The Local
Soccer
Fashion
Char will operate under a new name with a new look and a change in entertainment style. The Local will take its place.
App State men’s and women’s soccer looks to take the Sun Belt Conference by storm as the season begins.
Your source for the latest styles, product reviews and fashion news on campus and across Boone!
see PAGE 6
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TheAppalachianOnline.com
The Appalachian 08.26.14 Over 100 attend vigil
Appalachian State University’s student news source since 1934
Vol. 89, No. 2
Trivette reopens after $6 million renovation
by Nicole Caporaso News Reporter
T
he Watauga County branch of the NAACP hosted a candlelight vigil at 8 p.m. Saturday for Michael Brown. Brown, an 18-year-old African-American male living in Ferguson, Missouri was shot to death by a police officer Aug. 9, although Brown was reportedly unarmed. The vigil took place in the Wells Fargo parking lot at the intersection of Blowing Rock Road and Highway 105, with approximately 100 people in attendance, many of whom were Appalachian State University students. “We felt like it was important to have a show of solidarity and also to give folks a chance to have a forum to come together,” said Cath Hopkins, branch president of the Watauga NAACP. “One of our goals is to establish good relationships within the community and, at the same time, advocate for justice and equality.”
SEE VIGIL, PAGE 2
Rachel Krauza | The Appalachian
The new and improved Ned and Maxine Trivette Dining Hall on Monday afternoon. Trivette opened its doors in mid-August after months of renovation.
Kaitlan Morehouse Intern News Reporter
From November 2013 until August 2014, Ned and Maxine Trivette Dining Hall on the west side of Appalachian State University underwent a $6 million renovation after 20 years without construction. New additions to the dining hall include a repaired back dock, new ovens and washers, a larger salad bar, an Asian cooking demonstration bar, sushi options to the grab-and-go bar and a third register.
McAlister’s Select, which has been a part of Trivette for about five years, was also remodeled, said Food Service Manager Sam Mooney. The Pizzeria, now located in Roess Dining Hall, used to be in the building, as well as a TCBY yogurt spot. “The yogurt place just wasn’t all that popular,” Mooney said. “They moved the pizzeria over there across campus to the other side, and opened up the McAlister’s Select over here, and that’s done real well, so they’ve kept that.” Mooney said the waffle
Boone tourism at an all-time high
News Editor
According to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Watauga County’s tourism has reached an all-time high, along with 95 of the state’s 100 counties that broke their records.
Cara Croom | The Appalachian
In 2013, Watauga County’s tourism revenues totaled $216.72 million in 2013, placing them at 18th-highest travel impact in the state. Wright Tilley, executive director of Watauga County tourism development, said tourism has continued to increase in Boone over the last
SEE TOURISM, PAGE 2
Appalachian to receive portion of $5 million to fund faculty raises This year, North Carolina provided $5 million for raises across the University of North Carolina system for employees exempt from the State Personnel Act. EPA employees include a variety of instructional and administrative faculty and staff. The Board of Governors’ Finance and Budget Committee Vice Chair Scott Lampe said of the $5 million allocated to the system, Appalachian State
Appalachian named one of the ‘Best in the Southeast’
News Reporter
by Laney Ruckstuhl
News Reporter
[customers] a day, all day long,” Mooney said. “[The number of customers has] been dropping every year just because they were dated,” Mooney said. “We’ve found that, before this renovation, a lot of people didn’t know we were here, but I think the renovation has kind of made everybody aware that there is another place to eat on campus.” Trivette Hall is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner starting at 7 a.m. and running until 7:30 p.m. while McAlister’s Select is open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.
by Nicole Caporaso
King Street near Appalachian State University on Sunday afternoon.
by Carl Blankenship
bar was kept because they are one of the most popular foods. Trivette also has all new furnishings, new carpet, new bench seating and new tables and chairs. The market has all new floors, there’s new restrooms, and a water bottle filler in the hall. “I think the biggest change is the way the dining room has been transformed,” Mooney said. The cafeteria still seats around 240 people at one time. “We’re averaging, now [that] we’ve opened, 1,700
University is receiving $301,341 to be divided among the 1,335 EPA employees at the university. Lamp said the last pay increase was 1.2 percent in the 20122013 fiscal year. Faculty Senate Chair Andy Koch said despite the pay increase, when accounting for inflation, the average faculty member has seen a pay decrease of 8-9 percent over the past six years. “If you were to give every faculty member in the UNC system a raise of $1,000 it would amount to about $30
million,” Koch said. “The money from the state is not enough to fund raises in any significant way.” Koch said there are ways to fund raises with money that comes directly into the university. “If we were to let in 500 more freshman, we would get enrollment growth money from the state.” Koch said. “We can take that money and hire more faculty. However, the state may, as they have in the past, give the campuses some discretion by allowing some of that
money to be used to fund raises.” Koch said this forces the university to choose between keeping class sizes down and course variety up and giving needed raises to faculty members. “I’ve been here 19 years and seen my class sizes more than double in that time,” Koch said. “At some point, budget cuts affect the quality of the education.” Koch also said if a faculty member leaves the university, their salary will be put into a lapse salary pool that is used to fund raises.
