The Appalachian Tuesday, April 21,24, 2015 Tuesday, February 2015
APP STATE-GEORGIA STATE BASEBALL SERIES see PAGE 10
ASJE seeks tuition equality by Chamian Cruz News Reporter
Courtesy of App State Athletics
Michael Obacha (center) preps participants of the Indiana Special Olympics during a youth clinic April 4.
More than just shoes
Michael Obacha expands his charitable work to assist Nigerian youth’s education by Gerrit Van Genderen Managing Editor
With maintained success and national recognition for his community service work, App State basketball junior forward Michael Obacha and his shoe drive have continued to provide shoes to the youth of his native country, Nigeria.
After a return trip to Nigeria, Obacha realized that the donations people were providing should not be restricted to just shoes. Instead, he decided to include school supplies with the start of the Michael Obacha School Supply Drive. The goal of the drive is to provide 100 children with school supplies for the year. People are able to donate $40
to provide a “success pack” to a child in need. The packs include a backpack, pens, pencils, paper and other essentials. In the long run, the goal is to raise $5,000 – $4,000 for “success packs” and $1,000 to ship shoes. “I want to help kids and encourage kids to go to school because education is something that will be with you for a lifetime,” Obacha said.
“The kids are the future of my country. If a future generation is educated, then the country will become the same.” A double major in economics and international business, Obacha said he wants to continue with the charitable efforts as long as he can, regardless of whether it
SEE OBACHA PAGE 11
Suicide awareness week promotes positivity by Josh Wharton News Reporter
Appalachian State University will hold its first Suicide Prevention Awareness Week from April 21-25, focusing on community building and promoting positivity. “The purpose of the week is to raise awareness about resources available, to promote the message that there is hope and help and to get our entire campus community involved in the very important work of preventing suicide,” said Elisabeth Cavallaro, Appalachian’s suicide prevention coordinator. The week will begin with the To-
SEE PREVENTION PAGE 3
Tuesday, April 21 10 - Noon Suicide Prevention Training - Tree Top Mountain (PSU 169) 4 - 5 p.m. Kickoff Event - Award Ceremony - Sanford Mall 5 - 8 p.m. Together We Rise - Sanford Mall
Suicide Awareness Week
Wednesday, April 22 2 - 4 p.m. Suicide Prevention Training - Beacon Heights (PSU 417) 6 - 9 p.m. To Write Love on Her Arms Movie Screening and Panel Discussion - Belk Library 114 Thursday, April 23 6:30 - 9 p.m. Suicide Remembrance Night - Sanford Mall Saturday, April 25 9 a.m. - Noon Out of the Darkness Campus Walk Sanford Mall
The Appalachian Social Justice Educators recently started a campaign urging Chancellor Sheri N. Everts to come out with a public statement calling for in-state tuition for undocumented students. The campaign started after North Carolina Senate Bill 463 was introduced in March by senator Fletcher Hartsell, which would give undocumented students the opportunity to pay in-state tuition at UNC-system schools. Undocumented students who have attended a K-12 school in North Carolina for at least three consecutive years immediately prior to graduation and have received a high school diploma or GED in the state would be eligible to pay in-state tuition at UNC-system schools under this bill. Currently, undocumented students pay out-of-state tuition. For the 2014-15 academic year, students paid $13,438 for in-state tuition and fees in comparison to $26,605 for out-of-state students. “This bill is very different because it was introduced by a Republican and most of these bills have been introduced by Democrats,” said Rachel Clay, senior women’s studies major. “The senate bill is an incentive to get involved but regardless, if the senate bill passes or not we still want Chancellor Everts to come out with a statement for tuition equity in general.” Clay, vice president of ASJE, along with other members of the club, is encouraging students to send the chancellor emails asking her to come out with a public statement regarding in-state tuition for undocumented students. Clay said no UNC-system president or chancellor has come out with a similar statement thus far. ASJE’s campaign is not calling for immigration reform, but to provide educational opportunity for all people regardless of citizenship. “[Everts] would be setting precedent and making
SEE EQUALITY PAGE 3
news
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Professors consider raising gender-neutral children by Julia Simcoe Intern News Reporter
When it comes to gender, how much of being a boy or girl is biological and how much of it is learned behavior? While this debate still rages within academia, more parents are raising their children in a genderneutral fashion in hopes of reducing the amount of gender stereotypes their children learn. Often, these stereotypes can be limiting, in the case of teaching and expecting young boys to become less emotional and discouraging young girls from rough play, which can escalate into larger problems later in life. Associate sociology professor Bradley Nash is one parent who chose to raise his children genderneutral. His children, now ages 22 and 26, one female and one male, were raised in what he calls an “egalitarian household.” “[My wife and I] never sat down and had an actual conversation that we’d raise them in a gender-neutral fashion,” he said. “We had friends who were very concerned and intentional about doing it. They would take turns driving kids to soccer practice, making charts to equally distribute chores across gender lines to model that for their children. We weren’t that extreme.” However, Nash ensured their children had exposure to typical masculine and feminine activities. “At home, we never told them, ‘my daughter is a girl, so she can’t engage in sports,’” Nash said. Junior accounting major Lily Henderson described an incident from elementary school in which she and her younger brother visited a community center to sign up for sports clubs. “My brother and I both wanted to join the football team, but the ladies running the information table – as well as my mom – suggested that I joined cheerleading instead,” Henderson said. “I refused because I didn’t want to be a cheerleader, as I
Courtesy of Dave Wood
Appalachian studies adjunct professor Dave Wood and his wife, assistant psychology professor Robyn Condrad, are viewing gender as “a dynamic process” in raising their newborn child.
