1on1 With Jon Evans

The coronavirus pandemic could cost the North Carolina Community College System $2 billion. Future enrollment numbers are an unknown. Students are struggling financially and need assistance. Online learning must be improved, especially in rural areas. NCCCS President Peter Hans says schools are meeting these challenges and will be ready to offer educational opportunities when campuses are allowed to re-open.

Sanah Sayani had to close her spa business in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. But once the former television news reporter learned about the vital need for personal protection equipment in the fight against COVID-19, her space became headquarters for an all-volunteer effort to get free facemasks to anyone in need. So far, Tucker Makes Masks is at seven thousand, and counting.

You’ve watched them on WECT News for years. Frances Weller and Ashlea Kosikowski continue to deliver vital information to viewers during the coronavirus pandemic, but they are not broadcasting live from the television studio. These award-winning journalists are anchoring newscasts remotely from their homes, practicing social distancing to stay safe. While it may be convenient, both news anchors say it’s not as easy as you might think.  

They’ve covered hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters. But the deadly coronavirus pandemic is a different story for journalists. They are living the same reality as their audience, feeling the same emotions, while at the same time searching for and disseminating critical information that can help save lives. This week, three award-winning television news reporters share their experiences of covering COVID-19.

What’s it like steering a university community through the challenges of the current coronavirus outbreak? UNCW Chancellor Dr. Jose Sartarelli provides an update on the accelerated transition to all-online learning, shares his advice for college seniors preparing to launch their careers in a turbulent economy, talks about possible options for commencement exercises, while also taking extra precautions as someone in the high-risk category for contracting the virus.     

As the new coronavirus COVID-19 impacts more lives across North Carolina and the United States, rumors about the virus continue to create confusion and uncertainty. Two public health experts answer your questions, looking to separate fact from fiction.

Glenn Tilbrook met Chris Difford in 1973, after answering an ad for a guitar player in London. That meeting set the foundation for the pop band Squeeze, which rose to stardom in the 70s & 80s with songs like Cool for Cats, Tempted and Hour Glass. After more than a dozen albums, several breakups and different solo projects, Glenn talks about going back out on a U.S. tour with Chris and Squeeze nearly 50 years after they first got together. 

She is one of the few people known around the world by her first name. Vanna White left her family’s home along the Carolina coast four decades ago, aiming to become a TV star. It didn’t happen overnight. Now, after 37 years and more than 7,000 episodes as co-host of Wheel of Fortune, this 'normal, down home southern girl' talks about her road to success.

Reggie Shuford has spent most of his adult life fighting for civil rights. Growing up in Wilmington’s Creekwood community, the third of five children raised by a single mom on public assistance, Reggie says he lived and observed many of the same dynamics he has fought against in court. Now the Executive Director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania talks about those experiences and the people who shaped his life.   

The third season of our podcast featured interviews with a network news anchor, an Olympic head coach, Captain America's stuntman, a World Cup soccer goalie, a Pearl Harbor survivor and other interesting people who have ties to the Wilmington, NC area. Here is a look back at 2019, featuring parts of several episodes with guests you may recognize.

Leslie ‘Bud’ Hollenbeck was just 19 years old when fate put him on the U.S.S. Pennsylvania on the morning of December 7, 1941. As the Navy Signalman raised a flag on the battleship just before 8:00am, he spotted a group of planes approaching the harbor. Seconds later, the world changed. Now at age 97, Hollenbeck tells the story of how he survived the attack, the destruction he witnessed, and the bomb that came within feet of taking out his entire ship.

It’s the image many people remember from Hurricane Florence. A group of Wilmington firefighters gathered along the street in prayer after working for hours to rescue a man trapped inside his home by a fallen tree. The emotion and exhaustion evident on their faces, realizing they could not save the man’s wife and infant son. More than a year later, several of those men share their memories of that day, and the emotions they’ve carried ever since.

It was a $20 bet with his cousin that first got Basile Katsikis on stage to tell jokes. Since that night in 1986, ‘Basile the Comedian’ has entertained audiences around the world with his unique brand of humor, often sharing stories of growing up as the son of Greek immigrants. Since being a comedian, entrepreneur, voiceover actor and podcast host is not enough, Basile has set his sights on television, creating a new series based on his life experiences.

It’s the Christmas break that nearly changed Lacey Suggs’ life. After a stellar basketball career at East Bladen HS, her freshman year at UNC Wilmington brought the opposite result. More bench time, less playing time. In December 2016, Lacey thought about giving up basketball. But something told her to stick with it. Now she enters her senior year as a co-captain, and one of the key players as the Lady Seahawks chase a conference championship.  

When the X Games launched BMX Freestyle to new heights, Ryan Nyquist soared as one of its’ young stars. Now more than 20 years later, Nyquist is still front and center as the sport prepares to make another jump in the 2020 Summer Olympics. The three-time world champion is the Head Coach of the U.S. Olympic Team, helping the country’s best athletes go for the gold on the world’s biggest stage.

If you’ve watched the Avengers’ Infinity War and Endgame movies, you’ve seen Daniel Hargrave in action. You’ve also seen him in Atomic Blonde, Hunger Games and in dozens of other films and television shows. You just didn’t know it. The UNC Wilmington grad has become one of the sought-after stunt performers in the business. Here is the story of how it almost didn’t happen.

Sydney Schneider said ‘no’ the first time she got the call. But when she received a second invitation to join the Jamaican women’s national soccer team known as the ‘Reggae Girlz’, Sydney accepted. Years later that decision, along with her talent and hard work, helped Sydney become part of soccer history on the world’s biggest stage: the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

Some communities have recovered from the devastation of Hurricane Florence. For others, the recovery may never end. Working Narratives, a non-profit group from Wilmington, received grant funding to ensure stories are told during the healing process, and the flow of vital information reaches the often forgotten areas in rural North Carolina.  

For two years, Suzanne McCormick knew what it’s like to be ‘different’. The Peace Corps assignment taught lessons she never learned in school about humility and service to those in need.  The New Hanover High and Duke University grad has turned that passion into a career of service, leading to her new position as U.S. President for United Way Worldwide.

He walked off the plane in 1993 as a 17-year-old who did not know anyone and did not understand English. Five years after arriving in the United States from Senegal, Boubacar Aw had graduated college with honors and set off on a pro basketball career. Now two decades later, Boubacar is the teacher and the coach, giving back what he received to help today’s students achieve the same success on and off the court.