The Appalachian February 12, 2021

The Appalachian

February 12, 2021

Local bookstore featured on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ after struggling during the pandemic Ansley Puckett | A&C Editor Local bookstore Foggy Pine Books appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” after the Super Bowl when the talk show giant promoted the store in a 2-minute commercial.

Highlighting the store’s book selection, the commercial also included actor and filmmaker Tom Hanks, who spoke about what the store had to offer.

After the commercial aired, owner Mary Ruthless, who uses they and them pronouns, took to Twitter to express their gratitude.

“So, my little store was featured on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Ruthless said. “So so grateful for this support and excited to get started at work tomorrow.”

“The Late Show” reached out to Foggy Pine as part of its program highlighting small businesses struggling during the pandem-

ic. Deion Cooper, a bookseller at the store, said the show found them

through social media after the store expressed its struggle selling the required amount of 1,350 books each month to stay open.

Amber Tulino, a close friend of Ruthless, said the attention could not have come at a better time.

“It’s exactly what the store needs right now,” Tulino said. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving than Mary. They work their butt off. Literal blood, sweat and tears has went into that store.”

“The Late Show” then sent a small team around three weeks ago to film the commercial with help from the Foggy Pine team.

Cooper said seeing the commercial and Hanks talk about the store on national television was “surreal.”

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Student leaders fight antiSemtism on campus

APPS brings music to campus “front desk”

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Deion Cooper, a bookseller at Foggy Pine, has been kept busy by the sudden influx of orders since the feature - “We’re struggling to keep up, but we’re trying our best. We actually came in early so we could get ahead of the curve a little bit and just trying to grind away.”

Max Correa

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News

Feb 12, 2021

Burnout prevention series aids aspiring and current teachers coping with pandemic fatigue Abi Pepin | Reporter Students and professors are facing more stress than ever as they balance classes with their social life, Zoom fatigue and endless to-do lists during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a study conducted by the Health Minds Network, 31.1% of students indicated that anxiety has affected their academics during the pandemic.

After teaching a class about burnout prevention for 10 years, an associate professor started Lunch and Learns.

Lunch and Learns is a virtual series for pre-service caring professionals, such as future teachers, nurses, social workers, counselors to have conversations about burnout prevention and sustainable practice.

Chris Osmond, a professor in the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies, said the series’ goal is to address problems’ solutions to avoid being “burned out.”

“When I first came to App State, I was really looking for ways to bring medical education’s

insight into teachers’ education,” Osmond said. major, wrote in an email that as a future special Osmond first taught burnout prevention in education teacher, she wants to prepare herself a seminar for students in the Honors College, for all aspects of the job. but wanted it to be more accessible so OTHERS “That is why these Lunch and Learns have could participate. been so important to me,” Edwards wrote. “I am “My dream is that we just start a converfinding ways to take care of myself within the sation across the campus among both practiccareer that demands so much of me, both physing caring professionals and future caring proically and mentally, so that I am not one of the fessionals about these issues,” Osmond said. statistics of teachers who quit within the first five “We’ve all experienced issues years of teaching.” ...We’ve all like burnout, compassion and According to a report fatigue. We all know what’s experienced issues from the Economic Policy Ingoing on.” stitute, about 30% of college like burnout, Osmond said these graduates that became teachcompassion and conversations are more urers were not in the same progent and valuable than ever fatigue. We all know fession after five years in 2019. during COVID-19.

“As teachers, health care what’s going on...

“All of us are dealing providers, we tend to put our with unprecedented stress and challenges to our hearts into our work and care for others on a well-being but those are particularly felt among deeper level, but can forget to also care for ourcaring professionals,” Osmond said. “I think this selves,” Edwards wrote. is very timely. These ideas are evergreen.”

Allen Smith, a history and social studies inKat Edwards, a junior special education structor at UNC School of the Arts, wrote in an

email that the sessions are “informative, reflective and recharging.”

“I want to be connected, even for a short time, with a group that is possibly feeling the same way I am at times: both stressed and overwhelmed,” Smith wrote. “It is important to find community when one can, especially during our current state of affairs .”

Smith has attended one session and said that he plans to attend the rest.

“Through listening, informally writing and discussing these moments of self-doubt and my work inside an institution, I aired out at least some of my judgements about myself, my work and began exploring the thoughts and feelings behind the stress I deal with daily,” Osmond wrote.

Lunch and Learns are every Thursday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. For more information about the Lunch and Learns sessions, email osmond@appstate.edu.

Tech services combats virtual-learning security threats Ethan Hunt | Reporter The App State Information Technology Services team has combated a growing number of cyberattacks. In the battle, multi-step verification is an essential defense.

App State’s chief information security officer, James Webb, says cyberattacks against both businesses and universities have been steadily increasing in the last five years and are expected to continue.

The FBI reported receiving 467,371 internet crime complaints in 2019, roughly 100,000 more than the previous year.

Because of this, App State and many other institutions are actively using additional methods of protection, most notably to students the DUO app.

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The DUO app provides multistep verification that requires users certify a login on another device such as a smartphone. It protects users from any unwanted logins, even if passwords are compromised, Webb says.

App State’s ITS team is constantly looking for new issues and new threats by working continually to keep systems patched and defended, said Webb.

Webb said one of the essential pieces of that defense is the DUO app, which will be part of App State’s security for the foreseeable future.

University ITS successfully combats hundreds of thousands cyberattacks daily, according to Webb.

But, some still occur, such as the

Zoom bombing of the Faculty Senate meeting Aug. 17. `Individuals with profane usernames who shared a screen of Spanish writing, avatars and music interrupted the meeting, said Carrie McNeil, Faculty Senate administrator.

“It lasted only a couple of minutes at max, even though in that time it seemed like forever,” McNeill said.

The perpetrators were kicked from the call, and certain features on the call were disabled to avoid a repetition of the event, according to McNeil. However, McNeil is concerned it may happen again because the Faculty Senate must follow North Carolina law that mandates open meetings.

One of the biggest challeng-

es with Zoom bombings are public links. University security teams attempt to combat this by scanning postings to make sure the user intended for the meeting to be public.

ITS also reminds users of steps that can be taken to prevent Zoom bombings, said Webb.

“Just as with our personal safety and security, with online security, it pays to listen to that little internal voice that tells you if something doesn’t seem quite right. Always remember that if something seems too good to be true online, it most often is,” said Webb.

Students were directed to download DUO by Sept. 30 of last year.

However, some students were unaware of the app’s implementa-

tion until the beginning of the 2021 spring semester, when the app first appeared on ASULearn.

