EC Alumni - Summer 2012

Celebrating 100 Years of Alumni Excellence The Alumni Association Centennial: 1912-2012

Going for Gold...

Again!

As you watch the Olympics this summer, be on the lookout for former Pirate LaShawn Merritt who will once again compete for Olympic gold this summer in London.

Merritt won gold in the 400m and 4x400m in Beijing in 2008.

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FEATURES

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10 boom! bam! kapow!

A childhood love of comic books has turned into a successful career for Jeff Parker ’89.

14 maestro! let us have music! Music is the heart and soul of Ben Keaton ’57, ’61 and he has spent years sharing his passion with North Carolinians.

16 100 years of alumni excellence

2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the East Carolina Alumni Association. Take a walk down memory lane in this historical look back.

22 designing woman

Finding beauty in everything, designer Hilary White ’04 adds flair to interior design.

DEPARTMENTS ON THE COVER Members of the first class and faculty pictured in front of Old Austin in 1909. The students who went on to graduate in 1911 helped create the Alumni Association in 1912.

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dear pirate nation pirate connections legislative matters advancement update career corner around campus a look back

EC Alumni, the magazine of the East Carolina Alumni Association, takes a closer look at the accomplishments of our alumni, bringing you engaging feature articles highlighting their success. EC Alumni also features news from around campus, updates from University Advancement, career advice, how alumni and friends can support ECU’s legislative initiatives, and a look back at the University’s treasured history.

DEAR PIRATE NATION Your Alumni Association is always looking for ways to improve and add value to all of our programs. Over the past six months, we have looked at our membership program for opportunities to increase the benefits to our members. For those of you that have answered the call to become members of the Alumni Association, thank you for your loyal support. If you are not a member, then I invite you to join to support our great University and take advantage of these great member-only benefits.

Beginning July 1, the Alumni Association will offer enhanced member-exclusive benefits to its members, increasing the value of membership. As the heart of the organization, alumni of East Carolina deserve the best from their Alumni Association. These enhanced benefits demonstrate the Association’s commitment to inform, involve, and serve members of the ECU family, while providing members with exceptional value for their investment in the Association. The membership enhancements include: Receive all four issues of EC Alumni magazine in their mailbox, inbox, and online. Non-members will have access to the fall issue.

Exclusive access to the Association’s online alumni directory at PirateAlumni.com.

A complete version of the monthly e-newsletter ECUpdate. Non-members will receive a condensed version.

The mission of the East Carolina Alumni Association is to inform, involve, and serve members of the ECU family throughout their lifelong relationship with the University.

Paul J. Clifford PRESIDENT AND CEO

Emily Adkins ’08 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI PROGRAMS

Monique Best ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN

Stephanie Bunn ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI PROGRAMS

Linda Cataldo ’80 ALUMNI CENTER COORDINATOR

Candi High ’97 ACCOUNTANT

Tanya Kern ’02 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI PROGRAMS

Increased discounts on most alumni events.

Doug Smith ’00, ’07

Participation in Pirate Career Casts free of charge. The cost will be $10.00 for non-members.

Take advantage of all the Alumni Association has to offer by becoming a member today! Memberships are tax-deductible and support the programs and services provided by the Association.

Join online at PirateAlumni.com/jointoday or by calling 800-ECU-GRAD. Thank you for your support!

VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING

Jennifer Watson ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI COMMUNICATIONS

Chris Williams ’01 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI MEMBERSHIP

GO PIRATES!!!

ALUMNI

Paul J. Clifford President & CEO

VOL. 5, NO. 3

EC Alumni (ISSN: 2152-3886) is published quarterly by the East Carolina Alumni Association. The Alumni Association is a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and Council of Alumni Association Executives (CAAE) and is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that operates interdependently with East Carolina University. The views expressed in EC Alumni magazine do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the Alumni Association or the University. Reproduction of EC Alumni in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

Let’s Be Social!

©2012 East Carolina Alumni Association Read EC Alumni online at: PirateAlumni.com/ECAlumni ISSN: 2152-5668

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piratealumni.com/linkedin

Send change of address to: East Carolina Alumni Association Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center 901 East Fifth Street Greenville, NC 27858

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twitter.com/piratealumni Use the hashtag #piratealumni 2 EC ALUMNI SUMMER 2012

To contact us or comment on this magazine: 252-328-6072 | 800-ECU-GRAD alumni@PirateAlumni.com

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EC Alumni is paid for with non-state funds.

Welcome the Class of 2016 at a Summer Outing

Five graduates receive Robert H. Wright Leadership Award The Robert H. Wright Alumni Leadership Award is the most prestigious award given to graduating seniors, recognizing academic achievement, service, and leadership qualities. This year’s recipients exemplify those special characteristics that cause them to be recognized as those who will make a difference in their respective professions and communities. The 2012 Robert H. Wright Alumni Leadership Award Recipients are (pictured left to right): Benjamin Joel Aydelette, a psychology major and biology minor with a premedical concentration from Greensboro, NC Megan Christine Campbell, a double major in biochemistry and chemistry from Fayetteville, NC Courtney Blake Evans, a nursing major from Greenville, NC Brooke Tierra Leigh, a chemistry major and member of Air Force ROTC from Washington, NC

PIRATE CONNECTIONS

Calling all social Pirates! “Send” incoming ECU freshmen on their way and wish them well at a summer outing near you! These events are held in local parks, popular restaurants, or alumni homes. These are great opportunities for alumni to make a connection with new undergrad Pirates and their families, and share about their ECU experience. See the listing of upcoming events on page 5 for dates and locations of this year’s Freshmen Sendoffs.

Freshmen Sendoffs are free for incoming freshmen and children 10 and under, and a nominal fee per person for other attendees, which include food and beverages. For more details and to register, visit PirateAlumni.com/freshmensendoffs or call the Alumni Association at 800-ECU-GRAD.

Justin Mark Salisbury, a mathematics major and economics minor from Willington, CT To read more about these accomplished students and their future plans, visit PirateAlumni.com/wrightaward.

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PIRATE CONNECTIONS Alumni Tailgate season just ahead Football season is not too far away and that means it’s time to get ready to tailgate! Join the Alumni Association’s family-friendly Alumni Tailgate for great food, Pirate beverages, entertainment, children’s activities, and terrific ECU door prizes. Alumni Tailgate is $10.00 per person for Alumni Association members and $25.00 for non-members. Children 12 and under are free of charge. Alumni Tailgate begins twoand-a-half hours prior to kickoff and will be at a new location this year—along the soccer concourse, behind Clark-LeClair Stadium.

Tickets go on sale to Alumni Association members on July 10. If tickets are still available, non-members can purchase tickets begninning August 1. If you are not a member of the Alumni Association, join today to take advantage of member pricing for this season.

Visit PirateAlumni.com/jointoday or call the Alumni Association at 800-ECU-GRAD. (See the listing of upcoming events on page 5 for dates of this year’s Alumni Tailgates.)

Presented by Dowdy Student Stores, the Alumni Tailgate season sponsors include: Coca-Cola Bottling Corp., Liberty Mutual, Mutual Distributing, Occasions Party and Tent Rentals, RA Jeffreys Distributing, and WITN. Join the Alumni Association and the Pirate Club when the football team goes on the road against South Carolina in Columbia on Saturday, September 8. This away game tailgate is $25.00 per person and includes great food, Pirate beverages, and fun door prizes. Children 12 and under are free.

Viewing Parties for Pirates far from home

VIEWING PARTIES

Can’t make it home to Greenville for the big game? Then this fall, join fellow alumni and Pirate fans, decked out in your purple and gold to watch the Gridiron Pirates at your local watering hole.

When the Pirates’ games are televised, enthusiastic fans love to gather to cheer the team to victory. Watch for details about viewing parties in your area through e-mail and on regional Facebook pages. If you are interested in planning a viewing party in your area, contact Director of Alumni Programs Tanya L. Kern ’02 at Tanya.Kern@PirateAlumni.com.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Carl Davis ’73, Chair

Diane Davis Ashe ’83, ’85

Marian McLawhorn ’67, ’88, ’97

Celebration, FL

Grifton, NC

William Burnette ’96

Michael McShane ’66

Virginia Beach, VA

Alexandria, VA

Justin Conrad ’96

Doug Morgan ’88

Greensboro, NC

South Riding, VA

Tarrick Cox ’96, ’07

Steve Morrisette ’69

Greenville, NC

Richmond, VA

Neal Crawford ’85

Angela Moss ’97, ’98

Richmond, VA

Raleigh, NC

Raleigh, NC

Ralph Finch ’67

Joanie Tolley ’65

Midlothian, VA

Charlotte, NC

Dave Fussell Jr. ’90

Elon, NC

Jason Tomasula ’00, ’03, ’10

Rose Hill, NC

Raleigh, NC

Robin Good ’80

Charlotte, NC

Linda Lynn Tripp ’80, ’81

Houston, TX

Derwood, MD

Melanie Holden ’79

Greenville, NC

Raleigh, NC

EMERITUS MEMBERS:

Winston-Salem, NC

Wesley Johnson ’85

Virgil Clark ’50

Powder Springs, GA

Greenville, NC

Pat Lane ’67

Greenville, NC

Dave Englert ’75

Chocowinity, NC

Norfolk, VA

Adrian Cullin ’03, ’04, Vice Chair Jim Newman Jr. ’68, ’74, Treasurer Glenda Palmer-Moultrie ’79, Secretary Ernest Logemann ’68, Past Chair Paul J. Clifford, President and CEO

Charlie Martin Jr. ’68

Greenville, NC 4 EC ALUMNI SUMMER 2012

PIRATE CONNECTIONS Opportunities to support Alumni Scholarships

Upcoming Events

There are many ways you can support the Alumni Association’s scholarship program.

Thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends, as well as regional businesses, the Alumni Association has awarded more than 156 scholarships over the past eight years.

Here are a few ways you can support the scholarship program:

Save the dates for upcoming events throughout the Pirate Nation.

