ARE YOU BEING WATCHED?
THE ART OF PEACE
PIRATE NATION’S ONLY PREMIER VAPE SHOP!
E-CIGS, VAPES, E-JUICES AND HARDWARE LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED
2800 EAST 10TH STREET (SHOPPING CENTER AT 10TH AND 5TH)
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
The Hook is published twice a year by East Carolina University students at the Magazine Division Office, Self-Help Building, Second Floor. Greenville, NC 27858
Magazine Division General Manager: Camille Young
The Hook Editor and Chief: Trish Willis
Design Chief: Katie Church
Designers: Brandon Miles and Erin Flynn
Photo Editor: Charlee Moss
Writers: Matthew Prensky, Darby Hubbell, Jenna Price, Anais Roller, Anh Ha, Daniel Roberts, Jahad Carter
Student Media Professional Staff
Director: John Harvey
Publication Advisor: Terrence Dove
Advertising & Marketing Advisor: Julie Roman
Operations Manager: Janet Rollins
Multimedia and Production Specialist: Annah Schwartz
The Hook is copyrighted 2018 by The Hook Magazine and East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C. It is printed by Theo Davis Print
The Hook is operated by ECU students who are members of Student Media, an East Carolina University student-led organization operating under the auspices of the Student Media Board and through the Division of Student Affairs. The magazine is produced twice a year by ECU students for the East Carolina University community.
Opinions expressed herein are those of the student writers and editors and DO NOT reflect those of the faculty, staff, administration of ECU, Student Media Board nor the University of North Carolina System.
Partial funding for this publication is provided through Student Fee Funds. Advertisements fund the remaining costs. Advertising inquiries may be sent to Office of Student Media, 202 Self Help Building, or by calling the Business Office at 252-328-9245. Inquiries concerning content should be sent to Magazine General Manager Trish Willis at thehookmag@ecu.edu.
All students are allowed to have one free copy of this publication. Additional copies cost $1 each and are available at the Office of Student Media. Unauthorized removal of additional copies from a distribution site will constitute theft under state law, a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine and/or jail time.
The Hook Magazine is a publication that has always stood to serve the students of East Carolina University and act as a diary for the moments this school should never forget. The magazine staff and I have decided to stop playing it safe and only talk about the student housing market or where to get STD testing. No longer will we solely produce material that only scratches the surface of what some students at this university have been trying to express for so long. Rather, we set out to share in unique experiences of students on campus, discuss topics that many have never had to consider, and to peek behind the curtain
Today, when you read these articles, keep in mind that every student on this campus has a story and a voice, and The Hook’s mission is to share in those, not to silence them. It has been such a fulfilling journey composing these stories and publishing them for the student body, and I hope you can either see yourself in these pages or at least learn something new. This university's student body is a beautiful fusion of different people with different experiences; it’s time the official publishing
Is ECU Just a Party School?
I’ve Found the One “For Now” Direction Without Diversity
With Resilience and Strength
Are You Being Watched?
Dooley; Doin’ it Again
The Best Bang For Your Buck
reenville, North Carolina is home to one of the most popular universities in the state of North Carolina, and that is East Carolina University. People know that ECU is the home of the Pirates, but there are those who believe that ECU is just a big party school.
“Any school can be a party school,” said Nicolas Reid, a Junior attending ECU. “Any school can also be a place where you can go to learn and grow as an adult. People looking at ECU from the outside don’t know as much and then base their thoughts of the school from past occurrences. If you don’t know anything else about the school, that is what will be said.”
Every time a student decides that he or she wants to become a student at East Carolina, there are those who oppose the idea of becoming a part of Pirate Nation because of the “party school” reputation. Many feel as though that rep takes away any possibility of getting a quality education here in Greenville.
Every year, Niche.com posts a list ranking the biggest party schools in the nation. ECU is ranked No. 53 on the list, with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University ranked at No. 49. Many students all over campus have attested to the fact that, even though ECU has a lot of parties, that does not necessarily make it a party school.
“People tend to underestimate ECU’s academicsbecause of this reputation,” said sophomore Payton Galloway, Alpha Xi Delta member. “In all actuality, the classes offered here are just as challenging as any other state school in North Carolina, like NCSU or UNC. ECU is not the designated party school, and any ECU student would agree.”
Chancellor Cecil Stanton has been the chancellor of ECU for the past two years, and he says the stigma of ECU being a party school has taken away the recognition of what the university has done for the state of North Carolina.
“The perception that ‘ECU is a party school’ from many years ago does linger in some places. And I think there are a lot of people who are unaware of what ECU has become,” Chancellor Cecil Stanton said. “The reality is ECU produces more doctors and dentists for rural and underserved North Carolina than any other institution. We educate more nurses, more allied health professionals, more educators for public schools and more business leaders than most NC universities- I can assure you that these people are working as hard as students at any other leading university.”
Every year, Stanton and other faculty members have been finding ways to improve the quality of education ECU has to offer to all students. More and more students from all over the country and the world have decided to come to ECU because of the quality of education they hope to receive. And with each passing year, the ‘party school’ name dwindles a bit more.
“It’s clear that perceptions are changing in a positive direction, but not fast enough,” Stanton said. “ECU deserves respect for its academic stature and accomplishments. That’s why I have focused on things like branding and marketing, increasing research, increasing internationalization, and launching a $500 million comprehensive fundraising campaign. We are very pleased with the progress we’re making.”
