The Appalachian
CUPCAKE WARS page 6
Tuesday,February March 3, Tuesday, 24,2015 2015
SGA candidates announced Current student body president Carson Rich will run against Sam Murray
by Nicole Caporaso
Senior News Reporter
L
ast week, Appalachian State University’s Student Government Association and CSIL confirmed there will be two pairs running for the student body president and vice president positions for the 2015-16 academic year. Incumbent student body president and junior theatre arts major, Carson Rich, will be running with Abby Hamrick as his vice presidential candidate. Hamrick, a junior social work major, currently serves as the SGA Chief of Staff for the Rich/Tassitino administration. Sam Murray, a junior management major, will be running as Rich’s opposition, and though not involved with student government, Murray is the president of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, a student ambassador and a desk shift volunteer for the LGBT Center. Murray’s potential vice president, Wes Rawles, a sophomore health care management major, is a current SGA senator who also serves on the Academic Affairs Committee and is a resident assistant in Justice Residence Hall. A deep sense of love and service dedicated to Appalachian pushed the current
Bailey La Stella
Incumbent student body president Carson Rich and his vice presidential candidate Abby Hamrick will run against Sam Murray and his vice presidental candidate Wes Rawles. Regular campaigning will begin March 16.
candidates to run for office, or in Rich’s case, run for reelection. “When my mother was diagnosed with cancer in my first year at Appalachian, it was a sucker-punch in the stomach of my college career,” Rich said. “My [Resi-
dent Director] and [Resident Assistant] reached out to me and made me realize that when your heart is being ripped out, you need to be able to pour it into something.” While Rich hopes to spread this sense of adversity to oth-
ers, Murray’s sense of belonging to Appalachian began with his early years, attending football games as a child whose parents and sister also attended the school. “It’s my home, it’s where I feel safe and comfortable and happy,” Murray said. “The
second I stepped foot on campus for orientation I knew this is where I wanted to be and I didn’t want to leave any time soon.” Hamrick and Rawles both said they admire the leader-
SEE SGA PAGE 3
ASU student buys lunch for strangers Life on the road for men’s basketball offers challenges
by Madison Barlow
Intern News Reporter
When Jameilyara Moore returned to Appalachian State University from winter break in January, she set out with a goal to make more friends around campus. “I’ve been working on making myself a better person,” said Moore, a junior studio art major. “While soul searching, though, I realized that I didn’t have a ton of friends at school.” Moore said while she was having breakfast with a friend she heard statistics surrounding child hunger in Appalachia, which bothered her. Moore said she wanted to
by Bryant Barbery Sports Reporter
Sarah Hawley
Jameilyara Moore a Junior studio art major sat down with Ryan Gladstone a freshman Electronic Media Broadcasting major to have lunch and get to know him.
be more connected with students, especially following the nine deaths on campus this academic year and increased discussion of mental
health that has followed. This desire to be more connected and to make a difference in
SEE LUNCH PAGE 5
Any time a team enters a new conference, there will be plenty of new opponents, but usually, traveling will be similar. In the case of App State’s men’s basketball team, this season has led to long weekend trips and many frequent flyer miles logged since starting their inaugural season in the Sun Belt Conference. Under new head coach Jim Fox, the nine-game nonconference portion of the schedule was amped up this season as the team faced all Division-1 opponents. “I think getting the expe-
rience on the road against better competition is really helping us now that we have played Division-1 opponents earlier in the season,” junior guard Frank Eaves said. The Mountaineers played seven of their nine non-conference games on the road against tough opponents in Ohio, Furman, Jacksonville and Charlotte. The other three games were against power-conference programs Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Alabama. “We wanted to challenge our guys and give them every experience possible,” Fox said. “We wanted them
SEE ROAD PAGE 11
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POLAR PLUNGE Sarah Hawley
Participants jumped into 34-degree water for Appalachian State University’s 17th annual Polar Plunge at Duck Pond Feb. 26. A total of 162 people participated in the event, which raised $7,310 for the Watauga County Special Olympics program.
news
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Breaking the stigma: Eating Disorders Awareness Week by Chamian Cruz News Reporter
The Counseling Center at Appalachian State University will be hosting Eating Disorders Awareness Week March 2-5 as an initiative to create awareness on the issues surrounding the condition. Counseling Center psychologist Erin Tracy said eating disorders are psychological and medical conditions that affect a large number of college students and therefore, affect academic and social lives as well as the ability to function in other areas. “The more awareness there is around the complexity of these issues, the more likely that people will seek the appropriate help when they need it as opposed to waiting until things have gotten worse,” Tracy said. Eating disorders are a prevalent issue in American society. In the United States, about 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from a clinically diagnosed eating disorder in their lifetime, said Sara Lackey, senior political science major and mental health ambassador participating in Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Among those participating in the events are the mental health ambassadors, but most of the events and contact tables during the
SGA
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ship qualities of their presidential candidates. “It is very interesting that the two of us are deeply involved on campus, but nothing that we do overlaps with another,” Rawles said. “Sam has the most admirable work ethic of anyone else that I know and once he has his mind set on something he does not stop until what he is working on comes to fruition.” Hamrick said Rich is a natural leader with the ability to light up a room and bring people together with his presence. “He understands what it means to not sit behind a desk all day and give orders, but instead work alongside cabinet and senate to get the job done, which is a style that has not
