the spectator- 10-15-2015
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“The Spectator, Valdosta State University’s Independent Student Newspaper.”TRANSCRIPT
Inside this week’s issue:
October 15, 2015
Timed parking spots cause too
many ticketsPAGE 3
Radio Birds soar high at Ashley St.
StationPAGE 11
Blazers host MC in search of fi rst conference win
PAGE 8
WHO is theStrongest Blazer?
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October 15, 2015The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.comPage 2
Events
vsuSpectator.com
Today
Saturday
Friday Partly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy
Scattered Thunderstorms
Source: Weather.com
Sunday Partly Cloudy
Monday Partly Cloudy
84 H 55 L
86 H 59 L
79 H 55 L
73 H 52 L
73 H 54 L
5 Day Forecast
Thursday, Oct. 15NAfMECFallBakeSale!
Come out to support VSU’s chapter of the National Association for Music Educators Collegiate attheirAnnualFallBakeSale!!
NAfMEC is known for their delicious homemade treats, and you donotwanttomissout!Theywill be located in the Student
Union Thursday 11 a.m. 3 p.m.EventDate:October15,2015EventTime:11a.m.-3p.m.EventLocation:StudentUnion
Wednesday, Oct. 21GRADFINALE!Graduating soon?Thisisforyou!
Purchase your cap and gown, hood, cords, etc.
Check your graduation status withtheRegistrar’sOfficeInvestigate VSU’s graduate
programsGet your photo taken by Gradim
ages PhotographyHaveyourresumecritiquedby
CareerOpportunitiesOrderaclassringandannounce
ments from Josten’sCheck out the graduation items at
theBookstoreJoin the VSU 1906 Society
Alumni GroupGet all your Commencement
Questions answeredLocated in the Student Union
Ballrooms
Latest Police Briefs
Wednesday, Oct. 7A student was arrested in PattersonHallonanoutstandingwarrantat3:33p.m.
A report was taken concerning a damaged vehicle in Sustella ParkingDeckat11:30p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 8An individual was arrested for criminaltrespassinOakParkingDeckat1:03a.m.
Friday, Oct. 9A University laptop was reported stolenfromOdumLibraryat8a.m.
At1:36p.m.,astudentwasarrested on an outstanding warrant intheHealthSciencesBuilding.
A car was reported broken into and items stolen in Carter Drive parkinglotat9:50p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 10A student’s bicycle was reported stolenat12:44p.m.
Monday, Oct. 12University Police responded to a disputebetweenstudentsinHopperHallat2a.m.
AccordingtoUberFacts,receivinganotificationonyourphonebutnotresponding is as distracting as actually answering the phone or replying to the text.
DID
YO
UKNOW?
How often do you think you should get tested for STDs? Check out our “Voices of the Students”
video on the web later this week to find out what other students said!
App Pick of the Week: StarbucksWith the new Starbucks app, coffee lovers have fast access to features such as Pick of the Week and accumulated awards. You also have the option to place your order, pay for it ahead of time, and have your orderreadyforyouwhenyouarrive!
October 15, 2015The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.comPage 3
The Spectator StaffEditors-in-Chief: Jordan Barela, John Preer Managing Editor: Tatyana PhelpsOpinions Editor: Kenzie KesselringCollege Life Editor: LaShawn Oglesby Sports Editor:Kristin WhitmanPhoto Editor: Stella HendersonMultimedia Editor: David Johnson Web Editor: Kayla Stroud Social Media Editor: Tyra Mills Copy Editor: Zenobia Harris
Advertising Manager: Aimee Napier Business Manager: Anna Wetherington Circulation Manager: Kyle DawsonGraphic Designers:Casey O’Kelley, Lindsay Schultz
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Opinions expressed in the Spectator other than editorials are opinions of the writers of signed columns and not necessarily those of the Spectator and its staff. All rights reserved. Reprints by permission of the editors. Views in this newspaper are not necessarily those of the Valdosta State University adminis-tration, faculty and staff.
Timed parking spots cause too many tickets
for students
Our point of view...