I think there are a lot of people who are unaware of what ECU has become,
“Party
Loveor hate it, most students can admit that there is an upward trend in pressure free hookup culture, especially through online apps. Even though there is some debate on whether this is a charming new way to find a partner, or so far from the tradition that there is no excitement in dating anymore.
Walking around on campus, students will say, “I really want to start dating, or, I want to meet new people,” A unanimous answer is always, “Have you tried Tinder?”
Easy as left and right, literally, there is a way to meet numerous new people. Dating apps have truly changed the game when it comes to looking for a partner.
This new way of doing things can either be a pleasurable and promising experience, or it can leave you confused and lonely. National Public Radio’s podcast, Hidden Brain, hosted by Aziz Ansari, he is recognized as Tom from Parks & Recreation, to speak about the danger of having too many options. During his talk on Hidden Brain, Aziz explained a concept called ‘Paradox of Choice’ which, essentially, explains that when humans get too many choices, it is harder for them to settle for one.
Having so many choices, it can be hard to know whether someone’s feelings are true, especially when the only communication with said person is through texting. Intentions can be tricky to decipher when it comes to online dating as well; someone who is looking for a relationship may use the internet to find love, while others could be simply looking for something casual.
Several online dating apps boast their relationship success stories featuring couples who seem to have found their soulmate, but there is always the other end of the spectrum of users who utilize the app for something much more laid back. Hidden Brain also hosted Lisa Wade, sociologist at Occidental College, who studied casual sex across campus and her findings show that this type of relationship can be depressing.
Wade mentioned that the oddest thing about this trend is the attraction level that leads to a sexual encounter, people are more likely to sleep with someone who they don’t like- as long as they look good. This is because “catching feelings” [a word students use to refer to commitment and feelings for someone] can be seen as a negative aspect of hooking up.
The most common fear that most college students have that prevents them from reaching out and initiate anything with their crush is the fear of looking “desperate”.
As technology gets more and more accommodating to varying human lifestyles, this is the perfect time to take advantage of all sorts of resources. If it’s a desire to find someone for the night, or for the rest of time, it will ultimately come down to how honest the two are with each other, and it doesn’t hurt to be a little careful as well, with both body and heart.
Whatever they’re looking for, many students have agreed that your twenties are when you’re supposed to be making the most of your memories- if someone is lucky enough to find exactly what makes them happy on Tinder, then so be it. There are many stories out there of “Tinderella” happy endings, and we all deserve to go get it..
... when humans get too many choices, it is harder for them settle for one.
College students that suffer from issues with mental health can be less likely to seek help because of negative stigma around therapy and counseling.
Maya Pittman, staff counselor and outreach coordinator, says that East Carolina University provides a variety of options for students dealing with any sort of mental health issues. From individual counseling to group programs, Pittman said there is a variety of options for students no matter what they may be going through.
Pittman says she thinks the reason students don’t seek help for their mental health problems is because of the way society views mental illness as a weakness. “Even though we’ve come a long way from where we were, there are still things we can do to improve,” she said. “Another issue that students may have with seeking help from the counseling center is the unknown aspect of the counseling center.”
“The other thing is, we’re strangers, and although that is very beneficial for someone seeking some guidance because it provides an objective view, it can be very intimidating for a student to talk to someone they’ve never met about something they haven’t talk to anyone about at all,” Pittman said. “And so it can feel very scary at the beginning, and hopefully that decreases once they meet with a counselor, but we have a societal understanding that if you have a mental health issue that somethings wrong with you, and we’re trying to change and normalize that more.”
Pittman said a lot of the way students view counseling is based on their family and the aspects of their background. Race, culture, religion and economic status can all be factors too, if students are willing to seek help. Susan Pearce, associate professor of sociology, said that all of these factors play hand-in-hand with each other.
“Family and religion, for example, are going to be very much integrated with each other, if a family is very involved religiously,” Pearce said, “because you think of all the rituals related to the family that religion takes care of. Certainly, [we’re] in a society that still has divisions over race and we have many more interracial families than ever before so that’s going to very much diversify the picture. We do see cultural patterns related to race within families.”
Pittman says that every single college student will be affected by mental health issues while they are in college. She said college students are prone to stress and anxiety at incredibly high levels and sometimes it can become overwhelming for those students.
According to Pittman, because college is an adjustment period for most students, it can cause students to experience various levels of stress, both positive and negative stress.
“A lot of adjustment during this time, higher level decisions, just learning how to prepare for post-college life and so that can be met with some confusion, even down to time management,” Pittman said. “So I think every single student, whether they know it or not, is impacted in some way at some level by mental health.”
Pittman said that all information about the counseling center can be found online at their website. Pittman encourages people to feel comfortable making appointments with the counseling center.
...every single college student will be affected by mental health issues while they are in college.
Cecil Staton, Chancellor
Wayne Poole, Interim Chief Audit Officer
James Hopf , Chief of Staff
Ronald L. Mitchelson, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Sara Thorndike, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance
Christopher Dyba, Vice Chancellor for University Advancement
Jay S. Golden, Vice Chancellor for Research, Economic Development and Engagement
Mark Stacy, Interim Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences
Photographs contributed by ECU
erriam-Webster describes segregation as the separation or isolation of a group using barriers. Officially, segregation in schools was struck down in 1954 with the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Yet, according to some at East Carolina University, segregation is still alive.
