October 16, 2014
Today at VSU Study Smarter - If you wat to rid yourself of those bad study habits you haven’t kicked since high school, go to the Student Success Center today at 3:15 p.m. They are giving advice and tips on how to study smarter. Sunday’s Best - The Mass Choir at VSU is looking for talent from the VSU community. Closed auditions will be held in Student Union Meeting Room 1 at 7 p.m.
Volume 87 Issue 8
VSU steps up in October
Organizations across campus strive to ‘Save the Ta-Tas’ Lia Armistead
Staff Writer jparmistead@valdosta.edu
This Day in History El Camino On this day, in 1958 , Chevrolet intoduced the El Camino to the world. The new car-truck hybrid was inspired by the Ford Ranchero. Source: History.com
Weather Today Sunny
Friday
Kayla Stroud/ THE SPECTATOR
Sunny
Saturday Sunny
Source: Weather.com
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One in every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, making the disease the second leading cause of death among women in the U.S., according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. VSU organizations do many things each year in October to help make people more aware of this disease. The Zeta Tau Alpha sorority is one such group. “We feel that our philanthropy affects so many women, and many of our sisters have been personally affected by breast cancer,” Zeta Tau Alpha member Isabella Lugo said. At the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Zeta changed the color of the Front Lawn fountain to pink. On the first of October, the sorority held a bake sale at its philanthropy table on the Pedestrian Mall, encouraging students to write the names of those suffering or those who have suffered from breast cancer on a pink ribbon. Each ribbon was pinned to a banner that was held up at the Oct. 11 Blazer football game against West Georgia, saying, “Who Do You Think Pink For?” The game against West Georgia was a pink-out game, where students were encouraged to “Think Pink” and wear as much pink as possible. Men are also getting in on the breast cancer awareness action. The Real Men Wear Pink event, sponsored by the Collegiate Men of VSU, was held Oct. 8.
Big Man on Campus, a male beauty pageant, was held Oct. 9. The 15 participants in Big Man on Campus competed in the competition wearing pink ribbons attached to their shirts or even painting big pink ribbons on to their bodies to show off while walking down the runway. “I think it’s so funny and so different to see guys up on stage in a pageant,” senior Hannah Poff said. “But what makes it even better is that they’re doing it for a good cause and raising money for breast cancer organizations each year.” According to Lugo, the Big Man on Campus event raised over $9,000 in donations for the Breast Cancer Foundation. The Women of Diversity organization hosted an event called “Kicking Breast Cancer Away,” which was a kick ball tournament to raise funds and awareness. “There’s so many of us, and the campus is so diverse, so it’s really important to have these events so we reach a broad spectrum of people,” said Mercedes Harbert, a VSU student who works with Women of Diversity. The organization also hosted an event with the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and the Zeta Phi Beta sorority where participants donated bras and played bra pong in order raise breast cancer awareness. VSU isn’t the only local institution working to bring attention to breast cancer. South Georgia Medical Center is trying to ensure all women are annually checking for signs of breast cancer. SGMC is hosting a free breast cancer screening Oct. 23 in the cancer center after a
“There’s so many of us, and the campus is so diverse, so it’s really important to have these events so we reach a broad spectrum of people.” Mercedes Harbert Women of Diversity successful screening day on Oct. 9. According to Angela Royal, a cancer nurse at SGMC, participants have to be at least 40 years old and have not had a mammogram in the last year. Those with lesser income are sent to The Breast Test and More program, which is state funded and run by the Health Department and provides free mammograms. Other women who go through SGMC for screenings will receive a free mammogram also if there are any abnormalities discovered. The next day of free screenings will be held Oct. 23 at Health Care South in Valdosta. Prior to the screenings, participants should call 229-433-1074 to register.
