Tuesday, September 1

Tuesday, September 1, 2015 TheAppalachianOnline.com

Andrew Clausen

From Bears returns to Black Cat

Abi Shaki

Intern A&E Reporter

O

ne of the best-known bands in Boone, From Bears played an energetic show at Black Cat Burrito on Friday night with Breakers (Boston, MA), Kindler (Asheboro) and White Wolly.

Set with colorful lights and 3D glasses distributed to the crowd, From Bears engaged the audience with psychedelic paraphernalia and showcased their raw talent for creating kaleidoscopic rock music.

After the production of their most recent album, “Wompus and Son,” the band explored playing shows outside of the Boone community, guitarist Doug Little said.

“We just went on tour up North for the first time,” Little said. “Breaking even was our goal at first, but we are trying to make our music heard, not just around Boone but other places too. If that leads us somewhere, then that’s great.”

The band reportedly borrowed a van to take to Boston, playing along this coast while staying with family and friends.

“One of our favorite shows was at Don Pedro up in Brooklyn,” Little said. “We met really cool bands like Chimes and Seismic Thrusts.”

The band spoke about their personal writing style and music, which pulls from Biggie Smalls, The Pixies, and Joy Division, Little said. Often, the members will create music starting with short hooks or melodies that transform into a consonant

song.

“One of us will come forward with a riff idea and then we’ll add on to it and jam for a little while,” vocalist Ben Taylor said. “We will make our own individual parts sometimes too. We switch instruments, and we all have our own style with each instrument. It makes it more fun.”

The band members appreciate each other sense of humor, drummer and vocalist Matt Nemeth said. “[On tour], we just sit around listening to funny podcasts,” Nemeth said. “Our van was like our home. We turned it into a special place while on the road.”

SEE BEARS PAGE 5

Plant sale funds greenhouse until Spring sale

Appalachian State student wins 2015 Fox News Channel College Competition

by Charlotte Wray

Kelsey Hamm

Intern News Reporter

Appalachian State’s Biology Greenhouse overflowed with plants from around the world at the greenhouse’s semi-annual plant sale Aug. 27 through 29.

Thursday, the opening day for the sale, brought in several hundred people, according to Jerry Meyer, Biology Greenhouse manager.

The proceeds from the sale go into a fund that pays for general maintenance and equipment for the greenhouse, and educational and classroom purposes.

“The funds are needed to help maintain the greenhouse,” Meyer said. “Secondary benefits [to the sale] are it’s an opportunity here, since our university doesn’t

offer a plant science degree program, to get some handson horticulture and botany experience. All these volunteers can learn a lot here.”

The greenhouse was filled with greenery from head to toe while classical music played in the background, creating a fresh and springtime joyful vibe.

Plants from Madagascar, Brazil, South Africa and more sat on a table together, displaying the diversity of plants found in the greenhouse.

Greenhouse volunteer Rebecca Waller said the greenhouse is both a calming place and a place where Meyer wants his volunteers to learn about taking care of plants and also

SEE PLANT PAGE 3

A&E Editor

Tyler Hardin, a sophomore broadcasting major and Appalachian State, recently won the 2015 Fox News College Competition for his report on live police webcams in the town of Greensboro.

Fox News selects one solo or group winner every year to receive a trip to New York and an interview with Fox News, in addition to a $10,000 cash prize.

He said he originally saw the competition advertised in high school.

“When I got into college and knew I was going to [compete], I set out for something that was very controversial and all over the na-

SEE FOX PAGE 5

Photo Courtesy | Tyler Hardin

Sophomore Tyler Hardin is interviewed on Fox & Friends after winning the 2015 Fox News College Competition for his report on live police webcams.

see page 6

news

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Everts discusses progress in her first year

by Kevin Griffin Staff Reporter

C

hancellor Everts reflected on the achievements of her first year and progress to be made as other speakers raised matters of concern at the general faculty and staff meeting Friday.

“Last year at this time, I introduced myself, thanked you for all you do for our students and mentioned that I would primarily spend my first year listening,” Everts said. ”Some of you have been asking recently, “What did you hear during your first year and what have you done with that information?’”

The chancellor cited several areas of progress in her first year, including faculty morale, mental health and wellness, diversity, and enrollment.

Everts spoke about the creation of the faculty club, an informal, monthly meeting between faculty and the chancellor to discuss matters of concern.

In addition, the chancellor spoke about the creation of the Leadership Development Program for Faculty as well as the commis-

sioning of a study to look into the issue of housing for faculty.

On mental health and wellness, Everts referenced figures of the thousands of students and faculty who had taken part in training for sexual assault, substance abuse and suicide prevention.

“To better strengthen our work with students, the Office of Student Development has moved toward a public safety model with the establishment of the Office of Wellness and Prevention Services,” Everts said.

As part of the university’s efforts to promote diversity, Everts said she would be implementing six proposals for recruitment and retention made by the Chancellor’s Commission on Diversity.

Everts also said that she was listening to proposals from other on-campus groups like the Appalachian Social Justice Educators.

Reflecting on the progress in diversity, Everts said that members of “traditionally underrepresented groups” accounted for 15 percent of first-year students in 2015.

“This is an increase

Kevin Griffin

Chancellor Everts addressed the general faculty and staff Friday about her achievements during her first year at Appalachian State and areas for improvement in the future, including diversity and faculty morale.

of three percentage points in one year, and is the largest percentage in Appalachian’s history,” Everts said.

Everts addressed enrollment growth, and the pressure that growth puts on facilities, by pledging to devote almost $2.2 million in carryover money to “academic facility priorities.”

“I listened to what you said, I took action on what I heard and learned, and we have a clear direction ahead,” Everts said. “Together, we will move forward to reach and exceed our goals.”

Spotlight on the contingent faculty

Other speakers at the event chose to focus on other issues of concern to the university.

Michael Behrent, the president of the Appalachian chapter of the American Association of University Professors, spoke about the university’s growing reliance on non-tenured, contingent faculty.

