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THE APPALACHIAN TheAppalachianOnline.com
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Vol. 87, No. 10
Appalachian student dies of accidental drowning by CHELSEY FISHER News Editor
by ANNE BUIE
Managing Editor
T
yler Blalock died Saturday morning due to accidental drowning, according to a news release from the university. There were no indications of any foul play, evidence collected suggested Blalock was alone when he slipped and hit his head on some rocks when he fell in Kraut Creek in Durham Park. Blalock, a sophomore sustainable development major, was from Charlotte, according to his Facebook page. He graduated from North Mecklenburg High School in 2011. “The thoughts and concerns of the Appalachian community are with Tyler’s
family and friends during this difficult time,” according to a university news release. A makeshift memorial was placed at Durham Park in honor of Blalock. People wrote their condolences on it. One person wrote “the only thing I need to remember about you is how important you always made me feel.” Blalock’s visitation will be held Wednesday in Charlotte at McEwen Funeral Service-Derita Chapel. His funeral will be held at University City Methodist Church Thursday at 3:00 p.m. A memorial stands in Durham Park to commemorate the death of sophomore ASU student Tyler Blalock. Blalock died Saturday morning of accidental drowning.
Maggie Cozens | The Appalachian
University police used ‘standard procedures’ Saturday by CHELSEY FISHER News Editor
Despite Tyler Blalock’s death Saturday during Family Weekend, festivities for the weekend, including the game against Coastal Carolina, proceeded as
normal. University police were able to use “standard procedures” Saturday while balancing both the football game and the death of Blalock, Police Chief Gunther Doerr said. However, the police had to “di-
vert” police officers from game duty to working the investigation, Doerr said. Officers also were called in early from later shifts to provide extra help with the game. University police were able to secure the crime scene and collect
evidence normally, Doerr said. Police were also successful in making sure nobody tampered with the crime scene, he said. “Any time there is a death, we also have to make sure there was no foul play, even if it appears apparent that there wasn’t,” Doerr
said. Police were called Saturday morning after a passerby reported a body in Kraut Creek in Durham Park. Within hours of his body being removed, tailgaters were setting up in Durham Park.
Noise ordinance controversy continues in federal court system by KELLI STRAKA News Reporter
Since March, owners of Boone Saloon and Char are working to find middle ground with the town about the noise ordinance that was passed in February. Although, the owners began trying to sue the town on March 22, they’re still working to compromise. Currently, the noise ordinance restricts sound measured at or within 10 feet of a venue’s property line to 70 decibels from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. Friday and Saturday
evenings and to 60 decibels from 12 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday mornings. On weeknights, the standards are 70 decibels until 11 p.m. and 60 decibels after that. Co-owner of Char Colton Lenz said Char wants the ordinance to be complaintbased instead of the current decibel level-based. A temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction has been filed, to keep the town from imposing penalties for violations of the noise ordinance until its validity can be deter-
mined, Anné Wright, attorney of Walker & DiVenere who represents Boone Saloon and Char, said. “We feel that the enactment of this ordinance was unconstitutional on many different grounds,” Wright said. Wright said their clients want the ordinance to be overturned and that their rights be protected. The original action filed was a petition for writ certiorari to the Civil Superior Court of Watauga County. The case moved to federal court where it is still pend-
ing, Wright said. “We felt like the noise ordinance, as it stood, didn’t meet the needs of the town in the terms of its cultural diversity and our ability to play music at a reasonable level,” Lenz said. The current decibel levels are too low, Lenz said. Boone Saloon and Char sued the town during the trial period, which began in March, and sought to test if live music in Boone was able to adhere to decibel levels provided, Sam Furguiele, the town’s attorney said.
During the trial period, fines could not be issued. The town filed a motion to dismiss the case, which is still pending, Furgiuele said. “You want a vibrant music and business community, but you also want people to be able to live in the community and have some peace,” Furgiuele said. During the seven months of revisions and discussions of the noise ordinance, accusations were made that the town wanted to eliminate live music, Furgiuele said. “That is utterly nonsense,”
New RLC geared toward social justice for LGBT by STEPHANIE SANSOUCY Senior News Reporter
A new Residential Learning Community called ASUnity, was approved last Tuesday by University Housing. The learning community will be geared toward members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community as well as allies of the community, sociology professor Amy Dellinger Page and ASUnity leadership board member said. Page said ASUnity is “centered around anyone who wants to learn more about gender and sexual orientation and social justice issues related to those populations and to just generalized acceptance.” ASUnity will have some different characteristics than the existing RLCs. The RLC will not be “freshmen focused” like other RLCs, Page said. Most RLCs require one mandatory course but with ASUnity, students will have a choice of three courses, Page said. ASUnity will also allow students to live in the RLC for multiple years, she said. To accommodate upperclassmen or students who want to live in the RLC for multiple years, there will be “a subset of courses that the leadership team has pre-approved that [students] can take across campus so that they are still get-
Maggie Cozens | The Appalachian
Sociology and dance major Taylor Bailey is on the leadership team responsible for bringing the new RLC ASUnity to campus.
ting course credit,” Page said. Because transgendered students may choose to live in the new RLC, the
leadership team wants to make sure they feel safe, Page said. This means providing specific accommodations such as single use restrooms. President of the Sexuality and Gender Aliance Taylor Bailey worked on the leadership team that created ASUnity. “Having this RLC with upperclassmen and freshmen gives the freshmen an opportunity to meet upperclassmen and know that it does get better and you can get through life,” Bailey said. Bailey said he sees ASUnity becoming more than an RLC in five years and hopes it will function as “more of an outreach program.” Elizabeth Tate, freshman psychology major and LGBT Ally said she hopes other universities “follow suite” because she knows that “living situations can be difficult for the LGBT just because they don’t know who will be accepting.” “I think it shows just how inclusive Appalachian is, which is what drew me to the school in the first place,” Tate said. Coordinator of University HousingResidence Life Corinne Smith said ASUnity will start in Fall 2013. Current students who are interested in participating in ASUnity will be able to apply during housing re-application, which starts at the beginning of the spring semester.
he said. “No one on town council expressed any interest in stopping music.” The town voted 3-2 in February on the noise ordinance. After four written warnings, subsequent violations of the ordinance result in $100, $200 and $500 fines. The suggestion for decibel levels came from one of the owners of Boone Saloon, Furgiuele who drafted the ordinance said. Previous modifications to the noise ordinance did not include decibel levels, he said.
Appalachian ranks high for drug-related, alcohol arrests among peer institutions by KASI MITCHELL News Reporter
The university ranks high compared to peer institutions for drug violation arrests and alcohol violations arrests but low in arson accounts, according to the 2011 University Police crime statistics. Comparing the results with four of Appalachian’s peer institutions, Rowan University of N.J., California State University-Chico, Bowling Green State University of Ohio, and Sam Houston University of Texas, Appalachian State had the highest accounts reported in drug violations arrests with 142 on-campus arrests and the second highest alcohol violation arrests with 233 arrests in 2011. Appalachian was behind Rowan University, which had 477 alcohol violation arrests. BGSU had the highest accounts of arson with 13 accounts, while Appalachian had zero accounts of arson. Capt. Mike Campbell from the BGSU police department said they changed the definition of arson in 2011, which is what “spiked that crime statistic.” “If someone set a piece of paper on fire with a see CRIME, pg. 2
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Online Photo Gallery Check out our photo coverage of the Doc Watson Tribute Concert at TheAppalachianOnline.com.
Video Coverage View our video highlights from Appalachian’s win against Coastal Carolina game this past Saturday at TheAppalachianOnline.com.