The Appalachian
August 23, 2019
Friday nights just got a little easier with Night Owl routes
Inclusive bar brings vintage vibes and new nightlife
Mens soccer signs 12-yearold recruit
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What did you miss?
Aug. 23, 2019
Professor sets record 27,657 feet above sea level Moss Brennan | Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Tom Matthews, left, and Dr. Baker Perry, members of the National Geographic and Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Extreme Expedition to Mount Everest, work on the automated weather station at the Everest Base Camp. Learn more at www.natgeo.com/everest. Photo by Freddie Wilkinson, National Geographic When humans reach certain altitudes, oxygen intake reduces, brain function declines, hearts beat faster and the odds of frostbite increase. For State geography and planning professor Baker Perry, standing at 27,650 feet was magical. “You realize you’re literally at the top of the world looking down on some of the highest peaks in the world,” Perry said. From April to June, Perry joined a team from National Geographic and
Tribhuvan University in Nepal on a scientific expedition up the world’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest. The six-person team installed the world’s highest operating weather station on Everest that provides real-time information about mountain conditions while monitoring upper regions of the atmosphere. The expedition was part of National Geographic’s Life at the Extremes program, which aims to better
understand variations in earth’s most unique regions, like rainforests and oceans. The Everest expedition was the program’s first Perpetual Planet Extreme Expedition. “With Everest being the highest mountain in the world, it’s got some pretty extreme weather and environments that plants and animals live in,” Perry said. To study this, Perry and his team climbed Mount Everest and installed
two weather stations, which were brought up the mountain by a team of Sherpas led by Panuru Sherpa, a 17time Everest summiter. The two stations were installed at altitudes of 26,066 feet and 27,657 feet and were over 100 pounds each, which was split up among the group to carry. The team also carried the tools needed to install the stations and supplies to survive the climb. “We had oxygen canisters; we had food; we had stoves; we had tents,” Perry said. Perry and his team originally planned to install the second weather station at the summit of Mount Everest but had to change plans for safety concerns. During the 2019 Everest climbing season, 11 climbers died. “We unfortunately saw some of those bodies on the route,” Perry said. He said overcrowding caused a 70-person “traffic jam” on the mountain. “(Panuru Sherpa) basically made the call for us to stop at the balcony because it was just going to take us too long to get to the summit in that line,” Perry said. “Even if we had gotten to the summit, we were going to need two or three hours to install the station and complete our science objectives up there.” During the expedition, Perry said most team members developed severe
upper respiratory infections, coughs, colds or the flu. “It’s very hard to recover completely from those sicknesses up at the high elevations. And so, all that together made it a real challenge,” Perry said. He also said the climb was physically and mentally demanding. In the past, Perry scaled mountains in the Andes, where he helped install weather stations. He has also climbed above 21,000 feet multiple times in his life. “We were sleeping at elevations that I’ve only been to for a few hours on previous expeditions,” Perry said. “It was an adjustment for sure, but at least I’d had some exposure to those elevations.” Once Perry and his team got to the balcony—a flat section along the summit climb that intersects with the crest of the Southeast Ridge of Everest—not everything went according to plan. The team was missing mounts for the wind sensors. After brainstorming, Perry suggested using the handle of the mountaineering shovel and duct tape as a replacement. But, that wasn’t the only issue Perry solved with duct tape on his trip. Read the full story online at theappalachianonline.com.
Watauga County received 10 million opioid pills during 6 year period Nora Smith | Reporter
More than 10 million opioid pills flooded Watauga County between 2006 and 2012, according to Drug Enforcement Administration data obtained by the Washington Post. The Post’s analysis estimated an average of 31.5 pills per person entered Watauga County each year. This estimate is based on a measurement of the population that includes children. In 2010, Watauga County’s population was 51,079 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The total number of pills distributed over the six year period was 10,799,273. Boone Drug and Health Care
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at Deerfield and Boone Drug at New Market were the No. 1 and No. 3 distributors in Watauga County, distributing 3,203,600 pills and 1,283,500 pills, respectively. Walgreens on Blowing Rock Road was the No. 2 regional distributor at just over 2 million pills. McKesson Corp. and Walgreens were the top two distributors nationwide. Surrounding counties saw even higher rates of pills per capita. • Avery County: 57.5 pills per person • Caldwell County: 62.3 pills per person • Wilkes County: 55.5
pills per person • Ashe County: 42.9 pills per person Boone Drug has not returned The Appalachian’s request for comment. Although Purdue Pharma has largely served as the head of the opioid epidemic in media coverage, data indicates most of the drugs distributed in the U.S. were manufactured by generic labels. Actavis Pharma was the No. 1 manufacturer of pills entering Watauga County with over 5 million pills. Purdue Pharma clocked in at No. 4 for the region at just over 300,000 pills.
