Thursday, January 28

Jan.

28 2016

The Appalachian

3’S COMPANY Page 6-7

INSIDE HONOR’S DIRECTOR STEPS DOWN Page 4

ARSON DAILY Page 6

APP vs. TROY Page 10-13

E T

C E T E R A

THE TEAM Malik Rahili @malikrahili EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITORIAL MULTIMEDIA BUSINESS

Charlotte Wray @_charlottewray MANAGING EDITOR Aleah Warner @aleahwarner CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Ignacio Martinez-Alvarez @theappalachian BUSINESS MANAGER

Carl Blankenship @carl_r_blank NEWS EDITOR Katie Murawksi @murawksikm A&E EDITOR

Stephanie Sansoucy @stephsans MARKETING DIRECTOR Allison Bennett Dyche @allisonbdyche ADVISER

Chris Warner @chriswarner2293 SPORTS EDITOR

CRIME LOG CAMPUS JAN. 26

8:05 p.m. | Larceny LLC Under investigation.

JAN. 26 9:59 p.m. | Trespassing Belk Library Complex A man was arressted for trespassing.

JAN. 24 11:39 p.m. | Underage possession of alcohol Justice Hall A student was arrested for underage possession of alcohol.

JAN. 23 2:55 p.m. | Drug violation LLC Three students were arrested for possession of marijuana.

JAN. 22 10:23 p.m. | Drug violation Hoey Hall Two students were arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia.

JAN. 22 3:11 a.m. | Underage possession of alcohol Doughton Hall A student was arrested for underage possession of alcohol.

JAN. 22 3:17 p.m. | Vandalism Doughton Hall Leads exhasuted.

JAN. 21 10:58 p.m. | Drug violation Rivers Street A student was arrested for possession of marijuana.

Justin Perry @justincperry PHOTO EDITOR Carson Fletcher @theappalachian VIDEO EDITOR Dylan Dow @zen_dow WEB MANAGER

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N E W S

HONORS DIRECTOR STEPS DOWN IN PROTEST

BY CHAMIAN CRUZ NEWS REPORTER

T

he provost announced on Jan. 11 at the Faculty Senate meeting that no immediate action would be taken to complete the implementation of full college-level status for the Honors College at Appalachian State University, which calls for a titled dean, representation on college-level committees and a college-sized budget.

The Honors College at Appalachian State was first approved to start making the transition from program to college in 2006. Since then, there have been attempts to complete the transition, including a unanimous vote made by the Faculty Senate in November 2015 to support the cause.

In response to the decision made by the provost, Leslie Jones, director of the Honors College, announced through an email on Jan. 19 that she would be stepping down as director effective Jan. 31 to return to the faculty as a tenured professor in the department of biology.

“It is my final attempt to draw the administration’s attention to what the Appalachian students and faculty want for their university: a real Honors College,” Jones said in the email. “I deeply regret that it has come to this, as Honors is at its zenith in terms of the unrivaled caliber and accomplishments of its students.”

Jones’ decision also comes just after she was chosen to be a part of the Board of Directors of the National Collegiate Honors Council.

NCHC is the national organization for over 900 honors colleges and programs across the country. The organization has 24 people serving on the Board of Directors who meet quarterly to decide on the direction the honors education should be going nationwide. They also set up the standards an honors college or program should meet.

With her election onto the board, Jones said “this national prominence renders Appalachian’s continuing failure to institutionalize an Honors College according to national standards a deception that I can no longer represent to my colleagues, prospective students or the public.”

Jones has served as the director of the Honors College for almost eight years. She was initially hired with the task of making the transition from a program to a college. To do this, she proposed it to the former Chancellor Kenneth Peacock, Board of Trustees and to the UNC General Administration. The proposal was approved in 2010 and the name change to Honors College was made in July 2010.

“There was a kind of understanding between me and the then provost who stepped down in July that because of the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009, maybe we wouldn’t turn it into a college with a dean position immediately,” Jones said. “We would wait a year or two for the budget to get better.”

Jones said that a couple of years later some of the ad-

4

"Money is tight, I get that. But if we're going to advertise that we have an Honors College, then we need to fund it like an actual college..."

Nicholas Gilliam ministration in charge of making the decision, including the former provost and chancellor, stepped down. With the change of administration there always seemed to be a reason to wait.

“I hoped that by directly interacting with the new provost, I’d be able to make him make [Chancellor Sheri Everts] see the value of completing the transition,” Jones said. “He seemed very responsive initially, but I realized about two or three months ago that he kept coming up with concerns about resources and money that didn’t have anything to do with the Honors College.”

Provost Darrell Kruger said he declined to implement full college-level status for the Honors College to continue with his priority to implement 14 new staff positions.