Ebola webinar to Robbery hits educate students campus again John Preer
Features Editor jhpreer@valdosta.edu Perhaps the most infectious quality of Ebola is the fear that seems to spread just as indiscriminately as the virus itself. In response to the epidemic, the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents will host a one-hour webinar on the USG’s website. The webinar is called, “Ebola: Guidance for Universities & Colleges,” and is set to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Oct. 23 and will be conducted by Dr. Pat O’Neal, director of the Health Protection for the Georgia Department of Public Health. Dr. O’Neal is responsible for the oversight of emergency medical services, trauma, emergency preparedness, epidemiology, infectious disease and environmental health.
Inside This Issue
- OPINIONS: VSU students deserve transparency from University - FEATURES: Vsu student experiments with mixed genres , gets signed to label - SPORTS: VSU basketball holds first official practice
Those interested in attending the webinar should visit the USG’s website to register. The only way to participate in the webinar is to register in advance. Further details about the webinar and specific discussion topics will be available upon registration. Although the number of confirmed cases of Ebola in the United States is still in the single digits, precautionary steps are being taken to quell mass hysteria and educate the public about facts surrounding the deadly virus. In a recent announcement, President Obama assured the American public that the chances of a stateside outbreak are still “very, very low.” Although an Ebola specific protocol has not been established for most universities in the state, this webinar should
provide them with a uniform procedure for handling a person who is a confirmed carrier of the virus as well as a protocol for quarantining the infected. Many experts in the field of epidemiology are urging the public to focus on more prevalent viruses, such as the flu. With flu season quickly approaching, preparations for a virus that has been in the U.S. for more than a few weeks should be the priority of citizens worried about contracting a viral infection. However, Americans don’t seem to fully trust the president’s reassurances. In a recent poll done by the Harvard School of Public Health, 40 percent of Americans were fearful of contracting the virus.
Yoga poses may improve quality of sleep for students See page 4 for more
Kenzie Kesselring
Asst. Opinions Editor klkesselring@valdosta.edu A robbery was reported on VSU’s campus between the Student Union and Odum library on Monday night. According to Cindy Cobb, VSUPD lieutenant, the department has no leads in the case and is unsure if this robbery and other recent ones in the area are related. The victim was on her way to the library on the path from the Student Union Monday night when she had her purse snatched by a man heading toward Drexel Park. The female victim reported that the robber was an African-American male wearing army shorts and a brown and beige shirt. The robber was also wearing green, white Jordan’s, had a piercing in his right ear and appeared to have his hand in his pocket, possibly holding a weapon.
“We don’t have enough of a description to say that it’s the same guy,” Cobb said, regarding the possibility that this robber is the same that has committed previous robberies around campus. Students received a text message and email from VSU on Monday night, informing them that a robbery took place near the University Center instead of near the Student Union. Garrison Muelhausen, a senior mass media major, expressed his concern over the lack of video cameras on campus. “My question is, why aren’t there any more cameras over there [at the University Center], and why aren’t there any in the mall way?” Muelhausen said. The VSUPD has released no other information at the time of publication.
On the Web w w w. v s u s p e c t o r. c o m
Check out Kenzie Kesselring’s story, “American history cannot be changed” on the web!
PAGE 2 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM
OCTOBER 16, 2014
VSU rolling out anti-tobacco measures Kristin Whitman
Asst. Sports Editor krwhitman@valdosta.edu If you must smoke, take your “butts” off campus. The tobacco ban has been in effect for a little over two weeks now, and the ban de pends on the VSU community to let people know tobacco use is not allowed on campus. The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents put in place a tobacco ban that was implemented by VSU on Oct. 1. In keeping with the ban, VSU prohibits all forms of
Alexis Waters/THE SPECTATOR
tobacco use on any properties owned or in the possession of the USG. The ban applies to all students, faculty, staff, and
Upcoming Events Fall Volunteer Fair Oct. 16 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Student Union Ballroom C This event is hosted by VSU’s Office of Volunteer Services and will feature a dozen local nonprofit organizations sharing how students can make a difference as community volunteers. For more information, contact Michelle Leeper at 229-333-5674 or at meleeper@valdosta.edu. Pops in the Park Performance Oct. 16 6-8 p.m. Fine Arts Amphitheatre The 2014 Pops in the Park event, sponsored by VSU’s Music Scholarship Alliance, will feature saxophonist Kenyon Carter and vocalist
The Spectator prints free classifieds for current students of Valdosta State University only. These must be no more than 40 words, or a $9.30 charge will apply. Classifieds for faculty, staff, student organizations, studentowned businesses and the general public cost $9.30 for up to 40 words. Ads should be sent to the Spectator or delivered to our office in 1238 Hop per Hall. The deadline is
Tania Myers as well as VSU’s Jazz Ensemble, New Jazz Ensemble and Faculty Jazz Combo. Tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for students and senior citizens, and free for children ages 12 and under. Proceeds from this event will fund scholarships for students in VSU’s Department of Music. To purchase tickets, call 229333-2150.
