Thursday, April 3, 2014

Acapocalypse

ESPNU

Health & Nutrition

All nine a cappella groups at ASU will bring the “Acapocalypse” to the Legends stage Sunday.

App State football’s Sun Belt matchup with Georgia Southern will be broadcast on ESPNU in September.

Find out how you can live a better, healthier lifestyle with The Appalachian’s Health & Nutrition blog.

see PAGE 7

see PAGE 4

TheAppalachianOnline.com

The Appalachian 04.03.14

Appalachian State University’s student news source since 1934

O’Brien speaks about legacy, leadership

Aneisy Cardo | The Appalachian

Award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien speaks at the Schaefer Center on Tuesday night.

by Gerrit Van Genderen News Reporter

S

oledad O’Brien spoke at Appalachian State University’s Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday as part of a rescheduled event for the Diversity

Lecture Series.

O’Brien, an award-winning journalist, documentarian, news anchor and producer, was originally scheduled to speak Jan. 21 at the 30th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration. The event was initially postponed due to

weather-related safety concerns at the time.

Her talk, titled “Diversity: On TV, Behind the Scenes and In Our Lives,” focused on the legacy that Martin Luther King Jr. left as well as what kind of legacy everyone can leave.

“The great thing about talk-

ing about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is it is really a timeless message,” O’Brien said.

“It doesn’t have to be slotted on a day or a month. It really is a message that transcends the days, the months and the years.”

O’Brien said in her first documentary coverage of King that she learned he was a regular man who decided to lead.

“Legacy is a very big word, but ultimately I think it is what Dr. King constantly exhorted us to think about,” O’Brien said.

“What is your legacy? What is the point of why you’re here?”

Speaking about leadership, O’Brien said King exemplified that leadership is about justice as well as departing from the script.

“My parents taught me that there were opportunities where you didn’t have to go with the flow,” O’Brien said. “You could decide the life that you wanted to lead. You could decide what success was going to mean for you if you had the guts to do it.”

O’Brien is the daughter of a black Cuban mother and a white Australian father, as well as being one of six children.

She said when her parents met in 1958 in Baltimore, Md., every single restaurant they attempted to go into would not serve them together.

SEE SOLEDAD PAGE 2

Explorers Club awards Appalachian student $2,000 grant for summer fieldwork in Mongolia

by Nicole Caporaso News Reporter

Photo Courtesy | Cameron Batchelor

Sophomore geology major Cameron Batchelor was recently awarded a $2,000 grant by the Explorers Club to help fund her participation in a research project in Mongolia this summer.

Cameron Batchelor, a junior geology major, has been given a $2,000 Youth Activity Grant from the Explorers Club in New York City to fund her fieldwork in Mongolia this summer.

The Explorers Club, founded in 1904, is an international professional society that is dedicated to growth of field research.

“Cameron getting this funding from the Explorers Club is actually a big deal, they are a highly respected organization that funds adventurists,” said Johnny Waters, a professor in the Department of Geology.

Batchelor had previously been given a $1,500 grant from the Office of Student Research, so she applied for a $2,000 grant from

the Explorers Club to cover the remainder of her plane ticket.

“Since fall of 2013, I have been applying to several grants and scholarships to help fund my research trip to Mongolia to conduct essential fieldwork and since the plane ticket to Mongolia costs around $3,500, I applied to everything that I could,” Batchelor said.

Batchelor will be traveling and working alongside Waters and Sarah Carmichael, assistant professor in the Department of Geology.

“Our goal is to travel to Mongolia to conduct essential fieldwork, including collecting prime samples that will help us study the Devonian mass extinction at a different location than what has already been studied,” Batchelor said. “Most knowledge that geologists have

about this mass extinction comes from North America and Europe.”

Batchelor said that during the Devonian period there was a severe global climate change that caused mass extinction. During that period, North America and Europe were very close together.

“During the Devonian period, these two land masses were located very close to each other.” Batchelor said.

“It is vitally important that more samples are obtained from locations outside of this region, such as Central Asia and Mongolia, to fully understand the global climate change during this time period.”

Waters said the Devonian period was about 375 million years ago.

“What we are looking at is a period of time SEE MONGOLIA PAGE 3

Raley renovation to add tribute to Chancellor Peacock

by Laney Ruckstuhl Assistant News Editor

The Walker College of Business is currently in the planning process for renovations of its main building, Thelma C. Raley Hall, which will be renamed Kenneth E. Peacock Hall in honor of the outgoing chancellor.

Renovations to the building will be funded by independent contributions and donations to the university because of a state-mandated halt on construction, due to a lack of budgetary funding.

Money is being raised through the largest fundraising effort in the university’s history, the Campaign for Appalachian. The campaign, backed

by Peacock, has a goal of raising $200 million by the end of 2014, according to a university news release.

Will Sears, director of development for the College of Business, said the renovations will either include replacing the glass wall of the building with a four-story addition or opening a coffee shop and meeting space, similar to Crossroads in Plemmons Student Union, on the second floor of Raley.

Sears said he believes a coffee shop setting would help students who are concentrated in the College of Business with networking and building relationships.

“The cornerstone of the busi-

SEE RALEY PAGE 3

Aniesy Cardo | The Appalachian

The Walker College of Business, housed in Thelma C. Raley Hall, is in the planning process for renovations and expansion to the building that may begin as early as 2015.

Vol. 88, No. 42

Building a community on belief and service

by Michael Bragg Editor-in-Chief

Editor’s Note: The following is the second of a two-part series featuring the Latter-day Saints Student Association on campus.

After re-establishing the Latter-day Saints Student Association’s chapter on campus only a few months ago, the members of the organization have made it clear they want to create a noticeable presence on campus.

Whether it’s through contact tables or providing a helping hand, Alisha LaDue, president of LDSSA’s Appalachian State University chapter, is hoping to make a lasting impression.

