October 9, 2014
Today at VSU Movie night with Phi Alpha Delta - Spend an evening watching a movie with the Law Fraternity. All majors are welcome to come to Odum Library Room 3609 at 7 p.m. Zumba in the Student Union - Have you been waiting to try Zumba out? Join the Latin American Student Association in the Student Union Meeting Room 1 A&B at 6:30 p.m for a night of fun.
This Day in History Hoover Dam charges Cali On this day in 1936, the Hoover Dam provided electricity for Los Angeles through the power of the Colorado River. Current ran through transmission lines stretching 226 miles. Source: History.com
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Volume 87 Issue 7
VSU student body shrinks Student population continues trend, down 2.7 percent for Fall 2014 Kenzie Kesselring
Asst. Opinions Editor klkesselring@valdosta.edu The number of students enrolled at VSU has dropped for the Fall 2014 semester, leading many to wonder how it will affect the university. According to VSU’s Office of Institutional Research, in Fall 2013 VSU had 11,885 students enrolled in classes and by Spring 2014 that number fell to 11,265 students. The final number of students currently enrolled at VSU will not be released until later in October. Andy Clark, vice president for enrollment, marketing and communications, announced in the President’s Newsletter that the unofficial numbers for Fall 2014 enrollment are down 2.7 percent from last fall. This news has left many wondering what VSU is doing to increase enrollment for the coming semesters and how it will affect the school’s budget. “We are increasing our marketing budget and targeting our marketing dollars in areas where we should yield more student[s],” Clark said. In mid-September, VSU held its first V-State Experience in Atlanta and will be holding more in Georgia’s major cities throughout the
school year. This is just one of the many ways VSU is working to boost enrollment numbers for the coming years. VSU has also begun a marketing campaign called “Ignite!” which includes TV and radio commercials as well as billboards that target high school juniors and seniors throughout Georgia and North Florida.
Transfer student enrollment at VSU has increased, and there has been a 3.6 percent increase in the junior class. There has also been an 8.3 percent jump in the number of doctoral students and a 3.1 percent increase in the number of graduate students. According to Clark, this year’s enrollment was predicted to be slightly lower
Sports Editor ajtostado@valdosta.edu
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Social Media Editor jlbarela@valdosta.edu
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Valdosta State University is set to host the next meeting for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia on Oct. 14-15. “It is a great honor to be selected to host our esteemed board, and I am truly looking forward to having them visit our beautiful campus and community,” VSU President William McKinney said in an email. The meeting is open to the public. There are exceptions for executive sessions. The agenda, which was not released at the time of publication, is set by the board office.
The last time that VSU hosted a Board of Regents meeting was in 2003. During that meeting, former president of VSU, Ronald M. Zaccari, delivered a special presentation to the Board. According to the minutes of the meeting, Zaccari made a presentation that explored “strategic and master planning processes, partnerships with other institutions and agencies, enrollment trends, and plans for [then] new construction.” The last meeting after the one in 2003 that was held at VSU was in 1981. The Board of Regents was set to come in 2011, but was rescheduled after former President Hugh Bailey wanted to wait until Zaccari succeeded him.
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Since VSU has hired security guards last semester, there have not been many incidents for them to report. VSU brought on a team of security guards in the spring to alleviate the danger of recent crimes on campus. According to Scott Doner, director of the University Police Department, there are two security guards on duty during the evening hours on what he calls “main campus.” “(The security guards)
Elan Waite
Editor-in- chief ewaite@valdosta.edu Sports Editor ajtostado@valdosta.edu
FACEBOOK: The Spectator Photo courtesy of University Systems of Georgia The Board of Regents of the University Systems of Georgia will come to VSU for the first time in 11 years on Oct. 14-15. The Board oversees 31 colleges through out Georgia.
Inside This Issue
With a week of enforcement behind it, the tobacco ban is in full effect at VSU. Campuses in Georgia have gone smoke free and the reaction to the new policy varies. On Oct. 1, VSU enforced the smoking ban put into place by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. According to the ban, all forms of tobacco products are
- FEATURES: Professors personalize house calls to students
VSU welcomes Columbus State Friday
- SPORTS: VSU, West Georgia battle for ‘Basket’
See page 6 for more
- OPINIONS: Focus on retention, not recruitment
come in, report, pick up the radios, go out to the Pedestrian Mall area, or what we call the main square of campus… and patrol that area,” Doner said. “In the course that we have a special event going on, (like) something going on in the Union, they will patrol those areas.” According to Doner, the extra eyes and ears have reported some suspicious people to the police. “They have reported suspicious people to us, but as far as serious crime, no,” Doner said. “They have reported suspicious people and hope-
fully that has prevented some things.” Some students have voiced their displeasure in the lack of access to the security guards. “Honestly, no,” Nathan Ragland, freshman mass media major, said when asked if he has seen the security guards at night. “Well, if I can’t see them, they can’t really make a difference in my opinion.” Doner says that they do not carry weapons with them. Their main pieces of equipment are radios and flashlights.