Behrent cited the examples of contingent faculty who were forced to collect garbage or file for unemployment benefits because of their low academic pay.

“We don’t give our students disposable dorms,” Behrent

said. “We don’t give them disposable gym facilities. We don’t give them disposable sports teams. We do give them disposable professors.”

“And on this increasingly sustainable campus, it seems that the only two things it is now acceptable to throw away are professors and books,” he continued.

Behrent then asked that the administration to implement the recommendations of a Non-Tenure Track Faculty Committee, which includes multi-year contracts for certain categories of promoted non-tenure track faculty.

Suicide prevention training sessions aim to equip students and faculty

by Charlotte Wray Intern News Reporter

Monday, students and faculty attended the first suicide prevention training of the 2015-2016 school year, in the Rough Ridge room in the Plemmons Student Union.

Tom Kane, University Housing Director and Gateway Suicide Prevention Trainer presented the suicide prevention training.

Fourteen people attended, nine of those were students and five were faculty and staff members.

Kane spoke statistics and facts surrounding suicide, as well as warning signs, risk factors and how to talk to a person who exhibits signs of distress or suicidal idealization.

The training began comfortable, though quiet, but as it continued, communication increased and students and faculty began to talk more openly about the steps to take to help someone who shows possible signs of distress.

“It was very helpful to have an introduction to talking to someone about it [suicide], because it’s not a comfortable conversation to have,” senior psychology major Morgan Gray said.

“Having that direct practice of think-

ing about how you would deal with it so that you’re not unprepared if a situation should arise, I just think it’s really important.”

Many students attended the training to receive extra credit in some of their classes and some attended because they knew someone struggling with thoughts of suicide. “[The training] was recommended to me from a professor...but I also have a lot of friends who have struggled in the past with things like depression and bipolar disorder,” Gray said. “I just think that learning about the risk factors is important before they show up.”

“I’m trained in first aid,” Gray said.

“It’s kind of the same concept to me, of you need to prepare before something happens.”

Kane talked on, listening, empathizing and asking questions with a friend who is dealing with a mental illness or who is struggling with suicidal thoughts.

“That one person we talk to, that we care about, it’ll make a difference to their life,” Kane said. “We can’t look at the massiveness of an issue we need to look at oneness. It’s a whole lot easier to walk by than it is to stop.”

The A.P.P.S. intervention is the mod-

el given to help someone talk to a person in distress. A.P.P.S. stands for Approach and acknowledge, Probe, Promote hope and Share referrals.

This ultimately means to acknowledge the fact that someone is in distress, ask specific questions, talk about the hope they have and encourage and assist them in finding help with someone who is qualified to help them.

“I do a lot of presentations on a lot of different topics,” Kane said. “This is one of the few that I can actually say that people actually listen, they pay attention, they take notes.”

“There are times when I see people troubled by what they see on the screen. They aren’t offended, but they’re like ‘wow, that’s personal to me,’” Kane said. “I think this training is real, I like to think we make a difference by doing this work.”

According to the Prevent Suicide webpage, the training sessions are scheduled throughout the rest of the semester.

“Going through the training, practicing to do this, I mean, this has nothing really to do with my job,” Kane said, “But it does, I mean in the most basic realm it has nothing to do with housing, per se, but it has everything to do with our students.”

3 PLANT

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 where they are from in the world.

The succulents are the most popular plants, Meyer said, especially for students.

“I think they are popular because they are fairly low maintenance,” Meyer said.

“As long as someone has a bright window sill, you can nearly neglect them because they don’t mind drying out.”

The most popular and exotic plants were a variety of succulents exclusively from South Africa with the genus or family name Haworthia. They are “endemic,” meaning they are found nowhere else on Earth except for South Africa.

Waller said that without the sale, it is almost impossible to buy new plants. “[The sale] is an opportunity for people to come in and see all these really cool plants that are in the greenhouse and then maybe get the idea to come in and volunteer,” greenhouse volunteer Alana Baird said.

Hundreds of plants from around the world are sold at Apppalachian State’s Biology Greenhouse plant sale each year in the fall and spring.

Charlotte Wray

Geology professors receive grant for study of the “impossible” Thomas Culkin News Reporter

Two geology professors at Appalachian State University, Jamie Levine and Gabe Casale, were recently awarded a $139,895 grant by the National Science Foundation to study dome formations in the Tallulah Falls area in Georgia and the Toxaway Gorge area in Western North Carolina.

Mountains are formed by the collision of tectonic plates. Dome formations are elliptical features found in some mountain ranges across the globe, where the ranges seem to be compressing or extending. Casale said this is counter-intuitive to their very nature.

“You think of two tectonic plates running into each other, and you don’t think of finding structures that show that the crust is being pulled apart,” Casale said.

Casale said these structures and the geologic faults under them are so intriguing because they are impossible according to science’s current understanding of geology.

“I say they’re impossible because we can’t, in the laboratory, make those faults,” Casale said. “We simulate faults in the lab all the time. We take pieces of rock and we smash them, and they break in certain ways that are how they break in the field, but these faults break in ways that we simply have never been able to reproduce.”

Those signs of extension have been seen and recorded in mountain ranges all around the world, yet in the case of the Tallulah Gorge in the Appalachian Mountains, it is still the widely-held belief that the signs are the result of shortening. So, the goal of their research is to determine whether the domes are the result of shortening or extension.

“If these domes do in fact form from shortening, they’d be different from a lot of other domes around the world,” Levine said. “So if that were the case, the Appalachians would be unique in some way.”

There are a number of techniques Casale and Levine will use when conducting their research.

Samples of rocks are taken from the sites and then studied. They look at how the rocks moved over

millions of years, use radiometric dating to determine the age of the rocks, and they measure the temperatures of the rocks.

The temperature at which the domes formed is important because it tells them know whether or not other rock layers pushed on top of them.

Levine and Casale said the most important aspect of their research is the heavy involvement of their students.

