ECU 10/12

Carolinian

Pirate history celebrated each year since 1936

Kim Kassner FOR THE EAST CAROLINIAN

The history of homecoming at East Carolina University dates back to 1936 as alumni, faculty, staff and students are all welcomed to campus to celebrate.

ECU’s University Archivist Alston Cobourn, said it all started back in 1936 when the school’s Alumni Association wanted to create an event to invite former students back to the university.

Homecoming returns to campus

Kristin Outland TEC STAFF

Baine

East Carolina University officials and staff discuss Student Government Association’s presentation of Home coming Week 2022 and events students can look forward to this year.

Hank Bowen, senior associate director of Student Engagement, said homecoming is a traditional event in which students can connect with alumni from the university.

“Homecoming is one of those things that truly gets students and alumni and the community together,” Bowen said.

The time frame during which homecoming is held, Bowen said, is an important aspect of its celebration. Bowen said it gives students a series

of events to look forward to during the early fall season other than weekly football games.

Bowen said it’s also important to allow an opportunity for connection across students from all generations. There are always events for students only, Bowen said, but the ECU Alumni Association expands opportunities each year.

Philip Rogers, chancellor of the university, said homecoming is an important event because it is one of the best and “most fulfilling” celebrations on campus each year.

“I think it (homecoming) reminds us of the shared values and the shared experiences that we all were involved in during our time on campus, whether we’re currently on campus or whether we’re bringing friends and family back to celebrate the many great things that

Cannonball Kickoff to start week of events

East Carolina University will hold the annual Cannonball Kickoff today, from 5 to 8 p.m., on the Main Campus Student Center Lawn to kickoff 2022 Homecoming celebrations.

According to the ECU Homecoming website, the event will start with a special performance from both the ECU Marching Pirates and ECU Dance Team at 5 pm. Following the performance, there will be a Homecoming T-shirt giveaway at 5:30 p.m. After this, ECU will hold a short trivia game at 5:45pm, before a movie will be shown.

ECU’s Director of Bands, Dr. Joe Busuito, said he finds the experience of watching three generations of ECU pirates’ celebrate homecoming and support the school immensely fulfilling. He said the opportunity to bring people together to demonstrate the talent and prowess of the current student body is a true honor.

ECU contributed to each of our lives,” Rogers said.

As chancellor, Rogers said one of his favorite parts about homecoming was seeing people he had not seen for a long time. Rogers said it was also always nice to see alumni come back to the university to join in on the celebration.

Samari Liggins, senior exercise physiology major, works as a resident advisor at Jones Residence Hall on College Hill. Liggins said he has not been to any ECU homecoming events before, but that he may consider going this year with a bunch of his friends.

"We bring a lot of energy and support to everything we do," Liggins said. "I don't think there's a lot of Pirate events that we don't bring the energy to."

“In the fall of 1936, the Alumni Association at ECU organized the first homecoming,” Cobourn said. “The whole intention was to welcome the alumni back to campus. The association sponsored the whole thing and planned it.”

Cobourn said during the first homecoming event, Leon Meadows, who was the university’s president at that time, welcomed the alumni in an official ceremony on the campus.

A barbecue luncheon and football game against Louisburg college was held afterward, with a homecoming dance to round up the celebration in the evening, he said.

For the next three years, Cobourn said, the homecoming program did not differ too much except for when it was held. The Alumni Association moved the event from fall to late winter in 1939 to combine it with the dedication of a new building that is now known as the Flanagan Building, Cobourn said.

In 1941, Cobourn said, the first homecoming parade was included in the festivities. The idea of the parade was introduced by football Head Coach John V. Christenbury, who led his team through an undefeated football season during that year, Cobourn said.

ECU football prepares to face Memphis Tigers

Chris Long TEC STAFF

East Carolina University football (3-3, 1-2 American Athletic Confer ence) is looking forward to facing off against the University of Memphis (4-2, 2-1 AAC) at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina, on Saturday for the school’s homecoming game.

The 7:30 p.m. kickoff will be tele vised on ESPNU, with Hall of Fame and Letterwinner presentations due to be honored during the event.

For the Pirates, this game follows a decisive loss against Tulane Univer sity (5-1, 2-0 AAC) in which the two sides went head to head for four full quarters. Unfortunately for the Pirates, costly turnovers, untimely penalties and missed kicks created a 24-9 loss for ECU.

In the match, ECU’s senior quarter back Holton Ahlers completed 32/51 passes for 288 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The fifth year

player also carried six balls on the ground for 22 yards.

From the ground, freshman running back Marlon Gunn Jr. electrified the game with seven carries for 67 yards for an average of 9.6 yards per carry to pair with 25 yards on three catches through the air. The partner in his tandem, soph omore running back Keaton Mitchell, rushed 10 times for 48 yards and caught eight catches for 54 yards. The duo car ried much of the offensive workload for ECU, who was able to display the bounty of weapons available in the match.

Graduate student Isaiah Winstead created nine catches for 90 yards, while junior wide receiver C.J. Johnson cre ated three receptions for a total of 51 yards and the only touchdown of the day for the Pirates.

