The Appalachian May 2023

VIVIAN PARKS

ASSOCIATE COPY EDITOR

ETHAN SMITH

ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

BRIONNA DALLARA

ASSOCIATE A&C EDITOR

LEAH BOONE

ASSOCIATE OPINION EDITOR

K SLADE

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

KAITLYN CLOSE

ASSOCIATE GRAPHICS EDITOR

ASSOCIATE MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

ANDREW RICE

ASSOCIATE ENTERPRISE EDITOR

PRUETT NORRIS AND PR

The Appalachian is the award-winning, independent student-run news organization at Appalachian State University, published since 1934. The student staff maintains all editorial discretion, and there is no prior review by university faculty, staff or administrators. The Appalachian strives for accuracy in newsgathering and reporting. If you think we have made an error, email editor@theappalachianonline.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 opinions pages of The Appalachian are an open public forum. Contributions are welcomed via email to editor@theappaalchianonline.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.

Advice from soon-to-be former Mountaineers

Siri Patterson | Reporter

The decisions made by Lauren Sande, Jeff Marcin and Lacey Gibbs during their time as Mountaineers are not uncommon choices for students to make. It is well known that App State offers study abroad trips, student-run organizations and job positions to students.

However, Sande, Marcin and Gibbs individually engaged with these opportunities in ways best suited to their interests and goals to create a rounded and fulfilled college experience and get a jump-start on their careers.

Through hard work, these seniors have created their own path to which future students can look for guidance.

Jeff

Marcin

The phrase “holy mother meatballs,” has followed Marcin since the September football game against Troy.

As App State scored the winning touchdown with a hail mary pass, Marcin said he quickly said a phrase he knew was appropriate for the airwaves.

An opinion article from USA Today says Marcin made “the call of the year.”

Marcin, an electronic media/ broadcasting major, is the sports director at 90.5 WASU-FM, App State’s college radio station, and often commentates during App State sporting events.

“I always loved the idea of making a big moment at a sporting event, an even bigger moment, and that’s kind of, you know, what I’m trying to do,” Marcin said.

App State students may not be aware, but they have probably heard Marcin’s voice several times throughout their time as a student.

Marcin hosts a sports radio show once a week titled, “Sports WrAPP,” and a sports show on AppTV titled, “The A Game.”

“I think it has helped me a lot for what I want to do is the most

important thing,” Marcin said. “The number one thing when I first came here was to take advantage of these opportunities, so I did the radio class for WASU the first semester I was in school here and then worked my way up from there.”

Marcin said he would advise students interested in sports broadcasting to get involved as early as possible, so they can get as much experience as they can.

Marcin said he knew he wanted to go into sports broadcasting before coming to school because of his interest in athletics. But he said his time at App State has helped him to learn more about how to do the physical work of broadcasting through play-by-play and color commentating.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time with WASU and App TV and really just doing all the sports media stuff that I can do here,” Marcin said.

Marcin is graduating in the spring and plans to enter the professional realm of sports broadcasting.

Lauren Sande

Sande was one of eight App State students that attended a studyabroad trip to Peru with Baker Perry, a professor in the Department of Geography and Planning and National Geographic explorer.

One exciting aspect of the trip, Sande said, was the National Geographic team that covered their semester abroad as part of a documentary that will be released in 2024.

“They are doing a whole thing for storytelling and so that is going to be like one part of it,” Sande said.

She said the documentary will focus on Perry but also features herself and her classmates as they studied climate change in relation to Peruvian communities.

Sande, a sustainable development major with a minor in atmospheric science, said she was immediately interested in this trip because her specialization is in

climate change.

This trip introduced “students to climate change impacts in the Andes through direct field experience and research activities, readings, discussions, and meetings with local experts,” according to the Department of Geography and Planning website.

Half of the semester was spent learning and exploring in the communities of Peru, and the second half was spent backpacking through the Andes Mountains, Sande said.

“We would walk the whole day and then have class and labs during the trek,” Sande said. “We had lots of labs which was really fun.”

Sande said she advises App State students to continually check the education abroad website to see if there are any trips that interest them.

“I didn’t think I was going to be able to do this, like mentally and physically, because it is a very physical experience,” Sande said. “And once I did it I thought I could do anything in the world.”

She described the experience as the “hardest but best thing that I have ever done in my entire life.”

Sande will graduate in the fall and hopes to land an internship with a climate science organization or nonprofit.

Lacey Gibbs

Gibbs said she came to App State firmly knowing she wanted to study environmental science and immediately decided to make it her major.

However, she said she was introduced to geographic information systems and remote sensing in her general education classes and decided to add a minor in biology and a certificate in GIS to better align with her interests.

The National Geographic website says GIS and remote sensing is “a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth’s surface.”

“I really liked mapping. I liked seeing how environmental phenomena or, like, population phenomenon could be spread out through geographic spaces,” Gibbs said.

Currently, Gibbs is working as a research assistant on a project that involves analyzing the changes in soil erosion at the ordinal dam removal site using unmanned aerial vehicles.

This is an ongoing project, Gibbs said, and she got involved because it combines her interests in GIS and remote sensing, and environmental

science.

She said part of the project involves looking at the applicability of GIS and remote sensing in dam removal research

She is working with Ok-Youn Yu, a professor in the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and the Drone2App team, Gibbs said.

“It is really exciting work, and I do believe that it is really valuable work, as it would give a new angle to researching dam removal effects on ecosystems, and also maybe human beings who live downstream,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs said she would advise other students to “engage yourself in classes and find out what you’re passionate about.”

Gibbs is graduating in the spring and said she will immediately start in a position surveying land with Williams Sale Partnerships.

“It’s so interesting and it really can be for important research down the line, and that’s what we are trying to justify, with this project, to test the applicability of this in dam removal research,” Gibbs said.

Masks to degrees: App State’s COVID cohort

| News Editor

Leaving campus for spring break can be exciting, as adventures or relaxation usually awaits— beach trips with friends, traveling and attending parties, or just the thought of seeing family for the first time in months. However, the adventures were put on a quick pause, the traveling and parties were strictly prohibited and the weeklong relaxation with family turned into months.

“Classes will continue as scheduled,” read a university email from March 9, 2020. Within 48 hours, another email was sent: “Effective immediately, Appalachian State University is extending Spring Break

until 8am on March 23.”

The spring graduating class of 2023 were freshmen when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S., causing the country to shut down in March of 2020. This class went to their hometowns for spring break expecting to come back to Boone in one week. One week turned into two, and two turned into months; but many, including the university, did not anticipate the second half of that sentence.

Now seniors, App State’s COVID cohort reflects on the COVID-19 pandemic and how it shaped their college experiences.

Amelia Rhodes, a senior healthcare management major, said before leaving for spring break freshman year, she had heard rumors of the virus not thinking “it was going to be that serious.” Once the university emails came out, it became a “very slow understanding of, like, ‘Okay we’re not coming back.’”

“I was very slow to accept it as a life-changing thing,” Rhodes said. “I

“In a day’s time, like, the whole world just changed,” Fields said. Being a freshman is a time for many learning experiences. Freshmen have to learn to adapt to college life and living away from home, and Fields said the suddenness of the pandemic felt like “one more new thing” she had “to get used to.”

Freshmen also have to figure out a major to stick with for the next four years. Rhodes said she was exploring her major as a freshman, but COVID-19 made it “very hard to do that.”

Although the university offered major-specific classes via Zoom to help with reaching that decision, students valued the in-person learning and experiences the pandemic took away. For hands-on majors such as photography, this was an especially big challenge.

Landon Webb, a senior commercial photography major, said he started his first photography classes when everyone was sent home. He said it was “really weird,” “funny” and “difficult” learning photography online because “photography is just, like, a lot of hands-on stuff.”

“I still don’t feel, like, as comfortable as I would have been if I was able to

Graphics by McNeil Johnston

like everyone else does,” said Portia West, another senior commercial photography major who had to take Studio Photography online.

West and Webb said Zoom presented other challenges such as paying attention, staying on top of work, staying motivated and building relationships with professors.

“It’s hard to, like, get up and go on a Zoom when you know, you could probably just skip it or, like, join it and then turn your camera off and then go to sleep,” Webb said.

For Fields, an elementary education major, presenting lessons and projects to classrooms over Zoom was difficult because of the possibility of students not listening to her.

Outside of academics, however, the pandemic prevented other things from happening or fully developing. Adventures such as study abroad opportunities were quickly postponed or canceled, game days and university

said.

One expectation Rhodes had was that college was the time to meet people, but due to safety restrictions, “college started to feel a lot more like jail than something enjoyable” because there was an “encouragement of not socializing.”

“That’s the opposite of what I heard before COVID,” Rhodes said. “It’s, like, you need to make as many friends as possible, do ‘X’ number of things, then all of the sudden it was, like, ‘Don’t do those things,’” Rhodes said.

She said because of the lack of socialization during the pandemic, there were not a lot of opportunities to develop social skills. When sophomore year rolled around and classes started to go back to in-person, Rhodes did not feel prepared to “go back to normal.”

Rhodes described this as: “Feeling

like you’re 19 when you’re 22 constantly because you feel like you didn’t have that time to grow up.”

West said she missed out on gaining friendships within her department. She said they started making friends their second semester of freshman year after finally being settled in Boone, and then “right as I was, like, building strong friendships, we all got sent home.”

“I had, like, so many potential friendships that were just completely lost because, like, everything got thrown online and I never saw half of those people ever again,” West said. Although students had the option to go to in-person classes their sophomore year, West said they still missed out on almost two-years of building relationships.

“I wish that, you know, the friends I’m making this year are people that could have been in my life for the past three years, for the past four years,” West said.

Rhodes said because of the quarantine, she attempted to keep relationships through FaceTime but did not feel “as strong of a sense of community as I would have if I hadn’t gone through the COVID experience.”

The university has gone back to its normal operations, and as a result, these seniors have had the opportunity to experience what they missed out on with their remaining years. However, some wish they had more time.

“It’s super fun and I like it, but I’m, like, I’m also at the age where I’m supposed to be finding a job soon and, like, becoming a real adult,” Rhodes said. “I wish I had, like, two more years of just figuring myself out more.”

Although the first large wave of the pandemic was a time of many hardships, some then-freshmen made the most out of the quarantine period and how it shaped their college experience.

Fields said she took advantage of the online classes by taking her classes wherever she went, such as outside or to work. As a result, she was able to work more hours compared to when she had to go to classes in person.

She also said the pandemic “opened up a new window” for her and how she hung out with friends. Instead of going to the mall or shopping, she and her friends would meet at parks or the lake and she had the opportunity to rekindle old friendships from high school more because everyone was home.

Similarly, Rhodes reached out to people more, such as family and friends.

Despite the challenges COVID-19 presented, these seniors overcame the pandemic and now college.

“I hear a lot more stories, especially these days of people that ended up dropping out because of COVID and then not coming back,” West said. “I’m, like, kind of glad that I pushed through because I feel like it made me a stronger person in some ways.”

Four years later, these seniors and the rest of the COVID cohort are now graduating college across a stage surrounded by all their families and friends, something some didn’t expect to happen.

“I’m really grateful for that because you know, we didn’t know for a while what was gonna happen,” Rhodes said.” So, I just feel very grateful that I get to graduate like that because I know so many people didn’t, so I’m very grateful to have, like, that closure.”

Based on their experiences, these graduates said they have gained takeaways that they will use going forward.

Rhodes said one takeaway she gained from the pandemic is time management. She said she will be using her newfound skills in whatever she ends up doing post college. Another takeaway she has is “enjoying the little things in life” because of how things can “just be gone within a second.”

After graduation, Fields said she will be a third grade teacher in August. She said COVID-19 taught her the importance of sanitization, and will ensure her future classroom is clean so her students do not get sick.

Webb, who will be staying in Boone after graduation, said COVID-19 taught him the importance of managing one’s mental health and not taking things for granted. He said he is thankful for having a graduation and said he will be relaxing and taking a break after school.

West said one of their biggest takeaways from the pandemic is having patience.

Read more online:

Anticipation of graduation for App State transfers

With graduation just around the corner, App State prepares to disperse the class of 2023 into their futures, many of which are transfer students.

App State will soon say farewell to its seniors, finalizing each of their times as Mountaineers and concluding a chapter of their lives. However, graduating as a transfer student means experiencing aspects of App State differently from other students.

Transfer students make up roughly 7.3% of the study body total as of fall 2022, according to App State Facts, which the university welcomes through several ways App State has developed to aid and support their transitions, including housing.

Many transfer students come to the university and live in Mountain Laurel Residence Hall, the official residence of transfer students. Located at 949 Blowing Rock Road, Mountain Laurel earned its current usage in 2021 on behalf of the university. The residence hall can house 246 students, featuring hotel-style rooms, laundry facilities and more, including a universityowned market.

Sidney Breedlove, a senior exercise science major, transferred to App State from Wingate University during her second semester of freshman year. Breedlove said her transfer experience was “pain-free,” saying that finding transfer housing was “easy” and transfer admissions were “very helpful.”

Breedlove said she is “beyond excited to graduate,” and it’s “all she thinks about.”

“I’m just ready to be done and move on with my life outside of college, but overall, my experience at App has been great,” Breedlove said in a written response. “My professors have been outstanding and have made learning so enjoyable.”

Breedlove said her advice to any younger or incoming transfer students would be to “take the leap of faith and

put yourself out there.”

“At the end of the day, everyone is a scared college kid going to a new school whether it’s freshman or junior year,” Breedlove said. “Find your group of people who make you feel loved and valued.”

Both potential and incoming transfer students can utilize the Transfer Admissions & Engagement site, which focuses on supporting students through “all stages of their education.”

The site features many things for visitors to explore, such as campus tour availability, an exploration of the university through videos and a means to schedule sessions with an admissions counselor, which every transfer student will be assigned.

