By: Rut Labrada, Arts & Entertainment Editor  Welcome to another installment of Ruts & Veggies! The first couple weeks of school have passed by in a blur, and I hope we all feel the crisp fall air right around the corner.  As we are all settling into a new semester, I’ve been thinking about our newest students who are not ...

By: Megan Callahan, News & Campus Life Editor  A summer in Paris includes time in a new country, a new town, and several new experiences every day. I was lucky enough to spend a month in the heart of Paris on a study abroad program at Cité Universitaire.   During my time there, it was shocking how different things were ...

Aiyana Hunter Staff Writer You are not as good at rhythm games as you think you are.    Welcome to another entry in Games for the Broke College Student. This time we’re looking at Hi-Fi RUSH, a game where a nerd tries to live out his dreams of becoming a rock star and stumbles his way through the big boss that is capitalism.   This game is another that’s free on ...

By: Aiyana Hunter Staff Writer On the afternoon of Feb. 26, a group of students gathered in front of the dining hall with signs in hand and a speaker at the ready.   They all shared the mindset that negativity had been given too much of a pedestal in the country recently and wanted to counterbalance it with peace and acceptance. According to them, hate has ...

By: Rut Labrada, Staff writer On April 14 and 15, the VSU Debate Team competed in the Regents Cup Tournament in Columbus, Georgia, winning first place in individual debate.  VSU received three awards in the competition. The school tied for second place in the overall competition; Cassandra Ayers, a sophomore communications major, won first place as Individual Debate Champion; and Ava Peeples won second place for Individual Novice Debater.   Competitors from all over Georgia participated in the Regents Cup, which included 16 schools, such as Columbus State University, University of Georgia, ...

By: Nathalie Monero, Staff writer On April 17, the J. Donald Lee Center for Entrepreneurship hosted their annual Business Plan Competition Final Pitch at Pound Hall Auditorium, where student finalists presented their final pitch to the judges.   Students were to be registered for this competition back in February, when they submitted their executive summaries and registered to participate. Semi finalists ...

By Madeline Higdon, Staff writer   VALDOSTA, Ga.— For the entire month of March, a feature writing class at Valdosta State University, taught by Dr. Ted Geltner, held an AP Style March Madness Tournament, which came to an end on Thursday, April 23.       The finalists were Drew Champion — Senior Mass Media major, who was also last year’s winner. And ...

By: Aylin Quiroz, Staff writer  On Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in front of Palms Dining Hall, students had the chance to experience what animals experience in animal testing facilities.   PETA2 is the youth division of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) with the goal of teaching young people about animal rights and ...

By: Madeline Higdon, Staff writer FARGO, Ga.– A vicious wildfire has been ripping through Echols and Clinch counties since Sunday, April 18.    The fire’s core is located at Pineland Road in Fargo, and it has spread close to 17,000 acres – which is roughly 26 miles of fire. The initial cause of the fire is currently unknown.    A Level 3 evacuation order is currently in effect for those who are living ...

By: Rut Labrada, Staff writer Dr. Zhiguang Xu, VSU computer science professor who redesigned the department’s senior capstone course to allow students to work with local organizations, died on March 31, at his home in Orlando, Florida.   Dr. Xu, who worked at VSU since 2002, was one of three professors spearheading the development of an artificial intelligence track for the computer science major that was set to start in the fall 2026 semester.  According to Computer Science ...