was a bit of a tomboy. I eventually joined the soccer team instead, since that was a more gender-neutral sport. My mom approved of this.” Henderson, who later joined the wrestling team in high school and is currently a passionate rock climber, added, “I regret not pushing the matter on my mom.” This is exactly the sort of situation that Nash and his wife intentionally avoided. His daughter became a long-time athlete, competing in lacrosse and cross-country. Nash and his wife went a step further to treat their children fairly by enrolling them in a Montessori school, which is a “holistic, very progressive type of education.” This led to instances in which his children sometimes acted offscript for their gender. For example, when his son would get hurt on a playground at school, he would run to the male teacher for aid. At the time, Nash was the primary caregiver, so his son did not automatically associate nurturing with women. Nash said his family was not anomalistic in the college town in which they lived. The Blacksburg, Virginia community was diverse as well as more egalitarian than average Appalachian communities. As well as learning gender equality, they were ex-
posed to a great deal of racial diversity. “[My kids] never said ‘my black friend, my Asian friend.’ It was just ‘my friend.’” While he and his wife tried to model their own behavior in non-stereotypical ways, they could not help their own socialization, which had not been gender-neutral. Nash tended to mow the lawn while his wife tended to cook. After witnessing his own children’s development, Nash concluded that gender is likely “partially natural/inherent, but also socialized.” Appalachian studies adjunct professor Dave Wood, who became a father three months ago, is well aware of the tenuousness of certain gender associations. He points out that in the late 1890s, now-feminine names like Elizabeth used to be male and the color pink, not blue, was associated with males. His wife, and the mother of his newborn daughter, is assistant psychology professor Robyn Kondrad. Though gender is highly studied in academia, different disciplines have come to different conclusions. For fear of over-generalizing, it is still the case that most social scientists tend to stress gender as a social construction while hard sciences such as psychology
focus on gender as a biological construct. Kondrad was able to strike a balance between these tendencies. She explained that most accurately, gender should be thought of as a dynamic process. In order to dispute the claim often made by social scientists that gender is mostly socially constructed from infancy, she cited a study in a psychology journal that suggested a biological basis for gendered play with toys. The researchers gave young male and female primates human toys to play with. Then, they studied what kinds of toys the monkeys were attracted to and how they played with them. “Male monkeys were more attracted to toys like trucks. Girl monkeys were more attracted to toys like dolls,” she said. “Why might this be? It’s not that the girls didn’t play with trucks. They just played with them in different ways than the males. It’s not that boy monkeys didn’t play with dolls.” However, Kondrad’s view of gender is not that its modern expression is completely rooted in biology. “There are definitely social constructs at play,” she said. “We do socialize our kids to behave in gendered ways. But I don’t think it’s a question of the chicken or the egg. ” In regards to gen-
der-neutral child rearing, Kondrad thinks it is a good idea to try to avoid gendered stereotypes when raising children, but that it is nearly impossible to completely avoid due to internalized expectations of gender. “I think there are lots of implicit biases that are a result of socialization that we cannot get away from,” she said. “We cannot get away from the fact that we’ve had only male presidents. There is a lot of data out there that influences the ways we behave that we aren’t even aware of.” For Kondrad, these unconscious biases make the task virtually impossible and perhaps even ignorant of biological processes. “Even if [our daughter] was in a girlylooking outfit, people often assume she’s a boy,” she said. “Even after they know her name, sometimes they still think she’s a boy. Part of that is cultural. In many cultures, boys are preferred.” While Kondrad may not be raising her daughter in a genderneutral fashion, she summarized her and her husband’s philosophy for raising her. “The bottom line is we want our daughter to feel like she can achieve and succeed in whatever she wants to do. We want her to participate in gender a-typical things if that’s what she wants.”
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Students write letters to families, survivors in Kenyan shooting by Chamian Cruz News Reporter
An Appalachian State University sophomore religious studies major has organized a campaign that will send letters to the families of the victims and survivors of the recent shooting that occurred at Garissa University in Garissa, Kenya. Keven White said he saw the need to show support after hearing about the shooting over Easter break and seeing little support and attention being shown to the victims. The shooting was committed by al-Shabab militants at approximately 5:30 a.m. on April 2 and left nearly 150 people dead, including guards, police officers and the majority of the victims being college students, according to a report by CNN. White soon reached out to friends and to his pro-
fessor of African Thought, William Hutchins, who has a concentration in philosophy and religion. Hutchins said he thought sending out letters instead of money would be a more personal gesture to show support and would break the stereotype of people giving money to “poor Africans.” “It goes along with ‘don’t pity us, sympathize with us,’” Hutchins said. “The letters are a form of respectful recognition. If something so horrible happened at [Appalachian], people wouldn’t want to come back here and the letters can at least show support.” White also reached out to Michael Barton, senior sustainable development major and president of the Appalachian African Community, who grew up in Kenya and said the letters will help to bring some awareness to campus because too
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gether We Rise kickoff event today and end with the first Out of the Darkness walk on Saturday morning. Out of the Darkness is dedicated to raising money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “There will be suicide prevention trainings on Tuesday and Wednesday where you can learn warning signs and how to help someone who is showing signs of emotional distress,” Cavallaro said. Over the course of the academic year, Appalachian has had nine student deaths. Some of these were due to car accidents or medical emergencies, while in some cases, causes of death have not yet been ruled. Suicide has been a
often things that happen in third world countries go unseen. “A lot of times we just get focused on our lives, but there are young people around the world who are striving for similar things,” Barton said. “I believe more connectedness is needed to break down social barriers, to show solidarity and to have a general sense of global awareness and togetherness.” The campaign has more than 100 likes on their Facebook page “App State for Garissa University,” where there are constant updates of ways to get involved. There is also a Google Docs page available giving the names of the victims, facts about each of them and a link to the campaign’s Twitter page. “It’s not just a number of people who died, there’s names, there’s stories, there’s families and friends,
prominent issue and topic of discussion on Appalachian’s campus. Cavallaro said many people, clubs and organizations – both on and off campus – have been involved in the planning of this week. Students from Student Government Association, Greek life, various campus ministries and the Wilson Scholars have all contributed. “We channeled all of their energy into this one cohesive week,” Cavallaro said. Additionally, Appalachian faculty, NAMI of the High Country, Daymark and the North Carolina Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention have also aided in different forms to this important week. “Last year, we held our first annual Suicide Remembrance Night in late April and this year we wanted to expand that single
EQUALITY
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 North Carolina history,” Clay said. “While she can’t change the law, she can create a welcoming environment for undocumented students and can create a push for legislature to do more and make other universities fall into place.” On two occasions, Clay has suggested to Everts that a statement would help improve diversity at Appalachian State University. Currently, the student body’s make-up includes only 12.8 percent ethnic minorities. Clay estimates that at least 50 emails have been sent to Everts in regards to the campaign. Clay briefly spoke with her after the Forum on Privilege on April 13 and said Everts told her she had received many of the emails. Clay said she thinks Everts is preoccupied with other prominent issues, while the undocumented students are the first to get left behind or forgotten. “It’s unfortunate because they’re all interconnected,” Clay said. “If we want to really deal with diversity issues, undocumented students should be at the top of our list. Especially being in Watauga County where we have a huge undocumented population who are going to school
[which] we have to remember that we all have as well and things that we can’t let be forgotten,” White said. In support of the campaign, White has partnered with AAC to host a week of events that started April 18 and will run until April 24. A letter writing station was provided April 18 at the AAC’s annual fashion show and April 19 at the Greek Week’s carnival. A final AAC-sponsored letter-writing station will be available at Relay For Life on Friday. At press time, White was also working on providing a letter writing station at the Spring Fling and Pride event April 24, as well as having a memorial book for the victims in the International Hallway of Plemmons Student Union or at least a contact table throughout the week. Stephanie Zee, coordinator of University Housing
day to a week’s worth of events,” Cavallaro said. “We knew we couldn’t do that without student support.” Cavallaro expressed the importance of the campus uniting toward this cause. “If we want things to change, if we want suicide rates to go down, it can’t be just one person’s job,” Cavallaro said. “It truly takes the commitment of the entire community.” Sophomore psychology major Olivia Thorn and sophomore political science major Madeline Perrou sympathize with these convictions, which caused them to join the week’s planning committee. “We’re in charge of planning the Suicide Remembrance Night,” Thorn said. “We’ve gone to weekly meeting with all of the committees to compare and talk about what will be happening each night.”
