ETHAN BATCHELOR BUSINESS MANAGER business@theappalachianonline.com
ASHLEY HERRERA ASSOCIATE BUSINESS MANAGER
EMILY PICCA DIGITAL MARKETING DIRECTOR
EMILY ESCOBEDO RAMIREZ DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & ENGAGEMENT
The Appalachian is the award-winning independent student-run news organization at Appalachian State University, published since 1934. The student sta maintains all editorial discretion, and there is no prior review by university faculty, sta , or administrators. The Appalachian strives for accuracy in news gathering and reporting. If you think we have made an error, email: editor@appalachianonline.com. Participation in The Appalachian is open to all current full-time students at the university. For more information about joining, email: outreach@theappalachianonline.com. The opinion pages of The Appalachian are open public forum. Contributions are welcomed via email to editor@appalachianonline.com. Opinions expressed are those of individual columnists, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the news organization overall. Unsigned editorials represent the collective opinion of The Appalachian editorial board.
One copy of The Appalachian per person. Additional copies can be purchased from the newsroom for $1 each. Website: theappalachianonline.com
THE APPALACHIAN CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Bits of game day attire 5 Hit song by Lamar and Joel
Look of contempt
Ruin a salad? 17 Cuzco resident 18 Worthless 19 DoD agency 20 XXX-XX-XXXX ID
Agenda entries 23 Los Estados Unidos: Abbr.
Haw’s partner
Highly skilled
Schooner sight
Cutting class?
Casual tops
Arm bones
Fifth qtrs. 37 Haka performers 38 Hatted character who knows a thing or two? 39 Like most music
2003 Will Ferrell film 42 Muslim ascetic 44 Eve’s second 45 Makeup artist? 47 Help with
Smacks, as a fly 51 Lead in to maniac or centric 52 Apt. overseer 55 Boogie Down, for one 56 Home to Ramses
58 “Whatevs” 59 Desk ID
63 Glowing bit at the end of three months
65 George Washington residence? 66 “Would I ___ you?”
67 Sea nymphs of myth 68 Word with apple or hermit DOWN
1 Queen’s “We Will Rock You” vis-à-vis “We Are the Champions”
2 Navel variety
3 Classic response to “Why’d he do that?”
4 One of seven
5 Tell your friends!
6 Subj. of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Medicine
7 ___ Alpha (iPad lovers)
8 “No seats” sign
9 Better res. than standard 10 Takes the podium 11 Single’s bar goal 13 Hosp. staffers 15 Entirety, redundantly 16 His, per Pierre 21 Mouselike 24 German “The Simpsons” character 26 Not-so-good feeling
27 In the style of 29 “Like, no way!” 30 Conspirators 32 Winter hours in S.F. 33 Lucky charm 35 Turnovers, e.g. 37 First name of two Spice Girls 40 Kimono sashes 43 Small cells
46 Like Mario Kart
48 Possible result of 6-down 50 Gentle heat
53 Katniss’s fellow tribute in “The Hunger Games” 54 Beat
55 Brand for swingers
57 Animation unit
60 Priscilla’s Insta bio 8/16/77
61 Comedian Wong 62 Smidgen 64 Karaoke need
Crossword by Jack Bloomfield
Letter from the editor: rethinking representation
Vivian Parks | Translations Editor
as someone who worked largely behind the scenes at The Appalachian for three years as chief copy editor, stepping into a role where my name is more prominently displayed online and in print is something I thought about when I became the translations editor for this semester. As you might have guessed from my name, I am neither Hispanic nor Latino. Yet, here I am.
I was able to resurrect the Spanish translations section of our newspaper in 2023 after a three-year hiatus and hire a wonderful translations editor in Omar Alvarez Valencia, and I have
no intention of letting it collapse after I graduate. The Appalachian is the only written news outlet in the High Country with Spanish translations and content, and it has been my great honor to bring this much-needed service to our readership.
I feel it is necessary to tell our readers that we will not be doing our typical Hispanic Heritage
to highlight the Hispanic and Latino communities in the High Country, though every year we run into the issue of repetitive representation.
In an age where diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are being forced out of universities around the country, we feel that the more appropriate approach this year is to have year-round coverage of these communities. We want to highlight people
who make our communities better every day, regardless of what our government claims.
As a white Jewish translations editor with a diverse team of translators, we do our best to accurately translate English content, no matter what our backgrounds are. As your translations editor this semester, I promise to translate content accurately and fairly, and bring Hispanic and Latino voices to light as much as I am able. If you feel there are errors or that there are problems with our coverage, please reach out to us at editor@theappalachianonline.com.
I am dedicated to ensuring equitable representation in our coverage. I refuse to back down from
an administration that wants to take away voices, spaces, the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press from individuals they feel do not deserve them. We all deserve to feel safe in our homes, our universities, our places of business and our places of worship. Equal access is just one small part of that, which is what I hope to bring through our Spanish translations.
If you would like to translate for us, reach out to us or stop by our newsroom in room 235 of Plemmons Student Union. Siempre estoy aquí para ustedes.
Vivian Parks Translations Editor 2025
Graphic by Rian Hughes
Local businesses reflect on Helene recovery
Ashton Ahart | Reporter
Four weeks into the semester, Boone enters its first peak tourism season since Hurricane Helene, with crowds returning downtown. They also encounter a town that is at the start of their heaviest tourism season.
“The traditional start of the fall tourist season picks up with students coming back,” said David Jackson, president and CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce.
As the one-year anniversary approaches of Helene, locals and tourists alike are preparing for an unprecedented autumn.
“We can anticipate some level of emotional response,” said Lane Moody, the downtown development coordinator for the town of Boone.
Though Helene’s physical impact is still felt throughout the High Country, Moody holds a positive view toward downtown Boone and its upcoming tourist season.
“We don’t look the same as we did last year,” Moody said. “People have been working really hard to try to do their best to make sure that those cherished events that people have been going to for so long are as close to normal as they can be.”
With road closures, destruction to businesses, homes and state parks, the High Country was in a period of both physical and economic loss.
Fundraising efforts and grants given by both local organizations and state officials like Gov. Josh Stein have helped build back some of the losses local businesses faced following Helene.
The High Country Business Resiliency Disaster Grant — sponsored by the chamber, a nonprofit business advocacy organization — supported small businesses throughout the months after Helene.
The funding process began before the idea for the grant, which came after their team saw a need for supporting small and local businesses.
“As time moved on and we raised more money, we found that creating a disaster grant for small businesses to apply to is going to be essential,” Jackson said.
The grant applies to local businesses that have been directly affected by Helene, whether it be through economic loss, structural
damage or other problems caused by the storm. So far, the chamber has raised around $1.1 million since the start of the grant in October 2024, with around $975,000 going directly to businesses — old, young and “everything in between,” Jackson said.
Support came from across the state and beyond, ranging from large donations to word-of-mouth exposure.
“The commonality to it was all people that have been impacted by the place, they’ve got married here, they’ve vacationed here and they saw this area hurting and they — wanted to do whatever they could do to help,” Jackson said.
The chamber worked with Watauga, Ashe and Avery counties, focusing their efforts on businesses that struggled directly from Helene’s impact.
“Everywhere that was beautiful in this county was impacted,” Jackson said.
Businesses like Mast General Store pitched in to support Western North Carolinians. With their “Mountain Strong” collection, they raised over $200,000 for relief funds, according to Mast’s Storyteller, Sheri Moretz.
Consisting of T-shirts, crewnecks, sweatshirts and more, the collection provided a way for people to give to the Western North Carolina area. The funds raised by Mast went to local schools, small businesses and rivers, Moretz said.
With fundraising efforts and local support, downtown Boone and its businesses have seen growth over the months since Helene.
“Tourists can see this as an opportunity to see how much progress has been done,” Moretz said.
Boone’s businesses meet a new class of App State students each year, along with the usual tourism community, and though Helene recovery is far from over, the new tourism season provides a way to showcase recovery efforts.
“The cool thing about every freshman class, it helps us reimagine and redefine what our community looks like,” Jackson said. “Get involved, get connected. A lot of these small businesses were started by people that came up here and found a life here and established that life here through business ownership.”
Barrels of candy in Mast General’s lower level on Sept. 3.
Photo by Noah Williford
The intersection of North Depot Street and King Street, as seen from Mast General Store on Sept. 3.
Photo by Noah Williford
Boone Mini Mall as seen from the sidewalk on King Street on Sept. 3. The Mini Mall currently holds The Happy Place and Anna Banana’s.
Photo by Noah Williford
Graphics by Chloe Pound
Bard with the Beard and underwater archaeology: Unique fall classes
Colin Wishneski | Reporter
Step into the 15th century, dive underwater or pick up a calligraphy brush to expand skillsets in various areas of study. App State offers a number of unique classes this fall semester to get students out of their comfort zone. The full idiom adds, “but better than a master of one.”
