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odum library now offers
more than just books.
Most recently, odum li-
brary participated in interna-
tional tabletop day on
March 30.
this was a day for people
to come together and play
tabletop board games as part
of the library’s attempt to
bring the community togeth-
er, according to Jeff Gallant,
reference librarian.
on March 18, the Knot-
work designs exhibit opened
for students and faculty to en-
joy.
the exhibit allowed 62-
year-old elantu Baiat
Veovode to display her Knot-
work designs which are on
display in the hub Gallery on
the second floor of odum li-
brary.
Many of the librarians are
excited to turn odum from a
place of research and study-
ing to a must see attraction.
dr. alan Bernstein ex-
plained that although the li-
brary suggests an academic
atmosphere, there is still a
need for a more modern aca-
demic library.
“We’ve always tried to en-
courage the library to be
more than just that place you
go to study, but [to be] a
meeting place, a hangout and
a place of comfort,” dr.
Bernstein said. “We accept
the idea of active learning as
a part of the more modern
academic library.”
in december 2012, odum
library hosted the Club
odum Pajama Party for fi-
nals week at VSU. the event
included s’mores, board
games and many other fun
activities that allowed stu-
dents to unwind after a long
week of exams.
the library aims to work
with other departments and
staff such as ra’s and resi-
dence halls to implement a
more enjoyable learning
space.
in mid-april, reference li-
brarian Michael holt will
host “read fest,” an annual
event that marks national li-
brary Week which is spon-
sored by the american li-
brary association and cele-
brates the contributions of the
nation’s libraries and librari-
ans.
odum also attempts to
reach out to the youth to
make education enjoyable.
each year, the library invites
pre-K students from area
schools to come enjoy read-
ing in a fun and educational
way.
dr. Bernstein believes that
although new ideas and activ-
ities are being implemented,
it will not be at the expense
of the library.
“odum is still, very much,
always a learning place,” he
said.
Celebration will continue
on campus as the University
gears up for the investiture of
VSU’s ninth president, dr.
William McKinney.
events have been planned
to fill the week leading up to
dr. McKinney’s investiture
on friday, as well as the fol-
lowing Saturday.
events, including sym-
posia, have focused on en-
gaged innovation in higher
education.
the biggest events of the
week will take place on fri-
day. dr. McKinney’s investi-
ture ceremony will take place
at 10 a.m. and an inaugural
ball to benefit student schol-
arships will be held at 6 p.m.
today’s events will include
a symposium in the Student
Union theatre at noon, dur-
ing which dr. George
Mehaffy will focus on “the
role of innovation in higher
education,” according to the
event description on the offi-
cial schedule.
light refreshments will be
provided during this event,
which is free and open to stu-
dents, faculty and staff.
at 6 p.m., dr. McKinney
and his wife, dr. dacia
Charlesworth, will host
“Mixing it Up with the Presi-
dent and first lady,” during
which the two will teach at-
tendees how to mix special
cocktails developed for the
inauguration. Pre-registration
is required for this event.
later this evening, the
VSU Performing arts Show-
case will take place in White-
head auditorium.
this event, beginning at 8
p.m., is open to the public.
the performance will feature
student and faculty artists
from various genres. a recep-
tion will follow shortly after.
Saturday’s events will be
“Zumba® with the first
lady” on the front lawn at
9:30 a.m. and “employee
BBQ” at noon. attendance is
restricted to employees only
for the barbeque, but
Zumba® is open to the pub-
lic.
earlier events this week in-
cluded a symposium, “high-
lighting innovation in our
Community,” Battle of the
Bands, day of Service, a
blood drive and the “Student
and alumni Barbeque” on
Wednesday.
the Undergraduate re-
search Symposium took
place on Monday and tues-
day.
other events on tuesday
included an symposium,
“highlighting innovation in
our Classrooms,” and a pre-
show discussion of Pippin
before the performance, pre-
sented by the VSU theatre
department.
on Monday, dr. david
Williams presented research
about the Civil War during
the symposium, “highlight-
ing innovation in our Schol-
arship,” and student artists
explained their works in the
Student art Competition.