Appalachian State University was recently named on the Princeton Review’s list of “2015 Best Colleges: Region by Region.” One of 648 universities picked, Appalachian is included on the “Best in the Southeast” category of the list. According to princetonreview.com, the Princeton Review assessed schools based on two criteria: Academic excellence and the results of student surveys. Independent surveys were administered online to students attending the schools. One of the goals of the Princeton Review in creating this list, according to their website, is to create a list that is diverse, including a mix of large and small schools, private and public, men’s and women’s colleges and historically black colleges and universities. Chancellor Sheri Noren Everts said she believes Appalachian has consistently made multiple Princeton Review lists in recent years because of the university’s focus on high quality undergraduate education. “This includes services for students and academic programs with outstanding faculty,” Everts said. “Our campus is high touch and students are able to engage in many ways. The curricular and co-curricular collaborations offer students a chance to learn in the classroom and then apply their learning in realworld experiences.” Hank Foreman, the senior associate vice chancellor of university advancement, said Appalachian is very proud to be listed in the 25 percent of four-year colleges that made the list. “While Appalachian was selected primarily for our excellent academic programs, it is important to note that editors took into account the student voice when evaluating colleges,” Foreman said. “The transformational nature of the Appalachian experience, as told by the student voice, is an especially valued point of pride.” The schools are not ranked numerically within their designated region. Other North Carolina schools listed include Campbell University, Duke University, East Carolina University, Elon University, North Carolina State University, and the Universities of North Carolina at Asheville, Chapel Hill, Greensboro and Pembroke.
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NEWS
The Appalachian | TheAppalachianOnline.com
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
On-campus housing overflow under control by Carl Blankenship News Reporter
Though Appalachian State University currently has the capacity to house 5,518 students on campus, the problem of overbooking still warranted 46 unassigned students which the university had to find a place for. When there is an overflow of students on campus, single-bed resident assistant rooms house an additional student, University Housing Director Tom Kane said.
This is the third year in a row that the university has not had permanent RA roommates. The university overbooked 288 returning students in anticipation of cancellations. Only 242 students cancelled, leaving the overflow to live with RAs. In prior years, RAs always had permanent, expected roommates, and in the instance of overflow, some rooms were assigned to have three residents. Lounges were converted to living space, as well. Kane said no
TOURISM
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
couple of years as well, putting the town itself at its own high. The fiscal year for tax collection ends June 31. This year, the Boone occupancy tax collections were 7.6 percent higher than the previous year. Occupancy taxes are collected by hotels and resorts for every day a person stays in a room. Tilley said the tourism industry is one of the main sources of income for Boone and Watauga County. “The university is probably the top economic driver in the town,” Tilley said. “Tourism is probably No. 2 in the Boone area.” Tilley said the occupancy tax data is the best way to gauge tourism, as hotels and lodges are not required to report data, nor is it possible to get an exact number of how many visitors a town has per year.
freshmen have been assigned to live in lounges or upperclassmen residence halls this year. Kane said the university guarantees housing to freshman students and anticipated housing 3,010 freshmen this year. However, 3,015 freshmen are currently being housed. “If an RA has a roommate for less than one month, then the university gets the money for the room, but if the RA still has a roommate after one month, they get to keep
“The months of July and October are the highest of the year [for tourism],” Tilley said. “October because of the leaf colors and fall festivals, such as Wooly Worm and Valley Country Fair. July is the peak family travel season, with outdoor activities.” Tilley also said March and April are the slowest months of the year. “March is more affected by snow conditions,” he said. “If we have snow or are able to make snow, that feeds tourism as well.” Tilley said he is not sure whether tourism will continue to grow in the area, but does believe it will be a constant. “It’s a very stable industry,” he said. “I think you’ll see the model change a bit. We’re seeing people take shorter, more frequent visits.” Tilley said the three strongest market areas from which tourists travel to Boone are Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham, and the Greensboro triad area.
Increase in transfer students leads to new amenities by Nicole Caporaso News Reporter
Appalachian State University has realigned its Office of Transfer Services, formerly named the Office of Transfer Articulation, to meet UNC system enrollment goals. Approximately 32 percent of new students for the 2014-2015 year are transfer students. “Our enrollment projection model at Appalachian calls for us to continue to modestly increase the number of transfer students,” said Susan Davies, the associate vice chancellor of enrollment management. “For fall 2014, we anticipate 1,145 new transfer students enrolling on our main campus.” Jane Rex, director of the Office of Transfer Services, said each of the 16 universities in the UNC system have certain enrollment qualifications. “[Each university] can meet [the qualifications] with freshmen or transfer students because there are different ways to meet enrollment projections,” she said. “There is limited on-campus housing, so the university fills in with other pieces.” In order to meet the needs of the university’s transfer students, the office has been realigned and now has a transfer admissions representative and three transfer credit evaluators: a transition advisor, transfer counselors and a jump-start coordinator. “In Fall 2010, the Office of Transfer Articulation opened and this office focused upon credit evaluation and articulation by collaborating closely with
academic department chairs and the Office of General Education,” Davies said. “The office improved communication to transfer students regarding how courses transferred, how to petition for credit and which classes to take prior to transferring.” Davies said the Office of Transfer Services expands on the services of the old office. Phil Lewis, the associate director of Enrollment Management, said it is important to have awareness for transfer students and the transitions they make in coming to the university. “Transfer students make up a large part of App, and until recently, they had very little attention paid to them,” Lewis said. “People are starting to realize that they haven’t been served the way freshmen have.” The Jump Start Appalachian program was also created during this time of realignment, which is a program that reaches out to three partner community colleges: Wilkes, Caldwell and Central Piedmont Community Colleges. “We visit those community colleges on a regular basis and work with students to help them start to become familiar with Appalachian,” Lewis said. Another new inclusion is a transferspecific orientation that is held a semester before the new transfer students attend the university. “We have a range of workshops about how they can get connected on campus and how their credits will transfer,” Lewis said. “They have a tour, they meet transfer mentors and it all gets them more familiar with campus.”
