Solicitors were stopped by Valdosta State Police outside of the Student Union yesterday. Corporal Joshua Luke and other police officers caught members of an off-campus organization trying to promote their upcoming party by leaving flyers at various locations on campus.
“Solicitation on campus is unauthorized unless it is sanctioned by the events services office,” Luke said. “When people have a large event scheduled, they certainly want to advertise, but the solicitation is unauthorized.”

According to Luke, the police have received several complaints from students about the flyers being left on windshields. The ink from the flyers can damage windshields during rainfall. Complaints have also been made about the flyers being left outside on the pavement of the VSU campus.

“We’re just trying to promote everyone getting out and having a good time, [and] according to VSU police force, people have been complaining about them getting thrown on the ground and looking trashy,” said Ieisha Carter, who has been passing out some of the flyers.

Some students feel that organizations advertising with flyers is not the problem; it is what people do with the flyers that angers some students.

“I don’t see anything wrong with advertising, but I don’t support people taking the flyers and putting them on the ground,” Taton Thompson, junior political science and Spanish major, said.

The solicitors, who were also VSU students, were let off with a warning. If they are caught again, they could face disciplinary action from the school, according to the Student Handbook.