The Appalachian 11/15/2019 by The Appalachian

The Appalachian

Nov. 15, 2019

Kings of the

Carolinas Mountaineers beat second power five team of the season 20-15 Page 8

News

Nov. 15, 2019

Campus Dining proposes new meal plans, Starbucks Josie Barnes | Reporter

App State’s standard meal plan only covers 58% of meals for the semester; however, proposed dining plan options could cover 100%, for $900 more. Pam Cline, director of Campus Dining, and John Eckman, associate vice chancellor of campus services, proposed unlimited dining plans and changes to dining halls to the Student Government Association. The plans would increase the number of local and national franchises on campus. They also hope to create an advisory board of SGA members to better understand what students seek from Campus Dining. Cline said two-thirds of App State students experience food insecurity, especially at this point in the semester when students’ meal plan funds often start to run low. Cline and Eckman proposed meal plans designed to cover a greater percentage of meals and create a “worry-free situation,” Cline said. The $2,300 Unlimited 7-Day Plan would allow any student unlimited swipes in dining halls seven days a week,

while the $2,000 Weekly 14 plan allows students to come in and out of the dining hall 14 times per week. The Unlimited 7 or Weekly 14 plan would be mandatory for first year students. Some students are concerned they will not be able to afford the proposed meal plan options. Junior computer science major Gabriel Arellano said even “the low (meal plan) is already out of my budget.” Upperclassmen would have the option of the $2,000 Unlimited 5 plan, $1,650 Weekly 10 plan or $1,200 Weekly 7 plan. The Unlimited 5 plan allows students as many swipes as they want five days a week, while the Weekly 10 and Weekly 7 plans allow 10 and seven swipes, respectively, a week. Commuters could purchase a $500 Block 35 plan allowing 35 swipes per semester. Eckman said Campus Dining wants to include university initiatives like sustainability, growing enrollment and the Food for Everyone initiative aimed at combating food insecurity to build a change in dining halls and meal plans valuable to students.

“(Sustainability is) not only just an initiative, it is intertwined and important in every aspect of our business operations each and every day through all of our services and all of our decisions we make as a department,” Cline said. She said Campus Dining wants to present more “plant-forward options,” making more nutritious, sustainable foods available to students. Eckman said they want to improve on-campus dining through a greater variety of food, varying hours and a community feel in the dining halls. “I’m vegetarian, so a lot of the food options kind of run out, and we don’t have as many choices toward the end of the semester,” said Alex Zacher, junior geology major. “I think it gets harder to keep it up.” Eckman and Cline presented blueprints to SGA of Sanford Commons, Rivers Street Cafe, Cascades and Trivette to show easier access to convenient foods and additional seating to accompany the anticipated influx of students next year. Dining administrators want to

meet students where they are in their lives and provide “convenience opportunities,” Cline said. Sanford Commons could house a full Chick-Fil-A, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Starbucks, Comeback Shack, Panda Express and App State’s own branded Chipotle. Campus Dining has also begun working with local vendors to have a farmers’ market in Roess Dining Hall once a week. App State wants to “increase national and local franchises” in dining halls, Eckman and Cline said. If Chick-Fil-A, Comeback Shack and Panda Express were at Sanford Commons, Arellano said he would go every day. Sanford Commons would also have a healthy $4 to $5 meal that would include protein and vegetables. Eckman said the current average price per meal is $6.50. Cline and Eckman also proposed living room seating with soft chairs and televisions, along with various sections of the dining halls set aside for studying throughout the school year.

The changes would transform Cascades into a kiosk system, where students fully customize their order ahead of time, and it would be waiting for pick up. There would be a custom salad and deli sandwich station, a hot entree of the day, featuring a comfort food, grain bowl station and a bakery counter at Cascades. The ground floor of Trivette, where the AppCard office is currently located, would turn into a coffee shop overlooking Duck Pond. Freshman criminal justice major Elizabeth Wilson said the new coffee shop would be beneficial because there aren’t currently any coffee shops located on West Campus. These changes would also grow the student employee base because dining halls would be open longer and serve 42% more meals. “We want to meet the needs of your cosmopolitan palette,” Cline said.

ical behaviors that occur in the winter as depression. Seasonal affective disorder is depression, but feeling different in the winter than you do in the summer does not mean you have depression,” Cavallaro said. Being more tired in the winter is normal, Cavallaro said, because it is darker more often. However, after a certain point, many people affected by SAD are more than just tired. “When their behaviors start impacting their ability to function in everyday life is when it starts entering the realm of depression, and that is when they should start getting help,” Cavallaro said. “The same resources that one would use for typical depression can be used for seasonal affective disorder. The Counseling Center is a go-to for any kind of depression that anyone is experiencing.” Mental health is often met with a certain stigma groups on campus hope to change. “Our club, Active Minds, makes

sure to emphasize that you’re not alone, and no one should ever feel alone. Supporting others is the key to understanding how we are all human and we deserve a world with no stigma,” said Rose Muniz, Active Minds secretary. As a club, Active Minds works toward removing the stigma associated with mental health. The club meets once a week on Monday at 5 p.m. “Mental health stigma is how society views and puts a stereotype around people who deal with mental health issues. As a club, Active Minds brings awareness to all different types of mental health and how to be more understanding of what others are going through,” said Gabbi Good, freshman psychology major and member of Active Minds. On Nov. 5, Active Minds hosted Expression Night. The night was open to anyone at App State to share anything on their mind, whether through jokes, poetry or songs. It was an

“open-minded free to speak your mind event,” Good said. Along with Expression Night, Active Minds hosts numerous activities to help reduce stress for students on campus, like handing out “stress less” goodie bags or making stress balls in the student union.

