The Appalachian August 28, 2020

The Appalachian

August 28, 2020

Students navigate University Bookstore COVID-19 policies Pages 2

Students build health business in the Blue Ridge Page 7

Football calls practice after dicussion on racial injustice Page 10

What we know: UNC System COVID-19 plans Xanayra Marin-Lopez | Multimedia Editor

The 17-school UNC System is slowly closing each of its institutions as university dashboards report more COVID-19 cases and clusters. Students are learning of changes through school emails while keeping the possibility of leaving campus in mind. UNC System President Peter Hans issued a statement Aug. 17 after UNC Chapel Hill transitioned to online instruction.

Hans said the decision applies only to the Tar Heels because “no other UNC System institution has reported information, at this time, that would lead to similar modifications.”

As of Aug. 27, no decision has been made to suspend in-person classes for the entire UNC System and go fully remote. UNC Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University are currently operating with online instruction only.

Follow along for an updated list of plans for each school.

App State: Out of students and employees, App State has 41 active cases of COVID-19. Classes are being offered in person, online, and in hybrid formats upon professor’s discretion.

Students say Boone’s current social scene has COVID-19 risks. Parties and social gatherings are still taking place despite social distancing guidelines..

App State sent an email to students notifying them of a cluster associated with the football team Aug. 18. Athletic Director Doug Gillin suspended practice after the announcement, however, the team returned Friday in pods.

Chancellor Sheri Everts wrote to the App State community via email on the first day of class. In response to UNC Chapel Hill moving online, Everts said she is confident in App State’s numbers.

In Everts’ week of Aug. 17–22 message she mentioned speaking with NCDHHS secretary Mandy Cohen. According to Everts, Cohen was “complimentary of Appalachian’s extensive preparations and safety measures.”

When reached out to Chief Communications Officer Megan Hayes for comment, The Appalachian was directed to Everts’ Monday message.

The email referenced a pop-up testing session for students living on-campus and at Student Health Services last week. Of 2,006 tests, 27 came back positive. Of the available isolation and quarantine space, the chancellor said 86% is currently available with additional options if needed.

East Carolina University: Aug. 26, ECU moved all classes online.

The school’s most recent cluster was discovered Aug. 24 in Jones and White Residence Halls.

Two days before, clusters were identified in Garret, Fletcher, Fleming, Tyler and Greene Residence Halls. Another cluster was found in Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.

Continued on page 3 Graphic by Efrain Arias-Medina Jr.

News

August 28, 2020

University Bookstore implements new textbook distribution, students navigate system and school Jake Markland | Reporter

Students wait in line behind the Plemmons Student Union on Wednesday, August 26, 2020.

Ashley Foreman

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As students finish their second week of classes, some are struggling to navigate the University Bookstore’s COVID-19 procedures meant to promote social distancing and facing issues completing schoolwork along the way.

This year, the university requires all students to order their fall 2020 textbooks online and have eliminated the option of going into the bookstore with their booklist.

Despite the new provisions, students on App State Classifieds said days have passed since their initial order and they have not received an email with pickup instructions or shipping details.

“I ordered my books over a week ago and have yet to get any (information) on them,” said Devon DiStefano, a graduate student.

Kat Orlovitz, a sophomore, said she received an email to sign up for a pickup time, but wasn’t able to schedule one. After contacting the bookstore several times, Orlovitz said she was told Aug. 21 that the scheduling website was down and was instructed to show up without an appointment.

“When I went to pick up my books, I got told I had to wait for yet another email,” Orlovitz said.

Alfonso De La Serna, a senior who works at the bookstore, said employees are working hard to ensure all orders are fulfilled. De La Serna said the bookstore has been completing hundreds of orders a day.

Multiple professors have made adjustments for students who have not received textbooks yet.

Kathryn Montalbano, assistant professor, had to upload scanned copies of some textbook chapters for her course onto AsULearn.

Montalbano teaches her online courses from home, and says her personal scanner is significantly slower than those available on campus.

Scanning one chapter a page at a time can take two hours.

“That’s a very small price to pay for the increased safety of my colleagues and students by not being there unnecessarily,” Montalbano said.

“It’s just another way we all need to try to be flexible during this time.”

Students have had to modify their habits as well. Ali Harris, a sophomore, has had to adjust

how she completes her assignments while waiting for a workbook for one of her classes to arrive.

“It’s definitely made things more difficult for me,” Harris said. “I have to go to the library to print out all of these pages, which costs money.”

When placing a textbook order online, students are prompted to either ship with UPS or pick up their books in person from a tent outside the bookstore. Both cost $10.

“In order to limit the lines to allow physical distancing at the bookstore, we have asked that only students living in the residence halls pickup textbooks in person, and that off-campus students select the shipping option,” said Elisabeth Wall, content specialist and editor for University Communications.

Wall said that additional staff have been added to the bookstore and that textbook requests are able to be fulfilled in three days. Wall also recommended that students let their professors know if their textbooks have been ordered but haven’t arrived yet.

