ECU04/06

Opioid, fentanyl crisis continues an upward trend

Opioids and fentanyl are the leading cause of overdoses for college-aged students and East Carolina University and Pitt County are both working to minimize overdoses in this region with resources for students like ECU Counseling Services and Pitt County Coalition on Substance Use (PCCSU).

Bob Morphet, licensed clinical addiction specialist and associate director of ECU’s Counseling Center, said fentanyl is the most potent pain medication and it is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine.

“As far as the illicit use of fentanyl it’s getting into a lot of medications including opioid and heroin medications throughout the U.S.,” Morphet said.

The rise in fentanyl is a threat to campus safety and the United States as a whole, Morphet said, and the U.S. accounts for 5% of the world’s population but 75% of the world’s opioid use.

Morphet said opioid overdoses have been rising for the last 15 to 20 years in the United States and because of fentanyl getting into medications, it is likely this trend will continue to rise.

“We (ECU) do have naloxone, that’s the generic Narcan, for free; it’s an opioid antidote medicine to all ECU students simply by going to the student health center and asking for it so they (students) get two doses of Narcan as a student for free if they go in the student health center,” Morphet said.

Any student who is concerned either for themselves, a friend or a loved one who struggles with addiction can get Narcan, Morphet said, and potentially save a life.

Morphet said the counseling center is a free resource for any student who may be struggling with addiction or is concerned for a friend or loved one.

“There are several of us (at ECU’s Counseling Center), including myself, that are licensed clinical addiction specialists, so we are available to talk with students that might have an opioid issue themself or just any alcohol/drug related issue themselves that they want to address or we can certainly consult with a friend,” Morphet said.

Briana Brantley, the special projects coordinator for PCCSU, said the organization focuses on substance use prevention and education for Pitt County.

Brantley said the mission of PCCSU is to educate the community on how to avoid drug use, live a low-risk lifestyle and drug abuse prevention to avoid dangerous situations related to substance use.

“A couple months ago we (PCCSU) had the opportunity to get free naloxone, and now we’re in the process of purchasing more of that, so we’ve hosted two or three naloxone trainings that have been open to the community and they’re free,” Brantley said.

The opioid and fentanyl crisis has been a pressing matter in Pitt County, Brantley said. Fentanyl overdoses require a higher dosage of naloxone which, previously, overdoses required two doses of naloxone, she said. Now, with fentanyl overdoses, four to six doses in some cases

CRW resource fair offered

East Carolina University Campus Recreation and Wellness (CRW) is hosting a student resource fair today from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Main Campus Student Center lawn as part of their YouMatterECU campaign for student wellness on campus.

Graduate student in public health and CRW Well-Being Graduate Assistant Jodi Quemelen said the YouMatterECU campaign was started with the purpose of aiding students in their mental health. College campuses are places with a significantly higher mental health risk than the average town, Quemelen said.

“You may have noticed that it might be really difficult to book a session with counseling services for some students,” Quemelen said. “That’s because right now they are understaffed. This campaign has been to help combat the issue of declining mental health on campus.”

The upcoming resource fair will promote several different organizations students have at their disposal to maintain their mental and emotional well-being, Quemelen said.

“There’s gonna be fun activities, and students can get free merch in the process,” Quemelen said. “We’ll be giving out some free T-shirts and free food. You’ll be able to play games on the lawn as well.”

CRW’s Director of Well-Being

Steven Trotter said the YouMatterECU campaign began to be worked on in January 2022. Two ECU students died by suicide that winter, Trotter said, so it was important to begin spreading productive messages around that time.

Facing a mental health problem on campus, CRW planned to work harder to promote the health and well-being tools available to students, Trotter said.

“We had been working on really creating a brand around overall mental health and well-being resources on campus,” Trotter said. “We wanted students to be aware of these resources and know they matter.”

The YouMatterECU message is spread in some classrooms, Trotter said, and the campaign has been integrated into COAD and Health 1000 courses.

A secondary goal for the campaign is to normalize students being open about their own mental well-being and other emotional difficulties, Trotter said.

“We’ve seen that every year stu-

dents are more open to having conversations around mental health struggles, so we want to see that trend continue,” Trotter said. “Now, there’s a lot less stigmatization around mental health struggles as well as being able to seek treatment.”

Freshman computer science major Even Cespedes said all students should be aware of their mental state, whether they feel they are struggling or not.

Attending events like the YouMatterECU resource fair can be eye-opening for some students who have neglected to care for themselves, Cespedes said.

“You never really know what’s going on in your head sometimes,” Cespedes said. “Sometimes, a professional is the only thing that can solve some of your issues.”

Students having access to facilities like the ECU Center for Counseling and Student Development allows for inner-growth that is not offered to everyone else, Cespedes said.

Being on top of one's mental health allows them to thrive in other areas of life, Cespedes said. Happiness is not always the be-all and end-all of mental well-being and stability, Cespedes said.

ECU baseball braces for series against UCF

The East Carolina University baseball team (20-8, 1-2 American Athletic Conference) will host the University of Central Florida (UCF) (17-11, 1-2 AAC) in a three game home stand, from today to Saturday at the Clark-LeClair Stadium, in Greenville, North Carolina.

Prior to this matchup with the Knights, ECU faced off in a home matchup against rivals North Carolina State University (20-8, 5-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

UCF has performed on the road this year, winning four of six games away from home coming into this series, with three of those wins coming against the University of Clemson (16-13, 2-7 ACC) in a road series sweep.

