App State News, Appalachian State University

Appalachian State to Open Lab School at Elkin Elementary; University will be Only UNC System Institution to Operate Two Lab School Programs

January 10, 2022 Appalachian State University is partnering with Elkin City Schools to open the university’s second laboratory school aimed at enhancing student education, improving outcomes and providing high-quality teacher and principal training. Under the plan — which was developed in collaboration with Elkin City Schools leaders and approved by the Elkin City Schools Board of Education on Dec. 13 — a lab school will open at Elkin Elementary School in August 2022. The “school-within-a-school” model will serve approximately 100 students in second through fourth grades. The lab school will be one of nine in the state as part of the University of North Carolina System Lab School initiative, which was established by the N.C. General Assembly in 2016 to improve student performance and provide real-world experience for the preparation of future teachers and school administrators. The Appalachian State University Academy at Middle Fork opened in Walkertown in 2018 in partnership with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. With the opening of the Elkin lab school, App State will be the only UNC System institution to operate two lab school programs.

January 7, 2022 It may not seem like it due to all of the winter weather this week; however, winter break for Appalachian State University is officially coming to an end. Many students embrace the snowy conditions as it’s a big part of going to school in Boone. Despite the cold weather, students can already be seen moving their belongings back into dorms to prepare for the upcoming semester. All students will be returning to campus for the start of spring semester classes on Monday, January 10. By Harley Nefe

December 23, 2021. As the Appalachian State University Community celebrates its Fall 2021 graduates, it also celebrates another year of Mountaineer innovation and progress, including several firsts and many sustained successes under the leadership of Chancellor Sheri Everts. The university lauded its largest enrollment to date — with 20,641 students in fall 2021 — and a record high enrollment of students who identify as underrepresented. The university announced its future App State Hickory Campus in November, which Everts said has the “potential to be the most significant advancement in App State history” since the university became a University of North Carolina System institution in 1967. App State stepped up to become a COVID-19 vaccination site — administering more than 6,000 vaccine doses since hosting its first community clinic in March — and honored the Class of 2020 with a belated in-person commencement ceremony in September. The university also unveiled its first residence hall dedicated to transfer students.

December 15, 2021. Shawn Clark, the winningest second-year head coach in the FBS who on Saturday will try to lead the Mountaineers to their seventh straight bowl victory in as many seasons, has received a contract extension through the 2026 season. Upon recommendation by Appalachian State University’s Chancellor Sheri Everts, the university’s Board of Trustees voted to approve the extension at their meeting on Wednesday. Clark, a 1998 graduate of App State, has led his alma mater to a 20-6 record since being named the full-time head coach ahead of the 2019 New Orleans Bowl. His .769 winning percentage is topped by only five active FBS head coaches: Ohio State’s Ryan Day, USC’s Lincoln Riley, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Alabama’s Nick Saban and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney. “Shawn Clark has done an outstanding job with our football program,” App State Director of Athletics Doug Gillin said. “He has led us to two bowl wins, a Sun Belt championship game appearance, historic academic achievement, community engagement and continued recruiting success, while also navigating a challenging first year as a head coach. We look forward to continued momentum with our football program.”

December 14, 2021. Mountaineer graduates waved to their families and friends, pumped fists into the air and even shed a few happy tears at Appalachian State University’s Fall 2021 Commencement ceremonies on Dec. 10. At three ceremonies held at the Holmes Convocation Center, the university conferred degrees to 1,642 graduates, including 1,286 undergraduate and 356 graduate students. Recordings of the ceremonies are available on App State’s commencement website. Chancellor Sheri Everts presided over the ceremonies, and Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Heather Hulburt Norris presented the candidates for graduation. University of North Carolina System Board of Governors member John Fraley and App State Board of Trustees member John Blackburn also shared remarks. “Each of you came to this moment on a distinct path,” Everts said to the graduates. “All of you have earned this day, this celebration.” By Anna Oakes

November 30, 2021. The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University invites the community to a Winter Exhibition Celebration on Friday, December 3, 5-9 p.m. Downton Boone will be twinkling for the holidays as this event is being held in conjunction with the annual Festive First Friday with special events happening throughout downtown. The public is invited to engage, discover and connect through the arts at the Turchin Center where the festivities will include live music from Lauren Hayworth and Kim France, holiday cookies and hot chocolate. During this celebration, the Turchin Center will celebrate two new exhibitions and four additional exhibitions. This event is free and open to the public.

