The Spooky, Ghoulish Voice of the Students
Are you brave enough to
October 29, 2015
look inside?
INSIDE: Anti-Muslim protest held in downtown Valdosta
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Blazers set to spook UWA this weekend
Page 10 Photo Illustration by Stella Henderson
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October 29, 2015
The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.com
Upcoming VSU events
30 Blazer Spirit March FRI Friday, October 30 2015, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM OCT
30 Halloween Bake Sale FRI Friday, October 30 2015, 11:30am-4:00pm OCT Student Union
31 Student Tailgate for VSU Football SAT Saturday, October 31 2015, 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM OCT University Center Lot
31 Halloween Ball and Canned Food Drive SAT October 31, 2015 7:00pm-11:30pm Student Union 3rd Floor Meeting Room 1 A&B OCT
6 VSU Wild Adventures Night FRI Friday, November 6 2015, 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM NOV
7 Heart Walk SAT Saturday, November 7 2015, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM NOV VSU Front Lawn - Patterson Street
14 Student Tailgate for VSU Football SAT Saturday, November 14 2015, 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM University Center Lot NOV
17 Student Organization Success Workshop TUE Tuesday, November 17 2015, 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM NOV
30 ASID Furniture Donation Drive MON Ends Monday, November 30 2015 VSU University Center Entrance NOV
16 Dr. Shirley Hardin Scholarship Dinner SAT Saturday, January 16 2016, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM JAN
5 Day Forecast Today Partly Cloudy
84 H 62 L
Friday
Partly Cloudy
Saturday
Partly Cloudy
Sunday
Partly Cloudy
Monday
82 H 58 L
84 H 67 L
83 H 69 L
Mostly Cloudy
82 H
68 L
Source: Weather.com
Check out the Spectator’s LIVE coverage of the VSU Wild Adventure Night!
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October 29, 2015
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Head to the web to read Dillion Rountree’s review of the Democratic Debate
Current decline in inmates on death row might not last
Our point of view...
Blaze the vote
U.S Execution Record
Kayla Stroud/THE SPECTATOR
Most people have a bubble in which they like to situate themselves. In this little bubble, they have friends, work, and responsibilities, but outside this bubble lies the unavoidable constant of reality. Imagine reality as a strong river, directing those who float onward through their lives, content with the space they have surrounded themselves with, but at the mercy of the river’s decision on where they may end up. It is intimidating to go up against what seems to be an unstoppable force of nature, but we are fortunately able to use a rudder to help steer our little bubbles. We have the chance to vote. Regardless of the situation, the stakes, or even the purpose, votes weigh on matters big and small. It is easy to rationalize a single vote as an insignificant thing, and true, one should not always expect instant gratification. However, even when a cause seems lost, the support given to it can rekindle the passions to have it rise stronger than ever at a
later date. Those in college may especially feel that they are out of control of their lives. They may feel that they are being pushed down the river far too rapidly, bubble about to burst. During these hectic times some can forget about their rudders. Considering the legislation passed every year on matters like education, housing, employment. Now is a good time for them, and for you, to try to direct where your river will end. The editorial staff of The Spectator would like to encourage every student to pay attention to the debates, commercials, and the poll numbers in the media during elections season. Even further, we want to encourage everyone to vote Tuesday with the information absorbed over the next year, no matter your political affiliation. While it might not seem like much initially, a vote is important. Your vote is important. Your vote matters.
This editorial was written by a member of the editorial staff and expresses the general opinion of The Spectator.