“We’re going to be doing experiments, but most of the experiments will be conducted by our students,” Casale said. “Almost all of the preliminary data that we sent to the NSF in some way was either collected, or organized, or interpreted by our students.”

Casale said he believes this sort of fieldwork is an essential part to a college education.

“An important part of a Bachelor’s degree is getting hands-on experience with how things actually work,” Casale said. “Whether these students go on to be scientists or not, it’s important to be an educated member of society, and you should have an idea about how research works.”

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a&e

O’Quinn shows off “Beauty in All Things” thinking I could do something with it later. I pick up broken lockets in parking garages. If I see a cool rock, it goes into my pocket. Once I spent an entire summer learning about mushrooms in the wild simply because I noticed on a walk one day just how many different kinds were to be found. I’m a detail person, which makes the world around me a candy store. Everywhere I look I see something to make meaning of and that sensibility about the world has always made its way into my art.

Justin Perry

Freshman DeWayne Vaughan visits the “Beauty in All Things” art exhibit in the Looking Glass Gallery. The art show features work by Elaine O’Quinn.

Jordan Parkhurst Intern A&E Reporter

T

he Looking Glass Gallery was alive Friday night and filled with students, professors, and friends of Elaine O’Quinn, creator of the of the “Beauty in All Things” art exhibit.

Ariel Moran, a junior

art management major and current gallery curator, described the all-ink series as an example of how inspiration can be “pulled from anywhere and everywhere.”

“The only problem was running out of wine, which is a good thing,” Moran said.

The Appalachian sat

down with O’Quinn to gain insight on her inspirations.

The Appalachian: What do you find primarily inspires you?

O’Quinn: Is it weird to say everything? If I didn’t watch myself I would hold on to every little fragment of thing,

TA: Do you have a favorite piece within this collection?

O’Quinn: Usually it’s the latest thing I’ve done. I work on something until I love it. For whatever reason the piece called Victorian Rose has been my latest favorite. I love the Victorian period, and when I set out to do this piece I used colors I thought of as reflective of the time.

I was ecstatic when I felt I could legitimately call an abstract piece by the name of Rose.

TA: Are you pleased with the turnout for your first show?

O’Quinn: AbsolutelyI was very nervous that the only people to show up would be my husband and a few close friends.

It made me so happy to see people having a good time and connecting in this wonderful space surrounded by art. It

seems a small thing, but these are the moments that we understand how important community is in our lives. I am so thankful for all of those who gave up a couple hours of their time to be present.

TA: What fuels your creativity?

O’Quinn: Quiet time.

I try very hard to make sure I have time away from the madness of daily life. I work hard to get done what needs to be done, execute the joys of my academic life, pay attention to the people I love and then set time aside to nurture what feeds me, which can be any number of things.

TA: In your life, what artists have inspired you?

O’Quinn: I guess I have never met an artist I didn’t like. I’ve got everything in my house from dancing bears to kittens dressed up at a schoolhouse to mythological representations of Persephone. I also love photography and well-executed crafts, and I think it is especially important to support local artists who dabble in all of these things. Everyone can’t be Van Gogh, but they don’t have to be.

There is plenty of inspiration in our immediate life that can be captured and shared in extremely meaningful ways.

The exhibit can be viewed in the gallery until Sept. 10.

Review

Tame Impala explores metamorphosis with “Currents”

Abi Shaki Intern A&E Reporter

“Currents” is the third album by Tame Impala, produced and written by Kevin Parker, the brains behind the music. The band’s past albums, “Innerspeaker” and “Lonerism,” catapulted Tame Impala onto the psychedelic/indie rock scene, resembling music such as Cream’s “Disraeli Gears.”

“Currents” is a shift from a usual kaleidoscopic funk sound to a more pop-like realm. The album’s message carries the same theme as “Lonerism,” but stronger than ever.

This is definitely an emotional album, allowing the listener to dive into the introspective music and mind of Kevin Parker.

Every song in “Currents” displays Parker’s abilities

as a producer, songwriter and arranger, continuing his reputation for producing catchy guitar hooks like in past tracks Alter Ego and Feels Like I Only Go Backwards.

The album rids the presence of the guitar, sounding aesthetically different from past albums and proving that Parker is a cutting-edge songwriter and perhaps one of the most underrated bassists of the decade.

Parker’s ingenious use of the synths is colorfully displayed in the opening track Let it Happen, a dreamy eight minute dance number.

“I heard about a whirlwind that’s coming ‘round/It’s gonna carry off all that isn’t bound/and when it happens, when it happens/So let it happen.” The song intrinsically incorporates two second repeated loops resem-

Tame Impala ‘Currents’

bling an accidental skip, but Parker’s ability to incorporate controlled “mistakes” is where his true talent lies.

The following tracks, Nangs and The Moment, pull the listener deeper into a transcendent state of mind.

Tame Impala’s past albums evoked Pink Floyd where-

as “Currents” stands more in the vein of Daft Punk and Prince. It’s an album of change and progression through examining the past.

Tracks like Yes, I’m Changing portray Parker’s release from his old self. Statements like “They say people never change, but that’s bullshit, they do/Yes I’m changing, can’t stop it now/Even if I wanted I wouldn’t know how,” trigger intimate emotional magic anyone can relate too.

The theme of letting go of the past to accept transformation echoes in Reality in Motion, while Stigmatisms lie on the psychedelic aside.

Overall, the album works to elevate the listener’s emotions to a higher transcendence, even if it’s only for a second – a transcendence Parker flawlessly creates with “Currents.”

FOX

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 tion,” Hardin said. “With recent events, a lot of cities are looking into investing in police body worn cameras. For me, living in Greensboro, I figured this was a great way to cover the story and shine light on both the positive and negatives of implementing that.”

Greensboro first implemented police body cameras in 2013, Hardin said. He spoke with the mayor, police officers and citizens when covering the story in order to showcase both sides.

