The Appalachian October 2, 2020

The Appalachian

October 2, 2020

Univeristy announces seven new COVID-19 clusters Page 5

Climbing community is thriving indoors and out Page 11

Inside the award-winning App State football video team Page 14

App State student dies of COVID-19 complications Jackie Park | Editor-in-Chief Mickey Hutchings | Managing Editor An App State student died from COVID-19 complications Monday night.

Sophomore Chad Dorrill was taken off of life support around 8 p.m. after battling the virus for about two weeks.

Dorrill’s mother, Susan, said her son was “incredibly tired” for two weeks in a now-private Facebook post by the Piedmont Pacers, a travel basketball team Dorrill played for in Davidson County.

“Little did we know it was secretly attacking his body in a way they have never seen before,” she said. “The doctors said that Chad is the rarest 1-10,000,000 case, but if it can happen to a super healthy 19-year-old boy who doesn’t smoke, vape, or do drugs, it can happen to anyone.”

Dorrill lived off campus and all of his classes were held online, according to a campus-wide email from Chancellor Sheri Everts sent Tuesday afternoon.

When Dorrill began feeling unwell earlier this month, his mother encouraged him to return home to Davidson County, get tested for COVID-19 and quarantine.

Once he was cleared to come back to Boone by his doctor, Dorrill began experiencing “additional complications” related to this virus, Everts wrote.

After the 19-year-old’s death was announced on social media Monday night, friends, family and others began sharing messages of grief and support for the Dorrill family.

Kade Compton’s younger brother played basketball with Dorrill when they were in high school, and she and him were friends for about three years. They both attended Ledford High School. She says Dorrill was “a light.”

“I’m a big drama queen, and so I’d cry all the time and he’d just drop anything and be like, ‘What is it?” said Compton, a junior. “It’d be the dumbest stuff and he’d just stop in his tracks and be like, ‘I’m going to help you.’”

Compton said Dorrill would send her Snapchat videos of him dancing and talking, and made his own memes.

“He was just incredibly funny,” she said.

Continued on page 3 Courtesy of Kade Compton

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Oct. 2, 2020

App State second in testing in UNC System as numbers rise Moss Brennan | Political Editor

Kat Fast | Reporter

Multiple UNC System campuses have closed due to COVID-19, but App State has remained one of the largest schools to still have in-person classes despite growing case numbers. Between Sept. 24 and Oct. 1, App State reported 175 new cases.

For the week ending Sept. 27, App State saw its highest positivity rate — 9% — with 1,418 tests conducted and 127 positive cases reported. The previous high was 3.7% for the week ending Aug. 23. App State’s total positivity rate is 4.4%.

Oct. 1, App State announced seven new clusters associated with four dorms, two fraternities and the volleyball team.

The seven clusters had nearly 50 cases. The announcement brings the total reported clusters at App State to 15.

UNC Charlotte — a school with over 30,000 students — delayed in-person classes until Oct. 1. The school opted to remain virtual for the first few weeks of the semester to slow the spread of COVID-19.

While many of the UNC System schools post data related to positive cases, only seven post data related to testing.

As of Sept. 28, App State has reported the second-most tests in the UNC System. North Carolina State University, which has nearly double the number of total cases, is the only school to have completed more tests — over 12,000.

App State has reported 675 total cases — fourth in the UNC System — since March 27 and over 7,500 tests as of Sept. 27.

But, testing is not a key factor to stopping the spread of COVID-19.

Claire Standley, an assistant research professor at the Center for Global Health Science and Security at George-

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town, said testing is a tool to identify where COVID-19 spread is occuring.

“Testing can be particularly useful in a college setting when applied broadly to screen for pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic infection,” Standley said. “Catching cases early makes it easier to limit transmission and keep overall case numbers down.”

App State offered a free COVID-19 testing event each week in September for faculty, staff and students.

On Sept. 25, Chancellor Sheri Everts told the App State Board of Trustees that the school would continue to host free testing events at least once a week for the foreseeable future.

“As of this week, between Student Health Service and on-campus pop-up sites, we have tested 6,151 faculty, staff and students with an average weekly positive test rate of 3.4% for a total of 207 people,” Everts said.

Everts told the board the free testing bolsters the number of tests Student Health Service staff conduct each day.

“Student Health Service staff are administering 7080 tests a day,” said App State spokesperson Megan Hayes.

“With the pop-up testing capacity, we’ve been able to administer more than 1,000 tests each week nearly every week since students moved in the week of Aug. 10.”

Hayes said each testing site has the capacity to test up to 600 people.

Completed test kits from the events are sent to Mako Medical Laboratories in Raleigh. It has over 125 laboratory staff members and can process over 25,000 test kits per day, according to its website.

Test kits have a three-day turnaround: one day to ship,

Graphic by Moss Brennan

Freshman Olexandr Ramsey (left), gets a COVID test in Rivers Street parking deck on Aug. 29. Ramsey said he knows he doesn’t have COVID, but wants to take the test just for safe measure. Ramsey said he has family in New York who contracted COVID at the beginning of the pandemic, so he takes the virus seriously.

Jessie Barber

one day to process the sample and one day to generate results. After three days, those who were tested can access their results through the Mako website.

Elizabeth Tilson, North Carolina state health director and chief medical officer, said North Carolinians need to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 by following the three Ws – wearing face maks, washing hands frequently and waiting six feet away from others in public – and getting tested when they’ve been exposed to the virus.

“Getting tested helps everyone – the person tested, their loved ones and fellow North Carolinians,” she said.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released a new app called SlowCOVIDNC that will notifiy someone if they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.

“Using this app and seeking testing when necessary are two tools that will help us slow the spread of COVID-19, but preventing infection in the first place is our best strategy,” Tilson said.

The app is available on iOS and Android devices.

Public health officials conduct contact tracing, and Hayes said App State helps communicate to students.

At the beginning of the summer

and early in the fall semester, if a student tested positive, they would be quarantined in Mountaineer Residence Hall.

“During that time, the rooms were separated from others, and students had food delivered and were checked on frequently,” Hayes said. “As of the end of August, all quarantine space provided by the university is in off-campus locations.”

Junior Brendan Grove hadn’t gotten tested by campus before the Sept.

12 free testing event.

“I just wanted to be safe,” Grove said. “There’s no way to know whether or not I might catch it, so I just decided now was a good time to come.”

Kazoua Thao, a sophomore, has not been tested for COVID-19, but knows about the Rivers Street testing site. She says she thinks App State has done a “really good job” when it comes to testing.

The next free testing site is Oct. 3 at the Rivers Street Parking Deck from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The free testing events will be offered every Wednesday and Saturday during October.

“The biggest incentive (to get tested) is to protect your friends, family and community. Peace of mind is very valuable,” Hayes said. “No one wants to be responsible for getting others sick.”

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Oct. 2, 2020

Continued from page 1 Compton says he told her two weeks ago that he had contracted COVID-19. She said as soon as he found out, he went home.

