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November 15, 2012 W W W . V S U S P E C T A T O R . C O M VOLUME 84 ISSUE 12
Inside This Issue- OPINIONS: “Deck the halls with marijuana”
- FEATURES: “More than just a pretty face”
- SPORTS: “VSU ready for Wildcats”
On the Webwww.vsuspectator.com
HOUSING CONTRACTS - Any re-
lease of housing contracts by
students transferring, withdraw-
ing or doing an internship
through VSU credit are due to
the Housing Office.
PEACE CORPS - Information
Session 6 to 7 p.m. in Powell
Hall-West, second floor. Call
333-5942 to register your atten-
dance.
FRENCH MOVIE - Bienvenus
chez les Ch’tis presented by Dr.
Ofélia Nikolova. Dogwood
Room, UC 7 p.m.
BRAVE - Join DM in Jennet Hall
Auditorium for popcorn and a
movie. The movie Brave will
show at 7 p.m.
KAPPA ALPHA PSI - The brothers
of the Lambda Phi Chapter of
Kappa Alpha Psi are having an
interest meeting at 7:11 in the
University Theater. Business at-
tire is required.
AMAZING SPIDERMAN - Join
Natural High at 8 p.m. in the Li-
brary Auditorium. Snacks pro-
vided. It’s all free! Call 259-
5111.
PICTURE ME MOUSE PADS -
CAB is giving out free mouse
pads with personalized photos!
Go to the Student Union Theater
Lobby from 5 to 9 p.m.
SCIENCE SEMINAR - The semi-
nar will be presented by Dr.
Elmer Gray, Department of En-
tomology, University of Geor-
gia, and the title is “Black Flies
and the Endangered Whooping
Crane: Is There a Link?” For
more information, visit the Sci-
ence Seminar Series webpage.
Today at VSU
Weather
AM
Showers
Today
Friday
45 L67 H
Partly
Cloudy
Saturday
What’s your favoriteThanksgiving food?
A. Turkey
B. Sweet Potato
Casserole
C. I like it all.
D. I don’t like holiday
food.
Vote online at www.vsuspectator.com!
Question ofthe week
Last WeekPoll Results
Are you happy with the
turnout of the election?
57 %Yes
34 %
9 %
No
I didn’t vote
Cloudy
Enjoy your break!
Rest up and come
back refreshed to
finish out the
semester.
Check out Amber Smith’sreview of Michael Myerz’
new album, “Metamorphosis.”
48 L67 H
47 L65 H
Construction may end soon
As the end of the year ap-
proaches, so—finally does near-
ly a decade of major construc-
tion projects on VSU’s main
campus.
According to Thressea Boyd,
director of communications, the
final project is north campus’
Health Sciences and Business
Administration building, costing
$32 million.
VSU expects construction to
be completed in January 2014.
According to Boyd’s article on
the building, the project has
been a part of the master plan
since 2004.
“At this point we do not have
any other major . . . construction
project[s],” Boyd said. “The rest
of the things you’ll see on cam-
pus would just be major and mi-
nor repairs and renovations.”
The HSBA building will
greatly expand some depart-
ments, such as VSU’s nursing
department.
“The construction for the
nursing department, the Health
Science building, is one of the
smartest things VSU has done,”
Mariah McDaniel, a senior nurs-
ing major, said. “When it’s all
over, we’ll have one of the best
nursing programs in the state.”
Boyd explained that due to a
lack of available land, main
campus won’t expand much in
the near future. Occasionally,
VSU will look at houses sur-
rounding campus as they be-
come available, but they are
looked at on a one-on-one basis.
The HSBA building is one of
the largest projects, but is by no
means the only big thing that
happened in the last several
years. Since 2007, VSU com-
pleted numerous projects, such
as the parking decks, Hopper
Hall, Centennial Hall and the
Student Union.
VSU’s 2004
master plan laid
out detailed plans
to expand main
and north campus
with the projects
listed on the
2007-2009 con-
struction sched-
ule. According to
Boyd, projects such as the Psy-
chology Building, Ashley Hall,
and the Bailey addition were
added later, as the master plan
was updated in 2007. The addi-
tional projects were added as
funds became available.
According to VSU’s website,
the earlier projects had a $150
million budget, which VSU suc-
cessfully stuck to. The $150 mil-
lion was acquired through bond
issuance of public and private
partners. Funds for the later pro-
jects were acquired separately.
The Psychology building cost
$5 million, and Ashley Hall and
the Bailey addition cost $5.5
million each. A detailed con-
struction budget isn’t available
online, but can be found in the
library. According to Boyd, con-
struction funding is listed as
“capital projects” or “mmr” (ma-
jor/minor renovations).
With such growth, students
have definitely taken notice.
Feelings toward construction,
costs and effects are varied.
While some new-to-campus
freshmen have a positive out-
look on the construction, some
longer-time students’ views dif-
fer. Students that have attended
VSU longer have lived through
more construction, witnessing
numerous projects.
“They’re making the campus
look more presentable for future
students,” Michaela Hutchinson,
a freshman crimi-
nal justice major,
said. “The first
thing students
look at in a col-
lege is the visual
of it. If the cam-
pus doesn't draw
people in, they’re
not going to be
interested in the
education part of the college.”
“Having to go the long way is
an inconvenience,” Sarah John-
son, junior biology major, said.
“Besides the Health Sciences
building, we don’t need it all.”
Patricia Martin, sophomore
biology major, said that she felt
the construction was endless.
However, many do appreciate
what the renovations are doing
for VSU, including the adminis-
tration.
