April 9, 2015
This Day In History Robert E. Lee surrenders On this day in 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered. Lee and 28,000 soliders surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, ending the Civil War. Source: History.com
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Volume 88 Issue 11
Interim president named McKinney resigns, effective July 1; students express grief over resignation.
New interim president announced, will start term once McKinney steps down Cole Edwards
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR csedwards@valdosta.edu A week after the surprise resignation of Dr. William McKinney, the Board of Regents has tapped a five-term Republican Georgia senator to take over the helm of VSU for the foreseeable future. University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby announced in a press release released late Wednesday afternoon that Dr. Cecil Staton would take over as VSU’s interim president after Dr. McKinney steps down on July 1. “Cecil has an extensive academic background in higher education combined with solid experience in leading a business operation that makes him uniquely qualified to provide leadership at Valdosta State during this important period,” Huckaby said in the press release. “We are fortunate to have someone of Cecil’s caliber in the University System who can step in and ensure Valdosta State continues to move forward.” A graduate of Oxford, Dr. Staton currently serves as the vice chancellor for extended education for the USG. Despite the announcement, Dr. Staton said he did not wish to discuss his interim position just yet.
Jamel Shorter
STAFF WRITER jhshorter@valdosta.edu
Photo courtesy of Valdosta Daily Times
Dr. Cecil Staton has been appointed as VSU’s interim president. Dr. Staton served on the Georgia Senate, among other occupations.
“This is hot off the press, and before I could start doing media things, I’m going to have to get through a few meetings and make sure I’ve got my ducks in a row,” Dr. Staton said. According to Huckabee, there is no set time period for selecting a permanent president. However, the appointment does put a twist on a tumultuous period at VSU where controversy has swirled. In a letter sent out last Thursday afternoon announcing his resignation, Dr. McKinney did not give reasons for his departure, but chose instead to focus on the improvements that were made at VSU during his time as president. “By every reasonable metric, Valdosta State is a university on the rise,” Dr. McKinney said in the letter. “Together we have set a course for VSU that, in many ways, helps to secure its future.”
A series of disputes during the course of this school year led to the faculty senate discussing a no-confidence vote on Dr. McKinney shortly before his resignation. Dr. Michael Noll, faculty senate president, said he did not see McKinney’s resignation coming. “While the recent report of the faculty senate executive committee highlighted a number of issues we have to address at VSU, I was not expecting this,” Dr. Noll said The new interim president has many years of experience in higher education. Dr. Staton has held the positions of associate provost, associate professor and university publisher at Mercer University in Macon. Prior to his work at Mercer, he was an assistant professor at Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia. Dr. Staton also founded and leads three communication companies.
At SGA’s April 6 meeting, President William McKinney’s resignation was the dominant topic of discussion, and many senators expressed their sadness at his planned departure. “I don’t want him to leave, because he can really have a high impact on the future of the institution,” Senator Nydrah Wright said. “I think he is a great president, and (he) needs to stay to ensure the growth of VSU.” SGA President Barker directed inquisitive senators to Dr. McKinney’s letter that detailed his resignation, although it does not explicitly Dr. McKinney’s reason for leaving. “Presidents’ jobs are simply to leave our institutions better than when we arrived, and I believe that I have done just that,” Dr. McKinney said in the letter. “It is time for a new leader to take Valdosta State into the future, upon the strong foundation we have built. Dr. McKinney goes on to list VSU’s accomplishments during his three-year presidency, including the launch of a $53 million fundraising campaign, the construction of the Health Sciences and Business Administration
“
I don’t want him to leave, because he can really have a high impact on the future of the institution.