But beyond the efforts to reach out to the campus and community, the club’s members have other challenges ahead of them, such as misunderstandings of the Mormon faith, which are constant.

Maneuvering through misconceptions From having multiple wives to wearing special underwear, there are a few stereotypes that Mormons come across from time to time.

And the members of the LDSSA hear the same things on and off of campus.

For LaDue, a junior anthropology major, the polygamy label is one she hears frequently.

Something she attributes to that misconception are the reality television shows that portray the modern-day Mormon faith and the practice of having multiple wives together, a practice the church has not actively engaged in since the late 1800s, according to mormon.org. “[A] lot of people believe what they see on TV, which they shouldn’t because the TV is not accurate,” she said.

Kaitlyn McIver, vice president and junior anthropology major, said her favorite misconception to come in contact with is the “magic underwear.” This term refers to two all-white pieces of clothing worn underneath regular clothes as a symbol of “religious beliefs and commitments,” according to mormon. org.

But addressing issues like this do not bother McIver, who is not a baptized member of the church.

“I really think it’s fun, honestly,” she said. “It’s really fun for me, because I’ve done all that myself.”

McIver said she remembers looking up information about the church years before she became active and found information on the Internet that was actually a collection of misconceptions of the church.

“You will find things that are completely out there, completely untrue and a lot of times, [it’s] easier just to go to the source and I think that’s where we run into problems because people aren’t willing to ask,” she said.

“So it’s kind of up to us to put our club out there, put ourselves out there and people will see us on campus. And it’s kind of a door to ask us questions, and I think that helps and it kind of takes the mystery away from the whole Mormon church.”

Becoming converts Erin Greenwood, vice president and freshman and elementary education major, has know the Mormon faith well before

SEE MORMON PAGE 2

2

NEWS

Thursday April 3, 2014

MORMON FROM PAGE 1

joining the LDSSA. “I was born into it, I’ve been a member my whole life,” she said. “And my family is really active and that’s something I’ve been really grateful for. I have them to rely on when I’ve been kind of weak or when people come to me with things that I haven’t known how to answer.

I can go to my family and have them help me, so that’s been something that’s been really a blessing to me.”

But not all of the members of LDSSA were born into the faith.

Some joined and became converts, but not all the members of the club are members of the church, either.

Although she has been active in church activities for five years and helped re-establish the campus chapter, McIver is not a member of the church.

“My family has not been supportive,” she said. “So, I haven’t been baptized yet in respect of them.”

McIver, who grew up in a Baptist home, said the Mormon faith answered a lot of questions for her, such as the Holy Trinity and repentance, when she first started going to church functions. But her family is still not on board.

“They weren’t happy with it and they know that I’m active, but it’s just not something we discuss often because I know that they’re not OK with it yet, and I’m more or less just trying to show them with my actions

that I’m not a different person,” McIver said. “I’m improving myself by living this lifestyle and it’s something I want to do.”

Her activeness in the ward and club has captured the attention of others, including Scott Jensen, the bishop of the Boone Ward. Jensen said McIver’s involvement is an instance of the LDSSA being a welcome and opening organization.

“I think [McIver]’s an excellent example,” he said. “I mean it’s not about excluding, it’s about including.”

LaDue became a baptized member of the church a little more than one year ago, as more of her family began to join. One of her reasons for converting was seeing her mother go through both the conversion process and a sickness while LaDue was in school at Coastal Carolina Community College in Wilmington.

“I communicated a little bit with her more about it, and so that’s what kind of opened the door and curiosity for the church,” she said. “I was actually trying to find a path for myself during that time as well, starting to ask God what my place is, where do I need to be, show me where to go, which direction to take and a series of events happened in my life that brought me back home.”

After speaking with missionaries and deciding this is what she wanted to do, LaDue became a baptized member March 2, 2013.

“I needed to take this lifestyle upon myself and get baptized,”

SOLEDAD FROM PAGE 1

O’Brien said when she asked her mother how they handled people’s negativity toward their marriage, her mother responded, “We knew America was better than that.”

“I really loved that phrase because to me that meant those powerful words were what we could help create,” O’Brien said. “We could be part of moving something in a better direction because we were invested, we cared, we saw where we could go. I think there is a special bravery in deciding that you’re going to sit firmly on the right

The Appalachian | TheAppalachianOnline.com

Michael Bragg | The Appalachian

LDSSA president and junior anthropology major Alisha LaDue (left) and LDSSA member Ashby McMillan (right) attend a weekly club meeting Monday that doubled as a bonfire.

she said. “And since then, I’ve been living the standards, living this lifestyle and it’s amazing how different my life has changed, and it’s really great and I’m really thankful for it.

It’s been a great experience and I’m excited for more.”

The future of LDSSA A handful of members, with the help of an adviser, ward missionaries and a bishop looking toward long-term goals make up the LDSSA at Appalachian.

The club plans to continue

side of history.”

O’Brien said much of her reporting has been framed by her coverage of King because she enjoys reporting on leadership.

“I’ve had lots of opportunities to tell stories and marginalize people and I think that’s where I really began to find my voice as a reporter,” O’Brien said. “I didn’t mind traveling to cover my documentaries or being away from home, even with my four small children if it meant the story that I could tell would be different from what others would do.”

O’Brien’s international news coverage and documentary work includes

creating a physical presence on campus with contact tables and display cases, while inviting friends and fellow students to activities, such as the upcoming General Conference. This weekend-long event is a bi-annual conference televised from Salt Lake City, where the leader of the church, known as the prophet, speaks to the millions of Latter-day Saints around the world with the help of his fellow leaders.

The LDSSA hopes that as the organization moves forward

the 2004 tsunami that hit Thailand, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, features of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists attacks and missionary work done in Haiti.

She is the former anchor of CNN’s “Starting Point,” and is the originator of Black in America and Latino in America, both of which are amongst the network’s most successful domestic and international franchises, according to a university news release.