Today, students of color can sit, eat or chat next to white students without repercussions. According to students and administrators, today’s segregation is not intentional. Rather it occurs because of the large gap between white and minority students at ECU. This gap, according to students and administrators, makes minority students feel isolated. It then motivates them to seek out those of their same race; indirectly segregating themselves.
Daysha Ervin, president of the ECU chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), said minority students are motivated to join groups such as the NAACP because they may feel isolated by being the only minorities in a predominately white institution. “When you’re walking around campus it does seem like ‘Wow I might be alone,’ but once you get to those organizations that look like you, you kind of feel like ‘Ok, well maybe I’m not so outnumbered. I have people here with me that I can stand in arms with’,” Ervin said.
According to the university’s fact book, ECU’s student body is approximately 66 percent white, accounting for 19,130 of 28,718 students. This fall, ECU’s white student population is more than four times that of its black student population.
Approximately 11 times larger than its Hispanic population and 33 times greater than is Asian population. African Americans account for about 16 percent, or 4,559 students. Hispanics amount to approximately six percent or 1,806 students and the fourth largest racial group, Asians, around two percent or 766 students of ECU’s total headcount, according to ECU’s fact book.
When Mariah Rhodes first came to campus, she did not immediately notice the gap between the white student population and that of minorities. Rhodes, who is president of ECU’s Black Student Union said she knew coming to ECU that it was a predominantly white institution. Coming from a small town where everyone knew each other, Rhodes said it was hard adjusting to ECU where, in her words, different groups don’t mingle. Rhodes says students at ECU voluntarily stick to groups of like-minded or similarly looking people, whether it be white, black, hispanic or asian.
Rhodes said she’s been to other universities and hasn’t witnessed the same behavior which happens at ECU. Rhodes says ECU students voluntarily segregate themselves from those who are different to avoid uncomfortable situations.
“That’s the sad part. It’s not anything that’s forced, it’s just very natural for the people here,” Rhodes said. “I say that because I’ve been to other schools and there’s really not one that’s like this when it comes to segregation in the student population.” Rhodes added, “There’s absolutely no connection to the university and the segregation on campus. It’s from the students.”
Working in a white-dominated environment isn't anything new for Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Virginia Hardy.
Hardy has served as a vice chancellor at ECU for nearly nine years. In that time, while racial minorities have grown in numbers at ECU, Hardy says people of color and women in leadership have been lessening. Over the years though, as the leader of student affairs at ECU, Hardy says she likes to think that she has her fingers on the pulse of students. That access to the collective breath of the student body took Hardy by surprise a few years ago when minority students first raised the idea of segregation at ECU. From Hardy's perspective, she believes other senior administrators may not be aware
of how minority students feel. Hardy added she believed the chancellor or provost would probably be surprised to learn that students on campus feel segregated. “I understand what they are saying when they [students] see segregation. I don’t think the university has intentionally done that. I don’t even think the university is even conscious of that,” Hardy said. Hardy says when she goes into a meeting, she looks to see if there are any other black people in the room. Hardy does not do it consciously but as she describes, when someone is a minority, they tend to notice more often when there are no other minorities in the room.
In fact, accounting for all of ECU’s vice chancellors, its chief audit officer, the chancellor, his chief of staff and all the members of ECU’s Board of Trustees, ECU’s senior leadership has a significantly higher white concentration than its student body. Of the 23 senior leadership positions consisting of vice chancellors and above, just two are held by African Americans. The other 21 positions are held by Caucasians. “There is not a lot of diversity in the leadership at East Carolina. You look at senior leadership, if you count senior leadership as vice chancellors and deans. From a gender perspective or racially,” Hardy said.
From the time Hardy became a vice chancellor in January of 2010, she says diversity in terms of race and gender has declined. Hardy recalled how back in 2010there were four to five vice chancellors who were women. Now, ECU has two female vice chancellors.
The number of females among the leadership of ECU’s colleges has dropped as well, Hardy said. “From a gender perspective it has gone down. From a racial perspective, we’ve not had many in the (vice chancellor) or deans’ positions,” Hardy said. “Right now there’s me as a vice chancellor and we have one dean [who are African American].”
Ron Mitchelson, senior vice chancellor of academic affairs, said he isn’t sure why there’s less diversity at the dean, vice chancellor, and senior leadership levels of ECU. “Those pools are much smaller. I think through time that will change. To me it is almost a numbers game. If you have more Hispanic, African American faculty, there is a higher probability they will become (department) chairs to become a dean, to become a vice chancellor. It is a funnel. If the base of that funnel is more diverse then it stands to reason that some of the outcomes at the higher end will be diverse.”
faculty, there is a higher probability they will become (department) chairs to become a dean, to become a vice chancellor. It is a funnel. If the base of that funnel is more diverse then it stands to reason that some of the outcomes at the higher end will be diverse.”
Mitchelson added in his time as a senior vice chancellor and provost, he’s hired four deans; one black male, two white men and one white female. Mitchelson said he doesn’t go into a search process with diversity in mind. Rather, he tries to limit the search committees’ biases to give all candidates a fair shot.
At the dean level of ECU, large gaps between racial groups continue. Of the nine deans at ECU, one is African American, two are white females and the rest of white males.
