TO THE BONE Pirates are Pirates no matter what By Mackenzie Tewksbury Mixer Magazine
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here must be something in the water. Or rather, maybe it’s in the blood. Because those who are a part of East Carolina University’s culture, know that purple runs deeper than water. They know that purple, in all aspects of the sentiment, is in their blood.
And zoom in on a town about 80 miles east of North Carolina’s capital city, what may seem like a tiny blimp on a great big map is actually something much bigger. Much much bigger. What you’ll find is a group of people who know heartbreak; who know joy. A group of people who face hardships and overcome them. You’ll find a unified force of purple and gold; a force that’s bigger than a ballgame, bigger than a season. You’ll find a
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group a people who know the ocean comes in waves, and choose to ride the waves as they come. You’ll find a way of life. “This is more like a lifelong passion for me,” said Jimmy Rostar, a 1997 alumnus of ECU and Greenville resident. Wander over to the corner of 14th Street and Berkley Street on a fall Saturday afternoon and without problem you’ll stumble upon Rostar and “The Corner Crew,” a group of unapologetically unwavering Pirate fans who have likely been out there grilling food and celebrating for six hours already. The group was even crowned with the statewide Tailgate of the Year title by the David Glenn Show. It will smell like cheeseburgers, barbecue and beer, but most importantly, if you’re a Pirate fan, it will feel like home. “It’s just the consciousness of Greenville,” Rostar said of East Carolina football. Rostar has weathered the many storms that come with being a Pirate fan, but he’s also ridden the waves of success onto the shore with great pleasure. He’s been through it all, and
July | August 2018
Mixer
