The Appalachian March 12, 2021

The Appalachian

March 12, 2021

Shots of history Univeristy vaccine clinic brings light to pandemic-tainted year Emily Broyles | News Editor Jake Markland | Associate News Editor Just over one year ago, students and faculty sighed in relief after App State announced an extended spring break because of COVID-19. Eventually, the university shut down. Now, the university is providing eager students, faculty and staff with the vaccine they need to move on.

App State vaccinated 310 people on Thursday, the first day of its vaccine clinic. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services approved the Holmes Convocation Center to be a community vaccination distribution center. Holmes can accommodate up to 1,000 vaccinations per day while abiding by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Eligible students, faculty and staff scheduled appointments to receive one of the 620 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines the university expects to distribute over two days.

App State spokesperson Me-

gan Hayes says the type of dose could change depending on what’s available. She said the university will continue holding vaccine clinics as long as needed.

“You kind of feel like you’re a part of history.”

Polly Osowitt, a registered nurse with M.S. Shook Student Health Services, said the clinic is a step in benefiting “the future of the whole world.”

“We’re so excited that they’re willing to do this,” Osowitt said. “You know we have a pandemic going on, and the more people that are vaccinated, hopefully the shorter that time is going to be.”

Student health services staff like Osowitt, nurse practitioners, physicians and physician’s assistants helped administer the J&J vaccine. Osowitt said she was impressed by the organization of the event.

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Men’s basketball heads to March Madness

Former student writes auditory love letter to Boone

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Medical workers bring supplies into the Holmes Convocation Center on Thursday in preparation for the App State vaccination rollout.

Jesse Barber

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March 12, 2021

Santa Claus in the classroom: Watauga Schools leader recognized Jake Markland | Associate News Editor A program director for Watauga County Schools, who students know as “Dr. Marcela Santa Claus,” received the distinguished service award for his work in the exceptional children department.

Mike Marcela was recognized at the 34th annual conference for the North Carolina Council for Exceptional Children, held Feb. 26-27. The North Carolina Council for Administrators of Special Education, a subdivision of NC CEC, granted him the award.

Marcela oversees roughly 900 students and 80 staff members in the exceptional children program, spanning across eight K-8 schools and one high school in Watauga County. Marcela has served as program director since 2012 but has worked in special education his whole career.

“I came to special ed to be involved with working closer with children. Children that were in the most need really appealed to me a lot,” Marcela said.

Marcela, former president of NC CASE, said his efforts with the council throughout his career is something he’s

“very proud of ” but is most proud of the work he does for kids in schools.

CASE is a nationwide advocacy group that works to enact policies for a more quality education for children.

Most recently, Marcela and NC CASE worked to broaden the services that schools can bill for through Medicaid, such as transportation, nursing, counseling, evaluations and personal care assistant support.

Whether it’s writing to legislators or working with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Marcela said NC CASE works behind the scenes to ensure students and teachers have everything they need.

“To get that award from folks that you respect and you’ve worked alongside with and who are your mentors – it means a lot,” Marcela said.

Before working as program director in Watauga County, Marcela taught special education for 10 years and served as exceptional children director in Wilkes County and as an accountability specialist for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Mike Marcela, photographed at Watauga County Schools’ central office, has worked as program director for nine years. His central passion, Marcela said, is providing the best support and education for exceptional children so they can succeed.

Kara Haselton

“He’s just been amazing, not only in this county but in so many different areas,” said Jana Dobbins, exceptional children program specialist and transition coordinator.

The most rewarding aspect of Marcela’s work is watching the students grow and progress throughout the years, he said.

“Some kids started in pre-K when I started and they’re pushing high school age now,” said Marcela. “I get to hear from staff all the time that ‘this student couldn’t do this’ but now, a few months later, they’re doing things that we never expected.”

For the last several years during the holiday season, Marcela and his wife transform into Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus at schools, The Blowing Rock attraction, Tweetsie Railroad and community events.

Marcela said he takes this task seriously and becomes a “real bearded Santa” by only shaving once in January and letting his beard grow out the rest of the year.

“Dr. Marcela Santa” has a bach-

elor’s degree in elementary education and psychology, a master’s degree in special education and a doctorate in public school administration and supervision of special education.

Enjoying the administrative duties as program director, Marcela said his role is to provide help and support to teachers and students. He said he will step into the spotlight if somebody needs to “take a hit,” but otherwise he will stand back and let teachers do as they need.

“I do have a very firm belief that what a teacher does in the classroom is always going to be infinitely more important than anything I ever do in a day,” Marcela said.

The exceptional children program has been in person four days a week throughout the 2020-21 academic year and Dobbins said it has gone smoothly.

Marcela said he consistently met with staff in preparation for the school year.

“I love working up here. We have got an unbelievable teaching and therapist staff and it’s just a great place to be,” Marcela said.

Watauga County elementary schools return to the classroom Gianna Holiday | Reporter Students at Watauga County Schools in pre-kindergarten through second grade returned to classrooms Monday.

The Watauga County Board of Education voted 5-0 to allow K-5 students to meet in person four days a week at a Feb. 22 meeting. The transition to in-person learning also comes after educators became eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine Feb. 24.

Students in pre-K through second grade will attend in-person classes all weekdays except Wednesday. Wednesdays will serve as flex days for teachers to make appointments with students who may need extra help. Teachers are also able to hold small work sessions.

Students in third through fifth

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grade will begin to attend four days a week starting March 22.

“We have had small numbers of students attending school in person since August. Students in our self-contained programs for children with disabilities and children in our pre-K classes have been attending school in person for four or five days a week all year,” said Scott Elliot, Watauga County Schools superintendent.

Custodians will also use the middle of the week to thoroughly clean the schools.

The board voted in favor of moving to Plan A, which calls for physical distancing and face coverings for students, teachers and staff. The plan, however, does not require schools to re-

duce the number of children in classrooms.

Elliott said that starting with these small numbers allows school administrations to evaluate all the safety procedures they would use as they brought more students back to campus last October.

“We now have a lot of experience with and confidence in all the screening, cleaning and contact investigation procedures which have helped us maintain safe and healthy schools so far,” Elliot said. “As we prepare for further in-person learning, we are rearranging classrooms and learning spaces to allow for as much social distancing as possible.”

The school will also modify it’s

school bus routes to comply with the state’s rules on reduced capacity and social distancing on buses.

Jeremy Barnes, a Watauga County parent, spoke at the special board of education meeting.

“My heart breaks for the children of school districts that aren’t open to any in-person education,” Barnes said.

“I’m happy they are finally doing what should have been done months ago, but it’s not over. They must assess and remediate the lack of properly educating our children for the past year.”

The decision will not impact the students attending the Watauga Virtual Academy, a remote learning service.

“After having our kids home since March of last year, we are looking for-

ward to them attending in person,” said Lara Finney, another Watuaga County parent, “What I’ve seen is a huge negative social impact by keeping them home.”

Elliott has the authority to transition the school back to remote learning if COVID-19 cases rise from the reopening.

“This topic of when and how students should be in school in person has become very political in the last couple of months,” Elliot said. “I continue to hope that state elected officials and state public health officials will work together to provide schools with safe and science-based guidelines as we move forward.”

News

March 12, 2021

Full-time job, volunteer paycheck

Student teachers support themselves through months with little or no income Ansley Puckett | A&C Editor

A student stands in front of a classroom.

The eyes of other students, not much younger than her, stare back. When she finishes her 10-hour day, she’ll go home, sleep and repeat until the weekend when she’ll go to her second job to earn an income.

Student teaching is a rite of passage for the American education major. Typically in their last semester of college, future educators must first experience life in the classroom before entering the workforce.