Chancellor Cecil Staton acknowledged the university’s leadership isn’t where it should be. Staton said sometimes it’s hard to recruit diverse candidates to Greenville, North Carolina because it can lack the urban setting some are looking for.
In terms of racial diversity, Staton said besides the historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and possibly the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, he felt ECU was probably one of the more diverse campuses in the UNC System.
However, in terms of numbers, the gap between the population of white students and the total of all racial minorities is 9,542, according to ECU’s Fall 2018 fact book. ECU’s gap between white and total minority group populations (9,542) is so large, it’s greater than the total undergraduate populations at eight other North Carolina schools; Duke University, Wake Forest University, Elon University, North Carolina Agricultural & Technology University, Western Carolina University, North Carolina Central University, University of North Carolina at Pembroke and University of North Carolina at Asheville, according to United States Department of Education statistics.
-Mariah Rhodes president of ECU BSUThat’s the sad part. It’s not anything that’s forced, it’s just very natural for the people here. I say that because I’ve been to other schools and there’s really not one that’s like this when it comes to segregation in the student population.
1. ECU is home to over 500 clubs and organizations. Students always have the ability to start new ones.
2. The university’s original mascot was a Great Dane named ‘Buc’ before becoming a poodle in 1968.
3. ECU’s current Mascot, PeeDee the Pirate, was selected from an influx of ideas from children all over Pitt County.
4. The actress Sandra Bullock is an alumna.
5. ECU produces more teachers and nurses than any other school in NC.
6. The main campus recreation center is the 3rd largest in the state.
7. The dorms Cotton, Fleming and Jarvis spell out the letters
‘ECU’ from an aerial view.
8. In 1909, when ECU’s student body was asked to vote on the school colors, Old Gold and Royal Purple were selected because of the sunsets that glowed over the campus.
9. The long path leading from the Main Campus Recreation Center to the Bate building has long been referred to as “The Mall” many speculate it is called that because ‘everything you need is there’.
10. The Cupola, which is now located on the grassy area of The Mall, was built as an oversized replica of the original cupola that was located on top of the Austin building before it eventually burned in a fire.
Written by Jahad Carter
Photograph by Katelyn Francis
ChristineBlasey Ford recently spoke out against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh for an alleged sexual assault incident that occurred in their high school years.
Although many years have passed since the incident occurred, she made this decision to speak out despite the fear of public scrutiny or backlash from people within the political arena. Even better, she voiced her trauma so that rape culture no longer had control over her life and attempted to do the same for others.
A lot of the time, they release their stories to the public in order to protect future victims and uncover the heinous actions of their abusers. These stories can send shockwaves through the media and appall citizens across the nation.
However, few measures are taken to prevent instances of sexual abuse from continuing to happen amongst school-age youth in our society. Unfortunately, it is uncommon for victims to get the justice that they deserve.
Sadly, victims are either too afraid to seek justice, or if they do, a lot of times the abuser receives less than a slap on the wrist. Therefore, with lenient judicial power utilized onto true attackers, a precedent is set that continues to allow rape culture to live and thrive in places like East Carolina University.
Going forward, with the help of a few students, we have provided a list of tips that will assist in staying safe in our community.
1. Never walk alone after dark. We all know walking alone at night is very dangerous; however, many people still walk alone late at night through campus. Hunter Davis, a senior Art and Psychology double major said the most alarming thing she saw on campus was “a girl walking alone really drunk and alone on 10th street around 1 a.m.” Hunter recommends to always walk in groups at night, so you and your friends can remain accountable for one another. Having a safety net of friends in dire need situations is very important and leads into the next point.
2. Have a good support group having friends around is truly important in unsafe situations. However, not everyone is truly your friend or has your best interest at heart. Senior Meghan Cashmore, an art major concentrating in textiles and metal works suggest always going out with “someone you trust.” She adds that not only for walking alone at night, but at a party or in a local outing. Specifically, “having a friend to safely transport you home” after a late class.
3. Do not go home with a total stranger from a party Unless you are truly comfortable, conscious and have the true intent of doing whatever with whomever; Don’t Do This! As Hunter states, “alcohol leaves you a bit defenseless against attackers,” so leaving with someone you don’t know well is not the best decision.
4. Be aware of your surroundings at a party Sexual assaults do not only occur at parties. However, with the abundance of inebriated young people “there is an elevated risk of sexual assault,” says Hunter Davis. Sharon Falkins, a junior majoring in psychology, says to always at least party “in pairs.” She explains that it is important to have a friend nearby, just in case any unsafe or dangerous situations occur.
5. Never leave your drink unattended This rule is often perceived as cliché. However, with date rape drugs as prominent as they are in society, you can never repeat this rule too much. Meghan Cashmore straightforwardly recommended “watch your drink!”
...she made this decision to speak out despite the fear of public scrutiny or backlash...
As social media continues to evolve, so must the technology in order to help keep educational environments safe from potential threats which may infiltrate onto college campuses. East Carolina University as we know, tracks anything tagged with ECU’s name or location on an array of social media platforms with a software titled Social Sentinel.
Bill Koch, associate vice chancellor for Environmental Health and Campus Safety, said students are told in the required prerequisite health courses they should watch what they post on social media for future endeavors. However, it is never specifically stated to ECU students that their social media accounts, if openly deemed as public, are being tracked specifically by the university through Social Sentinel.