“We always have events during exam week to help students during such a stressful time. Most likely, we will do a contact table discussing SAD and what to do to help,” said Isabel Dubose, junior elementary education major and co-president of Active Minds.

Wellness and Prevention Services and clubs provide support for seasonal affective disorder Michael Lillywhite | Reporter

Exam season at school, for many, brings stress and anxiety that can threaten a student’s mental health. Along with exam season comes harsh Boone winters. “Students should be aware that the winter is different in Boone, so they need to continue taking care of their mental health throughout the entire academic year, including the winter,” said Elisabeth Cavallaro, assistant director for Wellness and Prevention Services. According to the Mayo Clinic, seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression related to changing seasons. SAD begins and ends around the same time every year. Typically, SAD symptoms start in the fall and endure throughout the winter months. However, Cavallaro said it can impact people even in the summer. Cavallaro advises students to be cautious with self-diagnosing SAD. “Sometimes, people mistake typ-

Common symptoms of Seasonal affective disorder: • Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day • Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed • Having low energy • Having problems with sleeping • Experiencing changes in your appetite or weight • Feeling sluggish or agitated • Having difficulty concentrating • Feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty • Having frequent thoughts of death or suicide

for more information about seeking counseling visit counseling.appstate.edu Graphic by Efrain Arias-Medina Jr.

News On-campus garden tries to maintain its roots amid construction Nov. 15, 2019

Hayley Canal | Reporter

The future of the App State Roots Garden, located at the edge of east campus on Howard Street, is uncertain. In late October, when rumors that the garden might be paved began circulating on social media and in classrooms, many students, faculty, staff and community members sought clarification of the plan or took to an online petition to voice disapproval. The petition titled “Save the ASU Roots Garden” appeared on Change. org Oct. 30. In the first five days of its release, 3,000 people signed, many included stories and memories with their signatures. “There is no plan to move or pave over the Roots garden at this time,” Chief Sustainability Officer Lee Ball wrote in an email. “We simply began the preliminary process of looking at options for that space and for a new garden location.” In App State’s master plan for 2025, the space occupied by the Roots Garden is depicted as new faculty offices. The master plan committee and

design team approved this report one month before ground broke on the Roots Garden in April 2017. At the time, it remained an empty lot. Ball helped conceptualize the garden during the year before its opening. He said everyone involved with its creation and maintenance understood it was established as a temporary garden location. “We are so fortunate to have the kind of cross-divisional relationship that allows us to utilize temporary spaces for gardens and green space,” Megan Hayes, associate vice chancellor and chief communications officer, wrote in an email. “This can also be challenging because these spaces are so special to those who work in them.” Despite its temporary purpose, the garden has cultivated significant community presence and a variety of native, medicinal and perennial plants. The Roots Garden is frequently the site of volunteer work, seed saving workshops, potlucks, small concerts, permaculture and agroecology classes, yoga

sessions, and after school programs. A group of students who have worked in or live near the garden attended the SGA Town Hall on Nov. 6 to voice their concerns about losing the space with Thanh Schado, director of environmental sustainability for SGA. “We actually live in the brick house right beside the garden and can hear people talking outside our window in the morning. I can’t even imagine if there were bulldozers and cars on it,” junior finance major Olivia Koontz said at the event. Schado created a working group with concerned students, keeping them informed of new plans for the garden, as many of them expressed feeling blindsided by the potential repurposing of the land. “It would take years to create a similar site in a different space; this garden is more than a garden,” said Kylie Holloway, president of the Garden Club. “It’s a community space, it’s a commons, and that’s something that is slipping through our fingers in this

town specifically.” Food from the Roots Garden is often shared with the community. In the summers, Holloway said the garden interns with the Office of Sustainability share “armfuls of squash and tomatoes” with F.A.R.M. Cafe and on-campus food banks. Ripe blackberries, rasp-

ly expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group. “A lot of people don’t understand that native people look a lot of different ways, and we’re obviously not what the media projects as, ‘This is what a Native American person looks like,’” Hunt said. She said NASA members use their space to catch up or discuss racism and struggles they face. Hunt said this plays a huge role in her life at App State now, especially after being lost while trying to find a native community as a freshman. “It was pretty rough about midway through my first semester. I took a trip down to the Multicultural Center and pretty much asked if there was any native group on campus because I really needed a space,” Hunt said. “At the time, nobody knew of one because it kind of wasn’t a thing.” Anya Walsh, sophomore NASA member and part of the Eastern-Band Cherokee Nation, said she appreciates the community she has found within the club. She also said members sometimes discuss patterns in problematic language from faculty and staff.