Compton said he experienced pretty common symptoms of the virus.

But, he started to have trouble breathing and his family brought him to the hospital, where he was taken into the intensive care unit. Dorrill was there for four to five days, she said, until his brain started to swell. Compton said doctors couldn’t stop the swelling, and had to take him off the ventilator.

She says she kept thinking he would “pull through” because he was young, healthy and didn’t have any preexisting conditions.

Chad Dorrill was a sophomore at App State before he died of COVID-19 complications.

He was 19 years-old.

Courtesy of Kade Compton

Compton says it’s “crazy” that people in Boone aren’t taking the pandemic seriously and are upset they have to wear masks.

“Just because it doesn’t affect you as bad as it affects other people doesn’t mean you can’t spread it, doesn’t mean you can’t harm people in the way that Chad was harmed because that’s how he got sick. It wasn’t him,” Compton said.

Compton says she thinks Dorrill either got sick from his job at Jimmy John’s or from his roommates, because he wasn’t partying.

“You can just spread it. You might not get that sick, but your friend could,” Compton said.

In an email Tuesday afternoon,

Everts officially shared the news of Dorrill’s death with students, faculty and staff.

“The hearts of the entire Appalachian community are with Chad’s family and loved ones during this profoundly difficult and painful time,” Everts wrote. “Tributes shared by friends and loved ones show the positive impact Chad had on the communities he loved and called home, which included App State and Boone.”

The chancellor emphasized the importance of being “vigilant” in following COVID-19 safety protocols by limiting social gatherings, remaining at least six feet away from individuals in public spaces, and wearing facial coverings when around other people.

“We can flatten the curve, but to do so, we must persevere,” Everts wrote. “From the smallest acts to the most important personal relationships, we must actively work each day to reduce the spread of this highly communicable disease.”

Students, faculty and staff have assistance for coping with grief through the university.

App State is offering free walk-up testing every Saturday in September and October at the Rivers Street Parking Deck from noon to 5 p.m. with an AppCard.

Black at App State requests apology from chancellor after protest, shows support for student union voting site Xanayra Marin-Lopez | Multimedia Editor Almost a month after Black at App State’s “Wake the Chancellor” march on Sanford Mall, the group is requesting a written apology from Chancellor Sheri Everts after her response to the protest in a Tuesday statement.

On Aug. 31, the Black at App State Collective led nearly 250 students from Sanford Mall to the B.B. Dougherty Administration Building, where the chancellor’s office is housed. This summer, the group made a petition and list of demands in regards to the oppression and trauma Black, Indigenous students and people of color have faced on campus. They also demanded change in areas such as scholarship, curriculum and campus culture. The group says the university has not met their demands.

The day of the protest, App State Police told the group that students still in B.B. Dougherty Building after 5 p.m. would be arrested for trespassing and violating a COVID-19 executive order. At 5:45 p.m., officers wrote citations and threatened arrests. They were dropped.

“Although no arrests were made, the actions of App State Police re-

mind us of the risks Black people encounter when interacting with law enforcement,” the collective wrote in their statement. “Experiences like this can have an incredibly damaging impact on the mental and physical health of Black people.”

Black at App State demanded Everts make a statement through a campus-wide email with “full commitment and transparency around a timeline for implementation” concerning the group’s demands. At the end of the day, she did not give a statement. The

Collective wrote that chief communications officer Megan Hayes denied this request on behalf of the chancellor.

The collective says that Everts did not do her job ensuring student’s safety when they were threatened with arrest.

Bailey Gardin, a member of the Black at App State Collective, said administration knew students were facing arrest and citations.

“The Collective recognizes that the chancellor and her communications team were willing to let students be arrested for participating in a peace-

The Black At App State collective at the “Wake The Chancellor” march against injustice Aug. 31. The collective is requesting a written apology from Chancellor Sheri Everts after her response to the protest.

Courtesy of Korbin Cummings

ful march and fighting for racial equity on campus,” Gardin said.

They also accused the chancellor of lying in a campus-wide email, claiming the two have met on several occasions. Black at App State says they have only met once, in July.

At their July meeting, the group claims they were muted when trying to speak to administration and the chancellor. After this, the chat feature was turned off, making the meeting one-sided.

The collective met again with administrators twice in September to discuss implementation of their demands, but the chancellor was not present.

Black at App State mentioned its support for the Plemmons Student Union as a voting site in their statement.

Eric Eller, a member of the Watauga County Board of Elections, wrote a letter to App State Police concerning the PSU voting site.

Eller proposed that Black At App State would cause a dangerous campus environment for voting, quoting from their original July statement.

The group wrote that they would not hesitate to contact the media to further publicize their movement and experiences of racism on campus. Eller took this excerpt to say that “Disrupting the election process would draw substantial media attention, potentially including national media attention.

Such publicity could very well attract other, outside organizations whose activities may be far less ‘nonviolent.’”

The collective said his language “attempted to criminalize and invalidate the work that the collective has done to advocate for other students to push his political agenda.”

The collective asked Eller to issue an immediate written apology and resign from his position as a member of the Watauga County Board of Elections.

“The Collective acknowledges that these demands are bigger than us and feel that we have an obligation to advocate for the safety of Black, Indigenous, and other students of color on campus,” Gardin said.

The Appalachian reached out to University Communications, but did not hear back in time for publication.

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Oct. 2, 2020

Black ambassadors strike due to university response to COVID-19, Black at App State Collective Jackie Park | Editor-in-Chief

Gianna Holiday | Assoicate News Editor

Frustration about the university’s response to COVID-19 and demands from the Black at App State Collective has led Black Appalachian Student Ambassadors to refrain from giving campus tours.

“What we need is reform,” said Zane Johnson, who has been an ambassador for three years. “Not just in the organization, but in the university itself. If we’re representing the university, we have to agree with what the university does, and I don’t agree with what the university does in response to COVID-19, Black at App State demands.”

Ambassadors are student volunteers who give tours of the university and work closely with the Office of Admissions, the Alumni Association and the Office of the Chancellor to host open houses and various on-campus events.

“I just don’t feel comfortable speaking highly or positively on the

university that I don’t feel safe in currently,” said Johnson.

Black at App State is a group that gained traction this summer when it wrote a list of demands to university administration, including Chancellor Sheri Everts, calling for actions like a bias incident reporting system and more support resources for Black students.

“The Black Ambassadors, as a collective, are choosing to stand in solidarity with Black At App State until further notice. I think it is only right that we do this because this is something bigger than ourselves,” said Thelma Vambe, one of the ambassadors refraining from giving tours.

Vambe says she hopes the administration and App State community listen to and meet Black at App State’s demands.

“I want to thank each one of them for having the courage to be

The John E. Thomas building, where the Appalachian Student Ambassadors’ meeting space for tours is located. Black Ambassadors are currently refraining from giving tours due to the university’s response to COVID-19 and the Black at App State Collective Caroline McNair

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the voice for the Black students on this campus. The demands they implemented are things that the university should have been doing,” she said.