the money,” Kane said. “It’s a good compromise to show that we’re not trying to overbook.” Kane said there is no push toward moving back to permanent RA roommates. “A lot of what RAs do needs to be done in private,” Kane said. “RAs don’t have offices, they have their rooms, and it cost us a room on every wing but it’s worth it so RAs can do their jobs better.” Dino DiBernardi, the Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Development, said the
VIGIL
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The candlelight vigil was planned solely by the NAACP, but was open to anyone who wanted to participate. Hopkins said there was communication with local law enforcement, the town clerk and Wells Fargo bank to make the event happen. A libation, a ritual that involves pouring a liquid in memory of someone who died, was performed. There also was a moment of silence and discussion lead by local religious figures. Amber Haigler, president of Appalachian’s chapter of the National Pan Hellenic Council, said she attended the vigil because she feels it is important to talk about issues of oppression. “I think only education and speaking up can prevent future situations like this – definitely having conversations,” Haigler said. “Our civil
university has hired consulting firm Brailsford & Dunlavey to assess the current housing situation on campus. DiBernardi said if the university had the ability, it would not build high rises, but the landscape limits building options. “Their report will help guide us with what to do different and what to build new,” DiBernardi said. “We don’t have much flat land and sometimes we have to utilize what we have and go up instead of out.”
rights acts were based off of peaceful protest and speaking and educating other people about equal rights, so why can’t we do the same regarding police brutality?” Carlotta Hill, a junior global studies major, said to prevent future situations like this, peaceful meetings are the way to go. “We have to just keep doing what we’re doing now,” Hill said. “We have to make sure that it’s known that we’re people too and we’re human too, and that this is not acceptable by any means.” The event ended with a performance of the song, “We Shall Overcome.” “I think this is a repeat of some of the things Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had to face and push through,” Hill said. “It’s sad that we’re still having to deal with it today, but I think that if we all can band together and get more people to support this cause then things like this can be prevented.”
CLASSIFIEDADS Honor Students:
Phi Sigma Theta National Honor Society is seeking motivated students to establish a campus chapter. Contact: Director@PhiSigmaTheta.org
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The Appalachian | TheAppalachianOnline.com
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
App Submit announcements
App News is a service of the Division of Student Development. Email dycheab@appstate.edu at least two weeks in advance. Entries should not exceed 100 words and must include the event title, date/time, location and cost, other pertinent information and a contact(s) (email, phone and/ or URL). Announcements will be edited as needed and will run as space allows. ASE Domestic Peer Leader Applications Alternative Service Experience Spring Break Domestic Peer Leader applications are available now in the ACT Outreach Center, PSU. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Sept. 5. Email masonak@appstate. edu with questions. Business Club Expo 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 26, Peacock Hall, second floor, Boyles Lobby, Walker College of Business. Representatives from 20+ clubs and organizations with a “home base” in the Walker College of Business will be on hand for an information fair style event. Learn about social, service and networking opportunities. All organizations are recruiting new members for fall 2014. Open to students of all majors. Suicide prevention training In this game-based simulation, learn how to determine when someone needs help, how to talk to them, and where to turn to for help. To access the course, visit kognitocampus.com/login and create a new account. Students should enter the enroll-