App State offers a number of unique classes where students can gain new skills in their areas of study and explore out of their comfort zone.
Georgia Fox, an adjunct professor and anthropologist with a background in maritime archaeology, teaches Underwater Archaeology.
Students learn underwater archaeology practices and 21st century technologies like remote-operated vehicles and submersibles.
“When people think about underwater archaeology, they immediately think of shipwrecks,” Fox said. “It encompasses a whole broad spectrum of different types of sites.”
Underwater archaeology also has a forensic aspect.
but are only a very small piece of the collection.
Photo by Mady Helt
labeled with a code identifying the state, county and numbered site where the pieces were found.
by Mady Helt
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency works to identify and recover soldiers who went missing in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Fox teaches this in the class to show the broad applications of her work as an anthropologist.
“We view the world through an anthropological lens,” Fox said. “We’re curious and holistic.”
“These days, students are more used to using tablets and phones,” Okamura said. “Writing by hand is more effective to memorize the characters.”
The class only has four materials: paper, a brush, ink and water. Students in the class will learn to use the brush and memorize the Kanji syllabary. The class does not cover Japanese grammar or mechanics, but instead focuses on shaping the language as an art form.
“I want students to connect with others by learning a language,” Okamura said. “I want them to know how to explore their world.”
“This biodiversity here is unparalleled anywhere else in the world,” Davenport said. “You can drive two hours south and see all new species of salamanders.”
Salamanders and other amphibians are valuable environmental indicators because much of their lives are spent in both terrestrial and aquatic biomes. They are sensitive to the smallest of ecological factors like silt levels, water temperature and salinity, making them a useful tool in understanding climate change and habitat loss.
“Conservation-wise, amphibians are like a canary in a coal mine,” Davenport said.
“I’ve always been interested in Shakespeare,” Jackson said. “In college, my professor brought up the theory that someone else wrote his plays. They all contain legal language, and someone who had a lot of knowledge of the law must have written them.”
In the class, Jackson analyzes plays attributed to Shakespeare that show legal metaphors as well as outright legal disputes.
“The Merchant of Venice” features concepts such as breach of contract, turn of phrase and detailed court scenes. Jackson uses Shakespeare’s plays to demonstrate legal approaches to modern issues.
In the Department of Language, Literatures and Cultures, Nanaka Okamura teaches Kanji and Caligraphy. This semester is Okamura’s first time teaching this class at App State, but she previously taught the content as a workshop while working as the Japan Outreach Initiative coordinator at Western Carolina University.
Okamura, who has been doing calligraphy since she was six, sees the class as a way to learn about Japanese language and culture in a more interactive manner than what online language learning apps offer.
In the Department of Biology, associate professor Jon Davenport teaches Herpetology, the study of reptiles and amphibians. The higher level biology class goes on weekly field trips to local museums and natural areas to better understand the creatures they’re studying.
“A lot of what students get before this is conceptual,” Davenport said. “This class gets into the nitty-gritty.”
Western North Carolina is a hub for salamander activity, and much of the fieldwork involves encounters with native salamander species like the yonahlossee, shovelnose, Blacksburg, blackbelly, Weller’s and hellbender.
In the four years Davenport has taught the class, he and his students have traveled across the state, spending long weekends at field sites and seeing the amphibians as they are in their natural habitat.
“When they see the animals, they get to teach each other and apply what they’ve learned,” Davenport said. “My favorite thing is when students start to connect the dots.”
“Sir Thomas More” features plot lines about the legal rights of immigrants, an unprecedented concept in the 1590s when it was first performed.
Although he brings the authorship of Shakespeare’s work into question for the sake of the class, Jackson has no doubt of the significance of the plays and sonnets because of their innovation in delving into the complexity of the human condition.
“Humanity is a patchwork of people and personality,” Jackson said. “We’re all impacted by each other’s actions and things out of our control, but in the end we’re all human.”
In the Honors College, Garrett Jackson uses his experience as a legal scholar to teach Shakespeare and the Law.
An adult grey-cheeked salamander found along a study transect within the forest on Sept. 20, 2024. As nocturnal creatures that prefer damp conditions, it is very hard to find them in the wild.
Photo by Mady Helt
Archaeological pieces from the general collection housed in Alice Wright’s lab on Aug. 27. These pieces come from the same dig site,
Boxes of archaeological samples sit in Alice Wright’s lab on Aug. 27. The boxes are
Photo
New kids on the block: A guide to Boone’s newest businesses
Haley DiFruscio | Political Editor
Mo’s Cloud Cafe
A short walk from Peacock Hall and Belk Library, Mo’s Cloud Cafe is like a gas station without the gas, selling convenience sstore-style snacks, drinks and tobacco products.
The owner, Mohamed “Mo” Abdelfattah, opened his first store in 2023 called Mo’s Sweets, which serves a variety of handcrafted crepes and waffles. Abdelfattah wrote in an email he wanted to go a different direction with the newest shop.
“I always felt King Street needed a true convenience store that caters to students,” Abdelfattah wrote. “After a lot of brainstorming, we came up with the idea of a hybrid concept—part convenience store, part vape shop, with ice cream, pastries, and coffee.” Abdelfattah said the idea came from his experience as an App State student taking classes in Peacock Hall.
“As a former App State student myself, this business is very personal to me,” Abdelfattah wrote. “Our goal is to make life easier for students by providing what they need without them having to drive to a gas station or big-box store.”
Mo’s Cloud Cafe is located at 494 W. King St.
The Wafflery
Charlotte natives might recognize the gridded logo of Boone’s newest brunch restaurant — The Wafflery, a family business with a twist on traditional breakfast.
“What I think we’re known for is the buildyour-own stuff,” owner Matt King said. “You see that in pizza, you see that in sandwiches, but when it comes to waffles, you don’t really go to many places where you can just build your own waffles and biscuit and grit bowl creations.”
King said the menu features a lot of personal recipes, like his grandfather’s pot roast and his best friend’s grits.
“It’s just good down-home cooking, there’s nothing fancy about it,” King said. “It’s really good and really consistent. And everything is fresh.”
King said he hoped to create a welcoming environment where people could feel comfortable hanging out, even if they just buy a coffee.
The Wafflery is located at 776 Blowing Rock Road and free retail parking is available in the building’s parking deck.
The Speckled Trout Outfitters
A new location of a familiar fly fishing shop has found its way onto Depot Street above the Magic Cycles bike store. The Speckled Trout Outfitters, which also has a location in Blowing Rock, is about more than just fly fishing, Store Manager Joseph Lynch said.
“We’re definitely very fly fishing centric and have all that stuff, but we like to carry things so that everyone can find something in here, and it’s more of an outdoor and lifestyle space,” Lynch said.
A bar sits at the heart of the store, selling craft beers and nonalcoholic beverages, with 5% of drink sales supporting various local nonprofits, according to an email from Roger Capote, director of marketing.
Lynch said the store has been receiving steady traffic and positive feedback so far, and he’s hoping to get more students into the store.
“All home games we’ll do tailgates, so we’ll have a tent or two set up, we’ll do hot dogs, we have $4 beers that we can sell. And we do give a 10% off to all App students if you show your ID,” Lynch said.
The company also does guided trips including wade fishing, boating, hiking and destination travel, Lynch said. The trips vary in length and location, with some being in the High Country and others being as far as the Yucatán Peninsula.
Specked Trout Outfitters is located on the second floor of 140 Depot St.
Level Up Latte
For those who wish to relive the peak of arcade gaming in the 1980s, a new “retrocade” coffee and dessert shop has opened in Boone Mall from the owners of Eleven80 Eatery, Craig and Marlo Jennings.
The store has a variety of games like Donkey Kong, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga and Street Fighter that each cost 25 cents to play, Craig Jennings wrote in an email.
He wrote that he and his wife saw a need for a certain type of business.
“The mall was lacking a coffee and ice cream option, we wanted to provide that, as well as a space where families and friends of all ages could come and play some retro video games, watch some 80s music videos and get some great coffee and ice cream,” Craig Jennings wrote.
The owners hope to expand and add more games and pinball options. As of time of publication, the store is rotating its machines to keep the selection of games fresh.
Level Up Latte is located in Boone Mall at 1180 Blowing Rock Road.
Level Up Latte advertises itself as a “retrocade,” offering coffee, ice cream and vintage arcade games inside the Boone Mall on Aug. 24.
Photo by Juliet Coen
From left, General Manager Jennifer Constable, owner Matt King, and Kitchen Manager Ali Nava stand in front of The Wafflery’s logo inside the new Boone location on Aug. 24.
