This week I was given the opportunity to talk with LGBTQ students and allies on campus. This was such a great opportunity because I have always supported the gay community, so I'm glad to see that the university is supporting them in their own way. It was wonderful to talk with LGBTQ students and to hear how important and special the Lavender Graduation celebration is for them, and how they get to celebrate their identity all together one last time before they graduate.
It is also interesting to have this graduation right after the highly publicized Amendment One vote Tuesday. This is a highly controversial topic that could affect the lives of so many people if passed. But in spite of this happening, it is great to see the LGBTQ students coming together to simply celebrate their accomplishments and involvement on campus, and to have their voice heard once more.
Look for full coverage of Lavender Graduation later this week.
Reinforcements have arrived in the frontcourt for senior forward Sam Sherry. After being the primary big man for the Elon men’s basketball team the last couple of years, Sherry is ready to share the load this year with transfer Matthew Van Komen, who at 7-foot-four, is the third tallest player in the NCAA right now. Sherry, who stands at 6-foot-11, and Van Komen form a towering duo in the paint that will certainly have an intimidation factor. Van Komen joined Sherry to bolster the team’s interior defense and prowess on the glass, relieving Sherry of the sole responsibility of Elon’s control of the paint.
From 2021 to 2023, the amount of NCAA athletes entering the transfer portal increased from 6,749 to 8,767. Since the creation of the transfer portal in 2018, the college sports scene has rapidly changed with teams’ use of transfers dictating their success and failures. Despite losing star guard Max Mackinnon to the transfer portal this past offseason, Elon men’s basketball has a bright season ahead thanks to an impressive cast of four transfer acquisitions. The 2024 signing class includes redshirt sophomore Andrew King, junior Jameel Rideout, sophomore TJ Simpkins and graduate student Matthew Van Komen.