SALT ON SHORE PAGE 18
ALSO INSIDE:
Spring 2020
DESPERATELY SEEKING SCHOLARSHIPS FINDING A PURPOSE IN A DIFFERENT WORLD WHEN THE MIRROR LIES HOT MIC IN 3-2-1 FROM TRASH TO TREASURE SEMESTER INTERRUPTED
CONTE NTS :: COUNTENANCE :: Thanks to the East Carolina University Division of Research, Economic Development and Engagement for underwriting the printing and distribution cost of Countenance magazine.
4 Desperately seeking scholarships Full scholarships or partial scholarships? Student-athletes often struggle to understand when coaches stretch their scholarship allotments among numerous student teammates. The differing dollars can prove to be contentious. Story by Bria Stith
8 Finding a purpose in a different world
Maria Villalobos spent her childhood in America just wanting to fit in. It was her involvement in cheerleading that best helped her to assimilate. Even today, being Hispanic-American is always in the back of her mind as she plans for a career as an immigration attorney. Story by Elyse Ballinger. Photos courtesy of Maria Villalobos
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12 When the mirror lies
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Men and women of all ages can develop anorexia nervosa, a lifethreatening mental illness that causes those with the condition to avoid eating. Dieting or starving themselves gives sufferers a sense of control when they feel that they cannot control much of anything else. ECU’s Dr. Natalia Sira, an expert on eating behavior, says the condition could be triggered by one’s family, friends, relationships and psychological trauma. Story by Taylor Offerdahl
16 Salt on shore
Between abnormal storms, disastrous floods, sea level rise, and wells that increasingly drain underground aquifers, saltwater intrusion is becoming a problem for crops and for drinking water in Eastern North Carolina. ECU’s Dr. Alex Manda sees potentially new cash crops and possible human retreat in the future. Story by Devin Rosenberger
20 Hot mic in 3-2-1
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Clip Brock thought he was finished with note taking when he graduated from ECU in 2006. But then he got a job with Pirate Radio and still takes notes every day. As with everything in Brock’s workday, the notes are about sports, as he hosts, interviews, produces and edits sports radio programs for “The Voice of the Pirate Nation.” Story and photos by Chandler Honeycutt
24 From trash to treasure
Treasures are sorted from the trash at the Eastern Carolina Vocational Center, the local material recovery center for Pitt County’s garbage. While machines do some of the sorting of trash and recyclables, it is often human hands that make sure the errant soda can and plastic milk jug are recycled for something new rather than taken to a landfill. Story and photos by Hannah Jeffries
28 Semester interrupted
What's it like to find out in the middle of the semester that face-to-face classes are cancelled, along with graduation ceremonies and most of your other plans? Students working on this magazine discuss some of their experiences.
Countenance (Vol. 4, Issue 1) is a general long-form » p. 20
feature magazine produced by students in the School of Communication at East Carolina University. The articles were written by students in the Fall 2019
Feature Writing class taught by Cindy Elmore. The magazine was designed by students in the Spring
2020 Desktop Publishing class, taught by Barbara
Bullington. Additional funding for the magazine was
provided by the School of Communication. Questions or feedback can be addressed to Cindy Elmore at elmorec@ecu.edu or 252-328-5306.
» p. 24 Last year’s edition of Countenance received the highest rating (Gold Medalist) from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Reviewers wrote that the magazine was “deeply personal, moving, and poignant. The staff does not shy away from controversial subject matter, and they present it with utmost professionalism.”
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Countenance design team:
Alexis Alvarez, Madison Brown, Christopher Castellucci, Stevie DupreeParker, Johnathan Espino, Jamie Gravatte, Gracie Gray, Riley Hewitt, Keandre Mitchell, Carly Nigro, Jordan Pawlik, Margaret Swider, Thomas Taylor, Austin White, Suzanne Williams, Allison Wood
Front cover photo: ECU photo by Matt Smith Spring 2020 Countenance 3
by Bria Stith
With student-athletes spending more than 30 hours a week on their sport, they want their performance and contribution to the team to reflect a fair and equitable value of their scholarship.
I
t’s May 24, 2019; today is the day Sommer Knight will be representing East Carolina University for the second time in the NCAA Division I East Region Preliminary Rounds. She anxiously waits for the words, “Knight, you’re up,” from the track officials. When she gets the three-word confirmation, she runs down the University of North Florida’s blue rubber runway, tightly gripping her 17-foot pole vault pole. Knight proudly wears her purple uniform with bold gold letters spelling out “EAST CAROLINA,” hoping for a new personal record that will earn her an increase in her scholarship. When they are young, many athletes engage in their sport for the enjoyment and togetherness of a team dynamic. For example, it is in middle school sports, high school sports and the Amateur Athletic Union where young athletes make friendships and develop the love for their sport. But higher levels
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of sports, specifically college, can shift the focus to money. According to a 2014 report from the Sport Science Institute, athletic scholarships put a dollar value on athletic performance, and the possibility of an increase or decrease in a scholarship heightens the performance-related pressure for student-athletes. Knight, the ECU pole vaulter, feels this pressure. “I know that if I do better, I can earn more money,” says Knight, describing the way she viewed her upcoming season performance. More than ever, athletes are aware of their role in the business of college sports, with some critics saying that student-athletes are exploited. For instance, Soraya McDonald, a culture critic for The Undefeated, an online platform for exploring the intersections of race, sports and culture, wrote that while universities build million-dollar athletic facilities and pay collegiate coaching staffs millions
Sommer Knight is a decorated athlete on the ECU women’s track and field team, three-time American Athletic Conference medalist, a two-time NCAA East region qualifier, and is the indoor and outdoor pole vault school record holder. She is also not among the athletes on the team with a full scholarship. photo by Bria Stith
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of dollars, they then often claim to not have enough money to financially help athletes. “When you get to the collegiate level and beyond, playing a sport goes beyond love,” said Tamia Hicks, a forward for the ECU women’s basketball team. “It’s very much a business. You are treated like it’s a business.” Student-athletes generally aspire to earn a scholarship to help pay for their college education. If athletes are fortunate to receive a full scholarship, also known as a “full-ride,” then it can change their lives because it reduces the debt athletes may have once they graduate. Athletic scholarships include tuition and fees, room and board, books and, in some cases, the cost of attendance, also known as “C.O.A.” Revenue sports, or the sports that generate the most money for an athletic program, are the only sports that guarantee “cost of attendance.” C.O.A is a monthly stipend, or additional spending money that is intended to cover the student-athlete's cost-of-living expenses. According to the 2018–2019 Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association Manual, the cost of attendance amount is supposed to close the gap between scholarship money and what it actually costs to attend college. Depending on the college, the stipends can range from $2,000 to $5,000 a year. The NCAA specifies different scholarship rules for the two types of team sports: head-count sports
and equivalency sports. Division I head-count sports include football, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s gymnastics, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball. In these sports, it is either all or nothing, which means the athletes either receive a full scholarship or they do not receive a scholarship at all. In head-count sports, only a set number of athletes can receive full scholarships each year. To give an idea, “Volleyball can give out 12 fullrides,” said Alex Keddie, the senior associate athletics director for compliance at East Carolina University. “So, if 13 are on the team, only 12 are getting a full scholarship in athletics.” The remaining sports at a university also receive a set number of scholarships, but the difference is that the coaches are allowed to split the scholarships among several athletes. “Let’s say four athletes are on 25 percent of tuition and fees, room and board and books,” said Keddie as she flipped through the NCAA Manual. “That will only equal to one scholarship in the percentage.” In the chart displayed below on this page are the possible ways scholarships can be divided among athletes on a team. The NCAA allows the head coaches in nonrevenue sports to determine how the scholarships are divided among team members. The coach can base the allocations on athletic performance, academics or financial need.
