Volume 87 Issue 13
November 20, 2014
Students want second chance to raise grade
What to do at VSU Drag Delight - If you’re looking for some entertainment today look no further. The 10th Annual Drag show is going on today from 6:30 - 9 p.m. in the Student Ballrooms. Doors will open at 5:30. Tickets are available with special rates for large groups. All proceeds will go to the Ryan Whyte Consortium Are you smarter than a fifth grader? - Come out and test your smarts. Organizations will be battling it out for a good cause. Audience members can win prizes as well. It will be held in Jennett Hall and will be $1.
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SGA’s new policy will go before the Faculty Senate in January. Stella Henderson / THE SPECTATOR
Sociology club ‘bars’ racial discrimination Jordan Barela
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR jlbarela@valdosta.edu
& Tierra Francois
STAFF WRITER tsfrancois@valdosta.edu The sociology club is raising the bar for its campaign against discrimination. The sociology club has an ongoing petition for three Remerton Bars to remove their dress code signs. Flip Flops, Mulligans and Milltown are the bars with the signs that display phrases such as “No Sagging,” “No Grills,” and “No Baggy Clothes.” The sociology club believes the signs are discriminatory, particularly towards the stereotype of black males. “A proper dress code should be one that does not single out one specific race or group within its guidelines, which in this case, it does in the majority of the code,” Jarrett Wilson, co-president of the sociology club, said. In total, the club has garnered 526 signatures to date. Along with the petition, the sociology club has a campaign called “Diversity, Not Dress Code.” According to Wilson, members of the sociology club have talked to many black male students who were turned away for violating the dress code.
The club also has documentation of white males being admitted into the bars, while violating the dress code displayed outside the bar. The club does not have documentation of the bars turning away black males in violation of the dress code. The sociology club did not release the documentation to The Spectator by publication date. According to Wilson, the club has received support from some of the other local bars. Wilson also stated by email that the club is planning to present their petition to the three bars. The club will also take whatever they deem to be the necessary action if the bars do not remove the signs. The Spectator has contacted the bars numerous times, but there has been no response. Students however, are siding with the sociology club. “I totally agree with the sociology club and will gladly sign the petition,” Chantel Durden, a VSU student, said. “I have seen the people at the bars myself turn people around that I thought were dressed nicely.” One student has completely abandoned one of the college bars. “My boyfriend and I just completely stopped going to Milltown,” Alexis Johnson, another VSU student, said. According to Johnson,
Photo courtesy of the sociology club The sociology club wants the bars to take down signs like this one.
Milltown denied entry to her boyfriend because his shirt had camouflage in its design. After being denied entry, Johnson stated that the security guard let a Caucasian male with sagging camouflage shorts in the bar. Johnson approached the security guard, but was given no explanation as to why her boyfriend was asked to leave. Wilson believes that the campaign will address the larger issue of racial discrimination. “The culture of the deep south must be changed at some point for us to be able to live in a society completely free of hatred and discernment, and this campaign makes a small step towards that effort,” Wilson said.
Tatyana Phelps
COPY EDITOR tnphelps@valdosta.edu If SGA’s academic forgiveness bill is approved by the faculty senate, students who make a C or below in a course can retake the class for a better grade. “The bill SGA passed supports changing the grade policy for students who take a class more than once,” Nicholas Buford, SGA vice president, said. “Currently, if you take a class twice the final grades of the two classes will average out. Our bill states that the higher grade should be the one reflected in the student’s GPA.” The idea was proposed at last week’s SGA meeting, when SGA voted unanimously in favor of an academic forgiveness policy. However, this is not a policy that has to be approved by the administration; instead, it must first be approved by the faculty senate. “This particular policy, dealing with grades, would not be an issue that the administration would be involved with at this point,” Dr. Kimberly Luse, VSU chief of staff, said. “Since it is suggesting a grade policy change, the faculty are the group who would consider this change and then bring forward a recommendation up through the faculty senate to the provost.” This is not the first time that SGA has pushed for such an academic forgiveness policy. “This is a policy that some senators and executive boards have attempted to get done in the past few years,” Nicholas Buford, SGA vice president, said. “In late September, the
“Our bill
states that the higher grade should be the one reflected in the student’s GPA.” -Nick Buford SGA Vice President other three SGA executive officers and I challenged some of our senators to step up the effort to pass an academic forgiveness bill and get the job done.” Many students are looking forward to the bill being approved. “I think (a revised academic forgiveness policy would be) awesome, especially for the harder degrees, such as biology people that mess up sometimes and don’t always make the best grades,” Grace McAdory, junior communications major, said. “So that would be cool because I know a lot of people suffer in the harder classes.” The petition, which ended on Monday, garnered at least 1,300 signatures, according to Buford. “We’ll take those (signatures) and present them to the faculty senate and university administration,” Buford said. “Once the administration works out the details, we’ll have a better understanding of when the policy will be enforced.” If the policy is approved, SGA hopes that it will go into effect Fall 2015. At this time, the faculty senate will likely not discuss the academic forgiveness policy until its meeting on Jan. 22, 2015.
