The Spectator (VSU)

By: Armone’ Gates, Editor & Chief The Queen of Country Music, Dolly Parton, died at the age of 80 years old on Aug. 25, 2026, from cancer. She was a philanthropist, singer-songwriter, and film star whose career spanned more than a decade. Known for her hits “9 to 5”, “I Will Always Love You,” and “Jolene,” Parton helped change the trajectory of country music by creating country ballads that had meaning.

By: Rut Labrada, Arts & Entertainment Editor Welcome to another installment of Ruts & Veggies! The first couple weeks of school have passed by in a blur, and I hope we all feel the crisp fall air right around the corner. As we are all settling into a new semester, I’ve been thinking about our newest students who are not familiar with the Valdosta area, and most importantly, the local restaurants in Valdosta.

By: Dionte Daniel, Spectator Staff Writer Valdosta State University has had one of the top athletic programs in Division II for years. The Blazers have won championships, created professionals and cultivated a football legacy that rivals any school not playing in the FBS. College athletics are evolving though, and the Gulf South Conference is evolving with it. At some point VSU needs to decide if Division II is still the right fit. I think we are reaching that point.

By: Megan Callahan, News & Campus Life Editor A summer in Paris includes time in a new country, a new town, and several new experiences every day. I was lucky enough to spend a month in the heart of Paris on a study abroad program at Cité Universitaire. During my time there, it was shocking how different things were there than in the States. Including transportation, the food there and how it’s prepared, and people living their day-to-day lives.

By: Armone’ Gates, Chief and Editor VALDOSTA- VSU enters a new chapter as Donald J. Green has been named the new president of the university, with his term starting in Aug 1st of 2026. He has been a vet administrator with the University Systems of Georgia for some time, with a plethora of leadership experience within his portfolio.

Aiyana Hunter Staff Writer A VSU student who is listed as secretary of the Georgia College Republicans and has connections to other collegiate Republican organizations in the state says that racially charged messages that appeared under his name on a local Facebook group were not written by him. In late March, The Facebook group Lowndes County Word of Mouth investigated some anonymous posts from a user called CleverLynx7233 that were degrading toward several ethnic groups.

Aiyana Hunter Staff Writer You are not as good at rhythm games as you think you are. Welcome to another entry in Games for the Broke College Student. This time we’re looking at Hi-Fi RUSH, a game where a nerd tries to live out his dreams of becoming a rock star and stumbles his way through the big boss that is capitalism.

By: Aiyana Hunter Staff Writer On the afternoon of Feb. 26, a group of students gathered in front of the dining hall with signs in hand and a speaker at the ready. They all shared the mindset that negativity had been given too much of a pedestal in the country recently and wanted to counterbalance it with peace and acceptance.

By: Armone’ Gates, Copy Editor & Megan Callahan News Editor VALDOSTA, Ga. – It’s time to turn over a new leaf, as VSU’s communication program will be leaving the College of the Arts starting in the fall of 2026 to join the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The program will be joining the Department of English for the creation of the new department called Communication and English.

By: Marese Hudson, Assistant Sports Editor The NBA tried its hardest to preserve the value of major awards by adding a new rule: the 65-game rule. Instead, it created new inequities across the league. This season, the players who clearly delivered great All-NBA level production found themselves on the outside looking in and not because of performance, but because of a rigid cutoff that doesn’t account for context.