“Student teaching was pretty much my life for those months,” said Nicole Moore, an App State alumna and teacher at St. Charles High School in Waldorf, Maryland.

As student teachers, education majors work in a classroom observing teachers and teach lessons toward the end of their experience.

Carman Crook, a math education major at App State, said this experience is not without its challenges.

Functioning as both a student and a teacher, Crook and her fellow student teachers pay full tuition, while also working a fulltime job without payment.

“I personally cannot afford to not work at all, so I also will be working on the weekends,” Crook said. “So, it’s kind of like I’m working seven days a week between five days of student teaching and then working on the weekends just to help pay for gas.”

Crook started her student teaching experience in January. Anxious about the months without an income, Crook spent the summer and first semester of her senior year saving money to live on, but she said even that won’t be enough to support herself.

While enthusiastic to become a math teacher, the idea of the months ahead both excited and frustrated Crook.

“I’ve always thought about (student teaching) so that’s always been something I’ve been thinking about in the back of my head my entire college career,” Crook said.

While students like Crook will take second jobs to support themselves, some universities warn student teachers against the time

Cole Elledge | Contributor

Holly Hodges | Contributor

restrictions of a job.

“Our university told us we really should not have any sort of side job during our student teaching semester,” said Kaitlin Luebchow, a Liberty University graduate and teacher at Flat Rock Middle School in Winston-Salem. “However, that did raise concern for many of my classmates because they were having to pay for college and rent while finishing the last semester of schooling.”

As students face the task of paying for college, working full time and balancing other jobs, they also face the challenge of doing so in a pandemic.

The pandemic affected how schools operate, forcing both teachers and student teachers to adapt to an unusual learning environment.

“From March to June, I was in survival mode,” Luebchow said. “We were given days to prepare for students to change from a completely face-to-face instruction model to a now entirely remote learning model.”

She said the sudden switch to an online learning environment took a toll on her emotionally.

Luebchow said her experience from March to May of 2020 was “very difficult” as an exceptional children resource teacher because she wasn’t able to show students “simple” concepts through remote instruction.

“My first thought was, ‘how am I going to make a difference in these students’ lives through a computer?’” she said.

The technology barrier also frustrated Jessie Dickson, a former student teacher at Edisto Primary School in Cordova, South Carolina, who opted to forgo a second job and live off her savings for a semester.

“It’s a lot of technology, so if your internet is down for the day, everything is frantic.

You have to figure how to get to those kids that are at home, and it’s a lot,” Dickson said.

“It’s a breeze now, but at first, it was like ‘what am I going to do?’”

Dickson said while as a student teacher, her school functioned on an A- and B-day schedule, with a group of eight students in the classroom on Mondays and Tuesdays and another group in person on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

While one group was in person, the other group participated through Zoom, and the whole class Zoomed on Fridays.

Schools across the country followed similar schedules, splitting their days between in-person and online learning, leaving teachers and student teachers to change the way they traditionally taught. In North Carolina, this schedule is known as Plan B. “It’s different because you can’t just focus on your kids in the classroom,” Dickson said. “You’re having to focus on your kids at home and in the classroom. At the same time, you’re having to teach all of them.”

Teachers expressed similar concerns about adjusting to a remote teaching environment.

“I didn’t like working from home and really struggled without the human interaction,” said Laura Merk, a sixth grade math teacher at Springfield Middle School in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

As teachers struggled to adjust, student teachers missed the experience of a face-toface learning environment.

“COVID also means that I can’t physically meet any of my students, and while online, many of them do not speak up and do not have their cameras on, and it makes me sad. I really want to get to know all of them,”

The pay doesn’t matter, the drive doesn’t matter, just because you get to come every day and see those smiling faces...If you love what you do, you don’t work a day in your life.

Janee Van Slyke | Contributor

said Molly Joyce, an App State student and former student teacher at Walter M. Williams High School in Burlington, North Carolina.

Kat Edwards, an adapted special education junior at App State, said the lack of hands-on learning made her feel that she was not getting the education needed during the pandemic to succeed after school.

“I would say the biggest change has been the field experience where we are not working with actual children, but instead, we are reviewing videos from previous years,” Edwards said. “The most challenging aspect during the pandemic, I think a lot of it would be trying to learn, like what to do in a classroom when you can’t take the time to practice it.”

Coronavirus also ended student teaching experiences before many were ready. While some student teachers continued to teach, other transitioned online and others never saw their students again after March 2020.

“The relationships just ended. I never got to say bye to those students. I never got to thank them for letting me teach them at class as well as I would have liked to,” said Phil Watson, a former student teacher at Wilkes Central High School in Wilkesboro.

Despite the challenges, teachers and student educators have experienced positive outcomes through their experiences.

“I have been able to talk and encourage students struggling with home issues, friend issues and life in general,” Luebchow said.

The pandemic also allowed some student teachers, like Dickson, to save up for the financial strain of student teaching. Dickson said without her unemployment, there was no way she “could have made it,” and despite the financial challenges, she was grateful for her student teaching experience.

“The pay doesn’t matter, the drive doesn’t matter, just because you get to come every day and see those smiling faces,” Dickson said. “If you love what you do, you don’t work a day in your life.”

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News State board of elections awarded for poll worker recruitment March 12, 2021

Abi Pepin | Senior Reporter Election boards across North Carolina focused their efforts on recruiting poll workers for voting sites during an abnormal year consisting of a presidential election and pandemic.

On March 4, the North Carolina State Board of Elections received the 2020 Clearinghouse Award for best practices in recruiting, retaining and

training poll workers.

“Not only were we able to recruit enough people to conduct COVIDsafe elections, we were also introduced to many outstanding new people that our normal recruitment channels have not been able to reach,” Watauga County Board of Elections Director Matt Snyder said.

The board received their award

Arvil Sale working the polling site at Hardin Park where two precincts were grouped together due to COVID restrictions. Sale arrived in the area in 1967 with his attendance at Appalachian State University. He then spent his career teaching school for 33 years.

Jesse Barber

for their new Democracy Heroes campaign, which recruited over 57,000 election workers for the general election that assisted with early voting sites and precincts on Election Day. Synder said the Democracy Heroes campaign was a “lifesaver.”

“The Democracy Heroes program would not have been successful without the tens of thousands of North Carolinians who pledged to work in the 2020 election,” Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the state board of elections, said in a press release. “We plan to continue this effort, so the Democracy Heroes program will ensure that counties have the election workers they need for years to come.”

For The Democracy Heroes campaign, the state board partnered with the UNC System, the North Carolina Community College System, the North Carolina Office of State Human Resources, the Carolina Panthers, and the Charlotte Hornets.

“Thank you to each individual and organization who assisted the state board in ensuring there were

Ann Brown, poll worker at Watauga High School. Brown has been involved with working at voting polls since 2008 when she moved into the area.

Jesse Barber

enough election workers for the general election,” Bell said in a press release. “This election would not have happened without your dedication to democracy.”

Durham County won an award for Outstanding Innovations in Elections and Wake County won an award for Recruiting, Retaining and

Training Poll Workers.

U.S. Election Assistance Commission Chairman Donald Palmer said in a press release that the number of Clearinghouse award submissions displays that officials continue to “modernize and develop programming that will serve as helpful practices for the coming years

Democracy-reform group founded by Bernie Sanders staffers comes to campus Abi Pepin | Senior Reporter Three former Bernie Sanders 2020 staffers launched Un-PAC, the first student organizing group that focuses on democracy reform and support for the For the People Act. Un-PAC’s first campaign was to gain support for the bill to pass to reduce “big money” in politics and make voting more accessible.

On March 3, the House passed the bill in a 220-210 vote. The bill now moves to the Senate to vote on.

