1

A newsletter for you, the college student who wants to learn how to do

Students
everything better, easier or cheaper

How 2
Fall 2022
studentshow2.wordpress.com

Hannah Hansley
How to improve on-air skills
By: Jarrett Watkins

Over the years, I have found that students

Both the content for this newslet-
ter and the design are created by
students enrolled in COMM 3310
Copy Editing and Design in the
School of Communication at East
Carolina University in Green-
ville, North Carolina during the
Spring and Fall semesters under
the direction of course instructor
Barbara Bullington.
We welcome suggestions for arti-
cle ideas for future issues.
For inquiries, please email bul-
lingtonb@ecu.edu
pursuing a career in broadcasting have a
tough time finding a starting point. Thank-
fully, I found college radio. College radio
can be a good first step on your career path.
While it can be difficult balancing academ-
ics and managing a weekly show, these tips
can help you improve your on-air skills and
make you the best DJ you can be.
Preparation The inside of a radio booth.
The key to being successful in any field
Photo by: Jarrett Watkins
is preparation. You would never show up
to class without a pencil or go out to din-
Additionally, deep breaths help when
ner without your wallet, so always bring a
stressed. Many current and former DJs
well-researched topic for your show. Shay
say that deep breaths are very calming
Jones, Media Advisor for WZMB at Pirate
and help clear your mind when you
Media 1, said,
don’t know what to do. Although mis-
takes will be made early on, realize that
“In a perfect world, I would have a blank
they are part of the process and eventu-
notebook and before my show, I would find
ally it won’t be your biggest worry and
something unique and see what voices need
you’ll move on with ease.
to be heard on the topic.”

Managing your nerves Time management

Broadcasting live, where there is little room
for mistakes, on a medium that reaches
many people across a wide range can be very
nerve-racking. When starting the best way to
alleviate your anxiety is to have a script writ-
ten out. The worst thing a young DJ can do
is have dead air on the show, so it is always
best to know what to say. As you develop
going on air becomes less difficult.
Demitri Suruy, production director for
WZMB, states,
The hardest part about being a DJ in
college is finding the time to prepare
for your show. Just like with any other
extracurricular activity, academics
should always come first. Be sure to
know your class schedule before you
sign up for a time slot and never over-
book yourself. If you have a difficult
class schedule, do one show a week in-
stead of multiple shows. Suruy reminds
us that, “this is just a paid hobby.”

“As I grew more comfortable on-air a script Although this is training you for a ca-
Script made to read aloud on air.
turned into an outline of points I wanted to reer in broadcasting, remember that
Photo by: Jarrett Watkins
cover.”
Continued on p.2
2
How to balance school and work
Jazhae Simpson completing an arm day workout.
Photo by: Mark Lomas
Continued from p.1
you’re in college to get a degree and have a good time.
Being on college radio is fun and may seem like the
most important thing, but a good GPA is necessary if
you want to stay on the air.
Just have fun
Jones states, “Be yourself. You are enough. You don’t
have to underdo it or overdo it. The audience will fall in
love with you no matter what.”
The key step in improving your on-air skills in college
is to have fun. School comes with enough problems and
pressure, don’t let your show become one of them. The
whole point is to develop your on-air personality, which
can include watching broadcasters on TV or listening to
them on the radio. So, don’t let anything bog you down;
just have a good time.
By: Endyia Jones
With inflation showing itself to be a growing
problem in America, it is becoming harder for
college students to earn a decent salary while
staying on top of schoolwork. It can be a hassle
trying to fit school and work into a daily rou-
tine, especially when it feels like there are not
enough hours in one day. However, there are
simple ways to maintain the energy to do both.
It is important to get a good amount of sleep.
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, college adults should be sleep-
ing for at least seven hours in a 24-hour period.
Prioritizing sleep makes for a healthier and
more efficient lifestyle. Sleep deprivation leads
to obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Generally, having a decent work schedule will
eliminate overexerting yourself.
“Working an on-campus job makes things a
lot easier for me because my class schedule is
respected,” said Jillian Graves-Mobley, safe ride
driver for ECU Transit. She said that most em-
ployees are students as well, so everyone under-
stands what comes with being in school while
employed.
Mobley is a full-time student at ECU, working
for ECU Transit when she does not have classes.
She finds that having an on-campus job reduces
a lot of stress that would come from trying to
find time to do homework, eat, and sleep if she
was to work anywhere else.
Continued on p. 3
3 Continued from p. 2
How to Balance
Mobley said, “I feel safe in my work
environment.”
“Everyone knows how important it
is to maintain physical and mental
health as well as being able to provide
for themselves financially all while
trying to maintain good grades and
perfect class attendance,” said Mob-
ley. “On-campus jobs lighten up the
load a little bit, I’m able to squeeze
homework in during my shift when
I’m not on the road.”
A healthy diet is a key factor in being
able to survive a full day of work and
classes.
“When motivation dies down, stay consistent and disciplined,” said Simpson. “Keep your end
goal as your drive and always look at the bigger picture.”
How student-athletes can recognize burn out and how to handle it
By: Matthew Altice
Student-athlete burnout is expected
in the world of sports. According to
Women’s Sports Foundation, “Pro-
fessionals describe athlete burnout
as “physical/emotional exhaustion,
sport devaluation, and reduced athletic
accomplishment.” What’s essential to
student-athletes is recognizing burn-
out and what to do when it gets to that
point.
Alexsia Rose finishing up class on Friday
ready for her weekend off.
Photo by: Matthew Altice
There are many foods that work as
energy boosters. Food acts as fuel
for the body, so it is important not
to skip meals during the day.
Snacking throughout the day is a
good way to keep your energy level
up. It is recommended that nutri-
ent-dense snacks like fresh fruits,
raw vegetables, nuts and plain
yogurt be consumed as they provide
at least 10% of daily calories when
eating at least two snacks a day, ac-
cording to The Dietary Guidelines
for Americans.
“The importance of a healthy diet is
top tier,”
Alexsia winning practice player of the week
for ECU women’s basketball.
Photo by: Alexis Holthaus
How student-athletes handle it
and recognize it
Rose stated that one way to han-
Alexsia Rose is a junior at East Carolina
dle burnout is communicating
and plays for the women’s basketball
to your trainers and coaches
team. Basketball is a sport a lot of games
what’s going on,
and traveling and not any days off. Rose
says she has rienced her fair
said Jahzae Simpson, a certified
personal fitness trainer in Green-
ville, North Carolina. He said that
working out on top of a healthy
diet helps to build strength and
endurance, which is vital to get
you through a busy school and
workday. “If you maintain a
healthy diet, you will feel better
internally and externally,” he said.
It is easy to lose motivation when
having to balance work and
college at the same time. Practice
keeping positive company to help
your spirits remain high, elimi-
nating negative energy that could
bring you down.
share of burnout from athletics.
“Yes, I have experienced a
burnout as an athlete; being an
athlete on top of being an A/B
plus student can be very tiring.”
Rose also said, “I have a ton on
my plate that I cannot complain
about because it’s my job.”
Rose recognized she was getting
burned out when she started
getting massive headaches and
exhaustion.
Rose said, “I had no energy to
do anything; sports, weights, or
even attend class or homework.”
Continued on p.4
 4 Continued from p.3