week have professionals from the counseling center to assure appropriate and accurate information is presented relating to eating disorders and appropriate treatment, Lackey said. The event will begin on Monday afternoon on Sanford Mall with a presentation by a representative from Carolina House, a treatment facility for eating disorders in Chapel Hill, titled, “Scale Smashing – You are not what you weigh.” Students are also encouraged to participate in a cardio dance class that evening at the Student Recreation Center starting at 8:30 p.m. Judy Scheel, a private practitioner from Boone and producer of the documentary “Personas: Identities of an Eating Disorder,” will also be available to speak on Tuesday after the showing of her documentary in Tater Hill at the Plemmons Student Union from 1-2:30 p.m. At 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the Three Top Mountain room of the student union, two people who have either recovered or are in the process of recovering from an eating disorder will share their stories. Tracy said she will be moderating the panel following the recovery stories and the audience will be able to ask questions to these two people along with necessarily been seen in the past,” Hamrick said. While Rich and Murray could potentially bring different perspectives to office, both share a strong confidence in their running partner. Rich said due to other obligations for the upcoming year, Tassitino would not run again as vice president. “Abby’s experience on Senate and Cabinet have given her an amazing institutional knowledge of SGA and made her one of the most passionate, analytical and bright women I know,” Rich said. “Her role here is crucial, the last time a female assumed an executive officer position was 2011.” One reason Murray strongly believes in Rawles as a running partner is his SGA experience. “Wes and I comple-
two professionals, representatives from the Renfrew Center Eating Disorder Treatment Facility in Charlotte and a doctoral intern from the Counseling Center. Other topics throughout the week include information on weight, mindful eating, helping someone with an eating disorder and developing a positive self-image. “I think probably the most common misconception is that it’s about vanity and appearance and looking a certain way to look attractive to other people,” Tracy said. “Another common misconception is that only people from particular demographic groups develop eating disorders.” Tracy said eating disorders do not discriminate and can affect people across racial and ethnic groups, gender and sexual orientation and across the socioeconomic spectrum. Eating disorders may develop based on family background, genetics, experiences with peers, bullying, personality factors, traumatic events that turn into coping mechanisms, cultural factors and expectations of ideal body sizes, Tracy said. Lackey said her previous experience with anorexia was not just directly related to eating habits, but also to poor body image, diet restriction and as a
Alan Beauvais
Eating Disorders Awareness Week is March 2-5, featuring events aimed at raising awareness.
way of controlling one aspect of her life when she felt like she couldn’t control others. Common signs of eating disorders include significant weight loss over a short period of time, restricted eating or binge eating episodes, intense fear of weight gain that may result in self-induced vomiting or laxative abuse, exercising excessively, dressing in particular ways to hide overall body and feeling that self worth depends on weight, Tracy said. For those dealing with eating disorders, Appalachian offers support and treatment through a short-term model at the Counseling Center, a trained dietician at the Wellness Center and several physicians and a psychiatrist at Food and Health Service, Tracy said. Tracy is also the coordinator of the Eating Concerns Treatment Team who meet at least
ment each other really nicely, sometimes he is more reserved while I tend to be more out there,” Murray said. “He is the man when it comes to SGA, he did a ton of the work for library 24/5 and got that bill passed. ” Regular campaigning will begin on March 16 and Murray looks forward for the process to begin. “I’m just really excited to get to interact with so many different student groups,” Murray said. “I try to push myself outside of my comfort zone
once a month to discuss goals for the treatment of clients, how to meet those goals and about any changes that need to be done to best meet the needs of their clients. The recovery time of a patient with an eating disorder depends on the motivation of the person to let go of the eating disorder, how long they’ve had it and what resources are available, Tracy said. “I think it’s very important to identify what you value and what matters to you in terms of the life you’re living, because all of us are whole people with lots of components to who we are that have nothing to do with food and weight,” Tracy said. “Using your body in ways that feel good, recognizing that health doesn’t necessarily equate to a certain body size and enjoying activities that you can truly value can all contribute to more acceptance of oneself.”
and experience new things and this will definitely do that.” Rich feels proud of SGA’s accomplishments this year thus far and hopes to continue to serve the student body next year. “This has been the most difficult, challenging, and eye-opening year of my college career,” Rich said. “It has been rough and emotionally draining, but it has been the most amazing and humbling learning experience I have ever been a part of.”
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Appalachian eases transition to higher education for first-gen students by Jordan Boles
Intern News Reporter
Appalachian State University eases the transition to higher education for first-generation college students through programs like ACCESS and Student Support Services. ACCESS, an acronym for Appalachian Commitment to College Education for Student Success, is a university endowment scholarship that ensures a debt-free education to students from low-income families. With a similar goal, SSS is a federally-funded program that assists exclusively first generation, low-income students in receiving a post-secondary degree. Both ACCESS and SSS provide resources geared toward the retention of first generation or low-income students. These include workshops, study halls, work study, mandated advising and graduate student mentors. Hank Foreman, the senior associate vice chancellor for University Advancement said there are 369 first generation college students in the most recent freshman class, representing 12 percent of a 3,033 class. “Getting here is the first generation students’ biggest hurdle, staying here is among the many challenges they face,” said Emily Simpson, an ACCESS program mentor. “They don’t have someone who has been through it.” Simpson said things like FAFSA, college classes and internships can be foreign to first generation students.
“That’s where the graduate student mentors come in,” she said. “We can relate to the students. We’ve gone through it.” Adam Warren, an ACCESS advisor and Cathia Silver, the Director of Student Support Services agreed that a lack of financial support from home was a common challenge. “Financial support can even impact their social lives, the things that other students are able to do, aren’t necessarily ‘a thing’ for these students,” Warren said. “Five bucks to go to an event for one student is nothing, whereas for an ACCESS or SSS student, you have to budget that.” SSS, in contrast to ACCESS does not completely cover tuition costs. However, the program aids students in finding scholarships and opportunities to assist with payment. “Most first generation students rely on financial aid which often includes carrying a huge loan burden and therefore many work part time jobs to make ends meet,” Silver said. “Working in school can be positive, but it is the stress and the overall financial situation that can be difficult for first generation students.” A work study is available to students in both programs as long as their family income meets federal guidelines. There are limits to how many hours these students can work per week, specifically to reinforce a focus on academics. For first semester freshmen in both
Halle Keighton
Adviser Adam Warren helps students figure out what classes to take in order to meet requirements for graduation. The advising staff is helpful for first generation college students who are just getting started with their college.
