Behind the Ballot 2016

NOV.

03 2016

Nov. 3, 2016

DOWN THE BALLOT Compiled by the Appalachian News Staff

GUBERNATORIAL RACE

Pat McCrory (i) - McCrory, a Republican, was

mayor of Charlotte. McCrory is touting the “Carolina Comeback” as a cornerstone of his campaign. McCrory claims his policies created 300,000 new jobs and turned budget shortfalls into a $425 million surplus.

His term as governor has seen its share of controversy, the most recent of which being HB2, which critics claim is discriminatory and has cost the state money from investor pullout. McCrory’s website says that going forward he aims to reform North Carolina’s education, transportation and infrastructure and continue

Roy Cooper - Cooper,a Democrat, is the current attorney general. Cooper has taken a strong stand against HB2 by refusing to defend it from legal challenge. Cooper has also promised to expand Medicaid and accept federal funding for expanding Medicaid left on the table by the McCrory administration. Cooper has been hit by scandal over falsified lab reports. Cooper pledges on his website to extend early voting from 10 to 17 days and allow online voter registration.

to create economic growth.

Lon Cecil - Cecil, a Libertarian, moved to North Carolina in the 90s and is a Vietnam War veteran. Cecil Previously ran for U.S. Congressional District 12 and lost to Mel Watt. Cecil says on his website his economic policy would aim to create open markets that are based on the rule of law and simplifying the tax system. Cecil also supports legalization of medical marijuana.

NC SENATOR Richard Burr (i) - Burr, a Republican, is currently in his second term as North Carolina’s senator. Burr’s website says he is committed to helping veterans. He supports job creation through tax reform and cutting down on government inefficiencies. He chairs the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994. Burr has endorsed Trump.

Deborah Ross - Ross, a Democrat, served in North Carolina’s State House from 2003-2013. According to her website, Ross championed voting rights and government accountability during that time. Ross is campaigning under a banner of economic security and is attempting to tie Burr to Trump.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

North Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor has the power to appoint executive branch officials and serves as the president of the state senate.

Dan Forest (i) - Forest, a Republican, narrowly won against challenger Linda Coleman in 2012 by less than .02 percent. As the first Republican lieutenant governor elected in the state in 20 years, Forest was a prominent architect before taking office. Forest is a member of the North Carolina Economic Development Board and touts Republican moves to lower taxes for individuals and businesses as one of the greatest successes he presided over in office.

Linda Coleman - Coleman, a Democrat, served as director of the office of state personnel under Gov. Perdue. Perdue’s website says she is working to create educational opportunities to prepare citizens for the workplace. She also emphasizes expanding Medicaid and criticizes Republican’s refusal to accept funds for expanding Medicaid.

Jacki Cole - Cole, a Libertarian, is a political newcomer. Her Facebook page said she is for smaller government and lower taxes.

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Photo Credit: Official Portraits

Nov. 3, 2016

BOARD OF EDUCATION CANDIDATES

The Watauga County Board of Commissioners is responsible primarily for overseeing fiscal policy, but is also responsible for appointing members to a number of subsidiary boards, commissions and committees. The board of five is currently controlled by a trio of Republicans.

Ron Henries is running for re-election as chairman of the Board of Education.

Brenda Reese is the current vice chair of the board. Reese said three issues Henries has worked in public education for 31 years, serving as a teacher, an assistant are integral to quality education: training and maintaining the best teachers possible, principal and principal in Watauga County. He has also taught at the Reich College creating access to appropriate technology and making updates on the school itself. of Education at Appalachian State University and he has been trained to teach special She is a former teacher and principal who believes that her experience makes her an education while also serving as the chairman on the Board of Directors of Special effective board member.

Olympics in North Carolina.

Barbara Kinsey is currently on the board and seeking reelection. Kinsey has Steve Combs served on the school board from 2000-2012, three times as vice taught since 1982 and was elected president of the Watauga County Association of chair. Combs is also a local farmer.

Educators.

NORTH CAROLINA’S SUPREME COURT

Justice Bob Edmunds received his Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law and received his LL.M. in judicial process from the University of Virginia in 2004. He was first elected to the Supreme Court in 2000 and re-elected in 2008. While the Supreme Court is a nonpartisan election, Bob Edmunds is registered as a Republican.

If Edmunds is re-elected he will have to resign early to satisfy a law requiring justices retire the last day of the month when they turn 72; Edmunds is 67 and the term is eight years. Edmunds served on the Advisory Committee on Criminal Rules to Judicial Conference of the United States under appointment From Chief Justice William Rehnquist in 2004 and Chief Justice John Roberts in 2007.