”
-Senator Nydrah Wright Building, the creation of the Student Success Center, and the increase of faculty and staff salaries for two consecutive years. Barker explained that once Dr. McKinney leaves office on July 1, the interim president, Dr. Cecil Staton, will take over while the Board of Regents searches nationally for a permanent president. Barker said interim presidents normally serve for one year. Multiple SGA senators also asked questions regarding the sudden resignation of former Chief of Staff Kimberly Luse. Dr. Luse resigned on March 23, just after an incident with police where Dr. Luse appeared intoxicated on the Front Lawn, according to police reports. Only a week and a half later, Dr. McKinney announced his resignation in a letter to faculty, staff and students.
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As this timeline shows, VSU has had five presidents in the past seven years.
SGA prepares for April elections Students will vote for new president, vice president, comptroller and secretary Tatyana Phelps
COPY EDITOR tnphelps@valdosta.edu SGA elections are approaching and students can prepare to vote on April 16 at 12:01 a.m. The open positions for the election are president, vice president, comptroller and secretary. There are also 40 senate seats up for election. Students can attend the SGA’s executive branch debate in the Student Union Theater at 7 p.m. on April 15 to get
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informed on the candidates’ thoughts and plans. Results will be announced on April 20 at 6 p.m. SGA President Tyler Barker stresses the importance of student participation in the elections. “It is important for students to participate in the SGA elections due to every students’ opinion and voice being of great importance in terms of their experience at VSU,” Barker said. “It is also important because the SGA officers and senators are elected officials entrusted by the student
body to serve as the liaison between the student body and VSU Administration. “As a student, you want SGA officials that you can trust to make the best recom-
Inside This Issue - OPINIONS: Wanted: A forthcoming leader with an open door - FEATURES: New style of gameplay for “FPS” fans - SPORTS: Blazers seek revenge against UWG
mendations on behalf of the student body, and fulfill their duties and responsibilities to the best of their ability,” Barker said. Campaigning is in full swing, as many candidates have started promoting themselves for this year’s elections. As of right now, candidates are only allowed to passive campaign, which is defined as “non-verbal, non-physical activities that attempt to persuade voters toward a certain cause or candidate in the SGA election.” This includes social media invitations, signs and
flyers. Among these candidates is sophomore Maya Mapp, who is running for a senate seat for the second consecutive year. “(I’ve been) making flyers and asking if others would post them on their social media sites,” Mapp said. “I just want to get my name out there in a positive manner and make sure the students know that I care. Being an SGA senator is not about me; it’s about being that liaison between the faculty leadership and students, and bettering our community.”
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APRIL 9, 2015
Upcoming Events International Tabletop Day April 11 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. Odum Library Third Floor
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
· · ·
Come and celebrate tabletop gaming with the rest of the world! Drinks, pizza, snacks and games will be provided, but attendees are encouraged to bring their personal favorites as well. This event is open to all ages and families. For more information, visit tabletopday.com
Police Briefs April 7 A 21-year-old male was stopped at the intersection of Baytree Road and Boone Drive. He was arrested and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana and a tag light violation.
April 6 A 19-year-old male was stopped on Ashley Street, arrested and charged with too fast for conditions and suspended license. A student reported money was stolen from her in West Hall.
April 2 A 22-year-old male was stopped at the intersection of Oak Street and Baytree Road. He was arrested and charged with DUI and failure to maintain lane.
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MyVSU gets makeover Erin Martin
Staff Writer erimartin@valdosta.edu Recently, when students logged onto Blazeview or their VSU email account, they were met with something completely new: a fresh, more involved design for MyVSU. Since December of last year, VSU’s creative services has been brainstorming and working to create a new de sign for VSU’s personal portal for students and faculty. The more visual MyVSU page includes a Photo of the Day and a customized animated background of the weather for each day. Being able to go through and customize your modules list is also a new upgrade to the MyVSU page, along
with the single sign-on for checking your email, Banner, Atomic Learning, and every thing else VSU related. “We wanted to make it more useful, we want people to use it, and for it to be as functional as possible,” Gary Kuhlman, VSU’s webmaster, said. Keith Warburg, VSU’s social media and web content manager, said that students’ help with widgets and feature ideas helped evolve the con tent even more. “We’ve added things like news modules, a calendar of events, and each student can see and contact their advisor,” Warburg said. Creative services says that they have been receiving a lot of positive feedback from students and faculty.
