The Appalachian November 13, 2020 by The Appalachian

The Appalachian

November 13, 2020

BIDEN BEATS TRUMP

Students react to election results in year like no other Xanayra Marin-Lopez | Multimedia Editor App State’s campus this election year saw a heavy political climate. Take one step on App State’s campus and you’ll see all sorts of candidate signs ranging from local to national offices. There’s also a chance you were questioned about your voter registration outside the library sometime this fall. On Nov. 7, the Associated Press called the presidential race for former Vice President Joe Biden, who sur-

passed the 270 electoral votes needed after winning Pennsylvania. College students are often a sought-after demographic for political candidates and their campaigns. NextGen North Carolina found that Gen Z and millennial voters make up 24% of the total voter turnout in the state. From Mike Pence’s visit to Boone to student athletes’ initiative for voter registration, App State stu-

dets took advantage of the many opportunities they had to weigh voting options this fall. Freshman Greta Wagner said that she is content with “settling” for Biden as president, but isn’t his biggest fan. “I think that neither party presented that great of a candidate, but personally I am very happy that Trump did not win,” Wagner said. “We don’t need four more years of a

mess like that.” After Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders each left the ticket for the Democratic presidential candidate, their supporters started a grassroots organization, Settle for Biden. According to its website, Biden isn’t the group’s first choice. But, its members will do anything to get President Donald Trump out of office. Some students are confident in Biden’s presidency, such as Will

Kramton. Kramton said he’d been worried about COVID-19, human rights and criminal justice reform under Trump. “I’m really happy with the results,” Kramton said. “These last four years have been rough. I feel good about the future and I think it’ll go well.” The president-elect has already preempted some of his initiatives just days after winning the election.

Continued on page 5

News

An afternoon of dissenting opinions

Nov 13, 2020

Conservative group and Black Lives Matter advocates confront their views on campus Jackie Park | Editor-in-Chief

Jake Markland | Reporter

What started as a “post-election solidarity event” turned into a political debate between liberal and conservative groups on Sanford Mall the afternoon of Nov. 6. Black in Boone, a black-led advocacy group, organized an event alongside Young Revolutionaries of Boone to “show up and make sure everyone knows that we and our voices matter” according to a post from Black in Boone. Mary Lyons, an App State alumna and organizer with Black in Boone, said she wanted the event to demonstrate community in a time of division. As of that afternoon, the 2020 election had not yielded a winner, and President Donald Trump’s response to delayed election calling has prompted debate between Republicans and Democrats. Gracie Stacer, a freshman and

organizer of Young Revolutionaries, says that no matter the result of the election, she and others will still have work to do in regards to social justice, equality and the Black Lives Matter movement. Some time into the event, where Stacer and others gathered on Sanford holding signs and discussing hate speech and Trump, members of the group Today is America came to the mall with Trump 2020 flags and “blue lives matter” flags. Today is America is a conservative nonprofit that creates content on TikTok with a mission to spread conservatism to Gen Z voters and “inspire generations of free thinking Americans.” After the Today is America group began circling Sanford Mall on skateboards, an App State Police officer led the post-election group to the circle outside Belk Library and

Information Commons to continue their event. Lyons said that despite Today is America showing up, she wanted the group to stay focused on solidarity. Back on Sanford Mall, Today is America set up post with poles hoisting “Trump 2020” and “blue lives matter” flags five high with larger flags hanging over their shoulders. Most members of the group, with the exception of one, are not App State students. The nonprofit’s CEO, Liam Rafizadeh, was on Sanford and said that he wanted to bring “conservative culture” and “things that are American” back to the table. He said they came to App State to engage in civil discussion. “Anything that supports (the) dismantling or destruction of America — we don’t support,” Rafizadeh said.

Although the event flyer was posted on social media the day before, Rafizadeh said his group did not coordinate being there alongside Black in Boone and Young Revolu-

tionaries of Boone. He added, however, that they do not support Black Lives Matter. Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

App State student Andrew McKenzie engages with supporters of President Donald Trump on Sanford Mall during a post-election solidarity event that was put on by the Young Revolutionaries of Boone and Black in Boone Nov. 6. Max Correa

SGA External Affairs Committee releases statement about students who were met with conservative protests Emily Broyles | News Editor

SGA External Affairs Committee released a statement Wednesday in solidarity with App State students who were met with protests from a conservative group at a “post-election solidarity event” Nov. 6. The committee wrote students were “intimidated by white supremacist chants” and “Trump 2020” and “blue lives matter” flags flown next to the event on Sanford Mall. “Black lives matter, now and forever. It is imperative that POC students have a voice not only on campus but in the Boone community, and that their voice is amplified … Blatantly violent expressions of white supremacy will not be tolerated on this campus,” the statement read. “Again, the voices of minority students, specifically Black

students during this time, matter, and the External Affairs Committee stands with them.” SGA Senator Maria McDowell authored the statement after the committee discussed the events of Nov. 6in their group chat and saw social media from the day online. “Seeing those posts, I wasn’t surprised, but I was really upset,” McDowell wrote in an email. “Nobody should feel their life being threatened, no student should feel unsafe on a campus that they pay to be on, especially when it claims to be a diverse learning institution. That is just unacceptable.” The committee stands with Black students, queer Black students and “all POC and minority students.” The

committee says it will continue advocating for diversity and inclusion on campus through encouraging a more diverse faculty and staff, including administrative staff. McDowell said she wanted to emphasize white supremacist condemnation and that “Black lives matter… period,” in the statement. She said she was displeased with the university’s lack of response, saying their silence is “equally as unsafe as the hate speech.” “We are with you in this fight. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you would like to voice any concerns, or if you are in need of any kind of support,” the statement read. “We are here for you. You are seen and you are heard. Once again, you are not alone, we stand with you. Black. Lives. Mat-

ter.” Jenn Bahn, SGA multicultural affairs chair, said the election shouldn’t make people feel less-than or intimidated. She said the committee wants to keep a local conversation going about discrimination. “A lot of people don’t realize it’s still a huge problem, especially in Boone where people are very inclusive and very accepting. There are still some people who aren’t,” Bahn said. Student Body President Michael Davis said while SGA supports free speech, “we’re going to side with our students” when it comes to safety on campus. “I don’t think, at least for me, that was not an exchange of ideas and got very, very tense,” Davis said. “People

like me have your back, and I know SGA has your back.” Davis encourages students to reach out to SGA and wants them to know SGA is advocating for them. He also pushes students to “take a little bit of a step back from everything,” and try their best to focus on the end of the semester. “At the end of the day, that’s the most important thing,” Davis said. “I don’t want anyone to let anything impact their academics.” The statement was also sponsored by Cabinet members Zane Johnson, Victoria Moreno, Victor Melo, Korbin Cummings, Devin Mullins, Cameron Hunter, Bailey Gardin, Alexandra LaRocca and Adam Zebzda.