“Not that I devalue what Honors is doing, but at this particular point as provost, I think we need to put those additional resources into faculty positions,” Kruger said.

The priority to invest in faculty positions is due to the continued increase in the student growth rate of the university. Since the downturn of the economy in 2007, the student growth rate has increased by about a percent and half per year, Kruger said.

“This is the first time in at least five years that we’ve put this number of faculty positions out there,” Kruger said. “One of the things I’ve heard is that student growth continues, but we don’t invest in academic and faculty positions and physical infrastructure.”

Kruger also said the Honors College benefits from the 14 new faculty positions because it enables resources for students such as providing additional courses and it opens more room to allocate resources between the 25 staff members teaching in the Honors College.

Resources are a constant struggle of the Honors College, as they are one of the many programs on campus that continue to receive budget cuts.

From 2010 to 2015, the budget has declined from

about $60,000 to about $29,000. This leads to trouble funding student research, scholarships, resources for study abroad, sending students and staff to conferences and more.

Nicholas Gilliam, junior accounting major and a junior senator in the Student Government Association, said the Honors College attracts some of the best and brightest students to attend Appalachian because of the resources that the Honors College advertises to offer.

Gilliam is one of many other students that decided to attend Appalachian over other other impressive universities because of the Honors College.

“I came here and fell in love with it and fell in love with the Honors Program,” Gilliam said. “I realized that this program - I’m not using the word college on purpose - could support me in the ways that [the University of North Carolina at] Chapel Hill could and could be better than what I could get at Chapel Hill. That’s the reason I decided to stay.”

Gilliam also said there are current plans for a new health sciences building that would cost about $70 million. Gilliam suggested that taking less than 2 percent of that money could fund the Honors College for over 10 years.

“Money is tight, I get that,” Gilliam said. “But if we’re going to advertise that we have an Honors College, then we need to fund it like an actual college. If we’re going to call it a program that’s fine too but don’t call it a college if you’re against giving it full college-level status, because that’s like false advertising.”

On the other hand, Provost Kruger said other investments are being put into the Honors College despite his decision to not complete the implementation of full college-level status.

Kruger said other investments include the hiring of a halftime development officer at Jones’ request. The director of the Honors College is also able to submit supplemental budget requests and about 50 percent of student financial aid goes to the 10 chancellor scholars that are a part of the Honors College, Kruger said.

“People think that if we have a dean then we’re going to get a lot of resources,” Kruger said. “The idea that it’s false advertising because of the title of the leader of the college then sure if that’s the mindset. About a third of the colleges in the UNC System have someone other than a dean. I don’t think it’s false advertisement, because we have and we continue to allocate resources into the Honors College.”

In the meantime, a search for an interim as well as a national search for a new director will be led. Kruger said his plan to hire a new director and not a dean is in line with his decision to prioritize hiring new faculty.

“My priority and the chancellor’s priority is that we don’t lose continuity with the leadership change,” Kruger said.

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A R T S

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ARSON DAILY FINDS THEIR SOUND WITH NEW EP

BY KELSEY HAMM A&E REPORTER

Arson Daily, the winners of Legend’s most recent Battle of the Bands, is growing in popularity and will release a new EP Feb. 12 at Legends. The EP includes original favorites in addition to new songs.

T

he 2015 winners of APPS Battle of the Bands will release their new EP this Friday on the stage where they accepted the title of champion.

In a period of flux in the Boone music scene, mostly due to band members graduating between semesters, the group is re-establishing its presence with old favorites and plenty of new material for a crowd in need of fresh hits. The band is gaining reputability in a town with over 15 popular music acts. For Arson Daily, this means a focus on “finding a sound” with their music, a process lead vocalist Zach Dunham acknowledges as difficult.

Their new material will be played at the concert and will hold the same sense of alternative rockability and blues-funk as their previous music, inspired by bands like Cage the Elephant. Chronology and early beginnings are important to each of the band members for this EP. “Right now we’re sticking to the original songs we’ve written and we’re just kind of staying with the early songs we have,” Dunham said. “We have more ideas and newer music, but the EP is as if we’re going chronologically from when we started. It’s foundational.”

Arson Daily is set apart not only by their energetic persona but also by their level of practice and cohesiveness, particularly each member’s unique ability to channel their individual inspirations. Bassist Quincy Platt hones the style of bassist Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, adding to his own unique dexterity.

“The arrangement of our music is very intentional but sometimes our songs just kind of happen, and I think a lot of our professionalism as a group is mainly because of our arrangement style,” lead guitarist and senior music industry studies major Charles “Chip” Cannon said. The arrangement is exemplified in one of McLean’s favorite lyrics, a single line where Dunham sings “captain of the snakes.”