programs, it is required that they attend weekly study halls. Students in both programs have a wealth of resources at their fingertips for academic support including LEAD tutoring. The academic assistance offered to these students is well reflected in the two programs’ annual reports. For spring 2014, the average grade point average for all 202 ACCESS students was a 3.18. At the end of fall 2014, 92 percent of 200 SSS students were in good academic standing. “These programs level the playing field for students,” Simpson said. “They create a drive to succeed, espe-
cially with all the support offered.” Despite the challenges, Foreman said the first to second year retention rate for first generation students was 85 percent in fall 2013, compared a total 88 percent for the class as whole. “For first generation students, it is an honor and a privilege to be the first in their family to attend college,” Silver said. “They are unique, creative and resilient. They have a strong work ethic, they are proud of their heritage and they are diverse. They are independent, they are involved in this university community, and they care about giving back and helping others.”
New Appalachian Student Ambassadors join the organization by Luke Weir
Intern News Reporter
As spring approaches, a new class of Appalachian Student Ambassadors is learning how to serve the university on a variety of platforms. The Ambassadors are a group of 45 undergraduate students who serve Appalachian State University as student representatives for the Office of Admissions, the Alumni Association and the Office of the Chancellor. Senior business management and marketing major Brianna Ricciarelli is the Ambassador in charge of educating the organization’s 19 new members, who are known as “newbies.” Ricciarelli said she plans the entire nineweek program, including a membership drive, the interview process, newbie socials, retreats, weekly educational meetings and quizzes. The newbies are responsible for learning a 150-page manual that details the Ambassadors program. Ricciarelli said newbies are given weekly tests on 30-page segments of the manual. “Giving tours is a big part of being an Ambassador,” Ricciarelli said,
“we have a separate manual called the Tour Manual where newbies learn all the facts and figures of the university.” Freshman psychology major and new Ambassador Abby Nichols said many aspects of professionalism are discussed. “We talked about things such as etiquette, how to be professional in a dining setting,” Nichols said. “We also practiced delivering firm handshakes.” The role of Ambassador is highly sought by many students. Ricciarelli said there were 91 applicants for one of 19 spots as a newbie Ambassador, giving the organization an acceptance rate of only 21 percent. Nichols said Ambassadors’ first main event is Scholars Day, where they attempt to make students feel more welcome and help them decide to choose Appalachian. Nichols said she enjoys the idea of being a leader. “I decided I wanted to become an ambassador because they are in an influential leadership position on this campus and I wanted to be a part of that,” Nichols said. Freshman global stud-
Courtesy of Davis Coster
The Appalachian Student Ambassadors must undergo a nine-week training program before being initiated into the program.
ies major Emma Labovitz said she had her first experience with the organization last year at Scholars Day, where she met some Ambassadors and was inspired to join.
“I feel like the school has given me amazing friendships, great academic opportunities, and a lovely environment as a whole, and I want to give back to it through Ambassa-
dors,” she said. With several weeks left in the newbie education process, Ricciarelli is optimistic about the direction of the Ambassadors program.
“The future is looking really great,” Ricciarelli said. “We have a big senior class leaving this year, but the newbies understand that they have really big shoes to fill coming in.”
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5 LUNCH
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 the community is what led Moore to starting a new project. “I figure that lunch is pretty casual and a non-intimidating way to meet people, and I could help out anyone struggling financially at the same time,” she said. Moore spread the word about her mission over social media, including Facebook. “I started by making using my own Facebook status to share my idea with my friends on there, and then I posted in some of the [Appalachian] class pages to further get the message out,” Moore said. This is how junior graphic design major Maggie Sherwood first heard about Moore’s offer, which Moore is calling Lunch with a Mountaineer, or LWAM. “Jameil and I had already been Facebook friends, and had talked through the Internet and mutual friends but we had never met in person,” Sherwood said. “When I saw her status I thought she had a really great idea, and wanted to take the opportunity to meet her in person. So, we met for lunch.” Moore said Sherwood was the first person she had lunch with, but that she has had several other meetings since then. “All of the lunches I have had so far have gone pretty well,” Moore said. “I’m mostly looking for friendship out of all of this, and that’s what I’m getting. I’ve even made outside plans with a few people.” However, Moore added that she
believes she is getting more credit than she deserves for the initiative. “I’m not doing this to get attention,” she said. “I want to make genuine connections.” Sherwood said the lunch with Moore left her in a really good mood. “Jameil was so open and friendly that I really had nothing to worry about,” Sherwood said. “We had great conversation, and she even let me choose where I wanted to eat. It meant a lot for her to just sit down and listen to me talk, even if it wasn’t for that long.” As a part of her project, Moore also plans to start a blog that includes a “profile” on each person she eats with. “When I eat with people, I take notes on them and the experience as a whole,” Moore said. “It’s a work in progress, but I think it’ll be cool to document what I did and the [Appalachian] community as a whole.” Moore said if the lunches continue to go well, that she will offer lunch to students for as long as she can. “I actually put more money on my meal plan than I intended to this semester, so this all worked perfectly,” she said. “But if people continue to reach out to me on Facebook and are interested in grabbing something to eat, then I will purposefully put extra money on their meal plan. I want people to know they’re not alone in anything that they do, and I want to be someone that people can confide in.”
Alex Gates
Skate Thru Time, hosted by APPS, converted the student union into a roller rink. Students skated dressed in attire from different decades. Each hour of the event represented a different decade from the ‘70s through the 2000s.
