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Robert H. Wright Awards Given

Three East Carolina graduates have been named Robert H. Wright Award recipients for the Class of 2009. This award is designed to be the most prestigious award presented to seniors during annual commencement exercises. The award recognizes academic achievement at East Carolina, service (both to the University and the community), and leadership qualities (both potential and exhibited). The recipients should exemplify those special characteristics which would cause him or her to be recognized as one who will make a positive difference in his or her profession and community. In addition to other accomplishments, the recipient should have an overall academic average of at least 3.5 through the first semester of the graduation year. This year's Robert H. Wright Award recipients are: Joel Funmilola Banjo-Johnson - London, England Diana Andreea Gliga - Jacksonville, NC Stefanie Marie Wethington - Corinth, ME The Alumni Association would like to extend a sincere "Congratulations" to these deserving students and welcome them as alumni of East Carolina University.

Lace Up Your Running Shoes!

The 2nd Annual Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run is scheduled for Saturday, April 18 in Uptown Greenville. Presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Signs Now our 5K road race is a USATF certified course (#NC-04015-PH) that travels down historic Fifth Street. All proceeds from the Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run benefit East Carolina Alumni Association scholarships, which are awarded annually to ECU undergraduates that excel in the classroom and the community. The 5K race begins at 9:00 a.m. with the one mile Fun Run to immediately follow. The entry fee is $25 per participant and race day registration will be held from 7:30-8:30 a.m. There are three easy ways to register: Online at active.com (until April 16) Mail or fax (252-328-4369) the registration form Call 800-ECU-GRAD Join fellow Pirates as we race for a good cause!

April is Service Month

The East Carolina Alumni Association has deemed April as Service Month and asks that every Pirate and Pirate-at-heart volunteer their time to help someone else. A number of Alumni Association volunteers have coordinated service projects across the Pirate Nation: Habitat for Humanity® - Maryland, Delaware, eastern shore areas Volunteer at KEEN - New York City Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina - Durham and Orange Counties The Alumni Association would like to thank our volunteer coordinators and all who plan to participate in these regional service projects. "Thank you!" If you live in the Greenville/Pitt County area you can take part in ECU's 2nd Annual Relay For Life® on Friday, April 3 through Saturday, April 4. Visit the Alumni Association's team Web page for details. Live the University's motto Servire and participate in a service project in your area! Visit our service project ideas page for a variety of ways you can lend a helping hand during Service Month.

Get Connected through Social Networking Sites

Is online social networking part of your life? Then get connected with the East Carolina Alumni Association through today's most popular sites. Become a fan of the Alumni Association on Facebook, watch our videos on You Tube, connect with fellow ECU alumni for career networking on Linked In, check out photos of alumni events on Flickr, and follow the latest "tweet" from the Alumni Association on Twitter. Visit our homepage for direct links to our pages on each social networking site.

Pirate Career Call

Are you stuck in a rut at your current job? Then get advice on how to plan your path to a different career during this month's Pirate Career Call "Career Changers" on Thursday, April 2 from 12 noon-1:00 p.m. ET via teleconference. Call the Alumni Association today at 800-ECU-GRAD to ensure you receive all accompanying materials. April's Pirate Career Call: "Career Changers" - Thursday, April 2 from 12 noon-1:00 p.m. ET May's Pirate Career Call: "Taking Advantage of Development Opportunities in Your Workplace" - Thursday, May 7 from 12 noon-1:00 p.m. ET Pirate Career Calls are a complimentary service of the East Carolina Alumni Association, the Career Center, and ECU's Human Resources. Audio and PowerPoint presentations for past Pirate Career Calls are available online.

A Pirate's Life for Me!

A Pirate's Life for Me! is the Alumni Association's half-hour radio program that highlights alumni achievement and brings you news from the Alumni Association. In the spring we're on the air the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month at 10:00 a.m. on Pirate Radio 1250 and 930 AM in eastern North Carolina and streaming live anywhere in the Pirate Nation on PirateRadio1250.com. April's guests are: Saturday, April 11 - Tarrick Cox '96, '07, Senior Association Director for Special Populations and Events, East Carolina University Office of Admissions and East Carolina Alumni Association board member Saturday, April 25 - Irene Bailey '93, award-winning artist and one of ECU's 100 Incredible Women Missed an episode? We archive A Pirate's Life for Me! on our Web site. Sign up for our podcast to ensure you'll never miss a show!

Lecture on Thomas Harriot

The Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences presents its final 2008-2009 installment of the Voyages of Discovery Lecture Series on Thursday, April 2. The Thomas Harriot Lecture "Thomas Harriot: New Worlds of an Elizabethan Scientist" will be presented by Professor Stephen Clucas of Birkbeck University of London at 7:00 p.m. in room OC-307 of the Science and Technology Building on ECU's campus. Admittance requires a ticket, which can be obtained by contacting the ECU Central Ticket Office at 252-328-4788 or 800-ECU-ARTS. Tickets are $10 for the general public and free for ECU faculty and staff.