“It’s so cool,” Brandon Moultrie, art major, said. “It’s a completely different layout. I like the way they used all of the space too. It’s almost like an iPhone update with all of the new features to play with.” “I think it’s so cute,” Chariece Freeman, computer science and performing arts major, said “I like that it fits the needs of the student too.” Creative services still plans on continuing to improve the site. In the future they want to incorporate athletics and dining services for students. Students are encouraged to use the feedback button or email webmaster@valdosta. edu for any suggestions they may have for the site.
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APRIL 9, 2015
VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 3
Required voting results in uninformed votes
Our point of view...
New president checklist Transparency
Jordan Hill
Opinions Editor jorhill@valdosta.edu
Own up to mistakes
Be involved Strong vision Photo courtesy of VSU Illustration by Jordan Hill
Wanted: a forthcoming leader with an open door After three years at VSU’s helm, President William McKinney is throwing in the towel, and in the fall, the campus will have a new leader. Transfers in power always elicit nervous anticipation from those under that power. Who will be this new captain, and will he or she be better than the last? Will this person be able to fix existing problems within our campus community? While The Spectator can’t answer those questions, we do know what characteristics we want to see in our new president, whoever he or she may be. First, we want our next leader to value transparency, not only in word but in action as well. While Dr. McKinney says transparency is a hallmark of his administration, too many cloak-and-dagger scenarios during his time point to the opposite, such as the sudden and unexplained firing of staff and restructuring of certain departments. Basically, we want the administration to live in a glass house, with all their processes exposed for all to see, and that starts with our next president. Consequently, the new president should be able to admit when the administration has made a mistake. Too often students are confused or completely unaware of prob-
lematic situations on campus because of the constant positive spin VSU puts on these situations. While the administration is tasked with maintaining a good image for VSU, it is also responsible for being honest with students regarding VSU’s shortcomings. A new president who puts aside politics and speaks truthfully would be quite refreshing. We also want the new guy or gal to be accessible and involved, a person who will walk through the halls just to mingle with students, as Dr. Patrick Schloss did when he led VSU. Although a VSU president only has so many flexible hours in a day, the new one should make time to attend campus events and brush shoulders with the community he or she leads. Doing so will strengthen the bond between the administration and the rest of VSU and will allow students to speak freely to the president about their needs and desires. Lastly, we want the new president to arrive armed with a strong vision and an unshakeable resolve to see that vision through to completion. We need our next commander-in-chief to maintain VSU’s strength and work to eliminate its weaknesses. It all starts with vision, and we hope our next president has a perfect 20/20.
This editorial was written by a member of the editorial staff and expresses the general opinion of The Spectator.
New religious freedom bill: liberty and justice for some Kenzie Kesselring
Asst. Opinions Editor klkesselring@valdosta.edu Welcome to America! Land of the free…kind of. Indiana’s governor, Mike Pence, signed a religious freedom bill on April 2 that will allow business owners to refuse service to people if they feel the person is intruding on their religious ideals. So basically, Indiana is one step away from turning around and heading right back to the 1950s. The law seems be causing a lot of confusion to Indiana citizens and rightfully so. Any law that is passed that gives business owners the right to refuse service to anyone based on a religion is massive cause for concern. There is no reason that a person’s sexual orientation should stop them from paying money to receive a good or
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service no matter the religious beliefs of the business owner. Religious freedom is something that should always be honored, but it is never okay to infringe on someone else’s rights just because their lifestyle doesn’t align with a certain religion.
The beliefs of one religion shouldn’t impact the life of someone who doesn’t even follow that religion. This is America, the land of the free. That doesn’t mean freedom for some citizens and not for others.