Editorial Staff
Editors-in-Chief: Jordan Barela, John Preer Managing Editor: Tatyana Phelps Opinions Editor: Kenzie Kesselring College Life Editor: LaShawn Oglesby Sports Editor: Kristin Whitman Photo Editor: Stella Henderson Multimedia Editor: Jefferson Leblanc Web Editor: Kayla Stroud Social Media Editor: Tyra Mills Copy Editor: Zenobia Harris
MCT Campus
Niamani Carlyle-Hollis Staff Writer ntcarlyle@valdosta.edu
In 1999, a record number of 98 executions were completed but since then have been on a rapid decline. So far this year, a total of 24 inmates have been executed. With a total of 3,002 inmates still waiting to face their fate on death row and 85 in Georgia alone, one cannot help but wonder whether or not this decline in executions is a good or a bad thing. Imprisonment and executions were implemented to weed out the bad apples of our nation by choosing to eliminate the problem and remove them from society completely based on the parameters of the crimes committed. It would seem as though the old adage of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” would be perfect in describing the judicial system’s thought and decision making process. Yet the fact remains that the number of executions being followed through each year steadily drops. So are we moving past this death penalty phase that has been a part of our nation since the beginning of time? There are a couple of factors that have contributed to the decline of executions occurring. One being that there is a shortage of lethal injection chemicals.
States have been forced to formulate new drug combinations and turn to unethical methods of obtaining pharmaceuticals that have been banned, methods which have caused many lawsuits to arise from death row inmates. Many states have chosen to postpone executions, until the issues at hand pertaining to the new protocols were settled. The second factor is a lack of general support when it comes to the death penalty. Twenty-four states so far have chosen to abolish the death penalty, as society continues to shift to a more negative outlook on the death penalty. Families, more often than not, ask the courts to not sentence inmates that have wronged them to the death penalty, but tend to prefer life sentences. Many people no longer agree with people being sentenced to death, no matter the extremity of their crime. “I personally don’t support the death penalty. I know that people can commit some pretty harsh crimes and may even deserve to die, but I feel that the time would come where that person would be judged by a higher power,” said Shaniece Toussaint, a VSU sophomore. “Having to sit in a small box alone for the rest of your life to think about your actions would be punishment enough for now.”
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Like Toussaint, many in today’s society have chosen to no longer support the death penalty and believe that it is a good thing that society is moving away from such barbaric methods of punishment. Then there are others who whole-heartedly disagree and feel that if one commits a crime that qualifies the death penalty as punishment, then he/she deserves whatever is coming to them. “Yes, I support the death penalty. I say that because if a person does not have enough morals to the point where he goes out and commits a crime that punishes him to death, then he deserves it and society would be better off without him,” said James King a senior at VSU. “It’s no need in him sitting up in prison wasting taxpayer dollars for the rest of his life.” With support for and against the death penalty, one cannot help but wonder whether the decline in executions would continue to grow. I am sure that the 3,002 inmates who are currently on death row would certainly appreciate the decline in death sentences. Society may be becoming a more merciful and forgiving nation, but with factors such as the overcrowding of prisons and the cost of housing those said inmates, I find it hard to believe that the decline will continue.
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October 29, 2015
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To lecture or not to lecture?:
Professors debate on whether or not to keep lecture classes Tresia Bowles
Staff Writer tmbowles@valdosta.edu The dreaded lecture classes. I think every college student can attest to how awful they truly are. You sit in class for 50 minutes...an hour and 15 minutes...maybe even longer, just to listen to your professor point at a PowerPoint and talk, and talk, and talk. You force yourself to pay attention so that you can retain information you usually don’t care about, you fall asleep, or you sit looking at your phone uninterested. Nobody likes listening to boring lectures, and a professor in North Carolina debated the importance of having lecture classes. Molly Worthen from the University of North Carolina believes that lecture classes are dying but argues that they are necessary for students. She said, “Lectures are essential for teaching humanities’ most basic skills: comprehension and reasoning,
skills whose value extends beyond the classroom to the essential demands of working life and citizenship.” In her New York Times article, “Lecture Me. Really,” she argues against Eric Mazur, a Harvard physicist, who says, “It’s almost unethical to be lecturing.” Worthen had to fight to get a wooden lectern to teach her American History class. So, if we got rid of the lectures, would that be a bad thing? There’s many ways to look at this; on the plus side, perhaps students would be more engaged in class. In fact, Pearson Hall eTeach says that 65 percent of students are visual learners. But if we took lecturing away, would the professors be able to explain the lesson in its entirety through visual exercises, videos, and reading assignments? “As long as there is still availability for students to take the lecture courses by choice, I think it’s fine,” said Toi Allen, a senior American sign language/ interpreting major.
