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A week a� er the surprise resignation of Dr. William McKinney, the Board of Re-gents has tapped a � ve-term Republican Georgia senator to take over the helm of VSU for the foreseeable future.
University System of Geor-gia Chancellor Hank Huckaby announced in a press release released late Wednesday a� ernoon that Dr. Cecil Staton would take over as VSU’s interim president a� er Dr. McKinney steps down on July 1.
“Cecil has an extensive aca-demic background in higher education combined with solid experience in leading a business operation that makes him uniquely quali� ed to provide leadership at Valdosta State during this important period,” Huckaby said in the press release. “We are fortu-nate to have someone of Ce-cil’s caliber in the University System who can step in and ensure Valdosta State contin-ues to move forward.”
A graduate of Oxford, Dr. Staton currently serves as the vice chancellor for extended education for the USG.
Despite the announcement, Dr. Staton said he did not wish to discuss his interim position just yet.
“� is is hot o� the press, and before I could start do-ing media things, I’m going to have to get through a few meetings and make sure I’ve
got my ducks in a row,” Dr. Staton said.According to Huckabee,
there is no set time period for selecting a permanent president.
However, the appointment does put a twist on a tumul-tuous period at VSU where controversy has swirled.
In a letter sent out last � ursday a� ernoon an-nouncing his resignation, Dr. McKinney did not give reasons for his departure, but chose instead to focus on the improvements that were made at VSU during his time as president.
“By every reasonable metric, Valdosta State is a university on the rise,” Dr. McKinney said in the letter. “Together we have set a course for VSU that, in many ways, helps to secure its future.”
A series of disputes during the course of this school year led to the faculty senate dis-cussing a no-con� dence vote on Dr. McKinney shortly
before his resignation. Dr. Michael Noll, faculty
senate president, said he did not see McKinney’s resigna-
tion coming.“While the recent report
of the faculty senate execu-tive committee highlighted a number of issues we have to address at VSU, I was not expecting this,” Dr. Noll said
� e new interim president has many years of experience in higher education.
Dr. Staton has held the positions of associate pro-vost, associate professor and university publisher at Mercer University in Macon.
Prior to his work at Mercer, he was an assistant professor at Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia. Dr. Staton also founded and leads three communication companies.
At SGA’s April 6 meeting, President William McKin-ney’s resignation was the dominant topic of discussion, and many senators expressed their sadness at his planned departure.
“I don’t want him to leave, because he can really have a high impact on the future of the institution,” Senator Ny-drah Wright said. “I think he is a great president, and (he) needs to stay to ensure the growth of VSU.”
SGA President Barker directed inquisitive sena-tors to Dr. McKinney’s letter that detailed his resignation, although it does not explicitly Dr. McKinney’s reason for leaving.
“Presidents’ jobs are simply to leave our institutions better than when we arrived, and I believe that I have done just that,” Dr. McKinney said in the letter. “It is time for a new leader to take Valdosta State into the future, upon the strong foundation we have built.
Dr. McKinney goes on to list VSU’s accomplishments during his three-year presi-dency, including the launch of a $53 million fundraising campaign, the construction of the Health Sciences and Business Administration
Building, the creation of the Student Success Center, and the increase of faculty and staff salaries for two consecu-tive years.
Barker explained that once Dr. McKinney leaves offi ce on July 1, the interim presi-dent, Dr. Cecil Staton, will take over while the Board of Regents searches nationally for a permanent president. Barker said interim presidents normally serve for one year.
Multiple SGA senators also asked questions regarding the sudden resignation of former Chief of Staff Kimberly Luse.
Dr. Luse resigned on March 23, just after an incident with police where Dr. Luse appeared intoxicated on the Front Lawn, according to police reports. Only a week and a half later, Dr. McKin-ney announced his resignation in a letter to faculty, staff and students.
April 9, 2015 Volume 88 Issue 11
Inside This Issue - OPINIONS: Wanted: A forthcoming leader with an open door
- FEATURES: New style of gameplay for “FPS” fans
- SPORTS: Blazers seek revenge against UWG
Robert E. Lee surrenders
On this day in 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered. Lee and 28,000 soliders surren-dered to Union
General Ulysses S. Grant, ending the
Civil War.