Jordan Hill Features Editor: John Preer Sports Editor: Kristin Whitman Photo Editor: Tyra Mills Stella Henderson Multimedia Editor: Cole Edwards Web Editor: Kayla Stroud
Tatyana Phelps Adrienne Fry Graphic Designers: Mike LaGon, Savannah Hensley Faculty Advisers: Dr. Pat Miller, Dr. Ted Geltner, Cindy Montgomery Reporters/Photographers: Lia Armistead, Niamini Carlyle-Hollis, Alex Corbitt, Tierra Francois, Zenobia Harris, Ivey Ingalls-Rubin, Kenzie Kesselring, Kailee Kivett, Erin Martin, Stuart Price, Chris Webb, Austin Wells
That theory is entirely flawed. Required voting would give American adults the opportunity to vote for a president that they know nothing about. Many adults would stare at a ballot and wonder what it means to be a Democrat or a Republican. They would know one name out of 20. They wouldn’t know who stands for gay marriage and who is pro-life. Uninformed voters would be the downfall of the country. Men and women would be elected into the government because they won the voters’
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battle of eenie-meenie-miniemoe. If required voting is a thing of the future, it is important for our voters to be informed. A sheet can be provided at each voting precinct informing the voters of the candidates’ beliefs and goals in office. An informed voter is necessary when it comes to U.S. politics. Without providing candidate information and ensuring that voters know the requirements when traveling to the precinct, required voting is a no-go.
UGA bans hoop skirts
University outlaws confederate wear at Greek events Tatyana Phelps
Copy Editor tnphelps@valdosta.edu It seems as though since the SAE scandal at the University of Oklahoma, schools are doing whatever they can to prevent sororities and fraternities from doing anything that may seem racist. Several schools are beginning to take precaution with anything that can cause a racial uproar. Now, sororities at the University of Georgia are no longer allowed to wear hoop skirts. Greek leaders at UGA are banning hoop skirts because they are often associated with the Confederacy. However, they actually demonstrate a fashion and style that was
popular during the Confederacy, but it’s not as though hoop skirts actually served as a Confederate uniform. It’s pretty sad that one fraternity member had to ruin the fun for every Greek organization member. It isn’t right to punish all Greeks for one person’s action because not everyone is doing something wrong. It makes absolute sense that UGA would ban fraternities from wearing Confederate uniforms, but hoop skirts aren’t even about the Confederacy. The vice president of UGA’s student affairs said that banning the hoop skirts is a step toward making progress. How is progress being made if there was really noth-
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ing wrong with wearing hoop skirts in the first place? It is clear why UGA is trying to stay on the safe side by banning hoop skirts. However, they shouldn’t look to find something wrong with something as simple as a skirt. Everyone’s fun can’t be sacrificed at the expense of a mistake that one person had to make.
People Poll: What traits would you like to see in VSU’s new president?
Hunter Terrell Freshman English
Spectator Staff Copy Editors: Opinions Editor:
Editor-in-Chief: Elan Waite Print Editor: John Stephen Digital Editor: Jordan Barela Advertising Manager: Aimee Napier Business Manager: Kristen Varney Circulation Manager: Kailyn Middleton
Vote even though you don’t know what party you affiliate with. Vote even though you don’t know any of the candidates. Vote even though you don’t know what you want from a president. The debate as to whether U.S. citizens should be required to vote has been a hot topic in recent discussions. To make voting a requirement for every U.S. citizen is a good thought, but it opens up a can of uninformed worms to make decisions for our country. Allowing citizens over the age of 18 to vote is an American right. Requiring them to vote is an American mistake. In theory, required voting would force all citizens to pay attention to the government’s actions. American adults would make informed decisions and more voices would be heard throughout the country. It would create an equal and balanced set of ideas.
“We need someone more direct and more understanding, more close to the student body and someone who can relate on a more personal aspect rather than an authoritative figure.”