ment key: appstate828 and employees should enter the enrollment key: appstate592. Free for App State students and employees. It’s Up to Me Safety Week trainings All trainings are free. • Interpersonal Violence Prevention Training, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sept. 2; 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sept. 3; PSU • High-Risk Drinking Prevention Training: 1 p.m. Sept. 2; 1 p.m. Sept. 3; 10 a.m. Sept. 4, PSU • Suicide Prevention Training: 3 p.m. Sept. 2, 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Sept. 3, PSU Walk for Awareness This year’s Walk will begin at 9 p.m. Sept 2 on Sanford Mall through campus to the Convocation Center. Suzette Patterson will introduce the Walk. Barbara Daye (Dean of Students Emeritus) will speak on the history of the event, and Chancellor Sheri Everts will speak on the future of the event. Oudoor Education Certifications The certifications begin in September. For more information, go to https:// op.appstate.edu/certifications--trainings. • Sept. 3 and Feb. 5, Epinephrine Administration • Sept. 13-14 and Feb. 2122, Wilderness First Aid • Oct. 17-19 and April 10-12, Wilderness First Responder Re-Certification • Nov. 1-2, Leave No Trace Trainer • Dec. 5-7, American Mountain Guide Association, Climbing Wall Instructor • Dec. 14-22 and March 7-15, Wilderness First Responder
News • Leave No Trace Master Educator, Aug. 10-14, 2015 AppHack2 Scheduled for Sept. 5, the Hackathon allows students from multiple disciplines to get together to build software that is then put to use for the good of the community. FOr more information, go to http://cs.appstate.edu/apphack/. The Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writer Series Allen St. John will give a reading at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 4, Blue Ridge Ballroom, PSU. St. John is a New York Times bestselling author and an award-winning journalist. He writes the By the Numbers column for the Wall Street Journal, and has written for a wide variety of publications including the New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone and Maxim. Winter ASE Use your long holiday to explore and serve a different community with a Winter Alternative Service Experience program. Programs vary in dates and cost, but provide the same components of service, learning, and exploration whether you travel to the Dominican Republic, San Francisco, or St. John, USVI. Sign-up to participate at Winter Lottery at 8 p.m. Sept. 8, Table Rock, PSU. Visit act.appstate.edu/ase-winter or the ACT Office in PSU. Tom Robbins Week Sponsored by Appalachian State University Libraries. Internationally-renowned novelist and Blowing Rock native Tom Robbins returns home with a new book, “Ti-
betan Peach Pie: A True Account of an Imaginative Life.” For more information on the events and the Instagram contest, go to http:// www.library.appstate.edu/ news/2014/06/tom-robbins. • Screening of “Even Cow Girls Get the Blues,” 10 p.m. Sept. 9, room 114, Belk Library. First three people get free popcorn and free copies of Robbins’ new book • Talk with Tom Robbins on his new book, 7 p.m. Sept. 11, Rosen Concert Hall. Tickets are free and available on a first come, first served basis. Call the Schaefer Center box office at 828-262-4046. MAP-Works Survey New freshmen and transfer students are reminded to take the MAP-Works survey and view the Student Outcome Report. The survey is open Sept. 10-30. Educational Media Master’s Degree or Certificate Appalachian State offers an Educational Media Master’s Degree and Certificate programs. The program is entirely online and includes a range of courses involving media and technology. Students develop the technical, aesthetic, and intellectual expertise and perspectives needed to analyze and develop online environments using new media and online networks. For more information, go to http://edtech.appstate. edu/. Creative Writing welcome party 6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 17, third floor Faculty Lounge, Sanford Hall. Open to new and returning
transfer and non-traditional students interested in Creative Writing. Meet creative writing faculty and other transfer student writers and learn more about writing course offerings in the English Department. Find a student writing partner, enjoy conversation and refreshments from Stickboy Bread Co., hear a short reading by recent NC Poet Laureate and Creative Writing professor Joseph Bathanti, and win door prizes donated by the University Bookstore and Stickboy Bread Co. Family members and children are also welcome. RSVP to weinbergsc@appstate. edu. Broadstone facility info The Broadstone facility is now run through University Recreation. Broadstone can be reserved at a nominal fee for all types of groups on campus. It’s available for retreats, meetings, workshops, trainings, cookouts/picnic, celebrations and kickoff/end of the year events. For more information, go to http://broadstone.appstate. edu/. Policy updates The University of North Carolina has adopted theFostering Undergraduate Student Success policy to be implemented fall 2014. The policy includes several changes that affect all new, continuing and returning undergraduate students. The updates are to the Course/Repeat/ Grade Forgiveness policy, the Academic Standing policy, and the Course Withdrawal policy. For more information, go to http://registrar.appstate.edu/records/fosteringstudentsuccess.html.
