the spectator online edition, october 24, 2013
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The online edition of the Spectator, October 24, 2013.TRANSCRIPT
October 24, 2013 W W W . V S U S P E C T A T O R . C O M VOLUME 85 iSSUE 10
Inside This Issue- OPiniOnS: “addressing ‘Stranger danger’”
- FEATURES: “Kanye puts a ring on media mama”
- SPORTS: “VSU’s men’s basketball is back”
On the Webwww.vsuspectator.com
Fall career exPo - office
of career opportunities is
hosting the Fall career expo at
the Uc’s Magnolia and
cypress rooms from 10 a.m. to
2 p.m. Students and alumni can
network with employers and
explore options in various
fields.
Breast cancer
awareness - Members of the
distinguished Women of
excellence are selling breast
cancer awareness pins for $1 in
the Student Union at 10 a.m. to
3 p.m. today and Friday. Half
of the profits will go to the
laMP Foundation.
enactus cluB and redi -
the enactus club has
partnered with the non-profit
redi organization, after a trip
to africa, to help a group of
women in Kenya trying to
change their families’ lives
through economic enterprise.
Behind odum library at 6:15
p.m.the event’s goal is to raise
awareness of water-based
troubles across the globe. the
event includes prizes and
donations of any size will be
accepted.
naacP #ProJectKJ -
News of the Kendrick Johnson
case, a lowndes High School
student who died, has swept the
town and VSU’s NaacP will
be leading a forum to raise
awareness of the case in
Jennett lecture Hall, room
2111, at 7 p.m. Follow VSU’s
NaacP twitter
@VSU_NaacP.
V-day auditions - Male and
female students students
interested in acting next
semester can audition for
V-day 2014’s “a Memory, a
Monologue, a rant and a
Prayer” sponsored by the
Women’s and Gender Studies
Program. auditions will be
held in odum library, room
1460.auditions are today from
5 to 7 p.m. and Friday from 3
to 5 p.m. For more information,
email Beth thompson at
Today at VSU
Weather
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Today
70 H 39 L
Friday
43 L71 H
Sunny
Saturday
Check out Julia Armistead’scross country conferece
tournament preview!
BlazersBlazers
play rivalsplay rivals
North North
AlabamaAlabama
Saturday,Saturday,
pg. 5.pg. 5.
Sunny
Sunny
Find UsOnline
WEBSiTE:vsuspectator.com
TWiTTER:@vsuspectator
FACEBOOK:The Spectator
VSU is moving in a green-
er direction.
a solar canopy was recent-
ly built behind odum library.
the canopy is a 10 kilowatt
solar array. the canopy pro-
duces energy that goes direct-
ly to odum library, and does
not go to the Georgia Power
grid.
construction of the solar
canopy began in September,
and was finished earlier this
month.
“it is exciting,” danielle
Jordan, president of Students
against Violating the envi-
ronment, said. “We cannot
address climate change with-
out decreasing our dependen-
cy on fossil fuels and solar is
one way we could change
that.”
the solar panels were man-
ufactured by a company
called enphase.
enphase is the leading mi-
cro-inverter system provider
for both residential and com-
mercial solar panels.
a solar micro-inverter is
integrated into each solar
panel module and converts
the output into an alternating
current so that multiple units
may be connected in parallel
connections.
the company provides a
high-tech approach to the so-
lar panels and the micro-in-
verter systems they produce.
enphase’s vision is “to
make solar simple and energy
smart so everyone is empow-
ered to create a zero energy
footprint for themselves, their
home, and their business,”
according to their website.
the canopy itself was built
by Hannah Solar, a solar
company located in atlanta.
the cost of the solar
canopy project was $69,800.
With the recent addition of
the solar canopy, a question
arises: Will VSU have more
solar panels or canopies on
campus?
“i think there is a broad in-
terest in exploring the possi-
bilities of renewable energy,”
Michael Noll, associate pro-
fessor of Geography and
president of Wiregrass ac-
tivists for clean energy, said.
the biggest contributing
factor to more solar panels on
campus would be how to
budget the costs of the pan-
els.
“(We) have everything in
place to have more solar at
VSU, i think we just have to
be more courageous and em-
brace it,” Noll said. “that is
easier said than done, you
have to pay the bills still.”
“it would be beneficial,
and it is the smart and re-
sponsible thing to do,” Jordan
said.
Jordan Barelaa S S t. M U lt i M e d i a
e d i t o r
Solar panels bring green energy to Odum
Von Kennedy / The SPecTaTor
The solar canopy sits behind Odum Library and produces energy for the building. Theproject cost VSU $69,800.