“I remember my first day as a freshman on this campus. I went to an archaeology class, and my professor claimed to be an expert on my people specifically,” said Walsh, an English major. “It unfortunately leads into their work and what they assign their students a lot, that eventually comes back to us.” Walsh said she would love to see more faculty and staff at NASA events, especially those from the history depart-

berries and herbs, free for picking, greet students as they return in the fall. Read the full story on theappalachianonline.com

Golden hour falls on the Roots Garden the evening of the fall equinox. The Garden Club hosted its third celebration of season turning this year. Hayley Canal

Native American Heritage Month brings light to Native American culture on campus

Emily Broyles | Associate News Editor About 30 years ago, then-President George H.W. Bush declared November Native American Heritage Month. Today, it is celebrated and defended on App State’s campus through the Native American Student Association. “The thing with native identity and native history, in general, is that a lot of people will have been taught about us before,” said Tori Hunt, NASA president and part of the Lumbee Native American Nation. “But, what they’ve been taught has either been a watered-down, whitewashed version or just not the complete truth.” Hunt, a junior chemistry major, said NASA uses the month as a time of education because the club receives many emails from students asking for clarification on native culture and project help. Throughout the month, NASA hosts film and panel discussions along with presentations about misconceptions on native identity. Hunt said that while NASA enjoys educating students on native culture, it is sometimes met with the challenges of

college culture and differing views. This happened at Appalachian Popular Programming Society’s “Culture Not Costume” event, meant to bring awareness to traditional clothing versus cultural appropriation and holiday costumes. “As soon as this picture came up, there was a whistle from the audience,” Hunt said about a slide from their Culture Not Costume presentation. “We were about to talk about this hypersexualization of native women, and how that contributes to the missing and murdered indigenous women.” Hunt said while she appreciated NASA’s voice being heard, the responses were not what she expected. “A lot of people were just kind of telling us in their apologies that, ‘Oh, we’re so sorry that happened, but at least they were here,’” Hunt said. Hunt said she was frustrated with the remark and response, but wasn’t surprised, as she has experienced microaggressions at App State. According to Merriam-Webster, a microaggression is a comment or action that unconsciously or unintentional-

ment, because “misunderstanding and mislearning” can be passed on to students. “I think everyone benefits from learning, even if you think you know the most,” Walsh said. NASA will host events throughout November to educate students with the Native Film Event with the Humanities Council on Nov. 17 at 3 p.m.

Members of the Native American Student Association stand with one of the guest speakers from an event on Nov. 4 honoring Native American heritage in North Carolina. NASA will also host a Native Film Event on Nov. 17 to educate people on campus about Native American Heritage Month. Courtesy of Native American Student Association

A&C

Nov. 15, 2019

App State student experiences rise to internet fame on TikTok

Ansley Puckett | Reporter The pink and teal music note representing the TikTok app is immediately recognizable to some as an app users spend hours scrolling through. Others view it as just another social media app. But, for a few, the app has become a platform to connect with millions. Ian Drewery, a sophomore photography major and TikTok star, has over 34.3 million likes, 1.1 million followers and is ranked No. 28 on Famousbirthdays.com for their birthday, just before Ethan Munck, who played Guppy on “iCarly.” During their senior year of high school, when they were sick and bored at home, Drewery joined the app and slowly gained followers. The app was still called Musical.ly when they joined. “I just started goofing off on the app on that sick day, and I had a lot of fun. So, I kind of just started doing it every day for fun and never really stopped,” Drewery said. When the app was rebranded as TikTok in August 2018, Drewery had more than 30,000 followers. It wasn’t until they posted two dance videos that their following started to pick up. “There were two dances that I did that caught a lot of attention and became trends, and I was gaining about 100,000 followers a month, and it was really crazy,” Drewery said. Drewery’s first dance to “Tia Tamera” by Doja Cat accumulated 734,500

likes and 222,400 shares and is now a popular dance trend on the app. In September, Jessica Alba posted a video of herself and the cast of “LA’s Finest” doing Drewery’s dance. The second dance to “Beef ” by Flo Milli has over 960,000 likes and 437,900 shares. Drewery said the popularity of the dances is surprising. “I like to join in and add my spin on (trends), and there’s been a couple trends that I’ve started, which is really weird to me that other people have done stuff that I did and enjoyed it,” Drewery said. The fame Drewery gained on TikTok has allowed them to foster relationships in and outside of the app, including introducing them to their current partner and allowing them to work with brands. “Some of the positives have been, obviously, the really sweet people that come up, and I have great interactions with them,” Drewery said. “The people that do have time to sit down and talk, and I get to know them, (they’re) really nice, and it really does make it feel more like a community, and I’m making connections with people.” Lilly Ezell, a junior psychology major, followed Drewery right after they joined TikTok, and gravitated toward Drewery’s upbeat personality. “I want to say they were one of the first people I followed, and I don’t even remember what they had posted, but I just liked that they didn’t care,” Ezell said.

“They were just kind of fun and quirky, and I didn’t even realize that they were (a student at App State).” For Drewery, the experience is mostly positive, but a few encounters have made them think more about their safety more than ever before. “I’ve had people that have found my phone number and have tried to stalk me and threatened me, and all of that kind of crazy stuff,” Drewery said. “Which hasn’t happened as often, but it’s a lot scarier when it does. Sometimes, there are downsides, and I’ve taken my privacy and safety into a higher standard of consideration.” Despite the negatives, Drewery said they hope to continue making videos and using their popularity on TikTok to build a brand and bring awareness to their photography. “So far, it’s been going well gaining the visibility on Instagram and everything. It’s definitely been helping with that, and I’m just hoping it can continue to be a positive experience in that direction,” Drewery said. Ezell said seeing Drewery on the bus after watching them on the app was “wild.” “I think that is why I like them because you can just tell in their videos they’re just having fun,” Ezell said.

An Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Radio Station of the Year Finalist

Your college Ian Drewery is an App State sophomore with over one million followers on the app TikTok. Drewery has used the app since it was still known as Musical.ly, and looks to keep making more videos and build a brand for themselves on Instagram. Ansley Puckett

Your station Your music

A&C Radio industry veteran and educator wins ‘Golden Mic’ award Nov. 15, 2019

Elaina Woodlief | Reporter

His broadcast career took off when he walked into a Georgia radio station as a teenager and was immediately hooked. After four decades of working in the radio industry, Dan Vallie went back to his roots when he received the Georgia Asso-

ciation of Broadcasters’ 2019 Golden Mic Award. Every year, the award is given to a broadcaster who shows dedication to the industry at the GAB’s annual conference. Vallie moved to Boone from

Dan Vallie holds the Golden Mic Award while surrounded by members of WASU and the Communications Department. Disclaimer: Christina Beals (right of Vallie) is the news director for WASU and a member of The Appalachian Editorial Board. Elaina Woodley

Washington, D.C. in 2005 to serve on the App State communication department advisory board, and worked as a traveling consultant with Vallie, Rickards, Donovan Consulting, Inc. When he joined the advisory board, Vallie said he expressed an interest in creating a talent institute to teach interested students about the broadcast industry. “There has never been a system to find entry-level talent, but no one has ever done it,” Vallie said. He started the National Radio Talent System, which is the only program of its kind in the world and serves as an incubator for college talent with a passion for radio and determination to enter the industry, according to its website. Vallie started the first institute, the Kellar Radio Talent Institute, at App State in 2005. It is a 10-day

program meant to teach and prepare students for entering the broadcast industry. During the program, 40 professional broadcasters come to App State to educate and network with students. The Kellar Radio Talent Institute inspired seven other institutes across the country with more planned for the future. “I knew the industry needed (a talent system), but I now do it more for the students,” Vallie said. Vallie said it is invigorating to watch students go through the Kellar Radio Talent Institute and graduate with jobs in the broadcast industry. “I get the best of both worlds, working with industry professionals and working with people in the business that will one day replace those professionals,” Vallie said. As 90.5 WASU general manag-

er, Vallie said the radio station allows students to get hands-on professional broadcast experience. “It’s impressive to me to watch (the students) grow,” Vallie said. Though he did not originally plan to work with college students, Vallie said he still collaborates with industry professionals while teaching radio broadcasting at App State. “Vallie is a well-known and well-regarded radio professional in the industry,” said Janice Pope, dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts. “It’s inspiring for the students who work and learn from him.” Pope said the Kellar Radio Talent Institute is not only integral to the university’s program, but to the radio industry itself. “I think that’s a pretty great testimony to what he means to us,” Pope said.

Art history club expands its niche community

Marlen Cardenas | Reporter

Although art history only has 27 students majors or minors, the art history club is still up and running. “We’re kind of a niche over here,” said John Stephenson, professor of art history and club supervisor. “It’s a small, niche boutique, humanities degree that a lot of students don’t even know exists before they come to college.” Stephenson said one of the club’s main goals is to gain more recognition for art history. “Most high school students don’t take courses in it, so they may not even know what it is,” Stephenson said. “Our first task is to get exposure and identity for our degree and our people.” When Stephenson came to App State in 2008, he said he knew he wanted to create a club that could

provide a community for those interested in art history. “If you want to go on in our degree, you have to get a higher degree, like a master’s degree, and so I wanted to think about helping students prepare for that,” Stephenson said. Kiersten Staab, president of the art history club, said she believes the opportunities offered through the club are worth it. “If you want to better your career in the art field, I would definitely come,” said Staab, a junior art history major. “We do a lot of cool things, like watch movies, and talk about art and learn about professional opportunities in the field.” Staab interned at the North arolina Museum of Art in the summer and said it solidified her decision in

choosing her major. “I was mainly researching the Italian collection at NCMA,” Staab said. “I got to attribute a painting that had been kind of questionable, so that was really cool. I got to look into the conservation wing, as well, which was really awesome because you got to see all the paintings up close.” Although the club has been around for a decade now, not many people showed up last year. “In the past it had been a really big club, and last year, I was working with Dr. Stephenson and trying to get it back up again, but nobody came to the meetings,” Staab said. “This year, more people come to the meetings, so we’re trying to keep that going.” The club welcomes non-art history majors, and has more members than those majoring in art history.

“We’re actually up to about 27 students total this season (in art history), which is more than usual, so it’s a specialty degree, I guess,” Stephenson said. “I’ve been here for 12 years, so it’s not surprising anymore.” Sophomore art history major Joel Crothers hadn’t thought about studying art history until he started college. “I thought when I finished high school that I wanted to pursue studio art and one of the prerequisites for study is Art from Prehistory to 1400 and it kind of hit me that this was the perfect blend. I love art, and I love ancient history, and this was the two combined,” Crothers said. Crothers encourages students to try out the art history club if they have ever had an interest in art. “It is a nice little niche we have.

We have a little corner of the world in Wey Hall that you can visit and be a part of,” Crothers said. “If you want a chance to go on adventures and go to museums and shows and galleries definitely.” The number of students seeking a degree in art history is increasing, and the club welcomes those of all programs, Stephenson said. “We’re having a lot of fun in our meetings together and our activities together,” Stephenson said. “We would be happy to hear people and see people from any degree area and calling cause we’re bigger than just art history.” The art history club meets on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. in Wey Hall Room 208.