Source: History.com
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Kayla Stroud/THESPECTATOR
Jamel ShorterSTAFF WRITER
Interim president namedNew interim
president announced, will start term once McKinney
steps down
Dr. Cecil Staton has been appointed as VSU’s interim president. Dr. Staton served on the Georgia Senate, among other occupations.
SGA elections are ap-proaching and students can prepare to vote on April 16 at 12:01 a.m.
� e open positions for the election are president, vice president, comptroller and secretary. � ere are also 40 senate seats up for election.
Students can attend the SGA’s executive branch debate in the Student Union � eater at 7 p.m. on April 15 to get
informed on the candidates’ thoughts and plans. Results will be announced on April 20 at 6 p.m.
SGA President Tyler Barker stresses the importance of student participation in the elections.
“It is important for students to participate in the SGA elec-tions due to every students’ opinion and voice being of great importance in terms of their experience at VSU,” Barker said. “It is also impor-tant because the SGA o� cers and senators are elected o� -cials entrusted by the student
body to serve as the liaison between the student body and VSU Administration.
“As a student, you want SGA o� cials that you can trust to make the best recom-
mendations on behalf of the student body, and ful� ll their duties and responsibilities to the best of their ability,” Barker said.
Campaigning is in full swing, as many candidates have started promoting them-selves for this year’s elections. As of right now, candidates are only allowed to passive campaign, which is de� ned as “non-verbal, non-physical activities that attempt to per-suade voters toward a certain cause or candidate in the SGA election.” � is includes social media invitations, signs and
� yers. Among these candidates is
sophomore Maya Mapp, who is running for a senate seat for the second consecutive year.
“(I’ve been) making � yers and asking if others would post them on their social media sites,” Mapp said. “I just want to get my name out there in a positive manner and make sure the students know that I care. Being an SGA senator is not about me; it’s about being that liaison between the faculty leadership and students, and bettering our community.”
As this timeline shows, VSU has had � ve presidents in the past seven years.
McKinney resigns, e� ective July 1; students express grief over resignation.
I don’t want him to leave,
because he can really have a high impact on the future of the institution.
-Senator Nydrah Wright
“
”
SGA prepares for April electionsTatyana Phelps
COPY EDITOR [email protected]
Students will vote for new president, vice president, comptroller and secretary
The Spectator prints free classifieds for current stu dents of Val dos ta State Uni ver si ty only. These must be no more than 40 words, or a $9.30 charge will apply. Clas si fieds for fac ul ty, staff, stu dent or ga ni za tions, stu dent-owned busi ness es and the gen er al pub lic cost $9.30 for up to 40 words. Ads should be sent to the Spectator or de liv ered to our of fice in 1238 Hopper Hall. The dead line is 5 p.m. Thursday, a week prior. If payment ap plies, it should be sub mit ted in a sealed en ve lope at the time the ad is placed or paid via
Mastercard, Visa, Discover or electronic check online through Aimee Napier, Advertising Manager. Email Aimee Napier at [email protected] to pay online. Ads must be ac compa nied by the name and phone num ber of the per son sub mit ting the ad. Students must also submit their VSU Student ID number. Ads must be re sub mit ted each week, as nec es sary. The Spectator ad dress is: 1500 N. Patterson St.,Valdosta, GA 31698. Our email address is [email protected].
The Spectator re serves the right to reject any clas si fied ad. All ads are sub ject to standard ed it ing pro ce dures. The Specta-tor is not re spon sible for mis takes due to a sub mitted er ror. The cat e go ries for classifieds in clude: For Sale, For Rent, Sublease, Want ed, Room mate, Services, Personnels and Employment.
PAGE 2 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM
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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
For RentSublease 1bd/bth in a 3/3 apt @ The Gates, 1403 Baytree Dr., Valdosta. Within walking distance of VSU. $525/month, furnished with all utilities. Move In: 8/15/15. Call Jackie 404-414-5253
Police Briefs
April 7
A 21-year-old male was stopped at the intersection of Baytree Road and Boone Drive. He was arrested and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana and a tag light violation.
April 6
A 19-year-old male was stopped on Ashley Street, arrested and charged with too fast for conditions and suspended license.
A student reported money was stolen from her in West Hall.
April 2
A 22-year-old male was stopped at the intersection of Oak Street and Baytree Road. He was arrested and charged with DUI and failure to main-tain lane.