campus visitors. VSU wants to help stomp out tobacco use by having Freshstart Series, a collection of workshops given by the American Cancer Society that is comprised of four one-hour group sessions over the course of four weeks. This series began Monday in the Student Union. According to Dr. Denise Bogart, director of human re sources, VSU has been trying to take steps to be a tobaccofree campus for around two years. VSU’s Campus Safety Committee and Student Gov ernment Association hosted a Tobacco Use Policy Forum at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 9 to give background information about the new tobacco ban. The big question at the fo rum was how do students tell other students who are using tobacco products to put them
away? “VSU is not asking stu dents to challenge others; this is only an educational pro gram for everyone and hopes to be a positive educational experience,” Dr. Bogart said. After attending other school policy meetings, such as at the University of Georgia, SGA Vice President Nicholas Buford is optimistic about VSU’s new tobacco ban. “Other schools have had the ban enforced for months now, and we hope that this transi tion is as positive as possible for our school as it was for them,” Buford said. There are cards that have been made for students and faculty to hand to others if they ever see them smoking on any part of VSU campus. The question on ticketing policy violators came up dur ing the tobacco meeting and was explained by Sherolyn
Correction
from there to possible ticket ing,” Hopkins said. According to Hopkins, a tip to help students that may see others neglecting the new ban is to report a specific loca tion that they commonly see violators instead of reporting a specific person. “A person or location can be reported to student con duct, housing, the VSU police or any other faculty or staff, and monitoring will be taken from there,” Hopkins said.
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 4
· · ·
The article titled “Board of Regents comes to VSU, long hiatus over” that ran in the 10-9 issue of The Spectator er roneously reported the year the BOR considered coming to VSU. It was in fact 2001.
Police Briefs
Extreme Black Out Rave and Laser Show
Oct. 15
he was out of town.
Oct. 17 6-9:15 p.m. Student Union Ballrooms
A student reported that his blue mountain bike was stolen Sunday night from the Lowndes Hall area.
A student reported that his backpack, containing books and a graphing calculator, was stolen from Nevins Hall.
Oct. 13
Oct. 10
A non-student reported that his bike was stolen from the Fine Arts Building area while
A car parked in the Oak Street lot was reportedly broken into.
This event, sponsored by CAB, will feature a recreational dance hosted by DJ Capone, a laser light show, a fashion show and student performers.
Hopkins, assistant dean of students for conduct. “VSU does not want to have to make the steps to start ticketing because it may cause friction in the community here on campus.” Hopkins said. “If problems start to arise, we will have a tiered process, just like the alcohol policy. “First a letter will be given to the violator, then a refer ence to the Drug and Alcohol Center, and if there is still an issue, measures will be taken
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OCTOBER 16, 2014
VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 3
Our point of view...
Publicize all cancers and diseases Breast cancer should not overshadow other illnesses Tatyana Phelps
Copy Editor tnphelps@valdosta.edu
Alison Stephen
VSU students deserve transparency from university
K
nowledge is power. In the case of the students at VSU, being informed of things that go on at our campus will give us more knowledge and power to make better, safer and more informed decisions. A little thing we like to call transparency requires the administration to be completely open with students. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Our job at The Spectator is to deliver news to students, faculty and staff at VSU. However, it becomes a little difficult to do so when the administration won’t share certain information with us or give us complete details on events or issues that occur. We have experienced a bit of difficulty with transparency at VSU. Recently, a well-known employee was replaced with no warning whatsoever. The Spectator, along with VSU students, received no explanation. Therefore, we weren’t able to deliver you the full story of what happened and why. As a student news organization, we fail to completely execute our job when we can only provide our readers bits and pieces of stories. This isn’t a problem within all departments. Some are extremely open to providing us with details and the facts that we need to produce the news. Others are completely against talking to us and don’t give us anything to work with.
