January 18, 2018

TURCHIN CENTER OPENS BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE LEGACY EXHIBIT PAGES 4-5

FROM ATHENS TO MOBILE RECAPPING THE 2017 SEASON THAT GAVE THE MOUNTAINEERS THE SUNBELT CHAMPIONSHIP PAGES 6-7

HEALTH SERVICES DIRECTOR STEPS DOWN AFTER EIGHT YEARS PAGE 10

OP-ED:

GERRYMANDERING IN NORTH CAROLINA SUBVERTS CITIZENS’ RIGHT TO VOTE PAGES 4-5

JAN.

18 2018

Jan. 18, 2018

THE TEAM Sydney Spann @spannooo EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Olivia Wilkes @theappalachian ADVISER

EDITORIAL Victoria Haynes @victoriahayness MANAGING EDITOR

BUSINESS

Julianne Blaylock @jayblay96 CHIEF COPY EDITOR

MULTIMEDIA

Jonathan Mauldin @MauldinJonathan GRADUATE ASSISTANT

Nora Smith @noraagracee GRAPHICS EDITOR

Halle Keighton @halle_keighton PHOTO EDITOR

Braxton Coats @brxcoats22 WEB MANAGER

Jamie Patel @jptalksfooty VIDEO EDITOR

Q Russell @Q_M_Russell OPINION EDITOR

Ashley Goodman @AshleyGoodman97 A&E EDITOR

Bradley Workman @Brad_Workman BUSINESS MANAGER

Moss Brennan @mosbren IN-DEPTH EDITOR

Aidan Moyer @Aidan_Moyer_ NEWS EDITOR

Cristian McLaughlin @CAMcLaughlin MARKETING DIRECTOR

Brooks Maynard @BrooksMaynard SPORTS EDITOR

T H E COV E R: Senior tight end Levi Duffield scoring a touchdown during the game against Wake

Forest on Saturday, September 23rd. The Mountaineers lost the close game with the final score being 19-20.

Dr. Ellison photo by Aidan Moyer Football photo by Stephanie Lee y,

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

CAMPUS JAN. 14

DEC. 3

1:00 a.m. | Possesion of Marijuana Rivers Street Closed

1:32 a.m. | Underage Consumption of Alcohol Frank Hall Closed

JAN. 14

DEC. 3

10:15 a.m. | Possesion of Marijuana Bowie Hall Closed

11:17 p.m. | Underage Consumption of Alcohol Belk Hall Closed

JAN. 12

DEC. 3

3:53 p.m | Drug ViolationsEquiptemnt Paraphernalia Newland Hall Cleared by Arrest

12:19 a.m. | Damage to Property (Vandalism) Peacock Hall Closed

JAN. 5

DEC. 2

8:00 a.m. | Damage to Property Rivers Street Parking Deck Further Investigation

7:39 p.m. | Medical Mountaineer Hall Undisclosed

6:00 p.m. | Burglary Forcible Entry Anne Belk Hall Further Investigation

,

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

CRIME LOG

JAN. 4

y

DEC. 2 2:05 p.m. | Damage to Property Peacock Parking Lot Further Investigation

ACROSS 1 It doesn’t go off 4 Dugong or manatee 10 Friskies sister brand 14 “Lookee here!”

15 Turkey’s secondlargest city 16 Enjoyed People 17 Singer Fogelberg 18 *Acting like the locals 20 Toughness 22 Stage great Hagen 23 White __ 24 Site of Napoleon’s exile 25 Accessories for many lawn mowers 27 Engrave with acid 29 Dalai Lama, for one 32 Sport with clay pigeons 34 Canapé spread 35 Husky follower 37 Part of SASE: Abbr.

38 Wartime prez 40 Sci-fi aviators 42 Shapiro of NPR 43 Exertion 45 Suburban trees 47 Picker-uppers?

49 Hole’s starting point for skilled golfers 51 Many a college graduate’s burden 52 Reel 54 Software glitches ... and, in a broad sense, small things hidden in the answers to starred clues 57 Trouble greatly 59 LG competitor 60 First name at Woodstock 61 *Try not to look bored 64 Lithium-__ battery 65 Pakistani tongue 66 Scoresheet slashes 67 Find fault to a fault 68 Mandarin discard 69 Siberian expanse 70 Some hot rods

DOWN 1 Sidestep 2 Penske rival 3 *Google Code of Conduct motto 4 Succumb to gravity 5 “Cut it out already!”