Possible ways scholarships can be divided among athletes on a team.
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"When you get to the collegiate level and beyond, playing a sport goes beyond love. It’s very much a business. You are treated like it’s a business."
Tamia Hicks, a forward for the ECU women’s basketball team. ECU Women's Basketball photo from ecupirates.com
Yet, this decision by the head coach sometimes proves to be very contentious. East Carolina University’s track and field and cross-country head coach, Curt Kraft, has coached collegiate athletes for 30 years. Throughout those years, the division of scholarships among each team has remained a touchy subject. “It is probably the toughest thing I have to deal with as a head coach,” said Kraft. Student-athletes simply want their performance and contribution to the team to reflect a fair and equitable value of their scholarship. If athletes do not feel their scholarship amount reflects their output, then tension can develop within a team dynamic. “The student-athletes have an idea of how much everybody is getting in scholarship money,” said Mike Hanley, ECU’s senior associate athletics director. “So that can create issues on the team.” Knight, a decorated athlete on the ECU women’s track and field team, is a prime example. She is a three-time American Athletic Conference medalist, a two-time NCAA East region qualifier and is the indoor and outdoor pole vault school record holder. She holds multiple outstanding accomplishments but is not among the athletes on the team with a full scholarship. “There are some people on the team that are on full scholarships that do not contribute at all,” Knight said. It’s tough to see.” Not being on a full scholarship has real consequences. First and foremost, when a student-athlete graduates then
he or she may have to take out a loan in order to repay their college debt. Second, not receiving a full scholarship creates stress and added pressure while a student-athlete is in college. Some athletes are forced to maintain jobs throughout the school year to pay their expenses since they are not on a full scholarship. For a college athlete, keeping a job is possible but very difficult, because collegiate sports are so time demanding. The life of a student-athlete consists of morning workouts, team meetings, classes, afternoon practices, traveling most weekends during season, weightlifting, and attending mandatory athletic events required by the team. As a result, many student-athletes spend more than 30 hours per week on their sport. This does not include the time required for their education. For this reason, many athletes are becoming more and more frustrated with the current NCAA model of giving head coaches sole discretion of scholarship allocation. Hicks, the ECU women’s basketball player, said that student-athletes understand that they are part of a big business, but they still want equity and value to be fairly placed on those who deserve bigger scholarships based on performance and not potential. As long as student-athletes do not receive the scholarship money they deserve based off performance, in the words of Coach Kraft, the unspoken “elephant in the room will always be the dollar figure.”n
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by Elyse Ballinger
She came to a new country not knowing what to expect but overcame obstacles to make her dreams come true.
M
aria Villalobos runs her fingers across her bumpy pencil case while she zones out in her first American classroom because everyone is speaking English so fast and she can barely understand what they’re saying. She looks around, nervous and confused, and notices she’s not the only one who has her warm brown skin color. In Miami, where she lives, there are many immigrants; some legal, some not. At the ripe age of 6, Maria does not discern the difference; she just knows she does not understand the language that people would later force her to speak around them. Back then, Maria did not know where her struggles would bring her in life. Today, she is a 20-year-old student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, working toward a bachelor’s degree in public policy and global studies with a concentration in Latin America for international politics. “Basically I would like to get involved in either international relations or working on public policy in Latin American countries or foreign relations,” Maria says. “I’m kind of on a pre-law track.” Maria, who was born in Colombia, has dreamed of being an advocate for a change in U.S. immigration laws. She considers herself one of the lucky ones. Her father is an engineer and was sponsored by a company in Miami, which meant he was able to get their immediate family citizenship in America. In 2004, as she sat in her twin bed in a closet-sized room in Colombia, her parents told her that the move was a good thing, that she would have a better life in America, and they could have a big house in Florida. Before she knew it, she said goodbye to her friends in Colombia and came to the U.S. with only four suitcases, one for each member of her family.