at Watauga High School next to Appalachian and are not being welcomed here.” Clay said the campaign is relevant especially since in 1982, the Supreme Court ruled that K-12 schools are obligated to provide education to all people regardless of citizenship. “[Undocumented students] are being invested in for years and that’s just going to waste,” she said. “Having them to be able to reinvest into the state that they’ve worked so hard and want to live in so badly is fair, moral, just and economically makes more sense as well.” Clay said in order for Appalachian to fulfill its mission statement, which includes creating “global citizens” of its students, it should focus not only on global citizenship overseas, but also doing so in the state and community. “It either needs to be taken out of the mission statement because it’s dishonest or we need institutional support for the global citizens living next door to us,” Clay said. Kim Jacome, sophomore communication studies major originally from Guatemala, has been living in Bladenboro, North Carolina for 12 years but still pays out-of-state tuition. “It’s really hard because my parents don’t get benefits and I don’t qualify for financial aid,” Jacome said. “It’s really stressful for me as a person on top of having academic stress. Here
Residence Life, was also contacted to send an email to all the resident assistants in hope of spreading the word to students and encouraging them to get involved. The logistics of shipping expenses are yet to be worked out, but White is working with the Living Learning Community Hall Council to have a letter writing night and then hopefully, University Housing will cover the shipping expenses. “It’s definitely important for us to be aware and a lot more good can be done through community, especially when people come together for a common cause with a common goal,” White said. “If a bunch of people come together to help [the Garissa] community, they’re going to realize that people care about them and that’s what we’re looking for.”
They said different representatives from various campus groups have been sent to help, while other members of the committee have volunteered. “It’s important that people get involved in this, especially after the year we’ve had at school,” Perrou said. “It would be a good way to honor the people who have passed away, but also to make our campus aware that this is an issue and do something proactive and positive.” Each committee has been planning since January for their specific events, while also planning with the whole group to be sure this particular week is a success. “This week is important to overcome the stigma of mental illness.” Thorn said. “This is about being proactive as a campus and coming together after everything that has happened.”
at Appalachian, no one really is aware of this situation.” Jacome said she works with WHS students and a lot of the undocumented population there doesn’t go to college because it’s expensive to pay out-of-state tuition or they’re not aware of the resources available. Many scholarships or aid available for minority students require that the student is a legal citizen of the United States, which shuts doors for many undocumented students to pay for college if they do want to attend, Jacome said. Clay said she is working on a student resolution for next semester that would encourage Everts to start centers for scholarships and grants. Just as students are charged about 50 cents for the Student Government Association in student fees, Clay is suggesting that an extra 50 cents are charged solely for a scholarship fund for undocumented students. “These bills don’t extend the opportunity to non-North Carolina residents, so these are not people in another state coming into North Carolina to take advantage of in-state tuition,” Clay said. “It’s your classmates, neighbors and friends that are being charged twice as much for the same university that you attend after having probably attended the same middle and high school.”
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Students use their summers to gain job experience
by Jordan Boles
Intern News Reporter
For college students, summer break is usually revered as a threemonth hiatus from all responsibility. However, according the Walker College of Business and the National Association of Colleges and Employers, there’s a much better way to spend your time this summer. Summer-long, semester-long and even year-long internships have become a key role to success in today’s workplace. NACE research shows that college graduates who have had an internship are more likely to receive job offers and higher starting salaries than graduates who have not. Alison Reaves, the associate director for the career development area of the BB&T student leadership center in the Walker College of Business, provides career coaching for students. She also serves as the internship manager for Walker College’s academic internship program. “Internships really are just absolutely invaluable,” Reaves said. “They are an opportunity to take your academic experience and apply it to the real world.” Reaves strongly encourages all 2,400 of the business majors she works with to take advantage of every opportunity available that’s relevant and that will be applicable to their careers in the future.
“The more internships the student does, the more likely they are to really get their dream job,” she said. “Even the part time jobs that students do to pay the bills, which are admirable, they show work ethic. It usually gives a lot of transferable skills. Students ought to further leverage those skills to get their first internship.” Reaves said that it’s important to keep the work relevant and timely. “It’s crucial for any major to do an internship between their junior and senior year,” she said. “A lot of those lead to full-time offers. If they don’t directly lead to an offer in that company, it can open doors within that company or it can give a student that excellent experience to help them apply for whatever job they want.” Appalachian State University students have earned a reputation with local employers due to their willingness to work hard and drive to succeed, Reaves said. Appalachian polls employers and compared analyses to NACE studies. The collaboration of Appalachian and NACE found that employers look for three main aspects on a resume: GPA, – they want to see over a 3.0 – leadership on campus and relevant experience. “They look for more than just the part-time pay the bill jobs,” Reaves said. “Someone who has done an internship is always going to win out in the application process.” 51 percent of Walker College of
Business majors have completed at least one internship before they graduate. Over 84 percent of its graduates have jobs six months after college directly in relation to their internships. Danelle Chilcott, senior finance and banking major completed an internship with Bank of America last summer. She discovered the opportunity through Appalachian’s Career Gear service. Chilcott was able to work closely not only with other interns, but also full-time professionals at the bank. The networking and internship experience led to an offer of full-time work as a professional financial management associate after she graduates. “This internship helped me grow in a lot of ways,” Chilcott said. “As long as I completed my work, networking never took away from my experience. It only added to my internship and allowed me to grasp a better understanding for the culture at Bank of America and different job opportunities that I can later explore during my career with the company.” Chilcott said she also learned many professional skills such as how to manage her time and how to work with others on a team. “I had to learn how to ask questions,” she said. “As an intern, it is supposed to be a learning opportunity and it was my chance to question different processes and retain information. I was also the youngest person working on my team, so I was
able to learn how to work with adults who are experienced in their career.” Chilcott made it clear she felt internships were beneficial for all students to complete. “From attending corporate meetings, networking, using [Microsoft] Excel, understanding the banks systems, having one on one meetings with my manager and setting goals, there is a lot more accountability and less structure in the real world,” she said. “There is no teacher guiding you throughout each step, sometimes you have to work on your own to figure things out.” Amanda Carter, junior finance and banking major, will also be completing an internship with BB&T this summer. “I think the biggest benefit that anyone can take from a summer internship is the possibility of a job offer,” Carter said. “Internships are essentially summer-long interviews, and if I’m lucky and work hard enough, hopefully this internship will lead to a job offer.” Reaves said watching students grow is one of her favorite parts of her job. “It’s incredible to see a student who starts out as a freshman and isn’t really sure what they want to do,” she said. “They’re articulate and smart, but they come back from the internships and they are professionals. It’s amazing to watch that transformation.”
app news
5 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. Honoring university leadership award winners At 2 p.m. April 24 in the Parkway Ballroom of PSU, the Division of Student Development will honor the recipients of the 2014-2015 Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges, along with the recipients of the Ronny L. Brooks Award for Outstanding Leadership, the Bobby L. Dunnigan Award for Outstanding Service and the Gregory S. Blimling Award for Outstanding Graduate Student in Student Development. The reception is open to recipients, their families and friends. 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 last session for spring semester 2015 will be April 28.
