Winter 2009ServireThe Magazine of the East Carolina Alumni Association

ALUMniArtsintHe

AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN!Lyndsey Kraynock, president of the ECU Ambassadors, proudly holds the Homecoming Spirit Cup—the fifth in a row for the group. She’s also wearing two first place medals (lawn and float contests) and two second place medals (banner and skit contests).

SPIRIT CUP CHAMPIONS...SPIRIT CUP CHAMPIONS...

departments

features 8 America’s Leading Hard-Edge Realist Being in the right place at the right time always seems to work out for Jim Cromartie ’66, who shares some of his most memorable life moments.

10 Must Love AliFrom Broadway-style musicals and on-stage drama to big budget films and co-starring with Chihuahuas, Ali Hillis has done it all.

14 He Makes the Music that Moves Us Composer Ray Bunch ’71 has made his musical mark in Hollywood, and many of our favorite movies and television shows.

27 A Pirate Remembers It only took a trip half-way around the world for Ralph Shumaker ’58 to find himself home again at East Carolina.

4 Dear Pirate Nation

5 A Pirate’s Life for Me!

7 Legislative Matters

17 Advancement Update

22 News & Notes from Schools & Colleges

26 Career Corner

29 Pirate Connections

I N T H I S I S S U E. . .

Welcome to Servire, the magazine of the East Carolina Alumni AssociationServire takes a closer look at the accomplishments of our alumni, bringing you engaging feature articles highlighting their success. Stay up-to-date on news from ECU’s colleges and schools, The Career Center, University Advancement, upcoming alumni events, and ways you can stay connected with your alma mater.

Servire | 3

pg. 14

dON tHE COvERVelton “Ray” Bunch ’71 proudly holds his Emmy, which he was awarded in 2004 for Outstanding Dramatic Underscore.

pg. 10

Servire, the name of this magazine and the motto of our University, is from the Latin To Serve. It is a great word that succinctly sums up East Carolina University, our students, and our alumni. It is amazing to me to see how our alumni live the spirit of Servire in

their day-to-day lives. I was recently reminded of this as I sat at the 2008 Alumni Awards ceremony, when we as a Pirate Nation came together to honor six individuals and one couple who are driven by the spirit of Servire. Whether they serve on the front lines and put themselves in harm’s way to protect their fellow Americans and the freedom we enjoy, like Lieutenant General Gary North ’76, Air Force, and Captain David Fitzgerald ’66, Navy; or they

have committed their lives to educating others and service to a higher power like Dr. Jerry McGee ’66 and Rev. Kenneth Hammond ’73, ’83, ’85; the spirit of Servire is the quintessential characteristic of East Carolina’s alumni. It is not just evident in Outstanding Alumni Award winners—it abounds throughout the Pirate Nation! It is a safe bet that if you meet a fellow Pirate they are likely helping someone in need, serving their church or community, or trying to make the world better for people around them.  As the calendar rolls into the holiday season, a time of year when we often reflect, give thanks, and make an extra effort to help others in need, I ask that you continue to live the spirit of Servire and remember those in need. Remember our students and the tremendous need for scholarships, remember our faculty and the need to support their world-changing research, and remember your Alumni Association— the conduit of connection at ECU. East Carolina’s second century is in our hands and together, building on our rich past, we can mold a bright future for ECU. I encourage you to join over 4,500 fellow Pirates and become a member of your Alumni Association today. Be loyal and bold, wear the PURPLE and GOLd, and let everyone know that we are the Pirates of ECU! GO PiRAtES! Sincerely,

Paul J. Clifford President and CEOEast Carolina Alumni Association

4 | Winter 2009

DeAr PirAte nAtiOn...

Ernest Logemann ’68, Vice ChairWinston-Salem, NC

Carl Davis ’73, TreasurerRaleigh, NC

Yvonne Pearce ’82, SecretaryGreenville, NC

Brenda Myrick ’92, Immediate Past ChairGreenville, NC

Paul J. Clifford, President and CEOGreenville, NC

BOArD Of DirectOrs

Diane Davis Ashe ’83, ’85................................Celebration, FL

Lori Brantley ’02....................................................Charlotte, NC

Virgil Clark ’50 (emeritus).................................Greenville, NC

Rick Conaway ’68............................................Chesapeake, VA

Jennifer Congleton ’79, ’81................................Greenville, NC

Justin Conrad ’96.............................................Greensboro, NC

Tarrick Cox ’96, ’07..............................................Greenville, NC

Garry Dudley ’92..................................................Chesterfield, VA

Dave Englert ’75……………………………...…………………Norfolk, VA

Bonnie Galloway ’69, ’72...................................Greenville, NC

Wayne Holloman ’66..........................................Greenville, NC

Joe Jenkins ’71..................................................Greensboro, NC

Lewis “Pat” Lane ’67.......................................Chocowinity, NC

Marian McLawhorn ’67, ’88, ’97.................................Grifton, NC

Douglas Morgan ’88…………........………………South Riding, VA

James Newman, Jr. ’68, ’74......................................Raleigh, NC

Steve Morrisette ’69...........................................Richmond, VA

Harry Stubbs ’74, ’77............................................Arlington, VA

Joanie Tolley ’65.............................................................Elon, NC

Linda Lynn Tripp ’80, ’81....................................Greenville, NC

Sabrina BengelChair

New Bern, NC

Servire | 5

A PirAte’s Life for Me!The Alumni Association’s half-hour radio program A Pirate’s Life for Me! highlights the success and achievements of our University’s distinguished alumni. From professional athletes and musicians, to politicians and educators, A Pirate’s Life for Me! is for every Pirate.

Every episode of A Pirate’s Life for Me! is archived on our Web site PirateAlumni.com. Keep reading to find out more about our recent interviews:

Managed by United Methodist Retirement Homes, Inc., with support from Life Care Services LLC

Continuing Care Retirement Community

100 Hickory St. • Greenville, NC 27858

Come be a part of our family at Cypress Glen.

Engage in the beauty of nearly 100 scenic acres conveniently

located close to shopping, golf courses, restaurants and

East Carolina University.

Take pleasure in shaping your own active lifestyle.

Connect with the warm, friendly residents we call neighbors.

For more information on our new cottage expansion, or to tour our apartments or suites, call Donna at (252) 830-2001, or toll-free (800) 669-2835.

• Active Retirement Apts. & Cottages • Assisted Living • Skilled Nursing • Memory Care

CYGL 7_5x4_75 00000 4C.indd 1 7/7/08 11:44:22 AM

Johnnie Sexton ’77, ’79 Audiologist

Q: “In your years of working with children who are deaf and hard of hearing, what is your greatest accomplishment?”

A: “Well, I truly believe that it is just making a difference in any child’s life. It has come full-circle for me [my childhood friend having been deaf]. It’s funny how it ties right back to ECU and the Belk building. I have just encountered a 36-year-old adult counselor for people who are deaf and hard of hearing that was one of my 3-year-old clients that went to the preschool [there at ECU]. That signified, perhaps, one of my most important accomplishments…it was validation that I had spent all those years trying to make a difference.”

Marian McLawhorn ’67, ’88, ’97 NC House Representative, 9th district

Q: “How did you become an East Carolina Pirate?”

A: “Most people know that I am from Grifton, which is 17 miles from Greenville…so ECU has been in my back yard for most of my life. Many people from eastern North Carolina would not

have been able to attend college if not for East Carolina. I was very fortunate to be able to attend ECU and receive my bachelor’s, master’s, and certification in education. If I had more time now I’d probably go back to school at ECU again, I just love it there.”

6 | Winter 2009

Contact us today to learn more about giving opportunities and how you can become a supporter of Joyner Library

252.328.9577 | adamscy@ecu.edu http://www.lib.ecu.edu

J.Y. JOYNER LIBRARYfi nd it @

Remember how Joyner Library supplied you with resources to enhance your learning? We couldn’t have done it without alumni support.

Electronic Journals • Special Collections • Instruction • Teaching Resources • Technology • People

Your Support provides resources and services

for academic excellence atEast Carolina University

Providing Opportunities for Education ThroughInnovative Resources, Information and ReferenceWe are J.Y. Joyner Library.

“The students will learn valuable skills by using the research materials in Joyner Library’s Special Collections Department. By being involved in original research, these undergraduate students can explore a variety of interests. They can utilize their talents and strengthen their abilities to become leaders for tomorrow.”

Mrs. Ann Schwarzmann (BS 1957, MA Ed 1958) has established the Rhem/Schwarzmann Endowment for Recognition of Student Research as a way of enriching the lives of students at East Carolina. Each year, students will compete for cash awards for the best term papers based largely on primary sources housed in Joyner Library’s Special Collections Department. These include such treasures as business records, diaries, letters, minutes, oral histories, and photographs pertaining to East Carolina University, North Carolina, military history, the tobacco industry, and the work of missionaries around the world. Together with rare books and historical maps, these sources can open students’ minds to new ideas and sharpen their research and critical thinking skills. We are grateful to Mrs. Schwarzmann for her commitment to encouraging students to undertake meaningful voyages of discovery in Special Collections.

Take advantage of these and other rich holdings of the Special Collections Division by visiting these websites.

• Special Collections (http://www.ecu.edu/cs-lib/spclcoll/index.cfm)

• The Verona Joyner Langford North Carolina Collection (http://www.ecu.edu/cs-lib/ncc/index.cfm)

• The Eastern North Carolina Digital Library (http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/historyfiction/)

Servire | 7

Given the economic uncertainties over the last year, East Carolina University was fortunate to complete a successful legislative session of the North Carolina General Assembly back in July. Legislative appropriations to ECU in the most recent short session included $69 million to complete construction of a new dental school and $36.8 for the construction of a new family medicine center at ECU. By securing funding for these priorities, ECU will continue to grow as a leader in health care, research, and the education of health professionals.

The School of Dentistry will train new dentists to respond to the ongoing shortage of dentists across the state. The state legislature also provided $1.5 million to fund the operations of the school. Currently, only nine out of 100 North Carolina counties meet or exceed the national average of dentists per capita. ECU has demonstrated its capacity to make a significant impact on the health care needs of the state, and thanks to the General Assembly, will continue to do so through dental education.

