Written by Gabe Burns, editor-in-chief Already chairman of the VSU College Republicans, Joel Pollack has set his sights higher. Pollack, a junior, is running for vice chairman of the Georgia Association of College Republicans. He currently serves as the GACR’s southern regional director, overseeing five chapters. He and the candidate chairman, Joshua Aaron of ABAC, are running on the unprecedented ...

Written by Gabe Burns, Editor-in-Chief When Dr. Richard Carvajal spoke with students at a VSU forum Nov. 10, he said he had a special “love” for and connection to South Georgia that was “hard to understand.” It may be a lot easier to comprehend now. The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia announced Thursday it recommends the ...

Written by Gabe Burns, Editor-in-Chief The final curtain fell. “I’m devastated,” a women’s rights advocate and fellow editor-in-chief texted me late last night. “I fear so much for us all. I’m so scared,” texted Tayler Lawhorn, my friend who’s a member of the LGBT community. “All my hope and belief in this country is gone,” said a minority friend who ...

Written by Gabe Burns, Editor-in-Chief A man was injured by gunfire and the perpetrator remains at-large after an incident near campus Wednesday. The Valdosta Police Department responded to a shooting at Jackson Square Apartments on Melody Lane early in the afternoon. Investigator Derrick Sinclair confirmed a male victim was shot in the leg by an unidentified male aggressor. The wound ...

Written by Gabe Burns, Editor-in-Chief One week after a sloppy 16-7 opening day win over Albany State, the Blazers traveled to Florence, Alabama, and were smashed and gashed 44-19 by a powerhouse North Alabama team. Since that letdown, VSU has not only won five straight; it’s established an identity: spread opposing defenses and play opportunistic defense itself. Timeliness is everything ...

Written by Gabe Burns, Editor-in-Chief A 15-year journey brought Dr. Vince Miller from the bayou to the Blazers. The Watson, Louisiana native is one of the new masterminds of VSU’s administrative retool as the Vice President of Student Affairs. As with new Interim President Dr. Kelli Brown, Dr. Miller said he emphasizes student success. “President Brown and I started on ...

Written by Gabe Burns, Editor-in-Chief The highly anticipated Kerwin Bell era kicks off at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium Saturday. VSU hosts Albany State in its season opener. It’s the third straight year the Blazers open against the Golden Rams, with the previous two resulting in victories. But the fanfare is stronger than usual with Bell at the helm. “We’re going to call it ...

Written by Gabe Burns, Editor-in-Chief The Spectator, as most newspapers in America, is in a transition period. News is becoming more and more digital-based as technology continues to grow. As a result, papers from The Spectator to The Valdosta Daily Times to the New York Times are forced to adapt. This is the beginning of a new Spectator. Fall semester ...

Written by Gabe Burns, Editor-in-Chief On May 7, five VSU students graduated having made school history. The VSU biology department gives an Annual Senior Award to the graduating senior with the highest GPA. Since 2006, the honor has been bestowed to one individual. In 2016, it’s breaking that trend. Jake Croft, Reanne Harris, Jayme “Erin” Parker, Hannah Pittman and Jesse ...

Written by Gabe Burns, Editor-in-Chief “Everything that goes up must come down. But there comes a time when not everything that’s down can come up.” That quote, made famous by the late comedian George Burns, recognizes the reality that unfavorable conditions don’t always improve. Recently, VSU has undergone what most schools would consider unfavorable conditions. Since 2011, the university has ...