The Appalachian Sept. 8, 2021

Sept. 8, 2021

The Appalachian Welcome home, Luke Combs

Max Correa

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Et Cetera

Sept. 8, 2021

Sudoku

EMILY BROYLES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

editor@theappalachianonline.com

EDITORIAL ANSLEY PUCKETT

DAN DAVIDSON

GABRIELLE TROUTMAN

ELLA ADAMS

JAKE MARKLAND

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NEWS EDITOR

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MIA MENDEZ

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News Gardin + Evans encourage vaccines, mask mandate adherence

Sept. 8, 2021

Jake Markland | News Editor SGA released a statement Sept. 1 emphasizing the importance of wearing masks and getting vaccinated.

The Gardin + Evans administration said adhering to the university mask mandate and getting a COVID-19 vaccine will pave the way for a return to normalcy.

“If vaccination numbers continue to rise among students, our administration will have a higher chance of successfully advocating for the mask mandate to be rescinded,” read the statement released on SGA’s Instagram.

Students, faculty and staff are required to wear masks in all indoor locations on campus unless they are in an enclosed residential area or actively eating or drinking.

This decision came Aug. 4, in line with CDC guidance, after Watauga County was deemed to have substantial COVID-19 transmission. Watauga County

is now in the high transmission category.

“While we are excited to have returned to inperson classes, this return relies entirely on us following these recommendations and minimizing the spread of COVID-19 to keep students, faculty, and the greater Boone community safe,” the statement read.

According to the statement, COVID-19 vaccinations are free and available through the university. Students who submit their vaccination status in their MedPortal are eligible to win prizes, including scholarships, parking passes and University Bookstore gift cards.

“The only way to end this pandemic and get back to normal is to work together, continue to wear masks, and reach herd immunity through vaccinations,” the statement read. “We hope that everyone has a safe, healthy, and rewarding first semester.”

SGA released a statement Sept. 1encouraging students to wear masks and get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Andy McLean

University welcomes largest freshman class in history Ethan Hunt | Associate News Editor

A student moves into a residence hall on the west side of campus at the beginning of the semester.

Kara Haselton

App State enrolled 4,099 firstyear students for the fall 2021 semester, marking the first time more than 4,000 students have begun their careers on the mountain, according to university communications.

The record-breaking enrollment number is accompanied by the highest number of underrepresented students in a first-year class.

Of the 4,099 first-year students, 784 are part of an underrepresented population. App State divides underrepresented students into six categories which together make up 19.1% of the first-year students.

Hispanic and Latino students are the largest underrepresented category identified by App State, comprising 42.7% of underrepresented students in 2020, according to App State institutional research, assessment and planning.

Black students made up 22.1% of the underrepresented student population in 2020.

Asian students comprised 8.7% of underrepresented students in

2020, while students who are two or more races made up 22.9% of the total.

American Indian/Alaskan native students and nonresident students comprised 1% and 2.6% of underrepresented students respectively in 2020.

Underrepresented students now make up 18.2% of the overall student population, a 6.3% increase from 2020. The specific 2021 enrollment numbers for underrepresented students are not accessible.

Overall enrollment for fall 2021 grew by 3.1% from 2020, bringing the total number of enrolled undergraduate students to 20,641.

The University broke the 20,000 mark for the first time in 2020.

Growing App State’s population has been a goal of Chancellor Sheri Everts since she got the job in 2014.

“These enrollment successes are particularly meaningful since they were accomplished amid the immense challenges presented by a global pandemic,” Everts said.

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News

Sept. 8, 2021

“I feel more like a person” University hosts pop-up COVID testing Jake Markland | News Editor

Kara Haselton | Photo Editor

App State held its first campus-wide COVID-19 testing event Aug. 25 in light of students returning to in-person classes.

The COVID-19 tests from the testing event were self-administered by those getting tested.

Julia Montminy, a graduate assistant for the newlyformed Office of CommunityEngaged Leadership, got tested for COVID-19 every week this summer while interning in Boston.

“It was a really nice thing for peace of mind, so I decided to just continue with it,” Montminy said. “And if it’s free, there is no harm in doing it.”

Kara Haselton Kara Haselton

Kara Haselton Maddie Packett (left) and Bronwyn Kara Haselton Player (right) said they are getting tested because their roommate, who just tested negative for COVID-19, was feeling sick, and they wanted to play it safe. Both said they are glad to be back on campus and be in in-person classes.

“I feel more like a person,” Player said.

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Kara Haselton

The testing event was available to all students, faculty and staff.

This event also fulfilled testing requirements for unvaccinated individuals who were selected randomly for required testing.

This testing event was conducted roughly a week and a half after students returned to in-person classes. App State has 118 active COVID-19 cases as of Sept. 6.

News

Sept. 8, 2021

Staffing shortages limit student dining options Megan Pettey | Reporter Classrooms are filled once again as thousands of students return to campus, yet employment positions within Campus Dining remain empty. Four dining locations will stay closed until further notice as a result of staffing shortages.

Cascades in Plemmons Student Union, Rise Market and Bakery at Leon Levine Hall, and both McAlister’s locations are shut down until they can be appropriately staffed.

The university determined that temporarily closing these locations would be the most effective way to continue serving a high volume of students.

“Campus Dining is facing the same staffing shortages affecting employers across the country,” said John Eckman, associate vice chancellor for Campus Services.

According to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the current lack of jobseekers “arguably represents the most difficult hiring environment for employers in a generation or more.”

However, the job market is more promising than ever for those currently looking for employment, as there’s been a 42% increase in available jobs in North Carolina compared to the pre-pandemic market.

For those working in campus food service, limited staff means longer and more difficult shifts, according to Rachel Masters, a sophomore biology major who works at Park Place in Trivette Hall.

Masters said cleaning measures have also intensified due to the ongoing pandemic and feels as though her nightly duties at the end of a shift have doubled.

“When I was closing, we definitely didn’t have that many people, so it took longer to clean, the lines were slower because we were trying to get things in order and we didn’t have enough backup food, so

it would hold things up,” Masters said. “We stayed an extra hour and a half just putting away dishes.”

Eckman said the university is implementing added benefits to campus positions, which will hopefully encourage students to apply.

“Campus Dining has increased the starting wage for all student employees, and students with any prior service-related work experience, whether on campus or off, are eligible for higher pay,” Eckman said.

The starting pay for students rose from $8.50 an hour to $10 an

hour, and students will also receive a raise each semester they continue working with the university. Campus dining will also provide a free meal with each shift.

“With the price of food and other commodities on the rise across the country, Campus Dining wanted to provide this as a cost-saving benefit to employees,” Eckman said.