“At first I didn’t even know it happened, I was a little annoyed,” said junior Emily Melvin.

Melvin said her biggest problem with the app was the difficulty it caused when other people tried to log in to her account, such as her parents.

Webb said students concerned about inconvenience should fully read the installation instructions and make sure they are using the optimal method of verification.

“We are happy to assist students who may need our help to configure DUO,” said Webb.

News

Feb 12, 2021

Anti-Semitism on college campuses on the rise, Jewish student leaders push back

Hudson Miller is the president of Alpha Epsilon Pi. He is also a SOUL leader and a member of the Chancellor’s Student Advisory Board for Diversity Recruitment and Retention on campus.

Caroline McNair

Jake Markland | Associate News Editor As anti-Semitism rises exponentially on college campuses across the country, App State student leaders are working to combat it.

A plethora of incidents, including a swastika painted in an expression tunnel at App State, hateful flyers at the University of California Berkeley and a vandalized menorah at Penn State, have contributed to religionbased hate crimes on college campuses doubling between 2009 and 2017.

Hillel, a Jewish student organization with chapters worldwide, determined there were 178 anti-Semitic incidents on North

American college campuses during the 201920 academic year – an all-time high.

“People are just fully unaware. People don’t even realize the scale,” said Aaron Carpenter, a founder and former president of Alpha Epsilon Pi, a Jewish fraternity, at App State.

Carpenter, also a student representative for North Carolina Hillel, said that some Jewish people feel they need to hide who they are, adding that those who are “overtly Jewish” are targeted the most often.

Hudson Miller, the current president of

AEPi, said many of his fraternity brothers in many collaborative efforts that not only keep their kippahs, a head cloth worn by provide great educational value, but also help Jewish males, in their backpacks because foster a supportive environment for our Jewish “they’re afraid” to wear it on campus. students, faculty and staff,” said Hayes.

“Nobody wants to hide their identity, but In 2017, white supremacists from a neowhen we don’t do that look what happens,” Nazi group spread hate on campus, weeks said Carpenter. after a white supremacy rally Sydney Francis, the in Charlottesville, Virginia ...People are just where they hung a banner off president of Appalachian State Hillel, was a freshman when fully unaware. the Rivers Street bridge that the message “Heil Hitler the told people to “Get Active.”

People don’t Holocaust was a good thing” Francis said that on an even realize the institutional level, universities and a swastika was painted in scale... an expression tunnel below should do more to educate Rivers Street. students on anti-Semitism.

Less than an hour after it was discovered, “The university has a duty to take a stance Francis said she and her friends painted a Star against racism and anti-Semitism and sexism of David over it. Francis reached out to school and homophobia and really call it out for what officials, hoping for a strong condemnation of it is and call out specific behaviors rather than anti-Semitism at App State. She said the school having students step up and do it themselves,” response was inadequate, only denouncing said Francis. hate in general and not mentioning antiRead more online at Semitism. www.theappalachianonline.com “Giving a vague response against hateful actions or hateful words – that doesn’t make anyone feel better,” Francis said.

Megan Hayes, chief communications officer, said the Oct. 2 statement was part of a “multi-dimensional response” with a greater focus on assisting Jewish students, faculty and staff who needed support.

“We are very intentional about communications in order not to lend legitimacy and publicity to acts or speech that might intensify,” wrote Chancellor Sheri Everts in the statement. “College campuses are often targets for outside groups that seek a broader venue.”

In addition to a statement from Everts, university officials met with App State and North Carolina Hillel members and sent messages to administration and department officials with guidance for supporting the Jewish community. App State SGA and the Aaron Carpenter poses with Sheri Everts during the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies Alpha Epsilon Pi event ‘A Day Against Hate’ held in also released statements about the incident.

2019. Carpenter works to fight anti-Semitism through “App State has a long, well-established awareness, education and community building on App States campus. and highly valued relationship with the Photo courtesy of Aaron Carpenter local Jewish community, which has resulted

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News

Feb 12, 2021

Scrolling thr

making online

Kara Haselton |

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1. Aaron Carpenter, a senior double major in biology and psychology, said he does not like the idea of online classes, as he has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the format of working online is not conducive to his learning style. “It’s not what anyone expected.” 2. Jacob Villemagne, a senior computer science major, said that before COVID-19 changed his college education, he was able to get help from professors.

“But now, it’s just Zoom meetings and emails... I’m passing my classes but I don’t feel like I’m learning anything.” 3. Noelle Banks, a junior Public Relations major likes doing online classes. She stated that she feels more organized with everything being online and is able to give better responses to teachers. 4. Marley Priest, a senior self-designing a degree in Multimedia Production Design, took a lot of online classes in high school: “I know how to do well in them, but I don’t get as much out of them.” This semester they chose reading-heavy classes so they “have something to do.” 5. Cammie Hogan, a junior Communication Sciences and Disorders major, has mostly asynchronous classes and enjoys being able to set her own schedule. This format has allowed her to take courses at three different institutions for her pre-med track.

Kara Haselton

News

Feb 12, 2021

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6. Martha McGougan, a junior studio art major, has gotten used to “creating” in their own space, but it’s not ideal. She and her friends came up with a word to express their experience: “surthriving.” 7. Brendan Martini, junior Political Science major, does not enjoy online classes. “The thing I loved about going to class was the walks to and from class and being a part of the town.” “Being in a classroom with other kids made me feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself.” 8. Karen Mumma, a junior Communications major, said online classes feel more like a job than an education; “It’s all meeting I have to go to and projects I have to complete before the deadline and less enrichment.” 9. Caleb Owen, a junior self-designing a degree in Leadership Studies and Community Engagement stated, “It’s not my preferred delivery of class, however, I’m finding ways to establish a routine.” He stated that it makes him better appreciate the two in-person classes he does have. 10. Taylor Houston, a junior Sustainable Development major, is “not a fan” of online classes, but prefers a hybrid class schedule, meeting synchronously once a week, leaving the other day for independent work.

Kara Haselton

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A&C

Feb 12, 2021

Music connects unlikely pair, creates band and best friends

An unlikely pair bonded over making music that was reminiscent of being at a party surrounded by close friends. Color Shy released their first single, “Light Leak,” on Sept. 25 on Spotify.

Courtesy of Sarah Devoti

Nooria Lawrence and Nick Fiori in promo for their EP, “Strife of the Party.” The pair came together after Fiori saw Lawrence perform in 2020.

