NEW CREW
Pirate Weeks of Welcome
As members of the class of 2023 walked into Minges Coliseum for convocation Sunday afternoon, they were handed small buttons with one very important word – connect.
Connecting and making the most of opportunities available at East Carolina University were a consistent message during events held the weekend before the start of the academic year.
Kayleigh Smith, a senior from Holden Beach, was part of the team welcoming students to convocation and helping them find their way. She recalled seeing the upperclassmen and faculty excited about the new semester at convocation her freshman year. It helped her feel welcome, she said. As a greeter this year, she wanted to help the newest class of pirates have the same feeling.
“I hope they realize this is really the best experience you’ll ever have in your life. We want to let them know they’re welcome,” Smith said.
(Video by Aaron Bevill, Division of Student Affairs)
“I hope they realize this is really the best experience you’ll ever have in your life. We want to let them know they’re welcome,” Smith said.
Athletic Director Jon Gilbert and ECU head coaches opened convocation by introducing new students to football traditions like No Quarter, Jolly Roger and the Boneyard.
ECU’s head football coach Mike Houston, who will lead the Pirates for his first season this fall, had a message for students.
“Game day here at ECU – there’s a lot of traditions – and one of the ones I can’t wait to experience is our students in the Boneyard. We need your help on game day to make that… it’s the loudest most intimidating room in the entire stadium. You’re going to set the tone for game day,” said Houston.
Students learn ECU traditions during New Student Welcome and Convocation (Photo by Cliff Hollis)
Interim Chancellor Dan Gerlach and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Dr. Virginia Hardy welcomed students and drove home the importance of finding your family at ECU and being engaged with faculty and staff.
“How will you invest in yourself? What will your legacy be when you leave this wonderful institution of higher learning? And remember, we’re all here to help you grow and to make wise choices as you invest in yourself and in your future,” said Hardy.
Freshman Jashon Collins listened as university leaders addressed the audience. He said he went to convocation to see what ECU is all about. He said he has already taken one important step to get connected by joining the engineering Living Learning Community. He hopes to get into medical school after receiving an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering. In the coming weeks, Collins wants to hopes to learn more about club sports and Greek Life.
ECU fans greet members of the football team during the 25th annual Meet the Pirates.
(Photo by Savannah Elkins)
Pirate Weeks of Welcome
Between the first day of move-in on Aug. 14 to convocation, students had a wide variety of activities to choose from on campus to help them become familiar with Pirate Nation. The first week of Pirate Weeks of Welcome kicked off Thursday night with movie night followed by Friday’s Raid the Rec event hosted by Campus Recreation and Wellness.
Saturday, students and community members attended the 25th annual Meet the Pirates event at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Pirate fans had the opportunity to meet ECU athletes and tour the new TowneBank Tower addition to Bagwell Field. The $60 million southside renovation added 1,000 premium seats.
Later in the afternoon, students traveled back to main campus for another ECU tradition, Pirate Palooza, ECU’s largest welcome back event. This year, Pirate Palooza was held at the new Main Campus Student Center (MCSC) that opened in January. In years past, it had been held at the athletics complex.
The large indoor space at the MCSC provided an opportunity to move the popular event closer to students. Gerlach joined staff and volunteers in passing out T-shirts while students participated in games and enjoyed entertainment, music, trivia, laser tag and free food.
Pirate Weeks of Welcome concludes Sept. 7, when ECU takes on Gardner-Webb in the first home football game of the season.
The ECU dance team joins new students during convocation on Sunday. (Photo by Cliff Hollis)