Over 2.5 billion pills were supplied to the state from 2006-2012, and Omnicare Pharmacy of Hickory received the highest number of pills statewide with more than 9 million. The most severely affected counties include Columbus County (113.5 pills per person), Surry County (80.6 pills per person) and Cherokee County (76.6 pills per person). Drug overdoses in North Carolina steadily increased from a rate of 13.8 in 100,000 in 2013 to a rate of 24.1 in 100,000 in 2017, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. State 2018 rates
are not yet available, although national rates fell in 2018 for the first time in decades, the Post reported. During the six year period, Walgreens distributed 13 billion oxycodone or hydrocodone pills, or 16.5% of the market. AmerisourceBergen, the distributor for Boone Drug, contributed to 11.7% of the market, or 9 billion pills. Neither Walgreens nor AmerisourceBergen have returned The Appalachian’s request for comment. Read the full story online at theappalachianonline.com. Moss Brennan contributed to this report.
News Watauga County Board of Elections hosts voter ID seminars Aug. 23, 2019
Jackie Park | News Editor
Leading up to election day, students may wonder what types of voter IDs are acceptable. The Watauga County Board of Elections plans to answer these questions well before the 2020 elections.
As part of the new voter ID law, the Watauga County Board of Elections will host seminars about voter ID requirements for the 2020 elections. Matthew Snyder, director of the
Watauga County Board of Elections, said he wants voters to understand the requirements for photo IDs like, “what documents are acceptable and what other options they have if they don’t have a proper ID.”
Starting in 2020, all voters will be required to show some form of photo identification. Some forms include:
• A valid NC driver’s license or non-operator ID not expired by more than one year. • An approved student ID from a state or private university or community college. • A federally recognized tribal card. • A U.S. military identification card. • A new voter ID card. For the full list, attend the voter ID seminar on Aug. 27.
The seminars will also cover other details, like how homeless people can obtain IDs and which college IDs are acceptable. App State students can use their student IDs as an acceptable form of ID in the 2020 election. “We’re one of the few universities at this point that have that status, which is fantastic. So, hats off to the university for working that out,” Snyder said. Beginning in 2021, college IDs must have an expiration date, which AppCards do not currently have. Snyder wants students to double check their voter registration, even if they think it’s set. He said sometimes students renew licenses and register at the DMV with their home address, which resets their registration, or sometimes
students move and need to update their new mailing address. “All the counties work together to maintain those voter registration lists and roles, meaning you can go to the state boards’ website and you can look up your name and see where you’re registered,” Snyder said. Voters have until Oct. 11 at 5 p.m. to register to vote in the 2019 election. But, Snyder said voters who miss the deadline can also go to onestop voting with proof of residence. Snyder also noted that voters should keep watch over the voter ID law, as it could change. The first seminar took place on Aug. 19. The second seminar will take place at 7 p.m. on Aug. 27 in Belk Library Room 114.
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Aug. 23, 2019
College of Fine and Applied Arts under interim leadership Mountaineer Safe Ride provides transportation for App State students Moss Brennan | Editor-in-Chief If a student does not want to walk across campus because they feel unsafe or the weather is bad, they can call Mountaineer Safe Ride to transport them to university properties for free. Operated by App State Police, safe ride runs from 9:45 p.m. to 2:45 a.m. every night of the week. Safe ride does not operate during university holidays and summer sessions, nor some severe weather. Because of the large volume of students returning to campus on Sunday evenings, safe ride does not serve the Appalachian 105 freshman parking lot until 1 a.m. An AppalCart bus, the N.C. 105 Lot Shuttle, runs every 30 minutes from the Appalachian 105 Lot to campus before then. Students who need to use safe ride can call 828-262-7433.
Tommy Mozier | Opinion Editor
Less than six months after she was named communication department chair, Janice Pope is taking on her next leadership role. Pope was promoted to interim dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts in August after former dean Phyllis Kloda stepped down. “I really believe in collaboration and community. The power of us all working together toward a common goal,” Pope said. “We may get there by different routes, but ultimately we are the college which students experience their education.” The College of Fine and Applied Arts includes seven departments: ap-
plied design, sustainable technology, art, communication, military science and leadership, theatre and dance, and sustainable development. “You’re not going to be in class all day long and take notes and take a test. You’re not going to work problems all day long and take a test. You are going to get out there and produce,” Pope said. Pope received a bachelor’s degree in communication and sociology, a master’s degree in journalism and a Ph.D. in mass communication from the University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa. She has worked at App State since 1995. Before, Pope worked as a
reporter and private communications specialist. Scott Welsh will replace Pope as interim chair of communication. Welsh earned a bachelor’s degrees in communication and philosophy from Taylor University before receiving a master’s and Ph.D. in communication and culture from Indiana University. In 2013, he authored “The Rhetorical Surface of Democracy: How Deliberative Ideals Undermine Democratic Principles.” Pope picked Welsh as interim chair. “I would not have asked Dr. Welsh to do this if I did not know he would do a good job,” Pope said.