Want to promote your business or special talent? Then consider donating a unique item or service to the Pirate’s Bounty Scholarship Auction, held Thursday, September 27 at the Hilton Greenville. This is a perfect way to showcase your product and be philanthropic at the same time! Make a donation valued at $100 or more and receive two complimentary auction tickets and a listing in the program.

Spend the day on the links with fellow Pirates on Friday, September 28 at the ECU Alumni Scholarship Classic golf tournament at Ironwood Golf and Country Club. Gather a team of four and play for student scholarships.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the auction and golf tournament. Get your business name in front of ECU alumni and friends.

These scholarship events take place the Thursday and Friday before ECU’s game against UTEP. Come to Greenville early to participate in a fun weekend and make a difference in the lives of current students! Contact Tanya L. Kern at 800-ECU-GRAD or Tanya.Kern@PirateAlumni.com by July 31 to donate to the auction, play in the golf tournament, or become a sponsor.

Pirate Voyages

Cruise the Eastern Mediterranean from Athens Join us for a spectacular journey to the exceptional archaeological sites and landscapes found throughout the Greek islands and Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. Our exploration of the ancient world begins with two nights in Athens.

We’ll then embark on a 12-night cruise to some of the most enchanting Mediterranean sites.

This cruise is a journey for those who are curious and excited to learn about classical civilizations, all the while enjoying breathtaking scenery and the delicious food and wine of the Mediterranean. This cruise sets sail on October 15 and returns to port on October 30.

Pirate Voyages provide opportunities for alumni to cultivate their passion for learning through travel. The Alumni Association has partnered with AHI Travel and Go Next to offer you these special opportunities to travel the world with fellow Pirates at affordable rates. Visit PirateAlumni.com/piratevoyages for specific trip information or call 800-842-9023 and ask about the East Carolina Alumni Association Islands of Antiquity trip.

June 22 Freshmen Sendoff: Morehead City June 23 Freshmen Sendoff: Nags Head

June 24 Freshmen Sendoff: Norfolk, VA June 30 Freshmen Sendoff: Fayetteville July 1 Freshmen Sendoff: Raleigh

July 10 Tailgate Registration Opens for Members July 12 Freshmen Sendoff: Clemmons July 12 Freshmen Sendoff: Greenville July 13 Freshmen Sendoff: Charlotte

July 14 Freshmen Sendoff: Gaithersburg, MD July 15 Freshmen Sendoff: Arlington, VA July 19 Freshmen Sendoff: Clayton

July 21 Freshmen Sendoff: Wilmington

July 22 Alumni Brunch in Burlington, VT July 26 Freshmen Sendoff: Midlothian, VA July 28 Freshmen Sendoff: New York, NY

July 29 Freshmen Sendoff: Cherry Hill, NJ August 1 Tailgate Registration Opens for Non-Members

September 1 Alumni Tailgate: Appalachian State September 8 Away Game Tailgate at South Carolina

September 27 Pirate’s Bounty Scholarship Auction September 28 ECU Alumni Scholarship Classic golf tournament September 29 Alumni Tailgate: UTEP October 8-13 Homecoming

October 13 Alumni Tailgate: Memphis October 27 Alumni Tailgate: Navy

November 3 Alumni Tailgate: Houston

November 23 Alumni Tailgate: Marshall

For complete details and registration information visit PirateAlumni.com/upcomingevents.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 5

LEGISLATIVE MATTERS

UNC System Priorities for 2012-2013 The North Carolina General Assembly convened the 2012 legislative short session in May with a revised financial forecast that projected $232.5 million in additional revenue for the state. This slight shift in the state budget environment gives some hope to public higher education institutions in North Carolina that have faced four consecutive years of devastating budget reductions. The University of North Carolina (UNC) system and East Carolina University are currently advocating for key budget priorities during the ongoing legislative session.

For fiscal year 2012–2013, the UNC Board of Governors has proposed a focused and prioritized legislative agenda.

As a result of budget challenges that will likely linger as the state’s economic picture slowly improves, leaders within public higher education in North Carolina have developed an agenda that ensures efficient campus operations and an increased focus on performance measures that will support student success. While continuing to recognize the remaining fiscal constraints, the system is committed to working closely with members of the legislature and other state leaders to support the following general priorities: Enrollment/Performance and Need-Based Financial Aid

UNC system institutions continue to grow to support the educational needs of the state; therefore, additional funding is required to support enrollment growth and reward performance within the system.

Addition funding for this priority will help maintain North Carolina’s economic future by providing state citizens with affordable access to quality education.

Restoration of Additional Management Flexibility Reductions

The UNC system has absorbed budget reductions and reversions totaling $1.2 billion over the last four years. Restoring the addition flexibility cuts planned for implementation in fiscal year 2012-2013 is a key need for public higher education in North Carolina.

Operating Support for Facilities

New facilities coming online in fall 6 EC ALUMNI SUMMER 2012

2012, such as the ECU School of Dental Medicine, require significant operating and programmatic support. The UNC budget priorities include a multi-million dollar request to the legislature for support of this critical need.

Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Retention

In an increasingly competitive economic environment, the University is hopeful that elected officials will modify existing sections of state law to allow institutions to fairly and competitively compensate our faculty and staff using existing resources.

While the UNC system and ECU will continue to effectively manage our fair share of the economic burden, we will also continue to serve as an economic engine for the state. ECU has 27,000 students, 5,300 employees, and is the secondlargest employer in Pitt County. These contributions translate into immediate economic impacts in a variety of core areas. Based on a recent economic impact study, ECU contributes more than $1.8 billion to the region’s economy, which is divided almost equally among university spending, employee spending, and student spending. Statewide, ECU’s economic impact is approximately $3.3 billion, which ultimately results from state appropriations of about $250 million, a return of $13 for every $1 of state investment.

As alumni of East Carolina University, it is important for you to encourage your local elected officials to maintain a strong commitment to the University system.

We encourage you to thank them for their efforts in the past and for what they will do to support us in the future. Please find contact information for your state representative at www.ncleg.net.

Ending a full year ahead of schedule, East Carolina University’s Second Century Campaign closed December 31, 2011, after raising nearly $220 million, 110 percent of its original goal. Through its support of programs, scholarships, professorships, research and outreach, and facility support, the Second Century Campaign has touched nearly every aspect of East Carolina University, making a tangible difference today and tomorrow.

That difference can be seen across campus.

• Approximately 300 scholarships and 23 professorships were created • ECU’s endowment grew from $69.74 million in 2005 to $128.6 million in 2011 • The number of alumni donors rose from nearly 8,000 in 2005 to 11,782 in 2011 • The Family Medicine Center was completed • The School of Dental Medicine welcomed its first class and broke ground on its building, Ledyard E. Ross Hall • World-class Olympic sports facilities have brought new resources to bear for ECU Athletics • Colleges, schools, and programs have even more resources for instruction and research • Students are volunteering and serving their communities even more than ever • East Carolina’s economic impact on eastern North Carolina has risen to approximately $3 billion annually But the Second Century Campaign is not the end. Instead, it is the beginning of even better things to come for East Carolina University.

Contribute online to East Carolina University by visiting www.giving.ecu.edu or by calling 252-328-9550.

Above: Students received bags of purple and gold popcorn to celebrate the success of the campaign. Right: Visit youtube.com/ecu to watch the Second Century Campaign “Thank You” video.

ADVANCEMENT UPDATE

A Few Facts about the Successful Second Century Campaign

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 7

ADVANCEMENT UPDATE

2nd Annual Inside ECU with the Women’s Roundtable The Women’s Roundtable held the 2nd Annual Inside ECU with the Women’s Roundtable April 20-21. On Friday, participants attended a presentation by students in the Honors College, learned about the STEMM Girls program in the College of Technology and Computer Science, and went on a treasure hunt in the College of Education. Student Ambassadors led the group on a tour of campus and they had time to visit the campus bookstore and have refreshments. Friday evening, a dinner was held where three voice faculty members in the School of Music treated everyone to a concert. Saturday morning began with breakfast at the Chancellor’s residence and then one group toured the new athletic facilities including the teams building, softball and soccer stadiums, and track, while the other group visited the

Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation Laboratory. Everyone came back together for two presentations by faculty in the College of Health and Human Performance and lunch and a presentation by the College of Business. It was a wonderful two days and one participant wrote on her evaluation form, “I thought, wow, that’s what is going on at ECU—I am amazed and very proud!”

The Women’s Roundtable is proud to report that $75,000 has been given to the Access Scholarship Program since 2009 and 240 women and men are members of the Roundtable with 20 of these being Lifetime members. All are encouraged to visit the Women’s Roundtable website www.ecu.edu/womensroundtable and Facebook page to learn more about the Roundtable.

At left (both), participants enjoy breakfast in the Chancellor’s Residence.

Above, participants get an inside look at DowdyFicklen Stadium. At right, attendees had an opportunity to visit the Queen Anne’s Revenge Shipwreck Project to see artifacts from Blackbeard’s ship.

ABOUT THE WOMEN’S ROUNDTABLE AT EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY Founded in 2003, the Women’s Roundtable acknowledges the contribution of women to East Carolina University’s legacy and encourages new levels of commitment by women to the University’s future.

Through its network of nearly 75,000 women graduates in all walks of life, East Carolina has a tremendous impact on communities across the region, state, and beyond. The Women’s Roundtable is a unifying organization that seeks to elevate and encourage leadership and philanthropy by women. The Women’s Roundtable is creating a culture of giving at ECU by focusing its efforts on raising funds for ECU’s Access Scholarship program; building a strong volunteer base of women committed to advancing the University; and forming a deeper pool of women to be considered for other leadership roles at ECU. In addition, members of the Women’s Roundtable have an opportunity to network with a diverse group of intelligent, influential, and resourceful women. These women demonstrate the leadership that distinguishes ECU and personifies the role that women can play in shaping the future.