However, for the Knights, despite the winning record on the road, they have dropped their last two road games, losing to Florida Atlantic University (18-11, 5-4 Conference USA) 2-1 and North Florida University(15-13, 4-5 ASUN Conference) 2-4.

The latter was noteworthy, as the Knights squandered a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, thanks to a walk-off North Florida home run that drove in three runs to

steal the victory.

This is the second series of AAC play for both teams, as ECU matched up against the University of Houston (14-14, 2-1 AAC) on a road trip, and UCF battled against the University of South Florida (12-17, 2-1 AAC) in a three game rivalry home series.

ECU dominated UCF in their matchups last year, winning all three games played. The

Pirates outscored the Knights 32-8, with a majority of UCF’s runs scored in a 12-7 contest that ended in ECU’s favor. The next two were blowout wins for the Pirates, winning 10-0 and 10-1 respectively.

In that 12-7 meeting, UCF managed to string together six runs in the bottom of the third inning to jump out to a 6-2 lead. It didn’t last long, as ECU struck back imme-

diately in the top of the fourth, driving in a staggering ten runs off ten hits, to jump out to a 12-6 lead that they never surrendered. UCF would score their last run in the bottom of the eighth.

Both teams are poised to compete for the AAC title. For ECU, the team is trying to repeat after beating out UCF and the rest of the AAC with a 20-4 record in conference play last year. For the Knights, it is the last chance to claim their first AAC title before the move to the Big 12 Conference next season.

Pitching has been key for ECU this season. The team is top ten in earned run average in the country (#9 with 3.24 ERA), and is top 25 in strikeouts and K/9 innings. In addition, the Pirates are top 20 strikeoutto-walk ratio and top 12 in walks plus hits per inning pitched.

Following this series against the Knights, ECU will take on Old Dominion in another home game at Clark-LeClair Stadium on Monday at noon.

The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ and via radio on 94.3 The Game.

For UCF, they’ll head over to DeLand, Florida, to take on Stetson University at Melching Field at Conrad Park on Monday.

Trevor McGlone FOR THE EAST CAROLINIAN

Eli Baine TEC STAFF

Julia Lawson TEC STAFF

Senior sports studies major Malachi Rennix works with Campus Recreation and Wellness to promote todays resource fair.

Jodi Quemelen

> CRISIS page A2

JAYLIN ROBERTS I THE EAST CAROLINIAN

Junior first baseman Josh Moylan winds up his bat in preperation for the upcoming pitch.

BRIEFS

Inclusion week to feature keynote speaker Tiq Milan

Today, the Office for Equity and Diversity will host a Diversity and Inclusion Week keynote speaker. The event will take place in room 209 of the Science and Technology building from 2 to 3 p.m.

Planet ECU to host GEOtalks discussion

Today, Planet ECU will host its weekly GEOtalks discussion in room 103A of the Graham building. The discussion will take place from 3 to 4 p.m.

PPCW to hold monthly meeting

Monday, Pirates Promoting Community Wellness will hold it’s April meeting. The meeting will take place in room 2004 of the Bate Building from 8 to 9 p.m.

Citizen U to host information session

Tuesday, Citizen U and the Center for Leadership & Civic Engagement will host a workshop and information session on how to run for office. The event will take place virtually from 4 to 5 p.m. The link to join the session can be found on Citizen U’s ENGAGE page.

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS

If you feel there are any factual errors in this newspaper, please contact Emily Peek at editor@theeastcarolinian.com.

CRIME LOGS

Editor’s Note: The East Carolinian Crime Logs are derived from East Carolina University Police Department’s (ECU PD) public crime logs accessible to all individuals. Crime Logs are done within the partnership of ECU PD and The East Carolinian, as this publication is meant to act as an additional resource for Pirate Nation. Below are listings of criminal activity that has occured on or within proximity of main campus.

March 31, 2023

At the PVA South of Scott Residence Hall, charges of Possession of Marijuana <1/2 oz. and Possession of Marijuana Paraphernalia were found at 12:27 a.m. and were cleared by citation.

At the Jones Hall and The Galley at 8:51 p.m., charges of Shoplifting and Concealment of Goods were cleared by citation as referred were issued.

Charges of Possession of Marijuana < 1/2 oz. and Possession of Marijuana

Paraphernalia were cleared by citation on Fifth Street & Student Street at 10:29 p.m.

Apri; 2 , 2023

At 1:47 a.m. Injury to Real Property was found at Fletcher Residence Hall and was cleared by citation.

Between April 1 at 8 p.m. and April 2 at 3:25 a.m., Injury to Personal Property was found and an open investigation follows it at Clement Residence Hall.

At Ballard West Residence Hall at 2:30 a.m., a Simple Assault charge was made and cleared.

New Uptown parking plan nears launch

Eli Baine TEC STAFF

The renovated parking plan for the Uptown Greenville district has concluded its educational period to inform local businesses on what exactly will take into effect in the coming months. Greenville Public Information Officer Brock Letchworth said the plan will be fully launched in May. The changes to Uptown parking are designed to benefit Greenville residents and local businesses, he said.

“When it comes to hourly parking, we’ve changed the on-street hourly parking to a threehour maximum, with the first two hours free,” Letchworth said. “Then it is one dollar per hour after the second hour charged in fifteen-minute increments. For the surface lot parking, there is no time limit excluding the lot at Chico’s. The first two hours are free with 75 cents per hour after the second hour.”

