VOLUME 94, ISSUE 8 ANALYSIS: ECU NEEDS TO IMPROVE AGAINST FBS OPPONENTS Turn to A6 YOUR CAMPUS NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1925 Tuesday, 9.17.19 TheEastCarolinian VOLUME 94, ISSUE 8 ANALYSIS: ECU NEEDS TO IMPROVE AGAINST FBS OPPONENTS Turn to A6 YOUR CAMPUS NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1925 Tuesday, 9.17.19 TheEastCarolinian Traveling civil rights exhibit comes to Faulkner COURTESY OF AQUATIC ACROBATIC Performance group Aquatic Acrobatic members Gianni Alvarez, Ariana Alvarez, Crina Meda Alvarez and Martin Alvarez salute crowd. County Fair returns Pitt community hosts 100th annual fair Devin Raines our local artists and farmers.” students as well as other fundraisers TEC STAFF The exhibit hall serves the main to benefit the high school and college The Pitt County American Legion function of educating the public. There students, according to Sheck. Agricultural Fair opens today at 1 will be exhibitors for quilting, benefits “There’s a lot going on. We’ve got p.m. and will run through this Sunday of bees, sweet potatoes, prevention of fireworks on Wednesday and Saturclosing at 7:30 p.m. to celebrate its family violence, wildlife, soil and water day night at 9 o’clock,” Sheck said. “We 100th anniversary at the Pitt County and other educational topics, according have a lot of fun out here.” FairGrounds. to Brannon. The county fair is being spon- Mary Anne Brannon, exhibit hall New this year, the fair is offering sored by the American Legion and director for the Pitt County Fair, said visitors a car load ticket which allows volunteers will be out working the fair the theme for this year’s county fair up to six people admission for $60 during the week, will be “100 years and still counting.” offered for tonight only. Included in and people from Within the exhibit hall itself, there this is also the free shows that serve as the organization will be displays orientated around this entertainment outside of the rides that will be helping theme, and there will be events for chil-the county fair offers. to maintain the dren focused on the idea of 100 years. Bob Sheck, technical director for buildings during “For me, we like to showcase our American Legion, is a part of the vet- the fair itself. community. It’s (the exhibit hall) actu-eran’s group that volunteers to set up Martin Alva- ally open to anyone who lives in North the building and displays for the Pitt rez, member of Bob Sheck Carolina, but of course we showcase County Fair. the Aquatic Acroeastern North Carolina,” Brannon said. The American Legion itself is a batic Show, said the group is a fifth “I think it’s just a great way for people to group that lobbies for benefits for generational performance that travels come to the fair to see what other folks veterans. They help veterans in need, Elizabeth Johnson TEC STAFF A traveling exhibit “For All the World to See,” named after Emitt Till’s mother’s famous words, went on display in the Faulkner Gallery on the second floor of Joyner Library on Sept. 1 and will continue until Oct. 20. Program and Events Coordinator for Joyner Library, Charlotte Fitz-Daniels, said Faulkner Gallery in Joyner Library had to be approved by National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in order to host the exhibit. “Your space has to be large enough, you have to have a climate- controlled atmosphere to hold this exhibit in, so we kind of had to pass their (NEH) test before we were accepted,” Fitz said. The exhibit shows how time progressed through the Jim Crow era, Fitz said. The exhibit begins with “derogatory” images of African Americans and throughout the exhibit, figures begin to appear such as a figurine of the first African American lead on a television show that was about her work and home, she said. The baby dolls and lunchboxes further into the exhibit which depict people of color show how visual culture affects how “we see the people in our world,” Fitz said. “The purpose of this exhibit is that it’s really looking at visual images from the Jim Crow era which is from like the 1940s or late 1930s until the late 1970s. So what you’re seeing is an evolution of imagery,” Fitz said. Heather White, assistant director of assessment and engagement at Joyner Library, said she applied three years ago to have this exhibit come to East Carolina University which is part of the NEH on the Road program. She said this program tries to put high-quality exhibits in public spaces. White said Joyner Library tried to stay close to the missions of ECU. She said the exhibit is an opportunity for the community to see an exhibit without going to Raleigh because Greenville is the closest city to many people in eastern North Carolina. are doing and to recognize and support but they also provide scholarships for > FAIR page A4 > TRAVELING page A2 Prominent journalist to visit ECU Margaret McCollum TEC STAFF Award-winning journalist, Soledad O’Brien, will speak at East Carolina University tomorrow at Wright Auditorium from 7 to 8:30 p.m. about issues related to diversity in today’s society. According to ECU’s website, O’Brien will be visiting ECU as a part of the “Voyages of Discovery” series, which brings speakers to ECU’s campus for intellectual conversations. O’Brien will be presenting a segment called “Diversity: On TV, Behind the Scenes, and in Our Lives.” Jeffrey Johnson, director of Voyages of Discovery, said O’Brien is an award-winning journalist who worked for CNN, who now has her own media platform called “Starfish Media Group” which produces her show, “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien.” According to Starfish Media Group’s website, O’Brien created the “Black in America” and “Latino in America” series through CNN and now hosts “Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien” and reports for HBO. The website says Starfish Media group uncovers stories of race, class, poverty, wealth and opportunity told through personal experiences from people. Johnson said he appreciates the stories of diversity told by O’Brien and her understanding of how diverse the United States is. “She (O’Brien) understands that this is a diverse country, > JOURNALIST page A2 COURTESY OF ECUPIRATES.COM Brandee Markwith prepares to perform a dig against Rutgers University, highlighting her ability to set up her ECU teammates. Markwith wins weekly award Staff Report Pirate