Hurricane Florence Coverage

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LIFESTYLE 3/9/24 1:10pm

Elon Performing Arts explores complexities of identity

By Ruth Cruz

Elon Performing Arts students explored the beauty of the spring season with their Spring Dance Concert in McCrary Theatre on March 8. The performance focused on family and diversity within the constructs of society. The concert also allowed students to create a unique style and explore their passion for dance. Senior Isabella Sessa said she began her dancing career at a young age when her mother signed her up for dance classes. Sessa said she fell in love with the beauty and creativity that exemplifies the art of dance.

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LIFESTYLE 3/9/24 11:02am

Vital Signs a cappella concert raises over $10,000 for Make-A-Wish

By Abby Gravely

Elon’s Vital Signs a cappella group hosted its 11th annual Make-A-Wish benefit concert and raised over $10,000 for local kids. The concert welcomed over 300 audience members, and was founded by Vital Signs alum Nick Cook ’15 to honor his sister Bella. Bella is a Leukemia survivor who was granted a wish by the foundation. All proceeds from this event went directly to the Make-A-Wish foundation of Central and Western North Carolina, which was able to grant a record-breaking 430 wishes in 2023.

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NEWS 3/8/24 3:43pm

Former NC Supreme Court chief justice earns first Justice Sandra Day O’Connor professorship at Elon Law

By Aidan Powley

The Hon. Cheri Beasley has joined the Elon University School of Law faculty as the university’s first recipient of the Justice Sandra Day O’Connor endowed professorship. Beasley, who in 2019 became the first African-American woman to serve as chief justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court, will teach courses on appellate practice at Elon Law for one year beginning in fall 2024. The Justice Sandra Day O’Connor professorship was established to bring distinguished legal figures to Elon University, whose contributions to society reflect the values of the first woman who served on the Supreme Court of the United States. 

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NEWS 3/8/24 11:39am

Rocket Phoenix provides rocketry education for students

By Ruth Cruz

When Freshman Murilo Ferreira Lopes founded Rocket Phoenix in February, his goal was to educate students about rocket building. Lopes said rocketry has always been one of his interests at Elon. He sought a place to explore his fascination with rockets. Lopes is the president of Rocket Phoenix — an organization that allows students to build, design and launch rockets. He said that he collaborated with his physics professor to jumpstart the program. The organization plans to launch its rockets March 21. To contact members of Rocket Phoenix, visit their page on PhoenixConnect.

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NEWS 3/8/24 9:54am

Elon becomes largest university contributor to Daffodil Project in US

By Lilly Molina

The Daffodil project is an initiative from Am Yisrael Chai, a nonprofit Holocaust and genocide education and awareness organization. With over 900,000 planted, its mission is to plant 1.5 million daffodils across the globe to honor the 1.5 million children who died in the Holocaust, according to the founder of the Daffodil Project Andrea Videlefsy. The project began in 2010, but the conception of the idea formed in 2008. Elon joined the project as a partner in 2013 and as of 2024 has planted approximately 30,000 bulbs across campus, making Elon its biggest contributor compared to any other university in the country.

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LIFESTYLE 3/7/24 3:05pm

Elon Watches: Dune Part 2: A Modern Day Epic

By Harrison Saini

The novel "Dune" was labeled as “unadaptable” by many, but in 2021, Denis Villeneuve tried and delivered an incredible science fiction film the likes of which I had not seen before. It was one of the best films of that year and swept at the 2022 academy awards. Villeneuve accomplished a miracle and I was unsure, if not doubtful, that he could recapture that magic for a sequel. As it turns out though, my reservations were completely unfounded as “Dune Part 2” is one the best science fiction films ever made.

