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February 11, 2016 vsuspectator.com @vsuspectator Volume 90, Issue 4
Inside:
Graduation discussed
at SGA meeting
See Page 9
Valentine’s Day
ChecklistCoffee date?
Yes NoSee Page 5
Nature walk?
Yes No
See Page 2
Students voice their opinions about � nding love
in college. See Page 8
Commencement speaker for
spring graduation announced
See Page 5
Preview this year’s VSU’s Hall
of Fame See Page 10
Spectator Classifi eds The Spectator prints free classifi eds for current stu dents of Val dos ta State Uni ver si ty only. These must be no more than 40 words, or a $13.90 charge will apply. Clas si fi eds 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 $13.90 for up to 40 words.
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February 11, 2016The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.comPage 2
vsuSpectator.com
What’ is Your most memorable Advising Experience??
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Tellyour story
Make Adifference
The National Academic Advising Association Wants To Hear From VSU students!Participant Information Will Be Confidential.
Individual Responses Will Be Compiled & Studied As A Group. This Is Your Opportunity To Voice Your Opinions!
Need more info? contact [email protected]
VSU in 5Spec Spotlight Kyle Dawson
PHOTO [email protected]
Grand Bay
Announcements Love Flick: Think Like a Man
The Residence Hall Association will host a screening of the fi lm tomorrow at 7 p.m. The fi lm will be shown in the Stu-
dent Union Theater.
How High Are Your Standards? The National Council of Negro Women will host a discus-
sion about standards in dating. The event will be held in the Magnolia Room of the University Center at 7 p.m.
Strike a pose. Work the runway. Vogue.
Don’t be fashionably
late.
Page 3The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.comFebruary 11, 2016
Welcome to Title Town Coach Bell
Our point of view...
This editorial was written by a member of the editorial staff and expresses the general opinion of The Spectator.
When it was reported that head football coach David Dean was departing Valdosta State for an offensive coor-dinator position at Georgia Southern, concern arose among Blazer nation that there was a lack of worthy replacements in the pool of coaching candidates.
Not only did Athletic Direc-tor Herb Reinhard and VSU find a worthy replacement, but they knocked the hiring out of the park. Kerwin Bell, who parted ways with Jacksonville University after nine seasons, was surprisingly available. As soon as he expressed inter-est in the job, he became a priority.
Reinhard said that Bell was actually the first applicant for the position. Typically coach-es with multiple title runs and a decade’s worth of success are not looking for work.
Fortunately for us, Bell was an exception.
On Monday, the school hosted a welcome-gathering for Bell. Citizens from around the area dropped by to intro-duce themselves to a coach that is prioritizing relation-ships between the program and its supporters.
Bell brings with him a resume that features not just winning, but winning champi-onships.
That is something that this program is used to; and that is something that Bell promises to continue doing.
Replacing Dean, the win-ningest coach in school his-tory, is certainly not an easy task. But Bell is the right man for the challenge.
Bell’s introductory press conference was a hit with the local fans and media. The coach lit up the room with a natural charisma that would make even the casual fan excited for next season.
One of Bell’s principal in-terests is connecting the team with the community. He wants VSU fans to pack the stadium on Saturdays the same way students would in Athens or Gainesville.
Blazers, let’s make it hap-pen.
The Spectator would like to send a warm welcome to coach Bell and his family. We look forward to getting to know you, as well as covering the multitude of wins that will happen under your watch.
Celebrate love everyday, not just on Valentine’s Day
If you’re single, you probably couldn’t care less about a couple-oriented holiday like Valentine’s Day. On the other hand, if you’re in a relationship, you probably can’t wait to see what your signifi-cant other has in store for you.
But, is Valentine’s Day over-rated? I’m going to have to say yes. Here’s why:
First of all, it leaves people out. I know there are plenty of holidays that don’t exactly apply to certain groups, but they never leave people feeling excluded like Valentine’s Day does. On St. Patrick’s Day, we all get to wear green. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we all get to take off work to celebrate. Then there’s Valentine’s Day, which isn’t as kind.
Valentine’s Day is overrated, because people who aren’t in some type of relationship end up watching everyone else enjoy themselves while they’re alone.
In the end, this holiday doesn’t just make people feel extra alone, but it also makes people feel like
they need someone else, which isn’t true.
Valentine’s Day is also over-rated because people expect too much. As social media becomes more and more important in the lives of millennials, people become more and more infatuated with unrealistic expectations.
For example, an Instagram model can post a picture of a $900 date with her rich basketball player boyfriend and suddenly, everyone thinks they should get a $900 date. Unfortunately, little to none of us can actually afford that, and it’s really unfair to ex-pect someone to be able to do that for you for a holiday as stupid as this one.
Lastly, Valentine’s Day is over-rated because people shouldn’t need a special day to appreciate their significant other. Your sig-nificant other should be someone that you admire on a daily basis. If your boyfriend or girlfriend doesn’t treat you on any other day than one set holiday out of the year, it may be time to get mov-ing onto the next one. Everyone deserves to be loved, always.
Valentine’s Day can be great, especially in grade school, when we all got cards and candy, but it is overrated in the sense that re-lationships shouldn’t be the focus of a holiday when there are so many other things humans should celebrate. Maybe a “celebrate life” day would be better. I like the sound of that already.