According to Chelsea Wells, a
graduate clinical counseling psy-
chology student, all the con-
struction can be annoying, espe-
cially that of the parking decks,
but newly renovated buildings
are good and show growth.
“We’ve had what we would
consider ‘living learning’ con-
struction,” Boyd said, which is
construction that enhances the
academic learning environment
through places where students
live and learn.
“Construction is a positive
growth,” Boyd said. “It’s show-
ing that we’re keeping our facili-
ties up to date, providing the
best facilities for our students in
that living, learning environ-
ment.”
Dance Marathon hostsfundraiser for kids
VSU’s Dance Marathon will
host its annual Blazer-a-thon
from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sat-
urday in the Student Union Ball-
rooms A, B and C.
Blazer-a-thon is an event that
raises money for the “Miracle
Families” that have had kids
helped by Shands Hospital for
Children located in Gainesville,
Fla.
“Our purpose is to raise
awareness, help raise money for
the kids treated at Shands Hospi-
tal for Children at the University
of Florida and stand for those
who can’t,” Sara Whetsell, re-
cruitment chair for Dance
Marathon, said.
Crishaun Johnson, marketing
chairperson for Dance Marathon,
described the process.
“Registered organizations sign
up as teams, stand for 12 hours
[no sitting], and vow to raise $98
for Shands Hospital,” he said.
“This year the number 98 repre-
sents the 98% of children world-
wide that Children’s Miracle
Network Hospitals help each
year with a heart defect. This
year both of DM’s Miracle Chil-
dren were born with heart de-
fects and were or are treated at
Shands.”
Participants will not be danc-
ing for 12 hours straight, but will
learn a morale dance in the be-
ginning of the event that they
will perform every hour for 12
hours.
Blazer-a-thon will feature
games, prizes and other organi-
zations raising money and
awareness for Shands Hospital.
“The event consists of live
DJs, prizes and food donated
from local businesses and ven-
dors, entertainers, live miracle
stories for Miracle Families of
South Georgia, visitors from
CMNH, Shands, and other
Dance Marathons, the communi-
ty, volunteers and registered Stu-
dent Life organizations stand-
ing/dancing for a cause,” John-
son said.
Participants will be required
to pay a registration fee and
meet a fundraising requirement
of $98.
“[There’s] a $15 registration
fee . . .you must fundraise $98
because 98 percent of all chil-
dren with heart and lung defects
are treated at Children’s Miracle
Network Hospitals, and both of
our miracle children have heart
defects,” Whetsell said.
Some of the local businesses
involved in sponsoring Dance
Marathon’s events include:
IHOP, Steel's Jewelry, Papa
Johns, Chubb Reality Ltd/Real-
tors, Krispy Kreme, Buffalo
Wild Wings, Spence Chevrolet
Buick GMC Cadillac, Mode
Boutique, ASTRO Exterminat-
ing, Dr. Ed & Mrs. Sandra Hall
and SGA of VSU. A few other
sponsors include Ellianos, Kent
Screen Printing, Chick Fil-A,
The Wedge, Winn-Dixie, Har-
vey's, Austins and Sonnys.
According to Whetsell, Dance
Marathon hopes to raise a five
digit total in proceeds for
Shands.
“Dance Marathon hopes to
raise $20,000 by the end of
Blazer-A-Thon,” she said.
One hundred percent of the
Blazer-a-thon:
Autumn SullivanS TA F F W R I T E R
See DANCE , Page 2
RESIDENCE HALLS
The traditional residence halls
will close Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. and
re-open Nov. 24 at 2 p.m.:
Brown
Georgia
Hopper
Langdale
Lowndes
Patterson
Reade
Students with evening classes
must speak with their RHD.
LIBRARY HOURS
Nov 21-23: Closed
Nov 24: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Nov 25: noon to 2 a.m.
Reference Desk will be closed
until Sunday, Nov. 25. Media
Services will be closed until
Monday, Nov. 26.
The University Center will be
closed the entire break until
Monday, Nov. 26.
The Student Union will be
closed the entire break until Nov
25 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Student Success Center
will close on Nov. 20 at 5:30
p.m. and will re-open on Nov.
26 at 8 a.m.
Thanksgiving Operation Hours
The following build-ings will be closed
either completely orpartially for
Thanksgiving break.
Above:
All-American cornerback Matt Pierce (No.
26) tallied three interceptions and 33 tack-
les in the regular season. Pierce, the teams
starting corner, will have his hands full
against the region’s best receivers in the
playoffs.
Left: Kaleb Nobles throws a pass to a re-
ceiver during practice Wednesday evening.
The freshman quarterback hasn’t played
this seson however fans can expect to see
No.5 in the future.
Photo courtesy VSU
Mac Ingram/ THE SPECTATOR
Danielle ReynoldsS P E C TAT O R
C O R R E S P O N D E N T
Major ConstructionProjects Through
the Years
Fall 2007wFine Arts Gallery
Renovation
Fall 2008wOak Street Parking DeckwSustella Parking Deck
Summer 2009wNew Georgia Hall
Spring 2010wStudent Union
Spring 2011wJennett Lecture Hall
Summer 2011wPsychology Building
Spring 2012wBailey Science Center Addition
Fall 2012wAshley Hall Renovation
Spring 2014wHealth Sciences and
Business Administration
Blazer Football enters NCAAplayoffs with No.1 seed
At this point wedo not have anyother major . . .constructionproject[s].
- THRESSEA BOYD
“
”
Chad Stone/ THE SPECTATOR
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ing pro ce dures.The Spec ta tor is
NOVEMBER 15, 2012PAGE 2 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM N E W S
For SaleSTUDENTS: Have clothes or
shoes taking up space, upgraded
your phone, have left over text-
books, hate your lamp?Sell them
here to other students. Run your
ad of up to 40 words for FREE.
