February 1, 2019 by The Appalachian

THE APPALACHIAN Feb. 1, 2019

ACES CO-FOUNDER AND JAMES CENTER DIRECTOR RETIRES

PHOTO ESSAY: MOMENTUM DANCE CLUB SHOWCASE

APPALACHIAN THEATRE FINISHES CONSTRUCTION, TO OPEN IN LATE SUMMER

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News

Feb.1, 2019

James Center director and an ACES founder retires

Jackie Park ‫@ ׀‬jackiempark ‫ ׀‬Associate News Editor

fter serving as director of the James Center, Reich College of Education’s advising center, for 10 years, Jan Stanley retired at the end of January. “There’s so many incredible students that still want to teach,” Stanley said. “They just give you hope for the future because teaching is so important.” Stanley’s desire to teach started when she was in elementary school. “I was inspired (to teach) by my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Knifley,” Stanley said. “We just did lots of exciting things.” Stanley was a fourth- and fifthgrade teacher for 17 years in Banner Elk before accepting her first position at App State as program coordinator for the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs grant. The GEAR UP grant aimed to excite first-generation college students about school. “When I first finished college I

couldn’t find a teaching job, so I didn’t teach until I was 30,” Stanley said Stanley has also acted as a mentor and director of the Teaching Fellows program. When the Teaching Fellows program was cut in North Carolina in 2015, Stanley and others created the Appalachian Community of Education Scholars program in its place. The ACES program is a fouryear program that teaches professional development and community service. Stanley said one of her favorite memories of her career was winning the Harvey Durham Outstanding Freshman Advocate Award in 2015, which is given to one full-time App State faculty member every year who has contributed significantly to freshmen succeeding on App State’s campus. “She is an advocate for the students and their success in college and life, as well as an advocate for teachers here in the state,” scholarship coordinator and accelerated admissions recruiter in the James Center Rebekah

Saylors wrote in an email. Stanley said a person who inspired her was Michael Jacobson, who used to teach in The Honors College at App State. Jacobson participated in a program called “Teacher on Loan” in which professors teach at a college and in a grade school classroom for a year each and alternate. “I applied for that position but I didn’t have a master’s degree,” Stanley said. “He called me into his office and said, ‘You’re the person we wanted to hire but you don’t have a master’s and we can’t hire you. You’ve got to go back and get your master’s.’” Stanley went back to school for her master’s and said Jacobson was one of her favorite professors during that time. “Before he retired, I actually cotaught an honors freshman seminar class with him for three years,” Stanley said. Stanley said she is retiring to spend time with her family and do things she doesn’t have time for now.

“I have four little bitty grandkids,” Stanley said. “I love to do things outdoors. I just don’t have a lot of time to do things I want to do.” Stanley said she is going to miss everyone at App State, but is looking forward to retirement.

The James Center will hire a replacement after an interim director serves for six months, Stanley said. “(App State) has been a great place for me. I’ve enjoyed the students. They’re pretty incredible,” Stanley said.

Jan Stanley was the advisr of the Appalachian Educators club. The Appalachian Educators is a club for education students and anyone who is interested in “supporing education,” according to their website. // Courtesy of App State

Appalachian Educators help students prepare for the teacher life Emily Broyles ‫@ ׀‬em_broyles ‫ ׀‬News Reporter

he Appalachian Educators strive to prepare for the world of lesson plans, recess and inspiring the future of the U.S. The student-run organization expects to receive high marks of its own with a new year and new adviser. Besides preparing for teacherly duties, Appalachian Educators want to make 2019 special, instilling the motto “not just another year, not just another person” in new members and future students of their own. “We didn’t want to treat a new member just like another person. We really wanted to get to know them,” junior middle grades education major and Appalachian Educators president Nia Robinson said. “(When) thinking outside of college and our

classroom, our students aren’t just another person. They’re going to be people with lives and who have aspirations.” Robinson said although the club is meant for people who love children and education, what’s most important is who is sitting in the desk learning. “(Students) spend more time with you than anyone else besides their parents. I don’t take that lightly,” Robinson said. “We just keep that in mind when thinking about different opportunities and what we want our club to be like.” As an Appalachian Educator, App State students have the opportunity to attend professional development sessions, intern at after-school programs and participate in out-

reach. “Whenever you go to apply for a job, they want to see your professional development portfolio, so the fact that we have these requirements are super helpful and that our students are able to get a head start,” Robinson said. “It helps you become a better teacher.” The Appalachian Educators don’t require members to be education majors, but they do require a passion for learning, service and connecting with kids. Appalachian Educators vice president and junior middle grades education major Emily Snyder said her connection with her teachers inspired her to enter the field. “I was kind of raised in an unideal situation ... and educators

around me were the ones who told me they believed in me,” Snyder said. “Long story short, I guess I just wanted to give back to the world what it gave to me.” Snyder said interactions with students and parents, through outreach projects like Shining Light, a toy drive for kids in surrounding schools, make volunteering as an Appalachian Educator even more special. Jan Stanley, former director of the James Center and adviser of Appalachian Educators, said she is grateful for the opportunities with Appalachian Educators. People who aren’t sure of their major or are too young to join the College of Education can still get student-teacher experience.

“Coming in as freshmen, it provides a place to connect with other education majors and also a way to get involved in the community and in the schools and to work with schoolaged children,” Stanley said. Although Stanley retired at the end of January, she said she is confident the organization will continue its journey toward the teaching field with its networking skills and new adviser Megan Kasper. “The leadership we have makes them stand apart. We provide backup support, but they take the projects on,” Stanley said. “They’ll be fine. They know what to do. They’re going to be teachers. They’ve got it.” The Appalachian Educators meet Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in the Reich College of Education.