Invitational, where ECU won all three against Norfolk State. matches in Minges Coliseum. With an 8-1 overall record, Markwith’s East Carolina University volleyball “In Tuesday’s come-from-behind win contributions on defense have contributed team’s redshirt junior libero Brandee against the Wolfpack, Markwith recorded to its nearly perfect record. Markwith has been awarded the American a season-best 32 digs as ECU overcame a The ECU Athletic department declined Athletic Conference Defensive Player of two sets to none deficit to down NC State to comment on her winning of the AAC the Week. for the first time since 2007. It is the highest award. ECU Athletics posted a press release single-match dig total among AAC players The East Carolina Women’s volleyball about the award, and this is Markwith’s this season,” the press release stated. team will face North Carolina Central first time winning the award in her col-Additionally, Markwith had 12 digs University at home on Wednesday Sept. 17. legiate career. Markwith averaged 5.44 during the match against George Mason This writer can be contacted at digs per set through the duration of the University, as well as 17 in the Pirates’ match sports@theeastcarolinian.com. ONLINE SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook.com/ »NEWS: Treadmill walk stations »ARTS: Post Malone mutli-genre @theeastcarolinian @TEC_Newspaper theeastcarolinian in Joyner Library discussed album climbs Billboard Top 200s A2 NEWS Tuesday, 9.17.19 BRIEFS Study abroad session at International House Today from 4 to 5 p.m. at ECU’s International House a study abroad information session will be held to inform students on the different programs offered by the university and scholarships which are available to them. There are expected to be more dates through Dec. 3. ECU Wizarding World interest meeting Today from 6 to 8 p.m. the Wizarding World at East Carolina University will host an interest meeting where plans for the upcoming year, the organization’s constitution, a potential election of new officers and information on how to join will be discussed. The meeting will take place in room 206 of the Main Campus Student Center. College of Democrats to hold information session The ECU College of Democrats (COD) will host its first meeting of the fall semester today from 6 to 8 p.m. in room 1010 of the Bate Building on ECU’s main campus. The event is open to anyone interested in joining the organization, pizza and refreshments will be available to attendees and the COD’s agenda for the school year is expected to be discussed. CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS If you feel there are any factual errors in this newspaper, please contact Jenna Price at editor@theeastcarolinian.com. TRAVELINGcontinued from A1 “For us, it kind of hit all of them. It’s exposing students to something outside of their classrooms that also adds to the curriculum,” White said. Items in the exhibit are from the era depicted, White said. She said there are many mediums which allow the crowds to interact with the exhibit such as screens which show videos of the time. The exhibit is bringing several guests to ECU’s campus such as Mike Wiley for his performance of Dar He, Zena Howard who designed the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Sycamore Hill Gateway Plaza at Greenville’s Town Common and journalist Hank Klibanoff who wrote about civil rights coverage in the South, White said. Over 1,000 students from local schools will be attending the day time performance of Dar He Thursday, White said. ECU Students will be able to attend the evening performance at 7 p.m. in Wright Auditorium for free, she said. Jahad Carter, director of Equity and Equality for Student Government Association, said he thought the exhibit resembled the African American History Museum. He said this is giving ECU the opportunity to educate more COURTESY OF FACEBOOK Zackery (Zack) Rago, Netlfix’s “Chasing Coral” documentarian, captured live footage of coral reefs for his environmental conservation documentary. Documentarian visits campus Filmmaker to host lecture about Netflix’s “Chasing Coral” Margaret McCollum TEC STAFF Netflix documentarian from “Chasing Coral,” Zackery (Zack) Rago, will host a lecture at Hendrix Theater on East Carolina University’s campus tomorrow from 9 to 11 a.m. to share his experiences from the film, interact with viewers and express the importance of environmental conservation. Chad Carwein, sustainability manager for Sustain ECU, said the lecture is one of several events planned with Rago. He said an event people can attend before the lecture is a film screening of the documentary “Chasing Coral” at the Town Common tonight at 6 p.m. where Rago will be. According to the Zack Chad Carwein Rago Lecture Facebook page, the event will be hosted by Sustain ECU and the Love a Sea Turtle nonprofit organization. Carwein said ECU students are encouraged to come to the lecture and there are already over 600 high school students attending from public and private schools. There will be a socializing event with Rago hosted by Sustain ECU and Love a Sea Turtle at Uptown Brewery from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow for people to directly interact with him. Carwein said “Chasing Coral” came out in 2017, so Rago will speak about his work on the students about issues going on in America. Carter said it’s important to acknowledge that these are real people that endured “so much” and that people may need to be educated on African American history to create a brighter future for African Americans. “Just seeing something like this is very, very monumental in a way because never in a million years would I have ever thought to see something like this be on our University. When I saw this I was really taken aback,” Carter said. One image in the exhibit is of Aunt Jemima, the trademark for Aunt Jemima products. Carter Jahad Carter said these images over exaggerate her features and she is dressed as if she is serving white people. “That goes through the whole culture of blackface because before that African Americans couldn’t even be in movies and what not so they would usually send white people out there to dress up and kind of put them in the same kind of schema here, same kind of aspects,” Carter said. SGA representative and junior neuroscience major DeMaris Banister said that Aunt Jemima