Enforcement of the hourly parking rates last from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for Monday through Friday, Letchworth said.

“You can either get a reserved space or an unreserved space in our surface lot parking lots,” Letchworth said. “Reserved space means you have one space designated specifically for you in one of our surface lots. It is 840 dollars for the year or 420 dollars for six months. Unreserved means you can park anywhere in the surface lots that is not reserved for someone else. That’s 600

CRISIS continued from A1

are needed to reverse the overdose, she said.

Brantley said students at ECU should be aware of The Good Samaritan law and policy on ECU’s campus, which permits students to call for medical services in the instance of a drug overdose and won’t be prosecuted academically or legally for calling for help.

“If they (students) ever are reluctant to call for help just because they’re scared of the repercussions, that law is established so hopefully them knowing that will decrease the likelihood of them being scared to call,” Brantley said.

ECU Collegiate Recovery is a resource for any students going through the recovery process, Brantley said, is a safe place for people to find a support system and grow in their sobriety.

“Having that support system, or just a safe space to go where they (students) can talk about some issues that they're having or difficulties that they're having, they can just go and have that healthy support system,” Brantley said.

Anna Bartels, freshman psychology major, said she has been paying attention to the fentanyl epidemic, especially after one of her mutual friends passed away in a fentanyl related overdose.

Bartels said she has always been aware of the dangers of drug use, but with the rise in fentanyl, she fears the drug could be mixed in with a variety of substances.

“I have seen a lot of different statistics about fentanyl, and I’ve seen that so many more people, especially people in college, are dying from drug overdoses,” Bartels said.

The biggest problem with fentanyl is it looks like many other substances, Bartels said, it can be mixed in with prescription drugs and just a small amount can lead to death.

Bartels said two people can take the same substance laced with fentanyl and have different reactions; one person can be fine while the other one may overdose.

“All of these factors make me really concerned, especially as the rates of fentanyl are only rising, I just don’t know how the government is going to stop it,” Bartels said.

There are tools to utilize to avoid ingesting fentanyl like testing strips, Bartels said, and those are given out by PCCSU to help individuals avoid an accidental overdose.

“I do want ECU to do a bit more to educate students about fentanyl and make sure every student knows they can get Narcan from the student health center and keep them updated on the prevalence of fentanyl in our community,” Bartels said.

dollars a year and 300 dollars for six months.”

The new reserved space system is meant to create a better balance between students and Greenville locals in terms of which group is taking up the parking spots, Letchworth said.

Employers and employees in the downtown area have a separate system for unreserved parking, Letchworth said.

“They (employers) can buy up to as many as ten permits, and five plate numbers of employees can be assigned to each permit,” Letchworth said. “Those permits are 240 dollars annually and 120 dollars for six months.”

Feedback from local businesses has been both positive and negative, Letchworth said, as some business owners are more open to change than others.

Owner of Over the Top Sweet Shop Lorri Ballejos said she and her business are open to the new changes. The three-hour limit on street parking could be helpful, Ballejos said.

“We’re just going to see how it works out,” Ballejos said. “The time limits could help foot traffic, who knows?”

The educational period has been a good preparation for the changes to come, Ballejos

said. City officials have kept in contact with local businesses regarding the changes, she said.

It has yet to be seen how the parking plan will impact the Uptown area, Ballejos said. Currently, there are many cars left unattended that limit the total amount of spaces, Ballejos said.

“I don’t have much of an opinion on the plan, but I’m keeping optimistic,” Ballejos said. “The plan has been worked on for a while.”

Owner of East Carolina Italian Ice Calvin Johnson said the new parking plan could be detrimental to business in the Uptown Greenville area.

The new street parking system may attract too many people that do not have the intention of going into the businesses, Johnson said.

“Customers could have a harder time finding a spot on the street by our business,” Johnson said. “There aren’t enough spots out there.”

This would affect East Carolina Italian Ice particularly because it does not have its own surface parking lot, Johnson said.

Johnson is cautious about the new changes, but there is still a possibility the new plan could work, he said.

“I believe it will affect our business, but we’ll have to wait and see how,” Johnson said. “It might be negative, might not.”

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

The combined Uptown and Dickinson Avenue Social Districts are expected to get

Greenville Social District to pick up during spring

Kim Kassner TEC STAFF

With the weather getting warmer, more people in Greenville, NC are taking advantage of the combined Uptown and Dickinson Avenue Social Districts.

Public Information Officer for the City of Greenville, Brock Letchworth, said the City Council approved on Jan. 9, 2023, for the Uptown and the Dickinson Avenue Social District to be combined to give people the freedom to move around and drink in restricted areas around participating businesses.

“At the beginning, the city council were kind of dipping their toes in the water with how the two combined social districts will need to be organized,” Letchworth said. “The hours for people being allowed on the streets were originally a little more restricted than they are now. Through that initial phase, they had a staff member collect feedback regarding the social districts. From that feedback, we now extended the hours of the social districts.”

Before, Letchworth said the hours were restricted from 5 to 10 p.m. He said the new hours for people being allowed to move around the social districts with their drinks are now Thursday’s through Saturday’s from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

JC Gilbreath, bar manager at Uptown Brewing Company in Greenville, said he thought combining the two social districts into one was a fun idea.

