April 18, 2013
W W W. V S U S P E C TAT O R . C O m
Inside This Issue
VOLUmE 84 iSSUE 27
VSU Theatre and Dance students show off
- OPiniOnS: “Curriculum cripples students” - FEATURES: “dinner to bring diversity to VSu”
See pg. 7 for the details.
- SPORTS: “Josh Barks keeps a poker face”
On the Web Check out Chris Kessler’s weekend softball preview! w w w. v s u s p e c ta t o r. c o m
Your chance to win! Be sure to complete the Student Opinion of Instruction surveys for each of your classes to be entered to win prizes, such as an iPad, free parking pass or a $250 gift certificate to the VSU Bookstore! SOIs can be accessed through Banner or through the Spectator app (available for Apple and Android).
Today at VSU
Faculty Senate:
Dead Day may pass away Shane Thomas S P o rt S W r i t e r shanethomas@valdosta.edu
&
Jamal Tull S ta F F W r i t e r jotull@valdosta.edu
the VSu Faculty Senate will meet today at the uC Magnolia room to discuss policies as the semester winds down. among the issues to be discussed, the Faculty Senate will propose the elimination
of “dead day,” the tuesday of finals week when no classes are scheduled, from the university calendar. also part of the proposal is moving the last teaching day of the semester, the Monday of finals week, to another day in the semester. under the current scheduling, students have been able to enjoy the non-class day during finals week. Many use the extra day to study or to recover from weekend festivities. if put
into effect, finals week will truly be a week dedicated to nothing but finals. the Faculty Senate feels it would be more beneficial for the faculty in terms of grading. the removal of “dead day” would give faculty additional time to grade exams, papers and other projects. the removal of “dead day” would go into effect in the Fall Semester of 2014. Students are not as supportive. “that’s stupid,” arrin
Come learn how to “go green cheap.” hosted by the Pagan and Wiccan Society
ScIEncE SEmInArPowell hall, 4-5 p.m.
Joe Adgie SoCial Media editor
dr. Choogon lee, from Florida State university’s College of Medicine, will present “the Molecular Mechanism underlying our daily Physiology.”
jmadgie@valdosta.edu
cLImAtE chAngE PAnEL DIScUSSIOn Jennett Lecture hall 1111, 7:30 p.m. Come learn about the causes and concerns surrounding climate change. hosted by Students Against Violating the Environment
tAkE BAck thE nIghtStudent Union theater, 7 p.m.
mOVIE nIghtOdum Library Auditorium, 8 p.m. tonight’s movie will be “rise of the Guardians.” Snacks will be provded. hosted by natural high
EmErgIng ArtIStS ShOWcASESawyer theatre, various times a showcase of musical & reader's theatre performances and student choreography by VSu's theatre & dance Students. Begins today and runs through Sunday.
Weather Today
Friday
Partly Cloudy 89 H 65 L T-Storms 89 H 56 L
Saturday Showers 71 H 53 L
grades to be turned in to the registrar’s office is 9 a.m. on the Monday following finals week. the Faculty Senate will recommend that the deadline for grades be moved to 3 p.m. on the Monday after finals week. this change in the scheduling would provide faculty the opportunity for faculty members to take time to attend graduation, rather than spend their weekends grading.
Election results released, runoff coming Monday
EArth DAy WOrkShOP Odum Library room 1480, 6:30 p.m.
“Shattering the Silence against Sexual Violence” will help students dispel myths and understand the dangers of sexual violence both from strangers and from those we know and trust. hosted by health Promotions
White, a freshman undecided major, said. “Why put even more un-needed pressure on students?” Jamal Peterson, a junior art major, also feels strongly about the pending decision. “teachers already cram a lot of work on students at the end of the year,” he said. “the day is almost a necessity.” the proposed schedule change would also affect the due date for student grades. Currently, the due date for
Von Kennedy/ THE SPECTATOR Philip Levine entertains the crowd with jokes during his poetry reading in Whitehead Auditorium on Wednesday. Levine was the 2011-2012 U.S. poet laureate.
Former U.S. poet laureate rocks crowd at Whitehead Von Kennedy M u lt i M e d i a e d i t o r vtkennedy@valdosta.edu
Former u.S. Poet laureate Philip levine and award winning poet lynn aarti Chandhok showcased their talents at the Whitehead auditorium Wednesday as a part of Geor-
gia’s Contemporary Writers series. the auditorium was filled with over 200 spectators in anticipation to hear their favorite poems read. levine, 85, served as u.S. Poet laureate from 2011-12. Chandhok won the Philip levine Prize in 2006 for her
book, “the View from Zero Bridge.” Both poets brought out a bevy of emotions in the crowd as they read poetry from their books, but also from personal collections. dr. Marty Williams, creative writing professor, See POET, Page 6
William Jimerson walked away from the Student union on tuesday night the SGa president-elect, having scored a victory that political pundits would call a “landslide.” Jimerson won with 868 votes out of the 1,262 – 68.8 percent – of all votes cast. the crowd cheered as results were announced. “i am just overwhelmed, and i would like to thank my supporters, campaigners and the team of students,” Jimerson, a junior international business major, said. “and thanks to the VSu community for trusting me to become the SGa president.” Jimerson expressed that he wasn’t overly surprised with the huge margin of victory, but was hoping for the best. “i was expecting the best, and praying for the best, and hoping for the best, and Valdosta trusted me to take the position, so i am grateful,” Jimerson said. in the race for comptroller, erica adams and Micah Howell, the top two vote receivers, will go to a runoff on Monday. Howell received 474 votes while adams received 416.
Joe Adgie/ THE SPECTATOR
the third candidate, William Mast, who received 372 votes, will not be part of the runoff. this came one day after the SGa announced that there had been infractions and violations that would require the announcing of the results to be held off. Sylvester acknowledged these infractions, but there has been no mention of what they entail. Voter participation increased from the 1,185 votes last year to 1,262 votes casted in this year’s election.