News

Feb. 1, 2019

Keep Winter Chill parades through town during kickoff event for Appalachian Climate Action Collaborative Olivia Bouzigard ‫@ ׀‬oliviabouzi ‫ ׀‬News Reporter

tudents, faculty, staff and local residents of the High Country sang “One Earth, one home, we share, join us; we have work to do” as they paraded through Boone. The Appalachian Climate Action Collaborative hosted its first kickoff event, Keep Winter Chill, on Jan. 26 to celebrate successes regarding climate action. The meeting room was filled with eager students, faculty, staff and locals who are part of the Appalachian Climate Action Collaborative. The collaborative consists of those who wish to make society and institutions just and sustainable. Sydney Blume, campus garden manager and App State alumna, said everyone was there to celebrate. Blume said she wanted everyone to know that climate change is daunting with immense challenges, and the group’s statement was to come together and celebrate past and future climate action. People chanted songs, held signs and paraded out of the Plemmons Student Union meeting room 169 at 4 p.m. to end up at the intersection of Blowing Rock Road and Highway 105. “I am retiring soon and I want to leave some sort of legacy for generations to come,” Creston-resident Helen Clark said. Singing “Hey ho, Hey ho, fossil fuels have got to go,” the peaceful protest was there to stay at the 105 intersection. The group received honks and positive yells of support from community members. “The reason I am here is because I care about the stewardship

of the earth,” former App State professor Herbert Hash Jr. said. “We need to be proactive and reactive about the damage occurring that humans are responsible for.” Keep Winter Chill is the kickoff event for the collaborative to help propel the university to climate neutrality by 2025. The collaborative aims to grow and hold more events in the future. “We have a responsibility. We have done things that are not okay, and we need to undo them,” junior sustainable development major Meredith Alling said. The movement ended at the student union with a potluck dinner and music.

(Top) Sustainable development major Brenna Martin marches down King Street with an array of students, faculty and community members united under the Appalachian Climate Action Collaborative. The demonstration took place in conjunction with U.S. Extinction Rebellion, an international non-violent rebellion against governmental inaction on climate change. (Bottom) Demonstrators from the Appalachian Climate Action Collaborative line Highway 321 and advocate for systemic reform on climate change. // Photos by Hayley Canal

News

Feb.1, 2019

WE COACH: Students helping students with mental health Erin O’Neill ‫@ ׀‬erinmoneill ‫ ׀‬News Reporter

ellness Educators Creating Opportunities and Casting Hope, or WE COACH, is program that was created in 2018. Although the service had only nine appointments in the fall semester, Elisabeth Cavallaro, coordinator for student mental health wellness, said she hopes students will take advantage of the program. WE COACH is a cost-free, peer-to-peer coaching service provided through Wellness and Prevention Services. It consists of undergraduate students trained in motivational interviewing, which allows them to help students on a one-on-one basis with their wellness goals. Coaches are trained by Cavallaro. Students and their coach meet in a public location on campus for a 30-minute session as often as the student would like. Cavallaro said the direction of the session is up to the students, but she wants to make it clear that the sessions are not counseling. “When I talk to students, that’s when I wish they knew — that this is not a service for those who are on the brink of not being able to cope with what’s going on in college life,” Cavallaro said. WE COACH is for help with issues such as not getting enough sleep or time management skills, Cavallaro said. The students track their goals to make sure progress is made in sessions with the coaches. “If the coach feels like the student isn’t really making any progress toward their goal, at that point there would be a conversation about another resource that would be a better fit for you, because we do want to see the students actually

Throughout the academic year, App State’s Wellness and Prevention center offers a variety of programs and resources for student well-being. Programs are focused on eight different dimensions of wellness, and all students are welcome to attend programs and events free of charge. // Photo by Paola Bula Blanco

improve in their wellness,” Cavallaro said. WE COACH helps students identify achievable goals and take action steps. Unlike counseling, WE COACH is less talking about what’s happened in the past that led them to need this particular goal in their lives, Cavallaro said. Senior philosophy and psychology major Christopher Kennedy is a coach, and he explained that one of the program’s goals is “to empower students to make their own change and take control in their own lives.” Cavallaro said through peer education with students who have experienced similar struggles, they form a connection that sometimes a student and professional can’t make. The coaches refer students

to resources and are encouraged to connect students with services outside of WE COACH and Wellness and Prevention Services, like the dean of students or another student organization. “If a student meets with another student and that’s the gate-

way to them making a connection with a professional, that’s also something we’re hoping comes out of this,” Cavallaro said. Kennedy said he would encourage anyone who is interested in guiding others to consider participating in WE COACH.

“It’s a beautiful thing and we need more people who are willing to help each other. I mean, on whatever scale, big or small, humans aren’t going to go far if we don’t help each other and I think that’s what this is about,” Kennedy said.