Upcoming EventsInternational Tabletop Day
April 1111 a.m.- 8 p.m.Odum LibraryThird Floor
Come and celebrate tabletop gaming with the rest of the world! Drinks, pizza, snacks and games will be provided, but attendees are encour-aged to bring their personal favorites as well. This event is open to all ages and families. For more information, visit tabletopday.com
Recently, when students logged onto Blazeview or their VSU email account, they were met with something completely new: a fresh, more involved design for MyVSU.
Since December of last year, VSU’s creative services has been brainstorming and working to create a new design for VSU’s personal portal for students and faculty.
The more visual MyVSU page includes a Photo of the Day and a customized animated background of the weather for each day.
Being able to go through and customize your modules list is also a new upgrade to the MyVSU page, along
with the single signon for checking your email, Banner, Atomic Learning, and everything else VSU related.
“We wanted to make it more useful, we want people to use it, and for it to be as functional as possible,” Gary Kuhlman, VSU’s webmaster, said.
Keith Warburg, VSU’s social media and web content manager, said that students’ help with widgets and feature ideas helped evolve the content even more.
“We’ve added things like news modules, a calendar of events, and each student can see and contact their advisor,” Warburg said.
Creative services says that they have been receiving a lot of positive feedback from students and faculty.
“It’s so cool,” Brandon Moultrie, art major, said. “It’s a completely different layout. I like the way they used all of the space too. It’s almost like an iPhone update with all of the new features to play with.”
“I think it’s so cute,” Chariece Freeman, computer science and performing arts major, said “I like that it fits the needs of the student too.”
Creative services still plans on continuing to improve the site. In the future they want to incorporate athletics and dining services for students. Students are encouraged to use the feedback button or email [email protected] for any suggestions they may have for the site.
MyVSU gets makeovervaldosta.edu
Erin MartinStaff Writer
APRIL 9, 2015 VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 3
Spectator StaffEditor-in-Chief:Elan WaitePrint Editor: John StephenDigital Editor: Jordan BarelaAdvertising Manager: Aimee NapierBusiness Manager: Kristen VarneyCirculation Manager: Kailyn Middleton
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Copy Editors: Tatyana PhelpsAdrienne FryGraphic Designers:Mike LaGon, Savannah HensleyFaculty Advisers: Dr. Pat Miller, Dr. Ted Geltner, Cindy MontgomeryReporters/Photographers:Lia Armistead, Niamini Carlyle-Hollis, Alex Corbitt, Tierra Francois, Zenobia Harris, Ivey Ingalls-Rubin, Kenzie Kesselring, Kailee Kivett, Erin Martin, Stuart Price, Chris Webb, Austin Wells
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Letters should be no longer than 500 words in length. Letters are subject to editing for style, length, grammar, and libelous material. Not all letters are published. Letters should be typed and turned in with a disk, or e-mailed as an attachment by Tuesdays before 5 p.m.
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Opinions expressed in The Spectator other than editorials are the opinions of the writers of signed columns and not neccessarily those of The Spectator and its staff. All rights reserved. Reprints by permission of the editors. Views in this newspaper are not neccessarily those of the Valdosta State University administration, faculty and staff.
Our point of view...
This editorial was written by a member of the editorial staff and expresses the general opinion of The Spectator.
Transparency
Own up to mistakes
Be involved
Strong vision
New president checklist
Wanted: a forthcoming leader with an open door
After three years at VSU’s helm, Presi-dent William McKinney is throwing in the towel, and in the fall, the campus will have a new leader. Transfers in power always elicit nervous anticipation from those under that power. Who will be this new captain, and will he or she be better than the last? Will this person be able to fix existing problems within our campus community?
While The Spectator can’t answer those questions, we do know what characteristics we want to see in our new president, who-ever he or she may be.
First, we want our next leader to value transparency, not only in word but in action as well. While Dr. McKinney says transpar-ency is a hallmark of his administration, too many cloak-and-dagger scenarios during his time point to the opposite, such as the sudden and unexplained firing of staff and restructuring of certain departments. Basi-cally, we want the administration to live in a glass house, with all their processes exposed for all to see, and that starts with our next president.
