Esprit de Campus

Did you have a Kodak moment at Saturday’s Employee Appreciation Tailgate? Did you take time to smell the barbecue and listen to the bluegrass with your family and friends?

Let our photo gallery (below) refresh your memory about those balloon hats and painted faces, handshakes with Chancellor Randy Woodson and high fives with Mr. and Ms. Wuf.

Something to Howl About

The event elicited howls of appreciation for the Human Resources team and tailgate volunteers who made the first-ever event a success. They distributed more than 3,200 free and discounted tickets, along with organizing the food and fun.

“It’s easy to feel a bit disconnected at times when you’re a staff member located away from Raleigh,” wrote Bill Iacovelli, who’s based in Charlotte with the Industrial Extension Service. “This was a nice way to feel connected to the greater university community. Thanks again.”

Kids of all ages enjoyed their first Wolfpack football game, including the 15-year-old godson of Dr. Denise Heinze, a teaching assistant professor in English.

“I think it is safe to say he was smitten,” she wrote, adding that he was “thrilled and determined more than ever that he was going to college. Better yet, raised in a hermetically sealed Tar Heel household, he was bleeding red by the end of the game!”

Heinze also reveled in the opportunity to see several current and former students on the field.

Scotty McCreery’s rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner was a big hit, drawing squeals from groups of teen girls who helped the Garner native win American Idol.

And the Wolfpack’s 38-24 win over Central Michigan, featuring four touchdown throws by quarterback Mike Glennon, had everyone cheering.