Memphis enters the game following a one point loss at home to the conference

JAYLYN GORE THE EAST CAROLINIAN

East Carolina University students dress to support ECU's football team in the Boneyard at Dowdy Ficklen Stadium.

Alston Cobourn

BRIEFS

SGA to host ECU student forums

Today, the Student Government Association (SGA) will host a student forum regarding university fees where students will hear about three different proposals. The event will take place from noon to 1 p.m. in room 319 of the Main Campus Student Center.

SGA to hold student assembly

Today, SGA will hold it’s weekly student assembly meeting. The meeting will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. in Hendrix Theater.

Session to be held for Student Transitions

Today, ECU’s Student Transitions will host an information session for students interested in becoming an orientation assistant next summer. The information session will take place from 8 to 8:30 p.m. online, and students can find the link to the meeting on ENGAGE.

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS

HOCO WEEK

Oct. 12, 2022

Cannonball Kickoff (5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

Banner Competition (All day)

Captain of the Ship Voting on Engage (All day)

Oct. 13, 2022

Pirate Nation Scavenger Hunt (begins at 8:00 a.m.) Skit Night (7:00 p.m.)

Oct. 14, 2022

Paint it Purple Friday (All day)

Canned Food Drive (11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)

Pirate Pride T-Shirt Swap (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

Pirate Media 1 Grand Opening (3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

College of Nursing Open House (5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.)

A Purple and Gold EveningAlumni Awards Ceremony (5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)

Freeboot Friday (5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.)

Pirate Shenanigans through the Decades (6:00 p.m. To 10:00 p.m.)

NPHC Step Show (7:00 p.m.)

Black Alumni Reunion Welcome Mixer (8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.)

Oct. 15, 2022

Homecoming Parade (9:00 a.m.)

Marching Pirates Reunion (5 hours before kickoff)

Pirate Game Day Tailgate (2.5 hours before kickoff)

Homecoming Football Game and Captain of the Ship Announcement (7:30 p.m.)

Pirate Shenanigans through the Decades (6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.)

Black Alumni Reunion - Laura Marie Leary Elliot Scholarship and Awards Gala (and After Party) (6:30-9:00 p.m. dinner and awards, 9:00 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. afterparty)

Oct. 16, 2022

Black Alumni Reunion - Soulful Sunday Brunch (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

Captain of the Ship to be announced

On Oct. 15, during East Carolina Univer sity’s Homecoming Weekend, the Captain of the Ship award winner will be announced at the Homecoming football game.

Homecoming Chair Tyree Rubin, junior hospitality management major, joined the Homecoming Committee last year when Captain of the Ship replaced the idea of having a Homecoming Queen and King, Rubin said.

The Homecoming King and Queen posi tions were simply popularity contests between organizations, especially within the Greek Life community, Rubin said. He said the position of Captain of the Ship aims to choose a student who has contributed to their community in meaningful ways, rather than being chosen based on popularity.

“People who are getting out there, making the community a better place, it’s really good to have students like this,” Rubin said. “We really want to highlight these people and what they’ve done for the community and people here right on campus.”

The implementation of Captain of the Ship has been a success so far, Rubin said. He said last year’s winner, Sophie Villani, was involved with environmental philanthropy.

Within the current top 20 list of candidates

HISTORY continued from A1

According to the University Archives website, for the following five years, homecoming at ECU was suspended due to World War II. In the archives it also says celebrations took place again in 1946 calling it the “Veterans Homecoming” to honor all the alumni veterans who fought in the war.

“After the war, homecoming was held in May to align it to the college’s annual May Day celebration”, Cobourn said. “It was the first event in a long time. They also introduced the concept of a Homecoming Queen and Maid of Honor that year which we still kind of, in a different way, do nowadays.”

One major tradition that was added to homecoming took place in 2007 on ECU’s 100th anniversary, according to the University’s Archives website. In the archives,

for Captain of the Ship, many are Greek Life members, but that’s because fraternities and sororities are required to submit a nomina tion for one of their members, Rubin said. However, he said, the nominees are chosen thoughtfully and seriously evaluated on their merits for what Captain of the Ship seeks.

“Captain of the Ship is definitely a change from what you’re traditionally aware of,” Rubin said.

Senior public health major Matthew Blount is a top 10 finalist for Captain of the Ship, according to an announcement the official ECU homecoming Instagram account made last week.

“Greek life here doesn't usually get the best PR, and we kind of wanted to change the cul ture and have a charity more focused on aca demics and philanthropy,” Blount said.

Blount’s friend nom inated him for Captain of the Ship, which was very touching, Blount said. His friend nominated him because of the success their fraternity saw in the past year, he said. Blount said he is in charge of the academics and philanthropy of DTD.

it is also documented how the customs of raising Jolly Roger and No Quarter flags during the football game were created. As of today, the Jolly Roger flag is raised before kickoff, and the No Quarter flag is raised at the beginning of the fourth quarter, according to the University’s Archives website..