“Young voters were the margin of victory for Joe Biden in 2020,” Shana Gallagher, Un-PAC executive director, said in a press release. “If this Congress, controlled by Dem-

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ocrats, can’t deliver democracy reform and pave the way for a functional democracy while they have the power to do so, they will lose an entire generation of voters.”

Un-PAC is working to be present on campuses in all 50 states but will focus their efforts in West Virginia and Arizona.

The organization is in the process of hiring 100 student organizers throughout the country. Organizers will ensure young people throughout their communities and campuses will pressure Congress to pass democracy reform.

In the 2020 general election,

60% of eligible voters in North Carolina ages 18 to 25 voted. Watauga County had 71.6% voter turnout, a record number for the county.

Dalton George, senior and former App State College Democrats president, said it’s “refreshing” to see students step forward for this issue.

“Any movement that expands access to voting, or seeks to build more equity in our political system is one I can wholeheartedly support,” George said.

River Collins, App State College Republicans resident, said UnPAC is fighting for a great cause.

“Since money has been allowed to influence elections so heavily, politicians have gone to the wayside to support donors first and the people second,” Collins said. “Making the U.S. government work for the people again is not just what people want, it’s what people need.”

Collins, however, does not support the For the People Act. “The federal government already has too much of a say in the lives of citizens around the country,” Collins said. “I am a firm believer that election law should be left to states. One size does not fit all.”

Although Un-PAC will be built

off of students trained through the Students for Bernie program, the organization will also be reaching out to independent, conservative and moderate students.

“So much of the crises and pain young people have been experiencing are directly linked to our broken democracy and the need for reform,” Joseline Garcia, Un-PAC’s national organizing director, said in a press release.

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March 12, 2021

Student brings nationwide socialist group to campus Xanayra Marin-Lopez | Multimedia Editor

Lachlan James, the head of the App State Chapter of IYSSE sits in his bedroom with his collection of literature and signage related to the world views represented in the organization.

Jesse Barber

The Bolshevik revolution of 1917 in Russia was an overthrow of the capitalist government by Russia’s working class, led by revolutionaries Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky. After Russia’s losses in World War I, it led to abolishing their monarchy and the start of the Soviet Union through protests and strikes.

Years later, those same ideologies linger, now in the form of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, a national group with a regional chapter at App State’s campus.

Junior economics major Lachlan James started App State’s IYSSE chapter this spring.

He has been a member of the national group for a few years and finally came across the idea of bringing it to campus.

“Our aim is to create a mass movement and eventually be able to have enough power

to build up a general strike,” James said.

He attends meetings with other chapters in the southeast region. They are held via Zoom and are structured with political discussion and readings of theoretical texts.

This would be the same structure for App State’s chapter meetings.

IYSSE is the youth movement of the International Committee of the Fourth International, one of two Trotskyist internationals. The Fourth International is a socialist organization that exists globally to overthrow capitalism and establish socialism.

There are multiple parties within the organization, all called socialist equality parties. They follow Trotsky’s means of establishing socialism in America’s capitalist society and the mobilization of the working class.

To mobilize the working class consists of

political organizing to give more power to the workforce.

A few of their core beliefs are that it is the working class’ job to take state power, electoral politics will not achieve socialism and that the working class must be educated before attempting revolution.

“Our belief is that only a party guided by the most theoretically rich and principled political program will be armed to lead a true revolutionary movement,” James said.

Socialism saw a rise in popularity during former President Donald Trump’s term. “The Squad,” consisting of six Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives, is known for being the most politically progressive in the federal government.

Read more at www.theappalachianonline.com

Prospective SGA bill advocates for preferred names Xanayra Marin-Lopez | Multimedia Editor Inspired by the Equality Act, freshman senators Ben Negin and Connor Ranes wanted to show support for the LGBT community at App State with a new SGA bill.

The bill ideally would allow for students to change their legal name to their preferred name and have the change shown in all areas of personal information within the university, but it is still in its writing process.

Transgender students would benefit from the bill if they haven’t taken the steps to change their name legally.

The bill writers are also experimenting with the idea of payment toward legal name changes.

Negin and Ranes’ bill was initially created for students to use their preferred name on their AppCard.

After meeting with App State’s legal office, they discovered it was a broader issue.

“It would be a step in the right direction to allow preferred names on AppCards, but it’s still so devastating if

your legal name is called at graduation and you don’t want that,” Ranes said.

Students’ legal names are used on their AppCards, class rosters and are announced at graduation ceremonies.

Their focus shifted and the two now are advocating for students to be able to use their preferred names for all of these reasons.

SGA’s external affairs committee also put out a statement on the Equality Act. The support statement is expected to pass this spring semester, according to Ranes.

SGA has saved money since their meetings take place via Zoom, Negin said. One goal of the bill is to use this money to help transgender students with the legal battle of getting their names changed.

“This is not the ideal answer. We don’t want people to go through such an awful process just to have their names respected on campus,” Negin said.

The bill is in its first stages.

If passed, it has the ability to aid in trans students’ name changes, but this requires more research and work with the legal office.

“The current system only works for some people. It only works for people who go by their legal names,” Negin said.

Kale Barns, a junior trans student, said it is easy to change their preferred name on AppalNet. They used this method to change their name and are now known in every class as their chosen name.

“When professors take attendance and stuff, unless they’ve had me in the past, they don’t even know I’ve had a different name,” Barnes said.

In Barnes’ experience, it’s harder for professors to adapt to their they/ them pronouns than the name change.

Barnes doesn’t use their AppCard often and said the bill would help freshman students the most. AppCards can be used to access the library, print, pay for on-campus food and are a

Kale Barnes poses with their AppCard. Barnes is one of a number of students who would be impacted by student government legislation that would allow students to use preferred names on AppCards and other university documents.

Max Correa

form of identification. AppCards can also be used as voter identification.

Negin also created a petition in support of the cause, which currently has approximately 215 signatures.

“We decided that if we can’t completely change the system right now, we can help it work for more people,” Negin said.

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March 12, 2021

App State nursing students attending a vaccine station in Holmes Convocation Center on Thursday.

Max Correa

For senior nursing major Sandra Wommack, administering the vaccine with these medical workers felt like a special day in the classroom.

“We’ve still gotten to go to all of our clinic rotations in person, so that’s been nice,” Wommack said. “I still feel like I’ve gotten a great learning experience. I love the nursing program and I’ve learned a lot.”

Wommack encourages students to get the vaccine when eligible. Along with being protected from the virus, Wommack looks to the vaccine’s legacy.

“It’s pretty cool because you kind of feel like you’re a part of history, just trying to get things back to normal at some point,” Wommack said. “Hopefully by the summer things will be somewhat as they were before.”

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Travis Cothran, a lab safety specialist with App State’s Department of Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management, said he hopes the clinic can bring down general levels of the virus.

On campus, since we’re all in such close proximity, I think that’s really important for everybody to be vaccinated...

“That way, we can have better, more healthy students and maybe even come fall we’ll have in-person classes too,” Cothran said.

As of Thursday, North Carolina has had 879,825 cases of COVID-19

and 11,622 COVID-19 related deaths. The 7-day rolling average of cases has has decreasedand 11% of the state is fully vaccinated.

Cothran, who worked as a greeter at the clinic guiding people to different stations, said he learned his role in the event starting Tuesday. He has also assisted at COVID-19 testing sites on campus throughout the academic year.

He received his vaccine at 9:45 a.m. at the clinic.

Jody Miller, a faculty member on the Emergency Management Task Force “since the beginning,” has not received his dose yet. He said he’s eager to eventually get the vaccine.

Miller, assistant director of operations for the Holmes Center, oversees security, full-time housekeeping, and is a manager in charge of student

Tom Kane volunteered to be a greeter at the App State covid clinic at Holmes Convocation Center on Thursday. Kane works with App State housing and is a stroke survivor, making him eligible to get the vaccine sooner. Kane said he was happy to see his colleagues come in to get their vaccine after working from a guest bedroom in his home over the course of the pandemic.