April 4, 2013 W W W . V S U S P E C T A T O R . C O M VOLUME 84 ISSUE 24
Inside This Issue- OPINIONS: “everyone deserves right to marriage”
- FEATURES: “MtV star found dead in vehicle”
- SPORTS: “VSU looks to sweep UWf friday”
On the Web
www.vsuspectator.com
Performing Arts
showcAse - whitehead
Auditorium, 8 p.m.
a collaborative event
featuring groups of talented
students and faculty from
various performing arts
across VSU. this event is
free and open to the public.
hosted by Dr. John gaston,
Dean of the college of the
Arts.
cleArly your crystAls
student union
organization lounge,
2:30 - 8:30 p.m.
attendees will get a 3d
image of their faces etched
into a crystal cube with laser
imaging equipment. this
event is free of charge.
hosted by cAB.
wiccAn reBirth event
odum library room
3609, 6:30-8 p.m.
attendees will learn about
the Wiccan wheel of the year
and the passionate journey of
the lord and lady. a brief
documentary will be shown
and a ceremony about
moving forward from the
past with perfect love and
trust will take place. this
event is open to all. hosted
by the wiccan and Pagan
society.
BoArD gAme night -
odum library room
1480, 8 p.m.
this event is free. Snacks
will be provided. hosted by
natural high.
summer/fAll eArly
registrAtion
continues-
freshmen are eligible to
register starting at 7 a.m. to-
day.
summer registration
ends at midnight on
April 19. fall
registration ends at
midnight on April 26.
Today at VSU
Check out Neil Frawley’s
article on the making of
Blazefest!
Soccer’s Soccer’s
leading scorerleading scorer
transferstransfers
See pg. 5 for the details.
Weather
71 H 55 L
Rain/
Thunder
Today
67 H 46 L
Friday
50 L78 H
Saturday
PM
Showers
Partly
Cloudy
Today in History
April 4, 1968:
Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr.
assassinated
dr. King was shot in
Memphis, tenn. at the
lorraine Motel.
Source: history.com
VSU celebrates inauguration FacultySenate:No morefall break
fall Break is no more,
thanksgiving Break is now
one week long and Winter
Break is now one week
longer.
those were the recommen-
dations given out by the fac-
ulty Senate on thursday af-
ternoon, after arguments
were heard from both sides
of the issue of the date
changes. these recommenda-
tions will be sent to President
William McKinney, who will
either approve or deny the
changes.
“last semester, we had
fall Break on Monday and
tuesday, right?” asked José
Vélez-Marulanda, assistant
professor of mathematics.
“So many of my class didn't
come on Wednesday.”
Vélez-Marulanda went on
to explain that while the idea
of a fall break was good in
theory, it was not good in
practice, as students would
wind up missing valuable
class time.
another professor had
problems with how late the
schedule was being adjusted.
“What is the process of
making this decision?”
Catherine Schaeffer, associ-
ate professor of dance, said.
“[... t]he people in theatre
and dance and art and sym-
phony have a deadline for se-
curing rights for plays and
making an extensive sched-
ule for who gets to do what
and when.
“that's already been done
based on thinking that this
decision had been made.
Who's making the final cal-
endar? We need to know, and
we need to purchase rights
for plays, and once you've
set your schedule, you can't
change it, because there are
thousands of people in-
volved.”
Jimmy Bickerstaff, assis-
tant professor of theatre,
echoed those sentiments.
“With so many activities
scheduled and so many dif-
ferent facilities involving
thousands of people, to have
us still talking about the
schedule at this point is way
late for us,” Bickerstaff said.
“it needs to be done at least a
year in advance.”
Maren Clegg-hyer, associ-
ate professor of english, ex-
plained that the scheduling
normally was done in ad-
vance, and another organiza-
tion – one that was not
named – had planned things
out a long time in advance,
and these sort of changes
should not continue.
“once we set the dates, we
need to think about more of
these things so we don't have
this problem again in the fu-
ture,” she said.
the vote for replacing fall
Break with a week-long
thanksgiving Break was 35
in favor, seven against, and
two abstaining. the vote for
pushing spring semester back
a week was unanimous.
Brian hickey / The SpecTATor
Students and alumni partake in the “Student & Alumni Barbeque” Wednesday. The Barbeque was
moved to the P.E. Complex due to inclement weather.
Joe AdgieS o C i a l M e d i a
e d i t o r
Amber Smithe d i t o r - i n - C h i e f
Will Lewis / The SpecTATor
The Southeastern Community Blood Center co-hosted a blood
drive with other VSU organizations as part of Wednesday’s
inauguration events.
Check out the Web
Spectator for coverage
of inauguration events!
Odum much more than just libraryQuasha RossS ta f f W r i t e r
Amber Smith / The SpecTATor
(From left) Nodella Valenti, 7; Avery Mooney, 4; Trinity Mooney, 6;
and Morganna Donathan, 5 play “Trouble” as Meghan Donathan,
Library Assistant for Interlibrary Loan, supervises during Interna-
tional Tabletop Day at Odum Library on March 30.
