This week signaled the first full spring term edition produced under the new staff. We're still working out a few kinks, but we expect to smooth out the production process as the year continues. Despite late-night corrections and rearranging content, we're happy the sections contain a variety of articles that address student issues and portray university life. Some of the strengths include:
Classes push too close to home: Caitlin O'Donnell, editor-in-chief, spoke with residents of Kivette Hall that have expressed concerns about the use of their common living spaces as classrooms for the spring semester. According to Niki Turley, assistant dean of students, the buildings were constructed with the intention of cultivating a living and learning environment, but students said they were not informed of the change. We thought the article successfully communicated the concerns of the students and explained the university administration's mission to seamlessly blend academic and residential spaces. To read the full article, click here.
Elon responds to NC amendment: Elon students are participating in the Vote Against project, a movement that began in response to a constitutional amendment banning legal recognition for all unmarried couples. The amendment will be added to the May 8 ballot, and the movement aims to educate NC voters why they should vote against it. Although some readers have said that the page design resembled add, we want to clarify that we do not intend to promote the mission of the movement, but rather report on the Elon community's involvement in the movement and possible implications of the amendment.
Obama administration's plan to for affordable education: This week's Pendulum contained relevant national issues as well. We packaged two articles together that both discuss how to tackle the rising cost of higher education. Grace Elkus, news editor, participated in a conference call with Vice President Joe Biden during which he explained proposals to to reduce cost. Kassondra Cloos, producer of The Swing, talked with Patrick Murphy, director of financial planning, about the consequences of increasing tuition. The article is available online.
For full coverage, click and explore the news section or pick up a copy of The Pendulum at locations throughout campus.
-Grace and Melissa