APPS hosts roller skating event by Casey Suglia
Intern A&E Reporter
S
tudents were invited to relive their glory days at the Skate Thru the Decades event held by Appalachian Popular Programming Society on Friday. The lights were dimmed, music played over the speakers and old music videos projected onto the walls as students skated in circles from 5:30-9 p.m. “We were looking for something for free that you didn’t have to
make that you could do on campus, and we don’t do a lot of latenight events,” Noni Alexander, APPS Special Events chairperson said. “So we asked ourselves, ‘What is something that everyone used to love to do?’ And that’s how we came up with roller skating.” After signing a waiver, students were able to check out skates and begin skating. The event, put on by the Special Events committee of APPS, was the first time APPS brought in a roller rink to campus.
“Roller skating is something a lot of people can do, no matter who you are,” Alexander said. “Even if you aren’t skating, that’s not the point. The point is to just have fun in a different way for free.” Each hour of the event represented a decade, to which the music changed. Students skated through ’70s funk to late ’90s boy bands and more. “I did a little bit of research and used some of my childhood memories to pick songs for the 2000s.
There is Britney, there is Madonna, there is a little bit of everything,” said Alex Smith, who was in charge of picking out music for the final, 2000s-themed hour of the event. For Tyler Piette, sophomore music industry studies major, the event served as a reminder of his childhood. “The last time I skated was when I was 12,” Piette said. “I did this all throughout my childhood, so it is awesome to be able to do it again.”
White Hall hosts first annual Cupcake Wars event by Courtney Morrison Intern A&E Reporter
University Housing hosted its first annual Cupcake Wars event in White Hall on Feb. 24. The event was organized by senior risk management and insurance major Traci Smith, a residence assistant for the dorm. The competition consisted of a total of 16 teams from various campus residence halls. Teams baked and decorated a variety of interesting and delicious cupcakes for the event. Organizing the Cupcake Wars took about a month and a half, Smith said, and the hardest parts were collecting and contacting teams to participate as well as getting the ingredients for the cupcakes, while making sure to flag them all for allergies. Smith was inspired to host this event by a previous competition she participated in last
year in Bowie Residence Hall. Smith is an accomplished baker; she founded her own store, called Traci’s Treats, where she sells her own cupcakes that she baked in the dorm. At the event, each team made at least a dozen cupcakes. Every team’s selections were placed on a table for contestants, judges and observers to try. Among the contestants were sophomore English education major Anna Carpenter, junior special education major Emily Jorgenson and junior middle grades education major Jodie Clouser. As a team, they created Chocolate Blueberry Tuxedo cupcakes, which were made of a dark chocolate cake with a butter cream frosting and chocolate drizzle and garnished with a blueberry. The team made their cupcakes only hours before the competition began. “I was super impressed by the
selection that was here,” Jorgenson said. “They’re a lot better than I thought they were going to be.” Another team, made up of freshmen Aly Edwards and Shelby Weathermen, both from Doughton Residence Hall, set aside a couple of days to bake and decorate their Chocolate Snowman cupcakes. “I would recommend it,” Edwards said of the event. “It’s something fun to do and you can eat while you’re doing it.” The first place prize went to freshmen Madeline Lippy and Regan Kramer, who represented Cone Residence Hall. Their Mexican Hot Chocolate cupcakes took two days to bake, frost and fill, they said. Smith, who will not be a resident assistant next year, said she hopes a few members of the White Hall council who intend to become resident assistants next year will continue Cupcake Wars in coming semesters.
Halle Keighton University Housing put on its first Cupcake Wars at Appalachian on Feb. 24 in White Residence Hall. Each team had to make at least a dozen cupcakes, and all of them were placed on a table for judges to try.
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Here comes the RAIN (do do do doo) by Jordan Williams
Intern A&E Reporter
Courtesy of Anita Dloniak & Associates
RAIN, a tribute band dedicated to performing songs by one of the most influential bands of all time, The Beatles, is scheduled to perform at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday at 8 p.m. RAIN performs songs from the entire discography of The Beatles, ranging from classic hits such as “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and “A Hard Days Night” to worldwide anthems such as “Hey Jude” and “Let It Be.” It is the longest running Beatles tribute act in the world, and tours almost without pause throughout the year. Because RAIN tours so frequently, the act has a couple of rotating casts, said Steve Landes, who will perform as John Lennon at Wednesday’s show. “I grew up a Beatles fan,” Landes said. “I felt closer to [Lennon] and his music and his style more than the others – what he meant with the peace and love.” Landes joined the cast of RAIN in 1998 after performing with the ’70s Broadway show “Beatlemania,” where many RAIN cast members began their Beatles tribute careers. RAIN formed in the 1970s, shortly after The Beatles broke up. At that time, cover and tribute bands in general were a rarity, Landes said. “It was a pretty novel idea to try to sound like someone else,” he said. “This was, in effect, the first tribute band.” RAIN will also be performing songs that The Beatles themselves were unable to perform live, in-
cluding songs from the albums “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Abbey Road.” “One of the reasons the Performing Arts Series was interested in bringing this concert experience to the Schaefer Center is because it is unlike other concerts we’ve brought in the past,” said Anna Gaugert, director of marketing and public relations at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. “The show is audienceinteractive and the band encourages the audience to sing and dance.” Gaugert said that RAIN is traveling with a full video a full moving light package that will be mounted on and above the stage. “These elements are extremely crucial to the visual integrity of the show and act as virtual sets of iconic performances from the Beatles’ history, such as ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ and Shea Stadium.” The show will be structured in chronological order according to The Beatles’ history, beginning with the band’s introduction to America on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and ending with songs from its later albums “Abbey Road” and “Let It Be,” Landes said. For Landes, The Beatles’ message to young people is one of the reasons he loves and respects the band so much. “Pretty early on they started to speak about a greater love,” he said. “Give peace a chance – all very positive messages, something that resonates with all of us.” Tickets for RAIN are still available at the Schaefer Center box office, and they can also be purchased by calling 828-262-4046 or online at www.pas.appstate.edu.