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Maria Villalobos cheering for the North Carolina Tar Heels. photo provided courtesy of Maria Villalobos
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“I’ve always wondered if the fact that I’m different is going to keep me from an opportunity or from this person liking me or something. It’s always something I have to think about.” Maria grew used to her life in Miami, where she lived for three years. That was until her dad got a new job in North Carolina. At this point she was mostly fluent in English because she was so young that basic language skills came easily to her. At the time, Maria did not know much about her move to North Carolina, but she knew that she wanted to fit in. She left her comfortable life in Miami and moved to a predominately white neighborhood in Huntersville, North Carolina, where the air was less sticky and there weren’t as many people with the warm, brown skin tone she had become accustomed to in Miami. At 9, Maria walked into her homeroom class on her first day of elementary school in North Carolina with clammy palms and immediately noticed that she was perceived differently than the rest of the energized kids. The assigned seats were in alphabetical order, so she was in the back of the classroom. To the left of her was another girl with the same caramel skin color named Alexa Villasmil. Alexa became one of Maria’s closest friends. She was also Colombian, and Maria suddenly felt as if she were not as different as she thought she was from the rest of her peers. Alexa was a competitive cheerleader at an all-star company named White Lightning Athletics. Shortly after Maria met her new friend, she decided to give competitive cheerleading a try. Maria loved all aspects of cheerleading and would watch videos of competitions on YouTube, dreaming of obtaining new skills and winning as many trophies as she could. But the feeling of being one of the only non white people on the team was something she was always insecure about. One of Maria’s coaches, Miguel Miranda, was also Hispanic and knew what it felt like to be looked at differently in the cheer world. “I would say I took her [Maria] under my wing,” Miranda states. “Cheer is a predominately whitegirl sport, so I always hoped to make her feel more comfortable because I’m Hispanic too. Kind of like she wasn’t alone.”
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Maria was conscious of stares at cheer competitions, and even at grocery stores when her family spoke Spanish or broken English. The consciousness of her Hispanic background has stuck with her even to this day, when she talks to potential employers or new friends. “I’ve always wondered if the fact that I’m different is going to keep me from an opportunity or from this person liking me or something,” Maria says. “It’s always something I have to think about.” But that was far from the truth. Maria’s determination for success was her main priority. Her dream college had always been the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. To get in, she joined as many clubs, teams and volunteer opportunities as she could. She also graduated high school with a 4.8 weighted GPA. The evening she found out she was accepted, Maria was sitting on a blue leather seat in the back of a bus with everyone being two-to-a-seat, on her way to a Christian camp called Young Life. This camp was a retreat away from home with no cell phone use allowed. However, the instructors knew how important the news was to her and the others on the bus seeking admission into UNC. Everyone who applied eagerly checked their email to see if they had gotten into one of the most coveted universities in America. Maria listened as, one by one, her friends read their rejection letter out loud. Listening to the denials made her question even applying in the first place. When it became her turn to open the email, she experienced the feeling of her clammy palms again, but this time it was her whole body that felt sticky. As her thighs stuck to the leather seats of the bus, she opened her email and her entire phone crashed. “I nervously laughed because everyone was watching me open the email,” Maria said. She recalls having tunnel vision as she rebooted her phone, opening up the acceptance letter. “I just remember crying, and all of my friends crying. Everyone knew it was my dream school, so it
was a really big deal for, like, everyone.” “I’ve known Maria since she was in, like, sixth grade through middle school cheer,” Eva Bertone, a Young Life instructor who was on the trip, says. “Even at 11 years old, she knew she wanted to wear Carolina blue.” The moment she opened the email, Maria knew everything she had been through had been worth it. She knew in that moment that she was in the U.S. for a reason, and all the discrimination and the “go back to your own country” taunts she had heard meant nothing. Maria’s acceptance was especially important to her family, especially her dad. Maria’s parents got divorced when she was 15, and her dad took on the role of her primary caretaker. Maria’s dad was adamant on her getting into UNC. But, at first, Maria thought it would be entertaining to play a prank on him. “She got into the car and then I asked, ‘Did you hear anything from Chapel Hill?’ and she answered, ‘I was not accepted,’” Camilo Villalobos, Maria’s dad, says. “But then she said, ‘I am kidding, I was accepted.’ This was one of
my best days because I knew how much it means for her.” Today, with her hopes of becoming an immigration lawyer, Maria wants to help immigrants to have a fair and quality life in the U.S. She believes the recent immigration crackdown is due to the administration’s fear of immigrants. The 6-year-old girl who had attempted to bring scissors on a plane because she did not know if America would have them is now well on a path to helping immigrants and influencing international politics, while also cheering for UNC Chapel Hill football and basketball—quintessential American sports. “Maria is like one of the people you know are in your life for a reason,” said Jordan Shearer, a member of the UNC cheerleading team with Maria. “I’ve never met anyone that genuinely cares about me like she does. Honestly I don’t know what I’d do without her.” Maria is now a junior at UNC, maintaining a 3.7 GPA, and an ambassador for Red Bull energy drinks. She is on track to graduate on time and cannot wait to make a difference in the world. n
Villalobos holding her high school diploma, and as a child with her father, Camilo Villalobos. photos provided courtesy of Maria Villalobos. Spring 2020 Countenance 11
by Taylor Offerdahl
Many people with anorexia also suffer from body dysmorphia. People with body dysmorphia find defects in their appearance that are not visible to others, such as inaccurately believing that they are overweight.
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T
he prom queen, Johnsie Atkinson, stood slouched in her silver 3-inch heels in front of the bathroom mirror, eyeing the sparkling crown upon her curled hair and the alluring royal blue dress that took her months to find. Everyone had been gaping at the “teenage daydream” with admiration, especially her 10-year-old sister who ecstatically declared that she wanted to grow up and look just like her. Johnsie was idolized by everyone yet abhorred herself, because everyone else saw a beautiful, kind, canny 19-year-old. But all she saw was a dressed-up heartbreak who would gain weight after eating the prom dinner at Firebirds in Charlottesville, Virginia. So, she lied, deceiving everyone into thinking she ate prior when, in reality, she hadn’t eaten a full meal in days. For the prom queen felt so pressured to be pretty she became an anorexic, and her crown glistened with tears, not diamonds. The pressure to look thin has made anorexia nervosa a common disorder all over the globe. Anorexia nervosa is a life-threatening mental illness that can affect both men and women of all ages. An estimated 30 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lives, according to research from the National Eating Disorder Association. Anorexia nervosa involves an intense fear of weight gain that leads people to a considerably reduced appetite or even complete aversion to food, according to research published on MedicineNet, which is part of the WebMD online network. Many people with anorexia also suffer from body dysmorphia, a mental disorder involving an individual’s obsession to find a flaw in their body and fix it. Typically, people with body dysmorphia find defects in their
photo: public domain obtained from from freestocks.org Spring 2020 Countenance 13
Dr. Natalia Sira, an East Carolina University associate professor who researches eating behavior, says parental attitudes and beliefs, feeding practices, and communication styles can all contribute to a high-risk situation for adolescents trying to fit in.