Molly Zechman Junior Communication Sciences and Disorders
Quincy Young Senior Communications “I would love for him to be honest, relatable, (and) just have some integrity, fun and passion about VSU.”
“I think that he should be well-rounded and interactive with other students.”
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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.
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APRIL 9, 2015
This week’s ‘Next Flick Picks’ Stuart Price
STAFF WRITER stprice@valdosta.edu
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New style of gameplay for ‘FPS’ fans Alex Corbitt
STAFF WRITER acorbitt@valdosta.edu “Battlefield Hardline” introduces a new way to play a “Battlefield” game in this interesting twist on cops and robbers. In multi-player, instead of playing as an American versus a Russian, German or any other country normally pitted against another, you play as cops versus robbers who aren’t shy on using full force to get what they want. This means that instead of a warzone arena, you are now put in cities with large skyscrapers and race against each other in cars instead of tanks. Because of this, a new mechanic has been added to accommodate the new envi-
ronment — ziplines. These allow for fast travel as well as tactical breaching tools to get the upper hand on your enemy, and though the vehicles are not war machines, you can still control a large variety of military weapons as well as helicopters. Multiplayer does not take itself very seriously — mostly in part to the community that you will be shooting with or against — as you will find hilarious over-the-mic communications and silly exploitations others will use to make the game as chaotic and bizarre as possible. In the single-player campaign, which usually takes around seven hours to complete, you will have the choice to go in guns blazing, like any other “Battlefield”
game, or you can use stealth to get the upper hand on your enemies. Stealth in the single-player game is actually more rewarding when it comes to unlockables, yet the unlockables seem to be aimed at firefight playstyles rather than sneaky ones. This is just a minor gripe, as stealth doesn’t need to be tweaked from when you start until you end the campaign. Overall, it is very immersive and gives players options to dispatch their enemies in any way they want. “Battlefield Hardline” gets eight out of 10 stars for fun and interesting multiplayer mechanics — as long as you don’t take it very seriously — and a satisfying single-player campaign that gives you options.
FX
H. Jon Benjamin, whose voice you may recognize from “Bob’s Burgers” (another Netflix recommendation), and Aisha Tyler voice the two main characters of “Archer.” Sterling Archer and Lana Kane are a spy duo who works for ISIS. No, not that ISIS. The International Secret Intelligence Service is run and funded by Archer’s mother who gets the team into crazy situations that they somehow always find a way out of.
Miramax
What is there to say about “Pulp Fiction”? If you haven’t seen it, watch it. If you have seen it, watch it again. Quentin Tarantino brings John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman together in this tale of two mob hitmen who challenge the thoughts of all who watch it. “Pulp Fiction” features an incredible balance of action, humor, violence and pop culture references.
Give a ‘duck’; get a photo in return Kailee Kivett
STAFF WRITER klkivett@valdosta.edu DigDuck is a new free social media app that allows users to censor a picture before sending it. The receiver can then choose to use his or her ducks, which are the payment method, to unlock the rest of the picture. The app also uses the person’s location to show public pictures from others in the same area. Users start off with 100 free ducks and the default price to unlock pictures is five ducks. There are purchasing packages that allow users to buy 100 ducks for 99 cents, 200 for $1.99 and even 500 for $2.99.
Tyra Mills/ THE SPECTATOR
However, the creators of the app added an alternative to help encourage users to send their own pictures. When users create and send a censored picture to the public or to a friend, they can choose to set what price is needed to unlock that picture. If the price is five ducks, then every time
someone unlocks the picture, the person who created the message gets those five ducks. The app is available for both Apple and Android users. To sign up for DigDuck, the user just has to enter his or her phone number. This allows the app to show which people from that person’s contacts also have DigDuck. Although the app is not well-known yet, it may very well be on its way. The censoring feature gives a fun and mysterious element to sending pictures to friends. Creative manager of the app, Ulrik Jensen, claims that there will soon be a video feature added.