We cannot address
climate change
without decreasing
our dependency on
fossil fuels and
solar is one way we
could change that.- danielle Jordan
“
”
ritsuki Miyazaki / The SPecTaTor
Jeremy Johns, freshman mass media major, dressed as a ninja as he climbed his wayto the top of the rock climbing wall setup in the rotunda of the Student Union. COREOutdoors hosted a Halloween climbing event. Participants were encouraged to dressup in Halloween costumes as they climbed the wall.
the atM at the University
center is moving to the Stu-
dent Union.
that was revealed by VSU
President dr. William McK-
inney at last thursday’s Fac-
ulty Senate meeting during
his question and answer ses-
sion.
dr. McKinney explained
the reasoning behind the
move.
“an atM should be in the
Student Union,” dr. McKin-
ney said. “it’s more well-lit,
there’s more student traffic,
that atM is not in an ideal
and safe location. that atM
is going to be moved.”
the decision was in re-
sponse to the robbery inci-
dent at the Uc atM on oct.
3, when a student was forced
at gunpoint to withdraw
$1,000 from his account.
Michael Humphrey, Valdosta
local, was arrested in connec-
tion to the robbery.
Student reaction has been
very positive.
“i think it would be benefi-
cial if they moved the atM
closer to main campus, based
on the recent situation where
there was a kidnapping,”
claire contevita, senior mass
media major, said. “it is dan-
gerous there, especially in the
middle of the night, and i
know a lot of students live on
campus. if they want to get
money and they want to go
out, they have to go all the
way out in the dark, and
that’s not safe.”
contevita felt that if the
atM was moved to a more
populated area, it would be
safer for students.
“the atM movement to
the Student Union would be
an excellent idea,” christo-
pher Powell, freshman unde-
cided major, said. “it’s closer,
it’s more safe, well-populat-
ed, it’s not in some random
parking lot that you go to in
the middle of the night. it just
seems a lot safer in the Stu-
dent Union.”
there was no timetable an-
nounced on the atM reloca-
tion.
Robbery prompts ATM relocationJoe Adgie
S o c i a l M e d i a
e d i t o r
Will Lewis / The SPecTaTor
The campus ATM is currently in front of the UC. Dr. McKin-ney proposed moving the ATM to the Student Union.
on Monday night, SaVe
(Students against Violating
the environment) went to the
SGa for support of their di-
vestment program and didn’t
get it.
the divestment program
concerns requesting the VSU
Foundation to “freeze any
new investments in the fossil
fuel industry and commit to a
plan to divest all of its hold-
ings in fossil fuels within five
years,” according to a letter
that SaVe sent to the organi-
zation on oct. 11.
the SGa, however, ex-
pressed concerns with the
consequences of this divest-
ment program.
“i do know a few compa-
nies that are what (SaVe)
would consider that we need
to divest from,” Sen. tamel-
onie thomas said. “they do
play an integral part in our
scholarship. they play an in-
tegral part in our special pro-
jects on campus, and i don’t
want it to seem as though the
SGa is stepping out and say-
ing ‘the student body is
against this’ when we don’t
exactly know who these com-
panies are.”
thomas was referring to a
line in SaVe’s presentation
that read “We have included
a list of the 200 largest fossil
fuel extraction companies
from which we are asking to
divest.”
SaVe did not list these
companies, nor did they men-
tion any of these companies,
See SGA , Page 2
Joe AdgieS o c i a l M e d i a
e d i t o r
SGA dismisses
SAVE proposalHalloween climb!
It’s more well-lit,
there’s more student
traffic, that ATM is
not in an ideal and
safe location. That
ATM is going to be
moved.- President McKinney
“
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The Classifieds
by
name at Monday night’s meeting, and the
SGA was unable to determine what these
companies were. However, this list is avail-
able on the Fossil Free campaign’s website at
gofossilfree.org.
Other SGA members explained the benefit
this divestment program would provide to
VSU.
“The thing is when you invest into a com-
pany, you’re empowering
them,” said Senator Candicee
Childs, SGA representative of
the Faculty Senate’s Environ-
mental Issues Committee. “If
you take away your invest-
ment, you’re sending a mes-
sage (that says) we as a peo-
ple, as human beings, under-
stand the issues that (are) go-
ing on with our climates, and
we want a better environ-
ment.”
Childs explained that
SAVE wanted the VSU Foun-
dation to “invest in companies that actually
care about us as humans with the environ-
ment.”
“It’s not a common issue that you hear
about, but basically they want to send a mes-
sage that we care about our environment and
our health,” Childs said.
