September 14, 2017

The Appalachian ROB E. LEE RESIGNS PAGE 3

TEAM SUNERGY PAGES 10-11

OP-ED: APPALCART PAGE 18

SEPT.

14 2017

Sept. 14, 2017

THE TEAM Sydney Spann @spanooo EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Olivia Wilkes @theappalachian ADVISOR

EDITORIAL

BUSINESS

MULTIMEDIA

Victoria Haynes @victoriahayness MANAGING EDITOR

Q Russell @Q_M_Russell OPINION EDITOR

Jonathan Mauldin @MauldinJonathan GRAD ASSISTANT

Maleek Loyd @maleekstuff VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR

Halle Keighton @halle_keighton PHOTO EDITOR

Reilly Finnegan @reillyfinn CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Adrienne Fouts @adriennefouts A&E EDITOR

Bradley Workman @Brad_Workman BUSINESS MANAGER

Nora Smith @noraagracee GRAPHICS EDITOR

Jamie Patel @jptalksfooty VIDEO EDITOR

Tyler Hotz @TylerHotz15 IN-DEPTH EDITOR

Sammy Hanf @sammyhanf NEWS EDITOR

Jason Huber @_JasonHuber SPORTS EDITOR MARKETING DIRECTOR

CRIME LOG

CAMPUS SEPT. 11

2:23 a.m. | Threat Assessment Physical Plant Information Report

SEPT. 11

SEPT. 9 4:00 p.m. | Arguing Kidd Brewer Stadium Student Referral

SEPT. 9

9:00 a.m. | Larceny of Bicycle Edwin Duncan Further Investigation

1:50 a.m. | Underage Consumption of Alcohol Gardner Hall Cleared by Arrest

SEPT. 11

SEPT. 9

6:00 p.m. | Welfare Check Wey Hall Information Report

8:00 p.m. | Underage Consumption of Alcohol Doughton Hall Cleared by Arrest

SEPT. 10 1:35 a.m. | Possession of Marijuana Eggers Hall Further Investigation

AUG. 28 9:27 p.m. | Assault on Female Coltrane Hall Closed

SEPT. 9

AUG. 27

2:15 a.m. | Underage Consumption of Alcohol Cannon Hall Cleared by Arrest

4:50 p.m. | Domestic Violence Off Campus Unknown

Braxton Coats @brxcoats22 WEB MANAGER

Sept. 14, 2017

A box of tampons from the company Tampax with an assortment of sizes. A box like this costs about $7.

PSU TO PROVIDE FREE FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS Madeline Ward│

Student Government Association bill passed last year will provide complimentary feminine products in the Plemmons Student Union starting this semester.

Students should expect these products to begin appearing in the union’s nine female and four gender-neutral restrooms over the next two months. The offering of similar or other products in male restrooms is under consider-

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ation.

The Free Feminine Product Act is the work of sophomore psychology major Katie Feeny and sophomore public relations major Olivia Bouzigard, who noticed last year that unexpected periods were creating frustration among students and even causing some to miss class.

“We went around in the student union and noticed that most of the feminine product dispensers in restrooms don’t even work, or aren’t

@madelineward171│Intern News Reporter being refilled. We even tried to put in a quarter and nothing would come out,” Bouzigard said. “We talked to Jeff Cathey (director of student programs) and he said that the PSU hadn’t ordered products in over two years.”

Feeny and Bouzigard surveyed 425 undergraduate students, with 96.7 percent voting to support the initiative.

The majority also stated that they needed to use the dispensers but weren’t able to, do not typically carry extra

menstrual products or spare change on their person and have either missed or left class early due to the start of an unexpected period.

The Act passed unanimously and was recognized by the Senate Rules Committee as the most well-written and thoroughly researched bill of the past review session.

Walt Grayson, SGA director of legislative operations, said the student union is a case study and that SGA hopes to expand the bill to ac-

ademic buildings and eventually residence halls.

Grayson said the bill will not cause an increase in student fees and that the measure fits easily into the pre-existing budget.

Feeny and Bouzigard said they hope their work will not only help fellow students make it through the day, but also promote the notion that feminine products are a necessity for menstruating women, and decrease the stigma regarding periods.

ROB LEE STEPS DOWN FROM MINISTER POSTION Sammy Hanf│

fter giving a speech calling for the removal of confederate monuments at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, Robert Wright Lee IV has resigned as pastor of Bethany Church of Christ in Winston Salem.

Lee is an adjunct instructor in the Communication Department at Appalachian State. He was thrust into the national spotlight

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Halle Keighton

when he introduced Susan Bro, whose daughter Heather Heyer was killed when a car drove into protesters standing against white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Lee said in a statement on Auburn Seminary that members of the congregation were concerned about him endorsing the Black Lives Matter Movement and Women’s March for their racial justice work.

@SammyHanf│News Editor

He said in the statement that while members of the church supported his right to free speech, they were uncomfortable with the attention brought upon the church by his remarks.

“We are all called by God to speak out against hate and evil in all its many forms,” Lee said in the statement. “There are so many good things going on with this congregation and I do not want my fight to detract from the

mission. If the recent media attention causes concern with my church, I reluctantly offer my resignation.”

During his speech at the VMA’s Lee said racism is “America’s original sin” and that it is his moral duty to speak against it.

Jessica Parce, a junior nursing major and student of Lee’s, said she knew about his family history before the first day of

class and was amazed by how he stuck to his moral values despite the pushback he was likely to get.

Lee said he still thinks of himself as a small town boy from North Carolina and didn’t think he would ever be speaking about racial justice on the national stage but going forward he wants to use whatever platform he has to amplify the voices of those affected by racism.

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Sept. 14, 2017

Protesters march on Sanford Mall in November 2016 to spread awareness of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

PROFESSORS CALL CAMPUS FREE SPEECH LAW UNNECESSARY Ben Sessoms│

ith the passage of the free speech law that is stated to result in disciplinary actions against those that substantially interfere in the free speech of others on campus, professors are uncertain of the law’s effect but find the legislation as a whole unnecessary and potentially restrictive.

“I think it’s a solution in search of a problem,” Paul Gates, professor in the Department of Communication who specializes in law, said.

Gates also said that the law is unnecessary and puts the government in a bigger role over free speech on campus which he said could be restrictive.

Michael Behrent, professor in the Department of History, said he agreed that free speech is important on campus, but shared Gates’ sentiment that the law is too restrictive.

“In the name of restoring free speech, the effect of this law could be a chilling effect,”

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Behrent said, “in the sense that it could discourage people from engaging in free speech because they fear that some people could interpret some of the things that they say deserving of punishment under this law.”

Gates and Behrent also said that the law seems to be biased toward a conservative viewpoint with its ties to the Goldwater Institute, a conservative think tank.

Gates said that this is the legislative version of the same thinking that caused the violence in Charlottesville.

“This is the result of those of a conservative viewpoint who believe they’re being suppressed, and it’s the same thinking that supported the trouble in Charlottesville,” Gates said. “They are saying that they’re reacting to their repression by the other side.

This is the pushback against the perceived leftist attitude.”

Behrent said that he thought the law was a reaction to the perceived liberal bias on cam-

@BenSessoms│Associate News Editor

pus, something that he said is not entirely inaccurate.

“I think it’s a conservative bill trying not to seem conservative,” Behrent said.

At the same time, Behrent said that he does not think every single institution, such as the military, is perfectly politically neutral.

Behrent also said that while he sees this law as a form of anxiety surrounding leftist protest movements, that legislating in this way is potentially restrictive.