There are several levels of affiliation with the Women’s Roundtable from the $25 Young Alumnae membership to the $1,500 Lifetime membership. Please visit www.ecu.edu/womensroundtable today to learn more about the Women’s Roundtable and to join! Or contact Marcy Romary, senior major gifts officer and director of women’s philanthropy, at 252-328-9580 or romarym@ecu.edu for further information.

Visit the Women’s Roundtable on Facebook, too!

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ADVANCEMENT UPDATE

Michael Kowalczyk ’09, ’10 Makes a Real Difference in the Lives of Students Michael Kowalczyk makes no bones about it. He came to East Carolina University to party. But once he got to campus, he realized East Carolina offered much, much more than its former reputation.

“It turns out when I got there I didn’t end up partying as much as I thought I would,” Kowalczyk said. “I stuck to the books and went on to almost get straight A’s in the College of Business and get my MBA from the college as well. I realized I could be really successful if I worked hard.

I was still social and was able to be a part of different organizations and groups, and meet a lot of people and make a lot of friends, but I wanted to be successful in the classroom and do everything I could outside of the classroom to broaden my horizons and become diverse, and learn about different cultures or different activities going on.”

And that he did. His initiative is evident in his academic efforts at ECU, as well as his involvement in many student groups and organizations, and his creation of The Council, a mentoring group he

established as a student that is still going strong. In fact, The Council traveled on their own to New York City in 2010, with the help of the College of Business’s Dr. Jim Westmoreland ’74, ’77, to meet and make connections with ECU alumni there.

“I give more of my time back to East Carolina, and that’s really important for anybody, young or old,” Kowalczyk said.

“People may not realize they can make a real difference in someone’s life as a student just by interacting with them. There are alumni that I have met over the years through Dr. Westmoreland that really inspired me to be great, because they are great and they are ECU alums. When you have that connection between students and alumni, it’s something you can’t beat. It’s a good feeling.”

Kowalczyk is among a growing number of young alumni who have decided to also make planned gifts to ECU. In 2011, Kowalczyk named East Carolina as the beneficiary of his retirement plan with the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he works as the resident director for guest services and marketing.

“It’s important to give when and where you can,” he said. “Giving your time is more valuable than any amount of money that anyone could ever give, but the money also helps out. Don’t be afraid to ask

questions if you are donating money. Ask East Carolina how they are going to use it, because when you ask and you get the answer, you’ll be amazed at how things work and what it will go toward. It’s really great to hear that when you are giving.”

Alumni like Kowalczyk contribute to what he says is one of his favorite things about the University, the family atmosphere. He credits his professors in the College of Business and many others with his success.

“The more effort you put into it, the more you realize that everyone’s there to help you succeed.”

And as one of the youngest alumni to make a planned gift to East Carolina, Kowalczyk encourages others to give in any way they can, whether near or far.

“I encourage young people and recent graduates to really think about ways they can give back. If all they can do is send $100 every year, that’s fine and good, but if they can come to campus, if they can get back in touch with their professors, or find a formal or informal way to mentor a student on campus or provide career advice— because things are a lot different once you leave campus—you learn a lot. That will help everyone at East Carolina be successful and add value to ECU as a whole.”

The Council, from left: Joeroyal Evans Jr., Michael Kowalczyk, Sarah Morgan Hunter, and Oliver Timothy Willis Jr. ’12

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Boom! Bam! Kapow!

Comic books have taken Jeff Parker ’89 on a creative path of success

hat do literature, scuba diving, and W comics heroes have in common? Jeff Parker ’89—a writer and often illustrator

of comic books, including Hulk, Thunderbolts, X-Men First Class, Fantastic Four, and The Avengers, just to name a few. His story starts on a tour of East Carolina’s campus that he took with his dad. Parker was impressed with how welcomed he felt, thought the campus was idyllic, and “honestly, some girl smiled at me and I think that sealed the deal.” Parker became a Pirate.

Originally from Burlington, North Carolina, Parker learned to read through the comic books his father carried in the family market. “My earliest loves were the Fawcett Dennis the Menace comics and I read tons of the Harvey comics…and of course I read all the superhero stuff,” Parker said in a December 2011 interview with Tom Spurgeon for The Comics Reporter.

“Whatever distributor my dad bought from mostly carried DC, so those were the heroes I was most familiar with.”

(Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, The Flash, etc.)

While a student at ECU, Parker soaked up everything he could as a double major in English and communications. “The booming voice of Jim Rees schooling me on radio still echoes in my head. The English department was full of truly great teachers. Jim Holte’s film studies were a favorite, Drs. Southern and South’s Shakespeare classes. I followed Chip Sullivan everywhere and I think I took every class McKay Sundwall taught during my time. All of that study made a huge impact on my writing—they all had me reading the best of everything, from Njal’s Saga to Ovid to Chaucer to Tennyson and on. Just the other day I was quoting something that came from one of Jim Kirkland’s American Lit classes (lot of Jims teaching when I was there!). I took both of Bill Hallberg’s fiction writing classes, which certainly helped me. His main advice to me was to go out and get a lot of experience so I’d have things to write about, and he was right,” Parker said. “It may seem hard for people to draw a line from that kind of education to writing a lot of genre-specific work, but Beowulf and Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table were all the superheroes of their eras.”

Parker also worked for The East Carolinian while in school. First doing a comic strip, then adding editorial cartoons,

Parker with David Hahn, artist of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane.

“and sometimes [writing] the editorials, along with other features. I reviewed a lot of bands so I could get into the downtown bars without paying cover.

You [got] paid by the column inch, so I was probably a bit on the wordy side.

And as the staff illustrator for a few years, I drew countless, endless, pirates.

Pirates, pirates, pirates. I still love pirates but I’d like to say for the record I can’t stand purple,” said Parker.

Although classes in his majors were his primary focus, Parker also enjoyed a few fun electives, including Ray Scharf ’s scuba diving class. It’s a favorite memory of his time at ECU and something he hopes to get back into as he finds it a fascinating experience. (And perhaps it reminds him of that childhood favorite Aquaman?)

So how does a college newspaper illustrator and writer get into professional comics? Persistence. “I did some no-pay work for Caliber, like most everyone has to.

Free work, I mean, starting out. I was still in college at the time.

Shortly after that I joined Artamus Studios in Hillsborough…and I kept drawing sample

pages and putting them in everyone’s Fed-Ex shipments so their editors might take a look while getting the pages they were actually waiting on. I got a couple of Wonder Woman fill-ins, as that was the book where DC tended to try new artists out.” (Spurgeon) Parker’s crafty method of self-promotion landed him a short run at Malibu, and it was his first taste of true success in his chosen field. “That was my first experience with making real, steady wages in comics. I was getting used to that!

And then poof. From that point I would pick up an issue or short piece here and there—I couldn’t find much. The comics industry’s famous bubble had burst, from speculators leaving the market, and it was

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 11

shrinking fast—not unlike it’s doing now.”

(Spurgeon) Parker found other ways to make ends meet and started working on his own graphic novel, The Interman, which he published in 2003. He also collaborated with fellow industry artists to create two more books—Mysterius the Unfathomable with Tom Fowler and Underground with Steve Lieber. “The former is about a magical cad and his assistant who fills the role of his conscience, since he doesn’t seem to have one. The latter is about two park rangers in Kentucky being chased through a cave system, a realistic adventure thriller.”

Parker is very proud of these novels.

His creative process, at least the start of it, is, as Parker puts it, a horrible cliché.

“I often start the day…by writing at a café near my house. But I do that instead of working in the same place all day because it helps. I write as much as I can there until I’m more or less stalled out.

Then I head downtown, usually on my bicycle, to a studio I share with several

12 EC ALUMNI SUMMER 2012

other cartoonists and writers. That seems to let my subconscious get rolling as well, and often by the time I’ve arrived, another scene or solution to progress the story bubbles up to the surface. I really don’t think it’s good to sit in front of the computer when you aren’t producing, go do something else for a bit and it will work itself out,” Parker said. He enjoys the energy of being around others while he’s creating. Hearing others speaking often influences his dialogue and he has a talent for tuning people out when he needs to focus—a trait he passed on to his daughter.

Parker said to Spurgeon of his process, “I go into every project thinking about the final execution—drawing is the second half of writing. I don’t like writing a script without knowing who the artist is, I like to look through my collaborator’s work, and ask them for a wish list of things he or she likes to draw or has always wanted a chance to draw…I tend to approach every story thinking about the

visual possibilities, and I just assume the character conflict/challenge will present itself next in the brainstorming. That may sound backwards to many, but I think sliding the visual aspect down the line puts you in the position of finding set pieces for your story that might be artificial. And what I want out of most comics is for them to transport me, show me something I can’t see every day.”

Success has come to Parker through a “never give up” attitude and by making himself available when publishers call. His advice to anyone seeking their own success: “Follow your muse—if you’re inspired to do something, do that thing even if it looks like it will not amount to much.

You never know where your career tree will branch from and continue.” (Spurgeon) Jeff Parker is a member of Periscope Studio in Portland, Oregon. Learn more about his work and follow his blog at parkerspace.com.

HIGHER EDUCATION

ALWAYS IN SEARCH OF THE BRIGHTEST STARS A career with ARAMARK provides an opportunity for alumni to be a part of a Higher Education team that has the ability to positively impact the student experience. Visit www.aramark.com to explore career opportunities at your alma mater.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 13

! o r t s e a sic!

u m e v a h s Let u

enjamin Keaton ’57, ’61 has spent his life immersed in music. From his childhood years in Belhaven, North Carolina, to his college days at East Carolina, to his decades long career as a conductor, composer, music professor, performer, and music director, Maestro Keaton is making his final curtain call and opening a new chapter in his life. Of course, music is still at the center.

It was the sound of music wafting from a nearby cottage at Bogue Sound when Keaton was thirteen that was a turning point in his life’s path. The kind neighbor invited him in to listen to the rehearsal, and then asked if he played the piano. Keaton had just performed in a recital, so he was ready to entertain his new friends on the iconic nine-foot Steinway, the masterpiece of pianos.