BOR: Georgia tuition to rise for 2014 Will Lewis a S S t. M a n a G i n G editor walewis@valdosta.edu
VSu students will soon experience a 2.5 percent increase in tuition next year. the rise is set to approximately match the current inflation rate and follows a statement issued by the university System of Georgia Board of regents. “in determining tuition rates for the upcoming academic year, affordability was the regents’ primary concern,” John Brown, vice chancellor for Fiscal affairs, said in tuesday’s press release. “our ability to maintain a low percentage increase reflects a serious commitment by the Board to min-
imize the financial impact on our students.” the tuition raise will affect 25 public schools in Georgia, and the tuition increases will range anywhere from $32 to a high $275 per semester. VSu’s tuition will only increase $61, according to the Bor’s budget for fiscal year 2014. in-State students who took 15 hours this semester and plan to do the same next semester will notice their bill rise from $2,426 to $2,487. out-of-State students will see a rise from $8,564 to $8,778. the projected rise comes in a series since 2010 with VSu’s in-state tuition rising $489 from $1,998 to $2,487 in 2014.
Graphic by Will Lewis / THE SPECTATOR
Georgia’s tuition has been on the rise steadily since 2010. The state’s Board of Regents, which oversees the University system, has another increase on the budget for FY 2014.
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SportS
aPrIL 18, 2013
Josh Sparks keeps on a poker face
Senior standout basketball player enjoys his off-season Shane Thomas S p o rt S W r i t e r shanethomas@valdosta.edu
Screaming fans, mascots going insane, teammates celebrating, coaches yelling instructions—this is the life of a college basketball player. on the court, Josh Sparks is an intense, energetic, highflying forward who draws boisterous cheers inside the Valdosta State University p.e. Complex. When the lights dim and everyone goes home, Sparks goes back to the normal life of a college student. A senior health and physical education major, Sparks takes to another outlet to ease his mind— the game of poker. “i’ve been playing poker since i was in high school,” Sparks said. “i started seriously playing last summer. i get into flag football and other intramural things like that, but i play poker maybe four times a week.” in a room appearing to have once been a garage, two tables serve as the battleground on a warm Monday night. the room is lighthearted and loose, yet balanced with calm competitiveness. the 6-foot-9 inch Sparks slouches comfortably into a chair with his long Nike socks and black pair of Vans resting in a vacant chair. Sporting a UNLV snapback hat covering his blond Mohawk and white t-shirt with a mug shot of rapper Lil’ Wayne on the front bearing the words ‘Free WeeZY’ above it, Sparks surveys the table with poker chips perfectly stacked in front of him as the sound of shuffling cards and clinking chips fills
the room. Across from Sparks is his friend Brittney Nelson who, like Sparks, is a senior forward on the VSU basketball team. their friendship has grown in large part due to the fact that they both arrived at VSU in 2010. “i’ve been playing poker with Josh for two and a half, three years,” Nelson said. “He’s very outgoing, very humorous. He’s a lot like my brother [ryan] in that respect, so that’s probably why we’re such good friends.” Sparks and Nelson’s friendship is evident as Sparks, shifting his gaze from the stack of chips, calls out to Nelson with a sly grin. “Hey Nellie, how mad would you be if i knocked you out of the game?” Nelson didn’t respond, only raising her eyes from her hand and brushing aside her long brown hair as a bright smile flashed across her face. Sparks, not expecting a reply, laughs and smiles to himself before turning his attention back to his hand. this was just one of many small conversations going on among the 13 participants. At the opposite table, Sparks’ teammate, Lester “tre” Moore, coolly watches the cards and chips as other play and make their move. Suddenly, Moore leans back in his chair, grunting in frustration. “Hey tre Mo!,” Sparks yelled across the room. “C’mon tre Mo, i trained you better than that.” the room filled with laughter almost instantly. Moore, a sophomore guard, was a new teammate of Sparks this past season but acknowledges that
he and Sparks became good friends through basketball three years ago. “We were really cool since day one,” Moore said. “We played at the rec center and i think our competitive natures really helped us bond.” the song “Voodoo Child” by Jimi Hendrix courses throughout the room from a laptop on the floor. Sparks, almost instantly begins whistling the electric guitar arrangement as he shuffles and re-shuffles the deck of cards; plotting his next move. though basketball is his calling, Sparks looks quite at home sitting at the poker table with his friends. poker is a game of decision-making and cool composure. According to Sparks, that is what makes the game so much fun. “poker’s all about strategy and numbers,” Sparks said. “things like odds, cards you’re gonna hit or not gonna hit, knowing when to put your money in the pot and when not to—i love mental stuff like that.” Sparks, 22, is coming off a stellar senior season for the Blazers. the forward averaged 13.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks in 29 games. Sparks also re-wrote the VSU record books, breaking the school record for blocked shots with 246. When the chips were down and the stakes were high, Sparks proved to be the Blazers’ ace in the hole. Sparks averaged 21 points and 11.7 rebounds to lead the Blazers all the way to the Gulf South Conference championship game. though the Blazers fell
Valdosta Daily Times Josh Sparks elevates for a slam dunk during basketball practice. Sparks led VSU to the Gulf South Conference tournament championship game.
