Under the Sea

Spring is in the air and everyone is migrating towards the warming coasts, and there is no better place to go during Easter holiday than North Carolina's crystal coast.

Atlantic Beach is a favorite getaway among the people of North Carolina, especially with the aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores being just down the road. This aquarium contains river otters, sea turtles, and an enclosure where sharks swim around a tank they share with a scaled down replica of a sunken German U-boat. But that's not all they offer.

"Among the four state-supported aquariums, Pine Knoll Shores is the only one with a statewide focus," said Jeffrey Turner in Our State: North Carolina magazine.

They have galleries devoted to the ocean, tidal waters, mountains, piedmont, and coastal plains areas of North Carolina, which is unique to this particular North Carolina aquarium out of the four in the state.

"I really like the hands on section with the sting rays and the crabs! It's just really neat to interact with the animals and the aquarium volunteers,"said Elizabeth Ayscue of Raleigh.

Visitors can pet an assortment of rays and pick up different types of shellfish for a more hands on learning experience.  There are volunteers on hand in each section of the aquarium, too, that will answer any questions you may have about the aquatic life that call the aquarium home.

"And that tank is amazing! I honestly could stare at it all day. It's that awesome," said Ayscue.

The tank that houses several different types of sharks and large fish. The window that separates the visitors from the sharks is a whopping 65 feet wide. It is the largest tank out of the four aquariums that can be found in North Carolina.

Through out the day, visitors can be found staring at the tank and the animals that swim around in it, completely losing track of time. Kids with their faces pressed against the glass and adults sitting on the benches soaking in the glow from the water, everyone leaves the aquarium in awe of all they have learned and experienced at the aquarium that day.

Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium:
1 Roosevelt Blvd.,
Pine Knoll Shores, NC 28512.
Hours: 9am -5pm daily.
Admission: $8 for ages 13-61; $7 for ages 62 and up; $6 for ages 3-12; no charge for ages 2 and under and NC Aquarium Society members.
For more information, visit www.ncaquariums.com/pine-knoll-shores or call 800-832-FISH (3474).

Interview with a Wolf

With almost everything she owns in some shade of red, it can never be mistaken that Sharon Owens is a super-fan of N.C. State, but what do you expect from a former Ms. Wuf mascot.

Now living in Garner, North Carolina, at the age of 51 and married with two daughters, she can still vividly remember that time of her life. She often recalls memories of the championship team she cheered for to her family and friends as though they had not heard them a million times before.

“I tried out in 1981 and didn’t get it.  I tried out again in 1982 and was Ms. Wuf from 1982 to 1983.  I was Ms. Wuf when we won the NCAA Basketball Championship!  My claim to fame and I was anonymous,” Owens said.

While majoring in Textiles at N.C. State University, she had always wanted to be Ms. Wuf. She used the same audition for the two times she tried out, both to Michael Jackson’s song “Thriller.”

“Just the other day at one of the men’s basketball games, she was getting up and doing some of her old choreography. I’ve gotten used to it though. She loves it,” said her daughter, Meredith Owens.

Sharon Owens always had a very optimistic, bubbly personality. She just needed an outlet for all of her positive energy.  One of her biggest dreams was to be a mascot character at Disney World one day and she thought that being N.C. State’s lady wolf mascot might be her big stepping stone to reach that goal.  Even though she never ended up becoming a mascot at Disney World, she took a lot away from being Ms. Wuf.

“My favorite part was I had the best seat in the house.  I could be as crazy as I wanted and it was expected.  I got to use my creativity for different games,” said Owens. “For the Clemson basketball game, I made a safari hat and carried a toy gun like I was going on safari for tiger!”

Since she was Ms. Wuf during one of the most infamous years at N.C. State in 1983, it is only natural that she fondly remembers how times were with the “Cinderella Team” and Coach Valvano.

“Coach Valvano was a fan’s coach,” said Owens. “He loved the attention he got. He was from Iona State University and had never coached in the south before.  We loved his spirit! I remember I used to go down to the locker room before game time and he offered me Coke from the team cooler.  Of course, everything was red and white!  He loved Coca-Cola.  It was like the team drink.”

Owens still holds the same optimism and positive energy she did 30 years ago when she cheered for the national championship team.

“I wish I could ‘Wuf’ one more game,” said Owens.  “That is about all I would be good for these days. Being the lady wolf was absolutely a dream come true!”