Hispanic Student Association holds Latin Dance event by Katie Murawski
Intern A&E Reporter
The Hispanic Student Association at Appalachian State University hosts one or more Latin Dance events per semester. The goal is to bring club members together with nonmembers to celebrate Hispanic culture. Their most recent event was held Friday in Whitewater Cafe in Plemmons Student Union. The HSA hosted other Hispanic club members from schools such as North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. At the Black and White Latin Dance there was not only dancing, but also a potluck showcasing different Hispanic cuisines. The festivities begin, as they do in most of the represented traditions, after
everyone has eaten. For the first 30 minutes, dancers properly demonstrated the basic steps of some of the main types of cultural dances, and introduced the music styles that go with it them, including Salsa, Samba, Bachata Merengue, Spanish pop and Reggaeton. Senior psyschology major Stefhani Marmolejo, the HSA secretary, said the music playlist for the event had more than 10 hours of a variety of different genres of Latin music. “We also have members that are not Hispanic, so they might contribute with music they like,” Marmolejo said. “We try to keep it Latin, but we are not like, ‘Oh, you can’t have 50 Cent on the playlist.’” “Our goal is to break stereotypes on dancing,” HSA vice president Kim Jacome said. “You know, just because we are the
Hispanic Student Association and we have Latin Dances, doesn’t mean we all know how to dance. Our goal is to make the whole school be aware that they [Latin Dances] happen.” The next Latin Dance event is scheduled for April 24 and is “The Great Gatsby”themed. Music will be primarily Spanish Jazz. The HSA’s purpose is to increase awareness and help Hispanic students at Appalachian feel more welcome at the predominantly white university. “We obviously want to increase awareness of the Hispanic culture on campus and in the Boone community, so all the events we do throughout the year and each semester is to promote that,” HSA president Aneisy Cardó said. “Also to help Hispanic students feel more welcome at a university that is primarily
Alan Beauvais
Appalachian State University’s Hispanic Student Association hosted the Black and White Latin Dance to bring club members and nonmembers together. HSA’s next dance will be April 24. The theme for the dance is The Great Gatsby.
white. Out of 17,000 students, we only have 700 Hispanics. So we try to reach out to those 700 Hispanic students, make them feel like they have a place they can come hang out, speak Spanish with one another, dance and get to know
other people who are like them. “But we’re not only for Hispanics,” Cardó said. “We welcome all races. We welcome white students, or any student who wants to learn about culture, especially Hispanic culture”.
The HSA meets Thursdays at 6:45 p.m. in the Linville Falls room of the student union. Club meetings are open for anyone to join. For more information on HSA, visit w w w. h s a . a p p s t a t e . edu.
opinion
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FCC action needed to limit power of service providers Kevin Griffin
Opinion Writer
With the FCC’s Feb. 26 reclassification of broadband Internet as a utility, net neutrality advocates won an important victory, at least for the moment. The decision has caused anxiety for Internet service providers, or ISPs, and companies will likely try to sue because of the decision, according to the New York Times. Some Americans, influenced absurd right-wing talking points, have come to view net neutrality as synonymous with a government takeover
of the Internet. These claims could not be further from the truth. These regulations are aimed at ISPs, not the Internet itself. Specifically, their purpose is to prevent ISPs from blocking content, throttling certain Internet content, or paid prioritization, which is the practice of making deals with content providers to prioritize certain content, according to an FCC statement. I sympathize with those who have honest concerns about too much government involvement in anything related to the Internet. No one wants the government to have the ability to interfere with non-criminal Internet content. This is not what this decision does. In fact, in the absence of regulation, it is easy to see how many companies
could threaten access to Internet content. Take the case of paid prioritization. Allowing companies to make deals with certain content providers to speed up their content could put the ISPs in the position of censor. Add that possibility in with the depressing fact that many Americans lack choice in Internet providers. A December study from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economics and Statistics Administration found that, for speeds equal to or higher than 25 Mbps, only 37 percent of Americans have two or more service options. With the relative lack of access combined with the power to manage Internet content, it is not difficult to see how the ISPs could possess unwarranted power. Being split between the
government and ISPs is not a pleasant situation. Given too much power, either institution could exercise unwarranted control. Yet, we still have have both ISPs and the government so we have to work out an arrangement that is favorable to Internet users. Government regulation of this type works toward that purpose. Of course, we should be vigilant of types of government regulation of the Internet. Government regulation has a specific purpose and we should make sure it is confined to that purpose. If the government just sticks to regulating ISPs to preserve open Internet, we should be fine. Griffin, a junior journalism major from Madison, is an opinion writer.
Emily Howard | The Appalachian
Global North’s ‘donations’ prove to be harmful, careless Lauren Burrows Opinion Writer
The Global North is “donating” old computer hardware and other miscellaneous used “goods” to the Global South, and the effect for those receiving the donations is deadly. The Global North is generally includes North America, the developed parts of Asia and Western Europe, while the Global South consists of Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, among other nondeveloped areas of the world. Ghana and Nigeria are two of the countries affected by the trend of “Global South dumping ground,” according
to Greenpeace, a non-governmental environmental organization. Greenpeace revealed that much of our electronic waste is being sent to undeveloped countries in Africa and Asia, often illegally. European consumers create more than 8.7 million tons of E-waste every year and only a small amount of that is recycled, according to Consumers International, the world federation for consumer groups. Once E-waste is sent overseas to the Global South, it most often can not be recycled because of the lack of resources and technology to do so. The majority of these countries are not equipped with the systems that we have to recycle our waste. The United States and Europe try to say that they are “donating” electronics such as old computers and moni-
tors to these third-world countries, when in reality, only 25 percent of these “second-hand donations” work. There are not only dangerous effects on the land and the environment, there are also gross repercussions for people’s overall life expectancy. People are suffering major health issues from these electronic leftovers. Donations are not feeding hungry children – they are killing them. We are poisoning those already poor. The computers’ cables are burnt to extract precious metals such as copper, but in the process, the fumes are proving to be fatal over time. The fumes cause headaches and respiratory problems for workers who burn the trash, and not only the air is tainted but also the soils hold high levels of heavy metals. Lead and mercury have increasingly dangerous effects on develop-
ing nervous systems, specifically of children. European regulations based on the Basel Convention explicitly forbid the export of hazardous waste from wealthy nations to developing countries, but the European Union has found a loophole in this. The EU claims that what they send over is “secondhand goods” instead of hazardous waste, when in reality, only a small percentage of these “goods” are usable. The Global North should be ashamed that it is hindering development in the Global South with its own selfishness and inconsiderate behavior. We need to find some other way to get rid of our used computer hardware. Burrows, a freshman journalism major from Mint Hill, is an opinion writer.