Senior Candlelight Ceremony

In honor of the Class of 2009 and to welcome these graduates into the ranks of alumni, the East Carolina Alumni Association will host the Senior Candlelight Ceremony on Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. at the Cupola on the Campus Mall. As part of the ceremony we will dedicate the Senior Class gift, a time capsule, which will be opened by members of the Class of 2009 during their Golden Alumni 50th class reunion. All attending graduates will receive a special gift from the Alumni Association. Graduates can register online or call the Alumni Center at 800-ECU-GRAD.

Real Life 101

Real Life 101 provides new graduates and young alumni opportunities to learn from community professionals about some of the most important "real life" issues facing those just starting out after college. This spring, the East Carolina Alumni Association will offer four Real LIfe 101 sessions to help young alumni make the right choices in their professional careers. Thursday, April 2 - Being Appropriately Professional Thursday, April 9 - Strategic Job Hunting in a Down Economy Thursday, April 16 - Insurance 101 Thursday, April 23 - Retire a Millionaire All Real Life 101 sessions will take place in Bate 1024 on ECU's campus and begin at 6:00 p.m. Real Life 101 sessions are complimentary, but registration is required. Please call the Alumni Center at 800-ECU-GRAD to register today!

CBS College Sports

It's time for the game! CBS College Sports and Pirates All Access is your one-stop-shop for ECU Athletics! Bid on great ECU game-used memorabilia, rare collectibles, fan experiences, and much more at ECUPirates.com's newest feature, online auctions! Sign up for Pirates All Access to make sure you'll never miss an ECU game. No matter what the sport, Pirates All Access is your home for games, highlights, press conferences, and coach's shows. Subscribe now! In need of new Pirate paraphernalia? Check out the marketplace  ECU Pirate Wear for the newest T-shirts, ball caps, kids apparel, kitchen, home office, and collectibles. Click here for more about CBS College Sports!

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April 1-30
Service Month
Pirate Nation
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Patricia Garren '61, '66


Pat Garren spent her 30-year career serving the music profession across the state of North Carolina. Her bachelors and masters degrees in instrumental music education from East Carolina helped her teach the young people of our state to appreciate music in everyday life and led her to receive numerous national awards and recognition.

While Garren was band director of the Junior High Concert and Symphonic Bands in Asheville, NC her students performed in the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic where they received the prestigious "Sudler Cup" from the John Philip Sousa Foundation. Garren was also the first woman elected president of the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, was Chairman of the North American Band Directors Coordinating Council, and served as president of Women Band Directors International. She received the "Citation of Merit," "Scroll of Excellence," and "Silver Baton" awards from Women Band Directors International, Tau Beta Sigma's "Outstanding Service to Music" award, was a two time recipient of the "Citation of Excellence" from the National Band Association, and the "Award of Excellence" from the North Carolina Bandmasters Association. Garren also received the "Legion of Honor" from Bandworld Magazine and the John Philip Sousa Foundation. In 1979 Garren founded the Asheville Community Band and was its director and conductor for fifteen years.

Garren has been recognized by East Carolina's School of Music with a "Distinguished Alumni Award," is an Honorary Life Member of the North Carolina Music Educators Association, an inductee of the North Carolina Bandmasters Hall of Fame, and received the "Golden Rose," the Women Band Directors International highest award.

Now retired, Garren and her husband Bill enjoy traveling the world. She is an avid golf and tennis player, a USTA certified umpire, and received the SC Tennis Association's "Tennis Umpire of the Year" award in 2005.

Amanda Hodges ’03, ’06


Amanda Hodges is an academic advisor at ECU’s School of Communication. In her professional role she guides students majoring in communications in matters related to academics, personal growth, and other areas as needed, which includes collaborating with various departments on campus and referring students and parents to the appropriate campus resources.

Hodges volunteers for the University and the East Carolina Alumni Association, and has been inducted into the University’s prestigious Servire Society for her volunteer hours served. “East Carolina University has given me so much that it's simply natural to want to give back in any way I can. My roots not only run deep in eastern North Carolina, but they also run deep at ECU with my father, brother, and sister all being alumni of ECU. I've found that the warm, caring, and welcoming spirit that is characteristic of ECU and experienced by us as students seems to carry with us as alumni, making every East Carolina Alumni Association gathering, whether it be for service or fun (which usually go hand in hand), like a family reunion.”

Hodges recently volunteered for the Alumni Association’s ECU Night at UNC-TV taking contributions to sustain the state’s public television station.  “With a motto like "to serve," service is central to the ideals of ECU. However, there is so much more to volunteering in our local communities and giving back to our University than simply fulfilling our University's motto. For me, it is about doing whatever I can to help make our community, or life for a fellow human being, just a little bit better. The one regret I certainly don't ever want to have is that I missed an opportunity to make the world a better place, big or small.”