April 5
Nevins gated lot and
admissions parking lot
will be closed for the
Presidential investiture
ceremony. timed parking
spaces near Brown, lowndes
and Patterson halls may be
blocked to accomodate
guests.
April 5, 8:22 p.m.
Sigma Gamma rho
Sorority, inc., Neophyte
Presentation
Bailey Science Center
Auditorium, Room 1011
April 6, 7:30 p.m.
Sima trio performing at
VSU as part of their
Georgia tour. Performance is
free and open to the
public.
Whitehead Auditorium
For more information
email M. Brent Williams at
April 8, 6 p.m.
Peace corps information
Session sponsored by
career Services.
call 333-5942 by april 5 to
register.
April 11, 4 p.m.
Swim-a-Poolooza
Campus Rec Pool
First 30 participants to sign
up will receive a free
t-Shirt. Sign up at the
campus rec front desk.
For more information
contact eddie St-Vil at
April 11
Upscale: the collegiate Men
of VSU formal event.
Hilton Garden Inn
tickets are now on sale for
$5 (women) and $7 (men).
Food and music available.
contact any executive
member to purchase your
ticket:
Paul rosemond (president)
April 15, 5:30 p.m.
attention student
organizations!
applications for office space
in the Student Union are due
by the date posted to the
Student life office on the
third floor of the
Student Union.
they are available on the
Student life website and
campus connect.
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STUDENTS: Sell Textbooks HERE ~ FREE
to main campus – Only 2blocks behind UniversityCenter, electric stove, re-frigerator & dishwasher.Save 5% off with a Stu-dent ID! Call 229-292-4400 TODAY
USED BOOK SALE:Thousands of qualityused hardcover and pa-perback books. Satur-day, April 13, from 8a.m. to 2 p.m. in the St.John Parish Center, 800Gornto Road. Proceedsbenefit Birthright of Val-dosta.
The Classifieds
APRIL 4, 2013
Available Parking
Spaces
Faculty and Staff
parking: Ga avenue
lots, old alumni house,
Uc, Martin Hall, Fine
arts, oak deck and lot.
Student parking:
designated parking areas
still open.
Upcoming Events
Applications are now
available for the
Spectator!
apply now for a paid position on our editorial
staff or unpaid position as an assistant editor.
For more
information contact
editor-in-chief
amber Smith
or
Managing editor
Jennifer Gleason
applications are due april 22.
Scan the Qr code for
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Correction:
Users of the new mobile app tapingo must place their orders
through their smartphones or by visiting the website
http://www.tapingo.com. currently, tapingo cannot be used
at the chick-Fil-a in the Student Union, Starbucks and
chef’s table along with the places mentioned in the article.
an article titled “tapingo creates ease in ordering, paying for
dining” in the March 28 edition of the Spectator stated other-
wise.
the SGa gave $5,000 to
themselves on Monday for
their upcoming SGa week--
the largest donation they
have given an organization
this year.
the money will be used to
plan an entire week of events
to take place april 8 through
12, according to SGa elec-
tion chair desiray Ward.
“the $5,000 was to cover
the cookout, refreshments at
the town hall meeting and
the debate, and to pay for
various items like pens, wa-
ter bottles and sunglasses
that SGa plans to give away
during SGa week,” Ward
wrote in an email on
Wednesday night. “We do
not plan on using all $5,000,
but whatever is not used can
go back into our SGa ac-
count.”
Ward stated that the differ-
ence between this donation
and donations to other orga-
nizations is that in most cas-
es, funds do not go back into
the SGa account.
Ward had originally re-
quested $4,500, but the
amount was increased at the
suggestion of SGa comp-
troller Hassanat oshodi.
“Why not five?” oshodi
asked.
discussion from the debate
centered on spending the
money for refreshments.
“You should make sure
that you should get more
cokes than you did last
year,” Senator Jacqui robin-
son, said. “i was one of the
people who did the sodas last
year, and you had an unruly
crowd last year because you
had run out of Sprite and
cokes, and all you had left
were diet cokes. i’m doing
the sodas again this year, but
i’m not going to get run over
by some kid that’s mad be-
cause all that’s left is diet
coke.”
the request for the money
passed unanimously.
the SGa week is intended
to bring attention to their up-
coming senatorial and execu-
tive elections. around 30
hopefuls turned in their let-
ters of intent for the senatori-
al elections, after the dead-
line was extended to Mon-
day.
there are seven hopefuls
for executive seats. ryan
Baerwalde is running for re-
election in the Presidential
race against William Jimer-
son. Hassanat oshodi is run-
ning unopposed in the Vice
Presidential race and Kara
Fountain is running unop-
posed in the race for Secre-
tary. there are three candi-
dates running for comptrol-
ler: William Mast, Micah
Howell, and erica adams.