Consequently, the new president should be able to admit when the administration has made a mistake. Too often students are confused or completely unaware of prob-
lematic situations on campus because of the constant positive spin VSU puts on these sit-uations. While the administration is tasked with maintaining a good image for VSU, it is also responsible for being honest with stu-dents regarding VSU’s shortcomings. A new president who puts aside politics and speaks truthfully would be quite refreshing.
We also want the new guy or gal to be accessible and involved, a person who will walk through the halls just to mingle with students, as Dr. Patrick Schloss did when he led VSU. Although a VSU president only has so many flexible hours in a day, the new one should make time to attend campus events and brush shoulders with the commu-nity he or she leads. Doing so will strength-en the bond between the administration and the rest of VSU and will allow students to speak freely to the president about their needs and desires.
Lastly, we want the new president to arrive armed with a strong vision and an un-shakeable resolve to see that vision through to completion. We need our next command-er-in-chief to maintain VSU’s strength and work to eliminate its weaknesses. It all starts with vision, and we hope our next president has a perfect 20/20.
Photo courtesy of VSUIllustration by Jordan Hill
Molly ZechmanJunior
Communication Sciences and Disorders
“I think that he should be well-rounded and interactive with other
students.”
Quincy YoungSenior
Communications
“I would love for him to be honest, relat-
able, (and) just have some integrity, fun and passion about
VSU.”
Hunter TerrellFreshman
English
“We need someone more direct and more under-standing, more close to the student body and
someone who can relate on a more personal aspect rather than an authorita-
tive figure.”
People Poll: What traits would you like to see in
VSU’s new president?
Jordan HillOpiniOns EditOr
Vote even though you don’t know what party you affiliate with. Vote even though you don’t know any of the candi-dates. Vote even though you don’t know what you want from a president.
The debate as to whether U.S. citizens should be re-quired to vote has been a hot topic in recent discussions.
To make voting a require-ment for every U.S. citizen is a good thought, but it opens up a can of uninformed worms to make decisions for our country. Allowing citizens over the age of 18 to vote is an American right. Requiring them to vote is an American mistake.
In theory, required voting would force all citizens to pay attention to the government’s actions. American adults would make informed deci-sions and more voices would be heard throughout the coun-try. It would create an equal and balanced set of ideas.
That theory is entirely flawed. Required voting would give American adults the opportunity to vote for a president that they know noth-ing about. Many adults would stare at a ballot and wonder what it means to be a Demo-crat or a Republican. They would know one name out of 20. They wouldn’t know who stands for gay marriage and who is pro-life.
Uninformed voters would be the downfall of the coun-try. Men and women would be elected into the government because they won the voters’
battle of eenie-meenie-minie-moe.
If required voting is a thing of the future, it is important for our voters to be informed. A sheet can be provided at each voting precinct inform-ing the voters of the candi-dates’ beliefs and goals in office.
An informed voter is neces-sary when it comes to U.S. politics. Without providing candidate information and ensuring that voters know the requirements when traveling to the precinct, required vot-ing is a no-go.
Required voting results in uninformed votes
MCT Campus
Welcome to America! Land of the free…kind of.
Indiana’s governor, Mike Pence, signed a religious freedom bill on April 2 that will allow business owners to refuse service to people if they feel the person is intrud-ing on their religious ideals.
So basically, Indiana is one step away from turning around and heading right back to the 1950s.
The law seems be causing a lot of confusion to Indiana citizens and rightfully so. Any law that is passed that gives business owners the right to refuse service to anyone based on a religion is massive cause for concern.
There is no reason that a person’s sexual orientation should stop them from paying money to receive a good or
service no matter the religious beliefs of the business owner.
Religious freedom is something that should always be honored, but it is never okay to infringe on someone else’s rights just because their lifestyle doesn’t align with a certain religion.
The beliefs of one religion shouldn’t impact the life of someone who doesn’t even follow that religion. This is America, the land of the free. That doesn’t mean freedom for some citizens and not for others.
New religious freedom bill: liberty and justice for some
Kenzie KesselringAsst. OpiniOns EditOr
Tatyana PhelpsCOpy EditOr
UGA bans hoop skirts
MCT Campus
MCT Campus
It seems as though since the SAE scandal at the University of Oklahoma, schools are do-ing whatever they can to pre-vent sororities and fraternities from doing anything that may seem racist. Several schools are beginning to take precau-tion with anything that can cause a racial uproar. Now, sororities at the University of Georgia are no longer allowed to wear hoop skirts.