short, Sparks looks back positively on the experience. “With me being a senior, i didn’t want to be done early,” Sparks said. “i knew that if we lost, it was all over. We would’ve loved to win, but if we were gonna lose, i’d rather it be in the championship than in the first or second round.” Sparks maintains that playing poker is just a fun hobby on the side. Basketball is still where his passion and competitive drive is most powerful. Sparks ulti
mately eyes the prospect of playing professionally. “My goal is just to make it,” Sparks said. “Whether it’s in the smallest league overseas or a semi-pro league in America, getting paid doing what i love—that would be awesome. that’s always been my dream.” His closest basketball buddies, Moore and Nelson, think that he has the character to make his dream a reality. “He’s a winner,” Moore said. “He always strives to be the best, but he always makes
sure everyone is on the same page.” “i think he definitely has a chance,” Nelson added. “With playing overseas, it’s not about how good you are. it’s about who you know.” For Sparks, life is about playing the hand that his talent has dealt. one thing is certain—regardless of the competition, Sparks will not fold without a fight. He’s all in. Follow Shane on twitter: itsathomasthing
News
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Students stand up to cancer Jessica Ingram s ta F F W r i t e r jdingram@valdosta.edu
Vsu students will soon have an opportunity to fight for a cause. Vsu’s annual relay for Life will take place on the front lawn from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Friday. opening ceremonies will begin at 7 p.m., and will recognize both cancer survivors and the teams that will participate. relay for Life is an event held by the american Cancer society to raise funds to help cancer research. this will be the 7th year that Vsu has held the event. according to the relay For Life website, more than 500 campuses across the country host relay for Life events with 300,000 college students taking part in the event. it began after dr. Gordy Klatt raised $27,000 walking and running around a track in tacoma, Wash. over time, the event has become a “worldwide phenomenon,” raising more than $4 billion. relay for Life events take place in more than 5,200 communities and 20 coun-
tries. naria ceremony is considered this year, Vsu has 47 to be one of the most importeams raising money and par- tant. during this time the ticipating in the event. Howtrack is lit up from the canever, individuals not on a dles in each of the personalteam can purchase a luminar- ized luminaria bags that have ia for $5 and recognize a been dedicated to someone. loved one the lumithat is a naria ceremony This is very power- will be held cancer survivor, around 9:30 ful and demoncurrently p.m. strates the impact fighting or “this is lost their very powerful cancer has on our lives to and demoncommunity. cancer. strates the im- John Wright, one or pact cancer has associate director more on our commuof student Life members nity,” Wright from each said. team will take turns walking according to the relay for throughout the event; each Life website, “during the Luteam should have at least one minaria Ceremony, we reperson walking at all times. member people lost to cancer, “if students are not on a and honor people who have team, the best way to get infought or are fighting canvolved is to come out to the cer.” event,” John Wright, associso far the teams have ate director of student Life, raised over $17,000. the said. “each team will have a monetary goal for this year’s fundraiser at their tent so stu- event is $48,847. dents can walk around and Wright encourages people participate in the fundraisto remember that “cancer ing.” never sleeps.” Wright also said that if stu“People are fighting for dents are not able to attend their lives,” Wright said. the event they can go to the “the least we can do is stay Vsu relay for Life website up and raise money through and donate. relay.” during the event, the lumi-
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APRIL 18, 2013
Police Briefs april 16 a student’s car was vandalized on the fifth floor of sustella parking deck--report stated there was no damage to the car, but the car was covered in moss. april 15 a vehicle was stopped for not having their headlights on. a student set their book bag down while in odum Library and when they returned it was gone. april 14 Cell phone was stolen from the rec Center. a student reported she was assaulted in Centennial Hall. a student ran a stop sign. a bicycle was stolen from a rack near the Fine arts building. an officer reported a terroristic threat was made to him while near Hopper Hall.
Upcoming Events registration: April 19, 11:59 a.m. early registration for summer 2013 ends. April 26 Fall 2013 registration continues. May 8, 7 a.m. summer registration (for all parts of summer and the tuition assistance Program). May 17 summer registration for eCore, eMajor, and Georgia oNmyLiNe continues. april 20, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. H.e.r.o. hosts its first H.e.r.o olympics Front Lawn Field day-like activities such as tug of war, 50-yard dash and more. there will be food, games, music and more. april 21, 7:30 p.m. Vsu’s 12 member Pan-american ensemble will perform a free concert. Whitehead Auditorium
student employee of the Year the award ceremony was april 11. Crystal Floyd, a student assistant in the department of Communication arts, was recognized as student employee of the year. Brian smith, a graduate assistant with Campus rec, was named outstanding Graduate assistant of the year. . student organization excellence results the following organizations earned 100 or more points on the excellence scale: Gay straight alliance Four directions the Collegiate Women of Vsu Black student League delta sigma theta sorority incorporated Collegiate 4-H Hearts everywhere reaching out
april 11 the back window was broken out of a new event services truck. a graphing calculator was stolen from a student’s car.
Black Crow Media wants a new DJ Olivia McLean a s s t. C o P y e d i t o r ovmclean@valdosta.edu
Valdosta radio listeners can expect to hear a new voice on the airwaves soon. Four of the Valdosta Black Crow Media radio stations: Hot 102.7, rock 108, 99.5 Kix Country and star 105.3, are hosting their “Who Wants to Be a dJ?” competition. the event will be hosted by Jay Mathews, Hot 102.7 morning show host. the winner will receive a job at one of the four Valdosta radio stations collaborating for the event. the first audition date for the competition was on april 13 at the Valdosta Mall, and 10 contestants were chosen. there will be another audition on april 20 from noon to
Correction in the april 11 issue of the spectator on page 3, a picture for sGa secretary candidate Kara Fountain was incorrectly labeled as a picture of comptroller candidate erica adams. adams is pictured above. also on page 1, Kara Fountain was incorrectly labeled as comptroller candidate, under the group photo. she was the secretary candidate.
Check out the Web Spectator for more stories!
2 p.m. However, there will be preliminary auditions from 10 a.m. to noon that same day. each judge will be a dJ from one of the four participating radio stations. Contestants will be judged on marketability, voice quality, style, originality and timing/delivery, and will be scored on a 50-point system--10 points in each category. after another 10 contestants are chosen on april 20, the top 10 of 20 total contestants will compete in the final round on april 27. they will be narrowed down to five contestants and placed on the competition's website for the public to vote for a winner. to preregister for the competition and for more information, go to Facebook.com/ValdostadJ.
