WARM WELCOME
ECU students move into residence halls
After a 16-hour journey to get to East Carolina University to move in their freshmen son Menderson, Emmanuel and Tia Elie were greeted by a tall stranger offering to help them carry their cart full of supplies.
As it turned out, that tall stranger introduced himself as Dr. Philip Rogers, chancellor of the university.
“That was a beautiful welcome,” Tia Elie said of meeting Rogers. “The drive was well worth it for that welcome. You’re not kidding about southern hospitality when you come down here.”
They said their son considered a couple of universities but in the end decided the business program at ECU was worth the trip from New Hampshire.
“He just liked it,” Emmanuel Elie said. “We visited a couple places, and he was just drawn to ECU.”
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About 5,200 students began moving into residence halls on Tuesday and will continue through the rest of the week in advance of the first day of classes on Monday.
“It’s exciting to be back on campus,” Rogers said. “There’s nothing better than to see Pirate families and their students moving into the residence halls.”
The event — a rite of passage for many students — also is a big day for parents.
“I’ve had every emotion possible: excitement, nervousness,” said Kathy McCabe of Fairfax, Virginia, who with her husband David was moving in their daughter Megan to Garrett Hall.
The couple left planning for the day up to Megan. “She gets the emails so she tells us what she needs and when to be somewhere,” Kathy McCabe said. “I don’t think she overpacked because we got it all in one car.”
ECU Chancellor Philip Rogers lends a hand during move-in on College Hill. (Photo by Rhett Butler)
Angie Greene, a 1986 ECU graduate in business from Salisbury, was glad to see her daughter Hannah follow in her footsteps and come to ECU as a business major.
“We’re so happy. I loved my time here and hopefully she will love it too,” she said. “I know she won’t want to leave. I didn’t want to leave. I just love the eastern part of the state and I just love East Carolina. I love all that it has to offer. It’s a diverse school with so many degrees to choose from and so many academic offerings. I just know she’s going to find what she is meant to do here. You can’t go wrong.”
Lorie and Andy Pugh, both ECU graduates from Clayton, helped their daughter Katie, an intended nursing major, move into her residence hall. Lorie said she did give her daughter a bit of advice.
“I left out a few things,” she said with a laugh. “But I think she’ll discover them on her own.”
As for Katie, she couldn’t hide her feelings about coming to ECU.
“Oh yeah, I’m excited,” she said. “I’m excited to be on campus and do all the ECU things like football games.”
Sheryl Richardson of Gates drove her niece, Daijha Blount, to campus. Blount is a freshman who will live in the West End neighborhood.
“I’m a little sad. She’s my only niece and she grew up right across the street, so we’ve spent a lot of time together,” Richardson said. “But it’s not that far from home, so we can hop in the car anytime.”
Emma Mooney, a freshman from Raleigh moving into Garrett Hall, said she looked forward to being on campus after taking online classes her senior year in high school.
“I’m just excited to be here, especially after being home for my senior year,” she said. “I’m ready to get back in school and meet new people.”
Lee Workman, left, retired from ECU athletics, and Maurice Mitchell, a junior at ECU, help Sheryl Richardson, back left, and her niece Daijha Blount unload their pickup. (Photo by Cliff Hollis)
Her father, Mike, said he had mixed emotions. “I’m happy for her but sad for us. She has an older brother at Appalachian, so she’s not our first, but it’s different with daughters,” he said.
Another dad, Bill Powell of Raleigh, was helping move in his daughter, Jessica, a freshman who plans to study art and graphic design. “We’re excited for her but sad to see her move out of the house,” he said. Mom Rosanne Powell added: “ECU is a great place for her to start a foundation.”
Braden Riedasch, a sophomore nursing major from Apex, was enjoying his second move-in day, having learned a lesson or two from the countless trips he made to stores to get needed items upon moving in as a freshman.
“We had no idea what we were doing last year,” he said.
Lindsey Slayton, a freshman from Midway, Massachusetts, who intends to major in communication, was moving into Garrett Hall. “I’m really excited for football games, and just to have a new experience that’s different than high school,” she said.
Sweat shown through shirts on a hot, humid eastern North Carolina summer day Wednesday, with a midday shower providing little relief, as parents and students carried in clothing, box fans, brooms, pillows and suitcases. At least one brought a guitar.
Volunteers like ECU seniors Kat Evans and Mackenzie Rayfield waited outside Garrett Hall to help carry up boxes, bins and belongings. Evans and Rayfield are part of the campus ministry Every Nation Campus, which provided a lot of volunteers. “We’re just here to help people coming in feel welcome,” Rayfield said. “We want them to have a smooth move-in experience,” Evans added.
What advice would they give freshmen? “Go to everything you possibly can,” Evans said. “It’s the best way to make friends.” Added Mayfield: “Be involved in campus. Don’t stay in your dorm.”
Students and parents carry belongings to Ballard Hall during move-in. Move-in continues through Aug. 22 as Pirates begin their return to campus. (Photo by Rhett Butler)
From left, volunteers Tyheem Daniels, Juan Chavez and Maurice Mitchell helped unload items from vehicles and carry them to residence hall rooms in the West End neighborhood. (Photo by Cliff Hollis)
Emanuel Dediavoukana, a sophomore biochemistry major from Raleigh, needed no volunteer help moving into Scott Hall. He took advantage of ECU’s early drop-off period, bringing in the majority of his belongings earlier this month. He made just one trip from his vehicle with a suitcase and a laundry basket.
“I did not want to move all of my stuff in one day,” he said.
He said he looked forward to a sophomore year on campus.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “Last year was a little rough, but we’re hoping this year is different. With all the new restrictions, hopefully things go as well as we expect it to.”
The university has protocols in place such as mask mandates, vaccinations, COVID-19 testing and on-campus quarantine and isolation locations as well as more knowledge based on research, science and experience on how best to keep ECU students, faculty, staff and visitors as safe as possible.
“Despite all the activities associated with COVID, there’s a lot of hope, a lot of optimism on our campus,” Rogers said. “… We have vaccines, we have a number of other strategies that we are putting in place right now that we know work. Wearing masks works, vaccinations work and social distancing in appropriate areas will work. We’ve been working hard over the entire summer to ensure that we have the right strategies in place so that our students in fact feel like they can be safe.”
Rogers mentioned that those moving into residence halls had the option of getting the vaccination shot when arriving on campus. He expects the number of vaccinated students to increase but also expects clusters on campus this fall. He said the university has put procedures in place to handle those clusters if they do arise.
“I can’t think of any better example of student success and public service and regional transformation — the heart of our mission — than what we’re experiencing today,” he said. “This is what Pirate Nation is all about. This is what ECU is all about. We’re glad to see all these wonderful people back on campus.”
Students and parents bring in belongings during move-in day. (Photo by Cliff Hollis)