After an on-campus student’s order is processed, they recieve an email with pickup instructions.

In an email sent to students July 23, campus services administration said on-campus students would not be able to pick up their textbooks outside of their designated time. They emphasized that students must wait for a fulfillment email with pickup instructions before signing up for a time or they risk their order not being ready upon arrival.

“Freshmen would order their books and then come to pick them up saying that they got their pickup time and sometimes they wouldn’t be out for us to give them,” said Katie Barnes, a bookstore volunteer.

Notwithstanding, Wall said the bookstore has been successful in limiting long lines and promoting social distancing.

“The new process has allowed us to complete orders while enhancing safety for our students and staff,” Wall said.

Wall encouraged students who need assistance or have questions to contact the University Bookstore at 828-262-3070 for help.

News

August 28, 2020

Continued from Page 1 Two days before, clusters were identified in Garret, Fletcher, Fleming, Tyler and Greene Residence Halls. Another cluster was found in Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.

Interim Chancellor Ron Mitchelson published a message to East Carolina faculty and staff addressing UNC Chapel Hill’s decision to move online. He referenced guidance from the UNC System to continue on-campus instruction.

As of Aug. 27, there were 262 positive tests within the past week.

Elizabeth City State University: Last updated Aug. 17, ECSU’s COVID-19 dashboard read two active cases in employees and five students.

The university has not given any coronavirus related updates since June 2. The school’s website said that a majority of classes will be remote or offered in a hybrid format. They plan to shift online if federal, state or local authorities determine so.

Fayetteville State University: As of Aug. 27, 23 students and two employees have confirmed COVID-19 cases at FSU. The school opened Aug. 19 offering classes in-person.

Interim Chancellor Peggy Val-

Graphic By Moss Brennan

entine shared a message to the school’s website directed toward the Bronco community. Valentine said she visited classrooms and saw every student wearing a facial covering. Faculty members are teaching behind desk shields.

“It is indeed a different year; yet we anticipate new innovations and much success,” Valentine said.

North Carolina A&T State University: Both in-person and online classes are taking place at NC A&T. Last updated Aug. 18, the university’s dashboard shows 5 positive cases in students and one employee for Aug. 6- 20.

Chancellor Harold Martin recently spoke to TIME Magazine about opening the nation’s largest HBCU. Martin said he feels “guarded but comfortable” about the student’s return.

Martin added that those living in dorms have been checked for symptoms.

North Carolina Central University: NCCU Chancellor Johnson Akinleye encouraged students to “Protect the Nest” upon their return to campus. The university’s dashboard, last updated Aug. 24, showed nine positive cases in students, seven in employees and one subcontractor.

These have been identified as all cases since July 1.

The school is offering face-toface, hybrid and online classes.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics: NCSSM is taking a phased approach at reopening the residential high school.

The lower-density model involves two cohorts of students moving in on different dates. The first group moved in Aug. 21. The second group is scheduled to move in Oct. 6 after the departure of the first group of students.

For the week of Aug. 23-29, there are no active cases.

The option was given to students to take their classes fully online or complete half of their fall semester residential and the other half online, as outlined in the phased approach.

In-person classes will have online components and some courses are being offered fully online.

North Carolina State University: For the remainder of the fall semester, North Carolina State University undergraduate classes will take place online, the school decided Aug. 20. It was the second school to make this decision. University housing plans to remain open, giving stu-

dents the option to stay living on campus while taking remote courses, according to The Technician.

Other forms of instruction, such as clinical education and graduate studies, are continuing in person and in hybrid formats.

COVID-19 clusters have stemmed from greek life houses, on and off campus housing, athletics and more. The university announced three new clusters on Monday.

UNC Asheville: UNC Asheville is continuing its current combination of in-person, online and hybrid courses this semester. There were no new cases reported as of Aug. 21, but a campus update from Chancellor Nancy Cable and Provost Garikai Campbel Aug. 17 reported three confirmed cases.

“Taking personal responsibility and enforcing community health standards to mitigate the virus are essential for the success of all of us this semester and for the protection of public health in our region,” the administration wrote.

UNC Chapel Hill: After a week of classes starting Aug. 10, UNC Chapel Hill was the first UNC System school to close, with 177 total cases at the time of transition to online. Undergraduate students exclusively went online Aug 17.

Other graduate and professional schools face their own direction.

COVID-19 clusters were found in resident locations on and off-campus. According to the university’s news and updates, they expect to continue to reduce occupancy in all residence halls. Students living on campus were sent home.

UNC Charlotte: While students have not moved in yet, three cases total exist on UNC Charlotte’s campus.

The first day of class was moved to Oct. 1.

Chancellor Sharon Gaber shared a message before the first day of classes, Sept. 7, after NC State decided to move online. Gaber said there is no plan that will meet every-

one’s needs.