Did you know? The eating disorder awareness ribbon is lavender,
.
photo by Barbara Bullington Graphic used with permission from youngwomenshealth.org
appearance that are not visible to others and are not disfigured. An example of this would be someone who sees their reflection as being overweight when, in fact, they are underweight. According to research by Cornell University psychology professor Katherine Phillips, body dysmorphia is common; it affects roughly 1.7% to 2.9% of the general population, meaning over 5 million and up to 10 million cases of body dysmorphia are diagnosed every year in the Unites States alone. There is no known cure for body dysmorphia, just treatments that can help manage the condition. This is one of the many aspects of what makes anorexia so difficult to treat because 12% of people with body dysmorphia are also anorexic. Another facet that makes it hard to treat anorexia is that there are no single known direct causes. However, the condition of anorexia has been seen through generations of families, meaning when parents or grandparents suffer from anorexia, it is common for other members of that bloodline to suffer from it as well. This has led experts to believe that anorexia is partially genetic, but it cannot be deemed entirely genetic because many people who suffer from anorexia do not have any known family members who have suffered from it. Dr. Natalia Sira, an East Carolina University associate professor who researches eating behavior, also mentioned the aspect of genetics, but not in the way many would think. While eating disorders have genetic factors, those factors clearly do not act alone in influencing the development of eating disorders. Sira explained that many conditions that run in families are not due to the genetic makeup of an individual but work in concert with environmental factors such as parenting (supportive/sensitive to a child’s needs or 14 Countenance Spring 2020
controlling), parental attitudes and beliefs, feeding practices, and communication styles. All the environmental aspects may create a high-risk situation for an insecure adolescent who is bombarded by media and society into trying to fit the Western cultural ideal. For anorexics, it is hard to be aware and abandon tactics that they were raised to believe. The parents of an anorexic are often controlling, giving adolescents an environment in which they too would like to control something; dieting or starving oneself gives the individual a sense of control. Sira also indicated that everyone is different, and this condition could be triggered by many individual aspects of adolescents’ lives such as family, friends, control, insecurity, relationships and psychological trauma. This means that treatment must be individualized, which can be difficult when the person suffering doesn’t want to open up about their feelings, emotions and life struggles, nor do they want to be treated. Sira, who works in ECU’s Department of Human Development and Family Science, said it is also difficult to change a person’s perception of beauty, which is culturally oriented. Johnsie Atkinson, the former prom queen, is an example of someone who was diagnosed with anorexia developed through psychological and environmental factors. Now 40, she suffered on and off with anorexia when she was a teenager and into her 20s. Johnsie said she felt the need to starve due to her personal insecurities and the pressure to fit in. Because of her anorexia, Johnsie didn’t have a menstrual cycle for two years. She also suffered from major hair loss, constipation, insomnia and yellowish, dry skin. At 16, in the middle of a swim meet, Johnsie became lightheaded and unable to finish her race. Her mother noticed and
immediately took her to a doctor who diagnosed her with anorexia. With the help of doctors, family and friends, Johnsie recovered from her anorexia when she was 21 and is an example of the 60% of people successfully treated for the condition. Even though she no longer starves herself, Johnsie says she still suffers from the desire to lose weight. Even today, she said that a voice in her head constantly tells her she isn’t skinny enough, adding, “It’s hard to get over the idea of being overweight when every time you look in the mirror, that’s all you see.” Ashley Sabo, a nurse at Atrium Health who previously worked as a high school nurse, helps diagnose hundreds of patients each year with body disorder. Sabo explained that anorexia is such a difficult condition to treat because it is similar to what someone with a drug addiction experiences. A drug addict cannot look at any type of drug without feeling tempted to take it. Drug addicts also cannot be
given medication to overcome their obsession because of the high drugs give them, recovered or not, Sabo said. Anorexics are addicted to their image. They cannot look at someone with a nice body and not wish they looked like that themselves. Similarly, once they have already starved themselves, they can’t look at food without thinking about how much they want to be thin, seeing the meal in front of them as an obstacle. Anorexia is also difficult to treat because people love the feeling of control, Sabo said. Many cannot control what happens in their day-today lives, but they can control what they eat. Controlling their diet gives them a sense of independence and strength. Many choose to continue to starve themselves even after treatment because not doing so feels like a loss of control. Sabo added that treating someone with anorexia is also difficult because many were chubby as children. They may still see themselves as the same fat kid they were years ago
and can never get that image out of their head, especially if they were teased for it. What they looked like as children can haunt them all their lives, making it difficult for them to see who they are now, Sabo said. Another facet explained by Jean Cahoon, a clinical psychologist and abnormal psychology professor at East Carolina University, is that when people eat, dopamine is formed in the brain due to the pleasure of indulging in food. When someone starves themselves, the dopamine begins to no longer be produced, making eating no longer pleasurable, and when someone does not enjoy eating, it is hard to make them maintain a healthy diet. Cahoon stressed that although medications and therapists can be used to completely rewire the brain of sufferers, how someone views themselves cannot be rewired. Someone’s perception of beauty is hard to adjust; only a person’s individual self can modify what they believe to be beautiful. n
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As saltwater intrusion causes concern about groundwater safety and success of crops in eastern North Carolina, researchers look at what can be done to conserve our most precious natural resource.
photo by Milada Vigerova on Unsplash 16  Countenance Spring 2020
by Devin Rosenberger
E
astern North Carolina is home to some of the most beautiful beaches on the East Coast, but they contain a danger in the form of saltwater. The foamy, eyeburning component of any fun day at the beach has become a nuisance for many in the North Carolina coastal plains. This ever-growing and alarming issue is known as saltwater intrusion, or the movement of saltwater into freshwater aquifers. Saltwater is considered a dangerous contaminant when it mixes with drinking water. It’s widely known that drinking saltwater is highly unsafe as it causes dehydration and possible death if enough of it is consumed. What is less known, however, is that saltwater has a nearly identical effect on plants, and more specifically, North Carolina cash crops. As a result, having saltwater too far inland can be harmful for many reasons. One of the reasons that saltwater intrusion is so dangerous is its effect on drinking water. Groundwater is one of the major sources of usable water in the United States, and, according to the Groundwater Foundation, an organization devoted to increasing and protecting sustainable groundwater, this source of water is used for drinking by more than 50 percent of people in the United States. Groundwater is extracted through wells drilled into aquifers underground, and for parts of Eastern North Carolina these wells are beginning to run dry, or in this case, run salty. The correlation between drinking water and saltwater intrusion is more direct than some may think. As coastal areas of North Carolina grow in population, so does the need for accessible drinking water, thus resulting in excess pumping for water. This causes the water from the surrounding ocean to displace the fresh, drinkable water as it is pumped out, creating a startling issue here in eastern North Carolina. Dr. Alex Manda, an associate professor of water resources in the Department of Geological Sciences at East Carolina University, can confirm the problem: “When it comes to groundwater reservoirs, the biggest driver of saltwater intrusion is groundwater pumping.”