“It’s in the nature of free speech to generate certain kinds of problems,” Behrent said.

Regardless of his issues with the law, Behrent said that bill is difficult to condemn outright because he agrees with the ideal of having free speech on campus.

“I don’t disagree with people who want free speech on campus, and that does have to mean making sure that conservatives have their voice heard–I’m not a conserva-

tive–but free speech absolutely does need to do that, or otherwise it’s not free speech,” Behrent said.

Despite if this law does restrict free speech on campus, Behrent said that he does not think free speech is in danger.

“Repression of free speech usually doesn’t work,” Behrent said. “I think it’s important to remember that.”

Nicholas Williams, president of the Young Americans for Liberty group on campus, has a different perspective on the law.

“While this bill is not perfect, I think it is a step in the right direction,” Williams said. “Restore Campus Free Speech Act sets a standard for campus free speech policy and clears up ambiguity in University of North Carolina schools’ policies. Regardless of political partisanship, the constitutional notion of free speech is widely accepted, and I think with proper representation on the UNC Committee on Free Expression, the bill will re-

duce the barriers on free expression on campuses.”

Williams called the passage of the bill a win for free speech advocates who feel that universities be the centerpieces for free expression, ideological discourse and political exposure.

“Bigotry and hate should be combatted through debate, growth and unison, not through censorship,” Williams said.

Despite the ideal of providing free speech to all political viewpoints, Gates said that even if this repression of conservative thought exists, that restricting one side from the debate is not the method for handling it.

“Let various positions loose in the marketplace of ideas, and people will respond, and people will make the better choice,” Gates said. “You don’t get an opportunity if you slam the door on the marketplace by restricting certain people’s views and I think that’s what this does.”

Matt Sloyer

Sept. 14, 2017

BOONE ARTISTS PUBLISH “ART-OBJECT” HEADS MAGAZINE

(From left) David Vertrees, Jason Wright and Julien Passajou pose in front of the risograph printer in Wey Hall.

Patrick McCabe│ ason Wright, Julien Passajou and David Vertrees are artists living and working in Boone. Together, they curate the community art zine Heads. It is a group effort with artists featured from across the United States and abroad.

Wright, a senior graphic design major, and Vertrees, a senior studio art major, met in a printmaking class. They have been deeply involved with the art department on campus; Vertrees currently oversees the wood shop and Wright is the risograph printer technician.

At a previous exhibition in the Looking Glass Gallery, Wright met Passajou, whose intrigue in Wright’s work led to the collaboration. Wright, Passajou and Vertrees have curated three editions of Heads magazine.

One of the highlights of the project has been the corresponding release parties. Heads No. 2 debuted at Espresso News in Boone, and Heads No. 3 debuted at the VALET Gallery in Richmond, Virginia. Musical performances liven up the events and bring artists of many stripes together in one place. Acting as a platform for underrepresented artists has been motivating for the team. “[By having] someone behind the table giving out zines, friends who are playing music for every-

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Patrick McCabe

one and friends who are in the audience observing and enjoying everything, it’s exciting because it gives many people an opportunity or platform to be involved,” Passajou said.

The team emphasized the ideal of widening and deepening the scene in Boone. At the release parties, contributors and friends mingle and forge connections that translate into the next zine or other collaborations. Branching out is important, with contributors encouraged to spread the zine and invite like-minded individuals to submit pieces.

“The purpose of the publication is to form this community and make these connections, and these release events allow those connections to actually be made by the people that turned out and come to support it,” Vertrees said.

“It’s been really humbling and awesome to see how excited people have been about that.”

The three have approached the curation of the zine in a novel way with a focus on accessibility. People who enjoy drawing, for instance, are meant to feel comfortable contributing to a publication that includes artists with ample exhibition experience.

“One thing we always ask for is people’s stuff they don’t normally show, stuff that is not in their most comfortable medium, and that evens the playing field between people who never show

@patm_cc│Intern A&E Reporter

artwork and people that have artwork in galleries all around the world,” Wright said.

This theme of open involvement and accessibility translates to their release events as well.

They take strides to make the events interesting and inviting, differentiating them from a more sterile and transactional museum experience. As a gallery curator himself, Wright seeks to create a “multi-sensory experience,” that holds viewers’ attention longer.

“For the general public that’s not like super knowledgeable about art or super in the art world, you come, you walk around, you leave and as a curator, it has been really important to me that that isn’t the experience, that the art world is inviting, that the art world is something the average person is going to want to be a part of,” Wright said.

Heads continues upon earlier examples of zine culture. The passion of DIY, music and skate subculture coalesce. Passajou is a member of the band Modern Apologies and is active in the skate scene. While screen printing a shirt in the studio, Vertrees listens to music through an electric guitar amplifier.

“A lot of local music, regionally and in North Carolina, has been very inspiring and I’m from this town and music has kind of been a bridge to a lot of different creative outlets,” Passajou said.

Espresso News has played an important role in the creation of Heads. For Wright, connections made at the coffee shop were crucial in getting to know people and establishing his portfolio. Passajou began working there and the three were given the support to do what they wanted in the building.

Vertrees now works there as well.

“It seemed like the perfect place to throw a celebration and a party in a different context for such a familiar space for so many people,” Passajou said.

With their serious interest in printmaking, the materials and process of producing the zine are important. Using a risograph printer, Heads is printed in a monochromatic format and released in a limited batch. For Wright, it’s important that Heads be an “art-object.”

“In the post-digital age, it’s important to have something that you want to keep because if you’re just going to throw it away,” Wright said, “you might as well consume it on the internet.”

Heads is published by UDLI, which Wright and Vertrees oversee. They publish one-off zines and other artistic creations like screen-printed shirts. UDLI was selected to show work at the upcoming New York Art Book Fair.

They were the only press selected from North Carolina and one of only a few representing the south.

“It’s important for me in everything I do to show that the south has good people here, there’s weirdos here in the south that are making good things and are important,” Wright said.

His connections and friendships have been built over time through goodwill and correspondence, sending and receiving art through the mail for years and forming a community of people that create art for its own sake.

“I think a lot of people in this day and age want immediate gratification, whether it be Instagram likes or money at exhibitions or something, but there’s a lot of fun with just giving someone a package,” Wright said.

The community that Heads has fostered and the scenes that they’ve drawn from will change with time. The skating community has recently been altered, as Boone’s DIY skate park has come to an end with Appalachian State’s purchase of the land it occupies.

“That’s a community that was made, and that skateboarding and that art and creating is going to make that will never disperse, even when we’re discouraged, which is something that is very inspiring,” Passajou said.

Heads No. 4 will be released at the New York Art Book Fair, hosted at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, New York, from Sept.

22-24.

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Sept. 14, 2017

Savannah Bennet brings up an audience member spontaneously to act beside her during her performance of “Every Brilliant Thing.”

FROM PRE-MED TO A SOLO PERFORMANCE A Shaun Howell│

crowd of a little under 30 people sat in the Boone Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Church on Saturday and watched a dog get euthanized and laughed profusely. The dog wasn’t any conventional breed, however; it was a red coat. The applicator of the lethal drug was quite irregular as well. It was a standard 0.7 mm blue ballpoint pen from an audience member.

Savannah Bennett, a senior theater major, performed her self-directed rendering of the one-act, off-Broadway hit “Every Brilliant Thing,” cowritten by Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe, for the second annual BOLO Fest.

“Every Brilliant Thing” is a complex one-person play that handles the deep implications of suicide and depression while managing to remain comedic from start to finish.

