safe at VSU and make them feel like they are apart of the community…it will be a better place for everyone,” Hellams said.

A suspect was apprehended shortly after burglarizing a house near VSU’s campus late in the evening on April 14, according to police reports.

The incident was the latest in a string of crimes reported in and around VSU this semester.

According to police, at approximately 10 p.m. on April 14, a robbery was reported at a house on Brookwood Circle, located right across from Drexel Park.

An individual was seen leaving the area shortly after the incident was reported and was stopped by VSUPD. Some of the stolen property was recovered from the suspect.

The name of the suspect has not yet been released, nor have any other details on the story. According to VSUPD, the robbery is now being handled by the Valdosta Police Department. The VPD could not immediately be reached for comment.

This is the second burglary/ robbery incident to take place within the last week.

A 51-year-old male robbed two high school students and one VSU student by intimidation on April 7, after leaving a soccer game at BazemoreHyder Stadium “When he fled the scene, a Valdosta city police officer saw him and he was apprehended and charged with three counts of robbery,” Major Ann Farmer, assistant director of VSUPD, said.

State-wide tuition increases for 30 colleges scheduled for 2015-2016 academic year

Tuition for full-time, instate graduate students will increase $85 per semester, while out-of-state tuition for full-time grad students will increase $306 per semester.

VSU students will also be seeing increased fee rates, including a slight rise in the activity and athletic fees per semester as well as a $15 increase in transportation, bringing it up to $35 per semester.

The capital budget also revealed a $3.5 million budget for the upcoming renovation of Pound Hall.

On campus Wednesday evening, VSU students were abuzz over the news of the tuition increase.

“I feel like if they’re going to increase tuition, then we should get more perks,” Ben Westberry, senior business management major, said.

“It’s ridiculous the amount of money we pay, and (we) still can’t get free parking on campus.”

Kayla Stroud/ THE SPECTATOR

30 colleges around the state of Georgia will experience tuition increases in the upcoming year. The tuition increases will vary by institution.

“Honestly, it doesn’t affect me personally, it just affects my parents, but I mean, increase of tuition isn’t very good in general,” Danielle Dillavou, junior deaf education major, said.

System officials stated that

higher increases at institutions are due to higher expenses.

In years past, state funding covered most of the system’s cost, with tuition funding only 25 percent.

However, state funding cuts over the past few years have

led to tuition covering more expenses, which has moved the ratio to around a 50-50 contribution with state funds.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Board of Regents has approved a 2.5 percent rate for most colleges.

Check out Retrospec

Inside This Issue

On the Web

- OPINIONS: When it comes to crime, it’s better to know

See page 4

- SPORTS: Blazer tennis hope to wash away Tigers

Check out our videos and other multimedia on the web!

- FEATURES: Indie horror film delivers

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Upcoming Events Science Saturday April 18 9 a.m.- 12 p.m.

Bailey Science Center

APRIL 16, 2015

ONLINE CLASSES Do students benefit more from online

Check out our new and improved website: www.vsuspectator.com

or traditional classes?

The College of Arts and Sciences and Department of Biology at VSU present Science Saturday: You Are What You Eat. A Fun Night of Opera April 23, 2015 Hors d’oeuvres at 7 p.m.

Show begins at 7:30 p.m.

Covington’s VSU Opera will perform excerpts from Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta The Gondoliers. This is an entertaining fundraiser for VSU’s Opera Department.

Police Briefs April 15 A student reported her vehicle was broken into.

April 14 A burglary occurred on Brookwood Circle at approximately 10 p.m. The suspect was apprehended near the scene within minutes of the report.

A student’s car was broken into on campus and three items were stolen.

A student’s wallet was stolen in Georgia Hall around midnight.

April 13 A Lowndes Hall resident reported having items stolen from his room.

April 10 A 17-year-old male was arrested and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

A 23-year-old male was arrested and charged with driving on a suspended license.

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 following 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 ANSWER ON PAGE 5

· · ·

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Although many students prefer the freedom and flexibility of online classes, traditional classes offer certain aspects that online classes don’t.

Tatyana Phelps

Copy Editor tnphelps@valdosta.edu Online classes are now a substantial part of the course lineup for most colleges, and VSU is no exception.

As a result, students have one more question to consider when choosing a schedule: online or traditional?