6 Curly-tailed dog 7 Rummy game played with two decks 8 Suffix for NPR’s website 9 “You sure of that?”

10 Gallery VIPs 11 Hawaiian wedding rings 12 Tar 13 Neruda’s “__ to My Socks” 19 Top-ranked 21 Make full 26 Credits as a source 28 Commuter org. in the Loop 30 *“The Imitation Game” subject 31 Comic-Con attendee 32 Ready 33 Door opener

34 Pequod co-owner 36 Belittle 39 Trial run designed to catch 54-Across 41 “__ Walks in Beauty”: Byron poem 44 Satyrlike 46 “You’ve Got Mail” co-star 48 “Fernando” pop group

50 Letters replacing unlisted items 51 Bureau unit 53 Internet greeting 55 Be a bad sport 56 iTunes downloads 57 Raison d’__ 58 West Wing staffer 61 “How’re things?”

62 “The Simpsons” clerk 63 Fort Meade org.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

xwordeditor@aol.com

By C.C. Burnikel ©2018 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

01/18/18

01/18/18

Jan. 18, 2018

SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS

App News is a service of the Division of Student Affairs. Email wilkeso@appstate.edu 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.

WHAT TO DO NEEDED! POLITICAL CARTOONISTS The Appalachian student newspaper is looking for students interested in getting their political cartoons and illustrations published.

Use your illustration talents to express your opinions and commentary on current events.

Email adviser@theappalachianonline.com for questions or interest.

DESIGN THE APPALACHIAN Want to design this paper? Email adviser@ theappalachianonline.com to express interest!

ADVERTISE IN THE APPALACHIAN Advertise your buisnesses and services to the student population of Appalachian State University while also supporting the student staff of The Appalachian! Visit http://theappalachianonline.com/advertise-with-us/ or email buisness@theappalachianonline.com with inquiries.

for this award. Nominations are accepted until Feb. 9, 2018 online at https://plemmonsmedallion.appstate.edu

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Join us as we continue building the 5th home on our neighborhood, GreenWood, for the Love family. You can choose to volunteer from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m. to 4 p.m, or 9 a.m. to 4 p.m each Wednesday. All you need to bring is a water bottle, your lunch and a willingness to learn while helping others! We will provide the tools, materials and instructions!

Be sure to wear old clothes and old closed-toe shoes. Please call us to schedule your time today! This will take place Wednesdays at the Habitat for Humanity - Watauga County/ReStore, 1200 Archie Carroll Road, Boone, North Carolina 28607.

MENTAL HEALTH MONOLOGUES

selected for the event, it will be performed by a student actor. Your anonymity will be maintained unless you choose to confer with the actor performing your piece.

INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP Register on Sustained Dialogue’s AppSync portal for an inclusive workshop Feb. 2-4.

Participants who attend training Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday afternoon leave certified to moderate Sustained Dialogue Circles, one time dialogue events, as well as many other types of conversations! These skills are transferrable to club and organization leadership, communicating with advisors and supervisors and even navigating job interviews!

15 MINDFUL MINUTES Students are welcome to join Still Point’s “15 Mindful Minutes” each Thursday at 3 p.m. in 155 Tater Hill Room, PSU. Skilled meditation leaders within the Appalachian Community will engage you -- literally for 15 minutes -- in mindful practices such as breath work, mind-body integration, guided visualizations, walking meditation and silence.

Look for us on AppSync or visit stillpoint. appstate.edu.

The W. H. Plemmons Leadership Medallion, named in honor of Dr. William H. Plemmons who served as the second president of the University from 1955 to 1969, was established by an action of the Appalachian State University Board of Trustees in 1996.The award was created to recognize the time, energy, skills and commitment of students, faculty, student development educators and staff who exceed their peers in providing leadership that enriches the quality of student life and advances the education of students.

Students and university employees are invited to nominate a student or university employee for this award.

Nominations are currently being accepted

Submit your monologue at https://orgsync. com/125469/chapter. This event will help to open up conversations about mental health on campus, reduce stigma surrounding mental health and most importantly provide a source of hope and community for those dealing with mental health issues.

Your monologue should be about half a page, single-spaced. It should have an ultimate message of hope and resiliency.

The Mental Health Monologues event will be held during Wellness and Prevention Services’ Semi-Colon Week. The event will be held on April 18 at 8 p.m.

Monologues must be submitted by Feb. 5 at 8 a.m. Please make sure your monologue follows the safe messaging guidelines for suicide prevention, available by clicking here.

Please note that if your monologue is

THURSDAY, JAN. 18

FRIDAY, JAN. 19

SATURDAY, JAN. 20

15 Mindful Minutes

Caving Day Trip

MLK Challenge

3 p.m.

Tater Hill Room, PSU

9 a.m.

Outdoor Programs Basecamp $45 students, $55 non-students

8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Parkway Ballroom

PLEMMONS MEDALLION NOMINATIONS

M. Lax Interest Meeting

CONDOM FASHION SHOW REGISTRATION Wellness and Prevention Services and Appalachian Popular Programming Society Presents our second annual Project Condom Fashion Show!