The solution may be to find a happy medium. If the class is an hour and 15 minute lecture class, 30 minutes of lecturing is enough and 45 minutes is pushing it. Perhaps, using the first or last half of the class doing something else besides yapping about the book we already read the night before, open the floor to questions, and then move on to a fun video, a hands-on exercise, or some in-class group work to reinforce the learning. Professors could even give us work online instead. It gives our mind a break and makes class more interesting. This not only benefits the students, but the professors as well because the students will pay more attention and actually be excited about class. I don’t think lectures are going away any time soon, but expanding to more non-lecture class options would certainly be more beneficial. In the meantime, a good ‘ole cup of coffee before a lecture class should do the trick!
Playboy puts it back on Erin Martin
Staff Writer esmartin@valdosta.edu The chief executive of Playboy released a statement to the public that they will no longer publish images of nudity in their magazine. The executive felt that nudity and pornographic images are already readily available on the Internet, so much that it is cliché to continue putting it in their magazines. What kind of reaction did Playboy receive after making such a bold move? Well, the new decision has a wide range of opinions which can be seen all over social media outlets. Playboy considered consumer behavior and realized that it was time for a change in their content. Since their change, their unique viewership is up and they are attracting younger readers as well. Yes, sex sells. However, in this present day, sex is everywhere. With open blog sites like Tumblr, getting to pornography isn’t a hassle anymore; you could
I strongly believe that magazines should feature beautiful and sexy women in a more positive light. honestly see nudity at any time surfing the web. I strongly believe that
magazines should feature beautiful and sexy women in a more positive light; giving those attractive women features and interviews about their lives and careers and not just their naked bodies. Provocative poses are much more attractive and leave more for the imagination. This is a brilliant idea that makes me pleased with the change in society. For a magazine publication, it is only right that they teach the public different ways to view women without exploitation, since they are the ones that often influence our perceptions. “I respect the thought process behind it, but I think it’s pretty contradictive to the core that is Playboy,” said Brian Hickey, a senior journalism major. “I think if Playboy stops showing nudity it won’t be Playboy anymore,” said Jazmyn Marshall, a communications major.
October 29, 2015
The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.com
Student killed in 1-75 wreck Tatyana Phelps
Managing Editor tnphelps@valdosta.edu
Photo Courtsey of John W. Rogers Valdosta citizens protest Syrian refugees coming to America. VSU students held a counter protest in support of Muslims.
Anti-Muslim protest and counter protest held downtown Kenzie Kesselring
Opinions Editor klkesselring@valdosta.edu On Saturday, Oct. 25, there was an anti-Muslim protest in downtown Valdosta. The protest was organized by Joey Williams in response to the Syrian refugee crisis, according to the Valdosta Daily Times. The protest began at 11 a.m. and lasted about an hour and a half, and there were around 30 people in attendance. “I went to Afghanistan to fight them over there. I don’t want Obama to give them a free ride to come here,” said Williams to the Valdosta Daily Times. In response to the anti-Muslim protesters, Valdosta State students and professors went to protest the original protest, and support Muslims and diversity in America. Many found out about the protest from flyers posted in downtown Valdosta saying “Rally Oct. 24, 11 a.m. stop the Muslin Invasion Lowndes Co. Court House” and then the flyers went viral on Facebook. At the protest the anti-Muslim groups had signs saying “Keep
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them out! Muslim refugees.” One of Valdosta State’s professors, Dr. Matthew Richard, was involved in organizing students and other professors to attend the protest in support of Muslim students and citizens in Valdosta. “My initial reaction was sadness and worry for my friends in town,” said Dr. Richard. “I am an outsider myself in Valdosta and I’ve spent many a pleasant evening in the company of my Muslim friends here.” Richard and Valdosta State students attended the protest and held American flags and signs saying “Blazers against bigots.” “These kinds of dialogs need to happen regularly and throughout the community- not just on campus,” said Richard. Overall, the protest was peaceful. There was some heated debates taking place between the differing sides, but no violence ensued. Bypasses in downtown were encouraged by some to call their congressmen in regards of not allowing Muslim refugees into America; while they were encouraged by others to embrace the diversity in Valdosta and respect all religions.