The family medicine center will replace an outdated facility that has outgrown its original rented space. The Brody School of Medicine is a leader in family medicine. We are proud to graduate the largest number of students that remain in North Carolina to practice medicine. The new building will serve as a powerful recruitment tool for attracting top physicians to ECU. On September 26, ECU recognized supporters and members of the legislature at a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony for the new family medicine center. The groundbreaking ceremony offered a tangible result of the generous appropriation by the General Assembly.

After a successful legislative session in 2008, the University of North Carolina has most recently completed the process of setting their budgetary agenda for 2009–2011. In the midst of a sluggish economy, the UNC Board of Governors approved the smallest budget increase for the UNC system in 20 years at their recent November meeting. The board unanimously approved a lean, focused, and prioritized $3 billion budget for the University system.

As promised, the students are priority number one under the recommended budget. The top funding priorities for the entire system also include campus safety, financial aid, and retention of high-quality faculty.

How does this impact ECU? The Board of Governors has identified the highest priorities of each university in their budget request for the next two years. Once again, ECU will pursue several important funding priorities in the legislature that are critical to our success as a university.

Three specific operating priorities for ECU will allow us to continue to improve the health and wellness of all people and communities in our state.

Indigent Care Funding: ECU is requesting $5 million for 2009–2011. The Brody School of Medicine’s mission emphasizes the importance of increased access to health care for the people of eastern North Carolina. In part, this mission entails providing care to the indigent. In 2007–2008, Brody physicians provided more than $9.5 million in uncompensated indigent care. Funding for this priority would sustain the Brody School of Medicine’s ability to provide care for the patients of North Carolina.

School of dentistry: ECU is requesting $14 million in operating funding for 2009–2011. Funding would be used to hire new faculty, continue to develop the curriculum, and locate/establish Service Learning Centers across the state.

Heart Institute: ECU is requesting $300,000 in operating funds for 2009–2010. These funds would improve preventive and interventional measures for cardiovascular disease.

After a successful legislative session in the capital budget, ECU will pursue approximately $15 million in planning funds from the legislature for a new Life Sciences and Biotechnology building. The new 200,000 square foot building would provide state-of-the-art science facilities. It would also create opportunities for expanded partnerships

with industry and produce research programs and graduates that are globally competitive. With pending budget cuts and an uphill battle in this difficult economic climate, we understand that state funds will be sparse. As alumni of East Carolina University, we would like to encourage you to thank your legislators for demonstrating a continued commitment to the University system, even in the midst of the uncertain economic times. We encourage you to thank them for their efforts in the past and for what they will do to support us in the future. We will certainly have a challenging legislative session beginning in January. Legislators across the state need to know that we appreciate their hard work and are grateful for their dedication to higher education.

Personal phone calls and letters are critical in communicating to legislators that we appreciate their devotion to our cause. The best way to find contact information for your state representative is to visit www.ncleg.net. With dedicated legislators and alumni, ECU has the opportunity to consistently make a significant impact on our region and state.

LeGisLAtiVe MAtters

State representatives Arthur Williams, Edith Warren ’60, ’73 and Marian McLawhorn’67, ’88, ’97 stand with Chancellor Steve Ballard at the ECU Family Medicine Center groundbreaking.

O

8 | Winter 2009

“One afternoon, this beautiful young woman walked into my gallery. She had on a baseball cap, these great big sunglasses, a sweatshirt that read Martha’s Vineyard, blue jeans, and tennis shoes. There was an older woman with her, who had a Spanish accent, and this huge guy that stood outside the gallery who I thought played for the [Boston] Celtics—and I sort of got focused on him because he was so big. The older woman kept asking me questions and she was always between this young woman and me. Well, the older woman asked me about Tom Brokaw [who owns one of my paintings] and so we talked a little about Tom Brokaw, then the younger woman came over and said, ‘Excuse me, what kind of flowers are those?’ pointing to the Brant Point with Roses painting. I told her they were Rosa Rugosa and that they came here [to Nantucket] in the 1800’s and grow right on the beach. I then told her a funny story about the day I was doing the drawing for that painting and how my son Andrew

wanted to go to the beach. We went to the beach and he was supposed to bring back the flowers for the drawing, but when we got back to the studio there were no flowers. I asked him, ‘Where are the flowers?’ and he said, ‘That’s girl’s work. I’m not doing that.’ And the young woman laughed and said, ‘My boys are the same way.’ So we talked about boys, but of course I didn’t know she was talking about those boys! She told me a few stories about her boys and then said, ‘Well, I think I’d like to take this painting,’ and she took off her sunglasses and as soon as I saw her eyes I knew it was Princess Diana. I guess I kind of went into shock because I said, ‘Do you know who you are?’ So that’s how I met Princess Diana, and she bought the painting that’s on the cover of my book, which is my favorite.”

Such is the life of Jim Cromartie ’66 whose gallery and studio is located on Easy Street in Nantucket, MA, a haven for art collectors and the super rich, detailed

in his new book Nantucket Portrait: “Fun and Games with the Super Rich” The Birth of Hard-Edge Realism. “There’s this old saying about how to catch a marlin—if you want to catch a marlin, you have to go where the marlin are! So that’s how I ended up in Nantucket. I wanted to sell my paintings and people who visit and live in Nantucket buy art.” Cromartie credits a Theta Chi fraternity brother with introducing him to Nantucket. “Of course in college I knew that Nantucket was a playground for the wealthy, but what I’ve come to experience is that this island is very much like eastern North Carolina. It’s very family-oriented and there is a slower pace of life here. I visited a couple of summers with my fraternity brother and felt like I had come home, not gone somewhere different, so it made it easy for me to come back. After graduation I worked with my dad in real estate for a while, but after about six months he could tell I was not particularly happy. So he said to me, ‘Why don’t you go

ALUMni in tHe Arts

James Cromartie ’66America’s Leading Hard-Edged Realist

Brant Point with Berries 007 Bucket of Daisies

Servire | 9

out and give this art thing a shot. You can always come back and do real estate. What could it hurt? If you make it, great, and if you don’t it’s not that big of a deal.’ He just set me free.”

It wasn’t long after Cromartie settled into Nantucket that two notable, influential Americans found their way into his gallery—men who ultimately helped launch Cromartie’s career. “If it had not been for Nelson Rockefeller and Roger Firestone, I never would have made it. I was renting this little gallery on Old South Wharf and we [Cromartie and his first wife Barbara] had been there about a month when I sold a painting to Herb Holmes, then head of PBS in New York City. He and his wife Shirley picked up the painting from the gallery one Sunday and ran into Happy and Nelson Rockefeller when they walked back up the wharf. Apparently Governor Rockefeller admired the painting and Herb offered to introduce him to me. So they come back to the gallery, Herb introduced us, we talked for a while, and Governor Rockefeller ended up buying several paintings that day. Well the next summer, he showed up with his roommate from college, who happened to be Roger Firestone. They came in with a Beatles record and a bottle of scotch, so I closed the gallery, put on the record, and we talked about art for a long while. I learned that neither of them liked abstract artwork and they were very interested in acquiring realistic artwork. (It turned out that they were supporting 30 young realists around the country—this had become one of their missions.) So we talked about realism and that’s when I explained to them what I was trying to do—I was trying to create paintings that stayed realistic no

matter how close you got to them. At one point Roger turned to Nelson and said, ‘Why don’t we buy all of his paintings.’ After what seemed like forever (although it was probably only about 15 seconds) Nelson said, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’ Right at that moment the Mormon Tabernacle Choir started singing the Hallelujah Chorus in my head! It was a whole new world [for me]. So we did this thing for four straight years, where they would come and spend an afternoon with me at the gallery and buy all of my paintings. Nelson and Roger jumpstarted the revival of realism in this country, but they never wanted any publicity about it. It takes a long time to be able to paint this realistically and they put a floor under me while I mastered those skills.”

Cromartie’s “skill” is hard-edge realism, which he is credited for introducing into the art world. It’s a technique that puts thin layers of paint over paint, starting from dark and transitioning to light to achieve the desired effect. Inspired by nature, Cromartie’s style is reminiscent of Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth, imbuing realism with paint that rivals the realism of photography. “I used to study paintings in art books. There’s one Andrew Wyeth work called Christina’s World that I was particularly fascinated with. Even with the magnifying glass, no matter how close, I could see the painting there were no brush strokes and I was intrigued ‘How in the world can you do a painting and not make any paint strokes?’ So I worked and worked on this technique. When I finally saw an Andrew Wyeth in person and was able to walk up close, I saw that there were paint strokes everywhere! What I realized is the paintings in the books had been photographed from

a few feet back and the paint strokes had disappeared, so [in my pursuit to paint without brush strokes] I had accidently come up with a new style of painting.”

Hard-edge realism has turned out to be quite profitable for Cromartie, who has made his living completely by being an artist—a rarity for many in his profession. His style is so revered that he was commissioned to create the official paintings of the Smithsonian Institute Castle, the Capitol, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the White House. (Cromartie’s fourth great-grandfather James Hoban designed the White House.) The Smithsonian gives prints of their painting as gifts to visiting dignitaries, and his paintings of The Capitol and The White House were chosen by the U.S. State Department to hang in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. “I feel that hard-edge realism is the outgrowth of what was started by Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth. I’ve taken their style and brought it to the next level. You know, there’s this saying in the art world that amateurs copy and professionals steal. And what that means is that an amateur will just copy a painting, but a professional will steal it and add something to it to make it their own.” Hard-edge realism is a result of Cromartie making Hopper and Wyeth’s styles his own.“If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s to figure out what your dreams are, find the courage to pursue them, and don’t stop for anything. The most committed always wins.” Actually living his dream as a successful artist in Nantucket, a place that he loves, certainly makes this East Carolina graduate a winner.

the Capitol the White House the Supreme Court

10 | Winter 2009

AliLoveMust

Od

es

sy

Ba

rB

u

I

Servire | 11

It was on a stage in Sheboygan Falls, WI that a precocious nine-year-old discovered her dream—to be on Broadway. Like many in the profession, Ali Hillis first experienced stardom on a small stage. “Truth be told, my parents put me on stage at my church…and made me sing “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” I was petrified and didn’t want to do it at all. But, after a great deal of coaxing I got up in front of everyone and started singing—probably pretty quietly at the beginning. By the end, though, I was belting it out because I had noticed how it lit up everyone’s faces in the crowd, and as I looked out I started to see people get more joyous. I think I was entertaining myself more than entertaining anyone else at that point, but that’s how it started for me. Then my parents got me involved in community theatre and I played Annie, which was kind of my “break out role,” if you will. I was a very big fish in a very small pond—I was signing autographs at the community theatre! I think it gave my parents great pleasure to see their 10-year-old on stage singing “Tomorrow, Tomorrow”—little did they know that tomorrow I’d end up here. So that experience gave me a little taste [of stardom] and I knew what I wanted to do with my life.”

