Countenance Spring 2021

Spring 2021

Pitt County's award-winning magazine written by college students

INSIDE:

PLAYING THROUGH A PANDEMIC

THE RISE OF K-POP JUGGLING ACT STEPPING OFF THE SIDELINES THE LONE WOLF OF FIRST STREET THE INVISIBLE ILLNESS TRAVELING THE ROAD TO AN ADULT ADHD DIAGNOSIS

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COUNTENANCE

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CONTENTS 44

PLAYING THROUGH A PANDEMIC

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit last spring, it shelved live performances for musicians. Months later—short on money and frustrated—Charlotte band “Swansgate” regrouped and turned to online streaming to gain exposure and hang on.

Story by Ahren Rau

88 » p. 4

THE RISE OF K-POP

We all loved the 2012 hit song, “Gangnam Style.” Little did we know the catchy tune would usher in the colossal popularity of Korean pop music in the U.S. Story by Sunny Collins

1 12

JUGGLING ACT

To many sports fans, having one’s own sports radio show would be living the good life. Patrick Johnson enjoys that life, but only by working two other jobs.

Story by Daniel Shepard » p. 8

» p.12

1 16

STEPPING OFF THE SIDELINES

Being a woman in sports broadcasting can be ruthless, yet Jordan Giorgio hit her stride in front of the camera early at Florida State and was soon thriving at NBC Sports Washington.

Story by Caroline Inderlied

2 LONE WOLF OF FIRST STREET 20 Sara Sandoval fills leases, delivers packages, even cleans bathrooms during an almost-full-time job. Plus, there’s that full load of college classes on the side.

Story by Jalen Snipes » p. 16 Front cover photo: Courtesy of Jordan Giorgio

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24 24 THE INVISIBLE ILLNESS Twenty-three million Americans suffer from a substance abuse disorder, with millions more in recovery. Some of them are ECU students.

Story by Sydney Hunnell

28 TRAVELING THE ROAD TO AN 28 ADULT ADHD DIAGNOSIS

» p. 20

Cayla Menges remembered being an “antsy,” eccentric child. What she didn’t know until adulthood was that she had undiagnosed ADHD. Story by Cayla Menges

Countenance (Vol. 5, Issue 1) is a general longform feature magazine produced by students in the School of Communication at East

Carolina University. The articles were written by students in the Fall 2020 Feature Writing

class taught by Cindy Elmore. Countenance was designed by Barbara Bullington, SOC Senior

Teaching Instructor. Funding for the magazine

was provided by the School of Communication.

Questions or feedback can be addressed to » p. 24

Cindy Elmore at elmorec@ecu.edu or 252-328-5306.

Countenance is an award-winning magazine, now in its fifth year of production. Both the 2019 and 2020 editions 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.”

Additionally, an article in the 2020 edition of Countenance received a Certificate of Merit from the CSPA. » p. 28

Photos not credited directly in publication: pp. 10–11 Gumball and microphone photos: Public Domain p. 14 Clock photo by Olenka Sergienko from Pexels

Basketball and microphone graphic/photo: Public Domain

Football field image: by Thomas Park on Unsplash

p. 15 Football graphic: Public Domain Stopwatch graphic: Public Domain pp. 22-23 Post-it Note and money photos: Public Domain p. 28 Road photo: Public Domain Spring 2021 Countenance 3

PLAYING THROUGH A PANDEMIC

4 Countenance Spring 2021

by Ahren Rau

For these band members, getting lost in the music was part of the process. But then, a new challenge came along— keeping the music from getting lost as one venue door after another was forced to close.

•

Members of Swansgate.

(From left to right) Gabe McKinney, Michael McKinney, and Stuart Draughn

photo courtesy of Swansgate

S

tuart Draughn and his bandmates were perfectly OK with being lost. They had been lost before. The whole point was to get lost. They needed only to listen to each other for direction. The drums guided the tempo, the bass set the rhythm and the keys led the emotion. The sounds of the band playing erupted throughout the night in the quiet suburban neighborhood surrounding their house.

The three members of Swansgate, an art rock band from Charlotte, were used to being lost in their music—it was their sanctuary.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic led Swansgate to be financially lost.

Restrictions on live shows and large gatherings sabotaged Swansgate’s opportunities to perform for audiences and garner exposure.

The COVID-19 global pandemic ravaged the music industry in March 2020 and stripped away the ability of artists to perform live concerts. Many bands and acts rely on live events to make the bulk of their revenue through ticket and merchandise sales. For six months, musicians large and small across the United States bandaged the damage by live streaming concerts, releasing music videos and accepting money from fundraisers for struggling artists.

According to data from Nielsen Music, a music sales data researching company, music video streams rose 14% and music streaming applications like Spotify skyrocketed 38% during the early months of lockdown restrictions.

Spring 2021 Countenance 5

Draughn and his bandmates have struggled to find shows in the midst of restrictions against large gatherings, so they have filled some of that time with rehearsals and YouTube performances on their new channel, Swavy's Place. photo by Reuben Hayes, courtesy of swansgatemusic.com

Struggling to stay creative in lockdown Back in Charlotte, Draughn loosely handled his coffee cup as he jetted down an old, dimly lit staircase to the basement inside his home. The cup barely maintained the liquid through the disrupted inertia.

Morning sunlight illuminated the silent room through the cracks in the curtains as Draughn entered and set his cup down on the floor next to him. Draughn’s long, blonde hair was styled by his bed and sat just above his shoulders that sported a shirt saying, “International Club.”

The emotion on his face escaped and left a focused look while he equipped his headphones. Armed with varying keyboards and synthesizers, Draughn began his workday with a grueling, self-inflicted practice session.

6 Countenance Spring 2021

Draughn, the lead keyboard player in Swansgate, and his two bandmates have struggled to find shows amid the COVID-19 restrictions against large gatherings.

“It’s really isolating, feeling like you don’t have a job. Like, I’m working, and I do a lot of stuff, but it’s all mostly by myself,” Draughn explained.

With one hand on the synth to his right, and his left hand on another, Draughn increased the tempo and changed time signatures when he got too comfortable. Like a body builder lifting weights, Draughn did repetition after repetition until failure.

“Damn it!” Draughn yelled out, after a mistake only a trained ear could have caught.

A gray cat laid curled up in the corner of Draughn’s home-studio listening to the sound of fingers striking keys. The home-studio

was still very much a home. A bass amplifier blocked the empty fireplace, the drum kit sat where a couch should be, and acoustic panels covered the walls in lieu of photographs.

An abrupt phone call from a friend ended Draughn’s practice early.

Draughn tied on a pair of Reeboks and loaded a bicycle into his Ford Focus before driving to downtown Charlotte. Draughn listened to rap during the entire 15-minute drive on the way to meet up with his friend to ride bikes.

Drenched in sweat, Draughn struggled to keep up while he videotaped his friend, Ethan, land bicycle tricks all around the city. The emotionless face returned to Draughn when the camera was in his hand. His artistic focus intensified.

“These are sick,” said Ethan, critiquing Draughn’s videography, “Perfect for my project.”

Draughn drove back home early in the afternoon to the looming uncertainty of the COVID lockdown restrictions.

Beyond the shortages of money and exposure, one of Draughn’s main concerns was maintaining his and his bandmates’ motivation.

“I feel like in general the mindset productivity-wise was not the same. At the beginning of the pandemic we were in like lockdown mode mentally,” Draughn explained.

Swavy's Place A few months into the lockdown, Draughn noticed artists and bands ranging from Katy Perry to Pearl Jam switch to online streaming platforms in efforts to promote their music.

Pearl Jam teamed up with other Seattle musicians in June to stream a concert through Amazon’s Twitch account.