Tasers on campus better than guns
According to a new bill pro-posed by Republican Buzz Brock-way, students would be allowed to carry Tasers and other stun guns on college campuses. This bill is essentially a response to the rejection of a previous bill that, if passed, would have allowed students to carry guns on college campuses.
The main purpose of the bill is to ensure students’ safety. Geor-gia’s biggest schools, University of Georgia and Georgia Tech have banned stun guns under their policies but if the bill passes, the bans will be lifted. It seems as if the main concern is the train-ing required for students to carry Tasers and if the stun guns will
end up being a danger to campus communities.
If this bill passes, there definite-ly needs to be required training for all student wanting to carry Tasers. For instance, many on campus jobs at Valdosta State University require CPR certifica-tion for their employees. That same principle and idea can be applied to students with Tasers and stun guns; they need to be certified to prove that they have done their training.
Students should be able to fend for themselves in cases like attempted rape, harassment and armed robbery. Stun guns and Tasers would be a great choice as an alternative to guns in order to lessen those crimes.
Even though there are many positives to the bill, it still leaves questions. How are police and
personnel going to respond to these changes on campus? Who is most likely to carry Tasers? How long must someone be trained until it’s safe for the subject to carry? Who will carry out the training?
College students are definitely not the most responsible demo-graphic, so what is to stop a stu-dent from harming their teacher or other classmates during a dis-agreement? It is likely that those incidents will be unavoidable if and when the bill passes.
The only thing that can keep the campus safe if this new bill is en-acted is if those who possess stun guns have proper training. How-ever, allowing students to carry Tasers is much better than permit-ting guns on college campus.
Gabe Burns/THE SPECTATOR
New football coach Kerwin Bell at introductory press conference in Janu-ary at VSU.
Miles BrownStaff Writer
Geneva CrooksStaff Writer
Day is overrated
because people shouldn’t need a special day to appreciate
their significant
other.
The Spectator StaffEditor-in-Chief: Jordan Barela Managing Editor: Tatyana PhelpsOpinions Editor: Kenzie KesselringCollege Life Editor: Mayah CantaveSports Editor:Gabe BurnsPhoto Editor: Kyle DawsonWeb Editor:Kayla StroudMultimedia Editor: Darian Harris Social Media Editor: Tyra Mills Copy Editor: Zenobia Harris
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February 11, 2016The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.comPage 4
Liberals and the Re-publican establishment are not here to represent your safety, but are rather actively engaged in teach-ing all a lesson in political correctness. Case in point is Ms. Cantave’s article “Dear Muslims” published in The Spectator. Interest-ingly, the quotes she listed from Donald Trump seem to make a much stronger case for his desire to protect the American people than they do in showing signs of racism. Some of The Spec-tator staff was apparently offended by Mr. Trump of-fering up the fact that there
is hatred against America coming from those within the Muslim religion. Ap-parently, the recent attacks in San Bernardino or the demolishing of our World Trade Centers is supposed to be interpreted as acts of love.
Stripping away the po-litical correctness, what is logically wrong with Don-ald Trump’s argument that we should be very cautious with who we admit into our country considering the vicious attacks against us? Would you readily admit a known serial rapist or murderer into your home if
you knew they were such? Clearly the answer is no, because logic tells me that I am more concerned with my safety than the New York Times writing up an article about me being a bigot, because I turned the offender away and didn’t even offer him a refresh-ing beverage. The fact that Donald Trump wants to seek out those who only want to harm us and make sure they do not set foot on our soil shows not a bigoted person, but rather someone who possesses some ratio-nale. Why shouldn’t this be our approach towards
immigration? Why would you want to admit those whose only desire is to harm us regardless of what region of the world they are coming from? If we have a say as to who is being admitted into our country, why not seek out the best so as to strengthen our position in the world? By saying someone is racist because they would rather vet those who enter our country and admit only those who would help us rather than harm us is becoming re-ally obnoxious. We can’t do anything about the criminals that are born here,
but we can certainly do something about the ones who are seeking entrance into our country. Sadly, the increasing pressure to be more politically correct has blinded many of us when it comes to being logical.
As stated in Ms. Can-tave’s article Trump stated that, “Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dan-gerous threat that it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous at-tacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.” Clearly,
this statement speaks more to Mr. Trump’s desire to root out those who intend to harm our country through a much stronger vetting sys-tem and, more importantly, making sure they never en-ter our country, as opposed to showing signs of racism. This appears to be a much stronger “common sense” reform than any our current POTUS has drawn up.
Sincerely,Caleb ThomasMath Instructor
Letter to the Editor...
‘In God we trust’ affects church/state separation
Don’t forget to show offline love:Social media shouldn’t make or break relationships
Last month a group of atheists represented by Sacramento-based attorney Michael Newdow filed a federal lawsuit in a bid to get “In God We Trust” removed from all U.S. cur-rency.
The group argues that printing the slogan on money forces them to ac-cept and redistribute a mes-sage they do not believe in almost every day.
This case has been seen before, most recently in 2013, when the Freedom from Religion Foundation and Newdow brought up charges against the U.S. Treasury Department.
Newdow has supported similar causes for years, representing a group from 2004-2010 who wanted to have “under God” removed from the pledge of alle-giance.
The argument is not illegitimate. Our coun-try was settled in part by religious pilgrims flee-ing from the rule of the Catholic Church, and our
Bill of Rights expressly states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Religious conservatives, though, seem to maintain that our country was built on Christian values.