Week of tobacco ban still leaves students separated & Alex Tostado
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we are currently down 2.7 percent, which is well within what we budgeted.” This decrease in enrollment does not seem to have adversely affected the university so far and with the new marketing budget in place, Clark seems confident that it will not have any lasting effects on VSU’s future.
Board of Regents Security force effective, comes to VSU, VSU police chief says long hiatus over Alex Tostado
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than in past years, but this is not abnormal. Also, the drop in enrollment at VSU will not affect the finances of the university. “Nationally there is a trend occurring where more students are staying home and attending college,” Clark said. “The university budget was built considering a 5.5 percent decrease in enrollment, [and]
banned on properties owned, leased, rented or in the possession of the USG. The ban is in place for students, faculty, staff, contractors, subcontractors and visitors. The ban relies on community members to enforce the policy and let those who may smoke on campus know that it is banned. Booths were set up on the pedestrian mall, the University Center and the Student Union on Oct.1. Different organizations signed up to sit at the tables, where educational pamphlets, interactive games and enticing prizes were being offered.
“Trivia has facts about smoking and how much it costs,WW and if you get it right you get to enter in a raffle,” Sinete Davis, junior human capital performance major, said. “You can win a $40 bookstore card or a CVS card.” It doesn’t take just games and a raffle to become a smokefree campus, however. It takes time. “They say it takes three years to change a culture,” Tyler Barker, SGA president, said.
See Tobacco, page 2
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Check out Mayah Cantave’s story, “Clemson forces students to take invasive sex quiz,” on the web!
PAGE 2 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM
Student loan debt continues to rise Tatyana Phelps
Copy Editor tnphelps@valdosta.edu Now more than ever before, an increasing amount of students have to take out loans to pay for their college education. Douglas Tanner, VSU’s director of financial aid, said nearly two out of every three students has borrowed through some sort of student loan program to aid their finances. “For the fall semester of 2014, we have disbursed federal student and/or parent loan funds to 7,095 students,” Tanner said. “In addition, we have private education and Student Access Loan funds to around 300 more students. That means around 64 percent of enrolled students…have borrowed through one of these programs. “We are continuing to process loans, and [this] number will continue to rise slowly throughout the semester.” According to Tanner, nearly $38,000,000 in loans has been disbursed at VSU for this semester alone. In the U.S., the student loan debt has exceeded the $1 trillion mark. “I’ve seen reports of nationwide average debt at graduation of around $33,000, and it is rising at about the same rate as debt at VSU,” Tanner said. “That would put VSU at below average for debt…For public universities and other comparable schools, VSU is about average for debt at
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graduation. This is definitely not just a VSU issue, it is a national issue for higher education. “The average undergraduate borrower’s student loan debt at graduation here at VSU has increased from $17,278 for students graduating in 2007-2008 to $27,482 for those who graduated during this past year. This is a nearly 67 percent increase in student loan debt in just seven years, and this does not include PLUS Loan funds that their parents borrowed and are responsible for repaying.” Tuition costs are increasing more each year, which could be a contributing factor to the increase in student loans. From last year to this one,
Upcoming Events Study Abroad Fair
Dance Concert
Oct. 14 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Honors House (on Georgia Avenue)
Oct. 9, 10, 11, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12, 3 p.m. Sawyer Theatre (Fine Arts Building)
The Center for International Programs and Honors College will be hosting the 2014 Study Abroad Fair. The Honors House will be transformed into a map of 20 different countries, and students will be able to meet previous study abroad participants, try foods from around the world, and learn about study abroad opportunities available to them.
The VSU Repertory Dancers will perform their 29th annual dance concert, titled “No Boundaries.” The performance will feature choreography by Eric Brandt Nielsen, Catherine Schaeffer and Sara Wildes Arnett.
For more information, contact Irina B. McClellan at (229) 333-7410 or ibmcclel@ valdosta.edu.
Adult tickets are $15, but VSU students get in free with a valid ID. To reserve tickets, call the VSU Box Office at (229) 333-5973 Monday through Saturday, 2-5 p.m. Only cash and check payments will be accepted.
