February 18, 1997

Leftover Salmon swim to Appalachian
Jeff Sprouse
Staff Writer

The Salmon are coming. The band that regularly sells out venues across the nation is coming to Legends on Wednesday, Feb. 19. They call their music "Polyethnic Cajun Slamgrass," which hints at the multitude of musical genres this band brings to the stage.

Bluegrass is their core. From the mandolin and guitar of Drew Emmit, to the masterful banjo picking by Mark Vann, hard-core bluegrass fans are more than satisfied. Combine this with an animated rhythm section and the vocals, guitar and washboard of Vince Herman, and you have a group of musicians playing for pure enjoyment, and sharing it with their growing fan base.

No two Leftover Salmon shows are the same. Each performance is marked by spontaneity and imagination, with an element of humor that keeps the audience smiling. Stage antics of the past include a giant fish on a stick and special appearances by the infamous Mayor McCheese.

Their set ranges from originals like "Pasta on the Mountain" to covers of Bill Monroe, Major Handy and Led Zeppelin. Unlike other so-called jam bands, Leftover Salmon is pure fun, without the heavy somber riffs offered by other acts like Widespread Panic that can bum a person out. There are no bad trips at a Salmon show.

The Salmon love coming to North Carolina. Speaking from Oxford, Mississippi, in a bar that just lost its liquor license because of a Two Live Crew show, Vince says, "The people there in Boone get rowdy a lot faster than in other parts of the country."

Opening for the band will be the Ugly Americans, stellar in their own right. This will be their first time performing with the Salmon. Vince recently saw the Ugly Americans in a bar in Houston, where they were performing under their alter ego, the Scabs. "They played some pretty raunchy stuff, I look forward to jamming with them." When asked if that possibly meant a collaboration on stage at Legends, Vince replied, "It is a possibility."

In Colorado, their home state, the band regularly performs to sold-out crowds. They also appear at numerous festivals, including the famed Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Merle Watson Festival. They have been known to jam with other musical luminaries, such as at Vail Fall Fest last year where the band was joined by Merle Saunders and the horn section from the Psychedelic Zombies.

Unbelievably, there are still plenty of tickets left. Tickets are available at the information desk in the student union. Cost is $7 with a valid ASU Student ID and $10 for guests or at the door. Get your tickets now because past Boone performances have always sold out at the door.

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Affirmative action sparks debate at state SGA meeting
Jeff Sprouse
Staff Writer

A normally benign meeting of University of North Carolina student government leaders erupted into a dispute over affirmative action last month, bringing the debate over race-based programs on college campuses that much closer to home.

The UNC Student Government Association was meeting in Chapel Hill to decide what to lobby this year's General Assembly for, on behalf of all students enrolled in the university system. Each of the 16 campuses sent four representatives. The three hour debate was sparked by Appalachian State University Student Government Association Vice President Todd Poole, who declared his opposition to affirmative action programs.

Speaking from his office about his statements, Poole said, "Diversity is very important to higher education and it concerns me the lack of diversity here on campus."

When asked why he voted against affirmative action being on the platform, he stated, "Personally, I'm opposed to affirmative action, and I think the majority of students here at Appalachian are, too. I think discrimination for justice is injustice."

What had to be hashed out during the debate was the meaning of affirmative action. Some students thought that affirmative action meant quotas. However, UNC's version of affirmative action is simply to make sure no one's background prevents them from attending a UNC school.

What finally came out was a vote. Using the phrase "affirmative action," it was passed by a 20-12 margin. Appalachian split its votes. According to Poole, "We split our votes to represent all of the students at Appalachian. We do recognize that there is a significant number of students who are for affirmative action policy."

Those for affirmative action programs on campus who knew about the meeting, met the split vote with little surprise.

"I think it's a popular decision. Most detractors are good-willed, but uninformed. It's contra-university mission statement, and a bad thing based on shortsightedness," said Dr. Jesse Taylor, assistant to the Vice Chancellor on Minority Affairs.

In 1994, statewide University enrollment was made up of 74.3 percent white students and 24.7 percent minority. That number, however, is skewed because in North Carolina there are traditionally black institutions such as Elizabeth City State University and Winston-Salem State, as well as traditionally white colleges. However, a goal has been put forth that historically white universities should have 10 percent black enrollment and historically black universities should have 15 percent white enrollment.

At Appalachian, there are currently 10,338 white students, 80 students of Hispanic origin, 85 Asian students, 37 American Indians and 293 African Americans, putting minority enrollment at 4.5 percent, 20.2 percent less than the state average and 5.5 percent less than proposed goals.

If affirmative action programs were indeed based on quotas, then Appalachian would be in severe noncompliance. But affirmative action at Appalachian is not based on quotas, rather a system of recruitment and scholarships.