Greek leaders at UGA are banning hoop skirts because they are often associated with the Confederacy. However, they actually demonstrate a fashion and style that was
popular during the Confed-eracy, but it’s not as though hoop skirts actually served as a Confederate uniform.
It’s pretty sad that one fraternity member had to ruin the fun for every Greek orga-nization member. It isn’t right to punish all Greeks for one person’s action because not everyone is doing something wrong.
It makes absolute sense that UGA would ban fraternities from wearing Confederate uniforms, but hoop skirts aren’t even about the Con-federacy. The vice president of UGA’s student affairs said that banning the hoop skirts is a step toward making prog-ress. How is progress being made if there was really noth-
ing wrong with wearing hoop skirts in the first place?
It is clear why UGA is trying to stay on the safe side by banning hoop skirts. However, they shouldn’t look to find something wrong with something as simple as a skirt. Everyone’s fun can’t be sacrificed at the expense of a mistake that one person had to make.
University outlaws confederate wear at Greek events
“Battlefi eld Hardline” introduces a new way to play a “Battlefi eld” game in this interesting twist on cops and robbers. In multi-player, instead of playing as an American versus a Russian, German or any other country normally pitted against another, you play as cops versus robbers who aren’t shy on using full force to get what they want. This means that instead of a warzone arena, you are now put in cities with large skyscrapers and race against each other in cars instead of tanks. Because of this, a new mechanic has been added to accommodate the new envi-
ronment — ziplines. These allow for fast travel as well as tactical breaching tools to get the upper hand on your en-emy, and though the vehicles are not war machines, you can still control a large variety of military weapons as well as helicopters. Multiplayer does not take itself very seriously — mostly in part to the community that you will be shooting with or against — as you will fi nd hilarious over-the-mic com-munications and silly ex-ploitations others will use to make the game as chaotic and bizarre as possible. In the single-player campaign, which usually takes around seven hours to complete, you will have the choice to go in guns blazing, like any other “Battlefi eld”
game, or you can use stealth to get the upper hand on your enemies. Stealth in the single-player game is actu-ally more rewarding when it comes to unlockables, yet the unlockables seem to be aimed at fi refi ght playstyles rather than sneaky ones. This is just a minor gripe, as stealth doesn’t need to be tweaked from when you start until you end the campaign. Overall, it is very immer-sive and gives players options to dispatch their enemies in any way they want. “Battle-fi eld Hardline” gets eight out of 10 stars for fun and inter-esting multiplayer mechanics — as long as you don’t take it very seriously — and a satis-fying single-player campaign that gives you options.
DigDuck is a new free so-cial media app that allows us-ers to censor a picture before sending it. The receiver can then choose to use his or her ducks, which are the payment method, to unlock the rest of the picture. The app also uses the person’s location to show public pictures from others in the same area. Users start off with 100 free ducks and the default price to unlock pictures is fi ve ducks. There are purchasing pack-ages that allow users to buy 100 ducks for 99 cents, 200 for $1.99 and even 500 for $2.99.
However, the creators of the app added an alternative to help encourage users to send their own pictures. When us-ers create and send a censored picture to the public or to a friend, they can choose to set what price is needed to unlock that picture. If the price is fi ve ducks, then every time
someone unlocks the picture, the person who created the message gets those fi ve ducks. The app is available for both Apple and Android us-ers. To sign up for DigDuck, the user just has to enter his or her phone number. This allows the app to show which people from that person’s contacts also have DigDuck. Although the app is not well-known yet, it may very well be on its way. The cen-soring feature gives a fun and mysterious element to sending pictures to friends. Creative manager of the app, Ulrik Jensen, claims that there will soon be a video feature added.
PAGE 4 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM APRIL 9, 2015
In my experience, a lot of people have toyed around with the thought of watch-ing “Dexter” but have never actually committed to it. Trust me, this show is defi nitely worth a watch, and you will not be disap-pointed. Michael C. Hall plays Dexter Morgan, a Mi-ami metro homicide blood-spatter analyst, who, by day, blends in with everyone else in Miami, but by night is a psychopathic serial killer that preys on other killers.