News

Nov 13, 2020

Local universities further credit transfer relationship Ethan Hunt | Reporter

Choosing a four-year college is challenging, and nowadays, many students are not picking a four-year school at all. Instead, they are electing to begin their education at community colleges. The reasons for this are usually financial, but opportunities like the transfer programs community colleges offer also play a role. Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute has offered transfer programs to various schools in North Carolina such as Western Carolina, N.C. State, and UNC Asheville since 1969. On Oct. 28, Lees-McRae College became the newest school students can transfer to after two years at CCC&TI. The community college partners

with App State for the “Aspire Appalachian” co-admission program in which students can transfer to App State after completing two years in one of seven majors and meeting the 2.25 GPA requirement. The majors offered for transfer students are associate degrees in: art-teacher preparation, arts, fine arts and music, fine arts in visual arts, general education, science, and science-teacher preparation. “We are seeing an increase in student interest in Aspire Appalachian; currently there are 61 students actively enrolled in the program, with another 62 prospective students completing program requirements,” said Mark Poarch, CCC&TI president.

North Carolina to remain in Phase 3, indoor gathering limit reduced Jake Markland | Reporter

Gov. Roy Cooper announced North Carolina will remain in Phase 3 with amended restrictions in a press conference Tuesday. The indoor gathering limit, previously 25, will rduce to 10 people beginning Nov. 13 and will last until Dec. 4. Cooper said he adjusted the indoor gathering limit based on current trends and impending cooler weather moving people indoors. He said science has shown that COVID-19 transmission is much greater indoors. “This reduction in our indoor gathering limit aims to slow the spread and bring down our numbers,” Cooper said. “It also sends a serious signal to families, friends and neighbors across our state.” The announcement comes as North Carolina has 297,442 cumulative cases and 4,660 COVID-19-re-

lated deaths. Cooper also announced that, starting Thursday, full-service restaurants may apply for up to $20,000 in rent or mortgage assistance through the North Carolina Department of Commerce. The governor said that “this pandemic will end,” citing that a vaccine is in the final development stages and the FDA has authorized a “promising” new treatment. As the holiday season approaches, Cooper encourages families to continue to practice COVID safety during the holidays by reducing guest lists, spacing out tables, getting tested for COVID-19 and connecting virtually. “Find a way that works for your family and know that your sacrifice is helping all of our state,” Cooper said.

Poarch said that students are choosing to begin their college careers at community colleges where classes are cheaper and can be taken from the safety of their homes due to COVID-19. The last time community college enrollment spiked was during the 2008 recession. Although nationwide enrollment numbers haven’t changed significantly thus far, data from The Integrated Post Secondary Education Data System suggests 2021 enrollment numbers may follow the same pattern. “Many students may not be academically or socially ready for a fouryear institution. Agreements such as these allow students to spend two years on a community college campus developing the skills to help them be success-

ful at the four-year level,” Poarch said. The CCC&TI and Lees-McRae co-admission agreement is identical to the Aspire Appalachian program, except for one notable difference: a new scholarship program. CCC&TI students who enroll full-time at LeesMcRae will automatically qualify for the Lees-McRae’s “New Horizon Transfer Scholarship,” which offers students $2,000-14,000 based on their academic performance. “Lees-McRae College is proud to be a ‘school of opportunity,’ and programs like the New Horizon Scholarship help students and their families afford a small, private college,” said H. Lee King, Lees-McRae’s president. While App State remains CCC&-

TI students’ most popular choice of transfer schools, the New Horizon Scholarship is a “huge incentive” that will encourage students to consider Lees- McRae, said Poarch. “Lees-McRae College and Appalachian State University are both wonderful schools, but we have different academic programs and campus life opportunities,” King said. “The High Country is fortunate to have two thriving higher education institutions meeting the needs of a wide variety of students.”

SGA Town Hall addresses student concerns amid pandemic, racial tension

Gianna Holiday | Associate News Editor SGAA committees addressed concerns such as COVID-19, the Black at App State Collective, campus climate after the election and concerns about Greek life Thursday night during SGA’s annual town hall. Town hall is an event in which students can express concerns, ask questions and have a dialogue about a variety of topics related to campus. “How do we harness the power to keep people safe and to make sure we’re having inclusive conversations? We want to have conversations with people who are not a part of SGA,” said Korbin Cummings, SGA director of diversity and inclusion. Diversity and inclusion was a large part of the discussion, including COVID-19, its impact on marginalized communities and Black at App State concerns. Zane Johnson shared that Black Appalachian Student Ambassadors

are not currently giving tours due to their solidarity with Black at App State. Johnson is one of those ambassadors. “We are the face of App State for prospective students, we are the first people that they see, we are sometimes the deciding factor,” said Johnson, conference coordinator for SGA. “If I don’t feel comfortable speaking at a university that I don’t feel safe in, to me it is counterproductive. This is way more serious than giving tours.” Johnson said one problem with the centers in Plemmons Student Union is that students feel that areas such as the Women’s Center, Henderson Springs LGBT Center and the Multicultural Center felt that it was off-limits to men, heterosexual individuals and white people. Black students at the LGBT Center are in the process of creating the organization Queer People of Color to create more inclusion for people of color who identiy with the LGBTQ+

community. The Wellness and Student Affairs committee wrote a bill to bring more counselors of color and those from diverse backgrounds to App State. The committee will also be working to expand access to menstrual products on campus. Black Student Association executive board member, Olivia Shepard said that too much pressure is placed on Black students to represent the entire Black community at App State. “Burnout is real. Oftentimes, just to help the cause because we feel that if nobody else will do it, we have to do it,” Shepard said. Shepard says she would like to see more push from white faculty members, along with e Black faculty, and feels that it needs to be a more collective effort. Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

News

Nov 13, 2020

COVID-19 treks on, so does local transportation Max Correa | Photographer

s App State’s campus shifted toward online learning, many off-campus students found themselves attending to class on their computers rather than in person, staying at home in accordance with university policy. However, for those who may still have in-person courses, or may not have the luxury of owning a car, AppalCart has continued serving the Boone community as it has for years – with new guidelines in place to promote public health. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Boone’s public transit authority has installed clear shield for the driver, hand sanitizer dispensers, and mandated that both passengers and drivers wear masks. Furthermore, capacity on buses has been limited to 15-20 passengers and regular deep cleaning of the buses has been made standard. For those who rely on public transit, like senior chemistry major James Galipeau, AppalCart is “critical” for life in Boone. “Before the pandemic, I still lived on-campus so I mostly used the bus service to get to major grocery stores in town,” Galipeau said. “AppalCart has been essential for my ability to get to campus and to work during COVID-19.”