“We’re not tracking them. This is all information we could get through a Google search... it’s just an automated Google search,” Koch said “This is one of the things that students get in orientation and Health 1000, they talk about watch your social media because that stuff is available.” Koch said the software is “new”, so to speak, and though social media might not be a new notion to students, it still stands as a foreign concept for administrators.
Social Sentinel’s website states that they are a “revolutionary approach to delivering social media safety insights.” The website adds that, “trackers of student social media accounts should not be in it alone.” Stating how trackers for schools should “let technology deliver the insights and alerts to you.”
Koch said private social media accounts cannot be tracked, however anything that involves or mentions ECU or the local Greenville area can be flagged by the software. He said Social Sentinel will track any one affiliated with the university whether that may be present faculty, staff and students or alumni and retired staff.
Lauren Mink, continuity and emergency planner for ECU, said Social Sentinel will be able to set up a geofence range and it would search for red flags anywhere set within the specific range that ECU had established. Mink states how Social Sentinel has changed, there is no geofence feature anymore and the software can search world wide. “If a student is an ECU alumni and they’re in California talking about a shooting...occur, we have to do our own research and say, ‘this student is not in North Carolina, they are in California, they’re an alumni and are no longer attending the university,”
Mink added that Social Sentinel was purchased back in 2015 and is paid for annually with state funds which are budgeted out for safety and security projects or applications. According to Mink Social Sentinel tracks the following social media platforms; Flickr, Google+, Instagram, Meetup, Twitter, Vimeo, YouTube, Tumblr, and Wordpress.
Koch said the software should not be viewed by students as “Big Brother is watching,” or as a form of helicopter parenting, but instead should be viewed as a way to keep students at ECU safe from any potential violent attacks. “I’m all about free speech, and believe me free speech is not what we may want to hear or it can still be very offensive, it can be hateful and nasty and horrible,” Koch said. “But it's still free speech in most cases.”
According to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), ECU is one of eight North Carolina universities to obtain the highest FIRE rating of schools for First Amendment Standard and free speech, which is entitled a ‘green light’ rating. ECU has been ranked with this free speech ‘green light’ for two years in a row.
A FIRE article titled, ‘North Carolina is Home to Some of America’s Best Colleges for Free Speech,’ was released September 24 and
states that North Carolina’s colleges and universities are leading the way nationally for protecting student free speech. The article stated “The Tar Heel State is home to eight of only 42 institutions nationwide that earn the highest, ‘green light’ speech code rating from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.”
Though university tracking seems harmless, all it can take is one violent turn to create a ripple effect of abuse within the systems purpose for what was once to protect them, to then use their own media against them.
In an article entitled “The Trigger Effect” published by The Atavist, readers follow the fatal case of a Georgia Tech student named Scout who was a member of the Pride Alliance on campus.
Scout, 21, who identified as white, bisexual, intersex, and nonbinary [gender which is neither male nor female and using the pronouns they and them], had been struggling with mental health issues for years and was fatally shot by a police officer after coming onto campus with a knife. After repeatedly being asked to drop the knife by rookie cop, Tyler Beck (23), Scout instead continued to proceed towards the officer, knife in hand. Beck fired, there was a flash of light and Scout was fatally wounded.
According to the article, Scout’s death led to a trigger effect all over Georgia Tech’s campus. Students within the LGBTQ community were left with a responsibility to themselves and others to stay strong and fight for Scout’s case.
Matt Wolfsen, who co-founded the PSA with Scout, requested his FERPA file after repeated questioning by the campus administration. The Atavist article said Wolfsen was stunned to discover two binders thick with documentation on himself containing evidence that the university was tracking his movements via social media posts.
On Sept. 23, a week after Scout’s death, the article said Norris had sent an email with the subject line “Weekend Monitoring.” Norris had taken screen grabs of the PSA’s Twitter account, including a picture of a poster on campus reading, “We demand the increase of current funding allocated to mental health on campus”. The article said Norris wrote a comment based on Wolfsen’s tweet that said, “had received a fair amount of engagement this afternoon,” said Noris. “Thankfully many more mentions of football game and GT win have dominated conversation streams.”
Social Sentinel will be able to set up a geofence range and it would search for red flags anywhere set within the specific range that ECU had established.
-Lauren Mink, continuity and emergency planner for ECU
government getting into my stuff and so I don’t want to be ‘the government,’ so to speak, getting into someone else’s business,” Koch said.
Koch said media monitoring is a struggle for the office of Environmental Health and Campus Safety. They met in the month of October with the dean of students office to go over how ECU can utilize information flagged by this software and how to “weed out” the stuff that they don’t need to be concerned about. “What I tell people in general, whether we are dealing with protests or other first amendment issues is the first job of the police is to protect your rights,” Koch said. “So when you want to protest on campus, what we tell protestors is,
including Scout’s friends on edge. Koch said Social Sentinel tracks and flags probable offenses by using a unique list of flagged terms selected by ECU. He said these terms, some but not all, mainly link to violent offense terms such as “kill,” “murder” or “shoot.” “There are examples where people will say, ‘I just want to kill this person,’ and you can tell, going through the chain of their other comments that that's not something that they anticipated following up on,“ Koch said. “Sometimes we say stuff that we don’t really mean, just to get a reaction.”
-Adam B. Steinbaugh, director of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
A reasonable person might say, instead of risking trouble, I’m going to shut up.
