Dave by the Bell

Appalachian State University
Dave by the Bell

University Communication’s own Dave Blanks wanders the earth over in search of answers to all of life’s questions... great and small. Okay, so he mainly stays on Appalachian State University’s campus... he still wanders though... and he definitely wonders as he wanders. Listen for silly asides and revolutionary revelations. Priceless.

  1. 07/30/2024

    051 Fall Orientation 2024

    Dave Blanks from University Communications hosts an orientation edition of Dave by the Bell, where he crashes an ice cream party on Sanford Mall to interview incoming students and their parents about their expectations for the first month of college. Excitement about meeting new people, participating in clubs and sports, and experiencing independence abound!          TRANSCRIPT Dave  Hey folks, how's it going? I'm Dave Blanks from University Communications back with another Dave by the Bell. This is an orientation edition of Dave by the Bell. First day of fall semester is about a month away. August 19th. Students and their families have been hanging out on campus. They got in yesterday and they spent the night in some residence halls, checking things out. So we're going to talk to them a little bit about their experience and also what they're looking forward to, what they're expecting for their first month of their collegiate career. And also hopefully talk to the parents about what they think their first month with their student in school will be like. So that's the plan. Let's do it. Hey, I know that person. That's Sarah Garrow. Hey, Sarah Garrow. How's it going?   Sarah  It's going so well. We've got ice cream, we've got Inflatable Block A's out here on Sanford Mall, rain free, just enjoying the sun. Got a couple sessions in August, so two in Hickory, August 9th and 14th. And then our final Boone main campus session on Monday, August 12th.   Dave  Is there going to be ice cream again for that one?   Sarah  Always. It's not orientation season without ice cream.   Dave  I feel the same way. Thanks Sarah. I really appreciate it. Yeah, thanks for being here. I'm going to talk to some people.   Trey  I'm Trey Craven. So once I get my schedule together, which is probably going to be the first week, trying to get that situated, that first month is just going to be getting used to my schedule and getting used to walking around and figuring out when I need to leave my dorm. Just getting used to meeting new people because where I'm from, everyone knows me. I know everyone. It was a very small area outside of Wilmington's where I'm really from.   Dave  Well represent, where is it?   Trey  Leland, North Carolina.   Dave  Leland, shout out. Alright, cool. Hey, did you go to orientation?   Katie   I did.   Dave  Okay. Are you Katie Cooper?   Katie  Yes, I am. Katie Cooper.   Dave  Oh hey. How's it going? I don't know how I knew that. Maybe your name tag. So how did orientation go?   Katie  It was great. I am five hours away, so I was really scared because I only know one person coming here. I did the overnight orientation and last night was a lot of fun. It was also, I'm happy I got to see the dorms because I didn't get to go to open house. So it's like, okay, this is my first experience seeing the dorms. Yeah. But it was a lot of fun doing that and I'm happy I was able to meet people. So now I know. Okay. I have some people I'll know when I come here and I won't be totally alone.   Dave  Good. So what do you foresee your first month being like?   Katie  The one thing I'm trying to avoid is feeling like I'm stuck in my dorm. I really don't want to feel like I'm stuck. I want to go to the library, things like that. I am looking forward to just kind of being on my own for a little bit and seeing how that works.   Dave  You mean away from the fam?   Katie  Yeah,   Michael  Right. Yeah. I'm Michael Caro, and this is my son Roman.   Dave  Roman. What's up man?   Roman  How you doing?   Dave  Hey, I'm good. We'll talk to you first and then I want to talk to your dad. So Roman, how was orientation?   Roman  Orientation was fun. So I did the overnight orientation. When you got there, you had a schedule and out at the courtyard there was all these games and stuff. And all of the sophomores and juniors, they were trying to kind of forcing people to socialize, which is good   Dave  Because some people need urging.   Roman  Yeah, I needed urging. It's like once you have one or two friends it's so much easier.   Dave  So did you know anybody coming here to App?   Roman No, I'm actually from Pensacola, Florida.   Dave  Oh Sweet. Good to have you here. What is it you're looking forward to?   Roman  I'm looking forward to settling in. I'm looking forward to the scenery that App State has. I'm very much an outdoorsy person and I love the mountains more than anything really. But...   Dave  Even though you grew up in Pensacola,   Roman Even though I grew up in Pensacola, and if you know anything about Pensacola, it's the most flat place,   Dave  Not too mountainous.   Roman I really just came to App State for a big change.   Dave  Nice! Well, I'm sure your first month is going to go smooth, dad. I hope so. Michael, what do you foresee your first month of Roman being in school like?   Michael Well, we'll be officially empty nesters, so I'm pretty excited about that.   Dave Congratulations.   Michael  I'm really looking forward to his experience here at App State. We're excited to actually spend a lot of time coming to visit him.   Dave  Oh yeah.   Michael We told him that you're not coming home for the holidays. We're coming to see you. We're excited to really just enjoy this area as a family vacation spot for the next four or five years.   Dave  How do you think Roman's going to do?   Michael  I think this is really going to be a great fit for Roman. He wanted Colorado and I said, no, that's too far. I said, Boone is a great area. Let's see how that goes. And he loved it. We were only here once before and he fell in love, got accepted, and we are here today.   Carlos  I'm Carlos Villalta .   Dave  Carlos, who's this right here?   Carlos  My Mom.   Dave  Hey. Hey, Carlos's mom. What is your name ma'am?   Ingred  Ingred Perez.   Dave So Ingred and Carlos. So Carlos, how was orientation?   Carlos It was great. I loved it. Got to meet new people. Get a little familiar with the place. I loved it. Yeah, I love the campus, the people. I'm looking forward to getting to know my roommate, get the dorm life setting and then just exploring my classes and campus more.   Dave Mom, Ingred, if you could give Carlos some advice, what would you tell him to do?   Carlos (translating Ingred's Spanish)  That I be well behave and I take care of myself.   Dave  Is he going to do it?   Dave  That seemed like she said yes. All right, good. Alright.   Olivia I'm Olivia Sweden.   Dave  Okay, Olivia, who's this?   Olivia This is my mom.   Dave It's your mom. Hello Mom. What's your name?   Marian Marian Sweden.   Dave Marianne Sweden, and Olivia Sweden. Nice to meet you. I'm Dave Blanks. How was orientation?   Olivia  It was good. I got to meet a lot of people. I didn't really know what I was doing and I'm still kind of lost, but I feel more assured.   Dave A little less lost maybe. Yeah. What's you’re feeling about that first month of school?   Olivia I feel like it's going to be very nerve wracking. I've never lived with another person before, so it's going to be learning how to share space, how to manage time myself, how long do I sleep, when do I eat? And how do you deal with classes and with your social life being entirely at school, getting out there, meeting people, joining clubs.   Dave  So mom, what do you envision your month with Olivia here at App State to be like?   Marian  We'll see, let's see. I am hoping that she'll respond to my text messages so that I know she's alive. Some proof of life, texting and making sure she's got what she needs and that she's doing all those things that she said she's worried about.   Dave  Absolutely. So what are you doing with her room?   Marian  Oh, I have three new people moving in. I'm renting it out!   Dave  Oh, side hustle. Good idea. Olivia, how do you feel about this?   Olivia  It's basically my dog's room already. So...   Cyrah  I'm Cyrah Cirineo   Dave  Cyrah. How's it going?   Cyrah I'm doing good. How about you?   Dave  I'm good. I love your name.   Cyrah  Thank you.   Dave  Beautiful name. How was orientation?   Cyrah  It exceeded my expectations. I'm surprised that a lot of people showed up. I really did enjoy my experience here. Pretty good way to meet new people.   Dave  Excellent. So you made some friends? Yes,   Cyrah I did. Okay, good. I'm really looking forward to being away from my parents, but also scared of being away from my parents. Okay,   Dave Alright.   Cyrah But I think that it's going to be good in the long run.   Dave  Your App State family's here for you.   Cyrah  That's right. I'm looking forward to the people here. I would say this is very diverse. There's many people that have many interests that go to App State, so I'm looking forward to that too.   Dave Good. I was going to try to talk to your dad. Do you think he'd be willing to talk to me? Yeah. Alright, let's try to talk to your dad too.   Cielito  I'm Cielito Cirineo II.   Dave So what are you looking forward to for her in her first month at school?   Cielito Hopefully she's not going to call us. Pick me up. Dad,   Dave  Are you going to do that?   Cyrah Maybe. I don't know.   Dave  Oh No. She said she was looking forward to trying to be on her own and be out, but she was also going to miss y'all.   Cielito Yeah, of course. Because yeah, absolutely. We're looking forward to this for, she's our first daughter to be in a college. Oh,   Dave  This is your first time doing this?   Cielito  First time. Yeah. So yeah, today is overwhelming information for us. But anyway, we will get through it.   Dave A

