Written by Olivia Studdard, Staff Writer Dr. Suzanne Akbari has a lot to say about the misconceptions many Western Christians have of Islam. One of the most interesting: “When Christians describe Muslims in a certain way, they’re also saying something about themselves.” She challenged the audience to drop the common judgement they may have of Islam, because they really may ...

Written by Olivia Studdard, Staff Writer Recently a ban was placed on alcoholic drinks on Panama City Beaches, affectionately known as “PCB” to college kids for years. However, this ban puts a damper on Spring Break for many beach-seeking college kids. It’s been a staple for college students so long, they’re left scratching their heads and wondering, “How do I ...

Written by Olivia Studdard, Staff Writer I was never a big fan of coloring inside the lines. I preferred to scribble my heart out until my crayons broke and the paper tore and I felt the piece was colorful enough to fill the blank spots left on the refrigerator by the magnets and old family photos. For the kid in ...

Written by Olivia Studdard, Staff Writer Fandom can be expressed in many different ways. Some people write fan fiction devoted to their favorite characters based around scenes that they’ve imagined and dreamed about, and that’s only one end of the fandom spectrum. The ultimate goal is to find others with the same passions. That is why social media is such ...

Written by Olivia Studdard, Staff Writer Growing up as a child I was always taught not to call people names on the playground. I was always a rather quiet and soft-spoken child, so taunting and teasing was never really something that crossed my mind. However, the older I got, the more I learned that it wasn’t simply harmful words that ...

Written by Olivia Studdard, Staff Writer Last week we had a record breaking day in lottery history when the Powerball jackpot broke $1 billion. This is the first time the prize has ever broken the $1 billion mark in any state, ever. With the Wednesday night drawing on Jan. 13, it seemed as if the majority of the country was ...

Written by Olivia Studdard, Staff Writer Author Melody Beattie wrote, “The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, wanting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.” Within her simple words there is a challenge—how do you greet the new year? Some people celebrate with parties and fireworks, or maybe hands filled ...

Written by Olivia Studdard, Staff Writer Local business owner Jessica Ganas is out and about in the downtown business world again. This time with a second business 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 ...

Written by Olivia Studdard, Staff Writer 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 decision has been prompted by a recent decline in completion of the surveys. SOIs give students the ...

Written by Olivia Studdard, Staff Writer There’s a magnificent song by Sugarland that says, “We come here with nothing, and take it with us the day we leave.” Maybe they meant for that to apply to life, but I’d say it applies to college students and the VSU community. Between the costly textbooks and the preposterous student loans, it is ...