depicted black women in a negative light and made them seem “less than.” She documentary and provide an update in his lecture on the current status of some of the coral reefs the crew captured while encouraging people to take action. “He’ll be talking about what people can do,” Carwein said. “We’re all contributing to climate change and climate change is what’s warming the ocean, when the ocean is warm it’s just like you getting a fever.” Carwein said Rago began environmental documentaries by working on a film called “Chasing Ice,” a documentary featuring time lapses of glaciers to show climate change, before going on to be a cast member in the film “Chasing Coral.”He said Rago is very passionate about coral reefs. “He’s basically a self-proclaimed coral nerd,” Carwein said. “He loves coral reefs and the ecosystem they provide for fish and other marine life.” Rago’s involvement in “Chasing Coral” was purely coincidence, Carwein said. “It wasn’t until they met that he realized that Zack was already really into coral reefs,” Carwein said. “He had some experience with diving and actually grew his own coral in a lab, so it was sort of just the perfect harmony.” Hundreds of hours were dedicated by Rago and other underwater cameramen to create the documentary “Chasing Coral” by retrieving shots of the coral featured in the film, Carwein said. Carwein said he has a lot of admiration for the work Rago contributed to the documentary and Sustain ECU looks forward to hosting him. This is a unique opportunity made possible by a global competition called Make Waves which Sustain ECU won with the help of Love a Sea Turtle, according to Carwein. He said the Make Waves competition required a screening of the “Chasing Coral” documentary, contributed photos and written essays. Carwein said the contest had entries from businesses and colleges all over the world but ECU prevailed. Dan Sokolovic, father of founder Casey Sovolovik from Love a Sea Turtle, said Casey founded Love a Sea Turtle when she was eight years old. He said they do various outreach programs with youth and are based of Greenville with a mission to protect sea turtles. Sokolovic said he expected Greenville to be overlooked in the Make Waves contest, but ECU won and now their group has collaborated with Pitt County Schools, ECU and the producers of “Chasing Coral” to create this opportunity. Love a Sea Turtle will have 15 different youth activists setting up tables at the lecture event. Sokolovic said it is undeniable coral is dying in the oceans and climate change is a real issue, which Rago will be discussing in his lecture. “Hopefully the message that will resonate is: there’s a lot to be done,” Sokolovic said. “Everyone has to join in and help and in Greenville, we sit on the front lines.” This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com. HOYLDAN ARRIETA I THE EAST CAROLINIAN The exhibit For All the World to See is currently on display in Joyner Library’s Faulkner Gallery. said this depicted black women as housewives. “Aunt Jemima was mostly targeted towards black women and I just want to call to attention that black women throughout society, throughout history, are either overly sexualized or under sexualized,” Banister said. One item on display in the museum is an African American doll. Banister said she wants to go to medical school and is very passionate about creating images for African American women to look up to. Banister said representation is important JOURNALIST continued from A1 whether people like it or not,” Johnson said. “We don’t always hear the wide range of voices, diversity for her covers the whole gamut related to wealth, poverty, opportunity and class.” Johnson said O’Brien will speak about these important topics in a non-combative way and he believes she tries to convey stories in a way people will understand and listen to. There will be a reception before the event where friends and patrons of the series will be able to meet with O’Brien and speak with her informally before the event, said Johnson. He said the reception is limited to 70 to 80 people and is already sold out. The event is free for students with a valid OneCard and tickets can be obtained from the ECU Central Ticket Office, located in the Main Campus Student Center or from the Wright Auditorium box office the night of the event. “Soledad O’Brien, needless to say, is a nationally known figure, she’s somebody who she herself is the face of the American dream,” Johnson said. Johnson said O’Brien’s family is the depictment of diversity and success in the U.S., her father is an Irish-American and her mother is Cuban-American who could barely speak to each other when they met. He said O’Brien and her siblings all attended Harvard University and have notable jobs. because it does give people role models who they can look up to. Representation brings a positive self-image, she said. “I remember growing up, my mom, she’s a lighter skin complexion, that’s all I saw on TV so I used to tell my mom ‘when I grow up I want to be light-skinned like you,’ and of course that would break her heart because she wanted me to be comfortable in my own skin, but that’s all I saw so I thought it was better,” Banister said. This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com. Linda Kean, director and professor at ECU’s School of Communication, said the School of Communication is a co-sponsor for the event. Kean said she likes the messages O’Brien conveys about diversity and she thinks students will be interested to hear her story. “She’s talking about images of diversity in the media and I think that that’s something that’s very important for our students to think about and to be aware of, who are the people telling the stories, who are the people being interviewed, who are the experts,” Kean said. Kean said she hopes O’Brien can encourage everyone, especially women and individuals of color, to keep pursuing their journalistic ambitions because sometimes there is a lack of diversity in the media. Sometimes when people watch media, they don’t see themselves in the place of the people in front of the camera so they begin to question their capabilities, Kean said. Kean said she thinks ECU does a really good job of bringing in interesting and successful people to speak, through the Voyages of Discovery and other organizations on campus. “I think that not only are they bringing