Police Briefs Oct. 3 A student reported that $20 was missing from her wallet that was returned to her from VSUPD’s found property. The wallet was turned over to the police from Odum Library on Oct. 2, and no money was in the wallet at that time. A non-student was arrested
and charged with Obstruction of a Law Enforcement Officer and Violation of a Criminal Trespass Warning near Patterson Hall. Oct. 2 It was reported that an iPad stolen last semester from Brown Hall was recently sold to a person in Atlanta.
in-state tuition increased by 4 percent and out-of-state tuition increased by 3 percent, according to VSU’s website. “As state support has been cut over the [last decade], more and more of the cost of education has been charged to students in the form of higher tuition and institutional fees,” Tanner said. “Since financial aid programs like the HOPE Scholarship and Pell Grant were either being cut at the same time or were not rising fast enough to keep up with tuition increases, many students found loans as their only option to cover the additional charges.” Nakia Ball, sophomore early childhood education major, said she is concerned about the trend of tuition spikes. “[Increasing tuition] means more money that I have to pay back after I graduate. It makes me worry because will I have enough time and money to pay it all back?” President Obama has been working to expand a student
loan forgiveness program. The program, called “PayAs-You-Earn,” will lower the monthly payments, thus making student loans more affordable for college graduates. According to Forbes, “People with student loans that meet certain income eligibility standards will only need to pay 10 percent of their discretionary income for a maximum of 20 years. Discretionary income is the amount you earn above the poverty line for your family size. “If a borrower works for a government or in a job defined as public service, they only have to pay for 10 years. After that, the remaining balance is forgiven.” Adrian Scott, junior mass media major, feels as though the program will be very beneficial for those who qualify. “I think that it makes it easier for people to pay stuff back,” Scott said. “It’ll give people a lot more time to pay their loans off.”
Taymara Tait
On Oct. 23 is White Out Day/VSU Organizational Roll Call. At 5:30 p.m. there will be a cook-out next to VSU’s tennis courts. Later in the evening, a pep rally and lip-sync competition will be held in the PE Complex at 7 p.m. On Oct. 24 is Red Hat/Red Shoes day. Also, an event called “Blazing Downtown Throwdown” will start at 6:30 p.m. in downtown Valdosta. VSU’s Homecoming parade will begin at 11 a.m. Oct. 25. The Homecoming football game against Shorter University at 3 p.m. at the Bazemore-Hyder Stadium is the last event of Homecoming week. For the full story, visit our website!
OCTOBER 9, 2014
Tobacco
Continued from page 1 “This is definitely a culture change, not even from a student body standpoint but student, faculty and staff. All three of these parties play a part in enforcing this policy.” Barker and the SGA are working to change the culture on campus to help enforce the ban. “We are working on a promotional video to encourage people to not smoke, just something educational and entertaining to help with the advocacy of the policy,” Barker said. However, not everybody is in favor of the ban, and there are mixed feelings around campus. “As far as smoking on campus goes, I don’t see why they just don’t make a smoking area for it,” Perry Davis, junior English major, said. “You literally will end up going to Drexel Park and turning that place into a giant ashtray.” Others are looking forward to the ban for health and per-
sonal reasons. “I am all for the smoking ban,” Tom Manning, chemistry professor, said. “I’ll point out that I have had a couple members from my immediate family die from smoking cigarettes, so I don’t see the added value to them at all; if they’re rid from our society forever, that would be a good thing.” With those who support the ban and those who are against it, some are working to find loopholes in the policy. Katherine Burke, sophomore biology major, has looked up ways to be able to smoke near but not on campus. “People are going to complain about everyone smoking on the sidewalk,” Burke said. “I even researched: the creek is city property, but the bridge isn’t, so you have to be in the creek to be able to smoke.” It will take a few weeks before the VSU community will see the full effects of this ban, and many are still anxiously waiting to see how it pans out.
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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
SGA outlines Homecoming Staff Writer tatait@valdosta.edu This week the SGA discussed Homecoming week, which is Oct. 20-24 and continues through the weekend. On Oct. 20, the senators will host a T-shirt exchange at Odum Library from 12-2 p.m. Later in the evening, SGA will host a carnival from 5-9 p.m. On Oct. 21, organizations across campus will compete in mini-track racing, sheet signing and sidewalk competitions at 6 p.m. by the pedestrian mall. On Oct. 22 will be the annual “Terror in the Wild” event at Wild Adventures from 6-11 p.m. Admission will be free to VSU students with a valid ID.
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1900 Williams Street 3BR/2BA - $660/ month DW, REF & STOVE, CH&A, and front porch. Walk to Campus! Contact Ming Lin at 229-292-4400.
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VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 3
OCTOBER 9, 2014
Our point of view...