Courtesy of Sarah Devoti

Makaelah Walters | Reporter

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rom a small spare bedroom, two App State students spent the past six months recording and releasing new music.

When Nooria Lawrence and Nick Fiori first crossed paths in 2020, they were not expecting to become friends, much less a band.

Fiori happened to be in the crowd the night Lawrence was performing at a local house show. That night was when their interest in collaborating musically was born, he said.

“Before that I don’t think he knew I could play the guitar or sing,” Lawrence said.

Lillie Pond, an App State student who was also in the crowd, described it as the perfect night. “Everyone in Boone fell in love with her,” she said.

Apart, Lawrence and Fiori are opposites. Lawrence said it’s probably the funniest thing about them being in a band together. Sitting next to one another, Fiori in a baggy brown sweater and Lawrence with long pastel blue braids, the two even seem like an unlikely pair.

Lawrence, who started playing cello in fourth grade and quit guitar classes in high school, loves K-pop and rap music. She studies East Asian foreign languages and cultures at App State.

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“I loved playing guitar by myself,” Lawrence said. “I realized I only hated it when teachers were telling me what to do.”

Lawrence does all of the band’s writing and vocals.

Fiori, an environmental science major, ditched playing soccer in high school to focus on learning guitar and music production.

“My parents were like ‘if you’re not going to (play soccer), then you need to find something else,’” he said, “and that was my transition from sports kid to playing music.”

Fiori plays guitar and does all of the production and mixing for the band. It took Lawrence and Fiori weeks to come up with a fitting name for the band. They wanted something that paid homage to their contrasting personalities. Lawrence said she remembers being at work when the name Color Shy dawned on her.

“The color part would be for me, and the shy part is for him,” Lawrence said.

Color Shy first released music Sept. 25. The single, “Light Leak,” has been played over 3,000 times on Spotify since. The sound sits comfortably between bedroom pop and indie rock.

“It suits them very well and feels very personal to who

they are,” Pond said.

The band’s second release, “Strife of the Party,” came a month later as a full EP. Five songs capture what it’s like to be at a party, surrounded by your closest friends, and “still feel like the only one in the room.”

Pre-COVID, Fiori’s house was known for being the place that all of their friends could gather for a good time.

Fiori and Lawrence remember meeting for the first time at a birthday party for Sarah Devoti, the photographer behind their EP cover.

“It’s like it’s come full circle,” Fiori said.

Devoti and Lawrence spent weeks brainstorming ways that they could draw from the party theme of the EP. “I was obsessed with these really pretty cakes,” Devoti said.

So, she bought one, she hung tinsel, littered plastic cups and confetti all over Fiori’s house, and they shot the EP cover.

“Some of their songs are about parties and moments we had at that house,” Devoti said. “I don’t know if you’d call it nostalgia, but it just felt really nice to have a reminder of these really sweet memories that we all had with each other in that space.”

Now, as Fiori makes plans for graduation, Color Shy is working to complete their first full-length album.

Fiori and Lawrence gave Pond, who is featured on the new album, a sneak peek of some of the new songs.

She is really excited about it, she said.

With Fiori’s improved production skills and a newfound trust in one another, Color Shy’s sound is “a step up” from what listeners might expect, according to Lawrence.

“The vocals are Phoebe Bridgers, the lead guitar is Tennis, the drums are Alex G,” Fiori said.

Lawrence and Fiori said the title of the new album is a work in progress, but they are striving for a release in late March.

A&C

Feb 12, 2021

Couch concerts

APPS reimagines performances in new series Aubrey Smith | Reporter While concerts in Legends won’t reappear anytime soon, the main student-programming organization at App State is opening its office doors to musical artists.

App State Popular Programming Society has reimagined concerts in a COVID-safe way. Its new concert series, Front Desk, invites musicians to perform in the walls of their own office in Plemmons Student Union, with a virtual audience.

APPS’ Club Show council chairperson Emily Gottlieb said that NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, a series of concerts performed at a literal tiny desk, inspired the organization.

“We were just thinking about what we could do virtually for the student body,” Gottlieb said. “Where they don’t have to physically be anywhere and worry about COVID.” Front Desk has been in the works since May, Gottlieb said.

“We are currently in charge of all of the local music,” Gottlieb said. “We primarily focus on student bands but are open to bands local to North Carolina.”

While the organization can’t put on its regular shows, such as the annual Battle of the Bands event, its members are trying to provide some sort of normalcy while also keeping students safe, Gottlieb said.

Gottlieb and the council worked on recruiting artists for the concert series by posting on social media, searching for local artists online, and listening to students’ suggestions.

The first season of Front Desk will showcase three North Carolina-based bands.

Allie Tarry, chairperson for the Main Stage council, believes Front Desk has allowed the organization to host a different kind of music scene.

“With Front Desk, we don’t have to worry about if it’s going to sell out or not,” Tarry said. “We can book a lot of different stuff that we wouldn’t have been able to do before.”

While Club Shows is dedicated to local artists, Main Stage is concentrated on national touring acts.

Tarry looks forward to showcasing local artists’ talent through Front Desk.

“I just want to show off our music scene,” Tarry said. “And also bring new music to people on campus.”

Cane Mill Road, a bluegrass group, is the first band to perform on Front Desk, premiering Feb. 12. Liam Purcell, a member of the group, said that Front Desk is a great way to put out music during COVID. “It’s great to have a program that will assist and help put that content together,” Purcell said. “App has been really great about providing facilities and equipment.”

The rest of the artists featured in the concert series are student bands 80 Unlacey on Feb. 19. and Juniper Avenue on Feb. 26.

“It’s been really cool to see the talent,” Tarry said. “People are so talented here.”

APPS specifically designed Front Desk to be free for the general public, using money from their budget that traditionally was spent on hosting concerts, Tarry said.

The production of Front Desk will adhere to COVID policies, such

as requiring masks and social distancing. There will be no more than 10 people in the office at one time.

“We take these very seriously,” Tarry said. “We take precautions to have as little people in the room as possible.”

APPS is releasing each concert on their IGTV and YouTube. Gottlieb hopes that the videos will serve as artifacts for students to remember.

“They can continue watching it forever,” Gottieb said.

The inside of the APPS office in the Plemmons Student Union. North Carolina-based bands will be performing inside the office for a virtual audience as part of the new virtual concert series, Front Desk.

Mickey Hutchings

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A&C

Feb 12, 2021

PLAYLIST OF THE WEEK

High Country

Valentines Day

Ansley Puckett A&C Editor

COVID-19 Date Guide Xanayra Marin-Lopez | Multimedia Editor This year’s celebration of love can be hard to navigate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While following restrictions, there’s still ways to enjoy your partner, Galentine’s with your girls, or any time you spend with your loved ones on Feb. 14.