    16 min
  2. 050 Big Summer Plans

    05/07/2024

    050 Big Summer Plans

    Dave interviews App State students to discover what their plans are for the summer. Will they study abroad? Will they work retail? Will they go to summer school? There is one sure fire way to find out. Listen to the podcast!      Transcript: Dave Hey, friends, it's me, Dave Blanks, and I'm back with another Day by the Bell. I'm joined by our photographer, Kyla. Hello, Kyla.   Kyla Hello, Dave.   Dave And so today what we're going to talk about is, we're going to interview students, asking them, what are you doing this summer? It's reading day. There are students on Sanford Mall, so hopefully we'll find some people to talk to. Let’s do it   Caroline Allred I’m Caroline Allred. So, when I go home, I'm going to be doing an internship with my church and babysitting and taking some summer classes.   Becky Foley I'm Becky Foley,   Dave And who do we have here?   Sean I'm Sean.   Becky Foley I'm going to stay in Boone. Go on a couple of vacations and swim in rivers.   Dave Cool. what about you, Sean?   Sean Pretty similar.   Dave Also swim?   Sean Yeah. Take a summer class.   Dave You know what you're taking?   Sean Differential equations.   Dave All right. Is that something you have to take or something you want to take?   Sean No. I have to take it. So, yeah.   Dave Well good luck with differential equations.   Abigail McDonald I'm Abigail McDonald. I am taking summer classes.   Dave What!? Are you excited about the classes?   Abigail McDonald I'm excited to be learning new stuff.   Dave Cool.   Abigail McDonald I'm kind of done with the section of classes I'm in.   Abigail McDonald All right.   Abigail McDonald I'm ready to pivot and learn new things.   Madison Swink I'm Madison Swink. I'm going to go to Colorado for a week and then the beach and then just work and some online classes.   Dave Nice. What about you? Can you tell me your name?   Enid Walker Enid Walker. I'm going to work.   Dave Where are you working?   Enid Walker Aerie.   Dave What is Aerie?   Enid Walker It's like a women's athleisure store. Yeah.   Dave Where's that?   Enid Walker In Raleigh.   Dave So are you going? Is that where you're from?   Enid Walker Yes.   Dave Okay. So you're going back home?   Enid Walker Yeah. And I think that's all I'm doing. I might go to a concert.   Dave Just working? Okay. Concert. Do you know what show?   Enid Walker Hopefully the Pixies/Modest Mouse show. Fingers crossed.   Dave Oh, that's. That would be amazing. I've seen Modest Mouse, but I've never seen the Pixies. I love the Pixies. Where are they playing?   Enid Walker I believe Charlotte, my mom told me about it, so.   Dave Yeah, right. Is your mom a Pixies fan?   Enid Walker Big time.   Dave Are you going with her?   Enid Walker Yes.   Dave Oh, that's so cool. You got a cool mom.   Enid Walker Yeah, I do. I have cool parents.I   Katie Rogers I'm Katie Rogers. I'm working two jobs, so...   Dave Like, right now while you're in school, you're working two?   Katie Rogers No. I have two jobs over the summer, so I'll be working at a shoe store and then a local coffee shop.   Dave Are you doing anything fun over the summer? Because maybe your jobs are cool.   Katie Rogers I was gonna try to plan to go to the beach with some friends.   Emma Rogers I'm Emma Rogers. So hopefully a summer internship, and I'm hoping to work for a nonprofit and help with homelessness in Boone as well as food insecurity.   Dave Nice. So you're staying up here and you're doing some good. Yeah. You know, the internship.   Emma Rogers At the Hospitality House in Boone.   Mefer Yzaziga I am Mefer Yzaziga. This summer, I'm going back home for 15 days, and then I'm coming back and I’m going to work in Boone and do some research.   Dave Nice. Well, where's home?   Mefer Yzaziga Peru.   Dave Oh, cool. I've been to Peru.   Mefer Yzaziga Really?   Dave Yeah, I've been to Cusco and we went to the top. I went with, the geology department of Geology.   Mefer Yzaziga Oh that's awesome. I study environmental science and geology.   Dave Oh, cool.   Mefer Yzaziga I’m from the capital. So...   Dave I loved Peru. I thought it was fantastic. So you get to spend 15 days there? Yes.   Dave Nice.   Xaviera Rodriguez I'm Xaviera Rodriguez. I'm going back to Charlotte and work and be with my family. Yeah, my plan is to work.   Dave Nothing fun.   Xaviera Rodriguez probably.   Dave Maybe a couple of fun things?   Xaviera Rodriguez Yeah, yeah.   Dave Okay, cool. Well, thank you all for your time. I really appreciate it.   Artie Bradley I'm Artie Bradley. I have a fellowship with Equality NC that I'll be working on. So that's probably mostly what I'll be doing.   Dave So what does Equality NC do?   Artie Bradley So, it's an organization based in North Carolina. They’re largely focused on policy work and policy advocacy and education for the LGBTQ plus community in North Carolina. So they do a lot of ground work in that area.   Dave Right on. Well, it sounds like you have a very effective summer on tap.   Artie Bradley I hope so, yeah. I hope it works out.   Dave What are you doing this summer, Kyla.   Kyla I'm staying here and working.   Dave Are you doing anything cool?   Kyla Traveling with the solar vehicle team.   Dave Well, that's very cool. Where are y'all going this year?   Kyla We're going to Bowling Green, Kentucky for the track race.   Dave Okay.   Kyla And then for the cross-country race, we're going to Nashville, Tennessee, all the way up to Casper, Wyoming.   Dave Cool.   Kyla I'm stoked to be gone and doing that for three weeks.   Dave Where do you find out more information about the Solar Vehicle team at App, Kyla?   Kyla You could follow @appstatesvt on Instagram.   Dave All right, do it.   Markell Samuel My name is Markell Samuel. My plans for the summer is I will have an internship with Watauga Rec Center.   Dave Nice.   Markell Samuel And I'll also be doing football. So, I’ll have workouts, player led practices and stuff like that.   Markell Samuel Do yall workout all summer long?   Markell Samuel All summer.   Dave Dang! So, you don't get a break, man.   Markell Samuel Not really!   Dave Oh, no. Are you doing anything fun? I mean, Parks and Rec is cool and the internship is cool. Are you going anywhere? Are you traveling anywhere?   Markell Samuel Not really. I'll just probably go home, see the family right before we get back into the swing of things with football and my internship.   Alexis Chavez Gonzalez I'm Alexis Chavez Gonzalez. It's mostly work and probably, like, have, like, a little vacation for myself. Maybe go to the beach.   Dave What beach do you go to?   Alexis Chavez Gonzalez I'm not really sure. I think my family is planning to go to Florida. I'm not sure where.   Dave Okay, so you're going with them there?   Alexis Chavez Gonzalez Yeah.   Dave Nice. We're going int the library. What floor is the “you can talk on it” floor?   Kyla First and second.   Dave Okay.   Audrey Reeb I'm Audrey Reeb. This summer, I'm probably just going to work a lot. I’m going to work with some kids, and I'm going to go visit my family in California. I work at a preschool. It's in Greenville, South Carolina.   Dave So you work at a preschool in Greenville, South Carolina, but your family's in California, and you go to school at Appalachian State.   Audrey Reeb Yeah, yeah, I've moved a lot.   Dave That’s stressing me out, man!   Audrey Reeb I know! Yeah. Uh huh. Three different high schools.   Dave Wow! Geez. Louise.   Emma James I'm Emma James.   Dave Emma. James, what year are you?   Emma James I'm a senior. Just going to work up here, probably in Blowing Rock. I want to go to grad school. I haven't decided if that will be next year or the next. Taking my time.   Dave What have you been studying?   Emma James Psychology.   Dave Okay. Yeah, right. So where do you want to take that?   Emma James I want to be a school counselor.   Corin Palmer Corin Palmer, I got a study abroad internship and summer school.   Dave Where are you studying abroad?   Corin Palmer Portugal.   Dave What makes you want to go to Portugal?   Corin Palmer Sustainable living. Very interested in that.   Dave Yeah. Okay. You have an internship. Where is that?   Corin Palmer It's through the UNC system doing PCI security protocols.   Dave Right on! And then the last thing was, what was the last thing?   Corin Palmer Summer school.   Dave Summer school. All right, so, when are you going to graduate? You're going to school in the summer. That must be pretty soon. Feels like.   Corin Palmer It’s supposed to be December 2025, but I’m double majoring now, so you got to see how that's going to look.   Dave Okay, so you're a double major, so you're tell me what it is. What are they?   Corin Palmer Computer information systems and then a bachelor of science in cybersecurity.   Dave Do you want to keep it in North Carolina? Would you be willing to go anywhere when you graduate? What do you think?   Corin Palmer I'm just going to go where the money is.   Dave Yeah, right.   Alex Powers I'm Alex Powers.   Dave Okay. So what are you studying for? We're here in the library. I assume that's what you're doing.   Alex Powers we are currently working on a geography project on the new River Gorge National Park.   Dave Right. that's the the newest national park in existence, right?   Alex Powers I believe so.   Dave Yeah, I was just reading about the new River. It

    11 min
  3. 049 What's in? | What's out?