When the administration is open with students and informs us of the things that occur on campus, it allows us to develop informed opinions and act accordingly based on those opinions. The editors at The Spectator believe that students at VSU have the right to be notified of the events and problematic situations that occur at the university. By attending VSU, we put our trust in the administration that they will be upfront with us and honest in a timely fashion. That trust is lost when students are left in the dark about the things we have a right to know. Not only would administration transparency benefit us as a news organization, but it would also benefit students. When we are able to provide the campus with accurate and complete information, it makes students more informed, more aware and more protected. President McKinney signed a free speech document at the end of the Spring 2014 semester in favor of free speech, free press and the rights of college media. “You will really have to search far and wide for a more staunch defender of first amendment rights than me,” Dr. McKinney said in November of 2013. We hoped that what Dr. McKinney stood for on that momentous occasion would percolate into future semesters.
During the month of October, all anyone sees is pink in honor of breast cancer awareness month. Why is it that we never see tons of dark blue for colon cancer, light blue for prostate cancer, yellow for bone cancer or purple for pancreatic cancer? People do not need to acknowledge breast cancer any less. It continues to be a very serious problem, taking the lives of more than 40,000 women in America each year, according to nationalbreastcancer.org. However, it seems as though breast cancer gets more attention and recognition than any other cancer or deadly disease. Only women are recognized for getting breast cancer while the men who get it are left in the shadows. There are so many other illnesses that claim the lives of both men and women but get no kind of attention. Heart disease, for instance, kills more than 600,000 men and women each year. It is also the leading cause of death in both men and women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When is heart disease awareness month? What color represents heart disease or any
Jordan Hill
Opinions Editor jorhill@valdosta.edu Delete your club-going, bikini-clad, trashy Halloween costume-wearing pictures on your social media profiles. It’s time to get serious. It’s common sense that soon-to-be college graduates should have professional social media profiles. Sources and numbers prove that it’s important for professionals to be involved in LinkedIn. LinkedIn’s manager of corporate communications, Crystal Braswell, says that recent graduates make up the fastest growing demographic on the site — there are nearly 40 million with a profile now. In a time where our genera-
Jordan Hill/THE SPECTATOR Users of social media need to be aware that their profiles can impact their career.
tion is so involved in social media, it’s time to use it to our advantage. More and more businesses and corporations are looking for employees via social media.
Gone are the days when job seekers can walk into a store and apply for a job. It’s crucial for soon-to-be graduates to keep their social media profiles professional.
By visiting profiles, employers can see what the job seekers are like. They can look into their potential employees’ grammatically incorrect statuses, their drunken pictures and their Throwback Thursdays. According to Viveca von Rosen, author of “LinkedIn Marketing: An Hour A Day,” 98 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn to find candidates, and 85 percent of hiring managers look at applicants’ LinkedIn profiles. Living in a highly technological time, job seekers should do everything possible to use social media to their advantage. It’s time to post a suit selfie, not a duck face.
Raven-Symone complains to Oprah about African-American, gay labels Elan Waite
Editor-In-Chief ewaite@valdosta.edu
during an interview that she didn’t like labels, it started a buzz on social media. She included being labeled gay as something she did not like, which for the most part was not commented on. What really got people talking is when she included being labeled as African-American. What is a little upsetting about Raven’s comment was that after saying she didn’t want to be labeled as an African-American, she promptly labeled herself as
an American. It shows it is not the idea of labels that she doesn’t like, it’s the labels she’s been given. The idea of a color blind society is a nice thought in theory, but what does it rob the individual of? In a time where being AfricanAmerican is synonymous with mainly negative stereotypes, it’s important to embrace your culture. As an African American woman, I’d like to think that every time I do something positive or accomplish a goal, I help my race progress.