The neighbor was impressed with his ability and introduced herself as Mrs. A.J. Fletcher (of ECU’s A.J. Fletcher Music Hall fame). At the time, she was president of the North Carolina Federation of Music Clubs and encouraged Keaton to form a music club in his hometown. In return, Mrs. Fletcher would send him to a music camp in western North Carolina.

Both parties kept their word, and Keaton attended the Transylvania Music Camp 14 EC ALUMNI SUMMER 2012

(now the Brevard Music Center) later that summer—after he visited with the Fletcher’s in their Raleigh home and attended a performance of Carmen.

The camp gave Keaton exposure to music and other musicians that were unavailable in Belhaven. “It was the most incredible experience I’d ever had,” recalled Keaton, “I heard things that I’d never heard before, I had a good teacher—it was just super!” He had been taking some form of music lessons since he was fiveyears-old, and by the time he was in high school, his piano teacher said she could teach him nothing else. He turned to a teacher in Washington, North Carolina, and hitch hiked his way to and from his weekly lessons—piano and violin.

Keaton’s musical prowess earned him a full scholarship to East Carolina, where of course he entered the School of Music.

While he was a student, Keaton had his hand in as many musical endeavors as he could find: “I played for three singers for their lessons, and I played for three instrumentalists for their lessons. I was a member of the Varsity Men’s Glee Club, I was a member of the Touring Choir, I played timpani in the concert band, I played cymbals in the marching band, and I played violin in the orchestra. I was very

active in what I was doing and I felt good about what I was doing,” said Keaton. For his senior recital, he played a complete recital from the piano music of Brahms, still a favorite composer of Keaton’s and a treasured music book from college that sits proudly on his Steinway baby grand— worn edges and all.

Keaton earned his undergraduate degree in music education, but found himself in a conundrum when deciding what to do about graduate school. He wanted a master of arts in music, not music education. East Carolina didn’t offer such a degree at that time, but thanks to dedicated professors who didn’t want to lose Keaton to another institution, a degree program was created to fit his needs. He was the first graduate student to ever receive a master of arts in music from East Carolina.

Like many East Carolina graduates of his time, Keaton began his career in teaching. He found himself in Virginia teaching choir and band at a number of schools in one school system. A bit overwhelming and disappointing at times, Keaton took his talents to another school for his second year of teaching—and quickly found that perhaps the classroom setting wasn’t his forte. Instead, he found

joy in private piano and voice lessons, which he taught for many years and delighted neighbors with outdoor concerts at his home.

During summers he was onstage at The Lost Colony Outdoor Drama in Manteo, North Carolina. He was as an Indian dancer (Keaton was a principal dancer with the Hampton Roads Ballet company for two years while teaching) in one scene, and a colonist in another—which posed quite a challenge for quick costume and makeup changes. It was there that Keaton met his long-time partner Dr. Randolph “Ranny” Umberger, who played the same roles as Keaton, and then took over stage director duties for the remainder of the 10 years the pair stayed with the drama.

“We had a great time there, we really did,” recalled Keaton. “It was a lot of fun.”

In the late 1960s, when Keaton was feeling a little disgruntled about the second master’s he was earning at UNCChapel Hill, North Carolina Central University called him to teach in their music department. “I thought it was a godsend,” said Keaton. An initial ninemonth contract turned into eighteen years of nine-month contracts and Keaton taught eighteen different courses during his tenure at NCCU. “My students absolutely adored me and the faculty hated me,” laughed Keaton.

By age 50, Keaton left NCCU to work for Measurement Incorporated, which is the largest educational testing company in the

country. This position allowed him ample free time to follow his musical passion through performances and conducting. He and Umberger both became involved with the Durham Savoyards in Durham, North Carolina, for a 16 year run of Gilbert and Sullivan operas; Keaton as conductor and Umberger as stage director. (Fittingly, The Pirates of Penzance is one of the most beloved Gilbert and Sullivan shows. The company celebrates its 50th anniversary of Gilbert and Sullivan productions this year.)

Much inspiration was found for Keaton and Umberger in everything musical and theatrical that they did. “The kind of life we lived together was so enmeshed in music and drama, it couldn’t help but happen that way,” recalled Keaton. After many discussions, they agreed there was a void in the opera world for English works and took matters into their own hands by creating the Long Leaf Opera in 1998 to fill that void. “Ours was a niche nobody else had…consequently, there were people that came to us to sing because they had no where else to go to sing [opera] in English.” Louise Toppin, a world famous opera talent (and who used to teach at East Carolina), was in Long Leaf ’s first opera, Highway 1, USA. LLO was the only professional production company in the U.S. (and the world) that was committed to fully staged works written originally in English.

LLO pioneered an ambitious summer festival in which four operas were performed in a three-week time period.

Recitals were held, concerts were given, and even speaking engagements were part of the festivities. LLO also held a biennial voice competition to help identify breakout singers. The winner would headline the next opera performance and

other finalists gained notoriety within the opera world. LLO became so well respected that Keaton would receive at least five operas from composers each year without even asking for them. The answer to these unsolicited pieces was the implementation of a one-act opera competition.

Keaton primarily served as LLO’s conductor and treasurer, while Umberger was the executive and stage director. From its inception to its final curtain call in early June, LLO put on approximately 100 operas—this during 14 seasons that lasted from October to April—a feat for any company. Opera News said of the company, “…a notably enduring presence among companies that have taken on the challenge of presenting American opera.”

For his contributions to opera and the music world, Keaton has been recognized on numerous occasions, too, most notably, OPERA America named him the 2010 National Opera Trustee Recognition Award recipient. Honorees represent a significant range of accomplishments, generosity, and a deep commitment to promoting opera in their communities.

Keaton is also a 2009 East Carolina School of Music Distinguished Alumnus and in the same year was made a Life Loyal Sinfonian for having established a lifetime of loyalty and commitment to Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

With the closing of LLO, Keaton embarks on a new adventure—retirement, so to speak. He plans to spend his time composing and continuing to volunteer.

(Keaton is a member of ECU’s College of Fine Arts and Communication Advancement Council.) Music will continue to fill his home and his life.

Keaton summed it up best, “it is a passion born in you—you just can’t avoid it.”

This article is lovingly dedicated to the memory of Dr. Randolph “Ranny” Umberger, 1942-2011.

Listen to Ben Keaton’s October 2007 A Pirate’s Life for Me! interview at PirateAlumni.com/apirateslifeforme

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 15

Celebrating 100 Years 1912

The graduating classes of 1911 and 1912 formed the Alumnae Association.

1940 1944

19471948

1914 1932

1934

The First Alumnae Dinner was held on Tuesday, June 4, 1912.

The Alumnae Association adopted for its slogan: “Watch Us Build Our Gym” (In response to the need for a stand alone gymnasium instead of continuing to use Wright Auditorium as a multi-purpose building.)

The first Founder’s Day was celebrated, which was also Homecoming for alumni.

The Alumni Association contributed several thousand dollars to the campus beautification program started by President Robert H. Wright.

The Alumni Association gathered petitions in support of Leon Renfroe Meadows to succeed Robert H. Wright as president of ECTC, after President Wright’s death.

1960 19621966 19661970 1967

The Alumni Association

The first Outstanding Alumni Award was given to Pattie Simmons Dowell ’11. Since that time, 151 alumni have been recognized for their exceptional achievements.

Ruth Blanchard Garner ’29 becomes the first full-time alumni secretary, followed by James W. Butler ’24.

The Alumni Association, along with the Board of Trustees, the faculty, and the students, worked together to plan the inauguration of President John D. Messick, in conjunction with Founder’s Day and the 40th Anniversary of East Carolina.

1959: The first faculty award given by the Alumni Association was given to Emma L. Hooper for 35 years of service and was presented by Alumni Association President Robert Morgan ’47.

According to the November E.C.C. Newsletter, Homecoming Day was attended by nearly 10,000 alumni and friends.

Janice Hardison Faulkner ’53 served as director of alumni relations.

William Eyerman ’64 served as director of alumni relations.

The Alumni Association secured 501(c)3 nonprofit status.

Mission

“We have made great strides since I was president in the early ’80s. As part of the first class to attend ECU during its first four years as a University, we had a fierce loyalty to the campus. I was in Raleigh just out of law school and helped form the first Wake County Alumni Chapter.

Then when I came back to Greenville in 1975, I was surprised to learn there wasn’t a local chapter, so we did the same for Pitt County. We had a great time getting people together to travel to football games, trips to the North Carolina Zoo, to see The Lost Colony. I also helped institute constituent clubs, like the Commerce Club for the School of Business, which brought together like minds and alumni with similar interests. The Alumni Association has come a long way and I’m real proud of it and really enjoy being involved.”

16 EC ALUMNI SUMMER 2012

Phil Dixon ’71 Alumni Association President 1981-1982

The mission of the East Carolina Alumni Association is to inform, involve, and serve members of the ECU family throughout their lifelong relationship with the University.

s of Alumni Excellence

n Centennial: 1912-2012

1970

1970s 1977 1978

1979

Donald Leggett ’58, ’62 replaced Eyerman and served the Alumni Association under various titles until 1998.

1980

The official dedication of the Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center took place in conjunction with Alumni Day on May 3, 1980.

The number of alumni chapters throughout North Carolina and the surrounding area increased to thirty.

The Alumni Travel Program was introduced with a trip to Hawaii.

The Homecoming theme was “Milestones of ECU” and was a tribute to Chancellor Leo Jenkins.

Under the reorganization of President Thomas Brewer, a vice chancellor for Institutional Advancement and Planning position was created. Donald Lemish was the first in this position and coordinated the efforts of the Alumni Association, the Regional Development Institute, institutional research, the News Bureau, and various foundations to expand private resources.