For RentThe Classifieds
����������� ����� ������� ���������������� ����� ������� ����� ��������������������������������� �������� ����������� ��������������������������� ����� ������������ ������ � ��������������� ������������������ ��������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������ ������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������ ������������������ ������������������������������
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!�
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PregnancyWasn’t Part of the Plan
����������������� ������������������� ������������ ����� �����
������������� ������������������� ��������������������� �������������������� �������
Services
For Rent4bd/2bth HOUSE, 319 E. Park
Ave. Good Neighborhood, Close
to Main Campus, For more info
call 229-292-4400.
Nov. 16
Student-Faculty Picnic
The Mathematical Association
of America is hosting a picnic
for faculty and students. There
will be a chance to have a picnic
and play volleyball.
Nov. 16
All Resident Assistant applica-
tions are due to the Housing Of-
fice, with references. To learn
more talk to an RA or RHD.
Nov. 16, 8 p.m.
Spirit Day!
Blazer’s Basketball GameStudents are asked to bring their
Blazer Pride and a $1 donation.
Nov. 17, 8 p.m.
Valdosta Symphony Orchestra
presents “New Frontiers”
Whitehead Auditorium
Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m.
VSU Pianists Present Recital of
American Piano Music
Dr. Lyle Indergaard will present
20th century American piano
music.
Whitehead AuditoriumAdmission is free. The public is
encouraged to attend.
Nov. 29, 6 p.m.
Canoe Battleship
The game Battleship in canoes
with teams of four!
Campus Rec PoolSign-ups end Nov. 26
There is a $10 team fee that will
be donated to the winning
team’s charity of choice. Contact
Sean Wilkinson at srwilkin-
[email protected] for more in-
formation.
Jan. 2-5
Ski Trip to Winterplace, West
Virginia. The cost is $250.
Sign up at the CORE office.
Contact Sean Wilkinson
more information.
Upcoming Events
VSU is stepping up its game
in order to prevent sexual assault
and domestic violence. Several
new classes and additions have
been made to promote awareness
and prevent sexual assault
crimes.
VSU now offers Rape Aggres-
sion Defense as a four-hour
credit course.
“This is a huge, huge accom-
plishment for RAD in general,
we have never been able to offer
it before like that,” Holly
Wright, assistant director of
health promotions, said.
Wright said that VSU has of-
fered a non-credit RAD for the
past four to five years but the
voluntary course required stu-
dents to come back each day,
which made attendance low to-
ward the end.
Now that RAD is available to
students as a class, they not only
receive credit for attending, but
they are learning how to protect
themselves as well.
The techniques of RAD use
the potential victim’s body as a
weapon of self-defense.
Unlike a martial arts program
that uses weapons, the person’s
body and voice are all that are
needed to defend against attack-
ers.
The program is structured this
way because the weapon could
be used against them by the at-
tacker and because a weapon is
often not accessible at the onset
of an attack.
The Office of Health Promo-
tions is also now able to offer a
miniature version of RAD called
SAFE—Self Defense Awareness
Familiarization Exchange. This
is the only program of its kind
that is endorsed by RAD.
This “mini-RAD” program
can be taught by one person in
just a couple of hours and still
hits all of the main points in the
RAD Program.
SAFE primarily teaches par-
ticipants how to reduce their risk
of being a victim, which is 90
percent of self-defense, Wright
said.
Wright said that many of the
sororities and fraternities have
asked her to put on the SAFE
class.
“It is great to see the males
get involved as well,” Wright
said.
Wright encouraged students to
pay attention to their surround-
ings at all times.
“Take the ear buds out, keep
your blinds closed, and look
around you for potential danger,”
Wright said. “Most assault
crimes are crimes of opportuni-
ty.”
In addition to RAD-type pro-
grams, VSU also has emergency
call phones all around campus,
which have a distinct blue light
that can be seen from a distance.
These phones will get students
help in the event of an emer-
gency.
If a student has been victim-
ized he or she can go to several
locations to report the incident.
Dr. Leah McMillan, assistant
director of the counseling center,
explained that students can come
to the Counseling Center, The
Haven or University Police.
“VSU is very passionate about
this cause and we make every ef-
fort to ensure proper reporting
[of incidents of sexual assault],”
Dr. McMillan said.
The counseling center at VSU
offers therapy to students free of
charge. This includes victims of
sexual assault or rape.
Dr. McMillan previously
worked as a Rape Crisis Advo-
cate so she is experienced in
matters of sexual assault and
how to handle therapy for vic-
tims.
Dr. McMillan and Holly
Wright urge students to stay
proactive about sexual assault
and seek help from police or
counseling if necessary.
Nichole Jahn-DixonS P E C TAT O R
C O R R E S P O N D E N T
Students learn how tofight sexual assaulters
VSU is very pas-sionate about thiscause and we makeevery effort to en-sure proper report-ing [of incidents ofsexual assault].
- DR. LEAH MCMILLAN
“
”
Yard SaleFriday & Sat 8-3, 5451 McLeod
Dr, off Hwy 376, Lake Park,
Women’s clothing, misc
hand/power tools, Avon, books,
small electronics/appliances, &
misc.
Nov. 13
Accounting Office in Palms
Dining Hall reported $875 was
missing from the safe.
A bike was stolen near Bailey
Science Center.
A bike was stolen near the
Fine Arts Building--it was the
second bike stolen from victim
in a few weeks.