Eckman said each weekday Campus Dining is providing between 10,000 and 11,000 meals, and there is no evidence to suggest current staffing issues have contributed to food insecurity among students, staff and faculty.

... it took longer to clean, the lines were slower because we were trying to get things in order and we didn’t have enough backup food ...

Last year, due to COVID-19, students were told to use Grubhub to order food on campus. Cascades was a popular choice, but due to its closure, students are having to get food elsewhere.

Kara Haselton

Rachel Masters, sophomore biology major, started working for University Dining this February. This semester has seen a stark change, Masters said, with some nights in Trivette being “packed” even past their closing time of 7:30 p.m.

Kara Haselton

Masters said employment with Campus Dining also offers flexible hours that work around her school schedule. Though staffing shortages have caused difficulties, overall she said she has enjoyed her experience and wishes to continue working for the university.

“I like the environment. I like who I work with, so I think it’s worth it,” Masters said.

There are no campus dining options available for students who spend the majority of their school day in Leon Levine Hall. Senior Joy Green is a public health major who only has classes at the health sciences building, and spends roughly three hours each day there. She tries to bring food from home knowing there aren’t other options for her to

be able to eat during her school day.

“It’s a little bit frustrating, especially when I don’t bring a snack to school,” Green said.

Though closures have limited dining options available to students, Campus Dining has partnered with local restaurants and food trucks to offer more alternatives. Options include The Cardinal Burger Wagon, Betty’s Biscuit Truck, Village Inn Pizza Truck and Higher Grounds Coffee Truck, which are located on Sanford Mall. Campus coffee shops such as Crossroads in the student union and Wired Scholar in Belk Library are also fully operating alongside Roess Dining Hall and Trivette Dining Hall.

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News

Sept. 8, 2021

Team Sunergy clenches national gold metal to race in the ASC. ROSE would not see the track for more than two years after the 2018 ASC. Team Sunergy planned to race in the 2019 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. However, the team did not feel confident enough to race and decided to wait for the 2020 American Solar Challenge.

The team continued to work on ROSE throughout the pandemic in 2020. By 2021, none of the 2018 ASC team remained, and current Team Sunergy members had never competed.

“Even though we had never been to a race before, we were so ready and excited to go to that race,” Riordan said. “We had been working on the car for two years, and we were itching for a race.”

Despite never racing, Team Sunergy won, but now the team is once again going to need new members. Six of the eight members of Team Sunergy’s leadership are seniors or graduate students.

“Right now, my peers on the leadership, they’re on their way out,” Riordan said.

Riordan said that after the win this year, they are sure that they can increase recruitment, and the team feels confident passing the torch to a new generation. “ We ’ r e going to be much more thoughtful about the transfer of knowledge,” Riordan said.

E v e r t s promised to host Team Sunergy at the chancellor’s house, App House, sometime in the coming weeks to continue the celebration of the 2021 ASC victory with cake, pictures and championship rings.

“What began in 2013 as a class project to build a solarpowered golf cart blossomed into an interdisciplinary team that has earned the respect and admiration of the entire international solar racing community. Everyone’s heard of App because of all of you,” Everts said.

You have your team who tirelessly supported you the whole way there waiting for you ...

Chancellor Sheri Everts is gifted with a Sunergy Team Jersey Aug 19.

Evan Bates

Ethan Hunt | Associate News Editor Members of the App State solar vehicle team cheered and highfived on the steps of B.B. Dougherty Hall Aug. 19 after Chancellor Everts congratulated them on winning the 2021 American Solar Challenge.

Team Sunergy took first place in the American Solar Challenge, a race that carried the team from Missouri to New Mexico in a 964.8 mile journey that put their car Racing On Solar Energy, “ROSE,” to the test.

The American Solar Challenge is a competition to design, build and drive solar powered cars in a timed rally event across the country, according to the American Solar Challenge website. The event has been held annually for more than 20 years, with the exception of 2020 due to COVID-19.

Everts complimented the team on their hard work, highlighting the other universities who lost to App State in the challenge.

“Team Sunergy competed with grace and finesse against elite universities. Including MIT, you might have heard of it, University

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of California Berkeley, and Georgia Tech, to name a few,” Everts said.

After the chancellor’s remarks, two members of the team took the podium at the victory event to thank their advisors and teammates.

Jessica Navarro-Luviano, a senior and one of Team Sunergy’s four drivers and co-mechanical director, has been with the team since her freshman year. She took ROSE up one of the steepest hills in the race.

“You have your team who tirelessly supported you the whole way there waiting for you greeting you with laughter, pride, hugs and joy,” Navarro-Luviano said.

Sam Cheatham, co-business director and senior marketing sales management major, spoke next.

Cheatham thanked the team’s advisors and emphasized how well the team worked together.

“We easily won the award for teamwork,” Cheatham said.

To qualify for the ASC, Team Sunergy had to compete in the Formula Sun Grand Prix in Topeka, Kansas. ROSE only needed to

complete 82 laps of the course over two-days. The teams were scored on the efficiency and practicality their cars displayed in the laps.

Team Sunergy came in second place in the FSGP behind the University of Minnesota, App State’s rival in the world of solar cars. The two universities tied for second place in the 2018 ASC, and Team Sunergy was determined to beat them this year.

“We all wanted to see if we could beat Minnesota’s time,” said Sean Riordan, co-business director for Team Sunergy.

App State’s solar team has not always been the complex and accomplished entity it is today. In 2013, students undertook a class project to build a solar-powered golf cart. Over the next three years, the project grew as team members researched solar competitions and wrote grant proposals in an effort to expand the program, according to the Team Sunergy website.

By the summer of 2018, the team had finished construction on the first edition of ROSE just in time

The Sunergy Team preps to leave for celebratory lap, Aug. 19.

Evan Bates

News

Sept. 8, 2021

Former College Democrats leader targets different election Abi Pepin | Senior Reporter

Although the former president of App State College Democrats is now an alumnus, his new role as a member of the Boone Town Council is keeping him in Boone a little bit longer.

During a town council meeting Aug. 3, the council met to appoint a new member in place of Dustin Hicks’ vacancy. Dalton George, as well as Benjamin Ray, were up for the position.

G e o r g e , 22, was elected unanimously to fill the seat, and said he is the youngest public official in North Carolina and the second youngest ever in North Carolina.

“Immediately after I was appointed, they called a special meeting for the mask mandate,” George said. “So two days later was my first meeting, with no orientation and no idea what to do, but it was on an issue as important as the mask mandate. I was pretty proud.

It was wild.”

The town council voted in favor of the mask mandate, requiring masks in all indoor settings.

Growing up in Midway, North Carolina, George never discussed politics with his family.

“For a lot of my childhood it was just me and my dad,” George said.