Others in the SGA expressed confusion as to
what this divestment program entailed.
“I went to dictionary.com to make sure I
knew what divestment was,” Senator Tamera
Dunn said.
Senator Edgar James called for a hand vote
to see how many senators actually understood
the program.
“Investments and gas stuff are difficult to
understand,” Senator Matt
Lovelace said. “I was a fi-
nance major when I was in
my undergrad, and I still
have difficulty understand-
ing what they’re talking
about. Don’t be ashamed
saying you don’t under-
stand either.”
It was this lack of
understanding that helped
defeat the measure of sup-
port, as 18 senators ab-
stained from voting on the
measure. Three senators
voted in support of SAVE while 13 voted
against.
The SGA vowed, however, to work with
SAVE on future projects.
SGA
Continued from Page 1
It’s not a common is-
sue that you hear
about, but basically
they want to send a
message that we care
about our environ-
ment and our health.
-Candicee Childs
“
”
Oct. 25
The “Blue House” at 111
W Moore Street will host a
Russian style Halloween at
2:30pm.
Oct. 26
The 2014 Miss Valdosta
State University Scholarship
Pageant will be held in
Whitehead Auditorium in the
Fine Arts Building at 7pm
with doors opening at 6pm.
Tickets are $5 for students
and children under the age of
12 and $10 for adults.
The Black Student League
will present ScreamFest from
7- 11 p.m. on the Front
Lawn.
Upcoming Events
Oct. 17
A professor reported some
books had been stolen from
Ashley Hall.
A Ti83 calculator and an
Adidas backpack were
stolen from Patterson Resi-
dence Hall.
Graffiti was discovered on
the exterior of the Fine Arts
Building facing Brookwood
Dr.
A girl came to the lobby
of Centennial Hall to report
that her car had been broken
into.
Oct. 18
Brendan Stubblefield, 23,
was arrested for driving un-
der the influence after he ran
a stop sign. His car was
turned over to Tipsy Transit.
A burglary was reported at
the construction site on
North Campus.
An iPhone was reported
stolen from Nevins Hall
2111.
Chase Jackson,18, was ar-
rested for breaking into the
band office. He was charged
with Burglary, Interference
with Government Property
and Theft by Taking.
Police Briefs
october 24, 2013 vsuspectator.com | page 3OpiniOns
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this school year has had
its share of controversy and
concerns. Last week, the con-
versation didn’t end. the
Young Conservatives of
America posted an affirma-
tive action bake sale outside
of West Hall last week that
got a few students up in
arms.
the bake sale, said to be a
national initiative by the or-
ganization, provided prices
that varied based on different
groups in the nation, but let’s
talk about affirmative action
and what it means.
Affirmative action has
been a means for years to
make our nation more inclu-
sive of minorities. the initia-
tive has been in place for
years and has put a number
of Latinos, African-Ameri-
cans, Asians and women in
the workplace. for some, this
is a form of institutionalized
racism. When considering a
minority for a position, the
employer now has a more
stern judgment on hiring
someone that they possibly
didn’t want there in the first
place.
this initiative follows up
into what seems to be regu-
lated racism/segregation. Af-
firmative action and institu-
tionalized racism can be
combated, and the most ef-
fective way is through men-
tality. the only real way to
change these things in our so-
ciety is to change the na-
tion’s, and even the world’s,
way of thinking.
i will say that at its incep-
tion, affirmative action was
needed. We needed to force
the hand of corporations and
businesses in order to get mi-
norities into jobs. now, i feel
as though we’ve progressed
enough as a nation to not
have to force-feed diversity
to institutions. it should be a
desire of all to have the most
efficient, diverse workplace.
After the climatic end of
the civil rights movement,
our nation reached a critical
transition in economy and so-
cietal change. in that period,
i feel that we slowed down
on the push for change, and
now we’re forced to get the
wheel turning again. this is
only the tip of an iceberg full
of controversy, miscommuni-
cation and poor education.
it’s like the civil rights era
was a car that ran constantly
and then sat in the yard for
years. this car is now rusted
and harder to move, yet
we’re trying to do all we can
to get it back on the road of
human rights.
