February 23, 2012 by The Appalachian

Opinion 6•

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February 23, 2012

The Appalachian your student

Recent assault should inspire acceptance

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Staff Opinion

Casey Sulgia It doesn’t seem like something that could happen in Boone. On Saturday, Feb. 11, Sarabeth Nordstrom and junior exercise science major Erin Johnston were attacked verbally and physically and sent to the hospital. Both believe the incident occurred on the basis of their perceived sexual orientation. “It’s almost crazy, because it’s like - is there any other aspect to the story?” Johnston told The Appalachian Feb. 14. “Like, what provoked him?

But there’s not, so it’s really hard for me and Sarabeth to wrap our heads around.” It shouldn’t have happened in Boone. Or anywhere. In the wake of this incident, the Appalachian community must band together and practice acceptance. There is no excuse for hate left in this world. There is no excuse for hate to exist at Appalachian. We are a community, one made great by the diversity you can see while walking to class, in Central, in the student union or on King Street. There’s no reason anyone should feel threatened or rattled or unsafe here. Many have started to apply the term “hate crime” to the incident. Johnston and Nordstrom have started a petition to amend N.C. hate crime law and plan to speak on the

issue March 2 in Plemmons Student Union’s Grandfather Ballroom. Whether it was truly a hate crime or not, the words uttered from the perpetrator’s mouth were inexcusable. What followed was a disgrace. We have to learn to coexist with one another and respect the decisions of others. You don’t have to like people. You don’t have to get along. You don’t have to agree. But you do have to learn to coexist peacefully and respect decisions that aren’t yours to make. The choices Nordstrom, Johnston and anyone else make have absolutely no effect on you. So why so much hate? Why punish someone for a decision they’ve made for themselves? Why draw

unhappiness from the choices of others, which have no material impact on your life? It is unacceptable that to this day, we can’t accept people for what and who they are. It’s time to take a good look at ourselves and consider the damage we’re doing to each other and to ourselves when we refuse to accept other people. It’s time to stop talking about respect and toleration and put those concepts into action. It’s time to show real, lasting tolerance for the diverse viewpoints and backgrounds on our campus. It’s time to do away with hate and learn, instead, to embrace and accept. Suglia, a freshman journalism major from Pinehurst, is an opinion columnist.

Editorial Cartoon

The Appalachian, a student-run publication at Appalachian State University, strives to provide fair and accurate news for the campus community; to inform, entertain and create a forum for ideas; to provide an outlet for reader's opinions; to be a champion for student, faculty, staff, and community interests; and to remain independent, exercise and insure its First Amendment rights.

Gotta keep it together, man. Only two weeks till spring break. Only two weeks till spr...

Letters to the Editor The Appalachian welcomes Letters to the Editor. Letters should be 250 words or less and include the author’s name, ASU Box, phone number, classification and campus affiliation, if any. The Appalachian reserves the right to decline publication of any letter and to edit letters for the purpose of clarity and space. Although we are unable to acknowledge those letters we cannot publish, we appreciate the interest and value the views of those who take the time to send us their comments. Letters should be submitted electronically via our Web site or e-mail. Letters may also be mailed to “Letter to the Editor,” The Appalachian, ASU Box 9025, Boone, N.C. 28608. Letters may also be brought to the newsroom, located on the second floor of Plemmons Student Union.