“I have heard from many of you about a desire to move to all online instruction, while many others have reached out to express your excitement about in-person campus life and classes.”

She said the university is in active discussion with the UNC System and public health officials to assess all options.

Additionally, the ability to cancel housing contracts without penalty was extended to 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 28. The deadline for payment of all Fall 2020 charges was moved to Sept. 1.

UNC Greensboro: There are nine total cases among students, faculty and staff at UNC Greensboro for the week of Aug. 17-23. Classes are in-person, online and hybrid.

For their first week of classes, the university updated the UNCG community in an Aug. 24 message. UNC System President Peter Hans was mentioned as making it clear that “operational decisions will be made discretely at each campus based on collaborative discussions between the campus, the UNC System office, and public health officials.”

UNC Pembroke: 63 students and 3 employees have active cases at UNCP as of Aug. 24. All cases are in isolation. Chancellor Robin Cummings responded to the high numbers in a campus message to students Aug. 20.

“These numbers certainly are concerning, but I can share that very few cases, if any, are directly linked to the classroom environment,” Cummings said.

Cummings then attributed the increase in cases to off-campus events in partnership with the Robeson County Health Department.

The school has a number of ways it’s offering instruction, including face-to-face, hybrid, alternative hybrid, fully online, synchronous, asynchronous and blended online.

Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

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News

August 28, 2020

App State clubs navigate COVID-19, hope for involved culture Cole Elledge | Reporter When Kayla McDougle became the president of App Builds a Home, she never anticipated what the fall would bring: a fully virtual club.

“I’m definitely crossing my fingers that next semester looks a little bit more normal,” McDougle said.

McDougle said all meetings for App Builds a Home, which partners with Watauga County Habitat for Humanity, have moved to Zoom, but Zoom is ineffective for communication. The meetings occur once per month instead of last year’s system of once every other week.

McDougle isn’t alone. Club life at App State is largely taking on a virtual model for the fall semester as COVID-19 limits in-person events.

“The experience with club meetings have been fine so far. They’ve essentially functioned the same as they did before, just over Zoom instead of in The Peel office,” said Molly Thomas, editor-in-chief of The Peel, App State’s literary magazine.

Tori Joy, associate editor of The Peel, said Zoom meetings for the club are unique, but she’s still happy to see her fellow club members’ faces from a distance.

Recruitment for clubs has turned virtual this year, too.

App State held this semester’s Club Expo virtually Aug. 16. Then, students logged onto Engage, a site that lists organizations and upcoming events on campus.

From Engage, students requested to join organizations and contacted them for more information. Club officers attending the event were available over Zoom calls linked in the platform.

Joy said the virtual club fair allowed for an interaction with students

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without risking their health.

“Freshman year is always scary, but not being able to leave your dorm without worrying about your health makes it much scarier,” Joy said.

McDougle said the event’s advantages were limited, including the option of attending from home and typing email addresses in the chat.

“I think otherwise, you know, there was (sic) a lot of limitations as far as number of people you could see and kind of the effectiveness of talking to large numbers of people,” McDou-

gle said.

McDougle said App Builds a Home recruited twelve new members through the virtual session.

According to App Builds a Home’s webpage, all in-person activities have been suspended until further notice. McDougle said volunteers will start construction work late September or October.

Not all clubs have stopped in-person meetings, however. App State Reformed University Fellowship, a campus ministry of the Presbyterian

Church in America, held a meeting at Durham Park Aug. 25. The attendees of the meeting wore masks.

Abigail Miles, the one of the two hosts of the meeting, said that while Zoom is helpful, it is nice to interact with people in person.

“I know it’s going to be hard and different meeting people in real life now but hopefully it will turn out good and I hope it will turn out to be a worthwhile thing for all of us,” Miles said.

Elizabeth Walton, the other host,

said she is excited to see people in person but understands there are risks.

“It’s definitely different than what it was before obviously and so there’s some sense of loss I think, knowing that a few months ago this would have been a bunch of us crammed into an apartment, which would be really fun,” Walton said.

Lauren Hooks, Elizabeth Walton, and Abigail Miles meet together for their weekly Community Group thorugh RUF (Reformed University Fellowship). To minimize COVID-19 risks and respect one another’s health, they meet outside and wear their masks.

Kara Haselton

News

August 28, 2020

Board of Elections to implement safety measures at voting sites Moss Brennan | Political Editor

Abi Peppin | Senior Political Correspondent

Thousands of people voted at polling sites across Watauga County during the March primaries. Sometimes, the lines would be hundreds of people long, crowding hallways and precincts.

The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t slowed down, so polling sites across the county are enacting safety measures to protect voters and poll workers.

For Watauga County Director of Elections Matt Snyder, safety is key for planning for the upcoming election.

“A lot of thinking has gone into this

year in the election of how to protect our voters and how to protect our election officials,” Snyder said. “We’ve got a really good game plan to do the best we can to mitigate the chances of spread.”