Check out a video of the Graduate Student Research and Scholarship Symposium online:
Grad students show off their research Amanda Usher F e at u r e s e d i t o r amusher@valdosta.edu
on Friday from 3-6 p.m., the Vsu community piled into the uC Magnolia room to see graduate students present their research during the Fifth annual Graduate student research and scholarship symposium. according to teresa Williams, administrative coordinator of the Graduate school, this year’s symposium broke the record for the amount of poster presentations by graduate students with 47 posters, though there were 50 nominations. “Basically, departments chose students from their
graduate programs based on research/scholarship and creativity that was outstanding and worthy of being represented at this type of forum,” she said. “our symposium planning committee usually accepts all nominations, but eventually some students withdraw.” the symposium featured students from departments such as biology, history, marriage and family therapy, modern and classical languages, political science, adult and career education and library and information science. See SYMPOSIUM, Page 3
Applications are now available for the Spectator! apply now for a paid position on our editorial staff or unpaid position as an assistant editor. for more information contact editor-in-Chief amber smith (amsmith@valdosta.edu) or Managing editor Jennifer Gleason (jlgleason@valdosta.edu).
HAPPY ‘TATOR DAY!
applications are due april 22.
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it should be submitted in a sealed envelope at the time the ad is placed. ads must be accompanied by the name and phone number of the person submitting the ad. ads must be resubmitted each week, as necessary. The Spectator address is: 1500 n. Patterson st.,Valdosta, ga 31698. our email address is spec@valdosta.edu. The Spectator reserves the right to reject any classified ad. all ads are subject to
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Services Pregnancy Wasn’t Part of the Plan
News Pearce appointed dean of the College of the Arts
AprIL 18, 2013
Neil Frawley A S S T. S o C i A L M e D i A eDiTor ndfrawley@valdosta.edu
Blake Pearce has been appointed VSU’s newest dean of the College of the Arts. Pearce has served as head of the department of art at VSU since 2000, and has served many roles during his 12 years. According to Pearce's application sent to the Dean of Search Committee, Pearce wrote: “i am responsible for all of the administrative activities of the department including curriculum oversight and development, scheduling, personnel, budget, accreditation, assessment and planning." Pearce has helped make progress in all areas of his department, including installing
Symposium Continued from Page 2 Posters were set up in a circle around the room while students explained their research to attendees. The event then transitioned into the recognition ceremony, where Dr. James LaPlant, interim assistant vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School, acted as emcee and gave a brief welcome. Dr. William McKinney, VSU president, and Dr. Sharon Gravett, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs, both gave opening remarks before Dr. LaPlant handed out certificates to each participant. VSU Catering provided re-
ventilation upgrades to the ceramics, print making and jewelry making studios back in 2009. He also helped provide upgrades and equipment improvements in many of the
“ As an academic
administrator I believe it is important to recognize the fact that any success is part of a collaborative effort within the unit... ” - Blake Pearce Dean of the college of the arts
department's computer labs. in the summers of 2010 and 2012 he also oversaw improvements to the photography studio. Pearce likes to employ a synergistic styled approach freshments, which included meatballs, an array of fruit, parfaits, cake and more. Dr. LaPlant said that he especially enjoyed speaking to all of the participants. “My favorite part of the symposium [was] the opportunity to visit with our wonderful graduate students across a variety of disciplines about their exciting and innovative research,” he said. “Faculty sponsors of the graduate student research also attend the symposium, and it is a pleasure to see the exceptional mentoring work of my colleagues.” Both Williams and Dr. LaPlant hinted that oral presentations and creative performances could possibly be added as part of the symposium.
that focuses on the production of the entire administrative unit, rather than the efforts of the talented individuals that make up the administration. As it stated in his letter: "As an academic administrator i believe it is important to recognize the fact that any success is part of a collaborative effort within the unit... Unless administration, faculty, and staff can reach a consensus and develop a shared vision for progress then the unit cannot achieve and sustain success." Pearce believes that it is important to keep in mind what is best for the students that his department represents. "i know that [VSU] College of the Arts is committed to excellence from all departments and indeed focused on the success of students,” he said. Williams believes the symposium is essential because it showcases the research and scholarship present at VSU. “Grad students deserve a little attention now and again,” she said. “And we were also able to highlight faculty mentors and their contribution to graduate students’ successes.” Dr. LaPlant said, “VSU graduate students benefit from the opportunity to present their research to a campus-wide audience of faculty and fellow students. Graduate students can discuss the evolution of their research, the methodology and research design of their project and the next stages of their research as well [as] potential publication opportunities.”
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APRIL 18, 2013
Our point of view...
Curriculum cripples students Back in March, Cnn reported on 35 Georgia public school educators and administrators who were indicted on a cheating scandal. It’s a peculiar report, given that educators and school administrators are often the first to preach about honesty and policies against plagiarism and other forms of cheating. Middle school and high school students are groomed for standardized tests, final exams and graduation tests. Such focus on test scores groom students’ ability to memorize facts, but it does not nurture students’ desire to learn. When these students transition into college, their transition becomes harder; they have spent the last 12 years memorizing facts, and not thinking critically. Their ability to analyze and form theses of their own is crippled. College professors are easily frustrated by students who were never encouraged to think critically. Independent research and experiments are only tried by the “advanced” students who were given the opportunities in high school.