StudioCanal
Showtime
Darko Entertainment
This story takes place in 1970s London, right in the middle of the Cold War. Gary Oldman, whom you may know as Commissioner Gordon from the recent “Batman” films, plays George Smiley, an ex-intelligence officer, aka “spy,” who is brought back to the force to defeat a mole who has made it to the top of the power ladder. Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch play supporting characters.
In my experience, a lot of people have toyed around with the thought of watching “Dexter” but have never actually committed to it. Trust me, this show is definitely worth a watch, and you will not be disappointed. Michael C. Hall plays Dexter Morgan, a Miami metro homicide bloodspatter analyst, who, by day, blends in with everyone else in Miami, but by night is a psychopathic serial killer that preys on other killers.
From the mind of comedian Robert “Bobcat” Goldthwait, “God Bless America” stars the fairly unknown actors Joel Murray and Tara Lynne Barr, whom you might recognize from “Drake & Josh” or “Zoey 101.” The plot centers around Murray’s character, Frank, who is fed up with what America has become today.
APRIL 9, 2015
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Blazers twist up the Hurricanes Softball takes Georgia Southwestern in doubleheader Niamani Carlyle-Hollis Sports writer ntcarlylehollis@valdosta.edu
The Lady Blazers softball team keeps things rolling with two major wins against Georgia Southwestern University on April 8. The doubleheader began with game one starting at 5 p.m. The Lady Blazers kicked things off in the bottom of the first inning with a line drive hit on the left side of the field by Heather Robinson, recording the first RBI of the night, bringing in Kiley Rusen for the score, and putting the Lady Blazers up 1-0. Georgia Southwestern did not back down and were able to put a point of their own up after Lauren Thrasher hit a homerun to right field. Both teams battled it out up until the bottom of the third inning. The Lady Blazers caught fire after a big home run hit by Jaime Phillips to left center field, sending Haile Imler to home plate and putting the Lady Blazers up 3-1. Things did not stop there, though. Late in the third
inning, Brandy Morgan bunted a pitch that advanced her to second base. Brittany Smith ran in to score and Fran Johnson was able to score after Georgia Southwestern’s third baseman committed a bad throw. Things continued to go downhill from there for GSW. With Morgan on base after stealing third, Jennifer Phillips sent a ball soaring out to center field, sending Morgan in for the score and putting the Lady Blazers up 6-1. The two teams continued to battle it out until the top of the seventh inning, and the game was called after two GSW batters struck out and Keri Tompkins fouled out to VSU’s third baseman. In the beginning of the second game, things started off close as both teams remained scoreless in the first inning and top half of the second; that is, until Morgan doubled a hit to left center field and was able to advance to third base after Jennifer Phillips grounded out to GSW’s shortstop. After a wild pitch by GSW’s pitcher, Morgan was
able to run in to score and put the Lady Blazers up on top 1-0. The Lady Canes were unable to get on base after the Lady Blazers were able to pull off a three-up-three-down inning. With Johnson and Rusen on base in the bottom of the third inning, Robinson sent both ladies in for the score after slamming a double to right center field. Brandi Blount was sent in to pinch run for Robinson and was able to advance to third base after the Lady Cane’s pitcher threw a wild pitch with Morgan up to bat. Morgan was then able to keep things rolling with a single to right field, bringing Blount in for the score. Things seemed to keep on rolling for the Lady Blazers after Jennifer Phillips got up to bat and hit a double to right center, allowing Morgan the chance to score and putting the Lady Blazers up with a big lead 5-0. It was a series of unfortunate events for the Lady Canes as they were unable to score or get more than two people on base in the
top of the fourth inning. For the Lady Blazers, however, things continued to run smoothly as Jaime Phillips was first up at bat in the bottom of the fourth and hit a big homerun to center field. The Lady Blazers continued to pound on the Lady Canes when, four batters later, Morgan chipped in a homerun of her own, sending Rusen to the home plate to put VSU up 8-0, inevitably putting the nail in the coffin for the Lady Canes. The game ended after the Lady Blazers picked up their final out of the inning after a ground ball was hit to GSW’s shortstop. With these two big wins under their belts, the Lady Blazers increased their record to 22-3, while the Lady Canes record dropped to 4-12 on the season. The Lady Blazers will face the University of Georgia on April 10 with a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. at Steel’s Diamond at Blazer Park.