“When I called him and told him that I made it on town council, he just kinda laughed a little bit. I think he’s still surprised.”

George said he went into politics because he realized how policy affected his family and other similar families in the working class.

“I realized there needed to be more folks in politics that weren’t

typical,” George said. “For me, I saw myself outside of the typical person involved in politics being from a rural area and being from a setting that wasn’t political.”

George, a first-generation college student, was accepted into several schools but ultimately decided to attend App State. The first time George stepped foot on a college campus was during his freshman orientation.

“I don’t really know how I ended up at App,” George said. “I think if you believe in destiny, then it was a little bit of destiny. It just felt right.”

D u r i n g George’s time at App State, he became involved with town council meetings.

He was an activist on issues like voting accessibility, housing and issues with equity. In turn, he became the president of the App State College Democrats during his senior year.

“As time went on, especially with the housing activism that I started, I talked so much about it, and I did so much related to it,” George said. “I was showing up to meetings and telling them what I thought should pass.”

George said becoming involved with town council wasn’t his idea.

Somebody told him that he was already doing the job so he should run.

“I gave it some thought and figured maybe I would be a good choice for voters,” George said. “I feel like I bring something that is a little atypical for somebody my age.”

Sam Furgiuele, a town council member, was approached by George about two years ago regarding “predatory landlord practices” the

He had a good manner with people and was able to organize and motivate others ...

George, App State alumnus, was appointed to the town council Aug. 3. He is running for a seat in the November election.

Kara Haselton

Boone Fair Housing Task Force was researching.

“When Dalton and his group approached me, they were working hard to address the problems with housing and to help educate people about the issue,” Furiguele said.

Furiguele said for a person as young as George, he was impressed with the knowledge George had about areas of law.

“He had a good manner with people and was able to organize and motivate others,” Furiguele said.

“None of it was about him personally.

He was acting on behalf of other people that were the victims of housing practices.

Furiguele and George worked together to present a resolution to the town council with concerns about

landlords charging unclear fees on credit checks.

The resolution was passed in 2020, compelling North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein to investigate unfair housing practices in Boone.

George, who created the Boone Fair Housing Task Force, is also responsible for passing a resolution to ban anti-homelessness architecture.

Although George is currently a member of town council, he is still running for a seat in the November election, alongside Ray. George is often known around Boone as the “housing guy,” but he said he wants to focus on other issues as well.

“I think young people in government is obviously important

but just making sure it’s accessible,” George said. “Local government works best when it’s accessible.”

George said he wants to make sure that the town council meetings are available for everyone on the website, announcements are actively communicated throughout the community and different language translations become available for community members.

If elected, George said he would run again at the end of his term if he felt that he still had good ideas.

“I think everybody runs out of ideas and ways to help,” George said.

“If at the end of my four years I feel that I’ve done as much good as I can, I’ve always looked at retiring at a farm never to be heard from again.”

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A&C

Sept. 8, 2021

Boone’s Runway What people are wearing on King Street Xanayra Marin-Lopez | Visual Managing Editor Different hours of different days, you will find unique paths each Boonie takes on King Street. During the weekdays, students are trying to get to class.

Families come to eat and shop for their weekend getaway. A street magician brings his hat to set up near town hall.

Everyday the “heart of the High Country” sees hundreds of tabled vendors, shoppers, musicians, students and fashionable faces. Though no one may have yet coined King Street as Boone’s runway, you can’t deny the outfit preparation that goes into a stroll downtown.

Here’s what people are wearing on the beloved main street stretch.

Spending some sister bonding time were Sabrina and Brianna Jones.

Sabrina Jones said she just got out of a long-term relationship and has taken to “evolve her wardrobe.”

For her, this means shopping on King Street for the latest fashions. She said in the past that people in her life would judge her for her outfits by asking, “Oh, is that what you’re wearing?” She said she doesn’t want to let that get the best of her anymore.

Brianna Jones recently went through her closet and threw out almost everything alongside making the decision to shop secondhand. The Jones sisters were shopping at Anna Banana’s on a Monday afternoon.

Sabrina Jones wore a silk hazelnut yellow top on her sister shopping date. She layered necklaces within the open collar, a common trend in Boone per the many jewelry options. Her shirt was tied in a knot at the front,

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and she kept cool in the summer heat with shorts and Doc Martens to even out the outfit.

“I like textures. Like fabric textures,” she said. “So I really like satin, and I like knitted things and stuff like that. That’s really what I look for.”

Sabrina’s other half, Brianna, has taken to upcycling. She finds white t-shirts at Goodwill and tie-dyes them to personalize each.

“Just cause, you know, I feel like I’m adding a little personality and style into my wardrobe,” Brianna Jones said.

In the pursuit of body acceptance, she has started embracing herself in wearing high-waisted pants and crop tops, a common silhouette for Gen Z and a far cry from the resurgence of the Y2K low-waisted bootcut jeans.

Brianna Jones followed this silhouette with simple high-waisted blue jeans and a white tank top with a Cherry Coke logo.

Relationships and transitory periods in our lives can certainly appear into what we choose to wear. This was a common theme for the best dressed on King Street, including Bee Tomson.

To make herself feel better, Tomson has shifted her focus toward outfits of the day for those moments of self love.

“No reason to really dress up, but I just, I wanna feel good about myself especially after like a sh*t last nine months,” Tomson said, coming to tears.

Her mom’s 90s style is also a big

player in Tomson’s clothing choices. Her favorites are plaid, oversized t-shirts, flannels and anything, in her words, “versatile.”

“I’m just trying to settle back into who I am and definitely find myself,” Tomson said.

Also inspired by her mother is Isabella Flynt. Wearing her mom’s skirt, her hippie-inspired look is a fit for App State, even though she attends UNC Charlotte. Shopping at King Street on a Saturday, Flynt enjoys thrifted clothes and treasures pieces gifted to her.

Her ideal pairing for an outfit includes a “tiny top” and bigger pants.

Two of her favorite retailers include Urban Outfitters and Aeropostale.

Teagan Compton struts down the King Street runway with a more ancient accessory from the Mesozoic Era, fossil earrings. The dinosaur heads dangle above a calf-length white dress and a brown corset at the waist.

The earrings, made by a friend of hers, are a part of her signature style.

She references vintage celebrity photos and women in the Old West as her inspiration.

“I just think some of it’s kind of this sort of body over-the-top stuff I like,” Compton said.

Channeling her feminine energy, Compton ends off her Western-era outfit with gold flat sandals.

Next time you take the stage of King Street, keep an eye out for the fashion police. As Coco Chanel once said, “Every day is a fashion show, and the world is your runway.”