Likewise, the five paragraph essay becomes obsolete by college, and for students that did not take honors and advanced placement classes, many students may not even have been exposed to different essay forms. In turn, students feel that they are getting the short end of the stick when they receive bad grades for underwhelming work. “I did the assignment, why is my grade still bad?” they ask. The debate about the positive and negative effects of standardized testing has been going on for years. With a standardized test, students are encouraged to “memorize and regurgitate,” which teachers argue prevents actual learning. However without standardized tests, parents become distrustful of the educational system—because a standard implies there is a goal. The truth of the matter is that everyone is right. Standardized tests are prepared for the lowest common denominator, without any flexibility for students with learning disorders or trouble with testing. They create a single
point at which everyone is evaluated and given a “yes” or “no” answer for advancement to the next level. This puts unnecessary stress on students who cram for one test for almost an entire year. As proven by the Cnn report, it also encourages teachers to get good results one way or another,
Garrison Muelhausen / The SPECTATOR whether that means showing little Joey flash cards for a month or slipping him the answers mid-test. Humans are not linear creatures, so testing them in a linear fashion is absurd. We educate teachers in the best ways to understand children and work with them according to their need. Why is
it that they get so little say in the end about their students? Who do you trust more: The teacher who has known and cared for little Joey all year long through thick and thin, or the board member who fed a piece of paper through a machine—especially if that machine has no idea that Joey is dyslexic?
As university students, we cry foul. We are tired of being judged as incompetent and unskilled as a result of not being taught the skills we really needed. The system set us at a disadvantage. Let’s stop it before it does any more damage.
This editorial was written by Jennifer Gleason and Rebecka McAleer (jlgleason@valdosta.edu and rmmcaleer@valdosta.edu) and it expresses the general opinion of the editorial staff.
Letter to the editor:
VSU hiring committee You haven't come a long way, baby. I'm writing to express my disappointment with the hiring committee charged with finding a new Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs. Despite no official announcement being made, it appears that the search for a new Provost was discontinued after no offers were made to any of the final four candidates. What is particularly shameful is that we have a strong, hardworking, intelligent Interim Provost who truly cares about the needs of students Dr. Karla Hull. Dr. Hull has repeatedly been asked to fill positions on an "interim basis," first at the College of Education and then for the Provost position. It would appear obvious that she has
the necessary skills and abilities to fill such a role, if she didn't, why would she continue to be asked to step up when the school needs her?
VSU had the opportunity to send a... message of respect and equality During World War II, the United States was not only able to continue functioning but actually began thriving due largely to the hard work demonstrated by the women of this country. Unfortunately, the country returned to its patriarchal roots after the war and it was decades before
women could once again begin chipping away at the glass ceiling that they continue to encounter across all industries, including academics. VSU had the opportunity to send a strong message to all of us on campus who admire and respect Dr. Hull's intelligence, leadership, and guidance. It could have been a message of respect and equality, unfortunately, it turned out to be a reminder that the ceiling is alive and well and while women may be called on to help during a crisis, they are not respected enough to be given the position based on their merits and experience. Hazel Moon senior, psychology major
Check out the NEW video People Poll online at YouTube.com/ValdostaSpectator
Smokers take caution Ivey Ingalls-Rubin A S S I S TA n T OPInIOnS EDITOR tnstone@valdosta.edu
Here’s a common misconception: Cigarette butts are biodegradable. Here’s the truth: they aren’t. The plastic present in cigarette butts takes years to fully break down. Smokers on our campus truly don’t realize that their action of tossing these butts out has such a negative impact on our beautiful environment. The myth of biodegradable butts has been perpetuated not just by the wishful delusions of many smokers but also by tobacco companies who have taken extreme length in keeping loyal customers. It’s common to see signs with messages like “no Littering” in highly littered areas; however, you won’t find such a message on any pack of cigarettes. My best guess as to why this simple, though profound-
ly meaningless, statement doesn’t appear is because corporations would much prefer a blissfully ignorant customer coming back than risking taking any sort of action against the harm they’re causing. It might be because
Smokers on our campus truly don’t realize that their action of tossing these butts out has such a negative impact on our beautiful environment. cigarette company executives think correctly disposing cigarette butts would lead to less people smoking. They ought to give their customers the benefit of the doubt. Littering and smoking certainly don’t have to be synonymous by any means.
What happens to a cigarette butt after it’s been flicked out a window, on a nature trail or on a beach? Typically the elements, whether it is wind or rain, will take hold of it. They’ll give it a lift, possibly to a water supply where the toxic chemicals the cigarette filter was supposed to trap will ooze into aquatic ecosystems, threatening the purity of the water and many aquatic life forms. Why should fish suffer the consequences of laziness and negligence? Cigarette butts may seem quite small, but when several million people are smoking and several trillion butts merely get tossed out every year, the toxic chemicals add up. If you’re going to make the personal choice of smoking cigarettes, that’s fine. However, show the responsibility and respect you have for the environment and your peers. Throw your butts away. Don’t just toss them out.
Part-time study offers opportunities James Washington S TA f f W R I T E R jawashington@valdosta.edu
Students choose to attend school part time for many reasons. Perhaps the course of study is too much for them to handle in a full-time setting. This poses the question: Is going to school part time a blessing or a curse? I began my college career with aspirations of graduating with a degree in biology and going to medical school. One full semester of the required course work showed me that this was not the path I wanted to take. It may have taken
longer, but maybe if I had attempted the same course of study in a part-time setting, I would have yielded different results. Another major variable is personal life. People work to survive. Education is important, but simply having a degree will not guarantee money in your pocket. Many choose to put their job first and place education on the back burner. Others choose to attempt a full work load along with a full-time course of study. This may work for some, but eventually the stress of school and work can take its toll on any student.
A recent study with U.S. news shows that 47 percent of part-time students work 35 or more hours per week. Work is important, and sometimes student loans are sim-
load of work and school, and going to school part time ensures that a student will have money for necessities as well as time to focus on schoolwork.
ply not enough to cover education expenses as well as living expenses. The winners in this situation, without question, are part-time students. not everyone can shoulder the
Part-time studying also allows for students to take advantage of other opportunities such as internships. Many employers focus on hands-on training that a student has received outside of the colle-
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time. In the long run, this can be discouraging to some students, and they may choose to drop out of school. U.S. news reports that parttime students take an average of two years longer to receive a bachelor’s degree, and the rate of bachelor’s degree completion is nearly 19 percent less than the rate of fulltime students. While part-time studying may be more time consuming in the long run, it is a wise alternative for many college students. It is a long, grueling process, but in the end, full-time studies may not be for everyone.