A poll on Debate.org asking if “In God We Trust” should be omitted from our currency has elic-ited interesting responses from both sides. Those who support removal argue that the motto is a left-over from the past that alienates a large percentage of the country to accommodate a few, while those defend-ing our current printing argue that the phrase is historical—that Christian-ity cannot and must not be separated from our govern-ment.
The facts are hard to separate. The motto is historical. First being used in 1864 on two-cent coin-age, the phrase “In God We Trust” became the United States’ official motto in 1956, perhaps for anti-communist reasons more so than historical preservation.
But in an ever diversify-ing America, should we
base our future on the past? Pew Research Center data shows that the percentage of Americans who identify as main-line Protestant, Catholic, or Evangelical has been falling since 2007, while the percent of those who see themselves as unaffiliated or atheist is on the rise.
Shouldn’t our coun-try’s currency reflect our government’s religious neutrality? Isn’t that what we stand for?
In a country and an era where religious beliefs are diversifying every minute, the United States has to keep up and partisan cur-rency won’t cut it. A small change to currency may up-set some religious zealots, but no other country sports the same religious wording that ours carries.
The government should be truly neutral, as it was intended to be. Taking “In God We Trust” from our currency is a progressive move that will benefit a wholly different religious America—one where religious rights are truly protected.
In this day and age, people document everything including what they ate, where they’re going, and who they’ve dated. With help from the Internet, it’s almost impossible to not find out everything about your partner. The changes in technology make it possible to be in constant contact with your partner while simultaneously monitoring everything they do. There’s a constant need to update your relationship status from “single” to “taken.” Social media can add a ton of unwanted stress to your relationship.
Social media can take people to the dark side of relationships that involve untrustworthiness, snooping, stalking, and uncertainness.
On one hand, it seems like a better idea to leave your relationship off of social media. It doesn’t make the relationship better to boast about your relationship to the world. Are you really trying to prove to the world that you significant other makes you happy, or are you trying to prove it to yourself?
Being “Facebook official” is not an im-portant life goal. It may make people feel good to show the world their happiness,
but it is not necessary. On the other hand, Social media doesn’t
ruin relationships, people ruin relation-ships. Facebook didn’t breakup your relationship. It actually helped your rela-tionship. It let you know about the betrayal you didn’t know about.
Sometimes people forget that their social media accounts aren’t just theirs. It’s for the world. Everyone has access to what you put on the Internet. If you’re cheating and leave clues of your betrayal online, it’s bound to come to light.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and any other social media platforms don’t make a relationship. It doesn’t make a relation-ship better or worse. It’s up to the couples to make things work out. Relationships are generally better when no one is in your business. It works best when there are little outside influences judging or com-menting on your choices. Like most things in life, you have to decide what you can live with and what you can live without. If social media has worked out bad in the past, don’t go on it. And if social media determines your relationship, then you have bigger problems.
pixbay.com
Kelsey DickersonStaff Writer
Mayah CantaveCollege life editor
VOICE OF THE STUDENTS
Dear Americans,
Who would be your ideal speaker for VSU’s 2016 commencement ceremony?
“President Obama because he is a great leader in our
community.”Jewel De’Lisser
Psychology Senior
“I would like to see Steven Spielberg or JJ Abrams speaking at my graduation.”
Max Steele Mass Media Freshman
“J.K. Rowling because I love
her writing and she really
inspires me to follow my
dreams.”Sarah
Graham Nursing
Freshman
Head to youtube.com/vsuspectator to see the full video and more student responses!
February 11, 2016 The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.com Page 5
There are a million* reasons to earn your degree at VSU.
Here are a million and one:
Julia Fink SteJback3rd year Medical Student
at PhiladelPhia college oF oSteoPathic Medicine-
georgia caMPuS
VSu claSS oF 2012
“As a biology major, I quickly learned the importance of time management and applying what I learned outside of the classroom. Some of the best experiences I have gained are from all of the out of class labs, field trips and bug collections that made our lecture material come to life. I even had the opportunity to be a part of a research project that took us through all of the wetlands and swamps of South Georgia. With all of these experiences and the encouragement and guidance from professors and advisors, I was more than prepared for the challenges of medical school. ”
* A typical worker with a bachelor’s degree earns $1.19 million more than a typical high school graduate, according to Hamilton Project’s “Major Decisions: What Graduates Earn Over Their Lifetimes.”
Start here. Stay here. Succeed everywhere.
VSU Interim President Dr. Cecil Staton will be in the hot seat at next week’s Fireside Chat hosted by Student Government Association.
The Fireside Chat will take place on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. in the West Hall Rotunda.
At Monday’s SGA meeting, Vice President Colleen Kavanaugh said that Dr. Staton will be the speaker for the event, which will include giveaways, music and a photo booth.
“It’s a way for people to sit down and listen to the presi-dent,” Kavanaugh said.
SGA President David Burdette encouraged all those in attendance to take advantage of the event as a way to build a relationship with the president who has been under fire
recently for leading the charge on changing the routine for graduation.
Burdette said he has been working with Dr. Staton on changing the ceremonies back to the way they were, but he says the president won’t budge.
“I’ve tried numerous times to get them to change it back,” Burdette said. “He wanted to bring something new to VSU.”