In June 2013, O’Brien launched Starfish Media Group, a multi-platform media production and distribution company, dedicated to uncovering and producing empowering stories

that it will provide answers regarding the church, service and a helping hand to anyone who needs it - no strings attached.

And of course, they want to establish a community for fellow Mormons and those interested.

“We’re always looking, it’s important for us to put our name out there,” LaDue said. “That’s half of what our goal is and the other half is the community, it’s because it’s so important for us as members to bring those folks to the gospel.”

that examine issues surrounding race, class, wealth, poverty and opportunity through personal stories.

In addition to launching Starfish Media Group, O’Brien serves as a correspondent to Al Jazeera America and HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.”

O’Brien was introduced by Chancellor Kenneth Peacock and freshman public relations and marketing major Jazmine Griffin.

“Soledad O’Brien is an everyday woman,” Griffin said. “Her perseverance has shown that she has the will and the drive to follow through with all she hopes to achieve.”

The Appalachian | TheAppalachianOnline.com

NEWS

Thursday, April 3, 2014

3

Student picked for competitive summer internship with the National Institute of Health in Maryland

by Nicole Caporaso News Reporter

Corbin Ester, a senior chemistry major at Appalachian State University, has been selected to participate in a summer internship in Bethesda, Md., with the National Institute of Health.

Ester will be taking part in the Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research at the National Cancer Institute.

The National Cancer Institute, is part of the National Institute of Health, which is one of the 11 agencies that make up the Department of Health and Human Services.

Ester will be working with Dr. Miriam Poirier, who is the

head of the Carcinogen-DNA Interactions Section at the National Institute of Health. Poirier is known as a pioneer in her field and her research has earned her past spots on committees, including the Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, the American Association for Cancer Research and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Ester, Poirier and her associate scientists will be working on several projects, but will focus on one project in particular.

“The major study involves blood samples taken from individuals in China where indoor heating is with a coal that generates a lot of smoke and

MONGOLIA FROM PAGE 1

about 375 million years ago when there was a major mass extinction event in the tropics, probably caused by massive ocean anoxia,” he said. “Ocean anoxia is lack of oxygen in the water, so coral reefs died and the coral reef ecosystems died.”

Waters said he and the rest of the research team will be looking for rocks that show the anoxic event and the ecosystems that survived as fossils.

Carmichael said this type of fieldwork

RALEY

FROM PAGE 1 ness environment is networking and we don’t have a place in this building where students can meet in between classes and go over notes and build those relationships that lead to business deals in the future,” Sears said.

Although the building does not have problems with infrastructure, Sears said they hope to modernize it to keep up with competing universities and

there are no chimneys,” she said. “There is a very high rate of lung cancer in this region of China and it is considered to be due to the chemicals in the smoke.”

Poirier said they will be testing the blood cells for DNA damage caused by smoke that is typically cancer-causing.

Ester previously did work at the the MD Anderson Cancer Research Center, which he said is the top cancer research hospital in the world.

“While I was there, I noticed several of the oncologists and research scientists had received part training at the NIH/NCI,” Ester said. “I want to one day be a specialist and top tier researcher in oncology, so I decided that I,

is important because geologists do not know exactly why the mass extinction happened.

Batchelor said that the area in Mongolia her and others will be working in is a remote location.

“After flying to the capital, Ulaanbaatar, we will be driving up to 17 hours to our field site, which is in west Mongolia near the border of China,” she said.

“There are no roads that go to this field site, and we will have no communication with the outside world.”

The fieldwork will be completed with an international research team of about

make better use of the space.

The renovated space will also include a Thank You Wall honoring Peacock that shows his accomplishments and contributions during his time serving the university as a professor, dean and chancellor.

Peacock has been with the university since 1983. He spent 20 years in the college of business, starting as an accounting professor, then serving as a dean before becoming the university’s chancellor in 2004.

“We needed a way to tell his

20 scientists and about 12 to 15 support workers, who will be guides, cooks, general field assistants and drivers, Waters said.

During her fieldwork, Batchelor said she hopes to gain valuable tools in becoming a geologist.

“I hope to learn all of the essential skills there are to know to be a successful field geologist,” she said. “This will be my first time in the field as a geologist collecting samples, and I am beyond excited to do it for a month.”

Batchelor said Carmichael helped make her the geologist that she is today.

story to visitors and students as they come in this building,” Sears said. “Think about 25 years from now, someone may walk in here with their student or daughter and they’ll say, ‘Who was Peacock?’ and that’s what the Thank You Wall is for.”

Sears said they also hope to update classrooms to include newer technology that could be utilized in a new way for business students. This may include new computers or stock market tickers.

WALK TO CLASS!

too, wanted to pursue this opportunity.”

Poirier said she hand-picked Ester as her intern because of his enthusiasm regarding the projects they will be working on.

“Probably the most important factor was that I interviewed him by phone, and members of my staff interviewed him, and we all found him to be intelligent, engaging and enthusiastic about the projects,” Poirier said.

Ester said there are three things he would like to get out of his internship. “[I hope to gain] a robust skill set of laboratory techniques that will help me mature as a scientist, the professional connections that will

help me grow and open up opportunities throughout my future career, and wisdom from my mentor that comes from many years of dedicated and inspiring work,” Ester said.

Ester said Leslie Jones, director of the Honors College, was one of the people that has helped shaped his career at Appalachian thus far.

“He has already contributed to basic science research in at least three different fields of study and is poised to move on to become Dr. Ester in the not too distant future,” Jones said. “We are proud of all our alumni, of course, but I believe he will be an alumnus who takes Appalachian’s name to the international level with his research.”

“She encourages me everyday to be the best geologist possible,” she said.

“She is a great professor that pushes me to my limits and is hard on me so she can see me succeed.”

Carmichael said Batchelor has proven herself as a geologist and a student since her freshman year.

