The Appalachian
TheAppalachianOnline.com
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Vol. 86 No. 28
Student body approves UFO senate seats by HANK SHELL News Editor
Appalachian State University students voted to add 10 Student Government Association senate seats for selected university funded organizations (UFOs) Tuesday night. Students passed the measure, 84 percent to 15 percent, in a referendum administered
on Appalnet. “I really do think it will help us to make more informative votes by adding in 10 new perspectives,” SGA Vice President Mattie Hardin said of the legislation. “It will also help us to be able to understand more of what is going on around campus, allowing senators to stay in the know.” SGA senators originally passed a bill supporting the move Sept. 27, but as an
As faculty and budget dollars are lost, class sizes increase
by KELLI STRAKA
Senior News Reporter
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lass sizes rose again during the spring 2011 semester, as Appalachian State University continued to deal with budget cuts. The increases have been sporadic, depending on seat availability and class demand, and not completely across the board for every class, Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management Susan Davies said. There was, most notably, an increase in the number of students in 1000 and 2000 level courses. Across the board, Expository Writing, Introduction to Writing Across the Curriculum and Freshman Seminar increased in size. In addition to raising class sizes, the university has added lab sections. “Definitely the university values small class sizes and we would all like to lower the class size in what we consider to be these foundational courses,” Davies said. “But right now our goal and mission is to provide class seats to students in the time that they need the class so that their progression to graduation will continue.” Appalachian lost a number of faculty positions this year due to state budget cuts, Davies said. With the
loss of faculty, Appalachian’s only option was to increase class size. Now, students are struggling with the increases. Sophomore sociology major Lauren Berryhill said her social deviance class is too large for a lot of discussion. “Once it gets to the talking part of the class, it’ll be harder to talk and to individualize with the teacher,” she said. Junior anthropology major Kirstie Wolf said it has been harder to ask questions in class. “There’s too many people,” Wolf said. “If we ask questions, we won’t get anything done.” Some instructors are feeling the pressure as well. Geography and planning professor Rob Brown said he can see the effects a larger class size is having on the classroom learning environment. “I think there’s a loss of community in the classroom and it’s more difficult for a class personality,” Brown said. “So, as far as I conduct the classroom, it’s not all that different. It’s just that there’s less discussion, less questions and that sort of thing.” In fall 2009, GEO 1020 was capped at 105 students. Now, Brown teaches 130. The class is not only re-
quired for elementary education majors but is part of the general education curriculum as well, so the class seats have increased, Brown said. “I think my chance for assessing students on an individual basis is weakened,” Brown said. “In a large classroom, I don’t really have a good of chance to see what’s going on with them learning-wise.” Sharon Alusow teaches Exp. Wr., Intro to WAC and British Literature, which have all increased in size. Alusow said the most difficult part of teaching larger writing classes is the impact on her workload. With 26 students in three of her classes and 27 in one, there are about 125 to 150 pages she has to grade. “It certainly has an impact on the number of hours you have to put in,” Alusow said. She also said it is harder to get to know her students. “I have a really hard time learning names,” Alusow said. “It was difficult enough with 22. With 26, it’s almost impossible.” Currently, Writing Across the Curriculum, the Hubbard Center and Learning Technology Services (LTS) all offer resources for teachers dealing with larger classes.
amendment to the SGA constitution, the student body had to approve. Though it received much support during the September meeting, some senators criticized the bill, arguing that the selected organizations already have representation in SGA. The move was part of SGA President Lauren Estes and Hardin’s platform during last year’s spring election.
“I’m really excited about the 10 senate seats addition,” Hardin said. “It was something that Lauren and myself really campaigned for during the election last year and it is really cool to see everything come to fruition.” Now that the bill has passed, SGA will file it with Student Development and it should begin to take effect within the next week, Hardin said.
Renowned speaker Angela Davis visits Appalachian
Olivia Wilkes | The Appalachian
Scholar and activist Angela Davis spoke at Appalachian Tuesday evening in Farthing Auditorium. Davis, who is renowned for her work with organizations like the Black Panthers and the Communist Party USA, lectured as part of the 26th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration. “I did not know what to expect,” said Vanessa James, a sophomore journalism major who attended the event. “But she seemed to be a woman of strong convictions and an active citizen of this country, which is something I look up to.”
SGA’s Estes and McPherson accepted as Teach for America corps members by KELLI STRAKA Senior News Reporter
Olivia Wilkes | The Appalachian
Due to increased budget cuts and a decrease in the number of faculty positions, class sizes have grown larger, especially in the lower divisions.
Student in stable condition after colliding with moving vehicle by HANK SHELL News Editor
An Appalachian State University student is currently in the intensive care unit of Johnson City Medical Center after colliding with a vehicle Tuesday. Appalachian Cycling Club President Zeb King and his roommate were biking down Poplar Grove Road toward campus when an Appalachian grounds crew vehicle pulled in front of King, teammate and senior exercise science major Andre Vandenberg said. King hit the vehicle, passing over the hood.
Vandenberg said that after the accident, King was “doing well.” “He was responding to everybody and he was acting like his normal self,” he said. King was taken to Watauga Medical Center and eventually airlifted to Johnson City Medical Center, where he is currently listed in stable condition. King received 20 stitches to his face and sustained two broken vertebrae, though Vandenberg said there was no brain trauma. King is a sophomore secondary education/health education major. ASU Police confirmed the incident but would not release any information as of press time.
housing CONTEST
ON CAMPUS
2012-2013
Lauren Estes and Alex McPherson were both in a Student Government Association cabinet meeting when they found out what they’ll be doing after graduation. Estes, who is SGA president, and McPherson, who is director of academic affairs, both applied for corps member positions with Teach for America. They each received an email saying they had been accepted during their cabinet meeting Jan. 17. “I immediately froze,” Estes said, describing her immediate reaction to the email. Both seniors opened the emails and began “flipping out and screaming,” Estes said. Teach for America is a national organization which recruits college graduates and young professionals to teach in low-
income communities. The organization aims to close the achievement gap that exists between students growing up in poverty and their more affluent peers, Regional Communications Director Kaitlin Gastrock said. In 2009, over 35,000 people applied for positions with Teach for America, according to teachforamerica.org. Just 4,000 were accepted. Both Estes and McPherson - who were described by Recruitment Manager Florence Matthews as “outstanding campus leaders” - applied for the program in October. “The mission and the purpose of Teach for America really did end up being something I believed in and desperately wanted to be a part of,” Estes said. After individuals accept positions as corp members, they are asked to continue teaching in assigned locations for two years.
Estes will spend time in Atlanta working with economically underprivileged students, and with children or young adults with special needs like ADD/ADHD, mild social disorders or Asperger’s syndrome. “I couldn’t have asked for a better scenario and I am excited to begin this next chapter in my life and really make a change in the world,” Estes said. McPherson will teach math at a middle school in Charlotte. “I am a very positive and optimistic person,” McPherson said. “It’s really hard to get me not to think positively. I feel like, going into a field and working in schools that are disadvantaged and have students that may not have the best home life, being able to have that positive and uplifting and passionate demeanor will help.” For more information on Teach for America, visit teachforamerica.org.
Enter for a chance to win guaranteed ON CAMPUS housing for 2012-13. HOW TO ENTER: 1. Like “The Appalachian” on Facebook 2. Post of a picture of yourself in your residence hall showing your best school spirit 3. We’ll contact the winner prior to the Tuesday, February 14th edition of The Appalachian Go the facebook.com/TheAppalachian for complete contest rules.