Competing led Hardin to an internship at Fox this previous summer in New York City, working on Mornings with Maria, a show featuring an array of financial and political topics. Hardin assisted with social media, video production and gen-

5 eral planning for the show.

“I would wake around 3 a.m. and get to Fox around 5:30 a.m.,” Hardin said. “I met a lot of incredible people and the skill building for me was incredible – everyone was very welcoming.”

For the future, Hardin is starting a show on campus called News Makers, focused on the organizations and leaders at Appalachian State. The show echoes Hardin’s former work as a broadcaster and founder of “Falcon Monthly,” previously dedicated to showcasing positive events in Guilford County.

“I feel like in the media today we cover so much negative news,” Hardin said, “so to be able to shed a positive light on what people are doing is what I really love.”

Hardin hopes to publish one video story a month online to help put Appalachian State on national and international radar.

“For our first show we’re focusing on large orga-

BEARS

nizations that reach a large portion of the student body, and then we’ll focus on smaller initiatives here at [Appalachian],” he said. “We’re working on our formatting right now, and we have our interviews lined up.”

Hardin found an interest in broadcasting at a very young age.

“Since I was very young I always had a passion for TV news,” Hardin said, “and I thought it was so incredible how one person could be in one location and share their experience with millions of others.”

Hardin advises new students to follow their passions.

“When I worked at Fox over the summer and I had to wake up at 3 a.m., that’s not what I would do for something I wasn’t as passionate about,” he said. “Your work ethic will significantly improve if you’re working on something you love doing.”

Andrew Clausen

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A preshow Ragin’ Cagin’ Burrito from Black Cat was also on Taylor’s itinerary for the night, he said. Each band member has before show quirks. “[Little] likes to do preshow pumps beforehand,” Taylor said. “And I’m fired up the whole time. We like to play at our house with the lights off, and that just gets us in the right mood. We definitely zone out [while playing.]”

Friday night’s show solidified how hard the band has worked to get to where they are today.

“The show was amazing,” spectator Daniel Joy said.

“These guys are super talented. I’m feeling really good right now.”

Black Cat Burrito showcases bands every third Friday of the month.

From Bears perfoming as the opening band at Legends. The band returned to Black Cat Friday night to perform again after traveling on tour for the summer.

6

Appalachian Fair 2015

Photos by Halle Keighton The Appalachian Fair, held Aug. 24-29 in Johnson City, Tennessee, was themed “Country Nights and Carnival Lights� for its 89th year.

Drew Exposition, based in Augusta, Georgia, provided the rides, games and food for the fair. Attendees crowded in the park the last morning of the fair, as free admission and rides were offered from 10-11 a.m. Aug. 29.

More than 130,000 people were estimated to have attended the fair between Monday and Thursday this year.

In addition to rides and games, the fair also featured live entertainment, craft vendors and livestock shows.

7

Daniel Bachman returns to Boone

Molly Flinchum,

Intern A&E Reporter

One of Rolling Stone Magazine’s “New Artists You Need to Know,” Daniel Bachman, performed at local record store 641 Rpm on Aug. 30. The guitarist was preceded by Wes Tirey, Ohioan, and Deep Search.

The guitar-based musician recently released his seventh album, “River,” which has been highly complimented by “The New York Times,” NPR and the “Rolling Stone.”

“There was bluegrass and country bands where I grew up, but I didn’t care much for it then,” Bachman said. “I’m a lot into it now. It kind of just happened – I left high school early and started touring a little bit. That was eight years ago.”

Bachman has toured for the entirety of those eight years. “[Touring] has been my only source of income the last five years,” he said. “I had no intention of doing it professionally – it’s kind of funny how that works.”

Bachman said he bought a banjo off one of his neighbors for around $40 when he first started playing music over 10 years ago. He began to play guitar when he was 15, and has never stopped playing.

Though his music has no lyrics, emotions are very important to Bachman’s music.

“I leave it kind of open for people to have their own moments with [my music],” Bachman said. “I don’t really talk about what inspires it. There’s death, there’s love, there’s real hard depression; there’s things that everyone experiences.”

Bachman said he wants his music to relate to everyone.

“I don’t want my work to be pretentious music,” he said. “I want it to be something that is really relatable, even if you can’t put your finger on it.”

641 Rpm clerk Devon Tuttle booked the show after having previously booked Bachman to play in Boone before, and the two have grown to be friends. When Bachman said he wanted to come back to Boone, Tuttle said “absolutely.”

“I had some friends in Ashville that ran a small venue and he played there a bunch,” Tuttle said. “I checked his stuff out and I really dug it, so I got them to give me his contact information and got to know him from ther.”

“We wanted to get people interested in his music, and in the records too,” he said.

Krista Gilbert

(Top) Guitarist Daniel Bachman performs at 641 Rpm. Originally from Fredericksburg, Virginia, Bachman is on tour to perform his album “Miscellaneous Ephemera and Other Bullsh-t.”

opinion

8

Gun control isn’t possible right now Quentin Russell Opinion Writer

America has again been confronted with the harsh reality of gun violence this week with the murders of reporter Alison Parker and photographer Adam Ward on live TV. The two had been conducting a routine interview with Vicki Gardner when a former coworker by the name of Vester Flanagan opened fire on the two of them, hitting the woman they were interviewing and killing Parker and Ward.

In response to this, Parker’s father went onto CNN and

told Anderson Cooper that he would lobby for harsher gun control laws in honor of his daughter’s memory.

While commendable, ultimately this action will follow the same direction as the aftermath of every other incident of gun violence that reaches national media coverage.

The topic of gun control will enter the public sphere and it will be debated for a time, but ultimately nothing effective and decisive will be done about the issue.

Case in point, look at one of the worst mass shootings in United States history, the Sandy Hook shooting. On Dec. 14, 2012, a 20-year-old walked into Sandy Hook elementary school and began firing upon the people inside. He killed 26 people.

Six teachers and 20 children.

