spring 2012 EastThe Magazine of easT Carolina UniversiTy erber g scream if you . s like his movies Kevin Williamson’s strange ride Copyright 2011 by Max by 2011 Copyright from Dawson’s Creek to hollywood vieWfinDer spring 2012 EastThe Magazine of easT Carolina UniversiTy Construction worker Willie Joyner Jr. is part of the renovation of Tyler residence Hall, one of the older dorms on College Hill. Opened as a men’s residence in 1969, it was switched to all women in FEATUrEs 1972 and remained so for 20 30 years. it was named for sCreaM if YOU liKe his MOVIES Arthur Lynwood Tyler, a 2 0 His TV series became former university trustee. By David Menconi Dawson’s Creek Photograph by Forrest Croce iconic, then Kevin Williamson ’87 became king of the scary movie genre and now his scripts about teenage vampires fill primetime TV. He’s had hits and some misses, so now he’s hoping to find an elusive balance in his creative and personal lives. “I’m not good at highs and lows,” he says. hearT Throb 3 0 Professor Sam Sears, a leading 30 authorityBy Spaine onStephens the psychology of living with what are called implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), helps patients adjust to living with the constant worry that the device will deliver a 700-volt punch. “It’s a modern-day paradox of safety and fear,” he says. “I see more courage on a daily basis than anyone.” genTle gianT 3 6 For 24 years, Dean of Students James TuckerBy Steve laid Tuttle down ’09 the law on campus, from the time of the Big Yellow House Incident through the protests over the 36 Vietnam War. But there was always a gentler face behind “that infamous Dean Tucker stare.” Crisis CreaTes a ChaMPion 40 East Carolina’s best men’s golfer in severalBy Bethany years Bradsher had trouble adjusting to college, with poor grades keeping him out of tournaments. But Harold Varner refocused his life, then charged up the leaderboard. Plus, read a roundup of spring sports teams. 40 DEpArTMEnTs froM oUr reaDers ..................3 The eCU rePorT . 4 sPring arTs CalenDar ............. 16 froM The CLASSROOM . 30 PiraTe naTion . 46 CLASS noTes........................49 UPon The PAST......................60 froM The eDiTor froM oUr reaDers spring 2012 East Volume 10, Number 3 WE WErE in gErMAny bEFOrE Italy trips enhanced our education far beyond any is published four times a year by classroom experience. The field trips were to from 75 years ago. He e-mailed to ask if he East East Carolina University Editor’s Note: Our story in the last issue about Paris, London, Brussels, Moscow, Vienna, could get a copy of the picture and was pleased TheOur In Memoriam greatest pages ofgeneration were filled during 2011 with the obituaries Division of University Advancement Italy Intensives, which recently was expanded into to learn he could find it himself because all the East 2200 South Charles Blvd. Amsterdam and Toledo. of faculty emeriti and longtime supporters from all corners of the university. Greenville, NC 27858 a full-time overseas academic program, prompted — school’s old annuals—back to 1923—are It is a sad fact that the greatest generation of East Carolina leaders is quickly responses from some alumni who spent a semester CarlSaint “Eddie” Albans, Hereford West ’75Virginia ’82, Mabelavailable Hassell online. WeBasnight asked about his grandmother, passing away, and with their passing an important chapter in the university’s h or two at ECU’s European Study Center in Bonn, ’31 of Manteo, and history closes. Their shoulders at the wheel helped create the business school, Germany, during the 1970s. Readers like the one My copy ALsO ArrivED damagED he provided this recollection: EDITOR “I remember her telling me the nursing school and then the medical school. It was their dedication to below asked whether they should be called first. One I just received my winter edition and read steve Tuttle ’09 how Grandfather courted academics that delivered on the promise of university status. 252-328-2068 / [email protected] could argue, I suppose, that the students who visited the letter regarding [readers receiving copies] her while attending Cuba in the early 1930s on the school-sponsored missing front covers [as a result of rough I was in this reflective mood when Richard Tucker ’71 called to ask if I ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER ECTC. [His trip to Rick’s Tours also deserve some mention. handling in the mail]. My magazine arrived would like to meet his father, Dr. James Tucker, who was dean of students brent burch About 40 students studied and lived in a campus from the with three vertical tears from the top of here for 24 years, until his retirement in 1979. He said his dad, now 96, is three-story boarding house, “Haus