“It lacks a bit of context and whenever [Dunham] says it, the music just cuts right there,” McLean said. Each musical cut is specific in Arson Daily’s process.

The smoothness of their transition into EP recording existed partially because of Dunham’s ability to lay down rhythm and vocals, Cannon said, and because his voice is important for cues.

The completed EP can also be credited to Cannon and producer Westin Gillis.

Platt and percussionist Adam McLean recognize Gillis as particularly important to the EP’s studio conception and comfort level of the band during the recording process.

“[Gillis] would say, ‘Oh, I’m not going to record this one thing,’ and then he would record it,” Platt said. “We just did our thing, and those are some of the best takes where we didn’t have to worry about someone listening.”

Gillis assisted McLean in developing his style as a percussionist, he said.

McLean was a novice drummer during the band’s conception in 2014, and was encouraged to learn both by his membership and by his friends who purchased a drum set during his freshman year. Cannon said McLean has the rhythm a percussionist needs.

As for Arson Daily’s past success, Dunham recalls dropping everything during practice sessions and preparing for Battle of the Bands strictly with the set list for the show. The band arrived to the competition ready and possibly lucky, Cannon noted.

“Just from the start, I don’t think any of us had played in a band before besides two people playing in a jam, but it was pretty noticeable right off the bat,” Dunham said. “It was pretty clear that we could just play together, that something just worked.”

For a band that “just works,” where does Arson Daily fit in the Boone music scene? Cannon recognizes the difficulty for new music acts in a place so dense with talent. Being one in a crowd can have obvious downsides, he said.

“Boone has a very interesting music scene that’s happened, you can’t really just pop out of nowhere and be like, ‘We’re a band, love us,’” Cannon said. “Every band that we’ve worked with we’ve developed a good relationship with so far.”

Quincy Platt Arson Daily has played mostly with the Remarks and band members from the Romantic Egotists. Battle of the Bands runner up Way Das will precede the band for the EP release party.

Arson Daily has time to continually carve out their niche in the Boone music scene. Even with a few members graduating this year, all four artists are “signed on” for another year in Boone.

“We are definitely playing with the option of recording a full length album and trying to do as much as we can,” Dunham said. “The year will hopefully include building an album and a management team and getting signed, because if we don’t do it within the year then we might lose a lot of motivation to continue because we’ll have lives to carry on.”

The EP release party will start at 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12 at Legends. Tickets are $4 in advance for students and $6 for public and at the door. The event is BYOB.

"We just did our thing, and those are some of the best takes where we didn't have to worry about someone listening."

6

Courtesy of Kendall Atwater

A R T S

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‘A RAISIN IN THE SUN’ CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH

BY KELSEY HAMM A&E REPORTER

O

n Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Valborg theater, In/Visible Theatre will present a stage reading of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun.” The play originally debuted on Broadway in 1959 and marks the first in a series of programs for Appalachian’s Black History Month celebration titled “How We Talk About Race in 2016.”

The reading will be encored by a performance of “Clybourne Park” (2010) by Bruce Norris at the end of February, and will follow with a speech by Chancellor Everts. The narratives in each play are based on true events in Chicago and follow the Younger family’s struggle to overcome housing segregation while achieving personal growth in the fictional neighborhood of Washington Park. The main characters include grandmother Lena, married couple Walter and Ruth, sister Beneatha and son Travis.

Both works are groundbreaking for both classic and modern theater history, producing director of In/Visible Theatre Karen Sabo said. “[A Raisin in the Sun] goes really well with the theater and dance department’s production of Clybourne Park,” Sabo said. “I’ve actually met the playwright of ‘Clybourne Park’ and he completely based his show on ‘A Raisin in the Sun.’” This play is highly needed among the student population at Appalachian, freshman Roy Dale Cox said. Cox is cast as Joseph Asagai, an “intelligent, enthusiastic” character who pursues the intellectual Beneatha Younger throughout the story.

“For me, being a person of color, I’m excited,” Cox said. “We’re barely in the double digits for minorities here in general, but to not even have a double digit percentile for African American students is really not good. We don’t have a set or a major production, so we’re offering it for free and people need to come and see it.”

Cox’s freshman seminar professor Tiffany Christian is in the cast, he said, as “matriarch” Lena. Christian teaches a class titled, “Who am I, Why am I Here,” and often connects her classroom curriculum to social justice issues. Cox said characters like actor Tyler Perry’s comedic portrayal of “Madea,” an elderly black woman, often show stereotypical ideas of black people.

“Sometimes we [African Americans] are portrayed as beings that are just crazy and all over the place,” Cox said. “So this show, it’s really genuine, and it feels traditional for me speaking from an African American home.”

Karl Linder is a representative of the welcoming committee at “Clybourne Park” and the only character to appear in both plays. In “A Raisin in the Sun,” the character will be played by freshman theater major Calvin Noble.