Focus on retention, not recruitment
W
Brittney Penland/THE SPECTATOR
hen the truth came out, the truth hurt. The painful truth to some people is that VSU is shrinking. The more important truth to the remaining 11,500 students is that reaching our goal — graduation — has become an increasingly difficult struggle. We realize recruiting is important, but VSU needs to realize that it is time for retention to take center stage. While we expect the university to recruit new students, VSU’s administration needs to work harder at retaining the students they already have, many who leave for another college after only one or two semesters on campus. This loss of students is the latest facet in a trend that began as early as spring 2013 when VSU first saw a decrease in the total number of enrolled students. The number dropped from 12,277 students in spring 2012 to 11,265 by the start of the 2014 spring semester. VSU is not the only university experiencing a decrease in the number of students, the entire University System of Georgia is. Many factors have led to this drop, including the rise of more localized colleges in the north Georgia area as well as many students opting to stay home during their college years to offset the always increasing cost of housing. Despite constant protests and complaints from students, the heart of VSU’s retention problem lies beyond the standard issues of parking, the bus system and
housing. By choosing to go to college, students open themselves up to both a world of opportunities and an onslaught of financial debt. Paying tuition is, in effect, placing trust in VSU; the university owes it to the students to do the best job they can to make their students successful. VSU has to recognize that more often than not students have to work more outside of the university to pay high tuition costs, which can be seen in the increase of students who now spend six years to complete their bachelor’s degree. Of the students that enrolled in VSU in the fall of 2007, 40.2 percent did not graduate until six years later. It is true that it may be time for all to recognize that it is now going to take longer than the standard four years to get through college. However, it is also clear that we now need as much help as possible with finances from the system. VSU faces the responsibility of helping students find different avenues to afford college, such as creative financial aid opportunities as well as internships and career opportunities for students entering a flat job market. VSU has done a lot, as evident by an improved retention rate (up to 72 percent from the 67.4 percent from 2013), but a lot is not enough now. VSU succeeds when its students succeed, and VSU needs to do everything possible to help ensure its students thrive.
This editorial was written by a member of the editorial staff and expresses the general opinion of The Spectator.
MCT Campus
Focus on prevention of Ebola Jordan Hill
Opinions Editor jorhill@valdosta.edu It takes a death of a U.S. citizen to motivate our government and the CDC to take action. Five international airports are screening temperatures of passengers coming back from West Africa, where Ebola is believed to have started. This movement comes after a couple of Ebola diagnoses in the U.S. and one death. Screening international passengers’ temperatures is a wonderful start to preventing the spread of Ebola, but it’s going to take more than a thermometer to keep our country safe. As of now, there are five U.S. citizens with Ebola, one being the Texas man that died recently. The country was first told not to worry when two citizens were hospitalized in Atlanta for the disease.
Fortunately, they were cured. However, weeks after their release, more citizens are being diagnosed and are dying from Ebola. It has taken the death of an American to make our government realize that this disease is becoming an epidemic. Ebola is only spread by direct contact of a diagnosed person’s fluids or an infected syringe or needle.
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
MCT Campus
is what America thrives on, but to put our soldiers’ lives in danger, as well as other citizens, is ignorant. While it is comparable to putting their lives in danger by fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the soldiers are there helping sick Africans, not protecting our freedoms and rights.
People Poll: What changes would you like to see VSU make?
Job Cannon Senior Interdisciplinary studies
Jessica Bald Sophomore Spanish
Mason Bodenhamer Freshman Finance
“I think that VSU should have a car wash on campus.”
“I think VSU should have less strict guidelines when it comes to the curfew in the dorms with the opposite sex. We’re all adults now.”
“VSU is fine the way it is.”
Letter to the Editor
Professor considers not contributing to Foundation Fund Drive in light of university’s recent actions As the Foundation’s Annual Giving Fund Drive gets underway this year, I pause and reflect on the events of the last year. I have been contributing annually to the fund since my arrival at Valdosta State in 1990. I have happily given not only to my own department, but to various units throughout the university as many of these need additional support. But as events of the past several months have unfolded, I have been put in a position where I have to make a difficult decision. I want to continue to offer monetary support, but I am disturbed with the recent attitudes and actions of the foundation and feel compelled to boycott the Annual Giving drive. Let me explain. The first set of disturbing events came last year, as the students in
SAVE joined the national fossil fuel divestiture movement and asked the VSU Foundation to consider divesting our university investments from companies involved in fossil fuel extraction. The idea here is simple. Climate Change is real, it’s upon us, and it’s caused by greenhouse gases. Since human activities are the principal cause of the drastically increased presence of carbon in the atmosphere, we need to stop extracting carbon-rich material out of the ground and find alternative energy sources. When SAVE students Danielle Jordan and Ben Vieth brought these ideas to the foundation, Wayne Edwards, chairman of the Board of Trustees, was patronizing and disrespectful to them to say the least. He basically told them that they were conned