“When we learned about the social districts being combined, we thought it was a really fun idea,” Gilbreath said. “Not only for the people but also to join the collaboration. The two downtown areas are nice to stroll around and we like the idea of people talking a beer and strolling around. Maybe with their dog, friends, or whatever. It’s a fun concept, getting people moving especially when it’s sunny.”

Since days are getting longer and sunnier, Gilbreath said people have started picking up the concept of the social district more.

More customers, he said, are glad to be able to grab a drink on the go and spend their time outdoors rather than indoors.

Garrett Smith, a student visiting his friends at ECU, said getting to know Greenville and being able to take advantage of the social district have been a positive experience.

He wasn’t aware of the social district before coming to Greenville, he said, and was surprised when he learned he was able to buy a drink and walk around outdoors.

“You know, I’ve never been able to take my drink outside a bar except when I was on my study abroad in Europe,” Smith said. “It’s refreshing to walk around and enjoy my time with my friends instead of having to stay indoors in a room. I’m kind of sad I came here when it’s somewhat cold, but I’ll definitely come back when it’s warmer outside again.”

Brock Letchworth

Parking plans in Uptown Greenville, NC have been updated with renovated rules designed to benefit local Greenville residents and local businesses.

OUR VIEW

Gun control is needed nationwide

There have been several mass shootings in America over the past few weeks, sparking conversation about gun-control and safety across the country.

There have been 4,263 murders committed through gun violence, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Similarly, there have been around 130 mass shootings across the country since the start of 2023, keeping America as the site for gun violence around the world.

We, the editorial staff of The East Carolinian, believe it is important to enforce education on gun safety and provide stricter gun control laws in order to prevent armed violence in America.

According to Political Science Professor Jonathan Morris, the topic of gun control will be a hot topic until the amount of gun violence in America is lessened.

“Any political scientist will tell you that on the issue of guns and on several other issues that the Republicans and Democrats in Congress are more extreme,” Morris said. “If you randomly selected 535 members of the mass public and asked them their issues on gun control, more times than not they’re gonna be much more able to reach consensus than our elected members of Congress.”

The polarization in the government, he said, is a reflection of the divide in the American people. There are those who do not want to completely take guns from the American people and those who do not want guns to be so easily accessible.

Owner of Greenville Concealed Carry, a firearm safety and firearm law class, James Satterthwaite, said he encourages the education of gun safety.

“You can’t be too safe when handling a firearm,” Satterthwaite said. “I believe in being very safety-conscious. In my class, we spend a lot of time going over safety before training with real pistols.”

The frequency of mass shootings and armed violence around the country is proof enough of the lack of focus on gun control. Action needs to be taken in order for the world to see a difference.

PIRATE RANTS

The East Carolinian does not endorse the statements made in Pirate Rants.

Maybe more people would read rants if they were still printed and posted in the newspaper holders throughout campus. Currently those holders are mostly sad, empty, and dirty.

To whoever put soap in the fountain: y’all couldn’t have waited until AFTER I took my graduation pictures?

The East Carolinian needs to do a better job at regulating the comments of their posts. I understand freedom of speech, but what went down under that one post was hate speech and negative against anyone in the LGBTQ community and those who are ally’s.

Why is there not info on Barefoot on the Mall yet??

*complains about cultural appropriation* yet you’re the one who chose to attend a PWI lol you willingly chose to subject yourself to this. Not saying it’s not wrong, IT IS, but the examples provided were not it bud….

The dickinson is a joke! How are they going to charge us for using the one convenient door when our only elevator has been broken for weeks….

The Greenville CAVA couldn’t get here soon enough.

Questions regarding Pirate Rants can be directed to Emily Peek at editor@theeastcarolinian.com.

Submit your Pirate Rants on our website under the opinion tab or scan the QR code.

Looking back at my four years at East Carolina University, there were so many changes and inconsistencies but no matter what happened, I worked at The East Carolinian through it all.

My time with Pirate Media 1 and TEC was probably the most consistent aspect of my college career. Of course, my time at ECU will forever be marked by the pandemic and its effects which forced us out of the classroom and out of the office in 2020. However, that didn’t stop the flow of The East Carolinian for long as the staff continued to update the website throughout the pandemic.

Even when school would end for the summer months, TEC was still around producing content and I continued to work with the sports staff. Looking back on it, I am grateful for the consistency that was required

to work with TEC. It was a valuable lesson in how the world of news and media operates.

From my first semester as a Pirate, I was working with TEC as a sports candidate and the investment grew from there. While I did not know what I wanted to do for my career, I knew sports was going to be the focus of it. Fortunately, I found TEC through an on-campus job fair during the first few weeks of my freshman year, back when the office was in Uptown Greenville and I had to skateboard over there.

I remember learning that I needed to make writing a second-nature skill. I needed to retrain the way I used to write in order to fit the mold of news writing and the ever-changing AP Style. Luckily, I had the TEC staff show me the ropes and how to work in a newsroom.

After my semester as a candidate, I was put on staff as a sports reporter in early 2020 which really helped me develop my skills as a journalist. I was able to cover sporting events and gather interviews from players and coaches, giving me ample experience among the collegiate sports world.

After about a year of writing and reporting for the TEC sports staff, I was promoted to lead the squad as a chief for a short time, then eventually as the editor. Looking back at the process, I did not feel prepared to lead but it was a responsibility I needed to take on in order to further my career.

For the past two years, I have been the editor of the sports staff. I have been working to manage the team and delegate sporting events. Similarly, this position allowed me to be more hands-on with the paper through the production nights set every Tuesday. A large part of my work experience came from being able to meet as a staff while learning how to use InDesign and edit the paper.