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giate setting, and being an intern is often the best way to receive the necessary tools for life after graduation. One major downside, and perhaps the most notable, is that going to college part time can land you in greater debt than that of a full-time student. With many students attending school part time, student loans will stockpile over the course of six to eight years long before interest even becomes a factor. Another downside is obvious: It takes a part-time student longer to graduate than one who attends school full
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Phasing out the American dollar Taylor Stone S ta f f W r i t e r tnstone@valdosta.edu
Here’s a scenario: you give me a $100 bill, i take it, i
make a copy of it and i hand it back to you. Now we both have $100, right? Wrong. i have just cut the value of your $100 bill in half simply by making a copy of it. take that scenario and mul-
tiply it by hundreds of billions, and say hello to quantitative easing and the disaster that is the current american economy. it isn’t a secret that over the years, our government has been constantly borrowing incredible amounts of money. the scary part is that pretty soon, we won’t even be able to afford the interest on these loans. information provided by the University of New Mexico Bureau of Business and economic research states that if every single U.S. citizen were taxed 100 percent of their income for the duration of a year, it still wouldn’t be enough to pay off our debts. there would still be trillions of dollars left to pay. that doesn’t sound like an economy that has rebounded.
research has proven that today, in this country, our government is in more debt than any country in history— more debt than all of the countries in the european Union combined. for some unknown reason, our politicians believe that the way to stimulate the american economy is by increasing government spending. they believe that by continuing to manipulate our currency, all of our debts can simply be avoided. the concept of what money does is very simple, but when our money can’t be trusted we will see a collapse in capitalism and life in the United States as we know it. the only thing that has
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saved our economy so far is our country’s exclusive ability to print more money. as the world’s reserve currency, we are the only country in the world that can print U.S. dollars. the only reason the United States can’t go broke now is because we can just print more money to pay our debts, and we do. Our creditors are taking notice, and that’s exactly why China and other countries are taking steps to phase out the dollar. this would result in the dollar losing its status as the world’s reserve currency. in Britain, the sterling was the world’s reserve currency for 200 years until people intentionally began to devalue it, and we’re blindly follow-
ing in their footsteps. as the value of the U.S. dollar continues to decline, the price of everyday essentials will skyrocket, and this will continue until inflation becomes worse than ever before in this country. the most unsettling detail is that we are trapped. there is no possible way the government can stop printing money because there is absolutely no way we can afford our debts without doing so. When our currency collapses, everything goes with it. if you destroy the currency, you destroy the nation.
PAge  6  |  vsusPectAtoR.com Poet Continued from Page 1 introduced Chandhok before she took the stage. Because of the recent events in Boston, Chandhok read poems about events she witnessed in Kashmir, India and the mood in New York City after 9/11. When asked about sharing the stage with the man that her award was named after, Chandhok noted that this was not the first time he was with her at a reading. “He actually came to one of my readings in Fresno after I won the award,� Chandhok said. “I thought the hardest thing was reading in front of him. It was pretty nerve racking at first, but I saw him five or six years later after doing a lot of readings and
it’s now really humbling. He is very down to earth.� Chandhok also thanked Dr. Rick Campbell, an English professor at Florida A&M University, for choosing her to read with Levine. Campbell followed Chandhok with the introduction for Levine. From the moment Levine graced the stage, his humor and enthusiasm engaged the crowd. “True equality between men and women is not found in wage or rank, but in stupidity,� Levine said after telling a story about a teacher he deemed stupid years ago. Both poets enjoyed the reading at VSU, but had different reasons for coming back in the future. For Chandok, this was her first visit to Valdosta and she
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loved every minute in the city. “I would love to come back,� Chandok said. “This is a really quiet town and dinner was great with Philip [Levine]. “Also, the crowd here was really warm and receptive.� Levine passed through Valdosta on his way to Washington, D.C in 1954, but has not been here since until the Wednesday’s reading. “I remember coming through here back then,� Levine said. When it came to reading again at VSU, Levine made one final joke. “I’d love to come back,� he said. “Just show me the money!�
Will Lewis/THE SPECTATOR On Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. poet Lynn Aarti Chandhock read a few serious poems about tragic events like in Kashmir, India and 9/11 in New York to help people cope with Monday’s Boston Explosions.
Looking for more features? Don’t fret--check out the Web Spectator at vsuspectator.com to read John Preer’s coverage of Wednesday night’s counseling center seminar about test anxiety management.
Dinner to bring diversity to VSU Sarah Turner S TA F F W R I T E R
seturner@valdosta.edu
Students who are tired of the same humdrum food can now dine in diversity. VSU’s Society for International Students will host its 37th Annual International Dinner at 6 p.m. on Saturday in the Student Union Ballrooms. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for VSU students. Children under 5 years old can attend the event for free. The event, created to show off diverse cultures, will feature dishes from the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. Over 300 guests will be served with dishes prepared
“We’re trying to pull together all the cultures we have here and showcase their talents.�
- Danielle bacuD
by VSU students and the VSU dining staff. “We’re trying to pull together all the cultures we have here and showcase their talents,� Danielle Bacud, international student adviser, said. During dinner, international students will entertain their guests with performances reflecting their culture including singing, dancing and act-
ing out skits. After dinner, the audience will experience a fashion show where international students will model different clothing from various cultures, According to Bacud, a lot of effort was required from international students to prepare for the event. “It’s a student driven event,� Bacud said. “They cook, they perform, and they help with publicity, so for the most part it is their event.� Members from the Valdosta community are encouraged to participate. For ticket information, contact the Center for International Programs at 333-7410.