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NEWS 3/7/24 11:09am

First-generation LLC hopes to give sense of belonging to Elon University students

By Lilly Molina

Sophomore Carlos Gomez Lopez could have decided to live off campus next year as many upperclassmen chose to do, but instead, he wanted to live in the First Generation Living Learning Community. Lopez moved into Colonnades his freshman year and noticed his peers knew a bit more of what college would be like because their parents had already been in their shoes. Lopez said he felt like he was going in blind because he couldn’t go to his parents for advice. Paula DiBiasio, professor of physical therapy education, will be one of the advisers for the LLC and said she had been working on this idea since 2022.

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NEWS 3/6/24 10:47am

Elon University sees record numbers for Scholarship weekend

By Mason Willett

Elon University hosted scholarship weekend, its largest admitted students event, March 2 and 3. Over 2,300 people total registered to attend the event, including more than 900 prospective students, according to Vice President for Enrollment Greg Zaiser. During the event, finalists for the eight fellows programs — honors, business, communications, Elon College, engineering, leadership, nursing and teaching — and for the honors and accelerated programs visited campus to interview with faculty and current students. Tours, open houses, information sessions and more were also held throughout Friday and Saturday.

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NEWS 3/5/24 11:14pm

Alamance County primary elections results

By Ryan Kupperman

As of 10:12 p.m. on March 5, 39 out of 39 precincts in Alamance County have reported their votes for North Carolina’s primary elections. The North Carolina State Board of Elections will officially call the results on March 15. The following are each of North Carolina’s candidates after primary elections closed March 5. Most notably, gubernatorial candidates North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein and Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson will be facing off against each other in general elections in November with nearly opposite campaign platforms.

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NEWS 3/5/24 8:59pm

NC Democrats, Stein campaign prepare for election results in Raleigh

By Joseph Navin

With just under 2% of ballots cast in, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the Associated Press called the Democratic Gubernatorial race in favor of North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein. The Republican governor race was also called in favor of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. The two will face off in the general election in November. With primary election polls having closed at 7:30 p.m., NC Democrats hosted a watch party at the Maywood Hall & Garden in Raleigh to welcome the Democratic gubernatorial nominee to the general elections ballot.

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NEWS 3/5/24 8:36pm

Mark Robinson campaign prepares for election results in Greensboro

By Avery Sloan and Sophie Rosenthal

With just under 2% of ballots cast in according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the Associated Press called the Republican Gubernatorial race in favor of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. The Democratic governor race was also called in favor of North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, and the two will face off in the general election in November. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and his supporters awaited primary election results at a watch party in the gubernatorial nominee’s hometown of Greensboro. The polls closed at 7:30 p.m.

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NEWS 3/5/24 3:23pm

Local voters emphasize using political voice this Super Tuesday

By Mason Willett

With Super Tuesday underway, many voters headed to the polls early this morning and will continue to file through until voting closes at 7:30 p.m. The conclusion of primary elections cements candidates for the general elections ballot on Nov. 5. Elon University senior Lauryn Carlton, who voted at Elon Elementary in Burlington at around 11 a.m., said she feels an obligation as a student to make sure that young people have their voices heard. Burlington local Jim Sykes said that voting is extremely important for the younger community members — as they are the future of this area.

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NEWS 3/4/24 1:08pm

Alamance-Burlington School System superintendent resigns

By Sophie Rosenthal

Alamance-Burlington School System Superintendent Dain Butler resigned March 4 — the latest in a string of senior officials who have left the district in the past month. Butler submitted his resignation to the school board, which accepted the resignation Monday morning. Chief Student Services Officer Kristy Davis will serve as interim superintendent. Butler was superintendent for just under two years. He was elected by the school board and began his position on July 1, 2022. At the time, he signed a four-year contract.

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NEWS 3/4/24 8:11am

Opposites face off in upcoming North Carolina governor race

By Miles Hayford

Primary elections will conclude on March 5. Vying for the state governor nomination on the Republican ticket is current Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, State Treasurer Dale Folwell and Salisbury Attorney Bill Graham. The Democratic side features Attorney General Josh Stein, North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan, Tryon Mayor Pro Tempore Chrelle Booker, Lumberton Attorney Marcus Williams and Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Deputy Gary Foxx. Despite this crowded field, Robinson and Stein are the clear front-runners and are already preparing for the intense general election that is ahead, according to Duke University professor of public policy Mac McCorkle.