Originally, the play was written for an older man to perform, so Bennett had to change both the dialogue and structure of the play to conform to the current time period and her gender. The play also included lines that had been included for a British audience, which were cut to match those in Boone.

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BOLO Fest is the invention of In/Visible Theatre, which is self-described as Boone’s local professional arts group.

Karen Sabo of In/Visible Theatre said they would rather have people pay the money they have, even if it isn’t the amount for a full ticket, to come and see their performances, rather than turn away a potential spectator that could have supported the local art community.

According to their website, In/Visible Theatre grounds itself in the principles of “living in the moment, deconstructing accepted conventions to recognize deeper truths, and inclusion to create a more engaged populace.”

The three-day festival was created in the form of a crawl, meaning that all the performances and venues were within walking distance of each other.

Several past BOLO performances in 2016 were chosen to compete in both the New York Fringe festival and the Hollywood Fringe festival.

Bennett first encountered the creator of In/Visible Theatre, Derek Davidson, senior lecturer in the theater and dance department at Appalachian State, her freshman

@realshaunhowell│A&E Reporter

year of college. After acting in the musical comedy “Urinetown,” which Davidson directed, Bennett has remained in collaboration with Davidson through several productions.

Finally, Davidson encouraged her to take on a solo-act production, and she agreed to audition her play.

Although Bennett has been involved with theater at Appalachian State since her freshman year of college, she didn’t originally go in with the intentions of pursuing acting as a career. She has always loved being involved in theatrical performances, but her parents initially advised her away from pursuing her dream in hopes that she would follow a more stable career path.

With the support of her parents, she has now officially switched from her original pre-med track into pursuing her dream. The switch will cause her to delay her graduation by at least one semester.

Once Bennett graduates from Appalachian State, she plans on going to grad school for acting in New York City.

There, she hopes to be around a much more mature and focused peer group that, through networking, will assist in launching her professional ca-

reer in acting.

The venue chosen at Boone Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Church created an unconventional area to perform.

Within a fully-illuminated, modestly-sized room, hosting a relatively high vaulted ceiling, Bennett stood in front of a row of green church chairs with Bibles affixed to their backs. From there, she acted.

Although the acting space was unique, she said she thoroughly enjoyed it.

“I really liked the venue, it allowed me to run around the audience much easier,” Bennett said.

The room also encompassed a staircase that led up to a lofted room, which she said tied in agreeably with the script as she found herself performing on the stairs periodically.

Wearing a professional white blouse with black dress pants, she held a ruled notepad, which she used to call out numbers to the audience. Yellow sticky notes were handed out to the audience at the beginning of the performance, and Bennett asked the audience to yell out what was written on the sticky note if their number was called.

Bennett’s performance im-

mersed her audience into an interactive collaboration with them, merging the role of spectator and performer. Bringing audience members up to perform certain roles at random, the audience found themselves as much of the performance at times as the actor herself.

Through playfully interacting with members of the audience, she not only could, in a moment of improv, carry out the lines of the play, she could also retort actions of the chosen audience member into light-hearted comedy.

One member of the audience, Zach Briggs, a junior sustainable technology major, found himself called onto stage by Bennett so he could propose to her.

“I had no idea I was going to be in it. I was nervous that I was going to mess up,” Briggs said.

While interactivity with some audience members caused, at times, pauses or minor glitches among the performance, it also contributed to an overwhelmingly positive reaction. Laughter arose through the audience throughout Bennett’s interactions, which contributed to a full standing ovation at the end of her performance.

Shaun Howell

Sept. 14, 2017

RACE AGAINST TIME: 24 HOURS TO PUT ON A SHOW

Six performers portray a group of college students who go camping together in the 2016 play, “Too Damn Campy.” The piece was written by Krystopher Paschen and Amanda Ufer and directed by Melanie Lech.

Riley Bennett│

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laycrafters presented the fourth annual 24 Hour Arts Festival in the I.G. Greer theater on Sunday. The festival is compiled of one-acts led by students who begin the process of writing, casting, directing and rehearsing 24 hours before the actual performances.

“I’ve done the 24 Hour Arts Festival since my freshman year. It was like my first way I got involved in the department, and I just wanted to have a way to perform,” Julia Ridenhour, a senior performing arts major, said. “I acted in it the first two years I did it, I directed last year and then this year I decided I wanted to produce it.”

The festival is an easy

way to get involved with theater on campus as it is generally all-inclusive and welcoming of anyone regardless of grade, major or interests. As well as acting, students can participate through directing or writing. Dance routines were a new addition this year, meaning students can dance or choreograph in the following years. “[The festival] really brought me out of my shell because the first time that I performed in it, I hadn’t done anything with Appalachian yet,” Ridenhour said.

“I hadn’t been involved in our theater department at all, so I was really nervous, I didn’t know anybody. But it really got me out of my shell and encouraged me to

@RiffRaffRiley│Intern A&E Reporter meet new people and just go for it.”

Even if students are not interested in participating, all are welcome to attend the performances free of charge and seating is on a firstcome, first-serve basis.

The performances at this year’s festival included scenes about the ultimate quest to manhood, bad dreams, a drill sergeant, an aching tooth, a Willy Wonka interrogation, a meeting of villains and a dance duet.

Every year, each of the writers are given a phrase they have to somehow incorporate into their script. This year, the phrase “you gotta stand in jello before you have dessert,” made its way into every scene excluding the

dance number.

Performer Kat Sokol, a freshman theater and English major, said it was very difficult to stay up for 24 hours to perform. “[The festival] is just another experience under the belt,” Sokol said. “And it’s definitely a lot, memorizing all of the lines in one go. It’s a lot of fun, it’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun.”

As the staging was a mix between black box and a thrust stage, the audience surrounded the performers on three sides, the back serving as backstage and exits and entrances. Being so close to the performers made friends in the acts recognizable to audience members.

Audience member Julia

Urh, a freshman child development major, shared her impression of the performances.

“I thought [the show] was really cool and interesting,” Urh said. “I have some friends in the show and I am also super interested in theater.”

Thoroughly experienced in the festival, Julia Ridenhour recommends anyone interested in getting into theater to participate in the 24 Hour Arts Festival in the coming years, and assures that there is room for everyone.

“It’s such an easy way to get involved because everyone gets to participate in it. If you want to act in it, you’re guaranteed a spot,” Ridenhour said. “We’ll make sure we have enough roles for you.”

Timeline of the 24 Hour Arts Festival

3 p.m.

6 p.m.

The playwrights for the Playcrafters event begin writing one act plays

Playwrighting ends, and directors are able to select their plays and create a plan

Olivia Lepard

10 p.m.

1 a.m.

2 p.m.

Auditions begin for Once the shows are The plays are performed for an audience the next day. the shows. Every actor cast, the race begins Most participants have who is interested is for participants to been awake for 24 hours casted in a show. learn lines, find props, once the plays begin. and design costumes

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Sept. 14, 2017

PHOTO ESSAY

ROSEN SCULPTURES

“Conversation” by Wayne Vaughn greets students as they make their way to Walker Hall.

“Ordinary Guy” by Charlie Brouwer, sits next to the Broyhill Music Center.

“Brave New World” by Charles Pilkey sits in front of Wey Hall.

“

I think it’s a fantastic way to place art into the campus environment that is going to be viewed and enjoyed by everyone that walks by.”

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“Depth of Form” by Jacob Burmood sits at the entrance to the Schaefer Center.