Friends on campus are mourning Geraldo Vargas, who they remember as a smart, hard-working, funny and straight-A student. The 22-year-old VSU criminal justice major was involved in a car accident early Sunday morning on I-75. He was taken to South Georgia Medical Center for his injuries, where he was pronounced dead. “(He was) hilarious and always knew how to make everyone laugh,” Luis Jimenez, junior criminal justice major, said. “He wanted to join the military and become a lawyer.” Vargas was only in his first semester at VSU. However, in his
few months at VSU, he already touched the lives of many with his personality and sense of humor. “Geraldo was that person everyone wanted to talk to,” Michelle Garcia, freshman VSU student, said. “He was the funny guy who made everyone smirk in the classroom. I think that’s probably why (people) fell in love with him. Nobody ever made me laugh like he did.” Garcia also adds the love that Vargas had for his truck and sports. “There wasn’t anything he was more proud of than his SRT 10,” Garcia said. “But he was a hard worker and dependable. There wasn’t anything you couldn’t ask him to do and he wouldn’t. He knew his sports too; boxing, UFC,
volleyball, and his favorite was basketball,” Garcia said. Vargas’ girlfriend, VSU student Susy Martinez, believed that Vargas impacted all the lives he entered, especially hers. “(He was) a man who knew exactly what he wanted and was determined to accomplish his goals,” Martinez said. “(He was) a loving man who did nothing but fill lives with love, joy, smiles and all the happiness in the world. . The man I started to love, but was taken from me. He will always have a special spot in my heart.” Friends are welcome to visit the funeral home on Oct. 29 from 6-8 p.m. Funeral services for Vargas will be held at 3 p.m. on Oct. 30 in the chapel of Albritton Funeral Directors in Tifton, Georgia.
New scholarship program make students ‘HOPEful’ Erin Martin
Staff Writer esmartin@valdosta.edu Last week in a planning and budgeting meeting for VSU, there was a discussion of a “HOPE Gap Scholarship.” According to Interim President Cecil Staton, VSU received a grant from an anonymous donor for the program. They are hoping to raise more funding to make the scholarship possible in the future. If everything goes as planned, the program will be available to
students who lose their HOPE Scholarship. The current standards for HOPE require students to maintain a 3.0. When students fall below this GPA, they lose all of their funding. This is often problematic for students because they are not allowed to re-apply for this scholarship until they have completed another 30 credit hours. “GPA isn’t a reflection of the student’s knowledge; it’s a reflection of the student’s memory in my opinion. Students do deserve
a little help when they fall off.” freshman Demarcus Green, premed biology major said. School officials are hoping that this new scholarship will help with the declining enrollment rate. Staton said that they are committed to helping the students in this area. The criterion for this specific program has not been determined yet, but when it is, the scholarship will be administered through the financial aid office for those needing assistance.
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Withdrawing from classes comes with consequences Jamel Shorter
Staff Writer jhshorter@valdosta.edu Students in college can get very overwhelmed with classes, extracurricular activities and trying to have a social life. This leads some to make the decision to drop a class that they might be having trouble in or that they are near failing. This is referred to as withdrawing from a course and this does a lot more than what it sounds. Withdrawing from a course can actually push back your anticipated graduation time significantly. According to VSU’s withdrawal policy, Area A and Area D courses are vital to graduation; they are your core classes. These areas consist of English, math and science classes. If you withdraw from a class in one of these areas, for example your freshman year of college, you will eventually have to take it during your sophomore year. Majority of these core classes are prerequisites for major classes, such as chemistry and computer Science. VSU and the University System of Georgia will allow a student to withdraw from five courses their entire college career. After your five withdrawals, you will automatically receive a WF—which means withdraw failing—for any course that you withdraw from.