Here’s the catch: this
change has to be wanted and
acted upon. saying that we
want equal representation and
a level playing field cannot
only be the end. We have to
act upon these words to see
change. i have come to the
unfortunate conclusion that
we can’t change everyone’s
way of thinking, but if we
continue to speak and work
towards it there will be a
wildfire of change.
the complete removal of
affirmative action would be
ideal in a world that accepted
applicants of all backgrounds
based on the meeting or ex-
ceeding of qualifications. the
truth behind that is we don’t
have an effective way of reg-
ulating the abolishment and
we need a lot more people
who are willing to act for the
change. in due time, my
friends.
the saying goes “You
don’t talk religion or poli-
tics.” that is how it is still
seen for many people who
know that both topics can
lead to an often unwarranted
and heated debate.
the different views on
both vary and are often un-
clear until a
conversation
is started.
it’s very
tricky, espe-
cially with
religion. those who talk poli-
tics are viewed as educated
and enlightened, but too of-
ten those who even dare to
speak on religion are labeled
zealots or extremists.
it begs the question, where
can religion be discussed
openly and freely? A college
campus, a place of higher
learning, should always serve
as a forum for educated dis-
cussion and debate.
religion on college cam-
puses is growing. More cam-
puses are starting religious-
based organizations. VsU
even has a few such as Hillel,
a Jewish organization; MsA,
the Muslim students Associa-
tion; and a few Christian pro-
grams such as Campus Out-
reach. Many of the organiza-
tions open their doors to any-
one who would like to come
in regardless of their reli
gious affiliation.
there is also the depart-
ment of philosophy & reli-
gious studies which offers
classes to educate students on
religions from all over the
world.
With all these opportunities
for religious education on
campus, both extracurricular
and academic, there is no
doubt that we would be creat-
ing a more understanding and
tolerant group of students.
religion on campus is need-
ed for this exact reason. the
stereotypes surrounding each
religion can only be combat-
ed with knowledge. We have
an opportunity that students
were not as lucky to have 50
years ago. We have diversity.
even on this campus there
are people all around who are
different in one way or an-
other.
“share accurate informa-
tion about what we believe,”
Abdul salah, senior interdis-
ciplinary studies major, said
when asked what he wanted
the Muslim students Associa-
tion to do. He talked about
hopefully having an interfaith
panel where established
members of various religions
could talk about their faith
and possibly answer ques-
tions. this would allow con-
versation to start and educate
students on other religions.
the only problem is getting
students to come out.
Many students find it valu-
able to have the organizations
on campus for other students’
personal gain.
“for some
students it’s
very impor-
tant that you
have some
type of reli-
gious organization going on,”
Myinda scarbrough, junior
psychology major, said. “i
wouldn’t want to be part of a
campus that doesn’t have
any.”
Getting younger people in-
volved in religious organiza-
tions is crucial to their
growth. it is important that
they continue to get people
interested in the groups so
they can continue.
religious organizations on
campus coexist, function and
flourish, and this is needed
especially today. the student
body should see this, and
even if they don’t join or go
to any meetings they should
know that the organizations
are here and open.
Campus safety is
usually one of
those subjects that
fall to the background until it
is compromised. With the
recent influx of crime on
campus, the issue of safety
has found its way to the
forefront of discussions.
VsU administrators have
since then taken steps to im-
prove the safety of students
and faculty while on campus,
but many still question
whether or not their efforts
are enough.
While we don’t believe the
safety measures VsU cur-
rently has in place are suffi-
cient, it would be irresponsi-
ble to assert that more can be
done by the university. no
matter how much effort and
funding goes into safety, the
university can’t guarantee
the safety of every single
student and faculty member
on campus.
if the students want to
lessen their chances of a run-
in with potential criminals,
they must adopt a certain
level of self-accountability.
Walking alone at night is an
easy way to become a target
of theft. Avoiding dimly lit
areas after certain times is a
simple measure to lessen the
chances of being assaulted.
during a recent faculty
senate meeting, president
William McKinney stated
that in response to the rob-
beries around the University
Center, VsU would relocate
the AtM to the student
Union. Although the AtM
was located at the University
Center for stadium patrons, it
would seem as if the safety
of students trumped the con-
venience of fans.
Measures such as this are
necessary, but is moving an
AtM to a better-lit location
enough? Apparently not for
VsU, because in response to
a rash of bicycle thefts, a
portion of VsU’s budget has
been spent on improving
video surveillance around
campus. Many bike thefts
have gone unresolved due to
the ineffectiveness of securi-
ty cameras. More cameras
could help with identifying
persons suspected of theft.
some are still not satisfied
with the steps taken by the
university to improve cam-
pus safety, but what more is
possible?
We believe that the student
body would only reject more
extreme measures such as
mandatory curfews or a bud-
dy system. it’s hard to find a
balance between protection
and freedom. VsUpd can’t
ensure one without en-
croaching upon the latter.