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into believing in human caused climate change by VSU faculty and, having no credentials in climate science, dismissed the idea that VSU faculty might have accurate knowledge of climate science. This stance is not only disrespectful, but incredibly ironic, given that higher education is what the Board is charged to support. It’s as if they were on the Board of Trustees of a church, yet were themselves atheists. Secondly, I am deeply disturbed about the treatment of the Mary Turner Project, whose foundation funds were frozen after its director, Mark George, engaged the Georgia Assembly’s public financing of neo-confederate activities. As the Mary Turner Project is an organization dedicated to racial healing, it is perfectly legitimate for Dr. George
to challenge those practices which are inimical to such healing. As a supporter and contributor to the Mary Turner Project, I am not only upset that this endeavor has been shut down, but that the funds I submitted in good faith have no guarantee to be used as intended. How can I give through the foundation if it can decide willy nilly to freeze funding when it’s politically expedient to do so? It saddens me that it comes to this and that deserving organizations will suffer because of my decision, but I cannot give my continued support until these issues are resolved and the Foundation can come to respect the work of its faculty and students of this university. Sincerely, Ari Santas
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Our nation must accept that this disease is prevalent. However, we must now focus on prevention of more diagnoses and a certifiable cure. One way our government is preventing Ebola is by sending our soldiers to Africa. That is a great idea, considering that is the origin of Ebola and our U.S. citizens’ sickness. Helping others in need
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PAGE 4 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM
OCTOBER 9, 2014
Professors personalize house calls to students Kristin Whitman
Asst. Sports Editor krwhitman@valdosta.edu
VSU Residence Life changed up the traditional meaning of a commonly known phrase with its “House Calls” program Sept. 29 and 30. If you’re familiar with the term “house call,” you know it involves a doctor coming to check up on you if you’re sick. However, for this “House Calls” program, VSU Residence Life invited not doctors but faculty and staff to meet with first-year students living in the residence halls.
This is the fourth year this program has taken place, and this year there were over 30 faculty and staff members answering frequently asked questions from incoming freshmen. Not only did students ask questions but they answered them as well. Students who participated in the program gave mixed reviews about whether the program helped them. According to sophomore psychology major Brooke Robinson, she had a great time talking to the staff at VSU, but she thought it was a little late to be bothered in her dorm. “I was busy studying when
they came to my door,” Robinson said, “[but] I thought the tips and answers they gave me were helpful and I got to talk about my experiences so far.” According to Mark McNalley, assistant director of residence education, this was a learning experience for students and staff. The students were very responsive, discussing their move-in experiences as well as their excitement for homecoming. “Involving knowledgeable faculty and staff, we can not only help our students thrive intellectually during their time at Valdosta State University, [but] we can also help them understand the value of
life-long learning outside the classroom,” McNalley said. Residence Life realizes that living in a residence hall is not enough to foster academic success; however, with the events it hosts, it wishes to encourage students to achieve their goals by creating an academically supportive environment. Even with the mixed reviews on the “House Calls” program, McNalley is positive about the impact this program has made on students, faculty and staff and wishes to continue to make it a yearly program among freshmen residence halls.
Conventional wallets may be obsolete
Photo Credit: mgnonline.com
Marquez Slaughter
Staff Writer mjslaughter@valdosta.edu
A
pple Inc. will release a feature for iPhone 6 carriers this month that will save pocket space and provide financial security. “Gone are the days of searching for your wallet,” Apple.com said on its website advertising the Apple Pay, a new feature that will allow iPhone 6 users to pay directly from their phones. This single feature holds all the payment cards that the individual allows it to. The feature accepts Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. It also has participating banks, such as Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and American Express. Coming soon to the lists of banks are PNC, US Bank, USAA, Navy Federal Credit Union and Barelaycard. “Apple Pay lets you use
iPhone 6 to pay at over 220,000 locations accepting contactless payments and within participating apps,” said Apple.com. “And there are even more stores and apps to come.” To pay, the individual has to touch the “Touch ID” button for security purposes, and once there is a slight vibration and a beep, then the individual is notified that his or her payment was complete. All it takes is a verification of the iPhone owner’s finger print. Despite the convenience, some would still prefer using a more traditional payment method. “I feel at ease knowing that I have something tangible that I can hold onto rather than using my finger print on my phone,” Jalynn Sandolph, an iPhone 6 carrier, said. Although this feature may be a brilliant idea from Apple, some iPhone 6 users are not persuaded into using the feature, such as Jailisa Jones, a junior VSU student.
“Personally, I don’t like it, because I feel like someone can hack into my phone,” Jones said. Jones said that she would rather type her information in herself during the checkout process to stay safe. According to Apple, the new feature is more secure than paying with a credit or debit card in person because the individual’s card number is visible. With Apple Pay, however, the number is saved on a chip in the iPhone and not stored on the Apple server to avoid anyone seeing the card number. If the phone is lost or stolen, then the Find My iPhone app has to be used or the iPhone has to be wiped clean of memory. This feature is only compatible with iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. It will be compatible with iPhone 5, 5s, and 5c when paired with the Apple Watch, which will be releasing early in 2015.