McKinney talks football, food and funding by the fire Kristin Whitman
ASST.SPORTS EDITOR kiwhitman@valdosta.edu “Look at me about to walk into the fire,” President William McKinney said, laughing as he almost stepped into the projector set up with a scenic fire for the Fireside chat Tuesday night in the Powell Hall Auditorium. It was a time to sit back, relax and cozy up by the crackling fire as a question and answer session with Dr. McKinney and others was set up by the Student Government Association. The event was a time for students, faculty and staff to interact and work together to discuss what is being done about issues on campus. Many of VSU’s faculty
Pokémon team duel See Page 4 for more
attended such as the director of financial services, Traycee Martin; provost, Hudson Rogers; IT’s chief information officer, Brian Haugabrook; director of auxiliary services, Shannon McGee; assistant director of housing for resident education, Mark McNally; and director of housing and residence life, Tom Harding. The meeting went on for two hours with several questions to be answered by the faculty. One of the questions that got a lot of attention from attendees at the event was, “What can VSU do to become a division one sports school?” McKinney quickly stood up to answer. “You do not want to see the extra of millions of dollars it would take to become a D-1 school,” McKinney said. “The
pot of gold does not exist, but if I had the millions of dollars it takes to go D-1, I would use it on student scholarships first.” This answer received a round of applause from the room. Throughout the rest of the meeting, many people asked about Palms Dining Hall and the improvements needed, mandatory fees for students and the new midnight shuttle issues. IT’s Chief Officer handed out an informational update sheet to the students in attendance describing the four main updates to look forward to in the near future during an intermission. Another question that raised a lot of eyebrows was about the scenario of an 11 percent budget cut from the state ap-
Inside This Issue
- OPINIONS: Remerton bars: remove discriminatory signs
- FEATURES: Debate: Award-winning team adds to long list of accolades - SPORTS: VSU begins D-2 playoffs against UNA
Kristin Whitman / THE SPECTATOR President McKinney answered questions during the Fireside Chat, on Nov. 18 in Powell Hall.
propriation that could happen to VSU along with other public universities in the state. McKinney rapidly took the microphone to inform students about this budget cut. “We are a public university, but less than half of our overall budget comes from the state of Georgia,” McKinney
said. “When you take that into consideration, that comes out to be only about a five percent cut overall.” McKinney later mentioned that a budget meeting would be taking place as an open forum on Dec. 5 in the Student Union theater.
On the Web w w w. v s u s p e c t a t o r. c o m
Check out Tatyana Phelps’, “Parents need to protect children” article on the web!
PAGE 2 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM
NOVEMBER 20, 2014 Police Briefs Nov. 17
Patterson Hall dorm room.
Nov. 14
Nov. 13
A vehicle was stopped in the Billy Grand Field Lot for no headlights; a verbal warning was given.
A vehicle was stopped near campus for failure to maintain the proper lane; a verbal warning was given.
A Patterson Hall RA reported the strong smell of marijuana coming from a dorm room.
An RA in Langdale Hall reported possible underage drinking in one of the rooms.
A vehicle was stopped in the Oak Street Lot for disregarding a stop sign; a verbal warning was given.
Nov. 15
A resident reportedly passed out on the second floor of Centennial Hall and was transported to SGMC.
Two people were caught drinking in the basement of Patterson Hall.
A student reported that her car had been hit while it was parked in the lot between Patterson and Brown Hall.
The burglary alarm went off at the VSU Bookstore; the telephone line was reportedly cut, but the store was fine.
Nov. 16 MGN Online
SGA discusses new coffee competition LaShawn Oglesby
STAFF WRITER lsoglesby@valdosta.edu Coffee took center stage at the SGA’s Monday night meeting. Taylor Scott Ratliff, junior public relations major, introduced a proposal called “Buck the Menu.” It is intended as a spring semester event with the hopes of becoming a VSU tradition. Ratcliff created a drink at Starbucks called “The Cool Guy,” which received praise from his fellow members of Media Arts Geniuses. “So I was like, ‘Oh! It’d be really cool if other student organizations created their own drink and had other people drink it,’” Ratliff said. “So I talked to Allison Mitchell. She’s the director for V-State dining, and she was like, ‘You know what? It’d be awesome if we had a sweepstakes.’” Ratcliff wants the event to be enacted on Jan. 14 of next year. From Jan. 14-16, only five organizations will be chosen to participate in this. To try to become one of the five competing participants, organizations must submit their logos to the V-State dining page to be voted on. The voting will begin after students return from the upcoming Thanksgiving break.