classifieds
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CRIME LOG BOONE
March 1 11:39 p.m. | Possession of marijuana Justice Hall An arrest was made for the possession of marijuana. March 1 10:59 p.m. | Possessed weapon on educational property Living Learning Center An arrest was made for the possession of a weapon March 1 9:32 p.m. | Vandalism Legends Parking Lot An arrest was made for vandalism Feb. 28 11:45 p.m. | Larceny - from
Building Appalachian Panhellenic Hall This incident is under investigation. Feb. 28 10:38 p.m. | Underage consumption of alcohol Coltrane Hall An arrest was made for the underage consumption of alcohol. Feb. 27 10 p.m. | Underage consumption of alcohol Gardner Hall An arrest was made for the underage consumption of alcohol. Feb. 26 11:25 p.m. | Driving after consuming alcohol underage
Rivers Street An arrest was made for driving after consuming alcohol. Feb. 26 9:29 a.m. | Undersage consumption of alcohol Gardner Hall An arrest was made for the underage consumption of alcohol. Feb. 24 11:41 p.m. | Possession of marijuana Greenwood Parking Lot An arrest was made for the possession of marijuana. Feb. 24 10:30 p.m. | Weapon violation Frank Hall An arrest was made for weapon violations.
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The Appalachian 217 Plemmons Student Union, Boone, N.C. 28608 828 • 262-6149 Copyright Š 2014 The Appalachian
WHO ARE WE? The Appalachian, a student-run publication at Appalachian State University, strives to provide fair and accurate news for the campus community; to inform, entertain and create a forum for ideas; to provide an outlet for reader's opinions; to be a champion for student, faculty, staff, and community interests; and to remain independent, exercise and ensure its First Amendment rights.
EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Joshua Farmer Managing Editor Gerrit Van Genderen Visual Managing Editor Malik Rahili Chief Copy Editor Abbi Pittman News Editor Laney Rucksthul A&E Editor Emma Speckman Sports Editor Cory Spiers Graphics Editor Samantha Cordialini Photo Editor Alex Gates Video Editor Chris Deverell Enterprise Editor Michael Bragg
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app news
10 Submit Announcements App News is a service of the Division of Student Development. Email dycheab@appstate.edu. 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 given for events that are free or have a nominal cost. Free tax assistance ASU’s Walker College of Business will provide free tax assistance for individuals or families with a combined household income of $60,000 or less. Anyone can prepare and e-file their own federal and state income taxes for free using www.myfreetaxes.com. The Free Tax Help Lab, will be held 5-7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, through April 15, room 2014, Peacock Hall. Email hofmannma@ appstate.edu. The Wellness Workshops Presented by the Counseling Center, The Wellness Workshops: Feelin’ Good in the Neighborhood. Call 828-262-3180 or visit counseling.appstate.edu • It’s NOT all about the BASE: Crafting a Compassionate Sense of Self, 4:15-5:15 p.m. March 3, Rough Ridge, PSU • Talk to the Paw: Come Destress with Allstar, the Dog, 4-5 p.m. March 26, Three Top Mountain, PSU • Reducing Stress with Mind-
fulness, 12:30-1:30 p.m. April 15, Three Top Mountain, PSU Intramural Sports Registration for Ultimate Frisbee will be open until March 3. Registration for Co-Rec Volleyball and Tennis will be open until March 17. Men’s, Women’s, and Co-Rec divisions offered. Registration is free and is available to all students and full-time faculty and staff. Go to imsports.appstate.edu or call 828262-2100. Red Flag Campaign The Red Flag Campaign is accepting applications for the 20152016 academic year. Open to students who want to educate Appalachian’s community on being active bystanders and are dedicated to ending violence. Visit redflag.appstate.edu to learn more. Applications are due March 6. Email hartmanep@appstate.edu. Transfer Connect Open to transfer students, and presented by the ASU Counseling Center. Call 828-262-3180 or visit counseling.appstate.edu. • Ask a Question/Save a Life: Suicide Prevention Training, 5:307:30 p.m. March 4, Rough Ridge, PSU • Stress Management: Finish the Semester on a Strong Note, 5:306:30 p.m. April 8 and 9, Rough Ridge, PSU Outdoor education certifications University Recreation recently created a partnership with Landmark Learning, a wilderness cer-
tification provider education center to offer wilderness medicine, emergency medicine and leave no trace outdoor ethics courses for students and the community. For more information, go to https://op.appstate.edu/certifications--trainings. • March 7-15, Wilderness First Responder • April 10-12, Wilderness First Responder Re-Certification • Leave No Trace Master Educator, Aug. 10-14, 2015 Spring Performing Arts Series All events to be held at the Schaefer Center. For more information, email boxoffice@appstate. edu, call 828-262-4046 or go to pas.appstate.edu. • A Broadway Tour of RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles, 8 p.m. March 4, $25-$30 • The Peking Acrobats, 7 p.m. March 17, $10-$20 • Koresh Dance Company, 8 p.m. April 17, $10-$20 Expressive Arts Group for Veterans Open to any faculty, staff and student veterans at Appalachian State University. The group’s purpose is to allow for the establishment of community amongst veterans and to offer creative outlets to explore through multiple modes of expression. Email falckms@appstate.edu or call 828-262-2696. All sessions will be held at 5:45 p.m. in room 306, College of Education. The dates are: March 17, March 31, April 14 and April 28. UREC jobs UREC is in need of volleyball of-
ficials. Must be able to attend clinics 7 p.m. March 17 and March 19, room 202, SRC. Go to imsports. appstate.edu.