Gifts from E. Marvin Slaughter Jr. ’50 and Luther “Luke” M. Taylor ’57 made the purchase of the 901 East Fifth Street property, the previous home of Ms. Helen Forbes White Hawes, possible.

The building was purchased with the intention to house the offices of the Alumni Association and Institutional Advancement, and aptly named the TaylorSlaughter Alumni Center in honor of its benefactors.

About the Alumni Association

The East Carolina Alumni Association is the constituency of former students whose continuing interest and support have helped ECU become known as one of the finest doctoral/research universities in the South. The name “East Carolina Alumni Association” is inclusive of alumni from each era of the school’s existence: East Carolina Teachers Training School (1907-1921), East Carolina Teachers College (1921-1951), East Carolina College (1951-1967), and East Carolina University (1967-present).

19801981 1982

The ECU Ambassadors organization, the official student representatives of the University, was established. The Alumni Association continues to be the sponsor of this prestigious student organization.

The Alumni Honors Scholarship Program awarded full tuition and fees scholarships to forty students.

“Alumni Leadership During a Time of Change” conference was hosted by the Alumni Association to discuss a new chancellor, alumni leadership during a period of administrative change, alumni leadership and the 75th Alumni Association Anniversary, and alumni leadership and the Athletic program.

“The Alumni Association has such a good foundation that it can’t do anything but get better and better! Throughout my forty years of involvement, I have seen so much growth and more attention given to alumni. I enjoy all of the activities and the publications. Alumni Tailgate brings such a crowd and is a wonderful event to get people involved. When the new Alumni Center is built, even more alumni will get involved.”

Virgil Clark ’50 Emeritus Alumni Association Board Member PIRATEALUMNI.COM 17

Celebrating 100 Years

The Alumni Association

1982 1984

1985 1988

The first Distinguished Service Awards were given to Dean Green ’63, Troy W. Pate Jr. ’58, and Baxter R. Ridenhour ’38, ’48. Since that time, 69 other alumni have received this honor for their dedicated service to East Carolina.

The first Robert H. Wright Alumni Leadership Awards were presented to Rebecca Little and Ernest Conner at graduation.

Designed to be the most prestigious award presented to seniors during annual commencement exercises, 99 other graduates have received the same honor.

1991

1995

The Pitt County Chapter of the Alumni Association held its first annual “Spring Fling Barbeque and Silent Auction” at the home of Chancellor John Howell.

The Honorary Alumni Award was established in 1988 to recognize those individuals who did not graduate from East Carolina but have adopted the University as their own. The first

Organization

The East Carolina Alumni Association was created to develop a spirit of cooperation and loyalty among alumni and to promote the general welfare of the institution. The scope of the Association, which was organized by the classes of 1911 and 1912 in June 1912, has grown tremendously as the alumni population has multiplied with a growing ECU. In order to keep pace with a rapidly developing University, the Alumni Association was incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 1967. Since that time, the alumni population has increased from 15,000 to more than 138,000.

18 EC ALUMNI SUMMER 2012

1998 2002

recipients were Don Boldt, A.A. “Des” Desimone, Don Langston, Mrs. Richard Todd (“Sweetheart”), Bill and Frances Roberson, and Otha Roundtree. Sixty-one others have received honorary status.

1991: The official North Carolina ECU license plate was approved by the North Carolina General Assembly.

The Tidewater Virginia alumni chapter hosted the first Annual Slaughter/Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament. This event honors the memories of E. Marvin Slaughter ’50 and James A. Johnson ’38, who were from the Tidewater area, and supports student scholarships. In 2012 the tourney celebrates its 17th year.

J. Phillip Horne ’90 took the helm as associate vice chancellor of the Alumni Association upon the retirement of Don Leggett.

East magazine was introduced as the official University magazine. It had previously been The ECU Report.

The Alumni Association started the first ECU alumni credit card during my tenure as president. This allowed the Alumni Association to receive proceeds from the use of the card as well as a signing bonus. This was very significant to our budget at the time. Since that time, the Alumni Association has continued to develop key partnerships that produce a revenue stream for the Association.

The Alumni Association is critical to the University as it provides a number of benefits to alumni, students, parents, staff and faculty. Specifically, the Alumni Association assists in forging new relationships with the University and is often the first connection involving alumni in volunteer roles at the University.

Lisa Benton ’83 Alumni Association President 1996-1998

s of Alumni Excellence

n Centennial: 1912-2012

2004

Paul J. Clifford was named associate vice chancellor of the Alumni Association.

PiratePulse monthly e-newsletter was introduced. It is now ECUpdate.

2006

2007 2008

PirateAlumni.com became the official website of the Alumni Association.

The Alumni Association membership program was introduced to off-set decreased budget dollars allocated to the Alumni Association. These tax-deductible membership contributions ensure that the Alumni Association can offer events and activities, programs and services, scholarships, communications, networking opportunities, career assistance, and support of faculty and athletics.

The Magnolia Belles all female a capella group was formed. This group of talented young women delight audiences with their rendition of contemporary pop, R&B, country, oldies, and ECU’s Fight Song and Alma Mater.

2010

2012

The Pirate’s Chantey newsletter was expanded into Servire magazine. It is now EC Alumni.

Servire The Magazine of the East

summer 2008

Carolina Alumni Association

The Student Forever Pirate program was introduced.

Members of this group are life members of the Alumni Association and enjoy special events and promotions, and opportunities to meet and network with ECU alumni.

sandy mims rowe ’70: southern belle at heart, Pulitzer Prize-winning editor by trade

The Alumni Association has given more than $200,000 in scholarships to 156 ECU students.

The Alumni Association celebrates its centennial and kicks off a campaign to build a state-of-the-art Alumni Center with banquet and special event facilities, conference and meeting space, a history room, and office space.

The first Pirate’s Bounty Scholarship Auction was held during the 19th Hole Reception after the ECU Alumni Scholarship Golf Classic. The Alumni Association will host the 6th annual auction in fall 2012.

The first Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run was held and more than 175 runners participated. In April 2012, nearly 300 runners helped raise funds for ECU student scholarships.

A Little History

Throughout its 100 years, the Alumni Association has grown by leaps and bounds. What started with faculty then graduate student volunteers keeping paper alumni records has grown into a sophisticated, computerized database with multiple features maintained by a number of employees. Infrequent contact through letters and postcards has blossomed into regular e-mail distribution, daily online connections through social media, quarterly magazines, and plenty of personal phone calls and visits.

Alumni events and activities held once or twice a year on East Carolina’s campus now number in the hundreds and take place all over the Pirate Nation.

Once completed, our new Alumni Center will demonstrate by its location and quality of design and construction that while the academic pursuits occurring all over campus leading to graduation are of course especially important, so too is East Carolina University’s interest in our alumni once they depart to make their mark in the world. A new facility of proper size and layout will jumpstart the Alumni Association to that proverbial next level, allowing it to serve both the 138,000 alumni and the entire campus community in ways not yet imagined.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM Dave Englert ’75 Alumni Association President 1992-1994

19

Alumni Association Past Presidents Ms. Lillie Tucker

1912

Mr. George Willard, Jr.

1963-1965

Ms. Nell Pender

1912-1914

Mr. Lester Ridenhour, Sr.

1965-1967

Mrs. Edna Campbell

1914-1916

Mr. William Eyerman

1967-1969

Ms. Estelle Greene

1916-1918

Mr. Isaac Williamson

1969-1971

Ms. Luella Stancil

1918-1919

Mr. Frank Ceruzzi

1971-1972

Mrs. Louise Osborne

1919-1921

Mr. Curtis Hendrix

1972-1974

Ms. Ophelia O’Brian

1921-1922

Mr. Robert Mays

1974-1976

Ms. Ruth Deans

1922-1923

Mr. Max Joyner, Sr.

1976-1978

Dr. Pattie Dowell

1923-1924

Mr. Jerry Powell

1978-1980

Mrs. Emma Bynum

1924-1925

Mr. Daniel Hannon

1980-1981

Ms. Ruth Lowder

1925-1927

Mr. Phillip Dixon

1981-1982

Ms. Bonnie Howard

1927-1929

Mr. John Lennon, Jr.

1982-1983

Ms. Helen Watson Johnson

1929-1931

Mr. E. Marvin Slaughter, Jr.

1983-1984

Ms. Deanie Hasket

1932

Mr. S. Gerald Arnold

1984-1986

Mrs. Martha Fountain

1933-1934

Mr. James Hicks

1986-1998

Mrs. Christine Vick Joyner

1935-1937

Mr. Burney Rivenbark

1988-1990

Ms. Luella Lancaster Stancil

1938-1939

Mrs. Lyda Mihalyi

1990-1992

Mrs. Elizabeth Bennett

1939-1941

Mr. David Englert

1992-1994

Mrs. Alla May Joyner Holland

1941-1943

Mr. Jack Everton

1994-1996

Mrs. Ruth Garner

1943-1945

Mrs. Lisa Benton

1996-1998

Mrs. Augusta Woodward Marcom 1945-1947

Mr. Frank Grayiel, III

1998-2000

Mrs. Ethel Armstrong

1947-1949

Mrs. Shelby Strother

2000-2002

Mrs. Mildred Bullard

1949-1951

Mrs. Margaret Ward

2002-2004

Mr. Henry Oglesby

1951-1953

Mr. Layton Getsinger

2004-2006

Mr. James Whitfield

1953-1955

Mr. Joe Jenkins

2006

Mr. Baxter Ridenhour

1955-1957

Ms. Brenda Myrick

2006-2008

Mr. Robert Morgan

1958-1959

Mrs. Sabrina Bengel

2008-2009

Mr. Z. W. Frazelle

1959-1961

Mr. Ernest Logemann

2009-2010

Mr. Fodie Hodges

1961-1963

Mr. Carl Davis

2010-2012

“The Alumni Association has blossomed into a world-class organization serving ALL constituencies of the University not just a select group… the Alumni Association is a strategic partner across the campus with all the other service organizations and alumni support activities. The outreach to our alumni worldwide is unprecedented and extremely impressive. The Alumni Association has become today what the board dreamed it could be when we hired Paul J. Clifford in 2004.

