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AppolCorps program gains popular interest |
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Tuesday, 27 March 2007 |
by MALLORI MORRIS
Intern News Reporter
With the highest number of incoming freshman this fall to Appalachian State University, students and faculty are preparing to make their first days memorable.
This past weekend, Appalachian Orientation Leader Corps (AppolCorps) welcomed its largest number of student volunteers to the popular Lee H. McCaskey Center for Student Involvement and Leadership program.
The program, which began in 1982, is designed to welcome freshmen students to the university in a three-day orientation.
 Active Image | Garrett Price | The Appalachian
Jeremy A. Bryan and Garrett Oakley of AppolCorps participate in a team building exercise Saturday afternoon on Sanford Mall as part of the AppolCorps spring training.
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“We saw the love and we said ‘let’s put these people to work,’” Dr. Jim L. Street, associate director of CSIL, said.
Street said this year was the largest in AppolCorps history for the number of applications for leadership positions.
In past years, the average number of applications was 180 for 120
leader positions. This year, the program brought in 270 applications.
Street said the program was only looking to give out 130 leader positions for this fall but decided to
extend the number to 175 positions.
Bryan C. Brothers, AppolCorps coordinator and senior finance and
banking major, said the program was more Web-based this spring, making
it easier for students to apply.
Brothers and other coordinators said they worked hard to spread
interest of the program by visiting clubs and organizations, publishing
a PANS announcement on AppalNET, creating a Facebook group and working
contact tables.
Aaron H. Bachenheimer, assistant director of CSIL, said face-to-face
communication and making the process simpler for students helped the
program gain more applicants.
This is Bachenheimer’s first year working with AppolCorps.
During the two-day training period for new AppolCorps leaders, students
interacted with each other and learned how to work with their freshmen
in the fall.
Street said starting this year, for the first time, a group of
AppolCorps leaders will work with transfer students during the
three-day orientation phase.
“It’s just going to keep getting bigger,” Street said.
Street said this year has also seen the largest number of students return to the program.
 Active Image | Garrett Price | The Appalachian
AppolCorps spring training kicked off Saturday afternoon. The trainees joined together on Sanford Mall for team building exercises to help better their relationships with each other.
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“I think it’s awesome people are trying to be a leader at this
university,” Justin J. Baxley, third-year AppolCorps leader and senior
accounting major, said.
Baxley said he comes back year after year to give freshmen the same
kind of welcome he received when he came to Appalachian as a freshman.
AppolCorps leaders participated in the two-day training period this
past weekend and will return to Appalachian in the fall to meet their
group of freshmen students.
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