November 2, 2021. On Saturday, Oct. 16, ghouls, ghosts and goblins once again gathered on the campus of Appalachian State University — and virtually — for the 11th annual Spooky Duke 5K/10K Race and Costume Contest. The event raised more than $25,000 to support High Country children with special needs — the most to date since the race began in 2011. This year, 341 walkers and runners and 50 volunteers participated. With sponsorships, donations and participation fees, the event raised more than $15,000 in proceeds to benefit App State’s Parent to Parent Family Support Network-High Country (FSN-HC), which assists regional families who have children with special needs. Two $5,000 matching grants from Health Foundation Inc. and Mast General Store raised the total to $25,617.

App State Homecoming Activities Updated, Canceled due to Inclement Weather

October 28, 2021. Alumni, students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to celebrate Homecoming at Appalachian State University, with signature events taking place Oct. 29 and 30. However, due to a forecast of inclement weather, Appalachian State University’s schedule of Homecoming events for Friday, Oct. 29, has changed. Updates can be found throughout the weekend at homecoming.appstate.edu.

October 25, 2021. Alumni, students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to celebrate Homecoming at Appalachian State University, with signature events taking place Oct. 29 and 30. Alumni Homecoming weekend activities kick off on Friday, Oct. 29, with the annual Homecoming parade in downtown Boone, followed by APPtoberfest at the Peacock Hall Parking Lot. Activities for Saturday, Oct. 30, include the annual Alumni and Friends Breakfast at the Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences and the home football game between App State’s Mountaineers and the University of Louisiana-Monroe’s Warhawks.

October 19, 2021. Appalachian State still has a shot at winning the Sun Belt Conference Championship even after last week’s dismantling at the hands of Louisiana. The Mountaineers (4-2, 1-1 SBC) will host #14 Coastal Carolina (6-0, 2-0 SBC) in a game that could determine who wins the Sun Belt East Division. App State will look to bounce from last Tuesday’s 41-13 loss to the Ragin’ Cajuns. The Mountaineer offense struggled throughout the night. Quarterback Chase Brice completed just 15 passes in 26 attempts for 133 yards and two interceptions. App State averaged just 2.7 yards per carry and finished with only 78 rushing yards as a team. Nate Noel had 44 yards on 17 carries. Camerun Peoples did not play as he continues to recover from an injury. Coastal Carolina, currently ranked 14th in the country, has won all but one of its games this season by at least four touchdowns. The only close game they played was a non-conference game at Buffalo where the Chanticleers escaped with a 28-25 win. Coastal Carolina has scored at least 50 points in four of the team’s six games. By Nathan Ham

October 12, 2021. On October 27-28, Bread & Puppet, one of the oldest non-profit political theater companies in the U.S., will be in short-time residence at Appalachian State. The visit begins with an October 27 Cantastoria Workshop for students and other ASU and Boone community members. “Cantastoria” is a street theater form championed by Bread & Puppet that involves the narration of pictures using song, movement, text and puppetry. The word “canta-storia” comes from Italian (“sung story”), though the form has its roots in India circa 600 AD and has flourished in various guises all over Europe and Asia for the last 1,500 years. Bread & Puppet finds Cantastoria to be an effective tool for activist street performance and loves to share it widely and encourage people to experiment with its possibilities. In this 4-hour workshop (presented in 2 two-hour sessions) Bread and Puppet’s company will perform a B&P Cantastoria for the group, teach a few Bread and Puppet Cantastorias to the group, and then put these experiences to work making new Cantastorias in small groups.

October 11, 2021. Appalachian State will hope to avenge last year’s loss to Louisiana on Tuesday night when the Ragin’ Cajuns host the Mountaineers on ESPN 2. The Mountaineers (4-1, 1-0 SBC) lost to Louisiana in Boone last season by a 24-21 score, the first time that the Ragin’ Cajuns had ever beaten the Mountaineers. App State holds an 8-1 series lead over the Sun Belt rival. Appalachian is coming off of an impressive 45-16 win over Georgia State on October 2. The Panthers kept it close in the first half, trailing just 14-6 at the half, but the Mountaineers blew the game open in the second half with 17 points in the third quarter and 14 points in the fourth. Chase Brice had a season-high 326 passing yards on 20-of-28 passing to go along with three touchdowns. Corey Sutton had four catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. Malik Williams finished the game with seven receptions for 93 yards and a score and Christian Wells had two catches for 83 yards that included an 80-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. By Nathan Ham