Mike Morgan obtained his Juris Doctor Degree with honors from North Carolina Central University School of Law. Morgan has 22 years of experience as a Superior Court judge, district judge and administrative law judge. Morgan currently serves as the as the Superior Court Judge of Judicial District 10-B in Wake County. He has held this position since 2005. Morgan is registered as a Democrat. Morgan helped to integrate the New Bern public school system and was the first black student to attend Trent Park Elementary School.

STATE SENATE DISTRICT 45 Deanna Ballard (i) - Ballard is a Republican who took over District 45 last April after Dan Soucek resigned from office. Ballard previously served as special assistant to the president and director of scheduling and advance for the first lady under George W. Bush. Ballard says on her website that she will expand services to veterans and that education must meet the needs of all students, including those who wish to attend community college or a vocational school. Ballard also aims to eliminate regulations for small businesses.

Photo Credit: Official Portraits

Art Sherwood - Sherwood is running on promises to ensure adequate funding for Appalachian State and push for a single-payer health care system. For the environment, Sherwood proposes putting a moratorium on fracking and related pipeline development. Sherwood is also campaigning for stronger voting rights and believes in creating independent commissions to redraw congressional districts.

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Nov. 3, 2016

93RD DISTRICT NC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Jonathan Jordan (i) - Jordan, a Republican, has served since 2010 and narrowly defeated Sue Counts by a margin of 1,612 votes. He serves as the deputy majority whip in the chamber. He has campaigned on a platform of property rights and advocacy for farmers. Jordan said he emphasizes agriculture because it’s the state’s largest industry. Jordan said his work as an attorney inspired a passion to defend women and children who face abuse and violence.

He previously voted to freeze college tuition for eight semesters.

Sue Counts - Counts, a Democrat, retired from her position as Watauga County extension director for the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in 2008 after 15 years in the position. Count’s website identifies her campaign priorities as education, protecting the middle class and the environment. Counts is sharply critical of her opponents support for fracking and what she says are regressive taxes on goods and services, Counts says these taxes hurt working class families and businesses.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 1

Perry Yates (i) - Yates, a Republican, is a Watauga native and owns New River Building Supply Co. Yates believes in common sense government that acts as a faithful steward of the taxpayer’s money. He touts decreasing the county’s debt as one of his major accomplishments and believes in creating a hospitable atmosphere for outside investment.

Diane Blanks - Blanks is a Boone native that went on to study journalism at UNC and has worked in journalism and public relations. She currently works part time for High Country Press and Lees-McRae college. Blanks believes that small businesses should drive economic growth and that external developers don’t benefit the community long term.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 2

John Welch (i) - Welch, a Democrat, was elected in 2012 and is also the assistant athletic director at Appalachian State. He previously served on the school board from 2010-2012. Welch believes more money should be allocated to public education and said he believes a county commissioner should be a good steward of the public’s money at a candidate forum.

Elizabeth Shukis - Shukis, a Republican, has lived in Boone for over a decade and owns two local businesses with her husband. Shukis touts her experience as a small business owner as evidence she can balance the county’s budget and believes that economic growth comes from creating an environment where both small local businesses and larger companies can thrive.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 4 David Blust (i) - Blust, a Republican, narrowly defeated his Democratic opponent Larry Turnbow in the last election by just 2.24 percent of the vote. Blust is a local small business owner who has lived in Watauga County since graduating from Appalachian in 1978. Blust is campaigning on sensible fiscal policy and believes taxes should be low but does support expansion of recreation facilities in the county as they are integral to the local economy.

Larry Turnbow - Turnbow, a Democrat, moved to Watauga County in 1996 from a career in environmental testing and wastewater management, believing it would be a good locale to raise his children. Turnbow believes in bolstering the region’s economy by attracting a more specialized workforce that perform higher paying jobs. Turnbow also believes more funds should be devoted to local schools for renovations.

U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 5

Virginia Foxx (i) - Foxx, a Republican, has represented the district since 2005. Foxx said she considers herself a Constitutionalist and a conservative during a public forum. Foxx said the biggest issues for her are balancing the budget, controlling federal spending and emphasizing state’s rights to create prosperity.

Foxx is a staunch believer in the Second Amendment and believes the federal government needs to be significantly cut down.

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Josh Brannon - Brannon, a Democrat, is a software developer who lives in the mountains. Brannon challenged Foxx in 2014 and lost by a wide margin.

Brannon said he got into politics to stop what he called runaway inequality at a public forum. His priorities are undoing the Citizen’s United ruling and getting money out of politics. His economic development plans center around cutting taxes on small businesses and raising them for corporations and he is opposed to government surveillance.

Photo Credit: Olivia Lepard

North Carolina’s legislative districts were shifted after a Federal Court ruled they were racially gerrymandered in Feb. of this year. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in June.

