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April is Service Month
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Centennial Celebration |
ECU celebrated her 101st birthday on Wednesday, March 26 with a Student Birthday Party sponsored by the Alumni Association, the ECU Ambassadors, SGA, and the Student Union. More than 1,500 students, faculty, and staff celebrated this milestone. Live entertainment was provided by Florez, free food, drinks, and plenty of cupcakes were provided by ARAMARK. Students learned about ECU's history (including a "visit" by Robert Wright and Leo Jenkins!) and how this one-time teacher's school became the vibrant, multi-faceted university it is today.
On Thursday, March 27 the University held its official Founder's Day. During convocation Board of Trustees' Chair Bob Greczyn gave an engaging address on the "spirit" of East Carolina University, the theme of this year's centennial celebration. More than 100 faculty, staff, and students were inducted as charter members of the Servire Society for their commitment to volunteer service. Centennial Awards of Excellence were given to a number of faculty, staff, and university teams in the categories of Service, Leadership, Ambition, and Spirit. Following convocation a lunch was held on the mall, the Centennial Quilt was unveiled in its permanent location in J.Y. Joyner Library, and the Carol G. Belk building was re-dedicated.
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Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run |
On Saturday, April 12 at 9:00 a.m., the Alumni Association proudly presents its inaugural Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run, presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, in uptown Greenville. Open to the public, the road race and fun run support Alumni Association scholarships, which are given annually to deserving ECU undergraduate students.
The 5K race begins at Chico’s Mexican Restaurant, goes north on Reade Circle, east on 5th Street to just before Village Glen Apartments and then back to Chico’s. The 1 mile fun run begins immediately following the start of the road race.
Entry fee for the road race or 1 mile fun run is $25. Race day registration will be held from 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. All participants will receive a Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run T-shirt. Awards will be presented to the top three male and female overall finishers and the top three male and female finishers in six age categories.
Register today by completing the registration form, registering online at www.active.com, or calling the Alumni Center at 800-ECU-GRAD.
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CashCourse.org |
The East Carolina Alumni Association has partnered with the National Endowment for Financial Education’s CashCourse component to guide students and young alumni in building a prosperous and secure financial future.
The “cashcourse.org web site specifically [helps] college-age students on campuses across the country. This turnkey program allows universities to provide college students with the resources necessary to cultivate positive money management habits that will last a lifetime. Money management skills and access to personal financial planning resources are necessary for college students to build a healthy financial future.” (cashcourse.org)
Tools provided by CashCourse include financial basics, paying for college, and the world of work. Each of these features can assist current students and recent graduates with the realities of building their own financial portfolio, including managing student loans, buying a car, moving off campus, debit and credit cards, and more.
Current ECU students and young alumni can benefit from numerous financial tips and advice available on cashcourse.org.
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Chancellor to Visit Wilmington |
Join the Alumni Association for an evening with Chancellor Steve Ballard at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside on Thursday, April 3. Learn about ECU's strategic plan and the Chancellor's vision for ECU in its second century. This event is complimentary and open to all alumni and friends of the University, however registration is required. Sign up today!
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ECU Gospel Choir Reunion |
Raise your voice and your spirit during ECU’s Gospel Choir Reunion weekend, April 4-6. Join fellow Pirates to celebrate 30 years of ECU’s Gospel Choir during a weekend filled with activities, time to reminisce, and the uplifting voices of ECU’s Gospel Choir. The weekend begins Friday evening with a mix and mingle at the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center. On Saturday gospel choir alumni will rehearse in the morning and all will enjoy a dinner and awards banquet at Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church. Sunday will culminate the weekend's activities with an energetic and soulful Gospel Choir Concert in Wright Auditorium. Don't miss out on this great weekend with fellow Pirates! Register today!
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Black Alumni Chapter Meeting |
Members and prospective members of the Black Alumni Chapter are invited to attend the Black Alumni Chapter meeting on Saturday, April 5 on ECU's campus at Club Level of Dowdy Ficklen Stadium. Come early for the Alumni Association's Scholarship Luncheon at 1:00 p.m. ($10 per person). Following the luncheon, meet with fellow black alumni to discuss ideas for future events and chapter business. Support the Black Alumni Chapter by getting involved and growing our membership. The more alumni active in our chapter, the better our programs will be. Register today for the Scholarship Luncheon and the Black Alumni Chapter meeting by calling 800-ECU-GRAD.
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Real Life 101 |
Calling all recent grads! Join the Alumni Association for Real Life 101 on Wednesday, April 9 for life after college seminars on salary negotiating and resume building, buying your first home, the ins-and-outs of insurance, and planning for retirement. If you want some practical tips and advice on how to succeed in your life after college and to plan for a successful future then Real Life 101 is for you! Register now!
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Softball Reunion |
Did you play softball for ECU? Then spend Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20 at your alma mater to cheer on the Pirates as they take on the Miners of UTEP. Socialize with fellow former players and meet current ones. Enjoy a fun tailgate, hosted by the Alumni Association, at noon on Saturday. Many area hotels offer discounts to Alumni Association members. Don’t miss the fun! Visit PirateAlumni.com for details and register to attend today!