Suicide prevention training Learn how to help someone who is showing signs of emotional distress. By the end of this training, participants will know the warning signs for suicide, how to intervene, and where to go for more help. All training sessions will be held in Three Top Mountain, PSU. • 10 a.m.-noon April 21 • 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 22 • 6-8 p.m. April 27 • 3-5 p.m. April 28 • 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. April 29 Food Services Behind the Scenes Tour Presented 10-11:30 a.m. April 21, Roess Dining Hall. Learn how being self-operated makes Appalachian Food Services “local.” Participants will see the whole operation, from the storeroom to the dining room. The tour lasts approximately 1.5 hours and is limited to the first 20 participants. Participants should meet under the Recycled Aluminum Spoon in the Roess Dining Hall. Suicide Prevention Awareness Week 4-8 p.m. April 21, Sanford Mall. Winners of the online suicide prevention training contest will be announced and Carson Rich, student body president, will make brief remarks. An evening of positivity and community follows the kickoff event, including live acapella, volleyball, a bouncy house, tie-dye and food. For more information about suicide prevention at App State visit preventsuicide.appstate.edu or contact cavallaroe@appstate.edu.
Affrilachian Poets The poetry reading will be followed by a Q&A, 7-9 p.m. April 22, Legends. The Affrilachian Poets are an internationally recognized group of writers of color from or with a connection to the Appalachian region. The featured artists are Frank X Walker, Ricardo Nazario-Colòn and Crystal Good. Global Film Series Screening “Aquí y Allá,” 6:30 p.m. April 22, I.G. Greer Theater. Co-sponsored by Belk Library & Information Commons and the Hispanic Student Association. The film is about a Mexican immigrant who returns home to a small mountain village in Guerrero, Mexico after years of working in the US, and struggles to rebuild his family and follow his dream of starting a band: the Copa Kings. The film won the International Critics’ Week Grand Prize at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. 18th Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors Hosted by the Office of Student Research. The event will be 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April 23, fourth floor, PSU. ASU undergraduate and graduate students will present abstracts in both poster and oral communication format. The top 3 posters in each poster presentation category will be recognized and awards will follow. Suicide Remembrance Night 8 p.m. April 23, Sanford Mall, free and open to the public. Join others in the Appalachian Community to come together to remember all
lives lost to suicide. A capella group Higher Grounds is performing. Three student speakers will share their stories related to suicide and hope. Chancellor Sheri Everts will be the last speaker of the night. Attendees will be invited to write encouraging messages and add these to the String of Hope.
High Country Day of Code The App State Department of Computer Science invites anyone who wants to learn how to code to the High Country Day of Code on April 25. The event offers learning opportunities for everyone from children to adults, and will feature activities, tutorials and other learning opportunities. Registration opens at 10 a.m. and the event concludes at 4 p.m., and activities will be held in room 310, Anne Belk Hall. Lunch is provided. For more information, go to compsci.appstate.edu.
The Peel Spring Release Party The Peel Literature & Arts Review will launch their spring 2015 publication from 6:30-9:30 p.m. May 1 at Shear Shakti, King Street. The evening will feature art, local music, food, poetry readings, and copies of the 2014-2015 issue of The Peel. This year, The Peel published 60 students and received more than 720 submissions. The editors invite the App State community to join them in congratulating these students and their efforts. The Peel is Appalachian’s studentrun literary arts magazine which works to cultivate creative expression on campus. For more information or to see published work, visit www.thepeelreview.com.
April/May
sunday
monday 19
tuesday 20
wednesday 21
Sustainability Film Series: “Mission Blue,” 7 p.m., I.G. Greer, free
22 Global film series: “Aquí y Allá” screening, 6:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, free
Repertory Orchestra, 8 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, free
“The Diary of Anne Frank” play, 7:30 p.m. April 22-25; 2 p.m. April 26; Tai Chi for students, Valborg Theatre, 5 p.m., Turchin Cen- $9-$16 ter, free “To Write Love on Together We Rise, Her Arms” screening and panel 5-8 p.m., Sanford Mall, free and open discussion, 6 p.m., to the public room 114, Belk Library, free Affrilachian Poets, 7-9 p.m., Legends, free
26 Video Game Ensemble, 2 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, free Gospel Choir, 6 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, free Bair Shagdaron Faculty Recital, 8 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, free Kimberly Hilton Student Voice Recital, 4 p.m., Recital Hall, free
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28
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Tai Chi for students, 5 p.m., Turchin Center, free
Hayes String Ensemble, 6 p.m., Recital Hall, free
Appalachian Chorale, 8 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, free
Jazz Vocal Ensemble, 8 p.m., Rosen Concert Hall, free
Robert DeLong concert, 9:30 p.m., Legends, admission: $15-$18
friday
thursday 23 Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., fourth floor, PSU, free Lunafest film festival, 6:30 p.m., Greenbriar, PSU, $7-$10 “Into the Woods” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, $2 Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writer Series: Tim Earley & Megan Kaminski reading, 7:30 p.m., Table Rock, PSU
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saturday 24
25
Professional Drag Show, 7:30 p.m., Legends, $10
5K Tie-Dye Dash & Kid’s Fun Run, 8:30 a.m., Kidd Brewer Stadium, $10-$20
Lunafest film festival, 6:30 p.m., Harvest House, $7-$10 “Into the Woods” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, $2 “101 Dalmatians” screening, 7 p.m., Greenbriar, PSU, $1 Spring Fling and Pride Festival 2015, 2-6 p.m., Sanford Mall, free
Out of the Darkness Walk, 8 a.m.-noon, Sanford Mall, free, donations accepted High Country Day of Code, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., room 310, Anne Belk Hall, free
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Cornocopia, 8 Last day of p.m., Rosen Concert formal class meetHall, free ing pattern
Cuba Answers, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Price Lake, PSU, free to Appalachian State “Toy Story” screen- University students, ing, 7 p.m., Greenfaculty and staff briar, PSU, $1 “The Imitation Game” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, $2
“Into the Woods” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, $2
2 Reading Day “The Imitation Game” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, $2
The Peel Literature & Arts Review spring release party, 6:30-9:30 p.m., “Toy Story” Shear Shakti, King screening, 7 p.m., Street Greenbriar, PSU, $1 “The Imitation Game” screening, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., I.G. Greer, $2
a&e
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8.5 “What for?” RELEASE DATE: April 7, 2015 RECORDED: 2014-15 GENRE: Alternative LENGTH: 10 Tracks (45:55) LABEL: Car Park Records
by Toro y Moi
“If you were expecting Bundick’s new album to continue on with the ‘chillwave’ sound, then you’re in for a surprise. On ‘What For?’ Bundick instead boosts the indie and psychedelic rock sounds to a much higher degree.” - Jordan Williams, Intern A&E Reporter