Dessert

Food

Scenery

If you feel comfortable to dine-in, enjoy a meal at some spots the locals love.

Or, order take-out from most of these places for a cozy night in.

If you aren’t full yet, make room for dessert! The High Country is known for its variety of options for sweets such as cookies and ice cream.

Take your loved ones to enjoy the many views of the high country with this list of hikes and scenic views.

Kilwin’s

Melanie’s

Kilwin’s old-fashioned confectionery in Blowing Rock makes its many sweets and treats fresh daily. You can choose from fudge to ice cream, chocolates, caramel corn and more. Consider ordering one of their gift baskets for your partner on Valentine’s or your next anniversary!

Located on King Street, Melanie’s is perfect for a brunch date with that special someone. Their farm-to-fork menu offers a variety of selections for breakfast and lunch from quiches, to Philly cheesesteaks to omelets. Don’t leave without trying the apple butter on toast!

For an adventurous date, look no further than the Rough Ridge hike.

After hiking ⅓ of a mile uphill from the parking area on the Blue Ridge Parkway, enjoy the views of Grandfather Mountain and the Linn Cove Viaduct. Trek just ½ of a mile after that, and you’re 4,773 feet high at the Rough Ridge summit.

Krispy Kreme

Troy’s 105 Diner

Moses H. Cone Memorial Park

You can never go wrong with a dozen original glazed donuts. To get in the spirit, try the chain’s Valentine’s Day donuts. Choose from chocolate caramel, sprinkled, sugar cookie and strawberries and kreme, all in the shape of a heart. Sip on a flavored coffee or frozen drink to wash down those classic sweets.

Share a milkshake with two straws at this 50’s-inspired diner on 105. Place your order behind the counter for a cheeseburger, country fried chicken or mac and cheese bites. Where else in Boone can you get a “hot diggity dog?”

Enjoy walking the trail, horseback riding or fishing near the Moses Cone country estate. One of the first landmarks on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Boone, the Cone Manor is a must-see for parkway goers.

Stick Boy Bread Co. Stick Boy Bakery is a must-try. Visit their original location on Hardin Street across from East campus for baked goods and an espresso and smoothie bar.

Insomnia Cookies Satisfy your midnight cravings with a box of a dozen Insomnia cookies.

Have them delivered to you until 3 a.m.

Thursday through Saturday.

Makoto’s Relax for dinner and a show as you watch your food being cooked right in front of you hibachi-style. Split a chef-prepared plate at this Japanese steakhouse and sushi bar for only $10.99.

Basil’s For lovers over 21, enjoy craft beer and a wine bar at Basil’s, located near the Boone Mall. Have a plate of pasta prepared from scratch to pair with your drink.

Bald Guy Brew

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Whether you’re in Boone or Blowing Rock, you’ll find one of the High Country’s favorite coffee shops. Take a walk on King Street with a pumpkin spice latte in one hand, and the hand of your favorite person in the other.

Rough Ridge

Durham Park Right on App State’s campus is the Durham Park. Walk along the sidewalk path, and you’ll pass Boone Creek. There’s plenty of benches, spots on the grass and near the water, as well as the Founder’s Plaza to stop, talk and eat.

Hebron Rock Colony When you’re on the Boone Fork Trail, you can’t miss Hebron Falls, home to the Hebron Rock Colony. Stand on the rocks as you enjoy the view of the waterfall.

Yonahlossee Overlook Read the full list on www.theappalachianonline.com

Graphic by Efrain Arias-Medina Jr.

Yonahlossee’s milepost on the Blue Ridge Parkway is the last overlook you see before the Linn Cove Viaduct. If you walk further down the grass, you can go under the overpass and explore a hidden waterfall.

Graphic by Camryn Collier

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, people are making plans for the day of love. Whether that means a romantic date with your partner, a day of self-care or a Galentine’s day celebration, Valentine’s Day is more than just a day for couples.

This Valentine’s Day, take time to celebrate any love in your life and enjoy an excuse to eat all the heart-shaped chocolate you can find.

To join the celebration, listen to this playlist full of songs about love, not just romantic love songs, but songs about loving yourself, loving your friends and loving life.

A&C

Feb 12, 2021

Continued from page 1 “It’s just a crazy feeling, like it’s not even real,” Cooper said Fans of the show and bookstore took to social media after the airing to show their support for Foggy Pine.

Tulino said responses have even come from as far as Australia and Canada.

“We were sitting there last night for about two hours afterward and just watching the orders come into the store and they’re from all over the U.S.,” Tulino said.

“It’s insane the amount of people that it’s reached.”

Twitter user Jude Hannah tweeted, “I sure wish I had a bookstore like @FoggyPineBooks in my town.”

Cooper said the orders the store has already received have kept their small team busy.

“It’s amazing,” Cooper said. “Since we’re just a small team, we’re struggling to keep up, but we’re trying our best. We actually came in early so we could get ahead of the curve a little bit and just trying to grind away.”

As the only independent bookstore in Boone, Tulino is relieved that Foggy Pine has received the attention it needs to stay open.

“It’s such a safe place for queer people, people of color, trans people, anybody,” Tulino said. “It would be such a loss to the community if anything happened.”

Although the team is excited about the influx in orders and attention, Cooper said the shop is not open for in-store browsing.

Customers can shop online and have books delivered to them, in addition to utilizing the store’s drive-thru window with the pick-up option.

Foggy Pine Books is open on Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Mary Ruthless, the owner of Foggy Pine Books, expressed their gratitude to “The Late Show” on Twitter after the bookstore was featured.

Max Correa

Music therapy program goes virtual, offers free remote services Zoe Zink | Reporter When COVID-19 made its way to App State’s campus in spring 2020, departments across campus had to adapt quickly. The music therapy program, in particular, had a unique plan to promote the success of both their students and faculty.

The Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy program at App State is small and requires an audition, interview, internship and a six credit-hour practicum. The practicum happens in various settings across the community, from school classrooms and assisted-living facilities to behavioral and psychiatric centers.

However, singing and teaching in large groups has not been possible for the last 10 months. Dr. Christine Leist, an associate professor in the school of music, considered the idea of utilizing telehealth technology and offering free therapy in different ways.

Leist contacted The Children’s Playhouse, a learning and play center for children in Boone. The center advertised for the therapy group on social media, and overnight, registration was halfway full.