This editorial was written by a member of the editorial staff and expresses the general opinion of The Spectator.
Pope’s ideas not kept within party lines:Francis addresses controversial issues during U.S. visit
On Sept. 24, Pope Francis addressed Congress to speak on issues such as fundamentalism, supporting refugees, the environ-ment, and condemning abortion.
Francis warned members of Congress and the public to be cau-tious of any form of fundamental-ism, especially religious, because no religion can avoid destructive individuals or extremism.
“A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms,” said
Francis.He described the role of politics
as our need to cooperate and share to promote peace with each other.
“Such cooperation is a powerful resource in the battle to eliminate new global forms of slavery, born of grave injustices which can be overcome only through new policies and new forms of social consensus,” said Francis.
The pope said that the Syr-ian refugees should be treated respectfully, because Americans must relate to each other to build a nation.
Francis believes that abolish-ment of the death penalty is the best method because “life is sacred and every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity.”
He also believes that social issues such as poverty and the environment must be resolved by creating and distributing wealth and using technology to promote progress. Families, especially young members, must be given support and listened to, so we can have richness of family life.
Francis discussed concerns that any religious denomination or non-religious person could relate to. His visit to America gathered the nation together and allowed for public discussion on sensitive subjects. Pope Francis cannot be labeled a conservative or a liberal because he has ideas that have a mass appeal beyond political parties and touch the humanity in all of us.
#ShoutYourAbortion attempts to help end stigma
Abortion has been a very hot and touchy subject recently. There has been quite a lot of debate between pro-life and pro-choice supporters, especially with the threat of Planned Parenthood being defunded.
A group of women on Twitter began the #ShoutYourAbortion campaign in order to get rid of the stigma associated with abortion. Every woman has her story, and this movement is to help her share it without shame.
Some women may believe in abortion and be pro-choice, but choose not to get an abortion out of fear of being shunned or ridi-culed. Other women may have had abortions but have chosen to keep it virtually a secret. But the #ShoutYourAbortion campaign is helping women make their own choices about their own bodies.
This movement is definitely helping women gain the confi-dence they need to take control of their lives. Not everyone agrees on abortion, but as long as it is legal, a woman should not be stopped from making choices for
herself. There are so many reasons why
someone may choose to get an abortion, and although I may not personally agree with every situ-ation in which a woman has an abortion, she still has the right to do what she wants with her body. I have the right to my own beliefs, and she has to right to her own ac-tions. And I cannot infringe upon someone else’s rights.
America is supposed to be a country where we can all freely do as we please as long as we do it legally. Unfortunately, it is not quite like that. There are some people who, if you do not do what they do or believe what
they believe, will try to make you feel ashamed of yourself. #ShoutYourAbortion is providing equality by taking away the abil-ity to make women feel ashamed of abortion. The equality it pro-vides is not so much between men and women, but between different beliefs. One belief should not be considered right and another wrong in a country where you are free to believe anything.
#ShoutYourAbortion is needed by women, and it is a good cause. Even if you do not support abor-tion, it should be known that this movement is important because it is another step toward total equal-ity in America.
Julia RodriquezStaff Writer
Jyrell WynnStaff Writer
Twitter users share their abortion stories to show support and the impor-tance of Planned Parenthood.
Twitter.com
Kenzie Kesselring/SPECTATOR
Imagine it is a Friday morning, and you only have one class for 50
minutes. You are running a little late,
so you decide to park by the library in a 45-minute spot thinking, “Surely I won’t get a ticket for going five minutes over.” But when you get back to your car, low and behold, there is a ticket waiting on your windshield.
Does this story sound familiar?
We, the editorial staff of the Spectator has taken note of this. Why would VSU offer parking for a time limit that’s not long enough for even the shortest class times? It just seems unfair for students who need a parking spot for a short class to have to go all the way to the parking deck.
At Virginia Tech, their newspaper staff suggests that the 45-minute spot be used for students who do not need a parking pass so that they have a spot for a short period of time. But they also found themselves not hav-ing long enough time to get
back before they got a ticket. What if we just need to see our advisor or talk to financial aid? Those things could take at least an hour.