Burdette said that the president was very understanding of his and other students’ concerns, but because of book-ings, there isn’t much that they can do to change it.
“(Staton) already made the decision to get the speaker,” Burdette said, “The speaker has already been paid.”
Burdette said he even suggested keeping the new chang-es for graduation except putting the convocations on Friday and the ceremony on Saturday, but the president decided to go with his original decision. He then told the senators and others in attendance to be thankful that they are able to
graduate and to go voice their concerns at Fireside Chat. At the next meeting, SGA will vote to make Fireside
Chat an annual event where students can voice their con-cerns about VSU.
Kavanaugh also talked about Student Opinion of Instruc-tors (SOIs) at the meeting. She said that they are in the process of being redone at the Faculty Senate level after a push from SGA.
“(The changes) are really big because it affects all stu-dents,” Kavanaugh said.
Also, two new members were elected to SGA’s judicial branch. James Cutts and Alexis Outlaw were elected to the branch whose duties include interpreting the SGA Consti-tution and Bylaws and settling disputes that students have with SGA. They also have the final say on impeachment, non-compliance and judicial complaint.
The next SGA meeting will be on Monday, Feb. 15, in the Student Union.
Kyle DawsonPhoto Editor
SGA asks Staton to change graduation; he refuses
With graduation looming over students, Valdosta State University has chosen Stuart Parker as the speaker for the spring semester commence-ment ceremony on May 7.
After serving 10 years in the Air Force during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm while training other military pilots, he gradu-ated the Air Force ROTC pro-gram and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from VSU.
Parker is now chief executive of United Services Automo-bile Association that handles
insurance to banking issues for members of the military and their families.
With spring comes a new begin-ning, as this spring se-mester will introduce the tradition of celebrat-ing each student’s achievements with the power-ful experience of fireworks and live music.
Dameion Dismuke, mass media senior, does not mind Parker speaking at graduation.
“It has potential for inspiring, and we need as many as you
can to inspire students,” said Dismuke.
As far as fireworks go, Dismuke says that they would make a great addition to this year’s gradua-tion, making it both exciting and meaningful.
“How often do you graduate? Graduations are special,” said Dismuke.
A senior in math, Santiago Rodriguez has no problem with Parker since he graduated from VSU and served in the military.
When it comes to fireworks and music, he believes it is a waste of time.
“People want to get it over with. Some don’t want to go,” said Rodriguez.
Hunter Howle, a junior mass media student, believes it is important to celebrate these students because of their hard work.
“But depending on the situa-tion they’re intended to be used in, fireworks might be a little too much,” said Howle.
On Stuart Parker being the commencement speaker, Howle says that she doesn’t mind since Parker is an alum who is involved with the community.
USAA CEO to speak at 2016 commencement ceremonyJyrell Wynn
Health Tip of the week
“It has poten-tial for inspir-
ing, and we need as many as you can to inspire
students.”“Don’t let your heart cloud your judgment about safe and healthy food choices. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
-CDC.gov
February 11, 2016The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.comPage 6
KNOW? According to List25, about 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards
are exchanged each year.
Did
You
Can you make your way through our maze?
We’ve updated our app.
Go and download it from any App Store!
February 11, 2016 The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.com Page 7
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KNOW? According to World Record Academy, the longest marriage
on record spans 8.5 decades
Did
You
Many would think of Uber as the taxi service of the internet.
You open the app on your phone; the app shows you where you are; and where their
drivers are; and then you order the car which you’d like to ride in. These days, Uber is working on a new campaign.
Uber is teaming up with Airbus to support on demand helicopter rides. Neither side has said anything about how much the fare would cost, but considering the mode of transportation, you can bet that it will be a pretty penny.
Uber has actually launched the helicopter campaign at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, but they had to halt services due to Utah’s laws. Sheriff Justin Martinez said that he would consider ticketing or arresting pilots because the companies didn’t get the proper permits to land in a fi eld not far from homes in the mountain town.
Uber said that they tried to comply, but there were simply no permits to apply for.
Uber is now making its debut in Delhi. They are offering 20-minute rides on Valentine’s Day from the hours of 9-10:30 a.m. The price will be 5,000 INR, which equates to about $73.64 in U.S. currency.
Have you ever heard your parents go on and on about how much times have changed? Well, although we don’t always want to admit it, they most certainly have. With all the new technology we’ve welcomed over recent years, dating has gone from an ex-tremely formal thing to something that can easily be done through social media and apps.
When our parents and the gen-erations before them dated, it was very similar to being courted. Boy meets girl, girl likes boy and boy likes girl, and they slowly prog-ress into something more. They’d usually go on a number of dates before knowing how interested they were in someone. For one, there wasn’t any texting. If you wanted to get into contact with someone, you’d have to call them
on their house phone. Now when our “hotline blings,” it could be a number of things. We could be getting a text, a phone call or a notifi cation.
Dating can easily progress into different stages a lot quicker, probably because we have tons of ways of talking to each other and getting to know each other faster. Meeting a new person in this day and age can be as simple as following them on Twitter or lik-ing a few pictures on Instagram. When our parents were teens, they couldn’t do much but meet in per-son or meet through other people. Dating apps have made dating a simple thing that can be done through your phone and comput-ers. The fi rst few stages of getting to know a person and deciding whether or not you’re interested can be as easy as a simple swipe to the left or right. In a few ways, it’s great. In other ways, it creates
a huge disconnect between how we act in person and how we act online.
