National

NEWS 7/11/23 8:54am

Elon University sophomore remembered as ‘sincere’, ‘feet on the ground’ kind of person by friends and family

By Ryan Kupperman

Elon University sophomore Jason Titunik died in a car crash July 6 at the age of 19. His friends and family described and will remember him as a sincere, funny and compassionate person. Titunik is from Sarasota, Florida and his funeral will be held in New Jersey July 11. A memorial will be held on campus at the start of the school year, though further details are to come. Titunik was a history and political science major and enjoyed music, nature and fashion.

NEWS 7/10/23 4:41pm

Elon University to discontinue COVID-19 quarantine protocols, reporting positive test results

By Avery Sloan

Elon University will discontinue its COVID-19 quarantine protocols, as well as reporting positive test results, for the 2023-24 school year. According to an email sent by Jon Dooley, vice president of student life, Elon is changing its testing protocol to reflect the federal emergency and World Health Organization’s declaration for COVID-19 — which ended in May. Dooley also clarified that COVID-19 related absences will now be addressed by individual faculty according to their syllabi.

NEWS 7/7/23 3:17pm

Elon University sophomore killed after car crash in Salisbury, Connecticut

By Ryan Kupperman

Elon University sophomore Jason Titunik was killed after a car crash in Salisbury, Connecticut the evening of July 6. Titunik was a passenger in a vehicle driven by 19-year-old Robert Steinmetz, when state police reported that Steinmetz lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a utility pole on the shoulder of Route 44. The incident occured at the intersection of Canaan and Twin Lakes Road while the two were traveling east. Titunik was transported to Sharon Hospital with life-threatening injuries, but was later pronounced dead.

SPORTS 7/6/23 11:22am

Elon University selects new athletic director

By Ryan Kupperman

Elon University selected Jennifer Strawley as its new athletic director after former director Dave Blank stepped down at the end of the 2022-23 academic year. Strawley will come to Elon as the former deputy director of athletics at University of Miami and is set to begin her role Aug. 1. Strawley has over 20 years of experience in athletics administration and has been involved in various committees and positions for both the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Atlantic Coast Conference throughout her career.

LIFESTYLE 7/3/23 9:38pm

How to stay safe this 4th of July

By Ryan Kupperman

Elon University Police Sgt. Richard Hooks offered tips and resources for staying safe this 4th of July. According to Hooks, July 4th is the second-most-deadly holiday period of the year — just behind New Year’s — due to impaired driving and fireworks cause over 11,500 injuries and almost 20,000 fires across the country each year. 

NEWS 7/3/23 12:29pm

Local train schedule excludes Burlington Station from two of its routes

By Naomi Washington

Raleigh and Charlotte train schedule is set to revise its current routes starting July 10, excluding Burlington Station from two of its routes. Under the new train schedule, a stop at the Burlington station will not be included on Train 71 and Train 76, which are two out of 10 of the routes. Under the current schedule, the first train from Raleigh arrives at Burlington Station before 8 a.m. After July 10, the first opportunity for commuters to get off at Burlington Station will be after 11 a.m. 

NEWS 6/30/23 11:36am

Supreme Court rules against student loan forgiveness

By Ryan Kupperman

The Supreme Court ruled against President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan. The proposal, introduced in August 2022, would waive up to $430 billion in student debt for over 40 million Americans nationwide by forgiving up to $20,000 per person in student debt. The federal government put student loan repayment on pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now set to resume in September. This decision comes just one day after the court ruled to end affirmative action.

NEWS 6/29/23 10:51am

Supreme Court rules to end affirmative action

By Avery Sloan and Abigail Hobbs

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled to end affirmative action in the admission decision process of all universities and colleges, meaning institutions will no longer be allowed to consider race in the college admissions process. The Supreme Court has been debating affirmative action since 1978, when the court previously ruled that while universities could not make quotas, they could consider race in the admissions process. The court’s decision today goes against the precedents previously set. 

NEWS 6/27/23 10:31am

Bill passes through state Senate and House that restricts transgender athletes

By Sarah T. Moore

House Bill 574 passed through the state Senate and House and would restrict North Carolina student athletes to only play on teams aligning with their assigned biological sex at birth. The bill now only requires North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper's signature before becoming law. It would apply to every middle school, high school and college in North Carolina for both interscholastic and intramural athletic activities. Elon University being one of the many educational institutions affected by the bill, it would take effect at the start of the 2023-24 academic school year if it becomes law.

NEWS 6/26/23 10:19am

Parents frustrated following ABSS senior prank punishments

By Erin Sockolof

Parents are frustrated following the aftermath of Alamance-Burlington School System senior pranks at the end of the school year. The school system reprimanded over 80 students who did not walk at graduation, following damages that cost the district over $4,000. Five graduating seniors were charged with misdemeanors by the Burlington Police Department for damages that occurred at Walter Williams High School, while students who committed pranks at other schools within the district were punished internally by ABSS.

NEWS 6/24/23 1:58pm

Burlington hosts third annual pride parade, first with protestors

By Avery Sloan

The City of Burlington hosts its third annual pride parade. Over 40 participants walked in the parade, while close to 15 protestors followed. According to parade organizer Eddie Talley, this is the first year protestors were present. "This is the first time we've had fans and this is my third year doing it,” Talley told Elon News Network. “It's kind of an honor for them to come." 