College dating 101: A few hard truths to know Mayah Cantave Staff Writer mcantave@valdosta.edu Dating in general is never easy, but maintaining a successful relationship in college is almost a myth because our generation has embraced the hookup-culture. Taking risks on the people you date, places you go and activities you do when dating can be a real eye opener. What you wanted might not be what is actually right for you. To take a risk, first take a step out of your comfort zone. Date someone you wouldn’t normally date. Sometimes the unexpected can be amazing. Don’t rush; you should date at a slower pace. Take your time. You have plenty of time to find someone. Just because your friend has a relationship doesn’t mean you need to have one too. You should move at a pace that you want. Don’t rush anything until you are absolutely certain you are ready. Fail. Fail. Fail. Try again. Don’t settle for anything less than what you deserve. There are plenty of people in the world and plenty of time to find the love of your life. For most people, the first person you date most likely will not be the person you spend your life with. Date. Find someone that you are comfortable around and who is on the same page as you. Be yourself—this is a major life lesson when it comes to dating. You do not need to be someone you’re not. Find someone who likes you for you, not what they can do for you. You don’t need to change for anyone. If you don’t find anyone now you will even-
tually. Further, if someone wants you to change, they are not worth it. Hook-ups are not relationships. Again, hook-ups are not relationships. This cannot be stressed enough. The best advice is to clarify before you go too far or before someone gets his or her feelings hurt. Embrace study dates. Just about everyone in college is on the same financial scale as you. Everyone is broke. With study dates, you can still be together while getting some work done. The reason you are here is for school; make the most of it while spending time together. Rely on your senses. If something seems off or if someone is becoming too close too soon, get out of there. Better to be safe than sorry. If something doesn’t feel right, keep your distance and remove yourself from the situation. Always remember no means no—no matter what. If you do not agree to something, it is not consensual. You have a right to decide. The decision is always in your hands. College is a great way to meet people. This is the time in your life when you are trying to find yourself and what you like. Walker Patterson, junior psychology major, explains his experience with dating in college. “College helped me shape my way of what I really wanted to know and what I really wanted out of a relationship and allowed me to find that in a person” Patterson said. It is possible to find love in college. All you have to do is go out there and find it.
VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 5
OCTOBER 9, 2014
Florida QB’s find themselves in hot water last weekend Edgar Thompson Orlando Sentinel MCT Campus
This week has been much bigger than football for Florida coach Will Muschamp. Muschamp has been dealing with larger issues than beating LSU. On Wednesday, a somber Muschamp addressed reporters for the first time since freshman quarterback Treon Harris was suspended amid accusations he sexually assaulted a female student early Sunday morning. Muschamp said he still felt it was premature to discuss anything to do with football in light of the “very serious charge” leveled against Harris, a candidate to take over as the starter after he rallied the Gators to win Saturday at Tennessee. When the allegations against Harris surfaced Monday morning, the University Athletic Association canceled Muschamp’s scheduled media session and decided Tuesday to reschedule it for Wednesday. “I felt like it was a little insensitive to have a football press conference,” Muschamp said. “I think it is today,
Treon Harris accused of sexual assault. Skylar Mornhinweg fought teammate after practice too. But we’ve got to move could not find his cleats and forward.” Wearing eyeglasses and making little eye contact during his 26-minute press conference, Muschamp would not discuss the investigation of Harris, an 18-year-old from Miami. “The statement that the university released Monday I think was pretty self-explanatory,” he said. “It’s a very serious charge and there’s been no change in his status.” Muschamp also addressed the fight Monday evening between quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg and defensive tackle Gerald Willis. Punches were exchanged over a missing pair of cleats, with Mornhinweg sustaining lacerations on his lip that needed medical attention. “It was a tremendous misunderstanding,” Muschamp said, shaking his head. “I tell you what, we’ve made a big one out of this.” Muschamp said Willis
grabbed a pair with the No. 17 on them, thinking the shoes belonged to fellow lineman and friend Jordan Sherrit. Mornhinweg, who wore No. 17 the previous two seasons, confronted Willis after seeing the cleats in his locker. A scuffle ensued, but no charges were filed. “Nobody stole anything,” Muschamp said. “If anybody stole anything, they wouldn’t be on this football team anymore. I can assure you of that. “We had a disagreement, and I wish it would have been handled a little bit differently.” The ongoing Harris investigation and a fistfight between teammates cast a cloud over Muschamp’s program. While the Gators have not distinguished themselves on the field lately, Muschamp has run a program with few offthe-field problems. One UF player has run afoul of the law during the
Eve Edelheit/MCT Campus Florida Gators quarterback Jeff Driskel (6) runs the ball in the first quarter during the game between the Florida Gators and Eastern Michigan Eagles at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., on Saturday, September 6, 2014.