    03/08/2024

    049 What's in? | What's out?

    Before the start of spring break, Dave headed out to talk to Mountaineers who always seem to know what’s up, what’s in and what’s out! Listen as they discuss what they’re bringing with them into the second half of the semester and what’s getting left behind. We are talking about energies, habits and yes, you guessed it… water bottles!           Transcript   Dave Hey, Kyla! Kyla Hello. Dave How's it going? Kyla Pretty good! Dave That’s good. It's a beautiful day, right? Kyla Yeah. Dave Nice day for a Dave by the Bell. So we're talking to students about what's in and what's out since it's halfway through the semester. And let's talk to this group of people. Jocelyn I’m Jocelyn, what's out is those...do you know those like, Lululemon shorts that were, like, really puffy and, like, super high waisted? I hate them. They're out. Dave Yes, all right. Jocelyn They've been out. It's time to wear shorts again. And those are still they're still not. Okay. And what's in for me is probably I mean, honestly, just like tank tops, like it's time for my body to get some more sun. Dave It feels really good today. Jocelyn Yeah, it really does. Anne Carol Sheely I'm Anne Carol Sheely. What's out is social media TikTok even though I'm still on it. And then the new one this semester is hydration. Kaleb Neal I'm Kaleb Neal. Well, I would say I'm trying to change my habits so leaving out old habits and bringing in new ones. Dave Nice! Well, so what are the new ones we're bringing in then? Kaleb Neal Turning in assignments on time and staying ahead. Owen Roberson I'm Owen Roberson. Well, for me I'm trying to get out of being lazy I guess and try to be outside more. The winter season for sure is a bit of like the seasonal depression kind of thing. So trying to get back into being outside, being social a bit more. Nathan Care I'm Nathan Care. Caffeine. Dave Caffeine is in? Nathan Care Yes. Red Bull. Monster. Dave Caffeine. Don’t matter. Dave So did you did you previously not have caffeine? Nathan Care Oh! No. Dave Caffeine has been a consistent companion. Nathan Care Yes.  Dave All right. Well, continue with the caffeine. Thanks, Nathan. Dave We got to stop following these babies. Kyla You should get the baby. Dave We can't interview babies. Stroller offerer  Do you want to grab my stroller? Stroller denier  He wasn't holding on to the stroller. Dave Okay, we got to get away from these babies. Awww no. That one's really upset. It's okay. Little babies. Abby Van Kula I'm Abby Van Kula Dave Let's start with what's out. Abby Van Kula The cold, the snow. I'm over that. I love how everybody's sitting outside. Dave I know, Right? So many people on Sanford. Abby Van Kula It's nice. What's in? Hanging out outside. Going on hikes. Going to the parkway. Jack Scales I'm Jack Scales. What's in? Jack Scales Ummm staying hydrated. Dave Where's your water, man? Jack Scales I got to go get one I guess! Dave Hydration…so important, right? Kyla Got two water bottles on my desk right now. Dave Oh, do you really? Well, you're on it. Sierra Focazio I'm Sierra Focazio. Dave And what is your name? Apprecia Lassiter  Apprecia Lassiter. Dave So we'll start with Sierra and then go to Apprecia. What is out and what is in? Sierra Focazio Bad weather. Dave Yeah ok! Sierra Focazio Thirty degrees and wind. Dave What is in for you? Sierra Focazio This weather. It’s so nice out. Dave All right. Dave Apprecia, what is out for you? Apprecia Lassiter  My peace. Dave Your peace is out?! Apprecia Lassiter  My peace is out. Dave What’s happening to you? Apprecia Lassiter  Interior design, major. That's all I got to say about it. Dave All right. So was the previous semester peaceful or the previous half was peaceful? Apprecia Lassiter  No, but I had my dignity at the very least. Dave Oh no! All right, so what's in for you, then? Apprecia Lassiter  Hmmm, I guess chaos. We’ll it embrace it. Dave I'm hopeful it won't be super chaotic for you, but I don't know. Apprecia Lassiter  I don’t know either. I paid for it...so. Dave Yeah! You’re the one that came here! This was your idea! Apprecia Lassiter  I literally did it to myself. Self inflicted. Dave Well, hey, y’all enjoy the weather and have a great day. And good luck. Arianna Diaz I'm Arianna Diaz. Dave So what is out? Arianna Diaz People being mean to me. Dave Ok! All right. All right, So you're leaving some some negative people behind. Arianna Diaz Yeah. Dave So what's in? Arianna Diaz Being nice to me. Dave People being nice to you is in. You're going to will this and it's going to be so right? Arianna Diaz Yes. Dave All right. I like it. Get those negative folks out of there. Kyla She seemed so sweet. Dave I know. Kyla I couldn’t imagine anyone being mean to her. Dave Why would he be hateful to her? Emily Daggerhart I'm Emily Daggerhart. Dave Daggerhart! Awww man, that is a cool name! So here's the question, Emily. What is out and what is in. Emily Daggerhart Just in general? Dave It could be anything. Emily Daggerhart Out? social media. I'm so tired of being on my phone all the time. I'm over it. I want to be more present in the next half of the semester. Like, be outside, do things. Not scrolling through TikTok or Instagram. I feel like it takes up a lot of my time and it's not productive. Dave So what are you looking to bring in to your life? Emily Daggerhart Better grades, better relationships, better attitudes.  Regan Petto  I am Reagan Petto. Dave What are you going to start with what's out? Regan Petto  I'm going to start with what’s in. Dave Okay, Reagan, what's in? Regan Petto  Snacks. Dave Okay. What kind of snacks? Regan Petto  Anything mid-day when you're, like, feeling kind of sad and you don't know why. Dave Wait, is that eating your feelings. That's not what that is. Regan Petto  It’s not. It’s is keeping your body fueled. Dave Yeah. All right. I like that. Good. All right. And Reagan, what is out? Regan Petto  Crying over your to do list. Dave Does it really bring you to tears? Regan Petto  Sometimes. Dave Awww man. Dave Dave Yeah! Don't do that anymore. Regan Petto  No, I won't. Dave Maybe eat a snack instead. Regan Petto  Yeah, we both should. Ben Brenner I am Ben Brenner. Ben Brenner Definitely missing class. Dave Missing class is out. Ben Brenner I could definitely be better about that. Dave All right. And what is in? Ben Brenner I'd say wearing shorts. Dave Shorts are in? Ben Brenner Yeah. Dave Look he's got shorts. Lionel West I’m Lionel West. Dave So what's out for you, Lionel? Lionel West I'm going to say the snow. I'm ready for the perfect weather. Dave The snow is out. All right, So what is in? Lionel West Good weather. Dave All right. Yeah, It's a lot of people have answered that because, I mean, it's such a beautiful day. Lionel West Exactly! Dave So I'm noticing that you have one of these water bottles that I feel like is kind of in. Is that particular water bottle in? Lionel West Yes, they're called Owala. Like everyone has them. Dave Okay. All right. So what's out? Lionel West Maybe Hydro Flask? Dave See you later, Hydro Flask. Owala for life. All right, cool. Lionel, thanks for your answer. I appreciate you very much. Can you tell me your name? Hello. How's it going? La'guyia Carver Good. My name's La’guyia Carver. Dave So can you tell me what is out for you, La’guyia? La'guyia Carver Mean spiritedness, hate, jealousy. All the negativity is gone. I don't want it anymore. I'm a being of light now. Peace. Prosperity. Dave As of today. La'guyia Carver Yes. As of today. It's so sunny I’ve been improved! Dave Starting now! Yeah. The weather helps, right? La'guyia Carver Yeah, for sure. Dave Okay, so what is in for you? La'guyia Carver Well, off the bat, sunscreen. You need that also because I do have a tattoo that is healing and I did forget it. So there's that. Dave But you're in the shade. La'guyia Carver Yeah. Quickly came over here. I'm also staying hydrated. Water bottles of course. I have my Nalgene actually, that's going to be my baby for life. But I do...I am a sheep. I do want an Owala so bad. All right, But the Nalgene is here to say. Jackson Winther I'm Jackson Winther. AirPods are in...walking around campus. What's out, I would say, is sweat pants. It's getting hot. Dave Sweat pants are out. Paige Kaine I am Paige Kaine. Dave All right. I'm just going to just lay it out there. Paige Kaine All right. Dave What's in? What's out? Paige Kaine What's in: being nice to people, hanging out outside, cats. Dave Cats are in. Paige Kaine What's out: Any winter clothes, being inside and skipping class. Taneille Jordan I'm Taneille Jordan. My grades. Dave Your grades are in? Taneille Jordan Yes. Dave Oh, Like a focus on them? Taneille Jordan No, My grades are going to be in for next semester. Dave Okay, that's true. Taneille Jordan And out? Well, I can't say procrastination, because then I'd be lying. Dave Thank you for your honesty. Taneille Jordan Old notes. Dave Old notes? You're getting rid of them. Taneille Jordan Well, I don't use them. Kiera Williamson My name is Kiera Williamson. Dave What's in and what's out?