Information from The National Atlas of the United States of America and the NC State Board of Elections

Information from 2010 Census

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Robert Olen Butler has published sixteen novels and six volumes of short fiction. A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain won the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. In 2013 he became the seventeenth recipient of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for Outstanding Achievement in American Literature.

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Butler’s stories have appeared widely in literary publications and have been chosen for inclusion in numerous major annual anthologies and college literature textbooks.

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Nov. 3, 2016

CHELSEA CLINTON AT APP

Audience members raising their hands in hopes to get the opportunity to ask Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Hillary Clinton, a question.

Mrs. Clinton came to Legends on Oct. 27 to talk about her mom’s campaign and to persuade people to go out and vote. 550 people in total came out to the rally.

(Top Right) A young boy sits on his dad’s shoulders to get a better view of Chelsea Clinton.

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Photo Credit: Halle Keighton and Ben Sessoms

CHELSEA CLINTON SPEAKS AT APP BEN SESSOMS NEWS REPORTER

C

helsea Clinton,

daughter of Hillary Clinton, spoke to a full fire hazard capacity audience of 550 people at Legends on Oct. 27 urging them to vote for Hillary Clinton while also covering topics such as climate change, the HB2 bill, education and criminal justice.

Clinton described this election as the “most important election of my lifetime,” and that students should “elect democrats up and down the ballot.”

In regards to climate change, Clinton

said, “I never thought I would see such a bias against science.” She encouraged students to vote for the candidate that understands that “science is real.”

In light of the controversy surrounding HB2 Clinton said that tolerance was not enough and that the transgender community should be accepted fully.

“Tolerance is insufficient,” Clinton said. “You tolerate a cold, not another person.”

Clinton also said that when Donald Trump says, “Make America great again,” he means for wealthy straight

white men.

She said that there has never been a stronger contrast between two major party candidates and that this election is “about defeating Donald Trump and electing my mom.”

Clinton also stressed the importance of funding education calling attention to her mother being unable to pay off all her student loans until 1998.

In regards to criminal justice, Clinton said that the U.S. must lead by example and reform the entire system at the state and local levels.

In a pre-rally speech the mayor of Boone, Rennie Brantz, announced his endorsement for Hillary Clinton and encouraged students to vote early at the Plemmons Student Union.

A biracial female freshmen student spoke right before Clinton.

She gave her support for Hillary Clinton saying that she is the candidate that will “stand up for the rights of women, minorities and students; people just like us.”

Nov. 3, 2016

DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGNS IN NC

(Top) Donald Trump campaign event held at White Oak Amphitheater in Greensboro, North Carolina.

(Top) Vendors selling Trump merchandise outside the White Oak Amphitheater in Greensboro.

(Top) Donald Trump Addressing an excited crowd in Greensboro.

(Bottom) Crowd waiting for Trump to take the stage in Greensboro.

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Photo Credit: Sammy Hanf

Nov. 3, 2016

OBAMA AND KAINE CAMPAIGN FOR CLINTON

(Top) Sen. Tim Kaine speaking to a crowd at Davidson College.

(Bottom Left) Two men protesting outside a Obama rally for Hillary Clinton in Greensboro.

(Bottom Right) Kaine taking the stage to campaign for Hillary at Davidson College.

(Left) President Barack Obama stumping for Clinton in a packed amphitheater in Greensboro.

(Bottom) Woman protesting outside an Obama rally for Clinton in Greensboro.

Photo Credit: Olivia Lepard and Ellie Arnold

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Nov. 3, 2016

VOTING HISTORY AT ASU BEN SESSOMS NEWS REPORTER

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tudent voting rights

have been a contentious issue in recent years at App State.

There has been a long history of disagreement between a Democratic leaning student body and Watauga County residents, who are more often Republican, said Democratic county election board member Stella Anderson.

“There is a history of county residents not necessarily understanding the law or not necessarily in agreement with the law about students’ rights to be registered in this county,” Anderson said.

This conflict came to a head this year in competing visions for the location of the voting site, with Republican Board of Elections chair Bill Aceto pushing for it be Legends and Anderson’s plan to keep it in Plemmons Student Union.

The State Board of Elections essentially left the decision in the hands of the school as they would allow early voting at Legends as opposed to the student union if Chancellor Sheri Everts would provide use of, as

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Anderson argues, a revenue generating facility.

If a county plan does not have unanimous support amongst the county board it is sent to the State Board of Election for review. The state board gave the university the final say in whether or not Legends could be used as a voting site.

The chancellor ultimately decided to keep early voting in the student union.

When early voting in Boone began in 2001, voting was split into two precincts. One precinct would vote in the basement of First Baptist Church at the corner of King Street and College Street and the other precinct would vote in Farthing Auditorium which is now known as the Schaefer Center.

At first, early voting was not incredibly popular.

When Anderson became a member of the county election board in 2005, she pushed for an early voting site on campus specifically at the student union.

