National

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LIFESTYLE 9/8/23 10:48pm

Buddhist monk completes sand mandala at Elon University

By Jenna Rudolph

Tibetan Buddhist monk Geshe Sangpo of the Kadampa Center joined Elon University for three days from Sept. 6 to 8 to create a Green Tara Sand Mandala — only to destroy the piece after completion. According to the Kadampa Center, the Green Tara sand mandala is created for compassion and peace. The sand mandala specifically is an ancient form of Tibetan Buddhist art and represents the wholeness and harmony of the universe. The act of destroying it represents the universe’s state of impermanence. This was Sangpo’s 11th creation on Elon’s campus.

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SPORTS 9/8/23 8:31am

Elon University athlete finds solace in rugby team

By Erin Martin

Junior Coby Fecher was 18 years old when he planned to meet up with someone he trusted. That someone, a man, sexually assaulted him. Now as a junior at Elon, Fecher said the experience left him fearful of men — especially those who are bigger and taller than him. Around the time of the incident, Fecher joined Tobacco Road Rugby Club in Durham while attending Alamance Community College. For Fecher, rugby has always been a constant in his life, but playing on the field helps him work through his feelings. When he transferred to Elon last fall, Fecher said joining club rugby was an easy choice.

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LIFESTYLE 9/7/23 2:07pm

Elon University students create, publish video game

By Sarah T. Moore

Six Elon University students worked together to create “Samira: Taken From Time” for their game design minor capstone during their Winter Term class at the start of 2023. What started as ideas written on sticky notes, became a published video game just a few months later. “Samira: Taken From Time” is a free, narrative-driven, puzzle-solving adventure game featuring an animal companion, a post-apocalyptic world, time travel, ancient gods, supernatural powers and futuristic technology. Interactive media student Morgan Chisholm said the most rewarding part of creating the game was figuring out how to incorporate everyone’s ideas and seeing it all come together in the final product.

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NEWS 9/7/23 8:18am

Elon University student, professor frustrated over Buc-ee’s overconsumption

By Isabella DeJong

Buc-ee’s, a chain of gas stations and convenience stores in the southeast U.S., submitted an initial site plan to Mebane City Council in June to construct a 75,400 square feet store featuring 120 gas stations on 32.49 acres of land on I-85/40. Buc-ee’s is a Texas-based gas station and retail location that is well known for its large scale design and cartoonish beaver mascot. Elon University psychology professor Mat Gendle wrote an opinion piece that appeared in the Charlotte Observer outlining his concerns about the company’s overconsumption of resources and land. Gendle said Buc-ee's is not solely responsible for overconsumption, but is one of the many contributors.

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SPORTS 9/6/23 12:44pm

Born to Ball

By Max Wallace

Eastern Alamance High School senior quarterback and team captain Jason Ball said he knew he wanted to play football from the very first time he picked up a ball. Ever since, he said he's dreamed of playing football at the next level and looks to turn those dreams into a reality as he enters his final year of high school. With college on the horizon, Ball said he has already received interest from a few schools, including Appalachian State, Eastern Carolina University, Liberty University, as well as other Division II schools.

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NEWS 9/6/23 8:13am

ABSS offers free lunch for students after delaying school for second week

By Sophie Rosenthal

ABSS delayed the start of the 2023-24 academic year twice after finding mold in 26 of the system’s 38 schools. Now set to have students back in school Monday, Sept. 11 from the original Aug. 28 date, ABSS opened sites for students to pick up free lunches in an effort to provide some relief for students and parents who were counting on children being in school already. At a meeting Sept. 1, the Alamance County commissioners also reappropriated funds amounting to nearly $17 million to pay for mold remediation, cleaning air ducts and cleaning Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems.

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LIFESTYLE 9/5/23 9:06am

Elon University engineering students to build a race car from scratch

By Naomi Washington and Sophie Rosenthal

At the start of the 2023-24 school year, eight Elon University engineering students spent their time each day after classes and throughout the weekend working on a project in the Innovation Hall lab. What they’re building: a race car. Elon’s chapter of the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers, or Phoenix Racing, is a student-run engineering team who are currently collaborating on building an electric Formula 1 race car. With the completed car, the club intends to compete against other universities in the collegiate electric division of FSAE. 

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NEWS 9/4/23 7:49am

Elon University LGBTQ+ students seek acceptance in gender inclusive housing

By Sophie Rosenthal

For the first time this year, students had the choice to opt into Elon’s new gender inclusive housing program on the general housing form. According to the class of 2027 admissions profile, 12% of the class of 2027 identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ communities — the largest portion of a class at Elon to date. As a transgender woman, freshman Grace Luebbe applied for inclusive housing this past spring in order to ensure that she would be living in a safe environment. Before she stepped on campus as a student this fall, Luebbe said she felt welcomed and included.

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SPORTS 9/3/23 12:35pm

Elon University football captain grows from injury

By Mason Willett

Just a few days before the start of the 2022 season, Dylan Tucker said he was feeling the excitement for his third season on the field for Elon University’s football team. During one-on-one drills against former wide receiver Bryson Daughtry on Aug. 18, 2022, Tucker suddenly felt a pain in his chest. His pectoral muscle was torn. The injury sidelined him for the entire 2022-23 season, something Tucker said was the hardest moment in his career. Now, the redshirt sophomore begins the 2023-24 season as a leader of the team.

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NEWS 9/2/23 6:48pm

ABSS delays school year again; new start scheduled for Sept. 11

By Sophie Rosenthal

The Alamance Burlington School System has delayed the first day of school a second time after finding mold in more than half of the system’s 38 schools, according to a press release Sept. 2. Schools are now scheduled to open on Monday, Sept. 11. The first day of the school year was originally planned for Aug. 28, but after mold was found in Andrews Elementary in July, ABSS began testing all 38 of its schools. Now, all schools have been tested and 26 are currently being cleaned.