August
sunday
monday 24
tuesday 25
wednesday
Monotony Break: Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee Tasting, 2-4 p.m., Roess Dining Hall Promenade, free
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1 State Holiday
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26
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Diversity Photo Shoot, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., PSU, free Make Your Own Laptop Case, 11 a.m., PSU, free
friday
thursday 28 “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., I.G. Greer, $1 advance, $2 door
saturday 29
“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., I.G. Greer, $1 advance, $2 door
30 “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., I.G. Greer, $1 advance, $2 door
Styles and Complete “Stripes” screening, “Stripes” screening, DJ Party, 9 p.m., 7 p.m., Greenbriar, 7 p.m., Greenbriar, Legends, $6 PSU, $1 PSU, $1 Commercial Photography program Commercial Photography program model call, 9-11 model call, 6-9 p.m., a.m., room 153 Kathroom 153 Katherine erine Harper Hall Harper Hall
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Tai Chi, 5 Meditation/ p.m., Turchin Center, Touch Drawings free with Lori Esposito, 6 p.m., room 3200, Painting Class (stu- Turchin Center, free dents only), 7 p.m., Turchin Center, free Comedy Night, 8 p.m., Legends, $1 “Groundhog Day” screening, 7 p.m., Greenbriar, PSU, $1
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Fall 2014 Convocation, 10 a.m., Convocation Center
Inkalicious, 9 a.m., Turchin Center, free for students, $10-$15 non-students
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., I.G. Greer, $1 advance, $2 door
Jim Pivarnik presents “Research Ethics and Misconduct,” 3 p.m., room 417, PSU “Groundhog Day” screening, 7 p.m., Greenbriar, PSU, $1 “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., I.G. Greer, $1 advance, $2 door
6 “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., I.G. Greer, $1 advance, $2 door App State Football v. Campbell University, 7 p.m. kick-off, Kidd Brewer Stadium, admission charged
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A&E
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
The Appalachian | TheAppalachianOnline.com
Community
The Local brings new menu and nightlife to Howard Street
by Meredith Warfield A&E Editor
Next week will mark the grand opening of The Local, a new restaurant and bar on Howard Street that will take over Char’s current location under the same ownership. The Local, which will open the first week of September, hopes to attract families, students and all Boone residents with their seasonal daytime menu and “casual yet sophisticated” atmosphere, said Kat Bundy, the restaurant’s public relations representative. The evening bar will cover all nightlife necessities with an array of entertainment utilities including pool tables, 50-inch flatscreens, a lounge area and a stage. “The Local will take the best of everything that makes up a bar,” said Bundy, who is a senior public relations student. “A lot of the scene in Boone keeps you going to a specific place for a specific atmosphere. The Local is going to be an all-purpose bar where everyone is welcome.” Weekends after 10 p.m. will be reserved strictly for those 21 and up – a change from
Char’s 18-and-up policy. Between open mic nights, poetry slams, trivia and wing nights, The Local will provide multiple events and options for entertainment. Live music is already on the lineup for fall semester with possible bookings from bands including Spiritual Rez, Dr. Bacon and Melissa Reaves. The bar can accommodate 18 beers on tap, with which The Local hopes to offer several North Carolina beers from breweries such as Wicked Weed from Asheville. The Local’s celebrated chef from Miami will bring refreshing insight to the menu while keeping prices affordable. “There will be nothing over $20,” Bundy said. “Weekly specials will reflect seasonal items, and Sunday brunch will remain available.” Although Char had its own prominence in Boone’s nightlife, the owners look forward to a fresh start with The Local. “This is the vision they had for the bar when they bought it,” Bundy said of The Local’s owners. The owners also believe the
Josh Kincaid | The Appalachian
Howard Street landmark Char will be replaced by The Local, a new bar and restaurant opening the first week of September.
new restaurant will appeal to Boone residents and students alike. “The new place sounds really cool,” said Lindsey Hynes, a junior recreation management major. “It’s always exciting when new places open in Boone, and this place definitely seems like it might be
my kind of scene.” While Char remains open for the time being, changes to the restaurant decor have been carried in piece-bypiece overnight to ensure a quick and smooth transition. The new sign to be hung out front is being made from the last tree that was cut out of
an old lumber mine off 421 before it closed and has been estimated to be about 200 years old, Bundy said. “We’ve got some great cooks and a tight-knit wait staff,” said Alex Lee, a senior biology major and employee at The Local. “We’re all excited for the change.”
Review
Spoon’s ‘They Want My Soul’ ranks among their finest by Colin Moore A&E Reporter
From 1998’s brittle, punchy sophomore album “A Series of Sneaks” all the way to 2010’s loose, foggy “Transference,” Austin, Texas-based rock band Spoon’s output has been, not only consistent, but frequently borderline classic. Their 2002 minimalist opus “Kill the Moonlight” and the pop-rock masterstroke of 2007’s “Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga” are perhaps their most powerful, complete statements, but the case could be made that any given Spoon album is among the finest in the contemporary rock canon. By the time the band self-produced “Transference,” their restlessness began to sound almost frantic as they purposefully disintegrated their hooky, nearly perfect bursts of rock in real-time. This meticulously scatterbrained approach produced a fascinating bunch of songs, but the act of self-producing wore on frontman Britt Daniel enough that he decided to call a hiatus. “They Want My Soul,” the band’s first new record in four years, sounds
as if they were never gone. Its defiant, blown-out rock is immediately of a piece with the rest of the group’s discography while aggressively tinkering with their core sound. That sound is usually a handful of rhythmic elements arranged in small, interlocking patterns to drivehome tremendous hooks. However, the band breaks their own rules just as vigorously and specifically as they construct them. Jagged guitar surges through “Knock Knock Knock,” but it never comes back when you think it will. Electronics creep in and out without warning. None of this is necessarily new for Spoon, but the energetic attitude of “They Want My Soul” is totally unique. Everything feels much more blunt, from the crisp, surprisingly widescreen production to the directness and sentimentality of tracks like “Inside Out,” “Do You” and “New York Kiss.” From the huge opening snare hit of the excellent single “Rent I Pay” to the buzz of a synthesizer cuttingout at the end of “New York Kiss,” Spoon sounds urgent and even a little angry. This assertiveness is refreshing and
Spoon
‘A Series of Sneaks’
lends itself to the material, which is some of the band’s best. Each song is great, if not gripping. At 37 minutes, nothing overstays its welcome, and it’s honestly hard to point to a specific track as a standout because of how well they work together. Each member of the band, including new keyboardist Alex Fischel, is at the
top of his game, withdrummer Jim Eno’s astoundingly tight, in-the-pocket grooves standing out in particular. The title track, one of the most straightforward pop songs on the record, brings back the character of Jonathon Fisk, a real-life middle school bully of Daniel’s featured on “Kill the Moonlight.” Fisk is now a professed fan of Spoon’s, so his reappearance as a soul-sucker – along with “card sharks and street preachers” and “educated folk singers” – speaks to the band’s convictions. Though the real Fisk may not want Daniel’s soul, the character probably always will. One Spoon album is called “Gimme Fiction,” and “They Want My Soul” reiterates this sentiment. For them, guitar rock isn’t an outmoded, desperate pose. It’s a way to make sense of the world through tiny, constructed fictions – to ask, “Do you want to be understood?” while remaining as enigmatic as possible. For fans of contemporary rock, “They Want My Soul” is worth a listen for the fantastic hooks and production alone. After only a few more spins, it quickly reveals itself as one of Spoon’s most absorbing and replayable works.