Jesse Barber

workers. He said even though student staff has been cut by over 90%, no challenges occurred in setting up for the clinic, thanks to the championship-winning men’s basketball team.

“With the basketball team’s away tournament, we were able to start several days early,” Miller said.

“So we just did 6 hours a day, just kind of took our time setting it up, figuring it out as we went.”

He said that guest experience is a priority for the Holmes Center.

“We just want to make sure everyone feels comfortable,” he said.

Some faculty have been re-allocated to new departments throughout COVID-19. In October 2020, Donna Merrell, associate director of Campus dining, was asked to join the Department of Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management.

“I'm really excited to be able to do this kind of work,” Merrell said.

“I dedicate all my work to the students and to the campus and this is just another great way that I can show up and make a difference.”

In her new role on the sup-

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March 12, 2021

port team, Merrell helps facilitate COVID-19 testing events and provides support to students in quarantine or isolation.

“I don't want to die.”

Students who work on campus were able to get vaccinated at the clinic.

“I just kind of want things to get back to normal and this definitely helps,” Savannah Miles, a supervisor for the Plemmons Student Union, said.

Miles said vaccination workers were “super sweet” and made sure she had food and drinks before leaving. Other than a sore arm, she had a positive experience.

Carleigh Scott, a lifeguard at the Student Recreation Center, said the process was easy and the workers made her feel comfortable. said

the process was easy and the workers made her feel comfortable.

“On campus, since we’re all in such close proximity, I think that’s really important for everybody to be vaccinated,” Scott said. “You know, I’d like to have in-person classes sometime soon.”

Scott, a junior math major, said she’s “trying to keep an open mind” going into her senior year and hopes to successfully student teach next spring.

James Apisai, who is working in child care this summer, said he doesn’t do well with needles but got the vaccine anyways.

“I have a lot of family that is susceptible and I don't want to infect them,” Apisai said. “I had a little bit of a blacking-out incident.”

Leonardo Negrete-Perez, a freshman, had a straightforward rea-

son for getting the vaccine, and said, “I don’t want to die.”

When can I get a vaccine?

North Carolina is administering COVID-19 vaccines in five phases, or groups. Individuals in Groups 1, 2 and 3 are currently eligible to receive a vaccine.

Group 1 includes health care workers and long-term care facility staff and residents. Group 2 includes people aged 65 and older.

Group 3, the focus of App State’s first clinic, includes frontline essential workers and child care workers. To be considered Group 3, individuals must work in person within an essential sector, including education, food, community services or public safety.

App State students living in residence halls can get vaccinated start-

Heather Portaro, a nurse practitioner with Student Health Service, attends a vaccination station with her co-workers on Thursday for the App State vaccine rollout. Portaro is the only person on her team who has had covid. Portaro said she was excited to be working to administer vaccines after working for a year in the medical office under the pressure of covid restrictions.

Jesse Barber

ing March 17, when Group 4 becomes eligible. Group 4 includes adults who are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19, whether that be due to a medical condition or living in a congregate living setting.

At an unspecified date, individuals in Group 5 will become eligible for a vaccine. Group 5 includes anyone and everyone that has not received a vaccine at that point.

How do I sign up for a vaccine appointment?

App State is following the prioritization guidelines put in place by

the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

The university will email individuals when they are eligible. Everyone in the App State community, students, faculty and staff, will be able to receive a vaccine for free from App State.

If an eligible individual does not receive an email, they may be able to get a vaccine appointment through a different local distribution center.

Among others, vaccines are available through AppHealthCare, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System and some area pharmacies.

An essential worker walks into Holmes Convocation Center, one of the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at App State’s new vaccine clinic.

Max Correa

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News

March 12, 2021

Faculty creates accountability group rooted in anti-racism Cameron Stuart | Reporter Following in the steps of other universities, a campus group is helping white people work toward being anti-racist.

Called a white accountability group, groups such as this one have existed for decades and are a way for white people to make changes in their behavior to not be unintentionally microaggressive or harmful to people of color.

Two App State faculty members will facilitate the group, Julie Keys and Jeff Cathey, who are each part of white accountability groups with their colleagues and friends.

“It’s not a place to make policy decisions, it’s not a place to make decisions about or for people of color or for the university,” Keys, associate director of counseling services at the Counseling Center, said.

White accountability groups exist in several schools and organizations around the country including The University of North Texas, Loyola University Maryland, The Center for Nonviolent Communication and Reclaim the Sector.

Cathey is the director of the Department of Student Engagement and Leadership. He said it is not people of color’s responsibility to educate white people on being anti-racist or hold them accountable for their actions; white people need to do that work on their own.

He said diverse groups on campus create rich learning environments, but they are typically more enriching for white people.

After the group’s creation, Cathey, Keys and Sellers met with several Black student leaders who were unclear of the group’s purpose, and provided them with feedback about making the intent of the group more clear on the flyer and expressed a desire to be informed of things like this before they are released to the community.

“We appreciate and will use both pieces of feedback.

While we consulted with our colleagues of color ahead of time, we regret that we did not consult with students of color as well and will definitely do this in the future,” Keys said.

App State is a predominantly white institution. Racially and ethnically underrepresented students make up 18% of the student population, and the retention rate for those students is 83.5%, compared to the overall student retention rate of 86.5%, according to App State’s website.

There are around 20 clubs and organizations on campus with a multicultural focus, including the Asian Student Association, the Black Student Association, the Latin Hispanic Alliance, Melanin in Medicine, the Multicultural Greek Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council.

Cathey said that while diverse groups are very valuable, it is important to take the next step in recognizing

8

that there’s enough information out there that “if we are willing to focus and do the work, we can do this without leaning on others.”

“Once we commit to wanting to go further down this journey of want-

Graphic by Maggie Watts

ing to be better people, better friends and allies, it never ends,” Cathey said. “So it’s important to emphasize that Julie and I don’t feel like we have it figured out. We all grow, and that’ll include the two of us.”

Cathey and Keys originally met some backlash when some students first learned of the group’s name, though the feedback became positive after unpacking the purpose of the group.

Keys said there could be stigma from using “white” in the group’s name because of the United States’ history with groups of white people being racist. But Keys wants to make it clear that this is specifically an anti-racist group, and people of color are welcome to join.

When talking about race, Keys said white people’s intent and impact are often different and can lead to misunderstandings.

“This space is really a way to make sure that people of color don’t have to teach us or educate us, or hear things that could be harmful as we’re trying to work through how to communicate better without being microaggressive,” Keys said. “That harmfulness is so often unintentional, but the impact is still there.”

Microaggressions are everyday behaviors that, whether intentionally or unintentionally, communicate bias against a marginalized group. An example of a racial microaggression would be a white person holding their bag closer to them when a person of color walks by, perpetuating the stereotype that people of color are criminals.

Keys first heard about white accountability groups through Beverly Daniel Tatum, a Black psychologist who supports groups like these that allow for white people to unlearn their bias and stereotypes.

Before creating the group, Keys and Cathey spoke to several people of color, including Lamont Sellers, director of intercultural student affairs and Gayatri Titus, coordinator of multicultural services, both of whom gave their support.

Keys said the meetings will begin with readings and videos by Black and Indigenous authors and creators, followed by discussions working to understand white identity and white privilege, creating goals for doing better the upcoming week and calling in members on ways they can improve unintentional microaggressive tendencies.

White identity is an identity who has enjoyed more privileges within the system than everyone else has for the duration of the United States, and is hard to explain and fathom, Keys said.