past 442 days. Freshman cornerback Jalen Tabor was cited last May for misdemeanor possession of fewer than 20 grams of marijuana. Monday’s events, though, drew negative national attention for Muschamp’s program at a time when his job is at stake and his football team is struggling. “It is what it is,” Muschamp said during the weekly SEC teleconference. “You handle situations in this role and you move forward. You manage your football team and that’s what we’ve done.” Harris’ suspension put even
greater focus on the Gators’ questions at quarterback. Harris replaced veteran starter Jeff Driskel late in the third quarter at Tennessee with the Gators’ trailing 9-0 and helped UF to a 10-9 win. Driskel was 11-of-23 passing for 59 yards and three interceptions against the Vols, giving him five picks in two games. “Jeff’s a tough young man,” Muschamp said. “He’s resilient. I met with him Sunday and I talked to him after the game and talked to him Monday. He understands ... he needs to play better.
Muschamp said he had not decided by Monday whether he would replace Driskel as the starter. He did, however, stress Driskel would have been involved in the game plan against LSU. Driskel now is UF’s only viable quarterback option. Will Grier, a star recruit UF planned to redshirt, is available, but he never played in a college game and missed the past three weeks with back spasms. Grier practiced Monday and Tuesday, and Muschamp said he “didn’t see a lot of rust from him.”
Alex Tostado
Austin Wells, the Los Angeles Dodgers. So much for that. Austin at least had the Baltimore Orioles winning the American League. Chris had the St. Louis Cardinals winning the National League. All four of us are baseball fans. We have been for a long time. Now before you call us crazy, look at the rest of the nation and who they picked. Not many people would have predicted that the two No. 1 seeds would be done this quickly.
I guess I could have guessed to pick the Cardinals or the Giants; they are built for October and always seem to be in this position. Now, I am not complaining about being wrong, although it is never fun. To see the AL play out the way it did is why we love October. The Kansas City Royals are having a magical run. The Orioles are drawing in a lot of attention, too. Follow Alex on Twitter: @Alex_Tostado12
Baseball predictions from Volleyball gears up for big last week up in flames GSC tests this weekend Volleyball comes off of six day rest, plays Lee, Shorter Neil Frawley
Sports Writer ndfrawley@valdosta.edu The vacation is over. The test begins. VSU volleyball team will have a week off by the time it plays Shorter, the best team in the Gulf South Conference. Looking closer into the future, the Blazers look to extinguish Lee University Flames at a home game on Friday. “It’s a big weekend for us,” head coach Mike Swan said. “The next two weekends are going to be really, really big.” Swan said. VSU beat LU 3-1 on the road in their last match. VSU went on to lose to SU 3-1 in the same road trip. VSU has won five out of its last six contests since back to back losses against SU and University of West Florida which has moved them up to fourth place in the GSC. VSU could move up to as high as second place if they win both matches this weekend. “I think we feel confident, anytime we play at home,” Swan said. “It’s great not to have to travel seven to eight
hours on the bus and have to get off and perform at a high level. “We want to play well every time we go out, and we’re finding ways to win even when we’re not doing our best.” Despite Coach Swan’s recognition of his team’s strong performance, he still thinks the team has the potential to play better. “I don’t think we’ve hit our peak, and I don’t want us to,” Swan said. “We’re still finding out who can play what positions, and a couple spots that have been troublesome for us. I think we’re getting closer.” Last season, October was when the team began to fall apart. After getting out to a 12-2 record by Sept. 28, the team went 4-9 before the next time they won back to back matches. Coach Swan, the second year VSU coach, is looking to guide his team around some of the pitfalls that had gotten the team a season ago. “One huge thing (is) we’re not gone for five weeks like we were last year,” Swan
“I don’t think we’ve hit our peak, and I don’t want us to... I think we’re getting closer.”
Mike Swan VSU volleyball head coach
said. “We were always on the road. I think that really took its toll on us. I think we’re a lot more mature this year with the seniors that we have and (with) Nicole and Lea coming in as older players has really helped us a lot.” The action starts on Friday with the match against LU at 6 p.m. followed by the match against SU at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Follow Neil on Twitter: @NeilFrawley
Sports Editor ajtostado@valdosta.edu
Last week, myself and three writers predicted the baseball playoffs. I had the Los Angeles Angles winning it all along with Will De Lorenzo, one of the writers here. We see what happened there. At least we were not the only ones who were wrong. Chris Webb picked the Detroit Tigers. Nope.