Campus
Fall plant sale showcases biology greenhouse, raises money by KELSEY HAMM A&E Reporter
Olivia Wilkes | The Appalachian
Community members browse the fall 2014 plant sale Friday. The sale took place in the university biology greenhouse and included plants grown by students and volunteers.
Appalachian State University’s biology greenhouse held its annual fall plant sale Aug. 2123 for students and the Boone community. Greenhouse manager Jerry Meyer said proceeds from the sale, which were a little more than $2,000, are used to help fix and buy equipment. This year’s funding will allow the greenhouse to purchase more exotic and unusual specimens. The greenhouse is home to hundreds of healthy tropical plants, many of uncommon varieties, grown by Appalachian students and community volunteers, according to biology.appstate.edu. The sale featured a variety of the plants, with some of the smaller ones priced as low as $1, said Doris Ratchford, a greenhouse volunteer and Boone resident. “A lot of our customers who come in are already interested in plants,” Ratchford said. “Some students have related majors, and others come in looking for a certain color or a plant that is low maintenance. The most popular selling plants are the succulents and
the cacti, due to their unique appearance.” Each plant came with proper care instructions and directions about where to place the plants for optimal sunlight reception and growth. “Last year’s plant sale revenue was used to buy new items like a seed mini-fridge, a microscope, a map and a nature photography set,” Meyer said. “The greenhouse receives enough funding to run efficiently, but it can take extra [money] to make this place as educational as it currently is.” Sydney Bunting, a senior cell and molecular biology major who wants to start a project at the greenhouse this month involving disease-resistant hybrid cucumbers, came to the plant sale hoping to buy a Dwarf Banana Plant. Bunting said she believes that more people should be interested in plants and the university’s biology greenhouse. “The majority of people involved with the plants here have been so kind,” Bunting said. “They will answer any questions you have. Volunteering here or coming to the sale is a great way to gain knowledge, and [Meyer] can tell you everything you need to know
about horticulture.” Meyer has worked at the greenhouse for six years since transferring to Appalachian from the University of Idaho. Meyer said Appalachian’s program is small but allows for great freedom in plant choices and easy interaction between the volunteers. The primary goal of the greenhouse is to provide the teachers with what they need for their classes. The greenhouse’s temperature-controlled environment allows for over 800 plant species from all around the world, according to the Appalachian biology department’s webpage. “I wish more people came here for visitation,” Meyer said. “I do my best to make the place as well-known as possible through the plant sale. I also teach an outreach program called High Country Gardening here on Saturdays.” A date has not been set for the next plant sale, Meyer said. The greenhouse is located next to the State Farm parking lot at 211 Dale Street. Volunteer positions are available on weekdays and conservatory tours can be arranged by contacting Meyer at meyerja@appstate.edu.