“Cameron is a great example of a great student, as a freshman she came to my office and told me she wanted to be involved,” she said. “She has already proven that she is reliable and capable to do the work, she has impressed everybody with her dedication and ability.”

“A scholarship impacts one or two students and a professorship impacts the professor, but Dr. Peacock was all-inclusive,” Sears said. “We wanted to really come up with something that was creative that would impact every student as they come through the door of this college and every business person and every faculty member that visited.”

College of Business Dean Randy Edwards said a projected date for the start of renovations is still uncertain, but

the earliest these renovations could take place is summer 2015.

The family of Thelma C. Raley, an alumna who earned her degree from Appalachian State University at the age of 80, is in support of the renaming of the building, Edwards said.

Raley died in 2006.

“She and Chancellor Peacock were friends,” Edwards said.

“Even though she’s deceased, she would love to see her friend have his name on the building.”

SmartCuts

Mon-Fri 9am-8pm • Sat 9am-6:30pm • Sun 10am-4:30pm Only $585 Per Person - All Inclusive!

Mon-Fri 9am-8pm • Sat 9am-6:30pm • Sun 10am-4:30pm Mon-Sat 10am-8:30pm • Sun 12:30am-5pm

240 Shadowline Drive • Boone, NC (Next 10am-8:30pm to Peppers Restaurant) Mon-Sat • Sun 12:30am-5pm

(828) 265-3311

A Boone Original

Call Today!

828-262-3431

Proudly Serving Boone Since 1995 CUSTOMER APPRECIATION

Mon-Fri 9am-8pm • Sat 9am-6:30pm • Sun 10am

Mon-Sat 10am-8:30pm • Sun 12:30am-5pm

Sale price good at both locations.

No Coupon Required!

GRAND PRIZE GIVE AWAYS!

SuperClips SuperClips Mon-Fri 9am-8pm • Sat 9am-6:30pm • Sun 10am-4:30pm

Mon-Sat 10am-8:30pm • Sun 12:30am-5pm

1180 Blowing Rock Road • Boone, NC (Boone Mall)

(828) 262-3881

4

A&E

Thursday, April 3, 2014

The Appalachian | TheAppalachianOnline.com

On Stage

It all ends Sunday: Acapocalypse showcase storms Legends stage

Maggie Cozens | The Appalachian

The all-male a capella group Voice Male performs at Acapellagedon in November. All nine App State a capella groups will perform again at Acapocalypse on Sunday in Legends.

by Kelsey Hamm Intern A&E Reporter

A

ll nine of Appalachian State University’s a cappella groups will take to the Legends stage Sunday for the annual spring a cappella showcase Acapocalypse.

Appalachian’s a cappella groups include Eharmonix, Higher Ground,

Northern Lights, Lost in Sound, Streets Ahead, VoiceMale, Mountain Ayres, Treble Attraction and Ear Candy. The showcase will also include a special performance from the Watauga High School chorus.

Higher Ground, an all-male a cappella group directed by junior music education major Dylan Scaringelli, is preparing with twice a week, two-

and-a-half-hour rehearsals. Higher Ground member and freshman management major Josh Hawkins won the title of Best Male Soloist in the November a cappella competition Acapellageddon.

Acapocalypse, on the other hand, is a non-competitive event, but each group is still hoping to wow the audience, Scaringelli said.

“We’d like to get more into the motion and feelings that are present in our songs in addition to singing the right notes,” he said. “We’re trying to get the musical energy out of the songs we are singing.”

Freshman biology major Matthew Bujold is a new member of Streets Ahead, a co-ed a cappella group, and is excited to participate in his first showcase.

While there is no required choreography for the group, every member can decide how they want to move to the music. Streets Ahead will be dressed in suits for the show, with accents of their signature blue color, Bujold said.

“I’m new to the group, so it’s been difficult for me to adjust to a cappella,” he said. “But the group has been really great about talking to new people and incorporating them into the songs.”

Freshman chemistry major Ian Wyatt said that the showcase is an excellent opportunity for students like himself interested in joining a cappella groups.

“These are great events for anyone who is looking to join an a cappella group in the future,” Wyatt said. “You can learn the styles of each group and keep in mind which groups you want to audition for.”

The event begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students in advance and $7 for the public and at the door.

Tickets for Watauga High School students are $3 and all proceeds from the show will benefit the Watauga High School chorus.

Campus

Annual Art Expo brings new perspective on student work

by Lovey Cooper

Senior A&E Reporter

Art Expo 2014, the latest in the annual juried art exhibitions of student work on campus, features 46 student artists in media ranging from video, sculpture and installation pieces to more traditional painting and sculpture.

For many students, this competition is their first and only chance to have their work shown on campus.

This is junior studio art major Alex Swing’s first time being featured in Art Expo, as so far he has made more of an effort to show his work off campus.

Swing has two pieces featured in the expo: “Diagram,” a small painting on paper, and “We’ll Be Back,” a video installation.

Swing said his work revolves around the point where communication fails and the content of a dialogue becomes abstract, using stock images or commercials to emphasize these points of obscurity.

“There’s an interesting connection between the banal images of our culture and the images we are accustomed to in cartoons or illustrated IKEA instructions,” Swing said.

He sees the juried exhibition as a welcome change from oncampus opportunities spon-

sored by the Department of Art, because Art Expo allows students to show more complicated pieces that might not fit in with the general aesthetic of the department.

“A lot of the work coming out of Wey looks the same and can get overdone or stale,” Swing said. “Having a juried show like this one is a good way to articulate what we are actually producing throughout the spectrum.”

Guest juror Cora Fisher, the current Curator of Contemporary Art for the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, will bring with her a fresh regional perspective on student work.

“Looking at the work that [Fisher] has curated in the past, this seems like a response to what happens here,” said Jody Servon, director of the Catherine J. Smith Gallery.

Servon said that the underlying themes of nature and the body feature prominently in this year’s exhibited work, and considers these themes as a product of the region.