The group has already begun conversations with its executive committee and advisers in the alumni and admissions offices.

Sarah Garrow is the associate director of alumni affairs. She says her office has met with two of the ambassadors on strike, and shared its progress on office-wide action steps towards inclusion.

The action steps include things like staff members in Garrow’s office completing “measurable performance goals related to diversity and inclusion training opportunities to promote personal and professional growth” and continuing to work alongside and collaborate with leaders in the African American Alumni Network, she wrote in an email.

“As educators and supporters of our students, alumni and university, we will continue to evaluate our daily work as an opportunity to support an inclusive environment for all Mountaineers,” Garrow said.

Sarah Bailey, president of the organization, says her executive committee was initially concerned with how to better the organization and take responsibility for the things that made her fellow ambassadors feel “unheard and unsupported.”

“Our number one priority was, and is, the health and safety of our members,” Bailey wrote in an email, “so we wanted to make sure we were connecting these five members with the proper lines of communication to the three offices we serve to have the conversations necessary to allow

With everything going on in this nation, at some point, one must understand and see that enough is enough them to feel comfortable rejoining our group, and ultimately creating lasting change for current and future Ambassadors.”

Johnson says the advisers and members of the executive committee have been responsive so far, and regularly update him and the other ambassadors about changes taking place. One change has already been implemented: requiring ambassadors to speak about diversity and inclusion during tours.

Johnson says that at most other schools, tour guides are given a script. At App State, ambassadors are given an outline, but allowed to make the tours their own. In the last several years, the diversity and inclusion segment of tours has been optional. Now, it’s required.

“You wouldn’t make the cost of tuition optional … that’s like a staple, and so should the diversity and inclusion,” Johnson said.

Vambe says she hopes that the group’s boycott will demonstrate that they don’t feel safe giving tours at this time.

“With everything going on in this nation, at some point, one must understand and see that enough is enough. It is time for a change, in fact, it has been time,” Vambe said.

Bailey says the organization is actively working to create a more

equitable environment for Black Ambassadors and future members and increase transparency between the executive committee, offices the group serves, and ambassadors themselves.

There is much to be done, and in doing so our goals remain to protect our members, and maintain their health and safety – especially during this time,” she said. “We can only accomplish the goals of our mission statement if all our members feel supported, and that is what we will continue to work toward.”

Johnson says he isn’t boycotting because he dislikes his organization, but because he cares about it.

“I’m not sitting here trying to talk negatively on our organization, I just want it to be better, that’s all,” he said. “I feel like there’s room for improvement everywhere.”

University Communications did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

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Oct. 2, 2020

App State tackles food insecurity through free App State announces seven pantries, adjustments made for COVID-19 new clusters of COVID-19,

19 new cases associated with football team

Jake Markland | Reporter As students balance their lives in the middle of a global pandemic, many are left without resources to feed themselves and are forced to choose between their scholarly, personal responsibilities and food.

“There’s a lot more food insecurity than you would realize,” said Jennifer Maxwell, sustainability program manager for the Office of Sustainability.

Food insecurity is the state of being without quality and affordable food. A study from The Hope Center in 2018 found that 45% of 86,000 college students surveyed were food insecure in the previous 30 days.

“Those numbers, for us, were pretty staggering and really brought this situation to light,” Maxwell said.

Rebbeca Walton, outreach coordinator for OOS, said many students simply don’t have the time to work while being a full-time student.

Sometimes, she said, students choose between school and eating.

Devin Mullins, SGA director of sustainable development, said the problem goes beyond just students.

“I am also concerned about Boone locals, the people who are affected by this but didn’t ask for students to come here,” Mullins said.

In Watauga County, 30% of residents are food insecure and lack access to assistance, according to the Watauga Food Council.

App State has food pantries across campus where students and faculty can get a variety of items including food, clothing and personal care items for free. Pantries can be found in the Office of Sustainability, Belk Library, Garwood Hall, D.D. Dougherty Building and Reich College of Education.

App State’s main pantry, the Mountaineer Food Hub, located in the Office of Sustainability below

Jackie Park | Editor-in-Chief

Volunteers stock the pantry at the Food Resource Hub in 2019. App State has spaces across campus where students and faculty can get a variety of items including food for free to eliminate food insecurity, a problem that has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Lynette Files

East Hall, is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Monday through Friday. Established in 2016, this pantry works alongside the others to provide resources and ensure each one is sufficiently stocked.

As a precaution during the pandemic, the Mountaineer Food Hub is offering bags of “staple foods” containing pasta, sauce, beans, rice, mac and cheese, soup, tuna, peanut butter, granola bars and oatmeal. They also offer bags of canned veggies and “breakfast bags” with cereal, shelf-stable milk, oatmeal, grits and granola bars. When available, the office adds fresh produce to bags.

In an effort to have more food available, Mullins said SGA is pushing to implement a system that would allow students to pay off parking tick-

ets by donating food, a rendition of Georgia Southern’s Food for Fines program, but nothing has been put into practice yet.

“We have a parking problem in Boone, and we have a food insecurity issue in Boone,” Mullins said.

“Under the right circumstances, (students) could donate a certain amount of food and have their parking ticket voided.”

The office also offers personal care items including shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving supplies and menstrual products.

Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

App State announced seven new clusters of COVID-19 and 19 new cases associated with the App State football team in a campuswide email Thursday. This is the largest announcement of clusters yet.

The clusters are as follows: • 5 cases in active isolation in White Residence Hall.

• 6 cases in active isolation in Eggers Residence Hall.

• 5 total cases in Summit Residence Hall. Four of these are in active isolation and one is past isolation.

• 5 cases in the Living Learning Center. Four of these cases are in active isolation and one is past isolation.

• 5 cases associated with App State volleyball. Four of these cases are in active isolation and one is past isolation.

• 8 cases associated with Kappa Alpha fraternity. Five of these are in active isolation and three are past isolation.

• 14 cases associated with Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. Seven of these cases are in active isolation and seven are past isolation.

Of the cases associated with the football team, eight are staff members and 11 are students.

The release states that these cases are associated with the active cluster on the football team, which took more than 20 players out of last weekend’s game. App State Athletics announced today that its Oct. 7 match against Louisiana is

postponed.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services defines a cluster as a minimum of five cases with illness onsets or initial positive results within a 14-day period and plausible epidemiologic linkage between cases.

Public health staff members are identifying and reaching out to close contacts of those who have tested positive, according to the release. A close contact is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as someone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for more than 15 minutes.

App State’s next COVID-19 pop-up testing event will take place Saturday at Rivers Street Parking Deck from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. No insurance or appointment is needed, but an AppCard is.

The announcement comes as App State reaches 675 cumulative cases across students, faculty and subcontractors. Currently, 181 students and 4 employees are currently in isolation with COVID-19.

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Oct. 2, 2020

Housekeeping during a pandemic Kara Haselton | Photographer During the unusual year COVID-19 has created at App State, students and faculty are relying on custodial staff workers to a new degree when it comes to staying safe and healthy.