As mandated by law, Appalachian admission officers must visit at least 384 North Carolina high schools. At each school, the officer must make a special effort to contact minority presence students, in order to acquaint them with Appalachian's policy of nondiscrimination.

After a minority student takes the scholastic aptitude test, the university is required to again make contact. Furthermore, all black alumni and students are solicited for names of prospective students. Applications are then sent out.

When a prospective minority student returns their application, admission staff looks at a number of factors when considering admission. Rather than relying on SAT scores, the staff takes in to consideration the student's high school GPA. The emphasis is on a 70 percent GPA, and 30 percent SAT or ACT score.

They also take in to consideration the prospective student's involvement in extracurricular activities, their social-economic situation, letters of recommendation, whether or not they are the first generation to apply to college, and their overall attitude.

Once a student is admitted to ASU, a letter and telephone call must be made, encouraging them to attend. Also, there are special campus visitation programs for black students, which are used to inform the prospective students of ASU's multi-racial character, its intent to increase minority enrollment, and programs of financial aid that are available.

Some sticking points in the affirmative action debate are race-based scholarships and grants. ASU currently gives away $47,000 in Minority Presence Grants. It also allocates $45,000 in African-American Scholarships. However, it should be noted that the general population of ASU currently receives more than $2,000,000 in scholarships and grants, most of which goes to the majority population.

ASU's affirmative action programs are not quotas. Rather, minority students are heavily recruited by the admission staff who look at a broad range of factors in deciding who to admit. As the numbers indicate, no white student is being denied in favor of a minority student.

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Vertical Horizon, Jupiter Coyote have new offerings

Vertical Horizon
Live Stages
(Rhythmic)

Vertical Horizon's new CD is an exercise in redundancy. So, if you like for every song on a CD to sound exactly alike, then this is the CD for you.

The CD is a cross between pop-rock and, well, pop-rock.

Keith Kane and Matt Scannell have a certain Hootie feel, though sickeningly lighter, which is also reminiscent of Michael W. Smith, except without the concept of divine intervention.

Overall, the CD forces a strange reaction, the hand clap, on every single song. Perhaps it would be wisest to divert that motion towards clapping the CD case closed.

-Jeremy Ball, assistant features editor

Jupiter Coyote
Ghost Dance
(Autonomous)

Jupiter Coyote's new CD is, overall, very interesting. It's like through most of the CD the band has decided that it is definitely country/rock. But there are moments when it can't seem to make up its mind what it is.

Am I country, am I bluegrass, am I a folk band, am I a cover band for whatever group did the Saved by the Bell theme song?

Overall, the band has a distinctively country feel, though it never crosses over into the mainstream.

So, if you don't mind a little country mixed in your rock, this CD is definitely worth a listen to.

-Jeremy Ball, assistant features editor

The Spirits
Drive
(Island)

Listening to this disc makes me wonder if this is a debut album. It definitely sounds like these guys are still trying to get their feet grounded. Unfortunately they're stepping in some pretty unsavory stuff.

Some of the songs sound like the stuff you hear those kids mimic on Saved By the Bell. They're desperately trying to define a current sound, but it's cheesy and makes you cringe after only a few seconds.

The title track features some neat eighties-styled atmospherics and the upbeat "Hope" offers some hope of delivering the album from its own boredom. Between the bad lyrics and unoriginal music, though, this album will indeed "Drive" you crazy.

-John Starling, features editor

Speedball Baby
Cinema!
(MCA/Fort Apache)

Oddly enough, Speedball Baby sounds like a Tom Verlaine-fronted Georgia Satellites/Stray Cats side project. Even more peculiar, it doesn't sound that bad.

The band's interesting blend of poetic musings and outright singing/blues moans makes for halfway decent listening. "Black Cat Moan" displays this style well, while "Suicide Girl" is outright poetry rapped over music. The band's light-heartedness also helps save these songs from sounding trite or cliched.

The best moments on the album are when they shake off the twangy rock sounds in favor of heavily-reverbed rockabilly tunes, like "Shakin' It Loose" and "Dancin' With a Fever."

Cinema! is without question a very fun album, more fun than most of the junk being put out by the major labels these days. Consider it recommended.

-John Starling, features editor

The Tear Garden
To Be An Angel Blind, The Crippled Soul Divide
(Nettwerk)

The Tear Garden sound too much like This Mortal Coil. That's okay. We'll love them even more for this.

Can we say, "atmospheric"? The (almost) absence of guitars is covered by plenty of percussion and ambient sounds (strings and sound effects). Good mood music (not for what you're thinking, silly).

It's pretty hard to pick a specific track or two to pinpoint as highlights. This is an album in the highest sense of the word. You'll need to listen to it all the way through to get the point. That is, if you can take it.

The music is, at times, not there. The bass is way too low in the mix and is drowned out by the drums. There just seems to be unforgivable gaps in the tunes. But, then again, that may be the point. Not bad, but it could use some work.

-John Starling, features editor

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