Natalie Broome

Sept. 14, 2017

ROSEN SCULPTURE COMPETITION REDECORATES CAMPUS EVERY YEAR “Tetness the Polar Bear” by James Futral won first place at the 31st Rosen Sculpture Competition.

Natalie Broome│ tudents may have noticed a slight change in the scenery around campus every year. No, they’re not imagining things. Those two alligators by Walker Hall were not there last year.

They’re new guests on campus and they’re here because of the Rosen Sculpture Competition and Exhibition.

The Rosen Sculpture Competition and Exhibition is an annual competition that allows artists to submit their work for consideration. And the prize? The opportunity to have their work displayed on Appalachian State’s campus.

In addition to a cash prize for the top three sculptures, ten different sculptures receive the honor of being installed around campus for a one-year period.

“I think it’s a fantastic way to place art into the campus environment that is going to be viewed and enjoyed by everyone that walks by,” Lynn Rees-Jones, Director of Marketing at the Turchin

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Natalie Broome

Center, said. “I just think it’s really interesting to see all the sculptures that come in, and the variety.”

There are not many rules.

It is an open call for any artist residing in the United States over the age of 18 to enter. Professionals, amateurs and students alike are all welcome to compete. Artists may submit a total of three sculptures and five images at a time.

The sculptures must be able to be installed and secured to the ground, capable of surviving a Boone winter and the artist is responsible for transporting the art to campus. Other than that, artists can submit whatever sculpture they want and they can make any statement they want.

In March, the selected artists are notified that their work has been selected, so the artists can make arrangements to transport their art to Boone in May to be installed. The artists then return to Boone in July for

@NatalieBroome13│Intern A&E Reporter the annual Rosen Sculpture Walk and Reception, which is a part of An Appalachian Summer Festival. The winning artists are not actually announced until the walk.

This year’s walk took place on July 22.

Mary Anne Redding, the Turchin Center curator, decides where each winning sculpture will best fit on campus during its exhibition.

“The best part of this competition is that Appalachian State has been able to provide a rotating outdoor exhibition of diverse and engaging sculpture to the regional community for over 30 years,” Redding said. “The competition is one of the longest-running and well-regarded competitions with an open call for submission in the country.”

The sculpture of a man sitting on a pillar next to the Broyhill Music Center is called “Ordinary Guy” by artist Charlie Brouwer. It is Brouwer’s fourth sculpture to be recognized by the Ros-

en Sculpture Competition.

“I thought it would be nice to honor ordinary people,” Brouwer said. “I think this sculpture is one that nobody will object to because he has no politics associated with him.”

When asked what he hopes people will feel when they walk past, Brouwer said, “I hope they feel good about it, y’know? I hope they feel joy, feel that it’s okay.”

The two green creatures in front of Walker Hall are called “Conversation” by artist Wayne Vaughn. If Vaughn could tell students anything as they walk past, he’d tell them to cut back on the cell phone usage.

“Everybody’s so wrapped up in their telephones! It’s really good to just have a conversation, people are fascinating creatures,” Vaughn said.

The massive monument that sits between Walker Hall and Rivers Street is called “Lost Horizon,” but it’s not just meant to be viewed from

the outside. There’s a circular gap on the side for people to crawl inside the sculpture.

The walls are high and the top is wide open, meant to block out one’s surroundings so all they see is the horizon created by the sculpture.

Artist Mike Wsol said that he wanted to “create an opportunity for someone to slow down and pay attention,” and that “Lost Horizon” has the capacity to create a reaction. Wsol wants to tell people to “get in there,” and enjoy the sculpture the way it was meant to be viewed: from the inside.

The current sculptures were submitted through an online registration system over a one-month period, between Jan. 13 and Feb. 18.

They will be on display until the deinstallation period in May 2018. Any artists wanting to enter their work for the 32nd Rosen should keep an eye on the Rosen website for dates and information on submitting procedures at RosenSculpture.org.

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Sept. 14, 2017

TEAM SUNERGY RACES TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Team Sunergy received the body of a former Iowa State University solar car named Apperion. The team carried out extensive additions and modifications to create the current solar car.

Steven Caughran│ or over a century, the big three fossil fuels, coal, oil and natural gas, have powered the overwhelming majority of the world’s vehicles. Humans have been spewing harmful emissions into our atmosphere while steadily decreasing the world’s oil supply. Decades of research have gone into finding clean alternatives to fossil fuels, and at Appalachian State, one of our most well-known programs, Team Sunergy, has been doing just that.

Team Sunergy was established in the fall of 2013, and has since been showcasing Appalachian State’s sustainable initiatives at international competitions and races. The solar vehicle team has been growing and developing over the last few years, and is now a part of the Of-

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fice of Sustainability. The team’s members come from a wide variety of different majors, including physics, sustainable technology, business and computer science.

The team’s current car, Apperion, originated as a shell of a former Iowa State University solar car, donated to Appalachian State in 2015.

Team Sunergy has raced in several solar car events, and has placed second in the 2017 Formula Sun Grand Prix in Texas.

“It was just the body of the car, which had the solar array on it but it didn’t have any suspension, any wheels, and it didn’t have any batteries or electronics or anything. Our students designed and built all of that in a very short period of time,” Jeremy Ferrell, Undergraduate Program Director for the sustainable technology major and a fac-

@SCaughran│A&E Reporter

ulty advisor for Team Sunergy, said.

Team Sunergy competed in its first race shortly after the acquisition of the car from Iowa State, racing in the Formula Sun Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas. The team received an award for “most perseverance.”

The project only grew from there, receiving more funding from the university and a dedicated space to call their own.

“We got a grant of $100,000 and we used it to rebuild Apperion. In 2016, we competed in the Formula Sun Grand Prix outside of Pittsburgh and we got third place,” Ferrell said.

The team also qualified for a road race called the American Solar Challenge. Apperion raced from eastern Ohio to South Dakota along pub-

lic roadways, earning sixth place.

The team’s biggest accomplishments, however, came in the summer of 2017. The team returned to the Formula Sun Grand Prix in Texas to go head-to-head with solar vehicle teams from 18 other schools.

“All solar-powered vehicles have to be built under specific requirements.

The first few days of the event are called scrutineering, where all the cars are inspected from head to toe, making sure they meet a bunch of guidelines that are set before they can go on to start the race,” Cristian Gulisano, assistant electrical director and driver for Team Sunergy and senior computer science major, said.

Apperion weighs about 430 pounds, and has a six square meter silicon solar ar-

ray. The array contains 391 SunPower C60 monocrystalline cells, which, during sunny conditions, make the car capable of travelling on its three wheels at speeds between 45 and 55 mph indefinitely with a top speed of 75 mph. Without sunlight, Apperion can utilize its batteries to travel up to 150 miles at 45 mph.

Apperion’s single driver design will soon be retired, and a next generation driver/ passenger sedan style solar car will be unveiled in 2018.

The race is a three-day track race with each team racing for eight hours each day. Weather conditions vary over the period of the race, affecting the output of the solar panels and therefore the speed of the car. The race focuses on endurance and the number of laps achieved.

“We started in first place,

Courtesy of Team Sunergy

Sept. 14, 2017

Apperion can sustain speeds between 45-55 mph indefinitely in sunny conditions, with a top speed of 75 mph. Team Sunergy has raced in several solar car events, and has placed second in the 2017 Formula Sun Grand Prix in Texas. and held between first and third place all three days. We ultimately came in second place, behind UC-Berkeley.