The organizations of the top five most-liked logos will be chosen to compete in Spring 2015. These organizations will have three days, starting Jan. 14, to come up with a drink, name their drink and give their ingredients for the drink to Starbucks. Promotion of the drinks will be from Jan. 16-19. The competing organizations will promote their drink to VSU. Students can taste test the drinks at the cash register, but the drinks are not Starbucks drinks or endorsed by Starbucks. “This sweepstakes will not infringe on any policy that Starbucks holds,” Ratcliff said. On Jan. 20 the drinks will be sampled by students in the Student Union rotunda area. Only two representatives from the five organizations will be there to pass out the samples from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The winning organization will have its drink featured at Starbucks for a month. The money made from this event will go toward a program in Valdosta. The price will be the same as a tall or grande drink, according to Ratliff. SGA voted unanimously in favor of this proposal, so they will be co-sponsoring this event with V-State dining.
A vehicle was stopped on Georgia Avenue for disregarding a stop sign; a verbal warning was given.
Burned popcorn reportedly set off the smoke alarm in a
Nov. 12
Upcoming Events Click It or Ticket Georgia law enforcement will be cracking down on motorists not wearing their seat belts over the next two weeks, which is part of the busiest travel period of the year. In 2013, 20 people died in Georgia during the Thanksgiving travel period, and many of those deaths could have been prevented with proper seat belt use. System Crash If you were using Banner on Tuesday from 10:50-11:10 a.m. to register for classes or update your account, you need to verify your changes/ courses were saved. A system error caused a failure in numerous campus resources, but all problems should now be resolved. Education Career Day Nov. 20 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
UC Magnolia and Cypress Rooms This event is open to all majors who want to work in a school system. School system representatives will meet with prospective employees from 10-11:30 a.m. and conduct interviews from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Participants should dress professionally and bring several resumes.
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
· · ·
Budget Meeting Dec. 1 11 a.m. Student Union Theater VSU President William McKinney will host a public forum to discuss potential budget reductions at VSU. Did you lose or misplace an item on campus? Stop by the VSU Police Department (second floor of Sustella Parking Deck) or call 229-333-7816 to see if your item was recovered.
Happy ‘Tator Day!
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VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 3
NOVEMBER 20, 2014
Academic forgiveness
Our point of view...
Students disagree on grade changing bill Mayah Cantave
Staff Writer mcantave@valdosta.edu
Remerton bars: Remove discriminatory signs
T
he detailed dress code at some Remerton bars might make you think you’re attending a five-course dinner with President Obama rather than just enjoying a casual drink with friends. While some of the requirements are understandable (no revealing clothing or weapons), others verge on ridiculous and laughable (no slippers, tank tops, or jean shorts). The other demands on these lists - which include no plain T-shirts, no grills, no chains, no baggy clothes, and no do rags or bandanas - are disturbing because of the type of person they target: the black male stereotype. While the wardrobe of many AfricanAmericans would not violate these dress codes, others would not be allowed in simply because of their personal style preferences or cultural roots. The people who created these dress codes believe that if you wear chains or baggy clothes, you are most likely a thug, a dangerous individual who should not be allowed to fraternize freely with strangers. This belief is destructive because it perpetu-
ates a negative and uninformed stereotype toward black males. Members of the VSU Sociology Club, who first brought this issue to light, spent several months in the bars, observing how the dress code was enforced. They said white people in violation of the code were allowed inside, while black males were turned away for the same violations. Such behavior by the bars is outrageous and unacceptable. Even if the dress codes existed to prevent gang violence at these establishments, why do the requirements only apply to blacks and not whites? The Spectator stands with the Sociology Club in their efforts to further justice in our community. The bars should remove their discriminatory signs, or at the very least begin enforcing their dress codes for all visitors. In a country where “all men are created equal” in the eyes of the law, having rules that target and are only forced upon a certain group – in this case, black males – doesn’t seem very equal.