We assert that judgment on
the efficiency of these new
measures should be held
pending a review of their af-
fectivity. if newer cameras,
an updated campus alert sys-
tem and AtM relocation
aren’t enough to ensure safe-
ty, then the only plausible
course of action is to put
some of the responsibility on
students.
How do you feel about the
administration’s response to
campus safety?
express your opinions by
sending the staff a tweet at
@vsuspectator.
This editorial was written by John Preer ([email protected]) and it expresses the general opinion of the editorial staff.
Our point of view...
Addressing ‘Stranger Danger’
the Affordable Care Act
website sucks, the law does
not.
the perception that the Af-
fordable Care Act (aka Oba-
maCare) website somehow
takes away from the law al-
lowing underprivileged
Americans who cannot afford
health care is truly mislead-
ing. Conservative news out-
lets (not republicans – there
is a difference) have made
the ObamaCare website into
an example of both the in-
competence of the Obama ad-
ministration and flaws of the
law.
in actuality, technical dif-
ficulties do not fall on the
shoulders of the president
but of the i.t. department
of the company that de-
signed the site.
the first thing people
look for when they need a
service performed is what
it will cost to get it done.
the ObamaCare website
was no different.
With a less-than-perfect
credit rating for the coun-
try, constant revision to the
debt ceiling every six months
and budget cuts galore, com-
mon sense can show that
America was fiscally respon-
sible in its decision making
when looking for a webmas-
ter.
Glitches and errors occur
in all systems even when top
dollar is paid, so expect er-
rors when people pay pocket
change for quality.
Yes, the designers knew
there would be problems with
signing up for health care in
our country before the web-
site was launched, but that
doesn’t mean they cannot be
fixed in due time.
in the last two years Blaze-
View, VsU Hallnet and the
VsU website have had major
overhauls. Also, the VsU
email system has changed
more than a model at a fash-
ion show, and there are still
data transfers, glitches, errors
and other maintenance need-
ed every other friday from
10 p.m. until 7 a.m.
the Affordable Care Act
will substantially enhance the
lives of many Americans who
cannot pay for a visit to the
doctor. My academic advisor,
dr. pat Miller, broke it down
to me this way: “Why do we
have public schools? Because
the country is better off when
our citizens are educated.”
she then added that it is the
same reason we need the Af-
fordable Care Act – because
our country will be better off
when everyone is healthy.
A website and its glitches
will not change that fact.
ObamaCare: No glitch
Isaiah Smarts tA f f W r i t e r
Godly conversation at VSUReligious organizations on the rise throughout campus
People PollDo you think your degree will get
you a good job or a load of debt?
Want more opinions?Check out the Video People Poll online at:
youtube.com/ValdostaSpectator
Leiyan Smiley
junior
chemistry major
“i believe my job will not end me a
load of debt but a promising career.”
Shane McGuire
freshman
criminal justice major
“As of right now i’ve got a lot of
student loans i’m trying to pay off.”
Von Kennedys tA f f W r i t e r
Racial quotas still needed
Elan WaiteA s s i s tA n t
O p i n i O n s e d i t O r
MCT
PagE 4 | vsusPECTaTOR.COm FeaTureSOCTOBER 24, 2013
first up this week, Vh1
premiered the highly
anticipated biopic of
‘90s girl group tLC.
starring Keke Palmer,
Drew sidora and Lil Mama,
the film chronicled the
group’s rise to stardom as
well as their financial strug-
gles. at one point, the girls
were only getting paid $25 a
week. sMH.
all three actresses deliv-
ered stellar performances;
some even said Lil Mama’s
portrayal of Lisa “Left eye”
Lopes was uncanny.
it was all worth it. the film
premiered to an estimated 4.5
million viewers on its first
broadcast, shattering records
for Vh1.
One person who probably
wasn’t watching was none
other than Ms. Kim Kar-
dashian, but she won’t be go-
ing by that name much
longer.
Kim’s baby daddy, Kanye
west, proposed to the reality
star on her 33rd birthday in
the only way Kanye west
could.
the rapper rented out the
san francisco Giants’ base-
ball stadium as a venue for
his grand gesture of love.
Complete with an orchestra,
some of the couple’s closest
friends and family and a re-
ported $8 million ring, west
asked the media maven to be
his forever, or at least until
they get sick of each other.
Not only are they in Octo-
ber movie marathons, but
zombies have been spotted
on the VsU campus – all
thanks to Campus recre-
ation.
this year Campus recre-
ation will be putting on its
annual haunted trail. the
trail will be located behind
the sustella parking deck by
the COre ropes course. ad-
mission to the haunted trail
will be $3 for VsU students
and $5 for VsU faculty, staff
and Valdosta community
members.
the trail will be available
Oct. 28-30, 8-10:30 p.m.
this year’s trail has a differ-
ent twist. “Zombie takeover”
is the theme, a new idea
Campus recreation hopes to
be very popular among stu-
dents.