    10 min
  4. 10/25/2023

    048 What I Wish I’d Known: College Applications

    Dave and App State's social media manager Ginny Scheer roam about Sanford Mall interviewing App State students to find out what they wish they had known way back when they were applying to college. Maybe don't procrastinate but chill out and follow your heart while not stressing...something along those lines anyway.       Transcript: Dave  Hey folks! I'm Dave Blanks from University Communications back with Dave by the Bell. It's October. It's chilly. I'm out here with Ginny. She is the manager of our social media. We're interviewing App State students. We're talking to them about advice during the application process. What do you know now that you wish you knew then? Ginny Scheer Mmhmm Dave  So we’re out here on Sanford Mall. All right. Well, let's find somebody to talk to. Sarely Zavala-Duran I'm Sarely Zavala-Duran I'm from Indian Trail, North Carolina. Dave  Saley? Sarely Zavala-Duran Sara Lee like the bread company. Dave  Sara Lee! Nobody doesn't like Sara Lee! All right. Sara Lee, are you a freshman here at App?    Sarely Zavala-Duran Yes.    Dave  You are. Okay. Well, when you were trying to choose a college, would there be a piece of advice that you might give to yourself, Sarely? Sarely Zavala-Duran Yeah. It’s not that deep, honestly. You make a choice, choose what school you think is right, and if it doesn't work out, just change it. I know people that have dropped out from schools already that didn't like it. Just choose a school and go with it. Don't force yourself, but also just try to enjoy the time that you have here. Dave  Nice. But we got you, right? I mean, like, you're officially a Mountaineer and you’re gonna stay? Sarely Zavala-Duran Yeah I am! Right here on Sanford! Group Roll Neers! Dave  Roll Neers! Absolutely. All right. So I guess next, we'll ask you. Hey, what is your name? Maya Tongue Maya Tongue. Dave  Maya Tongue! Hey, nice to meet you. Where are you from? Maya Tongue Canton, Georgia. Dave  You heard my question to Saraley. Maya Tongue Just know that it like not getting into a college doesn't mean you're stupid. I didn't get into UGA, and, like, that was really hard. But I love it here and I love the people I've met and it just makes me... Dave  Look at em! They’re awesome! Maya Tongue It’s the right thing. It's meant to be here so... Dave  What about this person looking at their phone? Maybe I could talk to them. Sam Crabtree My name is Sam Crabtree. I was clueless. All of middle school, all of high school. And it wasn't until senior year when the pandemic hit, when I was like, okay, this is where I want to be. Dave  Okay, so if you could talk to yourself back then your senior year. Sam Crabtree Don't overthink it and ask for help. There's always people around to offer some advice. I think I was like really scared about jumping into it, but it was a really simple process and as long as I had my parents and I know I could reach out to like admissions people and knew that they would offer some advice. Dave  So this is Kaitlyn Witte. Kaitlyn, it's nice to meet you. Where are you from? Kaitlyn Witte I'm from Charlotte. Dave  Okay, cool. How long have you been here at App? Kaitlyn Witte I'm in my freshman year, so only like two months. Dave  So if you, Kaitlyn, could go back and give yourself a piece of advice, what would it be? Kaitlyn Witte I say just follow what I wanted to do versus what my friends want me to do and where they wanted me to go and just doing it for myself versus my friends. Dave  Alleah, Hello. Alleah Trunzo  Hi. Dave  How's it going? Alleah Trunzo  Good! How are you? Dave  I'm good. Dave  You got some Chick fil A? Alleah Trunzo  Sustenance. Dave  Need your sustenance. Dave  So if you, Alleah, could go back and give yourself some words of wisdom. Alleah Trunzo  I knew I wanted to go to an NC public university and I think I really did choose the best one for me because I really do love living here. I think even beyond being a student and just living here as an adult would be really nice. Dave  It is nice. I do that all the time, like every day. Matthew Paulino My name is Matthew Paulino. I was very stressed. I didn't know if I was going to be able to get into college, but I guess my advice for myself would just be like, calm down, relax, focus on your mental health. Everything is going to be okay and it's going to go great. Ginny Scheer What about soccer people? Dave  Soccer people? Walk out into the soccer game? Ginny Scheer Mmhmm Dave  I could do that. Which one? Which one you want to single out? Marcus Zagorski Marcus Zagorski. Dave  Marcus. Hello. So if you could go back and give yourself a piece of advice, what would you tell yourself? Marcus Zagorski Just follow your heart. Don't think about it too much because I love it here. And this is my first choice. And it seems to be like the place that I want to. Dave  Nice! It was the right choice. Marcus Zagorski Yeah. It was the right choice. Yeah. For sure. Dave  So was there something you were worried about when you were coming to college? Marcus Zagorski Not really, because in my case, it was different because I lived in New York for 18 years. And this August, me and my family, we moved down to Morganton, which is like an hour from here. Dave  It's like one of the boroughs. Totally! Right? Marcus Zagorski Yeah uhhhh...No, not at all, actually. But, you know, I have my family, just an hour away and I'm here. Dave  Well, thanks for the advice. I appreciate it, Marcus. And I'll let you get back to your soccer. Marcus Zagorski Of course. Dave  What about this person? Excuse me. Douglas Landry Douglas Landry. Just get into it, man. There's so much to do here. There's so many good people here. Extracurricular activities you can get into. It just took me a little while to figure that out. A couple of cold winters and just being like, “Man, what am I going to do?” And so now I'm just busy, busy, busy. But in a good way. Dave  Perfect, man. Well, enjoy some music. Why don't you? You know, you could. It's right there. Douglas Landry Exactly. Dave  Thanks for your answer. Douglas Landry Thank you, Dave. Dave  Yeah, man. Hey, how are you? Isabella Thornley Good how are you? Dave  I’m good! Can you tell me your name? Isabella Thornley Isabella. Dave  So, how long have you been at App? Isabella Thornley This is my first year. Dave  Cool. Welcome. What piece of advice would you give yourself back then? Isabella Thornley Trust your instinct. Go where you feel is right for you. Because when I toured... As soon as I got here, I was like, “Yeah, this is where I’m going to be. Yeah.” Dave  What was it about the place when you got on the campus that you were like, “Yes.” Isabella Thornley It's just where I feel like I’d thrive. Like it's like my environment, the mountains, like fresh air. There's a lot you can do here. Dave  Sure. Thank you, Isabelle. I appreciate it. Andrew Johnston Andrew Johnston. Dave  What would you tell yourself that could help you back then? What was the process like? Was it smooth? Andrew Johnston It was pretty smooth. I just procrastinated everything. I got my App State application in last minute. So, I'd probably just tell myself to not do that. Like to really just be on top of it a bit more. Dave  Sure. Andrew Johnston Yeah. Dave  Thanks for that answer. What is your name? Serenity Hopkins Serenity Hopkins. Dave  So if you could give yourself a piece of advice, tell yourself something that would help you. What would it be? Serenity Hopkins Probably do my essay a little bit before, like the last month that I was due. Dave  What does that entail? All right. The essay itself like. What are you doing? Serenity Hopkins I did it on, like, my social anxiety and how I overcame it. I can't remember what the question was, but it wasn't, like, super complicated. I was just procrastinating. Dave  Well, look at you here. You're doing great. We're interacting socially. Fantastic. Ian Daniel  I'm Ian Daniel. Dave  Ian, it's nice to meet you. Ian Daniel  Nice to meet you, too. Dave  Yeah. Yeah. If you could go back and talk to the Ian back then and give him a piece of advice, what would the piece of advice be? Ian Daniel  UC Boulder would not be a good fit for you. Dave Okay. All right. You were torn. Ian Daniel  Yeah, I don't know why I thought that would be fun. Dave  So why is App State a good fit for you? I'm assuming it is. Ian Daniel  Yeah, I think it is. I didn't really realize how much being, like, able to go home and visit family and home is. Dave  So you're not far off. Ian Daniel  Yeah. So I live in Charlotte, so that's close. And then I also think that I'm not really like much of a big partygoer, and I think that that would have been like a big part of the culture there. So I like that here. I can like...I have friends that would rather go like sit in the woods, hang out in a hammock, then go....I don't know...to a frat or something. Dave  Yeah, absolutely. That's a great answer. Ian Daniel  Like the people at App are down to earth like I would like to be or I strive to be. Dave  You're coming across like that to me. That's good. Ian Daniel  That's good. Dave  Yeah. Yeah. Hey, thanks for your time. I really appreciate it. Ian Daniel  Yeah of course. Thank you guys! Dave  Have a good day. Ian Daniel  Yeah, y'all as well. Dave  Ginny, we got so many good answers! Ginny Scheer So much advice and wisdom. There are a lot of Mountaineers with good heads on their shoulders. Dave  I get that vibe, too. Yeah, absolutely. And I think that nobody regretted their decision. Like, hands down, like, we're not editing out all the ones who were like, “ I should have gone to wherever,” you know? Ginn

    7 min
  5. 047 What’s Next Graduate?