Intramural all-stars raise money for Relay for Life The best intramural basketball players at the Recreational Center come together to raise money for cancer awareness Niamani Carlyle-Hollis Sports writer ntcarlylehollis@valdosta.edu
Valdosta State’s Recreation Center held their second annual All-Star game to raise money for Relay for Life. The event contained four different activities that gave the best of the best in intramural basketball an opportunity to not only display their skills and talents, but also allowed them the chance to help raise funds and awareness for cancer. With an arena-like scene set with popular music and commentating done by staff members of the recreation center, the event kicked off with a three-point contest that would rival that of the pros. Rec administrators and students alike participated in a competitive three-point shootout, while spectators and judges all cheered on each contestant. Each participant was required to pay a $3 entry fee that went toward the funds that would be donated to Relay for Life. Exercise physiology major Taylor Thatcher, 22, set the bar early on in the contest, making a possible 17 out of 25 points. Both girl and boy players all tried to top the bar that was set by Thatcher, but none were successful, leaving him victorious in the end as Champion of the Three-Point Line. The Slam Dunk Contest kicked off immediately after the hype from the three-point contest calmed down. As if out of a scene from NBA AllStar weekend, judges were set up at a table with score cards, and there was an ever so lively hype man that eagerly and continuously boosted the confidence of the players attempting to pull off a dunk that would land them a perfect score. Spectators watched
excitedly as props were used and basketballs were thrown off of walls and from the second level of the recreation center in order to wow the crowd the most. There were windmills, tomahawks, and when players were pressed for time, plain old simple dunks in an attempt to put a score on the board. In the final round, Tae Jolly, 23, was able to pull off the perfect dunk, causing spectators and judges alike to jump up with excitement and applaud such an amazing feat as he was able to secure the title of the Dunk King for the night. “I look forward to these types of events every year,” Tyneisha Bledsoe, nursing major, said. “You play hard for the intramural season, and it’s a good feeling to be recognized for playing your hardest and leaving it all on the court.” The excitement continued to heighten as the event rolled on, when the lineups for the co-rec games were announced. The best players from each co-rec team were split into two teams of Light Blue and Dark Blue as they prepared to battle it out in order to become champions. For most of the game, the Dark Blue team held the lead and controlled the game; that is, until the Light Blue team began to settle down and get into a rhythm of their own. Team Light players Taylor Thatcher and Shacora Green lit it up to put them up ahead of their opponents. With less than two minutes left to play, Team Light was up by as much as 6, when a big three-pointer was made by accounting major Symphony White, 24, bringing the Dark Team within two points of victory. That is as close as things would get from there, though, as the Light Team was able to pull off the victory 72-70.
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We do this for fun, but it’s more than that. You begin to understand that it’s for a greater cause that is bigger than all of us, and it makes you feel good to know that you are chipping into make a change.”
Keith Baker Exercise Physiology
“We do this for fun, but it’s more than that,” Keith Baker, exercise physiology major, said. “You begin to understand that it’s for a greater cause that is bigger than all of us, and it makes you feel good to know that you are chipping in to make a change.” Light Blue seemed to be the dominant color of the night as the men’s game tipped off. Team Light Blue controlled the score for majority of the game. With both the ThreePoint Champion and the Dunk King on their team, you can only imagine how the flow of this game went. Players from both teams appeared to thrive in the lively atmosphere and put on a show for spectators with their extravagant passes, dunks and shots. All in all, the campus recreation center put on a great event for an even greater cause and ended up raising upwards of $225 dollars to be donated.