“Linder is not so welcoming to the Younger family because he offers to buy out their house to keep the neighborhood all-white, to not escalate racial tension,” Noble said.

“It’s really hypocritical, because he says ‘I believe if people of all races sat down and talked things wouldn’t be so wrong,’ but then he offers to buy them out.”

The play is crucial in continuing the conversation about diversity and race at Appalachian State, Noble said. It is also connected to nationwide and worldwide discussions.

“It’s very easy right now to look around the world and be pessimistic about things, but now especially because of things like social media and open discussions, there is a lot of change happening and open-minded people out there,” he said.

In/Visible Theatre does not usually produce non-local plays, Sabo said, but she knew the importance of the group playing a role in celebrating Black History Month on campus.

Cox supports the goals of In/Visible Theatre wholeheartedly.

“I was watching a promo video for ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ on social media,” Cox said.

“I had never fully contextualized what In/Visible Theatre was, but [senior theatre arts lecturer] Derek Davidson and his wife were talking about the name In/Visible Theatre and where that’s coined from. They also mentioned about how at Appalachian, some people don’t feel like black people even exist.”

In/Visible Theatre, Sabo said, is focused on the stories of individuals often unheard in theater. The production of plays is often focused in one area like New York, she said, when opportunities outside traditional theater hubs are necessary. In/Visible Theatre is dedicated to “producing local.”

“We want to develop high level art from a rural area,” Sabo said. “We try to ask really difficult questions in our plays and explore issues that you don’t hear much about in the theater community. Our play ‘Without Words’ last summer was in English and in sign language.”

A stage reading should not deter audience members from viewing “A Raisin in the Sun,” Noble and Cox said. A sit down reading results in more communication with the audience.

“It might seem easy to think this play is just a reading from a script, but because of the timing of it and with Black History Month coming up, this is a whole lot of great ingredients for a good time,” Noble said.

Photo courtesy of Keith Martin

Lorraine Hansberry, author of “A Raisin in the Sun.” The play debuted on Broadway in 1959.

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S P O R T S

THREE AND D AND TURNOVERS TOO MOUNTAINEERS THREE POINT PROWESS STILL ISN’T ENOUGH TO GENERATE WINS

BY LEE SANDERLIN ASSOCIATE SPORTS REPORTER Editor's Note: All Statistics used have been obtained from kenpom.com

T

he most important shot in basketball is the 3-point shot. This isn't even disputable on any level. They are worth 50 percent more than any other shot, evidence enough to prove their value. Teams that shoot and defend the three at above average levels typically play well as a result.

Now with that said, it might be surprising to hear that App State is in the nation's top 100 in offensive 3-point percentage. That’s right, the Mountaineers are one of the better 3-point shooting teams in college basketball, averaging 36.7 percent from downtown, good for the No. 90 ranking out of 351 Division I teams.

Even better for Appalachian State, three of the team’s players are shooting better than 36 percent from beyond the arc (minimum 50 attempts). Ronshad Shabazz, Chris Burgess and Frank Eaves are shooting 36.8, 38.9 and 44.4 percent from 3-point land, respectively.

But it gets better than that. Frank Eaves leads the Sun Belt in 3-point shooting percentage, as well as 3-point attempts this season. Chris Burgess and Ronshad Shabazz are no slouches either, ranking eighth and 14th in the conference, respectively.

Not only do the Mountaineers have arguably the best shooting three-man combination in the Sun Belt, they're one of the best teams in the nation at defending the 3-point line.

According to Ken Pomeroy’s 3PA/FGA stat, which calculates what percentage of an opposing team's shots come from behind the arc during the game, the Mountaineers only allow an average of 24.8 percent of opposing team’s shots to come from behind the 3-point line. This mark is the best in the nation and is 10.4 percentage points better than the national average.

The 3PA/FGA stat is a much better indicator of a teams 3-point defense than traditional stats because this is the only stat that is able to measure a team's ability to prevent opponents from shooting 3-point shots, the overall goal of 3-point defense.

Now, the question needs to be asked, how do the statistical leaders in the Sun Belt conference for 3-point shooting and defense have only five wins on the season thus far?

Although the importance of 3-pointers has already been established, it is important to remember that everything else is important as well, and App State has been fairly awful at everything else this season.

The number that sticks out more than any of the other stats is the team's turnover percentage – a measurement of what percentage of a team's possessions will end in a turnover.

The Mountaineers turn the ball over on 23 percent of their possessions. There are only six teams in all of Division I basketball that turn the ball over more than the Mountaineers.

This isn't a problem that is isolated to one group of players, either. Out of the ten

8

Senior guard Frank Eaves hoists up a 3-point shot during a game earlier this season. Eaves is shooting a career high 45.7 percent from 3-point land this season. players who have appeared in every game this season, seven of them have an individual turnover percentage of 22 percent or higher.