Xanayra Marin-Lopez

Xanayra Marin-Lopez

Xanayra Marin-Lopez

Xanayra Marin-Lopez

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A&C

Sept. 8, 2021

LUKE COMBS LIVE

Max Correa | Associate Photo Editor

L

ive music, crowds in The Rock and some of App State’s most well-known alumni all made a triumphant return to

Boone Sept. 4. After two delays over the span of 1 ½ years because of COVID-19 concerns, Luke Combs made his stadium debut at Kidd Brewer for the What You See is What You Get Tour, meant to follow up his 2019 album of the same name. Supported by alumnus Adam Church and collaborators Drew Parker and Ray Fulcher, Combs sang for a crowd of over 40,000 people in the High Country. The former Bowie Residence Hall resident sang his most recent single “South On Ya,” live for the first time at Kidd Brewer since its release.

Concert goers tailgated on campus before hiking to Kidd Brewer.

Opener Ray Fulcher hands fans an autographed set list during his performance Sept. 4.

App State alumnus Adam Church opened for “Luke Combs Plays The Rock.”

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Combs shares a beer with Church during the performance.

A&C

Sept. 8, 2021

Over 40,000 people attended the country concert at The Rock.

Luke Combs used to live in Bowie Hall and was a senior in 2013. He dropped out of school with less than a month until graduation to pursue his music career.

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A&C

Sept. 8, 2021

on record Xanayra Marin-Lopez

Nail biters over all nighters: books to escape with Ansley Puckett | Managing Editor

As classes start back, assignments pile up and work-life balancing begins again, it might be hard to take time for yourself. So, reading for fun might be the last thing on your mind. However, healthy escapism from the woes of everyday life is a great way to destress after a long day on campus. With a mix of high fantasy, science fiction and paranormal, these six books are sure to delight and distract from the mundane.

Angelfall by Susan Ee What better way to distract yourself from class than with a post-apocalyptic story about evil angels? Set in Northern California after the invasion of Earth by angels, 17-year-old Penryn must set out to save her younger sister after she was taken by the evil invaders. Desperate to get her back, she’ll do anything she can, including partnering with the disgraced and wingless archangel, Raffe. After deciding to travel to the angel stronghold in San Francisco, Penryn and Raffe find that their goals are more similar than they originally thought.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern This magical book is unlike any others. Set around a mysterious circus that arrives without warning and only opens at night, a battle between two magicians is brewing. Forced into the battle by their instructors and trained since childhood, Marco and Celia find themselves in a competition where only one can be left.

However, when the two fall in love, they must navigate through their situation, the night circus and its mysterious performers and patrons.

The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull If magic isn’t your thing, then maybe aliens are. In this novel, the people of the Virgin Islands have lived with the alien race Ynaa for five years as the advanced aliens complete a research mission unknown to the locals. However, when the relationship becomes strained, a young boy dies at the hands of the

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Ynaa, and three families find themselves in a fight that will teach everyone a horrific lesson.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon Set in an almost early modern world, this book follows three women, Queen Sabran the Ninth, Ead Duryan and Tané. While Sabran must have a daughter to protect her realm, assassins grow closer. Meanwhile, Ead keeps a watchful eye on the queen as a lady-in-waiting and a mage in a secret society. Far from both Sabran and Ead, Tané has trained in the art of riding dragons since she was a child but is facing a choice that could change her life forever. While these women are dealing with their own problems, the divided world grows closer and closer to chaos.

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass Jake Livingston is having a hard time fitting in at St. Clair Prep. Not only is he one of the only Black kids at his school, but he can also see the dead, like all the time. Most are harmless, but when Jake encounters Sawyer, a vindictive ghost who shot and killed six kids at a high school last year before killing himself, Jake’s life goes from bad to worse. Now, not only does Jake have to navigate high school life, but he also has to survive Sawyer’s dangerous game.

The Perfect Ruin by Shanora Williams This mystery novel will let you distract yourself with revenge. Ivy Hill’s life was changed forever by brutal tragedy. Years later, in her 20s, she discovers who is to blame for the event that ended her perfect family. Lola Maxwell is a wealthy socialite that Ivy plans to take everything from. Ivy infiltrates Lola’s social circle and plans to win over her husband, but what starts as a revenge plot slowly turns into something Ivy can no longer control.

Streaming “Solar Power” Aubrey Smith | A&C Editor

Acid green, aquamarine and dancing in the sand may seem out of place coming from the girl who once dominated radios with edgy singles such as “Royals” and “Homemade Dynamite.”

But for Ella O’Connor, more commonly known as Lorde, her new era of music is a bright and adventurous change well-worth the attention it’s receiving.

Fans were stunned June 10 when Lorde dropped her first new single in four years. With a significant difference in sound compared to her previous music, the single “Solar Power” displayed Lorde’s extravagant enjoyment of the outdoors. The record, appropriately named after the first single, is an alluring invitation into Lorde’s tropical paradise that leaves you rushing to leave your house, desperate to soak up the sun.

The glistening track “The Path” provides a serene opening to the record with an alluring flute mixed with mesmerizingly hazy strums of reverbed guitar. Coming in soft on the vocals, Lorde announces to the world that she’s “alone on a windswept island, caught in the complex divorce of the seasons.” For the first time of many on the record, Lorde is looking toward nature

and the beauty of the outdoors to show her the path. The track is thoroughly composed with all sorts of layers: thoughtfully-placed backup vocals from fellow musicians Clairo, Phoebe Bridgers and Marlon Williams, soft drums and easy-going guitar chords.

Following “The Path,” Lorde continues to sing about the healing benefits of nature on “Solar Power.” Through powerful acoustic guitar strums, Lorde invites others to soak up the beauty of the world with cheeky lines like “I’m kind of like a prettier Jesus,” and “I throw my cellular device in the water/Can you reach me? No, you can’t.” As the chorus builds up, the anticipation kicks into high gear, and stacks of backup harmonies and vocals from Clairo and Phoebe Bridgers lift the song into motion. When the chorus finally kicks in, it’s stagnant for the rest of the song, aided by the addition of brass instrumentals toward the end. Regardless, the title track is a high point on the record and the ultimate summer feel-good song.

Read more online at https://theappalachianonline.com/on-recordsolar-power-review/

Lily Sanders

A&C

Sept. 8, 2021

Touchdown Treats Lily Kincaid | Reporter

Football season is here, which means there’s one thing on everyone’s mind: food. Anyone who has ever gone to a college football game or a Superbowl watch party knows that the snacks are almost as important as the game itself.

Whether it’s tailgating before a game or having all the neighbors over to watch it on TV, it’s not a football party without an abundance of good grub. Between finger foods, dips, appetizers and desserts, there’s no reason anyone should ever watch a football game on an empty stomach.