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APRIL 18, 2013
Students to unwind with ‘Soul Sessions’ in Union Erin Ellis S P E c T AT O r cOrrESPOndEnT Every student needs some type of release, especially as the semester winds down. Students will have an opportunity to unwind before the end of the semester with Soul Sessions from 7:3010:30 p.m. on Saturday in the Student Union Ballrooms. Soul Sessions will offer VSU students a chance to listen to music, converse with others and enjoy free snacks. The event, sponsored by
cAB, will feature live music from the musical group common Mind. “They are comprised of recently graduated VSU students and current students,” Alisha Stabler, cAB adviser, said. “There is always a positive reaction to the band and the students love them!” common Mind consists of members Brian Mathis, nick Johnson, neo Soul, Travis King Jr., Anthony Bussey, caShala Huntley, Iborya Jones and Victoria dubose. The musical group won 1st place in the Battle of the Bands competition on April 3.
“common Mind plays a variation of original and more common known songs,” Stabler said. “They have a soulful jazzy feel that induces a relaxed feeling among its listeners.” The band will perform several classic hits which, according to Stabler, the audience is sure to love. “common Mind is not like any band you hear on the radio,” Stabler said. “They have a soulful sense to them, and we hope to bring that to VSU.” All students are encouraged to come out and enjoy this night of soul.
“come alone, with a group of friends,” Stabler said. “Or make it a free date night.” Stabler believes that those who chose to come will have more fun than expected. “There will be a space for dancing,” Stabler said. “Or you can simply sit back and let the music invade your soul.” Stabler hopes that students will take much more than dance moves from these sessions. “We hope students will gain a sense of varied music with an appreciation for a different musical feel,” she said.
Housing brings food, fun at Spring Fling
Allison Ericson/THE SPECTATOR Students get their shirts tye-dyed during Spring Fling 2013. This free event , sponsored by Housing and Residence Life, occurred Thursday from 1-4 p.m. in the Georgia/Langdale courtyard, and featured events such as wax hands, volleyball and more. Free food was also provided.
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Pan-Am Ensemble to perform On Sunday at 7:30 p.m., the Pan-American Ensemble will perform in the Whitehead Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public. Visit valdosta.edu/music/calendar for a full list of musical performances.
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Students to show off in showcase Isaiah Smart S TA F F W R I T E R itsmart@valdosta.edu
Students of the arts department will showcase their talents in the Emerging Artists Showcase today in the Sawyer Theatre at 7:30 p.m. with the Musical and Reader’s Theatre Showcase. Following standard ticket pricing, the shows are free for VSU students with a valid ID. “A ticket can be placed on hold for a refundable $5 at the box office,” Christopher Bailey, assistant professor of musical theatre, said. “The box office is on the first floor of the Fine Arts building [and
is] open daily from 2-5 p.m.” Choreography Showcase One will occur Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Choreography Showcase Two will be on Sunday at 3 p.m. Both will feature eight senior choreographers alongside nine juniors. There will be 17 performances that will represent contemporary ballet to modern, musical theatre, African and hip-hop. These shows will also be held in the Sawyer Theatre, located on the first floor of the Fine Arts Building. “The musical theatre showcase features three graduating seniors who sing, act and
Photo courtesy of Sarah Wildes Arnett (From left) Seniors Ashley Anderson, Jessica Mathis and Chance Wall are set to perform in the Musical and Theatre part of the Emerging Artists Showcase.
dance,” he said. “This perfor mance includes new material to the students.” These senior students have
worked endlessly to perfect these performances, and will get a chance to express themselves through their art for
their peers. Some of the choreographers began creating routines at the end of last semester, and some started at the beginning of this semester. “Most dances take some time to create, and are some times torn apart to be recon structed into the desired choreographed dance,” Darius Jackson, senior choreographer, said. “Choreography is a craft, and we are working towards creating dances as both art and entertainment.” According to Bailey, students are graded in the categories of leadership, rehearsal etiquette, participation, artistic elegance and collaborative behavior. Professors assisted in cre-
ation and and final performance by working with the students in order help hone their ideas into a properly executed piece. Classmates are also vital to this process as performances critique their peers in the department while pieces are created. There are other roles that students take on like casting, editing and lighting cues. While the general Musical Theatre showcase is a yearly event, the choreography showcase happens every other school year. For more information, visit the Fine Arts Building or email Jacque Wheeler, theatre professor, at jwheeler@valdosta.edu.
Osbourne clears up divorce, alcohol rumors “ H Pop ello world—Anthony here bringing you all the latest and greatest news from the entertainment world to get you through the week. Every week when I sit down to write this column, there are certain celebrities that I try to avoid talking about , Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes just to name a few. It seems that no matter how hard I try not to mention them every week, these celebs wind up doing something crazy and or questionable, so of course I have to put them in my column. This week the culprit is Bieber. While Bieber’s behavior this year has been
Addict
Anthony Pope
side-eye worthy, it seems that this past week things may have taken a turn for the worse. While in the Netherlands on the European leg of his tour, Bieber decided to do a little sight seeing and stopped at the Anne Frank House. Dedicated to the young Holocaust victim, the museum serves as a glimpse into the life she preserved in her diary. Like most guests, Bieber signed the guest book, but it’s what he wrote in the book
that is drawing criticism. “Truly inspiring to be able to come here, Anne was a great girl,” Bieber wrote. “Hopefully she would have been a belieber.” I’m pretty sure Anne Frank would have been too busy hiding from Nazis to worry about Justin and his little teenybopper tunes. Bieber immediately received harsh criticism from the tasteless comment and has yet to issue an apology. In other music industry related news, everyone’s favorite emotional rapper, Drake, dropped a new single from his forthcoming album. In “Girls Love Beyoncé,” the rapper samples the Destiny’s Child hit “Say My Name.” First Drake gets a tattoo of
sadder than Drake on his period, true love got the final nail in the coffin this week when Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne were rumored to have sepa-Ozzy OsbOurne rated after 31 years of marriage. Rumors Aaliyah on his back and infaquickly started to swirl that mously stole some songs of Ozzy was back on the bottle hers, now he’s sampling and sniffing God knows what someone else’s music yet again. again. And did I mention there’s a picture of Beyoncé’s In a statement on his Facebook page, Osbourne cleared face on the single cover? up several of the rumors surWe can only hope that rounding his and Sharon’s wheel chair Jimmy will remarriage. turn to the music that we “For the last year and a loved him for earlier in his half I have been drinking and career. Sampling other’s mutaking drugs,” he said. “Howsic is cool, but let’s not drag ever, I am happy to say that I it out for three albums. am now 44 days sober. Just to Moving on to something
However, I am happy to say that I am now 44 days sober [...] I’m just trying to be a better person.”