These staff workers have had to undergo additional

training

and

incorporate

new

procedures into their already busy schedules, enabling students to continue their education

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while preventing the spread of COVID-19.

In Wey Hall, custodial staffer Nathan Shook, is experiencing new challenges and routines he has not had to deal with in his 13 years of working at App State. Sianna Gutschick, sophomore operations assistant, found herself a new job at the beginning of the semester sanitizing commonly touched surfaces on an hourly basis in the Plemmons Student Union.

Adelina Moctezuma, custodial staffer, works her afternoon shift in L.S. Dougherty, keeping in mind the rigorous training she underwent about new safety regulations amid pandemic.

Lashey Reid, custodial staffer, cleans the classrooms and sitting areas on all four floors of Peacock Hall, finding the addition of masks a challenge.

These are just some of the individuals that work everyday to keep students and faculty safe.

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1.Lashey Reid started working with App State about a month and a half ago to help keep Peacock Hall safe and clean for students a time. 2. Nathan Shook has worked in Wey Hall for 13 years. Just weeks before students came back, it was up to him and his fellow s computer keyboard. He sympathizes with the students and the frustrating change in their education the pandemic has caused. 3. N Solarium, a popular room where students sit and study in the Plemmons Student Union. Gutschick does hourly cleans while she work and hallway of Wey Hall. Due to the high demand of hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 pandemic, distilleries have started producing involves disinfecting everything three to four times during her afternoon shift: the doors, keyboards, stair rails, chairs and more. Moc semester. Gutschick has her temperature taken before each shift and works around a total of 11 hours a week. She enjoys the job an

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Oct. 2, 2020

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and faculty. To keep herself entertained while she works 29 hours a week cleaning all the classrooms and sitting areas, Reid likes to listen to music of all kinds. Reid is thankful for what this job provides during a difficult staff to strip and wax the floors and wipe the building down clean. He now works to keep the building sanitary and safe for students every day, from refilling the “moonshine hand santizer” stations to spraying down every Nathan Shook and other custodial staff in Wey Hall work to make sure each classroom is stocked with cleaning products to keep students and professors safe. 4. Sianna Gutschick, sophomore, wipes down a table in the ks in the union, discinfecting all sitting areas, stair cases and tables in order to provide a safer environment for her peers. 5. The storage supply of the “moonshine hand sanitizer.” Nathan Shook puts it in every classroom g and selling hand sanitizer. 6. Adelina Moctezuma, who did not want to be pictured, has lived in Boone with her family for four years and started working at App State a couple months ago. Her work in L.S. Dougherty Hall ctezuma feels safe and grateful not to see sick students or faculty. 7. Sianna Gutschick, sophomore, works in the Plemmons Student Union as an operation assistant. She started working on the first day of the fall 2020 nd doesn’t feel unsafe or at-risk.

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Oct. 2, 2020

“Will you shut up, man!”

App State College Democrats and Republicans respond to first presidential debate Moss Brennan | Political Editor In the much-anticipated first debate of the 2020 presidential election, President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden clashed in Cleveland, Ohio, setting a vicious tone with just over a month until Election Day. Both presidents of the App State College Democrats and Republicans watched the debate to see how their candidate would do.

Dalton George, president of the App State College Democrats, said Biden is the “clear choice for a better America.”

“It’s disappointing to see the president unable to follow simple debate rules,” George said, referring to Trump’s several interruptions of the former vice president. “One person on the debate stage looked equipped for the position of president, and it was not Donald Trump.”

App State College Republicans president River Collins said he thinks both candidates did a decent job.

“Biden was able to, for the most part, clearly communicate and not stumble as much as normal,” Collins said. “Trump did a great job on the offensive calling out Biden’s weaknesses and putting him in bad scenarios where he dodged questions, such as which law enforcement group supports Biden and he gave no answer.”

Collins also said he felt there was too much interrupting “from Trump especially” and talking over one another.

The hour-and-a-half debate featured many interruptions, insults and little discussion on policy. The

Commission on Presidential Debates sponsored the debate.

Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace moderated the debate which consisted of six 15-minute segments.

Each segment began with a question from Wallace who gave each candidate 2 minutes to respond. After the initial responses from Trump and Biden, the remaining time was open for discussion.

Topics included COVID-19, the Supreme Court, economy, race, climate and election integrity.

PolitiFact fact checked claims made by both of the candidates.

The format led to interruptions from both candidates. The CPD released a statement Wednesday stating it was grateful for the professionalism and skill Wallace brought to the debates, but changes needed to happen.

“Last night’s debate made clear that additional structure should

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Graphic by Moss Brennan

be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues,” the organization wrote. “The CPD will be carefully considering the changes that it will adopt and will announce those measures shortly.”

At one point, Wallace had enough of Trump interrupting Biden.

“I think the country would be better served if we allowed both people to speak with fewer interruptions,” Wallace said to Trump. “I’m appealing to you, sir, to do that.”

One of the more memorable moments from the debate came when Wallace asked Trump to condemn white supremacy.

Here’s the what happened: Wallace: “Are you willing tonight to condemn white supremacists and militia groups and to say that they need to stand down and not add to the violence or the number of these cities as we saw in Kenosha, and as we’ve

seen in Portland?”

Trump: “I would say almost everything I see is from the left wing, not from the right. ... I’m willing to do anything. I want to see peace.”

Wallace: “Then do it, sir.”

Biden: “Do it, do it. Say it.”

Trump: “You want to call them.

What do you want to call them? Give me a name.”

Biden: “Proud Boys.”

Trump: “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by, but I’ll tell you what, somebody’s got to do something about ANTIFA and the left.”

The Proud Boys is a group that primarily has misogynistic, Islamophobic, transphobic and antiimmigration ideologies, with some members spewing white suprmecist and anti-Semitic ideologies, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

The group has taken the president’s words to heart and are celebrating his call to “stand by and stand back.”

Members have even begun sharing the group’s logo with the president’s words on it.

Korbin Cummings, the director of diversity and inclusion for the App State Student Government Association, could not comment on a specific candidate or party since her role is non-partisan.

“However, as a Black woman, I am personally against all forms of prejudice, violence and discrimination,” Cummings said. “I do not support any group, action or ideology that supports the hate or violence of marginalized people.”

Cummings also pointed

to the SGA preisdent and vice president’s platform in terms of the administration’s stand on equity, and also pointed to the SGA constitution on the organization’s stance against discrimination.

Later, on his way to campaign in Minnesota, Trump said the Proud Boys “have to stand down and let law enforcement work” and that he did not know who the Proud Boys are.

Throughout the debate, both candidates insulted each other multiple times — nearly shouting at times as they tried to talk over each other.

Biden asked Trump to “shut up,” called him a clown and said he is the “worst president America has ever had.”

Trump attacked both of Biden’s sons, members of the Democratic party and told Biden to not “ever use the word ‘smart’ with me” claiming Biden graduated last or almost last in his class.