AppalCart adds new “Night Owl” routes and extensions Anna Dollar | Reporter
With the start of a new school year, students and residents of Boone can expect changes to some AppalCart routes, eliminating worries about latenight rides. Night Owl Service is AppalCart’s newest “big announcement,” Hughes said. The Night Owl routes include four routes running Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. On Thursday and Friday, the routes start at 10 p.m. and run until 2:30 a.m. On Saturday, they start at 6 p.m. and run until 2:30 a.m. Two of the Night Owl buses run on the Gold Route, Hughes said. The other two buses run on the Orange and Express routes. “We want to make sure that we are hitting most of the apartment
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complexes on the east side of town. We had to modify the Orange to do that,” Hughes said. “Then the Express Route, it won’t go up to college of health sciences at night, but it will serve Walmart and the Village of Meadowview.” The Wellness District Route now runs every 15 minutes as opposed to every 10 minutes. The State Farm Route will no longer stop at Appalachian Heights. Now, just the Blue Route stops at Appalachian Heights until the Gold Route starts at 6:05 p.m. Some of these variations are extensions, which include the Pink and Orange Routes, so students who get out of class at 6 p.m. do not have to wait 30 or 40 minutes for their bus, director of AppalCart Craig Hughes
said. The Purple Route is extending service from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., benefiting those who live at the Village of Meadowview. “They were getting out at 6 p.m. or a little bit after and having to take Express, which runs every 30 minutes, but would sometimes get behind,” Hughes said. “We made it more convenient to get home and take some pressure off Express.” Then Express Route will serve Village of Meadowview residents until 10 p.m. AppalCart will not run on Tuesday, Aug. 27, for the Black and Gold Convocation.
AppalCart Night Owl Schedule Thursday & Friday
saturday
10pm - 2:30pm
6pm - 2:30pm
10:05pm - 2:30pm
6:05pm - 2:30pm
Night Owl Orange
10pm - 2:30pm
6pm - 2:30pm
Night Owl Pop 105
9:56pm - 2:25pm
5:56pm - 2:25pm
Night Owl Express Night Owl Gold
Aug. 23, 2019
Lily’s Snack Bar
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aims to provide safe and inclusive environment Christine Dudley | Associate A&C Editor
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acked with various arcade games, vintage posters and a jukebox that plays oldies, Boone’s newest snack bar brings a funky spirit to the bar scene. The Cardinal’s owners Seth Sullivan, Chris Varipapa, Scott Williford and chef Charlie Chakales bought 455 Blowing Rock Road in March and opened Lily’s Snack Bar on July 28. Lily’s is named after Williford’s grandmother and Chakales’ great grandmother. The owners chose a multi-colored, bubble-letter font for the sign to make the bar more enticing. “In a college town, obviously, you have all walks of people, and so, it felt like the name, Lily’s, made it more approachable,” Chakales said. Sullivan said the philosophy behind Lily’s Snack Bar is simple: a safe place to get “dank” sandwiches, snacks and drinks. Lily’s founders considered opening a snack bar in
Boone for a couple of years and were inspired by Snack Bar in Hickory and Pat’s Snack Bar in Morganton. “We all really love the phrase ‘snack bar,’ because it is a bar, and it serves all kinds of snacks,” Sullivan said. Lily’s menu includes fried cauliflower, potato wedges, gyros and po’boys. Most items have vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Most of the menu is under $10. After 10 p.m., bar entry is 21 and up. “We’re working with Alcohol Law Enforcement and have had training on (underage drinking),” Chakales said. Sullivan said Lily’s has a zero tolerance policy for misogyny, racism, homophobia and sexism. “We’re really committed to an open and safe environment for everybody,” Sullivan said. OASIS trained Lily’s bartenders on how to spot signs of sexual harassment and how to deescalate situations. “We found that (a safe space) was something that
seemed to be lacking in the Boone nightlife scene,” Chakales said. Sullivan said the team plans to work with the Red Flag Campaign on App State’s campus next month. The location of Lily’s has seen a range of restaurants in the recent past, including Gaijin Noodle Bar, which opened in August 2017. It changed its face to Coop’s Chicken in October 2018 and closed in January. Sullivan said he isn’t worried about the location turnover because the staff will focus on working hard and not letting other restaurants distract them. As for competition with their neighbor, TApp Room, Chakales said both businesses could benefit from people bar hopping. “If the food is good and the drinks are good and the vibe is good, then people are going to come,” Sullivan said.