    05/11/2023

    047 What’s Next Graduate?

    Dave fumbles about campus somehow managing to find a bunch of seniors who are about to graduate. Dave grills them on their plans for the future! It's every new graduate's dream come true!     Transcript:  Dave Blanks: Hey friends, on this Dave by the Bell, I'm going to talk to seniors who are graduating and ask them what the heck they got planned next. Stick around, won't you? Jenna Michalski: I'm Jenna Michalski. Dave Blanks: You're graduating, correct? Jenna Michalski: Yes. Dave Blanks: Congratulations. Jenna Michalski: Thank you. Dave Blanks: What have you been studying here at Appalachian State? Jenna Michalski: Commercial Photography Minor in English. Dave Blanks: Cool. So what do you plan to do with that? Be very creative, I would assume. Jenna Michalski: I'm trying to get paired with a video production company. Dave Blanks: Cool. Jenna Michalski: Either start off as an editor or some sort of an assistant. Dave Blanks: What are you doing on campus? Jenna Michalski: I have a final in about 30 minutes. Dave Blanks: Oh, snap. Are you ready for it? Jenna Michalski: Yeah, it's my last one so it's getting real. Dave Blanks: Is it sad? Jenna Michalski: A little bit. Dave Blanks: Yeah, you liked App? Jenna Michalski: Yeah, I did. Dave Blanks: You could still be here. You could study more. Jenna Michalski: I'm good on that. Dave Blanks: All right. Well, you can at least come back and visit? Jenna Michalski: Yes, absolutely. Dave Blanks: Okay, please do that. All right. What about girl with a dog? Do you think she's a senior? Hey, excuse me. Are you a senior graduating? Girl with a dog: No. Dave Blanks: Do you have a dog? Hello, dog. Oh, my gosh. What a nice puppy you have. Well, have a good day. Girl with a dog: Thank you. Dave Blanks: All right, bye. That was a friendly dog. Anyway, still heading down toward the sign Founders Plaza. I see some people. There are people getting pictures over here. I knew it. You look like you're graduating. Val Moscoso: I am. Dave Blanks: All right, cool. What's your name? Val Moscoso: Well, I'm Val Moscoso. I'm graduating with Exercise Science and a minor in Psychology. I'm taking a gap year, but I will go into occupational therapy school. Dave Blanks: So what are you doing with your gap year? Val Moscoso: I think the goal is definitely to explore a little bit. Dave Blanks: Cool. Are we talking worldwide or are we talking US? Val Moscoso: Definitely worldwide. But I mean, I'll definitely start out slow with the US something. Dave Blanks: Sure. Val Moscoso: But yeah, I definitely want to go backpacking in Europe or something like that. Dave Blanks: Nice. I was going to say, what's one place that you've never been, that you're sure you'll go specifically. Val Moscoso: I definitely want to go to Italy at some point. Dave Blanks: Okay, all right. Val Moscoso: For sure though. Dave Blanks: I love it. All right. Well, Val, the sky's the limit and congratulations. Val Moscoso: Thank you so much. Aru Hopper: I'm Arou Hopper. I want to go to PA school, and I have to get a bunch of clinical hours for that. So I have a job lined up for me as a CNA, and I'll be working either in Charlotte or in Boone. I'm trying to figure out which one. Dave Blanks: Thank you for your time and congratulations. And you have a friend here as well. So what is your name? Morgan Smith: Morgan Smith. Dave Blanks: So Morgan, you're also graduating? Morgan Smith: I am. Dave Blanks: All right. Excellent. What are you graduating with a degree in? Morgan Smith: Exercise Science. Dave Blanks: All right. Same as this. Cool. Are you all headed like to ... Morgan Smith: We're heading to the same exam actually. Dave Blanks: Oh, no, wait. All right. Okay. When do you have to be there? How much time do you have? Morgan Smith: 20 minutes. Dave Blanks: Okay. All right. You're good. All right. All right. So Morgan, what's next for you? Morgan Smith: Same thing, just working to get clinical hours after I graduate. Dave Blanks: Do you know where you're doing in your clinicals? Morgan Smith: I'm heading back home to do a CNA clinical back home. Kind of want to travel a little bit, so we'll see. Dave Blanks: Excellent. Well, you all, thank you so much. Aru Hopper: Thank you so much. Morgan Smith: Thank you. Dave Blanks: Very much. And please come back and visit us. Morgan Smith: Thank you. Aru Hopper: [inaudible 00:03:33]. Morgan Smith: Appreciate it. Dave Blanks: All right. See you later. Are you a senior maybe? Freshman: Huh? Dave Blanks: Are you a senior? Freshman: I'm freshman. Dave Blanks: All right, man. Keep at it. He seemed like a freshman. We're in the student union now, looking for seniors. Is either one of yall a senior? Foster: We are. Dave Blanks: Can I ask you a question for my podcast? Foster: Of course. Dave Blanks: Real lighthearted. Okay, cool. Who are you, sir? Foster: My name's Foster. Dave Blanks: Cool. Foster: Like the beer or the child. Dave Blanks: And what is your name? McKenzie: McKenzie. Dave Blanks: Okay. So Foster and McKenzie. So Foster, what have you been studying here at App? Foster: I'm a Sociology major. Dave Blanks: Where's the next step for you? Where are you going with this? Foster: Oh, that's a great question. I'm actually doing an internship this summer with the courthouse, so we'll see if maybe local governments- Dave Blanks: Here in Watauga? Foster: Yep, absolutely. Here in Watauga. Dave Blanks: Oh, nice one. Cool. Well, thanks Foster. Hopefully we'll see you under good circumstances at the courthouse. Foster: Fingers crossed. Dave Blanks: Hope so. And what is your name again? I'm sorry. McKenzie: McKenzie. Dave Blanks: Okay, McKenzie. So what have you been studying? Also Sociology? McKenzie: Also sociology. Dave Blanks: I could have guessed. Where are you going after this? McKenzie: I enjoy that Sociology is very broad. Dave Blanks: It is. McKenzie: You know what I mean? So I feel like I can go into a bunch of different things. Dave Blanks: Right. McKenzie: But I do think HR is pretty interesting. Dave Blanks: Okay. I can't go into Crossroads because they're cranking music. I can't afford to pay for all that Dua Lipa. Excuse me, are you a senior by any chance? Jana Bowman: I am. Dave Blanks: You are? Jana Bowman: I'm Jana Bowman. Dave Blanks: Jana, how's it going? Jana Bowman: Good, how are you? Dave Blanks: I'm good. Where did you ... Did you get some at Cascades? Jana Bowman: No, I was coming from the Office of Community Engaged Leadership. Dave Blanks: Okay. Is that what you do at App when you're not studying things? Jana Bowman: Yeah, I hang out there all the time. I work there. I volunteer. It's just a great place to be. I always pitch it as like, if you care about anything, our office is a great place to be. Dave Blanks: If you care about anything. Jana Bowman: Anything at all. We do everything from voter engagement to environmental justice to volunteering with nonprofits in the community, leadership. Dave Blanks: What if you care about animals? Jana Bowman: Animals? We I'm pretty sure just did a day of service to the local animal shelter. Dave Blanks: Oh really? Oh, that's cool. I thought I was going to get you because you're naming all people stuff but yeah yeah. Jana Bowman: No, it's like I said. If you care about anything, our office is a really great place to be. Dave Blanks: All right. How do we find out more? Jana Bowman: The best ways to go to our office, which is I believe PSU 138. It's all the way at the end of the Union on the first floor. Dave Blanks: All right, cool. Well, thank you very much. So here's my actual question. So, you're graduating. What did you study here at App? Jana Bowman: I studied Sustainable Development. Dave Blanks: Do you feel like you've learned a lot? Jana Bowman: Yeah, definitely. I think specifically within my major, it shifted my entire mindset of how everything is connected. Because I think beforehand you just think about one problem and then another problem. But then within the Sustainable Development major, you kind of learn how everything is a feedback loop and how everything's connected and there are drivers and symptoms of problems, and that really helps you to understand how to fix the overall issue. Dave Blanks: Right, cool. What is next for you? Jana Bowman: I have a job actually working at a nonprofit in the triangle called The Hunt Institute. It's a nonprofit and they basically advocate for just really progressive public policy agendas for K through 12 education in North Carolina and nationally. Dave Blanks: Nice. Jana Bowman: I'm connecting policy makers and leaders in education and really just trying to get the conversations about how we can help schools and teachers and communities and kids. Dave Blanks: What a great mountaineer you are. Jana Bowman: Thank you. Dave Blanks: Yeah, keep at it. Jana Bowman: Thank you. Dave Blanks: Man, I'm sure you'll do great things. I appreciate your time. And congratulations. LA McGee: I am LA McGee. Dave Blanks: LA, What did you study here at Appalachian State? LA McGee: Exercise Science. I'm actually moving to Wisconsin to work at an adventure resort as a raft guide. Dave Blanks: That sounds so cool. So what's the river that you'll be on? LA McGee: I honestly can't remember what it's called. Dave Blanks: No, shameful. How did you even get the gig? How did you get the job? LA McGee: I found it on a website called Cool Works. Dave Blanks: All right. Cool works with a C? Not like so cool that they have to spell it with a K. LA McGee: I know, they should do it that way honestly. Dave Blanks: Come on. Cool works. Let's listen to LA here. All right. So cool. So do you know anybody out there? LA McGee: I do not. Dave B

