BOONE, N.C. — In the 2018–19 academic year (August 2018–March), Appalachian State University Food Services, with the help of campus partners and eco-conscious students, faculty and staff, reduced single-use plastic straw usage on campus by 444,000 straws, as compared to the 2017–18 school year (August 2017–March 2018). Appalachian’s campus conversation around single-use plastic straws took off last year, when Food Services sponsored a viewing of and discussion about the movie “Straws,” which explores the environmental impact of single-use plastic straws.