Photo by Juliet Coen
Ryan Crawley pours a beer behind the bar in The Speckled Trout Outfitters on Aug. 22. Crawley is the lead hiking guide for the outdoor excursions and also serves as a bartender.
Photo by Juliet Coen
Rows of candy, snacks and drinks fill the inside of Mo’s Cloud Cafe on Aug. 22.
Photo by Juliet Coen
Support and resources for ICE-related encounters in the High Country
Madalyn Edwards | Political Editor
With the increased national presence of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, many people may be unsure about what actions they should take to stay safe. Various resources are available to community members in the High Country aimed at informing them about precautions and their rights.
Watauga County Immigrant Justice Coalition is a nonprofit that provides outreach opportunities and resources to communities with immigrant populations and offers a place where they can feel valued.
Some of the programs the coalition hosts have shifted due to recent events, such as changes in legislation that increase ICE’s jurisdiction and presence. One of these programs is the FaithAction ID Program, where individuals can receive IDs accepted by law enforcement, healthcare centers and more. This helps provide documentation with accurate information, such as the ID holder’s name and address.
The coalition also holds events where immigrant residents can engage with their community, sharing their culture with others and creating connections. But recently, attendance has declined.
“It’s really hard to get people out,” aid a coalition board member, who requested to remain anonymous due to personal reasons. “The fear is so strong.”
The coalition has focused on staying up to date with recent legislation related to immigration, making sure to report the information back to community members.
Previously, local law enforcement agencies could opt into programs where they developed a partnership between their local jail and ICE officials. House Bill 10 mandated this partnership, requiring all local law enforcement agencies to comply directly with ICE agents. Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed this bill, but it was overturned.
“We know that some community members have been affected by this,” the coalition board member said.
By enforcing the bill, verification status for immigrants would automatically be triggered if they are accused of any crimes.
House Bill 318 expands on the rules regarding a 48-hour ICE hold for detainees, which would go into effect after their scheduled release time. It also expands on the list of offenses that trigger verification status to class A1 misdemeanors.
Additionally, ICE must receive a twohour notification before the person is released.
resources and their time to actually reduce crime,” Bogardus said.
She said this reduces safety in the local community and creates a deterrent for those wishing to interact with their local law enforcement.
“For example, in Watauga County, the police really did a good job, and the community did a good job of working together and building relationships, but those relationships are going to erode,” Bogardus said.
In turn, communities with larger immigrant populations are less likely to report crimes and inquire about receiving assistance, she said.
“That could deter people from applying for services that they really need, just because they’re afraid of being associated,” she said. “Maybe they have a cousin or a neighbor or somebody who doesn’t have legal authorization. People will not apply for this assistance. And that’s going to harm families and harm children.”
Melinda Bogardus, treasurer and board member of the coalition, said the current administration previously agreed they would focus on detaining and deporting violent criminals.
“And what we’re seeing is that people who are not engaging in any kind of crimes, that are not a threat to public safety, are getting caught up — are getting deported,” she said.
Senate Bill 153 is another act of legislation that grants immigration officials more power and authority, and has been vetoed by Gov. Josh Stein. The bill shifts focus away from providing noncitizens with benefits and implements a method of citizenship verification in order to receive benefits.
It also grants law enforcement officers, like the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, more control over immigration-related matters.
“By making local law enforcement, Highway Patrol participate in these federal jobs, and doing ICE’s work for them, it takes away from their
If ICE or police come to your house
Si ICE o la policía viene a su casa
• Remain calm and keep your door closed.
• Mantenga la calma y mantén su puerta cerrada.
• Ask if they are immigration agents and what they are there for.
• Preguntan si son oficiales de inmigracion y por qué están allí.
• Ask o cers to show you their badge or identity card through a window or door peephole.
• Pide a los oficiales que le muestren su placa o tarjeta de identificación a través de una ventana o mirilla de la puerta.
• Never open the door unless agents can show (slip it under the door or press against a window) a search or arrest warrant signed by a judge in the name of the person living at your home (required to enter).
• Nunca abra la puerta a menos que los oficiales puedan mostrar (debajo la puerta o presionado contra una ventana) una orden de búsqueda o arresto firmado por un juez en nombre de la persona que vive en su casa (requerido para entrar).
• No signed warrant = keep the door closed. “I do not consent to you coming into my home.”
• Sin orden firmada = mantén la puerta cerrada. “No consiento su entrada a mi hogar”.
• Signed warrant = let them in and invoke your right to remain silent.
• Orden firmada = déjelos entrar e invoque su derecho a permanecer en silencio.
• If agents force themselves inside, do not resist. “I do not consent to your entry or search of my home. I am exercising my right to remain silent. I request to speak to an attorney.”
• Si los agentes se meten a la fuerza, no se resista. Dígales “no doy mi consentimiento para su entrada ni para el registro de mi casa. Estoy ejerciendo mi derecho a permanecer en silencio. Solicito hablar con un abogado”.
• Never sign anything without speaking to a lawyer first.
• Nunca firme nada antes de hablar con un abogado.
If ICE or police show up to your work.
Si ICE o la policía vienen a su lugar de trabajo
• Remain calm and assess the situation.
• Mantenga la calma y evalúe la situación.
• Ask if you are free to leave. If yes, calmly leave, do not run.
• Pida si está libre de irse. En caso afirmativo, sal con calma. No corras.
• If you are arrested, you have the right to remain silent until you talk to your lawyer.
• Si lo arrestan, usted tiene el derecho de permanecer en silencio hasta hablar con su abogado.
• You do not need to answer questions about your immigration status.
• No necesita responder a preguntas sobre su estatus migratorio.
• You have the right not to consent to being searched.
• Tiene el derecho a no consentir ser registrado.
• Do not sign anything or hand over fake documents.
The location where an immigrant has the most rights is in their own home, the coalition board member said. If they find themselves having an interaction with an ICE agent, they should document the interaction and keep their door closed and locked throughout the entire process, opting to communicate through the closed door.
They also said a federal agent cannot enter a person’s home without a signed warrant from a judge — meaning that if a warrant is presented but is only signed by an ICE agent, entry does not have to be granted.
Outside of the home, the board member said it’s easier for ICE agents to “grab” people out in public and on the streets.
“I know people locally who do not want to go out and drive places, except where they absolutely have to go,” Bogardus said.
For the workplace, the board member said there are precautions business owners and organizations can take in advance when encountering ICE agents. Business owners should always be sure to
• No firme nada y no entregue documentos falsos.
For more information, please visit https://elpueblo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SAFE-FAMILIES.pdf
document every encounter and have a designated private space with a locked door for their employees and clients.
As for students attending App State, Senior Director of Public Relations Anna Oakes wrote that students looking for guidelines or policies related to immigration can find information via the Office of General Counsel.
“Guidance on procedures for visits and information requests from federal or state agencies can be found on the Office of General Counsel website. App State complies with all state and federal laws, and the university regularly monitors updates in laws and policies related to international travel, visas and immigration,” she wrote.
Oakes wrote that additional resources are available for international students seeking support.
“At App State, we value the insights and contributions of our international students and employees, who help enrich our university community,” she wrote. “App State’s Office of International Programs provides information, resources, advising and other support to international students studying at App State as well as to students who are traveling for study abroad.”
Immigrants in the High Country can find resources and support through websites like El Pueblo, which contains an emergency guide for immigrants, and the American Civil Liberties Union provides resources for social rights, including immigration.
Infographic by Rian Hughes | Translated by Vivian Parks
ARTS & CULTURE
If you are stopped by ICE or police in tra c Si ICE a la policía lo detienen en un vehículo
• Pull over in a safe place on the right. Turn o the engine and the interior lights, partially open the window, and put your hands on the wheel.
• Deténgase en un lugar seguro a la derecha. Apague el motor y las luces interiores, baje la ventana parcialmente y coloque sus manos en el volante.
• If requested, show your driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance.
• Si se lo piden, muestre su licencia de conducir, la matrícula del vehículo y el comprobante de seguro.
• The police may ask you to write down your or the vehicle owner's name and address. Still, you do not have to answer questions about your immigrant status.
• Es posible que la policía le pidan que anote su nombre y dirección o el del propietario del vehículo. Aún así, no necesita responder a preguntas sobre su estatus migratorio.
• Everyone in the car has the right to remain silent, driver and passengers.
• Cada persona en el vehículo tiene el derecho de permanecer en silencio, conductores y pasajeros.
• If you are a passenger, you are allowed to ask if you are free to leave. If yes, you are allowed to calmly leave.
• Si es un pasajero, puede pedir si está libre de irse. En caso afirmativo, puede irse tranquilamente.
• If an immigration o cer asks you to search the inside of your vehicle, you are allowed to say no. However, if there is visible evidence of a crime, the police can search.