The next presidential debate is Oct. 15 at 9 p.m. The debate is a town hall format in which South Floridians will ask the candidates questions. Each candidate will have two minutes to respond.

Vice presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Mike Pence will debate Oct. 7.

“I think very little real information was covered during the debate and the substance of it was severely lacking,” Collins said. “I hope the next debate offers more discussion time, more important questions, time for rebuttal and less interruptions.”

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Oct. 2, 2020

Judge denies Republicans’ temporary restraining order over App State early voting site

App State grad looks to upset long serving GOP member

Moss Brennan | Political Editor A judge denied a request Wednesday by two Republican Watauga County Board of Elections members to place a temporary restraining order on the App State early voting site.

Board members Eric Eller and Nancy Owen filed the lawsuit against the North Carolina State Board of Elections Sept. 10 in Wake County.

Eller and Owen asked the court to stop the state from adopting the App State early voting site and instead use the Holmes Convocation Center.

Superior Court Judge Rebecca Holt wrote in the decision that the plaintiffs failed to persuade the court they would suffer immediate and irreparable harm in justifying a temporary restraining order.

“After some consideration, we have decided that proceeding to trial would not be in the best interest of the voters, and they are ultimately our number one priority,” Eller said.

“With that said, proceeding to trial could lead to the early voting site being moved to another location after early voting has begun.”

Eller said having the voting site moved while early voting was occurring would be unfair to voters and would cause unnecessary confusion.

App State spokesperson Megan Hayes said the university will provide information soon about relocating classes held in the Plemmons Student Union to those affected.

“The university remains steadfast in its commitment to providing an on-campus voting site, and values its longstanding relationship with the county board of elections,” Hayes said. “We will utilize every option we have available to minimize disrup-

tion to their teaching and learning experience and maintain our stringent campus safety standards.”

Dalton George, a member of the Watauga Voting Rights Task Force, said he was glad the judge “made the right decision” in not granting a temporary restraining order.

Adam Zebzda, App State Student Government Association director of external affairs, is also happy with the court’s decision.

“I am pleased to see the Court refuse to oppress the public’s will and chose to protect on-campus voting,” Zebzda said. “SGA is ready to assist in any way possible to prepare the Student Union voting site for this year’s election.”

Early voting begins Oct. 15 at six one-stop early voting sites across the county.

One-stop early voting will run Oct. 15 to Oct. 31. Each voting site will be open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every weekday. Each Saturday, sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Here are the sites: • App State – Plemmons Student Union – Blue Ridge Ballroom • Blowing Rock Town Hall • Deep Gap Fire Department • High Country Vacation Homes (Foscoe) • Western Watauga Community Center • Watauga County Administration Building, Commissioners’ Board Room

David Wilson Brown, Democratic candidate for the 5th Congressional District of North Carolina, on Oct. 1. Brown is a 1996 App State alumni of political science and communication.

Jesse Barber

Abi Pepin | Senior Political Correspondent

Living through a pandemic while recovering from a quadruple-bypass surgery won’t stop one App State alum from campaigning for the 5th Congressional District of North Carolina.

David Wilson Brown graduated from App State in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and communication.

Although Brown was passionate about many different topics, like broadcasting and theater, he stuck with his love for politics.

Brown said he became interested in politics at a young age.

“I actually had an eighth grade teacher who was all about John F. Kennedy,” Brown said. “We learned a lot about his presidency and I really got inspired by that.”

In high school, Brown was involved in several different youth groups.

“I had the opportunity to actually meet and work with Sue Myrick in her office as mayor of Charlotte,” Brown said.

Later, when Brown was at App State, he interned for Myrick when she was a congresswoman on Capitol Hill.

“It was definitely something I was very interested in that summer, but it kind of broke me of wanting to do politics,” Brown said. “It was the combination of the toxicity about partisanship and the recognition of not making a lot of money while having high living costs in DC.” Soon after, Brown decided to go the “communications

route” by pursuing job opportunities with C-SPAN and NASA TV. In the upcoming election, Brown is running for a seat in the United States House of Representatives against Republican incumbent Virginia Foxx.

“I was really excited when the redistricting happened for the opportunity to represent the school that I went to,” said Brown.

In 2019, North Carolina adopted a new congressional district map, changing Brown’s district from the 10th to the fifth.

The 5th Congressional District of North Carolina includes Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Catawba, Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes and Yadkin counties.

“My goal and job will be to be the voice of the people in western North Carolina in Washington, with the interest of the people at heart,” said Brown.

Barbara Brown is the field director for Wilson’s campaign, as well as his spouse and mother to their children.

“Regardless of him being my husband, he’s the kind of person I want to represent me,” Brown said.

Brown said she and her husband try reminding their two children they are living in historic times.

“We both work really hard to not just talk about our values but to live them,” Brown. said Wesley Davis, an App State grad student, said he met Brown through an App State professor.

“I help David out with the communication side of things,” said Davis, a volunteer for the campaign. “I work on communication plans, strategies and how we’re going to talk about certain issues.”

Davis said he also coordinates with county party chairs to see what the campaign can do to support local Democratic candidates.

Although Davis said he’s constantly on video conferences, they still try to find alternative ways of campaigning in a “COVID-19 world.”

“We have started doing driving campaigns,” Davis said.

“Basically, we just drive around to different spots and show David’s pride while allowing people to meet up outside to get information.”

Davis said that’s the best they can do for limited personal interaction during this time.

“I think David’s going to bring accountability to Washington,” Davis said. “He’s big on talking about how we need to reform our democratic institutions.”

Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

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“ A&C

WE

Oct. 2, 2020

ARE

HURTING

Boone bars cope with changes to live music David Brashier | A&C Editor In normal times, bars in Boone offer an eclectic array of live music performances to entertain patrons. But, the COVID-19 pandemic means that whether bands are able to play or not varies on the establishment.

Tapp Room closed its doors to dine-in patrons in early March and didn’t reopen until late May. While customers were able to enjoy the bar’s food and drink specials again, Tapp Room curtailed live music performances.

“We used to hold concerts two to three times a week, and it was definitely one of our major pulls,” said Matt Manely, the general manager at Tapp Room. “There seems to be a great connection between the bands and their fans as well as between the bar and these concertgoers.”

Tapp Room resumed live music in July and swiftly im-

Bradly and Ash performing at Tapp Room. Bars have been struggling to decide whether or not to let bands perform live again during the COVID-19 pandemic Ansely Puckett

10

provised to adhere to mandated social distancing measures, Manely said.

The bar is currently hosting free acoustic bluegrass sessions featuring NADA Bluegrass Band every other Tuesday, and COVIP Sessions (COVID-friendly VIP sessions) every other Thursday.

“COVIP concerts we’re doing as intimate concert experiences,” Manely said. “We sell tables of six at $10 a head, realistically only seating 20-30 people total.”