In high school, after Hillis’ family had moved to Charlotte, NC, she was involved in many music classes and often sang, but stuck to community theatre to hone her acting skills. She toured numerous colleges and universities in North Carolina before choosing ECU. It was John Shearin, director of the School of Theatre and Dance, the impressive theatre facilities, and a printed list of graduates who are working actors that convinced Hillis that ECU was the school for her. “I actually entered ECU with a full ride in vocal music. So I was part of the incredible music department, but realized that my passion wasn’t so much in the music—the theatre is a magnet! I just couldn’t get away from it. By my sophomore year I gave up my music scholarship and entered into the theatre department to pursue a degree in musical theatre with an emphasis on acting. I still loved to sing, I just wanted to do it all.” Through hard work, determination, and

having earned a separate scholarship for theatre students, she did do it all. During her time at ECU, Hillis acted in numerous plays and Summer Theatre productions, including the renowned roles of Juliet Capulet in Romeo and Juliet and Maria in West Side Story. “Acting in Summer Theatre at ECU was my first real experience working with Broadway caliber equity—actors who were working consistently on the Broadway stages. I have to say that working in the ECU theatre department, particularly in Summer Theatre, was my most preparatory work for the “real world” of acting. I often tell people that my most difficult, most challenging, most rewarding work in the theatre was at ECU.”

After graduation Hillis sailed the high seas as a cabaret act on a cruise ship, then headed to New York with her sights set on Broadway. She challenged herself to find a roommate, an apartment, a job, and an agent within 10 days (not necessarily in that order), and luckily enough, managed to do so. “I ended up getting a job at a southern barbecue joint called Brother Jimmy’s, a Carolina barbecue joint, no less, that aired all of the ACC games. I found an apartment on the Upper East Side, found a roommate, and found an agent. I gained a great deal of confidence through my experience at ECU, which gave me the gusto to go to New York. I will forever be grateful to my professors at East Carolina for all they have done for me, especially John Shearin, who taught me the business of acting—and being a master of the business is just as imortant as being a master of the art.”

It wasn’t long after Hillis arrived in New York that

she found work in her craft. She spent time auditioning, focused primarily on Broadway musicals and working on independent film projects. But it was a role as a “cop killer” on Law & Order that brought her to camera work, and the realization that she could have a career in film and television. Hillis found her new calling, so she said goodbye to Broadway and relocated to Los Angeles. She has had a multitude of appearances on other television shows including Felicity, Baywatch, Less than Perfect, and JAG. Her movie credits include Kiss Kiss Bang Bang with Robert Downey, Jr., Must Love Dogs with Diane Lane and John Cusack, The Ultimate Gift with James Garner and Abigail Breslin, The Heartbreak Kid with Ben Stiller, Over Her Dead Body with Eva Longoria Parker, and

ALUMni in tHe Arts

Guest CheckSERVER TABLE GUESTS CHECK NUMBER

No. 3605140

Thank YouTAX

TOTAL

Hopes for the future...Make enough money to live, with time to relaxHave time to love someoneEnjoy what I’m doing - ditch the waitressing jobEarn a good reputation with business peopleGet my SAG cardDreamy hopes for the future...Make enough money to have a homeWork half the year, relax half the yearHave enough time and money to enjoy family and friendsTravelOwn a boat, three cars, two dogs, a swimming pool, and have enough money to afford massages

notes on waitress paper that Ali used at Brother Jimmy’s, a popular restaurant with nY alumni, served as inspiration for her future goals, hopes, and dreams. Amazingly, the boat is all she has left to accomplish.

12 | Winter 2009

ALUMni in tHe Arts

Beverly Hills Chihuahua with Jamie Lee Curtis and Piper Perabo, among others.

Hillis uses the Meisner Technique to act, which she learned at ECU. The technique uses various exercises that build upon one another to be “in the moment”—being truthful as a character and reacting. “It involves good listening skills. When you’re interacting with other actors you have to look at them [in character] in an honest way and just react, how your character would react—with no filters, no pre-conceived notions, just truth.” Hillis uses this same mind set when she auditions for parts. “I cannot think of an audition as a pass or fail. I cannot. Every audition is a challenge for me to rise to the next level as an actor. I have no competition—there is no such thing as competition in my book, as an actor, because you’re going in to play the role of another human being, in another life. And there’s really only going to be one perfect person to play the role of another human being, in another life. Just like you’re

Jim HowardHeather King

5AM-7AM

News atSunrise

the only person who can play yourself in this life. So if I walk into a room to audition for a film and I see 12 other girls who I’m up against that look exactly like me and walk exactly like me and talk exactly like me, we’re going to have a different essence, a different presence, a different something. The producers and the director are going to know when the right person for the part walks into the room—even if you mess up your lines, they know who should play that role.”

Hillis’ most recent role is as “wife.” She and longtime boyfriend Matt Schwarz were married in August. “I took about a year off to plan my wedding—really because I wanted to make it special for him. And it was totally worth it.” Her next film is Space Buddies, a continuation of the Air Bud movies, in which some curious golden retrievers accidently board a space shuttle. Space Buddies will be released in early 2009. “I am most proud that I can call myself an actor, and I have ECU to thank for that.”

Od

es

sy

Ba

rB

u

Servire | 13

a Pirate’s Pirate’s Paradise

Outer Banks NC

ARRGH Pirates!

Call a Resort Realty Reservation Specialist & take 10% off *

the Administration Fee. Choose from over 400 Resort Realty

Outer Banks Vacation Rentals to fit every lifestyle & budget

- from Corolla to South Nags Head.

Plan your 2009 Vacation Today

Reservations: 800.458.3830 | www.ResortRealty.com

*This special offer is valid for East Carolina Alumni Association Members only. **Subject to availability. Certain restrictions may apply.

Pirate’s

Pirates!Pirates!

14 | Winter 2009

Imagine you are watching your favorite television drama, or perhaps a movie. You are entranced by the cinematography and pulled in to the story by the actors, waiting in anticipation for what will happen next. You hear the crescendo of the musical score as the climax nears. You wait with baited breath, on the edge of your seat as the scene unfolds. Now remove the music. Nothing. No magic. No intensity. No notes to carry the storyline to the end. Your experience is ruined.

Why were you so emotionally invested anyway? Was it the stellar script? The pretty pictures? The famous stars? Perhaps. More than likely it was the music—the underscore—the melodic accompaniment that tied the scenes together. This is what Velton “Ray” Bunch ’71 lives for—making the music that moves you.

Bunch found two loves growing up in eastern North Carolina, baseball and music. He spent years on sandy baseball diamonds honing his athletic skills while his parents cheered him on. But there was something else, quite different from baseball that filled his spirit. It was gospel music. Bunch’s father was an amateur musician who kept

instruments in the house, “He was one of those kind of people who could play anything he picked up—piano, trumpet, guitar, drums, whatever—and he always had a band around and a set of drums set up in our house when I was a kid, so I was around music constantly,” recalled Bunch. “According to my mother I began noodling

at the piano around age three (of course I’m sure she’s biased), so I guess I showed an early proclivity for music and that’s pretty much how it began.”

By the time Bunch was in high school he found himself in an interesting quandary—play baseball or play music? “By the latter

?that UsMoves

HeMakes

theMusic &

Servire | 15

part of my high school career it had become relatively clear that my future was not in baseball, it was more in music, but [baseball] is the primary reason why I came to East Carolina—it was because I could play there and I had been offered a small scholarship, and at the same time they had a very good school of music.” Bunch’s time on the baseball team was short-lived as he quickly realized that he couldn’t do both baseball and music. It was a piano teacher that finally pushed him to make a decision between the two, and so he chose music. “I think it’s been a wise decision.”

As most budding musicians do, Bunch left North Carolina for L.A. after graduation. “Most of my musical influences were out here, and so literally the day I graduated from East Carolina…and it sounds like the old ‘tried and true’ story, I hitchhiked out here. I was very ill-prepared to be [in L.A.] and it was rough goings for about a year. I guess I just wasn’t prepared for this city and how different it was from how I had grown up in eastern North Carolina. After a while I made some connections, and it was actually through a guy that I had gone to school with at East Carolina, Lawrence Stith…that I ended up meeting Mike Post—who has turned out to be one of the most important people in my life. At the time Mike was a budding young record producer and had had some very early success in records and was starting to score television series. To make a really long story short, Mike has been my mentor, my big brother as I consider him, and the one who got me in most of the places that I’ve gone.”

Through his relationship with Post, Bunch has worked on a number of well-known television series and movies, including Star Trek: Enterprise; Quantum Leap; Hill Street Blues; The Pretender; LA Law; The Rockford Files; The A Team; Hunter; Magnum P.I.; JAG; Walker, Texas Ranger; and many others. He has received five Emmy nominations, three for Outstanding Dramatic Underscore, one for Outstanding Title and Music, and one for Outstanding Music Lyrics. In 2004 Bunch won an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Dramatic Underscore for an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise.

