Appalachian State University

We hope you are as excited as we are to start your journey at Appalachian State! As a kick-off to the fall semester, we have planned Welcome to App events that are open to all first-year and transfer students. These events are a great introduction to campus life and aim to make your transition to Appalachian State as smooth as possible.

Judy Shepard, mother of the late Matthew Shepard and president of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, will speak at Appalachian’s Black and Gold Convocation. Appalachian’s Common Reading Program selection “The Laramie Project” by Moisés Kaufman is a play about the community of Laramie, Wyoming, in the aftermath of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, who was a gay student at the University of Wyoming.

Rachel Stevens is a Professor of Art at New Mexico State University where she has taught sculpture since 1994. She spent the better part of last year (2017-18) on a Fulbright Scholarship in Ukraine where she completed a new exhibition, A Key to the City: Three Ways of Visualizing Jewish Heritage in Lviv.

This workshop will provide an in-depth look at how well residential contractors did complying with the 2012 NC Residential Energy Code with a focus on the key areas of compliance moving forward into the next code cycle.

The fourth annual Business for Good conference will feature Mr. John Replogle, CEO and President of Seventh Generation; Mr. Vance Merolla, Global Director of Sustainability for Colgate-Palmolive Company; Dr. Katharine Wilkinson, Senior Writer for Project Drawdown; and Mr. Joby Carlson, Director of Sustainability for Walmart, Inc. A reception will follow and will feature comments from Mr. Andy Acho, Former Worldwide Director of Environmental Outreach and Strategy for Ford Motor Company.

Like all Centers in the UNC System, the CJHPS is not eligible for state and UNC System funds and is entirely dependent on donations (and national and international grants). Please join us for a fun evening of dinner, music and dancing.

This one-hour, TED Talk-style presentation features one of the nation’s recognized experts in strategic diversity leadership, youth development, corporate responsibility and organizational change.

Adam Devine is one of the most sought-after young comedians and actors in the comedy world. He is best known as a co-creator, writer, and star of the hit Comedy Central show, Workaholics for which he was named one of THR’s Top 50 Showrunners and one of Variety’s 2013 Ten Comics to Watch.

Appalachian State University will hold a dedication and ribbon-cutting for its new Founders Plaza. The event will feature musical performances by Hayes School of Music students and refreshments will be served. The public is invited to attend.

Moisés Kaufman is the founder and artistic director of Tectonic Theater Project, a Tony- and Emmy-nominated director and playwright, and a 2015 recipient of the National Medal of Arts. His play “The Laramie Project” is about the community of Laramie, Wyoming, in the aftermath of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, who was a gay student at the University of Wyoming. The murder, which was denounced as a hate crime, sparked a national debate.

Be sure to mark your calendars to celebrate what is sure to be a fun and memorable weekend on campus and in the High Country.

The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, is one of America's foremost civil rights, religious and political figures. Over the past forty years, he has played a pivotal role in virtually every movement for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality, and economic and social justice.