Tapp Room also features Foothills Festival Express Fridays, a partnership with Foothills Brewing in Winston-Salem. Every Friday, Manely streams live concerts performed at the brewery on a projector and offers drink specials on the Foothills beers.

Though Manely is discouraged that the music life normally seen at Tapp Room is only a fraction of what it used to be, he loves to see the enthusiasm his patrons share now that concerts have returned to the bar.

“Going from two to three concerts each week to just one, we are hurting from not being able to bring in bands like we used to,” Manely said. “But I’d say the enthusiasm surrounding our shows has been the same. People definitely want to see live music again, so they put a lot of priority on getting their tickets.”

While bars like Tapp Room are making the most of COVID-friendly live music, other venues err on the side of caution. Ransom Pub on King Street featured two to three performances each week before the pandemic but hasn’t made any attempts to resume since March.

“Live music definitely was a draw to the pub,” said Todd Hendley, a managing partner at Ransom. “We had regulars who came in on Wednesdays for the live bluegrass rounds, and we definitely had a late-night crowd Fridays and Saturdays for local bands.”

For Hendley, the silver lining has been the cut in expenses that come with hosting live performers. Having extra cash on hand has proven helpful while Gov. Roy Cooper’s current order prohibiting alcohol sales after 11 p.m. cut sales.

Despite the lack of expenses helping business, there’s

Situational Awareness performing at Tapp Room. In the wake of the pandemic, bars had to decide whether or not to open spaces back up to live music Ansely Puckett

no denying Ransom’s staff greatly desires to host live music again, both for business and the community atmosphere at the pub, Hendley said. For Ransom, it is only a question of when.

“The game has just changed so much, so it’s going to be interesting to see what the new normal will be for us,” said Hendley. “I wish I could give a start date, I wish I could know something.”

Noble Kava, a smaller, under-the-radar venue with a massive following amongst its patrons, is also playing it safe. While the bar’s staff is disappointed that they had to cancel live shows entirely, they are encouraged at the unwavering sense of community that has maintained itself in the meantime. “(The community) has still been tight-knit,” said Kya Stillson, a bar-

tender at Noble Kava. “There have been a lot of talks about mental health and how to stay positive, safe and healthy during this pandemic. It’s been really beautiful to watch.”

For Stillson, the music community surrounding Noble Kava’s live shows was less about the music and more about the people who came to watch in an intimate venue.

Artists frequently featured on Noble Kava’s stage have been coping with the loss of not getting to perform at a truly unique venue. For bands like Speedball, a local funk-rock/alternative group, their music career wouldn’t exist without the bar.

“We were lucky to have a venue at the kava bar, in the beginning, we could play one night a week at,” said Lucas Triba, guitarist for Speedball.

“We all met at the Noble Kava bar.”

A&C

Oct. 2, 2020

CLIMBING THROUGH COVID

Daelan, an avid climber in Boone, NC, is able to keep strong during the bouldering season by climbing with a mask on at Center 45 on October 1.

Samuel Cooke

Tucker Wulff | Associate A&C Editor Amidst a global pandemic, when many view sports teams and athletic events as a serious risk due to outbreaks in professional and collegiate franchises, the climbing community in the High Country is thriving indoors and out.

Daniel Gajda, an App State alumni and professional climbing photographer, said while there are aspects of the climbing industry that are hurting, in general, the pandemic hasn’t deterred the sport.

“The climbing industry has just been growing exponentially over the last couple of years,” Gajda said. “I haven’t seen the growth stop.”

Though policies and rules of operation have changed at the climbing gym in the App State Student Recreation Center and Center 45, an indoor bouldering gym in Boone, both reported positive results with enthusiastic patrons happy to follow the new safety guidelines.

Center 45 is operating under a limited capacity and changed to a “members-only” status.

Aaron Parlier, general manager and co-owner of Center 45, said the gym chose to restrict its capacity as a service to those dedicated to the gym who would otherwise potentially have to compete for a reserved space inside.

“That kind of limits the folks that will be in the gym to people who are, at the very least, a student at App State or someone who lives in the western North Carolina area,” Parlier said, “versus someone rolling in from wherever just because it’s raining outside.”

PLAYLIST OF THE WEEK Mickey Hutchings Managing Editor

The High Country climbing community is thriving indoors The climbing wall in the App State SRC is operating under a limited capacity of five climbers per 90-minute pre-registered session. As of Sept. 29, Outdoor Programs, the office in charge of the climbing wall, is limiting climbers to bouldering with no top rope or lede climbing available.

Despite limitations, however, sessions in the SRC’s space are often completely filled, Robert Riddle, coordinator for Outdoor Programs, wrote in an email.

“Climbers have been excited to get back in the gym,” Riddle said, “and our staff is excited to be back working at the wall.”

Similarly, members of Center 45 have been happy to be back in the gym even with extra safety precautions like wearing masks, socially distancing and frequently washing their hands, Parlier said.

“This indoor environment was shut down for 100 days, lock and key,” Parlier said. “Folks in right now are very happy to have a space that’s back open. I’m in here basically four days out of the week, and I’m yet to encounter someone that came in that had an issue.”

Climbers are also testing their skills safely outside throughout the pandemic. Parlier said when the lockdown first started, climbing gym closures pushed people to find outside climbing spots.

Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

Graphic by Camryn Collier

With venue closures, limited access to recording spaces and other issues posed by the pandemic that swept the world this year, it’s now more important than ever to support small artists.

How better to show your love than by streaming Boone indie rockers?

Here are some grooves born and raised in the High Country, courtesy of Boone indie artists.

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A&C

Oct. 2, 2020

Boone users respond to potential Rebecca Parker | Reporter

As students overwhelmingly take classes online this school year, many may be experiencing new and frequent headaches. Computer screens emit blue light, which causes headaches for many. Luckily, there is a stylish tool to combat this: blue-light-blocking glasses.

These glasses filter blue light, which affects how human brains produce melatonin. This is why you may experience fatigue or headaches after prolonged exposure to computer or phone screens.

COVID guidelines have forced teachers and professors to switch to a remote learning, requiring students to attend classes via video conferencing and complete many assignments online.

Abby Priest purchased her blue-light-filtering glasses for her remote learning. For a while, Priest had been experiencing severe headaches that were ultimately caused by excessive exposure to her computer screen.

Having a technologically-demanding job editing student work and organizing online files, it is hard for Priest to avoid this.

“About a year ago, I was having really bad headaches, it felt like my eyes were just tired,” Priest said.

Priest works as an events coordinator and scheduler and is a full-time student, so she spends a lot of time on her computer. Priest says she has noticed a difference in the way she feels after a long day of class since she started wearing them.

“They have been a super radical and transformative experience, they ended up being really helpful. I have noticed I have more energy even after having three or four Zoom classes a day,” Priest said.

While glasses are typically meant to correct vision, you can find nonprescription glasses with the blue light filter added to the lenses. This gives students who do not need glasses a way to shield their eyes from the blue light. They also double as a trendy statement piece.