Manda has done extensive research on the causes and the effects of saltwater intrusion in Eastern North Carolina. In March 2019, Manda set up several weather stations in Middletown, North Carolina, in an attempt to monitor specific weather changes that could be causing increased saltwater contamination in North Carolina soil. For this research, Manda accompanied several ECU graduate students to Dawson Pugh’s farm in Hyde County, North Carolina, where they were welcomed with several interesting developments. According to Pugh, the “blacklands” are an area of historically nutrient-rich soil in the coastal farmlands of North Carolina that have recently been plagued with a laundry list of issues. Along with Manda, he believes that the excess groundwater pumping is a major culprit. Luckily, the amount of groundwater extraction can be reduced. The Groundwater Foundation provides a list of tips to conserve groundwater, which is the best way to displace the negative effects of saltwater intrusion, including using native plants in yards. According to the foundation’s website, native plants “look great, and don’t need much water or fertilizer. Also choose grass varieties for your lawn that are adapted for your region’s climate, reducing the need for watering or chemical applications.” Along with groundwater pumping, another notable source of saltwater intrusion occurs during flooding, which happens more frequently. Over the last four years, Eastern North Carolina has been hit by two deadly storms, Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. Matthew was responsible for 20 inches of rainfall in October 2018, while Florence delivered a state record-breaking 30 inches of rainfall in 2017, causing serious flooding on the coast. Because of these two disastrous events, along with changes in climate, the rise of sea levels and abnormal wind events, saltwater isn’t just making its presence felt under our feet, but on the surface as well, potentially causing serious problems for Eastern North Carolina agriculture. While livestock products and crops each contribute around 50% of North Carolina’s agriculSpring 2020 Countenance 17
tural income, it’s the field crops that are most affected by a rise in inland salinity. Tobacco is North Carolina’s No. 1 money-making field crop, while soybeans, corn, peanuts and sweet potatoes are also important to the state’s economy. However, none of these crops can withstand a heavy salt content, spelling disaster for farmers in Eastern North Carolina. Plants that handle salt well include tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and bell peppers. Is it possible in the near future North Carolina could be known for its tomato production? Manda, the ECU professor, thinks so. “Communities may have to adapt to changing environments by implementing practices
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to mitigate impacts from saltwater intrusion, such as planting saltwater tolerant plants, or in the worst-case scenario, people may have to retreat,” he said. The latter of Manda’s two potential ways to adapt is scary to say the least, but it is very possible. State organizations such as the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality could alleviate the growing saltwater intrusion problem by changing groundwater pumping schedules. They could also perhaps even develop reverse osmosis facilities, which are manufacturing plants where water is desalinated through the process of reverse osmosis. Even so, Eastern North Carolinians need to bear the brunt of the load and do their best to conserve our most precious natural resource. Don’t leave your faucets running, and don’t take 30-minute showers. Or, the next time you take one, it might be a bit salty. n
top left photo of Dr. Alex Manda from geology.ecu.edu
direct left: Manda taking samples in Hyde County with a team of graduate students as part of his research into saltwater intrusion. Manda, an ECU associate professor of water resources in the Department of Geological Sciences at East Carolina University, feels that it is important to work with other countries on issues also affecting the U.S. Along with his research specific to North Carolina, Manda was awarded a U.S. government Fulbright fellowship to foster understanding of groundwater contamination in Zambia. photo by Matt Smith, ECU University Communications
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20  Countenance Spring 2020
Go behind the scenes of Pirate Radio with Clip Brock, producer and host of three shows, to see what it's like to keep fans informed about all things Pirate Nation. Article and photos by Chandler Honeycutt
I
t is noon on a sunny, cool Wednesday in uptown Greenville, and Clip Brock pulls into the parking lot behind the Pirate Radio studios in his brown 2009 Nissan Altima. He exits the car with a laptop case over his shoulder. “Another day, another dollar,” Clip says with a grin as he makes his way to the studio’s back door. He enters the studio and greets Shirley Rhodes, the morning producer for Pirate Radio, who is set to hand over the producing duties to Clip. Spring 2020 Countenance 21
Clip Brock interviewing ECU play-by-play announcer Corey Gloor for “The Sports Bar,” previewing the upcoming ECU baseball season. Brock hosts three shows, including “The Sports Bar,” which airs weekdays at 3 p.m.