Draughn said he always planned on increasing the band’s exposure through the internet, but the pandemic forced their hands to begin those steps at the end of the summer. The group decided to begin enforcing mandatory practices every night at 6 in preparation for recording live videos to upload.

“Can I borrow your iPad to work on the logo?”

Draughn asked Gabe McKinney, his bandmate and roommate, who was playing a game of Madden, a football videogame.

Draughn sat on the couch and the emotionless face returned as he got lost in another project, this one on an app for the iPad. He meticulously fixed the lines of a blonde character dressed in a black tuxedo with purple jewels covering his eyes.

“This is Swavy. He’s kind of like the mascot for Swavy’s Place,” explained Draughn. “It started off as something funny Michael drew, and we just thought it was cool.”

Swavy’s Place is the name of Swansgate’s new YouTube channel and home-studio. The band created both as an effort to garner exposure through online creations like their music videos. Draughn speculated at the idea of eventually inviting other bands to create content for the channel.

Draughn glided the stylus across the iPad and continued to work on the YouTube logo while waiting on the final bandmate to arrive.

After working all day at a mortgage firm, Michael McKinney, 25, walked through the door 45 minutes before practice was set to start. Michael changed into comfortable clothes and then plopped on the couch.

Gabe, 23, is quiet in comparison to his brother, bandmate and roommate Michael. After being let go from a job at Volvo due to COVID-19, Gabe moved (Swavy artwork by Stuart Draughn

in with the two to begin taking the band more seriously.

The three gathered in the living room and talked about subjects that did not veer far from music. When the clock read 6, the band walked down the stairs into the studio to begin.

“Let’s set this vibe right,” Michael said, laughing, as he adjusted the colorful lighting in the studio.

Gabe explained that the focus of the evening's practice was to tidy up the live performance of the two new songs they had recently finished. The plan was to record the videos and upload them to the new YouTube channel that weekend.

The quiet basement turned loud quickly as Michael kicked drum pedals and slammed on symbols. Gabe danced around the room with the bass. Draughn stood surrounded by the keys with an emotionless look on his face. The music broke after 30 minutes.

“Well, the song is a little over three minutes long, so we can fit in, what, almost 20 more for the next hour?”

Draughn asked his bandmates, who had already played the song 10 times.

With a sense of direction for the band, Swansgate played, laughing and carefree. Only 20 more minutes went by until they were lost in their music again. n

How to help keep the music playing: Four easy ways to support local bands 1) Buy band merchandise, such as a poster or t-shirt.

2) Subscribe to a band's YouTube channel.

3) ViEW livestreams on Instagram, Twitch and other venues.

Plus, Twitch allows donations.

4) Build a Spotify playlist to help others learn about your favorite band.

Source: altpress.com/features/help-bands-during-coronavirus-music-scene photo: Pexels.com, CC0

Spring 2021 Countenance 7

THE RISE OF

K-POP

Despite some language barriers and the cost of marketing in the U.S., Korean pop music, or K-pop, has developed a dedicated following through social media sites, apps, 'merch' and a sense of community. community.

D

o you remember the song “Gangnam Style"?

Most people born before the mid-2000s would, as it was one of the top 50 songs of 2012 in the United States, according to Billboard’s “Hot 100” year-end chart. For some, it was the first time they had heard a Korean pop song, or any Korean song for that matter.

Since its release, the song has gained over 236 million streams on Spotify and over 3.7 billion views on YouTube, making it one of the platform’s most viewed videos of all time. The song’s techno-inspired backing, exciting beat drop and catchy dance made it an instant hit when it unexpectedly broke through into the Western market in July 2012.

Park Jae-sang, better known by his stage name, Psy, introduced millions of Americans to Korean music through “Gangnam Style” and, in doing so, created an opening for many Korean artists in the United States.

Today Korean pop music, shortened to K-pop, is increasing in popularity with the rise of groups like Girl’s Generation, Blackpink and BTS.

by Sunny Collins Supergroups: From Wonder Girls to the Bulletproof Boy Scouts According to Michael Dixon, a 17-year teacher of American music history, K-pop started its rise to popularity almost a decade ago when Wonder Girls’ English version of their song “Nobody” hit the Billboard “Hot 100” chart.

The song, which entered the chart on Oct. 31, 2009, peaked at the 76th spot and was the first song by a Korean act to ever be featured.

Wonder Girls, a five-member group that was active between 2007 to 2017, went on that year to be one of the opening acts for the Jonas Brothers World Tour in 13 cities across the United States and Canada.

“K-Pop really started gaining attention when groups began collaborating with American musicians,” Dixon notes.

BTS, widely regarded as the most popular K-pop group today, has collaborated with English artists such as Nikki Minaj, Steve Aoki, Halsey and Sia for some of its most popular title tracks. More recently, in June 2020, the four-member girl group Blackpink has collaborated with Lady Gaga on its song “Sour Candy,” which was featured on the Billboard “Hot 100” chart for two weeks, peaking at spot 33. Blackpink has also worked with Selena Gomez and Dua Lipa over the past year. The outreach from these groups to try to appeal to American audiences works: BTS alone has been featured 12 times on the Billboard charts, entering at the top position with its latest, fully English single “Dynamite.”

BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys or the Bulletproof Boy Scouts, dominates the American market. According to Forbes magazine, the group sold more traditional albums than any other artist in 2020 with its album “Map of the Soul: 7." The seven members, led by Kim Namjoon, have been together since 2015 when the group was formed under the Korean company Big Hit Entertainment, which BTS now partially owns. The group’s popularity in America began its climax two years later in

K-pop artwork by Barbara Bullington

2017 with the release of “DNA,” the single off of its fifth extended play “Love Yourself: Her.” The song spent four weeks on the Billboard charts and peaked at spot 76.

Delving into fandom “I remember watching the music video when DNA came out and being shocked,” says Katie Collins, a senior communication major at East Carolina University and a BTS fan since January 2020. “I had been listening to their music casually for, like, a year before that and I was really into a couple of their songs.”

The music video, which features bright, saturated colors, unique visuals, and sections of the song’s choreography, currently has over 1 billion views on YouTube. On top of the interesting visuals, the unique blend of hip-hop and synth BTS incorporates into its music is the reason Collins started to give the group her attention.

“I wasn’t really interested in getting to know their names or anything back then,” she explains. “But this year I saw that a bunch of my friends were interested in them, so I wanted to start stanning so I could understand what they were talking about.”

The word stanning, or to stan, is a term that K-pop fans use when expressing their support for a group. When Collins decided to stan BTS, she didn’t expect she would delve so far into the fandom in such a short amount of time.

“I have their albums — I don’t even have a CD player,” she said, laughing. “I have their merch, I listen to their music all of the time.

I even bought concert tickets to see them in Atlanta this past May.” Tickets that she and the thousands of others who helped to sell out the Bobby-Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, never got to use because of COVID-19.

BTS has toured previously in the U.S. too.

During its “Love Yourself World Tour” in 2019 the group sold over 113,000 seats to its two California stops alone, totaling over $16.6 million and outselling both Taylor Swift and U2.

Spring 2021 Countenance 9

Thriving in a digital world Another reason K-pop is on the rise globally is because of its accessibility online.

“K-pop is really built to thrive in a digital world,” says Dixon, the teacher and American music historian. According to Dixon, K-pop fan bases are “hyperactive” on social media, due in part to the constant updates provided by the groups they follow. Fans are almost always being fed videos, images, messages and, of course, new music on social media, something Masaaki Kamiya, a psychology and Japanese doublemajor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has experienced firsthand.

“I get all of my information from Twitter,” he says.

Kamiya has been listening to K-pop casually since Psy’s 2012 release of “Gangnam Style” but started to go deeper into the genre in 2019 when he began listening to songs by the nine-member girl group, Twice. He has since started to support several groups, all of which he connects with through social media.