Sponsored by Global Protection and ONE Condoms, Project Condom is a merge between art and fashion and the promotion of safer sex for college-aged students. Based on the tv show Project Runway, teams of students will have to opportunity to create and showcase

garments made entirely of condoms!

This year’s theme is “The Great Outdoors!”

The show will be held on March 21 at 7 p.m. in Parkway Ballroom. If your club/organization is interested in participating in this year’s show, please complete the registration form on AppSync by Jan. 31.

CAVING DAY TRIP Join Outdoor Programs as we venture into an underground wonderland where experienced OP staff will guide you through an unforgettable spelunking experience at Worley’s Cave.

This trip is open to beginners and is moderate in terms of difficulty. Some crawling and scrambling is required. Trip Meeting Time: Saturday, 1/20 9am at OP Basecamp Cost: $45 for ASU students, $55 for all others. *Specialized equipment, permits, transportation, instruction and food are all included in the price. For more information, or to register for this trip, stop by OP Base Camp and talk to one of our friendly staff members.

FIND YOUR ROOMMATE MIXER For students planning to live off-campus during the 2018-19 academic year to connect with other off-campus students and meet potential roommates. Lots of free food, giveaways, and a drawing for a $50 gift card from the ASU Bookstore! Thursday, Jan. 25 4-6 p.m. in Beacon Heights Room, Plemmons Student Union. Sponsored by Transfer Services and Off-Campus Student Services.

SUNDAY, JAN. 21

Caving Day Trip

7-8 p.m.

SRC Meeting Room

9 a.m.

Outdoor Programs Basecamp $45 students, $55 non-students

M. Ultimate Interest Meeting 8-9 p.m.

SRC Meeting Room

MONDAY, JAN. 22

TUESDAY, JAN. 23

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 24

THURSDAY, JAN. 25

Swim Team Interest Meeting

Internship Fair

15 Mindful Minutes

5-5:30 p.m.

SRC Meeting Room

11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Career Development Center

3 p.m.

Tater Hill Room, PSU

W. Basketball Interest Meeting

Mental Health Monologues Info Session

Find Your Roommate Mixer

6:30-7:30 p.m.

SRC Meeting Room

5-6 p.m.

Attic Window Room, PSU

4-6 p.m.

Beacon Heights Room, PSU

W. Lax Interest Meeting 6-7 p.m.

SRC Meeting Room

W. Soccer Interest Meeting 7-7:30 p.m.

SRC Meeting Room

Jan. 18, 2018

The Turchin Center exhibition “Creative Democracy: The Legacy of Black Mountain College” will be open to the public from Jan. 12 to June 2.

APPALACHIAN STATE CELEBRATES BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE

O

Ashley Goodman│

n Jan. 12, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts kicked off one part of many in Appalachian State University’s Black Mountain College Semester in its expansive multimedia exhibition “Creative Democracy: The Legacy of the Black Mountain College.”

Black Mountain College, which operated from 1933 to 1957, was a small progressive college in the rural Swannanoa Valley, just outside Asheville, North Carolina. The college inspired the works of influential artists and social thinkers alike.

Some of its most well-known attendees and visitors include Albert Einstein, Buckminster Fuller and Langston Hughes.

The Turchin Center’s exhibit is a culmination of art and artifacts from the college’s history, from visual art and poetry to the desks at which the students learned and created.

The gallery touts a wide variety of visual art, with paintings,

4

@AshleyGoodman97│A&E Editor

photography, collages, stained glass and woodwork among the mix. The multitude of mediums and artists whose work was showcased is one aspect that has appealed to the Turchin Center’s employees.

Bella Allen, a junior art and visual culture major, is a receptionist with the Turchin Center who helped assemble the gallery. As she watched the gallery come together, Allen said she admired the craftsmanship that seemed to go into the pieces.

“The vastness of artistic ability that’s being showcased is pretty impressive,” Allen said.

“I personally really enjoy the woodwork in there.”

Her favorite piece, she said, is a wooden hammock hanging from the towering ceiling above the gallery.

Another Turchin receptionist, senior art and visual culture major Mellanee Goodman, enjoyed the huge collaboration the exhibition must have taken.

“This is one of the biggest shows Turchin has ever done,”

Goodman said. “It probably has the most amount of pieces and the biggest collaboration.”

Another appeal of the Black Mountain College was its location. The college was nestled within the same rural mountainous environment as Appalachian State, and the pastoral scene was one aspect that brought so many artists and creators together.

Gallery ambassador and junior commercial photography major Fritz Finlay felt a particular connection to the exhibit because of its location.

Finlay’s mother had gone to school at Warren Wilson College, near the location of Black Mountain College.

“I was immediately attracted to this exhibition,” Finlay said.

