Mountaineer Memories

  The Cottages of Doom It is that time of the year in Boone when students living off campus must choose to renew their lease or search for alternative places to live.  With 70% of Appalachian State University students living off campus, according to U.S. News, they are in a race against their peers, as well as future sophomores, to either renew or sign with a different housing company. Many students, like Avery Miller, ask themselves certain questions before making their final decision.  “I asked myself if I was receiving the best quality of housing and services from management and the answer to that was no,” Avery said. “I made the decision to move from The Cottages of Boone to Highland Crossing. As students, we’re already paying thousands of dollars to go to school, we should not have to pay an absurd amount of money for rent for cheap and crappy housing and unprofessional and unreliable management.”  The cost of living in Boone for Appalachian State Universi...

BOONE, N.C.– T hree times a week Alanna Davis, a junior majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Appalachian State University, attends a completely silent class for her minor, American Sign Language. In this class, students learn the language and the importance of deaf culture. “It’s honestly my favorite class of the week,” Davis said. “I look forward to seeing my classmates and teacher and just being able to immerse myself as much as possible and learn as much as I can from every class.”  Previously an elective, American Sign Language became an official minor of the Communication Sciences and Disorders department in the fall of 2020. Now, the minor fulfills the foreign language requirement for some bachelor’s degrees as well as the minor requirement for others.  Gail S. Donaldson, chair of the Department of Communication and Sciences and Disorders at Appalachian State University, said the American Sign Language minor was proposed during the 2019-2020 school year an...

BOONE, NC–Appalachian students gather around Sanford Mall to pay to throw eggs at the Fraternity brothers of Alpha Tau Omega. A sunny day on campus leads to a fun afternoon at the hub of campus life, Sanford Mall. The Alpha Tau Omega fraternity of Appalachian State University partnered with the sisters of Delta Zeta to raise money for Delta Zeta’s philanthropy. The “Egg a Tau and Paint a Turtle,” event was held on March 30 in the middle of Sanford Mall. Members from Greek organizations shouted across the campus to get students to pay $1 to throw a raw egg at a Fraternity brother. “Our philanthropy is Speech and Hearing, and our national partner is the American Society for Deaf Children,” Camryn Crump said, a Delta Zeta sister. The American Society for Deaf Children has been supporting and educating those with hearing disabilities since 1967. ASDC has learning programs where they teach American Sign Language and hosts weekend events. An event like this on campus benefits Delta Zeta in s...

BOONE, N.C. – A group of college students establishes a new Fraternity at Appalachian State amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Appalachian State University has over 200 different clubs and organizations and yet, you still may be looking for more, something different. That is exactly what Appalachian State students, Jordan Tucker and Keandre Buyna thought. “We were sitting in my room and just decided to pursue something greater than ourselves,” Keandre Buyna said. With that, the Appalachian State University Phi Delta Theta chapter was born. Jordan Tucker, along with others contacted headquarters to get a chapter started. It was a “difficult” process getting established, they relied on great resources and found “lifelong friendships,” Tucker recalled. According to Shaleeah Smith, associate director of campus activities at Appalachian State, it's more challenging to start a Fraternity or Sorority on campus. “You need a solid group of 20 to 30 people who are willing to put in the work,” Smi...

BOONE N.C.– An Appalachian State Fraternity received an award for their excellent volunteer service at one of Blowing Rock’s most beautiful and recognizable tourist destinations.  According to the National Park Service, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a national parkway that stretches 469 miles across North Carolina and Virginia. The Phi Gamma Delta chapter of Appalachian State received the Volunteer of the Year award for their excellent contributions and service last year.  Service and giving back to the community is a big part of the fraternity’s values according to Cole Britt, former recording secretary for Phi Gamma Delta.  “We went so strongly with the parkway because it’s so fun and everyone enjoys the work,'' Britt said.  The volunteers are the heart of this national parkway, there are about 1200 to 1400 volunteers a year, contributing to about 140,000 hours of service. Caitlin Worth, volunteer coordinator for the parkway enjoys the sense of community that comes...

Podcast interview with Mattie McGee  https://soundcloud.com/alayna-roberts-783703197/podcast_perreault?ref=clipboard&p=i&c=1&si=07EBA9EF9B1D47FFA8B69A6925232465&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing 

Topic: Living at The Cottages of Boone  A resident sits on her back porch taking advantage of the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from her house at The Cottages of Boone in Boone, North Carolina, Jan. 28. Residents claim The Cottages of Boone is the best place to live for students who desire an enjoyable scenery.  Avery Miller shovels a snow-filled parking spot in front of her house in Boone, North Carolina, Jan. 27. The Cottages of Boone fill several parking spots with snow after plowing, preventing residents from parking close to their homes.  A resident exits the Appalcart at The Cottages of Boone in Boone, North Carolina, Jan. 28. The green Appalcart route, which unexpectedly altered its course during the snowstorm last week, resumed its regular course schedule Monday.  Mattie McGee inspects her new shower head in her house at The Cottages of Boone in Boone, North Carolina, Jan. 27. The student housing company recently implemented new shower heads and toilets to...