“I have a separate account for K-pop. I’m actually on there a lot because there are constantly updates from the groups I like,” Kamiya says. “And even if there's not, the fans are always doing something — they’re all kinda’ wild.”

In addition to mainstream social media outlets like Instagram and Twitter, some groups also utilize specialized apps where they connect even more with their fans.

BTS, along with other groups

under Big Hit Entertainment, such as Tomorrow x Together, Seventeen, Enhypen, and Gfriend, use an app specifically created for them called “Weverse,” which functions similarly to Twitter, but allows the artist’s posts to be viewed separately from those of fans. This almost constant content stream is a large reason why K-pop is growing in popularity, especially among teenagers and young adults, who, according to the Pew Research Center, are more likely to use social media.

Trying not to get lost in translation One issue slowing K-pop’s climb might be the most apparent: the language barrier. According to corelanguages.com, there are about 1.2 million Korean speakers in the

A quick intro to 'stanning' K-POP Finger heart Gesture The finger heart was popularized in South Korea during the 2010s.The thumb and index finger gesture has become well known across Asia and in other parts of the world because of K-pop and Korean dramas, according to wikipedia.

K-pop terms •Aegyo: a Korean word derived from the Chinese characters “love (ae)” and “beautiful (gyo).” In K-pop, aegyo is often associated with a member of a group who expresses their cuteness through gestures, facial expressions and voice.

•Bias: Often the first word a new K-pop fan learns, “bias” refers to a favorite group member or group.

10 Korean verbs 읽다 (iktta) 쓰다 (sseuda) 배우다 (baeuda) 만나다 (mannada) 웃다 (utda) 울다 (ulda) 주다 ( juda) 있다 (itda)

to read to write or to use to learn to meet to laugh to cry to give to have

10 Countenance Spring 2021

•Comeback: In K-pop, the word “comeback” is often used to refer to when an idol or a group releases a new song. Each comeback includes a concept or a theme for promotions and performances.

•Fanchant: Phrases that fans shout before a performance. Often include names of the members of a group, and lines or lyrics specific to an artist.

•Trainee: Students at K-pop entertainment companies who spend several years training in dancing and singing before debuting.

•Maknae: The youngest member of a girl group or boy band. Also means "youngest sibling" in Korean.

Additional Sources: •90daykorean.com/korean-words/ •stylecaster.com/feature/k-pop-fandom-words-1153522/

United States, with large clusters in Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. In Georgia and Virginia, Korean is the third most spoken language after English and Spanish, though most of those numbers are coming out of Korean-American households.

“Since I started listening to K-pop, I’ve been wanting to learn the language,” says Katie Collins.

“I’ve picked up on a couple words just by listening.”

Most K-pop songs include a few words of English here and there, mostly at the end of a line where the Korean equivalent just wouldn’t fit. Korean companies must have identified this issue in the American market, because groups have begun to release English tracks more frequently. Twice, a girl group under the company JYP Entertainment, released its first fully English song, “What Are You Waiting For,” in 2019, and ATEEZ, a group formed in 2018 under the company KQ Entertainment, has done the same, releasing its first fully English song, “One Day At A Time,” on its latest mini-album. SuperM’s most popular song, “Jopping,” is almost completely in English, except for two verses.

SuperM, a so-called “supergroup” composed of seven members from four of SM Entertainment’s boy groups, has several songs that incorporate a significant amount of English, including some off of the group’s first full length album “Super One,” which was released on Sept. 25, 2020.

Another thing that could be slowing K-pop’s rise is the price. While fans can interact with their favorite groups for free on social media and could access their music for free on platforms like YouTube or Spotify, K-pop fandom can come with a hefty price tag. Groups can release several albums per year, ranging anywhere from $10 to $16 each. Groups can also opt to have several versions of the same album, each coming with its own unique set of photocards, photobook and other album inclusions. For its latest comeback, ATEEZ released three versions of its album, which were around $15 each, depending on the retailer. That meant that fans who collect ATEEZ albums paid $45 for the three albums.

Adding to the price of the merchandise itself, these items usually have to be sent from South Korea, as they can’t be found in any American retail locations.

The cost of shipping, depending on the weight and carrier, can be up to $45 for one box, a price that some fans aren’t able to afford.

“I try to collect what I can, but sometimes I’m just not in the mindset to drop $40 on a couple albums,” says Kamiya, the UNC student.

Despite some of the challenges facing them, K-pop

Mariana Morales and Masaaki Kamiya at a SuperM concert in Fairfax,Virginia on Nov. 17, 2019. photo courtesy of Mariana Morales

groups are still eager to tap into the western market. As Psy opened the door for BTS, BTS has done the same for several others such as NCT, or Neo Culture Technology, ATEEZ, Stray Kids and LOONA—just some of the groups beginning to make a huge impact in the U.S. thanks to their music, performances and social media use.

But what does the future hold for K-pop in America?

Dixon theorizes that as long as groups continue to release music and engage with their fans the popularity of the genre will only rise, despite the language barrier.

To navigate the barrier, fans around the world use translator apps and subtitles, and some have even started to learn Korean to better connect with their favorite artists.

K-pop, for some, is about more than just music. The communities that grow around groups are just as big of a draw for those wishing to talk about their favorite artists.

“I’m still pretty new to this whole thing,” says Collins, “but I think I’m in it for the long run.”

She, like so many other American K-pop fans, is choosing to continue her dedication to the groups, despite not knowing Korean. So is Kamiya.

“I’m in too deep at this point,” Kamiya says. “There’s no backing out now." n

Spring 2021 Countenance 11

JUGGLING ACT

Patrick Johnson’s deep and melodic voice can be heard across Pirate Nation every weekday. But, behind the scenes, this dedicated sports annnouncer is perfecting the art of juggling multiple jobs. photo courtesy of Patrick Johnson

12 Countenance Spring 2021

Patrick Johnson's busy day—hosting his own radio sports show, plus working two other jobs—starts before 6 a.m.

by Daniel Shepard

M

ost people would balk at the idea of having three jobs. Most people would balk at the idea of beginning their day at 5:30 a.m. and not ending it until 10 or 11 p.m. Most people, however, are not Patrick Johnson.

By all accounts, Johnson has a unique job. As the host of 94.3 The Game’s “Patrick Johnson Show” from 5-6 p.m. every weekday, Johnson’s deep and melodic voice can be heard across hundreds, if not thousands, of radio sets across Pirate Nation. While his bosses at Inner Banks Media tell him ratings are up, Johnson has not necessarily seen the pay associated with that, forcing him to juggle many different hats and employers.

“I have so many different streams of income, but I have to,” Johnson said.

“Even when I was a full-time worker somewhere, I still did side stuff because you’ve almost got to nowadays, unless you’re a doctor.”

Johnson graduated from ECU in 2000 back when Y2K threatened to end the world. 2020 marked the 25th year in the business for the 43-year-old and his second hosting the PJ Show in the evenings. Johnson’s resume is long and complicated, leading him to wonder if a flowchart would be a better representation of his experiences.

In the past, Johnson has had opportunities to leave his home region of Eastern North Carolina and test bigger markets like New York or Chicago. For a handful of years, he worked in Orlando, Florida, before getting a gig in Raleigh and eventually this one in Greenville.

“I probably was on my way towards going to bigger places if I’d chosen that in news broadcasting,” Johnson said. “I liked doing that, but it’s not the most exciting thing.”

The most exciting thing for Johnson is talking sports and calling high school football and basketball games. That is how he got his start in radio back in 1995, but these days, it just does not seem to pay the bills.

