Student vote on Board of Governors long over due

The Appalachian State University Board of Trustees (BOT) sent a message to state lawmakers by joining the trustees of five other University of North Carolina System institutions in calling for a student vote on the system's Board of Governors.

The Appalachian trustees followed UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, UNC-Greensboro and Western Carolina University by approving a student-initiated resolution in March.

The president of the UNC Association of Student Governments currently has a seat on the BOG, but only as an ex-officio member armed with no voting privileges. Given the fact the enrollment of all 16 UNC System institutions exceeds 163,000 students, we feel a student vote is sorely needed.

We commend the trustees of each respective institution for supporting the collective voice of all UNC System students.

Students have a first-hand perspective of the results the policies and mandates handed down by the 32 voting members of the BOG have on a campus and its student body, yet are given only one ex officio seat on that same body.

This -- or any -- state law that essentially ignores the collective voice of the citizenry concerns us. In this case the 163,000 UNC System students make up the ignored group.

Students should have a voting representative among the ranks of the BOG who can relate to the realities of modern-day student life, something that can only truly be achieved by changing state law to insert a student representative as the board's 33rd voting member.

To do this, the aforementioned message must become louder and more far-reaching.

Just as we tip our hat to the five schools that have already given their support to this student-initiated resolution, we challenge the remaining 11 to join their UNC System brethren in calling for this change.

We also hope the North Carolina General Assembly will take notice of this student-led resolution -- complete with the backing of five boards of trustees -- and begin to explore the feasibility of altering this state law.

Take the initiative, make a contribution

Catherine Quill

As a communication major, I have spent plenty of class time with aspiring journalists and other students who show no mercy when criticizing the content of The Appalachian.

Of course, they only do that when they actually take the time to pick up an issue of the paper. I think some people have been here for four years and have no idea that our campus has its own publication.

When we see problems with something and complain, it is our responsibility to take action and try to remedy the situation. I listen to the number of students who express concerns with The Appalachian, and I compare this to the number of applications or phone calls we receive from prospective writers, copy editors, production personnel and photographers.

The numbers do not match up.

For those who are required at least two hours of a mass communication activity, what would make more sense than to work for a newspaper that is conveniently located in Plemmons Student Union and deals with issues especially unique to he Appalachian State University community?

Working with a small staff, every story idea is appreciated. You can share your "inside scoop" and enlighten others with your information. We also love when writers volunteer to write commentaries on national, local or campus issues when they feel the need to express their thoughts or ideas.

If you have something to say, this is your chance to say it.

I should not need to bother to say that one key to landing a good job (especially for journalists) is experience, and I probably do not need to mention how a position with a campus newspaper looks excellent on a resume.

But I'll remind you anyway.

When I began reading The Appalachian as a sophomore, I was guilty of criticizing some of the coverage.

I would wonder why some issues did not receive coverage or I would question the writing styles of some reporters. The difference, though, is that I took the initiative to apply for a position as a writer.

As I read The Appalachian, story ideas would pop into my mind, and when I started writing last semester, I knew what I wanted to try to achieve.

Most people would agree that those who whine about elected government officials but do not bother to cast a vote do not have the right to complain.

I agree with this notion wholeheartedly, and extend it to apply to those who know they have something to offer The Appalachian but selfishly do nothing about it, while continuing to disagree with just about every story that runs.

We are already accepting applications for next year, and I am hoping that everyone who thinks they can make a contribution to the quality of The Appalachian will actually do something about it.

I have heard people say that our paper is guilty of "sloppy journalism." Although I completely disagree with this, I do believe the irresponsible journalists are those who will not commit to sharing their abilities with the university.

It's time someone defended the rednecks

John T. Bennett

The next time you are sitting at a traffic light in Boone, take a look around. What you will find before your very eyes is one of the most mind-boggling displays of social class interaction in modern American society.

Mixed in with the upper-class sport utility vehicles -- complete with ski racks on top -- are old pick-up trucks armed with gun racks in the rear windows.

Boone is without a doubt a social melting pot, but will this ever-present class warfare ever reach its boiling point?

There are times I think some students -- perhaps unknowingly -- agitate those native to the Boone area.

Lately I have noticed more students making less-than-flattering comments about some of Watauga County's indigenous residents.

The remarks varied in subject but one word seemed to be a part of each: redneck.

It's a word most of us use without giving thought to its true meaning, if one actually exists.

Is a person worthy of redneck status simply because he or she is not as well educated as Appalachian State's current crop of future graduates?

Should a person be labeled a redneck because he or she was born, raised and have chosen to live in the Boone area? Or, is a person a redneck because his or her collar is blue, not white like the ones most of us will wear each day after graduation?

Is a man a redneck simply because he chooses to drive a pick-up truck that dates back to the Carter administration and proudly displays a NASCAR racing decal in the rear window?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, consider the following factors before branding someone with the redneck moniker.

The next time your fully-loaded SUV suddenly refuses to start, consider the fact you are suddenly dependent on the mechanical genius of a man who probably possesses less education than you, yet proudly goes about his work each day.

When the toilet in your lavish Boone apartment stops flushing or the water heater springs a leak, do you think your rental company will send someone to fix the problem who possesses a master's degree in physics?

No, chances are a plumber -- complete with blue collar and NASCAR racing cap -- will show up at your door to save the day.

If those two cases aren't enough, take a quick glance at the designer clothing you are wearing at this very moment.

Chances are, if they were made in the United States, they was crafted by machinery operated by the hands of someone many students would label a redneck.

Without these so-called rednecks most of our lives wouldn't run so smoothly, a fact lost on most students who make the trek to Boone each August from the upper-class suburbs they call home.

Before you next use redneck as a derogatory term, think about the mechanic, plumber and textile worker who, in their own ways, make all the luxuries we enjoy possible.

These individuals may not know what life is like in a lavish suburban neighborhood, but many are well-versed in one aspect of life I see lacking in many members of our generation: the value of a hard day's work.