Joe AdgieS o c i a l M e d i a
e d i t o r
SGA OKs
funding for
weeklong
celebration
SGA Notes:
Next week’s Spectator
will feature interviews
from all of the
executive candidates.
HAPPY
‘TATOR
DAY!
Drivers should thank cy-
clists for saving gas and
keeping the air clean, but in
many cases cyclists are the
targets of violent
accidents.
“It seems like a
lot of drivers are
uninformed about
cyclists on the
road which causes
danger,” Edward
Rollins, president of Blazer
Cycling Club, said.
Rollins has been cycling
since 2008, but on Feb. 11 of
last year he was forced to put
down his beloved bicycle.
Rollins and his seven team-
mates were cruising at about
30 mph, when a driver in a
car decided to pull out in
front of them. Two of the
seven were injured, including
Rollins, who was thrown off
his bike.
In most states bicycles
must abide by the same traf-
fic laws as motor vehicles.
The only exception to this is
interstate highways, which
are prohibited to cyclists.
Drivers are usually infuriat-
ed when they see a cyclist on
the street when there is a side
walk right next to them, but
this anger is misplaced.
According to the Georgia
Governor’s Office of High-
way Safety, it is illegal for
anyone over the age of 12 to
ride their bike on the side-
walk as it causes danger to
pedestrians. According to the
law, if a cyclist rides their
bike on the sidewalk, that is
just as illegal as if a driver
decided to drive their car on
the sidewalk. A vehicle is a
vehicle.
Although sometimes cy-
clists are
to blame
in road-
way acci-
dents, it
is always
up to a
driver to take responsibility
in being cautious around
someone with less protection
than themselves. According
to Brent A. Buice, executive
director of Georgia Bikes,
motorists should always yield
to cyclists. Buice advises mo-
torists to give at least three
feet to pass a cyclist and al-
ways make turns carefully.
Cyclists do not ride their
bikes just to anger car dri-
vers, although many angry
drivers assume so.
“I'm only trying to get to
where I need to go safely and
efficiently,” Kate Powlison,
marketing manager of People
for Bikes, said. “I don't mean
to slow them down or get in
their way. I'm a driver too.”
Research shows that when
people ride
bikes, the
roads get
safer for
everyone,
and road
conges-
tion and
health-
care costs
drop.
As far
as con-
gestion
goes, just
imagine a
busy city street with cars
parked along the street on
both sides. Now imagine that
same street where 50 percent
of those cars are bikes—not
as much car exhaust in the at-
mosphere, and a lot more
breaths of fresh air.
“Even if you don’t ride a
bike, you should support bi-
cycling because it’s improv-
ing the world for you,”
Powlison said.
For those people out there
who hate cyclists, stop shak-
ing your fists and start being
respectful.
Drivers need to accept that
there will always be bikes on
the road and the bikes have
just as much as a right to be
there as drivers do.
Opinions expressed in the Spectator other than editorials are the opinions of the writers of signed columns and not necessarily those
of the Spectator and its staff. All rights reserved. Reprints by permission of the editors. Views in this newspaper are not necessarily
those of the Valdosta State University administration, faculty and staff.
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Online at www.vsuspectator.com
Spectator StaffEditor-in-Chief: Amber Smith Managing Editor:Jennifer GleasonBusiness Manager: Brandon MainerAdvertising Manager:Aimee NapierCirculation Manager: Sarah TurnerOpinions Editor: Stephen CavallaroFeatures Editor: Amanda Usher
Sports Editor: Eric JacksonPhoto Editor: Cody HicksMultimedia Editor: Von Kennedy Web Designer: Rebecka McAleerCopy Editor: Shambree WartelCartoonist: Garrison MuelhausenSocial Media Editor: Joe Adgie Faculty Advisers: Dr. PatMiller, Dr. Ted Geltner, KeithWarburg
Reporters/Photographers:Derrick Davis, Veronica Dominicis, Allison Ericson, AceEspenshied, Neil Frawley, BrianHickey Jr., Ivey Ingalls-Rubin,Jessica Ingram, Chris Kessler,Will Lewis, Olivia McLean,Ritsuki Miyazaki, Ray Pack Jr.Anthony Pope, John Preer,Quasha Ross, Isaiah Smart,Taylor Stone, Shane ThomasAlex Tostado, Jamal TullSarah Turner, James Washington, Steven Setser
aprIL 4, 2013 vsuspectator.com | page 3OpiniOns
On March 25, 2013, the
United States Supreme Court
agreed to a future hearing
concerning the Michigan
Civil Rights Initiative, also
known as Proposal 2.
