Barefoot on the Mall 2008

Source: University Archives (digital image being accessioned)

Staff Person: L.K. Gypsye Legge

Description:

Last week we enjoyed delightful weather in Eastern North Carolina. Thursday, the 24th of April was sunny and warm, but breezy enough to make an afternoon outside a delight even without a festival of fun for its own sake. Happily, Pirates and their friends got to do both, with the 29th celebration of Barefoot on the Mall. Research in the University Archives revealed that this event was created in 1979 by Laura Lauffer. According to an unsigned feature article in the 1990 Buccaneer, Ms. Lauffer was a senior at Rose High School, interning at ECU when she suggested a day of music, crafts, refreshments, and booths for student organizations. Ken Hammond is quoted as saying the name was chosen“… because she wanted the festival to be something the students come to barefoot, and relaxed.”

A page from the 1979 Buccaneer shows a smaller crowd on a cooler day:

Page 256 of the 1979 Buccaneer

Page 257 of the 1979 Buccaneer

Poignantly, the 1990 article goes on to relate that Ms. Lauffer did not attend ECU, or any college in the Fall of 1979, because she was paralyzed when her car was struck by a drunk driver. Now, ECU can accommodate students of many abilities, and the office of Disability Support Services makes the Home of the Pirates even more diverse and welcoming! Information about the services offered can be found at: https://accessibility.ecu.edu/students/

The picture below is a new addition to the University Archives as it was created in a digital format last week. You can find out more about this year’s event, and see other images, at: https://university-communications.ecu.edu/

Barefoot on the Mall, 2008