Spinach artichoke dip Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Total time: 25 minutes Servings: 5-7

Ingredients

2 cups of fresh spinach leaves 3 artichoke hearts, chopped (fresh or canned) 1 block (8 ounces) of cream cheese, softened ¼ cup of sour cream ¼ cup of mayonnaise 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 cup of parmesan cheese, shredded ⅔ cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded Pinch of black pepper

Directions

Step one Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a medium-sized baking dish with cooking spray.

Step two In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, parmesan, mozzarella and pepper.

Stir until well combined.

Step three Add spinach leaves and chopped artichoke hearts. Spread the mixture into the baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until the dip is warmed through.

Step four Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, pita chips or toasted baguette slices.

Ham and cheese sliders Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Total time: 35 minutes Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 pack of Hawaiian Sweet Rolls (12 rolls total) ¾ pound cooked deli ham ¾ pound Swiss cheese 1 stick of melted butter 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds 2 teaspoons onion powder 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce Pinch of kosher salt Pinch of black pepper

Directions

Step one Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

Step two Being careful not to separate the rolls just yet, take a long knife, and cut through the middle of all of the rolls at once. The result should be two large pieces of bread that resemble hamburger buns.

Potato salad

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Total time: 20 minutes Servings: 12-15

Ingredients

5 pounds of potatoes, diced ½ pound of bacon 6 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and sliced 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 2 cups mayonnaise ½ cup diced dill pickles Half of a red onion, minced ¼ cup vinegar ¼ cup yellow mustard (optional)

Directions

Step three Place the bottom half of the rolls in the pan. Layer the ham on top of the rolls, making sure it’s even. Then, layer the Swiss cheese on top of the ham in the same fashion.

Continue layering the rest of the ham and cheese this way.

Once done, lay the top half of the rolls on the ham and cheese.

Step one Place diced potatoes and eggs into a large pot with just enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes reach desired tenderness. Drain the water.

Step four Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Once melted, add the dijon mustard, poppy seeds, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and stir.

Step three In a large bowl, combine potatoes, eggs, bacon, cheese, pickles and onion.

Slowly fold in mayonnaise and vinegar until the desired consistency is reached.

Add in yellow mustard.

Step five Slowly pour the butter mixture over the rolls, being sure to coat each of them evenly. Use a rubber spatula to spread over the rolls if needed.

Step four Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. This potato salad pairs well with tailgating staples such as hamburgers and hotdogs.

Step six Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Let the rolls cool for 20 minutes. Then, remove the foil and continue baking until the rolls begin to brown on top.

Andy McLean

Andy McLean

Step seven Cut the sliders apart and serve warm. If desired, add other ingredients such as lettuce, tomatoes or crispy onions.

Step two Cook the bacon and crumble into bits.

Read the full list of recipies online at https://theappalachianonline.com/recipecorner-touchdown-treats/#photo

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Sports

Sept. 8, 2021

EC-WHO? Mountaineers thrash Pirates in Duke’s Mayo Classic Dan Davidson | Sports Editor

Cameron Burnett | Associate Sports Editor

After a year of empty stadiums and half-capacity crowds, App State opened up the 2021 season in front of 36,752 rowdy fans in Bank of America Stadium as the Mountaineers thumped ECU 33-19.

“Just seeing the supporters back in the stands, it was like a different type of energy,” senior linebacker D’Marco Jackson said. “We were up, and we were just taking it all in, looking behind us. It was a memory I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”

Both teams opened the game rusty on offense as the in-state foes traded three-and-outs on their first possessions. The Pirates threw the first punch on their second drive, attacking the App State blitz by tossing a screen pass resulting in a 63-yard touchdown.

ECU claimed a 6-0 lead after a missed extra point.

“I just told coach Ponce ‘Hey man, go have fun.’ It’s his first time as coordinator,” head coach Shawn Clark said. “I told him, ‘You only get one time to make a first impression, so let’s go score a touchdown.’”

The Mountaineers wasted little time responding, putting together a seven-play, 66-yard touchdown drive capped off with a 34-yard connection between graduate transfer quarterback Chase Brice and super senior receiver Thomas Hennigan.

Brice completed all four of his passes in the scoring drive and punched in his first touchdown as a Mountaineer with a dime across the middle of the field.

“When Chase came in, he wanted to be a part of this program.

He wanted to come in and learn our culture,” Clark said. “He’s a natural leader for us. He’s not about him. He

doesn’t care who gets the ball or who gets credit. It’s about winning football games.”

After allowing the early 63-yard touchdown, App State’s defense held the Pirates scoreless through the rest of the half, forcing three punts and one touchdown-saving interception.

Senior safety Ryan Huff snagged a last-second hail mary attempt by ECU after the ball was tipped around the end zone and nearly brought down by a Pirate.

The Mountaineers entered halftime with a 20-6 lead.

App State started the second half with a quick punt, and the Pirates marched down the field, challenging the red zone before super senior defensive end Demetrius Taylor had a QB pressure to end the drive. ECU cashed in with a 38-yard field goal to make it a 20-9 game.

Brice and the offense wasted no time getting the score back, starting with a 68-yard strike to Hennigan over the middle to get to the ECU 18.

App State rushed to the line, and Brice completed a quick throw to super senior wide receiver Corey Sutton, who shook off the lone defender and scored an 18-yard touchdown to stretch the lead out to 27-9.

“When I got here in January, I really just put my head down and focused on how I can better myself as a quarterback here at App and how we can win football games and keep the winning mentality and tradition alive,” Brice said. “A lot of that lonely work, a lot of that extra time really showed up tonight.”

With time waning in the third quarter, junior linebacker Brendan Harrington silenced the response

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drive with a blindside sack on ECU quarterback Holton Ahlers that the Pirates wouldn’t recover from. On the following Pirate drive, Harrington and super senior defensive end Tommy Dawkins Jr. combined for a sack.

In the first Mountaineer drive of the fourth quarter, sophomore running back Nate Noel rattled off a 46-yard run to get within the ECU 20yard line. Junior running back Cam Peoples quickly subbed in for Noel and finished the drive with a 12-yard scamper to take a 33-9 lead and put the game out of reach for the Pirates.

“I told Nate tonight we were the one-two punch. That’s going to be hectic for somebody trying to stop.

You can’t really gameplan for both of us,” Peoples said. “Me and Nate, I think we got a pretty good little duo

going on, but you know, all of our guys bring something different to the table and that’s one thing about how our running back room is so special.”

After the touchdown, senior linebacker Tyler Bird forced a fumble on the kickoff, and sophomore running back Anderson Castle jumped on the ball, giving App State possession at the ECU 14. Brice attempted a touchdown pass to super senior wide receiver Malik Williams in the corner of the endzone, but cornerback Ja’Quan McMillan intercepted it.