Since Anderson became a member of the board, early voting has taken place at the student union in

the general, midterm and presidential elections from 2006 to 2012 and most municipal elections occurring in odd-numbered years.

When Aceto became chair of the board in 2013 he moved to eliminate early voting in the student union during the 2014 primary.

In order to return early voting to the student union for the 2014 general election, Anderson said she led a group of Watauga in suing the state election board.

Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens ruled in favor of an on-campus voting site.

“The early voting plan submitted by the majority members of the Watauga County Board of Elections was arbitrary and capricious,” Stephens said in a court-issued statement.

“All the credible evidence indicates that the sole purpose of that plan was to eliminate an early voting site on campus so as to discourage student voting and, as such, it is unconstitutional.”

In spite of the court ruling, there has still been contention over an on-campus early voting site during

this election.

For the 2016 primary, the Republican majority of the county election board opted to relocate the early voting site off campus once again.

This time however, the state board went with Anderson’s plan to leave early voting at the student union in light of the 2014 court ruling.

Anderson said that when Aceto proposed Legends as an early voting site in July of this year for the 2016 general election it was the first time that he proposed an on-campus site for any election.

Despite the recent successes of keeping the early voting site at the student union, Anderson said students still face unique challenges to casting their ballots.

If students did not register to vote

by Oct. 14, they must make use of same day registration and provide proof of residency in Watauga County before they vote.

This proof must be a government mandated document that was issued in the past 90 days.

Therefore, emails sent out to students on July 13 notifying them of their room assignments are not valid, and Anderson said there is no other document satisfying the requirements on AppalNet. Anderson said she resolved this issue by proposing that the student housing department send out new emails in time for the election.

The new address must also be a valid mailing address.

Leases for off-campus students will not be valid either as private leases are not government mandated.

A utility bill issued by the city can be used, but Anderson said many leases have utilities included in the pricing.

If a proof of residence cannot be provided, an ID with a Watauga address must be provided and Anderson said it’s relatively common to not provide a new address on a driver’s license.

Same day registration ends on the last day of early voting on Nov. 4 and will not be allowed on election day.

“This is a difficult system to navigate for first time voters,” Anderson said.

Anderson Clayton, Student Government Association director of external affairs, said that she will continue to advocate for the student union as a voting site and the central location for all of Watauga County.

She also wants to continue to promote voter registration.

Through her and the SGA’s efforts over 4,000 new voters were registered in 2016 alone.

Information from Watauga Board of Elections

Nov. 3, 2016

PUBLIC OPINION

THE APPALACHIAN STATE CAMPUS SOUNDS OFF ON THE NEXT ELECTION SAMMY HANF NEWS EDITOR

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Theres a lot of people who say ‘well you know even if Trump wins he’s not going to have full power to do whatever he wants because he’s going to be constrained by the Constitution, he’s going to be constrained by the Senate, he’s going to be constrained by the system of checks and balances,’ having said that the president does have a lot of political space in regards to foreign policy and I think this would be the key concern for the rest of the world.

I can see the argument in regards to the middle class feeling affected by international trade here in the High County. We had the textiles and we had the lumber furniture so I can see his appeal in regards of people feeling displaced by these international treaties. Having said that, globalization was not going to just overlook the internal conditions of the United States, globalization was set in motion at the beginning of the 80s and it would affect most of the countries in the world. It already has.

I’ve talked to a lot of immigrants; not everybody wants to stay here. A lot of people want to just come, do their job and go back home. I mean think about it. You go somewhere where you don’t know anybody, you don’t speak the language, your food is very different. Not every single person wants to stay but because of the current immigration policy when people actually make it up here it is extremely hard for them to go back and actually come back here for the next season. So I mean these people need the jobs and the U.S. needs their labor so it would just make more sense to have a specific program [and] some regulations that would not criminalize immigration but sow a path forward and make it legal for these people to work on a temporary basis.

I consider this idolization of the wall being representative of a lot of people not being keen on change, but if you look at history the only constant thing that we all have is change. So I can see the symbolic value of having a wall but even that speaks about division, it speaks about separation and more specifically it touches on otherness. I just don’t see it to be perfectly honest. I have come to this lovely community and everything I have found here is very much like my values.

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- Dr. Jose Antonio Cisneros Visiting Assistant Professor

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We need diplomatic skills in the executive branch of our government and the office of the presidency. NATO has played a crucial role historically as an alliance, [but] we also need to make sure that in our diplomatic strategy we are not giving Putin free reign in Eastern Europe and I think the arguments about the lack of viability of NATO going forward are in part playing into Putin’s hands.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has done a study on teaching the 2016 election and the effects of the election on students K-12 and its clear that students who are immigrants have increased anxiety as a result of the rhetoric of this campaign. We don’t yet know what the effects of that will be on future generations. My larger thought is that we are an immigrant nation and so for this issue to have become so divisive and so polarized right now is very troubling.