in good people in and of their own right with their careers, but the topics that they’re covering are really exciting, and I think ECU does a really good job,” Kean said. This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com. A3 Opinion theeastcarolinian.com Tuesday, 9.17.19 `OUR VIEW University involvement unnecessary Recently, East Carolina University and the Greenville Police Department (GPD) teamed up to combat the usage of Fake IDs throughout the local community which has upped the consequences students can receive if caught with one in their possession. The consequences students face when being caught with a fake ID are harsher following the university’s involvement. According to the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Virginia Hardy, offenses for the use of fake IDs will require students to go through the conduct violation process through the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSSR). With ECU’s involvement with increasing the potential penalties for fake ID use could impact students’ chances of getting into graduate school or employment opportunities in the future since the offenses will stay on university records. We, the Editorial Staff of The East Carolinian, believe ECU’s recent involvement with fake IDs is an overstep for the university seeing as though GPD already takes measures to combat students’ using them locally and it puts students’ futures at risk. Some may say fake ID usage should be combated by both GPD and ECU to make sure those caught with possession of one learn a lesson. However, if every student with a fake ID gets marked with a permanent stain on their record from it, ECU’s enrollment numbers would drop. The efforts made by GPD and ECU to work against fake ID usage are appreciated by many. But, by making the penalties stricter, some may begin to turn away from Pirate Nation, leaving the university with a larger enrollment deficit than in previous years. On behalf of the Faculty Officers, I write to submit an editorial responding to the issue of budget reductions. We are: Jeff Popke, Chair of the Faculty Crystal Chambers GUEST COLUMNIST Crystal Renee Chambers, Vice Chair of the Faculty Amanda Klein, Secretary Purificacion Martinez, Parliamentarian. In mid-July, Interim Chancellor Dan Gerlach announced budget stabilization measures in response to anticipated budget cuts, triggered predominantly by two successive years of modest student enrollment declines. Reasons for these declines are two-fold. First, we have become victims of our own success. Our graduation rate increased significantly, reflecting both more and faster degree completions. Second, our larger graduating classes have not been balanced by larger incoming classes. Challenges here include the NC Promise program and increased competition from several UNC System schools seeking to admit more students from rural and less prosperous counties Budget cuts are proactive Challenges will follow budget reductions, but ECU will recover COURTESY OF ECU FACULTY SENATE WEBSITE (From left to right) Jeff Popke, Crystal Renee Chambers, Amanda Klein, and Purification Martinez state appropriations is for salaries, a key strategy was the hiring freeze announced this summer. The freeze limits our ability to re-hire fix-term annually contracted faculty and staff. It also means delaying new investments and capital projects. Given the limited available options, we, the faculty leadership, find the Chancellor’s plan to be reasonable and proactive. However, it creates short-term challenges and concerns. First, this kind of budget cut is not strategic. The impacts will be felt more in departments that happen to have open positions or rely more heavily on fixed-term colleagues. This can result in higher teaching loads and greater service and administration workloads for the remainder. In addition, previously approved good initiatives are now on hold simply due to timing. This all can negatively impact upon faculty morale and retention. Second, and in consideration of our students, class sizes may increase with greater teaching and advising loads impinging on opportunities for one-on-one faculty-student interactions. Nevertheless, ECU faculty are committed to addressing our fiscal challenges in a way that limits negative impacts on student educational experiences. Rest assured, ECU will continue to provide the same outstanding opportunities offered to generations of pirates. Meanwhile, we are addressing our enrollment challenges head-on. This year’s first year class is one of the largest on record. We are making strategic investments in marketing, recruiting, and new program development to bring more pirates to campus. In the longer term, faculty and administration should collaboratively identify budget priorities, so that any future financial reductions can be achieved strategically. In addition, advocacy for reconsidering UNC System’s enrollment-based funding model is warranted given that enrollments statewide are declining. ECU has faced lean budget times before and has always weathered the storm without sacrificing excellence. We expect we will successfully navigate through our present challenges as well. Undaunted. Crystal Chambers is an ECU faculty officer and a guest columnist for The East Carolinian To contact her, email opinion@theeastcarolinian.com. OUR STAFF Jenna Price Editor-in-Chief Trajan Warren Managing Editor Daniel Roberts Copy Editor Summer Tonizzo News Editor Elizabeth Johnson News Chief Chloe Easton A&E Editor Giana Williams A&E Chief Brendan Gillespie Sports Editor Daniel Shepard Sports Chief Pat Polomchak Multimedia Manager Michaela Emory Visual Arts Editor Erin Flynn Production Manager Serving ECU since 1925, The East Carolinian is an independent, student-run publication distributed Tuesdays and Thursdays during the academic year and Wednesdays during the summer. The opinions expressed herein are those of the student writers, columnists and editors and do not necessarily reflect those of the faculty, staff or administration at East Carolina University or the Student Media Board. Columns and reviews are the opinions of the writers; “Our View” is the opinion of The East Carolinian Board of Opinions. As a designated public forum for East Carolina University, The East Carolinian welcomes letters to the editor limited to 250 words. Letters may be rejected or edited for libelous