He said polling sites will hand out individual pens, gloves and masks to voters if they want them.

“If you don’t have a mask and you want to come vote but you’re afraid, we have masks that we are prepared to hand out,” Snyder said.

Sites will also have hand sanitizer sta-

tions available when a voter exits and enters a polling station.

Carson Jennings, a senior political science major, said he plans to vote in person.

“With myself being younger, healthy, I don’t have any particular health concerns, I don’t have an issue going to an in-person voting site,” Jennings said.

In Watauga County, 44,765 people are registered to vote.

Jennings said he feels voting in a more densely populated area is riskier because more people will go to the polls and social

distancing and cleaning are harder.

“I hope that the BOE can maintain and keep a safe place for voters to go vote in person,” said Dalton George, president of the App State College Democrats. “Making sure voting is accessible and safe should be a priority and the plans in place are a step in the right direction.”

River Collins, president of App State College Republicans, said he thinks in-person voting is essential.

“In person voting has always been an option during elections and many could find it difficult or uncomfortable to transition to other forms,” Collins said. “Voting in person should be a pleasant experience for all, including those weary of the coronavirus.”

For the elderly population at higher risk, Snyder said requesting an absentee ballot would be the safest way to vote with the pandemic.

The last day to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 27, but election officials are urging voters to send absentee ballots in as soon as possible.

Just over 16% of Watauga County’s population is 65 or older.

If a voter is elderly or disabled and does not want to vote by mail, they can utilize curbside voting.

“They can simply vote from their car,” Snyder said.

“We will have curbside stations with bells and people will come out and you’ll be handled just like every other voter.”

According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, before a ballot is issued to a curbside voter, that voter must swear an oath affirming their qualification to use curbside voting.

Those qualifications include age, physical disability or physical barriers preventing their entrance to a voting site.

“We take the responsibility of protecting our friends and neighbors very seriously,” Snyder said. “We don’t want anything else going on to make you feel like you have an obstacle to voting.”

Snyder said if a voter has specific concerns they can call the BOE at 828-265-8061 to address them.

One-stop early voting will take place Oct. 15 to Oct. 31 and polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

The line for provisional ballot voting stretches past the door. Gary Moorman estimates at least a 30 minute wait for provisional ballot voting.

Moss Brennan

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A&C

August 28, 2020

“I had to take it and run with it:” Freshman aims for music industry fame

Tucker Wulff | Reporter App State is no stranger to musicians who have reached stardom, and the next big name is on campus. Only time will tell if Yarou will reach the top of App State alumni among names such as Us the Duo and Rainbow Kitten Surprise.

With over 8,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone, Yarou’s hip-hop and pop mix is on the rise.

Yarou, or Harrison SmithMartin as his App State ID reads, is a first-year music industry studies major from Wilmington, where he spent his childhood as a chorus kid in “a big music family,” he said.

While Yarou doesn’t play physical instruments, his ability to sing, knowledge of music theory and digital production have brought him to where he is today, he said.

“I kind of rely on my singing for everything I do, and the second I could grab digital production,” SmithMartin said. “I had to take it and run with it.”

Though he got his start in Wilmington collaborating with local artists, namely other musicians and actors in high school, it wasn’t until two years ago that Yarou decided to pursue music as a career.

“I am still fully aware of how difficult it is to find a career music-wise. You’re freelance, your whole career when you’re in the music department,” SmithMartin said.

But even with those challenges in mind, Yarou has organized a team of close friends to help with different aspects of growing his brand, such as editing, photography and videography.

“It’s growing to a point where it’s definitely more than just me singing. I am really trying to build a team,” Yarou said. “There’s absolutely no way I could do any of this solely by myself.”

One member of that team is Nora Espinosa, a student at Cape Fear Community College and Yarou’s girlfriend. Espinosa is particularly interest-

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...every single lyric is so meaningful and always plays a role in his life...

Harrison SmithMartin, also known as Yarou, with girlfriend Nora Espinosa.

Courtesy of Harrison SmithMartin

ed in studying music management when she transfers to App State in the spring semester, and thinks helping with Yarou’s brand is a great way to enter that field.

“We’re on the way to getting a crew together to really push him off and really get Yarou going,” Espinosa said. “Instead of being like ‘Oh, have you heard Harrison’s new song,’ we want to make it just Yarou.”

Another part of building the Yarou brand is building consistency among the listener base.

“We want people to consistently listen on a month-tomonth basis and a week-to-week basis rather than it being release-date-heavy,” Yarou said.

Similarly, Yarou wants his music to be something that people can listen to “whenever and wherever they want,” he said.

“It’s something you can listen to with your mom, but at the same time, jam to when you’re working out at the gym or something,” Yarou said.

Most importantly, Yarou hopes to be “something a listener, an audience member, can fall back on whenever they need it.”

Espinosa, too, thinks the music is something that can uplift listeners because of the amount of dedication Yarou has for every detail, she said.