According to SkilledUp, some of the major advantages of online classes include sav­ ing money, less or no com­ muting and flexibility, which allows students to learn what they want, when they want and how they want.

Over the summer, especial­ ly, online classes give students who are not on campus the opportunity to take courses while away from school.

Susan LaPlant, VSU English professor, has some experience teaching in the classroom and online.

“Traditional classes offer a strong community of learners, since students get to know each other and their instruc­ tor face-to-face rather than through written online discus­ sion, which can be more for­ mal and less spontaneous than a class discussion,” LaPlant said.

Oftentimes, hybrid classes serve as a “happy-medium” between an online course and a traditional course, according

to LaPlant, who teaches hy­ brid courses every semester.

“Hybrid classes have the advantage of being partly online and partly face-to-face, so students get the advantages of both,” LaPlant said. “For the online work, students are required to be active rather than passive learners, so that helps them learn the material better.

“I think students tend to ask me more questions and are more likely to ask me for help in a traditional classroom compared to a hybrid, and I suspect that's because they feel like they know me bet­ ter,” LaPlant said.

Although there are some advantages of online classes, LaPlant said they also fall short in some aspects.

“One con of online classes is that students have to be willing to do a certain amount of teaching themselves and being independent learners since they won't always have the same level of lecture or discussion that might occur in a traditional class,” LaPlant said. “In an online course, students can't just sit in class and ‘tune out’ because they have to actively engage the material in order to complete the online assignments.

“Students who tend to pro­ crastinate or who are not good at setting deadlines for them­ selves may struggle more in

The Spectator is getting a new look!

Check out a new version of The Spectator on April 23 to get a glimpse of what the paper will look like for the 2015-2016 school year!

an online class because there are often more assignments to submit than in a traditional class. On the other hand, stu­ dents who enjoy learning on their own and are good with spacing out a large workload may thrive in an online class,” LaPlant said.

Taylor Grant, junior finance major, feels that one of the biggest benefits of online classes is the flexibility.

“One of the pros of taking online classes is the flexibil­ ity,” Grant said. “If you are a student with a busy schedule, taking an online class might ease the stress of having to follow an attendance policy.

On the other hand, you have to be really disciplined to remember to do work without having someone to remind you of upcoming deadlines.”

Although many students prefer taking online classes versus traditional classes because of convenience and flexibility, Grant prefers tradi­ tional classes because of the personal interaction.

This upcoming summer, VSU is offering 39 online courses.

To ensure that students are prepared and capable of taking an online course, VSU requires that students take an eCore Introduction Quiz be­ fore registering for an online or hybrid course.

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Ready for Hillary

Our point of view...

Kenzie Kesselring

ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR klkesselring@valdosta.edu

Photo Illustration by Stella Henderson/THE SPECTATOR

When it comes to crime, it’s better to know Lately, crime alert emails are as routine as the weekly student activity news.

Starting at the end of February, an alarming number of robberies have been reported, resulting in a series of alerts from VSU. While one was allegedly false and others were determined to occur near university property, this string of robberies has instilled fear in our campus and community.

We at The Spectator have covered this topic exhaustively. Our job is to report the news objectively, to make sure the student body is informed.

With the recent crime alerts, students have the right to be afraid that the campus might not be safe to set foot on.

While these crimes are not in the same echelon as the tragic 2012 murder of Jasmine Benjamin or the 2013 stabbing of Antonie Bray, they still raise the stress level of the VSU populace.

But VSU students should not be afraid when walking out of the dorms, library or anywhere else on campus.

While the email alerts have been numerous lately, there are reasons: it seems the VSUPD is doing a better job at reporting these crimes. To know about crime, you

have to be informed. Even with the robberies that are not related or threatening to VSU, students and faculty are getting alerted.

Does the sudden influx of alerts suggest that the crime rates at VSU are increasing, or that simply more crimes are being effectively reported and students are effectively warned?

Crime is a frightful thing. However, students and faculty should not exaggerate that fear.

Instead of focusing on the fear, VSU needs to move forward and focus on how to make the campus safer.

Be mindful when walking through campus at night; walk with a group. In case of emergency, utilize the yellow emergency stations or contact VSUPD. We have heard these safety tips time and time again, but instead of listening, it is time to employ them.

