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 ...

By: Austin Sellars, Staff Writer VALDOSTA, Ga. – Titletown, USA, is renowned for its numerous national championships in Division II sports at VSU and its intense high school football rivalries. However, many overlook that it has become a powerhouse in collegiate dance.   The VSU Red Hots swept both the jazz and hip-hop divisions at the National Dance Alliance College National Championship in Daytona Beach, Florida, securing their 10th and 11th national titles in program history.   ...

Hey Blazer nation!! We are almost about to wrap up the spring 2026 semester, but before we do, here are some tips on how you can “Blaze” through the rest of these last few weeks of school. First, make sure that you are prioritizing your time wisely when it comes to completing your assignments on time. Let’s try to complete ...

By: Rut Labrada, staff writer  Get ready to “Dance the Night Away,” Blazers. On Friday, April 17, VSU’s K-pop Club will be hosting their yearly busking event from 3-4 p.m., where the club members will perform a lineup of nine different K-pop dances at Converse Square.  The event, which was initially planned to occur from 2-3:30 p.m., was moved back one hour ...

By: Rut Labrada, staff writer   On April 10 and 11, the City of Valdosta hosted its 4th annual Bluesberry Festival to celebrate Georgia’s agricultural industry, local vendors, and of course, the blues music scene of the deep South. When I first heard about the festival, I was confused as to why it was blueberry themed, but a quick Google ...

By Dionte Daniel, Spectator Staff Writer  VALDOSTA, Ga. — Spring football isn’t about wins and losses. Spring football is about finding identity.  VSU has found parts of who it wants to be.  Head Coach Graham Craig said effort and competition were what stood out to him after the Blazers finished spring practice with their spring game.  “I think this team ...

By Adam Peachey, Staff Writer If a person’s screentime is four hours a day, that winds up being equivalent to eleven years of their life on the phone, assuming they live for 80 years. While the importance of phones in our modern society definitely isn’t to be written off, it gets to a point where one must question the status ...