“I hope that we as a university can keep having these conversations and discussions around this,” Keys said.

“I’m sad by our culture where we vilify people without hearing them out, so I hope this sparks discussion. I would love to be involved in more discussion about it, whether people agree with me or not.”

Meetings will be held Tuesdays over Zoom for the next six weeks, ending April 20.

News

March 12, 2021

Residence halls stripped with names over summer see new signage Emily Broyles | News Editor Residence halls that had original names rooted in racism finally received a physical name after months of nameless buildings.

Buildings once known as Hoey and Lovill now stand as Dogwood and Elkstone, respectively, after official name plates were placed this month Both residence halls were named after white men who supported the confederacy and the Democratic Party’s views in the 1800s, which included the suppression of Black people.

Chancellor Sheri Everts announced on June 28 the buildings’ names would be taken down and changed, but the names were not officially revealed until Jan. 11.

Lucy Genda, a resident assistant in Elkstone Hall, said while she’s glad the official names were used in January and the buildings are clear to read, she wishes it would have happened sooner.

“I didn’t know that the names of

the two buildings were rooted in racism for most of my time here at App,” said Genda, a junior. “It’s just kind of really unbelievable that these are the kind of conversations that we’re still having to have.”

Genda said while she hasn’t had to have conversations with fellow RAs and residents, the blank building names made the logistics of being an RA difficult, especially with COVID-19 and fall move in.

“People are always asking like, ‘Oh, when is your building going to get renamed?’ and having people be like, “Oh is this Lovill Hall?” Genda said.

“I’m like, ‘well, no. It’s not. It is, but it’s not.’”

She said not being able to meet with residents and co-workers makes it hard already to form relationships. Not having a proper dorm name can affect this too, she says.

“In a residence hall community,

the most key part in creating a community is having something in common,” Genda said. “It’s definitely hard to create a community during COVID when you can’t even see your residents, and then it’s also hard when you don’t really have that common unifying name.”

In RA training over the summer, Genda says students working for housing knew about the name change, but did not know when or what the names would be. She said Shannon Jordan, senior associate director for Residence Life, announced the university was in the process of getting rights to potential dorm names.

“I’m glad it was something more neutral,” Genda said. “I think that definitely goes with the flow of the campus.”

The university has a history of naming residence halls after nature, per Raven Rocks and Thunderhill.

Elkstone Residence Hall was recently renamed due to namesake Edward Lovill’s connection as a confederate soldier. A petition circulated around the student body requesting a renaming.

Becca Bridges

University continues gym opportunities and new firepits to engage students socially Hollie Moore | Reporter

A fire pit was recently added to the Sanford Mall for students to gather around. This is one of the many COVIDsafe activities that the university has been added during the spring 2021 semester Becca Bridges

An academic year during a pandemic is not quite as daunting for App State students as new activities, opportunities and changes arise on campus, aimed to mend a few of the setbacks stemming from safety regulations.

University Recreation and Campus Activities directors have introduced new ways for students to stay engaged despite limitations from fewer in-person events and parts of campus being shut down.

Senior April Halterman has been an instructor for UREC activities for two years, teaching classes such as AppFire, Boone Booty Blast and HIIT. “I see people wanting to work harder since COVID has limited gym experiences,” Halterman said. “People want to engage and talk to you, they are more ready to work and are excited to be there.”

Richard Campbell, associate director of University Recreation, said UREC pro-

vides the option for students to sign up for activities. These include intramural sports, virtual or in-person group fitness classes, gym equipment, the climbing wall, basketball, outdoor programs trips, the pool, and other activities through online scheduling.

Gov. Roy Cooper announced Feb. 24 that gyms can operate at 50% capacity, allowing UREC to open more space for students in classes.

“I think sometimes it can be intimidating for people to be in these classes, so being virtual has opened that up for anyone with social anxieties,” Kate Bridgers, a sophomore UREC instructor of virtual yoga, said.

Campus Activities and Appalachian Popular Programming Society have introduced new changes to provide safe ways for entertainment and socialization.

APPS has partnered with the Schaefer Center to offer socially distanced movies for up to 100 people every other week this

semester. They have also introduced Front Desk concerts and Spring Break on Sanford, an in-person event held March 10 with free food and games.

“The first movie was around the end of last semester. The attendance was fantastic, considering many students had left campus and returned home” says Sarah Kelley, the APPS Films chairperson. “The process has been delightful. It does get stressful when dates are very close together, but it is still a fun process overall.”

Beth Holcomb, associate director of Campus Activities, said over the past year, Campus Activities has been trying to come up with different ways to keep students engaged. She said the goal is to create safe and warm outdoor spaces for students to gather in the cooler months.

Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

9

A&C

March 12, 2021

Community collaboration Students create magazines to explore social justice Olivia Jones | Reporter “In July, an App State professor founded the Creative Justice Institute, an organization that focuses on combating racism, sexism and homophobia among the campus community. In a recent collaboration with the Belk Library, students are encouraged to create their own “zines,” a type of magazine usually discussing topics related to social justice.

Topics include creative justice, just futures, geopoetics, climate justice, digital poetics, unheard voices/invisible histories, and hope in a post-Covid world. These topics are up to student interpretation, giving them room to create something unique, according to founder Cara Hagan, an associate professor and the College of Fine and Applied Arts Dean’s Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion.

“We wanted to harness the creative undercurrent of this campus.

We are a college of doers,” Hagan said. “That notion is what led to us founding the Creative Justice Institute and also coming up with the idea for this project.”

With the death of George Floyd in May came a rise in the Black Lives Matter movement. At the same time, discussions about the impacts of climate change also increased. Hagan said these movements and the 2020 election helped her decide which topics to include as the most relevant today.

“I think that given the socio-political climate that we’ve experienced

10

over the past couple years … people are constantly thinking about what the future of our planet is going to look like,” Hagan said. “Whether it be economically, socially or environmentally.”

The zines submitted will be available to the public through a digital exhibition starting on April 4. Afterward, the library will move them to the Special Collections Research Center on the fourth floor of Belk Library.

“Having those zines in special collections means that future students are going to be able to see what students were thinking about, creating art about and what was truly important to them in 2021,” Hagan said.

Currently, special collections houses thousands of resources including rare books, research aids and records of student organizations, clubs and alumni.

Some professors have also turned the zines into a group project. Scott Ludwig, a professor of studio art, gave such an assignment to his printmaking studio class.

“The fact that the zines are going to be preserved in the Special Collections Center almost puts a time stamp on where humanity is at right now,” said Alexander Pillow, who serves as the teaching assistant for Ludwig’s class. “It’s important that people down the line will be able to look back at these zines and see the wide range of issues we’re facing today.”

Pillow said he hopes the project will make more people aware of the issues facing society today.

“I think a lot of times people aren’t invested in specific issues because they think it doesn’t affect them personally,” Pillow said. “I think this assignment helps us realize that these issues not only affect the people around us, but they have an impact on us as well.”

The deadline to submit a zine is March 16, and they will be put on display starting April 4.

The dropbox for zines in Belk Library beside the service desk. Students have until March 16 to complete a zine and turn it into the dropbox before the library puts them on display. (TOP) The materials in a zine kit. Students who wish to participate in the creative justice magazine project can reserve a zine kit and pick it up at the Belk Library service desk. (BOTTOM) Ansley Puckett

A&C

March 12, 2021

Boone love letter Former App State student highlights town talent through podcast

Donald Steel in his workspace at home. Steel interviews artists in Boone for his podcast, FallrisK.

Xanayra Marin-Lopez

Jaclyn Bartlett | Reporter A love of art and a desire to create a collaborative space inspired Boone’s newest podcast.

Former App student Donald Steel recently started FallrisK, a podcast that recognizes Boone creators from musicians to painters to clothing designers.