One would assume that after

an incident such as this where children were murdered, serious action would be taken on the front of gun control.

In January 2013, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 was voted on by the Senate, however it was voted against 60-40. Later, in April 2013, a bill that would have broadened background checks on the sale and transfer of guns was introduced, but it was defeated with a 54-46 vote.

Gun control goes out the window the second the media spotlight is taken off of a shooting incident, and there’s a reason for that: the National Rifle Association.

In 2014 alone, the NRA spent nearly $33 million on various political activities. Additionally, after every single shooting incident the NRA has released a statement against any form of gun control.

There’s even a Yahoo News Investigative report that shows that the NRA may have broken political spending law by asking for donations in order to fund its lobbying efforts, then funneling the money into its own PAC. As things stand, there won’t be any legitimate form of gun control in the US, there’s just too much money being spent to keep a positive spin on guns in the headlines.

In order for any meaningful action to be taken by those who have the power to do so, the scope of violence that would have to occur is mindboggling, and the thought of that incident occurring is terrifying.

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

Controversy in Contraceptives: Injecting a change Lauren Merrill Opinion Writer

Birth control in the form of a pill has been around since before the 1930s and numerous types of birth controls for women have been developed since then including contraceptive in the form of shots and IUDs. Hormone-based contraceptives are concerning because not only can they be ineffective, but they come with some frightening side effects.

For example, the pill has been known to cause blood clots, strokes, weight gain and severe changes in mood. Other forms of birth control can be just as risky.

On top of these side effects, women have the sole role in finding the means

to pay for the costs that come with most contraceptives.

This leads many to wonder why more forms of male contraceptives are not available beyond condoms and vasectomies.

One form of male birth control that exists today, but is not available to the public yet, was discovered in the 1970s by Sujoy Guha, a professor of biomedical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology.

This birth control works by injecting synthetic gel into each testicle. The gel then settles in the sperm passageway and blocks sperm from exiting.

The injection can last for ten years and is easily reversible by injecting baking soda to dissolve the gel. The positives for this form of contraceptive are that it does not tamper with hormones and is 100 percent effective with few side effects.

This form of contraceptive is predicted to be available sometime in the next three to five years.

“I think that it would be good to have birth control options for men other than vasectomies or condoms, particularly ones

that are not prone to user error and that are not hormone based, as these are just not good for our bodies,” said Richard Elmore, professor of Philosophy at Appalachian State University.

There are other forms of male birth control that are being developed such as pill forms. However, revving towards a nonhormone based birth control such as the injection suggested above seems to be the healthiest option for both men and women.

“I think [male contraceptives] would be a good idea,” said Saray Smalls, the Coordinator for Student Wellness Programs at Appalachian State University. “I’m definitely one for empowering women to take control over their bodies, but I think it is good for men to have that same empowerment too.”

Visit the Student Wellness Center on campus for any questions involving birth control and contraceptives.

Merrill, a sophomore journalism major from Chapel Hill, is an opinion writer.

WDBJ shooting reveals the importance of nuance Kevin Griffin Opinion Writer

For most mass shootings, the harm caused extends far beyond the immediate, gruesome effect of the act.

The way media discusses the event, the way it is contextualized, can have broader social implications.

The case of last week’s WDBJ shooting has proven to be no different. I already knew, upon learning that the gunman had been a gay, black man with a history of racial grievances, what was coming.

The Washington Post recently compiled a sampling of the conservative reaction.

From Pat Buchanan to Rush Limbaugh, the basic sentiment was the same: ‘Why is this not being treated like Charleston? If Dylann Roof was representative of a wider social phenomenon, why is the same not true of Vester Flanagan?’

The answer here is pretty simple. While Roof’s actions fit very well into a long line of racist violence this country has seen throughout its history, the same is not true of Flanagan.

Flanagan did feature his race and sexual orientation in this manifesto, so it is fair to bring those up when discussing motive. But it should be pointed out that the type of killing with this motive is atypical. That few, if any, incidents in our far too rich history of mass killings match the motives in this shooting.

There are grounds in this case for treating it is as an

isolated incident and as the product of mental illness.

Based on the materials he released, it is evident that Flanagan was a deeply disturbed person.

Many media outlets are wary of focusing too much attention on the killers in these cases, for reasons that are understandable. The way that these shooters thrust themselves into the public eye, however, make it necessary to handle them in some way.

The way it is handled matters. The narratives that surround these incidents affect our perceptions of larger issues.

Right now, we are at a period of time that has seen important steps forward for gay rights. Also, the contemporary problem of societal racism is receiving a greater spotlight, and with that, the potential for greater action.

At the same time, there are

those in this country who have long opposed these social advances. Now that a black, gay man has not only committed another shooting, but cited perceived discrimination as a motive, there is an opening for them to cast doubt on all claims of discrimination.

We should all resist those attempts. It comes down to acknowledging that the world is complex and context matters. Even when an evidently psychotic person claims discrimination as a motive, it is still possible to understand that discrimination exists.

Yes, perceived discrimination played a role in our latest mass shooting. And yes, discrimination is still an actual problem.

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

9

classifieds

CRIME LOG CAMPUS Aug. 30 8:29 p.m. | Larceny Founders Hall Under Investigation

Aug. 30 1:05 a.m. | Underage Consumption of Alcohol East Residence Hall A student was arrested for underage consumption of alcohol Aug. 29 3:52 p.m. | Drug Violation Coltrane Trail Two students were arrested for possession of marijuana

Aug. 29 12:46 a.m. | Underage Consumption of Alcohol Appalachian Panhellenic Hall A student was arrested for underage consumption of alcohol Aug. 28 10:13 p.m. | Drug Violation Coltrane Trail Two students were arrested for possession of marijuana

Aug. 28 2:01 a.m. | DWI Rivers Street A man was arrested for DWI

Aug. 27 11:19 p.m. | Underage Consumption of Alcohol Legends Medical Call

Aug. 27 9:27 p.m. | Underage Consumption of Alcohol Rivers Street Parking Deck A student was arrested for underage consumption of alcohol

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The Appalachian 217 Plemmons Student Union, Boone, N.C. 28608 828 • 262-6149

Copyright Š 2015 The Appalachian

WHO ARE WE? 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 reader's opinions; to be a champion for student, faculty, staff, and community interests; and to remain independent, exercise and ensure its First Amendment rights.