That does not just go for me and my race, but for all people of all races. I identify myself as African-American. I embrace my “label.” I don’t let it define me. Instead, I work to redefine it. Raven’s desire to stay away from labels is not uncommon. This topic is one discussed in many circles. Talented, humorous, accomplished: These are more labels affiliated with Raven-Symone and somewhere there is a little girl who wants to identify with her as a strong African-American.
Check out ValdostaSpectator on YouTube to hear what students think of Ebola.
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suffering from other diseases don’t suffer just as much. Since there are awareness months for all types of diseases, they need to be publicized more so that people can be aware of the available fundraisers to improve everyone’s health.
Be proud of your labels Today’s society is obsessed with labels. We either crave them or despise them. We invest in them and rebuke them. Be it the materialistic labels we work for or the social labels we cannot avoid, labels are evident and prominent. When Raven-Symone, a popular child star from “The Cosby Show” and “That’s so Raven,” told Oprah Winfrey
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
ably a huge issue in the nation and affects many men and women. However, victims of breast cancer aren’t the only ones battling life-threatening diseases. It’s not fair for one disease’s awareness to overshadow the others as if they don’t matter, as if those
Use social media professionally
This editorial was written by a member of the editorial staff and expresses the general opinion of The Spectator.
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other disease or cancer for that matter? Believe it or not, there’s a color, a month or a day of awareness for most diseases or cancers. The only problem is that breast cancer awareness gets so much attention that it overshadows all the rest. Heart disease is focused on during the month of February and is represented by the color red and a heart symbol. What else takes place in February that involves red hearts? Valentine’s Day. So in reality, heart disease still doesn’t get a lot of attention. What about the other disease awareness in the month of October? October is also AIDS awareness month, Down Syndrome awareness month and liver cancer awareness month. Most people probably don’t know this because the only disease that gets the attention is breast cancer. Do NFL players ever wear green during their games in October for liver cancer? No—just pink. November is the awareness month for numerous diseases including diabetes, lung cancer, Alzheimer’s and pancreatic cancer. Of course, there is “No Shave November” in honor of the cancer patients who lose their hair, but it doesn’t spotlight any particular cancer that tries to raise awareness in November. Breast cancer is unargu-
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PAGE 4 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM
OCTOBER 16, 2014
VSU student experiments with mixed genres, gets signed to label
Cole Edwards
Multimedia Editor csedwards@valdosta.edu
Junior mass media major Taylor Ashworth is one half of $unday $ervice, an EDM duo who plans to release their first EP titled “The Beat Don’t Stop” in the coming month. The album is filled with trap
and dubstep music. “Overall, I make EDM music, which naturally has a lot of subgenres and different elements,” Ashworth said. “My creativity tends to lean more toward dubstep and trap as the main genres I create.” 21-year old Ashworth first delved into creating EDM – electronic dance music, for the uninitiated – in the sum-
Yoga poses may improve quality of sleep for students
Hailey Nelson
Columnist hjnelson@valdosta.edu
During midterms we can’t help but feel pressured and stressed out with all the tests and lists of things we have to do. Developing the habit of doing certain relaxation poses before bed can help with better sleep and establish a clear mindset. Yoga allows us to bring our attention to our bodies and come into a meditative state of relaxation. Remember you don’t have to be good at yoga or be super flexible to do these poses. These three yoga poses are perfect to do before going to bed or after a long study session. They will help to quiet the mind and ease stress. Knees to Chest First start from a laying down position either on the floor, bed or mat. Begin by drawing the knees into the chest, holding the legs behind your thighs. If you would like a little back massage, try rocking gently from side to side.