It seems that the timed spots are either too long for quick errands or too short for the shortest class times, and just serve as a ploy for parking services to make more money off of irritated VSU students.
The parking department could do two things to help settle the frustration of the situation. They could post signs around the timed spots stating that they are not meant for class, or make the spot at least an hour to accommodate the 50-minute class time.
At the end of the day, there are plenty of students on this campus who have paid a pretty penny to come to school. They’ve blown money on books and other school fees, including parking. When the main concern of many students looking for parking is trying to get to class on time, the last thing that they should have to worry about is paying for a parking ticket.
October 15, 2015The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.comPage 4
Kenzie Kesselring OpiniOns EditOr
Kenzie Kesselring OpiniOns EditOr
Students must work together to end sexual assault:Surveys and seminars aren’t working to end the epidemic but teamwork will
It’s no secret that sexual assault is a huge issue across the country, but what schools are doing to stop it can be a little less obvious.
Some colleges send out anonymous surveys to their students asking questions about their experiences with sexual assault; others make female, and sometimes male, students attend semi-nar after seminar on how to protect themselves against sexual assault.
Both of these practices are done with good inten-tions, but are they enough?
Surveys simply find out
how many students have been subjected to sexual as-sault. They don’t solve any-thing; they simply gather numbers for universities.
Sending girls to seminars only reinforces the idea that sexual assault is only a problem for women. Being a college female, I cannot begin to tell you how many seminars I have been forced to attend that tell me to “never set your drink down in a bar,” and to “never walk alone.” It is exhaust-ing, and it is not solving anything.
These approaches are not working. They will never work. They let a cycle continue and never solve
the serious problem that is sexual assault on campus.
So what is the solution? Is there anything more col-leges should be doing?
According to the Huff-ington Post there is a very simple and non-sexist way to end this epidemic.
The best way to end this life altering risk college students face is by teaching students to intervene when they see a fellow student at risk for sexual assault and holding each other account-able.
A survey done by the Association of American Universities says that nearly 77 percent of students have chosen not to inter-
vene when they witnessed someone being put into a situation that could easily lead to assault.
So instead of shuffling college aged women into seminars where they are taught to be afraid, colleges need to send all of their students into seminars that teach them to hold each other accountable in their actions and to look out for one another in settings that are breeding grounds for sexual assault incidents.
It is a well-known fact that most assaults are done by a person the victim pre-viously knows, so what bet-ter way to help end this than to teach men and women to
hold each other responsible for their actions? Encourag-ing one another to go to the authorities when they have been sexually assaulted is a way that consequences will finally be attached to this horrible action.
The final and best way to end this epidemic is by encouraging people to put an end to sexual assault when they see it unfolding in front of them.
By coming together, we as college students can put a stop to sexual assaults on campus. We just have to stand up, encourage one another, and be courageous enough to put an end to this.
Price jump of vital drug causes extreme outrage
The rising cost of drug prices has been a topic of debate in Washington lately because it affects nearly every American at some point in his or her life.
Many drugs that people need to survive are bought and sold between drug companies causing their cost to fluctuate frequently.
Many drug companies, much like the one that recently raised the cost of a widely used drug 5,000 percent, claim that these rising costs are necessary to do more research to develop the drug further. However, when these companies raise the prices so much that they become unattain-able to people, their research does no good.
The drug drawing the most attention to the topic right now is used by HIV and cancer patients to help their compromised im-mune systems. Daraprim once cost patients $13.50 per tablet, but now costs them $750 per tablet.
This insane price jump came af-ter Turing Pharmaceuticals bought the rights to the drug. The young CEO of the company, Martin Shkreli, faced a huge amount of backlash on social media in the weeks following the drug price spike.
The outrage felt by people using this drug is 100 percent justifiable. Even if Shkreli did increase the price to “try to stay in business,” as he told USA Today, there is no reason the cost had to increase
that much. Even if the research Turing
Pharmaceuticals does drastically improves the drug and its effect on sick people, it is useless be-cause no one will be able to afford to use it.