“I eventually communicated to our staff we needed some days off to get back
into our normal selves mentally.”

Rose said, “Start to notice it sooner so you can still somewhat be yourself,
but also find ways to have self-care with a busy schedule.”

Joseph Samson is a junior Tight End on the East Carolina football team and
is also on the Student-Athletes Advisory Committee at East Carolina. Sam-
son has a busy schedule with football, a sport with only one day off a week.

Takoby Cofield interacting with ECU Center Avery
Jones during practice.
Photo by: Matthew Altice
“Yes, I have experienced what you call
a burnout so bad that a thing I loved
became mundane and trivial.” Samson
also said,
“What contributes to the burnout
when you’re lifting three days a
week, practicing all week, and you
have to balance schoolwork and a
social life it becomes a job, football
is 12 Saturdays out of the year plus
spring and fall camp; it tests you
mentally and physically.”
When burnout comes around,
Samson says a few things start hap-
pening within him. Samson states,
“Tasks become annoying, people
become aggravating.” Samson says
he handles his burnout by doing a
routine tasks.
ECU Football Player Joe Samson working on
school work to take mind off football.
Photo by: Matthew Altice
“I make my bed, do chores, keep
my mind off what is causing me to
be burned out.” Samson also says
he finds distractions and different
releases during burnout. Samson’s
advice is,
“it’s ok not to be ok. “There’s gonna
be frequent times in your life and ca-
reer where your gonna want to stop.”
Samson also says to stay distracted
from what is causing the root issue of
burnout and stay positive.
or three years, but it’s all about get-

How a coach handles it and recognizes it ting back ready mentally

Coaches are a vital part of an athlete’s
life; they help develop them as peo-
ple and as players. They spend every
day with these student-athletes. But
even coaches have experienced it. Ta-
koby Cofield played football at Duke
and also played in the NFL. Cofield
is currently a grad assistant coach for
East Carolina football. Cofield said at
all levels; he experienced burnout. In
college, he experienced it the most.
Cofield said, “mostly, the burnout
took place during the season, mid-
way thru.”
Cofield replied when asked how he
handled it,
“I typically would try to find time to
and physically; others have been
get away from everyone and get off in your shoes. You’re not alone; we
campus to kind of reset my mind and all need an excellent slowdown and
relax.” break from life.
As a coach, he notices his athletes
going through it and tries his best
to help them. Cofield stated, “All
the time, I attempt to see If I can get
them to admit it first, then try to give
them advice on how to handle it.”
Cofield says the best way to handle
burnout is “identifying and admit-
ting the issue.” Cofield also says,
“Take a day, get away from school
and athletics, hang with friends, go
out of town, do what
resets your mind.” Infographic showing how stressed students are.
Figure above: College is Stressful Infographic.
For student-athletes, it’s a long four shorturl.at/bhjKY