As any musician knows, there is a process to crafting the perfect song. Or in Bunch’s case the perfect score for film or television. “I almost always try to get an idea of what kind of music they are looking for—and I’m usually dealing with a director, if it’s for film, or a producer, when it’s for television—and generally they have an idea of what they want, whether it’s electronic dance-type music, or country, or what all the other genres could be. Usually they will show me part of an unfinished film or a clip from a television show…to help give me an idea of what they are looking for.” Bunch then goes to the task of putting the score together by way of orchestration, a method he learned the basics of while at ECU, which encompasses the combination and arrangement of multiple instruments to compose a score. Bunch relies on his piano training, his good ear, and years of picking apart other musical scores to identify parts for each instrument. “After a while you just learn the combinations. Very few people can play all those instruments—I certainly can’t play violin at all, but I know how to write for it very well. At an advanced level I started studying serious scores, you know, Beethoven and all the classics…which has helped me so much with my film scores.”

“Music has a really profound and powerful effect on the way that you interpret what you see. For example, you can take a piece of film or part of a television show and put up the wrong piece of music—something that’s too dramatic under a dramatic scene and it becomes corny, it becomes hokey. At the same time you can take a scene from a movie—oh let’s say an action, fighting scene, and you can exacerbate the action and enhance it by creating the same kind of mood underneath it through the music. There are so many ways you can approach music in a film, and so many ways that you

can influence what a person is feeling. In creating the music you have to serve the film—what works, what doesn’t work—you always want to make it better. For instance, I did a movie a couple of years ago called Flight 93, it’s the story of one of the planes that was hijacked on 9-11. It’s an incredibly dramatic movie, so when I sat down with the director and first looked at it, the truth of the matter was it didn’t need a whole lot

of music at all. Almost anything I wrote made it even more dramatic, to the point of being overly dramatic, so we chose to go the opposite way and make a very minimalist kind of music. In the last part of the movie though, it was nothing but the music. We took out all the sound effects and natural sound (it was the scenes of the planes crashing into the World Trade Center) so you had this very gentle, almost serene music playing against this very dramatic picture with no sound. And it worked beautifully.”

Fortunately for the rest of us, there are people like Ray Bunch whose passion is music and making the music that makes our film and television experiences worthwhile. Next time you have an amazing movie experience, think of what made it so special. Chances are, it was the music that moved you!

ALUMni in tHe Arts

“There are so many ways you can approach music in a film, and so many ways that you can influence what a person is feeling. In creating the music you have to serve the film—what works, what doesn’t work—you always want to make it better.”

16 | Winter 2009

new Year’s resolution:

reconnect with east carolina friends

@alumni.ecu.edu

The East Carolina Alumni Association offers several ways for you to reconnect with friends and stay connected with ECU. do you Facebook? Then become a friend of The Pirate. Sign-up for your alumni e-mail account, update your current information, and search for friends—all on PirateAlumni.com. We’ll see you there!

Servire | 17

ADVAnceMent UPDAte

cAMPAiGn iMPAct: HOW Are We DOinG?

•$37.1 million raised in 2007-2008 academic year (all-time high)

•12 new distinguished professorships

•$17 million added to scholarship base, including a new Access Scholarship program and an expansion of the EC Scholars program

•New records for annual athletic fund-raising support

•9,981 alumni donors in 2007-2008 academic year (new record)

to date:

Support of colleges, schools, departments, and centers

$34,650,000

Distinguished professorships and lectureships

$7,000,000

Scholarships $17,065,000

Research $15,461,000

Capital projects $4,500,000

Total academic program support

$78,676,000

Athletics(scholarships, endowment, and facilities)

$36,009,000

CAMPAiGN tOtAL (as of 9/30/2008)

$114,685,000

Good news for ecU from Washington, D.c.

There’s good news for individuals aged 70½ or older with individual retirement accounts. Thanks to the extended charitable IRA legislation, you can once again make outright gifts using IRA funds without tax complications.

If you are required to receive minimum distributions from your IRA and you do not need the money for personal use, consider using those funds as a charitable gift. While you cannot claim a charitable deduction for the IRA gifts, you will not pay income tax on the amount.

You may contribute funds this way if: •You are 70½ or older •Your IRA gifts total $100,000 or less each year in 2008 and 2009

•You transfer funds directly from an IRA •You transfer the gifts outright to one or more public charities. (This excludes gifts made to charitable trusts, donor advised funds, and supporting organizations.)

The benefits—music to your ears•In most cases, the transfer counts toward your minimum required distributions.

•The gift generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction, so even those who do not itemize their tax returns receive the benefit.

•You may transfer up to $100,000 directly from your IRA in 2008 and 2009.

•The distributions may be in addition to or fulfill any charitable giving you have already planned.

The Next StepBe sure to contact tax professionals and your IRA administrator if you are considering a gift under this law. Feel free to call Greg Abeyounis, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development, at 252-328-9573 or abeyounisg@ecu.edu with any questions, or visit us online at www.ecu.edu/devt and click the “Planned Giving” tab.

18 | Winter 2009

ADVAnceMent UPDAte

With a shared mission of improving the quality of life and health care in eastern North Carolina, the partnership between East Carolina University and the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust has changed the lives of thousands of people in the region and the state.

The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust awarded $2,295,236 to ECU since 2003 in support of 11 healthcare-related projects. In the Trust’s most recent grant cycle, ECU received three grants totaling $868,445 for health care projects focused on eastern North Carolina.

“ECU faculty and staff are leaders in addressing many of the pressing community health issues in eastern North Carolina,” said Karen McNeil-Miller, president, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust. “It’s a natural fit for us to work closely with ECU in serving our mission of improving the health of lower income persons throughout the region.”

The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust was created in 1947 by the will of Mrs. William N. Reynolds of Winston-Salem. One quarter of the Trust’s grants are awarded to projects and programs assisting Winston-Salem and Forsyth County’s citizens in need. The other 75 percent of its grants are awarded to health-related programs and services across North Carolina.

It is that 75 percent that fits so well with ECU’s efforts to save lives, cure diseases, and positively transform the quality of health care for the region and state. “Since 1916, ECU’s motto has been Servire, which means ‘to serve,’” said Phyllis Horns, interim vice chancellor, Health Sciences. “Partnering with the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust helps ECU extend this longtime spirit of service across our region and allows our faculty and staff to work with communities to address the health care needs of eastern North Carolina. This service is a value we hold and a mission we cherish.”

Together, the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust and East Carolina are having an effect on the health care provided in eastern North Carolina.

“What has blessed me is the unselfish commitment on the part of the Trust and ECU to create partnerships that make a difference in the lives of citizens throughout the region,” said A. Ray Rogers ’72, member of the Trust’s Health Care Division Advisory Board. “Lives are truly being changed as ECU leverages the resources of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust with those of our communities to make it happen.”

In 2007, the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust awarded $295,781 to ECU’s Brody School of Medicine to establish a pediatric preventative dental clinic for overweight children without access to dental care. This program is the first of its kind in the country and will serve as a model for the integration of dental care of children with complex diseases, said Dr. Sara G. Grossi, a periodontist, research professor and director of the grant.

Kate B. reynolds charitable trust continues its support of ecU

“This program has the potential to improve the lives of hundreds of children in eastern North Carolina,” Grossi said. “Dental diseases, obesity and type 2 diabetes are all lifestyle-associated conditions and as such amenable to prevention and early intervention.”

Since 1947, the Trust’s assets have grown from $5 million to $600 million, placing it among the largest in North Carolina. Since it began, the Trust has invested more than $400 million dollars toward improving life and health for North Carolina residents in need. In 2006, the Trust was ranked 37 on The Foundation Center’s list of the Top 50 Foundations Awarding Grants for Health, awarding more than $14 million through 115 grants.

Dr. Sara G. Grossi examines a young patient for dental health and development.

Servire | 19

@tHe WOMen’s rOUnDtABLe

The Women’s Roundtable at East Carolina University is made up of alumnae, faculty, staff, and supporters and friends of the university. Founded in 2003, the Women’s Roundtable at East Carolina University acknowledges the contribution of women to East Carolina’s legacy and encourages new levels of commitment by women to the university’s future. Through its nearly 70,000 women graduates in all walks of life, East Carolina has a tremendous impact on communities across the region, state, and beyond.

To celebrate its creation, the Women’s Roundtable renewed its mission to support ECU and, under the leadership of its board of directors, will create a culture of giving 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.

The Access Scholarship program provides a unique opportunity to assist a historically underserved, but greatly deserving group of ECU students who demonstrate both financial need and proven academic potential.

Annual gifts will be made payable to the ECU Foundation Inc. for The Women’s Roundtable Fund. These gifts will support the Access Scholarship Endowment Fund and operating expenses for The Women’s Roundtable. The scholarships will be named Women’s Roundtable Access Scholarships.

For more information, please contact:Marcy RomaryDirector of Women’s PhilanthropyWomen’s Roundtable at East Carolina UniversityGreenville Centre2200 South Charles BoulevardGreenville, NC 27858252-328-9580romarym@ecu.edu

ACCESS SCHOLARSHIP CHAMPIONSAlumnae who have endowed an Access Scholarship either at the minimum endowment of $50,000 or full endowment of $125,000 are “Access Scholarship Champions.” Access Scholarships will be named by the person or group funding the endowment.

There are several levels of affiliation with the Women’s Roundtable:

BENEfACtORAnnual contribution of $1,000 and aboveBenefits include: •Lapel pin•Newsletters and other publications•Invitations to regional and premier Women’s Roundtable events•Guaranteed admission, with the purchase of tickets, to premier Women’s Roundtable events

ADvOCAtEAnnual contribution of $350-$999 Benefits include:•Lapel pin•Newsletters and other publication•Invitations to regional and premier Women’s Roundtable events •Guaranteed admission, with the purchase of tickets, to premier Women’s Roundtable events

CENtURiONAnnual contribution of $100-$349Benefits include:•Lapel pin•Newsletters and other publications•Invitations to regional and premier Women’s Roundtable events

DONORAnnual contribution of $50 (minimum contribution)Benefits include:•Newsletters and other publications•Invitations to regional and premier Women’s Roundtable events

YOUNG ALUMNAE AffiLiAtiONYoung alumnae who have graduated from ECU within the past five years can become a part of The Women’s Roundtable at the following levels:

YOUNG ALUMNAE ADvOCAtEAnnual contribution of $50 and aboveBenefits include:•Lapel pin•Newsletters and other publications•Invitations to regional and premier Women’s Roundtable events

YOUNG ALUMNAE DONORAnnual contribution of $25Benefits include:•Newsletters and other publications•Invitations to regional and premier Women’s Roundtable events

20 | Winter 2009

Bernae Leah Miller, a 2007 graduate of East Carolina University, has created a scholarship in ECU’s Division of Student Life to provide support for a full-time student who is a member of national honor fraternity Phi Sigma Pi. Named after her father and a friend’s mother, Miller created the Carl S. Miller and Susan Zagiba Scholarship Fund to remember her father’s life and generosity.