    11 min
  6. 046 The Most Romantic Place on Campus

    02/14/2023

    046 The Most Romantic Place on Campus

    In this Valentine’s Day edition of Dave by the Bell, Dave and University Communications intern Madi chat it up with friendly passersby to get at the heart of this question — “What is the most romantic place on campus?”     Dave Blanks: Hello, friends. I'm Dave Blanks from University Communications, and I was going to talk today about Valentine's Day. What we're going to do is ask students what the most romantic place in all of campus is. I was going to go see if Madi , our intern, wanted to come along. So, let's go do that. Hello.   Madi: So, jacket?   Dave Blanks: I'm not wearing a jacket, based on what you said. You said you got hot.   Madi: Fine. We won't wear jackets.   Dave Blanks: Madi , no jackets for this one. There are romantic places on campus. We're walking right now by the-   Madi: By the hand statue.   Dave Blanks: ...church hand statue thing with the wheelbarrow. I don't think that's a place.   Eliza: My name's Eliza.   Dave Blanks: So Eliza, Valentine's is coming up. Did you know?   Eliza: Yes, it is.   Dave Blanks: Yeah, it is. Is that an exciting thing for you? A positive thing?   Eliza: It is exciting.   Dave Blanks: Yeah?   Eliza: We're going to go up here.   Dave Blanks: Okay, let's go up here.   Eliza: I got my first boyfriend a couple months ago, so this will be... We're going to go this way?   Dave Blanks: Yeah, let's go this way.   Eliza: This will be my first Valentine's Day with someone.   Dave Blanks: Very sweet.   Eliza: So it'll be fun.   Dave Blanks: Cool. Yeah, yeah. Are you a freshman at App?   Eliza: Yes, I am.   Dave Blanks: All right. Excellent. You're doing the whole college experience thing.   Eliza: Yes, I am.   Dave Blanks: Yeah. Good for you. Okay, so if you had to spend it on campus somewhere, where's the most romantic place?   Eliza: I really like the duck pond.   Dave Blanks: Yeah.   Eliza: That little shelter.   Dave Blanks: Oh, yeah.   Eliza: I think that's fun.   Dave Blanks: All right.   Eliza: Get bagels or something.   Dave: Dude…the duck pond!   Savannah: Savannah.   Dave Blanks: If you had to pick one?   Savannah: The duck pond.   Dave Blanks: The duck pond?   Savannah: I think it's cute.   Dave Blanks: You think the duck pond?   Savannah: Could be kind of cute. Yeah, you could do a little picnic or something.   Dave Blanks: Oh, okay. That's good. That was a good answer.   Jacob: I'm Jacob. The solarium, maybe.   Dave Blanks: You think the solarium?   Jacob: Yeah.   Dave Blanks: All right. Why the solarium?   Jacob: There are a lot of plants and sunlight, I guess.   Dave Blanks: Right?   Jacob: Yeah.   Dave Blanks: What about outside?   Jacob: It's cold.   Derek Carter: I'm Derek Carter. A romantic place on campus?   Dave Blanks: Right.   Derek Carter: I'd probably just take her to my job, the cafe. Cascades.   Dave Blanks: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Cool. Right on.   Derek Carter: They have a Valentine's Day drink, so I'll probably give that.   Dave Blanks: What's the Valentine's Day drink?   Derek Carter: It's like chocolate and strawberry.   Dave Blanks: That sounds good. Is it expensive?   Derek Carter: It's like $6.   Dave Blanks: College student can swing that for Valentine's Day, right?   Derek Carter: Yeah.   Dave Blanks: All right. All right. Excellent.   Evan Rice: I am Evan Rice. Okay. This is a curve-ball. Me and my girlfriend just broke up a week ago.   Dave Blanks: Oh. I'm sorry to hear that.   Evan Rice: I'll probably just go for a picnic. I'd start here.   Dave Blanks: We're on Sanford right now.   Evan Rice: Yeah.   Dave Blanks: Okay.   Evan Rice: Maybe a walk on the trail back there. End up at the baseball field.   Dave Blanks: Yeah. Yeah.   Evan Rice: What have other people said?   Dave Blanks: Duck pond. How do you feel about duck pond?   Evan Rice: That’s gross. Like you just get like wafts of smell. Does Gastown...   Dave Blanks: Yeah. Go to Gastown, dude.   Evan Rice: Yeah, I'd probably stack up on some stuff there. Right?   Dave Blanks: Excellent. Yeah. Slim Jims, Munchos.   Sam Vanderkin: Sam Vanderkin. Maybe over by the bell.   Dave Blanks: Durham Park there.   Sam Vanderkin: Yeah, there's cute picnic areas. Yeah.   Dave Blanks: Yeah. That's cool.   Sam Vanderkin: Pimento cheese sandwiches-   Dave Blanks: Yes.   Sam Vanderkin: ...cut into little triangles.   Madi: Pimento cheese sandwiches in triangles?   Dave Blanks: Little triangle pimento cheeses.   Anthony Coriali: I'm Anthony Coriali. Ooh, that's a tough one. I might just hang out in the solarium student union. Peaceful atmosphere, running water.   Dave Blanks: Nice.   Anthony Coriali: Yep.   Marissa: I'm Marissa.   Dave Blanks: Hey, Marissa. How are you doing?   Marissa: I'm exhausted.   Dave Blanks: Oh no. What's going on in your life?   Marissa: Homework.   Dave Blanks: Oh, that's the worst. You'll get through it.   Marissa: Thank you for empathizing.   Dave Blanks: Yeah, I feel for you. So Valentine's is coming up, right?   Marissa: Oh God.   Dave Blanks: Yeah.   Marissa: I can't.   Dave Blanks: Valentine's is coming up.   Marissa: Yes.   Dave Blanks: So if you had to pick a spot on this very campus here where you attend school to have a romantic Valentine's Day experience, where would you pick? Where's the most romantic place on campus?   Marissa: The study room by yourself, because you should focus on your grades and not boys so you can make your own money.   Dave Blanks: Nice.   Marissa: Or with your friends.   Dave Blanks: Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Study room with friends.   Marissa: Yeah.   Dave Blanks: Thank you for your answer. Have a good day.   Diana Cooper: Diana Cooper. Does none of the above count?   Dave Blanks: You have to pick somewhere.   Brandon Wayne: I'm Brandon Wayne. The duck pond, probably.   Dave Blanks: Yeah. Okay. All right.   Brandon Wayne: I'd feed them grapes.   Dave Blanks: Yes.   Brandon Wayne: I'd feed the ducks grapes.   Dave Blanks: I was picturing that your person that you were spending the time with, you were feeding them grapes.   Brandon Wayne: No, all those grapes got to go to the ducks.   Dave Blanks: Right. The ducks need the grapes. Yeah.   Hadley Siefert: I'm Hadley Seifert. Sanford.   Dave Blanks: Sanford? Yeah. Yeah. We're at Sanford right now. So what would your romantic Sanford date be?   Hadley Siefert: A picnic.   Dave Blanks: What kind of food are you serving at your picnic?   Hadley Siefert: Grilled cheese.   Dave Blanks: Cheese, excellent. What kind of cheese?   Hadley Siefert: American. Maybe some strawberries.   Nikki Coddle: I'm Nikki Coddle. I'd like to say something nice outside, but it's a bit too cold for that.   Dave Blanks: Let's assume the weather's going to be nice.   Nikki Coddle: Okay.   Dave Blanks: All right.   Nikki Coddle: Then maybe a little picnic outside on Stanford. I think that'd be really cute and romantic. I like to bake, so maybe I could bring the baked goods, the sweets, and then they could bring whatever the savory option is.   Dave Blanks: Nobody said Crossroads. What if we went into Crossroads? Do you think people would say, "I'd come to Crossroads."   Madi: It's nice in here.   Dave Blanks: I know. I like Crossroads. We could ask her.   Katie Carpenter: Hi, I'm Katie Carpenter. I don't know. I feel like Sanford Mall would be kind of cool.   Dave Blanks: Sanford.   Katie Carpenter: Have a little picnic.   Dave Blanks: Yeah.   Katie Carpenter: That'd be cute.   Dave Blanks: Yeah. Yeah. What would you bring on your picnic?   Katie Carpenter: I don't know. Little sandwiches, some sparkling cider.   Dave Blanks: Oh.   Katie Carpenter: Yeah, I get fancy.   Dave Blanks: Let me ask this. What's on your sandwich?   Katie Carpenter: I like chicken salad.   Dave Blanks: All right.   Katie Carpenter: Yeah.   Dave Blanks: That's the first meaty protein we've had. Everybody's going with cheese.   Katie Carpenter: Ew. No.   Dave Blanks: Is cheese romantic to you?   Katie Carpenter: I don't like cheese that much.   Dave Blanks: Is chicken more romantic than cheese?   Katie Carpenter: Yes.   Dave Blanks: Yeah? You think?   Katie Carpenter: Yeah.   Dave Blanks: All right.   Emma: My name's Emma. I would say maybe the solarium or if it's nice outside, Durham Park. Yeah, I think a little picnic. Maybe take a book, read a little bit. Maybe paint. I don't know. I don't know.   Dave Blanks: Wow, that's cool. All right. Yeah, that's very active. I like that.   Dave Blanks: Okay. Who am I speaking with?   Steven: Steven.   Dave Blanks: Steven. Hello. I've interviewed you for Dave by the Bell before.   Steven: Yes, you have.   Dave Blanks: What question did I ask you?   Steven: I think it was about Thanksgiving. It was around that time. What are you thankful for?   Dave Blanks: And I was taking a knee and it looked like I was proposing to you in the picture. Yeah, yeah. But you didn't accept. That's all right. We can still move on with our lives. So where's your spot?   Steven: It's not part of App State's campus, but it still feels very App State.   Dave Blanks: Maybe I'll allow it. We'll hear it.   Steven: I'm trying to think of somewhere on campus, and it's just not coming to me right now.   Dave Blanks: I know. It's challenging.   Steven: But somewhere on the parkway. I know that's kind of basic, but it is very nice.   Dave Blanks: No, it's i