Although dating has become a lot easier for us, there’s a lot about meeting people online that has made dating dangerous. Online, you can be whoever you want to be. We’ve all heard of the term “catfi sh” by now, and sometimes it can go a bit further than an innocent game of being someone you aren’t in person. People can be dangerous. So while we should enjoy the pleasures of meeting as many people as you want on so-cial networks and dating apps, we should also be extremely cautious.
Remember, although things are different now than how they were 50 years ago, you can still have the dating experience you always dreamed of. Just set your expecta-tions to where you want them to be and refuse to move them.
We live in a world where we share every tidbit of our lives from who we hung out with last night to what we just ate, which begs the question, do we over share? Abso-lutely.
Many people share personal details about their lives that the world does not need to know. For example, why do celebrities feel the need to publicize feuds over social media?
I’m not going to lie― I love reading about them, but why can’t we all get along?
Recently, the most talked about feud
on Twitter was between Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa. Wiz put out a tweet with the initials “kk,” which Yeezy took as a refer-ence to his wife, Kim Kardashian and he then went on to insult Wiz multiple times. Khalifa corrects Kanye saying he meant “kk” as weed, and Kanye apologized.
Amber Rose, Queen of Twitter and ex of both Kanye and Wiz, didn’t let Kanye go without saying something. She asked him why he’s mad, and references a highly personal act they used to do as a couple.
Why do they feel the need to call out people? It’s simple. All they want is atten-tion, which gets the world talking about them.
This feud certainly helped draw attention
to Kanye’s new album, which is apart of the reason why this feud even happened. If no one is talking about them, then they’re irrelevant.
Celebrities are not the only ones. I’m sure we all know that one person who tries
to stir up something that doesn’t need to be. It’s amateur hour, honestly. If that person is not real enough to confront someone directly, then they should not be entertained with retaliation.
We need to live in a world full of love and kindness where we support one another in anything we do. Why would you want to be that person who makes someone feel horrible?
This world would be a much better place if we spread positivity, and Ellen DeGeneres says it best when she signs out with, “Remember to be kind to one another, goodbye.”
Julie JerniganSTAFF WRITER
Geneva CrooksSTAFF WRITER
Carlius WilliamsSTAFF WRITER
The evolution of dating:
Premature posting can have dire consequences
Uber tries new venture
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All they want is attention, which gets the world talking about
them.
Courtesy of MCTCampus
Dating now vs. dating without
social media
February 11, 2016The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.comPage 8
VSU Study Abroad Meet & GreetTuesday, February 16th • 4pm-7pm
Odum Library 1st Floor | Room 1604
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Bring a Friend for a
chance to win our ra�e!
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VSU Theatre and Dance presented Bunnicula the musical in Sawyer Theatre on February 5 and 6.
The play begins on a stormy night as Chester the cat and Har-old the dog meet the new member of their family who is a bunny found at a movie theatre. The musical was based off a children’s book series that is familiar territory for children. It helps promote live theatrical performances for children in the rural south and provides strong values to share with families.
Valentine’s Day is this weekend and while some may already know who their spend-ing the day with, there are plenty of people still looking to fi nd that special someone. With the advent of online dating the search may not be as hard as it used to be. VSU students were asked about their outlook on the college dating scene and what role, if any, online services play in the process. Q: Is it easy or hard to fi nd love in college?A: Hard. I think a lot of people don’t have the right mentality. We kind of want to have fun and explore (Chasity
Drinkrad Freshman Psychol-ogy)A: Its kind of hard because nobody is really looking for love. (Carlton King, sopho-more business management major, Albany State)A: I think it depends on what you’re looking for. (MayaNewsome, senior early childhood education.) Q: Have you fallen in love in college?A: I came to college with a boyfriend so... (Maiya Mabry , senior business managment major, Red Hot Dance Leader)A: Yes, I have. I’m getting married, I’m engaged now. (Newsome) Q: Do you prefer online dating or meeting in
person?A: I don’t think there is a par-ticular way you should meet somebody. (King)Q: How do you meet new people?A: Usually through mutual friends, but I like to introduce myself to people. (Newsome) A: Well I work at the front desk at the student union so a lot of people come up to me everyday. (Quintin Reed Senior Environmental Geoscience)
While there doesn’t ap-pear to be a consensus on the dating scene for students, one thing did reverberate across the board. Online dating may not be for everyone, but col-lege can be the place to meet anyone.
Stage one:When you and the person of inter-est have communicated via social media, Tinder, or at the bar.
Stage two:When you and the person you’ve “been texting” have graduated to “hanging out” and actually enjoyed each other’s presence so you make plans to “Netfl ix and chill,” while texting daily up until the next meet up.
Stage three:You and the person in question are “talking” and your mother knows there is someone you talk to daily and takes you in public during the day time. This is an exciting time where both parties are consistently on their best behavior and looking great all of the time.
Stage four:
It is time to defi ne the relationship (DTR.) While this is by far the most anxiety-riddled conversation you can have with someone, it is always well worth it. After both a great conversation and hopefully an exciting outcome, you move on to stage fi ve, or you scrape up your dignity and go back to stage one.
Stage fi ve:Now that you and “bae” are of-fi cial and your relationship is in full swing, everyone is happy, everything is perfect, and every-one is totally smitten.