Sports

Nov. 15, 2019

GAME DAY

App State (8-1, 4-1 Sun Belt)

Georgia State

(6-3, 3-2 Sun Belt)

Game Notes: The Mountaineers head down to Atlanta on Saturday to take on the Georgia State Panthers. App State is coming off a 20-15 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks. After losing to rival Georgia Southern on Oct. 31, App State fell out of the Top 25 rankings shortly after achieving the highest ranking in school and Sun Belt history. The Panthers fell to UL-Monroe 45-31 in their last game but knocked off Tennessee in Neyland Stadium on Aug. 31.

Sun Belt Championship Last week, Georgia Southern lost to Troy 28-49, and Georgia State lost to ULM 45-31. The Golden Eagles, Panthers and Mountaineers each had one Sun Belt loss and were tied for ﬁrst place in the Sun Belt East. Now, App State is in control of the division with only one Sun Belt loss. The Sun Belt Championship on Dec. 7 will be played in the home stadium of the division winner with the best conference record. App State beat Louisiana 30-19 in last year’s inaugural Sun Belt Championship, which was played at Kidd-Brewer Stadium.

POINTS PER GAME

36.44 OPP. POINTS PER GAME

19.11

YARDS PER GAME

411.5

OPP. YARDS PER GAME

331.4

New Year’s Six bowl mayhem The Mountaineers are one of seven Group of Five teams battling for a chance at a Cotton Bowl bid. App State is the only G5 program with two wins over Power Five opponents this year, and if the Mountaineers keep their “1-0 each week” mentality, they have an outside shot at going to a coveted New Year’s Six bowl.

PLAYER TO WATCH

#24 Akeem Davis-Gaither Senior Linebacker Davis-Gaither had a strong performance against the Gamecocks in which he had seven total tackles and four solo tackles. Davis-Gaither is one of three Mountaineers on the Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list (LB Jordan Fehr, OL Victor Johnson). He is App State’s leading tackler with 32 solo tackles and 75 total tackles. Davis-Gaither also has 3.5 sacks, one interception and six pass breakups.

Top Sun Belt Matchup The Mountaineers rank No. 1 in the conference in total defense while Georgia State ranks No. 2 in the conference in total offense. After the slip-up against Georgia Southern, App State has little-to-no room left for error to keep its goals of winning a Sun Belt Championship alive. On the other hand, Georgia State is 0-5 all time against the Mountaineers. Since already tripling their win total of last year, the Panthers will be looking to make a statement with a win over the Mountaineers on their home ﬁeld.

POINTS PER GAME

36.0 OPP. POINTS PER GAME

36.0 YARDS PER GAME

485.03 OPP. YARDS PER GAME

363.0

Nov. 15, 2019

Making an impact

Sports

Football captain Jordan Fehr leads on and off the field Dan Davidson | Reporter After establishing himself as a household name during his first three years in Boone, senior linebacker Jordan Fehr is making his last season his best yet. Even after being selected to the Preseason AllSun Belt First Team and accumulating 171 total tackles in his career thus far, anyone who knows Fehr will say that he’s an even better man off the field than a player on it. “He’s a great young man and a guy you can trust,” said defensive coordinator Ted Roof. “When he tells you something, it’s from his heart, and I respect that.” Fehr was born in Delaware to Kevin Fehr and Heather Garfield. Early on, his family bounced around the Northeast because of his father’s job. When he was 6 years old, Fehr found himself living in New York, where his football journey began. “I just love hitting people, so when I was in New York, I started at the age of 6 and that was tackle football,” Fehr said. “Normally, you play flag football, but I went straight into tackle football just because I love to hit and run around.” In the third grade, Fehr’s parents divorced, causing a move to Charlotte, where Fehr lived for the rest of his childhood. Even though Fehr spent many years of his childhood in the Northeast, he calls Charlotte home. “I wasn’t born in Charlotte, but I was definitely raised in Charlotte. I love Charlotte,” Fehr said. “It was a great environment, and there are lots of fun things to do down there. I mean, everything you can imagine; it’s a huge city.” Fehr was brought up in a Christian household, where his faith was important early on. The values he watched his parents embody soon became his own. Once reaching college, Fehr remained steadfast in his faith and attributes it as a main cause for who he has become. “My faith has only grown since I left home, which I feel is kind of rare. Statistics show it’s usually the opposite,” Fehr said. “Dealing with football and all the stuff you have to go through as a student-athlete, I turned to my faith, and it has made me a much better man. I try to continue to live very faithfully and God-like through Him.” Coming out of high school, Fehr received a two-star rating from Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports. Fehr said he felt under-ranked. This only fueled the intense work ethic and drive instilled in Fehr early on. “I was definitely very overlooked, and I love that. I love being the underdog,” Fehr said. “I just continue to work as hard as I can every day to try to be the best I can be. I don’t care what people

have to say about it. I’m just going to stick to what I know and continue to try to outwork everyone.” When it came time to make his college decision, it was a no-brainer for Fehr. Not only did he love to visit the mountains in the winter to snowboard, but it was a near perfect midpoint between his father, who lived in Nashville, Tennessee, and his mother in Charlotte. “App State really felt like home. It kind of just felt meant to be,” Fehr said. “They recruited me very heavily since my sophomore year and they were always there. I had a great relationship with the coaching staff, and every time I came up here, I would love it. It just felt right. If I could go back, I would do the exact same thing.” Over the past four years, Fehr has accumulated too many memories to recall but points to two in particular as some of his favorites with the team. “Winning the Sun Belt Championship last year at home, the inaugural one, was pretty cool,” Fehr said. “Beating Carolina this year was pretty cool, too. I have a lot of great memories on and off the field with all the guys I’ve gotten so close with,