I hope people don’t truly believe that our US elections are rigged in favor of Hillary Clinton. Trump has played the anti-establishment card and he has raised all kinds of questions about Clinton’s integrity and investments and government corruption more generally. But to call into question the integrity of the electoral process is to call into question the fundamental procedure by which our democracy transfers power and so in my mind that makes it much more dangerous than some of the other accusations.

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- Dr. Nancy Love Political Science Professor and Coordinator of the Humanities Council

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Candidates spend an exorbitant amount of time fundraising and trying to get back into office next year because someone might buy them out next year. So for example you’ll have somebody like Exxon give $25,000 to your campaign. You’re indebted to them and the Supreme Court even said it’s not a quid pro quo system but it is, it’s how it works. You don’t give someone $25,000 for nothing.

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- Anita Kinney National Organizing Field Director for Democracy Matters

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Photo Credit: Maleek Loyd

Nov. 3, 2016

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Political parties always have internal divisions and I think what we’re seeing somewhat within the Republican party is a bit of an identity crisis. What I mean by that is, within the Republican party, you have some of these more traditional Republicans and you also have the Tea Party Republicans embodied by Ted Cruz and then you have this category of Donald Trump supporters and so I think that you’re going to have a little bit of a battle about what does that party really stand for and where is it gonna go forward. So when we talk about what is going to happen to these supporters I think they’re going to be battling for control of where the party goes forward in the future.

I think that we will see a lot of candidates starting to learn from both his [Trump’s] successes and his mistakes. It’s really easy to talk about some of the mistakes that he’s made along the campaign trail, but he’s also had a lot of success. I think a good example of that is how he’s used the media to his advantage throughout the primary season.

On the one hand, when you have low favorability this might lead people to be less inclined to turn out, we know that. If you don’t like your party’s nominee you’re probably not going to vote for the other person so maybe you just stay home or maybe you skip that part on the ballot and that’s certainly possible. One thing that I think is also going on in this election is another dynamic. Not just that we don’t like our party’s nominees for a lot of voters, we really don’t like the other party’s nominee; so I think that dynamic might counteract some of these other effects.

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- Dr. Kevin Mullinix Position

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There is no App without Boone, there is no Boone without Appalachian, that is simply the case. We should have a voting site on campus. People are here all day, some people commute from out in the county and they’re here, faculty and staff are here, it’s easier for them to vote here. Just because a student doesn’t live here full time [doesn’t mean they don’t] still work here, they still pay taxes in Watauga County.

Criminal justice reform is really important to me. I actually heard Chelsea Clinton speak yesterday and got to ask her about criminal justice reform which was a great opportunity because there are some things that worry me about criminal justice reform in regards to the Clinton campaign. Some left over baggage from the 80s and the presidency have left me with a bad taste in my mouth but I’ve been doing a lot of research and I’m becoming more comfortable with her leaning a bit more progressive on criminal justice reform. [Although] I’m really interested in it being a bipartisan issue.

We really need to provide people with the treatment that they deserve as a lot of people already know it’s a lot easier to get illicit substances in jail than it is out of jail.

We need to keep drug addicts and people with severe problems out of that environment and keep them in an environment that’s healthy for them.

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- Samantha Bridges Intern at the Law Office of Josh Teague

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I believe that healthcare should be available for everyone and that no child, no woman and no man should have to die because they can’t afford healthcare. The billionaires who are causing some of these problems like the Koch brothers and their factories, they get cancer, but they’re able to treat it. The people in that town they get it and they can’t afford the treatments.

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- Christa Adjei President of Democracy Matters App State

For more from these interviews check out our YouTube channel.

Photo Credit: Maleek Loyd

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Information from Gallup

Nov. 3, 2016

ACT LOCAL, VOTE LOCAL CRAIG BAILEY CANVASSING DIRECTOR FOR WATAUGA DEMOCRATIC PARTY

In such an atypical presidential election year, it’s easy to miss what’s going on locally.

It’s easy for me to peg the moment I tuned in to our state-level politics. A short two days after returning from a long overdue vacation, I come home to watch North Carolina’s lawmakers pass HB2, after only eleven hours of consideration. Suddenly, my adoptive home state was thrust into national headlines for passing one of the most discriminatory bills in the country.

How embarrassing. What a disgrace.

Of course, none of this would be possible without Rep. Jonathan Jordan, who sponsored HB2, and Governor Pat McCrory, who signed it into law. Despite campaign promises to govern from the same moderate position he was known for as the mayor of Charlotte, McCrory has done anything but that.