Academic forgiveness sounds like a gift from the heavens. Finally, a way for students to make up for past mistakes! The idea of academic forgiveness seems too good to be true. Students might be able to change their grades completely. In the past, if a student failed a class and retook it, the grades would get averaged together instead of replacing the grade all together. With all the money students pay for tuition, it is about time students have a way to control their grades. There does not really seem
Tierra Francois
Staff Writer tsfrancois@valdosta.edu Going through college and rightfully earning your degree is the best way to feel confident in life. Having something given to you is not always what is best. It’s better to work hard for something and cherish it rather than getting it easily and not caring too much about it. Student government is proposing a change to the academic forgiveness policy at VSU. They are proposing that if you fail a class, retake it and make a higher grade, that grade should replace the fail-
Students need to rack weight Fall break relieves pressure for students Staff Writer lkwilkerson@valdosta.edu
Despite the fact that college is more demanding and stressful than high school, the academic scheduling committee disagreed with the return of Fall Break. However, according to VSU’s academic calendar for the year 2015-2016, students can take a brief break from school. The Office of the President had the final decision on the matter and will allow students to have a couple days off. That is if professors don’t assign any homework during the break. This semester, students will have to strain themselves until Thanksgiving break, which is a total bummer.
MGN Online
School can get hectic as the semester comes to its conclusion. Ever since the committee expressed its sympathy for students, collegiate life has been lengthy. By extending fall semester, students aren’t allowed to rack the weight of school. Instead, undergrads and grads have to strain themselves. Fall Break can be somewhat of a spotter that will help relieve the pressure of school so students can rep their loads. At times, it becomes increasingly hard to bal-
ance school when there are other things of importance to manage as well. Though, the significance of something varies from person to person; everyone has something that they are concerned about other than education. Sometimes, these worries interfere with one another and can have an effect on a student’s performance in school. On the other hand, if there was a Fall Break, students would have an opportunity to organize their thoughts and priorities, which could help pave a way for success in the future. Every so often, there are hurdles that stand in a student’s way and promote stressful days. When a student takes a break, he can mentally prepare himself so he can leap over those obstacles and sprint toward success.
What are your plans for Thanksgiving?
Meaghan Bittes Senior Business
Christopher Hellams Junior Political Science
Brandon Preston Junior Mass Media
“I’m going to Atlanta. I’m going to spend the whole week there and I’m going to my family friends house.”
“I plan to work for all of Thanksgiving break and study for my finals.”
“My plans for Thanksgiving are to first make a safe trip home, then eat as much as I can, shop like crazy on Black Friday, and study and sleep.”
Contact Us
Spectator Staff Sports Editor: Alex Tostado Photo Editor: Sierra King Multimedia Editor: Cole Edwards Web Editor: Tyra Mills Copy Editor: Tatyana Phelps Social Media Editor: Jordan Barela
Advertising Manager: Aimee Napier Graphic Designer: Mike LaGon Faculty Advisers: Dr. Pat Miller, Dr. Ted Geltner, Cindy Montgomery Reporters/Photographers: Lia Armistead, Mayah Cantave, Jessica Cooke, Kenzie Kesselring, Brittney Penland, LaShawn Oglesby, Marquez Slaughter, Kayla Stroud, Taymara Tait, Christopher Webb, Austin Wells, Kristin Whitman, Adrienne Fry
their students’ grades. Along with the revision of the academic forgiveness policy, SGA also needs to think about the limitations. Would a student be able to fail and retake the class as many times as he or she wants until they get the replaceable grade they desire? If a student takes a class and fails it their freshman year can they decide later on in their junior year that they want to retake it? The academic forgiveness policy can be a great policy if used properly. These policies are to help us as students, not handicap us and give us something that should be earned.
People Poll:
Do you enjoy having a fall break? Let us know! @vsuspectator #fallbreakvsu 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
ing grade on your transcript. Though this may sound feasible, it does not reflect well on the student or the university. If a student was to take advantage of the revised policy, she may feel as though she would not have to try as hard to pass the class. When the semester gets down to the wire, no one would feel pressure. Students would all keep in mind that if they did not pass the class, they could always retake the class and have an “A” replace the “F” on their transcript. VSU would then be seen as a university that gives
Jordan Hill/THE SPECTATOR
dents who’ve already retaken classes get to use the final grade? Or will it continue to stay averaged out? Will all students be able to do this? This is perfect for those who feel like they’re stuck and have no way of fixing their GPA. Hopefully, the program will be approved and a clean slate will be given for all students.
Piled Higher and Deeper" by Jorge Cham www.phdcomics.com
This editorial was written by a member of the editorial staff and expresses the general opinion of The Spectator.