“Even though I’d never been to the location where the college was, how they described that area in all the writings around this room is really prevalent in my mind.”

Though such progressive experimental schools were un-

common in the rural South, Finlay felt that the school’s setting added to the artists’ ability to thrive and create in the area.

“It makes a lot of sense that all of these artists culminated there because it’s such a free-spirited and wild setting,” Finlay said.

These pastoral images ring through in some of the work presented in the Turchin Center’s gallery. Basil King, for example, has works across the room. His paintings feature birds and soft, earthy pastel colors. King attended the school intermittently from 1951 to 1956 to study abstract expressionism.

The school’s location was one reason Appalachian State decided to feature Black Mountain College in its expansive Black Mountain College Semester.

The semester’s exploration is about “contemplating Black Mountain College as an Appalachian phenomenon,” Joseph Bathanti, the Appalachian State

Halle Keigthton

Jan. 18, 2018

The Turchin Center exhibition “Creative Democracy: The Legacy of Black Mountain College” will be open to the public from Jan. 12 to June 2.

English professor helping to lead the semester, said. “It happened here. It could have happened elsewhere, but it didn’t.

So why was that? Something unquantifiable and far out was going on in these mountains.”

Though the surrounding area seemed conservative, Bathanti said the work the Black Mountain College was producing was entirely new.

Bathanti described the college as “the most profound educational experiment ever launched in United States history, as far as I’m concerned.”

The college, started in 1933 by former Rollins College professor John Andrew Rice, began as a place to receive a more holistic education. There was no board of trustees or curriculum requirements; students mostly set their own expectations for themselves and did their own work.

“It was interdisciplinary before we even used the word interdisciplinary,” Bathanti said.

“It emphasized inner freedom.

Maleek Loyd

It educated the whole person. It gave students terrific freedom to pursue their own course of study.”

Over the decades of the school’s life, Black Mountain College welcomed approximately 1,200 students. Only about 60 graduated, but graduation was not always the goal.

Instead, education was experimental and collaborative.

The school was groundbreaking in other ways as well. In the summer of 1944, Black Mountain College welcomed the first African-American to attend an all-white Jim Crow school in the South. Alma Stone Williams, a musician from Georgia, made history at the college by attending an 11-week session there 10 years before the Brown v. Board of Education bill.

The college dissolved in 1957 because of a lack of funds.

“Some of the things that were the most amazing about it also did it in,” Bathanti said.

The school did not have an endowment or a board of trustees to

keep the business side running.

Eventually, debt built up, and the school was forced to close.

Today, Black Mountain College has been celebrated by museums across North Carolina. Appalachian State now owns the original published papers of John Andrew Rice, and Bathanti hopes that the university’s efforts to preserve and celebrate the school’s legacy will continue.

Bathanti currently teaches a course on Black Mountain College every two years through the Watauga Residential College. He discovered the college after teaching for about ten years, through a book by Martin Duberman titled “Black Mountain: An Exploration in Community.”

He first taught the class in 2009, but said he hopes that the Black Mountain College Semester will encourage more conversation on App State’s campus in the future.

“My hope is that this will create a kind of ongoing and

sustainable commitment to Black Mountain College studies at Appalachian,” Bathanti said.

The Black Mountain College Semester will feature multiple exhibitions across Appalachia, including the Turchin Center’s exhibit, which will be available to the public through June 12, as well as exhibitions held at the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, Belk Library and the Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center.

The college will also be celebrated with a digital timeline of Black Mountain College with original scholarly resources, and a special issue of the Appalachian Journal, guest edited

by Bathanti and featuring never before published work by major Black Mountain College authors and scholars.

This semester will offer a number of educational opportunities throughout the spring, including a series of lectures, readings, workshops and special courses led by Appalachian State and the Turchin Center.

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Jan. 18, 2018

FROM ATHENS TO MOBILE:

RECAPPING 2017 APP STATE FOOTBALL

Eric Boggs lifts the Dollar General Bowl trophy during the post-game celebrations on December 23rd in Toledo.

S

ports in 2017 saw a lot of big moments, such as the Patriots’ unlikely comeback in Super Bowl LI, Luke Maye’s last second shot in the NCAA men’s basketball championship and 14th seed Garbine Muguruza’s upset of Venus Williams to win Wimbledon, becoming the first player ever to defeat both Williams sisters in final matches.

The App State football team also saw a memorable year, posting a regular season record of 8-4 and clinching their second straight Sun Belt title.

The season culminated in Mobile, Alabama, at the 2017 Dollar General Bowl, where the Mountaineers re-matched their Camellia Bowl opponent from 2016, the Toledo Rockets.