“It was a way to announce our services,” Leist said. “So that people who are looking at their Facebook page might see that ad and want to sign up for the group.”

On any given day last fall, students from the music therapy department could be found alongside a fellow classmate, clients and a certified board specialist on Zoom. In these rooms, they use what they have learned in their program to promote social skills, fine motor movements and other individual objectives.

Students curate their weekly lesson plans depending on the participant’s age, need and personal skills.

Students might start off by leading a song to say “hello” or to learn each

Students with a participant during a music therapy session before COVID-19. Now, the Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy program has taken its program virtual and offers free and remote music therapy.

Courtesy of Christine Leist

other’s names. As the weeks progress, they take the client’s needs and wants into consideration when designing a plan. For example, they might ask what genre of music they enjoy or who their favorite artist is.

“If they like ‘Frozen,’ maybe they are doing a song about counting, so they are counting images of Olaf,” Leist said.

Other ways they meet clients’ needs include learning sign language to sign with a song, using their hands to point to aid fine motor skills, and singing academic-based songs to help learn the alphabet or to count.

“Lots of music therapists will co-treat with other types of therapists… music is so intrinsically motivating that it latches people on in a way that they might not be willing to otherwise,” senior music therapy student Emme Hooks said.

Not only is music therapy beneficial to the students being able to work hands-on with clients, it also provides a service that is much needed in the community, according to Leist.

“We have been serving the community in

public schools … the teachers are supportive and see the value from their class… It’s just another resource in Boone,” Leist said.

Before COVID, almost every classroom at Hardin Park School in Boone, and nursing homes and hospitals around the High Country received weekly sessions with a student in the program.

While the execution has changed, telehealth has allowed the program to expand beyond the High Country and venture into other parts of North Carolina. Students have been able to conduct their music therapy sessions in both Asheville and Huntersville, something that would not be possible without the wealth of new technology.

Another opportunity that has been opened up thanks to telehealth: the ability to treat children who they could not reach otherwise.

“Telehealth has really widened our reach, it has allowed people to receive resources in a time when money is strapped, if the parents worked and couldn’t bring their kids into sessions, they can do that now,” Hooks said.

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Sports

Feb 12, 2021

App State sports Twitter community rallies around alumnus fighting leukemia Cameron Burnett | Reporter

Michael Morgan, a 2019 App State graduate, has supported and cheered on the Mountaineers since he was a student, and is also very active with other fans on Twitter.

In late December, Morgan was diagnosed with leukemia for the third time and had to prepare to fight it again.

“Leukemia is measured in blasts, which is like the percentage of leukemia cells in your blood. I was at 5% in my central nervous system, which means they found it in my spine,” Morgan said. “We started doing spinal chemotherapy, which punctures where they take fluid out of your spine and put some chemo fluid to fix what’s going on.”

Morgan has been going through these treatments since his recent diagnosis, and the doctors noticed the leukemia cells returning in the early stages, helping his body fight them off.

Immediately after he announced on Twitter that he would be fighting leukemia again, Morgan’s wife put up a GoFundMe for $5000 to help cover the medical costs since he was unable to work at the time.

“My wife has been my number one supporter through all of this, been the one taking me to the hospital, making sure that I’m in good shape all the time,” Morgan said.

Fellow App State alumni and fans he connected with on Twitter saw the GoFundMe, and pitched in enough to meet the goal in just two days. Fans of other Sun Belt programs also stepped in to help.

“It was really crazy because it wasn’t just the App State community. We also got help from Louisiana people, we got help from Georgia Southern people. Everybody came together, people that I’m usually trash talking to on Twitter with all this stuff about ‘App is great and everybody else sucks.’ They all came together,” Morgan said.

When Morgan and his wife put out the GoFundMe, many App State fans retweeted and shared it with others, including a group that goes by “The Cone Gang,” which is run by recent alumni who are huge sports fans, and more specifically, huge basketball fans.

“We initially met him because he was al-

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ways in the (Twitter Live chat). He would always ask us questions and that’s how that relationship started,” said Parker Stone, who runs @ConeEnforcer on Twitter.

Through this connection, the group found out about Morgan’s third battle with leukemia and made sure to do their part in making sure he’d be okay.

“He started talking about the medical things he was going through and posted that link to the GoFundMe and it was a no-brainer.

As soon as I saw it, I donated immediately and retweeted it,” said Will Strickland, who runs @ AppStateConeBoy on Twitter. “He’s someone who’s nice, we have that common experience at App and I donated right away.”

This was a sentiment felt by the entire group as well as the App State community.

Through their connection at App State and on social media, they decided it was only right to do anything to help.

“You get into these Twitter fights about the football team and basketball team, but as soon as someone posts something from their personal life, it leaves that level and moves on to a community help event,” Stone said. “When you can help a Mountaineer, you’re gonna help a Mountaineer.”

This group’s connection to Morgan was limited to social media due to the pandemic, but the group has plans to meet him once it’s over.

“If the pandemic wasn’t happening and we could’ve gone to the football games last year, I know we would’ve met up and maybe tailgated together and sat at the game together,” Andrew Curry said, who runs @Section15NeedsU on Twitter.

Morgan was taken aback by the news when he found out how quickly the goal had been reached, and he said it took off a large amount of stress for him while preparing for a third bout.

“It was amazing to see the support that we got from the App State community. Everybody really came together and I got a lot of help from ‘The Cone Gang’ and all of the other people who helped share my stuff. It was crazy to see the amount of support people were willing to

give,” Morgan said.

Beyond the support from the GoFundMe and social media, Morgan was surprised with a gift from the men’s basketball program. Head coach Dustin Kerns and the team sent him a message of support signed by Kerns and the whole roster.

“Michael has been a loyal supporter of the program and a member of the App family.

He has shown incredible bravery and courage during this time. We know Michael is a fighter and we are fully behind him as he continues to fight,” Kerns said.

Morgan is a fan of all App State sports and was shocked to receive a gift like this directly from the program.

“It meant a lot. Especially this season, I told myself I want to watch more basketball,” Morgan said. “I never would’ve expected that, but just to see the support from the school is pretty great.”

In late January, Morgan announced that he is officially clear of leukemia cells, but will continue to go through the treatment as it is routine to finish in caution. He also found a new job after one interview.

Michael Morgan, a 2019 App State grad, was diagnosed with leukemia for the third time in December.

Morgan’s wife, Emily, organized a GoFundMe to help pay for the medical bills. With help from the App State Twitter community, donations met the fundraising goal within two days.