Be careful not to lift your hips off the ground—allow your shoulders to remain on the floor or mat. Laying down Supine Spinal Twist From knees to chest let your left leg extend long on the floor. Bend the right knee to allow the right foot to rest on the floor. Then using the left hand guide your right knee across your body over to the left side. As you hold this pose, try to continue to guide your right knee deeper and deeper into the stretch. A tip for this pose is to try and shift your hips so you are slightly resting on the side of your pelvis also keeping your body in a straight line from the crown of your head to your extended heel. Child’s Pose Starting on all fours, sink the hips back toward the heels and lower your body on top of your thighs. By reaching your arms out in front of you, it will allow you to relax and sink your chest into the floor. If this pose is uncomfortable on your knees try grabbing a blanket to place behind the
mer of 2012. He became interested after seeing his friend and roommate, Hunter Auld, working with the music. Together, the friends work under the moniker $unday $ervice, a name that Auld came up with on the spot only a few months after the two friends began working together. Ashworth cites Floss-
tradamus, Chicago-based trap music DJs, as his favorite musical duo, though he said he is often inspired by classic rock as well. “I do like the recent influx of EDM in pop music because I couldn’t stand pop music until recently, and it’s cool seeing it go a bit more mainstream,” Ashworth said. Ashworth signed with the
Soldiers stand guard over POWs during presentation
John Preer /SPECTATOR Jai’Kel Robinson and Sarah Williams pose as prisoners of war while John Kebil and Dillon Rountree stand guard. The purpose of the demonstration is to raise awareness for POWs
knees to reduce knee flexion. Remember yoga is a time to focus on yourself. Try turning off all electronics when practicing these poses. Nothing is more frustrating when you are trying to relax than being bombarded with incoming texts and e-mails. Don’t forget, it’s okay if your mind starts to wander off
into different thoughts about what you have to do the next day or the homework you have this week. It’s completely natural; but let those thoughts pass through your mind and try to bring your attention back to your breath. This will allow you to concentrate completely on your body and breath.
label about a year ago after being contacted online by a manager who had come across his work on Ashworth’s Soundcloud account. Having been an avid piano and guitar player all his life, Ashworth said he possesses the essential groundwork for any musician of understanding melodies and concepts of music.
Though Ashworth has been offered to play over ten shows at festivals, he is currently keeping his options open. He wants to complete his education and graduate next December before figuring out where his music will take him next. Listen to $unday $ervice’s music at https://soundcloud. com/sundayservice-1.
Sudoku Answer
VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 5
OCTOBER 16, 2014
VSU basketball holds first official practice Shane Thomas
Sports Writer shanethomas@valdosta.edu The late Rodney Dangerfield said it best: “No respect, no respect at all.” On Monday, the Valdosta State Blazers men’s basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the Gulf South Conference in the league coaches’ poll, a spot lower than last season. The Blazers went 16-12 last season but finished strong, advancing to Gulf South Conference tournament semifinals before bowing out in a heartbreaker to eventual champion North Alabama. With their season tipping off in less than a month, the Blazers took to the floor for their first official practice Wednesday. The Blazers will be led by GSC leading shot-blocker Colin Cook and dynamic perimeter weapon Blake Justice, who took to Twitter to voice his opinion on his team’s low ranking. “More fun bein the underdog,” Justice tweeted. Head coach Mike Helfer, entering his tenth season at VSU, admits he puts little stock in preseason rankings. “Throughout my career, I’ve never looked at the preseason polls,” Helfer said. “A lot of that goes off what you did last year, who you have coming back. A lot of it has nothing to do with the new guys on every team. “We always want to play to win the GSC. Everyone starts 0-0 and you’ve just got to try to achieve that goal of winning the conference.” Helfer has retooled with 10 newcomers around six returners for the upcoming season and spoke highly of his group.