SPORTS 6/14/23 3:56pm

North Carolina sports betting bill signed by governor

By Mason Willett

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper officially signed House Bill 347, which will legalize betting for professional, amateur, electronic and collegiate sports in 2024. A similar bill was introduced in North Carolina last year but did not pass. HB347 charges the North Carolina State Lottery Commission with regulating sports wagering and being responsible for issuing wagering and supplier licenses that will last five years. While the bill could go into effect as soon as January 2024, the commission has until June 2024 to open the betting. 

NEWS 6/13/23 11:31pm

Town council hears Elon University’s petition for new Hillel Center pavilion

By Avery Sloan

Elon Town Council hears Elon University’s petition for new Hillel Center pavilion during its June 13 meeting. The pavilion will have a 1,766 square-foot open structure with a storage shed in the back and will be used for student gatherings. Council also held a public hearing for conditional rezoning, in which they reviewed a residential project request, Parc East, containing 44 single-family homes and 85 townhomes. The area is at the northeast intersection of University Drive and Shallowford Church Road.

NEWS 6/11/23 12:52pm

Republicans visit Greensboro for NC GOP Convention, attempt to unify party for presidential election

By Joseph Navin

Former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Greensboro for the North Carolina GOP Convention on June 9 and 10. Over 24 hours after being indicted with 37 felony charges,  Trump spoke about his innocence following his federal charges, as well as his 2024 presidential campaign. Pence spoke about supporting The Constitution over Trump during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection riots, while DeSantis spoke about passing legislation that would further restrict transgender athletes.

NEWS 6/5/23 10:42pm

Elon Black Alumni Network prioritizes its community following social media troll

By Avery Sloan and Ryan Kupperman

Elon's Black Alumni Network prioritizes its community and highlights its support for Black alumni after a social media troll account titled “Elon White Alumni” mimicked EBAN's presence and mission to unite and represent the interests of Black alumni by empowering, connecting and celebrating Elon’s Black community.  The account contains posts dedicated to “celebrating white excellence at Elon University” and “triggering and trolling” other users who are upset by the rhetoric promoted on the page. In the account description, it contains the hashtags “WeAreEwan” and “parody.”

NEWS 6/1/23 1:39pm

Elon University hires first associate provost for inclusive excellence

By Abigail Hobbs

Elon University hires communications professor Naeemah Clark as the first associate provost for academic inclusive excellence. The new role will be responsible for promoting inclusivity in academic spaces, supporting diverse faculty and guiding campus initiatives and programs. Clark has previously chaired the Core Curriculum council and directed the School of Communications Fellows Program, as well as served in the LGBTQIA advisory council, the inclusive community council and the task force for LGBTQIA faculty, staff and students.  

NEWS 5/26/23 4:35pm

Burlington Police Department selects next police chief

By Sophie Rosenthal

The Burlington Police Department selects Burlington native Alan Balog as its next police chief. Balog has worked in law enforcement for 18 years. In his current role, he oversees patrol, criminal investigations and 911 dispatching. Throughout his career, he has served in supervisory roles within the patrol, criminal investigations and professional standards divisions. Balog is set to take over after current Police Chief Brian Long retires in June.

SPORTS 5/22/23 10:06am

Injury plagued Elon University lacrosse player’s life outside the sport

By Joanna Dwyer

Graduating senior lacrosse defensive player Cassidy Creighton has now walked across the stage in Schar Center, but the path to get there wasn’t easy. Creighton went through multiple injuries, playing in only eight games with the Phoenix over four seasons. But fighting through these injuries is what Creighton said will help propel her in her future. 

NEWS 5/19/23 11:39am

Elon University’s class of 2023 rises from the ashes

By Ryan Kupperman

The class of 2023 was honored at Elon's 133rd commencement ceremony May 19 in Schar Center. The day was split into two ceremonies — one for the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education, and the other for the School of Business and School of Communications. Senior class president Lily Kays deemed graduating students "the class of the Phoenix." Keynote speaker Ashton Newhall ’98 encouraged graduates to bring the aspects that make Elon unique, such as its culture of passion and engagement, to the outside world. 

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NEWS 10/31/2024 5:53pm
Hurricane Helene relief through lens of Black Hawk mission

After Hurricane Helene, rural communities continue to struggle with isolation in western North Carolina. A National Guard Black Hawk crew delivered generators to the Bull Creek community, a valley banding together in the aftermath of the storm, on Oct. 8. The National Guard has been working to sustain the recovery of western North Carolina’s fragmented pockets. After Hurricane Helene hit Sept. 27, much of the infrastructure throughout North Carolina was severed. At the storm's peak, there were hundreds of closures. Sections of I-40 still face significant damage, while power and clean drinking water are still issues.

NEWS 10/31/2024 11:44am
Board of Trustees appoints first graduate program alumna as youth trustee

Elizabeth “Liz” Kwon L’23 has been named the new youth trustee for Elon University’s Board of Trustees. Kwon found out she was nominated by a faculty member when she graduated in December 2023. She is the first alum of a graduate program to be appointed to the board and will serve a two-year term. As the first graduate student to be elected as a youth trustee, Kwon said she hopes to bring the graduate student perspective to the table — as well as her personal experiences in the law program.

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