Students that have a “withdraw failing status,” and still needs that particular course to graduate will be required to retake the course again. There are some courses that are only offered at certain times of the day, like an astronomy course at night or a class that is taught by an adjunct professor, meaning they teach at another school. These courses are particularly hard to withdraw from due to their relevancy in Area D and Area F, which are classes that are appropriate to your major. Students who receive financial aid should be advised that when they withdraw from a course it could affect your financial aid eligibility. If students don’t pass 67 percent of the attempted classes during a calendar year, including the classes they have withdrawn from, they could potentially lose their financial aid. Withdrawing from courses can have many negative impacts on graduation rates and how you pay for attending college. The withdrawal policy at VSU advises that students withdraw if they are in danger of failing the course, medical emergencies withdrawal, meaning you are ill and won’t have the time to finish the course at the best of your abilities, or a hardship withdrawal, which is to be completed after the withdrawal date deadline.
October 29, 2015
The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.com
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In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. www.history.com
S O W H R N Y N E M O C H X C A A G S M G T O Z 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 Below
U E O L C M I Q D X N L T N N L W Z N Z U I X I T P J O Q A I C R Q T N E O U W M D S Y G G Z S R U R E Y A T B N N K I T S I E G R E T L O P D H W N N M F R R H E T I R N G S D P V X C M K O
Unscramble the words 1. mobzei 2. krnfaennesit 3. stogh 4. parimev 5. fowlreew 6. Urnes 7. hciwt HINT: Words are popular halloween costumes
H Q I I A X V M T S Y U A D C A N D Y M A N I S
1. Zombie 2. Frankenstein 3. Ghost 4.Vampire 5. Werewolf 6. Nurse 7. Witch Answers:
Sudoku Answer
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October 29, 2015
The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.com
DID YOU
KNOW?
According to UberFacts, a NASA study found that while a 15-minute nap might not make you feel physically better, it does boost cognitive performance.
New snapchat filters constantly being added Jada Dukes
Staff Writer jldukes@valdosta.edu There has been a major breakthrough in the world of new-age technology, and you’ve more than likely heard about it. The creators of the tremendously popular social media application known as Snapchat have come out with a whole new set of filters that will most definitely help anyone out
that might be struggling to perfect their selfie game. On Sept. 23, 2015, our friends at Team Snapchat introduced us to seven new snapchat lenses including the robot filter, the heart eyes filter, the monster filter, the elderly filter, and the all-time favorite rainbow vomit filter. Ever since the first update was released, there have been a number of viral videos that seemed to appear almost overnight with your favorite
celebrities, young children and even senior citizens enjoying them. Sadly, the filters that were first released are no longer accessible due to the fact that Snapchat has been releasing a new set of filters almost every week and filtering out the old ones, which means that you should definitely keep checking the app for new even more wacky filters. There are very few complaints
that can be made about Snapchats new update, but it can be said that there is room for improvement. Although the face scanning software used to get each filter to fit with all different head shapes is very impressive, it isn’t exactly perfect either. While using these filters, you might run into a little trouble trying to get the face scanner to attach perfectly to your face. This is mainly a problem for snapchat users who like to sport eyeglasses, floppy hats, or big crazy hairstyles. For the best results, you should have a naked face while using this application as to avoid having rainbow vomit coming out of your forehead. Now if you’re reading this and you are new to Snapchat or just have no idea how to use the
filters, worry not because we’ve got you covered! First you should make sure that your device has been updated, especially for iPhone seeing as the Snapchat update is only compatible with devices that have Apple’s latest software update iOS9. Secondly, you should look for the Snapchat update in the App Store or if you are an android user, you would look for the update in the Play Store. Once you have updated both your device and the Snapchat application, the next step would be to open Snapchat, turn on your front facing camera, and press and hold on your face. Once you’ve done this you will notice several filters at the bottom the screen. All you have to do now is scroll right and enjoy!
