William Mathews didn’t expect his Friday evening plans, a trip to a local coffee house, would land him in a jailhouse and cost him $1,000. � Mathews, a senior psychology major, was arrested Friday evening at 7:40 pm, and charged with theft by taking.  The item he was charged with stealing: a large black and white striped VSU umbrella.  According ...

CORRECTION:  April 5 – This story was written based on an email that was sent out to the Black Student League on Wednesday stating that the silent protest and vigil would take place today. DeAndre Jones, former VSU NAACP President, told the Spectator today that all Trayvon Martin events took place last night. We apologize for any confusion. ————————————————————————————————————————————————————– VSU’s ...

 The very first campus-wide Undergraduate Research Symposium will begin in the Student Union Ballroom and Theatre at 9 a.m. today and will continue on Friday.   For the last 17 years, only students within the geosciences department could participate.  This year, the symposium is open to all undergraduates.  Dr. James LaPlant, associate dean for College of Arts and Sciences, is ...

 After a nationwide search, Dr. Bill McKinney has received the recommendation as the finalist for VSU’s next president.  Don Leebern, chair of the Special Regents’ Committee for the presidential search at VSU, and University System of Georgia (USG) Chancellor Hank Huckaby  announced the recommendation in a press release Friday.  McKinney said that he is both very excited and humbled by ...

Dr. Joel Wallach, a nutritionist from Missouri, was guest speaker for the Health and Wellness Seminar, Monday at 6 p.m. in the Student Union Theater. � Dr. Wallach attended the University of Missouri where he received a bachelor’s degree in the Agriculture.� � After graduating, he was a veterinarian pathologist for 30 years with the National Institute of Health and ...

 A bill that would allow concealed weapons on Georgia campuses is facing opposition within VSU and beyond. � Twenty-three states in America allow campuses to determine their own gun policies. Most states choose not to; however, Utah, Mississippi, Wisconsin and Oregon are the four states that allow guns on campus. Wisconsin prohibits guns from buildings only.   HB 981 is a ...

One of only 43 surviving, black World War II pilots visited the VSU campus on Wednesday and will be on campus today to continue his tour of the school and the Valdosta community.  Retired Lt. Col. Leo R. Gray, who served as one of the famous Red Tail pilots and Tuskegee Airmen, met with the African- American program, Moody Air ...

 The iPad 4G reached the shelves of the Tech Shop last Friday boasting improved features, the option for more gigabytes and a $499 sticker price. � According to Casey Stokes, a sales associate at VSU’s Tech Shop, the iPad 4G differs from the iPad 2 in three major ways including the new retina display with its higher quality screen resolution, ...

Organically grown food and herbs is the new trend, and VSU’s Blazer Gardens is reaching out to the community to teach people about safe gardening. On Saturday, Blazer Gardens teamed up with the apartment complex, Woodlawn Terrace, at 1211 N. Forrest St., and helped start their first community garden. “Blazer Gardens was initially supported by members of the Valdosta Community,” ...

In Fall 2012, Hopper Hall will house select members of the College PanHellenic Council (CPC) due to the lack of sorority housing available. Among the reasons for moving sororities to on-campus housing, Greek Life hopes to see an increase in members staying in sororities, and an improvement in GPAs among participants—who, on average, stay above the 3.0 GPA range. “Several ...