This story takes place in 1970s London, right in the middle of the Cold War. Gary Oldman, whom you may know as Commissioner Gordon from the recent “Batman” fi lms, plays George Smiley, an ex-intel-ligence offi cer, aka “spy,” who is brought back to the force to defeat a mole who has made it to the top of the power ladder. Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch play supporting characters.
From the mind of comedian Robert “Bobcat” Goldth-wait, “God Bless America” stars the fairly unknown actors Joel Murray and Tara Lynne Barr, whom you might recognize from “Drake & Josh” or “Zoey 101.” The plot centers around Murray’s character, Frank, who is fed up with what America has become today.
H. Jon Benjamin, whose voice you may recognize from “Bob’s Burgers” (an-other Netfl ix recommenda-tion), and Aisha Tyler voice the two main characters of “Archer.” Sterling Archer and Lana Kane are a spy duo who works for ISIS. No, not that ISIS. The Interna-tional Secret Intelligence Service is run and funded by Archer’s mother who gets the team into crazy sit-uations that they somehow always fi nd a way out of.
What is there to say about “Pulp Fiction”? If you haven’t seen it, watch it. If you have seen it, watch it again. Quentin Taran-tino brings John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman together in this tale of two mob hitmen who challenge the thoughts of all who watch it. “Pulp Fic-tion” features an incredible balance of action, humor, violence and pop culture references.
New style of gameplay for ‘FPS’ fans
This week’s ‘Next Flick Picks’
Alex CorbittSTAFF WRITER
Kailee KivettSTAFF WRITER
Tyra Mills/ THE SPECTATOR
Give a ‘duck’; get a photo in return
MCT Campus
Stuart PriceSTAFF WRITER
Showtime
Miramax
Darko Entertainment
FX
StudioCanal
Sudoku Answer
VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 5APRIL 9, 2015
Recr uit ing For Summer & Fa l l 2015 :
The SpecTaTor
MarkeTing aSSiSTanTS - proMoTionS or reSearch
graphic DeSignerS - prinT, Web & Mobile
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all MajorS are encourageD To apply
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To Apply :eMail cover leTTer, reSuMe & SaMpleS of Work
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elan WaiTe, eDiTor in [email protected]
Niamani Carlyle-HollisSportS writer
Intramural all-stars raise money for Relay for Life
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sports news@BlazersSports
Catch up on all the
Blazer sports at
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Valdosta State’s Recreation Center held their second annual All-Star game to raise money for Relay for Life. The event contained four different activities that gave the best of the best in intramural basketball an opportunity to not only display their skills and talents, but also allowed them the chance to help raise funds and awareness for cancer.
With an arena-like scene set with popular music and commentating done by staff members of the recreation center, the event kicked off with a three-point contest that would rival that of the pros. Rec administrators and students alike participated in a competitive three-point shootout, while spectators and judges all cheered on each contestant. Each participant was required to pay a $3 entry fee that went toward the funds that would be donated to Relay for Life. Exercise physiology major Taylor Thatcher, 22, set the bar early on in the contest, making a possible 17 out of 25 points. Both girl and boy players all tried to top the bar that was set by Thatcher, but none were successful, leaving him victorious in the end as Champion of the Three-Point Line.
The Slam Dunk Contest kicked off immediately after the hype from the three-point contest calmed down. As if out of a scene from NBA All-Star weekend, judges were set up at a table with score cards, and there was an ever so lively hype man that eagerly and continuously boosted the confidence of the players attempting to pull off a dunk that would land them a perfect score. Spectators watched
excitedly as props were used and basketballs were thrown off of walls and from the second level of the recreation center in order to wow the crowd the most. There were windmills, tomahawks, and when players were pressed for time, plain old simple dunks in an attempt to put a score on the board. In the final round, Tae Jolly, 23, was able to pull off the perfect dunk, causing spectators and judges alike to jump up with excitement and applaud such an amazing feat as he was able to secure the title of the Dunk King for the night.
“I look forward to these types of events every year,” Tyneisha Bledsoe, nursing major, said. “You play hard for the intramural season, and it’s a good feeling to be recognized for playing your hardest and leaving it all on the court.”