News

Feb. 1, 2019

Spirituality and meditation help with stresses, taught by Wellness and Prevention Services Cameron Stuart ‫@ ׀‬cameronlstuart ‫ ׀‬News Reporter

ellness and Prevention Services is working to inform App State about and provide resources for spiritual wellness. “The concept of spirituality is a value system, which can be connected or not connected to a formalized religion or faith,” said Alex Howard, director of Wellness and Prevention Services. Howard said often times people express spirituality through religion, though people’s value system extends beyond just religion. “For many people, religion is how they practice their spirituality, which is fine,” coordinator for student mental wellness Elisabeth Cavallaro said. “But for other people, religion is an institution and you don’t have to be religious to be spiritual.” Cavallaro said people can find

spirituality being in nature, meditating, having conversations with people or hiking. “One way that people can practice their spirituality is making sure they spend time to actually investigate what their values are,” Cavallaro said. Cavallaro said a large part of spirituality is finding a purpose in life and living up to that purpose. “We teach meditation here on campus because a lot of times that time for introspection allows you to think about ‘What do I value?’ ‘What do I feel like the purpose of life for me is?’ and actually living up to those things,” Cavallaro said. Spirituality is one of eight dimensions of holistic wellness, according to Wellness and Prevention Services. “Most of the dimensions actually overlap. Even though they’re

separated into eight different things, they’re pretty much all interconnected somehow,” Cavallaro said. “It can definitely be linked to all of the dimensions. It’s really how you’re grounding yourself, how you’re valuing what you’re doing,” second-year graduate student studying student affairs and administration Hallie Reed said. Reed is an intern with Wellness and Prevention Services. “It can definitely look very different for each individual and it could connect more directly to each of those dimensions,” Reed said. The eight-dimension model of wellness is an accepted model of holistic wellness, Howard said. “Part of the inherent nature of finding or recognizing what your spiritual needs are is the acceptance that it’s about exploration,” Howard said.

“Because it is meaning-making, and you can’t make meaning of something if you have a very narrow view because you have not explored other options.” Reed added that spirituality is an individualized process. “I work under the definition of spirituality being more of that meaning-making process, how you define your values and beliefs and can look a variety of ways,” Reed said. Practicing spirituality can have many benefits on a person, Howard said. He said science shows that when individuals are connected through community, they have better engagement with others and can better manage stress, as well as contribute to their surrounding environments. Reed said exploring philosophical questions about life and meaning are important for traditional col-

lege-age students. “For college students there is a substantial relevance and importance to exploring and recognizing that your spirituality and spiritual wellness is paramount here at Appalachian and beyond,” Howard said. On Jan. 22, Wellness and Prevention Services hosted a Spiritual Wellness Fair to promote the importance of spiritual wellness by introducing students to ways of implementing spirituality into their lives. “Through spiritual wellness, I hope students get to a place where they question things and (that) gets them to a place where they understand what invigorates them,” Howard said. “And we get to a greater state of community where people can thrive.”

EIGHT DIMENSIONS OF HOLISTIC WELLNESS

EMOTIONAL

PHYSICAL

ENVIRONMENTAL

SOCIAL

FINANCIAL

SPIRITUAL

“

INTELLECTUAL

OCCUPATIONAL

In order to promote these eight dimensions of wellness, the Department of Wellness and Prevention Services offers educational programs on topics such as nutrition, sexual health, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, stress and sleep. The department hosts events designed to empower students about the importance of self-care. It also offers a variety of individual and group services for students to help them maintain wellness throughout their college careers. Individual therapy, nutrition assessment and a resource library are just some of the many services offered to students. – Wellness and Prevention Services

”

News

New SGA Cabinet members confirmed after recent firings

Feb.1, 2019

Moss Brennan ‫@ ׀‬mosbren ‫ ׀‬News Editor

wo sophomores replaced recently fired Student Government Association cabinet members during a Senate meeting on Jan. 29. Greg Steckbeck, management major, was confirmed as the director of legislative operations and Jack Watson, computer science major, was confirmed as the director of student affairs. Brigitte Kelly, vice president and junior political science major, appointed both positions.

“I am very grateful. I want to make them proud and do the best job I can and execute my duties,” Steckbeck said. Steckbeck said he wants to bring the Rules Committee closer to the student body. Steckbeck was the ranking member of Rules Committee last semester and has been part of the Student Government Association since freshman year. “He had experience chairing meetings and reading rules reports

so he just seemed most appropriate,” Kelly said. “I think he’ll do a really good job changing the climate of rules committee to be not so looming.” Watson said he is excited about his position and wants to learn as much as he can. He also said he wants to “continue to do great things for App.” Watson is a member of the student conduct board and the University Recreation Council. He is a former member of the Resident Housing Association.

“SGA does have a lot of power, and doing what I can through every single organization and seeing how they balance together, this is where it’s led me,” Watson said. Kelly chose him because of his credentials and his understanding of student affairs. “He really understood that student affairs is a position that is more of an umbrella approach and also a fireman approach, so you’re putting out fires and you have to have a big picture of everything,” Kelly said.

Jack Watson gives his opening statement to the SGA Senate. Watson was confirmed as the director of student affairs. // Photo by Moss Brennan

SGA chief administration officer explores ways to improve Senate Moss Brennan ‫@ ׀‬mosbren ‫ ׀‬News Editor

Erica Turner, senior interdisciplinary studies major, was confirmed as the new chief administration officer for the student government association. Some of her duties include taking minutes and transcribing everything that was said during Senate meetings. // Photo by Moss Brennan

ost senators are done working after the Student Government Association Senate meeting Tuesday nights, but Erica Turner still has plenty of work ahead of her. Once Senate meetings are over, Turner, senior interdisciplinary studies major, transcribes everything that was said during the meeting, which can last 2 1/2 hours. Turner took over as chief administration officer at the start of the spring semester. Turner replaced new chief of staff Savannah Fonvielle, who replaced graduate Joe Wilkes. “I loved being a senator so I want to use my previous leadership responsibilities and roles to enhance senator life in Senate and to make sure they’re getting what they bargained for out of Senate,” Turner said. Turner said she wants to help senators network and gain lobbying and communication skills that will help them in future careers. Hailing from Durham, Turner went to Durham School of the Arts