‘What For?’ delivers with new, psychedelic sound by Jordan Williams Intern A&E Reporter
A
few months before releasing his newest album “What For?,” recording artist and producer Chazwick Bundick, known by his stage name Toro y Moi, told Pitchfork Magazine the album would feature heavy contributions from Julian Lynch and Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s guitar player, Ruban Nielson – two artists known for heavy indie and psychedelic projects. Toro y Moi is known by most as one of the pioneering artists of the “chillwave” genre, which is associated with heavy use of reverb, sampling, effects processing and looping. Bundick and other similar artists like Washed Out and Neon Indian seemed to burst onto the
scene at the same time after being discovered by young adults – some of which may or may not have been under the influence. If you were expecting Bundick’s new album to continue on with the “chillwave” sound, then you’re in for a surprise. On “What For?” Bundick instead boosts the indie and psychedelic rock sounds to a much higher degree. From listening to this album, it’s easy to imagine Bundick sitting in a dark room for hours listening to early ‘70s psychedelic pop records, and then going directly into the studio. Many of the songs sound similar to psychedelic pop artists such as Pink Floyd, Tame Impala, Todd Rundgren, King Crimson and Ty Segall. The first track, “What You Want,” sets up the
platform for the entire album. Starting with the sound of a motor engine, the listener expects a chill, laid-back track of his past projects, but is instead hit with fuzzed out, catchy electric guitar riffs, synth lines oozing with psychedelia, upbeat harmonies and Bundick’s poppy vocals. This instantly lets listeners know that Bundick is capable of much more than the “chillwave” sound. “Buffalo,” the main single off the album, is brought to life with hypnotic keyboards that float gently over an indie dance beat. Bundick’s vocals sound like a young Justin Timberlake, with falsetto notes heard softly in the background. “The Flight” has a heavy resemblance to an Unknown Mortal Orchestra track and features the album’s best
guitar work. With vintage-sounding guitars and Bundick’s hazy vocals, the track successfully makes the ‘70s psychedelic rock influences sound current again. “Empty Nesters,” a definite standout song on the album, is a solid dance track that will put any indie rock fan at ease. The song’s synth line – which is almost directly lifted from a song from ‘70s rock band Styx – is undoubtedly catchy. “Lilly” has Bundick showing off his rock sound at full volume. The song is filled with retro guitar chords reminiscent of Prince and trippy, reverb-enhanced vocals that soar in the chorus, similar to Tame Impala. “Spell It Out” strikes similarities to an Earth Wind & Fire song and sounds all over the place. It may have a
catchy guitar riff, but Bundick singing, “Do you understand what must be done?/Don’t make it into something that it’s not” intensely through weird reverb throws off enjoyment. Even though this track may fall flat, it is saved by its awesome production. The closer of the album, “Yeah Right,” is a slow psychedelic jammer that fuses all of the sounds and influences of the album together on one song. It’s trippy, interesting and almost futuristic. Overall, if you’re looking for an album that is lyrically satisfying and diverse, this might not be the album for you. However, if you’re looking for a fun, indie-psychedelic sounding record to listen to while taking a long drive, then you’ve found what you’re looking for.
Campus organizations join forces to celebrate diversity by Katie Murawski Intern A&E Reporter
After individual cancellations due to inclement weather conditions, Appalachian State University’s LGBT Center, Appalachian Popular Programming Society and LIPS will collaborate to celebrate and learn about diverse genders and sexualitites Friday on Sanford Mall from 2-6 p.m. The former individual events, including special events from APPS, the LGBT Pride Festival and LIPS’ SlutWalk, will all be included in the collaboration. More than 20 gender and sexuality identities will be celebrated and recognized in addition to focusing on a protest against sexual violence and victim blaming.
The newly combined series of events is open to all and especially to those who are usually marginalized by a heteronormative society and those unfamiliar with derogatory terms. The LGBT Center’s events include a cardio dance workout, a karaoke machine and a free T-shirt upon completing a crossword puzzle about gender and sexual identity. Jerry Yelton, LGBT Center intern and junior communication studies major, said making sure the campus and region becomes more aware of diverse identities is the primary goal of the LGBT Center at Appalachian. Yelton said that the LGBT Center wants to encourage people to “play with their gender, and
know that gender exists as a spectrum and not a binary.” Yelton said the main push of the LGBT Center is the idea that all identities create an individual, and there is no one singular identity for an individual, but the “intersection” of all the different types of identities that form a person. Amelia Thompson, LIPS president and senior sociology major, said the group’s SlutWalk is “a protest against slut shaming and rape culture.” LIPS members and anyone else interested in participating, can voluntarily dress the part of the quintessential “slut” on Sanford Mall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to show that regardless of what people are wearing, no one deserves to be raped. LIPS began as a backlash to
the limited portrayals of women and female sexuality in the media and allows members to discuss and redefine sexuality according to their own terms and experience, Thomas said. There will also be free activities sponsored by APPS’ Special Events Council, including wax hands, an obstacle course, a photobooth, the “Wizzer” – a human-powered pump and spin ride – and a brain scanner machine that can draw a picture of one’s emotions using certain brainwaves. Special Events Chairperson Noni Alexander said she hopes the free events will draw people in to learn more about the LGBT Center and LIPS, so that next year, and in years to come, people will join these clubs and organizations.
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Bad Feminist on campus: visiting writer Roxane Gay by Lovey Cooper Senior A&E Reporter
Writer, essayist, professor and cultural critic Roxane Gay, author of “Bad Feminist,” brought advice, commentary and a plethora of Channing Tatum facts to two events last Thursday as part of the Hughlene Bostian Visiting Writers Series. “When I read Roxane Gay’s writing, I often feel that she is doing the work of [a] therapist – boldly and compassionately helping us to confront what is most painful in our collective cultural lives so that we can see it up close and learn to live through it,” said series co-curator Kirsten Jorgenson in her introduction at both events. Gay’s afternoon craft talk consisted of a casual, Q&A-style conversation with the audience, which covered topics ranging from her love of pop culture to her academic history and her process of character development. “I write like an outsider because I feel like an outsider,” Gay Courtesy of Roxane Gay said in response to a question posed by an audience member. In general, all of the writers Roxane Gay, author of “Bad Feminist,” visited Appalachian that the series has helped to bring State University on April 16 as part of the Huglene Bostian to campus this year are actively Visiting Writers Series. During the visit, she read essays pushing against the boundaries from the New York Times bestseller.