Thus, Johnson’s day begins before 6 a.m. every morning with work from a company called Remote News Service. He is tasked with providing local Spring 2021 Countenance 13

“I tell him all the time, Patrick could be doing ESPN Monday Night Football games. He really is that good.

He has a sense of knowing when to draw the viewers in.”

newscasts for stations in Wisconsin, Indiana and Palm Springs, California, before he heads out to his job away from radio at a company called Appraisals East. A mid- to late-morning of appraisal work and Johnson is ready to begin prepping for his namesake show on 94.3 The Game, a task that began days in advance with the lining up of guests.

Working multiple jobs is nothing new to anyone in the business of radio or journalism. Oftentimes, full-time jobs do not pay enough to support families, so additional work or freelance work is taken up to cover expenses and keep the lights on. In that vein, Johnson has worked for Curtis Media three times in various capacities during his career, and he has held some kind of position with Henry Hinton’s Inner Banks Media since the late 1990s.

Many different hats Wearing many different hats in the industry takes its toll, however. Johnson and his wife, Jill, surpassed 10 years together in 2020 after being encouraged to go on a blind date by some mutual friends in Greenville. For most of that decade, Jill’s husband has fought the stressors that come with having multiple occupations up in the air all at once.

“Personally, I wish that he was able just to do one thing because I know it would be easier on him because he does juggle a lot,” Jill said. “He does get stressed out sometimes and I see that. I’ve told him before, 'I wish you just had a regular 9-5 job,' because he does wear so many hats.”

It is in the fall that Jill misses her husband the most. While the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted sports schedules, August through May is generally Johnson’s busiest time with football and basketball starting up. That often leaves Jill at home by herself many nights to care for the couple’s dog, something she has come to grips with.

“I do like my alone time, so when he’s gone it’s OK,” Jill said. “I think at some point near the end of the season—like when it’s been normal like last year—it’s kind of like, ‘OK I’m ready for this to be

14 Countenance Spring 2021

over so you’ll be home.’”

Jill, who naturally wants her husband to be home as much as possible, is also grateful that Patrick was afforded the opportunity of his own show. At other stops in his career, Johnson was not always able to be the main guy behind the mic, something he has taken to and run with since taking over his namesake show in Greenville. In that time, and during his dealings with Inner Banks Media dating back decades, Johnson has met and worked with many different people who have gone on to become industry professionals themselves.

Jay Sonnhalter is one of those whose resume overlaps with Johnson’s. A graduate of ECU not 10 years after Johnson, Sonnhalter worked with him on game broadcasts during an early stint at 94.3 The Game in 2009. Sonnhalter has worked numerous games with Johnson in the radio booth and describes a person who, in his opinion, could own any job he wanted in the field.

“I tell him all the time, Patrick could be doing ESPN Monday Night Football games,” Sonnhalter said. “He really is that good. He has a sense of knowing when to draw the viewers in.”

While Johnson is often left juggling multiple hats and jobs, people who have worked with him say he takes his personal and professional relationships as seriously as his many jobs. While Sonnhalter parlayed his early experiences into a role at ESPN, that may not have been possible without guidance and instruction from Johnson.

“It was huge because he cared about me and he cared about making me better,” Sonnhalter said.

“Not only did we have a great friendship—we instantly became friends—but he genuinely cared about me and helped me. Especially in this industry, or any industry, it’s tough to find somebody that truly looks out for you. But he’s so unselfish and wants the best for you.”

Given the nature of his daily shows, and perhaps his personality in general, Johnson does not like to dwell on the past. As some people in the business save mementos of past accomplishments or events, Johnson spends his time looking ahead and

preparing for the next thing to come down the pike. With three main jobs and the possibility to have seven or eight 1099 tax forms at the end of the year, it takes that mindset to stay sane.

Back in Eastern North Carolina after years away from his hometown of Kinston, Johnson has settled down into a routine. Every day Johnson feels like episodes of the PJ Show are getting better, with his producer Ben Byrum at the controls and the P-Man’s booming voice behind the microphone.

Byrum, who was a first-year ECU student and barely 20, had to learn the ropes quickly after he was abruptly elevated from intern to producer in 2019. At first Byrum did not even know how to get his host on the air, or even how to properly produce a show. That, of course, drew criticism from an industry veteran like Johnson, who would offer his critiques and opinions at any hint of a slipup.

“Not only did we have a great friendship —we instantly became friends— but he genuinely cared about me and helped me.

Especially in this industry, or any industry, it’s tough to find somebody that truly looks out for you. But he’s so unselfish and wants the best for you.”

“Like if I went on air to talk about lines, or scores or whatever for a pregame show, he would nitpick every single little thing,” Byrum said. “In a sense, I got it, but it would bother the crap out of me. Just always, ‘you could do this better,’ or ‘why didn’t you do this?’ or ‘that sounded terrible, let’s work on this.’ There was always something; he was never pleased.”

By 2020, Byrum settled into his job and earned less criticism from his award-winning boss. The road to get to that point was a winding one, but Johnson is pleased with his current operation at 94.3 The Game, albeit in difficult times because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, he plans to stay on his three main employers’ payrolls for as long as possible while jokingly saying there will be no retirement from the industry.

“I like to eat, I like a roof over my head, I like having a car and my wife has expensive tastes,” Johnson said. “That is the passion. You gotta make a living. It’s fun, I enjoy it. It beats a real job.” n

HIstory of sports radio in 60 seconds • In 1911, more than 1,000 people gathered in Lawrence, Kansas to watch a mechanical reproduction of a Kansas versus Missouri football game using a model of a football playing field while that actual game was being played. A group announced the results of the previous play over a Western Union telegraph wire.

•The first sporting event to be broadcast over the radio was on on April 11, 1921 on KDKA in Pittsburgh. It was a boxing match between Johnny Dundee and Johnny Ray. •The first sports talk radio show in history launched in March 1964 on New York's WNBC (AM). Bill Mazer served as host.

•A large number of listeners now make internet radio the primary medium of choice. Market leaders such as ESPN, NBC, CBS,Yahoo and Fox have invested in their own sports apps. Other independent market leaders such as Sports Radio America stream content through nonproprietary apps, including Live 365 and Tune In. • A survey found that "more than a third of heavy sports radio listeners said they actually listened to more sports despite the COVID-related shifts in sports seasons and game schedules."

Sources: •en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_football_on_radio •sportsrec.com/sports-broadcasting-8623759.html •en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_radio •sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2020/12/21

photos provided courtesy of Maria Villalobos.

Spring 2021 Countenance 15

STEPPING

OFF THE

SIDELINES

by Caroline Inderlied

A love of sports since childhood and an ever-expanding list of reporting accomplishments keeps this 25-year-old competitive in a maledominated industry.

16 Countenance Spring 2021

Jordan Giorgio covering Florida State versus Northern Illinois from the Doak S. Campbell Stadium in September2018.

J

ordan Giorgio, a small-town Floridian with big dreams, always loved being in front of the camera. As a little girl, putting on shows, performances and plays for her family was a nightly routine. Fast forward and she has become a frontrunner in sports reporting — but not without facing obstacles and adversity along the way.

Now Jordan, 25, is a reporter and host at NBC Sports Washington, an American regional sports network owned by NBCUniversal. Jordan’s primary role is sideline reporting for the Baltimore Ravens and pre-game, live and post-game analysis for the Washington Capitals and Washington Football Team. Despite this being her main focus, she has worked with many other college and professional sports teams across the board.

Following her passion When Jordan was growing up, her parents emphasized the importance of trying new things and going outside of her comfort zone.

“Having sports tryouts every season was always nerve-racking, so that would be the first thing that comes to mind,” Jordan said.

You name it, she’s played it.

Because of Jordan’s experiences growing up, sports quickly became the foundation of her childhood. However, it wasn’t until college that she was able to combine her love for sports and being in front of the camera.