We competed against a lot of other polytechnic schools from the U.S. and Canada,” Gulisano said. “The cool thing is that most of the other schools sent their engineering departments, but you know, here at App we don’t have an engineering department. But we were definitely able to hold our own out there.”

Gulisano believes that the team has more resources and opportunity now that it has been incorporated into the Office of Sustainability. The team is now aiming to compete in the World Solar Challenge in Australia, and is working through the Office of Sustainability and the university to make that happen.

However, Team Sunergy

is not all about winning races. Through research and development in solar efficiency, aerodynamics and testing during endurance races, Team Sunergy learns about the future of sustainable transportation.

“One of the biggest reasons I decided to come to Appalachian State was because of their mission of sustainability and the difference they’re looking to make in the world,” Kali Smith, Team Sunergy’s operations director and junior economics major, said. “I saw this project and I guess I just saw the future in it, and I knew I wanted to be involved in the beginning of the future.”

Ferrell knows that transportation is one of the areas in which humanity is most dependent on fossil fuels. It is very inefficient and a finite resource, and the envi-

Courtesy of Team Sunergy

ronmental implications that go into finding and extracting fossil fuels are just not sustainable for energy that goes primarily into the transportation sector.

“Petroleum is a very ‘energetic’ resource, there is a lot of energy in a gallon of gasoline and the amount of energy that can be stored by batteries isn’t there yet,” Ferrell said. “But, the fuels that we call ‘alternative’ now won’t be alternative for much longer. Soon, they’ll be our only option.”

Team Sunergy is aware of our current fossil fuel crisis and is working towards a new generation of solar vehicle to be unveiled for races in 2018. The new solar vehicle will have a smaller area for the solar array, four wheels instead of three, and will also have a passenger seat following a sedan-type design.

Apperion can sustain speeds between 45 and 55 mph indefinitely in sunny conditions, with a top speed of 75 mph.

This design, with passenger seats and a larger body, will increase the weight and drag of the vehicle, making it more inefficient. However, some on the team believe that this is a step in the right direction as the next generation car will be more practical, and we may see elements of it in consumer vehicles someday.

“We can’t continue to sustain our habits, driving combustion vehicles because we’re going to run out of fuel for them at some point. In the last few years, though, we’ve really seen a spike in the number of electric powered vehicles,” Gulisano said. “While it is very unlikely to someday

have a fully solar-powered car, it is not unrealistic to one day see solar panels on electric vehicles to provide passive charging.”

Gulisano also believes that the issue is especially relevant in Boone. He said that the team has received tons of support from the town of Boone and the university, and believes that generally people are very on board with the project and what the team has been able to accomplish.

Over the past few decades, humanity has become more aware of its increasingly dire predicament regarding its wdependency on fossil fuels.

With solar vehicle teams and similar programs around the country taking the same proactive steps as Team Sunergy, the reliance on nonrenewable resources could come to an end in the near future.

11

Sept. 14, 2017

Dexter Jackson (center) poses for a photo with some of the athletes he works with at his Speed to Victory training program. Jackson hopes to continue working building Speed to Victory as a top training program in the country.

BELOVED MOUNTAINEER DEXTER JACKSON STARTS TRAINING ACADEMY IN BOONE Noah Gerringer│

he name Dexter Jackson is one that will live on in Boone forever. A former App State wide receiver, Jackson helped lead the Mountaineers football team to the famous upset against Michigan in 2007 and three straight National Championships.

Jackson’s speedy 4.27 40yard dash in the 2008 NFL Combine helped contribute to the 68-yard touchdown pass that put the Mountaineers up early 7-0 against the Wolverines. Along with another touchdown that day, Jackson’s presence on the offense helped create what is looked at now as one of the most his-

T

12

toric Mountaineer football teams ever.

After a historic season with the Mountaineers, Jackson left Boone a semester early to prepare for the NFL draft. His 40-yard dash time was the fastest among all receivers that year and increased his draft stock. He was selected 58th overall in the second round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jackson made his run through the NFL playing with the Buccaneers, Panthers and Jets from 20092012. After his NFL career, Jackson went back home to finish out his final semester with an internship at the DeKalb County district at-

@NoahGerringer│Sports @ Reporter

torney’s office. There he worked as an investigator for three more years before his return to Boone with the High Country Grizzlies in December of 2016.

In 2015, Jackson got the idea to use his experience and help train younger athletes, specifically where his story began, back in Boone.

Jackson’s company, Speed to Victory Academy, is designed to help younger athletes all the way up to the college level train and prepare themselves for the next level, whatever that next step may be.

The idea stemmed from Jackson’s experience leaving the High Country and being

thrown into training for the NFL draft.

“When I went pro, I didn’t have any former ASU alum to say, ‘Hey Dexter when you go to the NFL, this is how you prepare’,” Jackson said.

“I want to help prepare them mentally, physically, spiritually and also just make them the best person they can be after football.”

Another familiar name in the High Country is App State alum and former football player Tommy Sofield Sr. Just seven years after graduating from App in 1976, Sofield started U.S. Chemical Storage, a company that makes safe storage facilities for hazardous and chemical materi-

als. After working alongside well known agencies like the FBI, NASA, Department of Homeland Security and more, Sofield turned the company over to Baird Capital and their portfolio company Justrite.

Sofield is also known for leading the way for the $50 million Sofield Indoor Practice Facility on campus.

When Jackson returned to Boone, he sought out Sofield to turn this idea into a reality.

“He thought it would be a great fit for our kids in the local area,” Sofield said. “It just so happened that one of my buildings had come available space-wise.”

That 14,000-square-foot

Courtesy

Sept. 14, 2017

Dexter Jackson (left) is most known for his long touchdown run to put the Mountaineers on the board in the App State-Michigan game in 2007. Jackson was drafted into the NFL and is one of the most well-known football players in App State history. building Jackson plans to use as their indoor training facility. Jackson said that in Boone when it rains or snows, there’s nowhere to train. With this facility, he plans to put in turf, batting cages and areas for strength training and conditioning. As of now, Jackson and Sofield are still waiting on a permit from the city to be able work in the facility.

Currently, Jackson is training young athletes on the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex fields.

Although Sofield has an extensive background in the business world, he made it clear that this is not just another investment.

“For our community as a

Courtesy

whole to have somebody of Dexter’s caliber to be able to do these things, he understands their needs,” Sofield said.

These needs go above and beyond the average skills and conditioning workouts some might be used to. Jackson is dedicated to getting young athletes the training and preparation they need and that he feels like he missed out on.

“My goal is to treat these youth athletes as if they’re on scholarship at ASU,” Jackson said. “I want to get them new hold cold tubs, trainers and to get top notch coaches to coach them until it’s too late.”

Jackson said that coming down from the mountain al-

ready puts an athlete at a disadvantage. Athletes in places like Charlotte already have those facilities and trainers that can put them in a position to succeed. Jackson hopes to create those same opportunities with the Speed to Victory Academy.

Jackson himself is not far from being everything a young athlete needs. He is certified in CPR, a certified personal trainer and is working on becoming certified in strength and conditioning, which he plans to have done

by January 2018. His wife, Carey Jackson, is also a certified nutritionist and personal trainer.

“I didn’t have a mentor, so

I want to be able to mentor to not only these youth kids but also guys like Taylor Lamb, [Eric] Boggs and Jalin Moore who might want to come out [to the NFL],” Jackson said.

Jackson wants to teach older athletes that the next level is more than what they have dreamed about.