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Malik Rahili Managing Editor Andrew Clausen Visual Managing Editor Justin Perry News Editor Carl Blankenship A&E Editor Kelsey Hamm Sports Editor Chris Warner Graphics Editor Samantha Cordialini Opinion Editor Lauren Burrows Photo Editor Alex Gates Video Editor Jennifer Rhodes

BUSINESS OFFICE Business Manager Ignacio Martinez-Alvarez

ONLINE Web Manager Dylan Dow Marketing Director Stephanie Sansoucy

ADVISER

Assistant Director, CSIL Allison Bennett Dyche

Contact Information EDITOR-IN-CHIEF (828) 262-6149 BUSINESS OFFICE (828) 262-2157 ADVISER OFFICE (828) 262-2245

Associated Collegiate Press

app news

10 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 given for events that are free or have a nominal cost.

QEP funding opportunity To promote global learning for students, the Office of the QEP invites faculty, staff and administrators to apply for up to $8,000 in QEP funding under categories including: Learning Communities, Education Abroad Training, Infusion of Global Content, Targeted Areas, Innovative Technologies, and Other.

Submit proposals at http://qep. appstate.edu/funding/funding-opportunity-application.

Proposals and letters of recommendation are due before noon Sept. 25.

For more information, see http:// qep.appstate.edu/grants.

Walk for Awareness Begins at 9 p.m. Sept. 1, Sanford Mall. Remarks by the Chancellor and other student leaders will be made followed by a silent walk to the Schaefer Center. Featuring musical performances by Ear Candy and Enharmonix. Kit Gruelle, an Appalachian alum who has received recognition for her documentary “Private Violence,” will speak.

The annual event commemorates lives lost to violence in the community and to support victims and sur-

vivors of violence.

For those who do not understand why the walk is held or are new to the Appalachian community, there will be a viewing of a video and a brief discussion on “Why We Walk” at 8 p.m. in I.G. Greer.

NouN auditions Auditions for the NouN Improv Comedy troupe will be held for any student interested in joining. Previous improv and comedy experience is not required. The interest meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 1, and auditions will be held at 6 p.m. Sept.

2, 3, 8 and 10 (mandatory). All meetings will be held in room 105, Chappell-Wilson Hall.

The Peel interest meeting, open mic & pancake party 6-8 p.m. Sept. 1, Whitewater Cafe, PSU. Pancakes will be served.

Learn about The Peel and consider joining one of the committees: prose, poetry, visual, public relations and graphic design. The interest meeting will be followed by an open mic at 7 p.m.

College Republicans meeting 8:30 p.m. Sept. 1, room 119, Belk Hall.

Safety Festival Coordinated by the Dean of Students Office, the event is themed “It’s Up To Me” and will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 2, Sanford Mall.

Call for volunteers Volunteers are sought to serve on the Belk Library Student Advisory Committee. The committee is charged to advise, plan and evaluate new services and operate as a

sounding board and test group for services and initiatives.

The committee will be composed of at least two representatives from each class. In fall 2015, the committee will meet at 6 p.m. Sept. 30, Oct. 28 and Nov. 18. The term for appointment is one year, with the option to extend.

If interested in volunteering, fill out the volunteer form no later than Sept. 2 at http://library.appstate. edu/news/2015/08/join-belk-librarystudent-advisory-committee.

Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series All programs are free and open to the public.

• Ishmael Beah, author of “A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier,” will present a reading and talk at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 3, Blue Ridge Ballroom, PSU • Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing, poet and editor R.T. Smith, will present a craft talk from 2-3:15 p.m. and will read from his work at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24, Table Rock, Room, PSU. His works include “In the Night Orchard: New and Selected Poems” and “The Red Wolf: A Dream of Flannery O’Connor.”

• Denise Giardina, author of “Storming Heaven,” will present a craft talk from 9:30-11 a.m. in Table Rock Room in PSU, and will read from her work at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 20, Parkway Ballroom, PSU. • Black Mountain College literary historians William C. Rice and Katherine Chaddock will read from their works at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27, Parkway Ballroom, PSU. Faculty/staff appreciation day Tickets are $22 for faculty and

staff for the App State vs. Howard football game, 3:30 p.m. Sept. 5, Kidd Brewer Stadium.

To order tickets, call the Athletic Ticket Office at 828-262-2079 or visit appstatesports.com/tickets For information, visit appstatesports.com or call 828-262-8649.

Turchin Fall Lecture Series All lectures are at 7 p.m. in the Turchin Center Lecture Hall. For more information, go to http://tcva. org/exhibitions.

• Sept. 9: “The Seen & the Unseen: Annie Waldrop” • Sept. 23: Intervention: Kirsten Stolle • Oct. 14: “The Performance Review: Endia Beal” (formerly titled “Can I Touch It) • Oct. 21: “Back to Boone: The Editorial Cartoons of Andrew David Cox” • Nov. 11: “Beth Hetland” • 2 p.m. Nov. 6: “Cartoon College,” film screening in conjunction with the exhibition At the Junction of Words and Pictures: The Tenth Anniversary of The Center for Cartoon Studies,” followed by a panel discussion with Alec Longstreth and Jen Vaughn.

Talking Box Co. Concert 9:30 p.m. Sept. 10, Legends. Admission: $3-$5.

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 828-2623060 or email apputs@appstate.edu.

Go to lap.appstate.edu/tutoring.