For Chancellor Phillip Rogers, homecoming is a way to reconnect with people from the past, he said.

“I always love to see our alums come back and reconnect with the university. I think it’s important that we establish a relationship with our students in a way that is sustainable over the course of their lifetime, so that they can then extend that relationship of ECU and what it means to be a pirate to their family and friends,” Rogers said.

Walk across the ECU campus and seeing people reliving homecoming moments from the past gives him joy, Rogers said. He said he

He knows many of the other top 10 final ists because a lot of them are in the honors college like himself, Blount said. He said it was exciting to become a top 10 finalist for Captain of the Ship because it is a chance to represent Pirate Nation. Blount said he grew up in Greenville so he always had Pirate Nation in his life.

“Having the chance to actually represent ECU as a leader, it’s not just something that affects me, it affects my whole community and everybody I am a part of,” Blount said.

Senior history major, Amrina Rangar, is one of the other top 10 finalists for Captain of the Ship according to a post last week from the official ECU Homecoming Instagram page. Rangar said she felt accomplished and proud to become a top 10 finalist, especially because she is a woman of color.

“I’m one of three people of color on that list, and the only woman of color on that list,” Rangar said. “I felt good that I could represent some of ECU’s smaller demographic,”

Students can vote for Captain of the Ship today, according to the official ECU Captain of the Ship website. Voting lasts until Friday, the day before the winner is announced at the Homecoming Football Game.

relives his memories by walking out on the mall around the cupola where there are bricks built into the walkway with alumni’s names on it, reflecting on their time and experiences at the university.

Kristen Blake, senior business marketing major, said she has been celebrating homecoming for the past four years. She said the festivities have been one of her favorite events throughout her time in Greenville.

Especially when it comes to her freshman year, building a float with her sorority and continuing the float tradition at ECU are memories Blake will never forget, she said.

“My favorite homecoming tradition from my time here at ECU is watching the homecoming parade and seeing all of the different floats everyone creates,” Blake said.

ECU to hold Alumni Awards Ceremony

Julia Lawson FOR THE EAST CAROLINIAN

On Saturday, the East Carolina University Alumni Awards Cere mony will be held at the Greenville Convention Center and will begin at 5:30 p.m. to honor alumni who have contributed to ECU’s campus, staff and students after graduating.

Shawn Moore, director of Signature Programs and Student Engagement for the ECU Alumni Association, said that she is in charge of most of the large-scale events like planning fundraisers, and evenings like the Alumni Awards Ceremony.

The purpose of the ceremony, Moore said, is to showcase alumni that have done amazing things. Moore said that each of the catego ries highlights a different alum for their achievements in their field and how they have contributed to the campus, faculty and students.

“I think it’s important to recog nize those people for the wonderful things they have done,” Moore said.

As people get into the day-today business that must be tended to, Moore said, it becomes more important to take time to appre ciate the people who work hard to contribute to ECU and help enrich the community.

Moore said the awards cere

mony is an important opportunity for the university to showcase the achievements of alumni and recruit new students who can look at past student achievements and feel inspired by them.

ECU alumni Gray Williams said she graduated in 2013 and this year she will be receiving the Young Alumni Achievement Award for the creation of and being the exec utive director of the Greenville-Pitt County Sports Commission.

Williams said she and her team saw the opportunity to capitalize on Greenville’s main source of tourism being sporting events which in turn brought in more visitors that spent money at the local businesses.

“In 2017 is when we looked at wanting to bring more sports into Greenville-Pitt County and saw there was a need,” Williams said. “83% of the business that was in Greenville that was being brought in was in the tourism industry at the time was sports related.”

When Williams was announced to be the Young Alumni Achieve ment Award recipient, she said she was shocked to find out she was nominated in the first place.

Dr. Karla Jones said she was recently selected to be the chair of the executive committee for ECU’s Alumni Association.

Jones said she graduated from ECU in 2000 with her bachelor's degree and in 2002 she received her master’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science.

“(As the chair) I basically over see the board, y’know, conduct the meetings,” Jones said, “for the actual gala I’m actually presenting the awards.”

Jones said that she oversees the awards committee. Although she does not directly go over applica tions, Jones said she ensures that she reviews all recipients before they are officially announced.

Each year, Jones said, there are many applications sent in with many eligible recipients and it is the

award’s committee’s responsibility to choose the best one.

According to the Piratealumni. com, anyone is welcome to submit nominees between Nov. 1 through Jan. 31, and the recipients will be announced mid-March each year.

A single ticket to attend the Purple and Gold Evening is $75, according to the Pirate Alumni website, to receive recognition at the event as well as one ticket is $125, to receive recognition at the event and two tickets are $225, and to be a table host which comes with 8 seats at a table and table signage is $1,100.

HALIE MILLER I THE EAST CAROLINIAN

The Alumni Association float making its way through the annual parade.

This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.

Ashley Wolfe TEC STAFF

This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.

HALIE MILLER I THE EAST CAROLINIAN

The annual Homecoming Captain of the Ship is awarded to one person each year, Tiffany Robertson was the spring 2021s winner and received the trophy.