“It’s a job, yes it’s a game, but it’s still a job,” Jackson said. “I didn’t have coaches and trainers pushing me how I wanna push these kids. I want to give them hope.”

The Speed to Victory Academy is open to specifically, “every kid that’s into athletics.” Sofield’s grandson, 9-year-old Cooper Sofield, has been working with

Jackson to improve early on and be the best that he can be.

“My grandson’s experience has been very well received by him. He’s been challenged by Dexter and is seeing great results on his agility and speed,” Sofield said. “You can see Dexter getting more out of him and he’s enjoying the challenge and the pursuit of excellence that Dexter expects. He has great respect for Dexter and is excited each day that he’s able to train with him.”

There are scholarships that Speed to Victory offers for kids who may be unable to afford high quality training like this. More information can be found at www. speedtovictoryacademy.com.

13

Sept. 14, 2017

Junior Daniel Avila dribbles the ball while on offense during a 2016 season game against USC. The Mountaineers won the game 3-1.

ALIVA’S TIME TO TAKE OVER Michael Pigg│

A

p p a l a c h i a n ’s men’s soccer team is in unchartered territory this year, losing four of their top scorers. This is giving players on the team a chance to step up and prove themselves, and junior midfielder Daniel Avila is not going to miss the opportunity.

Avila was the fifth leading scorer last year for the Mountaineers, but his improvements over the offseason have already earned him a Sun Belt Co-Offensive Athlete of the Week award.

“I tried to improve on everything overall,” Avila said. “I focused defensively, that was one of my biggest weaknesses. There is always going to be something to improve on.”

Avila was able to capitalize on a unique opportunity playing for the soccer Premier Development League by matching up with some of the best players in the world.

“It was definitely a different environment,” Avila said. “It was just different coaches, dif-

14

ferent styles and me bringing those skill sets over here, I will see improvements.”

Second year head coach Jason O’Keefe has noticed the change in Avila’s play from his involvement in the Premier League.

“I believe he led the team in assist and in goals which is tremendous,” O’Keefe said. “It shows that he has the ability to put his skills together and have a breakout year.”

Early in the season, Avila’s teammates are already seeing a difference in his play, mainly with his new level of confidence.

“Daniel, he always seems to be in the right spots and he is already capitalizing on his shots,” junior defense Felix Kollmannthaler said. “Not only is he looking to score he is also looking for the open player, he already has two assists in the first two games.”

The Mountaineers are facing a big turnaround with 12 incoming freshmen, so they are looking to Avila to lead the team.

@MdotPiggy│Sports Reporter

“I look to him as a leader through actions,” senior defenseman John Walrath said.

“He has been there to give people rides to practice, and when he brings a certain intensity to practice you can see everyone’s pace pick up.”

Kollmannthaler believes Avila is going to be someone that the younger guys look up to.

“He is one of the guys that has been here the longest,” Kollmannthaler said. “We have a lot of new guys this year, so it is good to have a person like Daniel who has been here and knows the ropes and can set an example for the freshmen.”

While Avila has room to improve, O’Keefe is excited to see when Avila’s game becomes complete since he is only a junior.

“I have been impressed with Danny when I first got here,” O’Keefe said. “I think he is still scratching the surface of his potential which is the most exciting, and as he continues to mature as a person and as a player you will see more of what you

saw last weekend.”

Avila is ready to see what this team can accomplish, and said he thinks that this year’s team is more well rounded than last year’s.

“We might have lost a lot of the scoring from last year but as a complete team we are better,” Avila said. “We are going to find ways to score, and we have a lot of people you can come off the bench to contribute. It is going to be my job to help them see things on the field that will make them more successful.”

Avila is tied on the team for assists with two this season and he is backing up his word that even though they lost most of their scoring from last season, there will not be a drop off.

Avila knows that the Mountaineers’ future is bright, but he is focused on this year and believes that they can do something special.

“I want to win,” Avila said.

“I am willing to do whatever it takes and I know my teammates have my back so I’m just look forward to see what this team accomplishes.”

BY THE

NUMBERS

13 starting appearances at App 5th leading scorer llastt season

2 assists this season 14 shots recorded in games 1,117 minutes logged overall

1 week

receiving the Sun Belt Co-Offensive Athlete of the Week Award

Halle Keighton │ Graphic by Elizabeth Beasley

Sept. 14, 2017

Middle blocker Kara Spicer spikes the ball during the game against Missouri State on Aug. 25. The Mountaineers lost the game with the final score being 3-2.

SPICING UP APP STATE VOLLEYBALL Grayson Rice│

pp State volleyball has a strong incoming freshman class this season, with a total of five freshmen standing on their roster. One name that has stood out is middle blocker Kara Spicer, who is surpassing expectations on the court.

Spicer comes from a competitive club in her hometown, Peoria, Arizona and was expected to be a strong element right from the beginning for App State. This transition can be a lot to handle for any athlete, and yet Spicer is showing solid dependability.

“I think I am transitioning pretty well. It is a lot different, a lot more tiring,” Spicer said.

“I think I am doing a good job with keeping up with the rest of the girls. There are definitely a lot [of] bigger blocks and a

A

Halle Keighton

@RiceGrayson│Intern Sports Reporter

lot faster pace, so I think what I need to work on the most is learning how to hit around the block.”

Spicer is leading the team with 125 kills and has been an impressive element to App State’s offense. Spicer is no stranger to a competitive court, but recognizes she has more work to do. This drive has allowed Spicer to give herself a name within the first few weeks of her freshman season.

“She [Spicer] doesn’t need to change a thing,” head coach Matt Ginipro said. “She is having an amazing freshman year so far. We are only six matches [in], and it’s relatively impressive what she is doing. She just knows how to score.”

This strong work ethic was apparent with her recognition from the Sun Belt Conference, being named freshman

of the week for two consecutive weeks. Spicer is the first student-athlete to receive this award back-to-back.

Spicer recognizes that it was not just an individual effort to be where she is right now. Her fellow Mountaineers have created an environment that urges one another to be their best.

“All the girls really push me to be better. That is part of our culture, accountability and pushing you,” Spicer said.

“Making sure you are doing every rep with the right mindset and make sure you are doing it right.”

Spicer has already set herself a record of 17 kills within one set. The record was set in a match while playing Towson and Virginia. Not to mention that while playing South Dakota, Spicer set her own personal best with an astonishing seven

blocks, and she is still striving for more.

“I think this is a starting off point, I still have work I need to do,” Spicer said. “I’m not done.

I still need to improve, I can improve on a lot of things.”

Spicer has an exciting season ahead of her, with a stunning performance and numerous accolades to show for it. Many, including Ginipro, are excited to see what she can do next.

“I think she is only going to get better. The thing about being a fall sport, and you’re a freshman, is we kind of just throw you into the fire,” Ginipro said.

“There is not a lot of individual training going on and that happens in the spring. I am pretty excited to see what she continues doing this fall, and how good of a player she will become when she has this spring to train.”

15

GAME DAY GAME 3│SATURDAY, SEPT. 16│7 P.M.│ESPN3│BOBCAT STADIUM│SAN MARCOS, TEXAS

APPALACHIAN APP ALACHIAN

S TATE STATE

1-1, 0-0, SUN BELT

vs

STATE 1-1, 0-0 SUN BELT APP STATE PLAYER TO WATCH

POINTS PER GAME

32

TEXAS

11.5

#87

COLLIN

REED

OPPONENTS PPG

19

CAUGHT A PASS FOR A 68-YARD TOUCHDOWN

24

AVG. RUSHING YARDS PER GAME

105

207.5 155.5 AVG. PASSING YARDS PER GAME

246.5

131

2 TOUCHDOWNS THIS SEASON

RECEIVING YARDS THIS SEASON

CLAWING THE BOBCATS The Mountaineers will take their first step to winning another Sun Belt title as they travel to take on Texas State in San Marcos, Texas. App State is looking to continue their dominance on the offensive side of the ball, while Texas State is looking to rebound from a slaughtering at the hands of Colorado. The last meeting between the Mountaineers and the Bobcats took place last year in Boone.