Stage six:It’s been a few months now, you and your signifi cant other have had your fi rst fi ght, met each other’s parents, and have settled into a routine.
Stage seven:The “I love you” bomb has been dropped and the relationship is
still intact. This is the perfect time to see if your S.O. is in it for the long haul, or if the relationship will fi zzle out after graduation.
Stage eight:You and your partner have done everything but say, “I do.” You’ve found the one, and you’re in it for the long haul. Talking about how each other’s career plans and desires fi t together is fun and a time where day dreaming is encouraged.
Stage nine:There’s a ring! Congratulations, you’re engaged. Your friends are either jealous or think you’re too young, but why waste any more time when you’re in love?
Stage ten:You’re married. Life is great and while there are struggles that will come to you and your spouse, it will be fun to experience them together.
First comes love then comes marriage...The ten stages of being in a relationship in college
Kenzie KesselringOPINIONS EDITOR
Mama always said that “oppo-sites attract” and that “the right man would fi nd his way, his own way,” but Mama didn’t know much about personality traits or the Myers Briggs test.
The personality test was originally created in 1943 by Katharine Briggs.This test provides information includ-ing how you typically react to social situations, your ideal occupations, and some of the typical strengths and weaknesses for your personality type.
Within your result, you will fi nd four different letters. The fi rst could be either ‘I’ for introverted or ‘E’ for extroverted. The second is either ‘N’ for intuition or ‘S’ for sensing. The third letter is either ‘F’ for feeling or ‘T’ for thinking, and the last letter
will be either ‘J’ for judging of ‘P’ for prospecting. Within these results, you discover more than your daily horo-scope or whether you will become rich in twenty years.
Perhaps one of the most interesting things this test can tell you is what kind of person you are romantically. It can tell you whether your type tends to enjoy the chase more than the actual relationship. A power-ful part of these personality tests is that you can better understand other people as well as yourself through them.
Maybe you enjoy the chase or maybe it’s all in the mystery. There really is not a fast way to know who we are destined to be with. This time of year brings out the romantic in all of us, and no one truly knows whether or not the answers are found in lyrics or in Myers Briggs results.
Bunnicula: A play of musical wonder
Q & A about Valentines day John Preer
CORRESPONDENT [email protected]
Personality test determines your best match
50% of Americans are single on Valentine's Day.
Olivia StuddardSTAFF WRITER
Jyrell Wynn CORRESPONDENT
As of January 16th, The Beanery has gone from wholesale to retail. After over ten years as a wholesale coffee business, Kurt and David Peterson bought The Beanery and decided to take their coffee directly to the customer.
The coffee is always made as fresh as possible, and the owners’ goal is to make the shop have a more rustic feel rather than a fast food vibe.
Later in the semester, The
Beanery plans to have a study night possibly near fi nals where students can come in and stay for extended hours to study and drink coffee. Employees, Redd Robinson and Sarah Prince, say that they love to interact with customers and tell them more about coffee.
The hours of business are from 9 to 6. Robinson said they did not really want to compete with any of the other coffee shops.
They wanted to give more of a coffee experience instead of a fast pace coffee run.
The Beanery is located on Bay-tree Rd.
Page 9The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.comFebruary 11, 2016
SociologyAnthropologyGeography /
GeologyHistory
PhilosophyLiLiterature
Political Science
To be or not to ‘Beanery’Kyle Dawson
PHOTO [email protected]
Valentines Day or “Single Awareness Day” is upon us, and while some will be doing sickeningly cute things with their signifi cant others, the rest of us will be drowning in the loneliest day of the year, but who says it has to be that way? We don’t need some-one else to make us happy, because we’re awesome by ourselves! I turn to my favorite lifestyle gurus, Donna and Tom from “Parks and Recreation,” and their favorite line, “Treat Yo Self.” Here are 5 things to do to make your Valen-tines Day great, even without a signifi cant other.
1.Avoid couples at all costs, and order delivery instead.
Nothing is better to remind you that you’re single than sitting next
to a couple holding hands, so ditch the dine-in and order de-livery or get takeout. Treat Yo Self.
2.Catch up on your favorite shows or a hobby you haven’t done in a while.
Pop some pop-corn, and grab some sweets. Get ready to snuggle up for a quiet night in. Treat Yo Self.
3.Splurge a little.Leave your com-
mon sense at the door, and throw your money at something you’ve been wanting, but not necessari-ly needing. Buy a new outfi t or that awesome new video game. You deserve this. Treat Yo Self.
4.Spend time with your single friends.Chances are some of your friends are
also single, so get them all together for a night on the town. Go to the movies, eat at a fancy restaurant, or get out of town. Just have fun! Treat Yo Self.
5.Be your own Valentine
No one is better at loving you than you, and it’s okay to be by yourself right now. Sometimes self-love is the most import-ant love you can have. Buy your own chocolate, or get one of those huge teddy bears because why would you not? Treat Yo Self.
Remember, Val-entine Day doesn’t have to be a drag when you’re not in a relationship. Sur-round yourself with great people, or just spend time with you because you’re worth it. Happy Valentines Day!
Women often get spoiled and showered with gifts and cute trinkets on Valentine’s Day, while others anxiously avoid the day. Men are good at hiding their emotions too, and not exactly expressing what they want.