It all began the second Jordan got to Florida State University, where she quickly realized how important internships were going to be. During her first week as an intended English major, Jordan attended an interest meeting for a local sports company but was told it was only looking for writers and cameramen to shoot footage of games.

“I asked anyone I could in the company and eventually convinced them to let me record pre-game and post-game standups myself,” said Jordan. It was at that moment Jordan said she

photo courtesy of Jordan Giorgio

learned that if somebody says ‘no,’ she’s asking the wrong person.

During her years as a Florida State student, Jordan would grow into her role as the primary sideline reporter for FSU basketball and football, among other sports. With this came many onair interviews with the school’s coaches, athletic directors and sports media production team.

Jordan said that her first live sideline hit for ESPN as a Florida State Athletics intern was surreal and a feeling she’ll never forget.

“I was reporting on an FSU Women’s Soccer game, [and] I was listening to my analyst closely waiting to announce ‘Jordan Giorgio down on the sideline’ and I just took off, beaming of excitement,” Jordan recalled, smiling.

Despite having many opportunities at FSU and at the college sports level, Jordan said she struggled initially when it came to professional sports reporting. Being a young woman in the male-dominated industry of sports journalism presented her with challenges from the start.

A year after her graduation from FSU, and after a 10-hour on-air audition in front of company executives, Jordan landed her job with NBC Sports Washington.

Her work doesn’t lack variety or excitement.

Some days Jordan can be seen at MedStar Iceplex watching the Capitals practice or hosting the team’s pre- and post-game show. Other days she’s in Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium watching Lamar Jackson and the Ravens break records left and right.

Despite a big break in the industry, being wellrehearsed on scripts and speaking with poise, Jordan described sports journalism as “a ruthless industry. You’re judged for everything, especially as a woman.”

Not only is she young, but she also lacks the personal experience of recalling the past events a 30-year veteran broadcaster would.

Al Koken, Capitals reporter at NBC Sports Washington, is that veteran broadcaster. Since 1984, he has served in every role with the network and has worked closely with Jordan

Spring 2021 Countenance 17

for the past year. Koken said that lack of background never hindered her professionalism: “She made up for any unfamiliarity by working harder to prepare for shows and asking questions to back up her instincts.”

Jordan was forced to adapt quickly, since prior to signing with NBC Sports, she had no experience with hockey.

“Many young broadcasters think asking questions makes them look bad, but in reality, it is the best way to speed up the learning process. And Jordan did just that,” Koken said.

Koken described how Jordan’s comfort level, assertiveness and ease in speaking on air grew exponentially as the hockey season progressed. As anyone would do in a new, big-time job setting, Jordan began the year taking her role very seriously, Koken said.

“On certain pre- and post-game shows when your fellow broadcasters bring a lighter touch, you need to find a balance. It’s not easy to do on live TV, but Jordan has grown more comfortable in striking this balance,” he added.

Jordan said that her main focus is becoming more confident in what she shares with viewers, which she knows will come with time and more knowledge of players, sports and sports history.

Jordan Giorgio is a reporter and host at NBC Sports Washington, an American regional sports network owned by NBCUniversal. Jordan’s primary role is sideline reporting for the Baltimore Ravens and pre-game, live and postgame analysis for the Washington Capitals and Washington Football Team. photo courtesy of Jordan Giorgio

Tackling obstacles Yet, regardless of how well-prepared and eager to learn Jordan was, she would still be in the minority as the only woman on the show, with rare exceptions.

Often, the qualifications of women in the industry are questioned. Some accuse women of getting a sports job solely because of their attractiveness or assume they got the role because of their relationship to a powerful male with some type of pull in the organization.

Associations around the country are working to end the stigma and develop professional opportunities for those interested in sports media careers.

National Sports Media Association Executive Director Dave Goren said that, in TV, the estimated ratio of maleto-female sports broadcasters is 4-to-1. “One huge area for growth is play-by-play. There are but a handful of

18 Countenance Spring 2021

women who call games professionally,” Goren added.

He predicts that the number is certain to increase with the proliferation of women’s college and professional sports.

Jordan’s content manager, Elle Hvozdovic, is another successful woman in sports journalism. In their time working together, Hvozdovic said she has noticed how well Jordan strikes a balance.

“With little to no prep time, Jordan does an incredible job juggling digital, social and linear platforms for both Capitals and Ravens coverage,” said Hvozdovic.

As Jordan’s content manager, Hvozdovic is responsible for all things creative. She markets NBC Sports Washington by editing, researching and writing for Jordan’s media platforms in a fresh and informative way. Though like Jordan, Hvozdovic has made it far in the sports industry, she said she faces some inevitable obstacles.

“Every year there are more women with careers in sports journalism, opening the door for the next generation to follow in our footsteps."

“As a woman in sports, male counterparts often ‘man-splain’ concepts to us as if we don’t understand sports or need to be taught the rules, despite clearly demonstrating we in fact already know them,” Hvozdovic said.

In addition, she has found that women are often forced to bear the weight of those who objectify them.

In the sports realm, this can mean brushing off inappropriate advances or comments from athletes, coaches or coworkers while working. Hvozdovic has noticed that “we find ourselves explaining a lot— defending our role against accusations of being a ‘distraction’ when in fact we have done nothing but follow the rules and focus on our work.”

The struggles Hvozdovic describes go beyond her own experiences.

“At the core of this issue is our basic understanding of gender roles and how those assumptions relate to our experience of sports,” said Chuck Twardy, a retired East Carolina University sports media instructor with ample experience in magazine and news writing.

Jordan noted that at NBC Sports Washington, she is one of two female on-camera talents. However, she said that “for the entire company [at Washington], including sales, managers, marketing, etc., it’s around 60% men, 40% women.”

Twardy predicts that men who think women have no business at the forefront of sports journalism will soon have to give way to the men who respect both a woman’s and a man’s opinions. Yet for meaningful progress to take place, experts like Twardy say there may need to be some fundamental changes in sports, including which ones will matter in terms of airtime and profits.

Many women in the industry are working tirelessly to tackle the obstacles they face every day and alter the male-dominated culture that exists.

Despite getting derogatory remarks and belittlement from some men in their careers, both Jordan and Hvozdovic said the culture at NBC Sports Washington is inclusive, supportive and filled with unique opportunities to take on leadership roles.

“Every year there are more women with careers in sports journalism, opening the door for the next generation to follow in our footsteps,” Hvozdovic said.

Setting her sights As Jordan transitions from a young, novice reporter into an experienced, confident one, her attitude and professionalism remain intact.

Hvozdovic said that, regardless of the day’s circumstances, Jordan is always professional in the way she approaches her work and has a contagious smile.

However, Hvozdovic has found that “one of the most impressive elements of Jordan’s skillset is her ability to adjust on the fly and take on any and all tasks thrown her way.”

In the coming years, Jordan has her sights set on returning to college football and landing a job sideline reporting for the ACC Network. Hvozdovic predicted that with Jordan’s skill set and ambition, she could be “the next Erin Andrews,” a renowned sportscaster and television personality for Fox NFL, ESPN and Good Morning America, among others.

Unlike many, Jordan enjoys being a work in progress.

She emphasized the importance of “not missing out on something that could be great, just because it could also be difficult.” n

•Quick Career Highlights JoRDAN GIORGIO

•One week after graduation from Florida State University, hired

by Chat Sports of Dallas. Became on-air host, covering sports, with a focus on college football and NFL.

•In 2020, became new host of Washington Football Kickoff Live and Washington Football Postgame Live.