It all got started in Athens, Georgia, where the Georgia Bulldogs hosted the Mountaineers to open the season. While the game did not go very well for App State, ultimately losing 31-10, fans did enjoy several bright spots, such as the emergence of junior linebacker Anthony Flory, who finished 2016 with only 10 tackles but recorded six against the Bulldogs. Flory would finish the season as second on the team in tackles and first in quarterback hits.

The Mountaineers started to roll after that, winning five of their next six games. The team’s home opener saw a visit from the Savannah State Tigers and App State’s fourth consecutive victory in their first home game.

Senior quarterback Taylor Lamb threw for a season-high

6

Brooks Maynard│ five touchdowns, two of which went to sophomore tight end Collin Reed, who picked up 106 receiving yards in addition to his touchdowns.

The next week, the Mountaineers defeated the Texas State Bobcats, 20-13, for their first Sun Belt victory of the year.

When they returned to Boone, it was for their biggest home game of the season, versus the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Approximately 35,126 fans showed up for the event, setting the attendance record for Kidd-Brewer Stadium, defeating the previous number of 34,658, set in 2016 when App State took on the Miami Hurricanes. There were six lead changes during the game and the Mountaineer defense forced eight punts on 13 possessions, but Wake Forest prevailed, 20-19, after blocking a would-be game-winning field goal from Michael Rubino with five seconds remaining.

It was the Mountaineers only home loss.

App State won their next three games, including a two-touchdown victory over New Mexico State on Homecoming and over Coastal Carolina in their first meeting as Sun Belt opponents. The Mountaineers also beat the Idaho Vandals on the road, overcoming a 20-point deficit and dominating the fourth quarter, with Lamb throwing touchdown passes to Reed and senior receiver Ike Lewis to tie the game. Kicker Michael Rubino would go on to knock down the game-winning field goal.

@BrooksMaynard│Sports Editor

The Mountaineers had a tough couple of weeks after this, losing two straight, one with the UMass Minutemen in Amherst and a Sun Belt game with the UL Monroe Warhawks in Monroe, Louisiana. They lost by a total of ten points, taking the Minutemen into overtime. It was the first time the Mountaineers had lost consecutive games since 2014.

However, App State finished the season strong, winning their last three games, including a decisive victory against rival Georgia Southern on national television, a win over Georgia State, who went on to defeat Western Kentucky in the Cure Bowl and a dominating win over the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns to finish off the regular season and clinch their share of the Sun Belt championship.

App State had eight players selected to all-Sun Belt teams, including a league record three offensive linemen.

The Mountaineers headed to Mobile, Alabama, to finish off their season in the Dollar General Bowl. Their opponent, the Toledo Rockets, was favored by seven points heading into the game, but App State was prepared, intercepting Rockets’ quarterback Logan Woodside three times and cruising to a 34-0 victory. It was the fourth bowl shutout since 2010 and the only one of 2017.

App State also saw the departure of some key seniors in 2017. Quarterback Taylor Lamb finished his career as App State’s career passing-touchdowns leader with 90, which

is also a Sun Belt record, along with his 145.84 career passer rating. Linebacker Eric Boggs finished with 346 career tackles, 12.5 sacks and eight interceptions. Offensive linemen Colby Gossett and Beau Nunn made 45 and 40 consecutive starts respectively.

2017 was certainly a year for the books for App State football.

After winning the program’s second straight conference title and third straight bowl game, it is tough to believe that 2018 could measure up. But with 24 signees coming in with the new freshman class, only time will tell.

2017 FOOTBALL RECAP GAME SCORES GEORGIA

L

31-10

SAVANNAH STATE

W

54-7

TEXAS STATE

W

20-13

WAKE FOREST

L

20-19

NEW MEXICO STATE

W

45-31

IDAHO

W

23-20

COASTAL CAROLINA

W

37-29

UMASS

L

30-27 (2OT)

UL MONROE

L

52-45

GEORGIA SOUTHERN

W

27-6

GEORGIA STATE

W

31-10

LOUISIANA

W

63-14

TA Y LO R L A M B CAREER STATS

completion percentage 60.7 yards 9,763 touchdowns 90 passer rating 145.8

Graphic by Sydney Spann

Jan. 18, 2018

Senior running back Terrence Upshaw attempts to run the ball past the opposing team during the game against Savannah State on Saturday, September 9th. The Mountaineers won the game with the score being 54-7.

Jalin Moore celebrates his second touchdown during the Dollar General Bowl game on December 23rd. The Mountaineers won the game with the final score being 34-0.

Ike Lewis celebrates after a diving catch to earn the Mountaineers a first down during the Dollar General Bowl on December 23rd. App State won the bowl game with the final s.core being 34-0.

Senior tight end Levi Duffield scoring a touchdown during the game against Wake Forest on Saturday, September 23rd. The Mountaineers lost the close game with the final score being 19-20.

