ECU 2/22/24

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ANALYSIS: RANKING ECU BASEBALL’S 2024 WALKOUT SONGS A6

East

Carolinian The

YOUR CAMPUS NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1925

VOLUME 99, ISSUE 19

STAFF REPORT Crush Vodka, Team Boneyard announce partnership Crush Vodka, a Sup Dogs Distilling company located in downtown Greenville is working together with Team Boneyard to create Team Boneyard Crush Vodka. All of the profits from the bottle will go towards Names, Image and Likeness opportunities for East Carolina University studentathletes. The release of the vodka was on Feb. 16 and was only at the new ABC store 1400 Charles Blvd in Greenville, N.C. The store sold 1,100 bottles in two and a half hours at the start of the release. The Vodka is a non-flavored vodka that is gluten-free, additive-free and distilled six times. Because of the finishing process, Team Boneyard Crush Vodka is said to have a clean and ultra-smooth taste. Each drop is slow-filtered, over carefully selected, renewable activated carbon granules. In addition, Crush Vodka is set to release a line of flavored vodkas specifically formulated to mix with fresh citrus. These flavors aren’t a part of the partnership with Team Boneyard. More bottles will later be available throughout ABC stores in Pitt County and at the Crush Vodka Distillery downtown.

Thursday, 2.22.24

Byrd makes history in game one

Nick Bailey T E C S TA F F

On Feb. 16, sophomore infielder Parker Byrd for the ECU baseball team (31, 0-0 American Athletic Conference) got his first amount of playing time on Clark-LeClair Field, making him the first Division 1 baseball player to play with a prosthetic leg in National Collegiate Athletic Association history. On July 23, 2022, Byrd was involved in a watercraft accident in Bath, North Carolina, and nearly lost his life. While he survived, the event resulted in the amputation of his right leg. After that, Byrd underwent 22 surgeries in 45 days, according to WITN, causing him to miss his rookie season as a Pirate. But after losing his leg, he continued to play for his parents' alma mater. No. 16 made the field in the eighth inning in the season opener against Rider University (0-3, 0-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference). Byrd came in

as a pinch hitter ahead of the 16-2 victory. When Byrd walked into the batter's box, the school record for an opening day crowd of 5,221, according to ECU Pirates, erupted in cheering. Even better, his family was in attendance to witness this memorable event. He ended up taking ball four and running to first base to top off the spectacular moment. After reaching first, Parker was pinch-run by freshman catcher Jason Janesko. "I mean chill bumps man, it's absolutely phenomenal" Byrd said after the game. "This crowd, these fans, these people, my family, my teammates, coaches I really could not be more thankful and blessed.” The road back was filled with speed bumps along the way, but his pursuit of playing college baseball finally came to fruition after a long road to recovery. Head Coach Cliff Godwin told the media before the game that he wished there was a specific

time when he knew Parker would be introduced into the game, knowing how much the home fans were ready to erupt and express their support. "He's going to get some more. He has worked his tail off, it was super emotional," Godwin said after the game. "The umpire behind home plate told me when I was making a change he has been umpiring for 17-18 years and it is the coolest moment he has ever been a part of." Following the Pirates 7-6 midweek loss to Campbell University (3-1, 0-0 Big South Conference), ECU will play a three game weekend series against the University of North Carolina (4-0, 0-0 Atlantic Athletic Conference) starting on Friday at 4 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium.

This writer can be contacted at sports@theeastcarolinian.com.

COURTESY OF ECU PIRATES

Byrd is the first D1 player to play with a prosthetic.

Exploring three pathways after undergrad Trisha Rangaraju TEC STA F F

After completing undergraduate studies, among others, there are three common avenues students may decide to pursue: Law School, Medical School and Graduate School. Each pathway offers its own course of benefits and challenges. Hugh McLean, a professor of the PreLaw curriculum at East Carolina University and former professor at the University of Alabama School of Law said the most important thing for students to understand about the law school admissions process is that it is overwhelmingly dependent upon undergraduate GPA and LSAT scores. Law schools are looking for the strongest indicators of likely success in law school and have long settled on these two factors as the best predictors of law school success. At most schools, the admissions committee has some method of combining the applicant’s GPA and LSAT score to create an index number that they use in making initial admissions decisions. So students interested in attending law school should be putting most of their efforts into earning the highest GPA and LSAT score that they can achieve. McLean said as a good, basic rule, students planning to study law should take a rigorous course of study and work hard to perform well in both their classes and on their LSAT exam. High performance on those two measures of preparation and aptitude for law school will help more than any other factor in the admissions process. “I would also emphasize that law schools are also interested in the applicant’s undergraduate major, not because you must be pre-law or political science or any other specific major to get in, but rather to ensure that the student has pursued a rigorous course of study,” McLean said. “A perfect GPA in a major field of study that is not academically rigorous will not impress an admissions committee. Students often ask whether extracurriculars and internships and things of that nature will help them get

COURTESY OF UNSPLASH

A statue of Lady Justice. Many ECU seniors will be applying to professional school this semester.

into law school. Perhaps, but they will not cure a low GPA or LSAT score.” Elizabeth McAllister, the Pre-Med advisor at ECU said that typically, medical school requires that you earn a Bachelor's degree first. However, there are some schools that will accept exceptional students without a degree as long as they have completed 90 semester hours. McAllister said the average GPA of students who enrolled in medical school for Fall 2023, nationwide, is a 3.7 both overall and in the sciences. The average MCAT score of students who enrolled in medical school for Fall 2023, nationwide, is 511. The numbers for the Brody School of Medicine are a little lower than the national average. The average overall GPA (Undergrad) is a 3.6 and science GPA is a

3.5. The average MCAT score is a 506. “Non-academic requirements vary depending on the school,” McAllister said. “Brody likes to see 250 hours of volunteering which does not have to be health-related, anything community oriented is fine and 250 hours of clinical experience (interaction with patients). Those are not minimum requirements, but what they like to see in an applicant. Brody really likes to see experiences that allow applicants to see the human side of medicine, like hospice care, memory care, and birth coaching.” Suzanne Vinson, a Career Counselor at ECU, said if a student were thinking about applying to graduate school, students should thoroughly research graduate programs in their field of interest.

ONLINE Sink over Swim Pirates ready for AAC Championship meets

They should make sure the programs directly align with their career goals and consider factors such as faculty expertise, program reputation, curriculum, location and available resources. To assist with this, students should reach out to current graduate students, alumni, and faculty members to gain insights into the program's culture, requirements, and opportunities. Vinson said students should understand the specific requirements for admission to their desired programs, such as GPA, standardized test scores, prerequisite courses and relevant work or research experience. Students must also gather and create competitive application materials, including a well-written personal statement, letters of recommendation from professors or employers and a polished resume or curriculum vitae (CV). Another piece of advice Vinson offered was for students to start preparing their applications well in advance (up to a year before the anticipated application cycle) to ensure they have enough time to gather materials, revise their personal statement and solicit letters of recommendation. To be a competitive applicant, students are encouraged to gain relevant experience through internships, research projects, volunteer work, or part-time jobs in their field of interest. “We encourage students to stay organized and motivated throughout the application process," Vinson said. “Breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable steps can help reduce stress and ensure they submit high-quality applications. At Career Services, we can assist students with preparing for graduate school, whether it is figuring out what program to pursue, crafting a compelling personal statement or CV, or preparing and practicing for admissions interviews. So come begin your graduate school journey with us.” This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.

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