News

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NEWS 2/13/24 8:32am

‘You’re creating Black history’: Elon’s Black trailblazers inspire new university research

By Naomi Washington

Elon senior Jasper Myers said a common misconception she hears is current students don’t think they are a part of history. That’s why she started a ‘Homecoming History’ submission form for current students, alumni and community members to submit personal photos, videos and documents to the university’s archives. Myers said the goal for this project is to make information from previous research reports — such as the “Black Lumen Project” and the “Elon History and Memory Report” — more accessible to current students. Alongside the project, she created an edited campus tour focusing specifically on Elon's Black history.

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NEWS 2/12/24 7:54am

Elon University’s Advancing Equity Requirement focuses on bringing diversity into education

By Lilly Molina

Freshman Julia Swartz considered herself to be a fairly open-minded person before coming to Elon. Yet when Swartz decided to take WGS 1100: Sex and Gender Studies course her first semester, she found her perspective challenged in ways she hadn’t considered. WGS 1100 fulfills Elon’s new advancing equity requirement which are classes that help promote diversity, equity and inclusion within an educational setting. Through this course, Swartz said she was exposed to historical and modern feminists from various backgrounds — something she hadn’t learned about until coming to Elon.

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NEWS 2/11/24 1:28pm

Elon alumni organize ‘Zetas Have Heart’ Walk-a-thon

By Reagan Sizemore

In the empty Holly Hills Burlington Mall on a quiet Saturday morning, a contagious burst of energy radiates from one room. The loud music, laughter and joy originated from a group of over 19 women, who were all dancing and wearing their brightest blue at 9 a.m. on Feb. 10. Burlington’s local Pi Kappa Zeta Graduate Chapter held their second annual walk-a-thon, where members of the community helped raise money for the American Heart Association. Tonya Stanley ’94 was one of eight members who re-charted a chapter of Pi Kappa Zeta for Burlington graduates in 2013.

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NEWS 2/9/24 4:28pm

Elon University announces Ginna Claire Mason as 2024 commencement speaker

By Naomi Washington

Elon University announced alumna Ginna Clare Mason ’13 as the 2024 undergraduate commencement speaker. Mason graduated from Elon’s musical theatre program in 2013. She starred in Wicked the Musical on Broadway as Galinda and in the two Hallmark Channel movies “A Holiday Spectacular” and “A Heidelberg Holiday.” Elon junior Derick Donato was a student in the virtual musical theatre school that Mason started in 2020 during the pandemic. He said the first thing he did when he heard the announcement was call Mason to congratulate her.

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NEWS 2/9/24 12:28pm

Elon University fraternity recruitment changes provide new opportunities

By Charlotte Pfabe

The fraternity rush process began with all nine Interfraternity Council (IFC) organizations meeting potential new members. While the recruitment process happens at the same time every year, this year’s spring rush looks a bit different. According to sophomore Sam Ades, IFC vice president of recruitment, potential new members — or PNMs — are required to visit every single on-campus house during the first open house day, which was Sunday, Feb. 4. In years prior, PNMs could choose which fraternities they wanted to visit. While visiting every house may elongate the process, most people said they find this change beneficial. 

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NEWS 2/9/24 10:28am

Elon Law's Flex Program receives approval in Charlotte

By Lilly Molina

Elon Law’s Flex program has gotten the go-ahead by the American Bar Association and The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to begin enrollment. The part-time law program is accepting applications and will welcome in their first cohort in the fall. Dean of Elon Law Zak Kramer said that Elon Law had been thinking about branching out into Charlotte with a law program for a while, but it accelerated last year when they applied to the two law school accreditors over the summer.

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NEWS 2/9/24 7:42am

Power, Place Collaborative at Elon University is rewriting history

By Reagan Sizemore

Elon by Design’s project, the Power and Place Collaborative, is creating an extensive record of oral history from Burlington's Black communities. The project is a collaboration between the African American Cultural Arts & History Museum, Elon University and the Mayco Bigelow Community Center.  The project started in 2020 and was created to “record, preserve, and present stories from and about people and places in Burlington’s African American Communities,” according to Elon by Design’s website. Danielle Lake, director of Design Thinking, is the “collaborative catalyst” of the Power and Place Collaborative. She said she is focusing on connecting Elon University to the greater community.