The opportunity to host jurors like Fisher is great exposure for the program, students and student work, Servon said.

“It’s building connections in the art world very early in their career,” Servon said. “It’s good for the overall identity of the

Kim Reynolds | The Appalachian

Sculptures are displayed in front of the railing on the second level of the Catherine J. Smith Gallery as part of the Art Expo. The Art Expo is a juried exhibit that is open to any student currently enrolled in an Appalachian State University course.

art department and the university.”

Additionally, some pieces are selected from Art Expo to be purchased by Appalachian State University and Plemmons Student Union for permanent display, said Ben Wesemann, assistant director of the Catherine J. Smith Gallery. For most students, this is the first opportunity they get to have their work purchased by a collector.

“You have to have a different sensibility about what’s go-

ing to be collected versus what works today,” Servon said.

Collectors, especially when dealing with student work, focus on what will be meaningful for the next 20 to 80 years.

Craftsmanship and concept are overlying influences over what makes it and what doesn’t, Servon said.

So far, response has been good. Wesemann said that the new gallery welcomes visitors to reflect more readily on featured work and has seen evidence of some artists taking

the space into account for an overall more interactive experience.

Art Expo’s first, second and third place prizes, as well as Best in Show and the popular vote for People’s Choice, will be announced at a public reception Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Smith Gallery. The event is free and open to the public.

The exhibit will be on display through April 11 at the Smith Gallery, located in the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts.

Review

Even the gods can’t save the so-so Marvel addition ‘Thor: The Dark World’ I’ve about had it with these Marvel adaptations featuring part-time Avengers.

There’s nothing wrong with movies based on comic books, but, as a viewer, there are only so many times that I’m willing to lower my expectations just to see an old favorite character fleshed out on screen.

For what it’s worth, “Thor: The Dark World” was extremely well-cast. I can’t imagine a better Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Odin (Anthony Hopkins) or Heimdall (Idris Elba). Natalie Portman, Stellen Skarsgård, Rene Russo and Christopher Eccleston also look and speak their parts well enough.

The issue is that the script writing is excruciatingly boring.

Barring Loki, every character pretty much always does everything you’d expect. Norse mythology does rely heavily on the concept of fate, but “Thor: The Dark World” takes that a little too seriously.

Dr. Jane Foster, Thor’s “spunky” human love interest, is one character that really suffers from poor filmmaking. Though it’s already been done recently and famously in “The Lord of the Rings,” the filmmakers really should have expanded on why exactly Thor and Jane’s love is a forbidden one. Instead, it’s only as deep as the nausea-inducing lip-locking they indulge in during nearly all of their scenes together.

Thor himself also disappoints.

As expressive as Hemsworth is,

even he cannot save the God of Thunder from a storm of vapid one-liners.

Despite these instances, I’m not blinded to the charm of Hiddleston’s Loki, who only gets better with each film. Loki’s deceptive abilities are put to excellent use, as the viewers of the movie are just as likely to be tricked as the characters in the film world.

The problem is that, out of all the Avenger-associated Marvel films, Loki is just about the only interesting villain, not that he has much competition.

He’s the only one without a boiling desire to destroy the earth. In “The Dark World,” we have Malekith, who lusts after an ambiguous force called the “Aether,” which apparently

possesses unlimited, if totally vague, destructive powers.

To change gears, the visual engineers of “The Dark World” did do an incredible job. The CGI explosions are as believable as can be hoped for, and the attack on Asgard was reminiscent of the more exciting bits of the latest “Star Wars” trilogy.

Still, it’s remarkably hard to like this “Thor” sequel. It’s not even that bad, per se, but rather utterly formulaic, despite Hiddleston’s noble acting effort as Loki.

With so much potential, “Thor: The Dark World” ends up as just another summer blockbuster.

- Sam Lineberger, A&E Reporter

Thor: The Dark World

Opinion The Appalachian | TheAppalachianOnline.com

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Editorial Cartoon

5

Staff Opinion

Student recordings of classes is a bad idea Kevin Griffin Opinion Writer

Andrew Cox | Editorial Cartoonist

Staff Opinion

The expansion of Medicaid could have helped NC Dewey Mullis Opinion Writer

As of the Monday deadline for Affordable Care Act enrollment, North Carolina was ranked among the top 10 states for total citizen enrollment, according to North Carolina Health News.

That sounds great! Hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians can finally get health coverage, right?

It isn’t as pretty as it sounds.

When Gov. Pat McCrory decided to opt out of the Medicaid expansion program in March 2013, he essentially gave a political middle finger to the Af-

fordable Care Act and the hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians that were left with few options for coverage.

According to a study done

by The Commonwealth Fund, without Medicaid expansion, many uninsured and underinsured would remain high risks and will not only be missing out on Medicaid, but also won’t qualify for premium subsidies under the health care law. For North Carolina, the number of people now missing out could be more than those who were able to enroll under the ACA. The state is already in a Medicaid shortfall of $120 million, according to WRAL. Also plaguing the state’s Medicaid system are the 81,000 backlogged claims and applications yet to be added to the deficit.

What could be done to solve

this? Nothing.

When McCrory passed up the opportunity to expand Medicaid, he passed up the federal government’s offer to pay 100 percent of the state’s Medicaid costs for one year, and 90 percent for subsequent years, according to The Hill. If McCrory had expanded Medicaid like he should have, perhaps the state would have a chance to catch up on the 81,000 unnecessarily backlogged claims that have jammed the system due to a failed NCTracks program.

Unfortunately, there is no turning back now. As the enrollment period for coverage under the health care law comes to a close, hundreds of thousands of uninsured or underinsured North Carolinians will bear the undue burden of being denied what the law

would have otherwise offered.

Perhaps McCrory knew this plan would keep hundreds of thousands out of the healthcare marketplace. It has been an outspoken talking point for Republicans that ACA enrollment is slightly below projections.