Crime can happen anywhere. The fear of crime is understandable. However, working to prevent crime is the direction VSU needs to go toward. The alerts are not meant to instill fear; they are meant to inform.

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

Employees’ mental illnesses need attention and solutions Jyrell Wynn

STAFF WRITER jdwynn@valdosta.edu Mental health is an issue that should not limit job opportunities, but more opportunities should be provided to help those struggling mentally.

Mental health has become a major issue since the case of Andreas Lubitz, a pilot who crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 into the French Alps.

The airline and his Lufthansa flight training school knew Lubitz suffered from some depression, according to CNN. Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, knew Lubitz’s inner struggle, but still allowed him to train and pilot his plane. There is still much speculation about the reason why he decided to crash the plane, but the state of mental health in our society has become transparent.

According to Mental Health Government, mental health problems are very common, since one in 20 Americans live with serious mental ill-

MCT Campus

nesses, such as schizophrenia or major depression.

Mental health is a constant battle that lasts a lifetime in the mind of every individual who suffers. Taking jobs away will only cause worse problems with those individuals struggling with depression and other serious issues.

Many people think the solution is keeping distressed individuals away from others, but support, especially through providing jobs, is more important than ever. It will give many people hope and strength as they deal with their personal problems in life.

Employment means people can care for the things that matter in life, such as friends and family, which causes ease and happiness in their lives.

Vacation is the second part to solving the issue because it allows the opportunity for people to talk to others about the problems they’re facing in life.

Employment and vacation are the answers to lowering mental health issues in our workplace because those options support caring for others and communicating with those who have their best interests at heart.

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I’m ready for Hillary, but is the rest of America?

Following Sunday’s exciting but less than shocking announcement about Hillary Clinton’s run for the White House in 2016, many Americans are left looking for more information about Clinton.

Clinton graduated from Wellesley College in 1969 before going on to Yale Law School and graduating in 1973. Yale is where she met husband and former President, Bill Clinton. The two began working on their individual careers in politics from there and have had tremendous success.

Clinton has collected many accolades over her career including being placed in the top 100 of the most influential lawyers in 1988 and 1991 by the National Law Journal.

Clinton won a seat in the

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U.S Senate in 2000 and was elected for a second term in 2006. In 2009 Clinton was given the position of Secretary of State by President Barrack Obama and was so until her resignation in 2013.

Most people know Clinton as a former First Lady and Secretary of State, but these titles are not what Clinton wants overshadowing her campaign over the next year.

Clinton’s campaign video released via social media Sunday morning highlights her desire to empower middle and lower class American

families.

“When families are strong, America is strong,” Clinton said in the video.

The video features families that are different from the stereotypical “all-American families.” There is a samesex couple, an immigrant appearing to start a business, a young African-American couple and a single mother.

Hillary Clinton is the woman America needs. She is intelligent, has experience in politics and cares about human rights.

It is time for America to have a female president who cares about the social issues that are holding this country back. Clinton will carry on and improve what President Obama began doing to help middle and lower class Americans do better than their families ever thought they could.

Hillary is ready for the White House, and hopefully America is ready to put her there.

Much remains unsaid since the slaughter at Charlie Hebdo EDWARD WASSERMAN MCT CAMPUS

I was shocked and disgusted by the Charlie Hebdo killings in a way that I hadn’t been by the other atrocities of the post-9/11 terror. That’s because I got to know the tabloid weekly when I was young, a student in Paris. I used to read it because the cartoons were cool, its language was the patois I wanted to learn, and its sensibility the same anarchic and tasteless post-’68 blasphemy that inspired the counterculture that was roaring to life back home.

Hearing about the Jan. 7 slaughter was like finding out that somebody assassinated Don Martin, the late Mad magazine cartoonist, or Robert Crumb, the Leonardo of

the U.S. underground press.

Charlie Hebdo? Who on earth would kill those guys? Has the world truly gone nuts?

Journalism advocates moved quickly to claim the killings as further evidence of the lethal danger that reporters face, and were eager to add the murders to the dismal tally of news correspondents killed, jailed, tortured, beheaded. But it’s not a good fit.

Unless they’re held as a target of opportunity for ransom that’s refused, journalists are killed for cause. They die by a chill, utilitarian logic, which was absent here. Reporters are in the business of exposing realities someone wants concealed, and if that someone is armed and angry, the journalist dies.