LaMarcus Wilkerson
to be any downfall to academic forgiveness. VSU will not lose any money because students still have to pay again to take the classes. If there is a way for students to make up for bad grades, they should be given full access to it. This is a student’s way to redemption. Students will have a way to finally change their GPA. The only group that might have an issue with academic forgiveness is teachers. The only problem is determining the parameters of who gets academic forgiveness. Do stu-
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NOVEMBER 20, 2014
PAGE 4 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM
A Spectator’s view: Pokémon battle showdown Jordan Barela
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR jlbarela@valdosta.edu &
John Preer
FEATURES EDITOR jhpreer@valdosta.edu This week’s RetroSpec is a little different. Jordan Barela, social media editor, and John Preer, features editor, are two avid Pokémon fans. What do Pokémon fans, especially big fans like these two editors do? They figure out who has the better Pokémon team. There is only one way to figure out whose team is better. I n the grand tradition of Pokémon, a battle must happen. There are a couple of rules that John and Jordan put into place before deciding to build their teams. 1. No legendries. 2. The team has to have one starter and it can be from any generation. 3. No HM moves.
When it comes to my Pokémon team, there is one word that I use to describe it. That word is balance. At first glance, my team does not appear to be balanced. However, take into account that half of my team has two types. This allows me to cover more
bases, both offensively and defensively. The second strongest aspect of my team is each individual Pokémon’s moves set. Each Pokémon, other than Metagross and Ampharos, has a move that power up stats. An example of this type of
move would be “Calm Mind,” which powers up the special attack stat, along with special defense. This move coupled with “Psychic,” a special attack move, makes Espeon a force to be reckoned with in battle. For a balanced Pokémon team, it is essential to have what is known
as a “tank.” A tank is a Pokémon that serves as the defensive powerhouse for the team. The tank on my team is Metagross. Metagross is the epitome of tank because of his 130 defense stat. Not only is Metagross’s defense stat high, but Metagross is also a
Psychic type. With Metagross being a Psychic type, it can easily overpower fire and ground types, its only two weaknesses. There is one thing that every Pokémon trainer needs to win a battle, and that is balance. If you have strictly one type on your Pokemon team, another trainer could easily beat the entire team with one Pokémon that type
is weak against. As a trainer, you are only as strong as your Pokémon. Any player with basic skills can compile a team that is well-balanced; the mark of a true master is their strategic ability. Staying that one step ahead of your opponent is critical, especially when facing a tough opponent. My team has a decent balance, but some pretty exploitable
weaknesses. In order to compensate for my team’s short comings, I’ve equipped my team with an unorthodox move set that will throw an unsuspecting trainer off. My starter Pokémon is Typhlosion. I’ve given him the
combo of Sunny Day and a powerful fire type attack like Eruption. Solarbeam is there to counter Typhlosion’s weakness to water attacks. Aerial Ace rounds out the moveset with a wild card Flying type. The “tank” of my team is Tyranitar. With a heavy defense stat and pretty nasty attack, Tyranitar is a formidable opponent. Since over half of my team has a weakness to water types, I’ve added the seldom-used Grass/Fighting type, Breloom, to help with my ground and
water weaknesses. The last member of my team is
how I expect to gain an edge over my opponent. Toxicroak is a Poison/Fighting type with a truly disruptive moveset. Toxic Spikes will poison any Pokémon that is switched out. That coupled with Venoshock is a devastating combo. Finally, X-scissor protects him from any Psychic types that may come my way. Team rosters are on the webspectator.
Panel tackles tough topics Marquez Slaughter
STAFF WRITER mjslaughter@valdosta.edu
Assistant Director Hsu orchestrates musicians during performance.
Photo Credit: Bobby Lacey
VSO gives award-winning performance Cole Edwards
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR csedwards@valdosta.edu It was music to our ears – and theirs: The Valdosta Symphony Orchestra’s recent win of the 2014 American Prize in Orchestral Performance in the community orchestral division was a sweet sound of victory. The national prize was given in October in honor of the VSO’s live rendition of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. Over the summer, Dr. Howard Hsu, Assistant Professor of Music and the Music Director of the VSO, submitted a live, unedited audio recording of a recent performance featuring 20 VSU music major students that featured “unamplified, live instruments that haven’t changed in 100 years.” “We were curious how we would do as this was the first time we have ever competed,” Hsu said. “We knew we had a great performance to submit but we had no expectations of winning.” The VSO competed against
over a dozen other finalists for the first-place slot, including competition as far reaching as San Francisco and New York. In comments released to Hsu, American Prize judges remarked that the VSO ensemble “plays with excellent intonation and balance. The individual wind and brass players are of high quality and play with lovely tone.” Judges consisted of a national panel of orchestral teachers who honor the best performances of orchestras across the nation. Hsu chose the Tchaikovsky piece after receiving positive feedback from the VSO’s performance of it at Whitehead Auditorium in September 2013. A monetary prize was promised for the competition’s winner, along with written evaluations from judges and a profile on The American Prize website. “The best thing to come out of this is the publicity the students and the department receive from the award,” Hsu said. “This may be the only time we get this kind of exposure, and I feel an importance
to expose students to an art form that is not generally recognized by the public.” The American Prize was founded in 2009 to combat the devaluation of performing arts in America. According to The American Prize website, the organization aims “to fill the gap that leaves excellent artists and ensembles struggling for visibility and viability.” The American Prize rewards based on merit rather than the size of the orchestra or the notoriety of the artist. Sponsored by the university, the VSO was created in 1990 as a means of enriching the cultural life of both the university and the Valdosta community. With a constant shifting membership of students, VSU music faculty, professionals from a five-state region as well as other talented individuals in the Valdosta community, the VSO recently celebrated the opening of its 25th season as part of the College of the Art’s Year of the Arts program.