Even though Shkreli claimed that “this isn’t a greedy drug com-pany trying to gouge patients,” to USA Today, many people are not buying it.
I am not a medical expert, but I have a very difficult time believ-ing research for this drug will cost
so much that a 5,000 percent price raise was necessary. This is just another example of drug compa-nies being incredibly greedy and feeding on people who have no choice but to purchase the drug, even if it doesn’t fit into their budget.
The rising cost of drugs is an incredibly serious topic that needs to be addressed for American people to continue to be able to afford decent medical care.
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By coming together,
we as college
students can put a
stop to sexual
assault on campus.
Kayla Stroud/SPECTATOR
October 15, 2015 The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.com Page 5
Radio Birds soar into the spotlight ...
Tatyana Phelps/ THE SPECTATOR
To see and hear them now, you might never believe that a few short years ago Radio Birds had a completely different lineup, look, and sound. In early 2013, rising united from their earlier musical experi-
ences, these four young men decided to take a risk and start completely over with a new name and sound. They quickly worked up a batch of new songs, and by that summer they had recorded a successful EP and had begun playing extensively, even winning the 2013 Masquerade Musicians Show-case in Atlanta, GA. Things have moved quickly for a reason, and everyone involved points back to two causes: Radio Bird’s irresistible character and undeniably unique sound.
October 15, 2015The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.comPage 6
Whether there is a robber or a monkey on the loose, many VSU students, faculty and staff depend on the VSU Campus Alert Sys-tem to alert them of any criminal activity happening on or near campus. However, many students have expressed concern over how helpful the campus alerts have actually been.
The campus alert system con-sists of both text and email alerts. Students may opt to receive text messages from RAVE Mobile Safety—the company that VSU uses to send campus alerts—and receive email alerts about campus safety and crime as well.
The main priority of the alert system and VSU police is to protect students and provide them with information on crimes and safety in a timely manner, but many are worried about the accuracy and timeliness of these alerts.
“I mean, it doesn’t help if
we have it, and then we get the information three hours later,” sophomore Tiffany Clark said. If I’m on campus and there is a rob-bery on campus, I’d like to know right then.”
The Chief of the University Police Department, Ronald Seac-rist, is responsible for making sure the message is sent out to the students.
In regards to timeliness, Seac-rist said that campus police alert the students within 15 minutes of a crime being reported, and emails and texts are sent simul-taneously. But, there is another
issue with the alert system that Seacrist said affects whether a student receives the campus alerts or not.
“The problem is that the phone numbers aren’t stay-ing current,” Seacrist said. “If any of the student’s numbers change, we can’t get the alerts to them. The other issue is that the system is easy to opt out of. If you’ve ever replied ‘stop’ to any of the alerts, the alert will stop going to the phone until the student re-enters their number
in banner. Too often they will opt out.”
Even though the students are able to opt out of the text mes-sages, Seacrist said that emails are not an option and all students should receive them.
The campus alert system is de-signed to keep the students aware and safe, and if students continue to express their concerns, VSU may need to reevaluate the ef-fectiveness of the alert system to ensure that students feel safe in case of a future emergency.
Tresia Bowles STAFF WRITTER
As student loan debt extends well over $1 trillion, college graduates are burdened with years of staggering payments that leave many wondering, “Is it worth it?”
An index report released by Gallup and Purdue University said that half of U.S. college alumni stated that going to col-lege was not worth the cost, con-sidering they saw a low return on their educational investment.
The 2015 report showed that among the alumni who graduat-ed between 2006 and 2015, only 38 percent thought they were fi nancially secure with a col-lege education. Within the last few years, tuition has increased faster than the rate of infl ation.
The study also found that only 26 percent of graduates thought that the education they received by going to a private, for-profi t university was worth the price, compared to 47 percent of those who went to a private, non-profi t university, and 50 percent of re-spondents who attended research universities.
Many students currently enrolled in college have a differ-ent perception of life after they graduate.