Photo courtesy of Poki.com
Poki.com : Descendants Games Carlius Williams
Staff Writer carwilliams@valdosta.edu “Descendants” is a modern-day Disney movie about the teenage son of King Adam (Beast) and Queen Belle (Beauty) who offers the trouble-making offspring of
Disney’s classic villains a chance of redemption. The defeated villains are exiled to the Isle of the Lost. The kids, however, are granted permission to attend prep school with the Disney heroes’ kids. There were a couple Poki games designed after the “Descendants” franchise. One being a dress-up for Mal, who is the daughter of Maleficent. In this game, you dress her up in different clothing and can either print, share or save whatever you decide to dress her up in. “The Party at Auradon Prep” is based off of Sims. The characters basically have certain tasks to complete in each level. Upon completing each task the bar raises in the next level. You can buy a couple items that may help you in the next round. My favorite one on the site was “Isle of the Lost Run.” This one is very similar to “Temple Run.” You can unlock certain characters after running for so long. It contains some great obstacles. Be careful of the fire barrels. There are a few more games on there. Overall, these games are fun to play and I would recommend them for anyone who has nothing else to do, but would like to play games about the children of villains from yesteryear.
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October 29, 2015
Did You Know? According to the Huffington Post: “90 million pounds of chocolate candy is sold during Halloween week, taking a strong lead compared to other holidays. Almost 65 million pounds is sold during the week leading up to Easter and only 48 million pounds during Valentine’s week.”
Responsibly; An active scare awaits; Costume Keep cultural appropriation out of Halloweeen Campus Recreation continues decade long Halloween tradition Jordan Barela
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF jlbarela@valdosta.edu Campus Recreation is looking to haunt your dreams. Last night, Campus Recreation started its annual Haunted Trail. According to Greg Knaus, the Graduate Assistant of Special Events and Student Development, the Haunted Trial has been going on for ten years now. When it first began, the Haunted Trail was used as a fundraiser to help Campus Recreation’s student workers travel to professional conferences. With each year, comes new changes, and this year, the Haunted Trail is different. “This year we are adding multiple different themed areas to give participants a variety of horror scenes,” Knaus said. “Different people are scared by different movies or characters and we are attempting to hit as many themes as we can to hopefully scare everyone with those different phobias or frightening moments.”
One of the biggest scares in store for the VSU populace is a chainsaw wielding, red-haired clown, armed and ready to scare. In fact, the clown is the deadly star of a promo video released by Campus Recreation. In an interview with the Valdosta Daily Times, Katie Rickard, a team leader at the Campus Rec center, said that what makes VSU’s Haunted Trail so unique is the fact that it’s not a haunted house, it is a trail with zip lines and climbing walls that will make the trail an unforgettable experience for attendees. “We are hoping our efforts will result in a fantastic turnout,” Knaus said. “A planning committee and myself, have worked hard to reach out to all of campus, local grade schools, and even reach out to parts of the community to increase our attendance, via social media, flyer handouts and more.” The trail is supposed to last about 20 minutes, and it is opened to the general public. The Haunted Trial will run from Oct. 28 to 31, from 8 to 10:30 p.m. For more information such as prices, contact Greg Knaus at 229-245-4302.
Mayah Cantave
ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR mcantave@valdosta.edu Halloween in the recent years has taken on a life of its own. Apparently there cannot be Halloween without the racist, stereotypical costumes. There seems to be no regard for race, stereotypes, and professionalism when it comes to Halloween. One of the biggest problems with Halloween costumes in this day and age is the unconscious racism, classism, and sexism. The clever concepts that people come up with for costumes may be brilliant but the execution may be lacking. At Chestnut Grove Elementary School in Alabama, a teacher joined the many others who have been unconsciously racist. The teacher came to school wearing a red hat, gold chain, shutter shades and a sign that said “Kanye for Prez 2020.” If it wasn’t apparent before the teacher dressed up as Kanye West, to really accentuate his costume, the teacher smeared black paint on his face. Even though his actions were not malicious and not intended to offend anyone, it did. But the “blackface” isn’t the only type of unconscious racist costume. Halloween costumes that depict offensive stereotypes of the Native American, Indian, Hispanic cultures and many others. Some of the offensive costumes include making fun of the LGBTQ community, mental disorders, eating disorders, and
objectifying professional careers. Ohio University has started a campaign to try to end the reproduction of these offensive costumes. The organization is called Students Teaching About Racism in Society or STARS. According to Ohio University’s STARS website, the STARS purpose is “to facilitate discussion about diversity and all isms (sexism, classism, heterosexism, ethnocentrism etc.) with an emphasis on racial issues.” Ohio University is not the only school to take an interest in offensive Halloween Costumes. VSU is also taking a stand against these costumes as well. Recently, VSU sent an email to students who live on campus about wearing harmful costumes. “Harmful costumes connect to and reinforce oppressions such as racism, sexism, and classism, as well as promoting prejudice and fears such as homophobia and xenophobia,” said VSU’s Housing and Resident Life. “It is essential that we all communicate that we are a part of a campus that cares about everyone, and respects the cultural and individual diversity that is present in our community.” There are many ways to have Halloween costumes without the overt racism and sexism. Halloween shouldn’t be the only time we show an interest in culture; just be sure to have respect for that diversity.
