“I don’t know of any other place in the U.S. where you have eight other universities and industry working all together. I think that this whole concept has nowhere to go but up.”
— David Nieman,
director of Appalachian State’s Human Performance Lab, on N.C. Research Campus

“The most courageous thing our students do is walk through our doors and say, ‘I need help.’ ”
— Phyllis Martin,
retiring director, Rowan Literacy Council

“Sometimes, breaking bread with folks is a good way to start out and to get to know them on a personal level — who they are and what they do.”
— Aaron Church,
new Rowan County manager, on taking key employees to lunch

“Wherever it goes Jim, the board of commissioners is going to have a decision to make and it’s going to cost a lot of money.”
— Arnold Chamberlain,
to county commission Chairman Jim Sides on Social Services’ space needs

“Now that I know where I came from, it’s a bunch of weight off my shoulder. My days became more sunny.”
— Bobby Krebs,
on meeting his biological mother, Theresa Pitner, at the age of 29