CareerFest Employers will be in attendance to discuss career insights, internships and job opportunities. The event will be held noon-4 p.m. March 17 in Holmes Convocation Center. Open to all majors. Bring your App State ID to sign in. Professional dress is required. Registration is recommended via Career Gear.
Bike Maintenance 101 Bike App and Outdoor Programs are offering a free bike maintenance class from noon-1 p.m. March 20. Bring your bike, or learn on a demo bike. Learn how to change a tube, lube a chain and other basic bike maintenance needs. Space is limited. Participants must register at Outdoor Programs.
Panorama 2015 The TedTalks-inspired event, for the exchange of student perspectives, will be held 7-9:30 p.m. March 24, Blue Ridge Ballroom, PSU. Light refreshments will be served. Panorama is presented by AppSpeaks and sponsored by the Department of Communication. For more information, email motterjb@appstate.edu. Speakers includ: • Kelly Bayha, Public Relations, “How to Take Women From Bitch to Boss” • Chappy Cottrell, Sustainable Development, “How to Pursue Your Passion”
March
sunday
monday 1
tuesday 2
wednesday 4
3
friday
thursday
Midterms
Midterms
Midterms
Tai Chi, 5 p.m., Turchin Center, free for students
Coffee with a Cop, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., PSU near information desk, free
Krista Lounsbury & Robert Steinhour Student Voice Recital, 8 p.m., Recital Hall, free
“E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial” screening, 7 p.m., Greenbriar, PSU, $1
Turchin Center Lecture Series: Les RMI Career Fair, 1-4 Caison III, 7 p.m., p.m., second floor Turchin Center, free Boyles Lobby, Peacock Hall Crafting a Compas“E. T. the Extra-Tersionate Sense of Self workshop, 4:15 restrial” screening, “Made in India: A p.m., Rough Ridge, 7 p.m., Greenbriar, Film About SurrogaPSU, $1 cy” film screening, PSU 5:30 p.m., room 114, River Whyless with Belk Library, free Chinese New Year, 6-9 p.m., Blue Ridge From Bears concert, Ballroom, PSU, free 9 p.m., Legends, $7-$10
9 Spring break
6
5
Midterms
Grant Smith Student Trombone Recital, 6 p.m., Recital Hall, free
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saturday
11
10 Spring break
Spring break
Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition begins with People’s Choice Voting, all day, Turchin Center, free Turchin Center Lecture Series: Ben Butler, 4 p.m., Turchin Center, free
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12 Spring break
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14 Spring break
sports
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From Big Ten to Sun Belt, it’s all the same for Lawson by Jason Huber
Intern Sports Reporter
Junior forward Jacob Lawson has brought all of the energy and explosiveness that App State expected from him when he decided to transfer from Purdue for the 2013-14 college basketball season. Following NCAA rules, Lawson had to sit out his sophomore year because of his transfer. With two eligible seasons to play, Lawson has made the most of his first season with the Mountaineers. Lawson started 14 games his freshman season at Purdue, averaging 11 minutes per game, 2.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.6 blocks, while shooting .532 percent from the field. Lawson entered Purdue with high expectations as he was ranked as one of the top high school prospects in the nation as a senior, and helped lead Oak Ridge Military Academy to a 33-6 record. During his freshman year, Lawson’s Boilermakers went 22-13 with a 10-8 Big Ten Conference mark. However, the Reidsville native wanted to come back to his home state. Returning to North Carolina also meant Lawson had a chance to reunite with some high school teammates. “I missed it in Boone,” Lawson said. “I had friends on the team who were on my team in high school, like Michael Obacha, Mike Neal and Jay Canty.” After playing in the Big Ten, Lawson said the differences in Sun Belt Conference play have been interesting, but they haven’t caused his love of the game to waver. “Purdue was faster paced and [had] bigger guys, but coming to App State and
Malik Rahili
Junior forward Jacob Lawson and freshman guard Landon Goesling look at the sideline following an App State win this season. Lawson is in his first season playing with App State.
moving to the Sun Belt Conference, it’s still competitive and the physicality and athleticism is still there,” Lawson said. Outside of the basketball court, Lawson said West Lafayette, Indiana and Boone only share one thing in common: snow. “The towns are totally different,” Lawson said. “Its kind of hard to compare because Purdue is more country and Boone is more mountains. It snows a lot both places.” First year coach Jim Fox said Lawson has brought a lot of energy that the team has been missing and has brought a much-needed force on the court. In the team’s latest win over ULM, Lawson had one of his better games of the season, amassing eight points on 4-6 shooting to go along with six rebounds, three blocks and three steals in 16 min-
ROAD
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 to play and execute in venues that are tough to play in.” In Sun Belt conference play, there is no rest for the weary as most games require a flight plan – something the program had never been forced to consider in the SoCon days. Just like a family road trip, there are always bad and good aspects about being on the road. “One time, we had a layover at Memphis or one of those airports and we were delayed for three or four hours,” Eaves said. “We were there all night which was rough.” The closest road game on the season was the team’s matchup with Georgia State in Atlanta, which was a five-hour bus ride from Boone while Texas State was the furthest away for the Mountaineers, requiring a flight to San Marcos, Texas. Fox said the entire team has spent the season learning all about traveling. “Everyone in the league has that travel aspect,” Fox said. “We are learning about hotels, pre-game meals and when to have shoot-around.”
