News

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NEWS 1/20/25 9:45pm

Alamance County Democratic Party marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Inauguration through service

By Abby Gravely

Alamance County resident Elaine Malone taught theater in Atlanta when Martin Luther King Jr.’s children began to attend her school soon after his death. She formed a personal connection to the family, which is why she makes it a point to recognize MLK Day each year by participating in community service.  This year was no different. On Monday at 4 p.m., Malone volunteered at the Alamance County Democratic Party Headquarters, where she has been volunteering and attending events since she moved to the area five years ago. Participating in one of four events ACDP hosted for its “day of service,” she and other volunteers made Valentine’s Day cards for community members in senior living facilities.

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NEWS 1/20/25 3:21pm

Elon Votes hosts inauguration watch party

By Trista Panagakos

On Monday Jan. 20, Elon Votes hosted a watch party of the second inauguration of Donald Trump in Moseley Student Center as part of a year-long Active Citizen Series. The series aims to host events that foster civic engagement among students on campus. Previous events include the presidential and vice presidential debate watch parties, also hosted by Elon Votes. Director of Outreach for Elon Votes and senior Allison Durand said Elon Votes wanted to provide a space for students to watch the inauguration and enhance civic engagement on campus. She noted how all of Elon Votes events have a similar goal in creating an open space for students to gather and experience political events together. 

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NEWS 1/19/25 12:59pm

Elon in Los Angeles grapples with effects of California fires

By Lilly Molina

In a swift 30 minute decision, sophomore Sarah Hanchey’s professors told their students to grab the small bag they were told inadvanced to pack — they would be evacuating from the Elon in Los Angeles campus on Jan. 8. Hanchey was left scrambling in frustration as she packed only a fraction of what she brought, leaving behind some clothes, toiletries and the boots she got for Christmas. Her and her classmates drove an hour south to Irvine, which had the closest hotel with a vacancy capacity to fit their 10-student class.  Hanchey recalls before they evacuated, going up to the roof of the LA campus and seeing the beautiful hue of a pink sunset become enveloped by smoke. A North Carolina native, Hanchey now faced a reality she was never accustomed to, wearing masks due to risk of asbestos contamination and seeing fires in the distance destroy and affect many people’s lives.  “It just put a damper on the whole trip,” Hanchey said. “Now it's not like we can just be out enjoying LA, looking at all the views, because people literally blocks away have lost their homes.”

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NEWS 1/10/25 9:30pm

‘King: A Life’ author shares Martin Luther King Jr.’s untold story with Elon University

By Lauren McCowan

Jonathan Eig has spent seven years traveling the country to record stories of Martin Luther King Jr. At the beginning of the lecture, Eig reminded the audience who King was to the world. He then posed the question, “Does anyone know about Mike?” This simple question led to Eig’s seven-year research project on King.   Elon University marked its 39th annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in McCrary Theatre, filled with students and guests eager to honor the civil rights hero. 

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NEWS 1/10/25 4:29pm

Elon University classes end early Jan. 10 due to snow

By Elon News Network

Afternoon class ended early and certain campus offices closed at 3 p.m. Jan. 10 due to a winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service, according to an email from Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley.  Some campus facilities such as the Moseley Center, Student Health Services and Campus Recreation facilities will still be open throughout the evening and weekends. However some scheduling changes have been altered. The women’s basketball game against Hampton will be moved earlier to 5 p.m.. Dining halls and dining retail locations have also altered their hours which students can check on the Elon Dining website. Belk Library will also close early at 4 p.m. and will open tomorrow at 11 a.m.

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NEWS 1/3/25 5:37pm

Elon University’s sustainable efforts see high price tag

By Fiona McAllister

Elon University’s greenhouse gas emissions were 26% lower in the 2023 fiscal year than in 2008 fiscal year in efforts to reach Elon’s goal of becoming fully carbon neutral by 2037, according to Senior Director of Sustainability Elaine Durr. On Oct. 14, 2024, Elon University released its updated Sustainability Draft Master Plan for feedback from the campus community, both online and in group sessions, which will soon be voted on for final approval. Right now, Elon is working off the 2015 Sustainability Master Plan, which outlines becoming fully carbon neutral by 2037. 