3rd Place market eliminates waste by Lovey Cooper Senior A&E Reporter
Every Wednesday afternoon, the Sustainable Development Student Alliance hosts a free market at 3rd Place. Here, they create what they call a “cashless exchange system” by taking unwanted stuff, and providing a platform for others to browse said stuff for free, to help localize economies and reduce waste. “Basically what I yell at people is ‘bring the stuff you don’t want, we’ll trade you for the stuff we have,’” said Taylor Pitt, sophomore appropriate technology major and event organizer. She and others in SDSA enlisted the help of friends from the Living Green Residential Learning Community, in creating a stockpile of initial items to start the exchange when it opened April 1. At first the fare was more focused on clothing, but now has expanded to include items like curtain rods, VHS tapes and a cake, to name some more notable donated pieces. “It’s crazy the number of people who will take one thing and then come back the next day with a grocery bag of clothes once they actually look at their closet,” Pitt said. The event used to occur each semester on Appalachian State University’s Sanford mall, but the change of venue represents a shift towards a more permanent enterprise. “We’re trying to work around capitalism and make this sort of thing more accessible for everyone – there’s all this stuff in the world that everyone has, but do we need to keep making more?” said Peri Newman, junior city planning major and club member. Newman hopes to create a system
in Boone in which goods and services can be exchanged more easily – those who need something should be able to trade what they have, she said. She recently met someone in attendance at one of the free market dates who works at Hob Knob farm and offered to give her vegetable scraps for her to feed her rabbit, who will in turn provide manure for Hob Knob’s vegetable garden. People are much happier to see the exchange happen, especially when they have a personal connection to the items they are getting rid of, Newman said. “A lot of the nicer, more desirable things are traded very quickly – one person puts it down, another person picks it up,” Pitt said. The SDSA club mainly exists to facilitate student projects like river cleanups or their clean energy campaign with the UNC system, and most of it is interest driven, not related to members’ majors. The two organizers hope to continue this practice weekly throughout their time at Appalachian, with a shift to the weekend over the summer, and use it as a springboard to pursue similar community efforts after graduation. “I’m a city planning major, so I think about it in terms of communities, but any place that has room for a farmers market has room for something like this,” Newman said. The Free Market takes place every Wednesday from noon to 3 p.m. at The 3rd Place. All items are welcome, but they are especially in need of men’s clothing. The SDSA is planning a march to the chancellor’s house on April 22 in favor of clean energy for all UNC system schools.
of their genres, questioning preconceived or static imaginations of form, said Nathan Hauke, cocurator of the series. Later that night, she read selections from her novel “An Untamed State” as well as essays from her New York Times bestseller “Bad Feminist.” The university had Gay booked to appear for a little more than a year ago, before “Bad Feminist” was released in August and skyrocketed the author to the bestsellers list. Assistant professor Stephanie Troutman teaches a Women’s Studies class on Black Feminism, and uses Gay’s work in the classroom. She attended the day’s events, and joined Gay for dinner with a group of English department faculty, students from her Black Feminism class and her 12-year-old daughter, who said she was charmed and inspired by Gay’s confidence and humor. Gay’s visit fell on the same day as a rumored neo-Nazi rally on campus. Though purely coincidental, Troutman said she thinks the timing was good. “It was great to see some students use her visit as an opportunity to engage with outside, non-Appalachian/non-ASU, perspectives on race/racial and gender/sexuality issues,” she said.
“And the more we see race, gender and sexuality issues arise on campus and in the local environment the more we should invest in and prioritize bringing multifaceted folks of color like Dr. Gay to campus.” Gay addressed issues of social privilege in her talks, a topic she covers in “Bad Feminist” and throughout her active social media presence. “I think it’s hard to talk about privilege because when we do people often feel accused of something, like they’ve been accused of being privileged and that they somehow have to pay for it and apologize,” Gay said in an interview. “I think we have to approach these things in ways that don’t make people feel defensive and don’t treat privilege as a weapon. If you’re at a university, I don’t care what race you are, you’re privileged because you’re getting a college education.” Gay recommends framing the conversation in a way that allows for different experiences. “We can’t heal what we can’t see and Roxane Gay makes sure that our most difficult issues, like the rape culture we’ve created or our systematic racism, come to light in all their complexity,” Jorgenson said at the event.
opinion
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Everts’ outreach to faculty makes ASU stronger Kevin Griffin Opinion Writer
With all the systemic problems facing the UNC system and higher education in general, it is hard to see how one person can make much of a difference. Yet, as Faculty Senate President Andy Koch said at Chancellor Sheri N. Everts’ installation last Friday, she has made a difference. While I have not met the chancellor, I have spoken with several faculty members, both in depth and in passing, about the new chancellor. They all speak highly of her. Michael Behrent, Appalachian State University’s American Association of University Professors chapter president, believes Everts
has changed the tone on campus, particularly with regards to the relationship between faculty and administration. “Despite all the commitments she has, you feel listened to,” Behrent said. Behrent cited several other changes Everts has implemented, including an informal faculty club that allows faculty members to come together and have discussions. He said Everts herself often attends these gatherings. Most important for the university, however, is the manner in which she conducted the recent provost search. While the search for the provost did involve an outside search company, Behrent said, the process was much more open. This time, the search included open forums and public presentations. This positive change could not have come at a better time for the university. The
relationship between faculty and administration had been strained by a number of notable events on campus. A March 2013 faculty morale survey found that 45 percent of faculty surveyed gave negative morale assessments and concerns about administration were cited as a primary cause. Many of these administrative problems have become well-known over the past few years, with Jammie Price and program prioritization being two of the big standouts. While these issues may seem somewhat detached from the lives of students, they have a great impact on both students as well as the entire university. Having adequate protections for academic freedom and a faculty that feels empowered has a direct affect on our education. To highlight another dis-
turbing finding of the 2013 morale report, 30 percent of tenure-track professors were looking elsewhere for employment. Faculty members who feel pushed aside will only take it for so long. This is why Everts’ work in improving these relations has been so important. It makes the university function better. Of course, there are limits to what an individual can do. The problem of decreasing funding and philosophical opposition to public higher education that has taken hold in the state will require the work of more than one person. Still, it is worthwhile to note the important difference Chancellor Everts has already made. Griffin, a junior journalism major from Madison, is an opinion writer.
Emily Howard | The Appalachian
Consent in sex education is nonnegotiable Lauren Burrows Opinion Writer
The idea of consent is rarely taught in today’s sex education, leaving the youth uninformed and therefore irresponsible and unprotected. Only 22 states in the U.S. require sex ed to be taught in schools, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Living in one of the “most progressive” nations in the world, you would think sex ed would be held to a high enough standard to be taught in more of our nation’s schools. Including other states that do
not mandate sex education, 35 states allow parents to opt out of sex ed for their children, according to NCSL. Students who are subjected to sex education, however, still have very little knowledge on consent and what it entails. Consent isn’t that big of a deal, anyway, is it? One in four college women have reported surviving rape or attempted rape, according to One in Four USA. The idea of consent needs to be more prevalent throughout the upcoming generation than it is in ours, starting with sex education. “The problem with rape culture is that consent is negated, and it’s not on the map,” said Shannon Salisbury, a sex educator in Ontario, accord-
ing to www.genprogress.org. “So why don’t we shift the lens, so how we’re talking about rape culture is through consent?” There is no way to draw a line between sex and rape culture without introducing consent. They are unfortunately very intertwined. According to Reuters, a school in Nairobi, Kenya, began teaching their students the importance of consent through a program called “Your Moment of Truth.” Rape in schools where “Your Moment of Truth” was taught dropped by 20 percent, according to researchers. “You can stand up and say: ‘No. This man is doing something wrong.’ Out of that, many other people will join hands with you,” Collins
Omondi, a leader in the program, said to Reuters. Where is the U.S. in this type of teaching? Surely not in our sex education. The Appalachian State University Office of the Dean of Students and OASIS have been demonstrating the magnitude of sexual assault and rape on campus through the Red Flag Campaign, showing consent as a solution to the rising rape statistic. Imagine what change could happen if students were introduced to consent at an earlier age rather than in their college years. Imagine how many students could have been protected. Burrows, a freshman journalism major from Mint Hill, is an opinion writer.