(Left) Senior Studio Art major Kelsey Ramsue enjoys some wings and potato wedges at Lily's Snack Bar. The new restaurant is located across from Durham Park on Hardin Street. (Right) Lily’s snack bar has a jukebox just inside the door that plays CD’s./ Photo by Lynette Files
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Aug. 23, 2019
Bikers for Christ Crossfire Church goers find road to religion Christina Beals | A&C Editor
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Lee Benge is one of the original members of Crossfire United Methodist Church, attending the church since its genesis 16 years ago. / Photo by Brendan Hoekstra
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very Sunday morning, Howie Roberts arrives early to the same 10:45 church service his friends brought him to five years ago. He sits at a wooden picnic table in a faded brimmed hat with a cigarette hanging from the side of his smile, greeting anyone who walks up the church stairs. “I wake up a different man every Sunday,” Roberts said. Roberts is part of a tight-knit, leather-jacket-wearing congregation that receives communion and listens to a sermon while passing around two jet-black Harley-Davidson boots as church offering baskets. Several jackets sport biker patches, while other people commonly wear “Sons of Anarchy” and “Jesus Rally” T-shirts. Crossfire United Methodist Church is a biker church in North Wilkesboro that the Reverend Duncan Overrein and senior pastor Alan Rice established in 2003. Overrein is a former biker and regularly wears a thick leather jacket with varying iron-on patches, greyrimmed glasses that match his goatee and the words “dead gone” tattooed faintly above his knuckles. “(Overrein) said to me, ‘I want there to be a place where people like me can come.’ So, like people with tattoos, and earrings, and do-rags,” Rice said. “I asked if he wanted to start a biker church, and he said, ‘Yes.’” Rice said Crossfire’s mission is
“B.I.K.E.R.,” or “burning heart, intentional discipleship, keeping Christ the sinner, extravagant hospitality and generosity, and risk-taking mission and service.” “The primary community is of acceptance,” Rice said. “We don’t care what you have done, or who you think you’ve become; you’re welcome at Crossfire. And when you put your feet on our porch, we count you as family.” In 2007, Overrein and Rice moved the church to its current 90seat location off of N.C. Highway 115 in Wilkesboro. The main room has shiny gray floors, a large projection screen above the altar for accompanying imagery during sermons, and orange and red lines painted on the chalky walls mimicking a heartbeat. On the stage, different bands perform Christian rock songs. Lead singers interact with the audience and let children play with the band’s guitar during song numbers. Crossfire is a biker church community from all walks of life that collectively tries to make a difference in the world through biblical principles. Before coming to Crossfire in 2018 as an associate pastor, Jerry Rog-
Bible. “I try to connect it to the fact that Christ can change that in their lives,” Rogers said. “Here, you’ve got to talk to these people’s hearts.” Because several churchgoers are impoverished and have low reading skills, Rogers said he implements imagery and movie snippets with scripture to keep their attention. “You can use big words, but it’s not going to help. You have to become one of them,” Rogers said. “I’m really effective with the bikers because I used to be one. If I wasn’t one, they wouldn’t accept me because they’re such a close-knit group.” He said congregates are also “committed to reach out to our neighbor and help them in their time of need.” “If I got up and said, ‘Can somebody come help fix my porch?’ Half of [the congregates] are going to my house. Bikers have that bond,” Rogers said. “They just love each other. That love and that care means more than any kind of money, or anything else.” Rice said Crossfire welcomes those struggling with addiction because within the biker community, the “1%ers” are known for being active
We don’t care what you have done, or who you think you’ve become; you’re welcome at Crossfire. ers ministered with the Christian Motorcycle Association at biker rallies with the “1%ers,” or outlaw motorcyclists that bikers say only make up 1% of the community. The Christian Motorcycle Association is a Christian nonprofit organization that seeks to evangelize the motorcycle community. Because several Crossfire congregates are either recovering addicts or suffering from addiction, Rogers said he creates his sermons to reflect addiction and how it connects back to the
consumers and distributors of drugs and alcohol to the rest of the community. “On Friday nights, we do something called ‘Overcomers,’ and it’s a small group of accountability sessions,” Rice said. “We also have a number of recovering addicts who befriend and become a peer to others.” Through Crossfire, Overrein has created outreach programs to help community members receive proper food security, spirituality and safety resources.
