September 6, 2012

Page 1

Your student newspaper

THE APPALACHIAN TheAppalachianOnline.com

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Vol. 87, No. 03

Students, locals gets involved at the DNC

Mayor, Town Council member act as delegates

Severe weather cancels planned trip

A total of 158 North Carolina delegates are attending the DNC this week, including Boone Town Council Andy Ball and Boone Mayor Loretta Clawson are representing Watauga County. “It’s just been an incredible experience so far,” Ball said Tuesday in the Watauga Democrat. “We’re welcoming folks to the state.” Ball said the state was in “good shape” to go blue this year. Clawson said the energy is “incredible.” “I think we’re going to win North Carolina,” Clawson said in the same article. Both Clawson and Ball said Charlotte was a smooth-operating event.

Assistant communication professor Ginger Loggins was planning on taking her class to the Democratic National Convention to help the students gain real life reporting experience. “To me, the real value is they get to see the logistics of a gigantic national event and hopefully through covering for the class and get an idea on how a reporter would cover the story,” Loggins said. The class was set to leave Thursday afternoon, but their credentials were revoked following the threat of severe weather. Loggins sent out an email inviting students to still go to Charlotte to attend the “pandemonium” or watch the speech on campus together as a class.

Appalachian student arrested University student Anna Marie Wright was arrested Sunday during a protest at the DNC in uptown Charlotte. Wright was charged with a carry a concealed weapon, specifically a cutting instrument, according to the arrest report from the Mecklenburg County Sheriff ’s Office. At the time of her arrest, Channel 9 reported Wright was wearing a scarf, which was mistaken as a mask. She was released with a written promise to appear in court. Wright did not respond to a request for comment. by ANNE BUIE

Managing Editor

First Lady talks ‘character’ and ‘convictions’

Jason Sharpe | The Appalachian

First Lady Michelle Obama addresses the crowd Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. The convention is taking place September 4-6 in the city, with an expected attendance of over 35,000 people.

Boone locals get to explore Romney/Ryan campaign bus by STEPHANIE SANSOUCY Intern News Reporter

T Paul Heckert | The Appalachian

Several members of ASU College Republicans pose in front of the Romney/Ryan east coast camaign bus.

he Romney/Ryan campaign bus made a quick stop at the Watauga County Republican Headquarters Tuesday afternoon. Despite the rain and regardless of neither candidate physically being on the bus, around 36 people came to see the bus, including members of the university’s College Republicans club. “I just realized that I’m about to be on the bus that Romney has been on,” College Republicans chairwoman Kelsey Crum said prior to entering the bus. “There are only three buses and this is

the East Coast bus. So I’m about to step in a place where they have been campaigning. It’s almost like a connection with them.” When Crum stepped on the bus, she immediately said the bus was “beautiful.” “We think of it as such a huge unobtainable thing, something we can’t really connect to, but we can,” said Crum. “He’s human, he’s really out there blood sweat and tears and it just really drives it home how hard he is working out there.” Fellow College Republicans member Giancarlo Lookman also had the opportunity to tour the bus. “It just seemed a bit generic to me,” Lookman said. “It had signs

University services not affected by gas prices by CHELSEY FISHER Senior News Reporter

Despite the continuing high cost of gas, the price of deliveries for the university’s bookstore and Food Services has not increased. After grouping shipments together, the price of book delivery to the university has lowered in the past two years from $47,400 for the 2009-10 school year to $31,892 for the 2011-12 school year, said Steve Jepson, assistant director of the university bookstore. The price of book delivery has also lowered since the university has tried to buy back more books from students, Jepson said. “We have done some things that are more efficient and better,” Jepson said. The bookstore does not have to ship anything themselves unless it is locally made. Therefore there is normally no direct cost for gas, Jepson said. The bookstore reviews prior years and the rate of inflation to determine how much money freights will charge for shipping, Jepson said. The bookstore sets aside money for things such as renovations each year, so if shipping costs rise due

posted up in the right wayBut it was fun, it gets you excited about the campaign either way.” Vice Chair of Wataguga Republican party Tommy Adams took a break from his campaign for County Commissioner to tour the bus. “I think running for president has its perks,” said Adams. “That is incredible. I’m speechless, that’s a really nice way to get around. I was looking at the pictures and thinking of where it’s been, where he’s been. He kind of collected mementos from different places. It’s easy to think of the campaign where you are but he’s going across the country. It’s kind of neat, spreading the same message.”