HB2 has already cost the state’s economy north of $200 million. Jordan didn’t just vote for this horren-

dous bill, he sponsored it. Vote against HB2. Vote for a new voice in the governor’s mansion and new representation in the North Carolina House.

Vote for Roy Cooper and vote for Sue Counts.

One of the other issues that pushed me to get involved in this election cycle was the deliberate attempt by the county’s Republican leadership to disenfranchise students. Make no mistake, the Republican-dominated Watauga County Board of Elections has repeatedly tried to torpedo student voting over the last four years. This should come as no surprise when you have county commissioners like David Blust who in 2006 said, “I don’t like college students voting in local elections.” Unfortunately for Blust, this issue was settled by the Supreme Court in 1979 with Symm vs. US. On the subject of county commissioners, it’s important to note that the Republican members of the commission have done absolutely nothing to

stop the Maymead asphalt plant from being built on the scenic byway.

Despite protests from not only those neighboring the site of this plant, but from all over the county, Blust and Perry Yates have allowed this project to move forward. The new asphalt plant will spout toxic chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide and promises to be an eyesore in an otherwise beautiful stretch of the county. To add insult to injury, this particular asphalt plant is being built for use on projects in Ashe County and will employ folks from Tennessee.

I fail to see how this benefits anyone in Watauga County. Vote against the asphalt plant. Vote for Larry Turnbow, Diane Blanks and John Welch for Watauga County Commission.

In the vein of issues that affect students directly, we could also use new representation in Congress.

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx and Senator Richard Burr are both part

of a Republican caucus that intends to cut funding for Pell Grants and is against Democratic efforts to help those burdened by serious levels of student debt.

On the other hand, Senate candidate Deborah Ross intends to increase funding for Pell Grants, cap the interest rates on student loans, help students refinance current loans to lower rates, and offer a debt-free route for community college students. US House candidate Josh Brannon also wants to see debt-free higher education, and in general seeks opportunity for all, not just the one percent. Vote for affordable higher education. Vote for Deborah Ross and Josh Brannon.

The choices in this election year are clear and the stakes are high. Vote for progressive policies such as equal rights for all, increasing voter rights, protecting the environment and making higher education affordable for all. Vote for hope. Vote for a brighter future. Vote Democratic. But most importantly, vote local.

GARY JOHNSON: TRUST AND PRINCIPLES GRANT JEFFREY CO-PRESIDENT OF YOUNG AMERICANS FOR LIBERTY When I look at this year’s campaign cycle, I see the same ideas coming from two mouths. Both Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump frighten me not only because of their checkered pasts, but also because they espouse the same static policies.

Under a Clinton or Trump presidency, I expect a continuation of the status quo. Wars in foreign countries between races, classes, genders and drugs will go on. Veterans will continue to be shunned and our budget will continue to be disregarded. Both of these candidates most certainly will rock the markets with their anti-freetrade proposals and perpetuate the cronyism that robbed so many people of their opportunity to succeed.

Our next president faces some of the most daunting challenges to date.

America is in a pivotal place in history, and Gary Johnson has the experience to get things done with none of the baggage.

In New Mexico, he balanced the

budget and oversaw a surge in new jobs. He served as a GOP governor in a deep blue state and pulled people together across the aisle to do the right thing. In his private life, he built two companies up from nothing into multi-million dollar firms, one of which was a legal marijuana retailer.

America’s next president must not only lead us through the next four years, but will also shape our Supreme Court for decades. I trust Johnson to appoint strict Constitutionalists who will not attempt to legislate from the bench.

I endorse Governor Johnson for America’s next president because he stands up for term limits, serious tax reform and will exercise restraint when it comes to our military. By ending the reign of career politicians, America can replace them with people that are fresh and trying to get things accomplished rather than worrying about their next re-election.

Johnson’s tax proposal, known as

the FairTax, will shred that 80,000 page atrocity known as the US Tax Code. Federal taxes get replaced with a single consumption tax, while remaining roughly revenue neutral.

This means no more exemptions, no more loopholes and no more corporations or people, like Trump, getting away with not paying taxes for decades. When it comes to deploying our military, Johnson will use extreme caution. Instituting regime changes in foreign nations historically backfires on the United States and leaves us with nothing but an inflated budget and neglected veterans. Johnson wants the veterans we have now taken care of before we go out creating more.

At the Republican National Convention, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas told the audience to “vote your conscience.”

It’s not surprising that the Trump-supporting amphitheater responded with boos and jeers.

Voting for Gary Johnson is voting

with my conscience because of trust.

Trust is such an important component in this election and, unlike the others, I believe Johnson when he speaks.

His genuine attitude and his ability to admit a mistake is unparalleled.

At the Democratic National Convention, first lady Michelle Obama said, “when they go low, we go high.”

The behavior of Clinton and Trump has been nothing short of juvenile.