“Whether it takes him a day to figure that out,” Espinosa said, “every single lyric is so meaningful and always plays a role in his life.”

Espinosa firmly believes that “he is going to go far, and he’s going to capture everyone’s attention.”

Though Yarou understands the obstacles he faces, he too finds confidence in his aspirations to become a “household staple,” he said.

“It seems like a pipe dream, but I’ve got enough confidence in myself and the people I have started building around,” Yarou said.

A&C

August 28, 2020

Owners by day, students by night: App State students open nutrition business in Boone Ansley Puckett | Arts & Culture Editor Nestled in the bottom corner of University Overlook, customers file in and out of a blue-walled, black and white polka-dot-covered business. In their hands are different colored teas, milkshakes and smoothies finished with a blue straw and the signature white and blue logo of Blue Ridge Nutrition.

Inside are owners and business students Rachel Skinner and Samantha Leonard. The pair was inspired to open Blue Ridge Nutrition by a health food store in their hometown.

“We have one back home, and I worked at it for over a year or two, my friends own it,” Skinner said. “Then, Samantha texted me one day just asking questions about it, and I told her about it. It was kind of spur of the moment because we were both coming out here for school. I just asked her if she wanted to open one.”

Blue Ridge Nutrition is an independent distributor of Herbalife Nutrition, which develops and sells dietary supplements. Blue Ridge Nutrition’s drinks feature collagen, protein and other ingredients to enhance energy and hydration.

Though not an original business, Leonard, 19, and Skinner, 20, made Blue Ridge Nutrition their very own, cus-

I mean you can learn a lot in a book but it’s really the experience that you really learn... tomizing it with Skinner’s favorite color, blue.

“The main thing that we really had to do is just get our inventory, but we really made it ours, like a personalization of building the bar and doing the wall mural and everything, so we really just put our special touches on it,” Leonard said.

Senior Mattie Keegan said she enjoys having Blue Ridge Nutrition a walk away from campus.

“It’s very modern and I think very with evolving and helping Boone. It’s very cute and fun,” Keegan said. “I like that they are different and they are very college-friendly.”

However, owning a business is not without challenges.

Since opening on Aug. 10, Leonard and Skinner have had to balance class and operating the business. The young owners

Samantha Leonard (left) and Rachel Skinner (right) are Blue Ridge Nutrition’s owners. They are both college students. Samantha is a senior, studying finance and banking, as well as risk management.

Samantha is a junior, studying business management and marketing.

Ashley Foreman

quickly had to translate their business classes into the real world.

“I mean you can learn a lot in a book but it’s really the experience that you really learn, and with us starting this, we’re getting a lot of experience. But even since we’ve been planning this before we even opened, I feel like we’ve learned so much more about behind the scenes of what goes into a business,” Leonard said.

Despite the challenge, Skinner said being a business owner by day and student by night is a rewarding experience.

“Everyone has been super positive. On Instagram, they’re like, ‘best new energy place in Boone,’” Skinner said. “So, it’s been crazy and super cool to see.”

Keegan said she admires Skinner and Leonard’s determination to start a business while they are still students.

“I think that’s really awesome that they’re taking initiative in college and taking that chance even though they may not be quite established yet, so that’s cool,” Keegan said.

According to Leonard, opening their colorful business has not only been a great way to gain experience, but also a great way to serve the community.

“There’s nothing really like this here,” Leonard said. “I’ve noticed several sports teams that have come in here after practices, and they just love it because it supports their diet.”

Skinner and Leonard hope to pass down their drink-making skills and continue serving the community with Blue Ridge Nutrition even after they graduate.

“Long term, we just want more people to just keep on working here, and possibly have someone take it over. We just want it to keep going whether we’re here or not because it’s such a good thing here,” Leonard said.

Samantha, Rachel and another employee, Salma work together to create signature drinks at Blue Ridge Nutrition.

Ashley Foreman

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A&C

August 28, 2020

MASK FASHION Rebecca Parker

FASHION OF BOONE

Reporter We see them everywhere today: in grocery stores, in offices and even in the classroom. Most masks or face coverings are pretty plain and simple: boring blue or white. But, patterned masks are making a debut among college students. Some masks change color when you breathe, others attach to hats.

Some even don a plastic window on the front so the world can still see your gorgeous smile.

A mask may not be the most comfortable thing to wear, but students like Emma Wright are more than willing to wear them. Wright’s grandmother makes her mask for her, which adds some sentiment to the garment.

“We need them to protect ourselves. I wear mine to protect myself and other people around me,” Wright said.

She paired her bright pink mask with matching pink shorts for a color-coordinated look.

Other students wear them as a way to jazz up an outfit, like freshman Emily Player.

“I love the mask. They are like another accessory to wear,” Player said.

Player coordinated a fun pink mask covered in frogs with bright pink eyeshadow and pops of the same pink in her t-shirt. Player has multiple family members who work in the health field, so she under-

stands the importance of the masks.