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Centennial Diversity Panel |
On Saturday, April 19 East Carolina will host a Centennial Diversity Panel to take a closer look at ECU’s diversity and how best to implement and improve diversity initiatives at the University and in the surrounding community. Guest panelists Kevin Powell, author, lecturer, and star of MTV’s The Real World: New York; Jamie Flores, poet; and Eileen Olds, the first African-American president of the American Judges Association; will share their experiences and address current challenges facing diversity in higher education. This event is open to the public and will be held in Wright Auditorium on ECU’s campus. Click here for more information.
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Upcoming Cultural Events |
The Alumni Association is proud to be a sponsor of two upcoming cultural events at ECU. On Tuesday, April 8 the S. Rudolph Alexander Performing Arts Series presents Romeo and Juliet with the St. Petersburg Ballet in Wright Auditorium. The St. Petersburg Ballet is one of the most prestigious ballet companies in Russia, and its performance of one of the greatest love stories ever told is sure to enchant the audience. Call 800-ECU-ARTS for tickets.
The final lecture in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Voyages of Discovery Lecture Series is the Thomas Harriot lecture on "Sir Walter Raleigh and the Elizabethan World of Thomas Harriot" with Professor Mark Nicholls of St. Johns College of Cambridge University. The lecture begins at 7:00 p.m. and will be held in the Science and Technology Building, room OC-307 on ECU's campus.
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Pirate Nation News |
Ken Chalk '68, '71 to retire from BB&T... [More]
UNC Board of Governors endorses plan to expand medical education in NC... [More]
McCarthy will continue to lead ECU basketball... [More]
ECU celebrates 101st birthday on the mall.. [More]
Author offers words of wisdom to students on dating... [More]
Pirate Club announces new travel partner... [More]
Composer of "Hail to Teachers' College" dies... [More]
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Event Photos |
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Upcoming Events |
April 3
Chancellor's Tour
Wilmington, NC
[More]
April 4-6
ECU Gospel Choir Reunion
Greenville
[More]
April 4-5
Relay For Life
Greenville, NC
[More]
April 5
Scholarship Luncheon
Greenville, NC
[More]
April 5
Black Alumni Chapter Meeting
Greenville, NC
[More]
April 6-13
Pirate Voyage
Eastern Caribbean
[More]
April 8
SRAPAS - Romeo and Juliet
Greenville, NC
[More]
April 9
Real Life 101 - Life After College Seminar
Greenville, NC
[More]
April 11
Harriot College Voyages of Discovery Lecture Series
Greenville NC
[More]
April 12
Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run
Greenville, NC
[More]
April 12
New York Cares Service Project
Brooklyn, NY
[More]
April 12
A Pirate's Life for Me!
Featured guest: Ralph Finch '67, author of The Adventures of Pee Dee the Pirate
[More]
April 19-20
Softball Reunion
Greenville
[More]
April 19
Meals on Wheels for Seniors Service Project
Houston, TX
[More]
April 19
Centennial Diversity Panel Discussion
Greenville, NC
[More]
April 24
United Cerebral Palsy 5K Run/Walk Service Project
Philadelphia, PA
[More]
April 26
A Pirate's Life for Me!
Featured guest: Mary Schulken '79, the associate editor of the Charlotte Observer and one of ECU’s 100 Incredible Women[More]
April 26
Gibbs Farm Museum Service Project
St. Paul, MN
[More]
April 28
Senior Candlelight Induction Ceremony
Greenville, NC
[More]
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Debra Shirley '88
Debra Shirley wrote the book Best Friend on Wheels (Albert Whitman & Company) with illustrations from fellow Pirate Judy Stead ’70.
The book tells the story of the narrator meeting the “new girl” in school, Sarah, who happens to be in a wheelchair. While the narrator is awkward around Sarah in the beginning, they soon bond over their common interests and hobbies and become friends.
Shirley is the director of after school and summer arts programming at two elementary schools in Arvada, Colorado, and teaches writing at the Arvada Center for Arts and Humanities. She writes poetry, fiction, children’s books and plays, and has poetry in The Cortland Review and the Margie Review: The American Journal of Poetry. Her short play, A Case of Good Scents, was included in the Playwright’s Festival of the Western Region.
She also is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and a member of the Colorado Poets Association.
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Mary-Helen Giles '94
Mary-Helen Giles is coordinating the Houston area alumni service project for April. Alumni will volunteer with the local Meals on Wheels program in a Food for Seniors event. Giles has volunteered with Interfaith Ministries, which sponsors the Meals on Wheels program, in the past and thought it would be a great organization to help other ECU alumni get involved.
“I truly believe that the more you give to others the better your own life will become,” Giles said.
Giles is a member of the Junior League of Houston, where she volunteers at both the Junior League Tea Room and at Texas Children's Hospital. he also assists with the Dress For Success suit drive every year and does occasional volunteer work through her work connections to help people with career advice, resume writing, and interviewing tips.
Kristen Monte '01
Kristen Monte is coordinating the Philadelphia area alumni service project for April. Monte chose the UCP Run/Walk because she has been involved with the United Cerebral Palsy organization since her time at East Carolina and she wanted to see a larger ECU Alumni presence in the Philadelphia area and the event seemed like a good way to connect the two.
“I do service work to keep my priorities in check,” Monte said. “If everyone is able to take some time, no matter how little or much they can afford, to do something positive, society at large benefits.”
Monte is also a part of a group of Philadelphia area professionals to start UCP’s Young Leadership Board, which is a board focused on event planning and fundraising for the chapter. She also volunteers with Relay for Life and projects that her company puts together through its volunteer center, ARAMARK Star Teams.
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