A little secret to the game of basketball: If you turn the ball over a lot, as in 23 percent of the time your team has the ball, you aren't going to win many games. Period.

But the turnover problem runs deeper than their own turnover woes. The Mountaineers aren't forcing any turnovers either.

Mountaineer opponents only turn the ball over 16.7 percent of the time, which puts the App turnover defense at 280th in the nation.

To take this out of percentages, App State averages 16.3 turnovers a game, while forcing opponents into just 11.8 turnovers a game. So that means the Mountaineers are allowing opposing teams four extra possessions a game from turnovers alone.

Four extra possessions a game means an opportunity for opposing teams to score about eight more points a game than they would have without the turnover differential being what it is. It is probably more than coincidence that the Mountaineers have a scoring margin of -7.3 points a game, or the equivalent to allowing the other team four extra possessions a game from turning the ball over.

It doesn't matter if you’re the best 3-point shooting team in your conference if you can’t hold onto the ball. It also doesn't matter if you don't let opponents shoot the three if you're not applying enough pressure on the perimeter to force enough turnovers to gain easy transition points.

Despite being one of the absolute worst teams in the country when it comes to turning the ball over, all hope isn't lost. Committing four more turnovers than the other team may seem like a lot, but it isn’t that much when you factor in the Mountaineers' ability to shoot the 3-pointer. Hypothetically, if the team could hit two more 3-point shots a game than they are now, and commit one less turn over, the tallies in the win column would start to grow.

Now of course there is much more to winning basketball games than a sequence of three plays, but just reducing their turnover margin by one or two a game, whether that be forcing two more, or committing two less, and hitting a few more shots from deep, App State would be a much more competitive team than they are now.

Fortunately for the Mountaineers, these aren't huge obstacles. They can reduce turnovers and increase the amount of open looks from beyond the arc just by making smarter passes. If they're able to cut down their turnovers, and keep hitting the 3-pointers at the rate they do, they’ll find themselves in the win column more often the rest of this season, and maybe, just maybe, in the conference tournament in March.

Photo by Lee Sanderlin

3’S COMPANY Eaves, Burgess, and Shabazz are all inside the Sun Belt top 15 ±Í Ý »± ¬Ú ą ¨~ ±\¨ percentage, making them one of the deadliest shooting combos around.

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S P O R T S

TROJAN WAR

BY CHRIS WARNER SPORTS EDITOR

SINGLE GAME FOCUS It’s no secret that the Mountaineers are suffering from a serious New Year’s hangover. Since Jan. 1, App State has dropped six of their seven games. Even worse? Three of those losses have come by a margin of 15 points or more.

This Mountaineer team must put those losses in the past and enter the Trojan Arena with a renewed focus on Thursday. Troy may be one of the toughest teams on their schedule all season, and a slumping App State team hung up on their recent woes doesn’t stand a chance. Head coach Angel Elderkin must reel her players in and have them thinking about the season one game at a time if they’re going to be able to crawl out of the hole they’ve dug themselves in.

KILLER INSTINCT While Troy boasts the most prolific offensive production in the conference, scoring an average of 84.3 points per game – almost 21 points higher than what the Mountaineers average – they also enter Thursday with one of the worst statistical scoring defenses.

The Trojans allow 77.4 points per game.

If I was Elderkin, that would be my rallying point. This Trojan team will be high-flying, but if they can be cooled down some, there is a lot of room to counterattack. This is an opportunity for the Mountaineers, who have posted a mediocre 36.9 percent shooting from the floor this season, to allow guards like Madi Story and Joi Jones, among others, to get themselves in a groove with extra possessions.

BATTLE OF THE BOARDS The Mountaineers enter Thursday with a slight advantage in the rebounding category, bringing in an average of 41.4 rebounds per game – the highest in the Sun Belt conference.

Extra possessions will be the name of the game if App State, who only scores an average of roughly 63 points per game, is going to find a way to hang around in this one.