Matthew Blount

`

ECU should do more to feature Hispanic Heritage

Hispanic Heritage Month lasts from Sept. 15 to this Saturday and while a few organizations at East Carolina University held events in recognition of the month, not enough was done to highlight the importance of Hispanic Heritage.

ECU’s Ledonia Wright Cultural Center (LWCC) held an event in cel ebration of Hispanic Latinx Heritage month. The LWCC partnered with ECU’s Latino Student Union to host a Latinx Heritage Month celebration at the Main Campus Student Center. However, it was not advertised in a way that made the event appear important to all students, as a few instagram posts about the event does not emphasize the importance of the event.

We, the Editorial Staff of The East Carolinian, believe that more should have been done in support and rec ognition of the Hispanic and Latinx community at ECU from Sept. 15 to this Saturday.

According to ECU’s website, approximately 2,237 students on campus identify as part of the Hispanic/Latinx community which puts them at about 8% of the student population. This does not mean that they should be recognized any less than the other communities of students on campus.

Holding more events during Hispanic Heritage month would not only give the community recogni tion but it also would allow other students to have opportunities to be educated about the cultures of their peers. This would allow all of Pirate Nation to be more inclusive, under standing and considerate of those around them while creating a better campus environment.

The Hispanic and Latinx com munity at ECU deserves to be rec ognized and supported just as any other community.

PIRATE

The East Carolinian does not endorse the statements made in Pirate Rants.

So are we just done talking about Theta Chi? Saying nothing invalidates the victims, it’s sick.

If you are older than 30 I don’t wanna see you downtown. It’s creepy, go to the Bucc or something.

How is panda gonna be closed during fall break BECAUSE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE ???

Y’all really out here doin the most.

So I thought the parking garage was free after 5? Come to find out it’s free after 12 a.m. way to continue to take our money ECU.

As a trans student, this university is a joke. like y’all pretend to be so accepting but it’s all performative to make the school seem woke. Y’all have no problem having literal trans/pride flags on campus, spending my tuition money to put pride flags on billboards in Greenville and wasting resources to umm do *checks notes* “a human rainbow???” but the moment I ask for the university to make accommodations for me y’all get really quiet and make up a lousy excuse. Make it make sense ECU.

Why is the Greenville weather so confusing??

Destroying property just to be on Barstool definitely should be kicked out of the university.

People who can’t stand, can’t stay between the lines in the parking garage, deserve to be towed.

Questions regarding Pirate Rants can be directed to Rachana Charla at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.

or scan the QR code.

Mahsa Amini’s death shocks Iran

On Sept. 16 in Tehran, Iran, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was found dead after being detained by Iran’s morality police and since then has sparked over 300 protests across the country.

Despite nationwide media censorship, videos of women cutting their hair, burning hijabs and protesting have been shared and seen by millions around the world.

Amini was visiting her uncle in Tehran when the morality police arrested her as soon as she arrived because she was not wearing a “proper” hijab.The morality police is made up of a group of officers, four men and two women, who patrol high traffic areas, an anonymous morality police officer in a BBC interview said. Also known as Gasht-e Ershad, the morality police enforce mandatory hijab rules through government forces like the Islamic Revolu tionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The morality police are historical and

political remnants of a system based on outdated ideals that are constantly tested by modern women. In Amini’s case, the strip of hair showing from her loose scarf, her natural body and an extremely unlucky encounter with violent police forces led to her tragic death.

According to the BBC, Amini was beaten by police, taken to the hospital and died 48 hours later. The police said Amini fell from the van and got bruised, but with no video footage, no CT scan and no autopsy, Amini’s death remains a mystery. But, her death is not in vain.

Amini was a young and studious woman with big dreams. She was a victim of circumstance, a soul gone too soon and, now, started a force to be reckoned with.

Amini’s death has inspired countless Iranians to protest against the conservative Islamic Republic, censorship, the morality police and the systemic violence against women from the religious nationalism in Iran’s government.

Iran has a complicated history. It’s a nation pillaged and plundered for petrol by the British and United States of America with a past full of challenging leaders. Iran

Letters to the editor

Every year, I talk to my classes about the bundle of civil liberties afforded us by The First Amendment to The Constitution. And those are freedoms none of us should ever take for granted. For the most part, I focus on two, which include Free Speech and Freedom of the Press. We discuss the long history of censorship in the United States, going back to the 18th century when this nation was founded. And who could forget the damaging Senator, Jesse Helms, who, in the 1980s, did everything in his power to silence artists? And let’s not overlook the miserable Governor, Ron DeSantis, who has an ongoing agenda to censor Critical Race Theory and the LGBTQ Community. And so, I just have to ask: In what nation are we living?! Because of these diabolical fiends, America sometimes appears to be a third-world country overrun by the worst of the worst.

East Carolina University has a long, checkered history with censorship. Over the years, attempts have been

OUR STAFF

has continuously promoted restrictive ideas rooted in Islam that misconstrue the religion and implement laws that prevent progress, especially for marginalized communities.