Her grandmother also makes masks with fun and creative patterns. For Player, it’s not hard to fit in a mask with her outfits, she has fun piecing together quirky outfits.

Jocelyn Cardona also enjoys matching her masks to her outfits. Cardona usually sports her App State mask, but also has a collection of funky prints.

“I have a zebra print mask and a cow pattern mask,” Cardona said.

Cardona finds her masks at the farmers market in Boone. Supporting local businesses is important to Cardona because of the hit they took during stayat-home orders.

“In this time where the economy isn’t looking too good, it’s good to buy from local small businesses rather than big chain stores,” Cardona said.

Many local businesses offer masks to customers at affordable prices. Students can also use their masks as a way to advocate special causes or communities.

Though tedious, masks are a new fun way for students to be able to express themselves creatively.

“Masks are probably going to be here for a while.

I would be irritated if my masks didn’t coordinate,” Cardona said. “I can’t wear a full face of makeup, so I use the mask as a new way to express myself.”

Karolyn Martin, junior, struts a stylish mask outside the Plemmons Student Union.(Left) Emily Player, freshman, wears a bright colored mask that coordinates with her style. Player sees masks as fun accessories to add to any outfit.(Right) Kara Haselton

PLAYLIST OF THE WEEK Ansley Puckett Arts & Culture Editor

One of the best parts about attending App State is driving the Blue Ridge Parkway and its breathtaking views. Whether on the way to hike, picnic, stargaze or watch the sunset, you can’t go wrong on the parkway.

Exploring the parkway is a way to reconnect with nature and social distance.

So, this week we put together a list of 15 songs perfect for taking a drive on the parkway. Buckle up, roll your windows down and enjoy this week’s playlist: Parkway tunes.

Sports

August 28, 2020

“I just need everybody ready to go” App State volleyball prepares for

upcoming modified season

Ben Brady | Reporter After months of uncertainty, App State volleyball is finally preparing as a unit for the 2020 season.

Despite a shortened offseason, in which players were restricted from weight room and opengym access, head coach Matt Ginipro feels his team is well-prepared.

“It was not a lot of adversity, it was just a lot of unknown,” Ginipro said.

“The players were amazing throughout the whole thing. I told them to let me deal with all the stress, and you guys just be ready to go whenever that date is gonna be.”

The initial start date for team activities was postponed from Aug. 4 to Aug. 11. Because of additional virus testing, Ginipro had just seven players in the gym for the first few practices. Plus, the team only had one week of two-a-day practices before school began.

Silas Albright | Sports Editor

App State volleyball is adjusting to preparing for the season in this uncertain time. The pandemic has casued unusual distance and disruption to the team’s normal schedule, junior middle blocker Anna Kincaid said.

Courtesy of App State Athletics

The abnormal miles between players throughout the offseason and disruption of normal team activities means that chemistry is incredibly important among players, said junior middle blocker Anna Kincaid.

“We always talked about everything in our group chat. We Facetime and Zoom with the incoming freshmen to get to know them since we didn’t have the summer with them,” Kincaid said. “We talked to each other every day, so we remained close.”

For Kincaid and the rest of the team, having a season at all is grounds for excitement. Ginipro expected his players to be ready for anything.

“When we left in the spring, I was constantly telling the team, ‘we may have a regular season, we might have a modified season, we might not have a season at all, I just need everybody ready to go,’” Ginipro said.

The Mountaineers’ modified 2020 schedule consists of six weekends full of games against East Division Sun Belt opponents. Ginipro said he plans to take advantage of this modification.

“The strength is in the West. We don’t play any of them, which is nice,” Ginipro said. “We have 19 players on the roster. We will be able to play multiple line-ups and systems where it will be difficult to scout us. We

may have a kind of starting line-up, but mostly I want everybody to get quality playing time and be used to playing on the court.”

The highest level of competition the team can reach this year is the Sun Belt Championship, because the NCAA canceled all fall sports championships other than FBS football for the 2020 season.

For the first time in Sun Belt history, all twelve teams will participate in the tournament, instead of the usual ten. Teams will compete in pool play leading up to the bracket, which consists of single-elimination games.

Regardless of the NCAA’s canceling championship play, Kincaid says her team is

motivated to play to the best of their ability.

“It’s hard, but we’re grateful that we even have the chance to play in the Sun Belt Championship,“ she said. “Players and coaches remind us to think about our ‘why’, keeping the team mentality in mind.”

Ginipro and his team have one ultimate goal in the 2020 season: to win the Sun Belt Championship.

“We’ll be doing our best in the regular season to up our seed leading up to the tournament, but we know that no matter what we are guaranteed a spot,” he said. “The new format just means that we have to play a bunch of really good games in November.”

The Mountaineers are currently slated to compete in their season opener Sept. 25 at Georgia Southern, as part of a series of three games over the weekend.