Malcolm Johnson, senior mathematics major at VSU, said that college should prepare students for their career after college instead of chasing jobs to pay off college debt.
“A college degree is a good requirement for a good career job,” Johnson said. “But for any-one who desires to be something
other than a teacher, I think it is a waste of time for the amount of debt we will have. What we learn during college, I think we won’t apply more than half of it afterwards.”
Dariel Dickinson is a com-munication major who looks to graduate in May 2016. Her plans after college consist of being an event planner, but after hearing the frightening numbers, she is rethinking her career path.
“It’s very discouraging,” Dickinson said. Education is not free. Since we spend so much money on tuition and fees, it does put in my mind, is college really worth it? I feel it’s more of who you know, than what you know.”
According to an Edvisors fi nancial report, the average graduate in 2014 had an average of nearly $33,000 in student debt.
To make things a little more unsettling, less than 40 percent of hiring managers felt gradu-ates were ready for jobs in their fi elds due to lack of key skills, organization and personal fi -nance, according to a study done by Chegg’s Student Hub.
There is not a simple answer to the question of whether col-lege is worth it. Some college degrees seem to pay for them-selves, while others don’t. But, a bigger concern seems to be whether we are being thorough-ly prepared for our career fi elds, especially when we are paying thousands of dollars to make sure we will be able to get a job when we graduate, have enough money to support ourselves, and pay back student loans in the process.
Tiarra BellSTAFF WRITTER
Is college still worth it: Studies and students have differing opinions
A few campus alerts that were sent out to the VSU populace, if signed up through Banner. In case of emergency, VSU sends alerts through both text messaging and email.
Screenshots taken by Jordan Barela/THE SPECTATOR
The Valdosta State University Faculty Senate led by President Peggy Moch and Vice President Mike Holt will meet today at 3:30 p.m. to discuss changes to student affairs including changes to Student Opinion of Instruction surveys. This deci-sion has been prompted by a recent decline in completion of the surveys.
SOIs give students the chance to express how they felt about their professor and the class at the end of the semester.
The new SOI policy may affect students receiving fi nal grades. The new rule was proposed by Deborah Robson, associate professor of com-munication arts. If this new rule were to be passed, students could possibly be required to complete the SOIs before they have access to their fi nal grade for the course, and the change could have a small impact on the student’s fi nal grade.
“They defi nitely shouldn’t keep it the same,” sophomore
Annagrace Gaines said. “But I think the best idea would be survey-type questions than the way the questions are focused now. The questions that fi gure out how ready you think you are for the next level of that class more than the class itself.”
After hearing about the pos-sible changes, Alyssa Johnson, freshman early childhood education major, was appalled that more people weren’t taking the surveys at the end of the semester.
“Of course everyone would do something if we got re-warded,” Johnson said. “If the professors are serious about it, students should be serious about it without fear of penalties.”
Another topic being proposed at this meeting is a better cam-pus notifi cation system. Many students as well as faculty are not getting the campus notifi ca-tions after signing up for them, even notifi cations about crime happening in close proximity to the campus. The faculty sen-ate will be heavily discussing ways to improve this as well as involvement with the campus police.
Olivia StuddardSTAFF WRITTER
Faculty Senate set to talk upcoming changes to SOIs
Red Alert : Campus alerts scarce to some, others alerted
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“The problem is that the phone num-bers aren’t staying current. If any of the student’s numbers change, we can’t get the alerts to them,”
-Ronal Seacrist, Chief of VSUPD
October 15, 2015 The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.com Page 7Sudoku Answer
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 num-bers from 1 to 9 Answer Below
Look out for new SpecTech stories next week!
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October 15, 2015The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.comPage 8
This Day In History:In 2001, the New York Yankees became the first team to lose the first two home games
and advance to the ALCS. The Toronto Blue Jays did the same in eliminating the Texas
Rangers Wednesday.
For the Valdosta State Blazers, Saturday’s Gulf South Conference matchup with Mississippi College is close to a must-win.