The standard that the first lady established for her candidate has been unabashedly unmet. I don’t want to stop Clinton or Trump. I want to elect Gary Johnson to the highest office in the land.

This will be the first presidential election I will be eligible to vote in; I flat out refuse to waste my vote on the lesser of two evils. It is imperative that I cast my vote for the person who will lead this country and uphold the Constitution. I am proud to vote for the honest Governor Johnson on Nov. 8.

17

Nov. 3, 2016

THE TEAM Aleah Warner @aleahwarner MANAGING EDITOR

Carl Blankenship @carl_r_blank EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dallas Linger @dallingerphoto PHOTO EDITOR

Victoria Haynes @victoriahayness CHIEF COPY EDITOR

EDITORIAL MULTIMEDIA BUSINESS

Sammy Hanf @sammyhanf NEWS EDITOR

Jacob Oller @ollerifyouhearme BUSINESS MANAGER

Sydney Spann @spannooo GRAPHICS EDITOR

Katie Murawski @murawskikm A&E EDITOR

Jordan Boles @jorddb MARKETING DIRECTOR

Braxton Coats @brxcoats22 WEB MANAGER

Jason Huber @_jasonhuber SPORTS EDITOR

Olivia Wilkes @theappalachian ADVISER

Angelo Errico @angeloerrico821 OPINION EDITOR Lee Sanderlin @lee_sanderlin ENTERPRISE EDITOR

CRIME LOG CAMPUS OCT. 30

OCT. 25

8:05 a.m. | Burglary Varsity Gym Under investigation.

11:48 p.m. | Vandalism D.D. Dougherty Leads exhausted.

OCT. 29

OCT. 24

5:07 p.m. | Simple Assault LLC Under investigation.

12:02 a.m. | Drug Violation LLC A student was arrested for possession of marijuana.

OCT. 29 10:11 p.m. | Underage Consumption of Alcohol Eggers Hall Two students were arrested for underage consumption of alcohol.

OCT. 27 12:44 a.m. | Vandalism Rivers Street East Tunnel Leads exhausted.

OCT. 24 2 a.m. | Drug Violation LLC A student was arrested for possession of marijuana.

OCT. 22 4:39 p.m. | Underage Consumption of Alcohol Belk Hall A student was arrested for underage consumption of alcohol.

Maleek Loyd @maleekstuff VIDEO EDITOR

Nov. 3, 2016

SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS

App News is a service of the Division of Student Development. Email wilkeso@appstate.edu for submissions with subject line: APP NEWS PAGE. Submissions should not exceed 100 words and must include the event title, date/time, location and cost, and a contact email, phone and/or URL. Announcements will be edited as needed and will run as space allows. Preference is given for events that are free or have a nominal cost.

WHAT TO DO VISITING WRITERS SERIES The Fall 2016 Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series will take place with craft talks and readings. Book sales and signings will follow each event.

• Nov. 3: Graphic Novelist Carol Tyler, 12:30-1:45 p.m. Craft Talk in Three Top Mountain Room, PSU. 7:30 p.m. Reading in Turchin Center Lecture Hall, TCVA-1102.

• Nov. 10: Novelist Robert Olen Butler, 2-3:15 p.m. Craft Talk in Table Rock Room, PSU. 7:30 p.m. Reading in Table Rock Room, PSU.

LEADERSHIP COFFEE HOUR The Leadership Development foundation of Student Engagement and Leadership is sponsoring a Leadership Coffee Hour every Monday from 9-10 a.m. in the McCaskey Center, PSU 244. All are invited to the conversation. Coffee and tea will be provided. Please invite others to join us. Every week we select a new topic to discuss about leadership!

THANKSGIVING BASKET DRIVE Campus Activities and Hospitality House would like to provide your organization or office with the opportunity to sponsor a Thanksgiving basket to be delivered to a family in need this holiday season. With your help in App State’s campus-wide basket drive, we can reduce the amount of hungry families in our community. As we embark on the first year of our Thanksgiving basket drive, please help us reach our goal of 300 baskets this holiday season!

By providing a basket, you are committing to completely fill the basket with the items on the attached list. By dividing the list of items among your members or colleagues, you can easily provide an entire basket of food to bring

joy to a family in need! Monetary donations should be directed to Nicolas Wright at wrightnt@appstate.edu The basket drop-off location is the McCaskey Center on the second floor of the Plemmons Student Union, suite 244. Drop off dates: Nov. 14 and Nov. 18 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

SNCURCS The Office of Student Research would like to personally invite you and your students to submit abstracts of research and creative endeavors (performance, plays, readings, exhibits, displays, etc.) for presentation at the 2016 State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS) to be held at North Carolina Central University on Saturday, Nov. 5.

To submit an abstract or for more information please visit www.sncurcs.org.