Opinion The Appalachian | TheAppalachianOnline.com
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
5
Staff Opinion
Your college career in television form ney from freshman year to graduation will be. For the lucky few of you in the “Friends” category, college will be pretty great for most of its run. You’ll start off pretty small and suddenly, everything will be great, and you’ll ride that high for a long time. Sure, the year before you’re done will be full of weirdness and uncertainty as Joey sort-of-kind-of hooks up with Rachel, and Ross has all but become the most annoying person on the planet. You’ll struggle through this time period and not really know how this journey is going to end, but there is a bright side: you’ll figure out how the story needs to end and within the first month of your final year, you’ll have everything back on track and Rachel getting off the plane and you receiving a diploma you’ve settled on. For the “How I Met Your Mother” crew, things are less fine. First of all, this journey will take much longer than
Andrew Clausen Columnist
For those of you ready to begin your rookie season in college (aka freshman), there are a lot of expectations in your head about what these next four (five? Super-Duper Seniors?) years will be like for you. I’m going to break all 4,000-plus of you into three categories: “Friends,” “How I Met Your Mother” and “The Real World.” These three shows were, at one time or another, very popular on television, even if the standards have fallen to a ridiculously low level. But each series’ journey from episode one to the finale wasn’t always top-notch, (The finale for “TRW” for me will always be in 2008 when it stopped being 30 minutes. The Real World: Ex-Plosion? Come the hell on!) much like your jour-
you originally intended it to, and it’ll be extended (totally unnecessarily) by another semester or year. You’ll embrace it because you enjoyed most of the journey so far, and you know it’s coming to an end, but you’ll really grow to hate your final days/months and just want it to end. Then the end happens. Now you’re questioning everything that the prior years have told you. You’re wondering if you were just dragged along to ultimately only have the rug pulled out from under you at the end. You’ll wonder if this is how the rest of your life will be (maybe). It’ll be the most unironic emotional roller coaster of your life until your dad sits you down for a nine-year, waste-of-yourtime story about how he loves your aunt. But with time, you’ll learn to live with your time and when it’s all available on Netflix, you’ll probably binge-watch it like a normal 20-something out of college. And then, there’s “The Real
World” group. And really, I’m cheating because this is group has two sub-groups: The good “RW” and the current “RW.” The good “RW” will have crazy parties and great stories to tell, but will always manage to get themselves together and get their diplomas with an internship waiting on the other side of the stage. The current “RW” will have “Project X”-level get-togethers and will single-handedly create the college stereotypes that the other categories laugh at when they become memes. Obviously, good “RW’s” will be just fine. It’ll be rocky and dramatic (aka great realitytelevision), but you’ll have lots of hugs at the end and everything will work out. Not so much for the current “RW.” For you all, it’s a crapshoot. Some of you will make it, some of you won’t. We’ll have a pretty good idea when you all get to the house about some of you, but it’s all fair game. Sometimes it won’t be able to get aired on cable and the security has to rush in.
It’ll be kind of like “The Bachelor(ette),” but if it was actually quite common for no one to be picked at the end. Awk-sauce. The good news is that it’s never too late change your course, so even if you find yourself in one that you don’t want to be in, there’s always time to change. That’s what college is all about: becoming the person you want to be. It won’t always be pretty, but you can make it. Many thousands of students have done the very same and so can you. When we think of these shows, and when you think back on your time here, it won't be about the bad years, it'll be about the good years and the memorable moments. So here's my advice to freshmen, plain and simple: Even the best shows end and even the best times end, so shake off the bad, focus on the good and make as many memories as you can. Find your passions, find your loves and spend every single day making them your life.
Editorial Cartoon
Staff Opinion
Judge’s ruling a positive step for education in NC Kevin Griffin Opinion Writer
Recently, we have seen a positive sign for education in North Carolina with Wake County Superior Court Judge Robert Hobgood’s ruling that the state’s voucher goes against North Carolina’s constitution. Hobgood decided that a lack of accountability for the private schools that would receive public funding violated the constitution and did not serve a public purpose, according to the News & Observer. The decision stems in part from the 1997 decision in Leandro v. State of North Carolina that students have the “right to the opportunity to receive a sound, basic education,” according to Duke Law. Judge Hobgood’s decision is a positive step at pushing back a policy that would only harm the education that all students of North Carolina should be receiving. The opportunity scholarship program was proposed by the state government to give lower-income students up to $4,200 toward the cost of a private school. We as North Carolinians should be proud that our constitution places an emphasis on education, and that it demands the state take a role in ensuring access and quality. School vouchers would devote public money to schools that do not have to abide by the same standards as public schools, which does not mesh with the state constitutional provision in Article 9, Section 2 for a “uniform system of free public schools.” Furthermore, the available evidence suggests that voucher programs make little difference in student achievement. A July 2011 review of research on school vouchers by the Center on Education Policy revealed that “studies have generally found no clear advantage in academic achievement for students attending private schools with vouchers.” Rather than looking for private options, the state should look to improving the public school system for all students. While the state does plan to appeal the ruling, I hope that the judge’s decision will stand and that we will move on to improve our public educational system.
Griffin, a junior journalism major from Madison, is an opinion writer
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Sports The Appalachian | TheAppalachianOnline.com
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Soccer
6
App State soccer prepares for Sun Belt competition
Men’s looks to build on strong exhibition showing
Women’s aiming to back up high ranking with solid play
File Photo | The Appalachian
Sophomore defender Zach Joens plays in a fall 2013 soccer game against Furman University.