for high school, where she focused on chorus and technical theater. “I loved stage management and thought that was what I wanted to do, but took a very different path,” Turner said. She interned with Playmakers Repertory Company, the professional theater company in residence at UNC-Chapel Hill, and experienced what it would be like as a stage management major only to realize it wasn’t for her. Turner said when she stepped onto App State’s campus she fell in love with the school. “It felt like such a family already, and I could see myself being a student here,” Turner said. After graduating in May, Turner plans to take a year off and work as a paramedic while getting clinical hours for medical school. “I want to go to grad school first for either neurobiology or ethics and then look into medical school,” Turner said. Turner said she is still decid-

ing whether to study medical ethics or medicine. If she studies medicine, Turner said she wants to practice neurosurgery, which she said would involve 12 more years of education and training. Turner said she thinks she will study medical ethics because of her interest in medicine and law. During her year off, Turner said she hopes to finalize her decision. Turner was the chapter president of her sorority, represented the Appalachian Popular Programing Society in the Senate junior year, served on the Panhellenic council and was the executive editor for the Impulse Neuroscience undergraduate journal. “I wanted to soak up all the opportunities that I could in regards to student leadership,” Turner said. Fonvielle, senior management major, said she thinks Turner is the perfect person for the position. “She has the organization, the leadership and integrity that the position entails and requires of you,” Fonvielle said.

News

Feb. 1, 2019

P3 Project to start in February, add 250 parking spaces West Campus has been under construction near Eggers Hall since fall 2018. Buildings on West Campus are part of the P3 project to demolish "dated” buildings. // Photo by Anna Muckenfuss

Anna Dollar ‫@ ׀‬Anna_Carr ‫ ׀‬News Reporter

ave Blanks from University Communications interviewed Matt Dull, assistant vice chancellor for finance and operations, on Jan. 22 for the first episode of the podcast series “FYI: Campus Construction Updates” to discuss the public private partnership, or P3 Project. The project, which consists of three phases, will significantly change West Campus, Dull said. Phase one will be the construction of two new dorms, named Building 100 and Building 200, until the staff in University Housing and Design Construction come up with a name. That phase will start in February and will take about 18 months of construction, Dull said. Building 100 will be located in the middle of what is now Duck Pond Field, and Building 200 will be in Stadium Lot on the side closest to Kidd-Brewer Stadium. Phase two will complete Building Three, which will begin construction in spring 2020 and will take seven to eight months to finish. To “minimize the headache” for

people on West Campus, Dull said they are trying to finish construction quickly. “If you think about it, in about 2 1/2 years, you’ll have just shy of 1,500 new beds on that part of campus,” Dull said. Starting in the spring, the number of parking spaces available in Stadium Lot will be reduced due to phase two of construction. “We’ll be removing just shy of 200 or so spaces in that lot,” Dull said. “In the end of the project, we’ll actually be going to put up about 250 more spaces on West Campus.” Because the plan also involves demolishing Bowie and Eggers halls, the small area of parking already behind those dorms will be expanded. “There’ll be a pretty significant amount of—almost an equivalent amount of—what’s in Stadium Lot now, just about 30 feet higher and up the hill to be the top of the parking deck,” Dull said. Phase three will include the construction of Building 400, which will stand where Justice Hall is. Justice Hall will be torn down after the

completion of phase two to make room for the new building. The “horseshoe opening” of Building 400 will face the Justice parking lot, as opposed to the way it opens to Rivers Street now. This will make the dorm closer to Rivers Street. “It’s going to be just shy of 700 beds in that building,” Dull said. “Larger building, but will be big enough that we’re going to break that up into kind of three wings or three communities on each floor.” There will be a resident adviser in each of the wings. It is designed to have between 36 and 40 students in each community. If all goes according to plan, Building 400 will be done in fall 2022. For more information on the P3 Projects listen to “FYI: Campus Construction” on University Communications website. The interview was conducted in a podcast by University Communications due to the high demand for media.

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Sports

Feb.1, 2019

(Left) Sophomore guard Pre Stanley stares down an Arkansas State defender before running a play on Jan. 24. (Middle) Junior guard Ashley Polacek avoids a defender and drives the lane for a basket during the Mountaineers’ victory over Arkansas State. (Right) Junior center Bayley Plummer shoots a free throw during App State’s loss to University of Arkansas-Little Rock on Jan. 26. // Photo by Megan McCulloh

A WOMEN’S

BASKETBALL

GOES 2-1

OVER HOME S TA N D Brooks Maynard ‫@ ׀‬brooksmaynard ‫ ׀‬Sports Editor

fter starting January with a 2-2 record that includes a home win over South Alabama and one on the road against Texas State, the women’s basketball team returned to Holmes Convocation Center for a three-game home stand of Sun Belt matchups. Before its stretch of home games started, head coach Angel Elderkin said she was happy the team was back in Boone. “The home games are really important, and we have (Arkansas State and the University of Arkansas-Little Rock) coming in, which traditionally that’s where the Sun Belt has gone through,” Elderkin said. “It’s also nice when we just started school that we get two weeks in school to get our routine back before we have to hit the road again.” The Mountaineers carried the momentum of their win over Texas State into comfortable victories over Coastal Carolina and Arkansas State to start the home stand. Senior forward Madi Story had more than 20 points in both games while junior center Bayley Plummer grabbed a total of 32 rebounds, including 17 in a double-double effort against Coastal Carolina. To finish the stretch, the Mountaineers had a visit from Sun Belt Conference leader Arkansas-Little Rock. Unlike the previous two matchups, the team struggled offensively and shot only 32 percent from the field through the first three quarters. The team played better in the fourth quarter, but by then it was too late, suffering a 15-point loss, 74-59. Even with the loss to the Trojans, Elderkin said she