The teams are each 0-2 in conference play, and both the Choctaws and Blazers share a loss to North Alabama. VSU is coming off a 49-28 road loss to West Georgia, whereas Mississippi College was defeated 42-23 by Shorter.
History is on the Blazers’ side between the two GSC foes. Last season, the Blazers traveled to Mississippi and won 62-0 in their first clash since the Choctaws returned to the conference. The school was a GSC-member from 1972-1996, and after a lengthy process, rejoined before last season.
The Choctaws return to D-II was anything but triumphant. The team went 1-9 in 2014, losing all seven of its conference games by double digits. MC has already surpassed that win total with their current 2-3 record, but still has not collected a conference victory.
The Blazers (3-2, 0-2) are in need of a conference win and ending their losing skid at two games. The Choctaws could be just what the doctor ordered.
Mississippi College is coming off a bye, but through the first five games, has not been able to slow the opponents’ offenses in confer-ence play. The Choctaws gave up 34 points to North Alabama, and in their most recent game, surrendered 42 to Shorter, a team that has been below-average offensively all season (scoring an average of 15 points in its other four contests).
Offensively, MC loves to run the football. In their loss to Shorter, they had 54 attempts for 203 yards. VSU’s defense has had a tough going in the last two games, but should not have a difficult time locking down Mississippi College’s rushing attack.
In each of MC’s losses, the team fell behind quickly and failed to respond. The Blazers must get off to a fast start and force the Choctaws to press. If VSU gets going early, they could bury Mississippi College’s playoff chances, save their own, and gather their first conference win of the season.
Gabe Burns Asst. sports Editor
Blazers host MC in search of first conference win
CONF. OVERALL HOME AWAY
VSU: 3-2 3-2 1-1 1-1
MC : 2-3 2-3 2-1 0-2
Kayla Stroud/THE SPECTATOR
October 15, 2015The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.comPage 9
A game that had the look of a back-and-forth affair turned into a blowout, as the West Georgia Wolves defeated the Valdosta State Blazers 49-28 in Carrollton on Saturday.
VSU moved to 3-2 on the season after their second straight loss, and is now 0-2 in conference play. UWG is 6-0 and 2-0 in the Gulf South Conference.
For the second straight game, the Blazers’ defense struggled to contain the opposing offense. West Georgia was able to put up 474 yards and took advantage of three VSU turnovers in a row in route to breaking the game open.
The first half concluded 25-21 in favor of UWG after both teams continued to answer each other. The Wolves scored on their opening possession, but Cedric O’Neal and the VSU offense answered quickly. The Wolves responded and took a 15-7 lead.
The Blazers’ second score of the day came on another O’Neal run. That touchdown was the 37th of his illustrious career, which puts him No. 1 on VSU’s all-time rushing touchdown list. O’Neal finished with 107 yards and two touchdowns on 14 attempts.
VSU took the lead on an EJ Hilliard touchdown pass to Dallas
Baldner, but West Georgia re-took the lead with another touchdown, and then added a field goal before the intermission.
The wheels fell off for the Blazers in the second half. Back-to-back interceptions contributed to three unanswered scores by the Wolves and VSU could not recover. West Georgia carried a 46-21 advantage into the final stanza.
VSU had 305 total yards, but the turnovers ended any chance the team had at a rally. The Wolves were able to dominate the battle in the trenches and the Blazers could not consistently maintain drives in the second half.
“That was the difference in the game,” said head coach David Dean of his team’s turnovers. “You’ve got to overcome turnovers and you’ve got to overcome big plays, and we didn’t do that today.”
The Blazers defeated UWG in their regular season game a year ago, but were eliminated from the playoffs by that very Wolves team. VSU will hope that scenario plays out in their favor this season.
Returning to the friendly confines of Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, VSU will host conference-rival Mississippi College this Saturday at 2 p.m. in a contest where both schools desperately need a win.