Nov. 12
A student was pulled over for
super speeding and her license
was suspended.
Nov. 11
A bike was stolen near the
Fine Arts Building.
Nov. 10
Items from a Georgia Hall
resident’s room have gone miss-
ing. The roommate reports that
the resident has simply mis-
placed them.
Nov. 9
A wallet was stolen from the
Brown Residence Hall bathroom
and later returned with money
missing.
Nov. 8
Lake Louise contractors’
equipment was stolen and the
lock needs replacing.
Four male students were ar-
rested on Oak Street by the Stu-
dent Union for possession of
marijuana.
Nov. 7
Fecal matter was on the walls
in the second floor men’s re-
stroom of Thaxton Hall.
Books were stolen from a res-
ident’s room in Georgia Hall.
Threatening notes were left on
a student’s vehicle and the back-
passenger window was keyed
while in Sustella Parking Deck.
Police Briefs
Courtesy VSU’s R.A.D. webpage
DanceContinued from Page 1
proceeds raised throughout the
year and at Blazer-A-Thon are
donated directly to Shands Hos-
pital for Children and benefit the
pediatric patients from Georgia.
Participants in Dance
Marathon events have been on
the rise since 2009, and this year
expectations are as high as 300
or more participants.
“The average turn-out for
Blazer-A-Thon has been 500
visitors since 2009 with 200 reg-
istered dancers,” Johnson said.
“As of this week DM is expect-
ing about 300 or more registered
dancers and a host of VSU stu-
dent volunteers. The number of
registered dancers is increasing
as little by little each day.”
“We are extremely excited to
have begun a Valdosta State tra-
dition, and we hope to welcome
our miracle families with out-
stretched arms into the Valdosta
State family,” Whetsell said.
According to Johnson, this
week is Dance Marathon week.
Events for this week are as fol-
lows:
Wednesday is Percentage Day
at Chick-fil-A (mall only) and
Ellianos (20% goes to CMNH)
There will also be Dine with
DM Night at 8 p.m. at The
Wedge on Baytree Road (20%
goes to CMNH)
Thursday is DM movie night
in Jeanette Hall at 7 p.m. There
will be free snacks and a show-
ing ‘BRAVE’
Friday is DM Spirit Day at the
Blazer Basketball game support-
ed by VSU Athletics, VSU
Cheer, and VSU Red Hots. DM
asks that all students bring $1 to
the game and donate to CMNH
at the door.
NOVEMBER 15, 2O12 VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 3OPINIONS
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.
Contacting Us
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1500 N. Patterson St., Valdosta, GA 31698Letters must include name, year in school, major, job title or other appro-
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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: Morgan McFarlandOpinions Editor: J. Daniel YoungFeatures Editor: Ariel FeltonSports Editor: Eric Jackson
Photo Editor: Amanda UsherMultimedia Editor: Joe AdgieWeb Designer: RebeckaMcAleerCopy Editor: Shambree WartelCartoonist: Garrison Muel-hausenDevelopment Editor: ChadStoneFaculty Advisers: Dr. PatMiller, Dr. Ted Geltner, KeithWarburgReporters/Photographers:
LaBrit Bulluck, Stephen Caval-laro, Veronica Dominicis, Ash-ley Emanuel, Allison Ericson,Andrew Espenshied, TristanFlagg, William Garrett, ArielHairston, Ryan Hendrix, JessicaIngram, Von Kennedy, DavidLacy, Anthony Pope, KellenRhone, Taylor Stone, AutumnSullivan, Ritsuki Miyazaki, Julie Yates,Steven Setser, ValenciaWilliams, Ben Skender
People Poll:How do you feel about the outcome ofthe local election?
Nicole Queen
senior
public relations major
“It’s not good. From my experi-
ence with my family and friends
that have struggled with this ad-
diction, marijuana can lead you
down a wrong path in life.”
Victor Sank
senior
chemistry major
“If people voted for it and want
it to be legal, then it should be”
Paul Guzman
senior
psychology major
“I personally feel that if some-
thing isn’t bothering anyone it
shouldn’t be illegal.”
Marshall Williams
freshman
mass media major
“I believe marijuana has possible
detrimental effects. I do not be-
lieve there have been enough
clinical studies in regards to the
safety in using such a
substance.”
Adrianna Ehle
senior
communications major
“It can be regulated and taxed.
This is good for our economy.”
Secession didn’t work the first timeW
ith 45 states petition-
ing to secede from the
Union on a White
House website, it’s safe to say
America hasn’t come far since
1861.
In the presidential election of
1860, Abraham Lincoln was
chosen to lead the country and
in response, southern states de-
cided secede from the Union.
More than 150 years later, we
are back in the same position;
however this time at the helm of
a Democrat not a Republican.
Ironically, “Republicans” were
“Democrats” then.
The succession was unsuc-
cessful then and for some odd
reason over a century later bitter
conservatives think it will bene-
fit now.
These thousands or so peti-
tioners feel like they’ve taking a
step forward while in reality it’s
a foolish, counter-productive
step backwards.
The question is “do these
people honestly believe their
state will be in a better place
without the supervision of feder-
al government?”
The loss of the abundant
amount of funding would only
weaken the states and the coun-
try itself.
Sore loser voters need to take
the time to realize that the Oba-
ma Administration intentionally
set up the online petition that
needs at least 25,000 signatures
in 30 days to be considered.
These uncorroborated signa-
tures are just initials on the web-
site that can’t even be tracked
back to tell if that petitioner is a
resident of the state or not.
The President won’t take this
seriously and only did this to
become aware of the nation’s
tribulations.