October 1, 2021. Appalachian State will be aiming for its fourth win of the season on Saturday afternoon as they travel to Atlanta to take on the Georgia State Panthers. The Mountaineers (3-1) are coming off of a little extra rest after beating Marshall 31-30 last Thursday in Boone. Georgia State (1-3) nearly pulled off a big upset over the Auburn Tigers last Saturday, however, the Tigers were able to rally from being down 24-12 at the half to win 34-24 with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. This will be the first Sun Belt Conference game of the season for each school. The Mountaineers have never lost to Georgia State, currently holding a 7-0 overall record against the Panthers. Chase Brice surpassed the 1,000-yard passing mark last week in the win over Marshall. He now has 1,034 passing yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He has completed 67.2% of his passes. By Nathan Ham

September 28, 2021. AppState Cyber-Seniors offers one-on-one tech support to local older adults provided by AppState students. The one-on-one tech support is offered virtually (via phone or computer) until it is safe to meet in-person again. Within the one-on-one sessions, older adults can get help with multiple technology devices including desktop computers, laptops, phones, or iPad. The AppState technology mentors can guide older adults in operating the internet, downloading Apps, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, email, Zoom/Skype, Facebook, Youtube, Tik Tok, online streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, or HBO), and much more. Whatever desires older adults have for using technology, the AppState technology mentors are here to help. The AppState Cyber-Seniors program is a FREE resource available September-November 2021. If you are 50 years or older (or know someone who would benefit from this program), please register at https://cyberseniors.org/APPSTATE/ We are also available to answer questions via email at [email protected]

September 20, 2021. Appalachian State’s Hall of Fame head coach Jerry Moore will forever have a permanent piece of history honoring him outside of Kidd Brewer Stadium. On Saturday before Appalachian State’s victory over Elon, a special plaza and statue were dedicated to honor Coach Moore’s 24 years as head coach of the Mountaineers. Moore, 82, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014 after compiling a career record of 242-135-2 with a record of 215-87 at Appalachian State. Moore helped guide the Mountaineers to 10 Southern Conference Championships (1991, 1995, 1999, 2005-2010, 2012) and three FCS National Championships (2005-2007). By Nathan Ham

September 17, 2021. Appalachian State will look to bounce back from a close loss at Miami last weekend with the team’s first home game of the 2021 season this Saturday against the Elon Phoenix. The Mountaineers (1-1) are coming off of a 25-23 loss at Miami last week. Elon (1-1) has played two nailbiters, first a 24-22 loss at home to Wofford and then a 24-23 win at Campbell last week. Against Miami, Mountaineer QB Chase Brice completed 21-of-34 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Camerun Peoples carried the ball 17 times for 95 yards and a score while Nate Noel added 51 yards on 16 carries. Through the air, Corey Sutton was App State’s leading receiver with seven receptions for 60 yards. Malik Williams, who was held to just one catch in the season opener against East Carolina, reeled in five passes for 57 yards and a touchdown, and Thomas Hennigan had three catches for 28 yards. Jalen Virgil was held to just one catch, but had one of the biggest plays of the game with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. By Nathan Ham

September 7, 2021. Appalachian State has a chance to earn a key top-25 victory this Saturday when the Mountaineers take the field against #22 Miami Hurricanes Saturday night. The Mountaineers looked ready for the season right from the start last week against East Carolina in Charlotte. Chase Brice completed 20-of-27 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns to help guide App State to a 33-19 win over the Pirates. App State’s ground attack made life even more difficult on ECU with a pair of Mountaineer running backs getting over 100 yards rushing. Nate Noel led the team with 126 yards on 15 carries and Camerun Peoples had 100 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Thomas Hennigan was App State’s top pass catcher with four receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown. Corey Sutton made his return to the field after over a year off recovering from a knee injury. He had four catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. Jalen Virgil added two catches for 27 yards and Christian Wells had two catches for 22 yards. By Nathan Ham