App State did not struggle, winning 35-10. Texas State looks to rebound from an overall disappointing season last year, finishing 2-10. However, the Bobcats are off to a 1-1 start in the 2017 campaign. The Mountaineers will continue to focus on building off of their offensive explosion against Savannah State, where they were up 45-0 at halftime that led to a 54-7 win.

FOCUS ON TEXAS STATE:

SPREAD THE WEALTH:

FORCE TURNOVERS:

The Mountaineers have a big game the week after Texas State against Wake Forest in Boone. App State could easily overlook Texas State and let the Bobcats hang around. The team needs to go out and take care of business as they are expected to. The next game is always the most important.

The Mountaineers need to have balance as they go into the Texas State game.

They should run with Jalin Moore to set up the pass for Taylor Lamb, and vice versa.

Keeping the opposing team’s defense on their toes and in the unknown about a play can prove beneficial in the long run for the Mountaineers. If App State can spread the wealth between their receivers and running backs, they will have a successful day in San Marcos.

In week one versus Georgia, the Mountaineers forced two turnovers, resulting in the 10 points scored by the offense. In week two against Savannah State, App State did not force a single turnover, although they did record a safety. The defense should go into Texas State looking to force turnovers, and the offense should turn them into points. If the team can do that, it is safe to say the Mountaineers will have no issue handling the Bobcats.

BY ERIC JACKSON

INTERN SPORTS REPORTER @ej_buckets

PIGSKIN PICK ‘EM JASON HUBER Sports Editor The Appalachian 6-4

APP STATE VS. TEXAS STATE #23 TENNESSEE VS. #24 FLORIDA

#3 CLEMSON VS. #14 LOUISVILLE #18 KANSAS STATE VS. VANDERBILT

OLE MISS VS. CALIFORNIA

SYDNEY SPANN Editor-in-Chief The Appalachian 10-0

SHERI EVERTS Chancellor App State 7-3

ANDERSON CLAYTON President SGA 8-2

JOSH KORNMAYER Sports Director WASU 8-2

BRAXTON CRITCHER The A Game Host AppTV 7-3

Sept. 14, 2017

CIGARETTES ON CAMPUS RAISE A QUESTION OF SUSTAINABILITY

A

ccording to the To b a c c o - F r e e College Campus Initiative, there are 1,757 smoke-free campuses nationwide with 1,468 of those being completely tobacco free.

Appalachian State University is not one of those campuses.

App State has a smoking policy in place that prohibits smoking inside buildings but allows smoking outdoors in any designated smoking area.

The problem with that policy is that designated smoking areas are hard to find, and therefore seem to not exist.

People smoke outside of dorms, on Sanford, by the dining halls and just walking around campus.

“There is so much [smoking]. It’s kind of really annoying because everywhere you go there is someone smoking and throwing their cigarette on the ground,” Mikayla Shipp, a freshman psychology major, said. “There’s just so much smoke in the air.”

Moss Brennan is freshman journalism major from Durham, North Carolina. You can follow him on Twitter at @mosbren Around campus, cigarettes line the walkways, roads and grass.

“The Pit” is a popular site for student smokers on the east side of campus. Cigarette litter is in abundance among the grass and mulch along the perimeters.

“People smoke everywhere,” Shipp said. “There are people smoking outside my room all the time like by the dumpsters.”

Shipp lives in a dorm with

no AC, so the windows are usually open which causes the smell of cigarettes to come into the room.

Cigarettes are not only bad for the person smoking them but they are bad for the environment as well.

According to the Quit Smoking Community, the manufacturing of cigarettes negatively impacts the environment through deforestation, production runoff and waste, air pollution, chemicals contained in cigarettes being released and cigarette butts littering the ground.

The Quit Smoking Community also noted that cigarette butts on the ground can be harmful to fish if they get into bodies of water. They can also be harmful to other pets walking outside.

The impact of cigarettes on the environment is costly and should be a reason schools become smoke free.

Some students who smoke on campus think that enforced

designated smoking areas would definitely help keep cigarettes off the ground.

On App State’s website, one of the “Why Choose App?” sections talks about developing a “deep and lasting understanding of sustainability.”

Sustainability may be a draw for our university, but with the amount of tobacco use that goes on on campus, they are flying a false flag.

“This is supposed to be a sustainable campus but if everyone is smoking and throwing their cigarettes on the ground, then it’s not very sustainable,” Shipp said.

If Appalachian really prided itself on sustainability and helping the environment, then they would join the other 1,468 college campuses that are completely tobacco-free.

Of those tobacco-free campuses in North Carolina, App State would join High Point University, Shaw University, Lees-McRae College, Johnson C. Smith University and

Wingate University, among 25 other schools.

Enforced designated smoking areas may make smoking on campus more difficult for students and faculty, thus creating a cleaner, more environmentally friendly campus and could help students, who may need an excuse, quit.

Even if App State does not go completely smoke-free, having actual designated smoking areas would be a start.

Jillyan Baskin, a freshman environmental biology major, thinks that there should be designated smoking areas on campus so it does not pollute the environment.

“There needs to a place for people who smoke to dispose their cigarettes,” Baskin said.

“When they just drop them on the ground, if it rains then the chemicals and carcinogens get into the rain water and goes into [the] sewer or even the little creek on campus. It’s not good for the health of the stream.”

THE ISSUES WITH APPALCART AND WHY THEY MATTER

F

irst established in 1981, with campus bus services beginning in 1982, AppalCart provides fare-free transportation to Appalachian students as well as residents of Watauga county.

According to The Watauga Democrat, in 2014 the AppalCart provided transportation to an estimated average of 4,750 people per day with a significant portion of those being students.

Normally one might be able to receive more detailed and current statistics on AppalCart’s website under the “Information and Stats” tab, however, that link has been blank since at least the beginning of the semester.

And this is just where AppalCart’s faults begin.

Plagued by scheduling issues, overfilled buses and online errors, many students said they would like to see improvements made.

I have only lived in Boone since the beginning of this semester, yet I can say I have already had to wait 45 minutes for the bus in the area I live.

18

Cristian McLaughlin is a junior public relations major from Roxboro, NC. And I understand this may not be entirely AppalCart’s fault, as it is clearly evident traffic can be a major issue in Boone during certain times of the day.

Sarah Cawthorn, a junior exercise science major, said she and many students she knows have missed tests, exams and doctor appointments due to buses leaving early.

Other students, such as Allie Proctor, a sophomore elementary education major, said they have seen buses break down or arrive late on many occasions.

Alyssa Baker, a senior psychology major, said she has

also known buses to break down on multiple occasions and questioned whether more frequent inspections would help prevent instances of breakdowns during peak hours.

Some students, like Katie Wynn, a sophomore public relations major, said they wished particular lines ran longer, because many students may need to be on campus later than their bus line runs, whether it be for evening classes, club meetings or tutor sessions.