The Pirates scored 10 points late in the fourth quarter, scoring a 39-yard field goal before Ahlers completed a 38-yard touchdown to tight end Ryan Jones to cut the lead down to 33-19 with 2:10 left in the game. The Mountaineers ran the ball

three times on the final drive, ending the game and starting the season with a win.

Beyond the lone interception, Brice had an impressive debut as a Mountaineer, going 20-for-27 with 259 yards and two touchdowns. The duo of Noel and Peoples combined for 226 rushing yards and two touchdown rushes. In similar fashion, Sutton and Hennigan combined for two scores, with the pair of veteran wideouts carrying a touchdown drive with backto-back grabs.

“This was something we should do every year to an in-state opponent because the money stays in the state, and it’s great for both universities,” Clark said. “It was a great crowd.

That’s what college football is about.”

Becca Bridges

Cam Peoples, a senior running back, had a total of 100 yards and five tackles in the season opener against ECU Sept. 2 .

Sports

Sept. 8, 2021

Becca Bridges

Becca Bridges

Becca Bridges

The App State marching band pulled off a joint performance with ECU during halftime giving recognition and praise to first responders Becca Bridges

Becca Bridges

Chase Brice, graduate transfer quarterback, had 259 passing yards in the game against ECU. Becca Bridges

Despite the ending score, sportsmanship was shown all around with players meeting up at the end to congratulate.

The cheerleaders were on their top performance in the Panther’s stadium Sept.

2, keeping the crowd engaged throughout the game.

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Sports

Sept. 8, 2021

Men’s basketball schedule breakdown Mia Mendez

Dan Davidson | Sports Editor The 2021-22 men’s basketball nonconference schedule was released Aug. 17, completing this year’s full slate of games for the Mountaineers. Ten non-conference games were announced, six of which are home games, along with the Gulf Coast Showcase in late November.

“We have some exciting home games for our fans and students,” head coach Dustin Kerns said. “We also have an opportunity for our fans to travel, with our road games being mostly local against some outstanding programs. We feel this schedule will prepare us for the ultracompetitive Sun Belt Conference.”

App State begins the regular season with a road trip to New Rochelle, New York to take on the Iona Gaels. Iona has won 13 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships, including five consecutive titles. The Nov. 9 clash will be the first ever between the two schools.

The Mountaineers return home for a three-game homestand featuring matchups with East Tennessee State University and Charlotte. This will be the 127th all-time meeting between the Mountaineers and Buccaneers and the third consecutive year App State has taken on the 49ers. Charlotte has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 11 times, and the contest between the in-state foes has become a rivalry that is annually renewed.

The team heads down to Estero, Florida Nov. 22 for the Gulf Coast Showcase. App State opens the tournament with a clash against the Fightin’ Blue Hens of Delaware and will then play either Fordham or Akron Nov. 23, and one of Rice, Evansville, Vermont or Oakland Nov. 24 to complete the tournament.

App State caps off its non-conference schedule with a trek to the Triangle to

challenge ACC competition, Duke and North Carolina. Dec. 16, the Mountaineers will be one of the last teams to compete against Duke on Coach K Court with the legendary mentor, head coach Mike Krzyzewski, still on the sidelines. With it being Krzyzewski’s final season in Durham, Cameron Indoor should be packed for every game, even a mid-December non-conference matchup. Five days later, black and gold will clash with Carolina blue and white on the Dean E. Smith Center floor.

The seven-time national champion Tar Heels enter the season with a new head coach for the first time since 2003 after Hall of Famer Roy Williams retired following the 2020-21 season.

“Our program is excited about a very challenging nonconference schedule,” Kerns said. “It is filled with programs that have finished in the top half of their respective leagues in the last few years. We also have a true in-season tournament at the Gulf Coast Showcase, which will be a great experience and challenge for our team.”

App State begins the conference schedule with a Dec. 30 game against Louisiana in the Holmes Center. Jan. 15, the Mountaineers tip off a three-game road trip in South Carolina and Georgia, taking on Coastal Carolina, Georgia State and Georgia Southern over the course of a week.

In the home-stretch of the regular season, App State hosts a four-game homestand with Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Troy and South Alabama all coming to town in February.

The Mountaineers then finish off the regular season at Little Rock and Arkansas State before preparing for the Sun Belt Tournament, which tips off March 3.

We feel this schedule will prepare us for the ultracompetitive Sun Belt Conference.

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Sports

Sept. 8, 2021

LB Harrington takes on defensive swiss-army knife role Cameron Burnett | Associate Sports Editor The history of App State football has been filled with outstanding defensive talent.

Every year, there’s a highlight-reel defender that plays all over the field, making plays in the passing and rushing game.

Brendan Harrington, a junior linebacker, if limited to one position, has taken over the role as swiss-army knife for the Mountaineers.

Lining up everywhere on the field and taking over any role necessary, Harrington has taken the mantle of “do-it-all” defender, a title once held by current Cincinnati Bengal Akeem Davis-Gaither.

Harrington was considered a safety his freshman year at just 6 foot 1 inch tall and 205 pounds. Rarely seeing playing time, the Northwood High product made his presence felt on the special teams as a gunner on punt returns, where he saw most of his snaps.

“I just come in, play my role, and do my job to help the other 10 guys on the field. I just make the plays when they come to me. That’s really it,” Harrington said.

Making plays has become normal for Harrington after spending time in Boone.

After one year using the App State physical regimen and weight room, Harrington added over 20 pounds and entered a hybrid role as both a safety and linebacker.

With the combination of size and speed, he carved out a spot in the middle of the defense during the 2020 season. Harrington finished his sophomore campaign with 48 total tackles to go along with four interceptions, one being a pick-six in a 38-17 victory over Texas State. Harrington has reaped the rewards of his versatility and is expected to do the same in 2021.

“Any time you got a linebacker that can match a receiver, tight end, and basically take them to the house with nobody helping them is a big plus because you’re helping everywhere else,” App State Defensive Coordinator Dale Jones said.

Harrington isn’t the only fast linebacker on App State’s defense. Seniors Trey Cobb and D’Marco Jackson have versatility at the position Harrington has modeled his game after. In practice, they match up against

multiple All-Sun Belt receivers in super seniors Corey Sutton and Thomas Hennigan.

Harrington takes on the challenge as a chance to learn and improve.

“We never see this many good receivers as we do in practice. We’re three deep at receivers, and when I say three-deep, I mean all three sets of receivers can start,” Harrington said. “It’s always good to be able to go against them. It just makes it easy for the game. The speed that they play with, the preciseness of the routes they run, it just makes it so much easier.”