by Jess Lyons Sports Reporter
App State men’s soccer opens up its season with a non-conference matchup against University at Albany, SUNY in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Aug. 29. The matchup is one of the Mountaineers’ 11 non-conference contests this year, which composes the majority of its season. They will only play five Sun Belt Conference games, but the new opponents will present new challenges to head coach Matt Nelson and his squad. “I think it’s good for the team that we have different competition, because in the Southern Conference we were playing the same teams over and over,” senior defender Walker White said. “I feel like [Nelson] has grown as a coach because now we’re focusing on one game at a time and not the season as a whole, which is helping us focus a lot more on training that’s a lot more specific to what we need week by week.” Eight freshmen will join the Mountaineers this season. Nelson and junior midfielder Alex Herbst said they have been impressed with the speed at which the newcomers have adapted to the program. The new roster for the Mountaineers
came together to lead the team to a 3-0 mark in exhibition contests earlier this month. The squad defeated UNCAsheville, Campbell University and High Point University by respective scores of 2-1, 2-1 and 1-0. “Our older players have done an excellent job working with our new players on team spirit and chemistry,” Nelson said. “It’s been excellent. They spend a lot of time with each other off the field and they like each other, so I think that goes a long way in having the success we’ve had in preseason.” Herbst said he and Nelson are working to ensure that the team remains focused on the game ahead of them rather than worrying about how the new opponents are scouting them. “I don’t know how we’re seen specifically, but I know after preseason that they know we’re a top contender in this conference,” Herbst said. “I think they’ll be playing us that way, expecting us to be a better team.” App State’s first home game is set for Sept. 12 against Presbyterian College. Sun Belt play begins for the Mountaineers on Oct. 3 on the road against Hartwick College. The season will conclude with the Sun Belt conference tournament Nov. 13-16 in Statesboro, Georgia.
File Photo | The Appalachian
Midfielder Sam Neill maneuvers around an opponent in a fall 2013 soccer game against Austin Peay at the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex.
by Jess Lyons
Sports Reporter
App State women’s soccer wasted no time getting back into the swing of things as it dominated Elon University 3-1 in its season opener Sunday. Junior defender Merlin Beckwith led the team with two of the three Mountaineer goals scored in the second half. The Mountaineers will play eight more non-conference games this season before opening up Sun Belt Conference play in Little Rock, Arkansas with a game against University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Sept. 26. App State was ranked fifth in the Sun Belt preseason coaches’ poll. “It shows the other teams that don’t know us that we’re a force to be taken seriously this season,” head coach Sarah Strickland said. “We may move up or down from the rank as the season goes on, but right now it shows us as a top contender.” Senior forward Julia Holz said the team will have to adjust to many changes in midfield and on defense, as the team added 11 freshmen and
lost key players Jamie Lockie and Sam Neill to graduation. “We have a lot of team chemistry, and the freshmen that have come in have really added to our program,” senior defender Nicole Steyl said. “They’ve actually fit in really well with our team chemistry, and that’s helped us grow, come closer and to all work for each other.” App State will be joined in the transition from the Southern Conference to the Sun Belt by long-time rival Georgia Southern University. However, the other eight Sun Belt teams will present new challenges to the Mountaineers. “The thing that’s different about this year is that we’re very deep,” Holz said. “When there’s someone on the field, then there is someone equally as good on the bench who can give them a break. That’s something I don’t think we had a lot of last year.” The Mountaineers will play seven home games this season and 11 road games. The season concludes with the Sun Belt conference tournament in Mobile, Alabama, Nov. 5-11.
Column
Win or lose, App State football has made their statement Cory Spiers Sports Editor
The date was September 1, 2007 and 109,208 fans were in attendance at “The Big House” in Ann Arbor, Michigan to watch the Michigan Wolverines, then ranked No. 5, fall to the App State Mountaineers 34-31. Nearly seven years later, fans continue to pose the question: Was the gargantuan upset that App State pulled off indeed the greatest in college football history? According to an Associated Press article published before the game, the Mountaineers were “almost certain to lose badly,” and “[weren’t] expected to be anything more than sacrificial lambs.” The Wolverines botched the sacrifice, and now they have a chance for redemption when they head into a rematch with the Mountaineers on Saturday in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Could things be different this time around? They certainly could and they certainly may. However, that makes no difference in history. Win or lose, the Mountaineers’ place in history has been cemented. The win over Michigan seven years ago is indeed the greatest upset in college football history, and a rematch will not diminish that. Of course, the rematch will also be accompanied by a storyline of App State’s first game as members of the Football Bowl
Subdivision’s Sun Belt Conference. Opening up the new era with a game against Michigan is appropriate. The last time the two teams met, App State was a big fish in a small pond. The 2007 Mountaineers were ranked No. 1 in the preseason Football Championship Subdivision poll, receiving 67 out of 70 first-place votes after notching their second-consecutive FCS National Championship the season before. Indeed, those Mountaineers went into “The Big House” eager to make a statement – one that told the college football world that App State was an FCS force to be reckoned with. Furthermore, one that could compete with the best that the FBS has to offer. Now, seven years later, the newest version of App State football is looking to make a statement, too. This time, the statement looks to be that this team is also capable of tangling with the best in college football. It’s FBS time, after all, and the Mountaineers are opening up their new era with a truly formidable matchup. Win or lose, the Mountaineers will continue to progress forward in the FBS, and that day in 2007 will still stand as one of App State’s finest moments and a constant reminder that even in the biggest of houses, anything is possible. Former App State wide receiver Sean Price catches a pass in the first couple of minutes of the game against Charleston Southern. File Photo | The Appalachian