“Thank goodness you’re here,” Shirley says with a sigh of relief. “It’s been a long morning.” Clip takes over the producing duties for Shirley, who comes in to work at 7 a.m. every morning to produce Jeff Charles’ morning show, “The Morning Drive.” “Every day when I hear that door open at around 12 o’clock, I know it’s Clip, and my workday is over,” Shirley says. Clip walks down the hallway filled with framed NFL jerseys of former ECU football players and into the producer’s room. He takes out his laptop and is ready to go. Clip has been behind the producer’s board for Pirate Radio, which sits right in the heart of Evans street, since graduating from East Carolina in 2006. He hosts three shows, including “The Sports Bar,” which airs weekdays at 3 p.m. He also hosts the “Bud light Pregame Tailgate” and the “U.S. Cellular 5th Quarter Call-In Show,” both airing before and after every ECU game during football season. Clip starts his shift by writing notes about each NFL game that went on over the weekend for his 3 p.m. show, “The Sports Bar.” “I thought I was done with note taking when I graduated from college,” Clip says, chuckling, as he picks up the phone to call the guests who will be on his show. With the phone between his shoulder and ear, he continues to jot down notes in preparation for 22 Countenance Spring 2020
his show. One guest does not need to be called because he is already in the studio. That guest is Pirate Radio co-founder and owner Jonathan Ellerbe. “Hey Clip, do you mind if we prerecord our segment? I have a meeting with a client at 3:30,” Jonathan says as he walks into the room. Without hesitation, Clip sits behind the producer’s board and mic while Jonathan sits in the seat at Mic 1. Clip then presses the record button on the desktop computer. For 30 minutes they talk about the ECU football game against Cincinnati the previous Saturday. They finish the segment on a positive note, talking about how productive ECU’s offense was, as it put up 51 points against one of the best teams in the country. “Thanks for doing that early, Clip,” Jonathan says, walking into the producer’s room. He and Clip have been working together for years now. “Clip’s been a huge part of our operation here at Pirate Radio. He started off here as an intern back in 2006 and he just made his way up the ranks,” Jonathan says. “We appreciate all that he does for us.” Pirate Radio first hit the airwaves back in 2003, and now is in its 17th year of covering ECU athletics. It is known as “The Voice of the Pirate Nation,” and has grown from being only on AM radio in the Greenville area to being on 92.7 FM in Greenville and 104.1 FM in nearby Washington. There is also a free mobile app for
listeners to listen to anywhere and anytime. Since the surge of social media, Pirate Radio has its own platforms on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. With 13,000 followers on Instagram and Twitter, and 20,000 likes on Facebook, it is evident that Pirate Radio is popular throughout “Pirate Nation.” Back at the station, it’s now time to go to football practice. Clip grabs a recorder from his desk and walks to his car. He gets behind the wheel and starts his route to the ECU football practice facility to get audio soundbites from coaches and players for his show, which begins in a few hours. “This is my favorite part of the day because it gives me a chance to get out of the studio and do some reporting,” Clip says, turning his radio dial to 92.7, Pirate Radio’s FM station. As he pulls into the parking lot, the shadow of the newly renovated Towne Bank Tower covers the practice field. Clip walks over to the entrance gate where another half-dozen other media members await players and coaches. Among the group is Glenn Griffin, Pirate Radio’s social media director, and co-founder and owner of Pirate Radio, Troy Dreyfus. Glenn walks over to Clip with a smirk. “Where have you been?” Glenn asks, jokingly. “Doing actual work,” Clip fires back. The gates open and all seven media members flood onto the field to get their interviews. With Clip and Troy getting audio and Glenn taking videos for social media, the trio gathers all the interviews and
footage they can and then head back to the studio. On the way back, Clip stops by McDonald’s to grab a bite to eat. “I never get time to eat at the studio, so I use this time to grab some lunch,” Clip says while taking his McDonald’s bag from the cashier.
“Got to keep the sponsors happy,” Troy says with a laugh as he hurries back to continue his show. For an hour, Clip hovers over the producer’s control board until the end of the one-hour show. He finishes up some paperwork and packs his laptop into the case.
Back at the studio, it’s time to edit the audio they recorded at practice. Clip sits down in his chair, takes out the recorder and plugs it into the computer. For a half hour, the clicking sound of the mouse fills the quiet producer’s room as Clip
Clip’s day isn’t quite done yet. He hops in his car and drives five miles to A.J. McMurphy’s Irish Pub, where he hosts Sports Trivia every Wednesday night at 8. As he arrives, the parking lot is already full. “I hope these people are here to play trivia,” Clip says. He grabs a laptop from the back seat of his car. The laptop contains a PowerPoint presentation that he displays on three big screen TVs throughout the restaurant. Clip recognizes a pair of trivia goers sitting at a table while he walks to the bar to get a “pre-trivia” Yuengling. “You guys going to win it all tonight?” Clip asks. “We sure hope so,” says Ginny Shelton, who is sitting with her husband. It is trivia time. Clip grabs the mic and says, “Alright ladies and gents, it’s time to put your sports knowledge to the test.” After two hours of trivia, everyone pays their bill and files out of A.J.’s, including Clip. He chugs the rest of his “post-trivia” Yuengling, belches and says, “It’s time to head home.” He exits the patio door and walks to his Nissan Altima. Opening his driver’s side door and putting his belongings in the passenger seat, Clip grins. “Welp,” Clip says sighing, “another day another dollar.” n
Pirate Radio first hit the airwaves back in 2003, and now is in its 17th year of covering ECU athletics. It is known as “The Voice of the Pirate Nation.” searches for key quotes from players and coaches. Clip downloads his finished product and saves it to use in his show, which is about to begin. It’s 2:59 and it’s showtime. Clip adjusts his mic and says, “Hot mic in 3, 2,1…. Welcome into a Wednesday edition of the Sports Bar,” and he’s off. For two hours Clip talks sports with four guests on his twohour show. At 5 p.m. he goes from radio host to radio producer, as he produces Troy Dreyfus’ show, “Pirate Radio Live.” After the first break, Troy enters the producer’s room to discuss what advertisements to run.
Spring 2020 Countenance 23
From trash to treasure
Is this plastic straw recyclable? How about that jug or soda can? At the Eastern Carolina Vocational Center, sorters separate out treasures from the trash, keeping bottles, paper and more out of landfills. Article and photos by Hannah Jeffries
I
lay on top of a Folgers coffee tin and beside a strawberry granola bar wrapper. I wait in a pile for days until I am pushed onto a strong black conveyer belt. At the start of the line, everyone is here: Clorox bottles, needles and newspapers, all congested. As the line continues, I clank against the metal sides and see fingers from every direction covered in gray gloves take my neighbors away. As I ride down the remainder of the line, hands scuffle through me as if they are mining for coal. Once all the treasures of aluminum cans, plastic milk jugs and metals are collected, I’m sent to the landfill with the rest of the trash. I am a plastic straw. In Greenville, residents toss their recyclables (or products they think are recyclables) into a blue trash bin. Once a week these recyclables are collected and taken to the Eastern Carolina Vocational Center, Pitt County’s local material recovery center. From there, the recycling is unloaded onto a larger pile of recycling. The recyclables are then shoved onto a black conveyer belt to be sorted by hand.