David Crockett, a political
science professor at Trinity Uni-
versity, agrees that this is na-
tional rebuff won’t last long.
“I'd be stunned
if President Obama
even mentions it,”
Crockett said. “I
suspect they'll give
it to some flunky
to respond about
the legality or wis-
dom of secession.
You get back out
there and make
your causes more
palatable to people.
You fight harder.
You get better can-
didates, as opposed
to doing something
like this. I'm not
saying you don't
have the right to
do this, but it's just
blowing off
steam.”
All 50 states will likely join
the petition thanks to upset citi-
zens but what they fail to under-
stand is what’s done is done.
The election is over.
I’d never thought I would see
a fight for seccession in my life-
time and it’s quite ludicrous.
Nobody is forcing you to sup-
port our president (even though
you should), but simply to not
tear apart the greatest country in
the world that took blood,
sweat, and tears to build.
Unlike 1861, it won’t take
years of warfare for these disap-
pointing angry voter antics to
pass.
On the behalf of The Specta-
tor staff, if you want to leave
then pack your bags, our coun-
try is better place without you.
This editorial was written by Eric Jackson ([email protected]) and it expresses the general opinion of the editorial staff.
Our point of view...
J. Daniel Young /THE SPECTATOR
As the year comes to an
end, progressivism
sweeps through the Unit-
ed States. States across the coun-
try have pledged to take a stance
to secure liberty for future gener-
ations. Their goal? To bring back
and instill civil liberties for all
citizens.
A major tenet of the rising
Libertarian Party is the legaliza-
tion of marijuana. A situation
that libertarian leader and former
governor of New Mexico Gary
Johnson promised would end the
war on drugs with Mexico, lower
arrests by 40 percent, reduce vio-
lence and provide the federal
government with a sustainable
new source of tax revenue.
The U.S. has a history of mari-
juana legalization. California, for
decades, has been more marijua-
na-friendly than Amsterdam, the
cannabis capital of the world.
Yet, state legislation over the last
few years has made even the
possession of a single gram of
marijuana extremely punishable.
A once-thriving business, the
sale of both medical and recre-
ational marijuana has declined in
California, as the federal govern-
ment cracks down on our indi-
vidual freedom of choice. In the
Netherlands, while citizens are
legally allowed to possess
cannabis, only five grams can be
sold to a non-foreign adult at any
given time.
After the recent election, mari-
juana has a new face in the U.S..
Three states voted whether or not
to legalize recreational marijua-
na. Two states, Colorado and
Washington, voted in favor of the
substance.
In addition, the people of
Massachusetts voted in favor of
medical marijuana. In Colorado
and Washington, adults 21 and
up may purchase up to an ounce
of Marijuana from specialty
stores regulated by a special divi-
sion. The new laws will take af-
fect by Dec. 6th in Washington,
and no later than Dec. 23rd in
Colorado. Purchases
made in Colorado will
be taxed 15 percent with
revenue going to public
schools.
In Washington, pur-
chases will be taxed 25
percent with revenue
going to public health
programs. Both states
also anticipate savings
from not having to con-
vict ingenuous marijuana users
and growers.
A Gallup poll conducted late
last year reported that 50 percent
of Americans believe the use of
marijuana should be made legal.
According to the U.S. Food &
Drug Administration, marijuana
is less harmful than legal and
widely used drugs such as alco-
hol and tobacco. In addition,
marijuana provides medical ben-
efits to cancer and AIDS pa-
tients. Despite staunch support
for marijuana consumption, the
federal government still consid-
ers the plant illegal, and posses-
sors subject to a criminal offense
even in Colorado and Washing-
ton.
Yet, many people fear that due
to the current administration’s
opposition to this legislative vic-
tory, the national government
will ruthlessly prevent the use of
marijuana in the newly approved
states.
As citizens of the ‘free
world,’ we must work togeth-
er to promote freedom for all,
and prevent the deconstruction of
liberty that has been tearing this
nation at the seams. When legis-
lation such as the legalization of
marijuana arises, we must take
the initiative and do our civic
duty by voting in favor of indi-
vidual responsibility and inde-
pendence.
Deck the halls with marijuana
As the Spectator recently re-
ported, there are conversations
about adding another Interfrater-
nity Council (IFC) chapter to
campus, Alpha Kappa Lambda
(AKL). In light of a recent article
covering this expansion, I wanted
to take a moment to clarify some
key points about Greek Life.
The recent article “IFC gains
new fraternity” painted a picture
of AKL as an ‘interracial chap-
ter’ which would set it apart from
other fraternities currently on
campus. An important fact to
note is that while there are some
Greek organizations that bring
together men/women of a partic-
ular race/culture (the Multicultur-
al Greek Council, which is not
yet represented at VSU), AKL is
not one of these organizations.
There is not a single Greek let-
ter organization that denies mem-
bership based on race, culture,
ethnicity or creed. Each of the 23
Greek chapters that we have on
this campus exists to bring to-
gether men and women under a
shared set of values, independent
of their skin color or heritage.
Greek organizations are values
based organizations first and so-
cial/philanthropic organizations
second.
“New fraternity” also men-
tioned a division or segregation
of chapters and members. Two
sororities were mentioned as be-
ing ‘multiracial’ because they
have members of different races,
however it is important to re-
member that diversity is much
more than skin deep. Multiple
Greek chapters at VSU have
members of different back-
grounds, cultures and ethnicities
all sharing together in a common
brotherhood/sisterhood.