was pleased with the home stand. “When I look at the top of the Sun Belt, we just went through it and we finished with a winning record,” Elderkin said. “Obviously we’ve got to win games on the road, but we’re right there with those teams.” With their loss to Little Rock, the Mountaineers’ overall record dropped to 10-8 with a 4-3 record in the Sun Belt, good for fourth in the league out of 12 teams. Story said she felt it was the Trojans’ near-perfect execution in the “little things” that made the difference. “Before this game, we would have really good points and really bad points,” Story said. “But Little Rock capitalized on our mistakes and other teams haven’t done that.” Redshirt junior guard Ashley Polacek said she agreed that attention to detail would be key going forward. “It definitely comes down to details. We’ve really got to lock in offensively (and) defensively,” Polacek said. “We had three wins in a row, so we’ve just got to keep up that grind.” After facing off with the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Jan. 31, the Mountaineers will travel north to Monroe, Louisiana, to take on the UL-Monroe Warhawks before returning home on Feb. 7. App State has 11 Sun Belt games left before tournament play begins, and Elderkin thinks it will be a fight to the finish. “It’s two to three losses from third place down to ninth or tenth place (in the Sun Belt),” Elderkin said. “And on any given night, any of those teams are going to beat each other. I think it’s going to make for an interesting finish.”

Feb. 1, 2019

Sports

MEN’S GOLF ADDS

TALENTED SIGNEES FOR 2019 SEASON Garrett Wold ‫@ ׀‬G_dub1000 ‫ ׀‬Sports Reporter

Men’s golf will welcome two new signees for the 2019-2020 season. Head coach Bo Redman and App State Athletics announced the signing of the duo on Jan. 17. Gastonia-native Addison Beam and fellow prep school golfer Nick Sawyer from Centre, Alabama, will join the experienced golf team, which consists of two seniors and four juniors. Redman said he thinks the pair will fit into the program. “I look at things like academics and integrity, not just numbers and titles,” Redman said. “Golf is somewhat of an individual sport, so having integrity is important to the game.” Beam played high school golf at the Highland School of Technology, where he earned all-conference honors as a junior. He also finished his senior year with a 2018 1A State Championship individual title. Sawyer comes from Cedar Bluff School. He won the 1A-2A sub-state title in 2018 and a Junior Open Championship that same year. He is the first person from Cherokee County, Alabama, to earn a Division I golf scholarship. Redman thinks highly of both players, as golfers and representatives of the university. He noted that Beam became an Eagle Scout before graduating, and Sawyer has “unlimited potential.” “(Beam) is a hard worker and a family guy. He’s the kind of player I look for,” Redman said. “(Sawyer) is talented. He had close to 50 different college offers. He’s the kind of guy who wants to come in and be a leader right away.” A plentiful group of leaders and experienced golfers will show the rookies the culture App State golf has bred over the years. Junior management major Julian Cepeda is one of those upperclassmen, and he had some advice to give to the newest members of the squad. “Coach (Redman) always encourages us to be positive. He never wants to dwell on things we did wrong,” Cepeda said. “Even if you play bad, don’t worry about it, just think about what you did wrong and go try again.”

Men's golf recruit Nick Sawyer signs his National Letter of Intent to play for App State at a ceremony at Cedar Bluff School in Centre, Alabama. // Courtesy of App State Athletics

Arts and Culture

Feb.1, 2019

student achievement

COMMUNITY-FOCUSED MOMENTUM DANCE CLUB SHOWCASES

Christine Dudley ‫@ ׀‬chridud ‫ ׀‬A&C Reporter

V 1

4 1. (From left to right) Erin McCarthy, Annie Young and Allie Roberts impress the audience with their flexibility in the piece ‘Copycat’ choreographed by student choreographer, Makayla Canady. 2. Erika Chap (left), a junior biology major with a minor in dance, performs in ‘Dances In Lines,’ by Danielle Neibaur. Neibaur was requested by the student officers of Momentum to choreograph the piece. 3. Momentum’s seventh annual showcase featured eight original pieces choreographed by students, including a routine on society’s obsession with technology titled ‘Apple™ of my I.’ 4. (From left to right) Dancers Lori Potter, Abi Wiggins and Maren Schmidt show each other support in their piece ‘Choosing Self(lessness),’ choreographed by Darby Adams. 5. Freshman Kennedy Bennett showcases her natural beauty through her movement in the piece ‘Beautiful,’ choreographed by Rachel Bohannon. // Photos by Megan McCulloh

arsity Gym room 208, normally used as two studio spaces, transformed into a relaxed concert space for Momentum Dance Club’s seventh annual showcase Jan. 25 and 26. The dividing wall was lifted and rugs, cushions, stools, chairs and high chairs were arranged to create leveled seating for the audience. The showcase featured eight original works choreographed and performed by students, which they have rehearsed since October. Momentum is inclusive to all majors and minors, dance styles and techniques, but the showcase pieces are typically variations of contemporary and modern. Freshman special education major Brianna Richardson joined Momentum because she wanted to keep dancing in college. “I knew that I wanted to take dance classes while I was up here since I’ve been dancing for 16 years, but I wanted to be able to perform as well because technique just isn’t enough for me,” Richardson said. Although Momentum focuses on the showcase, the officers organize social events like lock-ins, dance parties and open classes. “We have lock-ins, which are just big sleepovers in Varsity Gym. We lock all the doors, and we can go hang out in the upstairs track area and in the gym area,” junior business management and dance studies major Amber Worley said. “There’s actually a basement and we call it the dungeon. We play hide and seek, and eat a bunch of food.” Worley said the officers organize