“there have been lots of
stuff in the news about zom-
bies in the past two years,
and the walking Dead is su-
per popular,” said Katy Lat-
evola, graduate assistant for
special events and student
development. “we knew the
zombie theme would be an
automatic thrill to people.”
that is not the only thing
Campus recreation has up
its sleeves. it has also
worked with a scare coach
who owns haunted houses in
the atlanta area.
“Participation numbers are
also way up,” said Katherine
Geter, senior and team leader
for special events and stu-
dent development. “this will
help as far as that scary fac-
tor and having something
around every corner (goes).”
students also have the op-
portunity to participate in the
trail as volunteers. as al-
ways, donations are accept-
ed.
“we ask (volunteers) to
provide their clothes,” Lat-
evola said. “we have masks
and someone doing their
makeup for them.”
all proceeds raised from
the event will go into a
scholarship funded by Cam-
pus recreation to help stu-
dents attend a nationwide
conference where students
interested in recreation or fit-
ness and wellness can net-
work or get graduate assist-
antships.
students interested in vol-
unteering for the haunted
trail are encouraged to email
Katy Latevola at knlat-
Apple to have new gear
Yet again, this week
proved to be a week
filled with rumors
and new gadgets.
Microsoft released a re-
mote Desktop app for an-
droid and iOs that allows you
to use your PC from an an-
droid or iOs phone or tablet.
Microsoft is working on a
version for windows Phone
8.
if you did not update your
windows rt device to 8.1,
you can now. after a glitch
for the upgrade was found, it
was removed from the app
store and has now been re-
placed. the windows 8.1 PC
upgrade is also available.
apple had another keynote
and announced some new
hardware as well as gave us
some updates. the Mac Pro
has finally been given some
specs. it has a 3.7GHz quad-
core Xeon CPU, up to 12GB
raM, 1tB ssD and uses
three 4K displays. it also has
four UsB 3.0 ports and six
thunderbolt 2 ports. it will
be available at a later date at
a starting price of $2,999.
say goodbye to the iPad,
unless you have an iPad 2.
the iPad is dead, but the iPad
air replaces it. the iPad air
looks like a giant iPad Mini
from last year. it has the new
look, the new a7 and M7
chips found in the iPhone 5s
and has better 4G. it will be
available on Nov. 1 for $499.
the iPad Mini with retina
Display was also revealed to
have a better screen, better
wi-fi and the same new
chips from the iPhone 5s. it
will be available Nov. 1 for
$399.
the iPad 2 will stay and
have a price of $399, the
same as the just-announced
iPad Mini. Did apple miss
the price point of its small
tablet?
Nintendo of Japan has
stopped the production of wii
consoles. Nintendo represen-
tatives have said that produc-
tion remains unchanged in
the U.s., but for how long? it
looks like Nintendo is shift-
ing focus away from the wii
and onto the wii U.
Microsoft announced that it
has extended its “Games with
Gold” game program indefi-
nitely on the Xbox 360. Mi-
crosoft said it will give more
details later if the same ser-
vice is coming to its next
generation system, Xbox
One.
Po p
Ad d i c tAnthony Pope
Spec Techwith Steven Setser
ZOMBIES ATTACK VSU!Brian Hickeys ta f f w r i t e r
Continue SpecTech on
the Web Spectator!
Kanye puts a ring on media mama
MCTcampusNewly engaged, Kim Kardashian at a Mercedes-Benz event.
OddEven
octoBer 24, 2013
Still elated from last week’s
comeback rally however the
Blazers know they must execute
early if they expect to tame the
streaking Lions.
No. 11 VSU looks to build
upon its 35-30 victory over West
Georgia when they welcome
conference foe, North Alabama,
this Saturday.
This is the 37th all-time meet-
ing between two of Division II’s
more prestigious programs,
combining for six national
championships, 13 regional ti-
tles, and 15 Gulf South Confer-
ence titles.
Though this year’s Lions are
not as talented as previous
teams, the upcoming contest
shouldn’t be anything less than
the usual barn burner.
VSU squeezed out a 24-21
win over the Lions last season in
Florence, Ala.
Incumbent quarterback Cay-
den Cochran will be the starter
Saturday despite a tender right
ankle which was aggravated dur-
ing last game before backup
Kaleb Nobles replaced him in a
poised fashion.