Men’s basketball program looks to new familiar head coach for promising future
Written by Daniel Roberts
Photographs by Sarah Styons
Theday is April 4, 2018, and the time had come for East Carolina University Athletics Department to name the new head coach of the men’s basketball team. Without further ado, Joe Dooley was appointed, but his presence gave a sense of déjà vu.
Dooley, West Orange, New Jersey native, previously coached for the Pirates back in the 90s when he was the assistant coach for the team from 1991-1995, and then was the head coach from 1995-1999 where he had a overall record of 57-52 during that four year tenure. In his first two years as head coach, he led the Pirates to two consecutive 17-win seasons. By all intents and purposes- he was the man.
After coaching at ECU, Dooley took his talents all over the country, from New Mexico, to Wyoming, all the way to Kansas where he helped lead their team to a national championship in 2008.
Before making his return to the Pirates, Dooley concluded his five year coaching tenure with Florida Gulf Coast University, where he led the program to five straight 20-plus winning seasons to finish with a 114-58 record to go along with three Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championships. FGCU, under Dooley, earned two consecutive NCAA tournament appearances in 2016 and 2017.
In the 30 years Dooley has been as both an assistant and head coach, he has helped lead six different schools into the postseason to go with 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and seven NIT bids. With ECU being a part of the American Athletic Conference now, Dooley decided to come back and try and take the program to the next level.
“ECU is in a great league,” Dooley said. “People of Eastern Carolina have been very good to me and my family. I wanted to come back and get this program up where we think the fans deserve it. I think with the commitment of the Chancellor and Dave Hart and the athletics department and the trustees have made, I think that there is some things that they are doing a little bit different than they have done in the past to give us a chance.”
Dooley has made his imprints throughout the team and the season has not even started yet. Dooley has brought his tournament experience and work ethic with him back to Greenville. Players have realized that they can not mess around if they want things to turn around for the whole ECU men’s basketball organization.
“As soon as the first day came, Dooley made it clear that we were going to work hard and we were going to change the whole image of East Carolina basketball,” Shawn Williams said. “Everyday has The Hook
been a grind, and we’re ready for the new year.”
In practice, Dooley has picked up the intensity with the players, as he has made sure that his players are in the best shape possible. Senior guard Isaac Fleming lost 20 pounds because Dooley said he wouldn’t be his starting point guard otherwise. “There’s no playing around this year, it’s just strictly business,” Fleming said. “We are jogging everywhere, we run everywhere. If Dooley catches us walking anywhere, we will be on the baseline. It is very high intensity for us this year.”
Fans and spectators will be able to see how much Dooley has done to help get the team ready for the season when they begin regular season play on Nov. 6 in Minges Coliseum as they will host Delaware State University.
Dooley made it clear that we were going to work hard and we were going to change the whole image of East Carolina basketball.
-Shawn Williams, Sophomore, Guard
How immigration laws have affected the lives of ECU’s students
Wrriten by Jenna Price
InSeptember of 2017, the Trump administration announced that they were ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. They then continued their war on immigration with strict immigration reform. These two things have had major impacts across the country, but the impacts can also be felt at East Carolina University.
ECU has over 28,000 students. Around 33 percent of those students are part of minority communities.
Immigrants are a vital part of society.
According to Mo Sowe, senior finance major, you might not even realize that some of your closest friends come from migrant homes.
“Immigrants are regular people,” Sowe said. “You might not even know an immigrant when you see him. Your best friends might be an immigrant. We’re regular people, we deserve to be here as much as anyone else does.”
Surprisingly, many people may not understand the full impact that ending DACA and immigration reform will have on their communities. More than that, they may not even fully understand what DACA is.
In a press release in 2017, Acting Secretary Elaine Duke commented on the Trump administration due to deciding to end DACA. Duke said this decision was not taken lightly by the administration.
“The Department of Justice has carefully evaluated the program’s Constitutionality
and determined it conflicts with our existing immigration laws,” said Duke. While at this point students at ECU have heard about DACA and immigration reform, some students may be unaware of the direct impact this has had on our campus.
Sowe has been directly affected by the crack down on immigration. His father, a resident in the United States for over 25 years was detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the summer.
Sowe’s father was originally from a small country in west Africa called Namibia. Sowe’s father recently received a kidney transplant before he was detained. Sowe said that while his father has been in the detention center, his father has had a hard time receiving the life preserving medication that is necessary for a transplant patient.
“I don’t think it’s fair,” Sowe said.
“I think that this has affected families in a way it really shouldn’t have. It shouldn’t break families apart. It shouldn’t deport people that have been here over 25 years that’s never had a major traffic violation or never done anything wrong. You’re making detention centers basically prisons now.”
Sowe said that he hopes people hear his story and understand a little better what it is like to be a immigrant in America in this political climate. Sowe started a petition shortly after his father was detained. He has gotten over 4,000 signatures of his 10,000 signature goal. He encourages everyone to sign his petition.
We’re regular people, we deserve to be here as much as anyone else does.
“ “
Women celebrating their natural roots
Written by Anais Roller
Photograph by Charlee Moss
The stigma between black women and their hair has always been a topic of discussion within the black community. Historically, black women’s natural, tight, coily hair wasn’t considered attractive, or professional. “White America” considered their natural hair to be “nappy” or untamable causing numerous black women to have a hair complex.