Courtesy Michael Morgan

Sports

Feb 12, 2021

Former App State pitcher continues baseball career internationally

Former App State pitcher Kaleb Bowman pitches during a game with the Fredericton Royals, a member of the New Brunswick Senior Baseball League in Canada. In 2019, Bowman set a program record for the most innings in a season by a reliever.

Courtesy Kaleb Bowman

Elizabeth Hutto | Reporter At App State, Kaleb Bowman’s talents were clear as a pitcher for the baseball team.

In the 2018-19 seasons Bowman made 52 appearances for the Mountaineers, finishing his career with a 3.76 ERA and 8-2 record. In 2019, Bowman set the program’s single-season record for innings by a reliever, as well as being the first full-time reliever to win the Sun Belt ERA title since 2014.

Since graduating, Bowman has continued to play the game he loves, and he gets to do it while putting his passport to use as well.

After graduation, Bowman knew he didn’t want to give up baseball, so he reached out to a friend who played baseball interna-

tionally. This friend directed him to join an online group called Baseball Jobs Overseas.

“Within an hour of my profile being up, I had over 10 teams reach out to me from mainly all over Europe and Canada,” Bowman said. “I put the profile up early June, and my sister was getting married in mid-June. I went to my sister’s wedding and then the next day, I flew up to New Brunswick, Canada.”

Bowman joined the Fredericton Royals in the middle of the Canadian season and as a starter, helped lead his team to the championship series, before losing in the final game.

Bowman returned to the United States for six days before continuing his post-college

career with the Greater Brisbane League in Australia. There, he set a single-season record with 160 strikeouts. After the conclusion of his first season in Australia, Bowman signed with the Melbourne Aces before COVID hit in 2020.

“I was supposed to go back in October, but Australia shut down the border to Americans,” Bowman said.

While he waits for the opportunity to further his career in Australia, Bowman decided to sign with Guggenberger Legionäre in Regensburg, Germany. He plans to join the team this March as a starter.

Bowman has never been to Europe, but

says that the opportunity to play in Germany was a blessing during a difficult time.

“I was just in a hard spot in my life with COVID and not traveling. I was at the point where it was like, ‘do I want to keep playing?’” Bowman said.

Bowman found job opportunities in the United States, but was still hoping to continue playing internationally.

“This kind of just fell into my lap,” he said. “This team reached out to me, and it’s probably one of the best teams in Germany and one of the professional leagues in Europe, and I wanted to play at the highest level, that was important for me.”

Bowman said that within 12 hours of talking to Guggenberger Legionäre, they had a contract laid out for him and he signed the next morning.

During the offseason, Bowman is just as busy. He’s learning German and helps teach younger generations the game he loves. He also manages a baseball facility in Northern Virginia, where he is originally from.

“We do stuff like lessons and camps, but we have been hosting distance learning since school has been out,” he said.

The children come into the facility around 7 in the morning and during the day, the coaches assist the kids with computer setup, and answer questions. Bowman said they also get to help with the “fun stuff,” which is lunch and recess.

He credits his former head coach at App State, Kermit Smith, with helping him become the person he is today.

“Coach Smith really preaches on becoming the best man and best person you can be. He preached to us day in and day out, you want to be the best player but, you also have to be the best son, the best husband, and the best father you can be in the long run,” Bowman said. “Everything I do reflects on me, reflects on my family, reflects on my past.”

The success Bowman has achieved post-college does not come as a surprise to his former coaches at App State, and it wasn’t just because of the talent he showed on the mound.

“He’s extremely passionate about life,” Smith said.

“He’s an incredible student, an incredible worker. He, of course, possessed some talent on the mound, but his desire and work ethic is what took those skills and allowed him to be elite.”

Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

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Sports

Feb 12, 2021

After 8-0 SoCon slate, Russell leads App State wrestling into postseason Silas Albright | Sports Editor Codi Russell, a senior on App State’s wrestling team, said he’s been involved with the sport since he was about three and half years old – far earlier than most dream of joining a college team.

Russell’s dad, George, wrestled at Gardner-Webb University, so naturally, he passed the sport down to his sons; first Sean, and then Codi.

“When I came along, as soon as I could walk, my dad just went ahead and started making me and Sean wrestle each other,” Russell said.

Both brothers played baseball, football and wrestled, and Codi said

they were super competitive in everything from an early age. He said they ended up focusing on wrestling because it was the sport they enjoyed the most success in.

“I think for me and Sean, we liked the one-on-one aspect,” Russell said.

He explained how sometimes in team sports, like football, individuals can fall back on their teammates and get bailed out even if the individual isn’t quite as good as the rest of their team. He also mentioned that sometimes individuals can get lost in the shuffle of everything going on in team

App State redshirt senior wrestler Codi Russell looks on before a match this season.

The Atlanta native is currently ranked in the Top 25 in the NCAA at 125 pounds by all five major outlets. (The Open Mat, TrackWrestling, WrestleStat, Flo Wrestling, InterMat)

Andy McLean

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sports.

“In wrestling, it’s just you out there,” Russell said. “If you didn’t put the work in or do the right things off the mat, then it’s going to show. We really liked that early on.”

From there, the brothers never looked back. Throughout his decorated career at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Georgia, Codi compiled a career record of 220-15.

His senior year, he won the Georgia state championship and the National High School Coaches Association senior championship at 120 pounds.

Sean went on to become an NCAA all-American at D-II Edinboro University in Pennsylvania before transferring to wrestling powerhouse Minnesota, where he went 28-6 as a redshirt senior with his only losses coming to top5 ranked opponents.

Out of high school, Codi originally committed to wrestle at NC State, and spent a season there, before opting to enter the NCAA transfer portal and continue his career elsewhere.

“When he came to App, he had actually been off the mat for about a year, so physically, he was not where we needed him or where he wanted to be,” App State head wrestling coach JohnMark Bentley said. “There was a lot of rust when he got here.”

Bentley said Russell arrived in Boone during the summer, and those first few months of getting him back in shape and prepared to wrestle were a challenge. During Russell’s first semester competing for App State in 2017, he was far from the dominant wrestler Mountaineer fans have come to know over the past few seasons.

But, Russell turned it around in the second semester of his first season, going 6-1 in Southern Conference duals and eventually finishing as the SoCon tournament’s runner-up at 133 pounds. At the tournament, he notched

an impressive 11-5 decision over the reigning conference champion, Chris Debien of Chattanooga, before dropping a tight 5-4 decision to SIU-Edwardsville’s John Muldoon in the championship match.

“Since then, he’s kind of been on an upward trajectory,” Bentley said.