Working at TEC has been an invaluable experience that looks great on my resume and created work habits I can take into the rest of my career. I can’t say enough about how grateful I am to Pirate Media 1 for the opportunity to build my experience during my years as a student.

Over the past two years, working for The East Carolinian has been the most fulfilling, developmental experience that I could have asked for throughout the college experience and solidified my dreams and plans for the future.

One day, not long from now, my name will be amongst the Stephen A. Smiths and Bob Ryans of the world and when you look back within the great alumni of ECU’s yesteryear, remember me.

Sports writing has been an outlet for me to not only spur creativity, but also refine my skills both as an interviewer and a writer. I can honestly say that I would not have discovered my passion for writing, especially in sports media, without working here.

I have had the opportunity to be the record keeper for athletic history, share in the East Carolina University athletic renaissance, pour my heart out in storytelling, share my opinions on things that

matter and things that don’t, build lifetime connections and blossom my passion.

To this day, deeper looks like “Defense Doomed Dooley” and the NFL player comparison series are some of my favorite stories that I have had the pleasure of writing. Enthralling wins and heartbreaking losses have highlighted my time as at ECU.

As a commuter student, getting connected on campus would have been a challenge without the opening arms of The East Carolinian, and I can genuinely say that being here has resulted in friendships and connections that will last a lifetime. Of the sports team from my candidate semester that stuck around, all became editors and as we grew in leadership together, we grew in friendship together.

As much as it was fun, it was hard work, but that work was ultimately fulfilling. I had an outlet to publish content weekly. Though sometimes it felt like quitting was an option, it was never really on the table because even in the moments where I was frustrated with my position, I

was always more grateful to be there.

This has been an experience that I will never forget, as well as a diving board for a future that I will always appreciate. I will always remember the days, moments and experiences that developed me as a storyteller, journalist and writer. I am so unbelievably blessed.

To my family, in particular my mother, thank you for the never ending, unwavering support. To those who helped me reach this stage of my career, thank you for your hours of dedicated, intentional teaching. To my friends and peers, thank you for continuing to keep me motivated down the narrow path, even when I strayed from it. Lastly, I thank God for the never ending mercies given daily. Every breath is a blessing.

I look forward to the future of The East Carolinian and the stories that will be told by the next generation of journalists that pioneer our wake. Best of luck to you all and enjoy the moment while it is happening. It will be over before you know it, and that’s the Long Story Short.

Classifieds & Puzzles

CLASSIFIEDS

FOR RENT

Six and Three bedroom houses with 2 baths for August’23. Also One-bedroom units for $675.00 includes water/sewer! All are 2 blocks from ECU and have fenced yards. Low Pet Fee with NO pet rent! Text 252-565-7052 or tilleyproperties.net

LEGAL NOTICE

handgun, Taurus handgun, Davis handgun, Bersa handgun and bicycles. Some matters concern property in which the case has been disposed of in the judicial system and the property is no longer considered evidence in this matter. Persons who may be entitled thereof are required by law to make such a claim within (30) days of this notice.

Owners may contact the ECU Police Department at (252) 737-2626 or (252) 328-6787 or in person at 609 East 10th Street, Greenville, NC.

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

HOROSCOPES

NOTICE OF UNCLAIMED PROPERTY. The East Carolina University Police Department gives notice that certain items of unclaimed property have been in possession of the police department for over 180 days. These items were found, confiscated or seized during lawful investigations and included various types of property such as but not limited to scooters, skateboards, documents, duffel bags/book bags, suitcases, keys, wallets/ purses, electronics, car stereo equipment, clothing, power/hand tools, home décor, home improvement items, U.S. currency, Glock

Aries (March 21-April 19)

— Today is an 8 — Make adjustments together. You’re reaching a Full Moon turning point with a partnership. Collaborate for shared commitments. Adapt for solutions. Love provides foundational strength.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is a 9 — Begin a new physical fitness phase. Adapt practices for changing conditions illuminated by this Full Moon. Shift practices over two weeks for growing health.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 9 — Express your heart, imagination and artistry. This Libra Full Moon shines on a transition. Adapt directions with a romance, passion or creative endeavor. Shift perspectives.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

— Today is an 8

— Make repairs. Renovate, remodel and tend your garden. Domestic changes require adaptation under this Full Moon. Enjoy a two-week home and family phase.

A description of the property along with the serial number or reasonable proof of ownership will need to be provided in order to claim property. After (30) days, the property will be administratively forfeited and disposed of according to law. Property items of value that remain unclaimed will be turned over for auction to Property.room. com, all bicycles not claimed will be donated to non-profit charities and all remaining items will be destroyed.

References: N.C.G.S. 15-11.1, N.C.G.S. 15-12 through 15-16. First Date of Notice: March 23, 2023. Last Date of Claim: April 23, 2023

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 9 — Start another chapter. A two-week Full Moon phase highlights communications, connection and intellectual discovery. Consider news from another perspective. Write, edit and share.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is an 8 — Make a shift around income and finances. Discover profitable opportunities in new directions under this Libra Full Moon. Redirect attention toward fresh potential.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 9 — A challenge reorients you. This Full Moon in your sign illuminates new personal directions. Expand boundaries over two weeks. Develop an inspiring possibility.