September 3, 2021. Live Nation stage setup crews are putting the final pieces together for what should be a great atmosphere for the Luke Combs concert at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Saturday evening. Tickets are still on sale for the show and can be purchased through Ticketmaster. As part of Appalachian State’s incentive to increase vaccination rates on campus, any fully vaccinated student can purchase discounted tickets for the show. Students can purchase up to two tickets each, and each ticket will cost $33.33. Upon purchasing, students must present a valid Appalachian State ID and their vaccine card. Appalachian State will operate paid parking lots in and around the stadium area. Lots closer to the immediate downtown area will open at 10 a.m. for attendees at a cost of $40 per vehicle. Numerous off-campus lots will be available for paid parking for concert attendees. By Nathan Ham

September 2, 2021. The Town of Boone is anticipating over 32,000 country music fans will pack into Kidd Brewer Stadium this weekend to see Luke Combs put on a show that many have waited for since they first bought tickets almost two years ago. Tickets for the show originally went on sale in September of 2019 with the concert first scheduled for May 2, 2020. The concert was then moved to May 1, 2021 due to COVID-19. The concert was postponed again because of North Carolina safety restrictions, but will finally happen on Saturday. Gates open for the show at 4:30 p.m. Live Nation is producing this show and there will be a significant number of trucks, tractor-trailers, and delivery vehicles that will be in and around the stadium area, thus providing additional traffic to Rivers Street These operations will be continuous through Sunday following the concert. Appalachian State will operate paid parking lots in and around the stadium area. Lots closer to the immediate downtown area will open at 10 am for attendees at a cost of $40 per vehicle. Numerous off-campus lots will be available for paid parking for concert attendees. By Nathan Ham

September 1, 2021. College football season is officially here for fans of Appalachian State University. The Mountaineers will be on the field at Bank of America Stadium on Thursday night to take on the East Carolina Pirates. The Duke’s Mayo Classic features the Mountaineers coming off of a sixth straight season with a bowl victory taking on East Carolina, who enters the third season under head coach Mike Houston. App State finished last year at 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. ECU struggled to a 3-6 season and a 3-5 record in the American Athletic Conference. Overall, the Mountaineers lead the head-to-head series 19-12, but the Pirates are won the last contest between the two programs, a 35-13 win in Greenville. Appalachian State last beat ECU in 1975, 41-25 in Boone. This is the first time the two teams will meet as members of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). By Nathan Ham

August 30, 2021. Appalachian State University announces a landmark enrollment of 20,641 students in fall 2021 — the largest enrollment to date — which includes historic numbers of first-year and underrepresented students. The 3.1% increase in overall enrollment supports the university’s continued slow and steady growth since 2014. “The data speak directly to the dedication of our faculty and staff in supporting and encouraging future generations of Mountaineers,” said App State Chancellor Sheri Everts. “Our steady increases in the enrollment of underrepresented and transfer students reflect our university’s commitment to making higher education accessible for all students.” She continued, “These enrollment successes are particularly meaningful since they were accomplished amid the immense challenges presented by a global pandemic.” App State has a total of 4,099 first-year students, marking the first time the university has enrolled more than 4,000 first-year students. Of note, underrepresented students compose 19.1% of the total first-year population, or 784 students, an increase of 5.7% since 2020.

August 27, 2021. App State Athletics has finalized its football broadcast teams for the 2021 season. With Adam Witten entering his sixth season as the radio play-by-play voice of the Mountaineers on the Appalachian Sports Network from Learfield, and Molly Cotten entering her fifth season as the primary sideline reporter, they’ll be joined by another App State alum in recent graduate and all-conference football standout Noah Hannon, who will serve as the radio analyst. David Ware of 247 Sports affiliate App State Mania will also fill in as a sideline reporter during the season. When the Mountaineers appear on ESPN+ while playing in Boone this season, David Jackson (play-by-play) and Avery Hall (analyst) will call the action from Kidd Brewer Stadium.

August 20, 2021. Appalachian State’s student solar vehicle team, Team Sunergy, celebrated its first-place finish in the 2021 American Solar Challenge with a special victory lap and ceremony on campus Friday morning. App State was one of nine university teams — including MIT, University of California, Berkeley and Georgia Tech — that qualified to compete in the American Solar Challenge and among only two universities that do not offer engineering programs. Teams compete in either the Single-Occupant Vehicle (SOV) class or the Multi-Occupant Vehicle (MOV) class (also called the Cruiser Class). App State’s ROSE competed in the MOV class, in which vehicles race with two occupants instead of one. ROSE is a four-wheeled, two-passenger car capable of charging its batteries from its solar array as well as by traditional electric vehicle wall charging ports. The car has a top speed of 60 mph and a maximum range of 300 miles on a single battery charge.