• Si un oficial de inmigracion le pide que revise su vehículo, puede decirles que no. Sin embargo, si hay evidencia de un crimen, la policía puede buscarlo.
If you encounter ICE or police in a public space Si se encuentra con ICE o a la policía en un lugar público
• Remain calm. Do not resist or run.
• Mantenga la calma. No se resiste ni corre.
• Keep your hands raised and in sight.
• Mantenga las manos levantadas y a la vista.
• Do not hand over fake documents.
• No entregue documentos falsos.
• It is your constitutional right to remain silent. To exercise your right, say it out loud.
• Es su derecho constitucional permanecer en silencio. Para ejercer su derecho, dígalo en voz alta.
• You have the right not to consent to a search of you or your belongings unless there is suspicion of a weapon.
• Usted tiene el derecho de no dar su consentimiento para que lo registren a usted o a sus pertenencias, a menos que haya sospecha de que porta un arma.
• You do not need to answer questions about your immigrant status (where you were born, if you are a U.S. citizen, or how you entered the U.S.)
• No necesita responder a preguntas sobre su estatus migratorio (donde nació, si es un ciudadano de los EEUU o como entró a los EEUU).
‘In our little Hickory’: Centro Latino hosts Todos Somos América heritage celebration
Meg Frantz | Editor-in-Chief
After leaving the Peace Corps in Panama 10 years ago, Soraya Valdez Place learned the Centro Latino Hickory website was written solely in English.
“I remember googling Latino community associations, anything in this area,” Place said. “I saw that Central Latino was here, but everything was in English, and when I saw that I thought, ‘Wait, so who is this for?’”
Now the Program Coordinator & Social Media Specialist, Place spends most of her time connecting with people and creating programming that caters to Hickory’s Latin community through food trucks, sales, performances and more.
Latino Best Ally Award presentations, impactful members of the Hickory Latin community earn the platform to give back to the town that shaped them.
The award recipients are chosen by a committee separate from Centro Latino Hickory.
years and years, I mean, seriously, generations,” Place said. “This is something that we’re going to add this year that I’m excited about, to put those names out there so people can see who has been behind Central Latino for a long time.”
One of those efforts is Todos Somos América (We Are ALL America), Centro Latino Hickory’s annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. Now in its fourth year, Place and Executive Director Ginny Romero Hill have helped develop the festival from merely an idea to an annual recognition of community and belonging.
“It’s been great bringing the community together, seeing so many people from so many different walks of life, different backgrounds, just coming together to celebrate the positive impact that our community has on the larger community,” Hill said. “It’s been very inspiring.”
The festival features face painting, food trucks, vendors, traditional dance performances and music from multiple Latin American countries. However, Todos Somos América extends far beyond a celebration of culture.
Through the presentation of the Abriendo Puertas scholarship, the Outstanding Latino Award for Catawba County and the Centro
Abriendo Puertas, or “Opening Doors,” offers programming and educational resources for students to “build bridges and strengthen connections within our communities,” according to the Centro Latino Hickory website.
“Sometimes it’s just they’re one lab away from graduating and they can’t afford that,” Hill said. “While we can’t give full-ride scholarships, the scholarships that we are providing is helping these students pursue their career dreams, and it’s open to everyone.”
The Best Ally Award is given to a local community partner that helps support Centro Latino Hickory’s mission, and the Outstanding Latino Award for Catawba County is given to a person of Latino descent who has given back to the community.
“The truth is, it’s been a recognition that has been long overdue because we have so many organizations that have been supporting Central Latino for
Hill said the first award they gave for Outstanding Latino Award for Catawba County was given to a restaurant owner who distributes food to homeless people in the area. The Centro Latino Hickory office is now located down the street from the restaurant.
Place said the City of Hickory and Catawba County give a proclamation of Hispanic Heritage Month, both in English and Spanish, to recognize the work the Latin community.
“The Latinos are, you know, teachers that are teaching their students, the Latinos are part of the community,” Place said. “I think that that’s very important, especially when you are not from this area, but also when you have an accent or when you’re a minority, right? You feel like ‘Not everybody looks like me,’ but just being recognized, I think it’s what people really like.”
Hill said a large part of the festival is being able to pass on not only cultural history to future generations but also a sense of pride in one’s history.
“We’re all very proud to live here, to be a part of this community, but we also are very proud of our roots and of our culture,” Hill said. “It’s just exciting to see people get excited to see that representation. And in our little Hickory, you know?”
Brittany Nicole, owner of Gourmet Sweetsations, poses with her husband, Markese Blackburn, at her booth at the 2024 Todos Somos America festival in Hickory on Sept. 29, 2024.
Courtesy of Steffany Bishop
ARTS & CULTURE
If these walls could talk: Downtown murals
Owen Marcellino | A&C Editor
While there aren’t many similarities between a salamander, Doc Watson and the word “Boone,” there are some that can be found on the streets of downtown Boone.
At the corner of 641 W. King Street and Depot Street, painted in green, the town logo colors the brick with the tagline, “Elevation 3,333.”
The mural features a outline of a sunrise over the mountains with the phrase “Live It Up.” Designed by local business Designation by Design and sponsored by the Downtown Boone Development Association, the mural was announced in August 2019, and was revealed as part of the First Friday event the following month.
The 16-by-16 foot mural stands on the side of the Boone Mini Mall and provides a warm welcome and photo opportunity to anyone meandering throughout downtown.
The Downtown Boone Development Association helped bring another mural to life, this time highlighting a local amphibian.
Across from Little Wing Ice Cream, just one street further from the logo mural, stands the Hellbender mural designed by Josh Johnston. Unveiled in September 2024, the image puts the spotlight on a hellbender, the largest species of salamander, which reside throughout the Appalachian waterways.
Describing them as the High Country’s resident endangered species, professor of freshwater conservation biology Michael Gangloff said that hellbenders are a central part of our aquatic ecosystems that everyone should be aware of.
“I think it’s important for people who don’t know hellbenders and who are visiting Boone from the other parts of North Carolina or other parts of the world to see that though because it really gives them the sense of what the rivers used to look like,” Gangloff said.
Gangloff, who was present for the revealing of the mural last September, said the intersection of the arts and sciences is crucial to a town like Boone, and he is happy to aid it in any way possible.
“I love to see science and art coming together,” Gangloff said. “I think one of the coolest things about being a scientist is being able to help contribute to those kinds of efforts.”
Chloe Swanger, a senior art education major, has seen the combination of art and science manifest in her own work.
“The Hellbender mural shows creative ways to represent the salamanders in their native ecosystem,” Swanger said. “In one of my gen-ed art classes, I was directly inspired by the Hellbender mural to the extent of creating my own hellbender scratch drawing.”
Through contrasting colors, Johnston displays an array of organisms in the mural, representing the diverse ecosystem that surrounds hellbenders. The mural depicts crawdads, brook trout, an eastern belted kingfisher and green floater mussels — all of which are native to the Appalachian region.
However, hellbenders are not the only Appalachian native to be showcased at large in downtown Boone.
Just a few paces away, at the intersection of South Depot Street and Howard Street, rests a portrait mural of Doc and Merle Watson.
The grayscale mural of two local legends was created by artist Scott Nurkin and was drawn up in just a little over a week in 2023. This mural is an addition to the North Carolina Musician Murals project, which aims to feature impactful North Carolina musicians in their hometowns.
According to the Downtown Boone website, Nurkin’s mural honors Doc and Merle Watson’s “indelible mark” on the musical scene in North Carolina.
“Humans of all walks of life enjoy viewing and interacting with public art, especially murals that they can pose in front of,” Swanger said. “I can’t count how many times I’ve seen pictures of any of the murals in town on social media with someone posing in front of it to prove they’ve been to Boone.”
Mountaineers find home away from home
Alex Wallin | Reporter
Blank walls and bare floors greet students as they enter a new space, soon to become their home.
It can be tough for students to get comfortable living in a different area than they are used to. Still, App State students have found ways to mirror the comfort of home in a collegiate space.
Amber Benton, a freshman electronic media and broadcasting major, brought items from home to embody the familiar embrace of their room.
“If you get, like, the smaller things like decorations and stuff that specifically you’ve had for ages, it really really helps make it more homey,” Benton said. “You’re seeing all the things that you see, like, every other day of your life.”
Establishing a second home in Boone not only consists of interior design, but also interpersonal relationships as well.
Rigby Kohler-Britton, a sophomore studio art major, said communication — specifically
regarding roommates — is the key to finding a “home” in Boone.
“I find that having a person who has similar interests to you definitely helps, but it is often randomized if you don’t know anybody,” KohlerBritton said. “Just try to communicate with them, even if it’s uncomfortable, it can make being comfortable a lot easier.”
Kohler-Britton said having a shared rug with his roommate contributes to the comfort of a dorm.
