There’s a lot of discourse about overcrowding in Boone, an issue which is significantly contributed to by students. This is a fair point: population growth can be overwhelming for a small town to absorb, especially one with limited space, surrounded by mountains. However, there are many often overlooked reasons as to how the increasing influx of students isn’t as bad as some may think.

The first reason is that students keep local businesses afloat. App State students generally have a soft spot for local businesses, and that spirit is passed down to incoming students every year. People don’t come to Boone and expect metropolitan shopping, they embrace what King Street has to offer: funky resale stores and local restaurants with an at-home feel. Whereas small businesses located in other towns similar to the size of Boone are often forced to close seasonally, Boone has an enthusiastic student population that keeps them open year-round. 

Aside from business owners and students, permanent residents and students share a mutually beneficial relationship as well. A main facet of this is renting for parking and housing. It’s known that App State loves to make money off of football, but there’s money to be made in the sport for Boone locals as well. As parking has become a somewhat precious commodity on campus, homeowners and businesses have monetized their spaces, renting out to the football flock. Locals often rent out their houses for students during the school year, which is a good source of income for retired residents. 

Another way population rise benefits homeowners is through the expansion of Boone’s tax base. As developers build new student housing, Boone can collect enough money without having to raise taxes on homeowners. Additionally, with a stronger economy, property value increases as well. 

There’s an argument that students coming in from different areas are not familiar with Appalachian culture, and some worry about the culture and community’s preservation. The school seems to be aware of this, providing classes about Appalachian history and assigning freshmen a book on Junaluska. It’s also relevant to note that new cultural influence to an area, which in this case is brought by students, has plenty of benefits. 

Locals can experience new traditions while sharing their own to incoming populations with different backgrounds. Sharing tradition evokes a sense of pride for one’s culture, while creating new forms of community. Appalachian culture will continue to be appreciated as more people come to live among it. 

Many organizations within App State are community service-driven, or encourage service. Some examples of this include the Community Engaged Leadership office, some ministries within the Appalachian Spiritual Life Association and some Greek life organizations with philanthropic efforts. As more students come in and join these organizations, more help is provided for local communities in need. Many students independently volunteer with local organizations such as F.A.R.M. Cafe, Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, Blue Ridge Conservancy, and others.

Another benefit students have brought to Boone involves transportation. Gas prices today are less than ideal, and public transit is a helpful service to combat this. App State dominates the game of public transit for Boone with the AppalCart. The AppalCart was established due to the need for campus transit as more students arrived in the 1980s. Now, students and locals alike make use of the popular free service, which stops in areas across Watauga County. 

It’s true that in terms of square miles, Boone is small, and App State is growing quickly. While the Town of Boone could definitely benefit from App State rethinking its acceptance rate, it isn’t fair to say that the university’s increasing population hasn’t brought benefits to Boone in terms of economics, diversity and public service.