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The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.com
GA/FL Football History In 2009, the last Halloween match up between the Bulldogs and the Gators was a blow out for Florida with a final score of 41- 17.
Kristin Whitman/THE SPECTATOR
Running back Cedric O’Neal celebrates after a touchdown at the game against Mississippi College. A Halloween win against West Alabama is crucial for the Blazers to have a chance for post season play.
No. 5 VSU matches up with No. 4 UWA for another GSC game Gabe Burns
Asst. Sports Editor gcburns@valdosta.edu The Valdosta State Blazers (5-2, 2-2) are presented an opportunity to move above .500 in conference play on Saturday when the team hosts the West Alabama Tigers (6-2, 2-2). The game is as pivotal as they come for both schools. The winner keeps pace with West Georgia, North Alabama and Florida Tech in the upper-half of the conference, while the loser faces an uphill climb for a postseason berth. Despite already losing to UWG and UNA, the Blazers have a looming matchup with Florida Tech in mid-November. If VSU grabs a win this week, they will be well positioned to finish in at least third place in the Gulf South Conference. That win will not come easy. The Tigers have been an offensive juggernaut this season, with an average of 31.3 points per game, while having put up north of that number in five of their eight contests. UWA’s performance in the GSC has somewhat mirrored that of VSU’s. The Tigers have split their first four conference games, and also suffered a loss at the hands of West Georgia. In conference play, UWA has given up 30 points per game. While their offense has proven to be formidable, the Tigers’ defense has consistently been susceptible to the big play, and UWA has become reliant on shootout victories.
Last week was such a case, when the Tigers defeated Delta State 41-38, just a week after topping Shorter 52-27. The Blazers are no strangers to shootouts themselves, recently pulling away late to get their own win over Shorter last Thursday, 37-22. There are two statistical facets of West Alabama that VSU is well positioned to exploit. The first is UWA’s red-zone touchdown efficiency, which is an uninspiring 45 percent. The Blazers have applied the bend-but-don’t-break defensive theory well for most of the season, and taking advantage of the Tigers’ struggles inside the 20 may well become the difference in the game. The second point of emphasis for the Blazers should be in their passing offense. West Alabama allows 235 yards through the air each game, in comparison to a VSU offense that throws for 223.7 on the average week. The Blazers’ current dualquarterback system, featuring EJ Hilliard and Roland Rivers, has been successful to this point. It is crucial that coach David Dean allows whichever signal caller playing to have enough time to build a rhythm, instead of swapping them in and out at potentially inopportune times. Dean has fared well in that respect thus far, but must maintain proper management of the situation this weekend for the Blazers to emerge victorious. The game will be held at noon on Oct. 31 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
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Blazer softball Soccer takes a loss before last celebrates a successful home game of the season season and grades Aldean Starr
Staff Writer aldeanstarr@valdosta.edu The Valdosta State Softball team had an amazing season last year, capped off with a record of 48-9 that landed them with a ranking of No. 12 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II top 25 poll. The success of the Blazers softball team was not just on the field, the team also excelled in the classroom. Annually, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association awards collegiate athlete who displays great academic performance. The award is given to athletes who earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher throughout the fall and spring. Last season, the Blazers softball team had 10 players who received an award for their academic performance: outfielder Courtney Albritton, pitcher Caitlyn Calhoun, infielder Chelsea Canara, pitcher Maci
Fletcher, catcher Kelly Gordon, outfielder Halie Imler, outfielder Fran Johnson, outfielder Brandy Morgan, infielder Samantha Smith and infielder Bree Wells. It is also clear the athletes really take pride in this award. “It is a really prestigious award and it is something we worked really hard for,” sophomore catcher Kelly Gordon said. Thomas Macera, Valdosta State Softball’s all-time winningest head coach, also expressed how proud he was that the girls were able to excel on and off the field. “It goes to show their off the field ability is as good as their on the field ability, to know their performance is as good in the classroom as it is on the field is a testament to the team of how hard our girls work within the program,” Macera stated. With the season set to start in the spring, the Blazers look to continue with their success on the field and also in the classroom.