Lillian Wood, a sophomore psychology major, similarly believes that creating a shared communal space effectively reflects the feeling of home.
“I definitely want to get some extra seating in to accommodate for friends; I have got little tiny beanbag chairs and stuff,” Wood said. “But definitely making the most of the living area to accommodate friends and other guests.”
Wood said she is not completely satisfied with her move from Belk Hall to Thunder Hill Hall, primarily due
to the change in size of the dorm’s community.
“I did do Belk last year and I loved it so much more,” Wood said. “I felt like the smaller community was better for creating relationships.”
In contrast, Chris Lor, a sophomore construction management major, is pleased with his move from Belk Hall to New River Hall this year.
Lor said using items from home in his dorm, like his guitar, volleyball net, anime figures and sword props brings him a lot of comfort and nostalgia from home.
“Anything that really gives me that comfort at home I brought with me just like to make it feel more cozy,” Lor said.
Lor said it was difficult to find comfort through App State’s community since he was in an environment with a support system that differed greatly from the one in his hometown.
“Especially being an Asian guy who grew up with other Asian people coming to App State, which is a PWI,
it’s kind of hard to fit into feeling like I’m at home,” Lor said.
Lor said his roommate, Billy Dennis, a sophomore finance and banking major, helped make the dorm feel more like home. He said he resonates with the nostalgia of sharing a space with his roommate, equating it to sharing a room with his little brother as a child.
“I was always used to sharing a room with somebody else, having our belongings be in the same room,” Lor said.
The two roommates originally met playing volleyball on Sanford Mall, Lor said. Dennis accidentally broke Lor’s ankle, leading to their eventual unbreakable bond as roommates a year later.
“Chris is already like a brother to me, it’s like having family, so I’m grateful for Chris now as I’m grateful for my family back at home,” Dennis said.
The downtown Boone logo displayed on the side of Boone Mini Mall on Aug. 28.
This mural unveiled in September 2019, has become a great photo opportunity for visitors of King Street.
Photo by Mady Helt
Sophomore psychology major Lillian Wood waves in front of her desk in Thunder Hill Hall on Aug. 19.
Photo by Jackson Hornback
Celebrating local roots and global sounds through Boone’s music scene
Beatrix Johnson | Reporter
From the Jones House Cultural Center to Boonerang Music & Arts Festival, musical harmonies float around every corner of Boone. Walking through the streets of downtown Boone, Doc Watson’s influence drapes over every corner, but the world music scene isn’t quite so apparent. Music from all corners of the world thrives in Boone; you just have to know where to listen.
According to World Music Central, “world music” is a loose term, one that since the1980s has been used as more of a marketing label than anything else.
Laurie Semmes is a professor of ethnomusicology, a term referring to the study of music in its social and cultural context. Upon entering her office, there are instruments everywhere, from French horns to banduras, a traditional Ukrainian string instrument.
“World music to me is — I can’t think of any music that is not in the world,” Semmes said. “So it all qualifies.”
Having lived in the High Country since 2003, she is familiar with the local music scene.
“A few years ago, there was a family group that used to play on Tuesdays at the Bojangles out on 421. I remember watching this little girl, somebody handed her a fiddle and she had this look on her face like, ‘Great, I’ve got to play this now,’” Semmes said. “The spontaneous nature of the local music is, I think, half the fun of it.”
Not all music in Boone is spontaneous. Every third Saturday, Fizz Ed hosts a Latin Dance Night from 8 p.m. to midnight, where friends gather to learn the intricacies of salsa and bachata dancing.
Off the NC-105, Casa Rustica offers live jazz on Thursday nights, featuring musicians Todd Wright and Andy Page. During the summer, the Jones House hosts porch concerts where the community gathers on the lawn with blankets and picnic supplies for a night of music.
Local band Rastacoustic, a reggaeinspired group formed in the High Country in 2017, also contributes to Boone’s world music scene.
They regularly play at local breweries and events around town, recently taking the stage at High Country Beer Fest. Peter Brown, singer and keys player, grew up listening to lots of reggae, jazz and latin music influences the band’s sound.
“We’re playing a lot of reggae music in the mountains and foothills of North Carolina,” Brown said. “That’s, you know, heavy bluegrass, heavy old-time music, string band music, you know, traditional Americana.”
Brown said that despite the strong influence of folk music, Boone listeners still wish to hear world music. Brown said, the appreciation for reggae that the community shares links to an appreciation for world music as a whole.
“I think a lot of world music is that way,” Brown said. “It’s like they have a love for it and also a feeling of, like, I want to share this.”
The presence of world music in Boone will continue over the next year, with several visiting musicians coming to perform from many corners of the world.
The performing group Afrique en Cirque is coming to the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts on Nov. 12. The group, formed by Yamoussa Bangoura, combines the contemporary sounds of afro-jazz with the entrancing sights of acrobatics to celebrate the artistry of African culture.
Rhiannon Giddens, director of the Silkroad project, will be coming to the Schaefer Center on April 18, 2026. Giddens’ music explores America’s musical history through perspectives that have been overlooked, focusing on the lives and cultures of Black and Indigenous artists.
Gidden’s commitment to celebrating diverse cultural narratives aligns with High Country Humanities, an initiative from the College of Arts and Sciences focusing on promoting the humanities within Western North Carolina.
Jacob Kopcienski is an assistant professor of musicology with a focus in music history and world music.
“What we are working to do is support humanities programming at App State and provide opportunities for faculty to do research in the humanities,” Kopcienski said. “But also continue to build and support an ecosystem of arts organizations, humanities organizations, historical organizations that are doing this work in Watauga, Ash and Avery County.”
Past performances have had a wide range of topics. In 2024, the program explored the life of Béla Bartók, a Hungarian composer who during the 19th century documented folk music in Hungary, focusing on antisemitism and how it manifested in the music.
“I think if you’re looking to participate by watching, it’s important to think about how you as a citizen create a community where people are able to thrive and do things that are both expressive and interesting in creative ways, but also expressive of long histories and stories,” Kopcienski said.
One way to engage with culturally rich expression is by attending upcoming events on campus.
In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, on Sept. 28 at 4 p.m., the Hayes School of Music will be putting on a special show, highlighting Latin American culture in a night of colorful and eclectic music.
Graphics by
Bobby Carter
Larry Bellorín of Larry & Joe on the Jones House stage on June 21.
Photo by Noah Williford
Two musicians playing during Boonerang at the entrance of Anna Banana’s on King Street in downtown Boone on June 20.
Photo by KayLeigh Lambert
Big Chief Juan Pardo, leader of the Golden Comanche and and singer in Tribal Gold, performs on the ECRS stage during Boonerang on June 21.
Photo by Noah Williford
Larry Bellorín and Joe Troop perform as Appalachian and Venezuelan folk fusion duo Larry & Joe on the Jones House stage on June 21.
Photo by Noah Williford
The Appalachian Sports Desk breaks down the Mountaineer football season
Sports Desk
Every year, the App State community rallies around Mountaineer football. With new coaching staff and key transfers, The Appalachian Sports Desk makes their predictions on if the Mountaineers will rise to the top of the mountain or fall.
Max Schwanz, Sports Editor
App State football starts a transition period with head coach Dowell Loggains steering the ship. The Mountaineers have a mix of strong returners and new transfers on both sides of the ball. The team might struggle at the beginning of the season but will still start the season with three wins against UNCCharlotte, Lindenwood and Southern Mississippi. They will then drop two straight games to new opponents in Boise State and Oregon State, then coast through the rest of the season with their only loss coming against James Madison.
Prediction: 9-3 and Sun Belt Championship (Losses to Boise State, Oregon State and JMU)
Tess McNally, Associate Sports Editor
Loggains, defensive coordinator DJ Smith and Louisiana State University quarterback transfer AJ Swann have kept Mountaineer fans curious on the outcome of this transition season. Fans have seen App State suffer from losses that were attainable, but this new playbook is destined to clench conference wins. The middle of the season however, may repeat history. UNC-Charlotte at Bank of America stadium will put the boiling blood to rest. The Mountaineers will outplay the Niners leading to a three-game winning streak against Lindenwood and Southern Miss. The Black and Gold may fall short against Oregon State and Coastal Carolina, leaving the remainder of the season a toss up.
Prediction: 7-5 and no Sun Belt Championship (Losses to Oregon State, Coastal Carolina, James Madison, Old Dominion and Georgia State)
Parker Egeland
It is a new era for App State football with changes to the head coach and starting quarterback positions. While the offense had changed throughout the system, the defense brought back some familiar faces and could be what the Mountaineers rely on throughout the season. Early non-conference games against Boise State and Oregon State provide some opportunities for experience before the bulk of the conference slate, but will be challenging tests.