content, decency and brevity. All letters must be signed and include a telephone number. One copy of The East Carolinian is free. Each additional copy is $1. Unauthorized removal of additional copies from a distribution site constitutes theft under North Carolina law. Violators will be prosecuted. Contact Info The East Carolinian Self Help Building, Greenville, NC, 28889-4353 Email: editor@theeastcarolinian.com Newsroom: (252) 328-9238 Ads: (252) 328-9245 Fax: (252) 328-9143 our traditional recruiting grounds. This enrollment dip impacts our budget in the short term because the UNC System uses an enrollment-based funding formula. Legislative appropriations are tied to student credit hours. It is this state funding, in concert with tuition, that pays for our core instructional activities, including salaries for faculty and staff, department budgets, the cost of operating buildings, and so on (fee-based activities, such as athletics or housing and dining, are not funded through state appropriations). The Chancellor’s budget plan is aimed at preparing for fiscal year 2020-2021, when we anticipate that we will face a revenue shortfall. Because a large share of our Overuse of social media can hurt us Social media is useful for many things, such as keeping up with daily news and building a network. However, I believe the overuse Macie Tano of social media can TEC STAFF have detrimental consequences on one’s mental health. Over the past 20 years, social media use has skyrocketed. With the creation of Facebook in 2004, Twitter in 2006, Instagram in 2010 and Snapchat in 2011, social media has become the top platform of communication around the world. This allowed people to share their lives with others through pictures and status updates. But what is not discussed as often is the negative effects it has on people. Many studies have been conducted that support the relationship between increased social media usage and mental health. A study conducted by Ethan Kross and published on the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health looked at the relationship between Facebook use and mental well-being in young adults. He found that those who went on Facebook up to five times a day had a low self-esteem and life satisfaction. Social media often gives a false reality to what is really happening in someone’s life. We see photos of celebrities and so called “social media influencers” on extravagant trips but we rarely see what they are up to during their down time. The lifestyles and images they portray are often not realistic for those who follow them, and can leave many feeling like they aren’t good enough. This doesn’t only apply to the famous, but also people we know. We see posts from others and often subconsciously compare ourselves to them. This can lead to feelings of low self-worth, anxiety and depression. Not only does it give unrealistic expectations, but it can also be addicting to many, young and old. There are many advantages to social media usage, but as it grew more popular, many started to become dependent on these websites and apps and would spend all day on them. Researchers at Chicago University concluded that addiction to social media can be as strong as an addiction to alcohol or cigarettes after an experiment they conducted in 2012. This addiction is especially seen in young adults and adolescents, who I believe are the most vulnerable to feelings of low self-esteem and self-worth. If you look around now, everyone around you is on their phone. We have all become so conditioned to being on these apps and hardly focus on what is happening around us. This can cause issues within our relationships as well as in settings like school and work. Overusing social media can often cause us to forget about the responsibilities we may have, which can have consequences such as low grades and loss of jobs, which are also factors that can contribute to decreased mental health. While social media is useful for keeping up with friends and family members, connecting with new people, and keeping up with the latest news, we should all be wary about the amount of time we spend on these platforms, and make sure to take time for ourselves to put the phone or laptop away and focus on what is going on around us, not just on a screen. Macie Tano is a junior majoring in communication and a TEC columnist To contact her/him, email opinion@theeastcarolinian.com. Arts & Entertainment A4 theeastcarolinian.com Tuesday, 9.17.19 EVENTS TODAY Harry Potter Movie Trivia Uptown Brewing Company 7 p.m. Chasing Coral Screening with Zack Rago Town Common 7 p.m. Karaoke Night Pitt Street Brewing Company 7 p.m. TOMORROW Comedy Pitt Open Mic Night Pitt Street Brewing Company 8 p.m. September Wine Dinner Ford + Shep 6:30 p.m. Carolina Brewing Co Flight Night Dickinson Avenue Public House 5:30 p.m. Beers and Bottle Painting Jack Brown's Burger Joint 7 p.m. COURTESY OF FACEBOOK All-natural skin care and organic cleaning product company Today's Natural Mom sets up shop at the Summer 2019 Umbrella Market at Five Points Plaza. Natural takes Greenville Locally owned all-natural business helps reduce eco-footprint Chloe Easton receiving positive feedback. After possible. of Fresh Vibes, Jessica Albea, said TEC STAFF working towards the perfect recipes “On the production side we try to she first began her partnership with Locally owned all-natural skin for her products, Licari said she offi-use reusable rubber gloves instead of Licari after she approached her and care company, Today’s Natural Mom, cially decided to open up shop. disposable ones that we can sanitize, offered complimentary samples. is providing the Greenville com-Now shipping to customers all we will pay a little bit extra for the “The first thing I liked was that munity with environmentally con-over the United States, Licari has raw ingredients to be purchased they (Licari’s products) were all scious products while “reducing their expanded her target audience to not from a company that can package natural, that there wasn’t any toxic eco-footprint.” only fellow mothers, but buyers of in glass or cardboard or some other ingredients because at our house we Founder and owner of Today’s all ages. Trying to use all natural and compostable or easily recyclable only use natural products,” Albea Natural Mom, Ashley Licari, created organic ingredients as possible, Licari products,” Licari said. said. “I was pleased that, number one, her company shortly after reading said her resources are both sustain-Besides her own website, Licari she was going to be a local person that the back of a packing label on one able and simple. also sells her products on popular I supported and that, number two, of her own skincare products back “I try to make all my ingredients global marketplace, Etsy, and has she also cared about what ingredients in 2013 when expecting her first locally sustain-received positive reviews from buyers she was using.” child, according to Licari. Shocked to ably sourced across the United States. Recent Additionally, Today’s Natural discover the harsh chemicals used on as possible, buyer, Laura Michael, commented Mom will prepare pop-up shops and her own skin, she began to research I use a lot of that when using Licari’s dish soap booths at both markets and events alternatives. shea butter and bar, she was convinced she could around the area such as Farmville’s “Research, I know that sounds cocoa butter as continue to make the change to zero Market On Main at the May Museum simple, but I recognized a lot of bases… I use waste. & Park hosted today at 4 p.m. and names of things, I saw a lot of sci- simple things “I am slowly switching our home Oktoberfest 2019 hosted at the Pitt entific terms, chemical terms for Ashely Licari like salt instead to be more zero waste. I tried this County Senior Center Sept. 28 at ingredients and some of it is natural of chemical hardeners in soaps,” soap yesterday and it works great,” 9 a.m. and some of it is not,” Licari said. “So Licari said. Micheal commented. “It’s a great size More information on Today’s my first step was just research… and Offering a plethora of products that’ll last a long time, pretty to look Natural Mom products and purdeciding what I was comfortable with on her website buyers have the abil-at and lathers great.” chases can be made through their putting on my kids and what I wasn’t.” ity to choose from an abundance of Along with leaving a digital mark, website at www.tnmshop.org. Originally planning to start products such as pure castile soap, Licari has partnered up with local producing alternatives products for cleansing oil, beard and shaving kits, businesses around Greenville such family, Licari then found herself face masks all produced and pack-as health cafe Fresh Vibes and Happy This writer can be contacted at expanding to outside customers after aged as environmentally friendly as Girls women’s boutique. Founder arts@theeastcarolinian.com. Rock fusion makes return COURTESY OF AQUATIC ACROBATIC Crina Meda Alvarez and Ariana Alvarez perform in Aquatic Acrobatic. FAIR continued from A1 Aquatic Acrobatic Show, said the group is a fifth generational performance that travels all over the world to showcase their talents at fairs worldwide and will be performing with his family every day of the county fair, according to Alvarez. “This year, the Aquatic Acrobatics Show is a brand new show. This is something that nobody has seen before, and nobody has done before,” Alvarez said. “This is one of my crazy dreams and ideas, and we came up with it, and it’s been a success.” Aquatic Acrobatics is one of, if not the only, shows in the world that has a traveling jetski, acrobatics and aerial stunts. Their show is completely original to them, is performed mainly for fairs and festivals to entertain their audiences, according to Alvarez. “What we want is for everybody to come out and see this new attraction that the fair is bringing out for the public, for their town,” Alvarez said. “This is something brand new that they’ll never get to experience again.” Tickets for the fair are $7 for adults and students, and can be found on the Pitt County Fair website or can be purchased at the gates. Tickets for rides can be purchased inside the gates. Guests can also purchase a mega pass to gain entry and unlimited rides for the day. This writer can be contacted at arts@theeastcarolinian.com. Olan Bryant TEC STAFF Popular rock fusion group, Lotus Sun, will make its return to Greenville for the first time in six years on Friday at 8 p.m. at Pitt Street Brewing Company. Lotus Sun, a rock/fusion group out of Fayetteville, North Carolina, will play their first local concert this weekend in Uptown and will bring jazz, R&B and soul influenced music to the stage. Led by vocalist Tyreik Hearon, the group is comprised of members Ray Hill on bass, Brandon Jones on drums and Marell Glenn on the keyboard. Hearon formed the group in 2011 and the group mainly performed in bars around the Fayetteville and Wilmington areas, although they have done shows in other cities around North Carolina, including Greensboro, Charlotte and Raleigh. “From what other musicians have told me, there isn’t a whole lot of music in Greenville, but based on the reception I’ve gotten before, making an impact on the scene there would be cool,” Hearon said. Hearon said their first and only visit to Greenville was in 2013, performing at the now closed Peasants’ Pub. Speaking on the group’s sound, Hearon said that they are “a mix of blues influenced with rock, soul and jazz,” drawing a comparison to Jimi Hendrix. Lotus Sun has also changed its lineup since their inception, with the current group having played for around four years. The group also released its first EP, “Sweet Shannon,” to all platforms this year. Hearon also expressed optimism about the band’s return to Greenville, citing the need to expose the college aged residents to their style of music so that the culture around it can thrive. “I feel like any town with a college population like Greenville needs to have the arts involved and give young adults a chance to be a part of something. It brings a sense of culture,” Hearon said. Taking into account the reception from the band’s first concert in Greenville, the turnout for Friday’s show is expected to be very receptive, according to Hearon. The vocalist also expressed hopes that the style of music that Lotus Sun plays “brings something new to the community.” Venues that the band have played in the past also commended their relaxing mood which their music brings. Bright Light Brewing Company in Fayetteville have repeatedly booked Lotus Sun for the last two years, and their reception has been warm. Trisha Ereive, the bartender for Bright Light, commented that the crowd’s familiarity with the band helped with their popularity. “I think locally, people really enjoy seeing the same person around town. COURTESY OF FACEBOOK Lotus Sun members Tyreik Hearon, Ray Hill, Brandon Jones, and Marell Glenn. Everyone loves Tyreik, people come to see him specifically. He’s consistent, and does his own songs, which makes him stand out,” Ereive said. Bourbon Street, a bar in Wilmington, has also played host to the band on numerous occasions over the past year. Dave Piatowski, the manager, noted the age of the crowds which attend the shows and their response. “The shows are usually pretty good, people from their twenties to forties come out a lot. They really get into it. The songs they choose matches their voices well, and they know how to play as a band,” Piatowski said. More information about Lotus Sun can be found by going to its Facebook page, or by accessing their website at www.wearelotussun.com This writer can be contacted at arts@theeastcarolinian.com. A6 Classifieds & Puzzles theeastcarolinian.com Tuesday, 9.17.19 CLASSIFIEDS HOROSCOPES Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- A little spontaneity can be fun. Put aside rigid routines and allow flexibility, especially with your work, health and fitness. Try a new trick. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Grab a fun opportunity to do something new. Meet someone wonderful or discover a chance for adventure or playfulness. Whip up a little romance. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 7 -Find a fabulous bargain or happy surprise for your home and family. Windfall apples make a lovely pie. Take advantage of an unexpected opportunity. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Adapt your message to respond to breaking news. A surprise requires diplomacy to avoid misunderstandings. Write your views, and edit carefully. Document and organize. CROSSWORD (c) 2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc. Solution from 9/12 HELP WANTED: Accepting applications for a leasing consultant position at a local apartment community. Must be available to work Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 9 -Adapt to changes. You can generate what’s needed. Don’t rush, or risk breakage. Consider your moves before making them. Stick to reliable sources and foundations. Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Polish your presentation. Dress to impress. You’re stepping into the spotlight. Stay diplomatic, and improvise with a surprising turn of events. Graciously respond. Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 6 -- Nurture yourself. You may be feeling especially sensitive with recent changes or chaos. Meditate in seclusion. Tend your garden. Nature soothes your spirit. Cancer (June 21-July 22) -Today is an 8 -- Brilliant ideas arise in conversation. Get together with your team. Find hidden opportunities revealed by recent news. Go for distance rather than speed. ONE AND ONLY some Saturdays and have reliable transportation. Email resumes to eastbrookvillagegreen@ gmail.com Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- An unusual career option appears. It may require a test. Accept new responsibility. Adapt to changes at the top. Find a lucrative opportunity. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Seminars, classes and conferences provide satisfying and lucrative opportunities. Travel and explore fresh terrain. Handle your chores, and then go discover something new. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Use what you’re learning to cut costs. Get practical with financial decisions. Choose long-lasting quality, and simplify. Discover a brilliant and unorthodox solution. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Go ahead and be spontaneous, but not reckless. Do something unexpected and nice with your partner. Strengthen bonds, and share a sweet unscheduled deviation. (c)2017 BY NANCY BLACK. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. COMICS BLISS SUDOKU Complete the gridso each row, column and 3-by-3 box(in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategieson how to solve Sudoku, visit www. sudoku.org.uk SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE Level: 1 2 3 4 © 2018 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved. 1/28/18 Solution from 9/12 A6 Sports theeastcarolinian.com Tuesday, 9.17.19 COURTESY OF ECUPIRATES.COM Quarterback Holton Ahlers surveys the field for an open reciever during the game against Navy, where ECU fell 42-10. Ahlers led the team in passing and rushing, with 138 pass yards and 36 rushing yards. ECU must improve against FBS teams Daniel Shepard TEC STAFF The East Carolina University football team (1-2, 0-1 AAC) is 25% through its 2019 schedule. Following a 42-10 loss to the United State Naval Academy (2-0, 1-0 AAC) on Saturday, the Pirates have dropped both games against FBS opponents this season, picking up their lone victory against an FCS foe in Dowdy- Ficklen Stadium. Against Navy, ECU’s offense suffered long stretches where they looked out-ofsync. As a result, the Pirates finished the first half in a 28-3 hole with just 158 total yards of offense. Sophomore quarterback Holton Ahlers completed seven of his 14 passes passes for 93 yards while senior running Hussein Howe attempted to pick-up the slack for an injured Darius Pinnix Jr. “Certainly, it is not ideal either, but that being said, you have to control what you can control,” head coach Mike Houston said via Stephen Igoe following the game. “He will be back at some point and we will see when, but in the meantime, we will get other players ready to go.” The second half didn’t go much better for the Pirates as Navy’s senior quarterback Malcolm Perry finished the game with six total touchdowns and at least 150 yards through the air and on the ground. “Congratulations to Navy. I thought they had a great plan on both sides of the ball and special teams,” Houston said via Stephen Igoe. “I thought their kids looked extremely prepared.” Houston went on to say that it’s his responsibility to get his team ready each week and that will continue to be a point “Certaintly, it is not ideal either, but that being said you have to control what you can control, „ -Mike Houston of emphasis as the Pirates move into this week. Nevertheless, the Pirates have struggled in each of their first two road games this season, failing to produce anything of substance offensively while consistently getting burnt on defense. In two contests against FBS opponents, Navy and North Carolina State University, the Pirates have gained 491 total yards on offense. The vast majority of that output has been through the air from the left shoulder of Ahlers. Across those two games, Ahlers has attempted 62 passes, completing 33 of them (53.2%) for 306 yards, two interceptions and zero touchdowns. That equates to just 153 yards per contest for Ahlers in FBS affairs, while his completion percentage is roughly 10-12 points lower than would be preferred. On the ground against top-tier opposition, the tale of the tape remains the same for the Pirates. In 58 combined rushing attempts from weeks one and three, an attack lead by Ahlers and Pinnix has racked up just 125 total yards. That is barely 60 yards per game and averages out to 2.2 yards per carry. For perspective, in just one game at home this season, the Pirates racked up 574 yards of total offense, including 365 yards on the ground. That means, in half as many contests, ECU amassed 83 more yards on their home turf, a telling sign to its struggles against FBS teams on the road. Defensively, the Pirates have been equally as lackluster. In the games against NCSU and Navy, ECU allowed 973 total yards of offense (486.5 average per game), including over 500 in the season opener inside Carter-Finley Stadium alone. Better than 500 of those 973 yards have been on the ground as Perry led the Midshipmen to 315 rushing yards and four touchdowns on Saturday. In comparison, the Pirates yielded only 39 rushing yards and 186 total yards to Gardner-Webb University during week two in Greenville. The offensive bombardment by FBS schools against ECU early this season has led to the Pirates being out-scored by 60 points in just two road games. NC State hung 34 points on the Pirates in Raleigh while the Midshipmen ran wild for 42 points this past Saturday. All told, the Pirates have allowed 76 points to FBS schools while scoring just 16 of their own. While it would be easy to hang all the short-comings on ECU’s defensive unit, some blame is in store for Ahlers and the offensive play-calling. Entering Saturday, the Pirates’ passing attack ranked 119th out of 129 FBS schools in yards per pass completion at 9.7. On Saturday, that average sat at 12.5 yards per completion against Navy’s defense. Take out a 41-yard catch-and-run by redshirt freshman wide receiver Tyler Snead, however, and that average once again drops to under 10 yards. Playing on the road is tricky, especially in two unique environments like Raleigh and Annapolis. Nevertheless, the Pirates must find ways to win games on the road against tough competition if they wish to be successful in 2019 and in the future. “There’s a lot of things we need to learn,” Houston said via Stephen Igoe. “When you have an older, experienced team that has confidence, you can go into a place like this (Navy-Marine Mike Houston Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis) and have a shot to win. That’s what it’s going to take in a tough environment. We’ve got to be able to play well in environments like this.” ECU has on its schedule additional tough games on the road against good opponents. They are slated to face the nationally ranked University of Central Florida on Oct. 19 and a solid Southern Methodist University squad in early November. “The biggest thing we’ve got to focus on is ourselves,” Houston said via Stephen Igoe. “We’ve got to focus on correcting things that need to be corrected, and we’ve got to focus every day on getting better.” The Pirates’ next game will be against the College of William and Mary (2-1, 0-0 CAA) inside Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville on Saturday with kickoff at 6 p.m. This writer can be contacted at sports@theeastcarolinian.com. Golf gets eighth in the Rod Myers Invitational Lydia Ryan Attie Giles finished two strokes TEC STAFF behind Beechler, scoring 229, After three rounds at Duke 13-over-par. In his collegiate Golf Club in Durham, North debut, freshman Chris Sperrazza Carolina, the East Carolina scored a combined score of 233, University men’s golf team 17-over-par. finished in eight place out of After Duke University lead 13 teams. the first two rounds, Wake East Carolina finished Forest University pulled ahead round one of the Rod Myers by three strokes to win the Invitational in 10th place with tournament with 842, 22-under301 strokes. They moved on to par, for a final score. Duke’s final round two of the tournament score was 845, 19-over-par. The and advanced to the eighth University of North Carolina position with a 282 stroke Greensboro senior Jonathan combined score. In the final Brightwell won the tournament round the team maintained in individual scoring. Only one their eighth place position stroke ahead of second place, and finished the tournament Brightwell had a combined with 299 strokes for the round score of 205, 11-under-par. and 882, 18-over-par, for the “We will see a lot of these tournament. same teams next week in “We struggled to get started Winston-Salem so we need to each round and starting on 10 show improvement there,” Sapp is a difficult stretch to play,” said in a press release. head coach Andrew Sapp said going forward.” place going into round three. He spots in round three, moving On Sept. 23, the Pirates will in a press release. “I’m proud of The high scorers for the scored three-over-par in round from 20th to a five way tie for travel to Winston-Salem, North how we finished our last nine Pirates were seniors Blake three causing him to fall out of thirteenth with a final score of Carolina for the Old Town Club holes today after a bad start. Taylor and Patrick Stephenson. the top-10 and finish 12th with 215, one-under-par. Sophomore Collegiate Invitational. However, we had one great Taylor consistently scored a combined score of 214, two-A.J. Beechler finished the round and too bad ones so we five-under-par in the first two under-par. tournament with 227 strokes, This writer can be contacted at need to gain more consistency rounds putting him in sixth Stephenson gained seven 11-over-par. Fellow sophomore sports@theeastcarolinian.com. COURTESY OF ECUPIRATES,COM Blake Taylor tees off at the Rod Myers Invitational, where he had one of best scores on the day for the ECU Pirates.