It’s easier to justify the signifi cance of Valentine’s Day coming from a female’s perspective, but let’s consider the male point of view. Some men feel that the hol-iday is overrated, and others look forward to the date to spoil their signifi cant other.
“I’ve been married to my wife for so long that Valentine’s Day is just another day for us,” Scott Barfi eld, junior English
major, said. “I started buying her gifts right after we started dating, and the most amount of money I‘ve spent was about $300. Buying roses and candy is nice, but to impress her I’d get her a ring or some jewelry. Guys that are single on Valen-tine’s Day should probably visit a bar, or go out and meet someone.”
Putting a date together for your signifi -cant other, and making basket of his favor-ite things are great gift ideas for males on Valentine’s Day.
Single men can also go out with other single friends to fi nd a date, or just mingle. “I’m single, so I’ll probably go out with my friends for Valentine’s Day,” Malcolm Mayfi eld, senior political science major, said. “When I’m dating, I like surprises
from my signifi cant other, especially when they put thought into it and they know it’s something that I’d enjoy. At the same time, being with that person would be a gift in itself. Everyone wants to feel appreciated, so don’t exclude males from the Valen-tine’s Day festivities.”
“It’s really just a day of appreciation for your signifi cant other,” Tony Brundage, senior sociology major, said. “The best date for me would be anything where I could spend quality time with them. Guys shouldn’t necessarily be expected to buy gifts, but we should be able to show some type of appreciation.”
“In 10th grade, I brought a teddy bear and a heart shaped box of chocolates for a girl that I liked,” Maurice Brown, junior
physical education major, said. “I left it on her desk and when she walked in the classroom she saw it on her desk and she started crying. That was my best Valen-tine’s Day because I was happy to see someone else so happy. ”
“Females shouldn’t expect a gift, but the better relationships get the better gifts,” Jordan Williams, freshmen business major, said. “I wouldn’t spend my money on someone unless I felt like our relationship was offi cial. Valentine’s Day is just a reg-ular day for me. If I’m single, I’ll get my Mom something or treat myself to some new shoes.”
Employee Red Robinson (Left), making coffee for customers, has worked with the owners since March 2015.
Photos by Jordan Barela & Mayah Cantave /THE SPECTATOR
How to be SingleJulie Jernigan
STAFF [email protected]
The male perspective on Valentine’s Day How men feel about love, spending money, and dates
Erin MartinSTAFF WRITER
February 11, 2016The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.comPage 10
Dear First Year Students,
VSU Office of Social Equity
AVOID SUMMER/FALL COURSE REGISTRATION HOLDS! COMPLETE THE MANDATORY HAVEN & ALCOHOL EDU TRAINING!DEADLINES FOR COMPLETION
Part One – February 19thPart Two – March 29th
2) Search Here
LOCATE THESE TRAININGS ON YOUR MYVSU HOME PAGE: 1. CLICK THE SMALL GEAR AT THE TOP RIGHT OF THE PANELS
2. SEARCH FOR EVERFI.
Valdosta State University is hosting its 20th Annual Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Brunch. Valdosta State is welcoming eight inductees into the Hall of Fame. The inductees this year include the 2007 Valdosta State football team, Hal Mumme, Leos Jelinek, Brandon Decker, Kristina Ely, Dominique Ross, Bob Hagan and Coretta Bloom.
The 2007 Valdosta State football team fi nished its season 13-1 and won the second NCAA Division II championship in school history against Northwest Missouri State. The team brought a myriad of accomplishments, highlighted by David Dean becoming the second fi rst-year
head coach to win a national title in D-II history. The 2007 Blazers also were recipients of AFCA & Schutt Coach of the Year honors, had three All-American recipients as well as the Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year honors.
Hal Mumme is a former head coach of VSU football from 1992-96. His record was 40-17-1 with two playoff quarterfi nals appearances in 1994 and 1996. Mumme also spent time as the head coach at the University of Kentucky and New Mexico State University. Mumme is credited with the development of the air-raid offense.
Leos Jelinek was a VSU tennis star from 2007-09. Jelinek was an All American in doubles competition and had a 63-15 overall record. He was also key in a couple of GSC championships
by the tennis team.Brandon Decker was an All-
American outfi elder for VSU baseball from 2009-10. Through Decker’s career he was a recipient of South Region Player of the Year, All-Region honors, batted .413 and hit a total of 43 home runs which was second most in school history. In 2010, Decker was drafted in the 27th round of the MLB Amateur Draft by the Los Angeles Angels.
Kristina Ely was an All-American second baseman at VSU from 2007-08. She was a two-time All-Conference selection and Blazer Student-Athlete of the Year. Ely was also previously a holder of the school’s home run record with 19.
Dominique Ross played running back at Valdosta State from 1992-94. After experiencing success under Mumme, Ross played for
the Dallas Cowboys in 1995-96.Coretta Bloom was a women’s
basketball player for the Blazers from 1975-79 and is a member of the 1,000 point club in Valdosta State history. In 120 games, Bloom scored 1,659 points and averaged 13.8 points per game over her career.
Bob Hagan is a long time
booster for Valdosta State and has been involved since 1980 and is still a supporter of VSU and its athletics.
The Hall of Fame Ceremony will be Saturday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. It will be in the student union ballrooms and is $25 per person.