Check the webspectator for the weekly horoscope.
NAACP and Gay-Straight Alliance hosted a Black Spectrum Panel Thursday, Nov. 13, which gave a few panelists an opportunity to give their perspectives on some questions about gender, spirituality and sexual orientation. This is the second year that the NAACP and GSA has hosted this event that goes into more detail about the lives some LGBT and African Americans. This year’s panelists were senior Diamond Moore, junior Kris Duncan, senior Isaiah Smart, sophomore Destiny Marshall, sophomore Kyle Breaux, and Vincent Brown, pastor at The Outlet Christian Life Worship Center, Inc. The event was also hosted by junior Tamelonie Thomas and put together by NAACP president Ashleigh Mansfield and GSA president Megan Pugh. For the first question,
Breaux confidentially grabbed the microphone to answer. He said, answering when he identified his sexuality, “I find everyone beautiful.” The discussion later transitioned into how the media focuses more on the LGBT’s life in bed, and the difference between two males together and two females together. Moore brought up a situation where she went to Pride Festival with her sister one year and had a great time as an ally, but she also mentioned that there was a gay males’ brawl that happened, which was brutal and involved tasers. “If they were straight makes, then it would have been ceased quickly,” Moore said. Smart also commented on the way the LGBT community is treated. “The LGBT community isn’t portrayed fairly,” Smart said. He continued and said that all that society sees in the media is the flamboyant guy black males that do the lip smacking and finger snapping,
but it never shows the other side. Duncan earlier related the topic to the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black.” The topic moved on to how the panelist or the panelist’s family member informed their family about who they move. Breaux said that he made a YouTube video for his family about himself revealing his sexuality. He said it was about twenty minutes long, so that his family could thoroughly absorb the background of his life and so they could play it over to understand. Moore used her sister as an example. Moore said that in her sister’s mind, she sees herself as a man; but to Moore, she will always be her sister. When Brown’s church members found out that he was gay, some of the members left and Brown said he had lost a few friends as well. Brown followed up on Moore’s statement about her sister being who she was and said, “Who we are is on the inside and what you see is a shell.”
NOVEMBER 20, 2014
VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 5
VSU soccer season closes Kristin Whitman
Asst. Sports Editor krwhitman@valdosta.edu The Valdosta State women’s soccer team gears up for another “Gulf War” this weekend with two Gulf South Conference games. VSU takes on Christian Brothers University Friday, Sept. 19 at 4 p.m. for the home opener, and finish the weekend road trip against Delta State University Sunday, Sept 21 at 1 p.m. The Blazers enter the weekend with a 0-3 record. CBU is 4-0 and DSU is 1-3. VSU is 3-0- all-time against CBU and 2-0-1 all-time against DSU. Senior goal keeper Olivia Mills has confidence that this road trip will bring similar success. “There is always a lot of intensity and grit when we play CBU,” Mills said. “They test us and that usually pushes us to come out with a win.” According to Mills, the team finds themselves not worrying about DSU as competitors as much as they do CBU, but they realize this year they need to keep their focus when playing them. “This is a team that we need to push through and we need to come away with some
big goals instead of small wins.” Mills said. The first home game is the one that the ladies have been looking forward to since they started the season. VSU head coach Rebecca Nolin is thrilled to see how playing at home will affect her players. “The team looks forward to the fans that come and the community here at VSU that supports them,” Nolin said. “I am ready for them to be able to show off in front of their fans.” Even with all the excited about the first home game extra pressure is added on the team when playing at home because, “we don’t lose at home,” Mills said. The Lady Blazers boast an all-time record of 19-4-3 at home. The team plans to leave for the game in Cleveland, Mississippi early Saturday morning so that they will be well rested and have their minds on the game against DSU. “We have a job to do and this travel should not affect our game,” Nolin said. There is one certain thing that the team knows will help them come out on top with their first conference games and that is, according to Mills, the fact they are a close-nit team that loves being able to work and fight for each other.