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Aug. 23, 2019 Rice said Overrein and Louis Harvey, who has attended Crossfire for 3 and a half years, organized a church firewood pantry in 2003, which grew into a garden food ministry. Overrein said food grown in the church’s garden is available to the public and is also donated to Ebenezer Christian Children’s Home, a facility that provides a loving environment for children removed from their homes due to neglect or abuse, according to its website. The back of Overrein’s leather jacket is almost completely covered by a large patch design of a gray shield with wings on each side of it, accompanied with “Guardians of the Children” in red font across the top. Overrein and chapter president Robert “Rooster” Padgett started the GOC High Country Chapter for Wilkes County and the surrounding communities. According to its Facebook page, GOC’s mission is to know how to recognize and react to child abuse, educate the public on how to do the same, provide an advocacy support system for families in crisis and be a helpful
resource for abused children and teenagers. Overrein said he and Padgett were inspired to establish the chapter during a shopping trip in 2015, when they saw a mother and her son with noticeable bruises on their faces. “(Padgett) said, ‘Man, they need to do something about this.’ And I said, ‘We are “they,” so let’s get it done,’” Overrein said. In 2016, Padgett started riding to Ebenezer on his motorcycle on Christmas to give gifts to the children. He also plans ice cream socials for them in the summer. Padgett said he wants to plan a bike rally at Crossfire to raise money for the Shepherd House, a shelter in Wilkesboro that houses and educates boys removed from abusive homes. “You give a biker a reason to ride that day, they’ll show up and give you 20 bucks and say they’re happy to help,” Padgett said. “Every motorcycle club gives back to somebody. We do it for the kids.” Padgett said the biker world is about brotherhood and respect, and people often get the wrong impression
of them. “Our preacher wears a vest, and he wears patches on his back. People pass by and automatically think, ‘There goes a gang member,’” Padgett said. “But if they slow down and actually look at the patches, it says ‘Crossfirechurch.com.’” Overrein wears a blue ribbon patch on the left side of his biker vest, which he said represents Child Abuse Awareness Month in May. Overrein said he also keeps a pink hair tie on his bike “in remembrance of the boys and girls who go through trouble in life.” “A little girl gave me my first one, and I hung it on my mirror,” Overrein said. “When that one falls apart, I’ll just replace it.” Similar to Overrein and Padgett raising awareness through riding, motorcycle rallies are ways to donate to various causes, such as fallen police officers and local veterans. “Bikers are the most giving people in the world,” Padgett said.
(Bottom Left) Kelly Bray finds inner peace through the songs and prayer of Biker Church at Crossfire United Methodist Church. Bray has been a regular at Crossfire for 12 years now. (Bottom Right) Pastor Alan Rice starts off every Sunday service at Crossfire with a group prayer, where churchgoers may receive words from Pastor Rice himself, as well as the blessings of others in the group standing with them. (Top Right) Pastor Alan Rice starts off every Sunday service at Crossfire with a group prayer, where churchgoers may receive words from Pastor Rice himself, as well as the blessings of others in the group standing with them. / Photos by Brendan Hoekstra
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Aug. 23, 2019
12th Annual High Country Beer Fest to include App State fermentation seminars
High Country Beer Festival brewers preveiw
Georgia Privott | Reporter
Beer enthusiasts from all over will flock to this year’s 12th annual High Country Beer Fest for specialty brew tastings from more than 60 local and national breweries. Breweries attending the festival will bring brews rarely found on shelves, according to the festival’s website. “I think everyone is on the lookout for new and unique beers,” High Country Beer Fest co-creator and App State chemistry professor Brett Taubman said. “Every year, it seems to be something different that is attracting people to a vendor.” Local food vendors, such as Hot Doggin’ It and Everybody’s Loaded Biscuits, are working to create a menu that pairs well with craft beverages, according to the festival’s website. Each year, the App State fermentation science club teaches seminars at the festival.
“In the past, we have done food pairings,” Taubman said. “However, this year, we are focusing on all fermented foods to highlight what we do in the (fermentation) program.” The seminars will focus on fermented condiments, like vinegar and hot sauces, and pair them with hush puppies from F.A.R.M. Cafe, Taubman said. Boone-based musicians, like Shay Martin Lovette and Naked Gods, will perform at the event, according to the festival’s website. The High Country Beer Fest is Aug. 24 from 3-7 p.m. at the High Country Fairgrounds Volunteer groups and businesses can enter for free but must be 21 or older to volunteer, according to the festival’s website. Tickets and more information are on the High Country Beer Fest website or at Peabody’s Wine and Beer Merchants.
60+ breweries Foothills Brewing Winston-Salem, NC
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Asheville, NC
Booneshine Brewing Company, Inc Asheville, NC
Green Man Breweryv Asheville, NC
Mason Jar Lager Company Fuquay-Varina, NC
Blue Moon Denver, CO
Southern Pines Brewing Company
Appalachian Mountain Brewery Boone, NC New Belgium Brewing Asheville, NC
Southern Pines, NC Red Oak Brewery Whitsett, NC Southern Pines Brewing Company Southern Pines, NC
Red Oak Brewery Whitsett, NC
Sports
Aug. 23, 2019
12-year-old cystic fibrosis patient Jacob Brown joins App State soccer team
my last
Silas Albright | Sports Editor
Brooks Maynard | Columnist
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12-year-old Jacob Brown is the newest recruit for App State men's soccer. The Todd native participates in the Team IMPACT program and is already enjoying his time on the time. Photo courtesy App State Atheltics.