Cochran and company are up
against the top scoring defense
in the conference, holding their
opponents to 17 points a game
on average.
The Lions defense returns
nine starters from last season and
is led by GSC tackle leader and
Defensive Player of the Week,
Tavarius Wilson.
Blazer wide receiver Willie
Downs was confirmed as ‘proba-
ble’ for Saturday after missing
last week; he likely won’t be ful-
ly-healthy nonetheless his pres-
ence itself will spread out the
field more in a favorable way for
VSU.
UNA quarterback Luke Wingo
has been efficient in six games
after winning the starting job this
past spring.
The sophomore has rushed for
seven touchdowns and thrown
seven along with only two inter-
ceptions for 878 passing yards.
Regardless of losing, during the
last meeting Wingo had a sound
game as a freshman finishing
with 221 yards (17-31).
Dissecting the Black Swarm
however will be his greatest
challenge this season.
“We got to get our minds right
here at practice and get excited,”
linebacker Chris Pope, who is
three tackles shy of Jessie Tug-
gle for second on career all-time
tackles list, said. “I feel like
that’s us this year. Last year we
weren’t a big excited team, we
play off emotion this year. When
emotions run high that’s when
we play well. It starts at practice
then carries over to the game.”
UNA is led by Hall of Fame
coach Bobby Wallace, who re-
turned as head coach in 2012
(1988-1997), making his first
visit back to Bazemore-Hyder
Stadium in nearly two decades
this weekend.
Wallace is responsible for es-
tablishing UNA as one of the na-
tion’s best as well as restoring
West Alabama’s program during
his tenure there (2006-2010)
with a Division I stint at Temple
in between.
“He’s a guy I respect tremen-
dously,” Dean said. “We’re very
good friends. We talk in the off-
season quite a bit. He’s had a
tremendous amount of success
everywhere he’s gone. It’s been
a long time since he’s been down
here in Valdosta. It will be good
to see him.”
Dean leads 5-1 in six meetings
between the two accomplished
head coaches.
Kick-off is set for 2 p.m.
Note: UNA leads VSU 20-15-1
in all-time meetings. VSU’s
Chris Pope is 21 tackles shy of
tying Minnesota Vikings line-
backer Larry Dean for No.1 on
all-time career tackles.
Quarterbacks Cayden Cochran (11) and Kaleb Nobles (5) reviewing
plays after practice on Tuesday. Nobles went 19 for 21 last Satur-
day along with four touchdowns.
Dowling Payne/Blazer Pride
VSU career tackles list
1. Larry Dean (368)
2.. Jessie Tuggle (340)
3. Chris Pope (337)
4. Jessie Sutton (299)
5. Ryan Branch (298)
6. Ced Dickerson (297)
7. Erasmus Harvey (289)
Page 5 | vsusPectator.comSportS
VSU Blazers to host rival
North Alabama Saturday
PagE 6 | vsusPECTaTOR.COmS p o r t S
OCTOBER 24, 2013
the Valdosta State
men’s basketball team
will have 11 new players
this season around return-
ers david Murray, Colin
Cook and dylan Nsiah.
the Blazers were
picked to finish fifth in
the Gulf South Confer-
ence in the preseason
Coaches’ poll.
picked to finish sixth
in the conference in
2012-13, the Blazers
went on to have a 19-10
record and advanced to
the GSC championship
game.
“i like what our return-
ers bring to the table,”
Mike Helfer, Blazers
head coach, said. “You
try to recruit guys that fit
your system. We were
able to do it last year and
i think we’ll be able to
do it this year.”
the Blazers led the
GSC in scoring at 78.4
points per game. With the
departure of Josh Sparks
and James Anacreon, the
team’s top two scorers
and rebounders from last
season, Helfer will have
to adjust his approach on
the floor this season with
forward Colin Cook fill-
ing in.
“it’s an adjustment,”
Cook said. “Me having a
bigger role means getting
the job done—more re-
bounds, efficient basket-
ball, good shots, keeping
the team together, win-
ning games. it’s that sim-
ple. We love Sparks and
we love James but
they’re gone. i’ll take
everything i’ve learned
from those guys and look
forward to a great sea-
son.”
Something to watch
closely for the Blazers is
their ability to force
turnovers.
Last season, patrick
diop led the team in
steals. With diop gone,
the need for the Blazers
to disrupt on the perime-
ter will be critical.
“defensively, from a
quickness standpoint,
this team is as quick as
last year’s team,” Helfer
said. “if we can put our-
selves in position to cre-
ate turnovers, i think
it’ll happen just like it
did last year.”
