Pro By: LaShawn Oglesby & LaMarcus Wilkerson It is every parent’s right to decide whether or not to have their child vaccinated, but that choice can put other children who do get vaccinated in harm’s way. Schools require that their students be vaccinated before attending. However, guardians can opt out of getting their child vaccinated by filing for a vaccine exemption. ...

It’s outstanding to witness students speaking up for themselves and their peers. For that, I applaud the SGA. In response to their resolution and recent articles in The Spectator, the Office of Social Equity (OSE) would like to provide pertinent information regarding meeting the needs of students from diverse backgrounds. The disparity between representation of both faculty and students from ...

 By: Jordan Barela Apparently, it only takes 30 seconds to offend a right-wing group. Honey Maid, the classic graham cracker brand, recently released an ad that showcases how much the family dynamic has changed. The ad features a gay couple, an interracial couple, a single dad and a military family. The ad is heartfelt and has a positive message, but ...

Written by: John Stephen VSU has finally found a permanent provost—a well-traveled Trinidad and Tobago native who jams to vinyl records, has a passion for helping students succeed and yes, even takes long walks on the beach with his wife. Dr. Hudson Rogers, father of two and grandfather of one, currently lives in Fort Meyers, Fla., where he has resided ...

Written by: Joseph Albahari Are your passwords safe? That depends on when you last changed them. On April 7, it was made public that the security of the Internet was compromised by the Heartbleed bug. Heartbleed, or CVE-2014-0160 as it is technically named, is an OpenSSL security bug that has affected about 17 percent of the internet’s websites. The bug ...

Written by: Abbie Baggerly  WVVS-BLAZEfm is bringing back the popular Blazefest.  Blazefest is a spring music festival featuring eight local bands and musicians.  The festival begins on the front lawn at 2 p.m. and will last until around 8:45 p.m. It is free and open to all VSU students and members of the community.  Spectators will be able to meet ...

Written by: John Preer     Fear of bad weather moved the Earth Day event inside.  Although the change of venue didn’t compliment the celebration of nature, attendants were still in high spirits as they observed the holiday.  SAVE spread the message of conservation with informational booths and “green” activities.   Attendants enjoyed free food and a live band, while gaining a new reverence for Mother Earth.  Children attending the ...

Baseball reigned King. Baseball and tobacco, that is. In 1939, minor league baseball came to the small, southern town of Valdosta, Ga. Until 1958, (with the exception of 1943-45 due to World War II) the residents of this rural community would experience minor league baseball for themselves. Four different major league teams had Class D affiliates in Valdosta during this ...

This diagram shows the position of Kepler-186f with its host star in relation to Earth. (Credit: NASA Ames/SETI Institute/JPL-Caltech)   Not too big, not too small. Not too hot, not too cold, maybe just right. Since humans took their first peek into the vast universe that lies right outside our planet, we’ve asked the question, “is there anyone else out ...

Written by: John Stephen  As the frenzy and stress that accompanies the end of the semester descends like a weight upon campus, many students may question why they are required to take so many classes, especially electives that are not relevant to their major. Electives, however, are not a waste of time; they are essential in building a student’s foundation ...