AKL is an IFC fraternity who
has expressed interest in coloniz-
ing at VSU but has not yet peti-
tioned IFC to do so. If their peti-
tion is granted via a two-thirds
vote of the member fraternities
of the IFC, they will have a tran-
sition period before they are con-
sidered a chapter. AKL, like all
other IFC chapters, is a values
based organization and is open to
members of different races, cul-
tures, ethnicities and back-
grounds who subscribe to those
values.
Letter to the editor:
Stephen CavallaroA S S I S TA N T- O P I N I O N S
E D I T O R
MCT
•North Dakota
•Ohio
•Oklahoma
•Oregon
•Pennsylvania
•Rhode Island
•South Carolina
•South Dakota
•Tennessee
•Texas
•Utah
•Virginia
•Washington
•West Virginia
•Wisconsin
•Wyoming
•Alabama
•Alaska
•Arizona
•Arkansas
•California
•Colorado
•Delaware
•Florida
•Georgia
•Idaho
•Illinois
•Indiana
•Iowa
•Kansas
•Kentucky
•Louisiana
•Maine
•Michigan
•Minnesota
•Mississippi
•Missouri
•Montana
•Nebraska
•Nevada
•New Hampshire
•New Jersey
•New Mexico
•New York
•North Carolina
•North Dakota
Disrespecting leaders sacreligious
Last week, on the day after the
election, there was a lot of hostil-
ity going on between parties. Re-
publicans were mad because
their candidate was not chosen,
and Democrats celebrated a sec-
ond term win.
I was sitting in the student
union that mornin, and overheard
a conversation some people
where having about the election.
They were talking about how up-
set they were that Mitt Romney
was not elected, and that if peo-
ple were more educated, they
would have voted for him.
That brings me to two main is-
sues I want to address about the
circumstances surrounding the
election.
According to
huffingtonpost.com, more than
40 states have started petitions to
secede from the union.
I understand that these people
are trying to make a point, but
are any of them really serious
about trying to start their own
country?
History has not been known to
be kind to up and coming na-
tions, and it usually leads to a lot
of death and war.
So calling someone uneducat-
ed or racist based on who they
voted for is not only rude, it’s ig-
norant.
It’s true that some people may
know more than others about the
government, and that some peo-
ple don’t research what’s going
on with the election before vot-
ing—but all this should change.
People should discuss it rather
than getting mad. What good is
yelling at people who don’t think
the same way as you?
The second point I wanted to
bring up in all the post-election
madness hits a little closer to
home. It has to do with Chris-
tians being upset that Obama was
re-elected.
I understand that Obama
stands for a lot of things that
Christians don’t, but that does
not give you as a Christian the
right to disrespect him or his
family.
As Christians you are called in
the Bible to respect the people
that God has placed in authority
over your life.
As a Christian you have to
recognize that for whatever rea-
son Obama was re-elected-- God
has placed him in authority over
this country that you are a part
of. By saying he should not have
been elected, you are essentially
saying that you know more than
God.
Whether or not you like his
policies is not the point--if you
are calling yourself a Christian
and cannot submit to the authori-
ty that has been placed in your
life then it would be wise to ask
yourself if you truly believe in
the God of the Bible.
Hate is not an attribute of a
true believer, so honor the people
in authority over you and
through that let the love of Christ
shine through you.
Meditate on that.
David LacyS TA F F W R I T E R
Erin Sylvester
Greek Life & Student
Organizations Advisor
Greek Adviser expresses concernabout image ofgreek life.
PAGE 4 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM NOVEMBER 15, 2012FEATURES
Kyler cares.
This was Kyler Dessau's slo-
gan as she campaigned to be
VSU's 2012 Homecoming
Queen.
This is more than a slogan for
the senior psychology major, it's
her way of life.
Dessau attributes her winning
the title of Homecoming Queen
partly to this aspect of her char-
acter. Other members of the
VSU community have picked
up on Dessau’s extraordinary
character, as well.
“Kyler struck me as a moti-
vated and charismatic leader,”
Erin Sylvester, assistant direc-
tor for Organizational Develop-
ment, said. “It is evident that
she is respected by her peers
and she does not hesitate to
point out injustices and attempt
to rectify situations to the ben-
efit of the entire VSU commu-
nity.”
Winning the title isn’t some-
thing that Dessau takes lightly.
“I’ve been dreaming about
this day since high school,” she
said. “I want to take the oppor-
tunity to thank the campus for
their votes. It really was a
dream come true for me, I am
honored to wear VSU's crown
and I want the campus to know
how truly grateful I am.”
But Dessau plays many more
roles on campus than just Home-
coming Queen.
She is a member of VSU's
Theta Tau chapter of Delta Sig-
ma Theta, a historically black
sorority geared around sister-
hood, scholarship and service.
“Delta Sigma Theta is a not-
for profit Greek-lettered sorority
of college-educated women who
perform public service and place
emphasis on the African Ameri-
can community,” she said.
“The Theta Tau Chapter does
tons of community service and
really has a heart for the commu-
nity. Every Thanksgiving we
fund and serve a Thanksgiving
dinner to a family in need."
While they are not limited to
working with one organization,
Greek organizations on campus
typically focus on one organiza-
tion or awareness project for the
year's philanthropy. This year,
Delta Sigma Theta’s philan-
thropy is Autism.
Dessau’s involvement with
Greek Life goes even beyond her
sorority involvement.
She now serves as National
Pan-Hellenic Council President
(NPHC) and is strongly focused
on Greek Unity.
According to Dessau, the pur-
pose of NPHC is “unanimity of
thought and action as far as pos-
sible in the conduct of Greek let-
ter collegiate fraternities and
sororities, and to consider prob-
lems of mutual interest to its
member organizations.”