Another area of con-
cern is the team’s strug-
gle with the three-point
shot.
the 2012-13 Blazers
were the worst three-
point shooting team by
percentage of any team
Helfer has coached in the
last four seasons.
“i thought [three-point
shooting] was one of our
weaknesses last year and
i think it got us beat,”
Helfer said. “over the
course of the season,
you’ve got to have more
than one or two guys that
can make perimeter
shots. We’ve got guys
who have done it before
and are very confident in
shooting threes.”
With a retooled roster,
the Blazers aim to reach
their annual goal.
“our expectation every
year is to win the GSC,”
Helfer said. “Hopefully,
we have guys that are tal-
ented enough, work hard
enough, and play togeth-
er enough to give us
chance to compete for a
championship.”
Follow Shane on twit-
ter: @itsathomasthing
VSU men’s basketball is back
Lions look to spoil Blazers’ Senior Day
Catching up with
Jon Murtaugh The Spectator’s Steven Quinn recently caught up with the Director of
Operation for Valdosta State University’s Rugby Club, Jon Murtaugh
SQ:When was the
rugby club born?
JM:We started back
in 2010, there were
about six to eight of
us who went out to
the front lawn to
play, and after about
two months we start-
ed to take thing seri-
ously, and decided to
get organized.
SQ:Why is the club
not a varsity sport?
JM: As far as the
varsity level goes
across the nation
rugby is not recog-
nized as a varsity
sport, but there are
still competitions at
pretty much every
level such as d-1, d-
2.
SQ:What do you
think of the populari-
ty regardless of var-
sity status?
JM: We consistently
have 75 to 100 fans
at every game, and
show support
through making t-
shirts, signs, and
even cooking the
team’s meals.
SQ:What do you
think of the Univer-
sities support?
JM: they help us
out enough, but not
like others schools
we get more support
by going out, and
finding sponsors, but
they gave us a field
to practice on, and
help advertise.
SQ: How far has the
club come since
2010?
JM:We are definite-
ly one of the top
teams in the state,
we just re-
cently beat-
ing UGA 39-
3, we have
come a really
long way.
Valdosta State will
play its final regular sea-
son home game on Sun-
day against a worn
North Alabama (4-7-2,
2-4-2) team.
the Blazers come into
the weekend with a spot
in the Gulf South Con-
ference tournament.
VSU is trying to solidify
the No. 2 seed in the
tourney.
UNA needs vital wins
in the final few games of
the season to try to get
themselves into the tour-
nament.
“North Alabama will
never be weak,” VSU
head coach Mel Heinz
said. “they are a strong
team. they haven’t been
blown out by any
teams.”
VSU and UNA have a
young, rich history. the
Blazers beat the Lions in
VSU’s inaugural season
and then lost in the con-
ference tournament the
same year; there has
been bad blood ever
since.
“(the Lions) have a
new coach so that new
coach is trying to figure
it out,” Coach Heinz
said. the old players are
there, the ones that don’t
like VSU. it’s reciprocal;
we don’t like UNA.”
Coach Heinz knows that
it will not be an auto-
matic win and is looking
forward to the match.
“We battle and we’ve
got some payback,”
Coach Heinz said. “(i
want my girls) to work
extremely hard. Not to
just go out there and try,
but to work extremely
hard.”
the Blazers are ex-
pecting UNA to play
their best and won’t let
records decide the game.
“i think it’s just like
football,” Coach Heinz
said. “(UNA) just comes
and plays. they are here
to rock the Blazers’
world.”
the Blazers will honor
two players before the
game for Senior day.
Senior emily Cooper
will be honored along-
side junior teammate
Lauren Hale.
Hale will be leaving
VSU to attend engineer-
ing school at Georgia
tech.
Cooper is treating this
weekend as any other
weekend and not letting
the hype of the rivalry
get to her head.
“Honestly, it doesn’t
mean too much more
than a normal game to
me,” Cooper said. “i
mean, it’s going to be
the last time i get to play
at home and of course it
has been amazing play-
ing or this program, but
at the end of the day, it’s
just a normal game.”
“We have a lot of un-
finished business with
(UNA),” Cooper said.
“it’s a game i would like
to put away early and
easily.”
Alex TostadoA S S t. S p o r t S e d i t o r
VSU Rugby
Commentary
Head coach Mike Helfer prepares for his ninth season
at the helm of the men’s basketball team.
Shane Thomas
S p o r t S W r i t e r
twitter.com
The revamped Blazers look to build upon last season’s success
Jon Murtaugh dodges a defender during a rugby match.