Holli Flanagan is a graduate student at App State who works for the University Writing Center. She says working from home has increased her screen time. Flanagan uses her glasses for her migraines and to tie together outfits.

Blue light glasses come in a myriad of frame shapes and styles. While many wearers opt for a neutral pair to match everything, others reach for vibrant pinks and purples to express their personality.

“I was very specific with the style and the frames because I did want them to look good on my face,” Flanagan said.

Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

Graphic by Camryn Collier

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TIKTOK BAN

The social media platform, TikTok, allows users to create and share short viral videos of up to 60 seconds. Despite its popularity, fears over privacy and the app’s access to American users’ data pushed U.S. government officials to investigate its national security risks.

Xanayra Marin-Lopez

Ansley Puckett | A&C Editor Life hacks, celebrity edits, recipes and jokes have all found a place on the popular video-sharing app that has led many to long hours of scrolling.

With almost 50 million TikTok users in the U.S. alone, the Chinese-owned app has gained popularity among people of all ages. Now, with a nationwide debate over the app’s fate, and President Donald Trump’s attempt to ban it, App State and Boone users are considering the possibility of a world without TikTok. To senior Heather Hatcher, TikTok has become a resource, as well as a way to stay entertained.

“I like TikTok because it’s kind of like an escape.

You always scroll on your phone, and you think ‘oh, maybe I’ll spend some money, or maybe I’ll do this,’ but TikTok, it kind of gives you tips,” Hatcher said. “You get enjoyment out of it, and I always get good recipes off there because I’m a foodie, so I’m really into the tips and tricks on there.”

Despite its popularity, fears over privacy and the app’s access to American users’ data pushed U.S. government officials to investigate its national security risks.

The Trump administration set a deadline for TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to either sell the part of the app that Americans use to an American

company or face a ban in the U.S. On Sept. 27, a federal judge granted TikTok a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration’s ban, allowing users to continue downloading the app past the date the app was supposed to be restricted in app stores.

Users like Hatcher are also weighing privacy concerns against entertainment.

“I feel like every app you use, everything you have, is going to take some part of your information, you just got to feel either really strongly about ‘hey, I don’t want to do this,’ or just do it,” Hatcher said.

Others, like freshman Noah Franklin, believe “there are bigger problems in the world than trying to minimize the use of an app,” but said he is not concerned about losing access to TikTok. “If they are taking precautions about (TikTok), then that’s better than not doing anything,” Franklin said. “I don’t see a reason to ban something, but I understand if it needs to happen.”

With concerns about American user data overseas also comes concerns with user data at home.

Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

Sports

Oct. 2, 2020

App State football’s matchup with Louisiana postponed

Cross country opens season with strong showing at Mountains to Sea Open

Ben Brady | Reporter

App State football announced the postponement of its game scheduled against Louisiana for Oct. 7 Thursday, due to positive COVID-19 tests.

The program made this decision in consultation with Chancellor Sheri Everts, AppHealthCare and the Sun Belt Conference.

“While we are disappointed that we will not be able to play Louisiana next week, we are prioritizing the health and safety of our team, our staff and the university community,” head coach Shawn Clark said.

Active COVID-19 cases are recovering in isolation. Contact tracing has identified close contacts who are now required to quarantine.

The Mountaineers confirmed three active cases of COVID-19 Sept.

25, before their matchup against Campbell, and required 18 players to quarantine due to contact tracing.

Clark said the Mountaineers were without over 20 players and four coaches in the Campbell game.

The Louisiana game, a rematch of the last two Sun Belt Championships, will be rescheduled for either Dec. 4 or 5 in Boone.

“The health and safety of our student athletes and university community remain our top priorities as we continue to navigate the unprecedented effects of the coronavirus pandemic,” Director of Athletics Doug Gillin said in a press release.

The Mountaineers’ next game is slated for Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Georgia Southern on ESPN.

The App State women’s cross country won first place at the opening meet of the season on Sept. 18. Junior Izzy Evely, center, finished sixth overall.

Andy McLean

Joey Magnani | Reporter App State cross country started the season strong at the Mountains to Sea Open Sept. 18, at the Don Kennedy Trails at State Farm Park where the team competed against Charlotte and Western Kentucky.

Sophomore Sarah Sandreuter and senior Isaac Benz led their respective teams to first and second place finishes and were named Sun Belt Cross Country Runners of the Week. Sandreuter finished second overall and beat her previous personal record by nearly a minute, while Benz placed fourth overall, finishing as the first of three Mountaineers in the top ten.

Head coach Michael Curcio said Sandreuter had been steadily improving and he was happy to see her rewarded with a personal record, while Benz continues to be a stalwart for the men’s team. He added it was a good feeling to “knock some of the rust off” for some of the runners in their first race in months.

Sandreuter was surprised to be named Runner of the Week, but she credited much of her success to training over the summer.

“Because our outdoor season got canceled, we did a lot of high mileage training and that definitely gave me a good base to go into the race,” she said. “After the first mile, I definitely felt strong and I felt like it had been a lot easier than it was last year.”

The success came at a good time for the runners after battling through the uncertainties of whether or not

they were even going to have a season. Sandreuter admitted that staying motivated was difficult, but she was thankful that the process taught her not to take anything for granted.

“It reignited my love for the sport,” she said.

As for the men’s team, they left the event with confidence but also some disappointment. They knew Charlotte was one of their tougher opponents, but they were still able to finish second and show signs of improvement despite going into the competition shorthanded. Moving forward, Curcio said the focus is going to be more on “race-paced practices,” and is confident that the team’s depth will play to their advantage throughout the season.

Freshmen Dwayne Lillie and Ben Datte did well in the first meet of their season, placing thirteenth and twentieth. Senior Gable Dersham had his best opener yet, finishing tenth overall and Junior Ryan Brown started his season strong finishing sixth.

The women’s team had five runners in the overall top ten. Senior Lisha Van Olsen placed third, sophomore Lila Peters placed fourth, junior Izzy Evely placed sixth, and freshman Faith Younts finished tenth for the Mountaineers. Peters and Younts both posted personal records.

Both teams share the same mindset going forward to prioritize health and remain motivated as they look to replicate their performance from the first race in future events.

“The key to this fall season is managing our health.

Training and competing puts stress on the body and the teams that can manage their health the best will be the most successful this fall,” Curcio said.

The cross country team is next in action at the Live at Lou Cross Country Classic in Louisville, Kentucky Oct. 3.

The App State men’s cross country team placed second at the Mountains to Sea Open Sept. 18.

Courtesy of App State Athletics

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Sports

Oct. 2, 2020

App State football video the team that shoots (and edits) the players

Silas Albright | Sports Editor

Courtesy Vince Fortea

14

A mountain waterfall rushes in the distance and a football floats on top of the water as dramatic music slowly builds. Suddenly, a football player emerges from underneath the water’s surface as the music reaches a crescendo.