The Charlie team wasn’t exposing anything; they were

hurling insults and poking fun. To me, that makes their slaughter disturbing for altogether different reasons. It represented an attempt to reshape French popular culture by redefining the boundaries of permissible social commentary, which for centuries has cherished a lusty strain of mean-spirited, profane, often outrageous, generally defamatory, abuse and derision.

The idea that the slaughter of Charlie’s staff is in some bizarre sense a comment on the perils of free speech is so appallingly offensive it makes me splutter. It suggests that the satirists asked for it, and it vindicates the whole purpose of the horrific attack: To redraw the boundaries of allowable commentary so as to put what the killers revere off-limits.

People Poll:

What do you think of the 2.5 percent tuition increase?

Eugene Hardimon Freshman Engineering

Jada Dukes Journalism Freshman

Zane Whittaker Biology Freshman

“If it’s more in terms of the “I guess it’s not that bad.” campus funding and being able to do more around campus to improve it for us, then I understand, but if it’s to increase pay or something not as necessarily important, I don’t feel as favorable because tuition is already enough.”

“I come from a middle-class family, and tuition is already expensive, and if it’s definitely going up, that’s going to hurt a lot of people that are going here.”

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PAGE 4 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM

APRIL 16, 2015

Waka waka waka:

Namco heavyweight still going strong after 3 decades John Preer college life editor jhpreer@valdosta.edu

If you’re old enough to recall a time before video games, you may remember when the arcade gaming system arrived on the scene. Along with this “new” entertainment system, a slew of game titles were made available in arcades across the country.

Perhaps the most memorable game titles were the “Pac-man” games.

Having been released in 1980, “Pac-man” was a fairly simple, at the time advanced, maze- style game where the player controlled the round yellow protagonist. The objective of the game was to collect all of the white “Pac-dots” on the screen

R E T R O S P E C Zenobia Harris/ THE SPECTATOR

while avoiding a group of ghastly nemeses. Each of the little ghost characters had nicknames. The red ghost was Blinky, the blue ghost was Inky, the pink ghost was Pinky, and the orange ghost was Clyde.

These ghosts would chase Pac-man around the maze as he tried to collect all of the dots. However, the player had a chance to turn the tables on the ghosts. If Pac-man consumed one of the four large dots on the map, the ghosts would turn blue for a short time. During this period of time, Pac-man could eat the ghosts and temporarily remove them from the map.

In addition to eating dots and ghosts to gain points, Pac-man could also chase down pieces of fruit that showed up from time to time. If enough of these fruits and dots were collected,

the player could gain an extra life to keep the fun going. As players advanced through the levels, the mazes became more complex, and the ghosts got a little more cunning.

After the initial success of the game, Namco released a slew of other “Pac-man” titles, including “Ms. Pac-man,” “Super Pac-man” and “Jr. Pac-man.”

Over the years, “Pac-man” has moved from the dark arcade to well-lit living rooms. The game’s home console debut was in 1982 and was released on the Atari 2600. Since then, there have been dozens of “Pac-man” titles with varying styles of gameplay. The little yellow ball has gone from two dimensional mazes to full-fledged three dimensional maps.

The “Pac-man” series has become a fan favorite with a cult following.

SOS boxer briefs save the day with condom pocket underwear Zenobia Harris

Asst. Colege Life Editor znharris@valdosta.edu A new brand of underwear, SOS Boxer Briefs, is taking protection to a new level with its condom pocket underwear. This underwear ensures that its customers are always comfortable while combatting dangerous sex practices.

The SOS Boxer Brief line by Bernard Buie was designed to aid in the fight against STDs, unprotected sex and unwanted pregnancies. Buie’s clothing line has partnered with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Georgia Department of Health and several other organizations to bring awareness about these issues to the public. The limited edition “Lifesaver Boxer Brief” features a condom pocket with a life preserver logo, and each pair of underwear comes with a condom in the pocket.

Surprisingly, the SOS underwear line isn’t the only company to incorporate condom pockets in their boxers. There are many different companies, including Baskit by Billy Boy Condom Company; Tush Skivvies, which includes a design of underwear with a sperm-patterned print; and Jimmy Valentine boxer line, among others. There are brands like SOS that mostly target sexually active, younger males, while other brands even offer their underwear to women.

