Missing ECU!

GO PIRATES! This is the time of year that I really miss my college days. When I hear the marching bands and see the football games I think about the many wonderful memories I had in college. I thought I would walk you through some of those memories as I reflect today. The music on my playlist is none other than the marching pirates of ECU! I hope you enjoy it as you read.

Cute Pee-Dee

New Pee-Dee

This is the East Carolina mascot. This is Pee-Dee the Pirate. During my time at ECU they changed the look of our pirate from a cute pirate above to a meaner and more aggressive pirate below. What do you think???? Change is hard and I prefer the cute pirate myself. But I guess we look tougher now....right!

My freshman year was full of fun. I roomed with my friend from home, Susan. Our friend Ashley was already at ECU and later the three of us would get an apartment together. The three of us have some great memories. Girls if you're reading, do you remember the Ghost Light, Papa Johns, Hair pulling laughter, and Acid Park??? What laughs! The picture above is us going to a Disco Dance with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. And just to make a strong point.... I know many people consider ECU a party school, well it is what you make it and I chose not to make it that!!

We all loved to go to football games. The students had to sit on the sunny side of the field so after our first game we learned that you always wear sunscreen, bring your sunglasses, and wear a hat. It was a tradition to always have the "cute" pee-dee tattooed on your face! Arrgghh! Go Pirates! I also remember the phrase, "where's my oxygen?" I started saying this after those huge players would run about 10 feet and would straggle to the sideline gasping for air. You could just see on their face they needed oxygen. I'm surprised they don't have oxygen tanks lined up on the sidelines for these guys.

I must say since We left ECU the students are doing this really dorky pirate face. They cover one eye like a pirate patch and move there arm up and down...not really sure what it suppose to look like, maybe a sword. But we are a tad bit embarrassed about this new look. I guess when we left the coolness left too. :)

Wes and I, and our roommates were all involved in IVCF (InterVarsity Christian Fellowship). I speak only for myself when I say, "I really enjoyed this group." This was my youth group away from home. It kept me grounded and was a strength to me as I was figuring out just who I was. Because of this group I stayed away from all the crazy things that can happen on a college campus.

This is a picture of Ashley, me, and Susan at the best football game EVER! This was the ECU vs. Miami Hurricanes game in 1999. We were flooded out of Greenville due to Hurricane Floyd so NC State allowed us to use their stadium to play the game. Think about it the Pirates were playing the Hurricans.....Hurricans....we had just be hit by two major Hurricanes and we were ready to fight back. Poor Miami. We came from behind to beat the Hurricanes in the best game I have ever seen. Our fans were rude and removed the field goals from the NC State field...sorry on there behalf but you couldn't beat the emotions of this game. Ashely-do you remember the hurricane hit?? Cumin' atcha' from all sides!

This was me preparing for Hurricane Floyd. On the table you can see all the flashlights and candles.

My Junior year we were hit with two major hurricanes one was Hurricane Dennis and the other Hurricane Floyd. Both of these hurricanes were just weeks apart. Dennis came through the Carolina's and then bounced back and hit us again. Dennis dumped tons of rain on the Eastern part of the state and by the time Floyd came along the ground was so saturated that a flood was in our future. ECU was under water! We lost over 2 weeks of school. There was even talk of canceling the semester however they didn't. My roommates and I volunteered with the red cross and student services. Many people had lost everything they owned. Students lost books, books they had just bought a month ago at the start of school. It was eye opening to live through a natural disaster. You can check out pictures at http://www.nandotimes.com/nt/images/floyd/

This was just one of the many places in Greenville that was flooded.

I know many people call ECU-EASYU but I must disagree completely. I graduated in four years with a degree in Elementary Education. At the time the College of Education was second in the state. Who was number one??? UNC-Greensboro. I was offered a job with CMS on the spot in March, 2 months before I graduated.

Wes and I met at ECU. We were both part of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. I remember when I first met Wes and thought to myself, "this kid needs some medicine, I know he's ADHD." :) Wes ALWAYS had a million things going at one time. He has slowed down A LOT since college. We did not start dating until after I graduated so we spent many weekends burning up the roads to see each other. Those are some of the sweetest memories I have. ECU has served me in many ways. I had some of the greatest friends, the greatest education, and I met my husband. I owe a lot to ECU! GO PIRATES! http://www.ecu.edu/