As time continues to slip by, students of App State are losing sight of the history that is rooted so deeply into the place that they call home. Preserving the traditions and celebrating the culture of Boone, North Carolina, is vital in order to rekindle a strong sense of community within the population. With student body enrollment records being broken every single year, there is no better time than now to begin emphasizing the importance of our town’s history. 

One of the graduation requirements here at App State is to enroll in a first year seminar class. These courses are designed to “integrate common learning goals,” but most students find them to be a waste of time. While some of the available seminar classes sound as though they would enrich one’s education, others, such as “Escape Rooms & Puzzles,” “How to Have a Hobby” and “Writing Food Memoirs,” sound a bit less beneficial. Instead of allowing students to enroll in such an elementary class for the sole purpose of receiving an easy A, the university should implement a required first year seminar class with the purpose of immersing students in the history and culture of Boone.

Because the town of Boone holds so many culturally fascinating stories, the curriculum of this proposed course could be tailored by each professor to include whatever they find most

significant to share. However, one common theme should be educating students about a couple of the major motifs that can be spotted around town. The realization that most enrolled students only know “Dan’l Boone” as the quaint little restaurant in the heart of downtown is truly saddening. On the contrary, Daniel Boone is a highly celebrated explorer in this country who is recognized for providing access to America’s western frontier by blazing a trail through the Cumberland Gap. The Boone community was named after him shortly thereafter his exploration, in 1850, and his legacy lives on to this day. 

A second significant individual who tends to go unnoticed by the student population is American singer and musician, Doc Watson. Born blind in the year 1923, Watson made major history as he deeply influenced the bluegrass and country folk music industry. Murals of Doc Watson can be spotted all over town, and he can even be found sitting on a bench, as a statue, on the corner of W. King Street and N. Depot Street. Possessing this basic knowledge about these two historical figures is solely the opening to a plethora of information that this town possesses. 

Another goal of this course should be striving to focus on topics that can be cultivated for further learning as students grow in their identities and develop their college education. For example, possessing knowledge of the original Junaluska community, which is one of the oldest African American populations in Western North Carolina, could aid students as they continue studies related to history, society, music, art or culture. Concepts such as these can be applied to essentially any major and minor studies offered at the university. 

Instead of giving students the option to enroll in a useless first year seminar class that will be forgotten about by the first day of summer, it is imperative for App State to shift this requirement to a course that will reconnect students with the rich culture and history

of Boone. Not only will the addition of this course increase awareness of significant history, but more importantly, it will foster a renowned sense of community that the town of Boone so desperately deserves to experience.