Shane Thomas
Sports Writer shanethomas@valdosta.edu
Tatyana Phelps/THE SPECTATOR Freshman Maegan Doyle chases her West Georgia opponent to retrieve the ball. The match took place at VSU on Oct. 21, 2014. The Blazers’ season came to an end on Sunday with a loss against Rollins College.
VSU reaches NCAA VSU student tourney for first time wins shootout in school history during basketball Neil Frawley
Sports Writer ndfrawley@valdosta.edu People like to say that when in Rome you’re supposed to eat cake. But when the Valdosta State Volleyball team went to Rome, Georgia, they were saying, “When in Rome...let’s be Gulf South Conference Champions for the first time in school history.” The Blazers proved they belonged in the conference’s elite as they dominated their competition, and swept University of Alabama Huntsville, University of West Florida and University of North Alabama. Destiny Berry, Jessica Codato, and Jenna Kirkwood were named to the AllTournament team. Kirkwood was chosen as the tournament MVP. She had 10 kills and hit 31 percent in the final match against UNA. The team will now look for more post season play as the No. 4 seed in the region tournament. Their first match, Thursday, will be against the No. 5 St. Leo University, who
plays in the Sunshine State Conference which features the No.1 team in DII, the University of Tampa. If VSU wins its first match, they will be playing the winner of UT and Claflin University. If VSU plays UT, it would be a rematch of when the two played each other on Oct. 17 when UT pulled out the victory in three sets. When head coach Mike Swan began this season, he and his team set out three goals: go undefeated at home, win the GSC title and make it to the NCAA tournament. With all the team goals checked off, Swan and the team are quickly having to retool and look forward to pushing for more and more success. It’s one thing to be the first team to win a GSC title, it’s another thing to see how long the magic can last. The championship came as a result of a complete team effort. It was apparent from the start the team had great chemistry. The first round of the region tournament begins today at 5 p.m. in Tampa, Florida.
VSU hosts back-toback this weekend
halftime show
The Valdosta State Blazers (2-0) return to the floor Friday night when NAIA Sun Conference power Southeastern University (2-1) visits the P.E. Complex. Blazers senior big man Colin Cook emphasizes defense must continue to be a top priority against the Fire. “They’re athletic—a team kind of built like us with runners, good athletes, point guard play,” Cook said. “The coaches have been mentioning (Andre) Winston. He lights it up and we just have to contain him. It starts on the defensive end.” Southeastern employs a talented three-headed monster with Winston, center Brandon Moore, and swingman Jordan McCloud. Moore averages 15 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, while McCloud averages nearly 16 points per game. “They are very wellcoached and they play very hard,” Blazers head coach Mike Helfer said. “They have some really good players, especially led by Winston who’s able to control the game and he’s a one-man wrecking crew. It’s not necessarily the case because they have some really good players so it’s going to be a good test.” Winston currently leads the Fire in scoring at 29.3 points per game. The 6-foot2 transfer from Washington State is a dynamic player who affects the game in other ways than scoring; Winston also averages 6.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Winston has been attempted 44 free throws—evidence of his penchant to attack opposing defenses. “You’ve got to guard him with your whole team,” Helfer said. “The problem that you have is that (Winston) is able
to find cracks to get through, and thus that equals fouls or it can open up some shots for other guys.” While the Blazers offense has been impressive in spurts, their defense has been swarming and suffocating. In their first two games, the Blazers have forced 44 total turnovers and recorded 27 steals. “The good thing about defense is that defense is about taking your soul,” Cook said grinning. “Everybody loves offense. There’s teams where if you don’t score, you don’t want to play. If we can take anybody out of their sets offensively, we can make it a long night for anybody.” Cook, known primarily as a defensive anchor, showed the kind of offensive impact he’s capable of against ASU with 15 points, nine of which coming from the free throw line. When Cook is active offensively, the Blazers are a different animal altogether. “It’s the attention it brings,” Cook said. “Southeastern guards everybody face-toface, man-to-man so if I can get it going early in the post, they’ll at least have to bring some kind of help—that opens up other guys. The fact that Albany State had to pay attention to my presence inside led to Blake (Justice), Jeff (Nibo), and James (Spencer) making shots.” The Blazers will play Carver Bible Cougars Saturday afternoon. “Any time you play backto-back, it’s always a quick turnaround from a preparation standpoint—especially in these games because they’re evening and then afternoon,” Helfer said. “You’re just going to have to make plays based upon what you teach from a principle standpoint.” Tip time for Friday’s game against SEU is scheduled for 8 p.m. and Saturday’s matchup with Carver Bible tips off at 4 p.m.