Adrian Tate, a senior supply chain management major, said they transferred to App State from Forsyth Tech Community College as a junior and described their transfer experience as a “selfreliant” one.

Because this was their first experience at a four-year college, they said certain things were “difficult to understand,” and the scariest part was “grasping classes and how to register.”

Tate said though they have enjoyed their time at App State, they wish they would have “explored Boone and campus more” and looks forward to their upcoming graduation.

“I’m excited about the ceremony,” Tate said in a written response, especially since they are a first-generation college student in her family.

The university anticipates and eases the process of transfer students through the Aspire Appalachian Program. The Aspire Appalachian Program is based around the university’s partnerships with nine community colleges and is designed to make the transfer process as “seamless” as possible for students.

One student who transferred

from one of the nine affiliated community colleges is Aru Hopper, a senior exercise science major. Hopper said she was a “first-year junior” when she transferred to App State following her dual enrollment in high school.

“It was definitely interesting having to jump straight into core classes that dealt with my major,” Hopper said in a written response. “I was surrounded by people who were older than me, but they all were so helpful and gave me lots of good advice.”

Seniors ahead of the curve: Accelerated Master’s Program

At 16 years old, before even touring campus, Erin Barnette attended an open house at App State where she met with Reich College of Education staff. This staff described an accelerated master’s program, at the time called the 4+1 Program, which is now formally titled Accelerated Master’s.

Barnette is now a senior special education major in the program, and will graduate this May with her bachelor’s degree.

“I was, like, ‘Oh, that’s kind of a neat opportunity,’” Barnette said. “Time effective, and saves some money by taking grad classes at an undergraduate rate, getting it down in a year.”

Since she learned about it at the open house, her ambitions to gain admission to the program have been “in the works.”

Barnette came to the university for its top undergraduate teacher preparation program, and her current goal is to work as a lead teacher in exceptional children’s teaching.

“It seemed like a good fit,” Barnette said. “I knew about this program, so I said I am gonna go and do the five years and teach, that was always the plan.”

The Accelerated Master’s Applicant website says, “If you are accepted into the Accelerated Master’s program, you will be tentatively admitted into the Graduate School. You will then be granted access to register for graduate-level classes while still enrolled as an undergraduate.”

This semester, Barnette is a senior and taking her fourth class in the program for dual credit toward both her undergraduate and graduate degree.

“I did my planning correctly so I will take some more this summer, take some in the fall and the spring and be done in a year,” she said.

Barnette said working toward her master’s degree as an undergraduate student makes her excited for graduation.

“It helps the momentum of being a student, keeps the ball rolling, and I have not tired out yet,” Barnette said. “I do not have senioritis, because I am continuing.”

Barnette said last spring, as a junior, when her peers were considering the program, she had already applied and drafted a schedule a year prior to taking

courses.

Her peers received exposure to the program through a professor in one of her classes.

“She said ‘Hey, do you guys want to do this?’ and they were like absolutely not,” Barnette said. “Then, the more she started to talk to people and I started to talk to people, we gathered nine of us.”

Barnette said she is still actively trying to recruit people into the program along with her professor.

“It is a really good thing to start thinking about it before you are a senior, so you are not rolled up into the, ‘I just want to get a job and get out of school,’” Barnette said.

To continue with the program, you have to like school and have a strong desire to succeed in your educational pursuits, she said.

“I am okay with my role as a student right now. I want to continue to learn,” Barnette said.

In the spring of her junior year, Katherine Sumrell, a senior reading education major, said she learned about the Accelerated Master’s program through a professor teaching an undergraduate course who highly recommended it.

“I think that the initial appeal was that it was only a year and that I could start it during undergrad and save money and not have to worry about going back to school,” Sumrell said.

After she applied, Sumrell was unsure whether to enroll in the program and pursue her master’s or graduate with a bachelor’s degree. However, she explained the opportunity is once in a lifetime.

“So I thought, I may as well. And I do not regret it at all,” Sumrell said. “It was a really good decision for me.”

Sumrell said people in the program, professors and directors “have been so supportive.”

As she has continued further into her journey in the program, Sumrell said her initial interest in her pathway has led to a genuine passion for education and deeper understanding of the elementary careers out there.

“It has encouraged me to change

paths, and maybe become a reading specialist versus an elementary teacher,” she said.

The ability to start on her master’s degree during undergrad made her “a lot less stressed than some other people in applying to grad school,” Sumrell said.

The application process for Accelerated Master’s is “comparatively easier”, she said as the application process does not include the Graduate Record Exam Test.

“I would encourage everyone to apply, or at least think about it,” Sumrell said. “It is a really good program.”

The program was new when Victoria Carlberg, the associate director of graduate admissions, assumed her role with graduate admissions.

“It was just a handful of programs, it was in its super infancy,” Carlberg said. “There has been a lot of evolvement with the program as the needs of the students have changed, the needs of the programs have changed, and just with changes in higher ed as a whole.”

The program has gone through a few title changes.

“We used to call it a 4+1 Program, but the reality was not everyone was finishing in five years,” Carlberg said. “So it was not very accurate.”

The program was renamed Accelerated Admissions before it assumed its current title of Accelerated Master’s program.

“We flipped it to Accelerated Master’s

school,” Carlberg said.

Carlberg said certain programs like Reading Education are more popular than others. As her team educates undergraduate students and advisers and faculty, they are able “to find pathways, which do not normally align.”

For example, a communication major may need another applicable path engineered, as there is no current accelerated or graduate program for communication majors, according to Accelerated Master’s.

“So we ask, what other pathways may apply?” Carlberg said. “As those talks are

other areas from other majors.”

Carlberg said traditional first-year applicants apply to the program as juniors, but apply “for the future.”

Carlberg said that transfers are still able to complete the program but the timeline may look different depending on how their previous credits transferred and how much coursework they have left.

“Graduate school seems so far away, until you start laying out the path,” Carlberg said.

She said they didn’t have this type of program to save money on when she was younger so she “strongly encourages” it.

Seniors remember demolished dorms

William Becker | Reporter

The dorms do not exist anymore, but the memories forged there live on. Group snowstorm breakfasts. Rooms so small you could touch both walls at the same time. Competitive game nights. Thin walls. Floor pranks. No AC. Secret Santas.

These are but a handful of the memories recalled by App State seniors who once resided in dorms that now too only exist in memory. When the graduating class of

2023 arrived at App State for the first time in the fall 2019, campus was home to Bowie, Coltrane, East, Eggers, Gardner and Justice Residence Halls.

As App State has continued to grow in both size and population, these residence halls have not continued on with it. Justice Residence Hall was demolished in mid-2020, and New River Residence Hall now stands in its place, having opened for students in the fall of 2022. The adjacent

Gardner and Coltrane Residence Halls were demolished in mid-2021 and were replaced by New River Hall Lot.

Bowie and Eggers Residence Halls, the last of these older residence halls to have been demolished at the present time, were torn down in mid-tolate-2022 and are slated to be replaced by additional parking areas.

East Residence Hall remains standing, though it is no longer

inhabited by students and instead serves as temporary space for faculty offices and displaced classes.

Madison Neisz, a senior sustainable development major who resided in Gardner Residence Hall during her freshman year, said the close community on her floor was one of the best things about living in her residence hall.

“I loved living in Gardner because my floor’s sense of community was incredible,” Neisz

said. “We’d all go out into the common room every night and just talk forever. I met some of my best friends on that floor.”

Several seniors said one of the biggest contributors to this sense of community was the small rooms and communal facilities that these older residence halls contained, which prompted them to interact more.

“Our RAs and our RDs were very good at, like, connecting people and just creating, like, a

huge community from Bowie because it was an older dorm and it wasn’t as nice as the other ones,” said Kati Ieni, a senior criminal justice major who lived in Bowie Residence Hall her first year. “We were always out of our rooms, always hanging out, sitting outside.”

Despite the nostalgic memories seniors have shared from their time in these buildings, not all memories of them were happy. In addition to being a source of community, the close quarters of these residence halls were also a source of frustration for some.

“Compared to the other ones I saw at the time, our rooms were super, super small,” said Arianna Papadakis, a senior psychology major who is a former resident of Coltrane Residence Hall. “I’m

short, I’m about 5-foot-3, and I could probably touch each wall, like, standing in the middle of the room, and very, very small bathrooms.”

A lack of air conditioning was also a frequent issue for residents of these buildings and sometimes led to other unexpected problems as well.

“No AC wasn’t fun for the first couple of months,” said Emma Finerghty, a senior electronic media/broadcasting major who lived in Eggers Residence Hall. “It was really hot, and our window was open 24/7 and there was construction, like, with new dorms right in front of my room all year. So we were getting, like, dust in our windows all the time.”

Despite the issues that living in older buildings presented, several

seniors said their memories of the time they spent in these residence halls were positive overall.

“The community was really, like, the biggest thing for me,” Ieni said. “I was nervous about living in Bowie at first but I was, like, so happy that I was placed there.”

Papadakis shared a similar sentiment and said that while Coltrane was not the best place to live, the close community made it fun nevertheless.

“Everyone would hang out and we would just play a ton of games and stuff,” Papadakis said. “It got really competitive, but it was really, really fun, and it was kind of a distraction from the fact that we thought we were in, like, the crappiest building on campus, but we didn’t really care because we had fun anyway.”

Seniors also shared particularly fun memories from their time in these residence halls, including Finerghty, who said that one of the funniest memories she has from her time in Eggers was watching outdoor boxing matches that residents of a nearby building would hold outside her window.

“There was this group of boys who would come outside and play on that little hill that was in front of the dorms,” Finerghty said. “They would bring out their little boxing gloves and box each other outside, and I was on the second floor, and we would just look out our window and see these dudes boxing each other, like, rolling around in the grass.”

She said this was a moment when she felt “this is what college is.”

Neisz recalled several pranks and holiday events the “unmatched” community of her floor in Gardner put together.

“I think the funniest thing that happened in Gardner was when my floor would go to other floors and then flip all their furniture,” Neisz said. “We also threw a floor Secret Santa and made a little tree for ourselves before we all left for winter break.”

Though these residence halls are gone now, they remain as stories and memories of small rooms, dysfunctional facilities, fun floor events and unusual but memorable experiences that seem to meet at a brief but clear conclusion:

“It was a hell of a journey living there,” Finerghty said.

To the graduates of the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Dean's Office wishes you the happiest of commencements. You have reached a great milestone in your life, so savor this moment. Your hard work, determination, and perseverance has paid off. The world needs your unique skills and talents, so wander with purpose and continue to do different, differently!

Retiring professors reflect upon their time at App State

As commencement approaches, students and professors alike leave and reflect upon their time at the university. Packing up books, papers and desks encaptures bittersweet memories. This year, many professors are moving on from App State after decades of accomplishments and work.

Dan Hill, 90.5 WASU FM general manager in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, and founder of the National Radio Talent System, has been involved at App State since 2005. Known by students as Dan “Vallie” Hill due to his name on air being Dan Vallie, he said his faithfulness in the future of the broadcast industry is due to his time at App State.

“From the big picture perspective, because of meeting and working with all these students, I am optimistic about the future of the broadcast industry and the future of our country,” Vallie wrote in an email.

Vallie said people make the difference and that he feels most blessed to have the opportunity to meet and work with so many young people and see them graduate and not only have successful careers but build good and successful lives, whether in broadcasting and related fields or whatever field they chose.”

“I have never thought much about retiring but now that it is happening I am slowly becoming excited about it … and I will continue to do a thing or two in the broadcast industry,” said Vallie.

Vallie said watching changes in the Department of Communication throughout the years has been fun and exciting.

“Not only has WASU continued to get better and grow its reputation as a talent incubator,” Vallie wrote.

Vallie advises the future generation to “be authentic. Persevere. Have a positive attitude, a strong work ethic and have integrity. Love your neighbor, and realize everyone is your neighbor.”

Hayes School of Music bassoon professor Jon Beebe said he began

teaching in 1986 when the university’s enrollment was about 9,000 students and the population of Boone was also about 9,000.

Upon retiring in July, Beebe will have completed 37 years at the university. He said there are various highlights he will take away from his time teaching such as the appreciation of lifelong memories that include watching students succeed.

“The key thing I will be taking away is a collection of wonderful memories of fine friends and colleagues, of being valued and of those special moments when a student had a significant ‘breakthrough’ in their musical or professional development,” Beebe said.

Beebe said the Hayes School of Music has grown significantly in his time here. When he started, the music department had about 25 full-time

faculty members and fewer than a dozen adjunct faculty members Beebe said that presently, The Hayes School of Music, now also offering additional degrees in music therapy, has more than 50 full-time faculty members, several dozen adjunct faculty members and nearly two dozen staff members supporting its mission, and has outgrown the Broyhill Music Center.

Along with the takeaway of cherished memories, Beebe said that a highlight of his career was the opportunity to be immersed in young musicians’ lives.

Beebe said, “being a part of young musicians’ lives as they grow and thrive, both while students and later as their careers mature, performing music with dear friends and worldclass musician colleagues, being valued

as a teacher, mentor, and colleague; those are the true highlights.”

Beebe said he doesn’t quite have concrete plans yet, “but we know those plans will include more time with family, doing some of the local ‘touristy’ things we have never done.”

Professor Rob Falvo, coordinator of the percussion department in the Hayes School of Music, started in 1993 and has been teaching at App state for 30 years. Falvo said that some of the most rewarding moments during his time at App State consisted of witnessing the students’ growth.

“As a teacher, the most precious highlights are when students really understand themselves and the concepts that are being taught, enabling them to be more expressive human beings and musicians,” Falvo said.

Falvo has contributed to the growth of his department by adding a Tabla Ensemble, Ragtime Ensemble, an improvisation group called The Collective Improv at App and a percussion ensemble called the Edge Ensemble.