But, Iran is not the only country battling with Islamic jihad and the lack of human rights for women. This idea of religious nationalism and restrictions for women is seen in countless other Middle Eastern countries. In Afghanistan the Taliban is preventing girls from going to secondary school, and Saudi Arabia does not allow women to drive.

Iran had other sharia-based Islamic laws that allow for public flogging, child marriage, any association to the LBGTQ+ commu nity being punishable by death and more. Even the concept of the morality police has spurred from jihad and created a whole branch of officers whose job is to ensure women are wearing appropriate attire including loose fitting pants, long sleeved shirts, and a full coverage headscarf.

dicey past with censorship

made to censor the content of studentrun publications. At the School of Art and Design, creative work done by students has been removed from public view many times, all because someone was offended. Works of art in our galleries and hallways have been unjustifiably removed, leaving students wondering what in the world they did wrong. Even to the extent that university administrators have undertaken such hideous, un-American activity. Is this not a nation where we all have a right to free speech and freedom of expression? And especially at a state-supported, public institution? I’ll always honor the words of Evelyn Beatrice Hall who once wrote, “I disapprove of what you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”

I had a couple of conversations with a former university attorney who assured me student work cannot be censored unless 1) it can be construed as a threat to life or limb, or 2) it prevents the occupants of a building from getting to the fire exits in a timely manner. But

nonetheless, censorship continues to thrive on this campus.

In 2016, I worked for nearly a year with our former Provost, Dr. Mitchelson, in order to rewrite the university’s policies involving free speech and freedom of expression. Following that effort, the university’s rating with The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) went from a red light to a green light. A green light is FIRE’s highest rating. That was a big victory, and the story was covered by the Raleigh News & Observer, and also CNN.

So, here’s the bottom line: If personnel at this university continue to meddle with our civil liberties, then we’ll be assured of one simple fact: East Carolina University is nothing more than a small, provincial institution, just south of The Great Dismal Swamp. God bless America!

Contact

Emily Peek Editor-in-Chief

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Editor Markayla McInnis

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Shatiece Starks Arts Chief Brendan Cavazos Sports Editor

Chris Long Sports Chief Rachana Charla

Reagan Blackburn

Olivia Magistro

Milks

Rachana Charla

As

Mahsa Amini’s death

protesters of men, women and children gathered in the streets to demand

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graphic

Jacqueline

Aries (March 21-April 19) — Today is a 7 — Envision a financial goal. Get specific. Schedule actions to take. Strengthen basic infrastructures. Make an important connection. You can get what you need.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Today is an 8 — Energy surges are predictable. Routines get tested. Nearby obligations could clash with distant fantasies. Consider your situation from a higher perspective. Nurture yourself.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Today is a 7 — Consider options and potential. Opportunities could hide behind changes. Listen and observe. Notice unspoken clues. Build long-term value with thoughtful planning and preparation.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Today is an 8 — Have fun with friends. Lasting value can spark. Social connections can open unexpected doors. Strengthen bonds and alliances. Discover important news through the grapevine.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is an 8 — Forge ahead to make professional deadlines and measures. Avoid distractions. Work with what other people deliver. Make a lasting beneficial connection. Take charge.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Today is a 7 — Your exploration could wander. Follow serendipity, curiosity, inspiration and dreams. Discover long-term connections. The shortest distance between two points isn't always a straight line.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) — Today is a 7 — Don’t waste money on extra stuff. Stick with simple, quality basics. Lasting durability is worth the investment. Reduce consumption. Collaborate to grow shared savings.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7 — Compromise pays into the future. Strength includes a willingness to bend. Consider the big picture with a relationship. You're gaining wisdom and respect.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) — Today is an 8 — Pace yourself to save energy. Avoid tricky sections. Slow to enjoy the scenery. Listen to your body. Prioritize mental, physical and spiritual health.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is an 8 — Relax and enjoy. Have fun with friends and family. Flirt with someone attractive. Romance is a distinct possibility. Discover beauty hiding in ordinary situations.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is an 8 — Catch up with family news. Discuss dreams and possibilities. Come up with domestic ideas and solutions. Collaborate with heirlooms and traditions. Share a deeper connection.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

— Today is a 9 — Listen to your muses. Discover them in mundane moments, washing dishes or in the shower. Ponder a creative question. Which direction? Make an important connection.

Intramural Volleyball Season

Student

STEM@Starrlight: Storytelling and Science Scullery

Evans St.

to 7 p.m.

TOMORROW

National Hispanic Heritage Month: Recital III: Duo Guitiano

A.J. Fletcher Recital

to 9 p.m.

FRIDAY

Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival: Next Gen Presents

A.J. Fletcher Recital Hall

102 A.J. Fletcher Recital Hall 7:30 to 9 p.m. (252) 328-6851

Freeboot Friday: Homecoming

Five Points Plaza 5th and Evans St. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. (252) 561-8400 Night Hike

Wildwood Park

3450 Blue Heron Drive

7 to 11:59 p.m. (252) 329-4567

Annual Homecoming Parade returns

Martha Nebab FOR THE EAST

East Carolina University’s Homecoming Parade and Float Competition will be held Saturday at 9 a.m. along 5th Street, from Hilltop Street to Evans Street to showcase organizations.

