Appalachian State University’s first satirical periodical, the Rotten Appal, will release online Thursday, according to the publication’s website.
Referring to itself as “Boone’s most trusted second-hand news source,” the Rotten Appal intends to take news content with relevance to Appalachian students and apply humor, irony and exaggeration to give a silly touch while still being able to provide important updates on current events, Editor-in-Chief Will Fortune said.
Fortune envisioned the idea for the Rotten Appal last year and recruited a group of core founders by reaching out to friends and spreading awareness through social media.
“Going back to its roots, I guess I got all these guys together because I wanted a group that was completely comfortable and just goofy, but it turned into so much more,” said Fortune, a junior music industry studies major.
The group started by meeting in places such as Trivette Dining Hall and the third floor of the Belk Library – wherever they could manage to get together.
“It was interesting to see it grow,” said Virginia Reed, chair of Public Relations and Recruitment at Rotten Appal. “We had really long meetings where we talked about what we wanted to be and how we were going to get there, and personally I’m really impressed by the amount of momentum we’ve gained.”
The club now consists of approximately 21 students, a growing number which they plan to cap off soon in order to keep meetings and content manageable.
Aside from the upcoming website launch, the Rotten Appal hopes to extend recognition across campus and build a strong following throughout the university. They made a debut at Club Expo earlier this year and were present on Sanford Mall holding signs during one of the preacher protests.
The founders all aspire for the publication to continue to be passed down after they leave Appalachian.
“It’s a baby and we’re raising it,” Reed said. “It’s a lot more work just because it is a start-up, but I want this to be a thing people talk about.”
Rotten Appal is now on Facebook and Twitter posting daily humorous tidbits. Their website, rottenappal.com, will be launch with full content Thursday.
STORY: MEREDITH WARFIELD, Intern A&E Editor