•Viewers can watch Giorgio reporting on current events in the sports world via "In the loop," nbcsports.com/ washington/ jordan-giorgio

Spring 2021 Countenance 19

LONE

WOLF

OF F I R S T ST R E Sara Sandoval became one of the top saleswomen in her office, contributing to First Street’s 94% occupancy rate in Fall 2020. photo by Alexandra Capehart

20 Countenance Spring 2021

EET

by Jalen Snipes

Putting herself through college means full days, late nights, short lunches and student loans, but a positive attitude keeps her striving for and reaching success.

O

n a cloudy afternoon at First Street Place Apartments in Greenville, Sara Sandoval walks into the office with her head held high and a bright smile on her face, as if the sun immediately emerged from the clouds. At about 5-foot9, with long, wavy black hair and olive skin tone, she represents her Hispanic heritage and Latin roots.

“Hi everyone, I hope you guys are having a good day!” Sandoval shouts in an exuberant, almost childlike voice.

“Hi Sara,” her employees respond in a less enthusiastic tone, as if they’ve felt her energy a million times.

Sandoval’s energy fits her work schedule; she is a paid leasing intern at First Street Place and a junior studying rehabilitation services at East Carolina University. Yet, she says, excitedly, “There is a lot more to my title here at First Street Place. Follow me and you’ll find out.”

Method to her perkiness At 1:17 p.m., the phone begins to ring off the hook.

“Thank you for calling First Street Place. This is Sara speaking. How may I help you?” asks Sandoval in a cheery tone.

Sandoval’s main job is to get prospective renters in the building for tours and be the first form of contact Spring 2021 Countenance 21

the n i p u s “She i ght hours, late-ni ting papers perfec ojects half- s and pr , but she get asleep done.” the job

for future and current residents.

Sandoval believes that the perkiness in her tone establishes personal relationships, increases her credibility and helps with her prospect’s impulse leasing decisions. After applying this method in just six months, Sandoval became one of the top saleswomen in her office, contributing to First Street’s 94% occupancy rate in Fall 2020.

“There is a method to my madness,” Sandoval says.

Thomas Richardson, the assistant community manager at First Street Place, said Sandoval does whatever she is asked, works hard and most important, fills leases.

At 3 p.m., the once-loud singing of the phone in the office slowly turns into whispers, and Sandoval can go on break. DoorDash, known for its speedy food delivery service, is her “hero,” thanks to her having only a 31-minute employee break. After receiving the McDonald’s delivery, Sandoval heads upstairs to eat in her apartment above the office.

With her head on the table, a more relaxed Sandoval says she struggles to juggle both college and a job.

“I’m so tired. I stayed up till 2:30 in the morning last night doing homework and it will probably be the same tonight,” she says.

22 Countenance Spring 2021

Packed schedule; optimistic outlook Sandoval’s schedule typically has her working from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. three days out the week, and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. the remainder of the week to accommodate multiple morning classes.

“Sometimes because of both school and work, it’s hard for me to even eat outside these 31 minutes in a day,” says Sandoval.

But her work ethic doesn’t come from the streets of Greenville.

It originates from another city.

Sandoval is from Winston-Salem, which the Brookings Institute said in 2014 had the second highest number of suburban poor people living in poor neighborhoods among metro areas in the United States. Sandoval attributes her work ethic to this, the city where she grew up.

“Coming from little really showed me the value of working and the aspect of working hard,” Sandoval says.

Using that mentality, Sandoval has been able to garner a 3.1 grade point average and stay on track with the pace of her college courses. Her best friend, East Carolina University graduate Ally Jones, respects Sandoval’s hardworking principles.

“She is up in the late-night hours, perfecting papers and projects halfasleep, but she gets the job done,” says Jones.

Sandoval began working at First Street Place in spring 2020 after her father lost his job. This placed Sandoval in a difficult position.

Because her father could provide little financial support and her mother must provide for Sandoval’s younger sister’s needs on a small salary, Sandoval was thrust into adulthood before many college students. Without family support,

Sandoval must pay for her rent, phone bill and any other needs.

To help cover her college expenses Sandoval takes out an abundance of loans each year. Coming from a lower income family, she knows she must do what she can to be successful in the future.

“When I graduate, I’m going to be up to my neck in debt, but I’ll have an education,” Sandoval says.

School and work have dominated Sandoval’s life, and her social life is no exception.

With all those responsibilities, Sandoval has little to no time for a normal college social life.

“Having a job and going to college sucks because I never get to party with friends, but it’ll pay off,” she says.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average 37.8% of students are simultaneously working and enrolled in college.

That statistic perfectly represents Sandoval in comparison to her friends. Sandoval says she feels like a “lone wolf” because, out of all her friends, she is the only one with a job. She envies her college friends without jobs; however, she understands and accepts it.

“It’s not fair, but I have to play with the cards I’m dealt,” Sandoval says. She’s been making sacrifices her whole life, but through her struggle Sandoval says she is learning the power of optimism.

“If I speak negative, I’ll receive negative. That’s why I speak positive,” Sandoval says.

The reserved Sandoval during her break instantly perks up as she gets on the elevator to resume her shift.

Margaret Storm, the leasing manager, sits in her office chair waiting to give Sandoval her next task for the day.

“Alright Sara, log all the packages for today and organize them in the storage room,” Storm says.

A variety of packages are on the floor unorganized and scattered. It is up to Sandoval to use an iPad to scan the barcode on each shipping label, log the resident’s package in the mailing system, then organize each box by name in the package room.

“Sometimes we get up to 50 boxes, but honestly it helps us better our connection with our residents, especially when we deliver,” says Sandoval.

It’s 5 p.m., and Sandoval gathers the packages she filed earlier and places them on a black rolling cart, organizing them by room number on each cart shelf.

“Let’s knock out these packages,” she says excitedly.

Sandoval follows a strict “knock-drop” routine, a form of package delivery to each apartment that’s contactless.

She explains her “knock-drop” routine just as quickly as she delivers the residents’ packages.

“Basically, I knock on the door, announce myself and place the package at the door,” Sandoval says hastily, while still pushing the cart.

At 6:15 p.m., Sandoval begins office closing duties.

“With Coronavirus in play, we have to disinfect every-

thing to create a safe environment for everyone,” she says.

She first starts by mopping the tile floors in the lobby.

Then she cleans the men’s lobby bathroom, scrubbing messy toilet seats with Clorox wipes, while her co-worker Carrie Thompson cleans the women’s bathroom.

Next, both women walk hastily to the apartment’s gym to sanitize the free weights and elliptical machines with disinfectant sprays and sanitizer wipes.

“Being a leasing intern is way more than the first word. I mean sure we do achieve the leasing and selling aspect, but we also do so much more, and our hands do get dirty,” Sandoval explains.

It’s now 7 p.m., seven hours after her shift began, and Sandoval starts to pack her heavily decorated Apple MacBook, blue ballpoint pens and her notebook in her pink Under Armour bookbag.

“I’m going to be up all night tonight,” she says.

Two tests are due tomorrow, and she has two tests she has yet to study for. However, after a stressful day and the beginning of a stressful night, Sandoval still manages a smile.

“Honestly, I’m just gonna have to stay positive,” says Sandoval, “and keep pushing.” n

Sandoval says she feels like a “lone wolf” because, out of all her friends, she is the only one with a job.

Quick Stats:

Student loan debt: •After mortgages, student loans are the "biggest kind of debt" for an American individual, rising $79 billion in 2018.