Victor Mansure, the coordinator of music history, began his career at App State in 1991 and has been teaching at the university for 32 years. Mansure has witnessed history as the university has grown such as the growth of the music department.

Read more online:

Graduating Greek life seniors

Eric Mendiola | Reporter

Two seniors on the cusp of graduation are looking onward to their future, where they hope to reap the benefits of their fraternities and sororities.

Margaret Young, a member of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and Jake Schantz, a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity are two of many seniors in Greek life who are about to embark on a new chapter of their lives.

“Honestly terrified. Very scary. Not ready for it,” said Young, a theater design and technology major, when describing how she felt about graduating. “I don’t know what happened to four years, but here I am.”

However, with members and chapters scattered across the country, a sense of security has reassured Young and Schantz that there will always be someone out there to lend a hand.

After joining Kappa Sigma the fall semester of his freshman year, Schantz, a risk management and insurance major, said his favorite part was “having a solid foundation of friends.”

“My biggest takeaway from being in a sorority is just that I don’t have to be like everybody else to find joined friendships,” Young said. “My friends don’t have to be the exact same as me.”

One priority of Greek life involvement on campus is inclusivity and belonging, according to App State’s Fraternity and Sorority Life website.

“When you’re a freshman you don’t know anybody and it’s an awkward phase, and they made that transition super easy for me,” Schantz said.

Although the recruitment process was scary for Young, “it was the best way to actually meet everybody,” she said.

Friendships have flourished through their involvement in their organizations and an ability to connect with others has people such as Young anticipating new relationships for their foreseeable path, she said.

After running for several positions in his fraternity and engaging with the Boone community through canned food drives and carving pumpkins as donations for homeless shelters, Schantz is grateful

for a group that enhanced not only his professional growth but personal growth as well.

“My favorite thing about being in AOII has to be the big events that we put on like Smoke Out cause it’s just a fun way to interact with the community and get to interact with your sisters as well,” Young said.

Smoke Out Arthritis is a barbecue event which raises funds for the Arthritis Foundation, according to an Alpha Omicron Pi sorority Facebook post.

“I’ve learned so many skills,” Schantz said.

Personal and professional development as well as civic engagement are two values held by the Greek life organizations, according to the school’s Fraternity and Sorority Life website.

“I would say for people who are in Greek life transitioning out, make your connections with alum organizations,” Young said as some words of encouragement for future Mountaineer alumni.

Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2023

Heather Nicole Bassett

Sciences

Actuarial Science

Bachelor of Science

William Farnham Allen

Latham R. Chamberlain

Noah Daniel Desimone

Omar Gonzalez

Adelaide Amalie Haack

Brian Thomas Hall

Anh Nguyen

Austin Glenn Vickers

Jenna Nicole Wray

Mary Kaitlynn Bailey

Anthropology

Bachelor of Science

Grace Rose Berzina

JS Howitt Braun

Lilith Mae Brown

Helena Suzanne Davis

Carson Rhoades Dickey

Sarah Autumn Edmondson

Mackenzie R. Fizet

Caroline Miller Kaney

Anna Stanton Lee

Damsel Little

Miranda Scarlett Lowery

Anahi Marysol Loza Lopez

Emma Jane McFarland

Kaitlyn Molly Orlovitz

Georgia Louise Privott

Britan Nicole Sides

Sydney Amanda Francis

Nadia Ruth Hollar Ryan Shea Millis

Molly Carolyn Switzer

Madison Joan Trombley

Bachelor of Arts

Armani Marcos Becerra

Elias Calaboyias Fox

Brittany Jenikka Krueger

Jacob Emory Sharp

Brett Reginald Callahan

Joseph Paul Coleman

Tiber Ann Hood

Inanna Rose Meinert

Biology

Bachelor of Science

Frank Douglas Alberts

Lyra Elizabeth Aquino

Lily G. Austin

Madeline Rose Babb

Patricia Jo Beasley

Jennifer Leigh Belk

Caitlyn A. Brown

Alyssa Jordan Buchanan

Mary Frances Burrows

Austin Edward Callicutt

Nicholas James Campany

Brianna Nicole Carter

Kevin Patrick Carter

Zackary Carl Childers

Gracie Elizabeth Church

Samuel Francis Cooke

Allison Elizabeth Corey

Benjamin Charles Crawford

Laken Nicole Creed

Nile Elijah Crump

Harrison Cole Curtis

Erin Marie Darnell

Joseph Glenn Davis

Francois Lamond Desautels

Joseph Andrew Dray

Alisa Thuy Duong

Lillian Bess Elkin

Elijah Patrick Fox

Raquela Pablo Francisco

Isabel Grey Freeman

Aaron Garcia

Lucas Henry Geurs

Cristian Gonzalez

Lizzete Christine Gonzalez

Lauren Ann Gray

Bailey Ann Grimsley

Taylor Elizabeth Gudac

Rian Peyton Habel

Zoe Lorraine Helzlsouer

Stuart Harrison Hemmer-Skidmore

Jacob Nathaniel Huemmer

Gabrianne Lye Ivey

Emily Laila Jaen

Kathryn Jane Jennings

Gavin Malachi Joines

Vojana Karan

Brian Robert Knight

Quentin Thomas Lachance

Jackson Augustus Lamb

Jesus Lovaton

Wesley Jay Marlow

Kailey Erin McAllister

Patrick Oliver Meyers

Taylor LeAnn Moore

Ezra Brahm Moorefield

Danytssa Fonseca Mora

Olivia M. Morgan

Saisha Alena Neilsen

Ally Morgan Nisbet

Seiji Sebastian Ono

Amber Rose Parker

Payal Mukeshbhai Patel

Talina Rubio Perez

Zyrehia Patricia Polk

Lora Elizabeth Proctor

Russell Vernon Quade

Morgan Walker Ray

Tyler Scot Richardson

Lauren E. Rusnak

Joshua Pierce Smith

Stori Anne Stefanac

Everett Cole Stevens

Audrey Grace Stone

Katherine Hill Sturkie

Heather Michelle Summerville

Elva Jacqulyn Swibold

Henry Dalton Taylor

Jessica Mackenzie Terry

Natorri Cordet Thomas

Grace Elizabeth Tickle

Alexandra Torres

Juanita Valencia Rincon

Patrick Hall Valente

Zoe Elizabeth Volmer

Brianna Lee Vonderhaar

Alexander Michael Wall

Zachary Grier Williamson

Hannah Catherine Wolf

Jenna Lee Woods

Jane Lynn Youmans

Dabney Patricia Asmer

Elizabeth Paige Barr

Kaitlyn Victoria Bates

Kathleen Anne Buswell

Dontaynie Maurina Ann Coard

Aerin Nora Crockett

Kayla N. Davenport

Sierra Rose Dougherty

Conner Aaron Elliott

Ariana Lizette Fuentes Negron

Kyla Jade Gunter

Joshua Gage Heskett

Jennifer Marie Kagarise

Haley Roze Martin

Samantha Susan McCrary

Mynor Otoniel Mendez-Rodriguez

Rachel Terese Milkereit

Carley R. Modlin

Lauren Ashley Niedzwiecki

Kasey Lanette Powers

Rodrigo Alfonso Roque

MacKenzie Carra Smith

Jaryd Alexander Stillwell

Ava Elizabeth Stoddard

Rylee Lynn Strassner

Jasmine Nicole Tolbert

Samantha Amber Walls

Sydney Kaitlyn Ward

Emily Elizabeth Warren

James Edward Watson

David Logan Wilson

James Matthew Senter

Bachelor of Arts

Craig Michael Kurowski

Jake Easton Rodgers

Olivia Stokes Roehl

Rebecca Irene Yoakum

Patrick Anthony Bautista

Javier Andre Del Toro Negron

Chemistry

Lindsey Claire Black

Kendall Jocelyn Byrd

Morgan Lee Clay

Terry Kate Dickson

Elaine Sarai Garcia Estrada

Christian Maxwell Hammond

Elizabeth Amelia Haslam

Christian Blake Hilton

Logan Mackenzie Jenkins

Lauren Elizabeth Johann

Allison Jordan Keys

Megan Elizabeth Learn

Katherine Clark May

Connor Wayne McMinn

Kevin Montero-Martinez

Nathaniel Graham Thomas Neblett

Anderson Blair Noonan

Kayla Cierra Patterson

Chase Talford Plyler

Christopher Pedro Rivera

Dawson William Shropshire

Ian Carl Sullivan

William Michael Swofford

Ella Louise Thompson

Sarah Nicole Traylor

Brianna Lee Vonderhaar

Madison Leigh Wood

Emma Jane McGibany

Carson B. Shivers

Community & Regional Planning

Bachelor of Science

Malikia Cherubala

Landon Clarke Coley

Jason Lowell Ehlenberger

Jackson Mcbryde Leach

Catherine Letitia Matz

Patrick Nicholas Werner

Computer Science

Bachelor of Science

Emma MacKenzie Allen

Jared Brock Atti

Peyton James Benz

Darien Alexander Bowman

Christian Raine Brewer

Nicholas Arthur Casella

Sophie Elyse Columbia

Connor Mcdonald Critchley

Devin Matthew Crumbley

Matthew James Dustin

Taylor Michael Fernald

Reis Mercer Gadsden

Jeremiah Isaiah Hampton

Olivia Rose Hess

Charles Rawls Jones

Phillip Timothy Lavey

William Blake Lucas

Joseph Maradiaga

Dylan Jamesie Mason

Zackery Kaleb McDaniel

Aria Lee Mills

William Robert O’Brien

Eli Douglas Orians

Cameron Joseph Overbeck

Alivia Elizabeth Paredes

Austin William Phillips

Jack F. Pulsfort

Hunter Luke Ringley

Jonathan Andrew Rink

Gabriel Ruiz

Eli Alexander Scheer

Katherine Margaret Schwerer

Darian Andrew Mitchell Silvers

Ryan Mathew Simpson

Christian Manuel Sloan

Jacob Tyler Swisher

Tyler Dean Taylor

Jarred Joseph Tramontano

Thanh Tan Tran

Bailey S. Williams

Bridgette Winkler

Brett Hampton Ennis

Zachary Joseph Farrand

Joel Christopher Reiter

Cameron Chad Roberts

Ian Alexander Robinson

Joseph Luke Swearngan

Joseph D Thomas

Kendrick Earl Vongsvirates

John Spencer Williams

Criminal Justice

Bachelor of Science

Camryn Lynn Adams

Brianna Blair Airington

Jacob Mckenzie Baity

Justin Scott Bates

Emma Leigh Wright

Cory A. Yow

Ellis Owen Austin

Abigail Grace Beane

Molly Elizabeth Campbell

Christopher Michael Staab

Anna Greer Workman

Bachelor of Arts

Wade Grant Culberson

Cecilia Marie Heyn

Griffin William Honea

Haleigh Danielle Johnson

Eric David Little

Nicholas J. Lopina

Erin Marie Lounsberry

Kylee Marie Meier

Taylor Morrison Pitts

Nathan William Rodney

Garrett Elijah Sandell

Kendal D. Thomas

Rhoda Madeline Waechter

Joseph Douglas Picarelli

Tyler James Richards

Alyssa Jade Royal

Luke T. Ruggieri

History, Social Studies Education

Bachelor of Science

Chloe Beauchamp Carter

William Alexander Iversen Hales

Noah Scott Hamby

Taylor Dianne Harkey

Deacon Thomas Harris

Casia Grace Kaprelian

Skyler Sue Lunsford

Makayla Nichole Mayhew

Addison Hunter Muller

Marissa Renee Roman

Tyler James Skeen

Atticus Jackson Trudeau

Ryan Michael Whalen

Elizabeth Victoria Vaughan

Interdisciplinary Studies

Bachelor of Science

Eliot Burress

Caroline Margret McCrorey

Hope Victoria Smith

Delaney Reese Hall

Bachelor of Arts

Cecilia Ruth Bockoven

Addie Marie Magyar

Mason Reed McConnell

Grayson Lane Ross

Languages, Literatures & Cultures

Bachelor of Arts

Ivy Lynn Ayling

Amelia Susan Bocko

Jeremy Michael Calvin

Natalie Rebecca Croxton

Dina Angela Damiano

Aranzazu Davalos

Alfonso Juan De La Serna Buzon

Jacqueline Elizabeth Drummond

Asia Kymani Griffis

Jeweliette Cipriana Harris

Ellie Joanne Johnson

Nina Cordelia Gulewich Kirkman

Astrid Nicole Lyndrup

Alexandra Ramirez Tinoco

Danielle Christina Rinz

Heather Rose Rubin

Elijah Aaron Rudisill

Brennah Denise Alderfer

Aliyah Gray

Skylar Melanie Sinnott

Bachelor of Science

Hannah Leanne Giocondo

Mathematics

Bachelor of Science

Zoe Madison Bryant

Sally Kay Campbell

Cindy Candelario Jose

Tyler Mark Cave

Remy A. Duplantis

Caroline Anne Fehlman

Bailey Elise Gay

Gabriella Jane Goelz

Jayne Elizabeth Hollar

Hannah Elizabeth Joyner

Aidan Witte Keaveney

Aaron Seth Lubkemann

Aiden Drake McDonald

Nicholas Joseph Mencis

Katherine Alice Metzger

Brody Michael Miller

Sarah Elizabeth Naughton

Meredith Grace Newsome

Deborah Elizabeth Nowak

Irena Christine Owens

Matthew Devin Shaw

Lyndsay Marie Snider

Elizabeth Page Young

Jackson Burton Tilley

Philosophy

Bachelor of Arts

Zachary Noah Baugher

Michelle Fernandes Ellison

Maxwell Thomas Butterworth

Skyelar Sillyman

Azlynn Iyonia Williams

Physics

Bachelor of Science

Elias King Beam

Lukas Per Wilhelm Jonsson

Aidan Witte Keaveney

Joshua Atwood McNeill

Tomas Edward Romero

Thomas Stewart Batalia

Daniel Morgan Carter

Andrew Cade Cutshall

Trey Michael Jansen

John Stanford Stichter

Jeffrey Jonah Robert Wyatt

Political Science

Bachelor of Science

Caroline Rachel Arch

Rebekah Hope Augustine

Walker Douglas Beard

Trey Landen Blackwood

Kayla Reagan Bostic

Liam Tyler Bowman

Blaze Keaton Carswell

Katelyn Rose Carter

William Russell Cramton

Ivy Rachael Crist

McKenna Rae Daley

Evaline Louise Davis

Asher Winston Dula

Deborah Anne Dupre

Madisson Melisa Escobar

Madelyn Elizabeth Flowers

Eloise Nicole Fontaine

Andrew Robinson Garrett

Ethan E. Harmon

Bek Micah Hartman

Makenzie Blaire Hedrick

Eric Allen Hesslink

Preston Dalton Hilliard

William Abbott Hofmann

Dabney Suzanne Hyman

Allison Mae Johnson

Sarah Grace Johnson

Melanie Casey Jordan

Riley Morgan Kiefer

Zannah Paige Kukral

Benjamin Davis Leonard

Emily Nicole Mahon

Jasmine Nicole Mathis Olvera

Meghan Louise Merritt

Brett Mordecai

Ari Moya

Devin Thomas Mullins

Joshua Andrew Padgett

Micah Andersen Patrick

Katherine Renée Rheuby

Madison Elizabeth Rynne

Charles Gilmer Alexander Setliff

Celine Nicole Smith

Madison Marie Syfert

Trinity Marie Thompson

Rachael Love Tilley

Robert Douglas Welten

Corey Isaac Whitaker

Daniel Quinton White

Vazaria Aubrey Wingo

Samantha Rose Zalatan

Brianna Antoine

Patrick Ross Bostic

Owen Coppedge Henley

Jose Luis Lagunes

Cameron Edward Lancaster

Katelyn Caroline McKinney

Katelyn Grace Peters

Michael Christian Goetz Rapp

Thomas Ryan Skelly

Charles John Slemenda

Kyla Marie Starr

Yucilia Yamilett Ventura

Bachelor of Arts

Amelia Susan Bocko

Lillian Bell Hlavin

Austin James Mondi

Wesley Hugh Murray

Ian Alexander Objio

Cole Neill Phillips

Anna B. Richard

Sean Francis Riordan

Tyler Harris Williams

Elizabeth St. Clair Wohlbruck

John Christopher Cathcart

Abby Marie Clay

Psychology

Bachelor of Science

Percy Eden Cody Aagon

Camryn Lynn Adams

Hunter Ryan Adams

Byron Estuardo Aguilar

Jose Andres Alarcon Macias

Francisco Javier Alcaraz Figueroa

Mark Taylor Allen

Piper Mackenzie Allen

Miranda Nicole Angel

Keyona Amishion Anthony

Caroline Rachel Arch

Whitley Blaire Askew

Madison Tera Nicole Bailey

Caleb Cole Hughes Barlow

Joshua Garrett Bell

Kathryn Elizabeth Bolick

Jada Sinclair Branch

Abigail Marie Branco

John Owen Brandenburg

Christopher Thomas Brasacchio

Isaac Joe Bumgarner

Taylor Carolyn-jean Burleson

Samantha Lynn Burns

Lauren Avery Bush

Jackson Alexander Butt

Ellie Ann Cahillane

Ross Anders Canella

Sydney Lee Carlisle

Taylor Jelean Carroll

Jocelynn M. Castro

Kristen Elizabeth Chandler

Caden Schimmel Christensen

Adam Alexander Christoffersen

Laken Karis Clodfelter

Matthew Richard Cook

Savannah Elizabeth Cook

Kylie Morgan Correll

Luke Henly Crocker

Bailey Ruth Crockett

Madison Dawn Culver

Jason Carl Dadolf

Francois Lamond Desautels

Kaiyah Lakay Dooley

Jacqueline Nichols Dozier

Jared Michael Drew

Elizabeth Caroline Durante

Sierra Grace Eaton

Eli Edward Ellington

Tori Alyse Elliott

James Kent Fain

Alexis B. Farbman

Claudia Ferreira Fiore

Michael Reed Fisk

Hope Anne Freeman

Sienna Lauren Frossard

Lauder Jane Fuhrmann

Brianna Marie Garcia

Naia Sierra Garcia

Vanessa Garcia

Gabrielle Ann Garrigan

Andrew Carlton Gedgoudas

Raven Brielle Gendron

Chloe Lynne Glasgow

Olivia Charline Gnall

Hunter Thomas Gorthey

Samantha Michele Gosline

Sydney Paige Gossweiler

Megan Elizabeth Gourd

Ethan Jacob Granholm

Tyshawn Devon Graves

Ma’Lee Alexandria Gray

Camryn Layne Greene

Elizabeth Alexandra Grimm

Lucas Blaise Gromyko

Nathalia Guerra-Soria

Phillip Michael Hampton

Allison Paige Harrell

Anna Grace Hawley

Lora Elizabeth Heiman

Leanne Jordyn Hendley

Maegan Leigh Hensley

Brandon Heras

Megan Ashley Higgins

Charles Colclough Hinson

Ena Hodzic

Isabelle Grace Hoke

Faith Maxine Holden

Kaitlyn Leora Horne

Christien Nakaya Hubbard

Sarah Kaitlyn Humphrey

Camden Marie Hutchinson

Olivia Katherine Hydzik

Mallory Nicole Jenkins

Isabelle Jane Johnson

Noah Andrew Johnson

Addison Faith Jones

Hailey Elisabeth Kalsky

Shelby Lane Kennerly

Jonathan T. Koger

Taylor Catherine Lautz

Griffin R. Law

Mackenzie Gertrue Law

Gracie Elizabeth Ledford

Hallie Catherine Lee

Amber Grace Long

Sarina Loveless

Meredith Claire Luther

Marketing

Bachelor of Science Business

Administration

Colin H. Bross

Lindsay Marie Aggar

Nathaniel Gabriel Joel Allison

Emma Grace Ayscue

LeighAnne Noel Baldwin

Zachary Alan Beaver

Samuel Paul Beeman

Lillian Madison Bellanca

Savannah Aubrey Bizjack

Anand Dabir Blum

Macie Margaret Bodenheimer

Lane Marie Bolen

Abigail Jean Brannen

Reily Patrick Burke

Hunter Austin Burleson

Zoe Elizabeth Cackowski

Caroline Michelle Cason

Rhett Daulton Chapman

Kristen Delaney Cheek

Mallory Arden Childress

Payton Ryan Chipman

J. Spencer Christopher

Lynsey Raelyn Clark

Jennifer Grace Connor

Austin Gehron Crotts

Victoria Madison Darner

Zachary Ross De La Cruz

Matthew Arthur Decker

Sidney Parker Donavant

Kaitlyn Olivia Dornauer

William Holland Dowdy

Alyssa Claire Drogan

Ashley Mae Elam

William James Evans

Jake Anthony Everett

Gianna Maria Figueroa

Cassidy Aileen Fulcher

Drake Wooten Funderburk

Taylor Renee Gantt

Isabella Frances Garay

A’Lea Nicole Gilbert

Finnegan Jared Glasscock

Anna Camille Goebelbecker

Andrea Alejandra Gonzalez

Dan Reid Gregory

Alyssa L. Hasty

Kaleigh Elise Hellman

Christian Lara Hernandez

Madison Kathleen Hill

Matthew Mark Hoglund

Alyssa Marie Honeycutt

Christopher Daniel Johnson

Jessica Nicole Jones

Emma Katherine Kemp

Max Dunham Keverline

Nicholas James Kilduff

Kimberly G. King

Uriel Lagunas-Mondragon

Asher Dean Lattig

Riley Alexander Lovelace

Michael David Macko

Justice M. Mapp

Tanner James Markland

Tyson Augustus Marvin

Marcus Anthony Matos

Kathryn Paige Matthews

Michael Thomas Maver

Kedra Diane Grace McCall

Liam Lynch McHale

Ian Martin Mccaskill

Andrew Hudson Medley

Charlotte Victoria Mench

Rachel Elizabeth Merrill

Jacob Evan Miner

Elizabeth Ann Minton

Stella O. Mooy

Andrew Warren Munday

Blake Abigail Murphy

Jesse Aaron Murphy

Kyndal Gray Myers

Grace Elizabeth Pagan

Haven Mackenzie Parker

Micah James Briscoe Patchin

Ashley Elaine Pearson

Evan J. Pendlum

Andres Rafael Perez-Hernandez

Craig Whitney Pergerson

Reid Thomas Pettitt

Luke William Phillips

Carter Robert Pratt

Grace Elizabeth Pruitt

Joseph Francis Quigg

Leslie Warren Ramsey

Alexander Michael Reed

Cameron Latham Reynolds

Austin Nicholas Rich

Cameron Tyler Roney

Michael-Russell Adamian Salmi

Ashleigh Marie Shelton

Avery Jordan Short

Bailey Elizabeth Shuping

Michelle Tamara Sigmon

Delaney Buchanan Skeen

Timothy Nathan Sliney

Ellie Anne Smith

James M. Smith

Carson Maxwell Sperber

Haley Marie Starling

Charles Logan Starnes

Garrett Cole Staton

Savannah Dawn Stewart

Steven Russell Stum

Sarah Grace S. Sweitzer

Noah Scott Swing

Nehara Kayleigh Travis

Eleni Joanna Tsiatsios

Victoria Haven Vincent

Megan Elouise Waid

Bailey Mason Watts

Emory Samantha White

Lauren Elizabeth White

Finnian Michael Will

Corey Neil Williams

Alessandro Ardito

Jacob Thomas Auten

Cade E. Bettinger

Chalyn Belle Bryant

Victoria Rose Bunstine

Raelene F. Burke

Patrick Daniel Dalton

Reid Alexander Efthymiou

Justice Connor Fowler

Hayley Olivia Heilman

Ian Michael Higgins

Charles Horner

Ian Thomas Lane

Marc Austin Lawrence