I would certainly hope that, regardless of partisanship, a governor, someone charged with the responsibility of protecting his citizenry, would not knowingly use physical wellbeing and blocking health coverage as a political shenanigan.

North Carolina is in danger of becoming one of the worst states for health care opportunities and quality of care.

Mullis, a junior criminal justice major from Wallburg, is an opinion writer.

Editorial Cartoon

Bridget Mundy | Editorial Cartoonist

The Appalachian The Editorial Board

MICHAEL BRAGG Editor-in-Chief

JOSHUA FARMER Managing Editor

COLIN MOORE A&E Editor

CORY SPIERS Sports Editor

LANEY RUCKSTUHL Assistant News Editor

CHELSEY FISHER

Contact Information EDITOR-IN-CHIEF (828) 262-6149 BUSINESS OFFICE (828) 262-2157

Chief Copy Editor

MALIK RAHILI

Visual Managing Editor

PAUL HECKERT Photo Editor

JACKSON HELMS Video Editor

MAGGIE COZENS

Assistant Photo Editor

Associated Collegiate Press

The Appalachian reserves the right to decline publication of any letter and to edit letters for the purpose of clarity and space.

Our Mission The Appalachian, a student-run publication at Appalachian State University, strives to provide fair and accurate news for the campus community; to inform, entertain and create a forum for ideas; to provide an outlet for readers’ opinions; to be a champion for student, faculty, staff and community interests; and to remain independent, exercise and ensure its First Amendment rights.

Perhaps each of us at one point or another has been sitting in a class when a professor said something we found objectionable.

Depending on what or how it was said, the incident might bother us for some time. Still, it would probably take a major controversy for any one of us to go so far as to record and share with others what the professor had said.

The issue of student recording of lectures was settled at University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. After reviewing the case of a student who had recorded and released a video of a guest speaker making disparaging remarks about Republican leaders, the Faculty Senate at the university voted to prevent students from recording lectures, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

While we have not encountered issues with students taping classes at Appalachian State University, it is worthwhile to consider what the implications of allowing students to tape classes are for universities in general.

On the surface, this may seem to be a fairly straightforward free speech issue. The job of a school, after all, is to be a forum for discussion and debate, so why should professors fear having lectures recorded?

I am not totally unsympathetic to this view. Recordings of some cases can help expose instances of professors and other public figures saying things that the public should know.

For a national, out-of-theclassroom example, we have Mitt Romney’s 47 percent remark, which gave valuable insight on the candidate’s real positions.

The classroom setting, though, is different in a sense.

As much as filming individuals speaking can give public accountability, it could also have the unintended consequence of stifling speech in environments where they know they are being observed and perhaps judged.

This means professors who know they are being recorded may watch what they say, which might lead to them softening or avoiding making certain points because they are controversial or out of fear that certain remarks may be misrepresented.

Such a chilling effect is bad for the type of robust discussion that should take place in classrooms.

For all the benefits that come from recordings of speakers, there are significant downsides that could harm the educational process.

Griffin, a sophomore journalism major from Madison, is an opinion writer.

Letters to the Editor The Appalachian welcomes Letters to the Editor. Letters should be 250 words or less and include the author’s name, ASU Box, phone number, classification and campus affiliation, if any. Although we are unable to acknowledge those letters we cannot publish, we appreciate the interest and value the views of those who take the time to send us their comments.

Letters should be submitted electronically via our Web site or e-mail. Letters may also be mailed to “Letter to the Editor,” The Appalachian, ASU Box 9025, Boone, N.C. 28608. Letters may also be brought to the newsroom, located on the second floor of Plemmons Student Union.

6

APP NEWS

Thursday, April 3, 2014

The Appalachian | TheAppalachianOnline.com

App Submit announcements A service of the Division of Student Development. Email dycheab@appstate.edu at least two weeks in advance.

Entries can’t exceed 100 words and need to include the event title, date/time, location and cost, other pertinent information and a contact(s) (email, phone and/or URL).

Announcements will be edited as needed and will run as space allows.

Soccer tournament The 8th Annual People of the Planet Soccer Tournament will be held April 13 as part of the 13th Annual Diversity Celebration events in collaboration with Watauga High School on their turf fields. Admission is free. For details/registration, go to www.cs.appstate.edu/ soccer/. The deadline to register is March 28.

Adult teams will be comprised of faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members, and youth teams in several age groups will have an opportunity to play.

Addiction recovery documentary “The Anonymous People” documentary will be screen 8 p.m. April 10 in Beacon Heights and Rough Ridge rooms, Plemmons Student Union. Dr. Christina Rosen and other licensed clinical addiction specialists will facilitate discussion following the film. The screening is sponsored by the Student Wellness Center and the Addictions Counseling Certificate Program. The documentary is about the 23.5 million Americans living in longterm recovery from addiction to alcohol and drugs.

Counseling Center presentation The Counseling Center presents “Getting Out of the Happiness Trap: How to Accept Dis-

appointment in the Pursuit of Your Happy,” 3 p.m. April 9, New River Room, Plemmons Student Union.

Call for sustainability grants The Appalachian State University Sustainability Council is calling for submissions for the 4th Annual Sustainable Arts Grants Awards. The primary goals of these grants will be to educate and raise awareness of sustainability in its many facets on campus. Students, staff, faculty and administrators are eligible to apply for these grants.

Student applications must include a faculty adviser willing to support the project.

All forms of art are acceptable, including 2-dimensional, digital, 3-dimensional and/or performance projects, not limited to the visual arts. Proposals are due March 31. Direct questions and send proposals to sustainability@appstate.edu or call 828-262-2659.

Criteria for the proposals include: conveys the idea that all aspects of life are inter-dependent; inspires the audience to place greater value on health, justice and friendship; encourages the audience to be conscientious of sustainability on environmental, social justice or economic issues; was produced by a system with continuous effort to reduce waste and pollution; can motivate people and raise money for re-investment in the production of further “sustainable” works; and raises awareness and provides sustainability education to the ASU campus.