According to Appalachian State University’s own fact section of their website, roughly 66 percent of ASU students live off-campus and many of them, such as myself, may not own a vehicle and thus depend on public transportation to make it to and from campus in a reasonable amount of time.

Coree Loffink, a sophomore sustainable development major, said that she wished the buses ran longer because she feels safer on the bus than any other means of transport.

Regarding the issues of bus demand, several students said they have personally seen buses pass by groups of 30-50 peo-

ple due to already being full.

Nick Menendez, a senior criminal justice major, is one student who has seen this and said although he has not personally counted every person waiting at a stop, three out of the five times he has taken the bus, it has been so full that it had to pass several stops in which people were waiting, due to being at maximum capacity.

Another area of issue many students expressed concern with is AppalCart’s online presence.

Their website has outdated or completely blank links, their Facebook page has not been updated in over a year and their Twitter seems to mostly be filled with acknowledgements of issues like the ones covered in this article and with the company’s outside-sourced NextBus App. Despite these issues, nearly every student I spoke with still had a positive outlook of AppalCart, or at least of what it is trying to achieve.

Some students complimented the drivers, and Katherine Serrell, a junior accounting

major, went as far as to say she “love(s) her bus drivers.”

AppalCart is a great system and there would be many students negatively impacted if it did not exist.

However, just because we are appreciative of something doesn’t mean we are not allowed to be critical of it as well and in fact we should be, that is how we ensure that thing achieves the highest level of quality possible.

To be fair to AppalCart, they do have a section on their website which states “AppalCart’s drivers and management strive to provide reliable, comfortable and courteous service to our passengers” and “all passenger complaints are fully recorded and investigated. Every effort is made to alleviate the source of any complaint.”

So, the question we are left wondering is: Can AppalCart do better and do we, the students, care enough to make that happen?

I encourage everyone who has been or could be affected by these issues to appalcart. com and leave a message via the “Contact” tab.

Sept. 14, 2017

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.

GET YOUR CREATIVITY PUBLISHED The Peel Literature and Arts Review is looking for student submissions of design, photography, fashion, poetry, prose, music, short stories and more! To receive feedback on your submissions, submit your work before our initial (feedback) deadline, Sept. 29 at midnight.

Our final deadline is Nov. 3 at midnight. Visit thepeelreview.submittable.com. Email any questions or concerns to adviser@theappalachianonline.com

STUDY ABROAD The application deadline for many Spring 2018 programs has been extended until the end of September. We are also accepting applications for many 2017-2018 faculty-led programs, as well as Summer 2018, Fall/AY 2018, and Spring 2019 programs. Get started on your application today at international.appstate.edu.

TEACHING FELLOWSHIPS The Center for Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University will host a campus-wide Black Mountain College Semester (BMCS) project for the spring semester of 2018. The Center would like to invite applications for a Teaching Fellowship program for the 2017-2018 academic year, which is linked to the BMCS project.

Teaching fellows will work with students

in their respective classrooms to create digital content related to Black Mountain College. Applicants are not required to have a background on Black Mountain College to be competitive.

Up to 10 fellowships will be awarded, including a $500 teaching stipend and up to $250 for project costs.

There are two submission deadlines to participate in the BMCS project. The first round of proposals will be due July 31, 2017 by 5 p.m.

The second round of proposals, which will follow fall information sessions, will be due on Sept. 22, 2017 by 5 p.m.

Please contact Dr. Billy Schumann, Director for the Center for Appalachian Studies with questions, feedback or to submit an application at schumannwr@appstate.edu.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

spect, and the goal is to build a more cohesive, engaged, and understanding Appalachian campus community through intentional dialogue.

Dialogue Circles offer a unique way to discuss important and often controversial topics within a committed community of 8-12 participants. This gives participants the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with others as well as to share and be changed by their unique views.

Dialogue Circles are a semester-long commitment and meet for 1.5 hours once a week, for 8 weeks beginning the first week of October. Meeting times for Dialogue Circles will be determined mid September.

Sign up to join a circle on the Sustained Dialogue AppSync at https://orgsync. com/122819/forms/258854 by Sept. 20.

es. Some people need regular blood transfusions to live. While over 50% of the population is able to donate, less than 5% of the eligible population actually donates. Currently, blood donors are the only source of blood; there is simply no substitute for blood.

The blood drive will take place Wednesday, Sept. 20 from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. in Holmes Convocation Center. Sign up to donate at act. appstate.edu.

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SPEAKER SERIES Sustainable Energy Speaker Series: Climate Change 1001: What, Why, How, Who? by Gregg Marland. Monday, September 18, 2:00 3:00 pm. Plemmons Student Union, Room 417 Beacon Heights.

Fundamental issues of chemistry and physics help us understand the human impact on the Earth’s climate system. Dr. Marland will examine whether we can clearly establish that the chemistry of the atmosphere is changing and whether it is changing because of human activities. This lecture will go beyond the political polarization on the topic and examine what is changing and why, how our energy systems contribute to the problem, and potential solutions. Contact: millerjm1@appstate.edu or visit https://energy.appstate.edu/calendar/4991 for more information.

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.

JEWISH LIFE IN GERMANY TODAY

SUSTAINED DIALOGUE

For 9 out of the last 10 years Appalachian has collected more blood in a single day than any one else in the entire country!

Every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood. Blood is needed for emergencies and for people who have cancer, blood disorders, sickle cell anemia and other illness-

Come experience a 1/2 day mindfulness retreat. Learn skills that can help relieve stress, get you better sleep and help you experience less self-judgment. This will be a silent retreat where you will learn various different forms of meditation, eat mindfully and participate in basic yoga. Please bring a yoga mat or towel with you for yoga.

All levels are welcome. No prior experience

Sustained Dialogue is an international program that prepares community members to deeply engage in difficult conversations ranging from race, gender identity and religion to politics and various global challenges. The process is deeply grounded in listening and re-

From Sept. 12 until Oct. 3, the traveling exhibition “Jewish Life in Germany Today” will be on display on the first floor of Plemmons Student Union. It brings together a cacophony of voices from Jews in the Berlin Republic, ranging from Michael Blumenthal, the Founding Director of the Jewish Museum in Berlin, to Adriana Altaras, an actor and stage director, who was involved in interviewing survivors for the Shoah Foundation.

11TH ANNUAL HOMECOMING BLOOD DRIVE

1/2 DAY MINDFULNESS RETREAT

THURSDAY, SEPT. 14

FRIDAY, SEPT. 15

SATURDAY, SEPT. 16

SUNDAY, SEPT. 17

Collegiate Recovery Group Interest Meeting

William R. Ferris: The South in Color 6 p.m.

Room 114, Belk Library

Women’s Club Volleyball Tournament 10:15 a.m..-8:45 p.m.

SRC Main Courts

1/2 Day Mindfulness Retreat 1-5 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 19

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 20

THURSDAY, SEPT. 21

4-6 p.m.

Wellness and Prevention Services Conference Room, Miles Annas Student Services Building

Blue Ridge Ballroom, PSU

Pierce Freelon: Deconstructing Racism through Creative Expression 7-9 p.m.

Parkway Ballroom, PSU

MONDAY, SEPT. 18 Sustainable Energy Speaker Series 2-3p.m.

Beacon Heights Room, PSU

11th Annual Homecoming Blood Drive 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

Holmes Convocation Center

Volunteer for Habitat for Humanit

9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Habitat for Humanity - Watauga County/ ReStore 1200 Archie Carroll Road, Boone, NC 28607

Trivia Night

7-8 p.m.

Whitewater Cafe, PSU

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