“Even if my dad was having money problems,” Miller said, “he always gave an extra $25 or $50” to charitable organizations. “Every day we get things in the mail from organizations he gave to.”

To honor that generosity and continue his good works, she established the scholarship to support full-time students who are members of Phi Sigma Pi at ECU. While Miller was pledging the fraternity, she became friends with D.J. Zagiba, who was also in her pledge class. They were fraternity officers together, and they shared another bond—Zagiba’s mother also died of a brain aneurysm. In recognition of that bond, she wanted the scholarship to honor both her father and Zagiba’s mother.

“I liked the idea of the scholarship being in both their names and for the fraternity because we share that common bond,” Miller said.

Scholarships such as the one Miller established help students concentrate on their

Young alumna establishes scholarship

studies and student life rather than financial concerns. Currently, ECU can only support 60 percent of the financial aid requests of its students with the most need. Among ECU graduates, more than 80 percent have college loan debt. Student scholarships help reduce that debt for students, immediately increasing their opportunities after graduation.

Although it is rare for recent graduates to provide this kind of support for their alma mater, Miller says she did it because she knew it’s what her father would have wanted.

“It didn’t matter that I was a recent graduate,” she said. “He would have liked that I did this.”

In Volatile Economic Times Invest In

What You Believe InAs you evaluate your top priorities, know that your investment in East Carolina University through one of our foundations (East Carolina University Foundation Inc., the East Carolina University Medical & Health Sciences Foundation Inc., and the East Carolina Educational Foundation Inc. [Pirate Club]) will ensure meaningful future opportunities for students.

A revocable gift such as a bequest provision in your will, a beneficiary designation from your qualified retirement plan such as an IRA or 401(k), or an owner/beneficiary designation from an insurance policy serves as a meaningful gift that does not distribute assets from your estate during your lifetime. These options are an excellent way to leave a

future gift (either dollar total or percentage) to ECU. Your planned gift enables you to designate your future contribution to any area for the purpose of your choice.

Your support will help us attain our Second Century Campaign goal while you earn membership benefits in the Leo W. Jenkins Society.

Please call Greg Abeyounis, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development, at 252-328-9573 or e-mail at abeyounisg@ecu.edu for more information or to schedule an appointment to discuss these or other planned giving options.

www.ecu.edu/devt

P L A N N E d G I V I N G A T E A S T C A R O L I N A U N I V E R S I T y

ADVAnceMent UPDAte

“Even if my dad was having money problems, he always gave an extra $25 or $50 to charitable organizations.”

Servire | 21

Renew Traditions. Experience Life.

Indian Beach

Morehead City

FindYourHorizon

© Copyright 2008, Indian Beach Acquisitions, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Features, plans, specifications, options, dimensions, design and details described or depicted are proposed only and are subject to change without notice. Photographs, drawings and renderings are conceptual only and all dimensions are approximate. E&O.E.

Stunning views of the Crystal Coast ocean and sound are complemented by luxurious amenities such as the Grande Villas Pool and Pavilion, Osprey Club Lounge, and State-of-the-Art Health and Fitness Center–while the finest marble, granite and limestonemake interiors sparkle. You deserve indulgences likeno other. Welcome… to the Grande Villas.

Model Suite Now Open(877) 845-4438 | www.GVCondos.com

Oceanfront Luxury Condominiums from the 600’s

North CarolinaRaleigh Greenville

Myrtle Beach

Wilmington

GYS-ad-7.5x9.75.indd 1 10/15/08 12:46:14 PM

22 | Winter 2009

neWs & nOtes frOM scHOOLs & cOLLeGes

Harriot college announces distinguished professorship in religious studies

The Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce that Dr. Mary Nyangweso Wangila has joined the faculty as the first recipient of the J. Woolard and Helen Peel Distinguished Professorship in Religious Studies.

The professorship, established in 2007 by Dr. Jesse R. Peel, honors Peel’s parents J. Woolard and Helen K. Peel of Everetts, NC. Dr. Peel is actively involved in funding efforts to enhance diversity at ECU.

As recipient of this distinguished professorship, Wangila will enhance the offerings of the Religious Studies program by maintaining an active research and

teaching agenda, serve on the Religious Studies Committee, and will contribute to the Department of Philosophy, Harriot College, and ECU.

Wangila comes to ECU from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She received her undergraduate degree from Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya, and her doctoral degree in sociology of religion from Drew University, Madison, NJ.

This fall, Wangila became the third full-time religious studies professor in Harriot College. Her teaching interests

include the sociology of religion, women and religion, Islam, religions of Africa, and indigenous religions.

arts & sciencesOver the years, she has established herself as a scholar who examines the influence of religion in the social process, particularly with regard to women’s human rights. Her research is informed by social and ethical theory and is grounded in ethnography as a survey method.

Wangila is the author of Female Circumcision: The Interplay between Religion, Gender and Culture in Kenya (2007). She has served as an invited speaker at a symposium on “Women and HIV/AIDS in Africa” held at the University of Illinois, and she has been a presenter at the American Academy of Religion in Washington, DC. Wangila is a member of the African Studies Association and the American Academy of Religion.

chemistry department honors 92-year-old alumnus

The Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Department of Chemistry paid tribute to its oldest alumnus and scholarship

supporter Mr. Frank D. Kizer at their annual Homecoming celebration on November 7.

Along with approximately 15 family members, Kizer, a 92-year-old graduate of East Carolina Teachers College, attended the ceremony where he received a certificate and plaque for his scholarship contributions to the department.

“I am honored to receive this award,” said Kizer. “The education I received from East Carolina Teachers College some 66 years ago, along with the love and support of my wife, enabled me to have a satisfying and successful career as a high school chemistry and physics teacher.”

Kizer began his studies at ECTC in the summer of 1939 and received his bachelor of arts in science and social studies in 1942,

and his master of arts degree in 1949. He did post-graduate work at Columbia University, Cornell University, the University of Colorado, University of Virginia, and Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Early in his career, Kizer taught high school chemistry and physics, and was a science department chairman. Later, he joined the Virginia Department of Education, where he retired as state supervisor of science after 23 years of service. He also was the founder and first president of the Council of State Science Supervisors, where he served as executive secretary and chairman of the Safety Committee, and evaluator of the NASA Spacemobile Program, later renamed the Aerospace Education Services Program.

Throughout his career, Kizer has received many honors and awards, including a DuPont and Shell Merit Fellowship, National Science Teachers Association award for Distinguished Service to Science Education, U.S. Army Civilian Service Medal, Virginia Wildlife Federation Educator of the Year Award, Fellow of the Virginia Academy of Science, and Kentucky Colonel’s Commission.

Four generations of the Kizer family have attended ECU, including Kizer’s mother-in-law, his oldest daughter Ann Kizer Spain ’64, a granddaughter ’92, and a grandson ’94.

“He is very proud that his children and grandchildren value education,” said youngest daughter Marion Kizer Renne. “He has high hopes that all of their great-grandchildren will follow suit.”

ecU artists present at sOfA

A little adornment went a long way when Linda Darty, professor of metals at East Carolina University’s School of Art and Design, wore one of her student’s brooches at a conference.

Last February, Darty wore a wood and silver piece created by graduate student Dan

fine arts & communication

Dr. Jesse Peel

Dr. Mary Nyangweso Wangila

Helen and Frank Kizer at their 70th wedding anniversary in 2007.

Servire | 23

DiCaprio at a Society of North American Goldsmiths meeting where Charon Kransen happened to be exhibiting. Kransen, who established Charon Kransen Arts in New York City’s Chelsea Gallery District in 1993, asked to meet DiCaprio, then ordered five new works from the MFA candidate.

“Those pieces went to SOFA New York in May, then got connected with SOFA Chicago and the International Design Fair,” DiCaprio said. The two SOFA fairs—Sculptural Objects and Functional Art—along with the design fair, are the three largest and most prestigious events of their kind in North America. SOFA Chicago is the most significant, with works presented by 100 galleries and dealers from 16 nations. Last year more than 35,000 people attended the event, purchasing works for museums and exclusive collections.

“Prior to Linda Darty wearing my brooch, I was focused on teaching,” DiCaprio said of his post-graduation plans. “Now I know there are options out there. I’ll pursue being a studio jeweler first.”

DiCaprio joined East Carolina University alumnae Caroline Gore (MFA ’01) and Sharon Massey (MFA ’06) to present an emerging artists lecture at SOFA Chicago on November 7. The three artists were selected independently, without the organizers having knowledge of their institutional affiliation. They are the only three emerging artists that spoke at the event.

At the lecture, DiCaprio discussed the inspiration for his pieces. “My work mostly references natural forms, like plant and animal biology and how those forms are adapted and communicated culturally,” he says. Creating organic shapes from African blackwood, DiCaprio installs hundreds of silver wires. “The effect resembles hair,” he explains. “It’s an organic look that I can trim and comb to make more personal.”

Gore, who serves as an assistant professor and metals/jewelry area coordinator at Western Michigan University, presented information about a body of work developed as a result of a summer she spent in Florence, Italy. Gore re-contextualized ordinary spaces in Florence, then created a wearable reference to the original site. When first exhibited, Gore showcased an adorned environmental photograph, such as 24k gold foil embossed on street pavers in Italy, beside a wearable brooch crafted from silver and gold, referencing and reflecting the

environmental art and image.