Steineck,” Outer Banks required] PHOTOGRAPHER the cover. Maybe the stock is not thick still sharp and has hundreds of stories about working beside Leo Jenkins for for the academic year 1971–72. ECU faculty a borrowed horse to Forrest Croce enough to go through our postal system. so many years. were shuttled to this site and taught [several] the ferry, where he would — Rocky Mount, Va. The afternoon I spent with Dean Tucker was like stepping into a time COPY EDITORS subjects as well as special seminars that Don Woodard ’77, catch a ride with whomever Jimmy rostar ’94, spaine stephens involved interviews with government officials would pick him up. Sometimes a horse and machine, transported to the East Carolina College of decades ago to hear Editor’s Note: To save money, we did switch to a and trade union leaders. We students felt like cart, sometimes a truck. Once in Greenville, his firsthand accounts so many touchstone moments—the first recorded CONTRIBUTING WRITERS thinner grade of paper for the covers, and we are Marion blackburn, native Germans as we became immersed in he was allowed to stay with local families panty raid in 1956, the Big Yellow House Incident in 1959, the arrival of concerned that several readers have reported instances Doug boyd, bethany bradsher, the culture. Several of us have made lifelong along Fifth Street as long as he was “behaving Greek life in the early ’60s, integration in the late ’60s, the fight for coed like this. Let me know if this happens to you. Kathryn Kennedy, David Menconi, friends and have visited Germany several in the proper fashion.” While at ECTC, dorms and the war protests of the 1970s. His imposing bearing, even 32 ’06 ’08 Jessica Creson nottingham , times over the passing years. The school was grAndmother’s in that piCTUrE Grandmother worked for [school treasurer J.B. years into retirement, made me appreciate how frightening it must have been steve row, Mary schulken, spaine stephens for a generation of students to be summoned to the dean’s office, where they the brainchild of [political science professor] Spilman and his wife, Johnetta Webb Spilman, Editor’s Note: GlancingMichael at Basnightthe Timeline in the would be subjected to, as one called it, “that infamous Dean Tucker stare.” CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Dr. Hans Indorf. The ECU Bonn Germany Fall 2011 issue, ’95 of San the assistant treasurer]. One of Grandmother’s Jay Clark, Diane Coltraine, Andrew Eccles, Campus was all year. All subjects were Diego, Calif., spotted his grandmother in the jobs…was to take the daily deposits down But by the end of our visit I became convinced he is a tenderhearted softie Max s. gerber, Cliff Hollis credited toward our degrees. Seminars and Fifth Street to a bank that was located in who cultivated a gruff persona to scare students into doing what was in group picture of the Association for Education CLASS NOTES EDITOR the Five Points area. Because of her working Mayor peter Kraemer (center) welcomes ECU bonn Center students at a reception in 1972. their own best interest. What an amazing talent, I thought; all he had to do Joanne Kollar relationship, she was given the ability to leave ECU professor Hans indorf, who directed the bonn Center program, is in dark suit at left. was look at a kid to make them shape up. His family says that over the years [email protected] campus without signing out or wearing the hundreds of former students have called or written to thank Dean Tucker for required gloves. She would tell that story with some kindness he had shown them. “They would say he helped me when I ADMINISTRATION Michelle sloan a slight gleam of rebellion in her eye. She also had a problem with my classes, he got me into a dorm room, he found me a commented on how nervous she would get, job and some loan money to keep me in school,” Richard Tucker said. h wondering what would happen if the wrong I’m glad I spent that afternoon with Dean Tucker, while I still could. You can Assistant VICE Chancellor people ever found out just what she was read more about our visit on page 36. FOR UNIVERSITY MARKETING carrying in that shoulder bag. “I remember Clint bailey thinking, what would I ever do if someone Is there someone who smoothed your path through college, perhaps by tried to steal the money from me before I scaring you into partying less and studying more, who challenged you to East Carolina University is a constituent institution of made it to the bank?” I love what your group reach higher? Who handed you that book whose words remain seared in your The University of North Carolina. It is a public doctoral/ is doing with Keep the stories coming, as memory? They may still be among us, but probably not much longer.