Cameron John McCole

Nicole Catherine McKay

Amelia Hope McKeaveney

Kailee Alexis Mccabe

Chapel Keaton Moss

Madison Lake Oswald

Nathan Wilson Peters

Justin Wesley Pharr

David Ford Philipp

John Martin Polakovic

Caroline Nicole Post

Samuel Peter Rocci

Dustyn Cade Rogers

Rachel Caroline Setzer

Cedar Ann Skeen

Caleb Lee Smith

Jacob Joseph Solomon

Grace Mackenzie Spell

Manley Keith Stovall

Alexander Marshal Thomas

Emily Rose Ann Wynne

William Holt Yon

Risk Management & Insurance

Bachelor of Science Business

Administration

Ethan Blake Abrams

Oliverio Anselmo

Hannah Elizabeth Bagley

James Simon Bryant

Reece Sumner Callaway

William Spencer Carleton-Smith

Carolyn Elyse Coldiron

Carson Bailey Edwards

Andrew Thomas Freeman

Tanner Chad Grail

Matthieu Skye Gutierrez

Jacob Lee Harvell

Vanessa Joyce Jenkins

Charles Landon Kemble

Johnathan Henry Knoll

Dakota Scott Lincoln

Molly Rose Meaney

Andrew James Miller

Jonathan Cortez Millner

Richard Donald Orlicki

Daniel Jacob Ruholl

Sienna Sage Sigmon

Austin Gregory Smith

Jackson Lee Stamey

Allison Blake Suddreth

Hannah Elise Teague

Sharon Lynn Ware

Isabella Mariah Warner

Macie Christeen York

Sara E. Zacharias

William Grey Danford

Joshua Jeffrey Ford

Boston Reece Moore

Peyton Lea Orders

Hans Ian Roemer

Summer Precious Schloss

Carmen Alexis Shore

Supply Chain Management

Bachelor of Science Business

Administration

Kasen Robert Agha

Joshua Daniel Burgan

Reily Patrick Burke

Alex Michael Byrd

Jeffrey Alan Cansler

Charles Oliver Cini

Glicerio Antonio Telan Clemente

Corey Byrd Cone

William J. Danker

Matthew Arthur Decker

Spencer Cole Everhart

Jacob Franklin Faircloth

Shannon Mary Fennessy

James Robert Fryling

Drake Wooten Funderburk

Finnegan Jared Glasscock

Zachary Allen Green

Bryant T. Greene

Mitchell Roberts Greene

Bennett Michael Gungor

Allison Riley Hinshaw

Garrett Ludlow Hoyt

Mason Chestnutt Hunter

Uriel Lagunas-Mondragon

Michael Shawn Lippincott

Thomas Griffin Lowe

Brandon Michael Lushene

Rachel Elizabeth Merrill

Casey Emma Miller

Megan Elizabeth Miller

Campbell Reid Nixon

Alexander Owens

Zoe Marie Panizza

Katelyn Grace Patterson

Zachary Kenneth Phillips

Dorian Miguel Pickett

Carter Robert Pratt

Chance Stephen Reynolds

Sarah Michelle Rhim

Stacia Jade Roth

Benjamin James Russell

Timothy Nathan Sliney

Kathleen Ellen Smith

Garrett Cole Staton

Gabriel Roth Szilagyi

Adrian Jann Nichole Tate

Joshua Paul Tippel

Aaron Joseph Walters

Vicky Yin Chen

Trevor Thornton Farrell

Demetrios Vasilios Panagiotopoulos

Samuel Peter Rocci

Kathryn Mary Smith

Jordan Talor Snipes

Reich College of Education

Career & Technical Education

Bachelor of Science

Sayyed Ahmed Afuwwan

Zachary Thomas Brittain

Hannah Rhyan Bruce

Kimberly Elizabeth Colyer

Debra Marie Foxx

Cierra Renee Friend

Caleb Reid Gilley

Whitney Michelle Golding

Brittany Nicole Greene

Christie Eden Hewitt

Cynthia Lou Huntsinger

Ryan Kevin Keller

Richard Michael Kellum

Kayla Elaine Lynn

Cheyenne Rose Mateyunas

Gina Willette Ortiz

Bridgett Nicole Peterson

Santiago Ramirez-Escobar

Bannah Brooke Rankin

Thomas James Sladky

Christina Paige Sports

Jake Travis Stroud

Jenna Marie Chapman

Amanda Renee Foster

Brittani Tanner Maney

Donald Lee McCormick

Stephanie Renia Reeves

Child Development

Bachelor of Science

Isabella Swen Buchwald

Ainsley Taylor Butler

Lindsay Marie Cowley

Emma Grace Day

Lucy Rosales Dixon

Breeanna Blake Eldridge

Kassidy Ann Fair

Veronica Fay Florido Horton

Kayla Madison Frashier

Katelin Nicole Garner

Kalina Cook Hanowski

Elizabeth Secreast Harvan

Kaitlyn Ashleigh Helton

Kerri Elisabeth Hughes

Emily Christine Johnson

Mary Catharine Jones

Sha’Yeka Shannelle Jones

Cindy Sheets Mckiddy

Amanda Lee Rhyne

Jillian Elizabeth Rokuskie

Makayla Elizabeth Ruppe

Sherry Lynn Shepherd

Megan Alice Spickard

Mayci Annette Springle

Micah Elisabeth Turner

Hannah Louise Wells

Jacquelyn Marie Wilson

Hannah N. Glover

Brittany Christina Guerriero

Jillian Morgan Hines

Master of Arts in Psychology

Kelly Marie Davis

Brittany Michelle Foster

Kimberly Ann Holt

Maggie Witherspoon Johnson

Shayla Rene Moniz

Elizabeth Susanne Pearce

Skyler Diane Prowten

Shraddha Selani

Emma Micaela Walker

Kimberlin Laine Walton

Angela Rose Napoli

Emily Elaine Walker

Master of Public Administration

Benjamin Mcknight Carter

Laney Mercer Crumbley

Nicholas James Farmerie

Andrew Grayson Finley

Dylan S. Haman

Paxton Caroline Hayes

Neal Castle Winebarger

James Dylan Blankley

Master of Arts in Reading

Education

Brooklyn Michele Bauguess

Caitlin McNeely Collins

Erin Elizabeth Holtzapple

Victoria Elizabeth Howle

Verity Grace Kelley

Taylor Alyse Kuehl

Lydia Grace Newnum

Olivia Milena Pepin

Randi Lynn Krista Pinkerton

Cori Isabelle Richardson

Carrie Marie Semke

Gracie Mae Small

Brianna Katelyn Taylor

Master of Arts in Romance

Languages

Pascale Bouchard

Jasmine Nicole Garcia

Gabrielle A. Monbeck

Elisabeth Alston Wilkerson

Master of School Administration

Leslie Brooke Barbour Buchanan

Godwin Kamalanduako Zayobi

Kelly Meredith Bradford

Ryan Graham Britt

Chasity Patrice Clark

Nathan Lee Fredericks

Wesley Van Grant

Sarah Marie Gray

Amber Wrench Hall

Erin Elizabeth Steed Leach

Jamie Lynn Minton

Melyssa Danielle Pickett

Tammy L. Putnam

Anna Frances Russell

Jeffrey Lucas Smith

Anna-Marie Stines

Rebecca Marian Wray

Dylan Marie Zunino

Master of Arts in School

Psychology

Casey Josephine Gough

Sarah Hannah Grace Hamilton

Hannah Marie King

Claire Olivia McAlister

Natalie Grace Moyer

Sarah Elizabeth Rojas

Rachel Morgan Sockman

Abryanna Evancia Vidot

Brielle Dolores Winner

Master of Social Work

Kiersten Cherelle Abernathy

Stephanie Albanil-Rangel

James Tyler Alexander

Katherine Reeve Allen

Mary Abigail Ammons

Benjamin Ellis Blackwell

Lauren Elizabeth Busic

Adam Webster Campbell

Hannah Lynne Canter

Josselyn Marie Cedillo

Erica Lee Cheek

Victoria Roche Choplin

Abigail Blair Citty

Sarah Marie Cline

Ashley Nicole Clontz

Ashtyn Leigh Aman Cole

Kaley Madison Coltrain

Spencer Grace Daniels

Kaylyn Jade Dollar

Katelyn Doris Dorn

Brittany Nicole Fowler

Abagail Nicole Fuhrman

Morgan Monique Gibbard

Hannah Danielle Grant

Allie Brook Graves

Randall Forehand Harrell

Crystal Dawn Hayes

Ginni Lynne Hefner

Amy Jo Holchin

Peyton Jeffery Jones

Whitney Marie Key

Elizabeth Lauren Kurtz

Meagan Rose McGinnis

Mary Adair Melton

KeSean Legrant Mobley

Adriana Alexia Mot

Margaret Ann Nichols

Tessa Jolene Orozco

Patricia McKenna Passmore

Emily Jordan Pitman

Brandy-Paula Michelle Pjanic

Sarah Holloway Poole

Jessie Paige Preston

Kaitlyn Marie Reda

RoseAnna Michelle Roberts

Aruna I. Ross

Madison Moncrief Schaffer

Kaitlyn Maire Sessoms

Emily Madison Sharpe

Madison Jean Shepherd

Sarah McKenzie Spencer

Myles Martin Stacey

Hannah Dawn Stark

Lila Rebecca Sheon Stith

Reagan Jeanna Sydes

Domenica Christine Terinoni

Dillon Chandler Thomas

Karley M. Thornton

Lina Melissa Walker

Justin James Wiet

Lucy Pierce Wilson

Rebekah Paige Blalock

Lisette Angela Jimenez

Kathryn Abbigayle Warner

Master of Arts in Special Education

Alexis Marie Barber

Bailey Renae Claypool

Katherine Elizabeth Clifford

Gray Isabelle Frost Cohen

Kathryn Danielle Edwards

Rachel Olivia Estes

Emma Sofia Everson

Maggie Leann Gilmore

Shelby Lynne Hickey

Reagan Karlyn Hiers

Bevin Yesenia Hunter

Abigail Jean James

Hannah Massey

Megan Elizabeth McMahon

Virginia Maddux Miller

Michala Anne Penninger

Hannah Nicole Smith Severt

Kate Rose Smith

Carleen Nicole Thompson

Sarah Ragan Watson

Riley Jade Wheat

Kathryn Tomoe Holton

Kylie Jo Howell

Margaret Elizabeth Kunik

Grace Hongan Le

Master of Science in SpeechLanguage Pathology

Emily Payton Barlowe

Anna Kathryn Burleson

Amanda Michelle Davis

Reed Elizabeth Dixon

Jennifer Leigh Elrod

Shaylan Brooke Ferrell

Leighton Jennings Higgins

Emily Anne Hymes

Nathaniel J. Jackson

Daniel Glen Pittman

Hannah Elizabeth Porter

Abigail Frances Priest

Abigail Grace Reeves

Kayla Dawn Reichard

Molly Elizabeth Reinking

Raegan Grace Rutledge

Riley Marie Thomas

Anna Grace Wagoner

Master of Arts in Student Affais

Administration

Zackery Edmond Beasley

Courtney E. Blackstock

Nicholas Howard Davison

Emmily R. Eccles

Leigh Anne Lessard

Katelyn Marie Neeley

Cassandra Paige Pennebaker

Jordan Lynn Smith

Alexis Marie Snoke

Dalton Tyler Stroup

Cameron Nicole Thompson

Master of Science in Technology

Porter Samuel Dalton

Sarah A. Gummo

Nicholas Steven Roberts

Come

Graduating RA makes mountains of change at App State

Amena Matcheswala | Reporter

Many freshmen and others living on campus know the familiar feeling of residence hall events: making stress balls with strangers, participating in ice breakers just to forget people’s names moments later and the awkward silence of elevator rides. Summit Hall’s 10th floor can’t relate.

Instead, they spend their time at events tasting strange sodas, building puzzles and catching up with each other in a tight-knit group of floormates, all thanks to the work of senior psychology major and resident assistant Keyona Anthony.

Anthony is spending her last year as an undergraduate at App State giving those on her floor the experience she wished she had, which is what inspired her to become a resident assistant, Anthony said.

She said she feels like “college is so hard for so many different people for many different reasons,” and to her, it’s important students have the resource of a resident assistant to provide “that close connection to reach out to and talk about your problems.”

Anthony recalled the closeness she felt with her freshman year RA, someone she said was a great resource for her. She said the pair are still friends to this day.

Similarly, Anthony herself said she made similar connections with the residents on her floor, some of whom she would never have connected with otherwise.

“It’s so much easier because we’re on the same floor and everyone cares about everyone, everyone wants everyone to succeed, and I think that’s a great thing,” Anthony said.

She and her residents, who are mostly sophomores, spend a lot of their time studying together, as she shares classes with many of them, Anthony said. They spend time chatting and connecting on a more personal level than she felt she

could with resident assistants in her past.

One of the reasons for that connection is Anthony’s approach to hall-wide events.

“I want to be there for them and have fun events, talk to them and get to know who they are,” Anthony said. “And I’ve gotten to do that, and it’s been awesome.”

One of these events was a Sip ‘n Solve, where Anthony set out jigsaw puzzles and crosswords for residents to solve while tasting strange flavors of soda, such as watermelon flavored Mountain Dew.

“Obviously, we didn’t finish them because there are 500 pieces and I just left them out, like they were just out, so other residents came and finished them and now we have finished puzzles,” Anthony said. “I thought that was really cool.”

The list of events that drew out her residents more than usual doesn’t end there. Anthony said one of her favorite moments as an

RA was Cupcake Catchup, where residents could grab a cupcake and speak to other residents on their floor.

“I had 22 people show up. That was very shocking,” Anthony said. “And it made me happy because there was so many different conversations going on with people that normally didn’t talk to each other.”

Anthony has also been present in other ways, making more personal connections with residents, such as the time she spent bonding with junior social studies education major and resident Elliot Sheehan over spring break. The pair stayed on campus and used their time on an otherwise vacant campus to go grocery shopping and to Bojangles together.

“Keyona is both disciplined and fun. She can be serious when she needs to, but also welcoming and enthusiastic,” Sheehan said.

In addition to her responsibilities

as an RA, Anthony balances roles with various other App State organizations, including APPS, Campus Dining Advisory Board, Honors Vanguard and more.

Anthony said her role and achievements with APPS are her proudest accomplishments among her extracurricular activities. As vice president of administration, Anthony said she implemented an internal newsletter to follow through on an overlooked section of the organization’s constitution, resulting in greater communication and cohesion between the six councils within APPS.

Senior electronic media and broadcasting major Emma Finerghty met Anthony during the pair’s shared time at APPS. For Finerghty, it’s hard to pin down a favorite memory with Anthony, someone who she finds to be a hard worker who puts her best foot forward at every turn.

“Keyona is one of the kindest

and most honest people I know,” Finerghty said.

Anthony’s accomplishments were recognized with a Black and Gold Leadership Award from Club Council, which recognized her as the 2022-23 Unsung Champion.

After graduation, Anthony hopes to go to physician assistant’s school after a two-year gap, during which she will be placed at a clinic in North Carolina for a medical fellowship.

The thing she said she will miss most about App State is the connections she made with others, as well as the routine presented by class schedules that feels weird to get out of.

“I think despite the challenges or issues you may go through, the dorm experience is like no other and the time goes by so fast and the community you have when you’re a freshman is so important,” Anthony said.

First four-year grads to minor in ASL

Kaitlyn Potochnik | Reporter

With over 100 known minors offered at App State, it can be hard to notice when something new comes along. Four years ago, a new minor was introduced: American Sign Language.

The senior graduating class of 2023 will have been the first four-year graduates to have been offered this minor since their freshman year.

“I’ve always been really passionate about ASL and when I found out that App State, which was my top choice of school, was offering that program the first year I was starting, it just made me even more excited to start coming to App State,” said Grace Runza, a senior with an ASL minor.

Along with taking ASL I-IV in order to learn the language, students participating in this minor are required to take an approved elective course and a course on deaf culture.

“It’s not just learning the language,

it’s about being a part of the community and knowing people who are deaf,” senior Olivia Gnall said. “You could be a CODA, child of deaf adults, or friends with them. But putting yourself into those atmospheres is really important to learn better.”

Gnall said she wished the deaf culture class was offered in-person, rather than just online. The class consisted of a lot of group work that made it difficult to accomplish in an online setting, Gnall said.

Because the deaf culture class is taught by a deaf professor and requires no ASL prerequisite classes, the online-only setting allows for an equal opportunity learning experience for those who may not know any ASL.

“I do think that they could have done a little better job, like, promoting the classes and promoting the minor because I had to find out myself,” said senior Gracie Roope. “Nobody told me about it. I was

just searching through classes and it came up. I was like, ‘oh, this is pretty cool.’ And then I was like wait, ‘nobody really knows about this.’”

Roope grew up with a learning disability which rendered her nonverbal for the first four years of her life.

“I had to rely on ASL with my family and I remembered very few things from it since I was so young,” said Roope. “But I knew that like, hey, if I could go back and give back to the community that gave so much to me, like at the facility I was at to learn ASL and communicate with my parents, I want to do it. It just hits close to home.”