The App State men’s soccer team signed a new star recruit: 12-year-old Jacob Brown, who officially signed his letter of intent to join the Mountaineers last week at the Mark E. Ricks athletics complex next to head coach Jason O’Keefe. “Jacob is going to add a lot of things to our program,” O’Keefe said. “His passion, courage and intelligence all fall in line with our core values.” Brown is participating in the Team IMPACT program, a national nonprofit organization that “connects children facing serious and chronic illnesses with local college athletic teams, forming lifelong bonds and life-changing outcomes,” according to its website. Brown is from Todd and was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth. O’Keefe expects the Mountaineers to gain just as much from him as he gets from being around the team. “Jacob is going to enjoy it, and he’s going to get a lot out of it, but we’re going to get tenfold out of being around him, getting to know him,” O’Keefe said. “He’s going to be a
constant reminder to show up everyday with a big smile and just live life because that’s what he does.” O’Keefe and the team’s leadership group met with Brown for the first time two weeks before the team’s first scrimmage of the year on Aug. 16, O’Keefe said. “He had stitches from the opening minute. We ended up scheduling an hour, and we actually stayed two hours,” O’Keefe said. “He’s fitting in great. (We’re) looking forward to having him on this journey with us. ” Brown will participate in pre-game meals, training sessions, home games, team-building activities and will travel with the team to local away games. O’Keefe knows Brown will play a big part in the Mountaineers’ lives, but he wants his team to play a role in Brown’s life too. “We’ll try and figure out what we can get involved with in his life,” O’Keefe said. “It’s going to be about going and giving back in his world, as well, and then it really starts to take a whole other level, and we all get so much more out of it.”
“His passion, courage and intelligence all fall in line with our core values.”
ith football season less than two weeks away, App State fans are buzzing at the possibilities. The team is fresh off its third straight Sun Belt conference title and returns most of the starters from 2018. The Mountaineers also have opportunities to beat big-time programs like UNC-Chapel Hill and South Carolina before getting back into conference play. Football isn’t the only sport on campus set to have a good season; the other programs should not be forgotten. The volleyball team had a nice bounceback season in 2018, finishing with a 22-9 record after going just 12-20 in 2017. The squad returns senior outside hitter Emma Longley, who was named First Team All-Sun Belt as a junior after leading the team with 409 kills. A slew of talented players is also back this season, including junior defensive specialists Emma Reilly and Kara Spicer and outside hitter Grace Morrison. The team was predicted to finish second in the East Division of the Sun Belt by the preseason coaches poll. Longley, Reilly and Spicer were also selected as preseason AllSun Belt players. Women’s basketball also posted over 20 wins last season, going 22-14 with a 10-8 Sun Belt conference mark, its best effort since head coach Angel Elderkin arrived on campus in 2014. Like volleyball, women’s basketball returns most of its 2018 contributors, including junior guards Pre Stanley and Tierra Wilson and junior forward Lainey Gosnell. Redshirt senior guard Ashley Polacek, who led the team with 36 starts and finished second in the Sun Belt with 158 assists is also back. The team will face some stiff competition when it travels to play South Carolina and Michigan. The wrestling team showed faith this summer by signing long-time head coach JohnMark Bentley to a contract extension through 2023. He’s clearly earned it. Three App State wrestlers won the Southern Conference titles for their weight classes in 2018, including redshirt senior Randall Diabe, senior Cary Miller and junior Codi Russell. The program finished last season ranked No. 13 in the National Collegiate Wrestling Association poll and returns four wrestlers who appeared in the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Football has a lot to look forward to and will likely bring home a lot of success in 2019. But, the popularity of the football program has a tendency to draw attention away from other App State teams that put in just as much hard work and will bring just as much success, most of which couldn’t be mentioned here. Let’s remember to root for them, too, as we head into this 2019-20 school year. And that’s my last word.
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Sports
Aug. 23, 2019
The men's soccer team is looking to take note of both the strengths and weaknesses of this past season and move into the new season a better team./ Photo by Lynette Files
Men’s soccer returns deep lineup for 2019 “This will be by far the deepest team we’ve had”
Zack Antrum | Reporter After a strong 2018 campaign, the App State men’s soccer team has no plans of slowing down and wants to use last season as a stepping stone to greater success. The team finished the season 8-6-3, a record amount of wins for the program under head coach Jason O’Keefe and its first winning record since 2012. “This will be by far the deepest team we’ve had since I’ve been here,” O’Keefe said. “I think this group can be very adaptable and flexible to whatever they’re dealing with on the night.” Last season, a record-tying seven players were named to All-Sun Belt teams, including a trio of first-team members: goalkeeper and co-Sun Belt Player of the Year Jake Chasteen and defenders Felix Kollmanthaler and Zeiko Harris. Midfielders Ian Bennett, Alex McGrath, Austin Hill and forward Camden Holbrook all made the second-team. Despite Bennett, Kollmanthaler and Chasteen’s graduations, the Mountaineers have multiple starters returning and several reserves this season. Junior center back Harris, who led all outfield players in minutes last season, was named preseason All-Sun Belt
and will play a big role in the Mountaineer defense. Defenders Brady Gunter, junior, and Mason Robicheaux, sophomore, also played quality minutes for the Mountaineers last season and are expected to take on larger roles. “We have a pretty tough schedule, so we’re looking to compete and achieve our goals,” Harris told App State Sports. Sophomore Camden Holbrook also returns after leading the team in goals last season. Holbrook hit the ground running and scored five goals in his first two college games, finishing the season with six. The Mountaineers will welcome eight newcomers to the High Country, as O’Keefe brought in another diverse class of players with different backgrounds and abilities. This recruiting class includes several international players. Diogenes Mayola and Kelvin Mulinya, come to Boone from Kenya, and Kelan Swales is an English sophomore transfer from Marshall. The Mountaineers kick off their season at home against Saint John’s on Friday, Aug. 30 at the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex.