Massey is presently a visiting instructor at Purdue University. Her work, which has appeared in books such as 1000 Rings and The Art

of Enameling, defines preciousness through sentimentality, intimacy and emotion. Massey pays homage to goldsmithing traditions through technique and format, while challenging conventional materials and their value. The pieces she presented at

SOFA Chicago are created with iron wire and cotton muslin.

Massey and DiCaprio are represented by Charon Kransen Arts. Gore is represented by Ornamentum in Hudson, New York.

Belk Building is new home for two college departments

Included in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of East Carolina University’s founding was the reopening of the Carol G. Belk Building on Charles Boulevard. The $9 million project was begun in 2006, and provides more than 50,000 square feet of improved space for two departments in the College of Health and Human Performance: Health Education and Promotion, and Recreation and Leisure Studies.

The event included a ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the transformed building. Among those in attendance were North Carolina State Representatives Marion McLawhorn ’67, ’88, ’97 and Edith Warren ’60, ’73. Chancellor Steve Ballard commented, “The College of Health and Human Performance is really the epitome of a college that is doing all that can be done and all that should be done to move a university forward.”

Inheritance, a wood and silver brooch by MFA candidate Dan DiCaprio.

Chancellor Steve Ballard addressed attendees of the reopening of the Carol G. Belk Building.

Sharon Massey’s iron wire and cotton muslin collar defines preciousness through sentimentality.

...continued on page 24

health & humanPerformance

24 | Winter 2009

neWs & nOtes frOM scHOOLs & cOLLeGes

...continued from page 23

With the exception of the exterior walls, the building is brand new and includes specifically designed research laboratories, teaching labs, and three auditoriums. All auditorium and teaching spaces are equipped with technology, including video conferencing capabilities in the 95-seat auditorium. Hudson’s, named in honor of John ’59 and Harriet ’59 Hudson, is located on the first floor and offers ready-to-eat sandwiches, salads, beverages, and Starbucks coffee.

University records stories of first-generation graduates

East Carolina University has meant a great deal to Phillip R. Dixon. He grew up in Wake Forest, but when his parents separated Phil moved with his mother to Halifax Court, a public housing project near Peace College in Raleigh. He earned money to help with living expenses and took care of his younger brother while his mother worked. Halifax Court was in a rough neighborhood, but Dixon recalls some happy memories, “When I was a youth I used to trick-or-treat at the Governor’s Mansion and lived right near the Krispy Kreme doughnut place. One of my fondest memories is we’d go collect bottles when I was a small boy, two cents apiece for bottles, and once you got fifty cents you could buy a bag of three-day-old doughnuts, put them in the oven, heat them up, and they were just wonderful.” In the fall of 1967 Dixon’s mother put him on a bus bound for Greenville, where he arrived a day early for classes at East Carolina University. His professors, hard work, and the cultural events he attended during the next four years transformed his life. Dixon subsequently attended law school at the University of North Carolina and embarked on a life of service to East Carolina

University, the region, and the state.Dixon and nineteen other first-generation graduates of East Carolina—the first in their families to earn a four-year college degree—recently recorded their stories for an oral history project sponsored by the University’s Centennial Task Force and organized by the University Archives. The interviewees represent the period from the 1930s to 2005 and include an appropriate balance of women, men, and minorities. The theme for the project was suggested by Dr. Lu Ann Jones, a nationally known oral historian who teaches history at the University of South Florida. The North Carolina Humanities Council awarded Joyner Library a planning grant to fund Dr. Jones’s meeting with the project’s planning committee, which includes faculty and staff members in the Department of History, the College of Business, the library, and other units. With guidance from Dr. Jones, the committee framed questions to ask interviewees, seeking to learn about their background, why they chose to attend college, the nature of their collegiate experience, and the impact an East Carolina education had on their lives. A surprisingly large number of potential interviewees responded to publicity about the project, and four interviewers with close ties to the university conducted the interviews during the spring of 2008. The interviews have been transcribed and will soon be available for research in the library’s Special Collections Department and on a web site currently under construction.

These stories shed valuable light on family dynamics and the university’s role in

making rich educational opportunities accessible to students of diverse backgrounds. Although some families actively encouraged their children to attend college, others felt that their child’s educational aspirations reflected a desire to “get above their raising.” Don King recalls how his father’s adamant opposition to his desire to attend college led to palpable tension in his home.

When he was eighteen, King’s mother told him it would be best for him to move out of the house. He lived in a trailer while working at a department store in Goldsboro and, beginning in 1984, attended Wayne Community College. He remembers how he felt when he transferred to East Carolina three years later, “walking through that campus and walking in the library, walking in the big buildings, it was such an awesome experience for me. I still get goose bumps when I think back to the moment of being on campus, waiting in the long financial aid lines.”

A public program to showcase the results of the project will be held on Founders Day, March 26, 2009. The university hopes that other first-generation graduates will attend the program and engage in discussion about their experiences as the first members of their families to attend college. For more information about the project or the public program, call 252-328-0252 or send an e-mail message to yorkm@ecu.edu.

new developments for the Brody school of Medicine

A number of exciting developments from the Brody School of Medicine can be reported this year. Ground was broken for the new ECU Family Medicine Center and the Frances J. and Robert T. Monk Sr. Geriatric Center on

September 26. The Monk Geriatric Center is funded in large part from a lead gift of $2.5 million from the estate of Frances J. Monk. This new state-of-the-art facility will be located at the intersection of Arlington and

joyner library

Dixon (top right) with fellow SGA committee chairs.

medicine

ECU Family Medicine Center rendering

Servire | 25

Heart Boulevard. The facility is planned to open in late 2009.

This fall Brody welcomed the incoming class of 2012, which has grown to 76 students. The admissions department had the pleasure of reviewing the most competitive pool of applicants the school has ever seen. There were nearly 900 applicants for this fall, which equates to 12 North Carolina applicants for each available seat. The large number of applicants is an indication of the continuous growth and goal to increase our class size to 120. This is an effort on the part of the Brody School of Medicine to address the state’s shortage of doctors projected in the coming years.

The Class of 2012 is made up of all North Carolina residents, composed of 37 men and 39 women. Four students from the freshman class are part of the “MD in 7” Program. This program allows students in certain majors to apply to the Brody School of Medicine at the end of their sophomore year. If accepted, these students begin medical school in the junior year and are awarded bachelor’s degrees after completing their first year of medical coursework.

Thanks to the generosity of the Brody family, four new Brody Scholars were named from 12 applicants of the incoming M-1 medical students this year. These students

join a distinguished group of 10 other currently enrolled scholars and nearly 100 alumni of this program. Started in 1988 by the Brody family of Kinston, the Brody Medical Scholarship is North Carolina’s most distinguished medical scholarship program, providing recipients with full tuition and fees along with most living expenses for all four years of medical school. Preference is given to residents of North Carolina with an interest in primary care.

college Of nursing designated national center of excellence

East Carolina University’s College of Nursing has been designated a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing.

Acting Dean Sylvia Brown accepted the award for the college September 20 during the National League for Nursing’s Education Summit in San Antonio. ECU was one of six schools to receive the prestigious designation for 2008-2011. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro also received distinction.

The ECU College of Nursing was lauded for creating environments that promote student learning and professional development, one of several criteria used to evaluate candidates.

“In everything we do, through all interactions with patients and in our endeavors to contribute to health care quality, East Carolina University College of Nursing seeks to exceed expectations and achieve excellence not just for the accolade of a job well done, but because the health of our constituents depends on our steadfast dedication to excellence,” said Brown.

ECU faculty and staff serving on a task force to obtain designation was chair Mary Holland, Robin Webb Corbett, Frances Eason, Laurie Evans, Laura Gantt, Mary K. Kirkpatrick, Therese Lawler, Linda Mayne,

Diane Marshburn, Maura S. McAuliffe, and Annette Peery.

Since 2004, the National League for Nursing has invited nursing schools and colleges to apply based on their ability to demonstrate sustained excellence in faculty development, nursing education research or student learning, and professional development. Schools must show a commitment to continuous quality improvement.

“The NLN is proud to recognize those schools whose faculty is doing the outstanding work that sets them apart from others,” said Dr. Beverly Malone, NLN chief executive officer. “By publicly acknowledging these best academic practices, we hope to set the bar higher in nursing programs across the board so that those entering the profession will have the best tools available to meet the challenges of a diverse, ever-changing health care environment.”

As a designee, ECU will help mentor other schools seeking distinction. “Through the Centers of Excellence designation, nursing’s most exciting programs are made known to the entire academic community and thus able to inspire other schools to strive for excellence,” said Dr. Elaine Tagliareni, NLN president.

The ECU College of Nursing was established in 1959, the oldest in the health sciences division, and has an enrollment of 1,202 students in baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral nursing programs. It is the largest producer of new nursing graduates in the state and offers the only nurse midwifery plan of study and alternate entry MSN option for non-nursing bachelor degree holders in the state.

The college is known for innovative online outreach efforts designed to increase access to education in rural areas. It serves as a center of excellence for leadership in nursing, professional nursing education, research, service, and faculty practice in eastern North Carolina. The college offers program options for registered nurses and post-master’s students to advance their education.

Brody Scholars (l-r) Mary Windham, Wesley O’Neal, Bryan Howington, and Nabeel Arastu

nursing

26 | Winter 2009

cAreer cOrnerA serviceof the ECU Career Center

PrePAre fOr YOUr first interVieW As ALUMni

“So tell me about yourself.” This is an age old question that many hiring managers and recruiters ask potential employees. However, for most college students entering the work force, this is one of the many questions that can be very difficult. For many students, the idea of landing a job can be quite stressful. In fact, it can become so stressful that many students fail to prepare for the interview. However, thanks to the development of the H.I.R.E.D program, many East Carolina University students are more prepared than ever for an interview.

The acronym H.I.R.E.D means Helping Individuals Reach Employment Destinations. The HIRED Program is a partnership between The Career Center staff, university faculty, and professionals from a variety of industries. Originally launched in 2005, the HIRED Program is one of the most popular programs offered through The Career Center, serving well over 1,000 students annually. Professionals volunteer their time to conduct 30-minute one-on-one interviews with students. Volunteers have been recruited and trained to provide useful feedback to students once the interview is completed.