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April 16 4:01 p.m. | Aggravated assault Varsity Gym This incident is under investigation.
April 19 9 p.m. | Larceny - from buildings Newland Hall This incident is under invesApril 16 tigation. 1:47 a.m. | Drug violations Lovill Hall April 18 This incident is under inves2:59 p.m. | Violation of dotigation. mestic violence order Central Dining Hall April 15 An arrest was made for 6 p.m. | Communicating the violation of a domestic threats violence order. Bowie Hall This incident is under invesApril 16 tigation. 10 p.m. | Underage consumption of alcohol April 15 Frank Hall An arrest was made for the 5 p.m. | Vandalism Justice Hall underage consumption of This incident is under invesalcohol. tigation.
April 13 11:28 a.m. | Criminal damage to property Outside LS Dougherty This incident is under investigation. April 12 11:29 p.m. | Underage consumption of alcohol East Hall An arrest was made for the underage consumption of alcohol. April 12 2:38 a.m. | University policy violation Woods by Living Learning Center A student referral was given for the policy violation.
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sports
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Gerrit Van Genderen
Junior outfielder Brandon Burris (left) walks off the field during the series opener against Georgia State. App State had multiple defensive errors that resulted in a 4-3 loss in 12 innings.
Season-long troubles continue for Mountaineers by Gerrit Van Genderen Managing Editor
D
efensive miscues and a late-inning collapse doomed App State baseball (11-28, 4-16 Sun Belt) last weekend as the Mountaineers dropped a rain-shortened home series to Sun Belt Conference-leader Georgia State (24-15, 13-3 Sun Belt). The defensive mistakes in game one resulted in spoiling an excellent start on the mound from an App State ace and the come-from-behind Georgia State win in game two negated a solid team effort at the plate. Note: Game three was cancelled due to rain on Sunday. Georgia State captured the series win after taking the first two games of the series. Game 1: 4-3 loss (12 innings) Despite a season-best performance by senior pitcher Taylor Thurber, App State baseball fell short against Georgia State on Friday night at Smith Stadium, losing 4-3 in 12 innings. A throwing error by freshman shortstop Carson Jones in the eighth inning and a passed ball on sophomore catcher Zach Hummel in the 12th inning resulted in three unearned runs, the latter proving to be the game-winner for Georgia State (23-15, 12-3 Sun Belt). Thurber (3-7, 2.25 ERA), who had a season-high 10 strikeouts over nine innings of work, only allowed two runs, both of which came as a result of Jones’ error. It appeared Thurber would escape a jam in the top of the eighth inning after inducing a ground ball by Panthers junior catcher Joey Roach, but Jones’
throw to first base was in the turf and skipped past senior first baseman Noah Holmes, resulting in the first two runs of the game – both unearned. “It’s a simple game, especially when you talk about playing catch,” App State head coach Billy Jones said. “On the flip side of that, we were able to respond and match up and tie it back up.” The Mountaineers would respond in the bottom of the eighth inning with two runs as a result of four-straight hits from the 2-3-4-5 hitters. Junior middle infielder Dillon Dobson and senior infielder Michael Pierson connected on consecutive doubles, followed up by singles from sophomore designated hitter Matt Brill and Holmes. In the top of the 12th, Georgia State took a 3-2 lead off of an RBI-single from freshman shortstop Justin Jones. Shortly afterward, Hummel allowed a passed ball with the bases loaded, resulting in Panthers sophomore center fielder Ryan Blanton to score from third base, extending the lead to 4-2. The passed ball would prove costly, as App State strung together some offense in the final half-frame to pull the score to 4-3. Jones (1-5) led off with a single and eventually scored on an RBI-single from Pierson (3-5). Brill struck out looking after Pierson’s single, leaving the potential tyingrun stranded on second base to end the game. Georgia State’s Nathan Bates (4-0, 3.48 ERA) was nearly as impressive as Thurber, holding the Mountaineers to the pair of eighth inning runs while striking out six and scattering eight hits. Despite their dominant performances, neither Thurber or Bates figured
in the decision. “[Thurber] was outstanding,” Jones said. “I thought he did a great job to get out of jams, even there in the eighth when he did get out of the jam by etting the ground ball.” Game 2: 15-13 loss Both offenses for App State and Georgia State were firing on all cylinders Saturday after the teams failed to score until the eighth inning during Friday’s series opener. A combined 28 runs and 37 hits were totalled from the two teams, but the Panthers staged a late-inning comeback to take the series win. The Mountaineers set season-highs in runs scored (13) and hits (17), but surrendered 15 runs to a potent Panthers offense, which scored nine runs after the seventh inning – six in the eighth and three in the ninth. App State has given up 34 eighth inning runs and 30 ninth inning runs this year, while only scoring 30 total across the two innings. “I wish there was something I could pull out of the air and give a reason [for the struggles],” Jones said after Saturday’s loss. “We’ve got to figure out how to hold it down. Right now we’re not able to handle that spiral. Someone is going to have to stand up and fight.” App State’s pitching struggled from the beginning. Freshman right-hander Travis Holden made his eighth start of the year on the mound and gave up six earned runs over 4.1 innings. All six Mountaineer pitchers, including Holden, gave up at least one run. Georgia State compiled two RBI-doubles, an RBI-single and an RBI-triple in the eighth inning to tie the score at 12. After the Mountaineers re-
claimed the lead with a run in the same frame, the Panthers piled three more runs on in the ninth inning, highlighted by a two-run home run from junior infielder Matt Rose (4-5, five RBI), his 12th of the season. “You always have to go back to your fundamental stuff and where you started, you’ve got to retrace your steps,” Jones said concerning how his pitchers will bounce back from the lackluster outings. “At this age, confidence is such a big thing.” Three Mountaineers had three-hit games Saturday, including Dobson (3-5), Pierson (3-3) and Holmes (3-4). After Holden surrendered three runs in the top of the first inning, Holmes responded with a bases-clearing double, which sparked a five-run inning to take the lead. After a four-run fifth inning, which featured an RBI-double from Dobson and an RBI-single from Pierson, the Mountaineers found themselves with a comfortable 11-6 lead. After the fifth inning, the team was only able to plate two more runs in the final third of the game. Jones commended the offense for taking a good approach at the plate, also noting that a team usually comes out with a win after scoring 13 runs. “It’s hard to find a winning formula, we can’t seem to piece it together right now,” Pierson said. “There’s no words for it.” App State travels to Cullowhee on Tuesday to face Western Carolina before returning home to face the Catamounts on Wednesday. The Mountaineers then hit the road to face Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Arkansas this weekend.