Sports
Aug. 23, 2019
Women’s soccer set for 2019 campaign Zack Antrum | Reporter With eight of 11 starters returning, and eight of nine leading scorers returning, the Mountaineer women’s soccer team is poised to compete for a Sun Belt Championship this fall. The team posted its best record since 2016 after a 9-9-1 overall finish last season, including a 6-4 record in the Sun Belt. The team also earned its highest amount of conference wins in over 10 years, according to App State Sports. The Mountaineers did not finish the season the way they would have hoped after a 3-0 loss to South Alabama in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament. Key players for the Mountaineers include senior midfielder Maggie Hanusek and redshirt senior goalkeeper Taylor Ray.
Hanusek scored three goals last year and tallied four assists, enough to make her the team leader in points. For the past two years, head coach Sarah Strickland has made Ray her first choice goalkeeper. Last year, Ray played over 1,300 minutes and finished eighth in saves in the Sun Belt. She comes into the season ranked seventh all time in saves in program history with 132. Senior Ava Dawson started every game and tallied two goals and two assists last season. This season, she will also play big minutes in midfield for the Mountaineers. App State will start its season with a trip to Radford on Aug. 23. Women's soccer hopes to repeat history this fall with another successful season. The team posted its best record since 2016 last season. / Photo by Lynette Files
Opinion
Welcome Back! G
reetings, new and returning Mountaineers! Welcome back to App State for the 2019-20 school year. I am excited to introduce myself as your editor-in-chief for The Appalachian Student News Group this year. This is The Appalachian’s 85th year serving as the student voice of App State, and this year, we will continue reporting the news that affects you and our community. As editor-in-chief, I look forward to working for you, our readers. I want to meet as many of you as possible and hear about your successes, concerns and insights. The Appalachian is a resource for each of you. If you have a unique event happening on campus, we want to cover it. If you have an opinion about the UNC System or App State, write a letter to the editor. Have a story to tell? We want to hear it. Last year, we incorporated broadcast into our organization with The Appalachian Weekly News. Airing each
Friday, this news broadcast is a 15-25 minute news show through AppTV that reaches viewers across Watauga County with news about the surrounding communities. Last February, The Appalachian received Best of Show for online and print from the North Carolina College Media Association. Our reporters also earned individual awards in multiple categories including digital storytelling, design and feature writing. Please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or any other member of The Appalachian if you have any questions or concerns about our organization. Thank you for picking up our first issue of the year. Enjoy!
Moss Brennan 2019-20 Editor-in-Chief brennanmp@appstate.edu
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Left to Right: (Row 1) Tommy Mozier, Efrain Arias-Medina Jr., Brendan Hoekstra, Silas Albright (Row 2) Melissa Alsup, Shelly Banz, Mickey Hutchings (Row 3) Harley Nefe, Rachel Greenland, Sadie Maddock (Row 4) Moss Brennan, Christina Beals, Jackie Park, Anna Muckenfuss, Steven Caughran
Aug. 23, 2019
Opinion
Aug. 23, 2019
The
Tea
Jay Inslee is with it. Other candidates need to follow his lead Tommy Mozier | Opinion Editor
H
e isn’t going to win the Democratic presidential nomination, but Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s campaign platform deserves all of our attention. Inslee has dedicated an entire presidential campaign to defeating climate change but is polling at the bottom of the Democratic field. Writer and Harvard doctoral candidate Clint Smith captured Inslee’s platform perfectly during the second Democratic debate on July 31, tweeting: “I appreciate Jay Inslee because he is really like nah y’all don’t get it the earth is melting.” He’s right. The ice sheet covering Greenland was melting at a rate scientists did not expect to see for at least 50 years as candidates were attacking each other over health care plans. The sheet that covers 80% of the island lost more than 55 billion gallons of water from July 30 to Aug. 3, according to a report by Business Insider. That’s enough to put the entire state of Florida under 5 inches of water. All in five days. Despite the obvious warnings, many people remain remarkably unbothered by the impending danger of climate change. Although more people support policies that protect the environment and deal with climate change than 10 years ago, that number is only between 44% and 56%, according to a Pew Research Center study. That’s because climate change is like the Night King in “Game of Thrones.” Although he was created to destroy all of humanity, he spends most of the show confined to the north behind a rather large wall and is only a threat to the Wildlings, in this analogy the poorer, hotter countries of the world that climate change affects more. The people of Westeros, in this case wealthier regions like North America and Western Europe, prioritize other issues believing the threat is too far away and the warnings are overblown. But, climate change is already killing us. The super-hurricanes, forest fires, droughts and melting ice sheets of today will seem tame in the near future if we don’t act now. We, the young people of the world, will bear the brunt of climate change. The older generations are leaving us frighteningly unprepared. Jay Inslee will likely fall away as another failed one-issue candidate. As of Aug. 16, Inslee is below the donor threshold to participate in the next debate. We can only hope his message will endure. As candidates debate over issues like health care, immigration, taxes and impeachment, each must be asked repeatedly how they plan to save the planet. No other issue is as important.