get-togethers each month. They go to performances at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts together or watch the sunrise on the Blue Ridge Parkway. At the end of the spring semester, Momentum celebrates the year with a banquet and a dance party at Varsity Gym. “I know lots of (dance) people because I’m taking dance classes, but if you’re not in that realm, you don’t really know (dance) people, so it’s really nice that they try to get everyone together,” Richardson said. This is Worley’s second year as a concert coordinator. She wants to pursue arts management and eventually open her own dance studio. “Momentum is my little baby,” Worley said fondly. “Managing the showcase and running the show is what I want to do as a career, and so having this now is like a mini-version of that.” Momentum sells merchandise — stickers, t-shirts and sweatshirts — and members pay $5 in dues, which covers their entire time at App State. Most of the funds for Momentum come from ticket sales at their showcase. Worley said the funds pay for costumes for the next showcase and renews Momentum’s “lease” so it can remain a campus organization. Worley said several people in Momentum are nursing or chemistry majors who don’t have the availability to take dance classes during the day. “Being in Momentum is a nice way to break out and still have dance without having to commit to something like a class or a mainstage,” Worley said.

Arts and Culture

Dec. 1, Nov. Feb. 16, 7, 2019 2018 2018

BOONE

PEOPLE OF

TRAVELING THRIFT STORE PROMOTES

sustainability and a passion for people Camryn Collier ‫@ ׀‬camrynecollier ‫ ׀‬A&C Reporter

Mericlaire Williams ‫@ ׀‬meri.claire ‫ ׀‬A&C Columnist

Elle Erickson sets up her shop in downtown Asheville. You can find free hugs, free advice, high-fives, dancing and more at her traveling booth and thrift store. // Courtesy of Elle Erickson

E Joseph Bowden For three months I spent time over in France doing a farming program. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to go into for school, and I was at a crossroads. I wanted to go into a French major, animal science with biology or agriculture. I thought it was a good way to test out all three. While I was farming out in a place close to Dijon, one night when I didn’t have any work, I got invited to go out to a disco tech. We go out to this place, in the middle of nowhere, and I realize this is an actual dance club. This was the only experience where I wasn’t feeling nervous ‘cause I’m not good with dancing. But you’re in this position where it’s already ridiculous, and almost doesn’t seem like something that could happen in real life. I wanted to get out there and see the world. Eventually, I decided on biology. Overall, I was able to gain a lot more confidence with myself for three months away. It helped me develop as a person and also with my studies.

lle Erickson has a self-proclaimed superpower. “I can find really good secondhand clothing that are extremely fun pieces,” Erickson said. From this superpower, Erickson has created a project called The Booth Fairy. She picks interesting and unique secondhand and thrifted pieces and sells them in Traveling Thrift Store Shopping Parties and Traveling Trunk Shows. These parties have taken Erickson around North Carolina and much of the southeast including places like Charlotte, Asheville, Savannah, Knoxville and Nashville. One of her next pit stops is Boone, where she will set up her racks of clothes at 3rd Place on Appalachian Street. The clothing for sale ranges from bohemian, to vintage, to staple items needed for work or formal attire. Erickson said all the clothes she sells are secondhand, something she is passionate about for environmental necessity. “Ninety-five percent of my wardrobe is secondhand or thrifted clothing,” Erickson said. “It’s really important to show that a lot of thrifted things are just as good, or even better than a lot of fast fashion stuff. I really want people to shop sustainably. People often don’t realize what they are supporting with their dollar.” The secondhand clothing Erickson sells is more sustainable and cheaper than new clothing, with prices ranging from $5-20. Handmade or higher quality items are more expensive. Erickson also sets up booths that give advice, free hugs,

free-high fives and inspiration to quit smoking. Erickson also likes to employ local artists at her venues. Last time Erickson came to Boone in early fall 2018, she included booths for henna, body artists and tarot card readers. “It’s silly. There could be a thumb war, a staring contest, or it can go deep and there can be crying,” Erickson said. “It’s all over the place. It’s a really high vibe that I love to create. There is lots of dancing and silliness.” Besides her traveling booth shopping parties, Erickson has promoted other projects she wants to see thrive. One such project is Bliss Mobs, where Erickson and volunteers give hugs in nursing homes and busy cities. Erickson also sets up Free Advice Booths and cultivates an idea of Love Ambassadors, or people in major cities nationally who promote free hugs, love and finding human connections. She has around 200 patrons who help fund her traveling booth and other projects, according to Erickson’s Patreon account. As she comes to Boone on Feb. 6-9, Erickson wants her customers in Boone to become involved. “The whole reason I started doing the trunk shows was all for human connection,” Erickson said. “I love fashion and clothes, but it is not my biggest priority or my biggest passion for sure. The last time I came to Boone I was so well received and I would love anyone in Boone to be involved in my projects somehow, whether they be a patron, love ambassador or just looking at my message.”

Arts and Culture

Feb.1, 2019

The Appalachian Theatre working

ON SECOND HALF OF CONSTRUCTION

Emelie Carpenter

Christina Beals ‫@ ׀‬christinalala_ ‫ ׀‬WASU Coordinator

The Appalachian Theatre is an iconic landmark of downtown Boone. The theater is hoping to purchase a digital marquee. // Photo by Jaina Lewis

he theater with tinted windows on King Street is undergoing more changes than meets the eye. The historic Appalachian Theatre of the High Country is undergoing the second phase of its renovations, which started in 2018. Phase one was completed in 2016 and consisted of restoring the front marquee with flood lights on the bottom, LED message boards and its black acrylic design on the front. Phase two includes renovating the theater’s

interior, exterior and backstage. The Appalachian Theatre began in 1938 as Boone’s newest movie house, but was damaged by a fire on Jan. 12, 1950. The theater was renovated in 1950, but closed down on Nov. 29, 2007, due to a gradual decrease in theater interest. In 2011, the Town of Boone repurchased the theater from a Florida developer, which led to nonprofit organization Appalachian Theatre of the High Country Inc. buying it in 2013.