Courtesy of vstateblazers.com Outside hitter Antia Rodriguez-Sanchez attempts to spike in the game against Palm Beach Atlantic. The team is on a three-game winning streak going into the weekend with a game against Lee and Shorter University.
Volleyball looks to carry on streak through the weekend Kyle Dawson
Circulation Manager kkdawson@valdosta.edu The Valdosta State volleyball team is riding a three game winning streak into the weekend where they will face Lee University on Friday and Shorter University on Saturday, in Valdosta. Lee University is also coming off of a three game win streak as they prepare to face the Blazers, but VSU head coach Mike Swan feels as if the Blazers are up for the challenge. “Their offense if pretty efficient but we hope that if we serve them really tough we can get them out of system and that will make it easier for us to stop their attack and to dig a lot of balls,” Swan said. The Blazers have been doing a lot of digging lately, as they have 29 more digs than their opponents in their last two matches, and libero Natalia Campos has 63 digs during the winning streak. The Lee match is just one stop on the road to the conference championship, which is the Blazers’ ultimate goal for what has already been a great season. “We always want to secure a spot in the post season conference tournament, and if we are fortunate enough, to possibly host it,” Swan said. Swan says that, while hosting is the main goal, he is not worried about the team’s performance if they have to go on the road. “We believe that we will be playing our best volleyball at the end of the season and that it will help us secure another conference championship so we can automatically advance to the national tournament for a second consecutive season,” Swan said. If the Blazers hope to keep winning while moving toward the conference tournament, they will need continued success from juniors Anita Rodriguez-Sanchez and Susanna Peonia who lead the team in kills and blocks respectively. The match against Lee is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Complex.
Courtesy of Lexis Lloyd Forward/midfielder Madison Cutts dribbles the ball down field to Blazer territory as a West Florida player runs in to intercept. The Blazers took a loss before the last home game of the season, Oct. 31.
Julia Rodriquez
Staff Writer jlrodriquez@valdosta.edu VSU’s Women’s Soccer suffered a loss against West Florida with a score of 3-0 at home on Wednesday. The Lady Blazers overall record changed to 4-10-2 as a result of the Gulf South Conference loss.
The West Florida Argonauts are one of VSU’s biggest rivals and it was expected to be a tough match. Last season The Blazers lost to West Florida and in 2013 the teams tied. West Florida is ranked No. 3 in the conference with a record of 8-3 while Valdosta State is ranked No.11 in with a record of 3-7-1. Senior McCall Gardner was a
key player in this game as goalie with 12 saves. “I am proud of the team,” Gardner said. “Results don’t show our true potential and we are ready to come back strong Saturday and leave it all on the field.” The game started with a steady back and forth; however, as the game continued, West Florida began to dominate. The first half ended in a 0-0 tie with four shots taken by Valdosta and eight shots by West Florida. This year’s team is a new team and although they came out hard, West Florida was put together just enough more to win the game. A big problem was being marked up on back posts which is something to be improved upon and fixed during practice to avoid letting the opponents get easy goals, according to Gardner. Next up for the Blazers is Saturday against West Alabama at 7 p.m. The game is the last home game for the Valdosta State women’s soccer team and the seniors will be recognized.
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October 29, 2015