Photos by Lindsay Vaughn and Stephanie Lee

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Jan. 18, 2018

THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF VLOG CULTURE D

uring the last week of December, former Vine star and current YouTuber Logan Paul uploaded a series of video blogs, known as vlogs, showcasing Paul and his video production team’s visit to Japan.

The videos, most of which took place in Tokyo, show the group visiting various locations around the city and engaging in a series of pranks, often at the expense of others.

Towards the beginning of the first video in the series, Paul said, in reference to his future actions, “I just got to be careful to not, like, disrespect the culture.”

He then proceeds over the course of the videos to dip his GoPro in a koi pond, run and yell in the streets, put a dead fish and octopus tentacle in people’s faces, go up to and film people in their cars stuck in traffic, and play real-life Pokémon Go by throwing a stuffed Pokéball at people.

“I swear, Tokyo is just a giant playground―maybe it’s

Joshua Baldwin is a sophomore computer science major from Greensboro, North Carolina. not, maybe I should stop― probably not,” Paul said.

On Dec. 31, Paul uploaded a video where he and his team visit Aokigahara, a forest at the base of Mt. Fuji infamously known for the many suicides that occur there annually.

In the video, the group stumbles upon the body of a man who had recently hanged himself. After contacting the authorities, instead of heading out of the forest, they approach and film the body of the man.

Only the body’s face was blurred, leaving the rest of the

body and rope used in full view of the camera. It is important to note that one of these images was used as the thumbnail of the video.

At one point, the camera even zooms on the hands of the body, where Paul notes how purple they are.

The next few minutes consist of the reactions from the group, with an emphasis on Paul’s reactions. There are many jokes and laughs shared about the situation, mixed in with a few moments of shock and awe.

After the video was released online, Paul faced a huge amount of backlash from people around the world, who found his blatant disrespect, cavalier attitude towards the situation and filming of the body unbefitting for the topic of the video.

Paul claims the original intent of the video was to camp in the forest in order to see whether or not he experienced anything supernatural, but many found this claim disingenuous

An Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Radio Station of the Year w > ÃÌ Your college Your station Your music 8

due to how well-known Aokigahara is.

He has since issued two apologies, saying that he will be taking a break from making vlogs so he can reflect on his actions.

Paul’s actions were selfish, tasteless and disrespectful. However, they were only a symptom of a much larger problem.

The current vlog culture is one that revolves around creating videos by finding the latest and greatest type of content that will bring more views and subscribers than previous vlogs.

This process of one-upping naturally leads to people like Paul pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable too far, all in the pursuit of finding the perfect content.

This problem is compounded by the main demographic of Paul’s audience.

According to a study conducted by Variety, teenagers are drawn more towards internet personalities than mainstream celebrities, and Paul is no different. At over 15 million subscribers, Paul’s core audi-

ence consists of mostly preteens and young teenagers.

Many of these fans were not able to see why what Paul did was so bad, as evidenced by the like-to-dislike ratio and numerous videos posted by fans in Paul’s defense.

It’s disheartening to see so many young people not understand the magnitude of Paul’s actions and dismiss much of the valid criticism levied against him.

In the rapidly evolving digital age, internet celebrities and personalities can grow an enormous following by acting out in wild and sometimes dangerous ways, which draws the attention of impressionable children.

There is nothing wrong with having fun and making an exciting video to post online, but the line has to be drawn somewhere.

Hopefully, this incident will spark further discussions on what should and should not be acceptable on the internet and cause parents to reevaluate the type of content that their children choose to watch.

Jan. 18, 2018

GERRYMANDERING: A SMALL PART OF A LARGER PROBLEM

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n Jan. 9, a federal court in North Carolina ruled that the congressional districts drawn by the Republican legislature were illegally gerrymandered due to excessive amounts partisanship in favor of the Republican party.

Due to this, judges James A. Wynn, W. Earl Britt and William L. Osteen Jr. ruled that the lines must be redrawn by Jan. 24. The court then said that it would hire a redistricting expert to draw replacement boundaries should the Republican legislature fail to do so.

This is not the first time that NC Republicans have been ruled against in a gerrymandering case. In February 2016, federal judges ruled that race had been the primary factor in the composition of the 1st and 12th districts, according to AP News.

This case is special because this is the first time that a federal court has struck down a congressional map for partisan gerrymandering.

Normally the courts are

Cartoon by Jarret Carlson

Q Russell is a junior journalism major from Charlotte, North Carolina. You can follow him on Twitter at @Q_M_Russell. reluctant to see these sorts of cases for the dilemma that they create. According to the Washington Post, in the oral arguments for a similar case from Wisconsin, Gill v Whitford, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts Jr. said, “Politics is a very important driving force [in redistricting], and those claims will be raised. And every one of them will come here for a decision on the merits. We will have to decide in every case whether the Democrats win or the Republicans win.” However, the court

rules will be perceived as partisan. “And that is going to cause very serious harm to the status and integrity of the decisions of this court in the eyes of the country,” Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts Jr. said.