    8 min
  7. 11/02/2022

    045 Location! Location! Location!

    In this only just barely adjacent to homecoming edition of Dave by the Bell, Dave and University Communications intern Madi chat it up with almost always friendly passersby and pose the question, "If you could live anywhere on campus that was not a residence hall, where would you live?"        Transcript:   Dave Blanks: Madi, you're our intern.   Madi: I am.   Dave Blanks: And we're going to do a Dave by the Bell.   Madi: We are.   Dave Blanks: What are we talking about?   Madi: Well, did we decide what we're talking about?   Dave Blanks: Yeah, yeah. I think we finally landed on an idea.   Madi: Did we land on the roommate idea?   Dave Blanks: No, we're not doing the roommate idea.   Madi: Oh.   Dave Blanks: But we will do that one in the future.   Madi: Okay.   Dave Blanks: No, no, no. We're not going to do the roommate. We're going to do-   Madi: If you could live anywhere on campus.   Dave Blanks: Yes.   Madi: That's not your residence hall/dorm room...   Dave Blanks: Right.   Madi: ...where would you live and why?   Dave Blanks: Yeah, that was it. Good job. Perfect. So, yeah. Do you want to go to Sanford Mall?   Madi: I sure do.   Dave Blanks: Okay, let's do that. I usually just find a person and go, "Hey, excuse me." Like this guy.   Madi: Hey, you want to be in our podcast?   Anonymous Solarium Lover: No, that's okay.   Dave Blanks: Oh, come on man. Do you want to hear the question and then say yes or no.   Anonymous Solarium Lover: Okay.   Dave Blanks: All right. All right. So the question is, if you could live somewhere on campus, where would it be and why? So is there a little spot that's your spot? That's your go-to?   Anonymous Solarium Lover: Oh, God. The Solarium.   Dave Blanks: Yeah. Okay.   Anonymous Solarium Lover: I love that.   Dave Blanks: Why would you live in the Solarium?   Anonymous Solarium Lover: It's very peaceful.   Dave Blanks: Right?   Anonymous Solarium Lover: I really like it.   Dave Blanks: Right.   Anonymous Solarium Lover: It's very calming.   Dave Blanks: It's like the opposite of this moment.   Anonymous Solarium Lover: Yes, exactly.   Quin Hernandez: I'm Quinn Hernandez. There's a little lookout up by Greenwood.   Dave Blanks: Okay.   Quin Hernandez: I like looking over it, specifically in the wintertime, because the snow makes it really bright and you can ... The stadium lights up everything.   Dave Blanks: Okay. All right. You would live up there?   Quin Hernandez: Yeah.   Dave Blanks: Because it's beautiful.   Quin Hernandez: Yeah, it's really pretty up there.   Madi: What a lovely answer.   Dave Blanks: I know. That was so good.   Madi: She was ready.   Andrea Martinez: I'm Andrea Martinez. Ooh. I would probably live at Walmart.   Dave Blanks: Wait, wait, wait. That's not on campus. Andrea.   Andrea Martinez: Technically it's not, but it is   Dave Blanks: It's on the Appalcart stop.   Andrea Martinez: Yes.   Dave Blanks: So in that respect, I mean, it is definitely a part of your student life, right?   Andrea Martinez: Yeah, definitely.   Dave Blanks: Okay. But with all the options, explain to me why you would live at Walmart.   Andrea Martinez: Well, I mean, it's just a place I frequent a lot.   Dave Blanks: Okay.   Andrea Martinez: But it's also got everything.   Dave Blanks: Okay.   Andrea Martinez: You've got a TV.   Dave Blanks: Yes.   Andrea Martinez: You've got blankets, you've got food. It's the perfect place.   Dave Blanks: I knew you were thinking like that. It's very practical of you. All right. Well, thank you for your answer and have a great day. Are you headed ... Where you headed?   Andrea Martinez: I'm heading to the bus stop, actually.   Dave Blanks: Are you going to Walmart?   Andrea Martinez: I am going to Walmart.   Dave Blanks: No way. Oh, my. That's funny.   Phillip Lavey: I'm Phillip Leavy. Chapel Wilson, second floor, I guess. That's where the theater department kids seem to hang out. That's most of my friends here at App State, so.   Dave Blanks: Right on.   Phillip Lavey: All the professors are super welcoming. All the students, it's like a big happy family there.   Dave Blanks: Nice, man.   Phillip Lavey: Yeah, so.   Dave Blanks: Well, good.   Phillip Lavey: Without a doubt. Plus the benches are pretty nice to sleep on. Pretty comfy. So, yeah.   Dave Blanks: From personal experience?   Phillip Lavey: Personal experience, yeah.   Dave Blanks: All right.   Meredith Kaiser: I'm Meredith Kaiser. Okay. I'm honestly going to go with living in the library.   Dave Blanks: Yeah.   Meredith Kaiser: Low key, because there's a coffee shop in there.   Dave Blanks: Right.   Meredith Kaiser: There's a lot of good study spaces.   Dave Blanks: Right.   Meredith Kaiser: There's books. There's a lot of just cool things in there. So, yeah.   Dave Blanks: What floor in particular? Any ideas?   Meredith Kaiser: Definitely not the second, because it's kind of loud.   Dave Blanks: Okay.   Meredith Kaiser: Probably the third.   Dave Blanks: All right. Peaceful.   Meredith Kaiser: Yeah.   Dave Blanks: Yeah.   Meredith Kaiser: Very peaceful. Yeah.   Billy: Oh, man. That's a tough one. Probably up there in that tower right up there.   Dave Blanks: What? You'd live in the Steam Tower?   Billy: Oh, is that a steam tower?   Dave Blanks: Yeah, dude. I don't know if you want to live in the-   Billy: What's at the very top though?   Dave Blanks: Steam. Just steam.   Billy: No, it's not. It looks like somebody out there right now, kind of.   Dave Blanks: Whoa. Are you for real?   Billy: It looks like a lookout post.   Dave Blanks: Oh, my gosh.   Billy: Is it not? Is it not?   Dave Blanks: No, it's a steam-   Billy: You can't get up there?   Dave Blanks: We call it the Steam Tower. Yeah, you can get up there.   Billy: Well, I don't know.   Dave Blanks: I mean, not you.   Billy: I kind of want to live up there. Maybe the room below it, but that'd be my upstairs deck.   Dave Blanks: That would be super cool. Do you think people would come visit you if you lived in-   Billy: No. People don't come visit me anyway.   Dave Blanks: But if you lived in the Steam Tower, they might be like, Come on, let's go to Billy's house, man.   Billy: You know what? You know what? Being right here, people would come visit. Because I'd be right here.   Dave Blanks: Yeah, I think they would. Great idea.   Billy: Yeah.   Dave Blanks: Thanks for your answer, man.   Billy: That's it?   Dave Blanks: That was it. That was all.   Billy: Did I pass?   Dave Blanks: Yeah. You passed with flying colors. Yeah. Thanks, Billy. Madi, would you live in the Steam Tower?   Madi: Probably not.   Dave Blanks: I don't think so. I think I might come visit Billy, though.   Madi: I might visit Billy for sure.   Dave Blanks: Yeah, just to see if he was okay, because I'm not sure you can survive up there. But he was like, "There's somebody up there right now." And then I thought I could kind of see them. It was sort of weird.   Madi: No, I kind of did too.   Dave Blanks: Did you see them?   Madi: He tricked me.   Dave Blanks: He totally pulled one over on us.   Lily: I'm Lily. The Student Union.   Dave Blanks: Okay.   Lily: The arboretum-type room.   Dave Blanks: Oh yeah, Solarium.   Lily: The Solarium.   Dave Blanks: The Solarium.   Lily: Yeah.   Dave Blanks: Yeah. Caitlin, what do you think about Lily's answer?   Kaitlyn: It's a good answer, but I would probably say the library, because it's open most of the time.   Dave Blanks: Right?   Kaitlyn: 24 five, and they have some comfy chairs up there.   Dave Blanks: Wait, did you say 24 what?   Kaitlyn: 24 five.   Dave Blanks: 24 five? I've never heard that.   Kaitlyn: 24 five. It's open 24 hours, five days of the week.   Dave Blanks: Five days of the week.   Kaitlyn: Right.   Dave Blanks: Wow. You're very accurate with that. I was like, wait, did she mess that up? But no. You said it very specifically. All right. So what floor would you live on?   Kaitlyn: I think the second, but I haven't explored the third or fourth before.   Dave Blanks: All right. Well, the second floor, from what I've heard, is a little louder.   Kaitlyn: That's true. I could always go up to the quiet floor if I need some quiet.   Dave Blanks: Yeah. Yeah.   Kaitlyn: I do think the chairs are very comfy on the second floor, and you could definitely sleep on one of those.   Dave Blanks: Excellent. All right, so now we're in the Student Union. Do you actually want to interrupt somebody who's doing something in the Student Union? Hey, excuse me.   Eva Morgan: Hi.   Dave Blanks: Hi, I'm Dave. I have a podcast called Dave by the Bell, where I interview App State students.   Eva Morgan: Yeah.   Dave Blanks: Are you an App State student?   Eva Morgan: Yeah.   Dave Blanks: Could you hear out my question and maybe answer it?   Eva Morgan: Mm-hmm!   Dave Blanks: All right, cool. I like your energy. Very positive.   Eva Morgan: Thanks, man!   Dave Blanks: This is Madi.   Eva Morgan: Hello.   Dave Blanks: She's our intern.   Madi: Hi.   Dave Blanks: So the question for today pertains to the fact that it's homecoming this weekend.   Eva Morgan: Yeah?!!!   Dave Blanks: Are you excited?   Eva Morgan: No, I'm not even going.   Dave Blanks: Okay, fair enough. Home is the word that we honed in on. If you could make your home somewhere here at Ap

