Welcome back, Mountaineers! It’s great to see you again. 

I am so excited to serve as your Editor-in-Chief of The Appalachian for the 2022-23 academic year. It is truly an honor. For nearly nine decades, our publication has been an active voice in the App State and Boone community, striving to provide “fair and accurate news” for our readers. And though times may change, our mission to inform, entertain and be a champion for student, faculty, staff and community interests will never falter. 

Last year, our staff worked hard to revive our print publication, which had been previously halted in 2020 due to COVID-19. Throughout the 2021-22 academic year, we published nine print editions total — one new print issue on our newsstands across campus every month. We also had the opportunity to publish our seventh annual reader’s choice issue, Best of Boone, along with the introduction of our Black History Month section in our February edition and a graduation themed edition in April. The Appalachian also ramped up our weekly, staff curated newsletter, delivering our freshest and most notable content for the week straight into our readers’ inboxes. But enough about last year — I’m happy to announce that The Appalachian will continue to print monthly throughout the 2022-23 academic year, while also continuing our weekly newsletter and publishing new content to our website daily. 

All that being said, I owe you a thank you, reader. The Appalachian wouldn’t exist without you — the students, faculty, staff and community members who pick up copies of our paper, who read, or skim, our articles, who like our social media posts, or who even just acknowledge our existence. Your support is the reason The Appalachian is still alive. Thank you.

Since 1934, our publication has always been run by students for students, and this will never stop. The Appalachian doesn’t just belong to the reporters, photographers and contributors on our staff, but it belongs to you and the entire student body as well — all over 20,000 of you. This is your newspaper, too. So, if you have a concern, an idea or a question, stop by the newsroom. Send us an email. Come say hi. Our door is always open, and we’re here and ready to listen.

Roll ‘neers, and have a great year. 

Aubrey Smith

2022-23 Editor-in-Chief

editor@theappalachianonline.com