(Source: financesonline.com) •In 2019, there were over 110,000 applications for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program by the end of June 2019. Only, 1,216 of these applications were approved. (Source: NerdWallet) •The average balance for federal and private student loan borrowers in North Carolina is $36,293, slighlty under the national. average of $36,689. Connecticut has the highest average student loan debt of $38,669 per student. Utah has the lowest—$19,728 per student. (Sources: studentloanhero.com and forbes.com)

Spring 2021 Countenance 23

THE INVISIBLE ILL

THE INVIS

THE

Anti-anxiety prescription drugs might seem more harmless than street drugs, but the potential for addiction via misuse can happen to anyone, making it a difficult illness to spot —and one with potentially deadly consequences.

by Sydney Hunnell

I

magine this: You wake up. You’re on the floor, it’s freezing cold and hard like stone. You open your crusted-over eyelids slowly, in a daze. As you open them even more, you look down and you’re wearing yesterday’s clothes. You’re aching everywhere, physically and mentally exhausted. You gain a sense of your surroundings and feel that your hands are cuffed behind your back.

You look even more and notice you’re locked in a cell, all alone. You’re in jail. And even worse? You have no idea how you got there.

Preston Lee, a 26-year-old ECU senior who is also a recovering addict, doesn’t have to imagine this because he has lived it.

Not uncommon, but often overlooked Like Preston, 23 million Americans suffer from a substance use disorder each year.

Another 23 million more are in recovery. That means in any given year 46 million

24 Countenance Spring 2021

NESS

IBLE ILLNESS

INVISIBLE ILLNESS Americans are personally affected by the disease of addiction. However, we would never even realize many of these people have it.

Preston is one of those people. At first glance he looks like just your average guy. At 5-foot-10, he’s tall but not too tall, has golden brown hair and a cleanly-shaven face. He has no tattoos or piercings and dresses about how you’d expect a 26-year-old to dress. He talks with enthusiasm and positivity, as if he is carefree. He plays guitar, goes to church and works a normal job. He grew up with a great family in Raleigh, got above-average grades and played sports his entire life. You would look at Preston or interact with him and could say a million different words that describe him as a person and not one of them would be how he would describe himself: a recovering addict.

That word, “recovering,” is a crucial word, because it took Preston nine years to stop using drugs, and with those years came immense struggles.

Immediate, dangerous and scary

Image: Composite of photos by: Anna Shvets from Pexels Ryutaro Tsukata from Pexels

At 15, he started selling drugs to help support his family. His dad had been laid off and times were tough. But things changed when Preston turned 17. He stopped selling drugs to help pay bills and started selling them to pay for his addiction.

This was the age he first tried the drug that he now says was his biggest problem: Xanax. Preston was offered some by his friends one night and actually told them no at first, but peer pressure took over and he thought to himself, “I’ll just try it this one time. What’s the big deal?” And so he did. Preston describes his addiction to it as immediate.

Xanax is a prescription anti-anxiety drug that acts on the GABA receptors in the brain to provide an immediate calming effect. However, some street versions of Xanax are cut or laced with other very dangerous things, a trend seen in countless news articles, and warned about by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Addiction wasn’t the only problem Preston was dealing with, though, with him divulging that he’s gone to jail four separate times now. He’s been arrested even more times than that. Preston mentions dozens of times he believes he should’ve died and considers himself a miracle.

The things he saw on the streets were the scariest of them all, though. There, he watched people use all types of drugs, sell drugs, carry weapons, get into fights with one other (and himself) and more.

“There are immense problems with Xanax, one of them being how little addiction to it is ever talked about,” explained Zachary Konefal, a fellow ECU student and addiction ally, which means he advocates for and supports addicts without being one himself.

Spring 2021 Countenance 25

“Xanax is the number one prescribed psychiatric drug in the country, with around 44 million prescriptions written every year.

Nobody highlights the addiction potential, though, and, even worse, the high rate of seizures that result in death if you stop taking the medication.”

Lifelong battle Preston persevered through treatment, though, despite being away from all friends and family with only two 15-minute phone calls allowed each week. He successfully completed his treatment, which started on March 11, 2016, and integrated back into his life. He started working again, started taking classes and tried to move on.

However, the disease of addiction doesn’t just go away.

It is a lifelong battle. After almost four years clean, on the cold winter afternoon of Jan. 15, 2020, Preston relapsed on Xanax. After years in recovery, he felt comfortable in his addiction, feeling as if he was “cured”—almost like the drug had never controlled his life for all of those years.

“I don’t think everyone can go through relapse,” he admitted, “but for those that do, it’s a necessary evil to go through only because you need to realize you should never be comfortable but always be accountable.”

Preston Lee is an ECU student who is recovering from addiction. photo courtesy of Preston Lee

“Xanax is the number one prescribed psychiatric drug in the country, with around 44 million prescriptions written every year. Nobody highlights the addiction potential, though, and, even worse, the high rate of seizures that result in death if you stop taking the medication.”

Preston experienced this firsthand during his first two months in a 14-month-long inpatient rehab facility.

He had countless seizures, an inability to eat or sleep, slipped into psychosis and couldn’t even walk for weeks.

Physically he was struggling, and mentally he was being tortured. He fell into immense depression and anxiety, felt angry and aggressive all the time, and was constantly stressed. This is typical when withdrawing from an addiction to Xanax.

“I had horrible stomach pains for weeks, couldn’t sleep or eat, and my whole body constantly shook with anxiety,” said another ECU student and recovering Xanax addict who asked that her name not be used.

26 Countenance Spring 2021

Healing and helping— the human element Following his relapse, Preston became more recoveryfocused than he’s ever been. He poured all of his passion into health and wellness, religion and education. He attends several recovery meetings each week, one of them being his own ECU Collegiate Recovery meeting.

The Collegiate Recovery Center at ECU hosts biweekly recovery meetings.

“We want to make sure ‘the door is always open,’” CRC Coordinator J Harris told the club. “These meetings are virtual and open to any person in or seeking recovery.”

During these times, one person leads the meeting by focusing on a single topic. They start by sharing something about the topic before passing the metaphorical microphone to the next person who wants to share.

“Some days it’s these meetings that are the only thing keeping me going,” says Jacob, an ECU student and member of CRC, who asked that his full name not be

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357). SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-daya-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.

For more, visit: www.samhsa.gov/ used. It is no secret that recovery meetings are helpful to those in recovery considering the success of groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

Preston says the testimonies of others who have gone through addiction and recovery motivate him to keep going and show he can do it too. But the biggest factor in his sobriety? Human connection.

“I had horrible stomach pains for weeks, couldn’t sleep or eat, and my whole body constantly shook with anxiety,” said another ECU student and recovering Xanax addict who asked that her name not be used.

“I know I’m strong enough to get through this, but not by myself,” he divulged, adding that the friends and family who stuck by him before, during and after his addiction are what motivates him to keep fighting.

Through now 14 years struggling with addiction, Preston uses his story to educate, inform and reduce the stigma, saying that, if sharing his story helps just one person out there, then being vulnerable and talking about his struggles is worth it.

He never interacts with someone as if they’re a stranger. Instead, he is kind to everyone because he never knows if someone is struggling or not. He knows you can’t spot someone who is struggling with the invisible illness of addiction.

“I don’t judge people for what they look like,” Preston says, “but who they are.” n

commonly asked questions about recovering from addiction: Can addiction be treated successfully?

Yes: "Research on the science of addiction and the treatment of substance use disorders has led to the development of research-based methods that help people to stop using drugs and resume productive lives, also known as being in recovery."

Can addiction be cured?

While treatment usually is not a cure, addiction can be managed successfully. Treatment enables people to counteract addiction's disruptive effects on their brain and regain control of their behavior and lives.

Does relapse to drug use mean treatment has failed?

No: "A return to drug use after an attempt to stop, can be part of the process, but newer treatments are designed to help prevent relapses."

Source: NIDA. 2020, July 10.Treatment and Recovery.

Retrieved from: drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/ treatment-recovery on 2021, March 19

Image: Brain scans comparing the brain of someone who stopped using after one month and after 14 months. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, these images show the density of dopamine transporters in the brain and "illustrate the brain's remarkable ability to recover, at least in part, after a long abstinence from drugs—in this case, methamphetamine."