The yearning to remain connected to one’s alma mater grows with time and distance. The Alumni Association is the major conduit for bridging that span. As our graduates attain higher levels of success, they will be more likely to show their affinity to the University with their resources as a result of feeling and remaining connected…the Alumni Association is that nexus for our diverse alumni population to obtain up-to-date news about their alma mater and specific affinity group. The importance of this should not be discounted.”

20 EC ALUMNI SUMMER 2012

Layton Getsinger ’69 Alumni Association President 2004-2006

Gift Your Home Now and Stay in It for Life A retained life estate is a gift plan that allows you to donate your home, vacation home, or farm to one of the ECU foundations while retaining the right to live in it for the rest of your life and/or a term of years. If you decide to vacate your property, you may rent all or part of it or sell the property in cooperation with the ECU Real Estate Foundation Inc. When your retained life estate ends, the ECU foundation of your choice can use your property or the proceeds from the sale of your property for the purpose you designate.

EXAMPLE:

If you irrevocably transfer your property with a value of $250,000 and a cost basis of $50,000, to ECU Real Estate Foundation Inc., and the right to live in it is retained for an individual, age 60: • You qualify for a federal income tax deduction of approximately $113,154. Your deduction may vary depending on the timing of your gift. Deductions for this and other gifts of long-term appreciated property will be limited to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income. You may take unused deductions of this kind over the next five years, subject to the same 30 percent limitation.

• Your estate may enjoy reduced probate costs and estate taxes.

• The residence sale price after the donor’s lifetime will fund a project of your choice at the East Carolina University Foundation Inc., East Carolina Medical & Health Sciences Foundation Inc., or the East Carolina Educational Foundation Inc. (Pirate Club).

For more information regarding planned giving instruments, please contact Greg Abeyounis, assistant vice chancellor for development, at 252-328-9573 or e-mail at abeyounisg@ecu.edu or visit www.ecu.edu/plannedgiving.

EC Alumni Summer 12.indd 1

5/16/12 12:28 PM

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 21

Designing Woman Hilary White ’04 lives chic in the interior design industry

Wdesign shows on networks like

ith the popularity of home and

HGTV, Style, and DIY, many American homeowners are inspired to make changes to their home’s current décor, aesthetic, and sometimes structure. Although many tackle the do-it-yourself project in a weekend, others desire a little assistance from talented designers, and the occasional general contractor.

That’s where Hilary White ’04 comes in—an enthusiastic smallbusiness owner in New York City, whose design skills and eye for everything Baroque and Rococo, have taken her on a fast track of success.

A southern belle, White incorporates her natural hospitality and care for others into every client relationship. “I try to work very closely with my clients so I can give them exactly what they want. I have sat at kitchen tables with clients for hours going through fabrics and design magazines and piecing it together with them… bottom line is, it’s fun! People want to be involved and I like involving them. That’s not everyone though. Some clients just want you to bring everything to them in a neat little package, and we do that, too. We really try to cater to what the client wants 22 EC ALUMNI SUMMER 2012

in all aspects of what we do,” said White.

Owner and designer of Liv Chic furniture and interior design, White strives to fulfill her company’s mission “to offer quality reproductions of modern baroque furniture with our signature style to the clients we love.” Whether it’s an ornate

bed or side table, a posh oversized chair, or that special piece of mirrored furniture that completes a room, Liv Chic caters to clients with a flair for opulence and creative beauty.

The Baroque is a period of artistic style that used exaggerated motion and

clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance, and music. The style started around 1600 in Rome, Italy, and spread to most of Europe. (Wikipedia. com) Rococo, also referred to as “Late Baroque,” is an 18th-century artistic movement and style, which affected several aspects of the arts including painting, sculpture, architecture, interior design, decoration, literature, music, and theatre. The Rococo developed in the early part of the 18th century in Paris, France, as a reaction against the grandeur, symmetry and strict regulations of the Baroque, especially that of the Palace of Versailles.

(Wikipedia.com) Although Liv Chic provides high-end custom furniture and complete design services, they also make style affordable for every budget. “We have a ‘budget-friendly’ design service for rooms with budgets between $1,500-$5,000. We charge differently and we create a very DIY package for them to implement, while we stand on the sidelines to answer questions while they put our designs into action.

This way they [do not have] to pay us for our time to order wallpaper, lighting, etc. We just send them [web] links so they can do the grunt work themselves and save on their budget. People really appreciate this, and I like it because I don’t think interior designers should only be afforded by millionaires. A well designed home is something that is very soothing to people

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 23

and it’s nice to be able to do that for my clients no matter what their budget is,” White said.

Liv Chic was born out of necessity for White and her growing family. “I started my business pretty quickly after I graduated. I worked for another design firm for a year before I started my own business. I went out on my own so fast [because] I had just had a baby girl (now pregnant with my 3rd!) and by the time I paid a nanny in NYC I was making $2.00/hr so I decided to try to pick up my own outside clients and it took off from there. My first job was a small, 300 sq./ft. clothing boutique in the city, and I put my heart and soul into that job. (I even hung all the wallpaper myself!) It paid off though, and from that job I ended up getting hired to design a 2,000 sq./ft. loft in the city for a jewelry designer.”

Just like White’s company wasn’t her initial intent, majoring in interior design wasn’t either. She was an art major, but didn’t feel it was the right fit. Her now husband is the one that suggested she consider interior design. “I really didn’t know much about interior design and had misconceptions of what it was all about.

I pictured it as picking out wallpaper and pillows, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it went way beyond that to include quite a bit of architectural and technical work. I really fell in love with it and know it’s what I was meant to do,” White recalled.

Now well established in the design world, White has taken her talent to other parts of the country, as well.

A few celebrities and pro athletes, including Rudy Gay of the Memphis Grizzlies, have noticed her work.

In collaboration with Gay and his longtime girlfriend, White worked A room in the home of NBA player Rudy Gay. tirelessly to outfit the NBA player’s 8,000 sq./ft. home in a glam “modern now have a business manager who has Baroque” style with touches of masculinity been a life saver.” Feeling confident enough and minimalism to offset the intricacies in her business acumen to hand over inherent to the Baroque. “He likes a the reigns, White focuses more on what very modern minimal look and she likes she loves—designing and working with it more ornate so it was a great chance clients. She credits her ECU education to blend some of my Liv Chic ornate for giving her an edge over other interior furniture into a modern contemporary designers. “As I mentioned earlier, we did space,” said White. This experience, so far, a lot of technical and architectural work has been White’s most rewarding. in the interior design program, and more There are challenges, too, though. than once my clients have been impressed Learning how to properly run a business with what I can do on that level. It’s led has been essential to White’s success. “I to them deciding to either stop working suggest that everyone in college take a with their current architect or not hire one few business classes…no mater what field and just have me do all of the work for you are in, they will come in handy. I had them. I think they were under the same a huge learning curve with it…I finally misconceptions as I was. We both learned realized I couldn’t do it all myself and that interior design is way more than picking out wall colors and floor finishes,” said White.

Inspiration and creativity is paramount to being successful in the design world.

White relies on her own tastes and training as a guide, but is always seeking other forms of ingenuity. “I love Pinterest, Decorpad, and any interior design magazine I can get my hands on.

There are so many interior designers that I just adore like they [are] rock stars! I just have a lot of respect and awe for their art and for their creativity.” White was honored the first time someone told her they were a fan of her work, and she even had an Arizona design student do a project on Liv Chic. With every client, White is achieving notoriety and taking advantage of every opportunity New York City affords her.

In April, she participated in the White’s room for New York City’s “Design on a Dime.”

“Design on a Dime” event for Housing 24 EC ALUMNI SUMMER 2012

Works, the city’s most popular interior design benefit event, at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea. Lara Spencer of Good Morning America was one of the event’s co-chairs, and other designers included Bloomingdale’s, De la Torre Design, Genevieve Gorder for Valspar, Nickelodeon, and Willey Designs, among others. As White becomes better known in her industry, she hopes to inspire others and grow her business. “We are currently looking into opening a retail store in Williamsburg [a neighborhood of] Brooklyn,” said White. “[After a few years] I’d like to move back down South to either North Carolina or South Carolina and open another store. New York has been amazing and I have really learned so much here, but the older I get and the more kids I have, I am longing to be back home near my family and back in touch with my southern roots.”

Calling All

Pirate Alumni and Friends!

One of the loveliest paintings ever of our campus

by Artist William Mangum

Learn more about Liv Chic’s custom Baroque and Rococo furniture and design at www.liv-chic.com.

Wright Auditorium is a charming sight with its gracefully arched portico. Located on the heart of campus, it is a favorite icon of students, visitors and alumni.

This beautiful signed and numbered reproduction is available for your home or office today.

Image size: 13” x 22” $125 each Order by phone or online 336.379.9200 WilliamMangum.com

Romantic dates for all occasions Relative & in-law guest stays Business travel

A masculine, yet ornate chair in Rudy Gay’s home.

Stay in updated classic style of the 1920s Located on Historic E. 5th Street

Directly across from the main campus of ECU and performing arts venues

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 25

Where Pirate Memories Continue...

“Living at Cypress Glen enables me to stay closely connected to the university.

After 30 years in the ECU School of Music, I am happy to continue attending the musical performances and being active in the alumni association activities.”

Charlie Stevens received his undergraduate degree in music from UNC Chapel Hill. He began his connection with East Carolina when he supervised ECU student teachers during his time as a music teacher at Washington High School in the early 1950’s. Dr. Stevens received his master’s degree in music from East Carolina University and his doctorate in music from UNC Chapel Hill. He enjoyed touring around the country and as far away as Japan as a professional accompanist. He joined the keyboard faculty in the ECU School of Music in 1960, and moving forward he became Assistant Dean, teaching music history and graduate courses. In 1984, Dr. Stevens was named Dean of the School of Music where he remained until his retirement in 1990. Both of Dr. Stevens’ daughters, Margaret and Mary Charles, are graduates of ECU. The Charles E. & Margaret S. Stevens Endowment at East Carolina provides scholarships for students majoring in music.

