February is Black History Month, and VSU is acknowledging the celebration with multiple events. VSU’s own integration history dates to the early 1960s. On Sept. 8, 1963, Valdosta State College, as it was called at the time, admitted its first two Black students. Drewnell Thomas, 17, and Robert Pierce, 18, were Valdosta residents, who had previously attended segregated schools and ...

Despite rampant speculation, no decision has been made on the future of the public relations program, according to the interim dean of the College of the Arts. During the first week of the spring semester, communication majors with an emphasis in public relations received some unexpected news about upcoming changes in the PR program. Public relations students were told that ...

With a chance to clinch a spot in the Gulf South Conference tournament, graduate guard Ryan Black made sure the Blazers would get the job done. Black came off the bench and made eight threes, rallying the Blazers (17-9, 13-7 GSC) from an early deficit to an 83-72 win over the West Florida Argonauts (12-12, 8-12 GSC). “Coming off the ...

The president of VSU club A Chance To Initiate Opportunities Now was arrested Jan. 28 for battery involving family violence and taken to Lowndes County Jail. In addition to being the president of ACTION, David Jonathan “DJ” Davis is a sociology graduate student and event coordinator for Deep Release Poetry Society. According to Lowndes County Jail records, Davis was released ...

Jackson Charles Bebiak, a VSU student and Phi Sigma Kappa brother, died on Feb. 12. President Richard Carvajal released a statement the morning of Feb. 13, informing students of the loss. “Jackson was a first-year management major from Marietta, Florida,” according to the statement. “VSU quickly became his home away from home, and he truly loved his time here. He ...

On Jan. 13 “A Man Called Otto,” based on the book “A Man Called Ove,” was released into theaters.   The movie stars Tom Hanks, who plays a grouchy, old man who enjoys consistency and hates chaos. Otto is a man of routine who makes rounds in his neighborhood to make sure everything is in order. He believes that he is ...

Happy February Blazers! The VSU Spectator is hosting a giveaway for Student Press Freedom Day. Student Press Freedom Day is a national day of action when we celebrate the contributions of student journalists and the need to support their independence without censorship. The voices of VSU students are heard because of our student journalist being able to speak their truths. ...

On Jan. 31, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his plan to ban state universities from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as part of his higher education agenda. This announcement came after an earlier promise by presidents of Florida’s two-year community colleges to not teach critical race theory and other related concepts. Many Republicans across the country have ...

The VSU softball team is ready to return to Steel’s Diamond for hopefully yet another successful season. But even though it’s a new season for the Blazers, Head Softball Coach Thomas Macera said the mission remains the same. “We have the same goal every year,” said Coach Macera. “We’re here to compete nationally, get to the end and compete for ...

Recently, Stanford University has been the subject of controversy involving a conversation around freedom of speech. A student posted a Snapchat of another student reading Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” autobiography while making an exaggerated thoughtful expression. A complaint was filed by an unknown student organization. The university did not take disciplinary action and instead went for a variety of options to ...