set the record straight, Sharon and I are not divorcing. I'm just trying to be a better person.” If Lindsay Lohan is still getting paid to stumble around coked up on movie sets and get paid, then surely Ozzy and Sharon’s marriage can survive a little bump like alcohol and drug addiction. As always tune into Pop Addict next week to catch up with some your favorite celebs in the news. Until next time pop culture enthusiasts.
Slang Dictionary Side eye- a look of disgust given to someone
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SportS GSC Tournament awaits VSU APRIL 18, 2013
Ray Pack S p o rt S W r i t e r rspack@valdosta.edu
&
Ace Espenshied A S S t. S p o rt S e d i t o r acespenshied@valdosta.edu
the Valdosta State tennis team looks to carry its recent winning ways into the Gulf South Conference tournament this weekend. the women’s squad (11-7) enters the tourney as the second seed and will face West Georgia in the first round on Saturday. the ladies did most of their damage in conference play, going 7-1. one of those victories came against UWG when VSU won 9-0. Head Coach John Hansen hopes his ladies, who have won seven of their last eight, are hitting their stride at just the right time. “We really feel like we’re playing our best tennis right now and that’s all we can ask for,” Hansen said. “it’s a tournament. everybody gets
excited for a tournament so i don’t have to say much.” it’s been an odd journey leading up to now for the ladies, going 1-5 at home this season, but finished 10-2 on the road or at neutral sites. Hopefully that trend will continue in Montgomery, Ala., over the weekend. if the Lady Blazers take care of UWG, they will see the winner of North Alabama and delta State, both of which the VSU women beat convincingly this season. that leaves a lurking No. 9 West Florida in the championship match on Sunday. Hansen knows that these aren’t the same women West Florida saw early in the season. “if we can get to the finals we’ll [probably] play West Florida, and West Florida is a wild group and i don’t mean that in a bad way,” Hansen said. “they are very emotional, but the key is to make sure we’re playing the best we can play during that moment.” the men’s team enters the tournament at 9-11 overall and 6-1 in the GSC.
Winning 9-0 against Christian Brothers earlier this season, the Blazers hope to take care of business and move on to the winner of West or North Alabama in the second round. the winner of the tourney will be catapulted into the NCAA South regional for a shot at the NCAA division ii title. “We are looking to win it,” Mario Navarro, junior tennis player, said Finishing the year off with a 9-1 record in the conference, the Blazers have earned the No.2 seed in the conference behind No.1 West Florida. No.3 West Alabama follows No.4 delta State, No.5 Alabama-Huntsville No.6 North Alabama and No.7 Christian Brothers. if VSU beats CBU Saturday, they will advance to play the winner of West Alabama and North Alabama. “it’s nothing we can’t handle, i would want to play North Alabama, but in a way i would play West Alabama for a tougher match” Andrew
Harvin, freshman, said. West Alabama poses as the only threat to the Blazers with their win over them coming only by one match they are sure to be on the Blazers radar. “We don’t want to waste too much energy Saturday we gotta be ready for the title game on Sunday,” Navarro said. the want for the rematch against West Florida is evident on the minds of the players. the Argos ended the Blazers season last year. “it will be redemption to play West Florida, another chance won’t hurt. this can show how better we have gotten and it will be a nice warm-up leading into the NCAA tournament,” Harvin said. the magic number to put the Blazers back in the NCAA tournament is three, but any loss over the weekend will subdue their chances of making the dance and their season will likely be over.
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Blazer baseball team to host GSC newcomer Union this weekend Alex Tostado S p o rt S W r i t e r ajtostado@valdosta.edu
the VSU (22-14, 9-9) baseball team welcome first year Gulf South Conference member Union University (828, 2-18) this weekend. the Blazers are coming off of wins in 11 of their last 14 games. the Bulldogs are struggling as newcomers to the conference but VSU head
coach Greg Guilliams still wants to keep his team focused. “i do not know if there is anything i can say except all we can do, is the things we control,” Guilliams said. We need to be a little more consistent with our defense; it was a little sloppy (tuesday night).” VSU’s offense has continued to be ideal and has averaged over nine runs a game in the past eight games.
“ last weekend we
swung the bats really well but we still have to be more consistent. ”
- CoaCh GreG Guilliams
“Last weekend we swung the bats really well but we still have to be more consistent,” Guilliams said. the Blazers are in the last
stretch of the season and still have high expectations. “Hopefully we are playing good baseball going into the tournament,” Guilliams said. “We have to continue to swing the bats and if we do that, the game will take care of itself.” the three-game series begins Saturday in a doubleheader and a final game Sunday.
Blazer diamond battles are coming to an end
Eric Jackson/THESPECTATOR (Above) Third basemen Hannah Strickland prepares to field a ground ball. Head coach softball Thomas Macera regards her as the top defensive third basemen in the country. (Below) Catcher Bryant Hayman glances over to the first baseman before the pitcher delivers a throw. VSU hosts Union this weekend.
Melissa Powell/THESPECTATOR
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