Pro By: LaShawn Oglesby & LaMarcus Wilkerson It is every parent’s right to decide whether or not to have their child vaccinated, but that choice can put other children who do get vaccinated in harm’s way. Schools require that their students be vaccinated before attending. However, guardians can opt out of getting their child vaccinated by filing for a vaccine exemption. ...

It’s outstanding to witness students speaking up for themselves and their peers. For that, I applaud the SGA. In response to their resolution and recent articles in The Spectator, the Office of Social Equity (OSE) would like to provide pertinent information regarding meeting the needs of students from diverse backgrounds. The disparity between representation of both faculty and students from ...

Written by: John Stephen  As the frenzy and stress that accompanies the end of the semester descends like a weight upon campus, many students may question why they are required to take so many classes, especially electives that are not relevant to their major. Electives, however, are not a waste of time; they are essential in building a student’s foundation ...

Written by: Jordan Hill  Although Tumblr bans users who promote depression, self-harm or suicide, the users are still all over the site. While some users find sympathy and help from other users, the users sometimes encourage self-harm instead of deterring it. Depression is a sickness that sometimes forces people to harm themselves by cutting their wrists or even committing suicide. ...

Written by: LaMarcus Wilkerson  Fracking, a technique used to extract natural gas from Earth by drilling at 10,000 ft. below the surface, is destroying our planet. Local investors have been considering the possibility of building a pipeline that’ll run from Alabama through Lowndes County and stretch into central Florida. Students Against Violating the Environment (S.A.V.E) is a VSU environmental organization ...

Written by: Tyra Mills  We all must go through “the freshman phase.” It seems like your freshman year just flies by; I guess time does fly when you’re having fun. The freshman experience is probably where most of your memories and learning experiences come from. It is the first time many students have total freedom to do whatever they want. ...

When word got around that the night shuttle may be coming to an end, many students became concerned. The night shuttle is a must-have service offered by the university. It gives students a piece of mind knowing they don’t have to walk across campus in the middle of the night. Walking around at night can be sketchy, especially with inadequate ...

Michaela Washington junior pre- athletic training major “It’s a big safety hazard. Crime is a problem here, and if you shut the buses down you have people walking back and forth. It’s definitely not a good idea.”   Khiry Veney junior theatre major “You never know what could happen. It’s a safer choice to have the night shuttle  running.”   ...

Written by: Lashawn Oglesby Imagine joining a social network where all you have to do is create a username and password. There is no profile picture, profile page or personal pictures, and no friends finding or adding. That’s because it’s an anonymous social media app. It’s called Whisper. It’s normal for people to have thoughts, feelings and secrets they would ...

For many students, graduation is the end of the long, arduous journey that is education. For others, it’s a major step toward the wonderful world of post-graduate education and maybe more. At many schools, graduation is highlighted by a motivational speech from someone brought in for the occasion. These speakers are normally big names. Steve Jobs’ commencement speech at Stanford ...