Image source: Loss of Dopamine Transporters in Methamphetamine Abusers Recovers with Protracted Abstinence Journal of Neuroscience 1 December 2001, 21 (23) 9414-9418; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.21-23-09414.2001 Copyright Society for Neuroscience Spring 2021 Countenance 27

TRAVELING THE ROAD TO AN ADULT ADHD DIAGNOSIS While diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder for children seems common nowadays, adults seeking answers to questions about why they are experiencing problems with memory and concentration may travel a long and winding road before receiving answers.

I

n the seventh grade I subconsciously developed a habit of rolling my eyes that stuck with me for six months.

The memory is embedded in my brain because of one specific instance when a classmate asked me why I

rolled my eyes every minute. I had no answer for him as I was overcome with embarrassment that someone outside my family noticed this tic.

28 Countenance Spring 2021

by Cayla Menges

What I found to be an odd habit was the onset of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, which I would live with undiagnosed until adulthood. Up to this point I had spent most of my school years coasting by without noticing my lack of learning comprehension. I had always been an antsy child who blamed it on an eccentric personality.

In 2018 I started the journey toward ADHD diagnosis and prescription trial and error. I was unaware of the difficulty of ADHD diagnosis in adults until I underwent the process myself.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 11% of school-aged children are diagnosed with ADHD, while only 4% of adults are. The CDC’s age range for children diagnosed with ADHD is 2 to 17 years old.

ADHD apparently runs in my family as my younger brother was diagnosed in elementary school. Even with the family history, my pediatric physician denied my request for ADHD testing in 2018 as she said I would have shown symptoms earlier in life if I had the disorder.

With the gut feeling I had ADHD, I took the next best route and sought testing at a psychiatric facility. The ADHD test I was administered came back inconclusive and I was prescribed a nonstimulant ADHD prescription. With little success in the trial of this non-stimulant, I went back to my pediatric physician. She administered an ADHD test and formally diagnosed me in 2019. A year prior she ignored the symptoms I described having but became a believer in 2019 when she saw my symptoms had persisted.

Why many adults 'fly under the ADHD radar' In clinical psychologist Russell Barkley’s book, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Fourth Edition: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment, he discussed the misconception of ADHD diagnosis in adults.

In his book, Barkley said the adults who undergo ADHD testing are required at minimum to exhibit five of the 99 symptoms for diagnosis in accordance with The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria.

The diagnostic manual said a person must show symptoms of ADHD when he or she is 12 years of age or younger. Yet, Barkley said research finds at least 7 to 10% of children and adults meeting all other criteria for ADHD have an onset of symptoms after age 12.

Additional studies also support the use of his criteria over the diagnostic manual, according to Barkley. Barkley suggests ADHD symptoms specific to a certain age group should be categorized to assist in proper diagnosis.

Barkley said clinicians should investigate alternate criteria better suited for ADHD diagnoses in adults than what the diagnostic manual recommends. He said symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity seem more applicable to young children and less appropriate or not at all applicable to older teens and adults.

Adults and children show similar yet different symptoms of ADHD, according to Harvard Medical School’s health website. Children with diagnosed ADHD exhibit symptoms of hyperactivity and trouble paying attention and staying focused. Children normally grow out of the hyperactivity stage, Harvard Health Publishing said, yet it can persist into adulthood alongside a lack of motivation and problems with memory and concentration.

Laura Edwards, an ADHD specialist with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Learning Center, said she has seen numerous adults enter college with undiagnosed ADHD. Such students go to Edwards with what she considers to be red flags. She said common symptoms students have shown vary from lack of concentration to lack of motivation and tendency to procrastinate.

The road to ADHD diagnosis has improved; however, Edwards said many college students

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“At some point if I feel like it’s appropriate, we have that conversation.

‘Have you ever thought about the fact that you might have ADHD and that could be what’s going on here?' Students will say, 'You know? Somebody mentioned it in the past, but I never did anything about it.'” still fly under the radar due to their unawareness of the presence of a learning disability. If psychoeducational evaluation is an option, Edwards said she encourages students to take that route alongside coaching offered through their universities.

“At some point if I feel like it’s appropriate, we have that conversation: ‘Have you ever thought about the fact that you might have ADHD and that could be what’s going on here?’” Edwards said. “Students will say, 'You know? Somebody mentioned it in the past, but I never did anything about it.'”

Edwards said many college students have developed their own comprehension strategies through the years to cope with ADHD symptoms. Most students who have ADHD are bright and driven to do well but lack the diagnosis that could change how they further their education, she added.

21-year-old Cayla Menges' ADHD diagnosis changed her life. She is more successful academically, and able to juggle college and two part-time jobs. photo by Brooke Edes 30 Countenance Spring 2021

I was three years into college when I was diagnosed with ADHD and up until that point I had barely stayed above water when it came to my academic performance. My difficulty concentrating diminished my drive to complete work and my grades suffered as a result. I was determined to investigate the reasons for my lack of motivation to perform well in school and complete everyday tasks.

Edwards said someone interested in an ADHD diagnosis should be guided by their physicians to find what works best for them, whether it be medication or alternative mechanisms such as learning coaching.

She said research has shaped the methods now used to treat ADHD and has found that more than one method of treatment can be the best option.

Reaching a destination My journey to prescription medication treatment for ADHD faced trial and error but was rewarded by the improvement in my academic success. Throughout this process, I discovered I was a hands-on learner who needed certain elements of my course materials to be modified. I created study skills to help compensate for some ADHD symptoms.

I never imagined I would enter college and almost fail out. I had been a member of the honor society in high school and felt as if I was prepared to face college, when I wasn’t. I thought I had failed myself, my parents and my professors with my poor academic performance. I craved success but did not want to continue my education.

Although it was difficult to obtain, my ADHD diagnosis changed my academic success and my everyday life. I was disappointed that my pediatric physician let me down with a quick trigger pull to write off an adult with symptoms of ADHD. Since my ADHD diagnosis I have improved my motivation and stabilized my concentration through a stimulant prescription medication. Even though I still struggle with hyperactivity, I am able to juggle two part-time jobs and remain a full-time college student, set to graduate in Fall 2021. n

Adult ADHD:

Symptoms, diagnosis, benefits some symptoms of Adult ADHD: •Impulsiveness •Disorganization and problems prioritizing •Poor time management skills •Problems focusing on a task •Trouble multitasking •Excessive activity or restlessness •Poor planning •Low frustration tolerance •Frequent mood swings •Problems following through and completing tasks •Hot temper •Trouble coping with stress

3 WAYS to find AN ADULT adhd EXPERT: •Speak to your primary care doctor, who might provide a referral to an ADHD specialist.

•Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) was founded in 1987 "in response to the frustration and sense of isolation experienced by parents and their children with ADHD." You can check its professional directory at: chadd.org/ professional-directory/ •Do a search for your area at psychologytoday.com/us/ therapists/adhd

Source: mayoclinic.org

benefits of adult adhd: •Energy: Some people with ADHD have lots of energy and can channel it on the playing field, in the classroom or in the workplace.

•Spontaneity: Some can turn impulsivity into spontaneous behavior. Or, may be more open to trying new things or breaking from the status quo.

•Creativity: Some with ADHD may be inventive thinkers. May also be described as original or artistic.

•Focus: Some people with ADHD may become hyperfocused (becoming so "intently focused on a task that they may not even notice the world around them"). A person with ADHD may work at an assignment until its completion without breaking concentration.

Source: "Personal strengths of people with ADHD," healthline.com

photo: Flash Alexander has released this “Rural Road To Snow Mountains” image under Public Domain license.

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