Prediction: 8-4 and Sun Belt Championship (Losses to Southern Miss, Boise State, Oregon State and JMU)
Dylan Shepherd
There’s been plenty of change in the offseason, as year one of Loggains comes with a revamped coaching staff and overhauled offense, including LSU transfer Swann taking the reins at quarterback. Smith plans to run an aggressive defense that brings back several veterans, which could be this team’s strength as the offense gets settled in. Consecutive conference matchups against Georgia Southern and James Madison in early November will determine if App State has what it takes to rebound from a disappointing 2024 campaign. Tough non-conference games against Boise State and Oregon State will once again put a national spotlight on the Mountaineers. Prediction: 8-4 and Sun Belt Championship (Losses to Boise State, Oregon State, Coastal Carolina and JMU.)
Trey Blake
When Mountaineer fans pack Kidd Brewer Stadium during the 2025 season, many new faces will be on the sidelines and on the field. The question on many Mountaineer fans minds will be if old demons still plague the secondary and defensive line. The offense, with key transfers and much needed experience should see a jump with Loggains and a decorated staff with over 90 years of NFL experience. While everything looks great on paper, we’ve seen this story before: a hyped up team with championship aspirations fails to deliver but always somehow gets a key win here and there.
Prediction: 7-5 and no Sun Belt (Losses to Southern Miss, Boise State, Coastal Carolina, Old Dominion and James Madison)
Chris Aguilar
It’s time for every college kid’s favorite time of year: college football season. This year is going to be different for the App State football team. Loggains has brought in new transfers and a new coaching staff that have the students of App State excited for this season. App State will start the season off with a victory at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte against the Charlotte 49ers and will also win its next 2 games against Lindenwood and Southern Miss before losing two in a row to Boise State and Oregon State. After their losses, App State will win 5 of its last 7 games, with the two losses coming from Coastal Carolina and JMU, to finish out the season with an 8-4 record.
Prediction: 8-4 and Sun Belt Championship (Losses to Boise State, Oregon State, Coastal Carolina, JMU)
Graphic by Chloe Pound
moment in the sun: CJ Huntley joins nba
Max Schwanz | Sports Editor
It was always CJ Huntley’s dream to play Division I basketball and make it to the NBA. This dream is finally a reality.
On June 25, Huntley received the life changing call from the Phoenix Suns, and later signed a two-way contract with the organization as a forward.
“Being around my family and friends and receiving that call just meant the world to me,” Huntley said.
Before the draft, Huntley spent five years as a member of the App State men’s basketball team.
Even though he is no longer a Mountaineer, Huntley has left a lasting impression on those he spent time with.
“CJ is an incredible human being who has an incredible heart for people,” Szorc said. “He is a Mountaineer through and through, and the feeling for me is just proud of him and proud to be a part of it.”
Huntley spent all of last summer working out and preparing for his moment. He believed he showed the Suns all they needed to see.
Huntley is part of App State history, including being the first player recruited by head coach Dustin Kerns to commit to the Mountaineers.
While at App State, Huntley finished with 1,324 points and appeared in 153 games, tied for most in program history. He was a part of 96 wins, the second most of all time.
Huntley’s work ethic was on full display during his college career, and assistant coach Bob Szorc saw it firsthand.
“He has skills you can’t teach. So when you combine those things with time in the gym, you are going to get better,” Szorc said.
Szorc watched his play style develop. He said Huntley was “a lob threat that can stretch the floor,” and he “has the ability to protect the rim.”
In his final year at App State, Huntley was a role model for then freshmen center Michael Marcus Jr. He is now a sophomore forward.
“I respect him because even though I was coming in new, I was able to learn a lot from him,” Marcus Jr. said.
Marcus Jr. was able to watch Huntley play and compared his play style to a surfer, saying he was able to go with the flow of the game and adapt.
“I feel like I had my best workout with them and showed my full potential,” Huntley said. “My work ethic and how I am off the court showed them the side of CJ Huntley that every organization wants to have.”
Huntley immediately began the transition into the NBA lifestyle, suiting up in orange and purple during the Summer League. He highlighted the spacing and physicality differences between the college and the professional level. To prepare, he bulked up from 190 pounds when he first joined App State to 221 pounds heading into the NBA.
Despite this change, he still managed to have an 18 point and 9 rebound performance in his final game of the Summer League, giving him the confidence he needed to believe he belonged at the next level.
Another struggle of the NBA lifestyle is moving away from home. Huntley, a North Carolina native, is now nearly 2,000 miles away from home in Arizona.
Huntley said the main difference between the states was the weather, but having his family and friends helped ease the transition.
Despite this, Huntley is excited to start his career wearing his dad’s college number, 22.
“My dad wore that in college, and I just wanted to represent him through everything I do everyday,” Huntley said.
Huntley said he is anxiously awaiting the start of the NBA season on Oct. 21.
“I am most excited about just being out there with the guys doing whatever it takes,” Huntley said.
Graduate student forward
CJ Huntley finished his collegiate career with a high of 487 points his final season on March 19.
Photo by Ashton Woodruff
Graphic by Chloe Pound
fly-fishing club Casts connections
Tess McNally | Associate Sports Editor
As the leaves start to change color and summer fades to fall, App State’s Fly-Fishing Club’s season is just beginning.
After the COVID-19 pandemic caused activity to dwindle, the FlyFishing Club saw a resurgence in 2022.
Graem Hargrove, a senior from Greensboro, serves as the club’s honorary president. Hargrove is a biology major with a concentration in ecology, evolution and environmental biology.
“I am definitely wanting to work with wildlife or fisheries or with the state and federal government doing some kind of conservation work,” Hargrove said.
Hargrove got into fly fishing in a unique way. “I used to watch a lot of video games, and I ran into a group of YouTubers that bass-fished a lot,” Hargrove said.
He eventually got his own fly fishing rod as a Christmas gift and brought his passion with him to the High Country.
The App State Fly-Fishing Club hosts fly tying nights and river cleanups each month to connect group members and do their part in taking care of water in the surrounding area.
“At the meetings, we try and make it as little structured as possible so that people can talk amongst themselves,” Hargrove said.
Fly fishing has a unique style where fishermen cast a weighted line into the water with a type of lure made out of natural materials used to imitate prey for a fish.
“It is a very delicate way to catch fish comparatively,” said junior electronic media and broadcasting major Charlie Ventura.
Ventura joined the club his freshman year of college with no real fly fishing experience under his belt.
“Graem is who I began fly fishing with here; he taught me the ropes in trout fishing,” Ventura said.
The High Country is home to many bodies of water, including creeks, rivers, tributaries and ponds.
“You can go on Google Maps, and anywhere you see blue, you can try,” Hargrove said.
The High Country primarily hosts cold water species including types of trout and small mouth bass.
The South Fork New River, the Watauga River and the Elk River located closer to Banner Elk are the main three bodies of water near to Boone most visited for fishing.
“There’s plenty of people in the club that have touched every piece of blue on the map,” Hargrove said.
There are many species of trout native to the High Country, including rainbow, brown and brook.
“Big fan of fishing on the parkway, and what we fish for is Southern Appalachian brook trout,” Ventura said.
Brown trout are more distinctive due to their larger size and their predatorial abilities.
“One of my favorites is brook trout. They are the only native species of trout to the area; you will only find them in high elevation and cold water streams,” Hargrove said.
Mixed in among the trout population are smallmouth bass that primarily live in larger rivers. Smallmouths are particularly active in the summer time.
Rock bass, sunfish and redbreast sunfish are the smaller fish found in tributaries during these months.
The Fly Fishing Club is partnered with a portion of Trout Unlimited called Costa 5 Rivers.
Costa 5 Rivers holds four nationwide events called Rendezvous.
The goal of this event is for members to do their part in conservation work while also connecting fishers from schools in the southeast such as the University of Georgia, West Virginia University, University of Kentucky, and University of Tennesee, Knoxville.
“We had a fishing tournament that weekend against all other schools, and we destroyed them,” Hargrove said.
“Some App State pride there.”
The App State Fly-Fishing Club invites everyone to apply on Engage and attend a meeting. A fly tying night may result in a fishing partner for life.
“I would say it’s a lot more than just fly fishing and emphasize the sense of community that we have here,” Ventura said. “Everyone is on their own trajectory, and there is no shame in learning.”
Graphics by Rian Hughes
Often in sports, highly talented young athletes are labeled as “superstars.” Ellie Garrison has left no doubt she is deserving of such praise, while remaining true to herself along the way.
A sophomore forward and midfielder for App State women’s soccer, Garrison has had a passion for the game since she was just 5 years old. Soccer runs in her family, and she grew up playing with her siblings in Trinity, North Carolina.
The family bond over soccer would set her on the path to becoming one of the best players in the history of North Carolina soccer at just 19 years old, according to her accolades in her App State Athletics bio.