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Trucks dump their loads of recyclables into this pile at the Eastern Carolina Vocational Center.
Once everything is placed on a conveyer belt, it is the sorter’s job to separate the recyclables from the trash.
The hand-sorting is necessary because not everything is actually recyclable. “If people would learn how to put the right things in the recycling, we wouldn’t have to deal with all of this trash,” moans a supervisor, George Hayward, looking on. Trash is the contamination factor that mingles throughout the recyclables. Once everything is placed on the conveyer belt, it is the sorter’s job to separate the recyclables from the trash. The plastic milk jug that sits beside the bubble wrap has a different destination; it is a valuable item. The milk jug was saved from the landfill near the end of the sorting line. It’s caught by one of the workers and dropped down through a hole leading to a wide metal bin below. Once the metal bin is overflowing, the contents are taken to a large machine that compacts all the milk jugs into a single cube. The jug is now in the center of a cubical bound with string, at the top of dozens of cubes just like it. The stack of plastic bottles stands at least 50 feet tall. Businesses send representatives to the transfer station to evaluate and buy these stacks and convert the recyclables into other reusable materials. The plastic bottles will
Spring 2020 Countenance 25 Spring 2019 Countenance 29
stay there until a customer comes and loads a tractor trailer full of bails of jugs. Recycling Coordinator Tonya Harris glances up at the stacks of jugs and confidently says, “When customers look around the facility, they are able to recognize how top quality this material is.” Harris inspects the bails of aluminum cans for trash contamination. On the ground where the stacked cubicles sit, items like bottles and newspapers by the dozen decorate the concrete. To the right of the bails of jugs lie the aluminum cans. One can sits at the bottom left corner of the most recently bailed cube of aluminum cans. It’s a Dr. Pepper can, whose path was a little different. It was saved from the landfill at the last possible second.
(top left) Once cans are gathered, they are dropped down a chute and collected in this bin. (direct left) Stacks of recyclable items after they are bailed. This product is bought by individual companies.
26 Countenance Spring 2020
The can was left in the far-left corner of the conveyer belt, hidden under half-empty tubes of ranch dressing and Hardee's wrappers. To keep it from the landfill, the can was sent down a chute at the very end of the sorting line into a high-speed barrel that spins in a whirlwind-like motion. Amid the circling barrel of trash, a worker uses a grabber to rescue the Dr. Pepper can and tosses it into an old paint bucket. The cans collected there are tossed into the larger metal bin where the Dr. Pepper joins its comrades. Outside the main door and past the conveyer belt, one of the workers stands in front of the barrel, inspecting the trash within it for aluminum cans. “I don’t have to do this, but I’m just doing it,” says the worker. Beyond the barrel, other machines separate the trash from the recyclables at ECVC. It is common for material recovery centers to use a combination of machines and manual labor to separate materials, according to Hayward. As the barrel turns, its metal remains free-fall in a stream-like motion, cascading downward about 20 feet. While the trash pours down into the bed of a trash truck, a magnet hanging in front of the stream attracts metal pieces out of the river of garbage. After the magnet collects all the metals, the remaining garbage flows into the back of a trash truck stationed under the machine. When the trash truck is full, ECVC managers call the Pitt County Transfer Station and a worker comes to pick up the truck, driving the garbage in the truck bed to the transfer station. At the transfer station, the garbage is compacted into cubes of trash and loaded into the back of a tractor
trailer. That truck hauls the garbage cubes to the Bertie County landfill to be buried, according to John Demary, the solid waste director for Pitt County Solid Waste and Recycling. Back at the sorting line, the workers take a five-minute break from the conveyer belt, while a manager directs them to their next task. “Everyone has a specific item to pick up,” he explains, but is interrupted by a sorter at the top of the line. The worker points to her friend across the belt, saying, “She’s getting the milk jugs.” Then Hayward, the supervisor, continues his explanation. “They’re getting soda bottles, he’s getting white paper, he’s getting glass, he’s getting newspaper, they’re getting newspaper and she’s getting cans,” he barks to each person while clarifying each specific duty. About 20 of the workers stand in front of the rolling conveyer belt, half of them on each side. They are employed by ECVC. Some are people with special needs, and some are a part of the STRIVE program, which helps employ people who were previously incarcerated. Hayward says the job gives many of those in STRIVE “a second chance in life.” This is in addition to the opportunities provided for employees with special needs. “It’s always been our mission to help people with disabilities,” Harris adds. This mission is one that Harris and her family are passionate about. Back in the 1970s, Harris’s mother sat in the same seat doing the same job her daughter does now. So ECVC feels like home for Harris. After the items are bailed and
stacked, she enjoys dealing with the customers who carry the bails of recyclables back to their businesses to be transformed into something new. Her favorite part is talking to customers and showing them around the facility because she is proud of the work done there. Harris says representatives of paper companies and private recycling businesses are surprised at how clean and well-kept ECVC is. Nearing the end of their break, the workers stretch and chat. Then they are stationed back in their positions beside the conveyer belt. The line now holds a new set of recyclables and contaminants: pill bottles, ice cream cartons, Wheat Thin boxes and more. After a loud shrill goes off, the belt starts moving, the picking and pulling begins and the treasures are sorted from the trash. n
Spring 2020 Countenance 27
This semester, many college students, including those at East Carolina University, learned that they would not be returning from spring break to their usual class routines. Face-toface courses ceased to meet and were replaced with online work.Some of the students on the Countenance Design team share a little about what it was like to be caught up in the midst of this unprecented change... 28  Countenance Spring 2020
photo by Barbara Bullington
Allison Wood
C
oronavirus came in like a wrecking ball, that’s for sure. Before the outbreak, I thought nothing was going to happen to the United States. I thought America was invincible and the virus would not affect us like Italy or China. I am a junior at ECU and out of state, so this pandemic messed up my plans completely. Everything that was planned, paid and booked for the future months in advance was ruined. I had to pack up my summer clothes and head back to Charleston, South Carolina, my hometown, and finish school at home. A major thing that has affected my life and even my graduation plan was my study abroad experience. I was supposed to study abroad for one month this summer in Italy and take three classes that would count towards my graduation plan. I had booked a plane ticket and paid for more than half of that the program cost and then got told the
trip and classes were canceled. This was my first time ever going to Europe and I was so excited to make memories and have a trip of a lifetime. I know the university is doing what is best for students, but I am still angry and filled with uncertainty about what will happen to my graduation plan. I am also in a sorority on campus and was very involved with certain events for this semester. Seeing all the hard work that my sisters and friends put in and then to have it all canceled is just so heartbreaking. While being home, I have come into a routine, which is great but is also boring because I miss the college atmosphere and it is definitely not the same as ECU. Even though all of my plans were ruined, I can only hope that everyone stays positive and keeps social distancing.