The organization’s mission is to recreate the theater’s former glory, preserve its history and transform the building into one of the High Country’s premier arts and culture venues, according to The Appalachian Theatre website. Laura Kratt, executive director of Appalachian Theatre of the High Country Inc., said phase two construction includes changes to the theater interior. “(Phase two) is the stage house, seats, projection systems, theater lighting systems and a 1,600-squarefoot community room,” Kratt said. Kratt said adding a digital marquee is an idea that is purely under discussion, but could be beneficial for communicating multiple events. “The Appalachian Theatre should be a very busy place,” Kratt said. “The more we can support our user group by promoting their events and letting the public know about them, the stronger the audiences are and the more sustainable a historic theater is.” Town manager John Ward said having the 600-seat theater in the heart of the municipal district will improve Boone’s overall economic development. “Patrons who come for performances or events will more than likely be visiting our shops, our restaurants and participating in other downtown activities,” Ward said. “(The Town of Boone) sees any use of what was a vacant storefront or theater as a huge contributing factor to the downtown economy.” Ward said the theater will also bring a variety of cultural events, and groups can use the community room for meetings. The Appalachian Theatre’s anticipated opening is late summer.

Photo by Hayley Canal

Mericlaire Williams ‫@ ׀‬meri.claire ‫ ׀‬A&C Columnist Walking through the Walker College of Business, accounting graduate student Emelie Carpenter stands out in her brightly colored clothes with her self-proclaimed style: business clown. Carpenter routinely wears her skull-knuckle gloves for any occasion. “I’m very flamboyant, especially within the business building,” Carpenter said. There is a noticeable difference between Carpenter’s utilitarian business style and the bold accessories she adorns it with. Carpenter takes a timeless casual style and makes it her own by dressing it up. There is a paradox between her two inspirations — fun, fictional characters and the business community. “I always like chunky shoes, which I think is very in tune with me wanting to be a cartoon,” Carpenter said. In summer 2018, Man Repeller posted an article called “Menocore is the New Normcore, and It’s a Lot More Comfortable.” From then, Carpenter has been drawn to Menocore, which reflects the style of a middle-aged woman. It is considered long-term clothing. “(Menocore) changed my life,” Carpenter said. Winter is when Carpenter explores her business clown style with trench coats and bright colors. In the summer she channels menocore style, including floor-length shapeless dresses. Carpenter always pushes her style to new limits. When reflecting on prior years she questions her past style. She said she hopes she has finalized her style, as it has been steady for the last two years. “I don’t like to be seen, so I try to dress for me and try not be in my head as much,” Carpenter said.

App News

Feb. 1, 2019

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Friday, feb. 1

Saturday, feb. 2

Sunday, feb. 3

Monday, feb. 4

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ($1) Greenbriar Theatre 7-9 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs. University of Louisiana Monroe Holmes Convocation Center 2-4 p.m.

Women’s Tennis vs. Western Carolina Varsity Tennis Courts 3-6 p.m.

Bike App! Rivers Street Skywalk 1-4:30 p.m.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald ($2) I.G. Greer 7-9 p.m. & 9:30-11:30 p.m.

Wrestling vs. Chattanooga Varsity Gym 3-6 p.m.

Tuesday, feb. 5

Wednesday, feb. 6

Thursday, feb. 7

Friday, feb. 8

Bike App! Rivers Street Skywalk 1-4:30 p.m.

The Outsiders ($1) Greenbriar Theatre 7-9 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs. Texas State Holmes Convocation Center 12 p.m.-2 p.m.

The Outsiders ($1) Greenbriar Theatre 7-9 p.m.

#Hygge: What it is and how could it help your mental health Plemmons Student Union 5:45-6:45 p.m.

2019 Diversity Lecture Series featuring Symone Sanders Plemmons Student Union 7-8 p.m.

Wreck-It-Ralph: Ralph Breaks the Internet ($2) I.G. Greer 7-9 p.m. & 9:30-11:30 p.m.

An Evening of Song Rosen Concert Hall 8-9 p.m.

Sierra Hull with Chatham Rabbits Legends 8-11 p.m.

Faculty Potpourri Rosen Concert Hall 8-9:30 p.m.

Harmonia Baroque Rosen Concert Hall 4-5:30 p.m.

Opinion

Feb.1, 2019

Covington Catholic situation opens students to condemnation for racism Q Russell ‫@ ׀‬Q_M_Russell ‫ ׀‬Opinion Editor

f a large group of students from Covington Catholic High School surrounding an elderly Native American man, taunting and jeering at him seems racist, it’s probably racist. A video taken on Jan. 18 in Washington D.C. shows Covington Catholic student Nick Sandmann, wearing a bright red “Make America Great Again” hat, standing motionlessly in front of Omaha elder Nathan Phillips while smirking at him without blinking. Several dozen of his classmates surround the two while chanting. The video also captures members of the mob doing the “tomahawk chop,” an overarm chopping motion that many Native American tribes, such as the Diné and the Navajo, protest against as they find it offensive. The Kentucky high school students came to D.C. to attend the March For Life. The group came across a small gathering of Black Hebrew Israelites, a group that believes African-Americans are descended from the ancient Israelites. Video surfaced of a conflict brewing between the two groups when the Black Hebrew Israelites began yelling at the boys for wearing MAGA hats. The students gathered into a group facing the Israelites and began chanting at them. Phillips, who said in an interview with the Detroit Free Press that he came across the encounter after participating in an Indigenous People’s March, came between the two groups to try to defuse the tension. That’s when