“Music’s always been important to me,” Steel said. “FallrisK started off as a music thing. But I’ve gotten a chance to meet so many different types of people up here, and I was like, we can make this more broad.”

In the podcast, which can be found on almost all streaming platforms, Steel interviews creators about their art and, in the case of musicians, showcases their talent in jam sessions.

In the first interview episode, Steel spoke with local group The Green House about Boone’s pre-COVID band scene.

Steel got the name “FallrisK” because he is going through kidney failure and entered renal failure in October 2020. Because of this, he is currently taking a semester off. He does

kidney dialysis three times a week and when he first started, he would often pass out after standing up. The hospital gave him a wristband labeling him a “fall risk” and he planned to leave it on until he got a new kidney, but it ended up falling off.

“I hung up the armband on my wall as a reminder that I started off as a fall risk, and I still kind of am one,” Steel said.

When driving to Boone, he also recalled always seeing signs that warn for “falling rocks.” In a way, the name represents his connection to Boone.

“This podcast is my love letter to Boone,” Steel said.

Steel’s primary motivation for starting FallrisK was uniting Boone artists. He says he has come across creative people in Boone who are unaware of others doing similar things.

“I want to be able to create some sort of community and platform where these people can express their ideas and their art,” Steel said.

At first, Steel planned to focus solely on music, but after seeing the variety of creativity Boone has to offer, he decided to include all art forms.

He contacts artists through both personal connections and social media. He met The Green House’s members through a friend, and contacted another band, Dropping Plates, through Instagram direct message after seeing them on TikTok. “I don’t know anybody else doing this doing a podcast like that,” Jake Fain, member of Dropping Plates, said. “I think that’s a really cool way to connect with the scene because it’s something that nobody’s doing, and that’s something that when I saw it, I really wanted to be a part of it.”

In high school, Steel worked for a record label in Charlotte called January First Records where he booked artists and venues. This led him to pick up audio engineering. He also plays bass and is in an indie rock band called Feelings Club.

His passion and musical background led to his involvement in his hometown band scene of Shelby. There, he met others who shared similar interests and aspirations and they put on shows wherever they could, including a hair salon.

“It was just that sense of community because everybody believes they can do it by themselves, but it’s hard.

It’s really hard,” Steel said. “It’s just nicer to have people around you when you’re trying to achieve something, and they’re trying to achieve something similar because when you have those people around you, it keeps that motivation going.”

Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

PLAYLIST OF THE WEEK Camryn Collier Reporter

Graphic by Camryn Collier

Growing up in the South, tobacco fields, low, twangy drawls, summer days and the stories of old are staples of childhood.

Country music is a lot like that, with a lot of history, a lot of story, and a lot of heart. Reaching into the lives of the common folk, country brings their stories to life.

Originating early in the 20th century, country music stems from the working class just a stone’s throw away from App State in Eastern Tennessee. Heavily influenced

by European roots like Celtic and Irish fiddle songs and ballads, country music became a unique mix of the American soul as African American communities incorporated banjos and other African instruments into the mix.

Full of simple tunes and complex lyrics, one hundred years of country music brought stars like Jimmie Rodgers, Lorretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Chris Stapleton and more to the fore. With a tip of the hat, this playlist acknowledges the roots of the working class with country songs from days of yore and modern hits.

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A&C

March 12, 2021

Stepping up App State librarian workshops students through mental health Zoe Zink | Reporter College libraries don’t typically host arts and crafts events such as embroidery or card making. However, one librarian at the Belk Library and Information Commons uses her skills to aid students struggling with mental health with two events over Zoom.

Hannah Pope recognized a need for students to unwind and relax during this stressful time and is using her skills to host two different events over Zoom aimed toward students.

This is largely why she decided to use her job as the emerging technologies librarian at Belk Library to aid students who may be struggling.

“We spend so much time in front of our computers these days. It’s really just a way for students to be able to learn new skills and actually use their hands to make something,” Pope said.

The first event is a calming embroidery workshop, where participants will learn how to embroider a small design; the second is an LED card-making workshop, where participants will be taught to assemble circuits to create light-up cards.

Pope wants students to leave with a tangible element of the workshop while also participating in self-care.

Pope reached out to the Wellness and Prevention Services on campus to help collaborate and brainstorm different ways to help students alleviate stress. Elisabeth Cavarallo, assistant director and coordinator for student mental wellness, provided Pope with resources such as infographics and templates for embroidery.

“I think what is most important is for stu-

dents to have a variety of options, as self-care is not one size fits all. Programs like this give students the chance to try out a new skill, and also to connect with others,” Cavarallo said.

“Connection is such an important part of positive mental health, and hobbies and art are a great way to make those connections.”

The library offers several programs to aid mental health in students, especially since the emergence of COVID-19.

In previous years, Pope utilized the Maker Lab, a center in the library where users can bring their ideas to life through robotics, vinyl cutters, and more, to host similar events, like designing and creating boxes or laser-cutting key chains.

“A lot of people use the library to study, which is great, but there are so many things that the library can offer for students,” Pope said. “We can help you not only study but really grow both academically and professionally.”

Both events will be capped at 25 participants, but Pope hopes to host similar events over Zoom in the future.

Wellness and Prevention Services also offers resources for students, which can be found on its webpage.

Registration for Zoom is now open for both events. Embroidery will be on March 25 at 2 p.m., and card making on April 1 at 2 p.m.

We can help you not only study but really grow both academically and professionally.

The outside of Belk Library and Information Commons. Hannah Pope, a librarian for the university, partnered with Wellness and Prevention Services to help students connect during the pandemic.

Hiatt Ellis

12

Sports

March 12, 2021

Appalachian Football Club App State releases full 2021 football schedule hosts inaugural open tryout Alex Urquiza | Reporter

On Saturday, Appalachian FC hosted its first open tryout at the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex in Boone.

“It was awesome to finally be out here,” head coach Dale Parker said. ”When you do it from afar, the recruiting from your laptop can get a little bit old and tiresome, but being out here, seeing the stadium, meeting all the backroom staff, being face-to-face with the assistant coaches was great.”

Appalachian FC technical director and former longtime App State men’s soccer coach Art Rex was among the many backroom staff present for recruitment at the tryout.

“I was surprised that we had the number that we had, but it was a good representation to see a lot of the local talent that is out there,” Rex said.

The tryout began with two sets of eight versus eight matches on half of a regulation soccer field for 15 minutes. The players took a water break, and then another set of eight versus eight scrimmages began. After a final water break, the tryouts finished with a traditional 11 versus 11 game on a full regulation field.

Nearly 40 people from all different backgrounds tried out, traveling from different states to try to make the squad for the inaugural season.

Alex McCaskey | Reporter “A nice mix of local talent, which is very pleasing. Some good, young college players and some older guys that have been around the game a long time,” Parker said. “I think it’s a very good mix, I was pleased with what we saw.”

Juan Rodriguez, a Boone local, tried out for the team.

“I enjoyed it, everything was well controlled and well organized, and everyone knew what to do,” Rodriguez said. “I am very excited this team was made, I always knew we had potential around here.”

Logan Brown, a 16-year-old goalkeeper from Spartanburg, South Carolina also tried out for the club.

“My keeper coach works for the head coach at Lander University, and he told me of the tryouts,” Brown said. “I think I did really well, I didn’t feel nervous at all.”

Five to 10 players will make the squad from the tryout, according to Parker, with the final squad coming somewhere between 24 to 26 players.

Appalachian FC announced its first three players last week in a press release, with a trio of former App State men’s soccer players filling the first three roster spots.

Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

Nearly 40 soccer players came out Saturday to try out for a spot on Appalachian FC’s final roster at the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex in Boone. “I am very excited this team was made, I always knew we had potential around here,” said Juan Rodriguez, a Boone local who tried out for the team.