10

Justin Perry

Trojan War

GAME 17 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016 • 6:15 P.M. • TROJAN ARENA

APP STATE

(5-12, 2-6 SUN BELT)

vss

TROY

(10-8, 5-4 SUN BELT)

GAME NOTES FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE

44

%

POINTS PER GAME 83.6

37

%

63.4

PLAYER TO WATCH

34

11.1

MADI STORY

3.9 39%

PPG

REBOUNDS

FG%

NEXT GAME SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2016 SOURCE: APP STATE SPORTS

MITCHELL CENTER INFOGRAPHIC BY MALIK RAHILI

S P O R T S

TOPPLING THE TROJAN HORSE THREE KEYS FOR THE MOUNTAINEERS TO BEAT TROY

BY LEE SANDERLIN ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

DEFEND THE PERIMETER Troy likes to shoot the 3-ball, so much so that 38.9 percent of all their shots come from behind the arc. Unfortunately for the Trojans, they aren’t very good at making all those shots they take, averaging only 33.1 percent as a team from 3-point land. This plays right in to the Mountaineers’ hands as no team in Division I basketball allows a fewer percentage of their opponents’ shots to come from behind the arc than the Apps. So, if the Mountaineers lock down the perimeter like they normally do, the Trojans will have to take the ball into the paint where they’ll find themselves up against shot blocking monsters like Jacob Lawson — who just happens to lead the Sun Belt in blocked shots.

LIMIT TURNOVERS This is the big key for the Mountaineers for the rest of the season. There are only 10 teams in all of Division I college basketball whose turnover percentage is higher than Appalachian State’s.

The Apps turn the ball over about 16 times a game, and have the worst turnover margin in the Sun Belt by an incredibly wide margin. One of the biggest culprits behind the turnover problem is freshman Emarius Logan. Logan turns the ball over nearly 31 percent of the time when he has it. If he and the rest of the Mountaineers can hold onto the ball a little more, they won’t have a problem handling Troy.

BATMAN AND ROBIN NEED TO GET BUCKETS Frank Eaves and Ronshad Shabazz have turned into a sort of superhero combo for the Mountaineers recently. Both players contribute the bulk of the teams points, combining to average 32 points a game, or 45.7 percent of the Mountaineer scoring each game. If the dynamic duo can get it going early then Troy will be hard pressed to stop both of them without leaving open a 3-point sniper like Chris Burgess.

12

Justin Perry

TOPPLING THE TROJAN HORSE GAME 20 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 28TH • 8:30 P.M. • TROJAN ARENA

APP STATE

(5-14, 3-5 SUN BELT)

vss v

TROY

(6-14, 1-8 SUN BELT)

**RECORDS RECO RE CORD RDSS AR AREE FR FROM OM TTHE HE 22014-15 014 01 4-15 15 SSEASON* EASO EA SON N*

GAME NOTES FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE

43

%

POINTS PER GAME 73.4

40

%

69.8

PLAYER TO WATCH

21

7.9

CHRIS BURGESS

2.5 37%

points

assists

3P%

NEXT GAME SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2016 SOURCE: APP STATE SPORTS

MITCHELL CENTER INFOGRAPHIC BY ASHLEY FELTS

O P I N I O N

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS SHOULD LESLIE JONES’ RESIGNATION TAKE BROAD APPROACH

IS A LOSS FOR APPALACHIAN

BY KEVIN GRIFFIN OPINION WRITER

F

rom a young age, kids are told that they must succeed in school to make something of themselves, and that success is often measured based on metrics like standardized test scores.

Perhaps the most devastating effects of this regimen are the effects on critical thinking. In order to conform to the system, teachers and students alike must narrowly focus their attention on obtaining the right scores and rote memorization, rather than critical engagement with topics of interest.

As a 2014 research brief from the National Council of Teachers of English shows, some of the biggest casualties of this system are programs like art and social studies that are meant to give students important creative skills and cultivate informed citizenship.

While this might just seem like a problem for lower levels of education, a new Harvard University report points out that colleges play an important role in this system. After all, much of the push in achievement comes because standardized tests are needed to get into colleges.

The Harvard report puts forth a model that focuses on the work students do for “the common good” rather than just focusing on “personal success.”

Report recommendations including de-emphasizing the number of AP classes and standardized test scores and looking more broadly at the quality of activities rather than quantity and on sustained success in specific subjects.

The approach put forward is one that all colleges should endorse and work toward. Appalachian State is one of the universities working toward that ideal.

Susan Davies, the associate vice chancellor of enrollment management, said that the university has already begun using a more holistic approach to admissions that looks to see how well a student will fit into the university.

The university is looking into trying to evaluate students based on the “quality over quantity” of activities and factors of the individual’s life, Davies said. These factors are measured by specifically tailored questions on essays and evaluations.

Aside from the minimum GPA and test score requirements of the UNC System, individual campuses have latitude in their admissions requirements. For now, that means that UNC campuses must at least take standardized tests into account.

The university hopes to continue its progress on the new holistic approach, but one issue is funding, which is needed to process applications.

It is positive that the university is moving toward this approach, and it would be nice to see the entire UNC system as a whole adopt a stance that is more hospitable to that way of thinking.

This is about more than just achieving the right mix of students at colleges.

On a broad scale, this is about the type of culture we want to have.

The strong emphasis on subjects like science, technology, engineering and mathematics is primarily economic. Of course, these fields certainly contribute a great deal to our understanding of the world, but that is not the reason they are valued by elites and policymakers.