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Column: Winning the War

Taking the steps toward wellness

Bringing yourself to counseling might be the toughest decision you can make. Waking down that hallway, opening the double doors of the counseling center and mustering up the courage to ask for a walk-in appointment...it’s one of the scariest things I’ve encountered since I’ve been in college. But I knew I was ready. Okay, I’ll be honest: it wasn’t a decision I made all on my own. If you think I was ready to bring myself to the center all on my lonesome, you’re sadly mistaken. I don’t know what got into me last weekend. I hadn’t hit any particular low point, I wasn’t any more stressed than I already was and I hadn’t had a mental breakdown. All the same, I was afraid. I was becoming anxious about the next time things would take a turn for the worse. I realized I couldn’t continue any further without talking to someone. It was time to become open to people helping me. You may feel as if your problem isn’t serious enough to warrant a trip to the counseling center, but that’s rarely true. There comes a time when you have to realize that maybe your problems are here to stay. The fear, then, is that your problems may never go away. But that’s where counseling comes in. For me, going to the walk-in clinic was a huge step. There was no denying my issues, but it was another thing to speak them aloud. It scared me and it still scares me to know that I’m going back, but I know it’s for the better. All the same, I needed the guiding arm of a friend to tell me this was the place I needed to be. If counseling still seems like one step too far, the open ear of a friend is always the best treatment. They can’t diagnose you or help you in a psychiatric sense, but letting go of everything on your mind over a latte or b-for-d in the dining hall will clear your mind, at least for the time being. And with a less cloudy mind, you can evaluate whether counseling is the right thing for you. If you do make that decision, you’ll probably be nervous that the center is too full, or that you won’t like your therapist, or that someone else needs treatment more. Don’t be. I worried about all of those things, but I’m proud of the step I took this week to seek help. I’m looking forward to calling the office on Friday and I hope I have an appointment scheduled. Whether or not the very full counseling center has a spot for me, the thirty minutes of the walk-in I attended helped me come to an important realization: that talking to someone is the best remedy. No one should be ashamed of seeking help. Even if it’s just a thirty-minute walk-in appointment. Be brave. As always, we can take this on together. Suglia is a freshman journalism major from Pinehurst who writes about mental health issues. She says she’s still fighting the battle, but plans to win the war.

Aaron Fairbanks | Editorial Cartoonist

Staff Opinion

Students should view rejection as opportunity

Meghan Frick They’re all starting to roll in. The grad school acceptance letters, that is. And the internship offers. And the job opportunities. At least, that’s what some students are receiving. For others, the answer to the question they’ve poured semesters of work into is a solid, unchanging “no.” When the “no” or the “next year” or the “I’m sorry” comes, remember one thing: This may be the best thing that’s ever happened to you. When I was 18 years old, I wanted nothing more than an acceptance letter from Clemson University and a

chance to go to school with my high school best friends. That’s not what I got. Our orange-and-white envelopes all came on the same day and we opened them together. While my friends ripped open their letter-sized packets and shrieked about roommate arrangements and football tickets, I slowly folded my paper-thin envelope into four squares and slipped it into my pocket. I knew what was inside. A few years later, I desperately wanted to be an RA. I made my way through the rounds of awkward interviews and the weeks of waiting and then the day came. I clicked through the email in my dark dorm room, with my freshman-year roommate fast asleep in her bed, and the answer was no. No thank you, we’re sorry, maybe next year, try again. Every time I heard those

words, I thought it was the end of the world. And every single time, I couldn’t have been more wrong. If I’d gotten into Clemson, I would’ve been stuck at a school with two best friends who very quickly became barely-even-acquaintances months before high school graduation. I also would’ve spent at least one year at a school that didn’t offer my major or anything close to it. But beyond that, I would’ve missed out on Appalachian State. I would have missed blizzards and Parkway picnics and a million other memories I’ll hold close when I finally graduate. Then, if I’d been chosen as an RA, I would’ve missed out on The Appalachian. I thought I wanted a life of key-ins and programs and late-night hall bonding, but I was wrong. What I re-

ally wanted was whirlwind deadlines and quote-of-thedays and naps on the office floor. If I’d gotten that job freshman year, I would’ve missed one of the best things that’s ever happened to me - and I never would’ve met some of my best friends. Those are the things that are waiting when someone tells you no. So when you get a rejection letter or an “unfortunately” email or a “never mind” phone call, don’t dwell on closed doors or halted possibilities. Instead, remember what could be next. When disappointment comes, it’s often because we need the room in our lives for something we haven’t even imagined yet.

Frick, a senior public relations major from Columbia, S.C., is the associate editor for editorial content.