September

sunday

monday 30

tuesday 31

wednesday 1

Tai Chi (students only), 5 p.m., Turchin Center, free Mandatory Homecoming meeting, 7-8:15 p.m., Price Lake, PSU NouN interest meeting, 6 p.m., room 105, Chappell-Wilson Hall

2 “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” screening, 7 p.m., Greenbriar, PSU, $1 Mandatory Homecoming meeting, 6-7:15 p.m., Price Lake, PSU

State holiday: Labor Day

7

8

Tai Chi (students only), 5 p.m., Turchin Center, free

3

Visiting Writers Series: Book reading with Ishmael Beah, 7:30 p.m., Blue Ridge Ballroom, PSU, free Convocation, 10 a.m., Holmes Convication Center; classes that start prior to 12:30 p.m. are canceled

saturday 4

5

“The Divergent Series: Insurgent” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, $2

“The Divergent Series: Insurgent” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, $2

“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” screening, 7 p.m., Greenbriar, PSU, $1

Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day, App State vs.

Howard football game, 3:30 p.m., Kidd Brewer Stadium, $22 tickets

11

12

“The Divergent Series: Insurgent” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, $2

The Peel Literature & Arts Review general interest meeting, open mic & pancake party, 6-8 p.m., Whitewater Cafe, PSU

6

friday

thursday

9

“The Godfather” screening, 7 p.m., Greenbriar, PSU, $1

10

Talking Box Co. concert, 9:30 p.m., Legends, $3$5

“The Godfather” screening, 7 p.m., Greenbriar, PSU, $1

“Pitch Perfect 2” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, $2

The Sessions Panel: music industry panelists speak, 1-6 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, free for students, $10 others “Pitch Perfect 2” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, $2

“Pitch Perfect 2” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, $2

sports

11

Photo Courtesy | App State Athletics

Williams “next man up” as Pinckney transitions

by Colin Tate Sports Reporter

D

uring a non-contact drill in early August, redshirt-sophomore defensive back Brandon Pinckney suffered a season ending knee-injury, leaving a vacancy in the defensive backfield. The team revealed Sunday that the vacancy will be filled by junior-college transfer Mondo Williams.

Pinckney, who played in 10 games for the Mountaineers last season, had been the favorite to replace last year’s starter, Joel Ross, who was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent.

“It’s tough to describe,” Pinckney said. “You’re playing a deep ball. You’re thinking you’re making a play on it and it happens so fast. You can’t even really recall it.”

Pinckney’s teammates understood his importance to the defense.

“That was a big loss,” Williams said. “A starting corner.

A real big player that was fill-

ing a big role. For him to go down, that was a huge setback.”

The coaches were hurt by the news as well.

“To be able to see him grow these past three years have been outstanding,” cornerbacks coach Bryan Brown said. “And for him to work so freaking hard to get to where he was, and then for it to be taken away from him this season. It’s gonna hurt us.”

Moving forward with a “next-man-up” mentality, Brown believes that the team has the depth on the roster at cornerback to still compete at a high level.

“You look at Latrell Gibbs, who started seven or eight games for us last year as a true freshman,” Brown said.

“You got Mondo Williams, who’s a junior college guy.

And you’re looking at a guy like Tae Hayes who’s come in and had an unbelievable camp. You also look at Jordan Ford. Justin Wilson. Those guys. They can do it right now, so we’re okay.”

Williams, a junior college transfer from Iowa Western Community College, was thrown in with the starters immediately after Pinckney went down and played well enough to secure the spot.

“Mondo will be able to step up and that’s the reason why we signed him,” head coach Scott Satterfield said. “We needed to get some help at corner. Mondo’s had a great attitude right from the start, and he’s really competed. We like what he can do.”

In 2014, Williams had eight interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown, nine pass deflections, and 44 tackles. He was named a National Junior College Athletic Association second-team All-American for the Reivers before transferring to App State.

Once Pinckney recovers from surgery, he plans to help Williams the other cornerbacks from the sidelines.

“When they come off the field I can say, ‘Hey, you had this coverage’ or ‘Hey, did

you see this and that,’” Pinckney said. “In this time off, I just want to excel as a player-coach and help my teammates out.”

Brown said he welcomes Pinckney’s help and advice as he transitions in to his new role with the team.

“I can’t watch both corners at the same time,” Brown said. “It’s impossible. So he’ll look at the other corners and be like ‘You’re getting out of there too fast’ or ‘You’re using the wrong hand.’ Just things like that.”

Not only do the coaches see Pinckney as a presence on the sidelines, but Satterfield said that the players respect him and he’ll be a good leader in the locker room this season.

“He’ll be out on the field coaching those guys because he wants to see them do good,” Satterfield said. “He’s got a great attitude about it, and that’s the key. If you’re having a surgery like this, and an injury like this, you have to have a great attitude, and he’s got that.”

Women’s cross-country looks to run to the top

by Lee Sanderlin

Intern Sports Reporter The Appalachian State women’s cross-country team is hoping to make a run for the Sun Belt Conference title this season as they enter the year atop the conference coaches poll. App State received six of the 11 first place votes in the conference, with UT Arlington receiving the remaining five.

“We’re excited that the rest of the conference thinks that much of us,” head coach Michael Curcio said. “There’s a lot of work to be done between now and Nov. 1 [Sun Belt Championship], but we have to stay healthy and get through the whole season to be ready for that date.”

Junior runner Tristin Van Ord has

very high expectations for herself and the team heading into the season.

“I really want to be Top 10 regionally for the team, which I think we can get there,” Van Ord said. “I really want to go to the national championship individually as well. It’s my goal to win conference individually.”

Van Ord was one of the top performers in the Sun Belt in 2014. Competing in the 5K event, her lowest finish last season was sixth place, in the first meet of the season.

After that, Van Ord went on a dominant streak, finishing second three times in four meets, including at the Sun Belt Conference Championship.

Van Ord’s best performance last season came in October, when she finished first

in the 5k at the Upstate Invitational.

Van Ord said she wasn’t too surprised by the team being selected as the favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference this season.