The proposal, which bans
any preferential treatment on
the basis of race, color, gen-
der or religion, became law
in Michigan in 2006.
Many argue that this pro-
posal is a repeal of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, and an
indirect means of end-
ing what is known as
affirmative action.
I think that affirma-
tive action should re-
main just like it is.
Though the majority
of society may refuse to
admit it, the world is
full of racism and dis-
crimination. A person
does not have to look
anywhere beyond Val-
dosta to see this.
Race and gender
have always influenced
decisions at colleges
and businesses in our
country. If they didn’t,
we wouldn’t have a
need for affirmative ac-
tion in the first place.
This poses a question: How
does one institute “alterna-
tives” to affirmative action?
If other methods are imple-
mented for the same purpose,
then why not just keep the
method that is already enact-
ed?
I agree that it is wrong to
accept someone who is not as
qualified for a position just to
show sympathy because of
their skin color, gender, or re-
ligion.
Let’s keep in mind, howev-
er, that this is not the basis of
affirmative action.
Affirmative action is not an
excuse to select someone of
lesser ability simply because
of their race. What it does is
ensures that, no matter where
you come from, you have a
chance. If you do the same
work, you should reap the
same reward.
A person’s race, gender or
religious beliefs have ab-
solutely nothing to do with
their ability to learn or per-
form. They are, however,
barriers that have been used
to prevent certain people
from being able to show
these talents to the world.
Affirmative action gets
your foot in the door. What
you do once you arrive is up
to you.
People Poll
This editorial was written by Joe Adgie ([email protected]) and it expresses the general opinion of the editorial staff.
Our point of view...
Should anyonedetermine who
can get married?
Affirmative action started
during the Civil Rights
Movement, and was created
to initiate and encourage
equality in the both the work-
place and school systems for
all minorities.
Recently, affirmative action
has gotten the University of
Texas and the University of
Michigan into trouble. In
each case, the university used
race as an incentive to fill
freshman positions with mi-
norities (which was obvious
on the application.)
This is both unequal and
discriminatory. After all,
aren't colleges supposed to
look at academic earnings
and qualifications instead of
race?
Grutter vs. Bollinger, a
Supreme Court decision in
2003 that urged colleges and
universities to have a diverse
student body, is the reason
why university systems are
under fire for discrimination
to majority applicants.
Affirmative action tries to
solve racism by allowing mi-
nority students into their in-
stitutions, creating a diverse
student body, but overlooking
academic accomplishments
achieved by all races-
- not just minorities.
Changes need to
take place, and the
Supreme Court
should re-think its
decision. The uni-
versity systems
should be based on
the achievements of
students on a scholar-
ly basis instead of
race--just as the
workforce employ-
ment should employ
people based on their
qualifications.
If anything, the
box to choose your
race should not be on
college applications.
Instead, if accepted into the
university, students should
then have the opportunity to
take a survey on their racial
status. This way, universities
can receive statistical data
showing diversity in an hon-
est way.
With affirmative action in
place, racism, both as a mi-
nority and majority situation,
will continue to exist. By di-
minishing affirmative action,
it will get states' attention on
the educational system in
neighborhoods that need to
reach standards that would al-
low all students to reach
higher education.
James WashingtonS TA F F W R I T E R
Affirmative action faces debate
Everyone deserves right to marriage
Veronica DominicisS TA F F W R I T E R
Drivers should respect cyclistsSarah Turner
S TA F F W R I T E R
MCT
Allow us to paint a picture
for you: two consenting
adults love each other.
They’ve loved each other for
years, they’re faithful to each
other and they decide that
they want to get married.
There’s nothing wrong with
that. But what if the two
adults are of the same gen-
der?
For some, this is an unac-
ceptable act. Some people
claim that this marriage will
undermine the institution of
marriage – that the sanctity
of marriage will be damaged
by these two adults who
have loved and been faithful
to each other for years.
Give us a break.
If you sit down and think
about it – and we mean real-
ly think about it – you’ll find
that these two adults getting
married won’t do anything to
hurt the sanctity of marriage.
These are two people that
have decided that they want
to spend the rest of their
lives together. How does
that threaten marriage?
How does it cheapen it?
Others contend that
these two adults getting
married will undermine
the traditional family.
Is this really likely?
These two loving men or
women being together
will threaten the family
unit more than the father
spending his days late at
work doing God knows
what with his secretary
and leaving his wife after
20 years of marriage?
These two loving men or
women being together
will threaten the family
unit more than some
scumbag sleeping around
and having a dozen kids
with a dozen women?