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Stella Henderson/THESPECTATOR Right handed pitcher Caitlyn Calhoun winds up for a pitch against Georgia Southwestern on April 8. Calhoun allowed only one hit in the game and improved her record to 22-3. The team took down GSW 6-1 and 8-0 in the double header on Wednesday.
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APRIL 9, 2015
Blazers brought down by CSU Blazers seek Blazer men’s tennis drop to 12-5 record after losing to cougars Austin Wells
Sports writer amwells@valdosta.edu It was a disappointing Wednesday for the men’s tennis team as the No. 10 Blazers (12-5) fell short to No. 8 Columbus State (16-3), losing 5-1. Things got off to a bad start for the Blazers, losing all three of what were close doubles matches. Edward Nguyen and Niklas Herbring were the closest to victory for the Blazers, falling to Marco Almorin and Adi Malicbegovic 8-7. Gereon Heitmann and Ramon Weil fell to Columbus State’s Martynas Zakaitis and Oussama Zoghlami 8-6 in the second match, and Francisco Yim Kim and Joachim Schemm lost to Benedikt Wilde and Maciej Kierkus in the third match 8-5. The Blazers then went on to win only one of the three completed singles matches, which featured Heitmann defeating Wilde 6-2, 6-3. Among the two losing matches for VSU, Herbring was narrowly defeated by Malicbegovic 6-3, 2-6, 6-7, and Schemm lost in straight sets to Kierkus, 3-6, 4-6. There were also three other singles matches on the afternoon that went unfinished. Before the matches ended, Weil trailed a close matchup against Columbus State’s Jorge Vargas 3-6, 6-3, 5-6. Yim Kim was also behind Zoghlami 3-6, 6-6, before the match stopped, and Nguyen trailed in his match against Almorin 7-6, 1-6, 1-4. The Blazers will look to bounce back on the road this Friday against Armstrong Atlantic.
revenge against UWG Stuart Price
Sports writer stprice@valdosta.edu Last weekend, the Blazers traveled to Huntsville, Alabama, for a three-game series with the University of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers. The Blazers were able to win the first and the final game of the series by scores of 12-10 and 6-4. The second game of the series began Friday night, but was suspended and picked back up Saturday due to inclement weather. The Blazers would wind up losing that game 10-13. The Blazers’ bats were finally hot, and they hoped to stay that way Wednesday against Albany State. VSU came out on top by a final score of 15-4 to give them an overall record of 21-13 and a conference record of 13-9. Leading the Blazers in hits
and batting average this season is junior Hayden Jones, with 57 hits and an average of .425. Bryant Hayman has the most homeruns with eight, and Michael Gouge has driven in the most runs with 42. Mike Reed has twice as many stolen bases than anyone else on the team with 14. The Blazers resume action this weekend as West Georgia University travels to Valdosta for a three-game series at Billy Grant Field. The Wolves are currently ranked No. 3 in the Gulf South Conference, while the Blazers are ranked No. 5 and poised to make a run for the title. Last season, the Wolves took two out of the three games with the Blazers, but the Blazers are hoping to rebound this weekend. The Blazers take on the Wolves tomorrow at 3 p.m.and 6 p.m. for a doubleheader and again on Saturday at 1 p.m
Kristin Whitman/THESPECTATOR
VSU’s freshman tennis player Edward Nguyan ralies the ball back to Columbus State players as he plays doubles in the match on April 8. The Blazers ended their winning streak with a 5-1 loss against CSU.
Kristin Whitman/THESPECTATOR
Senior right fielder Kevin Cruz dives for a ball with backup fromMike Reed in the game against Union University March 29. VSU won two of the three games in the series, 6-1, 11-2 and losing 1-2.