9

Sports

August 28, 2020

App State football cancels practice after team discussion on racial injustice Connor Davidson | Reporter

Thursday, App State football made the decision not to hold practice in light of racial injustice issues in the country. The team instead used that time to discuss the issues and create a dialogue between players and coaches.

“Very disappointing that it’s 2020 and we’re still having this conversation of racial injustice in our country,” head coach Shawn Clark said.

“Many of our players are hurting right now, and coaches also. And what’s happened is not OK. App State football decided today that as a unit, as a group, as a team, we weren’t going to practice.”

Around 1 p.m. Clark called a meeting with the team’s unity group, which is comprised of twelve players ranging from freshman to seniors, and has six white players and six players of color.

After hearing what the unity group had to say about racial injustice, Clark called a full team meeting before practice was supposed to start to address the whole team. He made it clear that he wanted his players to know he supported them and wanted to hear what they had to say.

“It’s my job as the head coach to make sure that I have my players’ backs no matter what,” Clark said. “And as long as I’m the head coach, they will have the final say. And that’s why I love this team so much.”

After the meeting, the team went to the locker room to get ready for practice, when senior defensive lineman Elijah Diarrasouba

Courtesy of App State Athletics

10

and senior running back Marcus Williams Jr. approached Clark saying the team wanted to talk more about this issue.

“I went up to the team in the locker room and had a conversation, and it was a great dialogue, and I told them we need to go to the Mountaineer room,” Clark said.

During the meeting, over thirty players stood up to share thoughts, stories, frustrations and experiences. The meeting lasted around an hour and a half, even though Clark said it seemed like five minutes.

“We said if we’re going to make a change it has to be together,” Clark said. “We decided to go down to the field and wrap arms with each other, take a picture and let the whole world know… that App State football is together.”

Clark said the team wants to make a positive change, and not just “lip service.”

This is a challenge that the team is taking head on, and wants to find a solution to help make a difference. For Clark and the rest of the team, these issues transcend football.

“Ultimately we’re going to be judged on wins and losses; that’s what my record is going to be here,” Clark said. “But to me it’s more than that, it’s a forty-year decision for me… And I told them don’t let someone write your story for you… You have the pen last, so before the ink dries, write it.”

Mountaineers favorite to win

Sun Belt 10 selections on

preseason all-conference teams

Quarterback Zac Thomas, this year’s Sun Belt preseason offensive player of the year, (far right) leads App State onto the field before a 56-37 vistory against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 28.

Lynette Files

Silas Albright | Sports Editor App State was picked to win its fifth straight Sun Belt title Tuesday when the Sun Belt conference released its preseason awards. Ten players, including preseason offensive player of the year, quarterback Zac Thomas, were named to preseason all-conference teams.

The Mountaineers also received nine of 10 first-place votes to win the East division and appear in their third straight Sun Belt Championship game.

Seven Mountaineers were named to the preseason first team, while three made the second team.

Thomas, wide receiver Corey Sutton, center Noah Hannon, right guard Baer Hunter and right tackle Cooper Hodges were named to the offensive first team.

App State’s five offensive first-team selections are the most in the conference.

Defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor and cornerback Shaun Jolly are the Mountaineers’ two defensive first-team selections.

Wide receiver Thomas Hennigan, left guard Ryan Neuzil and cornerback

Shemar Jean-Charles were named to the second team.

With Neuzil’s selection, four of App State’s five starters on the offensive line were named to preseason all-conference teams. Hannon, Hunter and Neuzil are seniors while first-team selection Hodges is a sophomore.

Each of the first two Sun Belt Championship games have been between East division winner App State and West division winner Louisiana, who was picked to win the West again this year with seven first-place votes.

The only Sun Belt team to beat the Mountaineers in the past two years, Georgia Southern, was picked to finish second in the East division. Troy received the only first place vote that wasn’t for the Mountaineers, but was picked to finish third in the East.

Read more at www.theappalachianonline.com

Opinion

August 28, 2020

The danger of confusing

people with ideas Ethan Hunt | Opinion Writer Twitter user @sadkimberly tweeted Aug. 20:

“An ISU professor put on there [SIC] syllabus ‘If you are racist or homophobic on purpose I will dismiss you from class’ and republicans are literally calling for her to be fired. And you’re going to tell me that republicans aren’t shit human beings. OK.” The takeaway from this tweet is that Republicans are bad people. This sentiment is echoed on both sides of the political spectrum, with Republican pundits such as Jesse Watters saying Democrats have aligned themselves with “looters, arsonists, and homicidal maniacs.” While democratically leaning news sites such as Slate have accused republicans of being “thugs and Nazis.” This rhetoric from major news organizations has a massive effect on the average person’s view of their political opposites and is a cause for the hatred that many Americans have for their fellow citizens.

The idea is not that Republican or Democratic ideals are bad. No, the people who harbor these ideals are. A poll done by Axios in 2018 found that 23% of Republicans would describe Democrats as evil, and 21% of Democrats feel the same about Republicans. Some recognize the danger and self-defeating nature of this attitude, but not the many proponents of it. If those looking for support on the other side of the aisle wish to find it, then this attitude must change.

