Random, anonymous students at Appalachian State University were asked "Can you think of a time where you really felt like you were a part of what many like to call, The Appalachian Family?" and this is what they said.
"One time I was watching this guy slackline on Sanford Mall and he fell and dislocated his shoulder. Three different people ran up to him immediately screaming 'I'm an EMT!' and 'I'm a nursing major!' They were so willing to help."
"I was in line for the bathroom at Parthenon last week and a strap on my dress broke. Some random girl I didn't even know miraculously whipped a safety pin out of her purse and fixed it in two minutes."
"I was leaving campus after class, one time, and my car wouldn't start. A guy parked near me heard my struggles and offered to give me a jump since he had cables. It turns out it wasn't the battery so he used his AAA card to get me a tow. He wouldn't even let me pay him, and he waited with me until they got there and figured out the problem. It was one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me."
"At Trivette my freshman year towards the end of the semester, I was going to pay for my meal and my card was declined because I was out of meal plan money, but the person behind me paid for mine and their meal with cash so I wouldn't have to put my food back."
"Every single game day I feel like we come together as one big family. When the team runs out and we all go crazy. That's Appalachian family."
"Last year was a rough year for Appalachian, but we were all there for each other when times were tough. When Anna Smith was missing, I remember people just posting everywhere saying that if anyone needed someone to talk to or if anyone wanted someone to walk them home late at night to just ask. Everyone was so open to help everyone else because we were suffering through it together."
"One time the zipper on my bookbag broke and I didn't even notice so naturally all of my belongings fell onto the sidewalk on my way to class. At least four people who saw it happen rushed to my side and helped me pick everything up. If it wasn't for them I would have been late for a test."
"Everyone always writes really positive notes on the bathroom stalls in Edwin Duncan Hall. One time I remember I had a really awful day and I found myself there crying, and a message that read 'it gets better' helped me find the strength to wipe my tears and move forward."
"Someone noticed that I was in the library for 10 hours straight and left me a note and a cup of coffee when I was in the bathroom that read 'You were here when I left this morning and I see you haven't left since. Good luck with whatever you're working on!' That small gesture pushed me to keep studying."
"I was studying abroad this past summer and our group was running late so we were literally sprinting through a train station. I remember running past a guy who apparently saw the Boone shirt I had on and screamed 'GO 'NEERS!' It's amazing that there are members of our "Appalachian Family' all over the world."
"When the weather gets cold and we're all walking to class when it's -1 degrees outside I always feel like a part of the Appalachian Family because every single one of us is out there braving the cold. You walk into a building and look up and see people and they just give you a look that says 'Spring will be here soon man you got this, we'll all make it somehow.'"
"I can't think of a moment after I received my acceptance letter where I didn't feel like a member of the Appalachian family. Everyone on this campus has always welcomed me with open arms and been there for me when I needed them."
Go, 'Neers!