Alex Urquiza

App State football released its schedule for the 2021 season. The slate is highlighted by two games in NFL stadiums, a home rematch against former Southern Conference rival Marshall and a date with Georgia Southern on Senior Day Saturday at The Rock.

The Mountaineers kick off their season Sept.

2 against in-state opponent East Carolina at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, home of the Carolina Panthers. The next week, the Mountaineers head to Miami Gardens, Florida to take on the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium, where Super Bowl LIV was played in 2019.

“Playing in NFL stadiums each of the first two weeks of the season is a big deal for our players,” head coach Shawn Clark said.

The Mountaineers are set to take on fellow former SoCon opponent Elon in their home opener Sept. 18 at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

App State will also face Marshall for the second straight year, this time in Boone, after falling 17-7 last season in Huntington, West Virginia. The game against the Thundering Herd is set for Thursday, Sept. 23.

“Home games against historic rivals Elon and Marshall add to what is always a challenging schedule,” Clark said.

The Mountaineers open Sun Belt play with a trip to Atlanta Oct. 2 to take on the Georgia State Panthers. The next week, Oct. 12, the

Mountaineers travel to Louisiana to take on the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns for a Tuesday matchup.

Oct. 20, the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina travel to Boone, in a Wednesday game that could play a role in deciding who wins the East division. After the game against Coastal Carolina, the Mountaineers will host the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe on Oct. 30.

“The championship runs through Boone, North Carolina,” said super senior offensive lineman Baer Hunter.

The Saturday game against Arkansas State on Nov. 6 should be an intriguing matchup as the Red Wolves recently hired new head coach Butch Jones, previous head coach at Tennessee from 2013-17.

The next two games on the schedule are against schools from the state of Alabama. Nov. 13, the Jaguars of South Alabama travel to Boone to take on the Mountaineers. Following the home game against the Jaguars, the Mountaineers will travel to Troy, Alabama to face off against the Trojans Nov. 20. The last time these two teams played, the Mountaineers won 47-10.

Nov. 27, the Georgia Southern Eagles come to Boone for Senior Day. The game will be the first time in eight years that the Eagles have visited Boone on a Saturday. The last time these two teams played in Statesboro, Georgia, the Mountaineers won 34-26.

App State football announced its full schedule March 1. The Mountaineers are set to play in two NFL stadiums to open the year, which head coach Shawn Clark described as “a big deal for our players.”

Graphic courtesy App State Athletics

13

Sports

March 12, 2021

Mountaineer faithful welcome men’s basketball team home after Sun Belt title

Adrian Delph, junior guard, lifts the Sun Belt Championship trophy for the fans in attendance at the welcome home celebration Tuesday afternoon. Delph recorded 22 points in the final versus Georgia State. This is the first-ever Sun Belt basketball championship win in school history.

Andy McLean

Conner Davidson | Associate Multimedia Editor App State men’s basketball returned to Boone on Tuesday afternoon after winning the Sun Belt Championship 80-73 over Georgia State. The Mountaineers came into the tournament as the fourth seed in the East and were able to defeat the top seeds in both divisions.

At 12:30 p.m., App State Athletics sent a tweet inviting Mountaineer fans to welcome back the team at the Holmes Convocation Center from a safe distance.

Students, fans and cheerleaders gathered on Holmes Drive, giving the team a warm welcome home. At least 100 people filled the area next to the road, waiting patiently and excitedly to see the team arrive.

“It was amazing to see the community come around, because I hon-

14

Cameron Burnett | Senior Reporter

estly didn’t expect that many people,” freshman App State student Justin Turner said. “This season I’ve just watched them, and I was thinking we might be able to make a run here.”

The crowd also included members of the Student Yosef Club, including junior Sarah Turner.

“We’re also a part of the Student Yosef Club executive board, so that’s a big reason we’re out here is supporting athletics,” Turner said. “My emotions were all over the place, but whenever we finally secured it and we won, we came and we were with them and we stormed Convocation and we were jumping up and down and we were so excited that we got a win.”

At 3 p.m., the team arrived in Boone with a police escort. The players waved to the fans and were greet-

ed with cheering as the App State fight song played over the speakers. After the team unpacked the buses, head coach Dustin Kerns stood with the team on the balcony of the Northwest entrance of the Holmes Center to celebrate with those who attended.

“How about those Mountaineers!” Kerns said. “Our players showed incredible toughness and we talked about all season being the best team. Through adversity and challenges, it brought us closer together and there’s no question we were the best team.”

The Mountaineers triumphantly hoisted the trophy and made sure the fans knew they were a part of such a huge moment for the entire program.

In a season where COVID-19 limited fans from attending games, this was a

Fans gather outside of Holmes Convocation Center to welcome the men’s basketball team after winning the Sun Belt Conference. There is a group of App State students called the “Band of Bibbed Boonies”. This group goes to the majority of App State sporting events in their black and gold overalls.

Andy McLean moment the team finally got to share with the Mountaineer faithful.

“We couldn’t do it without (the fans), we’ll give you all a round of applause,” Kerns said. “When we get back to the Holmes Center next year, we got to pack it out every single game.

We’re just getting started, go Mountaineers and take the stairs!”

After finishing 11-21 in the 2018-

19 season, Kerns has turned the program around after two winning seasons, a conference championship and a bid to play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000.

App State will find out its seeding on Selection Sunday, March 14, with the NCAA tournament beginning later that week.

Sports

March 12, 2021

“It means the world”

Mountaineers capture first-ever Sun Belt crown Dan Davidson | Associate Sports Editor App State men’s basketball captured its first ever Sun Belt Tournament championship, securing an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in an 80-73 victory over Georgia State Monday night.

“I thought we outplayed them. I thought we deserved to win the tournament,” head coach Dustin Kerns said. “This is something that we’ve talked about, and I’m just so proud for

our players and our university.”

The championship matchup was App State’s fourth game in as many days, two of which went into overtime. On their way to the title, the fourth-seeded Mountaineers knocked off second-seed Coastal Carolina and both No.1 seeds, including the regular season Sun Belt champion Texas State Bobcats.

“The Xs and Os are part of it

An App State men’s basketball player holds the Sun Belt Conference poster at the welcome home celebration Tuesday in honor of the team winning the championship versus Georgia State. They will head to March Madness for the first time since the 1999-2000 basketball season.

Andy McLean

… but there’s an inner drive, and that becomes contagious throughout that locker room,” Kerns said. “That belief in one another is very powerful.”

Even before the tournament, the team faced adversity all throughout the season. The COVID offseason, starter Kendall Lewis transferring, and a three-week pause after positive COVID tests all forced the Mountaineers to choose whether they would embrace the difficult season, or waste it.

“It’s a very connected locker room. There’s a lot of love for one another, and that’s where it starts,” Kerns said. “I don’t know that we’ve got the greatest individual talent in this league … but I think we’ve got an unbelievable team.”

Throughout the first half, both teams traded brief runs, unable to gain substantial separation. The Mountaineers finished the half with a 8-3 run to bring the score to 37-35 heading into the break, Panthers in front.

Graduate transfer guard Michael Almonacy led the way early for the Mountaineers as he dropped 16 first half points, nearly half of the team’s total. Junior Adrian Delph added 13 points and four rebounds.

“Another veteran guy who can really shoot it,” Georgia State head coach Rob Lanier said of Almonacy.

“Credit to him. It was a good performance by that young man.”

The Panthers gained a modest lead behind 6-11 3-point shooting and 18 bench points compared to App State’s 2. However, the Mountaineers’ ability to convert turnovers into points allowed them to hold tight. They entered the intermission with 13 points off seven Georgia State turnovers.