There’s a high demand for ASL classes. However, there are only three professors teaching in the program. Each of these professors are either deaf or hard of hearing and teach their classes

nonverbally, according to Runza.

Runza said her favorite part of the ASL classes was how none of her professors taught verbally. She said she doesn’t think she would have learned as much if they were allowed to talk in class.

“You really get the full immersion experience not only with learning signs, but also getting the deaf culture experience from someone who is not only culturally deaf but is deaf or hard of hearing,” Runza said. Having only three professors teaching ASL courses means larger class sizes and less one-on-one time for students.

Despite the challenges, Roope said her ASL professor, Greta KniggaDaugherty, put in the effort to make sure her students understood what was being taught.

“I’ve had such a positive experience with these classes and having the ASL minor, which is shocking because I feel like I always have negative experiences with classes,” Roope said. “But Greta has done such an amazing job to make the class so welcoming and I really appreciate that.”

Runza thought that either hiring a new professor or offering another section of some of the classes would help allow more students to become integrated into the minor and allow some more one-onone time with the professors.

Roope said taking this minor has really helped her develop a “new perspective of the language.” She plans to use her newfound knowledge to “help people in the deaf community as a hearing person.”

Colin’s Cooking Corner:

Chicken Fontina

It’s about 2:30 p.m. You’re standing in the entrance of your favorite grocery store, wondering why you agreed to host a dinner party at your apartment. Cooking for yourself is hard, let alone cooking for a group of people. Don’t panic, this recipe is perfect for making a dish that looks sophisticated, tastes delicious and is easy to make. Sharpen your knives, clear some counter space and let’s cook.

Ingredients

Approximate cooking time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4

• 2 chicken breasts

• ⅓ bundle of asparagus

• 1 block fontina cheese (usually in the specialty cheese section of most grocery stores)

Wanderings, hopefulness and survival techniques: Summer reads for the new post-grad

• 1 cup of flour (for coating the chicken)

• ½ cup of flour (for thickening sauce)

• Salt, to taste

• Ground pepper, to taste

• 1 cup Marsala cooking wine

• ½ cup of olive oil

• 2 tablespoons of butter

The prep work: Time to cook:

First, slice your chicken breasts in half and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, add flour and a pinch of salt and pepper, forming your flour mixture. Place to the side.

Then, slice fontina cheese into thin slices. Two to three slices per chicken breast will work.

Lastly, snap the tips of the asparagus from the bottom, then cut in half horizontally. Bring a small pot of water to a low boil, then, boil and cover the asparagus for two minutes and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

For the sauce:

Place sliced chicken breast into the flour mixture. Make sure both sides are fully coated.

In a large skillet, completely cover the bottom of the pan with oil and turn the heat to medium high. Allow the oil to heat before placing the chicken breasts into the pan. Let the chicken cook on both sides for approximately three minutes, or until a golden brown crust begins to develop. Once the chicken develops the crust, place on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet.

Whether you are in need of something to help you through all the post-grad emotions or just looking for a summer reading list, these books feature aimless wanderings, purposeful journeys, powerful relationships and even a cookbook full of accessible tips and tricks all meant to help you along the incoming transitional, sunny season.

“

Following the removal of the cooked chicken breasts, turn down the heat on the skillet. Add butter, marsala cooking wine and a pinch of salt and pepper to create the sauce. If a thicker sauce is desired, gradually add in leftover flour and stir into the simmering mixture until combined. Once the above steps have been completed, place the blanched asparagus on top of the chicken breasts. Then, lay the thinly sliced fontina cheese on top of the asparagus. Drizzle the sauce from the pan over each chicken breast.

Tip: When placing the ingredients in the sheet tray, try to balance the ingredients so that when the cheese melts, it will secure asparagus to the chicken breasts when baking. Place the chicken in the now preheated oven.

After 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meat thermometer says the thickest part of each chicken breast is at 165 F internal, remove from the oven. Let it sit for three to five minutes before plating. Enjoy.

Service & what to pair:

As Boone approaches warmer temperatures, Chicken Fontina can be a staple for warm weather dinner parties. If serving during warmer months, consider making a caprese salad for a light springtime meal. For step by step instructions on how to make the perfect caprese salad, check out Lily Kincaid’s “Recipe Corner: Drivin’ me caprese” on theappalachianonline.com.

“

Educated” by Tara Westover

Westover’s memoir details her life as a child in a survivalist Mormon family before she left to pursue education. Her memoir speaks to how education helped her expand her worldview.

“Cook This Book: Techniques That Teach and Recipes to Repeat” by Molly Baz

This cookbook is full of cooking tips, techniques to increase your comfortability in the kitchen and several easy to complex recipes for your new stage of life. A helpful inclusion are the QR codes within that

Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The story tells of Ifemelu, a young Nigerian, her relationships, her immigration to the U.S. and, most importantly, her ponderings and activism in America. She does this through her anonymous blog postings as she grapples with returning home to Nigeria and the resurgence of her relationship with her longtime love Obinze.

“The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times” by Jane Goodall

Though not discussing the potentially trying times of leaving college or wilderness survival tips, Goodall covers the topic of hope when current headlines make it difficult to

Read more online:

ARTS & CULTURE

A Mountaineer mixtape

As App State 2023 graduates prepare to walk the stage, let’s pause and take a detour down memory lane. Follow along to a mixtape compiled of songs tied to seniors’ favorite mountaineer moments.

Before you plug in your headphones and get lost in the imagery of these stories, I want to provide a little history about the art of the mixtape. According to an article published on hiphopmakers, the original mixtape was a “compilation of songs from different genres and music artists recorded onto cassette tapes.”

Although we are past the days of Walkmans on the waist, we can proceed with our own modern modes of mixes. Rolling Stones author Rob Sheffield wrote in his book “Love Is a Mix Tape” that mixtapes are “a fundamental human need to pass music around, and however the technology evolves, the music keeps moving.”

Today’s technology lets us share music across various platforms through different streaming services, which is fortunate when crafting a mixtape dedicated to a whole university. Even though the technology changes, the spirit is the same, Sheffield said. Often when mixtapes are gifted to someone, they tend to tell a story or relay a message. Christine Chung said it best in her article “Whatever happened to giving people mixtapes?” that “when you give

another person a mixtape, it is basically your own artistic audio letter.” Well App State, this is an audio letter from some of your graduating seniors, thanking you for the melodic memories these mountains have gifted to us in the past four years.

A Whirlwind Romance in Blowing Rock

Sierra Eaton is a senior psychology major at App State who had her musical moment when driving down Blowing Rock Road for dessert after having her first date with her girlfriend at Makoto’s. As they drove down the road, hoping to make it to their destination for a sweet treat with enough time before closing, they were listening to “Night Shift” by Lucy Dacus.

Eaton said there’s a line in the song that goes, “You don’t deserve what you don’t respect / Don’t deserve what you say you love and then neglect.” She said she remembered that part specifically had made her girlfriend cry because she had never had someone treat her well in relationships.

After that, they got out of the car and sat together on a bench in downtown Blowing Rock observing the vacant road lit up by the gleams of the street lamps and talked. Eaton said that night her girlfriend confessed how much she liked her.

“And then it started,” Eaton said. “We started dating and that was about a year ago and four weeks.”

The two ended up not making it in time to get ice cream, but despite the night shift closing down Kilwins, they had their own “night shift” that closed their first date on an even sweeter note.

Melancholy Melodies in Brown Heights

Phoebe Craft is a senior public health major and first came across the band Her’s in 2020, her sophomore year during COVID, while sitting with a couple of her close friends in their apartment. Soon after having discovered Her’s, they found out the musical duo they were listening to had tragically died in a car accident in 2019 and would no longer be releasing music.

Craft said the first song she listened to of theirs was the song “Harvey” while gathered around on the floor at her friend’s apartment in Brown Heights, located off of the 105 extension. She said when she hears it now, she never skips it.

“Everytime I hear it, I’m just in a trance,” Craft said. “I just close my eyes and listen to it, and it’s really nice.”

She said each listen takes her back to her friend’s room in Brown Heights, back to the “itchy blue couches,” courtesy of the fully furnished units, back to the pink and purple LEDs that stayed on indefinitely, back to the white shag rug in the middle of the living room where they all first listened with melancholy ears to the band they had recently discovered.

“Every time I hear that song, I think of that,” Craft said. “It kind of puts me in that place and it’s really magical.”

Sarah Reynolds is a senior apparel design and merchandising major. She found the song “Goodbye Carolina” by The Marcus King Band a couple weeks ago. Reynolds discovered the song per her roommate’s recommendation and decided to put it on while driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway with her boyfriend. The bluegrass ballad is about saying goodbye to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the bittersweet tune resonated with Reynolds as she reminisced on all her parkway moments during her time at App State.

“It literally almost made me cry,” Reynolds said. “Because the whole thing is about saying goodbye to the Blue Ridge Mountains and like knowing that you had such a good life there, but you know it’s time to move on.”

Reynolds said at the heart of it, the song is about a goodbye to a place you’ve fully gotten everything out of, and for her, the parkway encapsulates that.

“I’ve just had so many, you know, deep conversations or just made friendships up there and just staring out at those mountains,” Reynolds said. “It’s just one of my favorite places to be.”

Gameday Gusto at Kidd Brewer Stadium

Michael Salmi is a senior digital marketing major, and for him, the song that comes to mind when he looks back on his time at App State is

think it’s game day in Boone.” Salmi said. “I can hear that song on any given day now and I’m like, ‘Oh is it Saturday? Are we about to play?’”

Salmi said he had heard the song before coming to App State, but ever since his first game day freshman year, he has formed a whole different connection to it.

“I just heard it on the loud speaker and I was like shaking with the music,” Salmi said. “It was a surreal feeling, that first game day.”

Summer Sensations and Good Vibrations at Guy Ford

Daniel Quaide is a senior exercise science major whose top playlist pick is “The Thrill” by Empire of the Sun and Wiz Khalifa, a song very suiting for his sophomore year summer. A time when he said the thrills of life and summer collided into a memorable montage of moments shared with friends post COVID-19. Quaide said that when he heard that song originally, it made him “reminisce on an experience he didn’t have” due to the pandemic halting any summer plans.

“That sophomore summer, I started listening to that song and I was kind of down thinking that COVID is going to ruin everything,” Quaide said. “Like, my summer’s gone, I’m in college and I’m not not going to have the full college experience.”

Read more online:

Class of 2023: Top 10 sporting moments

This list is in chronological order. It is not a ranked list.

#1: King of the Carolinas

In 2019, App State football defeated North Carolina and South Carolina to capture its first Power Five victories since its historic 2007 win over Michigan in the Big House.

The Mountaineers marched into Chapel Hill and defeated the Tar Heels 34-31. Similar to 2007, the Black and Gold won on a gamewinning blocked field goal.

Two months later, the Mountaineers took on the Gamecocks in Williams-Brice Stadium, knocking off the Southeastern Conference foe 20-15.

With the wins, App State became the seventh Group of Five team since the Sun Belt’s formation in 2001 to post two Power Five road wins in the same season.

#2: Fourth-straight Sun Belt championships

A one-loss Mountaineer team secured its fourth-straight Sun Belt title in Kidd Brewer Stadium Dec. 7, 2019, after defeating Louisiana 45-38.

App State moved to 12-1 on the season, becoming the first program in the state of North Carolina to win 12 games in a season at the FBS level.

Following the victory, fans stormed the field to celebrate with the team as confetti sprayed over Kidd Brewer. The team climbed atop a stage to lift the championship trophy and celebrate with the Mountaineer faithful.

The Black and Gold finished the season 13-1 after a 31-17 beatdown of University of Alabama at Birmingham in the New Orleans Bowl.

#3: Men’s basketball run to the NCAA Tournament

The spring of 2021 saw one of the greatest runs in App State basketball history. After entering the Sun Belt Conference Tournament as a No. 4 seed, the Mountaineers knocked off the No. 2 seed Coastal Carolina and both No. 1 seeds, including the regular season Sun Belt champion Texas State Bobcats, en route to their first Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship.

Michael Almonacy was named the tournament’s MVP after posting a career-high 32 points in the championship game. Throughout the tournament, he averaged 21.8 points,

3.8 assists, 6.5 rebounds and hit a Sun Belt record 20 3-pointers.

Days later, the NCAA Tournament selection committee seeded App State No. 16, sending it to Bloomington, Indiana, for the First Four. Its First Four matchup with Norfolk State resulted in a narrow 54-53 loss after the Mountaineers erased an 18-point second half deficit.

#4: Field hockey defeats No. 24 JMU

App State field hockey secured its largest win in program history when it defeated No. 24 James Madison Sept. 10, 2021.

The Mountaineers held the Dukes scoreless as three-time All-MAC

selection Friederike Stegen scored one goal and assisted another. Stegen finished her career as the all-time leader in assists in program history.

The following year, App State reached its first MAC Tournament championship under the leadership of MAC Coach of the Year Meghan Dawson. Despite falling short of the title, the Mountaineers climbed to new heights.

#5: Staton delivers revenge on No. 14 Coastal Carolina

In front of a packed Kidd Brewer Stadium on a late October Wednesday night in 2021, former Mountaineer kicker Chandler Staton

drilled a game-winning field goal against No. 14 Coastal Carolina.

As soon as the ball soared between the uprights, thousands of fans packed in the stands of Kidd Brewer poured onto the field to celebrate the program’s first win versus a ranked opponent since 2007.

The victory served as revenge for the Black and Gold after falling to the Chanticleers for the first time in history the year prior.

#6: Forrest joins the 2,000-point club

On Jan. 27, 2022, Forrest hit a step back 3-pointer to eclipse the 2,000-point mark in front of a crowd of more than 3,000 in the Holmes Convocation Center. He became the third Mountaineer to exceed 2,000 career points.