1. Bus drivers in conversation at College Street Station. Despite maintaining regular routes and times, AppalCart has seen significantly fewer passengers due to the increasing number of students transitioning to online learning. 2. Along with limiting maximum passenger capacity, Appalcart has installed hand sanitizer dispensers and mandated masks or face coverings for all passengers and drivers. 3. AppalCart passengers are required to wear face coverings while they’re riding the bus. Seating availability has also been limited to maximize social distancing. 4. Senior chemistry student James Galipeau waits for his bus at the College Street bus circle. Galipeau relies on AppalCart to travel around Boone for work, classes and to get groceries. 5. Drivers are now required to wear face coverings, made available to them by AppalCart, and are offered gloves, clear barriers, and other protective measures in order to promote public health on buses. Max Correa

3 4

News

Nov 13, 2020

Analysis: Watauga County stayed the course this election

Moss Brennan | Political Editor

Watauga County saw record turnout for the 2020 election with over 32,000 residents voting — a 71.36% turnout. The county was about even with the overall state turnout which was a little higher at 74.7%. Here’s what happened locally: County Commissioners Democrats swept the all three county board of commissioners seats up for grabs Nov. 3, and they did it pretty handily. The closest race was between Democrat Carrington Pertalion and Republican Todd Castle. Pertalion won by five percentage points — 52-47. The other race that had multiple candidates was between Democrat Charlie Wallin and Republican Bart Keller. Wallin won by seven percentage points. Republicans know when App State students turn out in force, it does not bode well for them. In late August, Keller mentioned at a Watauga County GOP event that Republicans needed to overcome the “student vote.” “Those students on campus that are pushed from those liberal pressures. Those are the ones that make us go Democratic in this county with every election,” Keller told the crowd. During early voting, when nearly 28,000 people voted in the county, 6,336 votes cast were from people between the ages 18-22. The only Republican who won in the county was Amy Jones Shook, who ran unopposed for register of deeds. She received just over 22,600 votes. In 2016, Democrats won two out of three seats on the county commissioners. State Representatives Watauga County has two representatives in the state legislature — one in the House and one in the Senate. The race between Democrat Jeanne Supin and incumbent Republican Deanna Ballard was a landslide victory for Ballard overall, which was not all that surprising due to the makeup of the district. Ballard won by nearly 40% in the five-coun-

ty district, but lost by 3% in Watauga County. Ballard’s win came from counties outside Watauga County which typically lean more Republican. Watauga County was the only county Ballard did not receive the majority of votes. The North Carolina House of Representatives seat came as a slight surprise. Incumbent Democrat Ray Russell lost to Republican Ray Pickett by almost six percentage points. The “battle of the Rays” saw the return of the trend that Russell broke in 2018 come back: Ashe County Republicans turned out in droves to defeat the Democratic votes in Watauga County. Historically, the 93rd District has been controlled by Republicans due to right leaning voters in Ashe County overcoming Democrat votes in Watauga County. In Watauga County, Russell only won by about 3,000 votes compared with over 4,000 in 2018. In 2018, Ray Russell lost in Ashe County by less than 3,000 votes. This year, he lost by almost 6,000. The difference between Pickett and Russell? 2,757 votes. Russell was not able to close the gap enough in Ashe County to push himself to a win with votes in Watauga. But, like many other Republicans, Pickett had help from President Donald Trump. Trump, as the incumbent Republican president, helped down ballot republicans because he was at the top of the ballot and helped with Republican turnout. In North Carolina, 74.75% of registered voters voted compared to 68.98% in 2016. You have to go back to the early 1800s to find midterm elections that had higher turnout than presidential elections, and back then, the only people who could vote were white males. While Russell broke the eight-year Republican hold on the 93rd District in 2018, a closely-contested presidential election helped Republicans take back control pretty easily.

Continued from page 1 After Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders each left the ticket for the Democratic presidential candidate, their supporters started a grassroots organization, Settle for Biden. According to its website, Biden isn’t the group’s first choice but they’ll do anything to get Trump out of office. Some are confident in Biden’s presidency, such as Will Kramton. Kramton said he’d been worried about issues such as COVID-19, human rights and criminal justice reform under Trump. “I’m really happy with the results,” Kramton said. “These last four years have been rough. I feel good about the future and I think it’ll go well.”

The president-elect has already preempted some of his initiatives just days after winning the election. On Nov. 9, the Biden-Harris transition team announced the formation of a COVID-19 advisory board. Members of the board include various infectious-disease researchers and former public-health advisers — a decision mentioned in the administration’s COVID-19 plan. At the time of the event, the election results were unknown, which resulted in a lot of uncertainty in the dialogue. “People were just really fearful. So we used that time to hear everyone’s concerns and also talk about resources and coping skills that people can use.”

A line of campaign signs leading up to the polling site located at Deep Gap Volunteer Fire Department in Watauga County. Kara Haselton

Politics

Nov 13, 2020

Nancy Hight

Kara Haselton

Dabney Smith “It’s been slow and steady. Everybody’s been in good spirits and pretty friendly. It’s funny because I’ve got Ray Russell literature here and then she’s got Ray Pickett. We’re both getting along amicably.” Boone resident Dabney Smith passed out literature outside the polls at Hardin Park Gym. A “Democrat down the line,” Smith said she’s eager for the country to come together and defeat COVID-19. “I’m kind of ready for (the election) to be over in a way. I want to know, I wonder if we’ll know anything tonight.”

Kara Haselton

“The local elections are so important because they have such tremendous impact on your life. I just feel really strongly about that.” Nancy Hight, a West Jefferson resident, campaigned for her son-in-law, Charlie Wallin (D), who ran for reelection as a county commissioner. Walin won his campaign. She said it’s important for community members and App State students to vote on the local level during a monumental presidential election. This race, Hight yearns for a unified country paired with unified personal relationships. “I’m hopeful that we will have a new administration in. Very hopeful. I just think it’s terrible what’s happened and how it’s divided the country. It’s divided life long friends of mine. I no longer feel close to them because to me, it’s such a huge issue. For them, it all comes down to money.” Hight said she’s ready for a different four years. “I’m just very hopeful that we’ll have a change. Very hopeful.”

Striving for local impact: campaigners take election personally Emily Broyles | News Editor Xanayra Marin-Lopez | Multimedia Editor Kara Haselton | Photographer

Dennis Grady “We fought several battles together.” Boone resident and former App State professor Dennis Grady campaigned outside the polls for his “good friend” Ray Russell (D), who ran for reelection for a seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives. Russell lost his campaign to Ray Pickett (R). Retired, Grady said he had to help with Russell’s first campaign after he called him “out of the blue.” “We had a very successful run two years ago. Hopefully we’re going to repeat it today … I’d never seen a campaign where the same people who were at the first meeting were also at the last meeting.” Grady, precinct captain for the 1996 election at App State, said it was tougher for students to vote back then. He said they were “the key” to Russell’s election in 2018 and played the same role on the national level in this presidential election. “This year, Russell lost his reelection campaign against challenger Republican Ray Pickett. “I think the students are more engaged now, I think there’s more at stake. They probably understand the stakes better now.”

Kara Haselton

Elizabeth Shukis Elizabeth Shukis campaiged for School Board candidate Ronny Holste outside the polling site at Hardin Park Elementary School. She volunteered to campaign for Holste as he attends a Bible study with her and is a “good friend.” Shukis was campaigning at different polling places throughout the day. “Local is dear to my heart when it comes to education,” Shukis said.”“local is dear to my heart when it comes to education.”

Kara Haselton

Politics

Nov 13, 2020

Students look on as election results unfold

Max Correa

Ashley Foreman

Becca Bridges

Ashley Foreman

1. An App State student takes a rest around 2 a.m. after a long night of tracking polls on Election Day at a student watch party. 2. App State student Abram Logan watches election night coverage on a projector at his apartment. 3. App State student Ben Kreger follows along on early projections of the 2020 presidential election. 4. Lucy blocks election results from viewers. 5. The 2020 election looked a lot different for many people, especially college students. While some had watch parties, others stayed in their dorms constantly refreshing the page for the latest results.