The HIRED Program is organized so that students can schedule their own appointment time to meet with a volunteer. Since interviewer biographies are

available on The Career Center’s web site, students can choose which interviewer they would like to meet with based on their major. Students also have the opportunity of choosing their desired job title and a company they wish to work for. During the interviews, the volunteers assume the role of the hiring manager for the student’s company of choice.

The goal of the HIRED Program is to prepare East Carolina University students for interviews and to increase their confidence and professionalism upon entering the workforce. This program has increased in popularity among faculty members from all departments and is receiving positive feedback. The program has received positive feedback from students as well. In fact, the most common feedback received is from students who initially did not want to participate in the HIRED program but afterward admit that it has been one of the best learning experiences they have had at East Carolina and recommend that all students participate.

So, how do you get involved? That’s easy. Just contact Jim McAtee (mcateej@ecu.edu or 252-328-6050) with any questions and to get started. We need volunteer interviewers to help ensure our students are as competitive as they can be.

Did you miss Homecoming?Visit the Photo Gallery at PirateAlumni.com to see all the images of Homecoming 2008.

Servire | 27

A Pirate Remembers...ralph shumaker ’58Many people know at a young age what they want to do when they grow up. Ralph Shumaker ’58 is one of the lucky ones whose childhood dreams actually became reality.

Shumaker moved around a great deal as a child since his father was a Methodist minister. One constant in Shumaker’s life, though, was music. By junior high, Shumaker’s propensity for music led him to join the school band. He fell in love—with the trombone and with band. Even though Shumaker played football, baseball, and ran track in high school, it was music and band that were his passions. “My high school band director took me and a couple of other kids to hear the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Philharmonic when they were on tour in Columbia, South Carolina, and I had never in my life been so thrilled about anything as I was on those two occasions. So by the time I was in 10th grade I knew that I wanted to be a band director, and that’s what led me to East Carolina. It was actually a salesman from Howren Music Company in Charlotte that visited our school who told me about what was then ECTC. He asked me what I wanted to do and I told him I wanted to be a band director. I asked him if he knew where I should go for training and he said, ‘Well, Furman has a good music program, and so does ECTC.’ So my parents brought me to ECTC to look around. We talked with one of the music professors, and I was sold!”

“I had a wonderful experience at East Carolina (it was ECC by the time I started here). I lived at the Wesley Foundation during my freshman year and was very involved in their activities—the drama club, the Wesley Foundation council. But I also got involved on campus with the concert band and the choir. The highlight of the year, though, for me, was the annual musical. I was always a cast member and we performed A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Oklahoma, Carousel, and Brigadoon, and I just lived for those every year. I had done musicals and plays in high school, but it wasn’t on the same scale as here at East Carolina. And then there were the trips we took for band and choir every spring. It wasn’t just being in the band and playing concerts that I enjoyed, the social aspect was also extremely rewarding because I made so many friends. At the end of my sophomore year I joined The Collegians dance band. We played all over, not just for ECC events, but for community events too, like high school proms, at military bases, for other colleges, and community festivals. I was lucky to be a part of it because there were so many talented musicians here at ECC.”

Shumaker’s first job after graduating from ECC in 1958 was coincidently at his own high school in Bishopville, SC, where he taught band, general music, and chorus. He left Bishopville to pursue a master’s degree in music education at the University of Illinois, but came back to North Carolina to teach band at Rockingham High School. He was there for two months and was drafted by the Army. For two years Shumaker taught at the Army Music School at Fort Jackson, and then returned to Rockingham for three years before working for the Department of Defense teaching music at U.S. military base schools. It was while he was overseas in Tokyo that he met his wife Sharon, who also taught at Naramasu High School. “We had the first class period free together, so I made coffee for her every morning. We got married on the base in June 1966. We spent our honeymoon at Mt. Fuji. Then we went to Ankara, Turkey to teach for a year, and transferred to Würzburg, Germany for the following year. Then we came back to the U.S. and taught for five years in Chesapeake, VA. I earned my doctorate in music education from Illinois in 1978 and then was fortunate enough to be hired at ECU in the School of Music.”

Shumaker was an associate professor of music and for five years director of the School of Music’s graduate program. He taught numerous classes, including instrumental music education and methods. “I thoroughly enjoyed teaching at ECU, especially the methods classes because I could visit my student teachers on site to observe them in the classroom. The interaction with the student teachers kept me in touch with music programs in the public schools.”

After 23 years of teaching at ECU, Shumaker retired in 1998. He is an active member of the North Carolina Music Educators Association and served as president for two years. He plays golf as often as he can, volunteers at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, and he and Sharon enjoy traveling the country in their motor home. Shumaker plays trombone with the Tar River Community Band, which he helped organize in 1988, the Emerald City Big Band, Pitt Community College Orchestra, sings in his church choir, and spent many summers playing in the pit orchestra for ECU Summer Theatre. “I’ll always be grateful for my time at East Carolina, both as a student and as a teacher, and never forget the many wonderful friendships I made here.”

M

28 | Winter 2009

Romantic dates for all occasions

Relative & in-lawguest stays

Business travel

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

Servire | 29

PirAte cOnnectiOns

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. CliffordPRESiDENt AND CEO

Kendra AlexanderASSiStANt DiRECtOR fOR ALUMNi PROGRAMS

Monique BestACCOUNtiNG tECHNiCiAN

Stephanie BunnPROGRAMS & MARkEtiNG ASSiStANt

Liz Ellerbe ’01DiRECtOR Of ALUMNi PROGRAMS

Dan FrezzaASSiStANt DiRECtOR fOR ALUMNi PROGRAMS

Candi High ’97ACCOUNtANt

Betsy Rabon ’86ALUMNi CENtER COORDiNAtOR

Doug Smith ’00, ’07DiRECtOR Of ALUMNi MEMBERSHiP & MARkEtiNG

Jennifer WatsonASSiStANt DiRECtOR fOR MEMBERSHiP & MARkEtiNG

Chris Williams ’01ASSiStANt DiRECtOR fOR MEMBERSHiP & MARkEtiNG

Servire magazine is published quarterly by the East Carolina Alumni Association, 901 East Fifth Street, Greenville, NC 27858. Publication dates may vary according to the University’s calendar, events, and scheduling.

TO CONTACT US OR COMMENT ON THIS MAGAZINE:252-328-6072 | 800-ECU-GRADalumni@PirateAlumni.com

POSTMASTER: Send change of address to East Carolina Alumni Association, 901 East Fifth Street, Greenville, NC 27858.

Lend a Helping Hand

April is service month for the East Carolina Alumni Association. Join in as we celebrate the University’s motto Servire, To Serve, as hundreds of alumni and friends lend a helping hand in their communities. Many of our regional leaders will plan service projects for alumni groups across the Pirate Nation, but individuals are welcome to volunteer wherever help is needed. Consider the following activities “to serve” in your area:

•Plant a commemorative tree to honor someone

•Adopt a zoo animal

•Assist at a local sporting event

•Volunteer at your local parks and recreation

•Help someone learn to read

•Hold a fundraiser for a local charity (car wash, pancake breakfast)

•Donate books to your local library

•Collect items to be recycled (glass bottles, newspapers, old phone books)

•Donate toiletry items to a local shelter

•Volunteer at a local non-profit organization

•Clean a local church

•Mow lawns

•Read to a child

•Promote ethnic awareness

•Support local or state legislation

•Send care packages to persons serving in our military

•Make kid-friendly items for your localchildren’s hospital

•Volunteer at a local fair or community event

•Offer to teach your expertise to a local scout group (woodworking, automotive care, smart finances, astronomy, wildlife)

•Adopt a family in need

•Donate school supplies to your local elementary, middle, or high school

The Alumni Association will gladly assist you in promoting planned service projects to fellow alumni in your area. Be sure to take plenty of photos, and remember to wear PURPLE and GOLd to promote your Pirate spirit! We’ll put all service project photos on our Web site at PirateAlumni.com. Contact Kendra Alexander at 800-ECU-GRAD or Kendra.Alexander@PirateAlumni.com to get started!

•Donate blood

•Serve food at a soup kitchen or shelter

•Donate gently used clothing and toys to a second-hand store

•Volunteer at your local hospital or retirement community

•Assist at an area elementary, middle, or high school

•Help beautify your city

•Volunteer as a museum guide

•Run or walk in a charity race

•Help at your local animal shelter

•Spend time with an elderly neighbor

•Offer to babysit for a friend or relative (free of charge)

•Help a friend with a home improvement project

•Deliver meals to homebound individuals

•Pick up litter in a local park or along a highway

•Plant flowers at a city building

•Perform a puppet show at your localchildren’s hospital

•Volunteer at your local police station or fire department

•Share your special talent with others, i.e. play guitar at a local coffee shop, teach a craft session at your local community center, paint a scene from your town and donate the work to a local office

•Donate food items to your local food bank

30 | Winter 2009

PirAte cOnnectiOns

PirAte ALUMni rOAD rAce & fUn rUn

5K and Mile Fun Run

April 18, 2009 at 9:00 a.m.Starts at Chico’s in Uptown GreenvillePirateAlumni.com/roadrace

The Travel Agency of the

Pirate Nation!

See the world and travel like a Pirate!

620 Red Banks RoadSuite A

Greenville, NC 27858252-757-0234

1-800-346-6158www.qtravels.com

9-NiGHt EAStERN CARiBBEAN CRUiSEDeparting June 4, 2009 from Norfolk, vA on

Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the SeasRates start at $1261.15 per person including all taxes, port charges and fuel costs. Rates based on double occupancy. Ships registered in the Bahamas.

5-NiGHt BERMUDA CRUiSEDeparting June 13, 2009 from Norfolk, vA on

Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the SeasRates start at $1,117.63 per person including all taxes, port charges and fuel costs. Rates based on double occupancy. Ships registered in the Bahamas.