so it’s been an awesome experience.” Meanwhile, the Mountaineers are off to a 8-1 start in Fehr’s senior season, with aspirations of a Sun Belt Championship and an outside shot at New Year’s Six Bowl bid still intact. “He’s accomplished a lot in his career here thus far, but there’s a lot more in him,” Roof said. “It’s my job and a partnership with him to pull that out of him so he can achieve what he desires to achieve.” In December, Fehr will graduate from App State with a degree in business management and a minor in advanced entrepreneurship. He said he plans to sign with an agent and pursue his dream of playing in the NFL. “If I make it, awesome, I’ll go live my dream. If I don’t, I’ll have a degree, and I can go work and settle down as I start the next chapter of my life,” Fehr said. “I’m excited for it.”

I just continue to work as hard as I can every day to try to be the best I can be. I don’t care what people have to say about it...

Senior linebacker Jordan Fehr raises a championship belt in triumph after the Mountaineer’s victory against UNC-Chapel Hill on Sept. 21. Fehr said he is looking to end his App State career on a high note and make this his best season yet. Lynette Files

Sports

Nov. 15, 2019

Mountaineers rule the Carolinas

Silas Albright | Sports Editor Moss Brennan | Editor-in-Chief Dan Davidson | Reporter Ten minutes before kickoff, South Carolina fans were at their loudest and most excited state. Fireworks went off, and the student section waved towels vigorously as the Gamecocks took the field, emerging out of the tunnel with smoke billowing around them. By the 7:10 mark in the third quarter, App State had opened up a 20-9 lead and effectively sucked the energy out of the stadium that was so loud hours before. The Mountaineer defense was not letting South Carolina do anything. Although it was only an 11-point game with plenty of time for a comeback left on the scoreboard, Gamecock fans started to leave Williams-Brice Stadium. For the second time this season, App State marched into a Power Five stadium and took it over. From the scoreboard, to the fans, to the cheers, the Mountaineers went on to win 2015 in exciting fashion. “This one was a little more personal for some of us, but it was the same way when we went and played in Chapel Hill,” senior tight end and South Carolina native Collin Reed said. “The guys that didn’t necessarily get looks (from UNC or USC), they always play with a chip on their shoulder.” With the victory, App State gave

its fans something else to be proud of, but the fans weren’t the only ones proud of how the team performed. “I’m just proud of the focus and effort our guys played with,” head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said. “I’m proud of the way they battled all game. They never flinched.” South Carolina received the opening kick and put together a 15play drive that ended with a 41-yard field goal from junior kicker Parker White, giving the Gamecocks an early 3-0 lead with 8:51 left in the first quarter. The Mountaineers answered with a field goal of their own on the following possession. Junior kicker Chandler Staton split the uprights on a 40-yard attempt, knotting the score at three apiece with 5:10 to go in the first quarter. The battle between the kickers continued on the third drive of the game. South Carolina marched up the field before the App State defense strapped up with its back against the wall, getting three straight stops in the red zone to force the field goal attempt. White nailed it from 25-yards to put the Gamecocks up 6-3 with 1:22 left in the first quarter. Both defenses held strong until the 8:29 mark in the second quarter,

when Staton connected on a 47-yard field goal to tie it back up at 6. Again, it became a defensive battle, with neither offense seeming to find any sort of rhythm, until App State true freshman defensive back Nicholas Ross came up with one of the biggest plays of the game. Ross read South Carolina quarterback Ryan Hilinksi’s eyes and jumped in front of a pass, making the first interception of his career and taking it 20 yards for a game-changing touchdown. “That was an amazing feeling, just knowing it’s a next-man-up mentality on the team,” senior linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither said. “Whoever is in the game, we expect them to play at the highest level. Him coming up and making that play, that was awesome.” Staton’s extra point put the Mountaineers in front 13-6 with 1:51 remaining in the first half. It was App State’s first lead of the game — a lead it never relinquished. App State received the kickoff to start the second half. Five plays into the opening drive of the half, junior quarterback Zac Thomas threw an interception. The turnover set South Carolina up deep in Mountaineer territory, but the defense once again

From holdng on after interceptions to protecting against two-point conversions, App State’s defense was the difference that led them to a 20-15 win over the Gamecocks. Max Correa

stood tall. The Gamecocks only gained three yards on three plays before being forced to attempt a 50-yard field goal. White knocked through a new career long, bringing his team back within four. With the momentum shifted to the home team, junior wide receiver Jalen Virgil snagged the kickoff and returned it 57 yards to the Gamecock 39-yard line. Thomas then connected

with junior wide receiver Corey Sutton for a 23-yard gain before running in a one-yard score himself. The touchdown put the Mountaineers up 20-9 with 7:10 left in the third and snatched the momentum right back from South Carolina. Read the full recap on theappalachianonline.com

