App State released a banger of a video called “Appalachian is Hot, Hot, Hot” back in 2005 to promote the university’s “coolness” and “hipness.” Without meaning to, “Hot, Hot, Hot” became a warning for what is to come: climate change. In the High Country, temperatures have risen in the last few decades. According to the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies, 2010 to 2019...

As of Sept. 13, Appalachian State has been one of the few large public colleges to not go fully online in North Carolina. This is a good thing for the educational experience, and the university claims it's because we’ve been following the rules so well. Over the past weeks, the number of cases from students and faculty has been quite low, compared to others in state schools. However, I am skeptical...

In case you have missed it, we are living in the midst of a global pandemic. Businesses have shut down and people are unemployed without a reliable vaccine. This pandemic will impact recent college graduates because many lack professional experience, and most entry-level positions require one to two years of experience to qualify. Never fear, there is a way to get around these qualifications. Here...

The West Coast of the United States looks more like the surface of Mars right now due to wildfires ravaging wildlife, communities and business. Climate change caused by humans is the culprit, providing another example of natural disasters that have occured in the last 50 years.  However, prior to COVID-19, climate change activists struggled to find nationwide support for climate-related regulations....

North Carolina is a swing state. This means that the majority of North Carolina’s votes for officials this season could turn out Republican or Democrat, but no one is entirely sure judging by analytics. Your vote could determine North Carolina’s decision. In the past, North Carolina was a Democratic state, "where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 or 3 to 1," according to Republican strategist...

When I first came to App State, I thought I had seen everything on campus. From the duck pond to Durham Park, there wasn't much I hadn't experienced until I went through the tunnels that connect East Campus to West Campus.  I never thought to explore them. Now, I go through these tunnels once a day because it links me to East Campus. I couldn't help but notice the graffiti decorating these tunnels....

Did anyone have any of 2020 on their 2020 bingo card? A pandemic? Killer hornets? Nightly fireworks to no end? No? Me neither. But this is where we are — a pandemic, presidential election year, societal unrest — all while moving to Appalachian and starting classes. We are living in a time that, literally, is unparalleled. How do we navigate this, you may ask? Together. We are all in this together...

The November election will undoubtedly determine the fate of our nation and, subsequently, the fates of future generations. While all of us may never fully agree on what this path should be, what we can agree on is fundamental change is desperately needed. Unfortunately, I must take responsibility for my part in contributing to the tumultuous and dangerous political climate originating from Washington....