As a sophomore, Russell compiled a 22-12 record, and claimed the SoCon title at 133, automatically qualifying for the NCAA Championships. At the NCAAs, he went 1-2, recording a pin in his victory over Ohio’s Mario Guillen, who beat Russell during the regular season.

Last year, as a junior, Russell went 26-10 and qualified for the NCAA’s again, this time from an at-large bid.

He finished as the SoCon’s runner up at 133 for the second time after falling in the championship to a top-10 opponent. Due to the pandemic, the NCAA’s were canceled.

This year, Russell made the switch from the 133-pound weight class down to 125.

“I think he’s more confident at that weight, just mentally,” Bentley said. “In our sport, there’s no substitute for confidence. If you believe you’re going to have success, typically, that’s a pretty good indicator of how your match is going to go.”

Now, Russell sits at 11-1 through the 2020-21 regular season. He finished SoCon duals with a perfect 8-0 record.

“Right now, he’s wrestling some of the best wrestling he’s ever wrestled, and I think his confidence is growing,” Bentley said.

This is a good time for him to be reaching the top of his game, as Russell, his teammates and his coaches are locked in on the SoCon tournament, and after that, the NCAAs in St. Louis.

Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

App State redshirt senior Codi Russell (top, in white) won an 8-3 decision over Campbell’s Zurich Storm to give the Mountaineers ann early lead in Buies Creek on Saturday. App State narrowly fell to Campbell in the first match of the dual meet, but knocked off Gardner-Webb in the following matcg.

Andy McLean

Opinion

Feb 12, 2021

caleb’s

CONCEPTS Income Inequality: the hidden culprit behind COVID death count Caleb Garbuio | Opinion Editor

Did you know income inequality is correlated with worse health outcomes? In the 1990s epidemiologist Michael Marmot found that the lowest-paid civil service employees in Whitehall, England had a cardiovascular mortality rate three times higher than the highest-paid employees.

This study controlled for negative behavior, like smoking, and found that despite access to universal health care and other relevant variables, lower-paid employees still had much higher mortality rates. So what causes this discrepancy and can income

Graphic by Caleb Garbuio

inequality predict where COVID-19 deaths happen?

Unless you failed biology in high school, you probably know humans are animals. Thus, there could be an animalistic aspect to the inequality effect on cardiovascular mortality. In 2005, Stanford neuroendocrinologist and primatologist Robert Sapolsky published a paper about the influence of social hierarchy on baboons and other primates’ health.

Sapolsky found that animals that are stressed for prolonged periods of time undergo neurobiological changes.

ref. 1

One chemical activated during stress is called glucocorticoid, which is responsible for repressing your immune system. In short bursts, like running away from a cheetah, this chemical is useful; however, glucocorticoids are toxic if stress is prolonged. To make matters worse, chronic stress has been shown to alter the mind and potentially cause neurological damage.

So is this applicable to humans?

Yes and no. According to Sapolsky, humans are not hierarchical in a linear fashion. Instead, we are frequently hierarchically separated among different activities. For example, someone may be a dishwasher but also a scout leader for his local troop.

The most valued action will influence your internal standard and affect your health outcome. Thus, our inner perception of ourselves affects our health outcomes. To wrap this all up, our feelings about being poor affect health outcomes more than actually being poor.

How is feeling poor determined?

In his 2008 book “Predictably Irrational,” cognitive psychologist and behavioral economist Dan Ariely offers a provocative answer. Our relationship with others. The example Ariely uses is chief executive officers’ pay before the 1990s. According to Ariely, when CEO pay was made public, many CEOs realized they were paid less than others. These CEO’s demanded higher compensation, which caused the CEO pay to

balloon out of proportion in relation to other employees. Mind you none of these CEO’s were actually poor prior to CEO pay being made public. Rather, they felt poor when compared to other CEOs who were making more money. So, income inequality may affect health outcomes not because people are actually poor but because they feel poor when compared to people living close by. Sapolsky’s paper found that neighborhoods with more income inequality have worse health outcomes for people in the bottom of the wage grouping since the inequality affected their immune response. Now, let’s see if Sapolsky’s hypothesis affects statewide COVID-19 death data.

We will analyze the state’s deaths per million, income inequality calculated by the Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality, poverty, smokers, obesity, mask requirements, education, urbanization and poverty.

What we want to see is if these factors contribute to the death rate. When all these variables are analyzed statistically, we find something shocking: with the exception of the Gini coefficient, none of these variables augment the death per million. Using a statistical tool known as the F-test, we can restrict the model to only include the Gini coefficient. We find that there will be an additional 166 deaths per million for every 1 point increase in statewide inequality. Depicted below is the scatterplot showing the re-

lationship. (See ref. 1) Now let’s predict some real data.

According to our data gathered, the most unequal state is New York, while Alaska is the most equal state. The model predicts that Alaska will have a death per million of 564, while New York will have a death rate of 2107.

New York’s real-world death per million is 2284, while Alaska’s is 379, meaning that our model underpredicted New York’s death count by 8% and Alaska’s death count by 49%. Remember, this model did not explain all data: only 32% of the data is explained, leaving a whopping 68% unexplained.

Now observe how the states with the lowest death per million and highest death per million do not match the states with the lowest and highest income inequalities. However, states with the lowest death per million have lower income inequality than the national average, while the highest death per million state has greater income inequality than the average. In conclusion, the data analyzed supports Sapolsky’s conclusion that income inequality is responsible for more deaths on account of COVID-19. Income inequality likely causes people to feel stress which prolonged stress can produce an overabundance of glucocorticoids that suppress immune system activity. Compromised immune systems make people more susceptible to COVID-19, thus resulting in more deaths.

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Opinion

Feb 12, 2021

Party Big Business is of Conspiracy Killing Cultures Ricky Barker | Opinion Writer

Ella Adams | Associate Opinion Editor

In the age of mass consumerism, individual cultures are slowly disappearing in favor of mega-corporations.

Multi-billion dollar businesses such as Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Huawei and Disney have a global reach. Begging the question are individual human cultures being wiped out in favor of a single globalized culture that revolves around productivity and the market?: The answer is too complicated to cover in one piece. Modern globalization has a complicated history steeped in imperialism and greed. The short answer is yes. Monopolized mega-businesses are rapidly changing cultures. Big business has offered some economic opportunity in developing communities, but outsourcing to countries with less regulation means corporations can cut corners without repercussions. Workers consequently pay the price of corporate carelessness in order to save a few dollars.