VSU to honor greats this Saturday
VSU Cross Country 5k Fundraiser:
Saturday, Feb. 13
Registration open until Feb. 12
All proceeds go to VSU XC
David Dean holds the national championship trophy. Dean led the Blazers to a title in his fi rst year as coach in 2007.
Marvin Gentry/US PRESSWIRE
Aldean StarrSTAFF WRITER
Pat Gallagher/VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES
Kristina Ely, right, celebrates with teammates in a 2008 game.
If Peyton Manning retires, he will become the second quarterback in NFL history to end his career with a Super Bowl victory. The other? His current boss and former Broncos star John Elway.
DID
YO
U KNOW?
Ed Reinke/APFormer VSU head football coach Hal Mumme stands next to former Kentucky standout quarterback Tim Couch.
Eight school legends will be inducted in athletic Hall of Fame
February 11, 2016 The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.com Page 11
Great teachers make great mentors. Meet one who makes a difference.
gardner rogersdepartment of english
faculty awardexcellence in teaching
2012
“Over my four years at Valdosta State, I saw him as both a teacher and a mentor. Even when I was not taking his classes, I would still visit his office to ask for academic help and guidance. He is always eager to help in any way he can, which is the trait that I feel makes him such an effective teacher and mentor. The individual attention he gives and the respect he shows his students allows him to create a class where students can comfortably ask questions and engage in the educational process.”*
“To me, Gardner is not just a teacher, but also a mentor, and I respect and appreciate the advice that he has given me regarding my college career and my future. I hope that one day I, too, will have the impact on my students that Gardner has had on me.”*
“Alongside his clear assignments, practical style, and help guidance, Mr. Rogers’ greatest asset always appeared in his heart for students. No matter what obstacle my peers or I faced, Mr. Rogers handled each situation with poise and direction, never relenting until the problem was completely resolved.”*
9 of 10 VSU Professors Rate 4 or Above on a Scale of 5 on Student Opinions of Instruction
Connect with great professors.
*Student comments from letters of recommendation for Excellence in Teaching Award
The Valdosta State baseball team has found its offensive stroke.
The Blazers have won three of four and now stand at 5-2 on the year. In the last three wins, VSU has plated an average of nine runs.
The team split with Wingate this weekend, but then collected an 8-7 11th inning win over Florida Tech on Sunday.
To cap off its recent run, VSU broke out the bats again on Tuesday, defeating Albany State 13-7 on the road. That marks a significant difference from the previous game against the Rams, where VSU grinded out a 4-2 victory.
VSU finished second in the Gulf South Conference with a team average of .388 in 2015. Now averaging seven runs per game overall, that offensive success seems destined to continue.
Marcus Sigmon has taken on a substantial role as the team’s lead run producer. The infielder has 13 RBIs in seven games. Dalton Duty and Tyler York have also
had strong seasons to date, each sporting a .417 and .348 average, respectively.
Blazers coach Greg Guilliams has shuffled through an assortment of pitchers. While the group of arms has appeared average thus far, the rotation and bullpen are still being evaluated.
The team’s collective ERA stands at 3.94, though those numbers are often skewed in early parts of the season.
Leading in the pitching department is Troy Massaro, who has made two starts in his four appearances and gathered a 2-0 record with a 1.04 ERA. Roman Donofro has registered a 1.35 ERA in five games worth of relief appearances.
The early returns of VSU baseball have shown promise. A strong offense anchored by an above average staff could push the Blazers through the GSC tournament and further.
The Blazers travel to Melbourne, Florida to take on Catawba and Florida Tech this weekend. The team returns to Billy-Grant Field on Feb. 17 against the Georgia College Bobcats at 4 p.m.
Baseball comes out swinging
Gabe Burns SportS Editor
Chris Bilbo dribbles in game against Lee on Jan. 30. The Blazers emerged victorious, 74-70.
Basketball enters pivotal stretch run to conclude regular season
Darian Harris/THE SPECTATOR
NEXT GAME:
Vs. Union
Today
8 p.m.
The Complex
February 11, 2016The Spectator | www.vsuspectator.comPage 12
Valdosta State UniversitySpring 2016 Commencement May 7, 2016
INDIVIDUAL COLLEGE CONVOCATIONSJoin your Faculty for an intimate ceremony with your classmates, where you’ll be recognized individually and receive a special memento.
AT THE STUDENT UNION9:00AM AFROTC Commissioning Ceremony
ON THE FRONT LAWN10:00AM Graduate School1:00PM College of Education & Human Services400PM College of Arts & Sciences
AT POUND HALL1:00PM College of Business Administration4:00PM College of Nursing & Health Sciences
AT THE FINE ARTS AMPHITHEATRE1:00PM College of the Arts
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE
Spring 2016 Commencement the best it can be:
Be part of a new tradition
After your convocation, spend some time with your loved ones, then join us at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium at 8:00PM for Spring 2016 Commencement
• No tickets required Bring everyone you love most
• Accessibility accommodations available
• Free shuttles from parking lots to ceremony
• Featuring a special commencement address from VSU Alumni Stuart Parker (‘83), President and CEO of USAA
• Live Orchestra featuring VSU students and faculty
• Did we mention the fireworks?
See you at 8:00PMBazemore-Hyder StadiumMay 7, 2016#VStateGrad #ValdostaState
For more information and FAQs, visit valdosta.edu/commencement