Social media platforms are inherently provocative. They reward and actively encourage controversy. Making people angry gets likes, retweets and Monday night cable TV views. Controversy is an unfortunate reality of selling news.

However, if this attitude is allowed to become the standard by which we treat each other —the attitude that the other side’s people are the problem and not their views — it removes all opportunities for discourse. If someone writes off their political adversary as a bad person, someone who is so corrupted by their political ideals that changing their mind is out of the question, what can they do? They cannot sit down and discuss their differences because it would inevitably devolve into violence.

Some would blame President Donald Trump for this polarization.

While he shares some blame, this issue is too complicated to fault one person. This division does not go away with Trump. It is an American problem and Trump is a side effect, not the cause. If we continue to correlate the character of people with their political disposition, we will find ourselves at a place of no return. There, the only answer to our problem is violence against our fellow citizens, as has already been the case in some Black Lives Matter demonstrations, such as the ones in Seattle, as well as alt-right protests like in Charlottesville, Virginia.

These situations represent the extreme, not the norm. But, if the rhetoric of hating the people and not their ideas continues, then they may become the norm. The issue we have is with each other. So how do we fix it?

A simple start would be to stop condemning the other side’s supporters on social media and condemn their ideals instead. You can change a person’s opinions. But if we trap ourselves in the notion that the opposition’s people — living, breathing, loving, human beings — are the problem, then there is no longer room for conversation.

ANOTHER CONSEQUENCE OF THE PANDEMIC: LESS OF AN EDUCATION Ricky Barker | Opinion Writer To say that the coronavirus has changed the college experience would be an understatement. In many ways, it has upended the whole thing. Everything we once took for granted has been taken away. Gone are the regular trips to the dining hall, clubs and sports, the parties and in-person classes. While there are still some in-person courses available, most have shifted to online formats.

It’s understandable why the university would limit in-person gatherings. It’s simply too dangerous for students to meet in the large groups that traditional classes require. However, it’s undeniable that for many of those classes, the online experience is not the same. Some classes simply can’t be taught in that environment, such as dance or theatre. However, the faculty must do the best they can with the resources available.

What’s incomprehensible is why students have to pay the same amount for less of an education. Every enrolled student is paying a tuition fee that represents a brick-and-mortar public university, one where they ex-

pect in-person classes. However, that’s not what we’re receiving. How is it fair to expect the student body to pay the same tuition amount?

The campus needs to have money coming in to run, and it’s hard to suddenly cut budgets. There are many entities that need funding and there’s probably already a tight financial squeeze on the school. However, it seems to be the only right action to do. Make no mistake, App State is ripping us off. We are paying a first-rate price for what is frankly a second-rate experience. If you want all online classes, there’s cheaper institutions.

App State needs to refund a portion of tuition.

College is inherently a business, and the students are customers. This business is trying to make us pay full price for a product that is clearly broken. If the university has any respect for the money that its customers are paying, it should do something about it. Create a price for the new normal, a price that reflects what we’re actually getting.

Universities Should Have Stayed Closed

Ella Adams | Opinion Writer

After 177 students tested positive for COVID-19, administrators at UNC Chapel Hill made the hasty choice to move students out and classes online.

Many North Carolina universities, including ECU, UNC Charlotte and NC State, have closed their doors to students early in the semester after seeing COVID-19 cases rapidly rise.

As of Aug. 25, Watauga County has 454 active cases, 138 of those being App State students. With cases on the rise and fewer people taking precautions, App State is on track to join other universities and move classes online.

So what’s the hesitation to close? Only one week into the semester, App State employees and students, including multiple players on the football team, are getting sick. But, there is no sign of slowing down.

North Carolina universities, including App State, have chosen to put their students and employees at risk by opening. The assumption that 18- to 21-year-old undergraduate students would constantly wear a mask, not attend parties and keep their social contact to a minimum is not realistic. Therefore, the administration cannot expect these regulations to work if everyone isn’t following them.

App State students aren’t the only ones at risk.

Boone and Watauga County have seen a sharp increase

in cases due to the arrival of students, and they are putting residents at risk. With students practicing varying levels of COVID-19 precautions and testing not required before coming back to campus, there is no telling how many COVID-19 cases students have brought to App State.

Of course, there is no guidebook on “how to run a university during a pandemic.” The decision to open up was undoubtedly carefully considered, and administrators have put many regulations in place to keep students safe, such as mandatory mask orders around campus, hand sanitizing stations and accessible testing.

Many classes are already online or hybrid, but as long as students are on campus, COVID-19 will continue to spread.

Regardless of the precautions, COVID-19 is still spreading, and more people are getting sick every day.

The best way to keep App State students, employees and Watauga County residents safe is to close the school.

11

Et Cetera

August 28, 2020

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