“Everyone starts 0-0 and you’ve just got to try to achieve that goal of winning the conference.” -Mike Helfer VSU basketball head coach
“When you hang around these guys, the one thing you notice right away is that they’re a very close-knit group,” Helfer said. “Hopefully, that type of off-court chemistry will carry onto the court and if that happens, you’ve got a little bit of a head start on a lot of teams at this time of year.” Headlining the list of new Blazers is Toledo transfer Josh Lemons, Savannah State product Jeremiah Hill, Central Community College transfer James Spencer, and versatile 6-foot-10 German import Nils Dejworek. “I like our guards,” Helfer said. “We have very good decision-making guards—we have skilled guards that can do multiple things. I really like our point guard play in terms of knowing when to distribute, when to score, and when to get us into something so I think that will carry over (into games).” The combination of Dejworek and Spencer gives the Blazers dual inside-outside threats, a rare dimension in the GSC.
“When you have somebody like Nils who’s 6’10 that can do a lot of different things, that’s always a tough matchup,” Helfer said. “I like all of our bigs. Colin (Cook) has done a great job, especially from the defensive end. James Spencer will add a lot to our versatility of guys that can step inside and out. “I think when you have that ability, even if you don’t use it all the time, you’re still a threat and other teams have to prepare for it.” The Blazers opens the 2014-15 season Nov. 14 against the Lane College Dragons as part of the Holiday Inn Classic. Follow Shane on Twitter: @ItsaThomasThing
Notable Newcomers Josh LemonsSophomore Guard Previous school: Toledo 6’1” 175 lbs. Jeremiah HillSophomore Guard Previous school: Savannah State 6’2” 170 lbs. James SpencerSenior Forward Previous school: Central Community College 6’6” 210 lbs. Nils DejworekFreshman Forward Previous school: Futah Prep (Germany) 6’10” 220 lbs.
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PAGE 6 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM
OCTOBER 16, 2014
Football coming off big blowout VSU Rugby seeks redemption in second tourney Alex Tostado
Sports Editor ajtostado@valdosta.edu
Stella Henderson/ THE SPECTATOR The VSU football team blew out No. 23 University of West Georgia 40-6 on Saturday, Oct. 11. The Blazers improved to 3-2 on the season and found their first conference win. The Wolves lost their first game, falling to 5-1 and 1-1 in the Gulf South Conference. VSU QB Jake Medlock won the GSC Offensive Player of the Week. Medlock went 10-18 with 231 yards and three touchdowns. Medlock added 145 yards on the ground and another touchdown. Medlock’s 376 total yards was more than the whole UWG team. It is the second time that Medlock has received the honor.
The VSU rugby team is headed to Milledgeville, Georgia to play in the Dirty Deep Roots Tournament. It will be a round-robin style tournament including three other teams beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning. Georgia College and State University will combine with Macon’s men’s team to make Macon Love. G.R.I.T.Z. and Gwinnett will also be in the tourney. Max Mundel, a member of VSU’s rugby team, is eager to get on the field this weekend to help his team redeem its last tournament appearance. The team is coming off of a second-place finish at the Black Rose Tournament in Savannah, Georgia last month. “The competition is not going to be as stiff as in Georgia Southern,” Mundel said. “There were a lot of men’s teams there (that are bigger and have more experience.” VSU has had a coach come in and offer his help to the young team. Dr. Renaldo Arroyo has volunteered his time to help the Blazers live up to their full potential. According to Mundel, Arroyo came to a VSU scrimmage at the beginning of the semester and helped referee. The ABAC professor, and former Mississippi State coach, drives down from Tifton, Georgia once a week. “I don’t think (anybody on the team) contacted him,” Mundel said. “He just
“(Having an experienced coach) is the factor that we have been missing to get into that top level team.” -Max Mundel VSU rugby team
recently moved to Tifton and heard about us through the national championship (last semester).” Arroyo has more than 20 years of rugby experience. “(Having an experienced coach) is the factor that we have been missing to get into that top level team,” Mundel said. “You can teach yourself only so much. We can look up everything on the internet, but having that authority figure and that coach with that much experience, is just a huge benefit to us.” Arroyo has helped the team by is introducing new ideologies to their game plan. “(He came and talked to us after that first scrimmage) and he was said, ‘I have been coaching rugby for a while and been playing for 20 years.’ We convinced him to come out and help us. “He is committed and he wants to help us. That’s the rugby mentality. You just want to help new people.”