“I was definitely expecting us to be in the top two,” Van Ord said. “We finished second last year and we were really close to getting first. I think people were focused on us anyways, since we were second in the conference last year. I think we are going to be ready for [the championship] this year.”

The team, along with the men’s team, will open their season on Sept. 4 at the Covered Bridge Open, their only home race of the season.

The race begins at 5:30 p.m. and will be held at the State Farm Greenway.

12

Photo courtesy | App State Athletics

Redshirt sophomore Michael Ellis leads the pack in a race during the 2014-15 season.

Men’s cross-country set to begin their run for Sun Belt gold

by Lee Sanderlin

Intern Sports Reporter The Appalachian State men’s cross-country team is primed for a strong year, having recently been voted by conference coaches to finish second in the Sun Belt, with UT Arlington leading the poll.

Arlington received four of the 11 first-place votes, while the Mountaineers received three of the 11 votes.

“It says a lot about our Men’s program when the other teams in the conference think that highly of us,”

head coach Michael Curcio said.

“UT Arlington is certainly the team to beat as they return three of their top four runners.”

App State is also returning three of their top four from last season, including redshirt sophomore Michael Ellis.

Last season, Ellis accumulated three Top 10 finishes in the 8K event, including a first-place finish at the Winthrop Invitational.

Ellis also finished seventh in the 8K event at the Sun Belt Conference Championship in 2014.

Ellis said hopes to improve this sea-

son in regards to his times and individual finishes. He also said that he wasn’t surprised by the team being slotted behind UT Arlington in the preseason poll.

“I think it’s about right,” Ellis said. “I figured Arlington was going to be the team to beat this year, I figured we would be right there around second or third in the poll.

I definitely think we have the team to win the conference, we just all have to be there at the same time, compete well and win it.”

The Mountaineers will open their season on Sept. 4 at the Covered

Bridge Open, their only home race of the season, and will compete in meets in Rock Hill and Spartanburg, South Carolina, as well as Kernersville, North Carolina, before heading to the Sun Belt Conference Championships in Georgia in November.

But for now, the team is focused on the next race.

“We’re really excited about that,” Ellis said. “The goal is to win our home race.”

The Covered Bridge Open begins at 5:30 p.m., and will be held at the State Farm Greenway.

Mountaineers beginning to fill NFL ranks Chris Warner Sports Editor

In August, while members of the 2015-16 App State football team have been preparing for their regular season debut against Howard, many former Mountaineers have been fighting to secure a spot on the 53-man NFL roster.

At 53 players per team, with 32 NFL teams, that’s only 1,696 jobs available in the NFL by Sept. 5, when teams are required by the league to submit their final roster for the season. Talk about a tough job-market for App State alumni.

But for the Mountaineers, who have always had a few players drafted here-or-there historically, many of whom have gone on to lead successful careers, the overall number of App State players in

the NFL is on the rise.

In a preseason game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Detroit Lions on Saturday, five former Mountaineers suited up, or were at least on the sidelines, for the game. Defensive back Demetrius McCray, who donned the black-and-gold from 2010-12, headlined the list which included former guard William Corbin (201114), former receivers Tony Washington (2010-12) and Andrew Peacock (2009-12), as well as former standout punter Sam Martin (200912).

Preseason or not, five Mountaineers in a single NFL game is a big deal for the program. Heck, before App State completed what is widely considered the biggest upset in sports history against Michigan, to have five App State alumnus in a single game was probably unheard of. But not anymore.

Currently, App State has 11 players actively fighting for a spot on a roster.

Some of them are locks for a job, such as Appalachian’s

all-time leader in receptions Brian Quick, who was drafted 33rd overall by the St. Louis Rams in 2012, the highest selection in the school’s history.

The same can be said of punter Sam Martin (Lions), offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore (49ers), and defensive back Demetrius McCray (Jaguars), all of whom have been starters for their respective teams for a few seasons.

But many are competing with no guarantee of a job when the music stops.

Cornerback Joel Ross, a Mountaineer in 2014, went undrafted in May and signed with the Dallas Cowboys.

With the loss of the team’s No. 1 cornerback, Orlando Scandrick, for the season, Ross has a great opportunity to make the jump. He’s played in all three of Dallas’ games so far, and has recorded six total tackles.

Offensive tackle Kendall Lamm, like Ross, went undrafted in May, but signed with the Houston Texans. He has played in three games this preseason, even starting in the team’s most recent 27-

13 win over New Orleans on Saturday.

Corbin, now a member of the Jaguars, has spent time on two teams since May. He went undrafted and was signed by the Colts, only to be released by the team on July 27. The Jaguars signed him on Aug. 24, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll have a spot on Sept. 5. But the Jags wouldn’t have signed him so late in the preseason if he wasn’t expected to seriously compete.

The jump from the college ranks to the pros is no cakewalk. Consider that 2015 Appalachian Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Armanti Edwards, who passed for over 10,000 yards and rushed for another 4,000, was only drafted in the third round by the Carolina Panthers, and stuck around in the NFL for only four years. And that’s no knock to Edwards, four years beats the NFL average by a considerable margin. Most guys can’t even crack a spot for a week.

Going forward, the midto-late round draft picks will

increasingly become early picks, and the undrafted players will become the midrounders of seasons past for the Mountaineers. It’s the benefit of becoming an FBS program and joining the Sun Belt: You get the increased exposure that’s so crucial to the recruiting process. And recruiting is the life-blood of any collegiate program.

Looking ahead to next year, senior defensive end Ronald Blair, defensive back Doug Middleton and wide receiver Malachi Jones, to name a few, are expected to make the jump and continue building the Mountaineer tradition in the NFL. Junior running back Marcus Cox may be a part of the conversation as well, depending on when chooses to declare.

It’s an exciting time to be a Mountaineer fan. While we’re quite a few years off from seeing App State produce multiple first-round draft selections perennially like Alabama, Ohio State, and other collegiate powerhouses, the program is moving in the right direction.