As a result, women began relaxing or perming their hair to fit social norms. However, the process of perming which chemically straightens black, coarse, kinky hair is damaging. Mothers began relaxing their daughter’s hair as young as threeyears-old. From an early age black girls are aware of the differences and judgement associated with them wearing their hair natural and tried to stray away from wearing it in its natural state.
Octavia Mclean, a Senior Psychology major said she began relaxing her hair at five-years-old. Her mother struggled taking care of her long, really “nappy” hair so she decided to start perming it. “I had them (perms) all the way up to I was about 16 or 17… but I had stopped taking them on a consistent basis so that messed up my hair really bad, it started breaking off and falling off” Mclean said.
In recent years, fewer black women are relaxing their hair and are instead embracing the natural look. Perming for many black women was damaging and caused breakage, thinning and even hair loss. With the increase in the natural hair movement, black women of all ages are finally learning to love and embrace the hair they were born with. “I don’t think I would perm my child’s hair because once you start you can’t stop unless you go natural,” Mclean said. Since being natural she has so many more diverse hairstyles she can do such as braids, wigs or crochet.
Around late 2011 and early 2012 women began doing what’s referred to as the “big chop” which is when black women cut off all of their heat damaged or relaxed ends. Wearing one’s natural hair was never viewed as trendy, beautiful or socially accepted until mainstream artists such as Solange Knowles, younger sister of famous singer Beyoncé, started rocking her natural hair. It was the first time since the 70s during the black pride movement when Afros were popular, that black women embraced a short style that wasn’t straightened.
Around the time Mclean was considering going natural a lot of other woman were too so it was a matter of time before she got with the program herself and did the “big chop.” Although going natural took some time to get used to she says she’s never going back.
Tyler Peterkin, a junior special education major said she never relaxed her hair before. Growing up her mother never let her which upset her back then, but now she knows how damaging
relaxer can be and thankful she never did got one. Although Peterkins never relaxed her hair she did suffer heat damage from straightening it too much. “Once I got to college I stopped straightening it” Peterkin said. “It’s very rare, occasionally I’ll do it.”
As of 2018, more black women are choosing to wear their natural hair and join the natural hair movement. Unlike the 80’s on to early 2000’s black mothers are choosing to not relax or apply heat to their young daughters’ hair. Instead they are teaching them to understand the beauty and diversity that comes with having kinky hair, differing from how many women who are in college or older grew up.
As a child Peterkin was scared to embrace her natural hair but now she loves it. “I love seeing people embracing it (natural hair)” Peterkin said. “Even though it’s a hassle it makes me feel better and I like the way I look.”
Although the natural hair movement is continuing to grow, there are still women who choose to continue relaxing their hair, but not all for the same reasons like in the past. Some women choose to continue to relax their hair because that’s all they know and are skeptical about how their hair may look if they stop relaxing it.
Even though going natural is overall less damaging to their hair, women are fearful that if they go natural then their curls won’t look “ideal.” It’s then that another issue emerges.
With black hair there is a wide range of how loose or tight one’s curls may be, yet one will never know until they completely stop applying heat or chemicals to their hair. Nevertheless, all textures of natural hair should be deemed beautiful and accepted, yet some women would rather relax their hair to have loose or less coarse hair because it’s low maintenance and not considered “nappy.” Other women have realized how much maintenance and patience is required with having natural hair. Compared to natural hair, straight hair requires less upkeep and is easier to manage.
Khadijah Gunter, a junior communication major said she also began relaxing her hair at fiveyears-old because she had very thick, coarse hair and was “tender-headed” meaning her head was extremely sensitive. “Relaxed hair doesn’t always mean it’s damaged hair, if people take care of their relaxed hair it’s going to do well” Gunter said.
Gunter, who continues to use relaxers said she finds her hair much easier to tame and straighten. However, whether one chooses to go natural or perm their hair she believes depends on the individual.
For many, the creative arts are nothing more than a past time; a way to doodle on your notes and feign productivity, or freestyle rap with your friends in your spare time. For others like Carly Judd, Trevon Jones, and Jerquanus Swann, different forms of art can be used as an escape from reality and way to relieve stress and express themselves.
When many hear the word ‘art’ the first thing that may come to mind is simply drawing and coloring. What many of the local talents of Greenville have proven is that art is more than a way to connect pen to paper, rather, a way to connect with themselves on a deeper level.
Carly Judd, senior Neuroscience and Art History major, said for her, being a creator of physical art such as paintings has helped her discover new things about herself she wouldn’t have found otherwise.
“In creating, I reveal new parts of myself,” said Judd. “Every one of my pieces has a piece of me in it- that’s why I call them pieces and not works.”
Students may have seen Judd’s work on display in Joyner library and Art and Sole in Uptown Greenville, and with such a public audience, Judd said she wants her art to mean something to viewers, saying she hopes her pieces question inequity, not just equality, saying equality only speaks to the positives of society without calling out the negatives. Judd adds she wants her work to make everyoneminorities especially- feel empowered.
“I try to make every one of my pieces have a message that can speak to the parts of people that society tends to ignore,” said Judd. “Through imagery I hope to let people know ‘hey, I see you and your experience is valid’.”
Validation is something aspiring dancer Tre Jones, junior computer science major, became very familiar with at a young age.
