This editorial reflects the general opinion of The Spectator staff. In 2021, before students migrated to YikYak, an anonymous app and Blazer Link, there was the V-State mobile app. The V-State app was a quick way for students to learn about events, check their dining options and interact with the campus community.  VSU announced that the app would be discontinued ...

The VSU Blazers fell to the Alabama Huntsville Chargers in the finale of the Gulf South Conference Men’s tournament championship 101-95.   Despite the Chargers sweeping the Blazers in the regular season, including their previous meeting coming down to the wire in overtime back in January, this game would determine the GSC conference champion.   The Chargers were fighting for their ...

Written By Christopher Mercer, Sports Editor. Photo Courtesy of Flickr  The VSU Blazers soundly defeated the Union Bulldogs 100-80 in the first round of the Gulf South Conference championship tournament.   Before this matchup, the Blazers won both regular-season matchups, 102-79 on Jan. 9 and 106-100 on Feb. 22.  This game was complete domination, as the Blazers held the lead ...

Written by Jasmine Hightower, Copyeditor. The City of Valdosta honored the winning team from VSU’s social media class during a city council meeting Feb. 20.  During the fall 2024 semester, students in the social media class taught by Dr. David Nelson worked alongside the Valdosta’s Public Information Office to create a social media campaign to increase public engagement within the ...

Written By Christopher Mercer, Photo courtesy of Volunteer Girl Scout.org As Black History Month ends, it is essential to appreciate the Black history that defined generations and to celebrate the trailblazers who paved the way for past and present players.   This list will consist not only of athletes who changed the game in their respective sports but were also ...

Written by Bailey Wilson, Managing Editor. VSU Theatre and Dance have continued to dazzle audiences with their spring dance concerts, and their latest show, “Evolve,” has taken the creativity of the department to new heights– in some moments, literally. The project includes a statewide premiere of a collaborative piece that has been years in the making, as well as VSU’s ...

By James Brown, Winter Dube and Ansley DeCenzo, Spectator Staff Writers  The entire VSU community is being heavily impacted by federal and state directives related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts at universities nationwide.  VSU President Richard Carvajal spoke at a recent Faculty Senate meeting regarding how the federal decisions have impacted the university, including many changes to the ...

Story By: Bailey Wilson, Ansley DeCenzo, Arizona Renfroe, Lloy Hudson, Winter Dube, Armoné Gates, James Brown, Jasmine Hightower, SeanTae-A Price  In a small blue house next to the Student Health Center, a student walks through the yellow front door of the ELI Annex. She stops just long enough to sign her name on the sheet on the table in front ...

Written by Bailey Wilson, Managing Editor. After two months, there is a definitive timeline on what happened after VSU’s networks were hacked into. In late June of 2024, a zip file containing malware was downloaded onto a computer on campus, which went undetected and inactivated until December. It entered the system through a “business-needed template” and remained invisible until VSU’s ...

Written by Lloydrica Hudson, Staff Reporter. A hidden gem off Saint Augustine Road is a perfect way to describe Outback Steakhouse of Valdosta, Georgia.   A delightful greeting from the hostess Trish met with a smile and introduction to my table. She suggested the Blooming Onion, a must when dining in at any Outback.   The Blooming Onion is greasy, small, and ...