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MAIHIJOHAD T2A3 3HT
Volume 79 Number 136
THE CLEARLY LABELED APRIL FOOL'S EDITION
THURSDAY
April 1, 2004
Mirra to release debut album on campus
BMX star crosses
over to hip-hop
AMANDA HUGINKISS
TOTAL PROCRASTINATOR
Greenville resident and BMX
Freestyle champion Dave Mirra
announced in a press conference
yesterday that he would be giving
up his extreme sports career for a
career in hip-hop music.
For the past six months,
Mirra has been writing and
recording songs for his debut
album Don't Hate the I'laya, lust
Hate the Extreme Game. Mirra
plans to distribute copies at
2 p.m. today in the Wright Place.
"You know, I always wanted to
get in touch with the true homey
inside me said Mirra.
"What better way than hip-
hop?"
Mirra began getting in touch
with his hip-hop side about a
year ago when he met local resi-
dent and national rap star Petey
Pablo at the Cavern nightclub in
downtown Greenville.
"At first Petey was hatin' on
me 'cause I was getting all the
honeys. But then we got to talk-
ing and he invited me back to his
recording studio. After that, I was
hooked Mirra said.
That same night, Mirra devel-
oped the inspiration for what
MIRRA
would become his first single,
"I'm Ballin' at the Edge of Tomor-
row a track which uses a sample
from the theme song of "Saved by
the Bell: The College Years
"I woke up the next morn-
ing on Petey's couch and on
the TV came this song. It was
like a message from above I
knew it would be my first hit
Mirra said.
Other tracks on the album
include "I Got (X) Game "G-
Vegas Lovin' " and "Xxxtreme
Boys a track which features
a chorus sung by Tony Hawk,
another up-and-coming X-
gamer turned recording artist.
Mirra will be signing auto-
graphs and giving away copies of
his new CD from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
W h i le t hose copies haven't been
given out yet, an advance copy
of the album was sent to campus
radio station WZMB earlier this
week for radio play.
"That album is total crap
said Ben Dover, WZMB disc
jockey.
"1 wouldn't touch it even
if I was a fat kid and it was the last
donut on earth
As for Mirra, he hopes his
album will touch as many lis-
teners as possible.
"If I can make just one
kid realize his dreams of
owning nice cars and pimp-
ing ho's, then my life's work is
complete
This writer can be contacted at
?@theeas tcarolinian. com.
f) Track Listing
1. Dope Intro
2. "I'm Ballin' At the Edge ot
Tomorrow"
3. "I Got M Game"
4. "G-Vegas Lovin"
5. Playaz Interlude
6. "Xxxtreme Boys" featuring
Tony Hawk
7. "My Honey's Got Crabs"
8. "Pimp Dem Ho's"
9. "Keep Ya Eyez on da Halfplpe"
10. I'm Not Your Baby's Daddy"
Vacant administrative positions filled Conference USA lOSeS
two additional teams
NCA&Toneof
several considered
for expansion
Conference-USA, which has
been hit hard with the defec-
tions of eight teams including
M a r -
quette, De
Paul, Lou-
isville,
South
Florida,
and Cin-
cinnati to
the Big East, Charlotte and St.
Louis to the Atlantic Ten as well
as Texas Christian to the Moun-
tain West, has been informed
by representatives from Mem-
phis and Houston that the two
colleges will join the Big 12 in
the"2TJ05-06 season.
Officials from Tulane
dropped another bombshell
announcing a plan to end its
athletic program in order to
apply money used to support
the athletic program to the
more profitable arts and crafts
department.
The Big 12, which was
known as the Big 8 until it
invited Texas, Texas A&M,
Baylor and Texas Tech, has
decided to bump its member-
ship up to 14 teams in an effort
to remain the biggest confer-
ence in the country. There are
no current plans to change the
name to reflect the additional
teams.
"The Big Ten has 11 teams
and yet has kept its traditional
name said Bill Hartley, Big
12 associate vice president of
expansion issues.
"1 see no reason to change
the name of the conference at
all
The new super conference
will feature two seven-team
divisions as well as continue
to devastate floundering C-
USA. Rumors indicate that C-
USA will continue to expand.
Possible new members include
NC A&T, UC Santa Barbara, and
- just for good measure - Cen-
tral Arkansas.
"These institutions follow
in our academic and athletic
missions as a conference. We
hope to form a longstanding
and prosperous relationship
with each new member as we
continue to mark the future of
this conference said C-USA
director of propaganda, Wil-
liam Hitchcock.
There are persistent, yet
unsubstantiated, rumors that
UAB may be invited to the
WAC, but so far all involved
deny the story.
The new teams have not
been officially invited. Before
a new school can be invited to
the conference, official campus
visits must take place involving
members of the two current C-
USA members, UAB and ECU.