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NEWS 12/14/24 11:42am

Elon Law celebrates commencement for the class of 2024

By Alice Morrissey

As undergraduate students hurried to their morning finals and packed up to head off to break, the Elon Law class of 2024 was savoring their final moments before officially receiving their Jurisprudence Doctorate during the commencement ceremony for the class of 2024 on Dec. 13 in Alumni Gym. Student commencement speaker, Robert Retic, said not only was his class ready for the next chapter, but they are on the road to change the entire industry with their work with everything they have learned at Elon Law. 

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NEWS 12/13/24 6:29pm

Elon School of Health Sciences celebrates graduating class of 2024

By Nia Bedard

Elon University’s School of Health Sciences class of 2024 transitioned from students to alumni during the school’s commencement ceremony on Dec. 13 in Alumni Gym where Commencement speakers father and son, Jeff Shoup G’ 00 G’ 05 and Durand Shoup G’ 22, encouraged graduating students to leave their profession better than they found it. The ceremony recognized 18 graduating students from the accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program, 36 graduating students from the master of science in physician assistant studies program and 41 graduating students from the doctor of physical therapy program. 

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NEWS 12/13/24 11:21am

Elon names next dean of Martha and Spencer Love School of Business

By Nia Bedard

Love School of Business Associate Dean and professor of management information systems Haya Ajjan will take over as dean of the Love School of Business starting June 1, 2025. During her time at Elon, Ajjan contributed to the development of the Master of Science in Business Analytics graduate program, the establishment of the business analytics and financial technology majors and development of the cybersecurity minor. Ajjan will be taking over for outgoing dean Raghu Tadepalli who will be retiring at the end of the 2024-25 academic year. 

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NEWS 12/11/24 5:36pm

Student Perceptions of Teaching survey results sent early to professors in error

By Avery Sloan

Elon’s Student Perceptions of Teaching, a survey sent to students to provide feedback on each course and professor, provides data that is made available to faculty members for all semesters the survey is completed. This data, while names have been removed, has previously been released to faculty after the deadline for submitting grades has passed, to avoid any grading bias. This semester, data was sent to faculty members this week, while finals are being administered and grades are not finalized. 

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NEWS 12/9/24 11:50pm

Culver’s expands to Burlington

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Culver’s, a Midwest fast-food chain, has made its way to Burlington. The blue-and-white-themed restaurant is one of 17 locations in North Carolina but the only one in Alamance County, which opened Dec. 9 at 1430 University Dr. The Burlington Planning and Zoning Commission voted to approve the building site in August 2023. The restaurant, filled with workers and locals, offers a wide variety of food — from its famous “ButterBurger” and fries to a fresh frozen custard selection, which customers can buy by the pint. 

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NEWS 12/3/24 9:07am

School of business dean prepares for departure from Elon after 13 years

By Lilly Molina

Despite his departure as dean of the Love School of Business, Raghu Tadepalli won’t be gone for long. He will return after a yearlong sabbatical in 2026 and work remotely as dean emeritus and special assistant to Elon University President Connie Book. According to the American Conference of Academic Deans, the average time spent as a dean at a university is 5 years or less, which makes Tadepalli a clear outlier after 13 years. Because of this, he said he hopes whoever fills his shoes knows the importance of growth.

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NEWS 12/1/24 4:00pm

Elon’s Lights and Luminaries to focus on community, student traditions

By Neil Parmar

Ahead of the Festival of Lights and Luminaries, the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life is working with multiple groups on campus to ensure those on campus can see a reflection of who they are amongst the lights of the night. Hosted by Elon’s Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, the Festival of Lights and Luminaries is set to take place Dec. 3. This event has been an Elon tradition for longer, but this will be its fourth year called Lights and Luminaries.