Frankly, if you really
think two men or women
getting married threatens
your own marriage,
maybe you should take a
look in the mirror and see
what’s wrong with your
own relationship and not
attack someone else’s life.
Having thought about it
for a bit, we here at the
Spectator do not really
think our relationships will
be threatened by this. If
anything, it would be our
own personal shortcom-
ings that would threaten
our relationships. It would
be someone cheating on
someone else. It would be
someone turning out to be
incompatible with some-
one else. It would be
someone changing for the
worse. These are all fac-
tors found within any rela-
tionship.
The constitutionality of
The Defense of Marriage
Act, as you know, is cur-
rently being discussed by
the Supreme Court.
DOMA prohibits same-sex
couples from receiving the
benefits that a heterosexual
couple would normally get
(see, for example, the bene-
fits that were denied Tam
O’Shaughnessy, the partner
of Sally Ride, the first Amer-
ican woman in space, after
Ride died in 2012), and this
is hardly equal protection
under the law.
It sounds a lot like the
“Separate but Equal” lan-
guage that saw segregation
in many public services,
such as schools. We learned
then, as now, that separate
but equal is a misnomer. The
same exists for same-sex
couples, who deserve the
same rights that a heterosex-
ual couple has.
It’s not going to hurt your
relationship. It’s not going to
undermine your marriage. If
it does, that’s your problem,
not everyone else’s.
MCT
In sad TV news, 21-year-
old, Shain Gandee, one of the
stars of the MTV reality show
“Buckwild,” was found dead
in his vehicle along with two
others Monday morning.
Thought of as the comedic
relief of the show that cen-
tered on a group of young
people in West Virginia doing
random dangerous things,
Gandee’s death came as a
shock to everyone.
MTV immediately released
a statement regarding the
death.
“We are shocked and sad
dened by the terrible news
about Shain Gandee, and
those involved in this tragic
incident.”
Since the shenanigans per-
formed on the show were of-
ten alcohol related, many
were quick to suggest that
foul play might be involved.
A coroner’s initial report
determined that the reality
star died of carbon monoxide
poisoning.
MTV has also announced
that production on the second
season of “Buckwild” has
been temporarily terminated.
To read more of this
week’s Pop Addict, catch it
on the Web Spectator at
vsuspectator.com. Visit to see
which “Glee” star checked
himself into rehab earlier this
week.
PAge 4 | vsusPectAtoR.comfeatures
APRIL 4, 2013
If you have been to any
Blazer sporting event,
there is one person you
are sure to have seen. Usually
running around hyping the
crowd or greeting all the fans
is Marc Kaiser.
Kaiser, graduate assistant
for marketing in the athletic
office, attended VSU for both
his undergraduate and now
for his graduate degree.
During his career as a VSU
cross country athlete, he
spent his free time attending
other sporting events and
supporting the Blazers.
His relationship with the
athletic department all began
at a softball game when he
wanted to be the one to throw
the first pitch.
After getting odd looks
from the ticketing director
when he asked if he could,
Kaiser struck up a deal. He
proposed that he would be al-
lowed to throw the first pitch
if he could break the atten-
dance record for a VSU soft-
ball game. He did just that.
Soon after his first pitch
that landed right in the strike
zone, Kaiser began working
closely with social media for
Blazer Athletics.
He came up with the idea
to create a persona named
Blazer Spark, and created a
Facebook page for him. Blaz-
er Spark quickly gained many
followers and was known as
the voice for athletics as he
sported a red and black body
suit all over campus.
Kaiser continued to intern
for the athletic department
until graduation, where he
was offered his graduate as-
sistant position.
“I want to make fans have
as much fun as possible,” he
said. “I want to make sure
they will come back to anoth-
er game.”
During football season,
Kaiser can be found running
around with signs to get the
crowd involved, checking on
all the inner workings from
the concession stand to the
police on duty, and being an
all around crowd pleaser.
“I have to be a part of the
atmosphere, I have to be that
energy people are looking for
when they come to a game,”
he said.
If you were to ask Kaiser
who his favorite sports team
is, he would quickly tell you
the Blazers. He doesn’t fol-
low any major league or col-
lege team, but focuses on the
men and women right here in
Titletown.
Kaiser is an enthusiast for
the Blazers and genuinely
cares about the players and
all the hard work they put in
for game day.
On game day, he and a
team of interns are working
to make sure everything runs
smoothly, from in-game en-
tertainment to promotion of
upcoming events. Junior
Cierra Moore is one of those
interns who work closely
with Kaiser.
“He’s very dedicated,”
Moore said. “He loves to
keep everyone in the stands
motivated and gets the
crowd going at the games.”