GLOVER
Ballard holds essay
contest to fill top
administrative spots
HARRY PITZ
CHIEF ARM FUNK
In Steve Ballard's first act
as chancellor, four candidates
were selected to fill some of the
vacant ad m i n istrat ive positions
at ECU yesterday.
"I wanted my first decision
as chancellor to really make an
impact on the university said
Ballard.
Brittany Glover, a seventh
grader at CM. Eppes Middle
School, was selected and will
succeed Nick Floyd, the interim
director of athletics, when she
takes over the athletics director
position next week.
"Brittany's essay really
stood out in my mind said
Ballard.
"Her analysis of the top
10 reasons she loves shop-
ping really convinced me that
she was the proper choice for
athletics director
Brittany will take over her
position after 3 p.m. when she
gets out of class at CM. Eppes.
"I will have to learn how to
balance my duties as athletics
director while I finish school
said Glover.
"Hopefully this will be as
much fun as shopping
The same day Glover was
selected, Ballard chose Peter
Bacanovic, Martha Stewart's
former financial adviser, as
ECU'S new executive vice
chancellor of administration
and finance.
Bacanovic will replace
Richard Brown after he retires,
again. Bacanovic is well-
versed in trading and financial
growth.
"We hope that Bacanovic
will use his extensive financial
expertise to benefit the univer-
sity said Ballard.
"He can wheel and deal with
the best of them, but he is espe-
cially good at keeping clients
informed
Linner Griffin, Ph.D
interim director for the School
of Communication, will also
leave her post and go back to
the School of Social Work when
Jayson Blair, former reporter for
The New York Times turned nov-
elist, takes over as director of the
school in May.
After working for The New
York Times for nearly four years,
Blair became widely known as a
reporter in 2003 for his coverage
of the war in Iraq.
"I can't wait to take over
the School of Communication,
it will be great to have no one to
answer to said Blair.
"I think the students in
the communication program
BACANOVIC
are sure to grow as journalists
once they're exposed to my
techniques
Ballard said his most dif-
ficult choice was who to select
for provost.
"I debated for two whole
days Ballard said.
"But I decided to choose
Donald Trump as provost,
because he has an authoritar-
ian quality that I really feel will
help him win over faculty and
students
Frump will replace former
Provost William Swart, who was
reassigned to a faculty position
in September 2003.
"I am ready to turn over a
new leaf said Trump.
"There has been a lot of
controversy over my firing prac-
tices. Steve has set me up with a
counselor to assist me with per-
sonnel issues so I can do my job
to the best of my ability
Glover, Bacanovic, Blair
and Frump were selected out of
more than 500 essays submitted
to Ballard last week.
"I think that my new
staff is top-notch Ballard
said.
"Each of these individu-
als is very knowledgeable of
their crafts. We are sure to con-
tinue to make history together
at ECU
This writer can be contacted at
?&theeastcarrolinian.com.
Sandra Bullock considering
returning to ECU for degree
Says academics more important
than acting and Hollywood
ASHY LARRY
MOISTURE CHALLENGED
With only a few credits to go toward her
bachelor's degree in drama, Sandra Bullock is
considering returning to ECU to finish what
she started.
Bullock came to ECU from Arling-
ton, Va. and was just a few classes shy of
completing her degree when she left for New
York.
Bullock said her reasons for coming to the
university were on a whim.
The daughter of a German opera singer and
a voice from Alabama, Bullock never regretted
choosing ECU over a performing arts school
since a traditional college experience - football
games, fraternity parties and the like- was what
she was after.
"It all happened in about a week Bullock
said.
"My friend had an application
After hearing that the NBC sitcom Working
Girl was looking for a new leading lady, Bull-
ock decided to give it a shot. Her best-known
credits include The Net (1995) and A Time to Kill
(1996).
"I may be heading back to North Carolina
said Bullock in an exclusive phone interview.
"Acting has certainly made me financially
secure, but I am beginning to get fed up with
Hollywood and all it's st. 1 feel incomplete
knowing I didn't finish school -especially with
only a few classes left
Bullock, who is known for her abnormal
normalcy, admits to having uncontrollable
urges to eat junk food and has a special craving
for Parker's Barbeque.
Bullock isn't sure when she would be return-
Sandra Bullock is considering returning to
ECU to complete her undergraduate degree.
ing to college but has made it clear that if she
does return to school, it will be ECU.
She wouldn't be the only non-traditional
student at ECU at the age of 39, but certainly
one of the most famous.
, ECU has had a few celebrities who attended or
graduated that went on to be great successes.
Vince McMahon, the World Wrestling
Entertainment mogul, graduated in 1968, and
New Orleans Saints' player Jeff Blake graduated
in 1994.
This writer can be contacted
at ?@theeastcarolinian.com.
Candy Awareness
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