Letter to the Editor Landon Judy
S
cott Satterfield leaving App State wasn’t surprising to many App Nation fans, but it still stung. Fans basked in the glory of three straight Sun Belt titles and an impressive 4-0 bowl record, not to mention the first Associated Press ranking in history. When the program hired Eliah Drinkwitz as the new head coach, I was thrilled. Many fans wondered about the new coach and his resume, but I firmly believed Drinkwitz would continue App State’s multi-year reign of football superiority. Drinkwitz was formally the offensive coordinator at NC State that saw running backs Matthew Dayes and Nyheim Hines reach 1,000 rushing yards in consecutive seasons. Former NC State quarterback Ryan Finley’s stats under Drinkwitz gives App State fans a reason for excitement with young star quarterback Zac Thomas. Finley was a third team All-ACC quarterback in 2017, and his 65% completion rate was second best in the league. Drinkwitz proved his commitment to App
State when he said, “This is a special time for App Nation, and we will work tirelessly to uphold the championship tradition,” in a press conference. Drinkwitz inherited a successful program in the Sun Belt and began expanding recruitment efforts into states outside the Southeast by recruiting quarterback David Baldwin-Griffin from California and offensive lineman Craig McFarland from Arizona. Fans should take pride in Drinkwitz’s efforts to expand the Mountaineer tradition wider than Boone. With a team returning a majority of offensive starters and a reloaded defensive secondary, the Mountaineers have the potential to make a strong run at a fourth straight Sun Belt Conference title. With an exciting schedule, highlighted by trips to UNC-Chapel Hill and South Carolina, this season could be one for the ages. App fans, I encourage you to raise your glass and Drinkwitz to Eliah and the Mountaineers this season. It’s going to be a fun ride. Landon Judy is a senior history education major.
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Et Cetera
Aug. 23, 2019
are you the type to pick up the paper just for the crossword? perfect!
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Contact brennanmp@appstate.edu for more details and an application!
MOSS BRENNAN EDITOR IN CHIEF
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App News
Aug. 23, 2019
What to do Submit Announcements App News is a service of the Division of Student Affairs. Email editor@theappalachianonline.com for submissions with subject line: APP NEWS PAGE. Submissions should not exceed 100 words and must include the event title, date/time, location and cost, and a contact email, phone and/or URL. Announcements will be edited as needed and will run as space allows. Preference is given for events that are free or have a nominal cost.
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Friday, August 23
Saturday, August 24
Sunday, August 25
Monday, August 26
Bluegrass and BBQ Sanford Mall
Creative Kids Studio 1-2 p.m. Turchin Center
Mamma Mia! Audition Workshop 2 p.m. Varsity Gym
NPHC and MGC Meet The Greeks 7 p.m. Parkway Ballroom - PSU
Inkalicious 10:30 a.m.- 12 p.m. Turchin Center
NPHC Carnival 1 p.m. Sanford
Tuesday, August 23
Wednesday, August 28
Thursday, August 29
Black and Gold Convocation 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Holmes Convocation Center
Anthropology Brown Bag Series 12-1 p.m. Anne Belk
Welcome Back Comedy Show 8 p.m. Schaefer Center
Mamma Mia! Auditions 5 p.m. Chapel Wilson
Late for class. Quick food. 10% Off.
College students get 10% off until Sept. 30! Order subs and more ahead at publix.com/order, grab and go, and find everything you need right at Publix.
Only at Publix at Three Creeks. Discount until Sept. 30, 2019. This offer excludes prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, gift cards, lottery tickets, postage stamps, money services, Publix delivery and curbside pickup (both Powered by Instacart), and any online purchases. Customer is responsible for all applicable taxes. Please present one of the following at purchase: A valid, unexpired college or university ID card.