Jordan Pawlik
L
iving with anxiety is extremely hard, especially when your anxiety is solely based on health issues. Not a day goes by to when my stomach does not hurt. I have been using CBD oil and quit medications for anxiety. Seeing the shelves empty at grocery stores worries me, as do rumors on social media about news going around in the world and the possibility of me or someone I know getting it. I have moved back home to Newton, North Carolina. I am staying here until I move out of my apartment in Greenville.
Being a senior, it breaks me that I worked so hard for four years worrying that nothing will happen to interrupt my education and experience. Surprisingly, I haven’t been going crazy at home. Playing video games, watching movies I’ve always wanted to see but never had the time to, and coming up with ideas and activities to do during quarantine helps, especially cleaning. This has impacted me greatly and so it has everyone else. We will get through this.
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Christopher Castellucci
T
he outbreak crept up on me for months before the pandemic landed in the United States. From the beginning of the year, I had tuned in to daily news reports and YouTube videos from the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan, China. Reports of an “unknown disease,� makeshift hospitals, and high death tolls would resemble scenes from horror movies like "Contagion." Not before long, the disease landed in the United States. I decided to stay in Greenville to work, study and relax with friends for spring break and continue to save money for a trip in the summer. As a sports zealot, specifically for college hoops, the cancellation of the NCAA tournament and eventually all sports, crushed my world. I resorted to campfires to pass the nights. Working in the fast food business as a cashier and drive-thru specialist, each day a new change would be added to prevent contact with the virus. From adding gloves to becoming a drive-thru only business, work became completely different.
Then, my life shifted completely, beginning when East Carolina University canceled face-to-face classes. All classes were suspended and reconfigured for online instruction, extending spring break another week. I continued to work and try to understand my post-coronavirus courses. Each class is different, and the online format can be frustrating and uncomfortable. Hours were cut at work and entertainment is slim to none. Living life in a quarantine is boring and difficult, and kind of stops life in its tracks. With another rent check due soon, each paycheck dwindling and classwork piling up, the stress of quarantine life can be overwhelming. But it's a good time to light another fire, grab the laptop and continue school. Right now, one can only let life come to you as it can.
Jamie Gravatte
I
wish I could say this time off of school and work has been a nice break. However, it has been far from it. This pandemic has been extremely stressful for my entire family. My grandfather and my father were both exposed to the coronavirus and have been under a strict quarantine. They have been tested and are awaiting on their results. I have been stuck alone in Greenville because I am not allowed to return home because my whole family is quarantining. It has been really hard because there is absolutely nothing I can do to help but wait. I have been dealing with all this stress by taking things day by day and rolling with the punches as they come. I decided to set up a new daily routine for myself so I can avoid the boredom as much as possible. I try and prolong my mornings and enjoy them as much as possible. I usually start by waking up around 9 or 10 a.m. and with a more extensive skin care routine. I then make a nice breakfast and a French press coffee, which I never had time to do before.
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"I have been stuck alone in Greenville because I am not allowed to return home because my whole family is quarantining. It has been really hard because there is absolutely nothing I can do to help but wait." I always try to do something active during the day whether it is yoga, Pilates, or going on a walk or run around my neighborhood. I have also tried to fill my day doing things that I enjoy that I never had time to do in the first place. This could be doing a puzzle, reading for pleasure, painting, trying a new recipe, or even building a fort with my boyfriend. Hopefully all of this craziness ends soon and we are all able to return to our regularly scheduled programming.
e n s d I
Gracie Gray
L
uckily, I already commuted from home to campus, so I did not have to endure a stressful move when ECU ordered students home. This pandemic has definitely impacted my work life and schoolwork the most. I am a waitress at a small steakhouse in my hometown. While we have been fortunate to not have to completely shut down just yet, we are aware that it could happen at any point. The restaurant feels so lonely without the hustle and bustle of customers. I
always look forward to waiting on the regulars, asking them about their friends and family, and getting them their usual orders from memory. Now we only offer take-outs, and we have started running deliveries, something we’ve never offered before. We have taken a huge hit in tips. This is my only source of income, so I do worry about what this means for paying my bills. I also worry about getting behind in my schoolwork. I’ve never taken online classes before. The decline in communication definitely scares me. I fear that it’ll be much harder to learn and retain material this way, but only time will tell. I try to stay optimistic. Luckily, in my time between work and school assignments, I get to spend more time with my cat, Leo. He has been eating up this quarantine time with his mommy. He definitely makes the time go by much faster and I feel less lonely. He loves to nap on my chest while I watch Netflix. I love an excuse to hold him a little longer.
Stevie Dupree-Parker
C
OVID-19 seemed like a foreign issue in my eyes that would never have any effect on me, until days before spring break. Now in quarantine, I’ve come to terms with the fact I will never get to experience the senior year traditions I looked forward to such as graduation, graduation parties and all the events that take place every spring. After spring break, I may not see any of my friends in person for several months. I had two on-campus positions that have dramatically changed since social distancing has begun. My position as social media intern for Student Affairs has ended because all campus events have been cancelled. The position relied on campus events because I was a news source to what was happening on campus.
My second job as marketing manager at Campus Recreation and Wellness has become completely remote. Videos, blogs and any sort of content has to be planned through email and over the phone, and created in every staff member’s respective locations. It’s become more work because the job was not created to be remote. Our content is now revolving around social distancing and staying active inside during this time. These are just a few things directly affecting me right now. I’m sure I will be going back home soon, so I am trying to get out of my lease. The lease goes until July, but there is no reason to stay in Greenville anymore.
•summer campfire photo from publicdomainpictures.net •cat (Leo) photo courtesy of Gracie Gray Spring 2020 Countenance 31
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