Gabe Burns Asst. sports Editor
Courtesy of Alyssa Riggs
Linebacker Egim Etta-Tawo recoveries a fumble for a touchdown against the University of North Alabama. The Blazers are 0-2 in the Gulf South Conference but look to take its first victory against Mississippi College on Satur-day at 2 p.m. Mississippi College’s overall record is 2-3 and 0-2 in conference play.
Blazer football drops to 0-2 in conference play
The VSU tennis team is gearing up for the season that is set to start in the spring and they had a good showing at the annual USTA/ITA South Region Championship. The tournament lasted from Sept. 25-28 in Pensacola, Florida and the men and women’s team had a great showing as the women’s team landed two of their players in the top eight of the tournament and one of the players on the men’s team made it into the semifinals of the tournament.
One of the women on the tennis team who made it to the top eight is last year’s All-American Bea Morales Hernandez. The sophomore performed well in singles play as she received a bye in the first round and defeated Nova Southeastern’s Irina Constantinide in the second round 11-9 in the third set. Morales Hernandez’s run ended in her quarterfinal matchup against Diana Bogoli in which she ended up losing in the third set, 11-9.
Junior Laura Ubeda also ended up in the top eight of the tournament, as she defeated a couple opponents to earn her spot. Ubeda is coming off a year of no action because of shoulder surgery, but she came out strong in her return. She defeated her opponent, Chloe Chanley, in the first round in a dominant
two sets and did the same in her second round matchup against Anastassia Rubel. She later fell to the No. 1 seed Sonja Larsen in her quarterfinal matchup.
The men’s team also faired great in the tournament as senior Joachim Schemm was able to pull off an impressive first round win against Jose Pirifio but later lost to the No. 7 seed, Nicholas Uryson, in a close contest. Schemm gave much credit to his coaches by thanking his head coach for giving him the chance to participate and stated how new assistant coach Governor Henderson gave him confidence by telling him to “ just play free and enjoy yourself on the court,” and the coaches had them well prepared for the event.
Sophomore Leo Blay also had an amazing tournament by making it to the semifinals. Blay was one spot off from being an All-American last year and looked very promising after a great tournament in which he defeated two opponents in very thrilling matchups. In the final four, he fell to the No. 2 seeded player, Anton Bettink. Their matchup ended in a tiebreaker 7-3. Blay attributed his success to the team and coaches by stating “There is a very good atmosphere between us so we cheer for each other and that gives us motivation to succeed on the court.”
The regular season starts in February.
Aldean Starr stAff WritEr
Tennis plays solid in South Regional Championship
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Photos taken by Darian Harris/THE SPECTATOR
Who is the strongest Blazer?
VSU Campus Recreation hosted a Strongest Blazer Competition on Oct. 14th. The contestants were required to do five different lifting drills to prove their strength. Michael Marshall won first place, while Jake Croft finished second.
Do you have what it takes to be the strongest Blazer?
Walk into Ashley Street Station on a Friday night and you will notice three things: beer, beards and bands. Last Friday night, something was different.
Unfi ltered, unadulterated and pure rock-and-roll was in the air, and Radio Birds controlled the air waves.
Trading the Atlanta skyline for a life on the road, Radio Birds played Ashley Street Station for “Oktoberfest.”
The band consists of four members: Justin “JK” Keller (singer/guitar), Jaz Dixon (gui-tar), Chase Lamondo (bass) and Colin Dean (drummer). The origins of the band traces back seven years ago when Keller was recording another record. The record was being recorded by Dixon. Keller’s guitar player at the time bailed, and Keller asked Dixon to step in. Musical vibes clicked and the two have
been playing together ever since. Lamondo joined the band after running into Keller at a concert and being asked to join. Dean got the true rock-and-roll test when his fi rst show with the band was for a crowd of 10,000, after being asked to fi ll in for a couple of shows.
“It’s defi nitely been an evolution, and that’s what kind of formed Radio Birds in the fi rst place,” Keller said. “This constant evolution and once we fi nally got the group together, that’s when we went and did the change [to the music] and made it offi cial.”
The band has a look and sound like a grittier Band of Horses, and on stage the comparison fi ts perfectly. On stage, all you can see and hear is hair fl ying, Keller’s husky voice, fl orescent beards and the band’s fans sing-ing away.