Dessau has long been an ad-
vocate of Greek unity and shown
strong school spirit.
“I first met Kyler during my
first few days at VSU,” Sylvester
said. “She was a welcoming
steward of VSU and NPHC spirit
and she and the vice president of
NPHC and I went out to lunch to
talk about the council and Greek
life as a whole. From that con-
versation has grown a Greek
Unity initiative that I hope will
leave a lasting change at VSU.”
Dessau’s list of involvement
on campus doesn’t end here, ei-
ther. She is also the Chief Justice
of SGA’s Judicial Branch.
The Judicial Board is respon-
sible for handling peer hearings
for students who have violated
the University Code of Conduct.
Students who commit such in-
fractions have the choice of go-
ing before this Judicial Board or
an administrative hearing.
“[The Judicial Board] inter-
prets the Student Code of Con-
duct [and] determines the facts
by reviewing police reports, wit-
ness statements, accusations
from the accuser and/or faculty,”
Dessau said. “[It then] makes
recommendations of sanctions to
the Dean of Students Office.”
Dessau said that most students
given the option choose peer
hearings.
“I’d think that you would be
more relaxed with your peers,
but the reputation we have on
campus is that we have an "ab-
solute no tolerance" [policy] as
the VSU J-Board so some people
do choose to have an administra-
tive hearing instead,” Dessau
said.
“We really want to ensure that
VSU students are enjoying their
campus life and we make sure
that others aren’t inhibiting stu-
dents from enjoying their acad-
emic experience.”
“It’s not about punishing you,”
she explained. “It’s an education-
al experience with the purpose of
identifying if a student/ organiza-
tion is not on the right track. If
not, then we want to help you.”
Ultimately, helping people is
what Dessau is all about.
“There’s a lot I want to do,”
she said. “I’m thinking about
getting my Master’s in Leader-
ship then my Doctorate in Orga-
nizational Leadership. Eventual-
ly I would like to have my own
motivational speaking company.
I want travel, so if and when the
opportunity presents itself, I will
travel with my company to dif-
ferent countries. I also would
like to build organizational
leadership programs within
companies to help rebuild
them concretely, encourage
more of a team working at-
mosphere, and to make their
working environment more
pleasant. In order for em-
ployees to work at to their
highest capabilities, they
need to be in an atmosphere
that’s welcoming to that.”
In keeping with her de-
sire to help people, Dessau
came to VSU with a desire
to study psychology.
“One of the key decid-
ing factors of me choosing
this University was all of the
positive things I heard about the
psychology program,” she said.
“I Took AP Psychology in high
school, after taking the class and
passing the AP exam, I decided
to study it in college on a deeper
level.”
Psychology wasn’t the only
reason she came to VSU. Dessau
toured many campuses, but final-
ly fell in love with the scenery
here.
“It’s a beautiful campus,” she
said. “VSU has one of the clean-
est campuses in Georgia.”
Another solidifying reason to
come to VSU was Dessau’s pas-
sion for leadership.
“[…] when doing research
about VSU, I heard they offered
an Emerging Leaders Program
here, and just the fact that they
had a leadership program for in-
coming freshman made a big im-
pression on me,” she said.
“Since my involvement in that
leadership program, my college
experience has been very fulfill-
ing. I’ve been able to develop
and polish my leadership and in-
terpersonal skills and put my
hands to work in many different
organizations that helped build
me into the woman I am today.”
Check out the Spec Tech blog for a review of Steven’s second favorite video game of all time and don’t forget aboutextra features on the web, including a review of VSU student, Michael Schwartz’ newest album!
More Than Just a Pretty FaceAmber Smith
E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F
Amber Smith / THE SPECTATOR
I want to take theopportunity to thankthe campus for theirvotes. It really was adream come true forme, I am honored towear VSU's crownand I want the cam-pus to know howtruly grateful I am.
- KYLER DESSAU
2012 HOMECOMING QUEEN
“
”
2012 Homecoming Queen involved in various organizationsIt is evident that
she is respected byher peers and shedoes not hesitate topoint injustices andattempt to rectifysituations to thebenefit of the entireVSU community .
- ERIN SYLVESTER
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
“
”
Kyle Dessau, senior psychology major, was crowned 2012 Homecoming
Queen Oct. 20. Dessau is an active member of VSU’s Theta Tau chapter
of Delta Sigma Theta and a Chief Justice of SGA’s Judicial Branch.
CYAN
MAGENTA
YELLOW
BLACKOddEven
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VSUSPECTATOR.COM | PAGE 5NOVEMBER 15, 2012
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ANSWERS
S P O R T S
VSU football looking forits first title in five years
The last time the Valdosta
State football was ranked No.1
heading into the NCAA Super
Region II playoffs, the Blazers
came away with a national
championship.
Five years later, they’re hop-
ing to do what they did last time
they graced the number one spot.
“Hopefully we can repeat
that,” David Dean, head coach,
said. “It doesn’t mean anything
if you can’t line up and play.”
As long as they continue to
win, VSU will have home-field
advantage throughout the play-
offs.
Quarterback Cayden Cochran
has learned a lot from last year’s
disappointing three game losing
streak to end the season forcing
them to miss the playoffs.
“A full team effort that’s what
it took,” Cochran said. “We have
pushed and put ourselves in a
good position.
After finishing last season
with just 948 passing yards and
eight touchdowns, this season he
has recorded 1837 passing yards
and 19 touchdowns.
Cochran credits getting accli-
mated with teammates and
coaches fin the off-season for his
improved performance this sea-
son.
The winner of the Miles/
UWA game will be the next op-
ponent the Blazers will host No-
vember 24th.