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NEWS 11/27/24 3:25pm

Alamance County Behavioral Health center open for five months, plans for 24/7 expansion

By Madison Powers

The Alamance County Behavioral Health Center served 723 individuals last month, Donald Reuss, vice president of behavioral health and intellectual/developmental disability network operations at Vaya Health, said at a Nov. 18 Alamance County Board of Commissioners meeting. The center officially opened June 19 after a two-year-long collaboration between Vaya Health, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, RHA Health Services and other community partners, according to Reuss. He said conversations revealed a need to support the crisis system in Alamance County to divert people with mental health and substance abuse issues from jail.

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NEWS 11/26/24 3:44pm

Elon uses peer institution as a benchmark, has one mutual peer

By Avery Sloan

Elon has 15 peer institutions and 47 colleges and universities chose Elon as one of its peers, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Yet, none of Elon’s peers deemed Elon as one its peers, as of data from IPEDS for 2022-23. Many colleges and universities have not updated their peer institutions since then, with the exception of Furman University, where Elon is now one of its peers, according to its website. Elon selected its peers in 2022, Jason Husser, chair of Elon’s Long Range Planning Committee, said.

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NEWS 11/21/24 8:58pm

Transgender Day of Remembrance and Resilience prompts reflection

By Katharyn MacDonald

Beaten. Stabbed. Shot. Suicide. Run over by car. These words seemed out of place next to the names, ages, photos and heartfelt stories of the 67 transgender and genderqueer people memorialized in Numen Lumen. Elon students, staff and community members honored National Transgender Day of Remembrance with a Remembrance and Resilience ceremony, during which people could read stories and see faces of those whose lives have been lost to transphobic violence or suicide in 2024 so far.  Transgender Day of Remembrance was first established in 1999 on the last day of Transgender Awareness Week in memoriam of Rita Hester, a trans woman who was killed in Massachusetts.

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NEWS 11/19/24 4:11pm

Oct. 7 survivor, hero comes to Elon, shares how he saved 750 people

By Fiona McAllister

Rami Davidian, once a farmer, saved 750 people from the Hamas attack Oct. 7, 2023, at the Nova Music Festival in Israel. Elon Chabad, in collaboration with Elon Hillel and Elon Jewish Life, invited Davidian to speak at Elon University on Nov. 18 in Whitley Auditorium. Davidian stopped at Elon as part of his U.S. speaking tour. Joining Davidian was Millet Ben Haim, a survivor of the Oct. 7 attacks, who translated Davidian’s story from Hebrew to English. On the Oct. 7 attack at the music festival, Davidian helped Ben Haim escape from Hamas militants.

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NEWS 11/18/24 12:32pm

Daycare to open in psychology, human service student building

By Avery Sloan

A senior student who wishes to remain anonymous found out in a meeting with his research mentor that his psychology research will need to be conducted in Lindner Hall instead of the psychology building. Next fall, the building on South Campus that currently houses the psychology and human service studies majors will become a child care facility. Originally, the student said he was told he, along with other researchers, would be asked to move by the end of October, but the move has now been pushed back until the end of the semester.

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NEWS 11/12/24 10:04pm

Elon Town Council to continue partnership with Link Transit, moves forward with energy audit of town facilities

By Nia Bedard

The town of Elon held a town council meeting Nov. 12 and discussed energy audits and voted to continue the town’s partnership with Link Transit. The council also welcomed the first inaugural class of the Elon Police Citizens Academy. Town planner Isabell Cooper presented the council with potential options to conduct an energy audit on town of Elon facilities. The facilities include Town Hall, Public Works Main Building, Parks and Recreation Building, Fire Stations 8 and 18, and the Fire Tower.

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NEWS 11/12/24 9:29pm

Elon University department of political science hosts ‘After the Vote’ forum

By Trista Panagakos

On Tuesday, Nov. 12, the Elon University Department of Political Science hosted a panel of political science professors in East Neighborhood Commons to discuss the results of the recent election. The event was part of the Active Citizen Series, which held multiple forums and panels in the lead up to the national election about different issues within politics. This event is the last scheduled Active Citizen Series event for the semester, but there is another post-election discussion being held in Lakeside Meeting Room 212-214 on Nov. 14 at 4:30 p.m.

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