The Radio Birds have the ability to capture their audience’s attention and keep them hooked. Like most artists, the band gath-ers their inspiration from all around them.
“Anything you can draw inspi-ration from and whatever gives you the fuzzy feelings,” the band said.
The band’s unique name idea sparked from a two-part online competition they held.
Unlike many, The Radio Birds’ idea of success is not worldwide recognition. The band just wants to be able to make music for a living.
“We’re not living the dream or anything right now,” Keller said. “We’re still struggling, but for the most part, we don’t have side jobs anymore. We all have to do something small to get by, when we realize we were tour-ing enough and playing enough where that was kind of our job, that was kind of cool. To me that’s a huge success. We are right on the cusp of being able to do this full time. We may not be making the big bucks. That’s what we’ve been striving for.”
The band will continue to tour and make music. To listen to the Radio Birds’s gritty, sultry, rock-and-roll tunes head to http://radiobirds.net.
October 15, 2015 The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.com Page 11
Local business owner Jessica Ganas is out and about in the downtown business world again. This time with a second venture called Cinema Downtown, and it may be her biggest hit yet.
Cinema Downtown, which is sharing a building with Ganas’s other business, Red Door Records, is located at 121 North Patterson Street in downtown Valdosta.
“Movies are a lot like music,” Ganas said. “It’s different depend-ing on how you grew up, and classic can have so many different defi nitions.”
This is part of the reason why she strives to have a theater where people of all ages can come to enjoy a show. Movies shown will range from classic black and white fi lms such as “The Wizard of Oz” to an upcoming interactive performance of “The Rocky Hor-ror Picture Show.”
Other upcoming events include a Mystery Science Theater on the fi rst Sunday in November, as well as a showing of music videos from a local band’s cd release later this year. Ganas said she hopes to include more local talent
such as bands and short fi lms.The show times for Cinema
Downtown are Wednesdays and Sundays at 8 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., and a matinee showing at 3 p.m. on Saturdays. The movies change every night, so you could go every day and see something different each time.
The prices are $8 for Thursdays through Saturdays and free on Wednesdays and Sundays.
So what’s the difference be-tween Cinema Downtown and the movie theater we already have in town?
Unlike the larger theater in town, Cinema serves dinner and dessert options to moviegoers, as well as drinks including beer or wine, popcorn and other tradi-tional movie snacks. Downtown also has multiple coffee shops to visit and shop locally. But other than food, the downtown area has an atmosphere that Ganas fi nds it important to cater to and remem-ber.
“We’re preserving the heritage of our town,” Ganas said. “We’re like-minded people here, getting out in a hub for community and culture. I think that’s important,”
Olivia Studdard STAFF WRITTER
Valdosta gets morecinematic:
Cinema opens downtown; Halloween fi lms all month
Venue Review
Jordan Barela, Mayah Cantave
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR
[email protected], [email protected]
Photo taken by Tatyana Phelps/THE SPECTATORRadio Birds, from Atlanta, Georgia, playing on stage at Ashley Street Station. Radio Birds is known for their gritty, yet sultry take on rock and roll.
VSU theatre and dance began a season with its rendition of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” Opening the season on Oct. 1, “The Tempest” ran from October 1-7.
“‘The Tempest’ tells a tale of revenge and reconciliation, where characters are shipwrecked on a deserted island, nymphs live in the trees, creatures have the power to be invis-ible, and spells and charms are commonplace,” Jacque S. Wheeler, director and chairwoman of VSU’s theatre and dance, said.
“The Tempest” was believed to have been Shakespeare’s last play. It is believed to one of his best works.
The Theatre and Dance’s next performance will be a rendi-tion of “The Women of Lockerbie,” which is slated to premiere on Oct. 22. For show time and listings, visit the Theatre and Dance’s home page on VSU’s website.
Photo taken by Carlius Williams/THE SPECTATOR
Radio Birds soar high at Ashley Street Station
Spec Spotlight
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