Scorpio

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Review priorities privately. This Full Moon illuminates transitions. Begin a two-week introspective phase. Balance old responsibilities with new. Meditate on dreams, past and future.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — One social door closes and another opens under the Full Moon. Adapt with community and team changes over two weeks. Share appreciation and salutations.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Consider an exciting career opportunity. Make professional changes under this Full Moon. Redirect efforts over the next two weeks toward your talents, passions and purpose.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

— Today is a 7 — Your exploration changes and adapts. The Full Moon illuminates a shift in your educational direction over a few weeks. Experiment with new concepts.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is a 9 — Collaborate on family finances after this Full Moon. Shift directions with shared finances over the next two weeks. Work out the next phase together.

©2022 NANCY BLACK. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY.

COMICS

BLISS

BREWSTER ROCKIT

Arts & Entertainment

GMoA to host MFA thesis exhibits

mountain or valley folds, Rhodes-Pruitt said.

TOMORROW

The Greenville Museum of Art will host the opening reception of three different East Carolina University Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) students and their thesis exhibits tomorrow from 5 to 8 p.m.

John Rhodes-Pruitt, an MFA student with a concentration in painting and design, said he got his two Bachelor’s degrees in studio art and sociology. Rhodes-Pruitt said he’s originally from New Bern then came to Greenville because ECU was closer to his family and his husband, so he said that the campus was perfect for him.

Beyond the Folds: Emergent Properties, Rhodes-Pruitt’s exhibit, is the culmination of his work since he was an undergraduate student, he said. In each fold of his origami sculptures or in each brush stroke of ink and paint on cyanotype paper, Rhodes-Pruitt said he encoded information into every piece of his exhibit. He said he’ll explain his exhibit’s intricacies through infographic posters and his Artist Talks during the opening reception.

“I’m really interested in communicating and how we communicate information to each other,” Rhodes-Pruitt said.

In his exhibit, Rhodes-Pruitt said he wanted to combine his two passions, science and art. The first part of his exhibit features six cyanotype pieces in his exhibit titled “movements” accompanied by a binary-coded subtitle where, if translated, embodies a dad joke or a bad pun, the third passion of the artist. The second main body of work within his exhibit, interspersed among his cyanotype pieces, are folded paper statues in various states of completion, with a message encoded into the

“I’m encoding these messages and this information, not only in binary, into the pieces themselves, but also with how I fold things,” Rhodes-Pruitt said.

The last body of work in his exhibit, he said, is a paper sculpture made of sonobe units, which are small paper units that slide and lock together. The sculpture gives off the illusion that it’s floating mid-air, when in reality it’s coming out of the wall, Rhodes-Pruitt said.

With the opening reception of his exhibit, Rhodes-Pruitt said he hopes his audience will become curious about the complexity of his work and that they’ll be interested in finding different forms of communication. He said he hopes people will approach art and science differently, or together at once as intermingling passions.

“I’m riding a very fine line between having the audience be interested in what I’m doing and making them feel that this is too complicated,” Rhodes-Pruitt said. “I’m really hoping that they just see a way of communicating that they’ve never seen before.”

Thaddeus R. Prevette, sculpture MFA student, said he got his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in sculpture from Western Carolina University, but chose to get his Master’s degree in Greenville because he felt the program would teach him a lot.

Prevette’s exhibit, The Legend of Ayon, is themed around mythology, a strong obsession that’s been around ever since Prevette was a kid, he said.

“I was the kid that was obsessed with drawing dinosaurs or running around the backyard pretending to be Godzilla,” Prevette said. “Now,

23 or so years later, I’m building them largescale out of so many different materials.”

In his exhibit, Prevette said that his pieces will follow the hero’s journey of his character Ayon as he works with a community of deities to defeat a monster with the help of a guide and a weapon.

The exhibit, Prevette said, starts with a cast of a hand stealing an amulet; a call to action in the form of a lamp, an eight-by-fifteen foot long metal-woven dragon, an iron sword, a vibrant spirit guide in the form of a stag beast, inspired by Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke, the sixteen-by-four feet high antagonist Gorsel juxtaposing the armored suit protagonist Ayon, who was modeled after Prevette’s own body type; and three scrolls describing Ayon’s story.

“My passion is making things with my hands or building forms, especially forms that are made of repetitive motion,” Prevette said.

Karena “Kidd” Graves, also a sculpture MFA student who goes by they/them pronouns, said they got their BFA in sculpture from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Graves said that they were accepted into ECU after hearing about its programs through the Tri State Sculptors Association.

“I heard a lot of the members speaking very highly of ECU, so I was like, ‘OK, this seems like a cool place to check out,’” Graves said.

Music Therapy Department hosts showcase

758-7656

Swimming With Sharks

E Fifth St.

215-8822

SATURDAY

Paint

& Concert Band

East Carolina University’s Music Therapy Department is set to perform its annual Music Therapy Showcase put on music therapy major students in room B110 in Fletcher Music Center on Monday at 7:30 p.m.

Sheleise Melendez, senior music therapy major and president of the Music Therapy Club, said music therapy works to help develop people’s cognitive, emotional and social skills.

Music therapy, Melendez said, is diverse in the ways it can help people and the fields they can work in. During the last two years in the major, students start clinical work where they oversee and plan sessions with clients who are supervised by professors in the department, she said.