Dr. Charlie Stevens Cypress Glen Resident since 2005

Official Partner

26 EC ALUMNI SUMMER 2012

www.cypressglen.org

Whether you are a student or alumnus/a, career development is a lifelong process.

Informational interviewing is an effective way to learn credible occupational information and develop or expand your professional network. An informational interview is not an interview for a job, but rather an opportunity for you to learn from someone that works in an industry or position of interest and gain valuable professional connections.

Recently, The ECU Career Center hosted a career information session with the Senior Foreign Service Office and current diplomat in residence at Duke University, William Lucas. During his visit to campus, we took the opportunity to interview Mr. Lucas on his past experiences with the U.S. State Department for advice he might have to pass along to students and alumni considering a career overseas or with the federal government.

What have you enjoyed most about working overseas for the federal government?

I enjoyed learning about other cultures and being able to represent our country. The diversity of experiences was great, meeting people of different cultures and helping them understand what the United States of America really stands for.

What do you see as the biggest challenge in your career?

Producing high quality work all the time is demanding and can be stressful. To advance and receive the assignments you want, you must produce high quality reports and results to your superiors. (He also mentioned that to receive desired assignments and advance your career, you must have good recommendations from your current supervisors. This ensures high quality work from staff members at all times.)

Who would you recommend pursue a career in foreign services?

Anyone interested in public service and international affairs. There is no set profile or formula for getting in to the U.S. State Department. Having a diverse background

of experiences and education can always help.

What advice would you give recent college graduates and alumni interested in working for the federal government?

Monitor www.USAJobs.gov. Develop a well-prepared resume that translates your relevant skills to the positions you apply for and use contacts within the government for networking to find out what these people actually do and ways to gain relevant work experience.

What skills, qualities, and past experiences are important when pursuing a career in foreign services?

Some of the skills we look for are communication, both written and verbal, as well as interpersonal and relationship building. Qualities include: initiative, enthusiasm, strong work ethic, and passion for the work we do. Specifically for Foreign Service careers, you might want to experience working or travel overseas first to see what it is like. Some people will not enjoy living and working in a different country after experiencing it firsthand.

Any other advice or comments?

Whether you are going for Civil or Foreign Service, the selection process for federal government jobs is lengthy so start sooner rather than later. If things do not work out the first time, don’t give up and don’t be discouraged; always pursue your goals and keep trying.

CAREER CORNER

Informational Interview with U.S. Diplomat

For more on informational interviewing and to learn about upcoming events hosted by the Career Center please visit: www.ecu.edu/career.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 27

AROUND CAMPUS

ARTS & SCIENCES Mathematics, economics double major receives prestigious NSF Fellowship

Cristian Potter’s story begins in Providence, Rhode Island, where he was born into a self-described “dysfunctional childhood situation.”

From that ill-favored start, Potter has gone on to garner academic awards, help shape lives of mentees, and to aspire to not be an embarrassment to his children.

Potter is a mathematics and economics double major at ECU and who graduated in may. He said he was drawn to both the discipline of mathematics and the genuine warmth and welcome of the department. “Really, choosing ECU was the best decision Cristian Potter of my entire educational life.”

Since that choice, Potter has received ECU’s Eron-Vittitow Award for Excellence in Mathematics and the John B. Davis Award for Excellence in Statistics, two important undergraduate recognitions.

Potter applied to and has been awarded admission into Purdue’s PhD program for the fall, and he recently was awarded a prestigious fellowship from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. The Fellowship provides $30,000 per year and may be renewed for a maximum of three years, easing the financial burden of additional schooling on Potter’s family.

One of Potter’s long-term goals is to push people to greatness. “When people ask ‘What do you do with a math degree?’ I say, ‘What do you do without one?’”

Harriot College announces Moldin Scholarship recipients

The Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences recently announced the 2012-13 recipients of the Moldin Scholarship. Recipients are senior Quan Minh Nguyen, dualmajor in biology and chemistry, and junior Kyle Purrman, also a dual-major in biology and chemistry.

The Moldin Scholarship, established in 2006, provides a $2,000 annual scholarship to two rising juniors enrolled full-time in the Department of Chemistry or the Department of Biology, with a minimum 2.5 GPA and demonstrated financial need. The $2,000 monetary award is available for one academic year—$1,000 each semester—and is renewable through the recipient’s senior year, upon maintenance of the scholarship eligibility criteria.

FINE ARTS & COMMUNICATION ECU/Loessin Summer Theatre takes three productions on the road this summer

The works—Collision Course, Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, and Randy Sharp and Axis Company’s Seven in One Blow—will be performed in repertory in four venues.

Collision Course is a stunning bouquet of short plays written by several ’60s era playwrights before they became major forces in American theatre, including works by Lanford Wilson, Terrence McNally, and Sam Shepard, Thornton Wilder’s iconic Our Town tells the story of young lovers whose life in a small New England town becomes a microcosm of everyday life. The wisdom of the play and the deceptively simple story makes it an enduring American treasure.

28 EC ALUMNI SUMMER 2012

AROUND CAMPUS Seven in One Blow is based on the fairy tale by the brothers Grimm: a child embarks on a journey where he learns you don’t always have to show how strong you are, that teasing hurts someone just like you, and a parent’s love has no limits.

The works will be performed in Greenville at East Carolina University’s Burnette Studio Theatre on June 20-23, in Manteo at Roanoke Island Festival Park’s Indoor Theatre on June 26-28, in New Bern at Tryon Palace’s Cullman Performance Hall on July 3, and 5-7, and in Goldsboro at the Paramount Theatre on July 11-14. For tickets and information about the Greenville and New Bern events, call 252-328-6829 or purchase online at www.

ECUARTS.com. For the Manteo performances, call 252-475-1500, and for Goldsboro call 919-583-8432.

HONORS COLLEGE Living and Learning Together: Honors College Students Take to Land and Sea

Formal classroom instruction in the Honors College received a boost this year through the added experiences provided by the Honors College Living-Learning Community. The objective of this program is to provide special learning experiences for students in the college that are informal and voluntary. These experiences also allow students to get to know each other better, develop teamwork, and advance leadership skills.

Beginning with land adventures, a bus filled to capacity ferried students to the ECU Heart Institute to watch an open-heart surgery performed using the cutting edge daVinci surgical robot. This was followed by the opportunity to operate a daVinci machine and test one’s skills at manipulation—without a live patient.

Another scientific facility, the Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation Laboratory, opened its doors for students to see the artifacts recovered from the ship once captained by the infamous pirate Blackbeard. Honors College students had the opportunity

to understand the complex conservation process of materials recovered from underwater that had not been seen since 1718.

Evaluations scored this visit an ARRGGHH! Bucking the hurricane season in late fall, the students went to sea. The Jeanie B, a 72-foot schooner captained by Lee Sutton took a large crew of students to sea in two shifts. This adventure was exceedingly popular and an overnight stay and sail with extended shore side visits followed. Aboard ship, students took the helm, learned navigation and manning the sails. Shore side visits included the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort, the NOAA Fisheries and Habitat Research Center, historic Ft. Macon, and a visit with scuba divers after they swam with sharks and other fish at the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

Water was the focus of “The Honors College and the Battle of Hampton Roads” experience. This waterway off Norfolk, Virginia, was the site of the famous Civil War battle between the ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (or USS Merrimack). The 150th anniversary of the battle was commemorated with a visit to the Mariners’ Museum and its new $30 million Monitor Center.

Two curators provided students with a guided tour and visit to the conservation lab to see the Monitor’s famous rotating turret and other artifacts recovered from the shipwreck off Cape Hatteras.

The living-learning experiences continued with a cruise of the Norfolk naval base including a close view of the destroyer USS Cole, attacked by al-Qaeda in Yemen in 2000, and the huge aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush. Students walked the decks of the WWII battleship USS Wisconsin, and explored the exhibits at Nauticus: The Maritime Center. The overnight stay in Williamsburg allowed time to explore the colonial town. Second-year Honors College student and EC Scholar Jessie Chirico stated, “This was an awesome experience to witness the restoration of these historic vessels and to walk on the USS Wisconsin. Great opportunities like these are some of the best parts of being in the ECU Honors College.”

With a generous gift provided by East Carolina University’s Women’s Roundtable, this inaugural series of unique, enjoyable, and educational living-learning experiences was delivered to the students. The Women’s Roundtable made an extraordinary impact on the Honors College student experience.

HUMAN ECOLOGY Home economics alumna gets Our State cover story

Honors College students on a water adventure.

ECU alumna Wendy Perry’s maple syrup and country ham cake was on the cover of Our State magazine’s February issue. Wendy, a 1982 graduate of home economics education and a self-described culinary adventurist, is the creative force behind five imaginative cakes made with North Carolina products and featured in the magazine.

Ingredients in Wendy’s cakes include Krispy Kreme doughnuts, country ham, pimento cheese, maple syrup, Cloister Honey, Nabs, and Pepsi. The novelty cakes are so PIRATEALUMNI.COM 29

AROUND CAMPUS unusual that readers don’t know whether to salivate or recoil. Yet, the cakes look luscious, and the back stories are full of North Carolina food reflections.

Opportunity knocked for Wendy when she met Our State editor Elizabeth Hudson at the 2010 North Carolina State Fair. The two judged a cooking contest together and exchanged contact information, but Wendy didn’t expect anything to arise from the conversation.

An Our State editor soon called Wendy to say the magazine was starting a section on church and community cookbooks, and they needed someone to prepare the food. Wendy prepared and styled the food at Our State’s photography studio in Greensboro.

“And that was the beginning of this story,” said Wendy.