Besides wanting to provide both comfort and protection for its customers, most of these

companies, including SOS, use their brand as platforms to raise awareness about unprotected sex and to promote healthy lifestyle choices.

According to a study done by Stanford University’s Sexual Health Peer Resource Center, one in four college students has an STD. Based on the National College Health Survey, 54 percent of college students use condoms, but not everyone practices safe sex all the time. While the rate of teen pregnancies in America has decreased over the years, more than 273,000 babies were born in 2013 to teen mothers ages 15-19, according to a study done by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Another CDC study shows that half of all sexually active young people will contract an STD by the time they are 25, and most won’t know that they have it.

The “Lifesaver” boxer briefs may prove to be a good investment for people who like designer underwear and a convenient place to keep their condoms, but each pair can range in cost between $25 - 40, depending on the company. That’s quite a hefty SOS Boxer Briefs price for one pair of underwear.

Still, SOS Boxer Briefs, Baskit, Tush Skivvies and other condom pocket underwear brands all stand for one great cause — promoting safe sex practices. Companies such as Baskit and SOS even use their funds to create and endorse healthy living programs in the community. There are lots of companies catching on to this new trend and creating new ways to encourage consumers to make healthy choices and be safe.

The Spectator is getting a face lift; check out the new and improved version of the Spectator in the April 23 issue.

Indie horror film delivers Alex Corbitt

Staff Writer acorbitt@valdosta.edu Horror movies today are full of jump- scares with obvious plot twists that are predicted halfway through the movie. “It Follows”, however, does something I haven’t seen in a horror movie in a long time: create atmosphere.

The story is somewhat weird and original, where the main protagonist has her first sexual experience, only to find out that the boy she was with was being attacked by an unknown creature. Somehow, this creature is transferred through sex, and unless you give it to another person through sex, it will follow you and kill you. As odd as the concept for this sounds, it actually was done pretty well. The monster takes many different shapes and forms

and can only be seen by the main protagonist, making any area or place that she’s in a possibly dangerous situation with no one able to help her.

The idea of this alone makes you feel weak and helpless, as well as the idea that the only way to get rid of this creature is to cause someone else to deal with the same amount of torture. Overall, the movie’s

Animal Kingdom

weird plot and heavy atmosphere create a good mix in horror that hasn’t been seen in cinema in a long time. I would say this movie does a lot right, but at the same time you have to hold back your suspension of disbelief. “It Follows” gets a seven out of 10, something worth watching at least once.

APRIL 16, 2015

VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 5

Blazer tennis hopes to wash away Tigers

Men’s tennis team to play the last match of regular season against rivals Kristin Whitman

Sports editor krwhitman@valdosta.edu After the rain canceled the April 15 matches against the Georgia Southwestern Hurricanes, Blazer men’s tennis look to repeat the last match up against Gulf South Conference rivals, The University of West Alabama Tigers.

The Blazers and the Tigers match up today at the Ralph “Skeeter” Carson Tennis Complex at noon to finish up the regular season. This match will take the teams into the 2015 GSC tournaments which start on Friday at Lagoon Park and O’Connor Tennis Center in Montgomery, Alabama.

If VSU wins today’s matches, the Blazers wrap up the No. 2 seed, while UWA settles for the No. 4 spot, but if the Tigers prevail, they enter at No. 2 and VSU goes to No. 3.

VSU heads into the match up with a 7-1 conference record, just ahead of UWA, which stands at 6-2 in conference play.

The Blazers were the comeback kids in the 2014 season against UWA. The team was knocked out of the bid for the 2014 Gulf South Conference title after losing to the Tigers 5-2, but the Blazers entered the GSC Tournament ranked at No. 5 in the NCAA South Regional rankings, and were given a chance for another go with UWA. At the next meeting, the Blazers burned their way back into Tiger territory as they took the W,5-2 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

West Alabama, which ended its season with a 23-3 record, jumped out to an early lead as it won two of the three doubles points.

The teams continued to battle back and forth until Niklas Hebring put VSU on the verge of victory with a 6-3, 6-3 win over the Tigers’ Kike Ruiz at No. 5, while Gereon Heitmann closed out the victory with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Adam Drysdale at No. 3.

This win advanced VSU into the second round of the tournament to face the University of West Florida and benched UWA for the 2014 season.