Her accomplishments at Wheatmore High School seem like something only a video game character would be able to achieve. Garrison has all-time records in North
Carolina high school women’s soccer for most career goals with 277, and the most goals in a single season with 96 goals in 2023, which is also the most by a junior in state history. She also has the most goals as a sophomore with 77, set in 2022. She helped lead Wheatmore to a state title in 2022, won the North Carolina Golden Boot Award as the best player in the state in 2023 and was named to the all-state team her junior and senior years.
Garrison has played for the North Carolina Fusion, a summer club team made up of college, semi-pro and other select players. She helped guide them to a U.S. Youth Soccer State Championship and qualified for the National Playoffs in back-to-back years.
When looking back at her illustrious career, Garrison said it was a lot of fun, but it took a lot of work and support.
brings goals and grit to every game
Dylan Shepherd | Reporter
“Some people don’t realize just how much you have to work outside of the field,” Garrison said. “But, I feel like the environment I was in with my family, my coaches, my teammates, my friends even — everybody was just cheering me on, and I have such a big support group that just pushes me to do the best I can do.”
Garrison had unique ways to motivate herself to go out and perform in high school. When she was closing in on the career goals record and her team was in the state playoffs, she would write the number of goals needed to break the record and her next opponent on a wristband and then wear it throughout the game to remind her what she was playing for.
While she excelled at the high school and club levels, Garrison still had to make some adjustments to her game to prepare for college.
“One of the biggest things for me was that everybody’s great,” Garrison said. “Everybody’s big, everybody’s strong, everybody’s fast. There’s not really a huge drop in players or in teams, so I feel like the minute and the first couple of games I was here, it kind of clicked in my head like, ‘Okay, there’s no slacking off whatsoever, you always have to stay tuned in.’” Garrison took the challenge to heart, often going to the weight room to get stronger, faster and more explosive, while working with coaches to improve her skill.
“Ellie can create things out of nothing,” App State women’s soccer head coach Aimee Haywood said.
“She’s right-footed, but she scores left-footed goals as if she’s left-footed. She’s just really, really talented in a well-rounded way — defensively, offensively, technically, tactically, pretty much in every way.”
Haywood joked that Garrison would play every position at all times if she had her way. Her scoring ability from all over the field, defensive tenacity as a forward and midfielder pressuring on throwins, speed and endless energy all make her a nightmare for her opponents, and a dream to play with for her teammates.
“She’s one of the funniest people I know, and just being around her,
During a throw-in, App State’s Ellie Garrison defends against Miami’s Nanaka Inaba on Aug 16.
Photo by Avery Freyer
she always has a smile on her face, which puts a smile on my face,” said teammate Kyli Switalski, a redshirt sophomore forward. “She’s very, very, very energetic, and she’s such a kind human being who will do anything for you, on and off the field no matter what.”
Haywood echoed the same sentiments as Switalski, calling Garrison an “energy leader” and “really lovable.”
On the field, Garrison said she wants to always bring the good vibes while also having an aggressive mindset by telling herself she’s going to beat whoever’s defending her, make her shots and win the game. She has gained more recognition in the first month of the 2025 season. Prior to the season starting, Garrison was named a “Midfielder to Watch” by United Soccer Coaches, and was selected to the Preseason All-Sun
Ellie Garrison drives the ball towards Miami’s goal from just outside the 18-yard line on Aug. 16. Garrison is a sophomore forward and midfielder for App State, with 4 goals scored this season and an additional 4 goals and 5 assists scored during her freshman year.
Belt Team. During the opening week of play, where App State took down Western Carolina and Miami, Garrison was named the Sun Belt
Offensive Player of the Week after scoring 3 goals in 2 games, including the game-winner in both contests. She has already matched her goal total of 4 from last season in the first 3 games this year.
However, it’s more than just scoring goals, collecting awards, setting new records and having a positive attitude. Garrison lets her performance on the field do the talking while the wins and awards pile up.
“I know her goals — she wants goals, she wants assists, she wants all of that,” Switalski said. “But, she’s also very humble about it. It’s not like she takes the ball every single time for herself. She passes the ball, she cheers on teammates, she makes those extra
tackles, especially on defense. She’s the type of teammate that you want on the field next to you.”
The App State women’s soccer team has goals of finishing in the top 4 in the Sun Belt and going undefeated in their home games at the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex, and Garrison’s skills on the field can help achieve these goals.
“Honestly, I think with the talent and with the work ethic that we have on the team right now, I think we can accomplish whatever we want, if we’re willing to do the things in practice, do the things outside of the field, all of the little things and the winning habits that we’ve talked about,” Garrison said. “If everyone is willing to do that and understand their role and their purpose, I feel like we can honestly get whatever we want done.”
Ellie Garrison clears the ball out of App State’s third on Aug. 16 in a game against the Miami Hurricanes. Garrison has 2,053 minutes of play time with the Mountaineers so far.
Photo by Avery Freyer
Photo by Avery Freyer
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OPINION: Representation is a tool against bigotry
Christian Etherson | Opinion Writer
Despite the respected mythos of the immigrant journey, a new strain of xenophobia threatens to blunt Latino contributions to culture, industry and academia. Safeguarding these contributions requires a renewed respect for the United States principle of diversity and tolerance.
As the presidential race began to heat up in late 2023, New Hampshire residents packed into a crammed hall to witness then-candidate Donald Trump make his case for the Republican primary election. With cheers and chants of “we love you” from the crowd, he railed against former President Joe Biden’s handling of Ukraine, Afghanistan and green energy.
Then, he turned to immigration, and uttered a phrase that immediately set off alarm bells. In reference to immigrants from South America, he stated, “They’re poisoning the blood of our country.” This phrase echoes the racist rhetoric of 20th century eugenicists, and marked a sharp increase in the vitriol used by the Trump campaign against Latino immigrants.
This message became increasingly hostile in the leadup to the general election, with Trump referring to immigrants as “an army of illegal alien gang members and migrant criminals from the dungeons of the third world.” This narrative dominated the election, and resonated with U.S. residents desperate for someone to blame after the economic aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since the election, the Trump administration has been just as ferocious as their messaging suggested. They’ve gone after immigrants in every aspect of life, including workplaces and schools, in an effort to make life unlivable for groups considered undesirable by the administration.
These policies reach beyond known undocumented immigrants, with Trump administration lawyers arguing for the racial profiling and detention of anyone even suspected of being in the U.S. illegally, stating “Apparent ethnicity can be a factor supporting reasonable suspicion.”
In education, the Trump administration has removed grant funding for over 500 universities deemed Hispanic-Serving and leaned heavily on states to remove in-state tuition classifications for undocumented immigrants, including Florida and Texas.
These actions and many more like them suggest a goal of self removal of any Latino citizen or noncitizen from public life, including city streets, workplaces and higher education. This harassment campaign rests on a false narrative of Latinos and a fundamentally anti-U.S. worldview.
In 1913, on orders from the Governor, Texas Rangers rode up to the doors of “El Progreso,” a progressive newspaper, seeking to shut down the publication after a critical article of President
Woodrow Wilson. Seasoned journalist and activist Jovita Idar was all that stood in the way. After writing for her father’s publication, teaching for several years and journeying to Mexico as a nurse during the Mexican Revolution, she was well equipped to stand up for her rights.
Her actions that day turned away the Rangers and allowed the paper to continue publishing, protecting the freedom of the press. They later returned and destroyed their printing press, prompting Idar to return to “La Crónica,” her father’s publication, as editor-in-chief following his death.
There she fought for the advancement of Mexican Americans and women’s suffrage, publishing articles and convening groups to provide local services. She remained an activist and philanthropist her whole life, opening a free preschool and translating for Spanish speaking patients in county hospitals until her death in 1946.
Born on Jan. 31, 1929 to Mexican American parents, Richard Cavazos followed in his fathers footsteps as
a cattle rancher from a young age. Learning tenacity and responsibility, he fought through the intense racism of the time to attend Texas Tech University on a football scholarship. Cavazos then graduated from the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program and was soon deployed to Korea in 1953 as a platoon leader.
The 65th Infantry Regiment, which was mainly made up of Puerto Rican soldiers, had been in Korea since the start of the war. Since many only spoke Spanish, the bilingual Cavazos was a welcome change of pace from the other commanders who only spoke English. It was his unique bravery in this role that earned him a Silver Star and the Distinguished Service cross.
He made history during his storied Army career by being the first appointed Hispanic brigadier general and later fourstar general. He was beloved by his soldiers and seen as a role model and mentor.