“(Music therapy) kind of helps reduce patient anxiety or kind of helps with pain management and things like that… we can kind of adapt ourselves to work with whatever specific need a client may want. There are different and broader areas that music therapists can work with,” Melendez said. This is the first year the crowd will be a part of the showcase, Melendez said. In past years it has been more of a performance but this year the music therapy students are really trying to push for music therapy advocacy and what all they do as music therapists, Melendez said.

There is a misconception about the way music therapy students hold their showcase, Melendez said. She said the showcase is not focused so much on a performance but rather creating an aesthetically pleasing sound that can help improve someone’s skills and abilities.

“There’s definitely this boundary of I’m up here on this stage and you’re in an audience. There’s a separation that happens with performance but with music therapy we’re all sharing the same space and we’re all working towards a very specific goal,” Melendez said.

Maggie Ford, junior music therapy major and service coordinator for the Music Therapy Club,

said this year is all about interacting with the audience. Ford said the students haven’t done a similar setting, where the audience will be volunteers and encouraged to participate in the music.

Ford said each class works on perfecting different instruments to perform at the showcase. The freshmen are working on ukuleles to integrate into instrument skills, the sophomores are focused on song leading and working with boomwhackers and how to lead the performance, she said.

“This time we’ll ask for volunteers to do a drum circle. We’re gonna do like fill in the blank song so we’ll ask for people to put their input in so it’s a lot more focused

not calling it a performance, but an experience,” Ford said.

Ella Chapman, junior music therapy major, said this will be her first year performing in the showcase. Chapman recently changed her degree from music education to music therapy because she said she likes the idea of interacting with people more than music education could provide.

Chapman said there is so much one can do to help people with music therapy, like focusing on the neurological. Being her first time in the showcase, Chapman said freshmen work to practice leading the song and having to present themselves authentically.

“This is kind of giving us our first taste of song leading by just being in front of people with the ukulele and having to present ourselves. I think it’s gonna help with future song leading and being able to stand up in front of a group of people and engage with our clients in the future,” Chapman said.

Karena “Kidd” Graves

Martha Nebab TEC STAFF

CONTRIBUTED BY MAGGIE FORD

Junior music therapy major Maggie Ford sits and plays the guitar outside.

JAYLIN ROBERTS | THE EAST CAROLINIAN

|

FULL STORY

Thursday, 04.06.23

TEC spertZ'

The East Carolinian Sports experts predict this week’s events

Brendan Cavazos Sports Editor

ECU baseball vs UCF from Friday to Sunday Score Prediction?

ECU 3-0

Why? After losing the series against Houston, the Pirates are expected to come out swinging against the Knights. ECU has had a strong season thus far and can not afford to slow down as conference opponents begin to line up. Pirate baseball needs to continue to show dominance when dealing with AAC opponents.

Football begins preseason practice

East Carolina University’s football team has begun their annual preseason spring practice for the 2023-2024 season.

Spring practices have been held at the Cliff Moore Practice Complex on Hight Field.

ECU is coming off of a 8-5 year and a 53-29 win over Coastal Carolina University in the 2022 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl, their first bowl win since the 2013 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl. This is also Head Coach Mike Houston’s upcoming fifth season in leadership of the Practice.

The Pirates ran more fundamental type practices in shorts and helmets for the first week and a half of practices starting on March 14.

ECU baseball vs UCF from Friday to Sunday Score Prediction?

ECU 3-0

Why? The Golden Knights are not a squad to fear. Historically, now, ever. Coming off a 1-3 week, the Pirates have a lot to figure out and UCF is the team to figure them out against. It will all come down to pitching rotation.

“Practice number one of 2023 is in the books,” Houston said.

“It was pretty windy out there and it wasn’t helmets, so some of that stuff isn’t real football yet but it was good to be back out there on the turf. I thought the kids had a lot of energy and a lot of enthusiasm.”

The Pirates return four offensive starters, five defensive starters and a total of 40 players from last season. There are a lot of new players in the program, but there are also players that have built their way up as backups that now have their time to shine.

Junior tight end Shane Calhoun, junior linemen Isaiah Foote and Nishad Strother, and senior receivers Jsi Hatfield and Jaylen Johnson top the list of 2022 returnees for Offensive Coordinator Donnie Kirkpatrick.

The unit under Defensive Coordinator Blake Harrell has a front line that returns three starters in junior defensive linemen D’Ante

ECU baseball vs UCF from Friday to Sunday Score Prediction?

ECU 3-0

Why? Historically speaking, the Pirates should have this series. In the last 10 matchups, ECU has won seven of them. Being at LeClair Stadium should be a boost as East Carolina currently has a 16-2 record at home.

Johnson, Elijah Morris, and Chad Stephens. Senior linebacker Jeremy Lewis, junior cornerback Teagan Wilk, and senior safety Julius Wood are also back. Lewis and Morris both enter the 2023 season with the unit’s longest continuous starting streak at 21 games.

“Offensively, those guys in the first huddle even though they haven’t been in the first huddle a whole lot, they have all been in the program,” Houston said. “It’s not like they don’t know what they are doing or can’t go out there and do it, they have been preparing for this. I think there is a lot of teaching going on with some of our younger players and that was the big focus of today.”

On March 25, Pirate football held its first pads and helmet scrimmage in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, which showcased flashes from both sides of the ball.

Sophomore quarterback Mason Garcia completed 27 of 42 passes for 237 yards. Garcia, who opened up seven drives, led the offense to two rushing touchdowns and completed 9 of 17 throws for 77 yards. Junior quarterback Alex Flinn had a notable day, completing 77.3 percent of his throws for 152 yards.