11
Mountaineers stumped by Cajuns on senior day
Gerrit Van Genderen
Senior infielder Cynthia Gomez prepares for an oncoming pitch against UT Arlington March 29. Gomez and five other seniors were honored during senior day this past Saturday before facing No. 9 Lafayette.
by Colin Tate Sports Reporter
Game 1: 21-5 loss (Five innings) Before the first of two games against the No. 9 nationally-ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Saturday, App State softball’s six seniors were gathered around head coach Janice Savage to celebrate senior day in Boone. “We’re creating family here,” Savage said. “Those ladies have been a huge part of changing the culture of our program and I have to give them so much credit for their character, having a struggling year in the wins and losses column, but still doing the right things off the field and still performing for me
and believing in what we’re doing.” Senior outfielder Dani Heichen was one of the six players who were honored before the games. Even though her collegiate softball career is coming to a close, she said that she is still on a mission to compete in the games she has left. “I’m just trying to go all out and doing everything I can to try and win us some ballgames,” Heichen said. The Ragin’ Cajuns did a good job of spoiling senior day, however, coasting to a 21-5 win in Boone. The Mountaineers held the Ragin’ Cajuns scoreless in the first inning but the zero on the scoreboard did not last long as Lafayette scored
OBACHA
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 becomes his full-time job after graduation or not. “I want [the children] to know someone is there to help [them],” Obacha said. “[What] I will be doing this year [is figuring] out what kids and impoverished people need and just try to help them in any way.” Approximately 700 pairs of shoes and $4,300 to help shipping costs have been donated to the Michael Obacha Shoe Drive, according to appstatesports.com. The numbers have exceeded Obacha’s hopes; the original goal was 500 pairs of shoes and $2,500 in donations by July 2014. Ideas for the shoe drive formed after Obacha realized the amount of shoes he had after playing AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) and high school basketball. “I was part of those kids back in Nigeria before I traveled and I know what the situation was when I was there, and I know nothing has been
a run in the second and then added seven more in the third. In preparation for the game, Savage insisted that the Mountaineers had nothing to lose, telling her team that everybody expected the No. 9 team to run up the score. After sustaining the third-inning push by the Ragin’ Cajuns, the Mountaineers battled back with help from a two-run homer from senior catcher Sarah Warnock. Heichen was wone of the few bright spots in the first game for App State, with two hits and a run on the afternoon. “Knowing that their first pitch is going to be their best pitch, I tried to hit the first-pitch strike,” Heichen said. “I tried to
done about it to change it,” Obacha said. “I figured instead of just keeping all of [the shoes], why don’t I just take them and give them to people who are in need of them.” After graduating from high school in 2012, Obacha visited Nigeria before his freshman year at App State and brought approximately 20 pairs of shoes with him on the trip. He returned to the United States with just one pair. Upon his return, Obacha started to talk with his teammates about donating their extra pairs of shoes to help his cause. The idea snowballed after he approached Ryan Bower, App State’s associate sports information director, about getting support from the community to continue the efforts. Obacha paired up with Andrew Lovedale, president and founder of the Access to Success Foundation, which works to promote change in Nigeria through Christian-based athletic and educational programs. The partnership resulted in the NCAA being officially able to allow Obacha
hit it in the beginning of the count and good things happened.” After the two-run inning by the Mountaineers, Lafayette put the game away, scoring two runs in the fourth and 11 more in the fifth. App State scored three more runs in the bottom of the fifth, but the game was then called due to the run rule. “When we showed up we were in a little bit of shell-shock,” Savage said. “When you tell your team you’re playing the No. 9 team in the nation, who is second in the nation in home runs, it’s kind of ‘Oh, what do they have. We don’t know them. We haven’t seen them.’ So in that regard, my whole team are freshmen.”
Game 2: 23-6 loss (Five innings) Despite a motivational talk from Savage after the series-opening loss, the Mountaineers fell short again in game two, losing 23-6. “I just told them ‘Hey, don’t let them come to your field and intimidate you,’” Savage said. “’You have nothing to lose here. All the pressure is on them, because they’re the one that’s supposed to perform. They’re the ones that are supposed to do it. Not us.’” The pressure did not seem to bother the Ragin’ Cajuns, though, as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead with their first four batters. Appalachian then countered with two runs of their own in the second inning to tighten the gap. Lafayette then put up three runs in the third inning and two more in the fourth inning to stretch the lead out to seven. However, the Mountaineers did not back down. They scored four more runs in the bottom of the fourth, including a three-run homer by sophomore infielder Katie Mathewson. “When I get up there, I try not to think about anything,” Mathewson said. “Today, I just felt really in the zone, especially during that at-bat. After swinging at that change-up, I was like ‘Nope. She’s not gonna get me again.’ I just zoned in, saw the pitch, and focused on what I had to do.” After rounding the bases, Mathewson was
to conduct the shoe drive, since student-athletes are unable to be paid in any form. “Michael has a sense of maturity that [he] carries with him,” head coach Jim Fox wrote in an email. “He is able to balance his academics, the rigor of Division I athletics and his commitment to his off court responsibilities.” Obacha was named to the 2015 Allstate NABC Good Works Team in February for his community service efforts. The Allstate NABC Good Works Team is comprised of 10 male student-athletes; five from Division I and five from Divisions II, III and the NAIA, according to www.ncaa.com. The student-athletes were nominated by sports information directors and coaches at colleges and universities across the United States. In recognition of their efforts, Obacha and the other nine studentathletes traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana for the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four. The weekend festivities for Obacha and the Good Works Team included
then hugged by Savage. “She is a phenomenal young lady who has put in countless extra hours, who has put in nothing but being unselfish for her team this whole year,” Savage said. “It couldn’t have happened to a better kid. I was excited for her, and to put it half way up Sofield was even better. We needed it.” Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, the visitors then ran away with the game. The Ragin’ Cajuns poured on 14 runs in the top of the fifth, five of which were driven in by Lafayette’s allAmerican catcher, Lexie Elkins, who hit two home runs in the inning. In both games combined, Elkins had eight hits, 13 RBI and five home runs. “That’s probably the second time in our history that we’ve faced an all-American,” Savage said. “Those kids just show up. When it’s time and when the lights go up, they perform and she did that.” The game was called after the fifth inning due to the run rule with a final score of 23-6. Even though the Mountaineers were not able to upset the Ragin’ Cajuns, they fought hard against one of the nation’s best teams, which Savage said is something to build on. “As long as you come out and you fight, I don’t care what the score is,” Savage said. “When they leave here, you want them to be able to say ‘That team didn’t roll over.’ That was my goal.”
attending the Allstate Welcome Dinner on April 3, which featured hall of fame broadcaster Dick Vitale as a special guest speaker, participating in a youth clinic with the Indiana Special Olympics at SportZone Indy on April 4 and being recognized on the court of Lucas Oil Stadium during the Wisconsin-Kentucky Final Four game. “Working with those kids [at the youth clinic] reminds you to be thankful for living a healthy and good life,” Obacha said. “For me to get to work with them was a special thing.” Obacha also noted that being able to bond with the other Good Works Team members was a highlight of the trip. The group was able to play some pick-up games at a local YMCA while they were all together. The recognition from the Final Four trip will hopefully expose the efforts to continuing aiding Nigeria. “To me, it feels good being honored and all, but it doesn’t stop there,” Obacha said. “Having people to be there and support and encourage you is really cool.”