Politics

Nov 13, 2020

On Election Day, religion played a key factor for some voters Moss Brennan | Political Editor When President Donald Trump was elected in 2016, he courted evangelical voters with promises of filling the Supreme Court with justices who could nullify Roe v. Wade and with the nomination of Mike Pence, an evangelical Christian, as his running mate. In 2020, much is the same for Trump. After almost four years in office, he continues to attract evangelical voters. But now, he’s facing former vice president Joe Biden — only the fourth major-party Catholic presidential nominee. In this election, both have made

abortion — a key issue for many of faith — a topic of discussion. Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court just weeks after Ruth Bader Ginsburg died. Barrett, who was confirmed to the court by the Senate, has signed her name to ads against abortion. Biden, on the other hand, has promised to make Roe v. Wade the “law of the land.” Christianity is the predominant religion among North Carolinians with 77% of adults in the state identifying as Christian, according to the

Preachers on Sanford Mall giving sermons about the “sins of man” and “judgement of god.” According to the Pew Research Center, 35% of the Christian identifying population in North Carolina claim to be Evangelical Christians. Max Correa

Pew Research Center. And with North Carolina a battleground state, courting the religious vote is key for each candidate seeking to win one of the proclaimed Bible Belt states. Love your neighbor as you love yourself For the majority of his life, Kyle Sigmon wasn’t involved in politics. When he preaches to his congregation as a pastor, he doesn’t tell people how to vote or talk about politics in general. He doesn’t see church as a place to tell people how to vote, but rather a place for people to form their opinions. “I want my church, my congregation, my people to just look at Jesus and to learn more about what Jesus wants, how we should live our lives,” said Sigmon, an associate pastor at Faith Bridge United Methodist Church in Blowing Rock. “I think that will automatically affect how we vote.” Sigmon said he started to focus more on politics because of his religious beliefs. Jesus’ teachings and America’s history — the good and bad — really helped Sigmon think about politics in a broader sense and how it can affect others. The Sermon on the Mount — the longest of Jesus’ sermons recorded in the New Testament, helped Sigmon realize politics are important because the message is about living as one of God’s followers and politics can be part of being a follower of Christ. The teaching of loving your neighbor as you love yourself is an important factor to Sigmon. Some people go to church every Sunday. Others go multiple times a week. And even more go when they can. Despite attending church or not, their faith has an impact on their lives and when they vote. “I think as Christians, we actually have to go to the polls and think,

Perkinsville Baptist Church’s stained glass illuminated in the night. According to the Pew Research Center, 77% of adults in North Carolina identify as Christian, 20% of those identify as Baptist. Jesse Barber ‘how will this person look out for others?’” Sigmon said. “If we really want to love our neighbor, it’s not just literally loving the person who is next door to me, but do I actually have influence systemically?” And for Sigmon and other people of religious beliefs, voting is a way to bring those values to society. Historically, religion has always been a key factor in politics — from the time of people riding in horse drawn carriages to self-driving cars. A History of Religion and Politics Lerone Martin is an associate professor of religion and politics at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also the director of American cultural studies at the university and teaches African American studies. “Religion has always been central to political behavior in the United States,” Martin said. Martin said religion in American politics can be traced back to the abolitionist movement. Abolitionists, Martin said, felt compelled by their faith to fight the legalization of slavery and its practice in the U.S. “On the other side, you had folks whose faith compelled them to believe that slavery was not just a coherent as-

pect of their Christian faith, but actually that Christianity gave permission, or directed people, to engage in enslavement,” Martin said. And to Martin, probably the most outstanding example of religion affecting politics and society is the Civil Rights Movement. “There were countless civil rights workers who believed that their faith compelled them to demonstrate against the unequal treatment of people of color in this country and to change laws that they believed were unjust,” Martin said. For example, Martin said, someone like Martin Luther King Jr. would be guided by their faith to know that God is a God of justice. Therefore, because God was a God of justice, the destruction of society should be regulated and geared toward making sure every American is justly treated. “(His) faith would say what matters — in addition to one’s personal piety — is to make sure that the structures of American society are set up in such a way that every citizen is treated equally and fairly,” Martin said. People who have that perspective sometimes call themselves “social gospelers” where they would

A&C

Nov 13, 2020

Kyle Sigmon, associate pastor of FaithBridge United Methodist Church, said that he wants people to look at the words that Jesus said to apply to their lives. Jesse Barber have a “social gospel” that relates to how society should be shaped in a way that treats people equally. “Throughout American history, some of the largest political movements — both in terms of legislation, but also in terms of activism — have been compelled by a very, very, very strong commitment to religious faith,” Martin said. Today, Martin said, certain faith groups are associated with particular political parties, which was not always the case. According to Pew Research, 56% of Evangelical Protestants and 70% of Mormons lean Republican. On the other side, 44% of Orthodox Christians and Catholics lean Democratic. “People exercise their faith in the way that they vote and I think that’s always been the case historically in this country,” Martin said. “I think we should anticipate that it will continue to be important.” Religious Influence on Politics “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ” — The Amendment of the United States Consitition In North Carolina, 39% of adults go to church at least once a week while 36% go at least once or twice a month, according to Pew. Another 24% seldom or never attend church. Despite attending church or not, faith has an impact on voting. “Whether consciously or unconsciously, their faith has shaped those ideas of the good, of the moral, and of the ethical,” Martin said. “When they go into the voting

booth, they look for the candidate that they believe can help to bring about that kind of society.” Mikaela McAdams attended The Lamb’s Chapel –– one of the largest churches in her area — while growing up in Burlington. McAdams wouldn’t just go to church on Sundays, she would practically live there. McAdams said she would be at church seven days a week, and sometimes even slept there. At the time, her church and her Christian views had a heavy influence on her politics. “When I was active in church, I wasn’t able to vote, but at the time it had me mentally in this state of ‘Oh, I have to vote for this person, I have to vote for this Republican or Democrat just because I have a Christian belief,’” McAdams said. McAdams’ is no longer active in the church and lives in Boone with her fiance. She said she saw how much religion affected people’s political views during the 2016 election. McAdams said there was so much bitterness and divide in the church during the election, which distanced her from religion. Because she grew up in the church, she mostly follows people she grew up with in church on social media. “I still see stuff from my family and friends in the church that push their religious beliefs for a political agenda,” McAdams said. For Alexander Paunovic, religion has a direct bearing on who he votes for. “I think that the only authority the government has

...some of the largest political movements ... have been compelled by a very, very, very strong commitment to religious faith is the authority that’s been granted to it by God,” said Paunovic, who received his religious studies degree from App State. “I’d really have to take anything the Bible says and weigh it up against a political candidate.” Paunovic, who is a seminary student at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, holds himself to the original Westminster Confession of Faith, which assumes the Bible is the word of God. It gives Paunovic a system of ethics and principles to follow. “That being the case, the Bible must be our starting point in determining any political position that we hold, or determining what we believe about the role of government in general,” Paunovic said. Paunovic considers himself an establishmentarian, meaning he believes the government should establish Christianity as the national religion. One of the only reasons Paunovic would vote for a political candidate is if they declared Christ as king and would enact laws according to that belief.