According to ECU’s Homecoming website, several organizations will be showcasing their floats before the football game begins. Many groups will be walking, riding in cars and driving traditional floats down the street.

Chancellor Philip Rogers said the Homecoming Parade gives a chance for people and Pirates of all ages to participate in home coming activities.

“Whether you’re the small child of an alumni that can stand on the side of 5th Street and catch the candy as the floats come by, or whether you’re a student that’s spent a lot of time with your respected campus organization building out some of those cool floats that I saw last year, to an alumni that comes back and has a breakfast meeting on the front lawn of the alumni association house; there’s

“It’s very densely populated and yet we can feel so isolated and events like this, like the cannonball kickoff, they serve to bring an enormous group of students together to begin the celebrations of everything that is ECU,” Busuito said.

Homecoming is a special time to bring more energy to the student population as well as showcase the exceptional talents of both the music and dance teams, Busuito said.

“We always look forward to these ‘cause it’s always fun for the band to have an opportunity to interact with the student population and get them to engage.” Busuito said. “We feel pretty strongly about being emblematic of our whole street population. We do this through both music performance and field performance.”

Former ECU graduate Richelle Smallwood wrote in an email statement that homecoming celebrations are essential

something for everybody in that morning tradi tion,” Rogers said.

During homecoming, Rogers said he sees the parade as a relaxed, laid-back event that gives people the chance to feel the Pirate Spirit and to embrace and connect with fellow Pirates.

Rogers said he was able to participate in the Parade last year with his wife and two children. As he rode around 5th street, he threw out candy to the crowd, he said.

“There was no better seat in the house than to be on a float or in a car in the homecoming parade because you get to see and experience everything and everyone along the parade route,” Rogers said.

Giuliana Roccisano, president of the Planet ECU club, said this will be the first time her club will be participating in the parade. Roccisano said she plans to create a small trailer float, showcasing a paper-mâché globe that represents the club’s logo, along with a few inflatable dinosaurs. Planet ECU, formerly-named Geology club, also plans to hand out rocks to onlookers, she said.

Roccisano said she hopes to show onlookers that the Planet ECU club consists of a community that will welcome anyone who is interested in geology and paleontology.

to ECU’s culture. She wrote that they are a great opportunity for her to connect with the old and new generation of all ECU pirates.

Smallwood wrote that she loves the music and dancing of the homecoming season and believes it is a great way to demonstrate school pride and build a sense of community, she wrote.

“As a former student of ECU, attending events was a signif icant part of the college experience. I was a graduate student at ECU and finding the balance between being a student and participating in social activities was a struggle at times,” Smallwood wrote. “Now as an alumnus, I am excited about attending events because it allows me to restore that opportu nity of meeting and forming relationships with fellow pirates.”

Junior internet and computer technology major Nigel Ward said he can’t wait for the homecoming celebrations to start, specifically the Cannonball Kickoff. He said that he

“The biggest thing we tried to do when starting the club was to try to reinform or remove miscon ceptions about geology just being about rocks,” Roccisano said. “Geology has always seemed really closed-off. But, we’re hoping that after seeing it (the float), people will realize that geology is fun and it’s for everybody, regardless of how much you know.”

Davina Hoang, president of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, wrote in an email statement that her organization will be collaborating with Sigma Pi on a float themed “Super Pirates and Super PeeDee.” She wrote that she plans for the float to have skyscrapers, with PeeDee rappelling down to fight the Memphis Tiger.

Hoang wrote that the two sororities also plan on passing out “Think Pink” ribbons to represent Zeta Tau’s philanthropy in which they spotlight the topic of breast cancer education and awareness.

“Everyone is so unique in their own ways in how they go about (designing) the float,” Hoang wrote. “When people look at our float, I want them to see the creativity and thought that went behind the making of our float,” she wrote.

This writer can be contacted at arts@theeastcarolinian.com.

believes this homecoming will be better than last year’s.

Spending time with his friends and family is what really makes him look forward to this event, Ward said. The excitement garnered through the musical performance of both the band and dancers will carry throughout the whole event, he said.

“I like to see the band progressing their performance each and every year because there’s new members that are added to the band now. I’d like to see what they can bring to the team. Makes everybody smile, everybody happy, cheerful,” Ward said.

The kickoff event will bring more hype and excitement for the other upcoming events, Ward said, and it will be a great start to a week of fun and celebration.

Banner Competiton to be displayed in the rec center

East Carolina University welcomes back the Banner Competition during its 2022 Homecoming Week where ECU’s competing organizations showcase the theme “Super Pirates and Super PeeDee” through banner art.

Homecoming Chair Tyree Rubin wrote in an email statement the Banner Competition is a juried art compe tition where organizations can participate and get a large sheet of paper from the Homecoming Committee and decorate it for the Spirit Cup.