“I want to play against West
Alabama,” Cochran said. “I’ve
played against them twice and
haven’t had a good game those
times. As a team we want to play
them again because they won
conference. I’m sure they want
to play us again for getting top
seed.”
VSU hasn’t looked back fol-
lowing their last loss to West Al-
abama over a month ago and is
riding a six-game winning
streak.
The Blazers have earned the
luxury of having a bye week as
injured players are getting extra
time to rehabilitate and others
are polishing off their skills in
the three week break.
Harlon Hill trophy finalist
wide receiver Gerald Ford has
also been one of the key reasons
for the Blazers’ success.
Ford last season was academi-
cally ineligible and has turned it
around in his redemption season
being named one of the finalists
for an award given to the na-
tion’s best Division II player.
“I worked real hard to get
back from my ACL surgery to
just battling in the classroom. It
doesn’t mean much to me. I like
to put it more around the team. I
want a ring over a Harlon Hill
any day,” said Ford.
While Coach Dean says he
doesn’t care who the next oppo-
nent will be, he couldn’t deny
the sweet taste of revenge.
“They won it outright, they
beat us and went undefeated in
the conference,” said Dean. “It
would be some satisfaction for
us knowing that we did beat the
Gulf South Conference and ad-
vance in the playoffs. You play
the entire season to make the
playoffs, this is when it all
counts, this is the new season. If
we can beat them in this part of
the season then that’s when we
want to beat them.”
Eric JacksonS P O R T S E D I T O R
Austen Hutto/THESPECTATOR
Junior wide reciever Regginald Lewis catches a ball during practice. Lewis has contributed four touch-
downs and over 600 receiving yards for the Blazers this season.
Want to attend the playoff game?
Since its a NCAA game, it won’t be free to students.
Student Affairs has purchased 500 free tickets for game on Nov. 24th. Pick up a ticket at theSA office (third floor, Student Union). This offer last until next Tuesday.
*A vaild and current VSU ID is required and one ticket will be given out per student.
Blood Drive118 units > 103 units
This is the 3rd straight year theBlazers have won the competition.
PAGE 6 | VSUSPECTATOR.COM NOVEMBER 15, 2012S P O R T S
VSU ready for Wildcats
In a rematch of last year’s first
round of the Division II South
Region tournament, the injury
plagued Blazers take on Fort
Valley State tonight in Fort Val-
ley, Ga.
The ladies kicked off their
season with a 64-51 victory over
Trinity Baptist last Saturday.
Kamyia Smith, junior point
guard, is new to VSU this season
but led the team with 15 points
in the season opener.
Smith, along with freshman
Jasmine Mapp, was picked as
top newcomers in the Gulf South
Conference.
The Lady Blazers with a thin
bench due to several injuries.
Coach Kiley Hill says that the
team needs more chemistry be-
cause the team does not have a
lot of experience.
“We’ve got to develop experi-
ence,” Coach Hill said. “We are
bitten by injuries. We basically
have seven or eight healthy kids
out of our thirteen. It’s a matter
of continuity and getting kids ex-
perience and then figuring out
what our strengths are with the
small numbers that we have.”
Along with Smith, the other
two added 10 points each were
freshman, Courtney Sprague and
junior, Derricka Griffis.
As Coach Hill starts to learn
how these players mix, the Lady
Blazers will earn their experi-
ence.
Tonight’s game will be Fort
Valley States first game of the
season as they look to get re-
venge on the Lady Blazers for
ending their season last year.
Coach Hill noted that offen-
sive rebounds would be the key
to netting the Lady Blazer’s sec-
ond win.
“We’ve got to limit the offen-
sive boards for them and keep
them off of those opportunities,”
Hill said
. “They are going to come out
and press and do so many differ-
ent things, so our ability to han-
dle pressure and our ability to do
a good job rebounding are going
to be the most important keys.”
Last season the Lady Blazers’
went 22-8 and 10-4 in Gulf
South Conference play and they
went farther than any other team
in the GSC in the NCAA Divi-
sion II tournament.
Despite their post-season suc-
cess, VSU was voted to finish
third in the GSC this season.
They won’t play their first
conference game until November
29th, but in today’s game the
Lady Blazers can show they be-
long higher than third.
Austen Hutto/THESPECTATOR
Head Coach Kiley Hill addresses his players during practice. The Blazers are looking for another run
towards a national championship again this season.
Ace EspenshiedS P O R T S W R I T E R
VSU's Men's Basketball team
will be hosting a fundraiser
called the 2012 Friends of VSU's
Men's Basketball Classic which
includes an auction, dinner, and
a golf tournament to help meet
the budget for their program.
The fundraiser spans two days
for the three events that they will
be hosting.
On Thursday, they will be
having a steak dinner and a live
and silent auction from 5-8 p.m.
at the Elks Club. On Friday, they
will also host a four-person gold
scramble at the Valdosta Country
Club at 8 a.m.
"It's a fundraiser that we do
every year in the fall, and all the
proceeds go to support our pro-
gram," Nick Gast, associate head
coach of the men's basketball
team, said. "In the state of Geor-
gia, athletics aren't funded by the
states so it's private money that
helps us."
Gast explained the certain
events that they would be host-
ing.
Anyone is invited to these
events. To attend the dinner, the
price is $25 per person.
To play in the Golf Tourna-
ment on Friday, the price is $125
per person, and to attend both
events is $150 per person.
The event will be capped off
with the men’s game Friday
night against Carver at home in
the P.E. Complex.
Kellan RhoneS P O R T S W R I T E R
Annual fundrasiersupports Blazers