Call for proposals for Diversity Celebration Multicultural Student Development is asking for proposals for exhibitors, dancers, singers, musicians, artisans, storytellers and talents of all kinds for the 13th Annual Diversity Celebration at Appalachian State University. The event will be held

News 3-9 p.m. April 8 in Plemmons Student Union. To submit a proposal, go to http://multicultural.appstate.edu/resources/ forms/diversity-celebrationproposal-form. For more information, call 262-6158.

Environmental Humanities Symposium The all-day event begins at 9 a.m. April 4 in Table Rock, Plemmons Student Union. The event features three keynote speakers, an interdisciplinary faculty panel, a closing roundtable discussion and a reception. The keynote speakers are Dale Jamieson, professor of philosophy and environmental studies and affiliate professor of law at New York University; Phaedra Pezzullo, associate professor of rhetoric and public culture at Indiana University; and Mel Y. Chen, associate professor of gender and women’s studies at University of California Berkley. The symposium is free and open to the public, but participants are asked to register for the event. To register, go to http://humanitiescouncil. appstate.edu/digital-humanities-symposium-registration.

For more information, go to http://humanitiescouncil.appstate.edu or email hallki@appstate.edu.

Wellness workshops The Counseling Center presents “Feelin’ Good in the Neighborhood!” wellness workshop series. Extra credit slips will be made available. For more information, call 262-3180 or go to counseling.appstate.edu.

• Getting Out of the Happiness Trap: How to Accept Disappointment in the Pursuit of Your Happy, 3-4 p.m. April 9, New River Room, Plemmons Student Union • Screening of Lifetime’s “Call Me Crazy” Film with Brittany Snow & Love is Louder, 6-8:30 p.m. April 28, Beacon Heights Room, Plemmons Student Union

Sustainability Film Series Presented by the Office of Sustainability and the Department of Geology, and sponsored by Appalachian Popular Programming Society, Belk Library, Department of Geology and sustain Appalachian, the series aims to raise awareness of current environmental, social and economic issues.

Most films begin at 7 p.m. in I.G. Greer Auditorium and each will be followed by a brief panel discussion with experts from the sustainability field represented in each film.

• A Place at the Table, April 29: Tells the story of three Americans who maintain their dignity even as they struggle just to eat.

Tax assistance Students, staff and faculty may use myfreetaxes.com/ appstate to prepare and e-file federal and state income tax returns.

In addition, App is providing IRS-sponsored Facilitated Self-Assistance (FSA), in which trained volunteers will be available to guide users through the process and answer questions.

In-person assistance will be available 5-7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, through April 15 (closed during spring break) in room 21014 of Raley Hall. No appointment is necessary.

For questions about this service, call 262-6228 or email hofmannma@appstate.edu.

Additional community-wide free tax assistance with the VITA program is available (by appointment only) at the following locations: Watauga County Public Library, 3-6 p.m. Fridays, and 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays; Watauga County Senior Center, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Tuesdays; and Western Watauga Community Center on Mondays.

Move-in day Volunteers are needed Aug.

15 to assist with move-in day for the class of 2018. Students will arrive from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., and volunteers are needed to assist students in moving their belongings into their residence hall rooms. Volunteers are also needed for upperclassmen move-in between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Aug. 16.

Appalachian will provide all volunteers with a T-shirt. As a special incentive to organizations and groups, the committee is offering organizations with 15 or more volunteers to have their organization/group name or logo printed on the T-shirt. The deadline for volunteer registration is June 13 to have the organization name printed on the T-shirt.

Sign up to volunteer on our website: http://housing.appstate.edu/volunteer. For more information, email jordansn@ appstate.edu.

Free legal advice Do you have questions about your lease or the conditions in your apartment? Are you uncertain how to handle a speeding ticket or minor criminal charge? The Student Legal Clinic may be able to help. An attorney is available to provide free, confidential advice and information to Appalachian students about a variety of legal issues. The Student Legal Clinic is located in Suite 324, Plemmons Student Union. Call 262-8284, or visit the office to schedule an appointment, or go to legalclinic.appstate.edu.

Podcast about drug and alcohol arrests BusinessInsider.com published a story about colleges with the most on-campus drug and alcohol arrests. Appalachian State University was on the list. Listen to the full discussion of the rankings and what they mean at https:// soundcloud.com/appstate/ behind-the-numbers-1, or find it on http://appcares.appstate. edu.

March/April

sunday

monday 23

tuesday 24

wednesday 25

26

friday

thursday 27

saturday 28

“Frozen” screening, 7 p.m., I.G. Greer, $1

Joe Murphy Documentary Film Festival: “Doc and Merle” and Visiting Writers selected shorts, Series: Bruce Weigl, 6:30 p.m., room 124, 2 p.m. craft talk, College of Educa7:30 p.m. reading, tion Building, free Table Rock Room, PSU, free “Frozen” screening, 7 p.m., I.G. Greer, $1 Stefan Czermak guest violin concert, “Mr. Smith Goes 8 p.m., Rosen Conto Washington” cert Hall, free screening, 7 p.m., Greenbriar, $1 Still Life Painting: Painting with the left Equality in Action side of your brain, 7 Conference, March p.m., Turchin Center, 28-30, PSU, $20 free for Appalachian students

30 Blazing Bassoons concert, 4 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, free

31

1 Single Stream Recycling Education, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Central Dining Hall, Rivers Street Cafe AS-U-MEDITATE campus-wide meditation, 4:45 p.m., Parkway Ballroom, PSU, free Faculty Recital Series: The Music of Scott Meister, 8 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, free