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NEWS 9/2/23 11:22am

Elon University welcomes 4 new majors, minors

By Abigail Hobbs

Elon University introduced four new majors and minors at the start of the 2023-24 academic year, which include a mechanical engineering concentration and a financial technology major, as well as expressive arts and health communications minors. According to designer of the mechanical engineering concentration and professor of engineering Jonathan Su, mechanical engineering is in high demand as one of the broadest and oldest engineering sectors. Similarly, professor of strategic communications Julie Lellis said the health communications minor can be applied to a variety of professions as an interdisciplinary avenue, including government, healthcare and community settings.

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NEWS 9/1/23 11:35am

Elon University prepares for annual sand mandala ceremony

By Jenna Rudolph

Tibetan Buddhist monk Geshe Sangpo is scheduled to arrive at Elon University on Sept. 6 for the ninth year to construct a sand mandala — an intricate piece of art created with marble dust and sand used to symbolize several Buddhist philosophies, such as impermanence and the deconstruction of ego. Sangpo, a member of the Kadampa Center for the Practice of Tibetan Buddhism in the Gelugpa Tradition in Raleigh, has visited Elon each year since 2013 — with the exception of 2020 — to create a Green Tara Sand Mandala.

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NEWS 9/1/23 10:14am

Elon University approves Glean for 2023-24 academic year

By Michael Leung

After a pilot program last year, Elon University has approved Glean, a browser-based note taking application, as an additional accommodation resource for the 2023-24 academic year. Students with approved note taking accommodations through Disabilities Resources will have access to Glean, which records the audio of the professor’s lecture and maintains notes in a centralized area for more efficient studying. According to Associate Provost of Academic Affairs Jennifer Platania, students with note taking accommodations were reliant on peer notetakers before Glean was introduced to Elon. 

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LIFESTYLE 9/1/23 8:51am

Elon University students, professors value syllabus despite Moodle, courseware sites

By Betsy Schlehuber

Students have historically relied on syllabuses for assignments, readings, due dates and more. But with the introduction of coursework technology such as Moodle, where students can check assignments and due dates virtually, School of Law professor Sara Ochs said she mostly relies on trusting her students to read the syllabus.  Since she started teaching six years ago, Ochs said she has observed that college syllabuses have gotten longer and more complicated — tempting students to skim or skip reading vital information.

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SPORTS 9/1/23 12:21am

Elon University football falls in season opener

By Mason Willett

Elon University football officially started its 2023-24 season Aug. 31 at Wake Forest, ultimately losing 37-17. After a slow start with senior Matthew Downing as quarterback, coaching staff made the change to red-shirt senior Justin Allen. The first half ended with the Phoenix down 24-0, but Allen said thanks to locker room pep talks, the team outscored Wake Forest in the second half 17-13. One of the big scores in the second half was a pick-six by redshirt sophomore Caleb Curtain taking the ball 49-yards for the touchdown.

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NEWS 8/31/23 4:47pm

UNC Chapel Hill holds vigil for professor as classes resume

By Joseph Navin

University of North Carolina faculty member Zijie Yan was shot and killed Aug. 28. Gun shots were reported in Caudill Labs at roughly 1 p.m. on Monday. Tailei Qi, a 34-year-old UNC graduate student, is the primary suspect and is in custody on charges for first-degree murder and possession of a firearm on education property. The university held a vigil for Yan inside the Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center and estimated 5,000 in-person attendees, along with 10,000 viewers on its livestream. UNC canceled classes Aug. 29 and Aug. 30, but resumed them Aug. 31.

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SPORTS 8/31/23 10:03am

Elon University Football prepares for season starting

By Mason Willett

Elon's football team is set to travel to Wake Forest Aug. 31 to begin the 2023-24 season against the Demon Deacons. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. as the team looks to start its push for the playoffs once again by facing a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Head coach Tony Trisciani said he is hopeful that new additions to the team coupled with last season's accomplishments will lead to greater success this year. Senior quarterback Matthew Downing and redshirt sophomore Dylan Tucker also said they are setting their sights high.

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NEWS 8/30/23 12:02pm

North Carolina declares state of emergency as Hurricane Idalia makes landfall

By Joseph Navin

North Carolina declared a state of emergency due to expected hazards from Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall in Florida the morning of Aug. 30. Idalia is projected to weaken to a Tropical Storm and hug the southeast coast of Georgia and the Carolinas on Thursday. The National Weather Service in Raleigh reports that North Carolina's worst of  effects will take place on the southeast coast, east of I-95. NWS Raleigh also issued flood watches in both Orange and Chatham counties, which border Alamance county, for Aug. 30.

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NEWS 8/30/23 8:45am

UNC Chapel Hill students share experiences in lockdown

By Abigail Hobbs

Two University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill seniors describe their experiences in lockdown and hearing rumors, news and university communications differ. “That was the most nerve-wracking part,” Ava Dobson said. “It was pretty scary — just the initial hour — because there was so little was known about what exactly was going on.” Elon University Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley advises students in an email to update their contact information and review safety protocols.

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SPORTS 8/29/23 9:15am

Elon University track and field athlete enters motorway with NASCAR internship

By Mason Willett and Abigail Hobbs

Elon University senior track and field athlete Lauryn Carlton partnered with NASCAR this summer for her marketing internship. According to Carlton, she didn’t want to make her passion for sports feel like a job, but searched for something during the summer in the industry. In the internship, Carlton said she helped manage the relationship between NASCAR and its official partners. She also said her most memorable assignment was putting together an information packet for the Chicago Street Race — the first street race in NASCAR history.

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