In other words, it is quite difficult for a court to maintain nonpartisanship while ruling on partisan matters, meaning that it would take overt statements and/or acts of partisan intent in the creation of district lines to allow for a clear ruling.

That said, NC Republicans provided just that, and more, for the court to use in ruling against the congressional map.

From Judge Wynn’s 191page opinion, he found that state Republicans were “motivated by invidious partisan intent” in the creation of the thirteen districts in NC, 10 of which were Republican and only three Democrat.

Wynn further cited a February 2016 quote from Representative David Lew-

is, R-Harnett, the legislator who drew the congressional lines, who stated that “I think electing Republicans is better than electing Democrats. So I drew this map to help foster what I think is better for the country.”

An even clearer example of the partisan nature of the congressional lines is another quote from Lewis who said that he made the map featuring 10 republicans and three democrats “because I do not believe it’s possible to draw a map with 11 Republicans and two Democrats,” according to WRAL. WRAL reported that the reason he made the comment was that he was trying to prove that race was not a deciding factor in the creation of the map.

Lewis must think that admitting to blatant political corruption is a great way of assuaging the public’s fear of him and the rest of his ilk’s smaller scale corruption.

Furthermore, North Carolina is just the most blatant example of something that is an endemic issue all through-

out the nation.

According to a study done

by The Associated Press, it was determined that gerrymandering benefits Republicans far more than it does Democrats.

This coincided with a report from the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, which determined “clear evidence that aggressive gerrymandering is distorting the nation’s congressional maps,” posing a “threat to democracy.”

What this boils down to is that the Republican party is not playing by the rules anymore. They are deliberately subverting the United States’ political structure in order to ensure their continued governance.

In this they are truly putting party over country. They are robbing people of their choice and their right to vote as inscribed in the Constitution.

For the party of Reagan that seemed to oppose fascism in the past, Republicans sure are quick to adopt its methods when it suits them.

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Jan. 18, 2018

HEALTH SERVICES DIRECTOR STEPS DOWN, LOOKS FORWARD TO FRESH IDEAS

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r. Robert Ellison is stepping down from his position of Director of Student Health Services after eight years, according to Ellison.

Ellison has been the director since 2010 and has been with health services since 2007. Ellison worked as a clinician for his first few years with health services and traded positions with the previous director.

Ellison said that his job has since entailed half administrative work and half clinical visits from students.

Ellison reflected on his time as director and said that he has been privileged to work with each of his fellow

Aidan Moyer│

clinicians. He also said that he was eager for the changes that the next director may make and looks forward to working with them. Ellison said his stepping down was a “statement of hope,” that his eight years were long enough and that he hopes the new director comes in with their own new ideas.

“I’m stepping down for all the right reasons,” Ellison said.

As director, part of Ellison’s job has been preparing health services for their triennial accreditation from the state, and said that this is a period of study and review from the state.

Appalachian’s M.S. Shook Student Health Services is accredited by the Accreditation

@Aidan_Moyer_│News Editor

Association for Ambulatory Health Care, according to the health services website.

A factor in Ellison’s decision to step down was to allow the next director to take on this year’s accreditation process, so that they would have the experience and reward of having their name to a successful accreditation.

Ellison said this was the most logical transition, and he felt he has served long enough as director.

Ellison said that he had the privilege to meet the family of M.S. Shook, the original nurse and director of student health.

Shook started student health services at Appalachian State University over 67 years ago, according to the health ser-

vices website. Ellison is the fourth director of health services, and said he was honored to be among those who have served at Appalachian.

When speaking about his favorite parts of the job, Ellison said that he has been spoiled by those he works with and it has been a reward to work with them.

Ellison also said he looks forward to spending more time hiking the Appalachian Trail, of which he and his wife have already completed 200 miles.

“My wife has more plans for my free time than I do,” Ellison said, laughing.

On working with students, one of Ellison’s favorite aspects has been the

difference between the routine checkups and the specialized needs of students.

“We’re interacting with students on and off campus as they deal with injuries or are preparing for travel. Young adult medicine is fascinating,” Ellison said.

According to the student health website, student visits total over 45,000, with 600 overseas travel consultations.

Ellison also said that he will be returning to a fulltime clinician. He said that working and connecting with Appalachian students was his favorite part of the job, and he looks forward to spending more time devoted to his “first love” of working with students.

APPALACHIAN STATE SEEKS IDEA FOR RECENTLY ACQUIRED WATAUGA HIGH SCHOOL

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he Office of Student Development held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss Appalachian State University’s recent acquisition of the old Watauga High School property on Highway 105.