    12 min
  8. 044 Move in Vibes 2022

    08/19/2022

    044 Move in Vibes 2022

    Dave and photographer Kyla strike out to interview first year students and their helpful parents as they move in to Thunder Hill Hall on the beautiful campus of Appalachian State University.     Transcript: Dave Blanks: Hey folks, how's it going? I'm Dave Blanks from University Communications. Today on Dave by the Bell, I'm going to be talking to people who are moving into Thunder Hill, trying to figure out what the moment's like for them. Maybe talk to parents, maybe talk to students. Also, get an idea of what their aspirations and hopes are for the coming year. That's the plan. Let's do it. All right. There's a lot of folks in here. We're actually going in one of the residence halls. This is Thunder Hill, I do believe. Yeah, that's correct. We have a lot of folks. You've been taking pictures of move in day, Kyla, and those will probably be some of which will end up on our Facebook page. Kyla: Facebook and Instagram. Dave Blanks: Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I don't like it in here. Kyla: It is chaotic. Speaker 3: Excuse me. Kyla: Yeah, no problem. Yeah, let's go upstairs. Dave Blanks: Let's go upstairs. Tia Proctor: I'm Tia Proctor. It is so exciting. I'm just ready to get everything in and get everything sorted and stuff. And then just go explore the campus and just go to King Street- Dave Blanks: Yeah. Tia Proctor: ... and just have fun. Dave Blanks: When you look forward to the coming year, what is something that you're anticipating? Tia Proctor: I'm excited for game days. Dave Blanks: Yeah. Awesome. Tia Proctor: And learning about business and going through the business college and stuff. Dave Blanks: Cool. Tia, thank you so much for your answers. I really appreciate you. You passed with flying colors. Good job. Yeah. Tia Proctor: Thank you. Dave Blanks: Yeah. Tia Proctor: Yeah. Good one. Dave Blanks: Okay. And who is this? Your roommate? Tia Proctor: Yes. Dave Blanks: Hello? What is your name? Maddie Henry: Maddie Henry. Dave Blanks: Hey Maddie, how's it going? Maddie Henry: It's good. How are you? Dave Blanks: I'm good. How's your room? It looks pretty cool to me. Maddie Henry: It is amazing. Dave Blanks: Yeah. Maddie Henry: I was expecting so much less actually. Dave Blanks: Right. Maddie Henry: And I'm so excited that we got our own bathroom. Dave Blanks: Okay. Maddie, what's the moment like for you right now? What's the feeling? Maddie Henry: Nervous, excited, everything. I just want to get everything unpacked and be settled in, have everything go smoothly. Dave Blanks: Yeah. Well, has it been so, so far so good? Maddie Henry: So far so good except for the rain. Dave Blanks: I know, but at least you're inside right now. Right? Did you get everything in before it started really coming down? Maddie Henry: My parents are actually out there. Dave Blanks: Oh no. Your poor parents. All right. Well, shout out to Maddie's parents. Maddie Henry: Yeah. Dave Blanks: Be strong. Maddie Henry: I'm from Pennsylvania, so I'm very excited to just meet new people. Get a fresh start and make a lot of friends. Dave Blanks: Tia and Maddie, good luck. We're happy to have you as new Mountaineers. Maddie Henry: Thank you. Dave Blanks: All right. Bye y'all. Silas Dickerson: I am Silas Dickerson. I got here about 15 minutes ago. It feels great. Yeah, I'm ready to be here. I'm just ready to be more independent. Jennifer Leaver: Hi, I'm Jennifer Leaver. Dave Blanks: Who are you helping move in here today? Jennifer Leaver: My daughter, Lauren. Dave Blanks: Is this your first kid to come to college? Jennifer Leaver: No, I have a son in Boulder, in Colorado. Dave Blanks: All right. Jennifer Leaver: It's been nice to have her close by. Dave Blanks: When you look forward to Lauren's first year, what is it that you're excited about for her? Jennifer Leaver: Just meeting new people, finding her tribe of friends, and big football games, because she didn't have a school that was oriented around that and- Dave Blanks: Yeah. She's definitely got that to look forward to. Jennifer Leaver: Yeah. Yeah. Dave Blanks: Well, thanks so much for helping out and thanks for letting me talk to you. I appreciate you very much. Jennifer Leaver: Yeah. Sure, sure. McKenna Guard: I'm McKenna Guard. A mix of excitement and nervousness. A good healthy mix. I'm excited for the new community, and my friends last year went here and I just got to see them grow. Dave Blanks: Hold on, hold on. Let's let the train pass by. All right. What else was it? McKenna Guard: Because my friends, I got to see them grow here in Boone last year, and so I'm really excited to do that too. Dave Blanks: Awesome. I'm sure you will. McKenna, thanks for your time. I really appreciate you. Welcome to Boone. McKenna Guard: Thank you. Dave Blanks: Yeah. Spencer Daniel: I'm Spencer Daniel. Dave Blanks: Hey Spencer. Spencer Daniel: Hey. Dave Blanks: Your girls are here? Spencer Daniel: I have one daughter here and then her friend is her roommate. Dave Blanks: Oh, that works out well. Cool. What's your daughter's name? Spencer Daniel: Her name is Allie. Dave Blanks: Okay. All right. Is this your first child to come to college? Spencer Daniel: First child to go to college. Yes. Dave Blanks: All right. What's the moment like? Allie's in her room now. Spencer Daniel: Yeah, it's real. It feels real. Dave Blanks: Yeah. Spencer Daniel: It's exciting. She's so happy to be here. She's been looking forward to this since probably her junior year of high school. And so it's a really exciting time. I feel good that she feels good about it. She's just so excited to be here and have the opportunity to go out on the Parkway and go hiking and do all the outdoor things. And I think that part is what I'm most excited for her to be up here and to experience everything. Dave Blanks: Well, let's talk to her. Is she inside? Spencer Daniel: Yeah, she is. Yeah. Dave Blanks: Okay. Cool. Spencer Daniel: Come here. Dave Blanks: Hey. Alice Daniel: Hi. Dave Blanks: How's it going y'all? I was just talking to Spencer here. Alice Daniel: Yes. Dave Blanks: And Spencer, this is your daughter. Spencer Daniel: Yes. Dave Blanks: Okay. Who am I speaking with? Alice Daniel: Alice Daniel. Dave Blanks: Alice. How's it going? You go by Alice or Allie? Alice Daniel: Well, so my nickname has been Allie growing up. Dave Blanks: All right. Alice Daniel: But I decided I wanted to go back to my real name. Dave Blanks: All right. Cool. Alice Daniel: Yeah. Dave Blanks: Well that's what college is all about, right? Alice Daniel: Yes. Dave Blanks: Okay, cool. You were moving into Thunder Hill? Alice Daniel: Yes. Dave Blanks: You're in your room. What's going on in your head? Alice Daniel: Yeah, I'm really excited. I thought I was going to be more emotional, but I'm actually... I feel like my happiness is overshadowing my sadness about leaving them right now. Dave Blanks: Nice. Percentage wise. Good. Alice Daniel: Yes. Dave Blanks: Yeah. Alice Daniel: Yes. Dave Blanks: Excellent. Well, I hope it continues to tip that way, the scale. Alice Daniel: Yes. Yeah, I do too. Dave Blanks: When you look forward to your coming year, what is it that you're most excited about? Alice Daniel: Definitely. I have two things. I think one, I'm really excited to meet new people and just do Young Life or RUF, some kind of campus ministry. And then two, just being in the mountains and doing hikes and just being in the beauty of it. Dave Blanks: Nice. Oh, that was perfect. Alice Daniel: Yeah. Dave Blanks: All right. Well thank you so much for your time and welcome to Boone. We're glad you're here. Alice Daniel: Thank you. Vrishank Thombare: My name is Vrishank Thombare. I just moved in right now. I just dropped off all my stuff, said bye to my parents. Dave Blanks: Oh, man. Vrishank Thombare: Just came back. Yeah. Dave Blanks: You just said goodbye to them? Vrishank Thombare: Yeah. I just said goodbye. I just came back from the rain. Dave Blanks: Were they sad? Vrishank Thombare: My mom was crying. Oh, my mom was crying. Dave Blanks: Oh, no. Oh, man. Vrishank Thombare: She was like, "Give me a hug," and all this. She hugged me three times in the rain. Dave Blanks: Did you expect that? Vrishank Thombare: Yeah, I did. I expected it. Dave Blanks: Did you get emotional? Vrishank Thombare: I did get emotional, but it's like, I got to start this chapter. Dave Blanks: It's true man. Vrishank Thombare: New opportunities, new people. Dave Blanks: Absolutely. Vrishank Thombare: I'm really looking forward to the clubs because they have a lot of nature clubs that I wanted to look at to check them out. Dave Blanks: Yeah. Vrishank Thombare: I'm also interested in meeting new people from all types of backgrounds and building relationships, creating a network with people, so when I go into my career field I'm able to communicate with people that may have an advantage of something else that can help me. Dave Blanks: Whoa, This Hall's all decked out. Kyla: People are still moving in. Dave Blanks: Somebody decked the hall. It's got balloons and streamers and stuff. This RA really cares. Do you remember your move-in day, Kyla? Kyla: Yeah. Dave Blanks: Yeah. Was it hard? Kyla: Not really. Dave Blanks: No. It was pretty smooth? Kyla: Because I didn't have whole load of stuff. I had really small room. Dave Blanks: Nice. Kyla: And I lived on the second floor of Eggers. Dave Blanks: Oh perfect, so you didn't have to climb floor after floor after floor? Kyla: Yeah. Dave Blanks: Oh, that's a nice feeling. Vrishank Thombare: Hey. Dave Blanks: Hey dude. What's up Vrishank? Good man. How are you? Vrishank Thombare: Just getting to my room. Dave Blanks: All right. All right. Enjoy. Hey, guys. Guys

    9 min
5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

University Communication’s own Dave Blanks wanders the earth over in search of answers to all of life’s questions... great and small. Okay, so he mainly stays on Appalachian State University’s campus... he still wanders though... and he definitely wonders as he wanders. Listen for silly asides and revolutionary revelations. Priceless.

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