On Sept. 10, App State football videographer Max Renfro uploaded the uniform reveal for the Mountaineers’ week 1 matchup against Charlotte to his TikTok and Instagram. In the video that’s since accumulated over 10 million total views, App State senior wide receiver Thomas Hennigan comes out of the water at Trash Can Falls, rocking the all black uniform the Mountaineers wore in the 35-20 win over the 49ers.

After Renfro and App State football initially uploaded the promo, the video quickly blew up. National platforms such as ESPN and Barstool Sports reposted the video. SportsCenter’s official Instagram account, with over 19 million followers, shared the video with a caption reading, “This is incredible.”

“It’s just crazy. I’m still kind of shook about it,” Renfro said. “It’s awesome to see that, for a smaller school like App State to get them on the map on a little more.”

But this is far from the first time the App State football video team has received national recognition.

The team has earned first-place recognition in at least one of the four categories at the annual SAVVY Awards in three straight years and seven of the last 12. The SAVVY Awards are given out by the national Collegiate Sports Video Association each year.

Most recently, App State won first place for Short Social Video of the Year, for the Stranger Things-themed uniform reveal they produced for the Halloween matchup with Georgia Southern last season.

Renfro explained that while national recognition isn’t a new thing for the video team, it does feel good that this time, his name was attached to his work as it was shared.

“The first couple years I was here, there were always people commenting like ‘who made these videos?’” Renfro said. “To finally have people know who makes them is kind of awesome, because you put all the hard work in and you want them to know who made it.”

Jade Riles, another App State student on the video team, said he didn’t realize their work could be so valuable to so many people outside of the App State community.

“It’s been cool to see that it has some value, not just to us and the team, but other people,” Riles said.

The video team currently has six editors, who are all students, in charge of producing about four videos each football game week, and sometimes more.

“On paper, (Max) is technically in charge,” Riles said. “But we don’t really have that atmosphere, it’s normally a group effort. Especially with the ideas and input and that sort of thing. He takes the lead on a lot of the edits— he’s the best editor we have.”

Renfro said the video team has a strong working relationship with the football team.

Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

Opinion

Oct. 2, 2020

There is no point

in testing everyone

for COVID-19 Jean Holman | Opinion Writer

Testing all students at college is not feasible or practical. Colleges around the world are either testing everyone for COVID-19 or only those with symptoms. Reported in an email, App State held another free pop-up testing event Sep. 26 at the Rivers Street Parking Deck. Although the test results help App State pinpoint who needs to be quarantined, not everyone should get tested.

Johns Hopkins University researchers found COVID-19 tests proved most tests are inaccurate.

They found that the median false negative rate was 38% for the first day of symptoms. They determined that the best time for testing is “3 days after the onset of symptoms.”

Essentially, the tests do not give enough information on whether a person is still infected or not.

A student could test negative but then catch COVID-19 the following day and remain asymptomatic. The student may think they are OK after testing negative, when this is false. It makes no sense to test large groups of people when those people may be exposed to the virus within a day, week or month. App State recently had two active COVID-19 clusters associated with sororities.

There is no way of telling if these students participated in large social gatherings, but sororities and fraternities are well-known for having parties and abusing alcohol, even during a global pandemic.

caleb’s

CONCEPTS The Data is clear, Republicans and Democrats make no impact in Watauga economic growth Caleb Garbuio | Opinion Editor

App State should improve its testing methods. Colleges are getting creative in identifying the virus, like Colorado State University who tested the wastewater of residence halls and found cases of COVID-19. University of Oxford researchers found that testing specific groups of people is more effective than random testing. That being said, App State’s pop-up testing events could be more accurate and helpful if they targeted groups of students, such as testing a fraternity house or a particular residential hall.

We also have to think about how the government is paying for these free COVID-19 tests. Trump recently talked about shipping millions of tests to states this week. Although tests are supposedly free, there have been cases of people being charged.

In a perfect world, students would get tested every two weeks with accurate results and no financial problems. We are still learning how to improve these issues.

Political branding is trendy. Both parties blame each other for the faults of our nation and community. When times are good, each party takes credit and when times are bad, they blame the other.

For example, from 2017 to early 2020 the U.S. experienced high economic growth. Republicans quickly attributed the economy to Trump, while Democrats claimed that Trump benefited from Obama’s policies. Now, in the middle of a recession, Democrats blame Trump’s handling of COVID-19 while Republicans point out that the economic slowdown occurred after states run by Democrats deliberately shut down the economy.

With all this political tribalism I decided to test both hypotheses in Watauga County to end the debate once and for all as to which party is correlated with economic growth. I ran a multivariate regression model to determine which political party, both domestic and nationally, is correlated with economic growth. To do this, I relied on 15 years’ worth of Watauga County employment data provided by the North Carolina Department of Commerce. The data included total number of jobs per quarter, real wages and number of establishments, or per quarter means the total number of people employed within Watauga County quarterly, the growth in wages excluding inflation and how many businesses are operational.

Because the data did not include political and policy data, I had to input it to the dataset. I relied on binary variables to test the relationship Republicans and Democrats had on the economy. A binary variable represents two choices one and zero. For example, say you want to determine male and female health differences.

You would use a one for male or female and a zero for the opposite gender. In this analysis, I used a one for a Democrat and zero for Republican for which party controlled North Carolina and the U.S. This means that the model would determine the impact that Democratic candidates had on the local economy. Because recessions are out of politicians’ control, I used binary variables to control for recession. A one represented a recession period, while a zero meant no recession. After running the regression on

R, several things stuck out.

For starters, the data suggests that both Democrat presidents and governors negatively impact the local economy. For example, during a Democratic presidency, there we are 99% certain that there will be 2,266 less jobs in the economy than when a Republican is in control. The regression model suggests that there is a 96% chance that 813 jobs will be lost when Democrats control North Carolina. Therefore, it would seem that Republicans benefit Watauga more than Democrats, right?

The answer is more complicated than a numerical calculation. Remember how we talked about recessions?

According to the model, we are only 51% sure that recessions will reduce employment by 257 jobs. We all know that recessions cause job loss, then why is there uncertainty about their impact? It is highly unlikely that Democrats caused more job loss in Watauga than the Great Recession and COVID-19.

Additionally, economics are far more complicated than executive control. For example, many policies are enacted by the legislative branch, not the executive.

Thus, we left out variables that could explain the loss in jobs, since dependent variables are often correlated. For example, if a Republican controlled Congress passed a law that hurt the local economy under a Democrat president’s tenure. Because these variables weren’t accounted for, the model includes this factor into the presidential and gubernatorial one. Therefore, the results are biased.

So what could cause such a reduction in jobs during Democratic tenure? Likely student attendance. Remember the Center of Commerce only included Real Wages, Establishments and Employment. It neglected to specify the types of employment. For example, there is a significant difference between full employment, part time and temporary work. Students are temporary workers because they usually only work during the school year.

This means that when they are home, they are not working in Watauga. Since Democrats have held office for longer periods of time than Republicans both domestically and nationally, they bear the brunt of the student impact.

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Et Cetera

Oct. 2, 2020

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