Drewnell Thomas and Robert Pierce attended Valdosta State College in 1963, marking the college’s first steps towards integration. Since then, Valdosta State University has changed not only in name but also in its responsibility and sensitivity to the students in attendance. Organizations, like the Black Student League, were created by VSU students to not only help with the transition of ...

Once again, the news and media have been flooded by a new artistic censorship controversy. Rapper Lil Nas X has released his nine-month awaited song “Montero (Call Me by Your Name).” The song quickly reached the number one spot on iTunes and has been streamed nearly nine million times on Spotify. The controversy of the song comes from the music ...

The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards Ceremony, held on March 14, unleashed a new wave of controversy regarding media censorship. Rappers Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion preformed their hit song “WAP” at the Grammys. The sexual nature of both the song and the performance caused major backlash from Fox News Tucker Carlson and his guest, Candace Owens. Owens especially, expressed ...

In March 2020, the state of Georgia was thrust into a lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. VSU closed campus and sent students home to continue their semester at a distance. What followed was a new normal of Zoom calls, social distancing and mask protocols. A little over a year into the pandemic, VSU has ...

Weddings, proms, holidays and even apologies can all be made better by flowers. Susan Mullis, owner of the Flower Gallery, has been servicing Valdosta and the surrounding areas with beautiful flowers for the last 20 years. “I love gardening and flowers, and I had a natural affinity for beautiful things,” Mullis said. “I just have a good eye for decorating.” ...

Life during a pandemic requires adaptation and understanding, and a festival during a pandemic requires even more. The South Georgia film festival has been hosted by VSU since it first began five years ago and will take place on campus this year as well. Though the title suggests exclusivity, the festival is open to filmmakers across the world and both ...

The Blazer Volleyball team lost their first game of the season Tuesday, February 16 against Flagler College. The final score was 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-18). The first point of the Blazer season came from freshman right-side hitter Caitlin Warnshuis with the help of sophomore setter Katie Demo. The first set was a close call for the Blazers and the Saints ...

You may have seen some axe throwing on the front lawn during VSU’s spirit week hosted by Skoll Axe Throwing, but did you know the owner is actually a proud Blazer himself? Skal is a Norwegian word meaning “Cheers!” This kind of enthusiastic feeling is exactly what VSU senior Caleb Dixon was hoping to create when he founded Skoll Axe ...

Skilled. Tough. Leader. Crunch time. These are a few words head coach Mike Helfer used to describe Imoras Agee, a senior basketball player at VSU. Agee is an Alabama native currently playing in his second season for the VSU men’s basketball team. Agee started playing basketball in seventh grade, but he grew up playing football. “I grew up as a ...

Mike Helfer, the VSU men’s basketball head coach, tested positive for COVID-19 in Dec., resulting in the cancelation of two home games. “It’s not anyone’s fault, especially in sports, it’s not anyone’s fault if you get it,” Coach Helfer said. “But, it’s real. It’s very real and we have to respect that it is and be careful.” Helfer said there ...