2 Conspirator concert, 9 p.m., Legends, $12-$15 “Gremlins” screening, 7 p.m., Greenbriar, $1

3 Montana Repertory Theatre: “The Miracle Worker,” 8 p.m., Schaefer Center, $10-$20

4 Spring Exhibition Celebration, 6 p.m., Turchin Center, free

“Thor: The Dark World” screening, 7 Mipso concert, 9 p.m., Legends, $4-$6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, $1 “Thor: The Dark World” screening, 7 “Gremlins” screenp.m. and 9:30 p.m., ing, 7 p.m., Greenbriar, $1 I.G. Greer, $1

29 The Joe Murphy Documentary Film Festival: “Auto Bond,” “Shoes Required,” and selected shorts, 2:30 p.m.; “Slow Food: Fast Times” and selected shorts, 7:30 p.m.; room 124, College of Education Building, free “Frozen” screening, 7 p.m., I.G. Greer, $1

Healing Arts Yoga, 10:30 a.m., Turchin Center, $10/session, $5/students

5 “Thor: The Dark World” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, $1

Sports The Appalachian | TheAppalachianOnline.com

Thursday, April 3, 2014

7

Football

ESPNU to televise App State football in 2014

by Bryant Barbery Intern Sports Reporter

A

Adam Jennings | File Photo

Then senior wide receiver Steve Miller is taken down by a Georgia Southern defender in the Mountaineers 2011 win against the Eagles. Appalachian State will challenge the long-time rival Sept. 25 in the upcoming 2014 season. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

ppalachian State football goes prime time this upcoming football season as its first Sun Belt Conference matchup with rival Georgia Southern has been pushed back from Saturday, Sept. 27 to Thursday, Sept. 25 to be televised on ESPNU from Statesboro, Ga. The game will be the first nationally televised game for the Mountaineers since 2010 when App State hosted Villanova in the FCS quarterfinals in a game televised on ESPN. App State dropped that game 42-24.

App State holds an 18-5 mark in nationally televised games.

“Playing in primetime on national television is a great honor and benefit for our program,” head coach Scott Satterfield said in a statement from athletics. “It will be great to showcase the Appalachian-Georgia Southern rivalry in primetime. It should be a terrific atmosphere that our players will relish being a part of.”

The Mountaineers are 6-0 in games televised on ESPNU and look to con-

tinue that win streak as well as another win streak against Georgia Southern.

App State has won three in a row against the Eagles. The Mountaineers’ last visit to Statesboro resulted in a win in 2012 as the Mountaineers defeated the No. 1 ranked Eagles 31-28 off a touchdown catch by former Mountaineer wide receiver Tony Washington with 11:28 left in the game.

Last season, the Mountaineers came away with a lopsided win against the Eagles at Kidd Brewer Stadium with the final score being 38-14 on Black Saturday. The 29-game series has been played for 22 consecutive seasons with App owning a 16-12-1 edge on the Eagles.

The game will be played at Paulson Stadium, which will be completely renovated and expanded by the start of the 2014 season. Georgia Southern will have two Thursday night games to be aired on ESPNU, the second being against Troy University on October 30.

The time for the nationally televised contest has not been determined.

The rivalry matchup will also be the first Sun Belt matchup for both teams in their inaugural season.

Column

When it comes to football, no play is ever automatic Cory Spiers Sports Editor

If you think the football extra point is too easy, you’re not alone.

Lining up and kicking a 19-yard field goal for the sake of an extra point following a touchdown is apparently not challenging enough.

Even though there must be a successful snap, hold and blocking when the kicker makes his attempt, there are some who think it needs a change.

Unfortunately, that notion is starting at the NFL level after owners agreed in late March to test extrapoint kicks from the 20-yard line during the league’s next preseason.

The kick might seem easy, but it doesn’t need to be changed.

As we have seen with rules such as defenseless receiver and roughing the quarterback calls, college football tends to not be shy about borrowing ideas from the NFL. This idea, however, should not manifest itself in college football.

In 2013, NFL kickers made 99.8 percent of their extra points. Their college counterparts had a high success rate, too, converting 97.1 percent of extra points.

“The extra point is almost automatic,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in an interview with AL.com. “It’s a very small fraction of the play, and you want to add excitement with every play.”

I agree with Goodell’s point. The extra point is indeed almost automatic.

The key word is almost.

For those who have followed Appalachian State football closely, remember back to the 2012-13 season when the Mountaineers were knocked out of the first round of the FCS playoffs

by Illinois State by a final score of 3837 in overtime.

That one point difference? It came on a blocked extra point attempt in overtime when the Redbirds blitzed the line and got a hand on placekicker

Cory Spiers | The Appalachian

Freshman placekicker Mason Moore drills the ball for an attempted field goal in last Saturday’s Spring Scrimmage. The NFL has proposed changes to the point after touchdown play.

Drew Stewart’s extra point attempt sealing the Illinois State win.

That block came on the aforementioned 19-yard point after attempt.

The play that is apparently too easy to have a place in the game.

Ask Stewart and his blockers how easy an extra point is when the game is on the line.

Rogers Redding, the secretary-rules editor for the NCAA Football Rules Committee, thankfully seems to agree that the extra point has a place in the college game.

“Extra points aren’t quite automatic in our game,” Redding said in an interview with AL.com. “They make far more kicks than they once did. But there’s enough that it adds a little bit of drama.”

That drama is the very reason people watch sports.

Sure, extra points are converted most of the time, but like App State in its most recent playoff appearance, there is always that element of suspense.

The hold has to be good, the blocking solid and the kick has to be on target. It is a system that needs no alteration.

Live closer. Sleep Longer.

asurentals.com

828.262.1571

CLASSIFIEDADS Help Wanted Work during summer. May through September 1st. Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10AM-6PM. Foscoe area. Sell chainsaw wood carvings.

Contact: dms@gmail.com, 919-344-2819 or 919-936-5601

The Appalachian | TheAppalachianOnline.com

ADVERTISEMENT

Thursday, April 3, 2014

8