Rubin wrote there’s no set day for the competition as the banners are hung up at the beginning of Homecoming Week.

The event is held in the Eakin Recreation Center due to its popularity among ECU students, he wrote.

“They (the banners) will be visible for people in the center to see and judges will come in together to score them,” Rubin wrote.

The judge’s are chosen by students who nominate their favorite professor, faculty member, and more, and from there he’ll send out emails, Rubin wrote.

Organizations that win are awarded money, points, or both, depending on what place they’re in. Large organiza tions that win first place get 300 points and $300, Rubin wrote. Smaller organizations that win first place receive 300 points and $250, he wrote, and the banners are taken down by the Homecoming Game, on Oct. 15, and winners will be announced, he wrote.

“It gives organizations the opportunity to showcase their artistic and creative skills! One reason, why it can be seen as special, is because a lot of orgs put work into these banners, and members get to come together and combine their skills and ideas. It takes a lot of work since these banners are huge,” Rubin wrote.

Rules that must be followed are that the banners must be decorated horizontally, must not contain anything that could easily fall off and must include the organization name, ECU mascot, opponent’s mascot and the homecoming theme must be incorporated into the design, he wrote.

Rubin wrote that the theme “Super Pirates and Super PeeDee” was decided by the Homecoming Committee the previous year after the completion of Homecoming Week 2021. He wrote there was a meeting where the committee reviewed a list of names and the chair and advisor decided upon it.

“All banners can be seen at the Rec Center during Homecoming Week. For those unable to go, we will take pictures of all of them and post them on our Instagram account @ecuhomecoming,” Rubin wrote.

Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA) Homecoming Chair Davina Hoang said the banner competition is when organizations come up with a design for their banner and make it as unique and creative as they want it to be as long as it fits the theme.

Hoang said ZTA incorporated a villain versus hero theme where PeeDee and the Memphis Tigers mascot are fighting each other. She said you never know what other organizations are creating so you have to “put on your thinking caps” and step your game up.

“The judges kind of base it off of creativity and then there’s a fan favorite competition where they post it on Facebook and whoever gets the most amount of likes gets extra points towards homecoming,” Hoang said.

Her favorite part is seeing her organization’s hard work pay off, Hoang said. Witnessing their work coming to life made her think about all their hard work and how good it looks, she said.

A Moment in Magic President Madde Boykin said the

Banner Competition will be a lot easier this year than it was last year because of the Homecoming Theme.

Boykin said she believes her organization will have an effective advantage as it directly relates to what they do already. She said they dress up as superheroes for children and for the banner they’ll incorporate their chapter’s hero.

“We were all super excited because it gives us a leg up because it literally relates exactly to what we do. So hope fully that’ll give us a little bit of an advantage point against some of the other organizations,” Boykin said.

Being able to participate as a small organization and be a part of the competition is helpful and exciting because A Moment in Magic is a non-profit organization and winning can help them create programming for the children they visit, Boykin said.

HALIE MILLER I THE EAST CAROLINIAN

The East Carolina University Homecoming Committee proudly waves to the crowd as they float down the street showing off their float in the parade last year.

Philip Rogers

HALIE

CAROLINIAN

East Carolina University pride is shown by the hanging banners.

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TEC spertZ

The East Carolinian

Sports experts predict this week’s events

Brendan Cavazos Sports Editor

ECU vs Memphis on Saturday Score Prediction?

31-21 ECU

Why? The Pirates were stunned a bit by the Tulane defense last week. Fortunately, they were equally as shocked by the immediate impact from running back Marlon Gunn Jr. The Pirates will bounce back but the Tigers will put a dent in the ECU defense that seems to have hit a wall. Regardless, a win is necessary for homecoming.

Chris Long Sports Chief

ECU vs Memphis on Saturday Score Prediction?

28-21 ECU

Why? We’re at the point now where, if the team intends on fighting for a conference championship, Tigers sit atop of the conference, Dowdy. The Pirates must win this one to keep that goal of winning

Senior designs HOCO uniforms

Chris Long TEC STAFF

The East Carolina University football (3-3, 1-2 American Athletic Conference) team announced earlier in the season that the team would be debuting new uniforms for the school’s homecoming game against the University of Memphis (4-2, 2-1 AAC).

The uniforms were designed by ECU’s senior graphic design major Will Treadaway, who said they are a modern throwback. The purple jersey and white pants combination takes elements from eras of Pirates football from the 1970s through the 1990s.

The earliest inspiration, the curved Pirates script logo on the helmet, was derived from the team’s logo of that era. The block numbers on the front of the jersey are a nod to the 1980s design and the purple and gold stripes along with the 1990s logo will be displayed on the uniform’s helmet.

winning record for 29 of the 57 total years the program has played in college football. The highest of highs came in 1991, when the then independent Pirates went 10-1 in the regular season and faced one of their biggest rivals in the post season.

“We had that big win against NC State in the Peach Bowl in the 90s,” Treadaway said. “In that game, we were wearing a purple jersey with the stripes on the sleeves, so that was kind of one of the biggest moments in Pirates football history. A lot of people keep calling these the Peach Bowl jerseys.”