Harrington’s ascent into a playmaking role on the Mountaineer defense has been because of his growth physically and in the film room. Multiple coaches said Harrington spends some of the most time in the film room perfecting his game and learning from mistakes.

As Harrington has sharpened his skillset, the size he’s added will allow him to play a multitude of positions. Coming into 2021, he’s spent time at all linebacker spots, safety and defensive end.

“I’ve been trying to work on my physicality a bit more at the point of attack, whether it’s shedding blockers or making tackles ... I’ve really tried to work on everything getting ready for the season,” Harrington said.

Over the last year, Harrington has worked on all aspects of the game with physicality being the main focus. The bittersweet end in 2020, after not making the Sun Belt Championship, gave Harrington fuel to prepare for this season, and it’s almost time for the work to pay off.

After a season that was considered a disappointment in the App State locker room, the revenge tour starts soon in a big season opener at Bank of America Stadium. For Harrington, a North Carolina native who grew up watching the Carolina Panthers, this is a big moment. Having spent a season without a stadium full of fans, he’s excited to get back in front of the Mountaineer faithful for his junior campaign.

“ECU is a good opponent, so we look forward to that. I’m ready to see all of our fans there and have it rocking and put on a good show for our fans,” Harrington said.

Linebacker Brendan Harrington flexes after coming up with a stop against Georgia State in his sophomore season. The junior posted four total tackles including 1.5 tackles for loss in the 2021 season opener vs ECU. Sam Cook

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Opinion

Sept. 8, 2021

Military recruitment doesn’t belong on campus Ricky Barker | Columnist There is an entrance often surrounded by signs and posters for the Armed Forces near the Roess Dining Hall. It attracts the eye, and you can’t help but look when passing by. These signs are advertising a recruitment office in the varsity gym, directly in the heart of campus.

Recruitment through education systems is an old practice. In 1917, the Selective Service Act expanded the draft from 21 to 18 years old.

Since then, the military has focused on recruiting high school and college students. As of 2018, 56% of new recruits are high school graduates with an additional 30% being college students. That’s a huge amount of recruits built by mostly young Ameri-

We are reliant on the internet.

There’s no debating that. Last year proved exactly how reliant we are. As the world shut down during the height of the pandemic, people turned to the internet as a replacement for in-person social interaction. Nowadays, work, school, doctor’s appointments and even concerts can be attended from the comfort of your own home, under one condition: you have access to the internet.

Wi-Fi and internet access are luxuries we often take for granted. According to the Annual Federal Communications Commission Broadband Access Report, 14.5 million Americans do not have the infrastructure needed to access the internet. This problem heavily affects those in rural areas. Nationally, 57 million rural Americans don’t have access to the internet. America is supposedly an international industrial powerhouse. So, why do rural Americans not have the bare minimum of internet access, and why is this embarrassing lack of infrastructure not more of a priority?

In response to its 2020 Annual Broadband Access Report, the FCC patted itself on the back in a press release about the supposed progress it’s made. Yes, there have been significant strides in expanding broadband access,

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cans.

This is not necessarily surprising, neuroscience tells us that teenagers are more likely to engage in risky and impulsive behavior. The prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for decision making, doesn’t finish maturing till age 25. Young people are less likely to think of the long term effects and consequences of their actions because the young brain isn’t fully developed.

Additionally, the military overwhelmingly targets lower income students, offering benefits and free schooling. A study conducted in 2012 focused on two schools in Connecticut, one being a lower income school and the other being a private high in-

come school. Military recruiters visited the lower income school almost ten times more. Much of our new fighting forces come from financially challenged young adults, and it’s recruitment offices like the one on our campus that do much of that work.

Recent events in American foreign policy have made these kinds of statistics and displays start to have a bad taste. Afghanistan has nearly been completely taken over by the Taliban. A country that the United States has been attempting to “rebuild” for 20 years. There are 800,000 service members in Afghanistan, 200,000 were wounded and 2,352 soldiers died.

The tragedy, the war in Afghan-

istan, was seemingly all for nothing.

The focus of our presence there was to train a new army and government to make sure that a militant group could not take over. However, seeing the state of the country now, that plan has seemingly failed.

So how many young men and women died for no reason? It’s a harsh question we must ask ourselves.

How many joined right out of high school? How many joined for free tuition? How many of those dead were brought in by a recruitment office on their campus? How many could have been brought in by our very office, right here at App State? These thoughts come up when passing those signs.

Rural internet access is crucial Ella Adams | Opinion Editor but it’s not nearly enough. The press release states that rural Americans without internet “with a median speed of 10/3 Mbps, has been slashed from over 35% to under 10%” over two years.

On the surface, these stats look promising, but 10/3 Mbps, or megabits per second, is drastically below the minimum standard of this measurement.

10/3 Mbps means download speeds are 10 megabits per second and upload speeds at 3 megabits per second. That 10/3 Mbps isn’t enough for video conferencing, streaming, running multiple applications at once, supporting more than one user or more than one device at once. It’s certainly not enough for online school, working from home or barely any aspect of our new digital society.

In response to the report and press release, Commissioner Jessica Rosen-

worcel released a scathing dissenting statement. The commissioner states, “There are people sitting in parking lots using free Wi-Fi signals because they have no other way to get online. There are students who fall in the homework gap because they lack the high-speed service they need to participate in remote learning. There are mayors in towns across the country clamoring for better broadband so their communities have a fair shot at digital age success.”

Rosenworcel is completely right. The FCC’s self-important and tone-deaf victory laps are insulting to the millions

of Americans struggling to get by without the internet during the pandemic.

In addition to magnifying their disappointing progress, the FCC is in direct violation of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. The act requires the FCC to immediately provide advanced telecommunications capability and remove obstacles to infrastructure investment if it is determined internet access is not “being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.”

Nothing is “reasonable or timely” about the sad half-attempt, like the Emergency Broadband Benefit, to expand internet access in rural America during an international crisis.

There are efforts to expand internet access across the country, like Biden’s infrastructure plan and the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. As ambitious and groundbreaking as the Amer-

Efrain Arias-Medina Jr.

This is not to say that joining the military can’t be a worthwhile life experience and career. However, military recruitment should not have a place in an institution for learning.

The image shown for recruitment and the promises given do not always reflect the harsh reality of military life. It’s doubtful that recruiters will ever put up a sign in front of the varsity gym for the hundreds that died in the Middle East.

