Home / Campus Life / Here’s What You Missed: Winter Break Recap

Here’s What You Missed: Winter Break Recap

Welcome back, Blazers!

While we begin our Spring 2025 semester, here are some things you may have missed: 

Network Intrusion 

On Dec. 29, students received an email from Robbyn DeSpain, Director of Strategic Communications and Special Events, about a network outage. The outage restricted access to MyVSU  and the sites within it as well as causing the Wi-Fi system to go down. At the time of that email, a timeline for resolving the outage could not be given due to the seriousness of the situation. Since then, much of the network has been restored. 

During the following week, DeSpain revealed that there was a network intrusion and that IT staff were working to have the crisis averted. No information about the specifics of the intrusion have been released.

A full story will follow with further details. 

Hopper Hall’s Shooting Incident 

An 18-year-old man was arrested on Jan. 9 after shooting the floor of a dorm room during an argument in Hopper Hall on Dec. 14. The incident happened at 11:30 p.m. following graduation, where three students and three non-students were engaged in an argument. 

The suspect, Demeterous Butler, pulled out a gun and fired a shot into the ground, sending debris into the air and hitting a non-student victim in the eye. She was later treated for minor injuries. Butler fled the scene, and a search was performed of the area. 

A warrant was put out for his arrest on seven charges, including terroristic threats and acts, simple battery and reckless conduct. Butler was later found and arrested on Jan. 9 and is being held without bond.

The Fire in the Dryer 

A look at the dryer that caught fire in Centennial Hall after its removal. Photo by Adjani Williams, Staff Reporter.

In Centennial Hall, a dryer in one of the laundry areas caught fire and exploded. After the incident, the dryer was removed from the building completely and no further reports on the situation have been reported, nor has there been an update on a replacement for the dryer. 

New Football Coach 

After the VSU football team lost to the Ferris State Bulldogs 49-14 in the National Championship game, Head Coach Tremaine Jackson announced that he would be resigning from his position to take the head coaching position at Prairie View A&M University, a Division I school.

It was also announced that interim Head Coach Trent Earley will be following Jackson to Prairie View. According to Tallahassee station WCTV, Valdosta State has promoted Offensive Coordinator Graham Craig to head coach; however, it has not been confirmed by the VSU Athletic Department.

A full story will follow with further information.

Hopper Residents Report Gnat Infestation  

A swarm of gnats around an exit sign in Hopper Hall. Photo by Ahmira Johnson, VSU student.

During the break, Hopper residents reported seeing an unusual number of gnats in their dorm rooms and in the hallways. There has not been a main reason reported for this, but after reports were filed on the issue, the infestation was cleared. 

The Spectator will continue to investigate for further answers. 

Check Also

Who’s In Your Inbox: Robbyn DeSpain

Written by Bailey Wilson, Managing Editor. From campus closures to important updates, there is one ...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *