Join the club: ECU Club Baseball gives students chance to compete beyond high school

More than 40 million children play organized sports today, and fewer than 5 percent who graduate from high school will be good enough to play a varsity college sport.

No major revelation there. Some kids are college athlete material and some aren’t. But that doesn’t mean their love of the game dissolves at the end of high school.

Anyone out there who has loved sport is aware of the disheartening odds of making it to the college level. But college students have the opportunity to continue playing the game they love through club sports such as ECU’s club baseball program.

NCAA universities to meet at ECU to improve sports risk management

East Carolina University in conjunction with the ECU Police Department, will host a Sports Event Risk Management Training Workshop June 24-25 on the ECU campus in Harvey Hall. The workshop is funded and conducted by the University of Southern Mississippi Center for Spectator Sports Security Management, and is open to specific NCAA institutions.

The workshop targets five distinct authoritative groups of any NCAA university: police, athletic department, emergency management, fire/hazmat, and emergency medical/health services. The two-day training session educates each “action team” on various aspects of planning and risk assessment for sports events with expectations to implement these principles accordingly.

Event risk management delivery plans were designed particularly for NCAA I, II and III divisions to provide a standard foundation for security practices at all intercollegiate sporting events. Training sessions will cover several critical aspects of risk analysis. Action teams will develop awareness of terrorism, support regional and state prevention activities of potential hazards to sports events, conduct disaster exercises and develop guidelines for physical protection infrastructure.

The Center for Spectator Sports Security Management will hold 80 two-day training sessions and train an estimated 5,370 key personnel throughout the United States. Institutions invited to attend the training session at ECU are High Point University, the University of North Carolina Asheville, the University of North Carolina Wilmington, North Carolina A&T State University, South Carolina State University, the University of South Carolina, Appalachian State University, College of Charleston, The Citadel, Davidson College and Duke University.

Using social media: Step No. 2: Get your blog on

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Did you know there are positive educational benefits to blogging? Some universities are utilizing blogs as a means to enhance educational outcomes. Blogs are being used as a competitive way to improve students’ writing skills and connections to each other by using a medium with which they are familiar. The students want their blogs to be the most popular and get the most responses. How can your department utilize blogs to enhance communication with your students?

Check out Pace University’s cutting edge Student Life blogs where students can read about other students’experiences — in their own words. They can also get advice from current students, learn about different activities and organizations, and hear about life beyond campus. Pace even goes as far as to say, “And remember, these are the thoughts and opinions of students – not the University’s.”

NEXT: DELIVERING YOUR MESSAGE

Using social media: Step 1: Weave a sticky Web to lure students in

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Do you ever wonder, “Why aren’t the students coming in to get our brochures or guidebooks?”

“Why are they STILL saying they don’t know where we are located or what we do?” or

“Why can’t we get them to come to this new program?!”

Marshall McLuhan, the media theorist, had it right when he said, “the message is in the medium.”

Today, it’s all about having an online presence. You must weave your messages on “the Web” — the current medium of choice for information-seeking students.

New online tool helps faculty, staff assist students who are in crisis

East Carolina University’s Office of Victim Services is offering all faculty and staff a new way of signing up for a variety of crisis management presentations.

The office has created an online presentation request form that faculty and staff can access on via the victim services Web site. The form is being implemented as a new protocol for presentation requests. It will also provide faculty and staff with a detailed listing of their services.

The Office of Victim Services offers presentations centered on sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking/harassment and victim advocacy. With a focus on prevention and awareness these presentations provide students with important safety precautions they can take to reduce the risk of being a victim.

Higher ed can use social networks to get students’ attention: Here’s how

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“Text her.”

“Tweet us.”

“Post it, tag him.”

“Podcast your video.”

“Upload the slideshow.”

“Respond to our blog, and don’t forget to tell us what you think!”

These are all phrases we should be using. Colleges and universities across the country have been hit with the reality that social media has gone mainstream.

According to research released May 20th by Knowledge Networks, social media has reached critical mass, with 83% of the Internet population now using it — and more than half doing so on a regular basis.

How will this technology trend affect higher education?

Police department staff members reach education goals

Adelope A. Oduye of the East Carolina Police Department recently completed his M.B.A.

Three members of the East Carolina Police Department are marking educational milestones.

Accreditation manager Annette Parker will graduate June 6th at 9 a.m. from Bellevue University in Bellevue, Nebraska.  She will receive a Master of Science degree in security management through an accelerated program she completed in approximately 16 months. 

In addition, Sgt. George Moore recently completed his master’s in accounting, and Master Patrol Officer Adelope Oduye recently finished class work to complete a master’s in business administration from Kaplan University and additionally was selected to chief warrant officer grade in the United States Coast Guard.

Passion for helping others: ECU student helps youth ‘discover their purpose’

Eighteen-year-old Ariel Lopez isn’t waiting three more years to pursue her passion for politics and philanthropy. She’s already claimed the East Carolina University SGA freshman class presidency in 2008, and this year she’ll be busy spearheading the launch of a local non-profit organization.

Ariel Lopez, SGA freshman class president, has created a foundation to help Greenville youth develop leadership skills.

This communication major is the driving force behind an up-and-coming non-profit organization.  The Escape Foundation, a non-profit organization created by Lopez, is designed to let middle and high school students receive professional development training and tutoring from ECU faculty and staff volunteers through intervention in their home environments in Greenville.

Healthy Pirates participants earn spring honors

East Carolina University’s Healthy Pirates (Peers Influencing Responsible Actions Throughout Everday Situations) group was recognized as Gold Level participants in the American Cancer Society’s 2009 Relay for Life for raising $1,328.34. The total more than doubled last year’s $550.

Kirstin Yokel, Healthy Pirates president was named Outstanding Student Leader.

Healthy Pirates, front row, from left: Kaela Jennings, Maddie Miller, Jessica Allen, Kirstin Yokel, Logan Schertzinger. Back row: Travis Thayer, Brandon Rasberry, Brooke Taylor, Jason Ross, Georgia Childs, Catherine Parker, Tywanna Purkett, Frances Aulisio, Brittany Renn.

At the Relay for Life event, Healthy Pirate member Brooke Taylor places her hand print on a sign made by the Healthy Pirates to signify having been touched by cancer.

Croatan demolition sparks Campus Dining changes

The long-awaited and much-talked-about Croatan demolition and reconstruction is first on the list of major changes taking place at East Carolina University Campus Dining locations.

The Croatan will be demolished in May and reconstructed, reopening in January 2011. The new operation will house two very popular brands, Chili’s Too and a full-service Chick-fil-a.

The Croatan is currently home to Chick-fil-a Express. Chick-fil-a will relocate its Express location over the summer to Destination 360 at Mendenhall Student Center. Chick-fil-a Express will be joining Bleeker Street, Pirate Grill and Bene’ Pizzeria at Destination 360.