The excitement continued to heighten as the event rolled on, when the lineups for the co-rec games were announced. The best players from each co-rec team were split into two teams of Light Blue and Dark Blue as they prepared to battle it out in order to become champions. For most of the game, the Dark Blue team held the lead and controlled the game; that is, until the Light Blue team began to settle down and get into a rhythm of their own. Team Light players Taylor Thatcher and Shacora Green lit it up to put them up ahead of their opponents. With less than two minutes left to play, Team Light was up by as much as 6, when a big three-pointer was made by accounting major Symphony White, 24, bringing the Dark Team within two points of victory. That is as close as things would get from there, though, as the Light Team was able to pull off the victory 72-70.
“We do this for fun, but it’s more than that,” Keith Baker, exercise physiology major, said. “You begin to understand that it’s for a greater cause that is bigger than all of us, and it makes you feel good to know that you are chipping in to make a change.”
Light Blue seemed to be the dominant color of the night as the men’s game tipped off. Team Light Blue controlled the score for majority of the game. With both the Three-Point Champion and the Dunk King on their team, you can only imagine how the flow of this game went. Players from both teams appeared to thrive in the lively atmosphere and put on a show for spectators with their extravagant passes, dunks and shots.
All in all, the campus recreation center put on a great event for an even greater cause and ended up raising upwards of $225 dollars to be donated.
Blazers twist up the Hurricanes
Stella Henderson/THESPECTATOR
Right handed pitcher Caitlyn Calhoun winds up for a pitch against Georgia Southwestern on April 8. Calhoun allowed only one hit in the game and improved her record to 22-3. The team took down GSW 6-1 and 8-0 in the double header on Wednesday.
The Lady Blazers softball team keeps things rolling with two major wins against Georgia Southwestern University on April 8.
The doubleheader began with game one starting at 5 p.m. The Lady Blazers kicked things off in the bottom of the first inning with a line drive hit on the left side of the field by Heather Robinson, recording the first RBI of the night, bringing in Kiley Rusen for the score, and putting the Lady Blazers up 1-0.
Georgia Southwestern did not back down and were able to put a point of their own up after Lauren Thrasher hit a homerun to right field. Both teams battled it out up until the bottom of the third inning. The Lady Blazers caught fire after a big home run hit by Jaime Phillips to left center field, sending Haile Imler to home plate and putting the Lady Blazers up 3-1.
Things did not stop there, though. Late in the third
inning, Brandy Morgan bunted a pitch that advanced her to second base. Brittany Smith ran in to score and Fran Johnson was able to score after Georgia Southwestern’s third baseman committed a bad throw. Things continued to go downhill from there for GSW. With Morgan on base after stealing third, Jennifer Phillips sent a ball soaring out to center field, sending Morgan in for the score and putting the Lady Blazers up 6-1. The two teams continued to battle it out until the top of the seventh inning, and the game was called after two GSW batters struck out and Keri Tompkins fouled out to VSU’s third baseman.
In the beginning of the second game, things started off close as both teams remained scoreless in the first inning and top half of the second; that is, until Morgan doubled a hit to left center field and was able to advance to third base after Jennifer Phillips grounded out to GSW’s shortstop.
After a wild pitch by GSW’s pitcher, Morgan was
able to run in to score and put the Lady Blazers up on top 1-0. The Lady Canes were unable to get on base after the Lady Blazers were able to pull off a three-up-three-down inning. With Johnson and Rusen on base in the bottom of the third inning, Robinson sent both ladies in for the score after slamming a double to right center field. Brandi Blount was sent in to pinch run for Robinson and was able to advance to third base after the Lady Cane’s pitcher threw a wild pitch with Morgan up to bat. Morgan was then able to keep things rolling with a single to right field, bringing Blount in for the score.
Things seemed to keep on rolling for the Lady Blazers after Jennifer Phillips got up to bat and hit a double to right center, allowing Morgan the chance to score and putting the Lady Blazers up with a big lead 5-0.
It was a series of unfortunate events for the Lady Canes as they were unable to score or get more than two people on base in the
top of the fourth inning. For the Lady Blazers, however, things continued to run smoothly as Jaime Phillips was first up at bat in the bottom of the fourth and hit a big homerun to center field.
The Lady Blazers continued to pound on the Lady Canes when, four batters later, Morgan chipped in a homerun of her own, sending Rusen to the home plate to put VSU up 8-0, inevitably putting the nail in the coffin for the Lady Canes. The game ended after the Lady Blazers picked up their final out of the inning after a ground ball was hit to GSW’s shortstop.
