Written by Gabe Burns, Staff Writer Valdosta State head coach David Dean said his team will lean on their defense and tough run game in the 2015 season. That philosophy held true in the Blazers 21-13 road win over Albany State on Saturday. The Blazers (1-0) started fast with preseason all-conference running back, Cedric O’Neal, scoring a rushing touchdown 4:05 ...

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 ...

Written by Tiara Bell, Staff Writer To paint a picture of Valdosta State’s old mascot, the “Rebels”, there was an animated Confederate general plowing through the “V” of the campus logo flashing the school’s colors of red and white. As you can probably imagine, it brought great controversy to the Valdosta community. Many people loved the new mascot as much ...

Written by Aldean Starr, Staff Writer It’s that time of the semester that has students excited beyond measure and the financial aid office very busy. Refund checks are being processed and released to all students with extra money on their balance. But, huge refund checks are not always a good thing. Sandra Griffin, the assistant director/ loan director of the ...

EDITOR’S NOTE: This letter was written by Dr. JT Cox, a professor in the College of Education and Human Services and was submitted to the Editors-in-Chief. The opinions in this letter are expressed by Dr. Cox and not necessarily those of The Spectator and its staff. An Open Letter to Future Teachers and Revolutionaries* *(Yes, this is a message for ...

Written by Austin Wells, Staff Writer Although it would seem that it would be more suitable for a college student to work on campus, there are actually more benefits to working off campus. One of the benefits is working more hours. If you’re working somewhere on campus, especially here at VSU, then most places will close pretty early compared to ...

We here at the Spectator are many things: journalists, photographers, graphic designers, and editors.  But above all else, we are students.  As students of this university we want the highest quality of education that our steadily increasing tuition can buy. With this in mind, what parameters determine the quality of a college degree?  Is it the sports team or the ...

Written by Jamel Shorter, Staff Writer When a budget is discussed there is a team of people known as the budget committee.  The budget committee is given the task to present an overview of what the majority of the funds for the fiscal year will be allocated towards. Valdosta State University is financially supported by the state and the tuition ...

Written by Julia Rodriquez, Staff Writer Sometimes it can feel like, as a college student, you are constantly starving, broke, or both; now there’s an app for that. Even if you aren’t always hungry or broke, an app that can help you get free food or manage your finances can be your best friend. Money seems to leave faster than ...

Written by John Preer, Editor-in-Chief The forecast for VSU’s future is cloudy at best, according to figures released by university officials.  Faculty senate members are understandably worried by the numbers and what they mean for their future with the university.  Low enrollment and retention are being blamed by administration for the recent downsizing of faculty and staff.  These cuts caught ...