Please contact Quixote travels at 252-757-0234 or 800-419-7712 with your travel dates and proper names of travelers. Passports will be required.

Servire | 31

sAVe tHe DAte

January 31Scholarship applications due

April 18Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run

June 4Pirate Voyage: Eastern Caribbean Cruise

June 13Pirate Voyage: Bermuda Cruise

Are you a business owner or individual with a wonderful service or product that would do well at an auction? Then consider making a contribution to the Pirate’s Bounty Scholarship Auction! This annual event is held every fall in conjunction with the ECU Alumni Scholarship Classic to raise funds for ECU student scholarships.

We’re collecting auction items early, in the hopes that we will have an even larger selection to offer attendees. Items like personalized gifts, ECU fan packages, outdoor equipment, vacations, automotive care, salon and spa packages, jewelry, weekend getaways, art and photography, ECU items, and sports memorabilia are auction favorites. Interested in making a contribution to the next Pirate’s Bounty Scholarship Auction? Contact Kendra Alexander at 800-ECU-GRAD or Kendra.Alexander@PirateAlumni.com for details.

We’ll start the bidding at…

The ECU Alumni Scholarship Classic and Pirate’s Bounty Scholarship Auction were held in October. Through the generosity of 23 sponsors, more than 100 business and individuals that donated auction items, and 160 golfers, the Alumni Association raised more than $30,000 for our scholarship program. Thirty Alumni Scholarships will be awarded this spring for the 2009-2010 academic year to students who excel in the classroom and in the community.

32 | Winter 2009

Update Your record & share the newstell us about yourself and we’ll update your official alumni record and share the news with your friends and classmates.

ab

ou

t yo

u

first Middle Last

Maiden Class Year(s)

Address

City State Zip Code

Home Phone Cell Phone

Home E-mail Address

em

plo

ym

en

t

Job title Company Name

Work Phone Work fax

Address

City State Zip Code

Work E-mail Address

marr

iag

e

first Middle Last/Maiden

if East Carolina alumnus/a, list spouse’s class year(s) Wedding Date

Spouse info:

ch

ild

ren

Child’s full Name Child’s full Name

Date of Birth Date of Birth

qBoy qGirl qBoy qGirl

To Report a death: (when possible, please attach a news clipping or death notice.)

Mail your update to: Alumni Records, Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center, 901 East Fifth Street, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858 OR fax to 252-328-4369. Rather update your information online? Visit PirateAlumni.com/firsttimelogin to access your alumni record online. When you reach Step 3, use the 9-digit code to the right of your name on the address panel of this magazine.

Name of Deceased Class Year(s) Date of Death

PirAte cOnnectiOns

Servire | 33

HOW yOU CAN GET INVOLVEd

Alumni often ask us, "How do I get involved in the Alumni Association?" Involved alumni help to enhance the reputation and strengthen the weight of every East Carolina degree. Here are 20 easy ways to become a more involved Pirate.

1. Become a member of the East Carolina Alumni Association!

2. Speak positively about ECU whenever you have the opportunity.

3. Serve as a mentor to a fellow graduate.

4. Attend an alumni event in your area.

5. Read Servire, the magazine of the Alumni Association, and East, the magazine of ECU.

6. Make regular visits to PirateAlumni.com, the Web site of the East Carolina Alumni Association.

7. Nominate an East Carolina graduate for an Alumni Award.

8. Visit campus at least once a year at Homecoming or for a reunion.

9. Hire ECU students for internships as well as permanent positions after graduation.

10. Subscribe to RSS feeds of Pirate Alumni News and Pirate Nation News.

11. Make an annual gift to the Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.

12. Encourage a friend or classmate to join the Alumni Association and participate in alumni programs.

13. Be sure that ECU has your current mailing and e-mail address. Don't have an e-mail address? Sign-up for your @alumni.ecu.edu e-mail account.

14. Connect with fellow Pirates on Facebook.

15. Participate in the ECU Alumni Scholarship Classic or Pirate Alumni Road Race and Fun Run to help raise funds for alumni scholarships.

16. Submit a class note and tell us about the most recent milestone in your life.

17. Attend an alumni gathering at an away athletic event.

18. Subscribe to PiratePulse, the monthly e-newsletter of the Alumni Association.

19. If you live in North Carolina or Maryland, get an ECU license plate.

20. Subscribe to the A Pirate's Life for Me! podcast.

Where have you been caught with your Pirate hook?

Dowdy-ficklen?

Overseas?

Opposing team’s stadium?

Underwater?

Wherever you’ve been caught with your hook, we want to see it

and share it with the Pirate Nation.

Send your photo to alumni@PirateAlumni.com

We’ll post your hook photo on our Web site at PirateAlumni.com/hooks. Please describe the occasion and clearly identify the people pictured.

Show uS your hookS!

34 | Winter 2009

PirAte cOnnectiOns

PirAte cAreer cALLsThe East Carolina Alumni Association has partnered with The Career Center and ECU Human Resources to offer a series of career services presentations via teleconference called Pirate Career Calls. Pirate Career Calls are interactive conference calls facilitated by a member of The Career Center or ECU Human Resources staff. You will have the opportunity to gain insights, engage in discussion, and get answers to your questions on a different topic each month.

Pirate Career Calls, which are held once a month (generally the first Thursday) from noon to 1:00 p.m. ET, are free and open to all alumni and friends of East Carolina. When you register for a class you will be given a toll-free phone number to call on the day of your class. A PowerPoint presentation will be e-mailed to you the day before the call to help you follow along.

Upcoming Career Calls:

January 8How to Get PromotedMoving up the career ladder requires planning, informed decisions, and the ability to highlight what you bring to the table. Learn how to maximize your chances of getting promoted with simple, effective tips on how to approach your boss and what you should say to cinch the deal.

February 5The Benefits of Temporary EmploymentTemporary employment has many benefits and can be appropriate for a variety of situations. Are you interested in

changing professions? Do you need to relocate? Would you like to develop new career skills? Let the ECU Human Resources Staff give you the highlights of temporary employment and teach you how to put your temporary employment experience to work on your résumé and during your job search.

March 5Salary NegotiationsThere is more to a job than money, but salary is one of the most important aspects of your employment. Learn how to gauge your salary expectations and work toward your compensation goal with advice and negotiation tips from a career specialist.

April 2Career ChangersLearn how to plan your path to a different career with targeted goals and strategic communications. Unlike transitions of the past, today’s career changers require professionals to market their specific skills to employers before, during, and after the interview. This presentation will provide participants with a plan of action to begin making their career move.

Visit PirateAlumni.com/careercalls to register online today for one of all of these Career Calls!

3404 NC 43 North · Greenville, NC 27834 · www.springshire.org

Call Today to Get on the List Your Home Will Be Ready When You Are!

(800) 884-2203 · (252) 317-2303

Why Wait When Your Future is Ready to Bloom?You have created a lifetime of achievement and success built on planning, dedication and a solid academic

foundation from your Alma Mater, East Carolina University. Now you can share the best that retirement living has to offer with old friends and other ECU Alumni.

Give yourself and your family the best gift that retirement living has to offer, SpringShire. Nestled between highway 43 and the Tar River while adjacent to Ironwood Country Club.

Where signature services meet peace of mind.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

ECU ALUM AD.pdf 8/15/08 12:21:42 PM

Servire | 35

The East Carolina Alumni Association informs, involves, and serves members of the ECU family throughout their lifelong relationship with the University.

Embrace Your Inner Pirate

The Pirate Nation has proved that East Carolina spirit is more than just a feeling—it’s a way of life! The Alumni Association’s membership program has helped the Association continue to serve East Carolina University. We are dedicated to informing, involving, and serving East Carolina’s 123,000 alumni. The Alumni Association provides a means for alumni to keep in touch with their alma mater. The membership program, which supports alumni and student programs as well as student scholarships, is a way for dedicated alumni to enhance their relationship with the University. Our program offers many benefits, including discounted pricing on alumni events such as Tailgate, Servire (our quarterly magazine) and East (the magazine for ECU), and most importantly, the pride in knowing your membership furthers the mission of the Alumni Association!

MEMBERSHiP tYPESAnnual Memberships:

Pride Individual $35 Joint* $50

Lifetime Memberships:Forever Pirate

Individual: Full: $750 Installments: $200 semiannually for 2 years Joint*: Full: $1,000 Installments: $275 semiannually for 2 years

Senior Forever Pirate (60 or older)Individual: Full: $500 Installments: $137.50 semiannually for 2 yearsJoint*: Full: $750 Installments: $200 semiannually for 2 years

Centennial Memberships:Centennial Pirate (paid in full) $5,000Centennial Pirate (installment) five annual payments of $1,000

PAYMENt OPtiONSCheck enclosed payable to East Carolina Alumni AssociationCharge to: American Express MasterCard Visa

Number ________________________________________________

Expiration date ________________

Signature _______________________________________________

CONtACt iNfORMAtiON

Member _________________________________________

Birthdate ____________________ Class Year ___________________

Address _______________________________________________

City/State/Zip __________________________________________

Home Phone ____________________________________________

E-mail ________________________________________________

Joint Member ___________________________________________

Birthdate ____________________ Class Year ___________________

E-mail ________________________________________________

mm/dd/yyyy

mm/dd/yyyy

$

Gift Of MEMBERSHiP

This is a gift of membership given by:

Name: _________________________________________________

Phone: ______________________________________________

It’s a great time to be a member!

Please fill out and fax to 252-328-4369 or mail to:Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center • 901 East Fifth Street

East Carolina University • Greenville, NC 27858-4353

*couple living at the same address

Presorted standard

u.s. PostagePAiD

raleigh, NCPermit #291

Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center901 East Fifth Street | East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC 27858-4353

“We joined the Alumni Association because of our love for ECU and our belief in the tremendous promise that our newly adopted alma mater holds as a leader among universities. We are confident that East Carolina's promise can be realizedand magnified with the financial support ofalumni and friends.”

~Richard and JoAnn Eakin, recipients of the 2008 Honorary Alumni Award and life members of the Alumni Association

Join online today at PirateAlumni.com/jointoday!