The Appalachian
TheAppalachianOnline.com
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Vol. 86 No. 32
In response to tuition increases, students plan to rally at Board of Governors meeting by JOSIE WOOD Intern News Reporter
Appalachian State University students plan to rally at the UNC Board of Governors meeting in Chapel Hill Friday, in response to a proposed 12.3 percent tuition increase. The Board of Governors will make a final decision on the increase, which would
apply to all in-state undergraduates at Appalachian. “I want students to realize that these tuition increases are affecting them,” said senior interdisciplinary studies major Louisa Ford, who plans to attend the protest with 12 to 15 other students. For some students interested in attending the meeting, transportation is an issue. Several thought the
Association of Student Governments (ASG) had plans to sponsor a bus to transport students, at no cost, to the meeting in Chapel Hill. “I guess ASG had a change in mindset toward providing the bus to protesters, because that would be contradicting their recommendation,” senior anthropology major Jackie Clubine said.
Clubine was referencing a letter signed by the 18 members of ASG in late January. The document confirmed the organization’s support for UNC System President Thomas Ross’s 2012-13 tuition increase recommendation. ASG President Atul Bhula, a graduate student at Appalachian, said ASG never planned to provide trans-
portation to the meeting. “We never had the funds to bus students to Chapel Hill,” Bhula said. “We thought it would be a good symbolic gesture for students to be there to support the Board of Governors’ decision, but we were never going to fund a bus for protesters.” ASG does plan to reimburse student government
delegates and officers for their travel expenses, Bhula said. Currently, the North Carolina Defend Education Coalition (NCDEC) is raising money to provide travel expenses and housing in Chapel Hill for protesters. For more information, contact the coalition at ncdefendeducation@gmail. com.
As the letters roll out, a first look at the class of 2016
Incoming freshman class displays an increase in average GPA, test scores
freshman class” means the Office of Admissions hopes to control growth in order to ino far, students admit- crease quality and diversity ted to Appalachian State among admitted freshmen. University for the 2012For students who have already 13 academic year have slightly received acceptance letters - like higher GPAs and test scores on Nick Giovanni, a high school average, Director of Admissions senior from Southern Pines Lloyd Scott said. control is a little harder to come Exact statistics on the class by. of 2016 are not yet available, Giovanni received his accepbut around 6,100 tance letter this students have December, only already been ad- “It’s no secret that a few days before [Appalachian] is mitted, Scott Christmas. said. “It was really becoming more “It’s no secret nice, because I and more that it is becomwas able to hang competitive.” ing more and it on the fridge more competifor all of my relaLloyd Scott tive,” Scott said. tives to see,” he Director of Admissions “Things like aversaid. age GPA, average At first, Appatest scores are more competitive lachian was not the Pinecrest than they were five years ago High School student’s first and more competitive than they choice. Then, he took a tour and were 10 years ago.” “fell in love with Boone and the Appalachian admitted fewer whole atmosphere of Appalafreshmen in this year’s first chian.” round of admissions - an intenGiovanni has not officially tional choice, Scott said. signed on as a Mountaineer. He “We wanted to make sure the is still deciding between Appafirst pool was really solid,” he lachian and UNC-Chapel Hill, said. “We also wanted to make but feels relatively sure he will sure we, in fact, left room in the come to Boone in August. pool to help us do what’s called “I haven’t officially chosen ‘shaping the freshman class’ in App yet but I’m pretty sure I subsequent rounds.” will, because App offers me a Essentially, “shaping the mountain of opportunities for by KELLI STRAKA
Senior News Reporter
S
Olivia Wilkes | The Appalachian
Senior management major and student ambassador Tyler Morris speaks to high school senior Stephanie Teague and her family during a campus tour Friday afternoon. Teague received her acceptance letter from ASU Jan. 25 and has not yet made a decision.
a surprisingly low tuition price,” he said. “Also, the atmosphere of Boone and the surrounding wilderness is just so naturally beautiful, you really can’t say no.” Another Pinecrest senior, Jenna Woronoff, received her acceptance letter Jan. 27. She said she drove across town to her mother’s house at 9 p.m. to
Businesses continue Art Crawl after DBDA suspends sponsorship
News Reporter
Local businesses have decided to keep Art Crawl going after the Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA) halted sponsorship until April. The Art Crawl is an art exposition held in downtown Boone the first Friday of every month. “After receiving an email on Jan. 23 regarding their decision, I talked to the partners I work with, Char and Glugg, to line up with what we were doing with my store,” said Anna Lipford, owner of Anna Banana’s. “But frankly, I was going to do it regardless if anyone else on the street did or not because we promote it in our store and we look at it as a great way for
for not being excited,” she said. “Everyone I met seemed really nice. I love the mountains and being outdoors. So I thought it was really cool that when we went on a tour of the campus, there were still people walking around outside - even though it had just started snowing in the middle of March.”
TUITION INCREASE Q&A With the UNC Board of Governors voting on tuition and fees increases on Friday, The Appalachian asked students how they felt about the proposed 9.3 percent increase of resident undergraduate students. I think tuition was way too high two years ago and each year they’ve increased it just a little bit by a little bit. We see budget cuts left and right, but yet they just put a new Astroturf in last year. So, no I think it’s ludicrous for them to keep asking I mean, this is my last semester here and I’m glad I don’t have to continually pay them more and more each year and just see more and more cuts left and right. Senior sociology major James Rogerson
Jessica Schreck | The Appalachian
A group of bellydancers danced at Bead Box during the February Art Crawl last Friday. This performance was a display of Egyptian-style bellydancing.
by CATHERINE HAITHCOCK
open it. When she arrived, her mother was holding the envelope up to the light, trying to read through it. Like Giovanni, Weronoff fell for Appalachian during a campus visit in March 2011. “I wasn’t all that excited about it on the way up, but once we got there I realized how crazy I was
customers to enjoy themselves.” The first Art Crawl of the year, held Friday, Feb. 3, featured Bead Box, High Country Glass, Char, Glugg and several other local businesses. “As businesses on King Street, we work as a team,” said Nikki Burris, owner of Bead Box. “The community makes it happen.” Despite the absence of the DBDA, business owners are not concerned about the future of the event. “Art Crawl has been going on for so long that everyone knows about it, so we are going to continue to do it,” Glugg owner Michael Schriber said. The DBDA’s decision about Art Crawl came from a meeting held in August where they decided to re-organize the
event. The ultimate decision was to suspend sponsorship. “We heard from merchants that the Art Crawls held January through March were not well-attended,” said Pilar Fotta, the DBDA’s downtown coordinator. “Smaller merchants felt that people were only going to the larger gallery areas.” Merchants hope to make the new Art Crawl a more familyfriendly event and one that encompasses all of downtown. “I think it could be a really good thing,” Lipford said. “The more the better.” With the new concept, businesses will not be required to pay the participation fee that they did in the past. “The fee created an exclusionary division,” Fotta said. “Everyone should be included.”
I mean, it’s the cheapest in the state. That’s a lot of money to increase. But I don’t really know much about what’s going on with all of that. Senior special education major Kate Cecconi I think it depends on what they’re using it for – the extra tuition money. So I don’t really know much about it or what reason they’re doing it for. Junior communication disorders major MaryBrett Smith I think it would be appropriate to figure out what that is going toward, but I think Appalachian still has the best bang for its buck in education. Senior psychology major Josh Roche Information compiled by Hank Shell, News Editor