Political science major River Collins, senior, has been the president of the College Republicans at App State for about a year. His concentration is in American politics and he is hoping to work his way up the political ladder to Congress. Kara Haselton

“Unless that be the case, I probably would never vote for a political candidate,” Paunovic said. Paunovic does not plan to vote in this election and said he would most likely write in a candidate if he did. Maggie Watts, a freshman, has a different outlook on how her Christian faith influences her politics. Watts grew up going to a nondenominational church every Sunday and still goes to church in Boone. She

says Christianity influences her vote. “The biggest thing for me definitely, growing up as a Christian with politics, is always to choose the party or choose a leader that will unify the country the most and would treat the poor and the oppressed with love and give them respect and dignity,” Watts said. Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

A&C

Nov 13, 2020

PLAYLIST OF THE WEEK Kait Rous Reporter

Raleigh-based student rapper finds solace in Boone while launching his career David Brashier | Reporter

ack Cokas has seen a world of success during this year’s pandemic. Unlike many of his peers’ Netflix parties and bread baking, Cokas spent the year working on a different project: a rap album. Cokas released a single every month this year through July, culminating in the release of his debut EP, “PABLO,” in August. He burst into the limelight in 2018 after a DJ in his hometown of Raleigh played a song from his “Out the Blue” mixtape on the air. Though this, he was invited to perform on Sway in the Morning at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. “That was a big thing for me, just to know that I was going in the right direction,” Cokas said. “I got to go on Sway and South by Southwest with no accolades. That made me realize that I needed to keep going.” Cokas went on to release his “Young Cack” mixtape in July 2019, which afforded him the chance to begin performing shows around Raleigh. By the fall of last year, he was putting his work on Spotify and collaborating with other Raleigh-based urban artists, like LesTheGenius and Marco Luka. “My favorite moments to perform are when it’s local, and people from NC State come out, and it’s super fun,” Cokas said. His collaborative track with LesTheGenius “Bust Down,” released in January, remains his most-listened to track at over 193,000 streams on Spotify. His work then got featured on Spotify-curated playlists, such as Study Break and Fresh Finds, which boosted his impressions significantly in the music community. The promising rapper had a wealth of opportunities at his door-

step, ranging from collaborative EPs with local artists to signing with a record label owned by NBA player Zion Williamson, which ultimately fell through. In the end, Cokas focused solely on getting an album out. The production of “PABLO” took place over the course of one year, and along the way Cokas collaborated with high-profile industry producers like Curtis Waters, MBWAV and Black Pearl, who has engineered for Charlotte-native DaBaby. “I sent ‘PABLO’ to a bunch of labels and heard nothing,” Cokas said. “Then I dropped ‘PABLO,’ and the same labels want to sign me now, and I just don’t understand that. It shows that they don’t want to take a chance on you until they see you’re doing well.” Cokas said he is currently contemplating which label he will sign with. He isn’t looking to sign to a major label so that he can retain creative control. Now, his sights are set on AWAL, an independent label home to artists like Lauv, Finneas and deadmau5. The road to “PABLO” and its accolades wasn’t without struggle for Cokas. In addition to the sheer anxiety of releasing an album, he struggled with the stress of multiple labels wanting to sign him, people wanting to cash in on his success and trying to be a student while launching a music career, he said. There was also a lot of pressure involved with creating during the pandemic for Cokas. He wrote the track “HUMBLE” with his girlfriend during the early days of quarantine while they were both concerned that they were sick with COVID-19 and staying at his house, he said. Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

Graphic by Camryn Collier

Podcasts are a great way to learn new things, listen to stories and keep yourself entertained, all while giving you the freedom to multitask. This week, we put together a playlist filled with episodes of some of The Appalachian staff’s favorite podcasts. These podcast suggestions ranging from news and true crime to life hacks and storytelling will keep you entertained from your car, study space or home.

A&C

Nov 13, 2020

Tucker Wulf | Associate A&C Editor

old wind and sputtering rain slashed the mountainside throughout the night as a local chef fought to maintain three wood fires over the course of his 10-hour brisket smoke. Ambrose Young began smoking brisket at approximately 11 p.m. the night before his pop-up barbecue showcase. Young is a Boone local and works as a chef in multiple restaurants in the High Country. Over Yonder, a southern restaurant and market in Valle Crucis, hosted the pop-up event. When owner and chef at Over Yonder, Andy Long, arrived at the restaurant the next morning around 9 a.m., Young was pulling the tender briskets out of the smokers. Long and Young put on the pop-up event to get the word out about Young’s hope to open his own all-wood barbecue food truck sometime in 2021 and give him the opportunity to hone his skill. “This past week was the second time I’ve ever actually cooked brisket,” Young said. “The very first brisket I ever did came out perfect. This round of it showed me, ‘OK, I see where I could have done better or something I could have done differently.’” Barbecue — brisket specifically — is more about technique than recipe or rub, Young and Long both said. The key to a proper brisket is consistent temperature. “Low and slow,” Long said, which is even more difficult when you are cooking with fire instead of gas. “It’s just a constant, like, ‘let me add some coals, let me take some away, let me add some airflow to it, let me take some away,’ and that is the real skill behind barbecue,” Long said. Unable to get his hands on a large commercial

Ambrose Young poses in a kitchen. Young hopes to open his own food truck one day. Ashley Foreman

“A level-10 desire to cook meat over fire” local chef pursues his own barbecue food truck smoker, which is typically optimized to maintain a consistent temperature, Young had to use three smaller, borrowed smokers for his event, adding to the challenge. Young wants to bring all-wood barbecue to the High Country because of the bigger flavor and more natural taste, even though he knows it is a much more difficult task. Cooking with wood has a profound difference on the food, Young said. Wood is able to not only “pack more flavor” but also avoids the gas taste in the product. In 2014, Young graduated from App State with a degree in English creative writing, but decided not to pursue that field any further. “I had a few opportunities where I could have left the mountain with some serious writing, but the neighborhood they would take me to was not a place I wanted to go,” Young said. After graduating, Young quickly started working in restaurants because it was easy to get into, he said. “Then I actually got to meet some chefs and start working with them, and it was like, ‘man, this is rekindling the passion I had as a kid,’” he said. Young and his sister, Shandel Harris, were raised mostly by their grandmother, Harris said. After their grandmother got sick, Harris said she took over caring for herself and Young. “A lot of times, he had to, you know, pretty much learn to fend for himself,” Harris said. “Our grandmother … She would be our inspiration for cooking. We had our own garden, we raised animals, so