The Pirates defeated the Wolfpack in the 1992 Peach Bowl following a 10-1 season under former head coach Bill Lewis. The 37-34 victory is looked at by many as one of the program’s crown achievements.

University of Virginia. From there, former head coach Pat Dye led the team to five winning seasons to round out the decade. Coach Dye was inducted into the ECU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006, where he was honored during homecoming.

This year’s homecoming celebration will be special for Treadaway, who will be presented with his own jersey during the scheduled events. Debuting at homecoming is special for Treadaway, he said, although it was not the original intent. During his design process, Treadaway said he hoped that his uniform would debut in the season opener against North Carolina State University (5-1, 1-1 Atlantic Coastal Conference).

ECU vs Memphis Score Prediction?

Memphis being the higher seed.

“I decided on the throwback theme based on Pirate fans,” Treadaway said. “A lot of older generations of Pirates fans, who tend to talk about the good decades of Pirate football and I wanted to show how we’re getting back on track.”

Treadaway said he has high hopes for the outlook of the Pirates season, and these uniforms are meant to be a return to generational success. Treadaway said he hopes to remind the squad of the school’s success in years past with inspiration from the school’s most successful team.

ECU has finished with an even or

The modern throwback contains details beyond the obvious. Treadaway said he was satisfied with the drop shadows behind the block numbers, something that has been absent from ECU’s football jerseys for many years. Along with the drop shadows, this jersey will be the first football jersey to say “Pirates” on the front of the jersey.

“From everything I can find, this is the first one to say Pirates,” Treadaway said. “It’s kind of how I incorporated the modern 2020’s decade into it.”

Most jerseys of yesteryear contain either East Carolina or ECU on the front above the numbers. The Pirates logo is inspired by the original look from the 1970s, where teams enjoyed success both in the Southern Conference and as an independent program.

In 1971 and 1972, former head coach Sonny Randle led the team to consecutive 9-2 seasons before leaving to coach for the

from

rival University of Houston (3-3, 1-1 AAC). The game was a collapse for Memphis, who blew a 13 point lead and was outscored 26-12 in the fourth quarter alone.

In the contest, Memphis’s sophomore quar terback Seth Henigan completed 21/32 for 241 yards and a touchdown. The Tigers showcased their plethora of weapons against Houston with seven rushers and nine pass catchers contribut ing to the offense.

Offensively, the Tigers grabbed their yardage in chunks. Memphis’s redshirt senior Asa Martin caught two balls for 51 yards and a touchdown, with the longest catch going for 41 yards. Seven receivers in the contest caught passes for 15 yards or greater, creating much of the passing offense. Memphis’s redshirt senior quarterback Ryan Glover was brought in to shake up the offense, rushing twice for 33 yards.

The Pirates and Tigers have faced off against one another 24 times in the two school’s histories, dating back to 1990. In those games, the Pirates have bested Memphis 16 times to the Tigers’ eight. From 2006 to 2012, ECU defeated Mem phis annually seven consecutive times.

Most recently, the Pirates took down Mem phis in Memphis, Tennessee during the 2021 season in a 30-29 overtime victory. The Tigers, in overtime, decided to go for two points rather

“At the time of designing them, I knew we were playing NC State week one,” Treadaway said. “I thought maybe we could wear them week one against NC State and that’d be an awesome story for a new upset.”

The goal of the season is a conference championship, which the team feels like they have the personnel to accomplish, senior quarterback Holton Ahlers said during a press conference on Sept. 10.

ECU will face off against the University of Memphis on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at DowdyFicklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina. The homecoming game will be televised on ESPNU and can be listened to at 107.9 WNCT FM.

than scoring the point after trying to attempt to win the game. The Pirates created a stop that gave the team bowl eligibility for the first time under head coach Mike Houston.

Ahlers threw for 313 yards and two inter ceptions in the game, but was saved from being the villain by the ground game. On the ground Ahlers ran 18 times for 46 yards and a score, pairing with then freshman running back Keaton Mitchell and freshman running back Rahjai Harris’s ground production.

Mitchell created 81 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown and Harris created 69 yards on 20 catches with a touchdown of his own to pair. The tandem averaged 4.8 yards and 3.5 yards per carry in the contest to aid in creating the victory.

The Pirates will be without Harris in this competition who is out with a knee injury that ended his season two games prior, however Mitchell should be ready to go against the Tigers along with freshman running back Marlon Gunn Jr. who stepped in to replace Harris. Gunn is averaging seven yards per carry on the season.

Following the homecoming match, the Pirates will remain home to compete against the University of Central Florida (4-1, 1-0 AAC) in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium next Saturday for the Boneyard Game. Streaming availability for the game will be announced at a later date.

Will Treadaway

Holton Ahlers

This writer can be contacted at sports@theeastcarolinian.com.

CONTRIBUTED BY WILL TREADAWAY

ECU senior graphic design major Will Treadaway stands with players and coaches as his uniform design is brought to life by ECU football.