Recycling collection increases efficiency with new dumpsters, trucks by DANIEL STEVENSON

other maintenance issues. “The rear-load dumpsters, you had to haul each one inCardboard recycling con- dividually to the landfill for tainers around campus are be- recycling, but now, with the ing replaced and changing col- compactor truck, you’re able to ors to blue after new equipment empty them all into the truck was purchased for on-campus and go out to the landfill once,” recycling efforts this fall. Maxwell said. The new containers will save Last year, the contamination the university money over the of cardboard and other recyyears by making the recycling cling with trash was a major process more efconcern, Maxwell ficient, Resource said. Conservation “There were Manager Jennifer “With the new some issues with Maxwell said. collection, the contamination, so “It’s time to upwe had to send out goal is to be grade,” Maxwell of emails much more ef- ato couple said. “With the say if it gets too ficient.” new collection, the contaminated, it’ll goal is to be much have to be thrown Jennifer Maxwell, more efficient.” away,” Maxwell Resource Conservation The new containsaid. Manager ers, purchased by In one of those the Physical Plant, emails, it was are compatible with brought to the atthe new trucks acquired by the tention of students that trash university last year. was being placed in the cardThe trucks used before were board containers, especially bought around 15 years ago “tobacco and tobacco juice.” from N.C. State University’s Sophomore athletic training Surplus, a program that sells major Nick Miller said the new unwanted and unused equip- containers “give motivation to ment in an auction-like fash- recycle.” ion. “If others invest their money “They’re pretty outdat- to benefit the environment, ed vehicles,” Maxwell said. then it’s the least we can do,” Maxwell said the problems Miller said. with the old trucks were caused There are 31 dumpster locamainly by their age. tions across campus and the One of the issues was the new blue containers will be in difficulty finding parts and place starting in September. Intern News Reporter

Maggie Cozens | The Appalachian

University services continues to operate as normal despite the recent rise in gas prices.

to gas prices, money from these ‘extra funds’ are used to pay the extra amount, Jepson said. “We’re a self-supporting organization,” Jepson said. “So if something runs high, then we take it out of something else.” Food Services is not affected very often by gas spikes, Director of Food Services Art Kessler said. Each year, Food Services looks at previous years to determine what the gas budget will be, Kessler said. “It is normal to have a

fuel surcharge from distributors though,” Kessler said. “That’s where companies charge a set fee while gas is high.” The fuel surcharge usually doesn’t last for very long, and Food Services adds money to its budget every year to compensate for the possibility of a surcharge, Kessler said. University Catering owns two catering trucks and one mini van so they must stay conscience of the gas they use, Charlie Wallin, assistant director of catering said.

Catering tries to consolidate trips to help with gas prices, Wallin said. “When you look at gas prices over a whole year they fluctuate so much that even when there is a spike it generally is followed by a drop so in the long run it all averages out,” Wallin said. “We set a budget at the beginning of the school year for what we feel will be our costs and we are usually pretty close so that we don’t have to worry about where are we going to get the money.”

ON THE WEB DNC Online Exclusives Check out exclusive DNC photo galleries and coverage on TheAppalachianOnline.com.

ECU Photo Gallery

Check out photos from last weekend’s game at TheAppalachianOnline.com.

www.facebook.com/theappalachian

theappalachian.tumblr.com @theappalachian


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.