Forrest played in 153 games, averaging 13.9 points, 2.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds during his five-year career. His 2,120 points sit at second most in App State history and seventh most in Sun Belt Conference history.

Forrest also dished out the sixth most assists in program history, 372 and finished with the fourth most steals, 191.

#7: Millner’s legendary wrestling career

App State wrestling senior Jon Jon Millner dominated throughout his career and became one of App State’s all-time great athletes.

Millner is a four-time SoCon champion, one of one in Mountaineer history and is a fourtime NCAA qualifier. On March 19, 2022, Millner became the second two-time NCAA All-American in Black and Gold history.

If it weren’t for COVID-19 canceling the 2020 NCAA Championships and an illness which held him out in 2023, Millner could have secured three or four AllAmerica honors for his career.

Millner concluded his Mountaineer career with a 121-24 record, good for third most victories in App State history.

#8: Appalachian FC wins the Southeast Conference

In just its second season, Appalachian FC became the National Premier Soccer League Southeast Conference champions July 16, 2022. After App State’s men’s soccer team was cut in 2020 due to financial restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, former head coach Jason O’Keefe continued his soccer career with Appalachian FC, serving as co-owner.

The club was born in part thanks

to the void left behind by App State men’s soccer. When the program was cut, O’Keefe reached out to Michael Hitchcock. Later that year in August, Hitchcock called O’Keefe and told him the plan to launch Appalachian FC, with the two being figureheads in the ownership group.

It took just two years for the club to conquer the Southeast Conference, defeating North Alabama Soccer Club 6-2 at the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex in Boone.

#9: First three weeks of the 2022

football season

The beginning of the 2022 football season was arguably the most hectic period for App State sports across the last four years.

With a record-breaking, in-state matchup with North Carolina at The Rock, a top 10 victory on the road against a major SEC power, and a

Hail Mary miracle the day College GameDay came to Boone; those first three weeks were historic.

The week one showdown against the Tar Heels was touted as the largest game in Kidd Brewer Stadium history. A record-shattering 40,168 fans backed up the anticipation, as did the game itself. A 40-point fourth quarter rally from the Black and Gold fell just short, but earned App State national attention heading into its week two matchup with No. 6 Texas A&M.

The Mountaineers traveled to College Station to challenge the top 10-ranked Aggies in Kyle Field. There, App State held Texas A&M to 14 points and secured its largest victory since the 2007 defeat of No. 5 Michigan.

Following the victory, chaos ensued in Boone as students rushed King Street and dove into the Duck Pond. Later that evening, ESPN’s College

GameDay announced it would travel to Boone for its show the next week.

After staying up all night and packing Sanford Mall Sept. 17 for College GameDay, fans filled Kidd Brewer to witness what’s now known as “Miracle on the Mountain Part II.”

With two seconds remaining, the Black and Gold sat at the 47-yard line facing a two-point deficit.

Quarterback Chase Brice launched a Hail Mary to the end zone as time expired, and receiver Christian Horn snagged the ball after being deflected, running into the end zone untouched. The Rock erupted, the field was stormed and fans, once again, jumped into that nasty Duck Pond.

#10: College GameDay in Boone

For the first time in App State history, ESPN’s College GameDay came to Boone Sept. 17. Thousands of fans gathered on Sanford Mall

to hoist posters and watch the show, which featured celebrity guest picker and former App State student Luke Combs.

Fans began setting up camp on Sanford Mall around noon Sept. 16. Thousands of fans stayed up all through the night, and a line to enter the GameDay pit began to form before 2 a.m. Fans remained standing from then until the conclusion of the show, which signed off around noon. Even after the noon conclusion of the show, fans moved to tailgating before the 3:30 p.m. kickoff versus Troy. Hours later, they packed Kidd Brewer to the tune of 34,406 fans, the fourth largest crowd in the stadium’s history.

After filming, College GameDay host Rece Davis commended App Nation, saying it was one of the most memorable shows he had ever filmed.

Cross brothers impact on App State baseball

The 2023 Mountaineer baseball team features a pair of brothers who have played alongside each other since high school at Southern Lee in Sanford. Senior catcher Hayden Cross’ Mountaineer career began in 2019, while junior right-handed pitcher Caleb Cross transferred from UNC-Asheville to App State in 2022.

“That was part of the decision to come to App,” Caleb Cross said. “Playing with him in high school was kind of like doing it again for his last two years.”

Hayden Cross has improved progressively after being named All-Sun Belt second team catcher in 2022. Along with the award, he posted 54 hits and 28 runs in 2022. He’s part of a group of seniors that have returned, and has become one of the leaders on and off the field.

When Hayden Cross started his Mountaineer career in 2019, he felt like a part of the team immediately and acclimating to the locker room was quick. He prefaced the importance of becoming comfortable with the team, before stepping onto the field, as he felt a part of the team when he first arrived in Boone.

His younger brother, Caleb Cross, was a relief pitcher in 2022, posting a 4.22 ERA. In 2023, he started as a relief pitcher, but is being worked into the starting rotation to finish the season.

When Caleb Cross is on the mound, he’s not pitching to a catcher. He’s pitching to his brother at home plate. To Hayden Cross, it’s just another pitchercatcher relationship and doesn’t take that bond any differently than what they have together. Caleb Cross sees it the same way as they’re just teammates at the end of the day, and it doesn’t change

what goes on out on the field. During the off-season, teammates train with each other, but many go their separate ways when the holidays arrive. However, this isn’t the case for the Cross brothers, who continue training together during the holiday break with family.

“I think it’s a lot easier going home, like, Christmas break just because Caleb’s there,” Hayden Cross said. “If he’s going to hit, I’m going to hit. If he’s going to lift, I’m going to lift.”

With the end of the 2023 season nearing, Hayden Cross will take the next steps toward coaching as he’ll serve as an assistant coach for the Boone Bigfoots in the summer. He has larger aspirations to fully commit to coaching after graduating.

Once Hayden Cross hangs up the black and gold jersey, he’ll leave behind his legacy with the impact he’s made for App State.

“He’s left a tremendous impact on our program, and he’s still making it,” said head coach Kermit Smith.

The work ethic he brought to Boone affected not only himself, but his teammates through leading by example, Smith said.

“He’s always kept the same level of work ethic and integrity with his work,” Smith said.

Throughout the process of maturing as a freshman to being a senior and leading this Mountaineer team, Hayden Cross had to grow mentally and physically.

“His maturity has probably been the thing that has changed the most,” Smith said. “To handle a bad day and come back the next day like it’s opening day with the same intent he had the previous day.”

Hayden Cross’ leadership has allowed current teammates to succeed and

pave a path for the future of App State baseball.

For Hayden Cross, being a leader isn’t new, as being a leader comes with playing the catcher’s position. With the responsibility of catching all the pitches but also suggesting pitch selections with signs to the man on the mound.

To become a leader within a team, a player has to build a bond with their coaches. The relationship between Hayden Cross and Smith has been tight-knit.

“It sounds so foreign that a 46-yearold and a 22-year-old or 23-year-old would have a bond,” Smith said. “It only happens really in athletics, and that’s what makes it so special and honestly magical.”

Read more online:

Inside the Mountaineers’ 2022-23 season

App State men’s basketball finished this past season with a 16-16 record in what was a roller coaster of a campaign. Following the end of the 2021-22 season, the Mountaineers filled up the newly empty roster spots with six new players last summer with the hope of reclaiming the Sun Belt title.

The Mountaineers had five seniors on the roster this season, and four of them saw their time as a Mountaineer come to an end at the conclusion of the season. Senior forward Donovan Gregory, who will be returning to the roster next season, was the leader of the locker room for the entire season, surpassing 1,000 career points as a Mountaineer in February.

Senior Andrew Muse joined the Mountaineers the same season as Gregory and became a valuable voice in the locker room throughout his career as

a Mountaineer.

Graduate student forward Dibaji Walker spent a year at Cleveland State and two years at the University of Massachusetts, before transferring to App State last summer. Walker was a major piece off the bench for the Mountaineers throughout the year, and tallied a career-high 27 points and eight rebounds against Sun Belt rival Coastal Carolina.

Graduate student guard Tyree Boykin transferred to App State last summer following a storied career at Union University. Boykin sustained a foot injury during the season, but played in 25 games for App State and tallied 20 points on two occasions.

Graduate student Tamell Pearson transferred to the high country for his last year of eligibility after stints at Western Illinois University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Pearson was

a solid scorer off the bench and scored in double digits four times during the season.

The Black and Gold began their nonconference schedule with wins against Warren Wilson and North Carolina Central at home before defeating the Louisville Cardinals in their first Power Five win since 2014.

As they progressed through the early stages of the season, freshman forward Justin Abson became the anchor of App State’s defense. His 18 blocks through the first six games ranked second in the nation at the time and first among freshmen. He finished the season averaging 2.19 blocks per game, which ranked 15th in the nation.

“This season taught me to play hard no matter what,” Abson said.

Read more online:

OPINION

Mountaineer bucket list

Nadine Jallal | Opinion Editor

The butterflies in a student’s stomach as they click “commit” to their admission offer from App State are only comparable to the butterflies in a student’s stomach on graduation day. However, somewhere in between is what many people call the best four years of one’s life. Here is a list of things every Mountaineer should aim to do before graduating from App State and leaving Boone, the town they called home for four years.

Do absolutely everything and nothing at all on Sanford Mall

A staple of the App State experience is participating in whatever shenanigans, or lack of shenanigans, are happening on Sanford Mall. From APPS events to taking a quick snooze on the grass, Sanford Mall is home to so many opportunities for memory making at App State.

Grabbing a towel and taking a nap on the green is as fulfilling as standing in line for a customizable street sign during an APPS event. Make the nap even more worth it and lay directly under the sun for a tan.

If laying on the ground seems unappealing, get into hammocking instead and secure a spot in the sturdy trees on the edges of the mall. While hanging from these trees, students should go ahead and check off another bucket list item and unleash their inner child by climbing those trees and hanging out at the top.

Spending some time on Sanford Mall is a must for every App State student, no matter what they do on it. That strip of grass is home to countless fond memories, with no two memories being the same, made by years of App State students.

Experience the Blue Ridge Parkway

App State’s location near the Blue Ridge Parkway is a perk everybody should take advantage of. Experiencing everything one can do on the Parkway can take four years, but there are a few places that should definitely be on every mountaineer bucket list.

Watching both the sunset and sunrise while parked at one of the Parkway’s over 200 overlooks is a must for every App State student. Some campus

favorites include the Thunder Hill Overlook, Rough Ridge, Beacon Heights and more.

If sitting and watching a sunset or sunrise is too stationary, there are countless hiking trails on the Parkway to choose from to get things moving. Some of the most popular hikes on the Parkway near Boone or Blowing Rock include but are not limited to the Cascades Trail, Rough Ridge, the Bass Lake Trail and the Beacon Heights Overlook Trail. Even homebodies can enjoy a hike on the Parkway while at App State as some trails are as short as a quarter mile and provide scenic views unique to the Appalachians.

Take a dip into Trash Can Falls

Actually called Laurel Creek Falls, Trash Can Falls is a swimming hole App State students have become quite familiar with. Located about 15 minutes

away from campus, App State students often pile into their friends’ cars on a hot day to cool off in the pristine waters of the swimming hole. If an App State student has not had the chance to experience Trash Can Falls, this month is the perfect time to check it off the bucket list.

Make

a home in clubs and organizations

This basic advice everybody gives to college students is, of course, an item on the Mountaineer buck list for good reason. When is anyone ever going to get a chance to join niche clubs outside of college campus? The chances are probably slim to none. Taking advantage of the long list of clubs and organizations on App State’s campus is a must for every student. Finding that one hobby, subject or passion to pursue in a club can make all the difference in

a college experience. Friend groups and comfort crowds can be made inside a niche club maybe only four people know about. Students should take advantage of the spaces provided by the university and peers to pursue the interesting things that excite them, whether those things have anything to do with their future careers or not.

Explore the Boone community … or other communities

It is easy to feel like campus is in its own little bubble on top of the world during these four years. While it can be fun to exist in a bubble, graduating will pop that bubble within the blink of an eye.

Read more online:

Leah’s Lens:

Graduation season is on the horizon and many graduating seniors have spent months thinking about the future. When one graduates high school, there is a large stigma surrounding not immediately attending a four-year university. While this stigma is not as prevalent after college graduation, there is still a negative light cast on any plan that is not graduate school or employment. The feeling of shame or embarrassment should not be

associated with any post-graduation plan, as they are all equally as beneficial and valuable.

There are multitudes of negative connotations surrounding being in college as well as what to do after it, and it can often feel extremely overwhelming when one does not fit into these categories. If college is not the best years ever experienced, students often feel like they have failed in some way. If one does not immediately go to college after high school, they are often deemed lazy or unmotivated. If a major is

changed multiple times or a postgraduation plan is not completely thought out, it could be seen as falling behind. These are just some of the stereotypes and expectations placed on college students, causing them to be under immense pressure.

The largest flaw in the stereotypes surrounding postgraduation plans is the inaccuracies embedded within them. If students are not employed directly after graduation, they are actually in the majority; on average, college graduates are not employed until three to six months after graduation.

Another inaccurate stereotype is the ease with which students can obtain a job directly after college. Although many students attempt to line up entry level positions after graduation, this name is incredibly misleading; 38.4% of entry level positions ask for more than three years of experience. While some college graduates may have an internship or a few months of work experience under their belt, this still does not meet the requirements for some entry level positions. This requirement often puts a large roadblock between college graduates and immediately becoming employed.

Graphic by Lilianna Rivera

It is unfair to pin this on students as it is completely out of their control. If one does not have enough experience for an entry level position, it is very difficult to find a job that pays enough to afford to live alone. In North Carolina, entry level jobs on average pay around $28,000, and the average nationwide is around $33,000. This average salary is not nearly enough to sustainably live off of. It is wrong to judge students for living with roommates or parents out of college when entry-level jobs pay so little.