The contest will serve off at noon at VSU’s tennis courts with a battle by VSU to keep the leading conference record against UWA.

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Kristin Whitman/THESPECTATOR

Junior Nikalas Herbring rallies back with a forehand against Columbus State Univeristy on April 8. CSU took the win over the Blazers. Blazer tennis go into their last game of the regular season with a conference record of 7-1 and overall 12-6. These records place the Blazers in second in the GSC.

Softball pitcher Calhoun gets recognized, wants more for team Lia Armistead

Assistant Sports editor jparmistead@valdosta.edu VSU softball pitcher Caitlyn Calhoun appreciates all the attention she is getting from the season but wants everyone to recognize the team for all they have done.

After receiving three National Pitcher of the Week awards this season, and multiple Gulf South Conference Pitcher of the Week awards, Calhoun has continued her progress towards her goal of winning a national championship.

Calhoun has finished five consecutive games with no hits from the opposing teams.

The junior education major has been getting an astounding amount of recognition from the Valdosta community and the softball community within the state and the nation.

Although Calhoun is appreciating all the support, the pressure of earning the national title is building up for her and the team.

“I don’t like that everyone is expecting so much,” Calhoun said. “I just like to go out there and play,

Attention: Tryouts Blazer Cheerleading April 18 in P.E Complex 9 a.m.-3 p.m. CONTACT: Arial Harmen for info Red Hot Dance April 18 at Winnersville Elite 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. CONTACT: Kelli Fields for info

but everyone keeps saying ‘you’re Pitcher of the Week, you’re doing so good,’ and it puts a lot on me.”

This season, the Lady Blazers had a 24-game winning streak, even with Courtney Allbritton, a major player for the team, on the sidelines due to an injury that has had her out for at least four weeks.

Five of those 24 winning games ended up being nohitters for Calhoun, causing recognition for her pitching to come her way, amazing her that she would ever get that much attention.

“It’s not just me,” Calhoun said. “I can only do so much without my team helping me out, so it should be more than just me, it should be the team getting recognized.”

The team is now on a seven-game winning streak and No. 1 in the GSC. The Blazers took two big wins over Albany State in a doubleheader April 14, 8-0 and 19-3.

The softball team will continue working toward their national title on Saturday against Lee University.

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APRIL 16, 2015

Blazers prepare to put out the Flames Kristin Whitman

Sports editor krwhitman@valdosta.edu Fire will erupt when the Blazers and the Flames step onto the diamond.

No. 1 in Gulf South Conference, VSU softball prepares to match up with No. 5 Lee University on Saturday April 18 for a doubleheader and again Sunday on April 19.

VSU will hit the road for the first pitch to be thrown at 2 p.m. in Cleveland, Tennessee, at the Stanley Butler Softball Field.

In the 2014 season, the two teams were unable to match up due to rain cancellation, but the Blazers went on to

win their sixth consecutive GSC title.

This will be the first time that the Blazers and the Flames will match up, since LU is new to the GSC. Lee did not have a softball program until the 2012-2013 season when the team played in the Southern States Athletic Conference before moving to the GSC in 2014.

The Blazers go into the games on Saturday with a 23-3 conference record and a 44-4 overall for the season.

The Flames head into battle with a 16-10 conference record and a 28-16 overall.

The four losing games for the Blazers have been at away games, whereas the Flames

have lost a total of five games at home this season.

The Blazers go into this weekend on a seven-game winning streak, while the Flames head out to the diamond on a two-game losing streak.

After this weekend’s events, the Blazers will take on Mississippi College for the final games of the regular season at Steel’s Diamond Field for a three-game series starting on April 25 at 1 p.m.

After the regular season ends, the top six ranked teams will go on to the GSC tournament which start on April 30.

Kristin Whitman/THESPECTATOR

Freshman third baseman Taylor Hartenbach tags the base to get a runner out and throws to second for double play against University of West Georgia April 11. Softball stands at No. 1 in the GSC.

Blazers take two of three games against University of West Georgia

Kristin Whitman/THESPECTATOR

Senior Jayk Graham, No. 11, stretches to make a catch against the University of West Georgia. The Blazers took the series two out of three, winning 7-2 in game one on April 10, and 3-2 on April 11. UWG took game two on Saturday with a close victory 8-7. Blazer baseball stands at a 15-10 record in conference play.