Men’s soccer set to host Sun Belt Tournament

Silas Albright | Sports Editor

The App State men’s soccer team finished the regular season with its highest win total since 2015, going 10-6-1 overall and 2-3 in the Sun Belt. “We’re just trying to take it one game at a time because that’s all you can really do moving forward,” senior midfielder/forward Austin Hill said. “If you’re looking past opponents, you might leave it up to chance in the current game that you’re facing.” Some highlights of the season included a six-match unbeaten streak

from Sept. 21 to Oct. 16 and a 1-0 shutout win at ACC and in-state opponent UNC. The Mountaineers hadn’t knocked off the Tar Heels in men’s soccer since 1980. “We’ll have plenty of time in the offseason to look back at the great things that we were able to accomplish,” head coach Jason O’Keefe said. “I think the group is still hungry for more. While we still have an opportunity to continue to write the last chapter, you want to put your best foot forward. (We) can’t be thinking about Carolina or anything

we’ve done. You just have to stay focused and have a refuse to lose mentality this week.” Now, the team’s focus is set on the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Championship. App State will host the tournament at the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex and games will stream on ESPN+. “I am very excited to play in the conference tournament, and I think it’s a bonus for us because it’s our home ground,” freshman midfielder Mayola Kinyua said. “We’re familiar with it; we have our home fans that

are going to be behind us no matter what. So, we just need to win and make our fans happy because we don’t want to let them down.” Central Arkansas clinched the No. 1 seed of the tournament with a 4-1 conference record, and Coastal Carolina locked up the No. 2 seed by going 3-2. Howard, Georgia State, Georgia Southern and App State each finished with 2-3 records in the Sun Belt, but because of head-to-head matchup results, Howard claimed No. 3, Georgia State finished No. 4,

Georgia Southern got No. 5 and App State was left with the No. 6 seed, despite beating Howard 4-0 on Oct. 12. The first round began Nov. 13 at 4 p.m., as No. 5 Georgia State faced No. 4 Georgia Southern. At 7 p.m., the No. 6 Mountaineers took on the No. 3 Bison of Howard University. The winner faces No. 2 Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m. on Nov. 15 with a trip to the conference finals on the line. The championship game will be on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 1 p.m.

Opinion

Nov. 15, 2019

The

Tea

Definition by Diagnosis Tommy Mozier | Opinion Editor For the past decade, the month of November has been different for me. I’ve donated to the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research each November for the past decade, even with my allowance as a 12-year-old. November is the month cancer first directly impacted my life. The month when my grandfather, who had been beating cancer for five years, went to the UNC hospital and didn’t come home. That was 2009. When Grandpa was first diagnosed, the doctor gave him less than a year to live. That wasn’t going to cut it. So, he chose to endure the unending pain of chemotherapy and radiation to create more memories with his wife, children and grandchildren. My grandfather did not let cancer define him. He woke up each morning thankful for one more day with his family. One day he would be lying on the couch, racked by nausea from chemotherapy, the next month swimming out past the breakers with me, his grandson, clinging to his back. Too often, we let the disease dictate the person. Their diagnosis becomes their identity. When diagnosed, it’s a name, followed by “who is battling cancer,” making it seem as though they are just a cancer patient. When a person becomes cancer-free or goes into remission, they are called a cancer survivor for the rest of their lives, when many would like to forget that chapter. They don’t feel like any type of hero. When someone dies, they become another person whom cancer beat. They lost the fight. But, “when you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live and in the manner in which you live.” The famed and beloved sportscaster Stuart Scott said that. When he spoke those words at the ESPY awards in 2014, he did not look like a man who would be gone in less than a year. He refused to let cancer define him. Instead, he lived his life to the best he could, until his body would not let him anymore.

Western Companies can’t just bow down to China Ricky Barker | Opinion Writer Daryl Morey, the general manager of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, wrote, “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” on Twitter Oct. 4. Seemingly, this would be an unproblematic message in the United States, standing with people who are fighting for civil rights in another country. However, Morey deleted the tweet after a few hours. The NBA quickly released an apology for the statement, stating the views expressed by Morey “have deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China, which is regrettable.” China, however, was not having any of it and temporarily stopped broadcast of NBA games within the country. All of the NBA’s official Chinese partners, like the Chinese fast food chain Discos and the Chinese travel website Ctrip, cut ties with the association, handing out a harsh economic punishment to the NBA for one employee speaking his mind. A massive blow to the NBA, whose total worth in China is $4 billion. Nike, smelling the blood in the water, quickly removed all Houston Rockets merchandise from their stores in China. And, just with the power of its market, the Chinese government managed to silence its opposition in the NBA and make any trace of a team disappear from the country. This is a high profile case, but the NBA is not the only western organization to bow down at China’s whims. Many companies across all industries are now apologizing or changing their practices to appease Beijing. Last year, the Gap Inc. issued an apology to the Chinese government after releasing a shirt featuring a map of China omitting Taiwan. The Taiwanese consider themselves a separate republic, but China claims ownership of the island. The company quickly apologized, saying it respected the territorial integrity of China. Versace faced a similar situation when it released a shirt listing Hong Kong as a city separate from China. Versace ended up destroying the rest of the shirts. Countless international airlines, such as Air France and British Airways got in trouble with Beijing after listing Hong Kong and Taiwan as separate places from China on their booking websites. Many of them quickly rectified this after demands from the Chinese government calling them to fix their “mistake.” Marriott Hotels apologized to Beijing af-