These are the skills that help us run and grow an economy, which is not bad in and of itself. However, at the same time STEM is being so emphasized, we are seeing the liberal arts de-emphasized and ridiculed.

The clear message here is that the purpose of education is to prepare students who have little perspective on the world. Education should be intended not just to train students to be workers, but to prepare citizens who are able to ask critical questions about the type of world we live. More importantly, it is matter of combining science and the humanities to decide what type of world we want to live in.

Colleges have an important role in moving us toward that ideal, and it is encouraging that the conversation is happening.

Griffin, a senior journalism major from Madison, is the opinion editor.

BY QUENTIN RUSSELL OPINION WRITER

L

ast Tuesday, in a letter to the members and alumni of the honors college, Leslie Sargent Jones, the long-running director of the program, announced that she was stepping down from her position.

This resignation comes amidst the news that the Faculty Senate’s unanimous vote to convert the honors program into a full college, as planned since 2006, had been refused by the administration.

Jones, who had recently been elected to the Board of Directors of the National Collegiate Honors Council, opted to resign instead of representing what she felt to be a deception on the part of Appalachian State.

Her resignation was first sent among the honors students and alumni, then shared on the American Association of University Professors Appalachian Facebook page and by many others. It has caused a large outcry, with many standing in support of Jones.

The sheer amount of support for Jones from current students and alumni is astounding, but entirely deserved due not only to the work and effort she has put in to build the program, but also the dedication she has to her students.

Her drive to help students succeed is evident upon first meeting her.

Corbin Ester, an Appalachian honors college alumnus, said in an email statement that he knew “immediately after meeting her” that he would choose the Appalachian State Honors College.

Ester, who is currently a research fellow at the National Cancer Institute, had also received a full ride to UNC Chapel Hill and a scholarship to Wake Forest University.

A common story among her students is that Jones was always in their corner, pushing them to be better.

Alexandra Dezii, an honors alumna and current first year at the Virginia College of Osteopathy, described Jones as “being there every step of the way” in an email statement.

Dezii remembers a time that Jones made her rewrite a paper 12 times, but she says that when she was finished with the paper it “was better than I knew I was capable of writing.”

Meeting Jones in person, it is easy to see why her students adore her.

She exudes a warmth and openness that draws people in. Eloquent and intelligent, with eyes that seem to see right through a person, it is plain that her reputation is well-deserved.

"Jones' presence could fill a room and make a group of newly accepted college freshman seriously consider their academic futures and goals in a way no other force at ASU could," Brian Clee, a doctoral student at NC State, said. "It wasn’t so much that she demanded scholarship from us, but rather we wanted to excel academically because of her.”

Jones says that she agreed to come on as director of the honors program because she was excited about the vision the provost at the time had of an honors college that was “competitive with any honors college in the country, that would be able to attract the best students in the country that would be able to get Appalachian recognition nationwide.”

Unfortunately, as things stand, this vision may not come about. Due to system-wide budget cuts at UNC, the program’s budget is half of what it was five years ago, Jones said.

The cuts, in addition to the administration constantly saying "next year" to her petition to convert the program into a college, made Jones feel that she could no longer continue as director.

The loss of Jones from the honors program is a devastating blow for the university.

There aren't many who could have done as much for the program, or gone as far as she did for her students.

So thank you Leslie Jones, thank you for all that you've done for your students and for Appalachian as a whole.

Russell, a freshman Communications major from Charlotte, is an opinion writer.

14

SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS

App News is a service of the Division of Student Development. Email dycheab@appstate.edu.

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.

A P P

N E W S

WHAT TO DO CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Nominations are being accepted for the W. H. Plemmons Leadership Medallion through Feb. 26 by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Development.

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 may be made in the following categories: 1. A student leader who has provided distinguished leadership above that of other student leaders.

2. A Student Development Educator within the Division of Student Development for meritorious leadership in his or her work to enrich the quality of student life and learning.

3. A member of the faculty who has provided meritorious leadership through his or her work with student clubs or organizations, or work that enriches the quality of student life and learning outside the classroom.

4. An employee of Appalachian State University who has provided meritorious leadership that has significantly enriched the quality of student life and learning outside of the classroom.

For information, contact Dino DiBernardi,

Chair of the W. H. Plemmons Medallion Committee, at 262-2060, or Rita Wells at wellsrk@ appstate.edu. Visit www.plemmonsmedallion. appstate.edu.

SUCCULENT PLANT SALE The sale will be 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Jan. 29, Biology Department Greenhouse/Conservatory, 211 Dale St. Proceeds support greenhouse education and operation efforts. Prices start at $1. Cash or checks only.