“When I was a sophomore in high school I wanted to copy dance moves I saw on YouTube,” Jones said. “I poured flour all over the kitchen floor and was sliding around in it. My uncle came home and- instead of yelling at me for wasting flour- he walked to the his room and came back with church shoes to help me glide better.”
Jones, East Carolina University’s Pirate’s Got Talent 2016 winner, said it was his uncle’s encouragement that motivated him to keep dancing.
Encouragement, as many artists will attest, goes a long when pursuing dreams and building confidence. In a city as small as Greenville, support from the community could z make the difference between an artists rise or fall.
ECU 2016 alumnus Jerquanus Swann can agree and said, “It takes a lot of work to be a local artist of any form,” said Swann “It's ironic...sometimes the most talented [artists] lack confidence...it’s always important to find ways to express yourself but you need to be confident in that expression.”
The young aspiring rapper says that Kanye is one of his biggest inspirations lyrically, and his music helps him to remember never to get
complacent. “I love how [Kanye] continues to push his sound,” said Swann. “To me, it’s a message to continue to grow and learn more about yourself.”
Judd said she pulls inspiration from a different place. “One of my biggest inspirations are my strong female friends,” said Judd. “I don't think women are pushed to be strong... being a strong woman comes with a lot of negative taglines so I think that women who are strong and stand confidently in that are inspiring to me in the sense that they defy those labels.”
No matter where these artists pull inspiration from, they all have one thing in common; the idea that their passion is a means of not only self expression, but escape.
“Stress is everywhere and people need something to take their mind off of life’s ups and downs,” said Jones. “A creative outlet is very important because you can grow from stressing to taking control of your situation.” Judd said that creative outlets are important to her too. “Kids are taught outlets of aggression through sports and fighting but not outlets of peace,” said Judd. “Art is peace, and that is what will center you when you need to clear your head the most.”
As a student, sometimes finding peace and stability can be a struggle according to Jones, but he says he makes it work.
“When you really want something, you have to find the balance and make time,” said Jones. “Of course I have thought about quitting and not dancing anymore, but then people will come to me and tell me how much they love my work and that pushes me to keep going.”
For Swann, the struggle came down to reminding himself of his ultimate goal. “The hardest part I had to deal with when I was a student and making music was the workload,” said Swann. “At some point you end up feeling like ‘why am I even here?’.”
Through the stresses of school, the reach for inspiration and strength of finding a balance in all the madness, these local talents all agree that your passion should be what grounds you, even offering pieces of advice for students who have a dream they wish to follow.
Jones said “Make sure you’re not in it for the money because that will not be enough to get you through the moments you question your purpose.”
“If you believe in yourself, follow your own vision and support will come afterwards,” said Judd. “Allow your passion to be your impetus, not your discouragement.”
Itis a common trend within four year universities that their students will live on campus their Freshman and Sophomore year and move off campus their Junior year. As we all know, college is where students come into their own and their independence and maturity increases within their years. While interviewing a diverse population of ECU students, the vast majority displayed three main issues of leaving in a dorm on campus. Sharing a room with your close friend or a random roommate becomes claustrophobic, community bathrooms becomes an unbearable scene and your privacy is slim to none. Upperclassmen are willing to pay up to $600 a month in order to avoid these three issues but in return they get far more than what they are bargaining for,
Upon searching for a pirates new home, touring many different apartments and seeing a variety of layouts can make one overly excited. “ It was like having HGTV right in front of you,” said Olivia Vaden (20), a returning undergraduate ECU student majoring in physical training. “ I felt like I was at home. Everything was picture perfect, I could truly find different parts of myself that matched the theme of each room”. As move in day slowly approaches, students begin to raid stores such as IKEA, Marshall’s, Walmart and many more to find pieces of furniture that displays their personality. The student moves in with the
intention of making their apartment picture perfect. Within the next few days, a common trend breaks out and residents begin to ask “ Is this broken?” more frequently than normal.
“Between my roommates and I, we placed at least 5-7 different work orders. When I moved in there was red paint on my bathtub, ceiling fans didn’t work, we had a busted window screen, air conditioning was a hit or miss, we even had to get the lock on our front door fixed up to three times because our keys didn’t work,” said Vaden. Vaden like many other students started to notice a trend of how each apartment came with their own set of issues. Constant frustrations and work orders begin to increase within local apartments such as 33 East, The Bower, Paramount 3800, Campus Pointe, The Davis and many others.
“ Yes we can place as many work orders that we want but at the end of the day, one begins to tolerate these issues due to the fact that there are 50 other work orders to attend to before you are seen,” said Vaden. As residents patiently wait, they begin to accommodate their standards with an understanding that they already paid rent and signed leases.
Freedom and Independence runs deep within these residents’ purple and gold blood to where they are learning how to settle for less and tolerate their living situations. “ It’s
like, we know these things will eventually get fixed so we find ways to “finesse” our struggles so that we are still happy in our homes,” Vaden explains. For many students that withdrawals from their refund check in order to pay for their rent, one can agree that finessing should not have to occur. Students are in agreeance that the amount of money being put into these apartment and the amount issues should not be an equivalent number. Students should be able to live in a home that is truly worth their money. It’s very well possible that pride and ego can have an effect in these residents minds to the point where they are willing to continue to live in their unfinished homes but are they truly getting the best bang for their buck? For many students, as long as they are able to have their own room, bathroom and privacy, they can become content with their living situations.
Students should be able to live in a home that is truly worth their money.