When Kaiser isn’t at a
game, he is preparing for the
next one. All of his hard
work has made him an im-
portant asset in the athletic
department.
One of Kaiser’s friends
and former VSU football
player, Cam Short, has got-
ten to know him well during
his time in the department.
“He has a trade no one
else has; you can just enjoy
listening to him on that mi-
crophone,” Short said. “He’s
singlehandedly making the
athletic program better.”
In the future, Kaiser hopes
to work for a professional
sports team in promotions
and continue to be a part of a
sports family.
VSU’s hype man boosts crowd morale
Photo By Jerome Horne
Marc Kaiser, athletic graduate
assistant, thrives on keeping
the crowd hyped during one of
VSU’s football games.
Dowling Payne
Did You Know...?
According to the Child Welfare website, April became
National Child Abuse Prevention Month in 1983. In
1989, the Blue Ribbon Campaign to Prevent Child
Abuse was created to raise awareness. To learn more
about this month, you can visit childwelfare.gov.
Over 100 works of art created by all students were show-
cased at the Student Competition in the Fine Arts Gallery at
the reception Monday at 7 p.m. The showcase featured all
types of art, including sculptures, photos, drawings and
more. It will be opened to the general public until Friday.
Campus-wide art
show continues
Von Kennedy/THE SPECTATOR
MTV star
found
dead in
vehicle
Po p
Ad d i c tAnthony Pope
OddEven
vsusPectAtoR.com | PAge 5APRIL 4, 2013 SportS
Up YourMobility
Click Here
To Get This:
Download The Spectator’s
MOBILE APP for Apple and
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Cross Countryhead coach
search begins
the search for the next
Valdosta State cross country
head coach has unofficially
begun.
todd Smoot announced
last month that he’ll be step-
ping down at end of the acad-
emic year after accepting the
director of Fitness position at
the YMCA in Lake park.
VSU Athletic director
Herb reinhard has begun to
field some inquiries.
“We have not posted the
position at this point, but
word is out that Coach Smoot
is going to retire at the end of
this academic year, some in-
dividuals that follow the pro-
gram are aware that the posi-
tion is open,” reinhard said.
Smoot's successor will be
in charge of both men's and
women's teams as he was.
in his four-year tenure,
Smoot orchestrated his teams
to success in both competi-
tion and in the classroom.
His athletes have been
named All-Gulf South Con-
ference six times and has had
five athletes earn national
All-Academic honors a total
of 13 times.
VSU’s next head coach is
expected to continue building
the program off Smoot's all-
around success.
Smoot will continue his
duties as owner of A Course
Line, LLC, which is a com-
pany that hosts local area
runs.
the cross country's head
coach opening is only a part-
time position, unlike most
VSU coaches.
With the summer just
around the corner, the athletic
department plans to have the
position filled rather soon.
“We've had some individu-
als indicate an interest in the
position. it is a part-time
coaching position, so it's a
little bit unique, in the factors
and consideration that we
have to take into account for
that position, and we hope to
have somebody named in the
next couple weeks,” rein-
hard said.
VSU Archives
Don’t forget tofollow
@Blazersportson Twitter!
Want to be asports writer?
email:[email protected]
Lady Blazer soccer update
Upcoming scrimmage
against men’s club soccer:
VSU women’s soccer is
getting into the thick of
spring training.
For the third time, the Lady
Blazers face off against the
men’s soccer club team in the
annual scrimmage on Sunday.
this spring the ladies have
already played a couple
matches resulting in a tie
against North Florida and a
loss to Jacksonville Universi-
ty.
“the spring is neat because
kids get a chance to step up
when they didn’t get as many
chances in the fall,” Head
Coach Melissa Heinz said.
“especially, our freshman
right now erin Hill, Kim
Caitlin (Alderman), Shelby
Jennings, and reanne Harris
have stepped up this spring.”
during the upcoming sea-
son, VSU will be relying on
incoming freshman and trans-
fers on both sides of the ball.
Heinz says VSU expects to
sign two puerto ricans and
one German player soon.
that adds to at least eight
ladies that have already com-
mitted to VSU to play soccer
this fall.
there will be plenty of
competition for minutes next
season and scrimmages can
make a difference for one
player over another.
“We need to work on
cleaning up every aspect of
the field in the back, middle,
and the front,” Heinz said.
“But we’re playing very
well. i’m excited about how
our maturity has grown and
just looking for our game to
be even stronger.
the scrimmage against the
men's club team starts at 4
p.m.Sunday.
Rebecca Miller transfers:
VSU women soccer's lead-
ing scorer last season, sopho-
more rebecca Miller, is leav-
ing the Lady Blazers to join a
new red and black.
the oppourtunity to contin-
ue her success playing for
VSU made her decision to
transfer to the University of
Georgia much harder.