While gap years are often met with negativity from others, they have proven to be very beneficial for students’ mental health. College can be one of the most life-altering experiences, but it can also be one of the most difficult. Taking a gap year between college and the next step in life is not only acceptable,

but also a beneficial experience for many young adults. It can help to save money, have a better understanding of what one’s goals are and take a break between two challenging periods. There are many different paths one can take after graduating from college, and each of these unique paths is equally important and equally opportune. The main focus in life should not be to find the post-graduation plan that satisfies everyone; it is a very personal decision and should be made based on what brings happiness. Whether it is graduate school, an entry-level position, an internship, a job back at home, a gap year spent percolating on next steps or anything else, graduates’ plans after college are entirely up to them and all equally successful.

SENIOR FAREWELLS

Let your passion and kindness shine

I came to Appalachian State University in fall 2019 as a kid who didn’t know what to major in or aspire to be. After declaring as an Electronic Media/ Broadcasting major, I was still lost. Then came January 2020, where I was convinced to come to a full staff meeting for The Appalachian. Through all my years as a kid, I was a passionate sports fan who shamelessly prided himself in knowing more about the sport and teams than his friends. And yes, I still do. This led me to join the sports desk. My first assignment was a baseball season preview. I had no clue how to set up or handle an interview, but I made my way there and walked into the clubhouse, albeit terrified of speaking to coaches and players that seemed above me at the time.

From then on, telling the stories of athletes became my passion and I found

myself at The Appalachian. Covering some of the biggest moments in school history and building connections with the App State community is something I will never let go of, especially interacting with the fanbase on Twitter — never change please.

The Appalachian gave me the opportunities I have today to write about the teams I grew up idolizing, and the kid who looked up to these athletes still lives in every word that I write. College GameDay, dominant seasons and titles, and making the NCAA Tournament were moments I’ll never forget covering. My heart still lies with the one-on-one interviews, getting to know someone whose story hasn’t been told to the masses.

This is just a small portion of what The Appalachian gave me. This is my second family, as corny as it sounds, and I could go on for ages but I’ll spare the trouble. The newsroom became

my second home. Making long-lasting friendships with everyone that walked in has had more impact on me than I could have ever imagined. So, thank you for embracing the nerdy sports fan. Everyone I’ve had the pleasure to work and build relationships with over these four years, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I went through so much in four years as a student and The Appalachian became my safe haven. This organization is the reason I became a kinder person and that stretches beyond anything I will ever achieve as a journalist. There’s a reason I stick to telling the stories of others, but I hope my sentiment reaches through: never give up on yourself, and surround yourself with those who won’t give up on you either.

In the words of Heraclitus, “No man ever steps into the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”

Ending my journey with these words, onto more

In spring 2020, I joined The Appalachian as a scared, new transfer student. I came in search of words and friendship spurred by a love of editing, books and Rory Gilmore.

From the first day serving as Chief Copy Editor, I felt fulfilled in my immersion into words while being the resident AP style person — even if I wished daily that the Oxford Comma was acceptable. It was quite the ride from the first day. Then, we dusted off our newsroom and took on the not-so-easy-task of bringing back print operations. It was a joy to be on Ed Board with some of the coolest people I know before they went off to do amazing things. To Jade and the fellow CCEs and copy editors who come behind us: you are the unsung heroes, and The Appalachian wouldn’t function

smoothly without each of you. Long live the stylebook.

This year I’ve had the privilege of serving as Managing Editor to lead passionate, amazing editors who have taught me how to be a better listener, leader and person amid my first year as a graduate student. Thank you all for listening to my rants while discussing newsletter and print needs. The newsroom had all that we hoped it would with each of you there — laughter, excitement and passion for your respective areas. I am so proud of the work you all accomplished.

Thank you to those that read my book selects in The Bookstop. Thank you to Allison, Aubrey and Cameron for keeping me steady this year. And thank you to my family and my friends. And most of all thank you to Grey and Titan. I love you dearly. Thank you for supporting me through the

conversations I spaced out of due to a news event, a story needing edits or the freakouts I had about people not knowing the difference between news versus opinion. Though I won’t be fully graduated until the end of next semester, I’m excited to pass the helm. From nervous chatter at the start of each semester to deliriously eating pasta, watching “The Bachelor” as a crowd in a tiny New York hotel room, and midday tea times in the newsroom, I’ve found the community and confidence I was searching for when I stumbled into Plemmons 217 — now 235. I’ve certainly found the words I wanted to immerse myself in. And, I’ve developed a realistic, adult perspective on Rory Gilmore.

SENIOR FAREWELLS

Short and bittersweet

This year on The Appalachian was my first and my last.

From the time I was a freshman on campus, I would always look out for the print copies of The Appalachian to make sure I grabbed one. It was weekly back then, so I made a point to head to the nearest newsstand after my last class on Friday, trek back to my dorm, and read what the cool student journalists thought I should know that week. I remember thinking everytime I read a new story, “How can I be a part of this?” Of course, it was only a matter of walking into the newsroom.

I’ve always felt connected to journalism and storytelling, even I wasn’t telling the story. I’ve admired great writers and reporters of all kinds for as long as I can remember, and stories and words have always had a magnetic pull on me, but it was only this year that I got to experience the true passion that exudes from journalists and writers like those on

The Appalachian. I will forever be amazed by you all. This past year I have kicked myself over and over for not joining this staff sooner. Thanks to the urgent need for a graphics editor, I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time, and was on boarded as soon as I could apply. You all are a force to be reckoned with, and I am filled with immense gratitude and pride for having been a part of this incredible team.

Serving as Graphics Editor was an incredible experience. For someone who loves to be around all the disciplines of journalism, assembling the papers and commissioning the graphics was a perfect place to be. I have loved observing and participating in the operations and the meticulous details of production, even into the late (late, late) hours of the night. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Good luck to my successors Kaitlyn Close and Rian Hughes; I cannot wait to see what kind of incredible art and new ideas you bring to this organization. Have

fun with it all!

Thank you to Dr. Allison Bennett Dyche, who wrote my graduate school recommendation letters and talked me through the process of what higher education might look like for a creative. You inspire me and everyone else on these pages oh-so-much.

Thank you to my sweet family for always supporting me and being proud of me, despite how busy I make myself, whether that’s a good or bad thing.

Thank you to Danniel Smith, who wants me to believe in myself more, and who told me that I’d probably love working with this organization, and would learn some valuable stuff — you were obviously right.

And thank you to the friends I have made during my four years at this wonderful university. All of you have helped me grow, succeed and love the life I have gotten to build myself here in this beautiful place.

Goodbye has never tasted so bittersweet.

Let your story guide you

I did not come to college knowing what I wanted to do.

I searched hard. I took biology, chemistry, psychology and religious studies courses, among others. Some said I was “wasting my time.”

I remember a phone call with my parents where they asked me, over and over again, “Have you decided on your major?” or “What are you interested in?”

Truthfully, I didn’t really know, but I wasn’t against taking the risk.

During the beginning of my sophomore year, I was fortunate enough to wander into registering for the introduction journalism class, COM 1300 Journalism Matters. With Volha Kananovich as my guide, I never looked back.

As a result, I joined The Appalachian as a junior who had waded through a tall grass of classes, a pandemic and being a part of multiple, wonderful on-campus organizations. I don’t regret a second of it. Though I bet many were sometimes annoyed by my occasional pointless

pretentious rambling, I am so thankful that my editorial board welcomed me with open arms and served as a constant reminder of how privileged I was to know such a loving, caring and thoughtful group of people. Another thanks goes to our wonderful adviser, Dr. Allison Bennett Dyche, who always answered my endless questions.

You all do not know how much you have impacted my life. You changed me.

The same goes to my wonderful group of friends, who stuck with me through freshman year, a pandemic and a time when it is easier than ever to tune out one another. You guys constantly cheered me on, gave me reasons to laugh and pushed me to be a better person. It has made me so proud to also be a part of our local, community focused bakery, which has given me an even deeper sense of place and understanding, alongside many many friends.

However, I think some of my best writing has gone unpublished.

It’s the writing I did in conversation with others. The different perspectives

my friends have brought to my life. The different ways that so many caring members of this community have engaged with me in a meaningful and thoughtful way. It’s all here, at this moment, and will be here forever. Yet, we must find that something comes after.

For those I leave at The Appalachian, always remember that saying hello to one another, finding friendship in community and having an open mind always sets the stage for the best stories. The kind of stories that express the empathy, care and understanding that this world requires. As for me, I again find myself at a crossroads; I don’t really know what I want to do next.

But, if there’s a lesson to be learned from this whole thing, maybe I don’t need to know anything beyond this: just go, put your foot in the door and figure out what you love. There is no guide, but the stories we make together.

SENIOR FAREWELLS

Last one out, hit the lights

In the fall of 2021, I transferred to App State.

There were a lot of questions I asked myself during that time of transition. What will college really be like? How will these next two years unfold? Will I find people I can call close friends? Can I find a community? Who’s Yosef, and why is everyone making puns out of their name? Some of these questions were answered, and others I think I am still searching for the answer, even after the fact. However, most of these questions were answered when I joined The Appalachian. Seeing a group of talented individuals, all focused on a

common goal was captivating. This captivation only grew as I joined the editorial staff. Throughout my duration on Ed Board it became clear it was the best decision I made in my collegiate career. I thought previously I knew what it was like to belong, but my expectations were shattered. Words alone aren’t enough to express how grateful I am to The Appalachian and its staff. The endless nights and hard work each and every one of you produce creates the gold standard of what exceptional journalism should be. Thank you to The Appalachian’s 2022-23 editorial staff. The talent and friendship you all display on a

daily basis is forever appreciated. Thank you to this year’s marketing desk. The passion, dedication and family you all have shown inspires me to no end. Thank you to Julia Woodring for every one of your efforts, and preemptively, for becoming the best Director of Marketing and PR The Appalachian has had. Thank you to Dr. Allison Bennett Dyche, for being the brightest lighthouse any lost ship could ask for. Finally, thank you to those constantly shining their light. Continue to advocate for yourself, and we’ll leave a light on for you.

Thankful

In August 2019, The Appalachian deployed its editorial board across campus to conduct interviews for an annual back-to-school story.

Former Sports Editor, Silas Albright, wandered the sixth floor of Gardner Hall searching for a potential interviewee candidate. Tucked away in the back right corner was room 605, where he met an overly ambitious, sports-obsessed freshman who months later would serve as his Associate Sports Editor. Fast forward four not-quite-longenough years, and that kid’s time with The Appalachian draws to a close. In what felt like a matter of months, those four years tallied numerous group accomplishments and changes; thousands of articles, dozens of print issues, four editors-inchief, two advisers, two newsrooms, one dreadful pandemic and countless awards brought home by North

Carolina’s premier student newspaper.

During the same time, I had a front row seat to a historic run for App State athletics; 52 football games, 242 basketball games, multiple Sun Belt and SoCon championships, three bowl games and one NCAA Tournament appearance.

From game-winning field goals and a Hail Mary miracle in Kidd Brewer, to several buzzer-beating buckets in the Holmes Center, to yearly domination on the mat in Varsity Gym, the Black and Gold allowed me to learn the ropes of sports reporting on a magical stage.

As time goes on and my name quickly fades from The Appalachian and App State, those memories will remain with me. For that, I am thankful.

I’m thankful for The Appalachian and the many invaluable lessons learned through it. I’m thankful for all those who came to be a

mentor, coworker and friend at The Appalachian. I’m thankful for every member of the sports desk over the past four years, who worked alongside me and filled every meeting with laughter and passionate debate.

I’m thankful for my friends and family who loved me through every day of joy and night of sorrow during college. I’m thankful for my parents, Jim and Lisa, and my siblings, Will, Mary and Neely, whom I love dearly. I’m thankful for my friends Connor, Harrison and Trenton, who remain my best friends. And I’m thankful for the many friends I have come to know and love through my time in Boone.

Ultimately, I’m thankful to have walked alongside the Lord for the past four years. At times I wandered, at times I drew near, but through it all, Jesus loved me, as He loves us all. It is by the light of that grace that I plot my next steps and the rest of my life.

It’s been real, it’s been fun, it’s been an honor

This is one of the few times I’ll write for The Appalachian despite how much I love this organization. My work as Chief Copy Editor has always been behind the scenes and I’m OK with that. I still get to see all the amazing work every reporter, photographer, designer and editor does for this paper, and it never ceases to amaze me.

I joined The Appalachian in the second half of my sophomore year and became part of the Editorial Board the second half of my junior year. I only wish I had joined sooner. I never saw myself taking on any sort of leadership role purely because I didn’t think I could do it,

but a handful of people believed in me and that’s what pushed me to try something new.

During my time on Ed Board, I got to learn how to be a leader, grow a community, gain confidence in myself, travel to New York for the first time and bond with an incredible group of people and so many other things that would take forever to list. I even got to be part of the historic move from room 217 to room 235. But most importantly, I was given the opportunity to make unforgettable memories with amazing people I wouldn’t have had the privilege to meet if not for The Appalachian.

This organization has given me so much and I hope I was able to give back just as much in return. It pains me to have to leave so soon, I feel like I just got started, but I know The Appalachian will continue to do great things in my stead and beyond. I could talk for hours about how grateful I am for the tears, stress, joy and everything in between, but I guess the easiest thing to say is simply thank you and goodbye. It’s been real, it’s been fun and it’s been an honor.

Grad Wishes

- I love you, Mama

You’ve worked hard to set goals, push yourself, and conquer your goals! I’m so proud of you you are. Keeping chasing your dreams and being you, Sunshine!