The meeting, led by Darrell Kruger, provost and executive vice chancellor, and Paul Forte, vice chancellor for business affairs, began by covering the history of the recent university dealing with Watauga County.

Forte said that the university swapped a former holding near Lowes for the WHS property. The county plans to build a recreation center at the Lowes location. The university will be paying $800,000 over 19 years for the WHS property.

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Aidan Moyer│

The property currently has 75 acres, with 35 buildable acres available for development. Forte said it is the last large tract of land close to campus and is only 1.5 miles from campus.

Forte also said the university is focused on developing safe travel routes to the location, including safer bike lanes down Highway 105 and the potential development of crosswalks or skywalks.

As of right now, Forte only said that the location will be used for parking in the fall of 2018. The location will move some parking away from the State Farm parking lot, allowing for the newly built Beaver College of Health Sciences to have more on-site parking.

The meeting then broke into several small discus-

@Aidan_Moyer_│News Editor

sion groups, where members of faculty, staff, students and community members discussed their ideas for the potential future of the location.

Chancellor Sheri Everts said that she hopes the groups can come up with a new name for the location.

Community member Cathy LaMarre said that parking for students and faculty is often a problem and hopes that this location can provide more opportunities to students with vehicles. LaMarre also said she hopes this location will allow for a reduction in bus traffic around the town of Boone.

LaMarre said the idea of utilizing this location as a multi-use facility for students and developing housing would allow Appalachian to build housing without damaging

the existing state of Boone’s neighborhoods. She also said this would provide the ability to avoid the development of high density housing.

Morgan Nystedt, P.I.T. Director of Appalachian Popular Programming Society, said she would want somewhere for the university’s 300 clubs to hold events. Nystedt also brought up the current problems with Legends nightclub after flooding and how a new venue for shows and events would be worth looking into.

Forte also said that the property is considered an endowment property, and it has to be self sustaining on profits and pay for its own operating costs. Forte said that the location needs to attract the private sector, and private developers are going to be included

moving forward. He also said that traditional developers for public-private partnerships, or P3s, would not be interested in this location. He said that different developers, like those for apartments, would be more interested in this location, rather than those that develop dorms.

J.J. Brown, vice chancellor of student affairs, finished by saying the university will be incorporating as many thoughts and perspectives as they can, and that this location is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the university.

The university is holding two more sessions about the property on Jan. 23, from 9-10:30 a.m., and Jan. 31, from 9-10:30 a.m., in Beacon Heights room 417 in Plemmons Student Union.

Jan. 18, 2018

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during a press conference/World Telegram in 1964.

CELEBRATING MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.’S LEGACY

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n 1954, it was first established by the Supreme Court that segregation in public schools would be unconstitutional. Martin Luther King Jr. served the Civil Rights Movement by being a leading force and staunch activist until his assassination in 1968, which has impacted how society continues to fight for social justice.

Decades later, individuals still celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and the accomplishments of the civil rights movement by listening to influential leaders of today, actively participating in chang-

Royalty Free

Savannah Nguyen│

ing today’s narrative for tomorrow and spreading influence that will allow for a more inclusive future.

Katera Davis, a junior Computer Information Systems and Computer Science major, said, “We continue to have faces that move the movement forward like Barack and Michelle Obama, rappers and athletes. We have risen, and we are still rising up. There are still people down for the cause.”

When asked about the ways in which Appalachian State University promotes multiculturalism through its recruitment process and diversity-geared mission statement, Davis said, “It is a

@TheAppalachian│Intern A&E Reporter

way for App to keep their diversity appeal, despite their lack of diversity.”

Zane Johnson, a freshman international business major, said, “Appalachian has a false sense of diversity, although they are working on it. Here in the Appalachia, there is still a level of racial segregation, although events like the MLK Commemoration do allow people of color to celebrate.”

Danielle Carter, the director of the Multicultural Student Development office, said, “It’s continuously important. We cannot forget the work of Dr. King and what happened with the Civil Rights Movement. It was not

just about race; the movement was also about poverty and job creation for all people.”

Appalachian State University remembered the Dr. King by celebrating the 34th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration on Jan. 17, held by the office of Multicultural Student Development. Michelle Alexander, an author, civil-rights advocate, lawyer, legal scholar and professor, spoke at the event.

Alexander is the bestselling author of “The New Jim Crow,” which covers mass incarceration in America and how it has evolved in our modern society since the times of slavery. “The New

Jim Crow” has been banned by the New Jersey Prison System, preventing individuals in prison from having access to the book.

“I think the thing that is most important is to look at the prison system and how it has evolved, where there is a higher percentage of African-American men in jail than white men,” Carter said. “And looking at the disparity between those two, because there are more white men in our country than there are black men. And so I think this is important to understand, the development of the prison industrial complex and how that came to be.”

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