ter it listed Taiwan, Macua and Hong Kong as separate countries in an email to customers. The entertainment industry is also going out of its way to appease Beijing. The sequel to “Top Gun” replaced the Taiwanese flag from the main character’s flight jacket with the socially acceptable Chinese flag. Video game company Blizzard recently banned the winner of a video game tournament after they used the platform to make a statement supporting Hong Kong and then offered its deepest apologies to China. This is just a small selection of examples, and there are countless more, which are happening more frequently. Companies will continue to bow down to China as long as money takes precedence over morals. Every western company wants to claim it values the tenets of democracy and freedom of speech. However, as is often the case, when push comes to shove, ideology gets thrown out the door. China is an enormous market with 1.3 billion customers to reach. It’s hard to blame companies for acting submissive to the demands of the Chinese government; they are the gatekeepers to a huge market. That being said, it’s a poor excuse. Some things are more important than making stockholders happy. If every western company listens to the demands of a tyrannical government, where will it go from there? What can China make companies do with such a large economical carrot dangling in front of them? When companies start undermining basic human rights to freedom of speech, it becomes a slippery slope. China is responsible for some of the worst crimes against human rights in the world. Right now, Tibetans and Muslim Uighurs are being brutally tortured in socalled re-education camps. Companies need to stand their ground and defend rights that mean more than any amount of money. When a “South Park” episode on Chinese government censorship was banned in China, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s reaction was a valuable attitude lesson for western companies, as they said that “like the NBA, we welcome the Chinese censors into our homes and into our hearts. We too love money more than freedom and democracy.”

Et Cetera

Nov. 15, 2019

ACROSS 1 Company policy limits carbon perhaps (4) 3 Schooled English failure about Ms Blanchett (8) 10 Olde pub in a most dilapidated state (9) 11 Province of authentic Frenchman (5) 12 A French plant around rough sea loch generates ill-feeling (14) 13 Run away together from rioting leaderless people (5) 15 Top traveller returns after hasty evacuation. Sounds like a tight’n! (8) 18 Tips back, woefully stripping two layers. Vicious! (8) 19 Group caught in spa city (5) 20 Combining weapon and fear, bloc maintains this (7,2,5) 24 Qatari, losing trusted allies initially, makes a comeback with one middle easterner (5) 25 Butterfly most awkwardly set in salty water (9) 26 Colin’s initial aptitude is removing dirt (8) 27 Playwright Brendan has central character missing pulse (4)

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DOWN 1 Surprisingly CEO Trump could be PC (8) 2 Model tackily attached to wall? (3-2) 4 Exhaust noise swamps first half of race (5) 5 Shed tears about or on a diverted route to get operation (8,6) 6 Convey rapture (9) 7 Reduced in rank, Edward leaves as protest (4) 8 Paneful expulsion? (14) 9 Culinary assistant focuses with last of dough in mixer (4-4) 14 Pa’s gone and mother’s oddly missing. Daughter and son departed, sadly, for this institution (9) 16 Shakily climb up on it, missing bit of lungs (8) 17 Prime using mixed tint here (8) 21 Taxi home – a modest residence (5) 22 Communicated audibly by heart (5) 23 Radford is currently holding record (4)

Nov. 15, 2019

What To Do PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Friday, Nov. 15

Songwriters Concert 6-7 p.m. Rosen Concert Hall

Volleyball vs. South Alabama University 6:30-8:30 p.m. Holmes Convocation Center

Samantha Liddle/Student Clarinet Recital 6-7 p.m. Rosen Concert Hall

“Good Boys” Film Showing 7 and 9:30 p.m. I.G. Greer Auditorium

Robert McCormac/Student Trumpet Recital 8-9 p.m. Rosen Concert Hall

Volleyball vs. Troy University 12:30-2:30 p.m. Holmes Convocation Center

Blazing Bassoons 2-3 p.m. Rosen Concert Hall

Video Game Ensemble 8-9:30 p.m. Rosen Concert Hall

Monday, Nov. 18

Sustainable Energy Speaker Series: Grid Modernization and Distributed Energy Resource Integration in North Carolina 4-5 p.m. Plemmons Student Union Room 201A

Guitar Orchestra 8-9:30 p.m. Rosen Concert Hall

De-Stress Yosef Noon-3 p.m. Plemmons Student Union Room 233

Tuesday, Nov. 19

Volunteer with the Children’s Playhouse 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Children’s Playhouse 400 Tracy Circle, Boone

Fly Fishing Event 6-8:30 p.m. Rough Ridge

Wind Ensemble 8-9:30 p.m. The Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts

Global Symposium 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Plemmons Student Union

“Queer Philosophy” Talk by Professor Kim Hall 6-7 p.m. Belk Library and Information Commons Room 114

Fall Appalachian Dance Ensemble 7-9 p.m. Valborg Theatre

Men’s Basketball vs. University of North Carolina Charlotte 7-9 p.m. Holmes Convocation Center

Fiddles and Fixins 7-9 p.m. Legends

Fall Appalachian Dance Ensemble 7-9 p.m. Valborg Theatre

Saturday, Nov. 16 Sunday, Nov. 17

Wednesday, Nov. 20 Thursday, Nov. 21

Volunteer with the Children’s Playhouse 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Children’s Playhouse 400 Tracy Circle, Boone

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FLY FISHING EVENT The Watauga River keeper, Andy Hill, will speak about the impact fly fishing plays on the region and how to responsibly fly fish. He will give a presentation on the history of fly fishing in this region and its current impact.

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