Sudoku Answer
Photo courtesy of Southeastern Credit Union Jake Luigs, a VSU student, won a shootout contest at a VSU basketball game halftime show on Firday, Nov. 14. Luigs had 24 seconds to make a layup, a free throw, a three pointer and a halfcourt shot. Luigs won $2500 from Southeastern Ferderal Credit Union.
PAGE 6 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM
NOVEMBER 20, 2014
VSU begins D-2 playoffs against UNA VSU looks to avenge September loss to GSC foe Chris Webb
Staff Writer ctwebb@valdosta.edu Two months ago, No. 21 Valdosta State (8-2, 5-2) was coming off a demoralizing loss to No. 12 University of North Alabama (9-1, 6-1). Today, the Blazers are preparing for their first-round rematch against the Lions. With their backs against the wall, VSU proved all doubters wrong, finishing the season on a six-game winning streak, earning themselves a playoff spot. During the streak, the Blazers have outscored their opponents 230-65 and enter the most important part of the season playing their best football. Of course, it’s only right that the first obstacle in the way of another National Championship is the team that gave VSU its last loss. A last second 54-yard field goal gave the Lions a 3129 victory that at the time dropped the Blazers to 2-2 overall and 0-2 in Gulf South Conference play. Initially appearing as a shot at the playoffs possibly slipping through their fingers, a loss like this would have crushed most team’s confidence and swagger, but not this Blazer squad. “I think it’s safe to say that field goal was the turning point for our season,” running back Cedric O’Neal said. “I feel that loss brought us more together as a team. We put the field goal and everything else behind us and said our season starts over now.” On paper this matchup is as close as the first match-up.
UNA’s offense is scoring 36.4 points a game while allowing 16.7. VSU comes in averaging 35.1 points a game while allowing 17.2. The rematch and chance of redemption has added to the anticipation of players as well as coaches. “We gave them everything we had earlier in the year and they beat us right there at the end with that field goal,” quarterback Kaleb Nobles said, “We are looking forward to it. We have been hoping to get another shot at those guys all year.” Head coach David Dean is looking forward to getting another chance at the Lions, a rare opportunity in football. “When I heard who we were up against I got excited,” Dean said, “In baseball when you lose to somebody you come out the next day and play again. In basketball you’ll see them again in a couple weeks. Football is different though; you don’t get another opportunity usually. We have a luxury here and have been given a second opportunity to prove we can beat (UNA).” UNA thrived off of their big play ability in the first matchup with VSU. Behind running back LaMonte Thompson and wide receiver Delvon Carpenter, UNA capitalized on big third down conversions on 4th quarter drives that ended up leading to their eventual 54yard game winning field goal. Thompson finished with 140 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns, while Carpenter had four catches and 113 yards. “When they had to drive the length of the field they were
not as successful, but when they were able to get a big play that’s when they were able to score,” Dean said. “If we can prevent those defensively, we should be in better shape.” On the offensive side of the ball, VSU will have to adjust to the recent injuries of left guard Felei Tauava (leg), wide receiver Shane Henderson (knee) and quarterback Jake Medlock (knee). Tauava and Henderson are expected to miss the rest of the season recovering from their respective injuries. Carrington Reyes will replace Tauava at LG, and WRs Roshmel Young and Xay Howard will step up in Henderson’s absence. Medlock is questionable after not playing the previous two weeks. He has been nursing a knee injury suffered three weeks ago against West Alabama. Kaleb Nobles has gotten each start since and has put up big numbers. In these last two starts he has completed over 63 percent of his passes with 521 yards, four touchdowns, and even won the GSC offensive player of the week two weeks ago. Nobles has silenced all critics and more importantly earned the support of his teammates. Regardless of who is lined up behind center, the Blazers’ offense has looked powerful and effective all year. With a powerful running game led by running backs Austin Scott and O’Neal look for the Blazers to keep things rolling in what is sure to be an action-packed playoff matchup. The game will be played in Florence, Alabama and is scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Saturday.
Sierra King/THE SPECTATOR The Blazers huddle around a coach at a game earlier this season. VSU will play the University of North Alabama in the first round of the D-2 playoffs on Saturday in Florence, Alabama.
Last time these two teams met
September 27, 2014
31
SCORE
29
180
RUSH YARDS
244
217
PASSING YARDS
190
397
TOTAL YARDS
434