Written by: Isaiah Smart Americans have recently been enveloped in fierce debate over a matter of life and death−forced life, that is.  When, if ever, is pulling the plug on life support the right thing to do?  In November, Marlise Muñoz, a Texan resident expecting a baby, was deemed brain dead after her husband Erick found her unconscious due to ...

Written by: Jordan Hill In the words of Kristen Wiig in the movie Bridesmaids, “Help me. I’m poor!” According to the U.S. Department of Labor website, the last minimum wage increase occurred in 2009 after Congress passed the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. This act occurred in three steps. Minimum wage increased to $5.85 per hour on July 24, ...

Written by: Olivia McLean With financial limitations halting many students’ dreams, a group at VSU may help those dreams come true. The VSU 50 Years of Integration Planning Committee launched the Thomas/Pierce Scholarship in honor of the legacy of Drewnell Thomas and Robert Pierce, the first two black students to attend VSU (then Valdosta State College). The scholarship, according to ...

Written by: Chris Kessler There’s one week left to see what pieces displayed in VSU’s Fine Arts Gallery will bring in the money. Matt Mitros, from Tuscaloosa, Ala., won $450 and first place in the Valdosta National 2014 All-Media Juried Competition for his sculpture titled “Copper Cloud Picnic.” In its 26th year, the competition had over 160 entries submitted by ...

Written by: Abbie Baggerly Mummies and pizza−who could ask for more? Odum Library is kicking off its spring semester book club with a discussion about the short story “On Skua Island” by John Langan. The story is available for free at tinyurl.com/on-skua-island. The book club will have two introductory meetings in Odum library, one at 1 p.m. Wednesday and one ...

Written by: Joe Adgie The Academic Scheduling Committee has approved a four-day exam schedule and kept Dead Day in place but voted down an SGA-suggested return of Fall Break. That was announced at Monday night’s SGA meeting by Sen. Nick Buford, who sat in on the Academic Scheduling Committee meeting with Comptroller Erica Adams. The decisions were met with disapproval ...

  Written by: John Preer For the second consecutive day VSU will close its doors as winter weather storm Leon continues to paralyze many southern states in the country.  However, Valdosta seems to be catching a break from the really severe weather.  Besides the occasional gust of flurries and freezing rain, the city hasn’t fully experienced the kinds of conditions ...

Written by: Isaiah Smart Oscars and Grammys and snubs, oh my! With the release of the awards nominations, the Oscar buzz has begun. This year, the Oscars will honor the 75th anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz,” which was nominated for Best Picture in 1939. There are nine nominations for the coveted Best Picture category: “American Hustle,” “Captain Phillips,” “Dallas ...

Written by: Hillary Straba From Valdosta, the New Natives are raising the bar for local music. The local band released their first full-length, self-titled album in December. The band was founded by Jeffrey Haineault, junior computer science major, who was the former drummer for the band Ninja Gun. In 2011, Haineault recruited Taylor Patterson, senior deaf education major, on drums, ...

Written by: Joe Adgie New surveillance cameras are greeting VSU students as they come back for the semester, and $100,000 worth of lighting improvements and new emergency phones have been approved for the campus.   In addition, negotiations are still ongoing to place an ATM at the Student Union.   This was announced by SGA president Will Jimerson at Monday ...