With these two big wins under their belts, the Lady Blazers increased their record to 22-3, while the Lady Canes record dropped to 4-12 on the season.
The Lady Blazers will face the University of Georgia on April 10 with a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. at Steel’s Diamond at Blazer Park.
Softball takes Georgia Southwestern in doubleheader
Niamani Carlyle-HollisSportS writer
[email protected] “We do this for fun, but it’s more than that. You begin to understand that it’s for a greater cause that is bigger than all of us, and it makes you feel good to know that you are chipping into make a change.”
Keith Baker Exercise Physiology
The best intramural basketball players at the Recreational Center come together to raise money for cancer awareness
APRIL 9, 2015 PAGE 6 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM
Austin Wells SportS writer
Blazers brought down by CSU Blazers seek revenge against UWG
Last weekend, the Blaz-ers traveled to Huntsville, Alabama, for a three-game series with the University of Alabama-Huntsville Char-gers. The Blazers were able to win the first and the final game of the series by scores of 12-10 and 6-4. The second game of the se-
ries began Friday night, but was suspended and picked back up Saturday due to in-clement weather. The Blazers would wind up losing that game 10-13. The Blazers’ bats were finally hot, and they hoped to stay that way Wednesday against Albany State. VSU came out on top by a final score of 15-4 to give them an overall record of 21-13 and a conference record of 13-9. Leading the Blazers in hits
and batting average this sea-son is junior Hayden Jones, with 57 hits and an average of .425. Bryant Hayman has the most homeruns with eight, and Michael Gouge has driv-en in the most runs with 42. Mike Reed has twice as many stolen bases than anyone else on the team with 14. The Blazers resume action
this weekend as West Georgia University travels to Valdo-sta for a three-game series at Billy Grant Field. The Wolves are currently ranked No. 3 in the Gulf South Conference, while the Blazers are ranked No. 5 and poised to make a run for the title. Last season, the Wolves took two out of the three games with the Blaz-ers, but the Blazers are hoping to rebound this weekend.The Blazers take on the
Wolves tomorrow at 3 p.m.and 6 p.m. for a double-header and again on Saturday at 1 p.m
Blazer men’s tennis drop to 12-5 record after losing to cougars
It was a disappointing Wednesday for the men’s tennis team as the No. 10 Blazers (12-5) fell short to No. 8 Columbus State (16-3), losing 5-1.
Things got off to a bad start for the Blazers, losing all three of what were close doubles matches. Edward Nguyen and Niklas Herbring were the closest to victory for the Blazers, falling to Marco Almorin and Adi Malicbegov-ic 8-7. Gereon Heitmann and Ramon Weil fell to Columbus State’s Martynas Zakaitis and Oussama Zoghlami 8-6 in the second match, and Fran-cisco Yim Kim and Joachim Schemm lost to Benedikt Wilde and Maciej Kierkus in the third match 8-5.
The Blazers then went on to win only one of the three completed singles matches, which featured Heitmann defeating Wilde 6-2, 6-3. Among the two losing matches for VSU, Herbring was narrowly defeated by Malicbegovic 6-3, 2-6, 6-7, and Schemm lost in straight sets to Kierkus, 3-6, 4-6.
There were also three other singles matches on the after-noon that went unfinished. Before the matches ended, Weil trailed a close matchup against Columbus State’s Jorge Vargas 3-6, 6-3, 5-6. Yim Kim was also behind Zoghlami 3-6, 6-6, before the match stopped, and Nguyen trailed in his match against Almorin 7-6, 1-6, 1-4.
The Blazers will look to bounce back on the road this Friday against Armstrong Atlantic.
Stuart PriceSportS writer
Kristin Whitman/THESPECTATOR
VSU’s freshman tennis player Edward Nguyan ralies the ball back to Columbus State players as he plays doubles in the match on April 8. The Blazers ended their winning streak with a 5-1 loss against CSU.
Kristin Whitman/THESPECTATOR
Senior right fielder Kevin Cruz dives for a ball with backup from-Mike Reed in the game against Union University March 29. VSU won two of the three games in the series, 6-1, 11-2 and losing 1-2.