Young’s wood-smoked brisket. Young plates every dish with precision and care, another way to demonstrate his “level 10” commitment to the craft of cooking. Ashley Foreman cooking has always been a daily part of life.” Harris and Young’s grandmother also taught them many things in the kitchen, but eventually, they branched out to “self-taught experiments,” she said. Harris said she was surprised when Young decided to pursue a career as a chef and restaurant owner, but now that he is working to open his own restaurant, she thinks he will be very successful because of his passion for flavor and desire to make people happy. “He doesn’t meet a stranger,” Harris said. “He really cares about what people want and how their food is.” Working at both Over Yonder and Vidalia in Boone has shown Young how much he prefers to work in small kitchen restaurants, he said. “I’ve worked in some places that will definitely kill your passion because they are so corporate,” Young said. “They are more strict on what you can and can’t do.” Young said it’s easier to learn and improve your skills in smaller restaurants where there

is more freedom to be creative. Long said Young will be successful because of his constant desire to learn and newfound obsession with barbecue that afflicts many chefs. “There’s a lot of cooks that are fascinated with barbecue,” Long said. “It’s kind of a bug. Once cooks get into barbecue, it’s really hard to think about anything else.” Long said Young has a “level-10 desire to cook meat over fire and develop that into a business.” Over Yonder opened for the take-outonly event at noon on Oct. 30 and provided all-wood barbecue lunches to nearly 100 hungry customers. Young hopes to have more pop-up showcases at Over Yonder in the coming months to build momentum as he works to open his barbecue food truck.

A&C

Nov 13, 2020

Watauga High student starts inclusive skateboarding apparel line

FASHION OF BOONE Hair as self-expression Rebecca Parker | Reporter

Josie Gagnon poses in front of some pieces from her clothing line LadyBoys. Gagnon was inspired to create an inclusive skateboarding apparel company from her own doodles during quarantine. Courtesy of Josie Gagnon

Zoe Zink | Reporter When 17-year-old Josie Gagnon started doodling skateboarding figures and characters to kill time in class, she never expected to see these same characters on T-shirts, hoodies and crewnecks around Boone just months later. LadyBoys, a skateboarding apparel company, emerged from Gagnon’s basement in May. Despite the pandemic, Gagnon brought her doodles to life after experimenting with a heat press and $6 blank t-shirts from Walmart. “One day I ran down to Walmart and put my prints on them,” Gagnon explained. Gagnon’s desire for equality in all aspects inspired her. She describes her figures as gender neutral and respectful to everyone. LadyBoys markets to many different gender identities, and doesn’t have defined men’s and women’s lines. “You can’t really tell if it’s a girl or a boy or someone who doesn’t have a gender identity,” Gagnon said. Gagnon said she is also determined to make her merchandise accessible to everyone. “I try to keep prices low so everybody can get something if they want it,” she said. Earlier this year, LadyBoys premiered

a design supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, which gained traction after Minneapolis police officers killed George Floyd in May. Gagnon donated around $200 of the profit from products featuring this design to the Color of Change education fund, a nonprofit civil rights organization that aids in leading campaigns for Black communities. All LadyBoys’ designs exhibit people of at least two different races or ethnicities, which is part of Gagnon’s desire to keep things inclusive and welcoming. “Everybody has an option,” she said. “My biggest inspiration is making it available for everyone…and making everyone understand what it means. It is all about respect, equality, and skateboarding.” Despite LadyBoys’ being a newcomer in the fashion world, the company has already gained considerable local attention. In September, Gagnon started selling LadyBoys at Anna Banana’s, a local consignment shop. Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

When it comes to appearance, one of the first things people often notice is hair. People use their hair in many ways as a form of self-expression. Some dye it fun colors, while others may opt for a funky cut or style. No matter the style, social media heavily influences what’s trendy. Local hairstylist and owner of Canvas Beauty Bar on Howard Street, Miah Zimmerman, said she’s noticed seasonal patterns. “People tend to err on the side of warmer, darker colors for fall, and in summer it’s brighter, cooler tones,” Zimmerman said. So, expect to see more reds and auburn around this time of year, and maybe some blondes around spring and summer, Zimmerman said. A new social media trend has reintroduced what Zimmerman calls a “money piece.” This means dyeing the face-framing pieces of hair a lighter color to brighten your face. While it traditionally started with neutral colors, teens and young adults frequently dye these sections bright pink or green. “With hair cuts, a good crop is always in,” Zimmerman said. Shorter hairstyles are popular at the moment. The trend started at the beginning of quarantine when a lot of people started cutting their hair at home as a way to get a “fresh start.” “2020 is such a weird time, and the shorter, textured look is really popular because of how low maintenance it is, because who has the time,” Zimmerman said. Quarantine inspired many to try new hair styles because they spent so much time at home. It was the perfect time to try something new. With shorter hair, you’re able to get away with a lot less styling. You also don’t have to spend as much time styling since you have less hair.

Rhiannon Salem with her curtain bangs. Quarantine and online trends inspired many to try new hairstyles. Courtesy of Rhiannon Salem.

Another popular hairstyle today is a blunt, shoulder-length cut. Adding layers for a messy look is also really fashionable. Zimmerman calls this piecey and messy but stylish, like a French bob. Bangs are also very trendy in 2020, especially curtain bangs. Curtain bangs are bangs that are parted down the middle to frame the face. They are a look from the 1970s that has gone full circle and is trending once again, especially on TikTok. The hashtag #curtainbangs started trending in the fall of 2020 and has since been used over 5 million times. Modern shaggy hairstyles have also come full circle and are making their mark on fashion again. Rhiannon Salem has recently opted for this ‘70s curtain-bang style. “I was inspired by Stevie Nicks and the ‘70s kind of vibe,” Salem said. “I have people asking me all the time ‘what style is that?’ or ‘who cuts your hair?’ because people want this style.” Due to COVID-19 regulations closing salons for most of the summer, clients were left to their own devices and worked with what they had. Most people resorted to drugstore box dyes and at-home haircuts to get them by during quarantine. According to Glossy, a beauty blog, overall sales of at-home box dyes went up 23% this year since the start of quarantine. Documenting your DIY hair journey became a popular trend on social media.

Sports

Nov 13, 2020

New recruits bring new skills and big goals to App State women’s basketball App State senior guard Pre Stanley brings the ball up court during the WBI Championship game in Boone on April 3, 2019. Stanley is a 2020 preseason all-Sun Belt second team selection. Courtesy of Lynette Files