Remembering Cavazos, Maj. Gen. Alfred Valenzuela said, “we all looked up to him as an American soldier, a Hispanic soldier. He was the guy we wanted to be. If we couldn’t be him, we wanted to be near him and serve with him.” Posthumously, Cavazos received the Medal of Honor through his daughter, and had Fort Hood renamed after him. However, the Trump Administration has since reverted the fort to its original name.
Joseph and Roseanne Ochoa raised their family in La Mesa, California. The son of Mexican immigrants, Joseph Ochoa faced discrimination as a child and wanted to protect his own children from the same treatment. They both valued education, so when their daughter Ellen Ochoa was born in 1958, Roseanne Ochoa chose to start college.
With the pragmatic example of her parents, Ellen Ochoa graduated
from high school as valedictorian. She went on to study physics at San Diego State University, turning down a full ride scholarship from Stanford to stay close to her family. Graduating again as valedictorian, she decided to take Stanford up on their offer and pursue her Masters in engineering.
After going on to earn her doctoral degree, Ellen Ochoa was inspired to become an astronaut. She was rejected several times, and instead developed computer systems for space travel until she became a team leader overseeing 35 scientists for NASA.
It was in this role Ellen Ochoa gained the connections to apply again to become an astronaut. This time, she succeeded, and in 1993 became the first Latina to go to space. Conducting research missions and resupply runs to the International Space Station, Ellen Ochoa gained the knowledge to become the first Hispanic director of the Johnson Space Center from 2013 to 2018. She served as the chair of the National Science Board from 2020 to 2022.
These exemplary individuals embody the Hispanic contribution to the U.S. Being children or grandchildren of immigrants, they leveraged the sacrifices of their family to achieve great things for themselves and their country, even in the face of open hostility and discrimination. The promise of a better life was evident, and they worked tirelessly to achieve it.
The current political moment is not new. Bigotry comes in waves as people forget and relearn the lessons of the past. For this reason, Hispanic representation has never been more important in all aspects of life. Relaying the stories of Idar, Cavazos, Ellen Ochoa and so many others like them should be an essential part of telling the U.S.’ national story.
Representation works as a feedback loop. It decreases prejudice through exposure and cements itself by fostering more representation in a less prejudiced world. This starts best in college where students’ worldviews are
still forming and there is open communication about ideas.
The more Hispanic professors, students, classes and stories that become implemented in academia now, the less systemic barriers there will be for Hispanic professionals in the future. Though bigotry may still rear its head in short cycles, in the long run, this representation will lead to a U.S. more emblematic of its ideals.
Graphic by Andrew Reagan
OPINION
Approximately 19.5% of the United States population is of Hispanic descent. According to the 2023 census, the exact statistic hovered around 65.2 million people, making the group the largest ethnic minority in the U.S.
Common sense would suggest a community so large and consisting of people from numerous, distinct international origins would be just as diverse in its identities, customs and livelihoods — and it is. However, a pervasive and long-standing tendency to homogenize the nuances of Latino cultures in the U.S. persists, and it needs to be addressed.
The Latino monolith is a term used to describe the falsely perceived mass-collective of uniform values, backgrounds, interests and ideologies attributed to the millions of U.S. residents whose ancestries can be traced to one of the many countries that make up Latin America.
Whether it be through pandering, tokenization or stereotyping in the media, the Latino monolith has infiltrated mainstream U.S. society for decades, resulting in a widespread reductive lack of understanding when it comes to the complexities of Latino identities. These generalizations only limit the voices and opportunities of the people they belong to.
U.S. politics are notorious for this type of manipulation. Informally deemed “Hispandering,” politicians have a long history of selectively appealing to Latino voters as a campaign strategy, specifically because of their significant influence on election turnout.
Common trends within this practice include speaking sentences in Spanish and posing for pictures at popular Hispanic restaurants. At a 2015 “Latinos for Hillary” organizing event, former first lady Hillary Clinton famously told a crowd, “I’m not just La Hillary — I’m tu Hillary.”
Allie’s Angle: The myth of monolithic culture persists
Allison Lehan | Opinion Editor
In Hollywood, movies and TV shows are similarly infamous for their weak attempts at Latino representation. Characters with geographically distinct family origins commonly become oversimplified and lumped together, often having identical accents, professions and family lives.
The tendency to dilute and fuse the identities of Latino characters fuels the entertainment industry’s other problem with Latino representation: stereotyping. Characters without distinct backgrounds, goals and cultural participation are easier to push into supporting roles, all too often manifesting in the form of domestic help and criminals.
The ignorance these instances of tokenization and downright racism produce in the minds of those outside Latino communities, while insidious on its own, drives other, much more systemic issues. By obscuring the naturally nuanced fundamental needs, interests and values of the different cultures that make up the greater Latino community, those with power create a society wherein the resources and opportunities optimal for a significant percentage of the country to thrive are nonexistent.
Meanwhile, data supports what public institutions neglect to recognize. According to poll records, the way Latinos weigh issues like gun violence, reproductive rights, housing costs and healthcare ranges significantly. The way the community engages directly with healthcare, the economy and education is also extremely diverse.
A report from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that between 2005 and 2021, all Hispanic populations in their data set saw an increase in college or graduate school enrollment but at different rates. Among the most explicitly described groups, Cubans had the highest enrollment rates overall with Dominicans and
Puerto Ricans seeing similar growth rates. The rise in Mexican college enrollment between 2005 and 2021 was the most significant — almost twice that of Dominican enrollment.
Though ironically oversimplified, studies like this provide a rough idea of how diverse the Latino community is in their decision-making and in their access to certain resources. They also help support why more, considerably detailed studies about this diversity are necessary.
In order for the perception of the Latino monolith to be appropriately dismantled, decisions on how systems can be changed to adequately serve Latinos should be left up to those within the community themselves.
Additionally, those outside of the community and especially within fields of public influence like science, journalism and politics must work to expand coverage and general understanding of the cultural gradients within Latin American heritage so that public information about this diversity becomes more accessible.
If non-Latino politicians, educators, creative directors, economists and doctors better understood the diverse realities of the Latino community — by way of listening to their individual experiences, values and needs — perhaps fundamental U.S. institutions could begin to more accurately reflect and serve a wider breadth of constituent concerns.
A country well-suited to support the different needs of its people starts with leaders who are willing to understand and work with those different from them.
OPINION: Four traditions App State should bring back
Christa Price | Opinion Writer
App State has historically had countless traditions, social spaces and educational opportunities centered in Appalachian culture and the quintessential college experience, but not all of them have stuck around. Here are four things App State used to do that should be brought back.
The
1
Rhododendron
The Rhododendron, App State’s first yearbook, was published annually from 1922 to 1992. The publication briefly returned from 2003 to 2006 but permanently stopped after 2006. The Rhododendron was composed and produced entirely by members of the App State senior class.
The resurgence of this publication would be of great benefit to students, solidifying something tangible and memorable about their time spent at App State.
However, due to the ever-growing number of enrolled students — 21,570 as of fall 2024 — placing this responsibility solely on the shoulders of seniors would be a heavy task. By spreading the work among students and faculty of all years, majors and capabilities, publishing would run significantly more smoothly.
2
May Day Festival
App State’s first May Day Festival was held in 1930, sponsored by the Young Women’s Christian Association. The May Day festival has roots in English celebration, ones that carried on into American culture with the colonists and immigrants to the Appalachian region.
May Day festivals took place in the spring, with the crowning of a May Queen surrounded by her attendants.
For college students in the United States, it was a marker of single women’s beauty, charm and “social poise to potential suitors.” In this era, college was not a place of education or careermaking for women but rather a finishing school — a place to be taught etiquette and elegance.
While valuing the traditions sculpted by colonialism and the contributions of immigrants to Appalachian culture, some things about this celebration would have to change.
The roots of the May Day festival are coated in old-age reservations, surrounded with the idea that women should be taught proper social graces and to find marriage instead of how to hold a job or be educated.
The May Queen Courts featured no men, which doesn’t necessarily have to change. Having a festival to celebrate and value femininity while also being able to acknowledge their intellect and capabilities could be a source of empowerment.
3
The Dew Drop
The Dew Drop, a school bulletin that contained course catalogs and general information for student use, was published from 1904 to 2007. The bulletin featured important term dates, faculty information, history of the university and information about the dorm halls and other buildings on campus.
The Dew Drop provided extensive information about courses, including curricula centered around the main subjects of the courses and what classes students should take based on their current academic standing.
While course catalogs and major pathways are provided by the university, having all the necessary information together in one place would be greatly beneficial to the large capacity of students currently present at App State.
4
Legends
Legends, originally known as H’Appy’s nightclub, opened in 1985 after being renovated by App State. After being remodeled in 1988, it became known as Legends and continued serving its original purpose up until 2023, when it was closed by App State because of the building’s structural issues.
Legends was scheduled to be demolished in July, following damage from Hurricane Helene in the previous year.