“Since i was younger, go-
ing to a big state school was
always a dream of mine,”
Miller said. “that [soccer]
was one of the hardest things
about this decision.”
Miller is not transferring to
play soccer competitively at
UGA.
“With soccer i’m going to
miss the competitiveness and
the drive that our coaches
give us. And also the little
things like scoring goals,
sliding, and tackling,” Miller
said.
despite getting ready for a
new chapter of life, she has
no regrets coming to play
soccer for the Lady Blazers.
“i gained the privilege to
play college soccer for two
years, not many people have
the opportunity to do that,”
Miller said. “i’m really
thankful for Coach Heinz to
give me the opportunity and
the team to play with me for
two years.”
Last season Miller scored
six goals, tied for the team
leader in assists (4), and had
27 shots on-goal which is
more than double of any of
her teammates total shots.
A year after a berth into the
NCAA tournament, the Lady
Blazers will look for others to
step up on the offensive side
with the loss.
“We’re playing spring games
right now and trying to find
people to step up and fill that
role,” Heinz said. “We’ve had
a few [girls step up], mainly
it’s erin (Hill) our freshman
and Blakely (McClellan), and
even some players attacking
out of the back more.”
regardless, the Lady Blaz-
ers have no doubt they'll still
be offensively sound next
season, but they will definite-
ly miss No. 8.
“[the teams going to miss]
her high energy, great person-
ality, and her care for her
teammates and this program,”
Heinz said. “She’s always go-
ing to be one of our players
that put her footprints into the
program
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ANSWERS
Sudoku
Ace EspenshiedA S S t. S p o r t S e d i t o r
Todd Smoot steps down after
four seasons.
Chris KesslerS p o r t S W r i t e r
PAge 6 | vsusPectAtoR.com APRIL 4, 2013s p o r t s
No.3 Valdosta State (26-8)
softball aims to complete a
regular-season sweep against
foe West Florida (13-17) Sat-
urday afternoon.
the two squads meet again
after the Blazers defeated the
Argonauts (5-4, 11-5) a
month ago in pensacola, Fla.,
and look for their eighth
straight victory over UWF.
“We’ve been blessed,”
coach thomas Macera said.
“We’ve played well against
them; the last games we
played at West Florida were
very close. they hit three
balls against us there that
would have left our park be-
cause they have a very big
park, so it would have been a
lot different game this year.
We just gotta play a lot hard-
er this weekend to keep that
streak going.”
the Argos last beat the
Blazers on March 6, 2011.
Both UWF and VSU come
into the matchup after play-
ing Gulf South Conference
standings leader Union last
weekend.
the Blazers managed to
take Game 1 (4-1), but the
second game was rained out
and the day before the Argos
split a doubleheader (6-0, 0-
2) against the Bulldogs.
the Blazers are back for
their final home stand after
being on the road the last
couple weeks.
“We’re glad to be home,”
Macera said. “these road
trips are long; everybody we
play is eight, 10, 12 hours
away. For them to sleep in
their own bed now and to be
able to recover a little bit bet-
ter these next few games def-
initely helps.”
Macera is making sure the
Blazers take it one game at a
time as the Gulf South Con-
ference tournament quickly
approaches then the NCAA
division ii tournament fol-
lows.
“We gotta get there first,”
Macera said. “We gotta keep
winning games now and just
keep preparing for the next
day.”
the defending national
champs have a chance to pick
up some steam heading into
the postseason with three
doubleheaders against con-
ference teams at home the
next three weekends.
VSU has four more
doubleheaders against con-
ference teams before the
GSC tournament on May 3rd.
the Blazers play Game 1
at 4 p.m. and Game 2 follows
Saturday at Steel’s diamond
at Blazer park.
Follow eric @epjackson and
d.J. @dmac21bucs on
twitter.
D.J. DavisS p o r t S W r i t e r
&
Eric JacksonS p o r t S e d i t o r
Catcher Ashley Steinhilber earned three runs and homered once in the last meeting against UWF. The senior will try to help extend
the winning streak against the Argos to eight Saturday.
VSU looks to sweep UWF Saturday
Stephen Nowland/NCAA Photos
Lefty Pete Whittingslow threw a complete game, only allowing two hits in a 5-1 win over West Geor-
gia Saturday (left). First baseman Jake Montgomery earns a base-hit during the bottom of the sev-
enth inning of Game 1 (right).
Ritsuki Miyazaki/ THE SPECTATOR
Blazer baseball takes two of three
in weekend series vs. West Georgia