utes of play. “He brings energy,” Fox said. “He has great bounce, he can alter shots defensively, he can attack with the dribble on offense and we really don’t have that until he brings it.” Junior guard Chris Burgess said Lawson stepped into his role on the team this season without much trouble. “I think he’s doing a pretty good job transitioning,” Burgess said. “He’s a big athlete and can do many things. He is very versatile.” While Lawson and his teammates are happy he is finally on the court, he said redshirting as a sophomore due to the transfer has actually been an aid to his maturation as a player. “I feel like I came back a little early because I had torn my achilles in high school,” Lawson said. “I wanted to really lock down on my ball
App State has no more road games left in the season, but ended road play with a tough February stretch that included two sets of three-straight road contests. The tough road stretches have been made more fun with some funny memories, Eaves said. For Eaves, it was a case of being left behind that led to his most vivid memory. “Going to Alabama, we stopped at a rest stop and team about left me,” Eaves said. “I was in the parking lot chasing down the bus and had to call somebody so they could back up before they got on the highway.” Obacha said the Eaves incident was just another example of why he loves to travel. “We stopped at a rest area and everyone was on the bus and we counted and thought everyone was there so the bus driver just started driving off and someone realized Frank wasn’t on there,” Obacha said. During the long road stretches, the Mountaineers have been able to get their name out in new cities and work on recruiting new fans. The players and coaches have taken that challenge head on, said associate sports information director Ryan Bower. “When we were at Arkansas State this
handling, and my jump shot has improved and my explosiveness really came along while redshirting.” Fox said if Lawson has the right mindset, he can become an even bigger difference maker for the Mountaineers. “His role is what he determines it to be,” Fox said. “He can alter and guard shots defensively and be a pest on defense.” Lawson said he thinks he still has room to grow as a player. “I want to work on ball handling skills and my jump shot, which is coming along, but I want to improve that and work on that more,” Lawson said. The Mountaineers have two games remaining in the season and have their attention on Texas State who travels to Boone for a Thursday night game set to begin at 7:30 p.m.
year, some of our players were in the lobby the night after our game and there was this little kid down there probably eight or nine years old who wanted everyone’s autograph,” Bower said. “Our guys got texted by our coaches to come down and he got everyone’s autograph including players, coaches and managers.” The boy’s name was Woody, and he was from Little Rock, Arkansas. After meeting the Mountaineers, however, he may have a non-local allegiance as he grows up. “I said to him, ‘next week we are going to be in Little Rock’ and I asked him if he wanted to come to the game,” Bower said. “He told he did, so we got his parents’ names and we sent him tickets.” The Mountaineers didn’t need to wonder for long if they had been met by Woody after traveling to Little Rock. “Sure enough, next week he was at Little Rock and he has got his App State hoodie on and I asked him where he got it from and he said his dad had ordered it just for that game for him,” Bower said. “It was a pretty cool story from the road where we made a fan because our guys our just so good about interacting with people.”
12
Burgess learning the game, earning play time by Chris Warner Sports Reporter
In basketball, the success of a team’s point guard often directly affects the success of the team as a whole because it is the pointguard’s duty to direct the game for teammates and execute the game plan. This season, much of the success App State’s men’s basketball team has had has been a result of the outstanding play of junior point guard Chris Burgess. In his third season, Burgess has improved in almost every statistical category: minutes played, 3-point shooting percentage, rebounds per game, assists per game, points per game and field goals made. Burgess has scored double-digit points in 10 games this season, reaching two 20-point scoring games, including a 24-point performance, in which he made five 3-pointers, Feb. 12 against Arkansas-Little Rock – both career highs. He also set a career high in assists in a single game against Troy in February, dishing out eight assists in a Mountaineer victory. This was his highest output since Dec. 30, 2012 against Milligan College, in which he had seven assists. But to Burgess, this success is no surprise. He’s been working relentlessly to improve since the season ended last year, he said.
He also acknowledged the hand the coaching staff has played in his success this season. “They have really risen my level of play this year,” Burgess said. “How I see the game, how I play. It’s a lot different than I have before. I see things a lot differently and that has really helped me.” When practice began again this season, the players were told that every starting spot was available to be earned in head coach Jim Fox’s first year at the helm. Burgess took the challenge from the coaching staff very seriously and worked hard to earn his play time, which has resulted in 29.6 minutes per game this season. “I really came out every day and every practice trying to work hard, and trying to lead by example,” Burgess said. “So [for] all my minutes I’ve got so far, I’m blessed, but it’s from hard work.” Fox said Burgess’ commitment to being a student of the game has led to his increased production this season. “Chris works extremely hard,” Fox said. “He’s very coachable. He really understands the game. Because he does that, you can see constant improvement throughout the year.” Fellow junior guard and roommate Frank Eaves has seen Burgess’ work ethic first hand. Burgess is always ushering the two to the gym to work out, he
Malik Rahili
Junior point guard Chris Burgess dribbles the ball up the court in a game this season. Burgess has taken on a larger role this season and has scored double digits in 10 games.
said. Eaves also said it is Burgess’ “pitbull mentality” that makes him so dangerous on the court. “When he has the ball, he’s a smaller guard, but he’s real strong and he doesn’t let people take it away from him,” Eaves said. As his roommate, Eaves said the maturation process of Burgess has been fun to watch. “His progress over these last
three years has been amazing,” Eaves said. “He’s gotten better each and every year. He takes no steps back. His IQ of the game goes up, and his productivity continues to go up.” Burgess and the Mountaineers look to make it two-straight wins when they take on Texas State on Thursday in Boone. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. It is App State’s secondto-last game of the season.