Victory, East Carolina! The Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl was an exciting finale to the gridiron Pirates' successful season. With 1:25 on the clock Boise State picked up a fumble to tie the game at 38. But the Pirates declared "No Quarter" and with seconds left to play Ben Hartman kicked a 34-yard field goal to secure the Pirates' victory! Fans across the Pirate Nation celebrated this bowl championship, the first since the Pirates' Galleryfurniture.com bowl championship in 2000. Click here to read the full story. With a bowl game held nearly 5,000 miles from East Carolina, many Pirate Football fans were unable to make the trip. However, pride runs deep for ECU alumni and friends, so to give support to the gridiron Pirates fans purchased bowl game tickets for military troops and their families stationed in Hawaii. In exchange for their donations, fans received a commemorative bowl ticket.

Chancellor's Tour stops in Raleigh, Charlotte

You’re invited to an evening with Chancellor Steve Ballard in Raleigh on Wednesday, January 9 or in Charlotte on Tuesday, January 22. Spend time with fellow Pirates and hear Chancellor Ballard’s strategic plan for the University and his vision for our future as the fastest growing University in North Carolina. Raleigh’s event will be held at the NC Museum of History and Charlotte’s event at Taverna 100 in Founders Hall. Chancellor’s Tour events are complimentary, but registration is necessary and can be completed through our online registration or by calling the Alumni Center at 800-ECU-GRAD.

Deadline Approaching for Student Scholarships

January 31 is the deadline for current ECU students to apply for a $1,000 East Carolina Alumni Association Scholarship. This year the Alumni Association will award 20 scholarships to deserving undergraduate students. Applicants must have a 2.7 or higher cumulative GPA and be enrolled full-time for the spring semester. Current senior-level students who will be entering graduate school at ECU are eligible to apply. Completed applications that demonstrate the student’s service to the University community and a letter of recommendation must be submitted to the Alumni Association or postmarked by 5:00 p.m. on January 31 to be considered. The Alumni Association asks you to encourage any ECU student to take advantage of this scholarship opportunity. Applications may be downloaded at PirateAlumni.com or students may visit the Alumni Center to fill out an application.

A Pirate's Life for Me!

Join your hosts Paul Clifford and Jennifer Watson the second and fourth Saturday of each month this spring for the Alumni Association’s half-hour radio program, A Pirate’s Life for Me! Get all the latest information on alumni events across the Pirate Nation and hear from some of ECU’s incredible alumni. This season’s guests include, Hollywood screen writer, Mark Evan Schwartz ’76; “pirate hunter” and NC Maritime Museum curator, David Moore ’89; author and news anchor, Cassandra Bell ’93; owner of Print Marketing Concepts, Inc. and two travel web sites, Robin Good ’80; Ironman champion, Charlie Futrell ’42; The Adventures of Pee Dee the Pirate author, Ralph Finch ’67; Congressional Veteran Commendation recipient and retired US Navy Captain David Fitzgerald ’66, and many more! A Pirate’s Life for Me! airs every other Saturday, beginning January 12, in eastern North Carolina on Pirate Radio 1250 & 930 AM. Don’t live in eastern NC? You can still hear every episode live on Pirate Radio’s web site, www.pirateradio1250.com and hear archived shows at PirateAlumni.com. You can also sign-up for our A Pirate’s Life for Me! podcast so you’ll never miss a show.

Calling all Pirates

As the programs of the East Carolina Alumni Association continue to grow, so too does the need for dedicated Pirates to serve on the Association’s Board of Directors. The Association is always searching for dedicated alumni to volunteer their leadership skills to advance the programs, services, and prestige of the Association. If you know an alumnus/a whose achievements and wisdom can help move the Association and University forward, please contact Paul Clifford, Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations, at 800-ECU-GRAD or e-mail Paul.Clifford@PirateAlumni.com. Only life (Centennial Pirate and Forever Pirate) and current annual (Pirate Pride) members of the Alumni Association at the time of election or appointment are eligible to serve as members of the Board of Directors. Nominations are accepted year-round and elections are held in the spring of each year.

SRAPAS Tribute to Johnny Cash

The S. Rudolph Alexander Performing Arts Series presents Ring of Fire: The Johnny Cash Musical on Sunday, January 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Wright Auditorium. Sponsored, in part, by the Alumni Association, this Broadway adaptation features 38 signature songs from the legendary “Man in Black,” including “Walk the Line,” “Jackson,” “A Boy Named Sue,” and the title track, “Ring of Fire.”  For tickets, please call the ECU Central Ticket Office at 252-328-4788 or 800-ECU-ARTS.

Captain Ahab Had a Wife

The Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences continues its Voyages of Discovery Lecture Series, sponsored, in part, by the Alumni Association, with the Sallie Southall Cotton Lecture on Thursday, February 21. Associate Professor of History from the University of Minnesota, Dr. Lisa Norling, will explore gender dynamics in the American whaling industry from the eighteenth through the nineteenth centuries, based on her prize-winning book Captain Ahab Had a Wife. The lecture will be held in Wright Auditorium on ECU’s campus at 7:00 p.m. and is open to the public.

Alumna's Book Promotes Care for Elderly

Walk & Roll, by Lynn Lancaster Gorges ’75 was a labor of love. After her mother suffered a stroke in 1991, Gorges, like many of her generation, found herself in a new role as her mother’s caregiver. Frustrated by not being able to find things that might make her mother’s daily tasks easier, Gorges decided to put her own creative talents and sewing ability to work. With the help of her husband, William, and three children she wrote and published Walk & Roll – Easy Sewing Projects to Assist Those with Special Mobility Needs. The book provides simple patterns for stylish and functional accessories to mobility aides like walkers and wheelchairs, promoting greater independence for those with special needs. Walk & Roll is available through Gorges’ web site, www.creativecaregiver.com or by calling 252-636-3039.

Alumni Staff Grows with Association

The membership program and activities of the Alumni Association has grown exponentially over the past few years, and the need for additional staff has increased as well. Our staff has experienced much growth during 2007 and a few staff members have assumed new roles. The Alumni Association staff is your on-campus connection with East Carolina and we welcome the opportunity to inform, involve, and serve each member of the Pirate Nation. Please visit the “Contact Us/Staff” section of the Alumni Association’s web site, PirateAlumni.com to get to know each staff member.

Campus News

ECU receives UNC development grant... [More] ECU's maritime studies assesses ship in Bermuda... [More] Football fans pass up Hawaii trip for donation to food ministry... [More] ECU graduates 3,300 at fall commencement... [More] Johnson named First-Team All America... [More] Branches of military getting tickets to bowl game in Hawaii... [More] Pirates stun Wolfpack, 75-69... [More] Parrott featured speaker for ECU's commencement December 15... [More]

Upcoming Events

January 3 Pirate Career Call - Stress Free Interviewing Via Teleconference [More] January 9 Chancellor's Tour Raleigh, NC [More] January 12 A Pirate's Life for Me! Featured guest: Mark Evan Schwartz '76, award-winning playwright [More] January 15 Retired Faculty Board Meeting Greenville, NC [More] January 20 SRAPAS - Ring of Fire: The Johnny Cash Musical Greenville, NC [More] January 22 Chancellor's Tour Charlotte, NC [More] January 26 A Pirate's Life for Me! Featured guest: David Moore '89, Pirate Hunter and Curator of NC Maritime Museum [More] January 31 SRAPAS - Empire Brass Greenville, NC [More] February 6 SRAPAS - Monterrey Jazz Festival Greenville, NC [More] February 7 Pirate Career Call - Power Greetings Via Teleconference [More]