Connor Davidson | Associate Multimedia Editor This season, App State women’s basketball welcomes four players to the team. Three of these newcomers are true freshmen, consisting of guards Bailey Trumm, Dane Bertolina and Faith Alston. The other is guard Zahra Daniel from Moberly Area Junior College in Miami, Florida. Heading into the season, there was some concern over how well the returning members of the team would be able to build chemistry with the new players due to obstacles presented by COVID-19. “Believe it or not, our upperclassmen, that was their biggest concern,” head coach Angel Elderkin said. “They were like, ‘The summer is so important for the newcomers.’ That’s when you kind of build your chemistry, and they’re not gonna have it.” Instead of dwelling on the situation, Elderkin and her team made the most of the situation, participating in team challenges and reading a book together. The team met frequently on Zoom calls so that when they did finally get to meet face-toface, they could jump straight into basketball activities. “When we finally were able to hit the ground running in July, there wasn’t that gap,” Elderkin said. “We spent so much

time just on chemistry and the standards and who we wanted to be, and I really felt like it was a seamless transition come July.” The three true freshmen, Trumm, Bertolina and Alston, all shared one thing in common before coming to App State: taking part in the program’s summer Elite Camps. Trumm has been more involved with these camps than the others and began attending in middle school. “The first time I ever came to App State, I was in the eighth grade, and I came for an Elite Camp,” Trumm said. “As I got to know the coaches better, I just really loved them, and as I came for more visits and got to know the team better, I knew these were just people I wanted to spend four years around.” Trumm’s ability to shoot was the biggest appeal for Elderkin and her staff. At Powell High School in Powell, Tenn., she set the state record for most career three-pointers made and led the state all four years in threes made. Bertolina also brings a strong shooting presence to the team. She left her high school, Charlotte Catholic, as the school’s leader in three-pointers made. Last season, the Mountaineers only shot 28.6 percent from the three point line, which was 279th in the nation and 10th in the Sun Belt out of 12 teams. “Both of them can shoot the lights out of the gym, and

I think that we kind of lacked that last year,” senior guard Michaela Porter said. “We hit some shots in the game, but they’re solid shooters that (are) gonna knock it down.” Alston is the third true freshman in this class. Alston comes to Boone from St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Northern Virginia, which is a competitive area for recruiting because App State is further south in the Sun Belt. While Alston isn’t as much of a shooter, her ball handling, court vision and passing ability make her a player that works well for App State. “She is the type of point guard for me personally that I’ve wanted to coach in our system because we want to play fast. When she gets the ball, it’s ‘eyes up the court, I’m gonna pitch it ahead, who’s open,’” Elderkin said. “In the ball screen, she’s making unbelievable plays, better than some of our upperclassmen.” Daniel had a different path to App State than many of her teammates. She played at Moberly Area Junior College in Miami, Florida before the school started feeling the effects of COVID-19. Daniel’s coach reached out to Elderkin, and after watching some film, Elderkin offered Daniel a spot on the team. Read more online at ww.theappalachianonline.com

Sports

Nov 13, 2020

Without normal App State football game days, local restaurants struggle

A Black Cat Burriot employee works in the kitchen. Capacity and staff needs haven’t changed much, stated General Manager Colin Swaney of Black Cat Burrito, as the restaruant’s physical size is small and take-out orders have made up for any lack of dine-in customers. However, they continue to “play it by ear, week by week,” Swaney continued, as the visitor population has declined. Kara Haselton

the reason for empty stadiums and arenas across the country. Many restaurants have been operating at limited capacity to discourage the spread of COVID-19, but this comes with financial repercussions. “It is important to remember that not only are we hampered by the 11 p.m. curfew, we are also limited to half capacity,” Boone Saloon owner Kelly DuPree said. “And as a matter of fact, we voluntarily lowered The Gamechanger occupancy to 27% because we assessed that even at 50% occupancy, responsible social distancing was not possible.” While the negatives of fewer people and less profit certainly loom large, several businesses have found positives despite their current setbacks. “Less of the chaos,” Swaney said. “You’ve got to deal with less drunk kids trying to sneak beer into the restaurant.” But there are lasting effects that go beyond the well-being of a business. The workers at many of these businesses have experienced considerable decreases in their income, leading to personal financial struggles. “I know a lot of our employees depend on the weekend shift, where we would have the gameday rush because families would come into town and to our restaurant,” Hemphill said. “Now that we’re not getting those, a lot of our employees are struggling to take care of their financial needs, like rent.” App State played its first home football game with limited capacity on Oct. 22. Many businesses hope that this will bring in larger crowds but know that it will be nothing near a traditional game day.

Dan Davidson | Associate Sports Editor Football is not just a game in Boone, it’s a business, and local restaurants felt the impacts of COVID-19 on the sport. “Coming in for an evening shift, it’s normally pretty slow, but on game days specifically, we would have a packed house. We’d have people waiting out the door,” server/manager at Our Daily Bread Mackenzie Hemphill said. “Not having those game days, our numbers have gone down tremendously.” App State football has long been a core value of the Boone community, drawing thousands of fans and alumni to Boone every game day. These fans don’t only attend the games, they spend money eating and shopping in Boone. A lot of these businesses have long depended on game days to bring in a level of profit much higher than any other days of the year. Black Cat Burrito, located on South Depot Street, is one of many local restaurants that has felt a direct impact from the lack of fans during the football season. An employee there described game days as their most busy and profitable days of the year, calling them “incredi-

bly lucrative.” “Game days do still drive some sales, but we’re down at least 30% -40% from what we would normally do,” Black Cat Burrito employee Colin Swaney said. “We can still have a good Saturday, but it’s nothing like we used to. Game days would be the top 10 busiest days of the year, without fail.” Our Daily Bread, a restaurant on King Street, has also been greatly impacted by the lack of fans in Boone for game days. Management cut servers’ hours because the restaurant is much less crowded, operating at half-capacity due to the coronavirus. “Servers would be making hundreds of dollars, and now that we don’t have those game days, it’s impacted our income tremendously,” Hemphill said. “We would have a full staff, we would have several servers, and now, we only have four or five during our lunch rushes. We’ve had to cut back on server hours and also servers aren’t making as much.” At the heart of the issue is the novel coronavirus. After all, that is

Local bar Boone Saloon on King Street in downtown Boone, NC has taped off every other booth and rearranged seating to encourage social distancing. Originally changing their hours because of COVID-19’s impact, Boone Saloon recently extended them to 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., according to owner Kelly DuPree. A concern noted by DuPree is how business will be further affected after football season is over. Kara Haselton

Sports

Nov 13, 2020

game day

GAME NOTES App State (5-1, 3-0 Sun Belt)

App State takes on the 3-3 Georgia State Panthers on Saturday in Kidd Brewer Stadium. The Sun Belt East division rivals each head into the matchup fresh off of double-digit victories over other Sun Belt foes. The Mountaineers took down Texas State 38-17 in San Marcos, while the Panthers defeated UL-Monroe by 18 points at home. Georgia State has its sights set on revenge after a 29-point home loss against App State in 2019.

Georgia Southern (3-3, 2-3 Sun Belt)

SHOOTOUT

FIGHT FOR FIRST

UNDEFEATED

App State and Georgia State have the second and third most-potent offenses in the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers average 34.7 points per game, while the Panthers average 36.7 points per game.

The Mountaineers look to remain perfect in Sun Belt play against the Panthers in hopes of reaching a fifth-straight conference championship. With a win, App State could be headed for a potential Sun Belt East-deciding showdown with Coastal Carolina Nov. 21.

App State and Georgia State have faced off six times previously, all won by the Mountaineers. The Panthers have yet to come within single digits of App State, with the six past games being decided by an average of 28.33 points.