the students surrounded him and Sandmann approached him. After several videos surfaced showing the situation, Sandmann’s family hired a public relations firm, RunSwitch PR, to handle the incident because their son’s actions placed him firmly in the national spotlight. The firm released a three-page statement from Sandmann that said he approached Phillips to “defuse” the situation and that his smile was trying to calm things down. Phillips, on the other hand, told The Washington Post that Sandmann approached him as he was trying to escape from the crowd. He tried to move around the teen, but said the two had reached an impasse. Reactions to this debacle have been mixed. Some are criticizing the boys’ actions, calling them racist and harmful, while others are defending them, saying that they’re young and “boys will be boys.” Congratulations are in order for Sandmann’s family for getting ahead of the narrative, but they lose points for a lack of creativity and honesty. Sandmann’s smile wasn’t placating. It was the smile of a kid who knows there are no consequences for him. It was smug, arrogant and disrespectful, and he knew what he was doing. The mob from Covington Catholic, an all-male private school, was deliberately racist. In the video, some students can be heard shouting “build the wall,” otherwise known as President Don-

ald Trump’s rallying cry that, like his MAGA slogan, is associated with racism and prejudice. This is especially the case when the boys’ high school has a long history of racism and overall atrocious behavior. Covington Catholic released and quickly deleted a video that showed a student attending a basketball game in black face. A Twitter user who graduated from the school went in-depth on the bullying and abuse he received after coming out as gay. Another Twitter user detailed the experience of a black student who had gone to the high school and been horribly bullied for his skin color. A former Covington Catholic student was charged with sexually assaulting a woman after registering as a juvenile sex offender for a similar crime. Students at Covington Catholic have also been caught on video chanting, “It’s not rape if you enjoy it” at a group of girls. The video on Jan. 18 alone indicates that the actions of the Covington Catholic students in Washington D.C. were racist. The added context and prior actions of other students indicates that the students of Covington Catholic High School share a predominant attitude of prejudice and disregard for others. The students who went to D.C. were racist and malicious, and to say otherwise would be to ignore the signs. They’re not “boys being boys,” they’re terrible people in need of condemnation.

REOPENING THE GOVERNMENT Q Russell । @Q_M_Russell । Opinion Editor President Donald Trump agreed to end his tantrum and sign a bill reopening the government Friday. This came after he and the Republicans in Congress played chicken with the lives of 800,000 federal workers by shutting the government down for 35 days. The bill provides temporary funding for the government until Feb. 15, at which point the government will either pass a long-term spending bill or shut everything down again. “We really have no choice but to build a powerful wall or steel barrier,” Trump said in a speech at the Rose Garden. “If we don’t get a fair deal from Congress, the government will either shut down on Feb. 15, or I will use the powers afforded to me under the laws and Constitution of the United States to address this emergency.” The not-so-veiled threat in that statement is that Trump will invoke emergency powers to waste money, at least $21.6 billion, according to an internal document from the Department of Homeland Security, on a wall that would be as useless as the shutdown. Proponents of the wall ignore that the majority of undocumented immigration is the result of people overstaying their visas. The Center for Migration Studies found in 2014 that two-thirds of all undocumented immigrants in the U.S. were people who overstayed. The wall is a giant waste of money, especially considering the U.S. deficit rose to $779 billion in the 2018 fiscal year. That’s a 17 percent increase from last year and the largest number since 2012. Trump and congressional Republicans put 800,000 federal employees, along with the workers in roughly 10,000 federally contracted companies, at risk for such a pointless and incredibly asinine reason. He and the Republicans didn’t get anything out of it. Nothing has changed except that workers didn’t get paid for over a month. CareerBuilder, an employment website, found that 78 percent of workers live paycheck to paycheck. The shutdown cost the workers and contractors two paychecks. These people are two paychecks behind in a society where, on average, each one means life and death. This month-long debacle was pointless, and if this isn’t the impetus for Americans to vote these clowns out in 2020, it’s doubtful they will find one.

Et cetera

Feb. 1, 2019

A WHOLE NEW WORLD BY NEIL AGNEW

Across

Down

1. Spanish bear 4. Pack leaders? 7. Breeze 9. Condition of ennui for a prosperous youth* 13. Lawyer’s charge 14. Men’s neckwear 15. Word formed by conflating two other words, as seen in each starred answer 17. Cruz who received the National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 1994 18. Go for a swim, in the U.K. 20. Tar heel sch. 22. “What’s your ___?” (Are you coming soon?) 23. Kitchen meas. 26. [Cheer] 27. It stands at $21.6 trillion in the U.S., with “national” 29. Pig-like herbivore with a large trunk 31. Affectionate albeit platonic relationship between two men* 32. Purge 33. ___ Miserables (Victor Hugo novel)

1. Greek expression of excitement 2. Asphyxiate 3. Job follower? 5. Pressed sandwich on Italian bread 6. Degrade 8. 1985 cult classic starring Chevy Chase 10. And others, in Latin: Abbr. 11. 6th letter of the Greek alphabet 12. Meal in the late morning* 16. Rendezvous 18. Cot 19. Thing to close out at a bar 20. What a bladder holds 21. DEA agents, derogatorily 24. Kind of sign 25.Jackie Brown actress Grier 28. Not yet decided, in short 30. Close friend

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Sustainable development major Brenna Martin marches down King Street with an array of students, faculty and community members united under the Appalachian Climate Action Collaborative. The demonstration took place in conjunction with U.S. Extinction Rebellion, an international non-violent rebellion against governmental inaction on climate change.

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