A notable example of culture being stomped out by corporate interests is the American annexation of Hawaii backed by sugar giant Dole. As dated as this incident is, Dole’s greed destroyed Hawaii’s sovereignty and still has lasting effects on the culture. The Hawaiian language was banned in 1896 and cultural practices were discouraged by American educators and missionaries. Currently, there are multiple efforts to revive the Hawaiian language and traditions in order to reclaim the heritage stripped away by American acculturation. The Hawaiian people were forced to be Americans in the name of profit. Some might point out that Dole didn’t annex Hawaii by itself and that the American government played a significant role. Yes, but we must remember that imperialist conquest is nearly always driven by greed. As significant as Dole was at the time, the coup was far before the modern age of globalization that we live in now. Dole was nothing compared to the monolith it would grow to be today.

The flood of global corporations into communities is directly tied to the loss of cultural identity. The loss of traditions associated with globalization is cultural imperialism.

For example, the Maasai, an ethnic group in East Africa, are historically pastoral and semi-nomadic. Throughout the past century, many Maasai have transitioned to farming or other occupations besides their traditional lifestyle. Classes in Kenyan schools are taught in English and speaking native languages is frequently discouraged. On one hand, it makes sense the Maasai would adapt to a changing economy. On the other hand, years of British occupation in Kenya and mega-corporations from China and the U.S. are taking advantage of East Africa’s rich resources. The jobs multinational corporations bring to Kenya largely aren’t available to people in rural areas. Moving to cities for work further separates individuals from their culture. The challenges the Maasai culture faces are directly linked to global corporate interests.

In the U.S., big business is a staple in our everyday lives. As Americans, it seems we have the tendency to forget how influential large corporations are. Think about the effects of big business in our own backyard. Boone is littered with fast food chains. For college students who are often short of cash, Wendy’s is the cheaper option to a local restaurant. Especially in the age of COVID, it’s safer, easier and often cheaper to shop online from big businesses like Amazon rather than local small businesses. We can see firsthand the impact big business has on the culture in Boone.

Cultures are going to change regardless of globalization but is forcing change for a few dollars ethical? No but the market doesn’t care about ethics. People should not have to give up pieces of their identities for corporate gain. People are more important than profit.

$

Graphic by Efrain Arias-Medina Jr.

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On Jan. 29, Representative Cori Bush of Missouri decided that she wanted her office in Congress to be moved. This decision was made due to her verbal conflict with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. The argument began as a confrontation about masks and then escalated.

Greene’s team began criticizing Bush for unrelated political actions, still refusing to put on a mask. Bush then retorted with criticisms of her own.

Greene’s confrontation shows the disturbing emerging political conspiracies spreading through the republican party and their impact. Something needs to change.

This may sound like a two-way fight between contrasting politicians, that may be the blame is equal on both sides. However I’d like to reiterate that Greene was not wearing a mask, even though masks have proven crucial for preventing COVID-19.

Greene has already been under fire for a series of the social media posts she has made referencing execution and death for a number of prominent Democrats including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who was “guilty of treason.” Included was also a video of Greene harassing a survivor of devastating public Parkland school shooting and gun control activist David Hogg. She is seen calling Hogg a “coward” and claiming that he was paid to be there.

It does not stop there, Greene believes in multiple fringe conspiracy theories, including QAnon. She does not believe that a plane actually hit the Pentagon on 9/11. She believes the California wildfires could “possibly” be caused by giant space lasers made by a Jewish company, that former President Barack Obama is a Muslim and that Hillary Clinton devoured a small child. She

did eventually renounce these claims but under the pressure of the hearing that removed her from committee assignments.

The fact that people like Greene have positions in our government is concerning to say the least. She’s not the only one, recently elected Representative Lauren Boebert has spread several similar concerning views. In a statement, she expressed that she hoped that the QAnon conspiracy was “real”. QAnon is a far right conspiracy that there is a secret war going on between the righteous and the secret cabal of politicians called the “deep state.” In fact, one in three Republicans believe that QAnon conspiracies of the “deep state” are mostly true. This ideology is spreading through the party. This growth has been happening for years but the recent presidency has really empowered it.

The spread of false information through the Republican Party has become so concerning that some of the most surprising people are standing up to it. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, famous right-hand man to former President Donald Trump, has actually denounced Greene. In a statement about Greene, he stated, “Somebody who’s suggested that perhaps no airplane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, that horrifying school shootings were prestaged, and that the Clintons crashed JFK Jr.’s airplane is not living in reality.”

When politicians like McConnell are finally speaking up about the state of his party, you know things have gone downhill. Characters like Greene and actions like the raid on the Capitol have shown that the Republican Party is a dark place. There needs to be some serious soul searching and messaging changes before anything can get better. It’s scary to see how far extremism can go.

Et Cetera

Feb 12, 2021

Sudoku

JACKIE PARK EDITOR IN CHIEF

editor@theappalachianonline.com

EDITORIAL Fill in the blanks so that each row, each column, and each of the nine 3x3 grids contain all of the digits 1 through 9.

MICKEY HUTCHINGS

SILAS ALBRIGHT

SOPHIA LYONS

CALEB GARBUIO

EMILY BROYLES

ANSLEY PUCKETT

MANAGING EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR

CHIEF COPY EDITOR

OPINION EDITOR A&C EDITOR

NEWS EDITOR

MULTIMEDIA ANNA MUCKENFUSS

XANAYRA MARIN-LOPEZ MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

APPALACHIAN WEEKLY NEWS PRODUCER

EFRAIN ARIAS-MEDINA JR.

JESSE BARBER PHOTO EDITOR

GRAPHICS EDITOR

BUSINESS SHELLY BANZ BUSINESS MANAGER

business@theappalachianonline.com JESSICA KIMES ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER

MEG POWELL MARKETING DIRECTOR

ALLISON BENNETT DYCHE ADVISER

adviser@theappalachianonline.com

Previous Weeks Answer Key

The Appalachian is the award-winning, independent student-run news organization at Appalachian State University, published since 1934. The student staff maintains all editorial discretion, and there is no prior review by university faculty, staff or administrators. The Appalachian strives for accuracy in newsgathering and reporting. If you think we have made an error, email editor@theappalachianonline.com.

Participation in The Appalachian is open to all current full-time students at the university. For more information about joining, email outreach@theappalachianonline.com.

The opinions pages of The Appalachian are an open public forum.

Contributions are welcomed via email to editor@theappaalchianonline.com. Opinions expressed are those of individual columnists, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the news organization overall. Unsigned editorials represent the collective opinion of The Appalachian editorial board.

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