The Pirates recorded eight hits behind the line of scrimmage for minus 26 yards, four of which were sacks. With five stops each, freshman linebacker Jackson Barker and graduate transfer linebacker BJ Davis shared the team lead, with Davis collecting a 10-yard sack. Senior linebacker Jack Powers stopped a drive by recovering a fumble on an unsuccessful handoff play, while freshman linebacker Jamari Young produced and recovered another fumble.

“Great day in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium now, we had a really competitive scrimmage, so many positives,” Houston said. “I am really excited about what I saw on the field today. Two weeks into spring practice you wondered how the first live work was going to look, very pleased with

all three phases but obviously there’s a lot of things to correct.”

The second scrimmage of the spring kicked off on Saturday at Dowdy where the coaching staff got to see more improvements out of this unidentified squad. Garcia led the quarterback squad, completing 7/12 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

The running game included nine different players who combined for 114 yards on 41 carries. Garcia led all rushers with 25 yards, while redshirt freshman running back Nemo Squire and graduate transfer running back Gerald Green each had 24 yards on eight attempts. Freshman running back Javoius Bond and sophomore running back Marlon Gunn Jr. added 19 and 17 yards, respectively.

The Pirates’ defense was led by junior safety Devon King and sophomore defensive linemen Xavier McIver, who each had a team-high six tackles. McIver had two sacks for a total of -7 yards, while junior defensive lineman D’Anta Johnson had four stops and two tackle’s for loss. In total, eight different Pirates had at least one hit behind the line of scrimmage for a total of minus 37 yards.

“Good day, second scrimmage in the books, there were somewhere around 100 snaps again today, and it was a lot more like a game with special teams and everything,” Houston said. “I thought we looked much sharper than we did last week, and I was pleased last week so it’s a positive.”

The Pirates will return to the Cliff Moore Practice Complex on April 4 to begin their final week of spring practice before the annual Purple-Gold Game this Saturday. The game begins at 11 a.m. at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and entry is free.

ECU Track and Field travels to Duke

East Carolina University track and field will go on the road for the Duke Invitational in Durham, North Carolina, at the Morris Williams Stadium today through Saturday.

In the 2022 Duke Invitational, six Pirates earned Top 10 in ECU program history for their events, according to ECUPirates. East

Carolina’s junior distance runner Chase Osborne set the school record in the 5000 meter run with a time of 14:24.79, according to ECUPirates.

Osborne didn’t compete during the indoor season for the Pirates, however in the last two outdoor meets he ran the 5000 meter (14:47.77) and the 1500 meter (3:57.82).

ECU junior distance runner Molly Stecker jumped 1.70 meters for a top-10 spot, along with junior thrower Rebekah Bergquist in discus with a length of 49.19 meters.

Later that year, during the University of South Carolina open, Bergquist threw her career longest of 51.63 meters. During the current season, she has competed in the discus throw for both of the outdoor meets the Pirates have had so far this season. In the event this season, she placed first during both meets but was off her career high by about three meters.

Stecker has only competed in high jump since the Weems Baskin Relays in March 2021. While at the Duke Invitational last year, she earned her career high of 51.63 meters, and the closest this season she has gotten to the 1.70 meter jump is 1.60 at the Bill Carson Invitational. The other three top 10 performances have moved on from the ECU program.

The Pirates are coming off of the wins from the annual Bill Carson Invitational at the Bate Foundation Track and Field Facility last Monday through Saturday.

According to ECUPirates, the team earned over 20 personal, collegiate or season records during the Invitational. Senior Pirate thrower Jasmine Jenkins became the fourth woman in ECU program history to throw over 60 meters in the hammer throw.

ECU junior javelin thrower Ansley Frady won her event along with senior thrower Naadiya Faison in women’s shot put (14.74 meters) and Bergquist in discus (47.32 meters).

Junior Pirate sprinter Royal Burris won the men’s 200 meter (20.80) and the men’s 100 meter (10.28) race, along with junior sprinter Melicia Mouzzon who also won two events, the women’s 100 meter (11.61) and the women’s 200 meter (23.63).

Some of the other events East Carolina dominated in were the men’s long jump (junior Nathaniel Williams), women’s long jump (sophomore Elizabeth Taylor), the women’s triple jump (junior L’Nya Carpenter), the men’s triple jump (freshman Jared Harrell) and the men’s and women’s 400x1 meter relay.

According to ECUPirates, Carpenter’s triple jump performance (12.69 meter) landed her at fourth in Pirate program history. Harrell also made it into ECU record books at No. 10 in program history and a personal best with his triple jump of 15.09 meter.

East Carolina’s senior distance runner Lindsay Yentz earned a spot above her previously held No. 3 position in the women’s 3,000 steeple with a time of 10:57.70 which is the third time a woman has ran under 11 minutes in the event according to ECUPirates.

Junior distance runner Austin Mathews also earned a top-10 spot with his 9:23.24 performance in the men’s 3,000 steeple, according to ECUPirates.

The Pirates will be back in Mount Olive, North Carolina, for the Mount Olive Invite at the Ray McDonald Sr. Sports Complex Thursday through Sunday.

Chris Long Sports Chief

Kiarra Crayton Sports Reporter

Nick Bailey TEC STAFF

Kiarra Crayton TEC STAFF

Mike Houston

The East Carolina University football team participates in a spring practice scrimmage wearing the white and purple practice je rseys.

Nathaniel Williams