“I thought that we had a really good game plan and our guys executed it,” Kerns said. “Defensively, I thought we were outstanding. They did not get much easy.”

At the 13:34 mark in the second

App State cheerleader Emma Conley waits outside of Holmes Convocation Center for the men’s basketball team to arrive back in Boone after winning the Sun Belt conference tournament.

Andy McLean period, Almonacy drilled two consecutive 3-pointers to take a 46-41 lead.

The Mountaineers quickly stretched that lead to 9 with 9:40 to go.

“I just want to win. That’s my goal,” Almonacy said. “I don’t care if I score 0 points, 30 points … that’s what our team wants, too.”

Down by 10 with just over two minutes remaining, Georgia State applied full court pressure and began fouling the Mountaineers in order to stop the clock. App State hit 13 of 16 free throw attempts as the clock ticked down, stamping out any hope of a comeback for the Panthers.

“It’s mental toughness. Good players make free throws,” Kerns said.

“At the end of the day, it comes down to just good, talented players.”

Almonacy was named the tournament’s MVP after posting a career-high 32 points in the championship game. He averaged 21.8 points, 3.8 assists, 6.5 rebounds and hit a Sun Belt record 20 3-pointers throughout the tournament.

“It means the world,” Almonacy

said. “This is why I came here. I wanted to play in March Madness at the highest level I can.”

Senior Justin Forrest and Delph combined for 37 of the 48 remaining Mountaineer points. Delph posted 22 points and six rebounds while Forrest finished with 15 points.

The victory marks the first time App State won its conference tournament since 2000, when it defeated College of Charleston 68-56 to capture the Southern Conference crown.

The title is the third conference tournament championship in program history.

“I’m just really happy for our players that they get to experience the NCAA tournament,” Kerns said.

On March 14, the Mountaineers will hear their name called on Selection Sunday for the first time in 21 years. It took Kerns just two years in Boone to help App State find its way back to the biggest stage in college basketball.

15

Opinion

March 12, 2021

caleb’s

CONCEPTS

Evil: invented or intrinsic?

Caleb Garbuio | Opinion Editor What if I told you the issue that has plagued humanity since its inception doesn’t exist? No, I am not discussing disease, war, or famine, since these all exist historically and persist In his 2012 book, “Righteous Mind” moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues humans are wired for religion because there are many documented benefits to a religious society. Religion has been shown to reduce stress and foster group cohesion which prompted neuroendocrinologist and primatologist Robert Sapolsky, an atheist, to conclude religion positively affects people’s wellbeing. As of now, this behavior appears to be uniquely human since our simian friends, chimpanzees, are spiritual, not religious.

Additionally, all known human societies have an element of religion to them, making religions a uniquely human concept. Thus, as a universally adapted cultural practice, religion must function within society, granting it an adaptive benefit. This function allowed early humans to explain the unexplainable. It would give peace of mind within a destructive universe since life expectancy was short and child mortality was high for most of history. Naturally, a supernatural explanation became appealing and defined the wrongness of the world called evil.

Yet, we now know that evil in its religious sense probably doesn’t exist.

For example, take serial killers like Ted Bundy, a clear case example of a whol-

ly evil person, right? Not exactly. Bundy suffered from a neurological condition known as psychopathy, meaning that he had a malfunctioning brain.

Psychopaths have lower connections in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and amygdala, causing lower empathy, reduced fear and heightened aggression.

Depicted in the upper right is a brain scan of a normal brain versus a psychopathic one.

While there is no excuse for Ted Bundy’s behavior, it would be wrong to label his actions as evil. Instead, his murder and rapes are a product of a maladaptive brain. Therefore, in the sense of human action, evil is not a substance.

Rather, it is the absence of a properly functioning system.

Shuri Should Be the Next Black Panther Chase Miller | Opinion Writer Chadwick Boseman’s death was a tragic shock to Hollywood and the world. In less than a decade spent on screen, the acclaimed actor brought his luminous talent to a host of iconic roles. From his breakthrough performance as Jackie Robinson to his electric portrayal of “Godfather of Soul” James Brown, Boseman would have undoubtedly had a long career ahead of him telling important stories. He is most well known for his role as Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe — a mantle now left vacant.

With a sequel on the horizon, it’s difficult to imagine the world of Wakanda without T’Challa and the franchise without Boseman as its charismatic emotional center. The superhero fan is nonetheless compelled to consider:

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Who will be the next Black Panther?

Time to unbury this lede: It should be Shuri. Who better suited to don the black and silver suit than its genius designer? Not only that, but the head scientist — oh, and princess — of Wakanda, whom audiences have already seen wield her own weaponized tech in the past? (Admittedly to little avail, but more on that later.) The character, most recently portrayed by Letitia Wright, is the natural choice for the role based on the series’ established internal logic and character arcs. Though there are many other encapsulating characters in “Black Panther,” her familiarity with advanced Wakandan technology and proximity to the inheritance of the mask and mantle are unparalleled. There’s been

mild resistance to the young princess’ progressivity, with older men in positions of authority leveling vaguely patriarchal sentiments and criticisms of her age in attempts to undermine her credibility as a scientist. How better to explore the evolving social norms and gender relations in Wakanda’s isolated, futuristic society than to let Shuri sonic blast through one more glass ceiling and take over the traditionally male superhero guise and accompanying national responsibility?

Thus far, Marvel hasn’t really known what to do with Shuri. In interviews after her first appearance, the Russo brothers confirmed a longstanding fan belief that she is the smartest character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even though her intelligence

This concept isn’t exclusively restricted to science. One of the arguments against the existence of a benevolent all-knowing, all-powerful and all-present God is the problem of evil. If evil exists, does that mean that God created it? If so, why would an all-good God do that? If evil is independent of God, then God couldn’t have mastery of it, meaning that God is not all-powerful. To answer these difficult questions, North African philosopher Saint Augustine wrote in his book, “The City of God,” that evil is the absence of good. Since we understand what good is, the absence of its presence leaves a hole in our hearts. Thus, evil is merely a product of where the good we are endowed with should be.

Many people cling to antiquated notions of evil. We believe it as a force diametrically opposed to good, and any aspect of our life that isn’t perfectly chalked up is considered evil. Rather, our concept of evil is merely the absence of what we would like or the absence of a properly functioning universe. and impressive pieces of tech are displayed in her three appearances, she is rarely allowed a meaningful impact on the story. In “Black Panther,” she remotely pilots a Lexus through busy South Korean city streets for a few minutes before it’s promptly demolished so T’Challa can face his enemy alone. In “Avengers: Infinity War,” she attempts to surgically separate the caped crimson android Vision from the infinity stone powering his body and composing much of his programming, but it’s unclear how much progress she makes on this extremely difficult task before an alien henchmen throws her out of a window. (That’s not what anyone meant by breaking glass ceilings, Russos.) This is essentially how most of Shuri’s direct interactions with the plot play out.

Despite Wakanda announcing their existence to the world, we’ve yet to see their technology have an impact

beyond its borders. The Shuri fan is forced to wonder, as they watch Tony Stark single-handedly invent time travel in one evening, couldn’t Shuri have been involved here? As Tony Stark designs yet another Spider-Man suit, the nagging question arises — why not consult the world’s leading vibranium armor expert? As Tony Stark’s satellite drones wreak havoc across Europe, he is cemented as the predominant inventor even after his death. The MCU’s preoccupation with maintaining Iron Man’s narrative centricity consistently undermines their claim that Shuri is his intellectual superior, as they default to attributing every major scientific achievement to the former.

To live up to the promise of Shuri’s character, she must be allotted more screen time and allowed a greater influence on the story. To select anyone else as Boseman’s successor would be an oversight.

Et Cetera

March 12, 2021

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