Last summer, the magazine asked Wendy if she had ideas for cakes that “screamed North Carolina” for their dessert issue.

“Within 30 minutes of the e-mail, I had ideas for all five cakes,” Wendy said. Right away she consulted her friend Teresa Williford, an expert in baking chemistry and recipe development, from Wilson, North Carolina.

“Teresa and I talked first about a cake for the magazine cover,” said Wendy. “I told her I envisioned a butter cream frosting with a redeye gravy drizzle. In her e-mail back to me, she said ‘Ewww! Yuck!!’ How funny that this is the cover cake. I want to frame that e-mail with the cover photo along side.”

Wendy says she’s still in disbelief about how her relationship with Our State unfolded. “To become a recipe developer for the magazine and have a cake on the cover is pretty surreal,” said Wendy.

Wendy has a 30-year history relating to food and outdoor entertaining. To learn more about this entrepreneurial alumna, visit her website at www.wendyperry.com. To view her North Carolina cakes in Our State, visit www.ourstate.com.

JOYNER LIBRARY Joyner Library’s Eastern North Carolina Literary Homecoming 2012

On September 21 and 22, 2012, seven North Carolina writers and two filmmakers will meet in Joyner Library to discuss what happens when a book gets translated into film. The 2012 Eastern North Carolina Literary Homecoming program titled “Litflix: Adapting North Carolina Literature into Film” will feature Charles Frazier (author of Cold Mountain), Daniel Wallace (author of Big Fish), Lois Duncan (author of I Know What You Did Last Summer), Timothy Tyson (author of Blood Done Sign My Name), James Dodson (author of Faithful Travelers), Randall Kenan (author of Foundations of the Earth), Eleanora E. Tate, (author of Just an Overnight Guest) and Jeffrey Franklin (author of For The Lost Boys). Guest writers will meet in panel discussions to share their experiences in seeing their written works made into film. Two filmmakers (Elizabeth Benfey and Dante James) will show short films they created from fiction 30 EC ALUMNI SUMMER 2012

and discuss the craft of screenwriting and translating the story into visual media.

The author of one of the short stories (Randall Kenan) will participate in this discussion. theme of this year’s Literary Homecoming The writers The is Litflix: Adapting North Carolina Literature will also offer five into Film. different writing workshops to learn the art of writing poetry, fiction, and screenwriting. Prior to the September event, programs featuring the works of the writers and the art of filmmaking will be held in New Bern, Morehead City, Rocky Mount, Wilson, and Greenville.

These include film showcases on North Carolina short stories, author presentations on the films made from their books, and discussions of several of the authors and their works. To find details for these events and to register for the Eastern North Carolina Literary Homecoming, visit www.ecu.edu/lithomecoming.

NURSING College of Nursing Supports Joining Forces

East Carolina University’s College of Nursing has joined a national campaign in support of active and returning military members, veterans, and their families.

Through Joining Forces, an initiative led by the White House and First Lady Michelle Obama, ECU nursing will raise awareness and educate students about the health and social needs of service members and their families. Many are returning home with post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

“A major thrust of this campaign is to infuse knowledge into the curriculum at the graduate and undergraduate level in areas of research, practice, service, and teaching,” said Dr. Patricia Fazzone, ECU nursing professor Patricia Fazzone is professor of nursing coordinating ECU’s team that supports the national Joining Forces campaign. (Photo by and coordinator for Cliff Hollis) the college’s Joining Forces team, which held its first meeting April 12.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing issued a nationwide call to join. ECU is one of more than 500 across the nation and 21 nursing schools in North Carolina to pledge support.

“I am pleased that our faculty and staff are enthusiastic about the Joining Forces campaign. Our participation is in keeping with our commitment to improve the quality of health care to citizens in our region,” said Dr. Sylvia T. Brown, dean of the College of Nursing.

AROUND CAMPUS Ongoing Commitment North Carolina is the home of six military bases and a Coast Guard installation. ECU’s federally-funded Operation Re-Entry program is developing model ways to help injured veterans while building on ECU research already under way like using biofeedback to help troops with PTSD symptoms, and counseling families of returning soldiers.

“At ECU, we have such a commitment to the military and their families that this was a natural fit for us,” Fazzone said. “There are so many troops, and their families, being affected by the war. We need to be able to respond.”

There are a number of active and retired military faculty and students in the College of Nursing, including high-ranking officers. Some have been deployed or will be deployed. “We have a cadre of experts,” Fazzone said. “We are looking at partnering with other professions to be more effective in our interventions.

“The college’s action plan will be progressive and happen in stages through multiple years,” Fazzone said.

Faculty members are beginning to explore possible service learning opportunities that could include expanding clinical placement of nursing students in VA hospitals, or working at schools on military bases. There are also possibilities for interdisciplinary research.

Focused on Outreach “Outreach will be a huge piece,” Fazzone said. “I think nurses are in a good position to bring people together to meet the needs of soldiers coming back. It’s a very complex phenomenon of people coming home from being deployed with many different needs.”

The college also wants to increase its participation in veteran observances throughout the year. Another area of interest is working with military nurses, engaging students from the military, and encouraging them to become nursing faculty.

The college previously received grant funding to work with military installations at Camp Lejeune, Seymour Johnson, and Cherry Point to encourage men with military training and experience in health care to consider nursing as a viable career after military service.

Christopher Morgan, a junior design major from Virginia, is the first recipient of the David J. Smith Leadership Award.

The honor comes with $1,000 and a commemorative coin created in Smith’s memory, emblazoned with three stars.

“David Smith personified all that is right about this nation,” said Steve Duncan, assistant vice chancellor for administration Christopher Morgan and finance and military programs. “Use this support to continue to build the better world that David sacrificed for.”

The award is based on three criteria administrators say Smith exemplified: leadership, integrity, and service. Morgan is currently juggling 18 credit hours, works more than 20 hours weekly in the dean’s office, and heads or participates in several organizations including the American Design and Drafting Association, the Dean’s Student Leadership Advisory Council, and the Bachelor of Science in Design Advisory Board.

“He is one fellow who is always willing to lend a helping hand,” White said of Morgan. “He always has a smile on his face.”

The room fell silent as attendees viewed a slideshow of photos from Smith’s years at ECU. Wiping away tears, his family thanked the university and congratulated Morgan on the award.

“We were embraced by so many of you (after David’s death),” said Smith’s mother, Mary McWilliams. “I saw then why David loved this school, this state, and why he wanted to make his life here.” “(David) joined the Marines because he felt he needed to do service for his country,” said his father, Leonard Smith, “And he paid the ultimate sacrifice for it.”

“The first recipient?” he continued. “You couldn’t have picked a better one.”

“I’m proud to represent the college as well as David,” Morgan said, “It’s truly an honor. I wish I could have met him.”

TECHNOLOGY

& COMPUTER SCIENCE Junior earns scholarship honoring fallen Marine

East Carolina University honored a fallen Marine and proud Pirate on April 13 by awarding the first scholarship given in his memory.

Sgt. David J. Smith enrolled at ECU in 2003 after enlisting with the Marine Corps Reserves. The Maryland resident majored in industrial distribution and logistics in the College of Technology and Computer Science, but put his studies on hold twice—once for a tour in Iraq in 2006 and again in 2009 when his unit was called to Afghanistan.

Smith died January 26, 2010, after falling victim to a suicide bomb attack in Helmand Province. He was 25.

“We lost one of our own in Afghanistan,” Dean David White said at the Robert E. and Betty S. Hill Recognition of Excellence Awards Breakfast. “He brought light to everybody around him.”

A commemorative coin honoring Sgt. David J. Smith was presented along with the scholarship.

PIRATEALUMNI.COM 31

A LOOK BACK

Moving In—1928 Style

September 14, 1928 To Students Enrolling in E. C. T. C. Fall Quarter 1928: We are in receipt of your application for admission to the fall quarter 1928 at East Carolina Teachers College, also the $5.00 fee and, as you were notified, you will be admitted. We have reserved a room for you in one of our dormitories for the coming year.

The number of the room is shown on the trunk tag enclosed herewith. Please read carefully all instructions on the envelope and tags enclosed. Be sure your name is on the tags.

If you want your room held for you longer than September 25, telegraph.

You should plan to arrive in Greenville and report to the college immediately on Sunday, September 23, or Monday, September 24. Registration day for making up the term schedules in Tuesday, September 25. Regular class work begins the morning of the 26th. Registration will be by class groups. Please observe on the bulletin board the hour at which your group is to register and report to your class adviser at that time. No class schedules are being sent out to students, but each will find copies of the schedule on the bulletin board and in the hands of the class advisers. They will follow the instructions given for registration after they arrive.

A payment of $75.00 is due the treasurer of the college at the time the student enrolls, in addition to the $5.00 reservation fee, which applies against the $80.00 for the quarter.

Each dormitory student should have the following articles: three pillow slips 26 inches wide and 32 inches long; two white counterpanes 63 inches wide and 90 inches long [bed spread]; two pairs of sheets 72 inches wide and 90 inches long; one pair of wardrobe curtains of cretonne material, width - the width of the material, length - 7 feet; one set of simple white bureau and table covers, table 24 inches by 36 inches, bureau 18 inches by 42 inches; six towels; six table napkins; blankets or some kind of warm cover.

Dress: Students should wear simple, home-like clothes. For ordinary use, shopping, church, etc., one-piece dresses are preferable. For all public occasions, simple, inexpensive white dresses. For athletics, middy blouses or middy suits, with tennis shoes. You should have an umbrella, rain coat, and overshoes. Mark all of your clothes, including bedclothes, plainly and neatly in some manner.

I hope this will be a pleasant and profitable year for you.

Yours very truly, Howard J. McGinnis, Registrar

32 EC ALUMNI SUMMER 2012

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PRESORTED STANDARD US Postage PAID Permit No. 795 Greensboro, NC Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center Mail Stop 305 | East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858-4353

WITN

News at Six Dave Jordan

Lynnette Taylor