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NEWS 3/3/24 2:28pm

Elon Votes works to increase voter turnout at Elon University for upcoming election

By Reagan Sizemore

Elon Votes is encouraging students to vote this year by offering various resources and programming, including a discussion with students and community members on if they think their vote matters. The primaries in North Carolina primaries are approaching on March 5. The Pew Research Center reported in a 2023 survey 63% of Americans are dissatisfied with the presidential candidates for this year's election. For more information on registering to vote, visit the Elon Votes webpage or go to their in-person office in the Kernodle Center for Civic Life in Moseley 232.

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NEWS 3/2/24 6:06pm

Trump makes campaign stop in Greensboro

By Joseph Navin

Former President Donald Trump held a campaign rally after 2 p.m. on March 2 inside the Greensboro Coliseum — attracting thousands of supporters. North Carolina Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, State House Speaker Tim Moore, Sen. Ted Budd and Rep. Virginia Foxx, also used the opportunity to rally supporters to vote next week. Republican primary challenger Nikki Haley, a former United Nations Ambassador and former South Carolina Governor, also made a speech on March 2 in Raleigh. Among the attendees of the event was Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson, who showed his support for President Trump.

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OPINIONS 3/2/24 3:52pm

OPINION: Victims of imagination: how does tech use affect loneliness at Elon?

By Alex Nettles

Gen Z is the loneliest generation to ever attend college. In 2023, A Cigna report found that Gen Z was “far lonelier” than older generations, in Cigna’s most recent loneliness index, 79% of young adults feel lonely. For many of us, this is not surprising at all. One explanation is that we are the generation with the most media at our fingertips. According to dcdx, a Gen Z advocacy organization, our average daily screen time is seven hours and seven minutes. We spend well over one-third of our waking hours on our phones.

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NEWS 3/2/24 3:37pm

Mediterranean Deli reopens following eight-month delay

By Michael Leung

Mediterranean Deli opened its doors at 11 a.m. on March 2 to their new location at 116 N. Williamson Ave. Jamil Kadoura, owner of Mediterranean Deli, was told by Elon to expect an influx of customers – community members and students alike – who eagerly awaited Mediterranean Deli’s reopening. The establishment had been located at 202 W. Haggard Ave. and closed on Aug 18, 2022, much to the disappointment of the Elon Community. Originally set to open in summer 2023, Kadoura was forced to push back the reopening of Med Deli by six months after the Mediterranean Deli location in Chapel Hill caught fire. 

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NEWS 3/2/24 3:24pm

International protest for Israel-Hamas War calls for immediate ceasefire

By Monika Jurevicius

Millions gathered around the world in solidarity for protesting the Israel-Hamas War as action toward International Day of Action on March 2. The day marks one week before Israel's threatened attacks on Gaza’s city of Rafah, where many displaced citizens have gathered. Socialist Revolution member Harper Houston said that the U.S. is "a little too late" at providing aid to Palestine. She stands with the Palestinian people to have their land after the attacks that have displaced citizens. The Asheville protest takes place at 2 p.m., while Charlotte and Raleigh start at 3 p.m. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/1/24 12:06pm

‘This is for all of us’ Elon students cultivate community through LGBTQ+ arts festival

By Sarah T. Moore

As the sun began to set outside, students trickled into the Center for the Arts Isabella Cannon Room. Some danced around as Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” played through the speakers, while others quietly observed the artwork displays on the wall. On the other side of the room, a series of posters prompted attendees to think about their relationship with LGBTQ+ art. One asks, “who are your favorite queer artists?” A yellow sticky note in the bottom right corner reads, “me." This was the opening ceremony of “Breakthrough,” a three-day, student-run LGBTQ+ arts festival at Elon University from Feb. 23 to 25.

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