The one-day sale will feature hundreds of popular, easy care succulents, all grown by student volunteers. Contact meyerja@appstate.edu or 828-262-4025.

RETIREMENT RECEPTION The retirement reception for Dino DiBernardi, Associate Vice Chancellor at App State, will be 3-5 p.m. Jan. 29, Solarium, PSU. Hosted by the Office of Student Development, the reception will celebrate DiBernardi’s 38 years of service to the university.

PLANT PARENTHOOD The ASU Biology Department is offering a free class on the vegetative propagation of tropical plants. The class will be 9:30-11 a.m. Jan. 30, in the Biology Greenhouse, 211 Dale St. This class is part of the “High Country Gardening” gardening series offered by greenhouse manager ‘Captain’ Jerry Meyer. The concepts discussed, using tropicals for demonstration, can also be applied to outdoor plants.

The class includes a brief tour of the conservatory, which features species of tropical, subtropical, and temperate plants.

INTERNATIONAL MEET AND GREET The event, hosted by International Appalachian is to encourage dialogue between international and domestic students. The free event will be 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10, Blue Ridge Ballroom, PSU.

SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS WEEK The awareness week is scheduled for April 11-16. All are welcome to attend. Those interested in planning an event should fill out a project proposal as soon as possible. For information, email cavallaroe@appstate.edu.

FREE LEGAL ADVICE The Student Legal Clinic, in suite 324 in Plemmons Student Union, offers confidential advice, information, and referrals provided by a licensed attorney.

The attorney can meet with any currently enrolled Appalachian State student and can advise students on any issue that is not directly adverse to the university.

Make an appointment by calling 828-2628284. More information at legalclinic.appstate. edu.

NAVIGATING COLLEGE The group will explore healthy lifestyle choices and the impact of alcohol and other drug use in college. Students are invited to the Wellness and Prevention Services office to join a mindfulness-based group focused on the impact of alcohol and other drug use while in college, incorporating resilience building,

high risk substance use prevention and harm reduction strategies by way of stress reduction, healthy decision-making and group support to assist in personal growth and success as a college student.

The group will meet 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesdays, room 306, Reich College of Education.

Email asmabt@appstate.edu.

STUDY ABROAD IN ITALY Outdoor Programs and Recreation Management is presenting a study abroad program in Italy this summer.

A course in Commercial Recreation and Outdoor Recreation will be offered, along with immersion in the language, local cuisine, and distinct cultures found along the way.

The trip dates are June 7 to 27, and the cost of $4,100 covers everything.

To learn more, visit www.op.appstate.edu or email campbllrh@appstate.edu or sharaievskai@appstate.edu.

TUTORING CENTER OPEN Visit room 208 in D.D. Dougherty and fill out a tutor request form. The tutoring lab is open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday. Call 828-262-3060 or email apputs@appstate.edu. For more information about the services offered, go to lap.appstate. edu/tutoring.

WRITING CENTER OPEN The University Writing Center (room 008 in Belk Library) will be open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, during spring semester.

THURSDAY, JAN. 28

FRIDAY, JAN. 29

SATURDAY, JAN. 30

SUNDAY, JAN. 31

Food Services Behind the Scenes Tour

Ellis Dyson and the Shambles

“Trumbo” screening

Hunter Cox Student Piano Recital

9 p.m.

Legends $4-$6

7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

I.G. Greer $1 advance, $2 door

2 p.m.

Recital Hall Free

“Trumbo” screening

Plant Parenthood

Initial spring deadline for The Peel Literature & Arts Review

2:30 p.m.

Roess Dining Hall Free

“Trumbo” screening 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

I.G. Greer $1 advance, $2 door

Self-Care Workshop 7 p.m.

Price Lake, PSU Free

7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

I.G. Greer $1 advance, $2 door

9:30-11 a.m.

Biology Greenhouse, 211 Dale St. Free

“Goldfinger” screening (1964)

11:59 p.m.

Submit at https://thepeelreview.submittable.com/ submit

7 p.m.

Greenbriar, PSU $1

Succulent Plant Sale 7 a.m.-4 p.m.

Biology Department Greenhouse

MONDAY, FEB. 1

TUESDAY, FEB. 2

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3

THURSDAY, FEB. 4

Faculty Potpourri Recital

Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night

Kate Rhudy & The Boys

8 p.m.

Rosen Concert Hall Free

5-6:45 p.m.

Turchin Center Free

9 p.m.

Legends $3-$5

INTAPP Recruitment

Turchin Lecture Series: Julia Barello

7:30 p.m. room 114, Belk Library Free

7 p.m.

Turchin Center Free

“Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2” screening

“License to Kill” screening (1989) 7 p.m.

Greenbriar, PSU $1

7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

I.G. Greer $1 advance, $2 door

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