Want to be a sports writer for The Spectator? Contact Alex Tostado, Sports Editor. ajtostado@valdosta. edu Follow us on Twitter @BlazerSports Instagram: @vsuspectator
Sudoku Answer
PAGE 6 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM
OCTOBER 9, 2014
VSU, West Georgia battle for ‘Basket’ Chris Webb
Sports Writer ctwebb@valdosta.edu If VSU’s game against West Georgia feels, ominous, it does. “Basically this is our first playoff game,” head coach David Dean said. Valdosta State and West Georgia have been rivals for over 30 years and this Saturday, at 2 p.m., another chapter will be added to the storied rivalry. Asking around at practice, players and coaches will give one answer about this year’s matchup against in state rivals UWG: it’s a must win. “We feel like we are going to have to play six straight weeks of playoffs. If we win those then we should be sitting in a position to advance,” Dean said. Valdosta State (2-2, 0-2) had a bye last week after falling out of the Top 25 following a crushing last second loss to No. 5 University of North Alabama two weeks ago. UWG (5-0, 1-0) enters the week ranked No. 21 after getting off to its best start since the 2000 season which saw the team finish (10-2), and eliminated VSU from that year’s playoffs. This will be the 31st matchup between the two Gulf South Conference foes
“This series and winning that peach basket is huge for us each year. Right now it’s on display in our office and that’s where we want to keep it.”
David Dean VSU head football coach in a game that has garnered the nickname “Battle for the Peach Basket.” “This series and winning that peach basket is huge for us each year,” coach Dean said “Right now it’s on display in our office and that’s where we want to keep it.” The Blazers have dominated the series going (21-9) overall with UWG’s last win coming in 2011, which coincidentally was the last time this game was played in Valdosta.
After a two-year hiatus, the battle has finally returned to Valdosta and seems to have VSU players a little more excited than normal. “Now we finally get to have the home crowd behind us,” junior running back Cedric O’Neal said. “With the students and families cheering for us, that crowd is going to give us some early momentum.” However, coming off losses to UNA and Delta State already, VSU cannot afford another conference loss if it hopes to make it back to the playoffs. The Blazers’ defense has only allowed 3.1 yards per carry and will look to continue that success this weekend against a Wolves offense averaging nearly 260 yards a game on the ground. UWG running backs Seth Hinsley and Brandon Lucas have combined for over 700 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. If the “Black Swarm” is able to limit the rushing attack once again, it will force UWG into throwing the ball, something it hasn’t done much of this year. The Wolves attempt the second fewest passing attempts in the GSC with only 17 per game. The few times UWG quarterback Dallas Dickey has been put into passing situa-
Chris Webb/THE SPECTATOR The Peach State Basket is given to the winner of the Valdosta State-West Georgia game. VSU is holding onto the Basket now and want to keep it that way. The Wolves visit Valdosta on Saturday.
tions this season, he has often looked for his big, 6 foot 3 inch junior receiver, Shaq Hall. Hall’s size could play a problem against a VSU secondary that has looked shaky at times this season giving up
close to 290 passing yards a game. Dickey is also fully capable of beating the defense with his legs as the Blazers found out last year when he had 122 yards in the Wolves losing effort.
Look for the VSU defense to put on the pressure all game in hopes of the junior quarterback making a mistake. Follow Chris on Twitter: @CTRSWebb
VSU welcomes Columbus State Friday Kristin Whitman
Asst. Sports Editor krwhitman@valdosta.edu The fourth home soccer game of the season against Columbus State University kicks off Friday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. The battle between the Blazers and the Cougars will be the beginning of a seven game home stand for VSU. CSU (8-0-1) is the second best team in the Peach Belt Conference and VSU (4-4-1) also holds the No. 2 spot in the GSU. The 2013 season was a tight battle for the Blazers and Cougars, finishing with a 2-1 victory for CSU. The Blazers took an early lead to the game. In the eighth minute of play, a ball was lined up for a corner kick and played perfectly into the back
of the net making it a 1-0 VSU. In the 20th minute, CSU pushed an attack into the box and earned a penalty kick after a VSU player touched the ball with her hand, tying the game at 1-1. With time running out in the 1-1 game CSU scored by drilling a corner kick in the 81st minute. Making it clear that VSU wants to come back with vengeance this year, Olivia Mill’s senior goal keeper, stated the importance of Friday’s game. “We want to bring our most outstanding defensive performance against Columbus State by staying composed throughout the match,” Mills said. According to head coach Rebecca Nolin, this is a very important potential win for this team. According to Mills, VSU
was not happy with its tie against Mississippi College last Sunday but they will now focus on making adjustments to prepare for this grueling match against CSU on Friday. Follow Kristin on Twitter: @kwhit_831
Upcoming schedule Friday vs. Columbus St. Sundy vs. Spring Hill Sat. Oct. 18 vs. Union Tue. Oct. 21 vs. West Georgia Sun. Oct. 26 vs. Alabama-Huntsville
Sally Querin/SPECIAL TO THE SPECTATOR VSU defensive players Deysla Reyes (4) and Rebecca Bonilla (22) work together to protect the goal at the VSU Soccer Complex Sunday, September 28, 2014. The Valdosta State Blazers fell to the Lee Lady Flames 0-1.