Chances are the recruitment office is not going away and maybe it shouldn’t. But we should all be more considerate of the ugly blemishes and failures that the U.S. Armed Forces carries with them. Especially next time we pass one of those signs.

ican Jobs Plan is, the $2 trillion Living without the internet is not an abstract, unseen issue. People are struggling to connect in App State’s backyard. Rural Appalachia is underdeveloped compared to the rest of rural America. According to the Appalachian Regional Commission, over a quarter of households don’t have internet. Watauga County’s numbers are slightly more optimistic but still disappointing, with 17.1% of households without internet. There is plenty of money and resources to fix this issue.

Not doing so is outright ignoring taxpayers.

Since the pandemic began, everyday life has gone digital. Americans without the internet should not be forced to sit out school, work and doctor’s appointments because of the neglect and failures of their government.

Blaming funding or bureaucratic red tape is an embarrassing excuse. Our government can and should do better. Rosenworcel said it best, “What I take from all of this activity is that the job is not done. There is progress. But we have not yet reached all Americans.

We have real work to do before we can claim that 100% of this country has access to broadband service.”

Opinion

Sept. 8, 2021

in the High Country College Board AirBnB A new form of gentrification Gatekeeps Higher Ed Ella Adams | Opinion Editor Last fall, App State reported its largest ever incoming freshman class of 3,906 students. That’s about a 31% increase from 2011. The mountain school is growing quickly and becoming a more competitive university.

The average GPA of last year’s freshmen was about 3.98. App State isn’t the only one becoming harder to get into. Any high school senior or college student will tell you how tricky the college admissions process is. One of the major obstacles to admissions is the College Board. The billion-dollar organization monopolizes higher education and has an iron grip on the admissions process. The College Board makes admissions more confusing, expensive and difficult. It serves to gatekeep higher education.

The main obstacle the College Board puts in place is the SAT. The test costs $55, but it’s not the initial exam fee that makes the SAT so pricey. To change or cancel your registration will cost you $25. To receive your scores by phone will cost you an additional $15 per call. To receive scores from previous tests will cost you $31, and the fees go on. Paying to take the SAT once is expensive, but the SAT is not designed to be a one-and-done test. The exam is not a test of how well you know the material, it’s a test of how well you know the test. SAT prep books run at about $30, and tutoring can be extremely expensive.

SAT scores are reflective of how much money is spent preparing for and taking the test multiple times. Students who have the money and resources have an advantage over students who don’t have those same privileges.

For a not-for-profit organization, the College Board rakes in an outstanding amount of money. According to 2019 tax filings, the College Board made $1.1 billion. Between the cost of the SAT and associated fees

as well as the revenue from the PSAT and Advanced Placement exams, the College Board is an extremely profitable organization. The College Board is free to charge outrageous amounts for its exams, and people will pay it.

A college degree is an extremely valuable asset in today’s economy. Students are willing to pay hundreds and even thousands of dollars throughout their high school careers on exams, fees and test prep. AP exams cost $96 and the SAT costs $55. Three attempts of each exam would cost $453.

This is not including any test prep or fees. According to its mission statement, “the College Board’s mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. We are a notfor-profit membership organization committed to excellence and equity in education.” If the College Board is so “committed” to equity, success and opportunity, it would make exams more accessible.

Getting into college and obtaining a degree is a monumental milestone in many people’s lives. The monopolization of the admissions process and raking in the revenue from students’ failure all while doing it under the guise of a “not-for-profit membership organization committed to excellence and equity in education” is at best unethical and at worst a scam.

Many universities no longer require standardized test scores for admissions. App State is not requiring test scores for first-year students applying for a 2021 or 2022 term, due to COVID-19. This is a step in the right direction. Access to higher education should not be controlled and gatekept by a barely not-for-profit organization that swindles students out of hundreds of dollars for a biased test that reduces their entire academic experience to a statistic.

Jackson Futch | Columnist As homeless rates in America rise by 2.2%, cities try to face a new threat, short-term rentals. Companies, like the innovator Airbnb, let individuals rent out their private property as vacation spots for customers, much like a traditional hotel. However, this seemingly innocent and helpful tool for local property owners has a direct link to gentrification and the housing crisis in America.

The members of the Boone Town Council are some of the most recent legislators to consider taking on this flourishing new industry. The council is considering adopting laws laid out by the city of Asheville as a new approach to regulating the industry. These regulations are a must for Boone as they can help limit the housing crisis and protect locals from exploitative property practices.

Asheville legislators decided to take a different approach than other cities like New York and Los Angeles. Asheville completely eliminated any use of homestays as rentals. This means that in order to list, you must live in the dwelling full time, only rent one to two bedrooms for less than 30 days and not

have a kitchen. A kitchen is quantified by the inclusion of a stove, full-sized refrigerator or a kitchen sink. These strict rules are vital to the success of the regulations. Researchers Shirley Nieuwland and Rainne van Melik found that lighter regulations, like the ones in most cities, often get ignored by the landlords and short term rental companies if they can even be enforced. This leaves solutions like Asheville’s as the last option for hurting areas.

Past the logistics of enforcement, Airbnb regulation will have a more human effect on the Boone community. The Pew Research Center found that young and poor Americans have faced the most difficulties in the housing market since the Great Depression.

STRs are only making it harder on already disenfranchised sects of citizens.

STRs, like Airbnb, have been shown to increase the rent gap.

In their study, Airbnb and the rent gap: Gentrification through the sharing economy, researchers David Wachsmuth and Alexander Weisler define the rent gap as a space that can emerge between a property’s real value

RENTAL: $

Zach Angerson

and the income that the landlord can pull from it. This basic separation is what leads to all forms of gentrification.

In the context of STRs, the rent gap will occur because the more affluent tourist is able and willing to pay more for a shorter stay than a full-time renter would be. Landlords have capitalized upon this principle so they can squeeze more profits from their houses. Renters and locals are then expunged from the area as they are seen as a drain to the people they once could live under.

The enforcement of the Asheville-esque STR laws could act to stop this modernist form of gentrification from taking hold and strangling Boone renters. Limiting what can be posted as homestays would mean that fulltime rental properties could not be easily changed to STRs. This extra level of difficulty could be what keeps more affordable housing on the market for the suffering working class and the fledgling homeowner.

All of these factors are especially important for the town of Boone. Less populated areas that already have a strong tourism base, much like Asheville and Boone, see more negative than positive effects from STRs. Watauga County has some of the worst homeless rates in North Carolina, with .42% of the total population being homeless, a group expanding due to the shocks of gentrification. The county also has a higher rate of young adults and low-income families due to App State’s presence in the area.

Boone must take action to stop the devastating effects of the STR industry.

Asheville has given a good blueprint to follow and the opportunity to put it into practice is available. There is an obligation citizens hold to help one another to better the collective good. The homeless and poor working class in Boone are hurting, and this is the way to reach out and offer a bit of grace.

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