PLAYER TO WATCH Points Per Game

34.7 Points Allowed Per Game

17.5 Passing Yards Per Game

189.8 Rushing Yards Per Game

283.2

#12 Zac Thomas SENIOR QUARTERBACK Thomas comes off of an 18-for-27, 168-yard passing game in which he threw three touchdowns and no interceptions. Thomas has thrown for 11 touchdowns on 189.83 passing yards per game this season. Georgia Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defense not only allows the most points per game in the Sun Belt, but allows a league-worst 348.7 passing yards per game. App State has run the ball nearly twice as often as it has passed this season, but the Panthersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; run defense ranks second in the conference, holding opponents to 120.5 rush yards per game. In his previous two outings against Georgia State, Thomas has thrown a combined 39-55 for 538 yards and seven touchdowns. In addition, he rushed for 79 yards and two touchdowns during those two games.

Points Per Game

36.7 Points Allowed Per Game

40.2 Passing Yards Per Game

198.0 Rushing Yards Per Game

214.7

Opinion

Nov 13, 2020

North Carolina’s caleb’s Political Landscape CONCEPTS Sean Riordan | Opinion Writer

Ever since the 2016 gubernatorial election, the North Carolina Republican-majority legislature has tried to strip the powers of the governor. When Democrat Roy Cooper beat incumbent Republican Pat McCrory, the Republican Party lost trifecta control. Trifecta control is when one party holds the majority in the SenateHouse of Representatives and governor’s office. When Cooper came into power, he broke up the trifecta. Although the Republicans still held a majority in the House and Senate, they responded by removing the governor’s power to influence the state budget and laws. Line Item Veto One of the most versatile tools a state governor has to collaborate with the state legislature is a line-item veto. A line-item veto is when a governor can nullify specific parts of the bill, then send it back to the legislature for review. North Carolina is one of only six states that does not grant this power to the governor. The state government has to sign off on a bill the legislature passes before that bill can become law. A governor holds the right to veto, or nullify, any bill the legislature publishes. A line-item veto is an effective tool for passing a collaborative budget. Notably, North Carolina failed to pass a budget last year. It is common for state governors to have either amendatory veto, reduction veto, or line-item veto power. North Carolina governor does not have these, and only has regular veto power, which strikes down entire bills. Appointment Powers After the 2016 election when Cooper was elected as North Carolina’s governor, the then-Republican legislative supermajority passed a law to elim-

inate the governor’s power to appoint state justices. Incoming Cooper sued to block the law. The decision went to the voters and they voted down both measures to limit their new governor’s power. Additionally, the majority of the executive offices are separately appointed by the voters. This means that while Cooper won the election for governor, he cannot appoint those who work for him in the executive branch. This means that the commissioners do not have to answer to the governor and instead only answer to their constituents. This makes cooperation within the executive branch difficult. For example, the lieutenant governor, Dan Forest, is a Republican and can choose not to enforce the Democrat governor’s executive orders. This is because the governor did not appoint him, and he does not have to work with him to get reelected. This creates tension because the lieutenant governor presides over the Senate, and can influence cooperation between the executive and legislative branches. Conclusion When a party majority tries to manipulate the powers of different branches of the states, it can disrupt the balance of power. Trying to pass a bill in the Republican Legislature to limit powers just days before the newly elected Democratic Governor’s inauguration does not seem very reflective of the voters’ will. This was exemplified when the voters disagreed with the legislature and voted against the limitations of the governor. The Republican legislature tried to manipulate the powers of the executive branch, solely because they lost the seat to a Democrat.

Many worship it. Too bad science isn’t a religion. Caleb Garbuio | Opinion Editor “The science says this, the science says that,” drones a pundit from a news station that only cares about viewership. More pathetic than the display of poorly presented empirical evidence are the comments on social media pertaining to climate change. “Science is wrong,” some say. “Well, science says,” respond others. The profound ignorance of many, including educated members in society, is astounding. To think that some body of evidence is infallible and devoid of human bias is, well, ignorant. Most scientists will quickly point out that good science is built on the notion of skepticism, where something can only be scientific if it can be proven. Many worship it, saying science will save humanity. Clearly, mainstream culture has misconceptions about science, perceiving it as an unchanging body of evidence devoid of change. So what exactly is science? Better yet, how can science be defined? In his 1959 book “Logic of Scientific Discovery,” Austrian philosopher Karl Popper described science as “falsifiable.” Put simply, science is a question that can be proven false and predict a wide range of behavior. The first step in the scientific process is to ask a question about a certain event. One particularly famous question asked by Isaac Newton was why does an apple fall? The second requirement is that there must be something which the hypothesis is being tested against. For example, in statistics we compare the effect of a new hypothesis against an old hypothesis called a null hypothesis. The null hypothesis implies no significance, however, because we reject the null hypothesis if the evidence of the new hypothesis shows statistical significance. In other words, scientific ideas can be proven false if new information is presented. Now, let’s define pseudoscience. Pseudoscience is any idea that cannot be proven false, like psychoanalysis. In his 1899 book “The Interpretation of Dreams,” Sigmund Freud claims men seek maternal approval out of an unconscious desire to sleep with their mother. This is called the Oedepus complex. According to Freud, if a man’s mother dies and he does not cry at her funeral he

is repressing his Oedepus complex. However, if he weeps over his mother’s passing, his Oedipal desires are coming out in the open. Spot the problem yet? Freud’s Oedipus complex cannot be proven false! Now that we have defined what science is, let’s return to the present. Why are people so divided about it? There are political consequences to accepting consequences. This is why many people will deny the severity or existence of climate change because it has serious political and economic consequences. However, ignoring climate change will make it worse, and we will cause irrevocable damage if we don’t act now to fix the damage caused by humans, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found. If we do nothing, the spillover will change the world as we know it. Unfortunately, climate change has become politicized by both Democrats and Republicans, and will remain this way while the world burns. History shows us that politicians politicize science to justify their policies. Look at the disastrous economic and social consequences brought to the world by politicizing COVID-19. Though it is unclear whether or not lockdowns work, it is clear that mask requirements do. One study from the University of Toronto found that lockdowns were not associated with mortality per million, while another study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found common mortality patterns wherever COVID-19 was present with or without lockdowns. However, current empirical research suggests that mask wearing is effective in reducing COVID-19. While wearing a mask reduces the risk of contracting COVID, it only works if you and others are wearing a mask. It is still possible to contract the virus at home from a loved one or from friends if you go out. Thus, there is a mathematical positive effect for mask wearing, if people actually wear them when they go out. Though, as Einstein put it, “human stupidity is limitless,” meaning people probably aren’t actually going to wear their masks effectively 100% of the time. While wearing masks does seem to work, lockdown effectiveness is questionable because the mathematical analysis is inconclusive. This highlights the problem with science: worshipers flock to its altar when it agrees with them and use it to justify their political ideas, yet abandon it the moment its usefulness expires. Being a good scientist means educating yourself with the tools needed to understand it, or humble yourself and admit you do not understand it. Never point to something you do not understand and say it is wrong, simply because you do not understand. At the end of the day, science is a testable philosophy about the observable world. It does the scientific community a disservice pretending science is more than that. Do not use science to confirm your own worldview.

Et Cetera

Nov 13, 2020

@Biosteampunk Hey, do you mind putTing on your mask?

JACKIE PARK EDITOR IN CHIEF

editor@theappalachianonline.com

EDITORIAL Huh?

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~FO

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