FREE LEGAL ADVICE The Student Legal Clinic, in suite 324 in Plemmons Student Union, offers confidential advice, information, and referrals provided by a licensed attorney.

The attorney can meet with any currently enrolled Appalachian State student and can advise students on any issue that is not directly adverse to the university.

Make an appointment by calling (828) 2628284. More information at legalclinic.appstate. edu.

WEEKLY LYRIC OPEN MICS A free and open event for all, Lyric hosts weekly open mics oriented around poetry and other word based art such as music, story-telling, etc. Join every Wednesday from 8:30-10:30

p.m. at 3rd Place.

Come out and support your local farmers, artisans, and community during the ASU Sustainable Development Student Alliance hosted Appalachian State Campus Farmer’s Market!

We are sponsoring three markets this semester!

Our final mark is Nov. 16.

Lottery is where you sign-up for an ASE program to participate on. The lottery sign-up allows for everyone to have the same chance at getting a spot on a program of their choice. It is possible to come to the lottery and not get on a program as demand sometimes exceeds the spaces available, but there is a waitlist.

Come to Lottery with an open mind; all programs will provide rewarding experiences.

How does the lottery work? Pick up a Lottery Packet in the ACT Outreach Center. Bring completed Lottery Packet and deposit, check ONLY made out to “ACT” to lottery. Upon arrival to lottery you will be assigned your official lottery number.

If you are not there by the start time, you will only receive an opportunity to sign-up following the entire lottery process. If you cannot make it on time or at all, communicate with us before lottery and we will save you a number.

Lottery is Monday, Nov. 7 in from 8-10 p.m. in the PSU Solarium. For more info, visit ase. appstate.edu

HUNGER GAMES

ART IN MEDITATION

VOTE.APPSTATE.EDU This site is a non-partisan resource for students at Appalachian State and the voters of Watauga County. Through this website, students will have access to the necessary resources to register to vote and learn about issues at stake in upcoming elections.

In addition to registration and voting information, all of the voter registration and engagement events being held across campus are housed here. Our vision is to implement voter education activities and increase student participation in local, state, and national voting and election initiatives this year and in future elections.

ASU CAMPUS FARMER’S MARKET

The sixth Annual Hunger Games is coming on Nov. 18! For every 25 cans that your organization brings in for the canned food drive benefiting Hospitality House, you get one entry into the reaping to get someone from your organization to participate as tribute in the Hunger Games! The three organizations that bring in the most cans get an automatic second tribute in the games! Bring in cans to one of the collection boxes (in the ACT Office, or in front of the market in the Union or Trivette) between Oct. 26 and Nov. 17. And may the odds be ever in your favor...

Students will participate in a short-guided meditation (20 minutes) followed by the opportunity to create an artistic response to the mediation experience. All art supplies will be provided. Class size is limited to 25, on a firstcome basis. No registration required. Sponsored

by Active Minds and Yes Plus, in collaboration with The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts.

Sessions take place Wednesdays, until Nov. 16 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in TCVA Room 3200.

SUNDAY, NOV. 6

THURSDAY, NOV. 3

FRIDAY, NOV. 4

SATURDAY, NOV. 5

Practice Interview with Employers

Harvest Festival

Healing Arts Yoga

9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Career Development Center, JET Building

6-9 p.m.

Grandfather Ballroom, PSU

10:15 a.m.

Mayer Gallery, TCVA free for students, $10 non-students

Graphic Novelist Carol Tyler

“The Exorcist (1973)” (R) Screening

12:30-1:45 p.m. Craft Talk Three Top Mountain Room, PSU 7:30 p.m. Reading Turchin Lecture Hall, TCVA

7 p.m.

Greenbriar Theatre $1 door

“Kubo and the Two Strings” Screening 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

I.G. Greer Auditorium $1 advance, $2 door

MONDAY, NOV. 7

“Kubo and the Two Strings” Screening

ASE LOTTERY

“Kubo and the Two Strings” Screening 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

I.G. Greer Auditorium $1 advance, $2 door

7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

I.G. Greer Auditorium $1 advance, $2 door

TUESDAY, NOV. 8

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9

THURSDAY, NOV. 10

Leadership Coffee Hour

Art in Meditation

“The Secret Life of Pets” Screening

9 a.m.

McCaskey Center, PSU

5:30 p.m.

Room 3200, TCVA

7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

I.G. Greer Auditorium $1 advance, $2 door

iASE Lottery

“Titanic (1997)” Screening

8-10 p.m.

Solarium, PSU

7 p.m.

Greenbriar Theatre $1 door

Lyric Open Mic 8: 30 p.m.

3rd Place

Rumours 9 p.m.

Legends $10 advance, $12 door/non-students

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289 Ambling Way, Boone, NC 28607

(828)263-0100

www.universityhighlands.com