August 13, 2021. Drivers going down King Street may notice an increase in pedestrians, and the sounds of marching band members practicing their instruments may be heard near Rivers Street or Stadium Drive. It’s that time of the year again — school is about to begin. Throughout this week, there has been an increase in traffic and people in Boone as 6,200 college students have been moving into the 20 different residence halls on Appalachian State University’s campus in preparation for classes that start Monday, August 16. “The joyful sights and sounds on our campus this week signaled the start of a new academic year — proud families helping their Mountaineers move into residence halls, students exploring their homes away from home and Sanford Mall once again filled with students enjoying outdoor activities,” said App State Chancellor Sheri Everts in an email update to faculty, students and staff. “Our campus is invigorated by this renewed energy!” By Harley Nefe

August 12, 2021. Appalachian State University’s solar vehicle team, Team Sunergy, blazed through the 2021 American Solar Challenge (ASC) — finishing in first place for multiple-occupant vehicles (MOV), winning all three stages of the race from Missouri to New Mexico and clocking a total of 964.8 miles. The team also took top awards for teamwork and electrical design. App State Chancellor Sheri Everts applauded Team Sunergy, saying they “are the epitome of true Mountaineer spirit. Our App State team excelled among a roster of highly elite institutions. I am extraordinarily proud of their ingenuity, perseverance and teamwork.” App State was one of nine university teams — including MIT, University of California, Berkeley, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State University — that qualified to compete and among only two universities that do not offer engineering programs. Six of the vehicles were new this year; three, including App State’s, had been in ASC competitions before.

+ More Articles

Appalachian State to Open Lab School at Elkin Elementary; University will be Only UNC System Institution to Operate Two Lab School Programs

App State Students Return to Boone; Classes for Spring Semester Begin Monday

From a New Mountaineer Campus to a Solar-Powered Championship: Reflections on an App State Year of Continued Innovation

App State Extends Football Coach Shawn Clark’s Contract through 2026

More Than 1,600 Degrees Conferred at App State’s Fall 2021 Commencement

Turchin Center Hosts Winter Exhibition Celebration During Festive First Friday

App State’s Spooky Duke 2021 Raises More Than $25K — Most to Date — for Children with Special Needs

App State Homecoming Activities Updated, Canceled due to Inclement Weather

App State Homecoming Festivities Planned for Oct. 25-31

Appalachian State Hosting Coastal Carolina in Wednesday Night Showdown at The Rock

Legendary Non-Profit Theater Company Bread & Puppet to Stage Colorful Workshop and Performance on the ASU Campus October 27-28

App State Mountaineers Set to Battle Louisiana in Tuesday Night Matchup on ESPN 2

Mountaineers Travel to Georgia State for Sun Belt Conference Opener This Saturday

Appalachian State State Cyber-Seniors Program Now Enrolling Participants

Hall of Fame Coach Jerry Moore Honored with Plaza and Statue Prior to Home Opener Against Elon on Saturday

Mountaineers to Face Former SoCon Rival Elon in Sold Out Home Opener This Saturday

App State Mountaineers Travel to Miami for Saturday Night Battle Against the Hurricanes

The Stage is Being Set for Saturday’s Luke Combs Concert at Kidd Brewer Stadium

Luke Combs Concert Expected to Bring Over 32,000 People to Kidd Brewer Stadium on Saturday; Fully Vaccinated Students Can Purchase Tickets at a Discounted Price

Appalachian State Takes On ECU in Season Opener Thursday Night in Charlotte

Students Put Their Trust in App State During Pandemic: Landmark Enrollment of 20,641 Students, Record-High Number of Underrepresented Students

App State Announces 2021 Football Radio/ESPN+ Broadcast Teams

App State Solar Vehicle Team Celebrates its First Place Finish with a Victory Lap on Campus

Appalachian State University Prepares for Classes to Begin Monday, August 16

App State’s Team Sunergy Wins Big in US Solar Racing Challenge — Number 1 in Cruiser Class