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NEWS 2/8/24 11:12am

East Haggard Ave, Antioch closed due to gas leak

By Avery Sloan and Ryan Kupperman

Traffic on East Haggard Ave. is closed from Antioch to Lawrence due to a gas leak, according to an E-Alert sent at approximately 11 a.m. At around 12:30 p.m., another E-Alert stated that traffic had reopened and access to Sheridan Place — which had also been blocked — is once again available. The Utility Company is on scene and repairs may take up to a couple of hours. Elon University facilities management said the leak is not on Elon's property and the town of Elon is working to fix this issue.

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NEWS 2/8/24 9:27am

Founder of business, teaching fellows passes at 91

By Alexa Citrin

Member of the Elon trustees Jim Maynard passed away at 91 on Dec. 24, 2023. Maynard joined the board of trustees in 1985 after having a successful career as the owner of Tower Mills Inc. — a hosiery company founded by his father and former Elon trustee, Reid Maynard. Jim was elected a life trustee in 2014, and received Elon’s highest honor for service to the university, the Elon Medallion, in 2018. Jim was also a recipient of the Elon Medallion.

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NEWS 2/8/24 8:19am

Elon University History, Memory committee strives for increased visibility on campus

By Avery Sloan

One thing that has always amazed professor Amanda Kleintop is how quickly a place can lose its institutional memory. Kleintop came to Elon in the fall of 2022 — two years after Elon’s History and Memory committee released a report sharing stories from Elon’s history that have been historically overlooked. Since she came to Elon and began teaching with the report, she said few students are aware of Elon’s history and racial injustices that took place. This report was created with the goal of bringing healing to the university and those who have been excluded from its history. 

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NEWS 2/7/24 11:39pm

Survivor of Hamas terrorist attack shares his story with Elon community

By Ryan Kupperman

Israeli Rom El-Hai spoke to the Elon community on Feb. 7 about his first-hand account of surviving the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Invited by Chabad at Elon, El-Hai said he shares his story to bring the Jewish community together and spread awareness of the hardships people in Israel have had and are experiencing in the Israel-Hamas conflict. “To be here with you tonight — it’s my therapy. After another presentation after presentation, and I meet you all and get a big hug, and when I came here for any communities, or Hillel or Chabad, I feel like I’m at home.”

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NEWS 2/7/24 7:56am

Elon University Black History Month Calendar

By Elon News Network

Join the Elon community in celebrating Black History Month with a series of events throughout the month of February. The Black History Month Theme for 2024 is “Rhythms of Resilience: One Soul, One Sound.” This month’s theme centers on the concept that Black history, culture and music embody a tapestry of diversity and interconnection, rather than being a single narrative. The theme underscores the value of fostering unity and solidarity among diverse cultural identities and highlights the role of music as a unifying force that bridges these varied experiences.

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NEWS 2/5/24 5:44pm

Alamance County commissioners approve funding to delay school system layoffs

By Sophie Rosenthal

Alamance County commissioners approved $250,000 of funding to delay potential Alamance-Burlington School System layoffs at their monthly meeting Feb. 5. ABSS announced potential layoffs and reduced hours for some employees in a statement on Feb. 2. Superintendent Dain Butler wrote in the statement that he is planning to propose his recommendations for a reduction in force to the Board of Education at a work session on Feb. 13. If it is approved, the reduction in force would affect over 50 people — including assistant principals, social workers, school nurses and more.

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NEWS 2/5/24 9:32am

Elon student builds wheelchair-accessible ramp for Graham resident

By Michael Wolff

The temporary ramp that had previously been attached to Graham resident’s Alvaro Torralba home was put out onto the curb as The Elon Ramp Pilot Project arrived on Saturday, Feb. 3 to install a new wheelchair-accessible ramp. Torralba said he became wheelchair-bound four years ago due to a spinal injury. Third-year Elon University physical therapy student Michelle Megurdichian has a background in medicine and was inspired to help Torralba. Her idea for creating the Elon Ramp Pilot Project is bigger than this one build, as Megurdichian said she aims to create an official organization.

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NEWS 2/4/24 2:30pm

Elon University celebrates Black History Month through ‘Rhythms of Resilience’ theme

By Sarah T. Moore

Elon University kicked off Black History Month on Thursday, Feb. 1 with the first of many events centering around a designated theme. This year’s theme is “Rhythms of Resilience: One Soul, One Sound.” The kickoff event was the first of nine Black History Month events hosted by the university. One of the assistant directors for the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education, Simone Royal, said the theme was chosen partially because of the way music can bring people together. Junior Niara Legette attended the event and said she was excited to see the university continue to uplift its students. 

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NEWS 1/31/24 7:30pm

Body of missing 19-year-old identified north of Elon

By Joseph Navin

Authorities from the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office reported they found human remains near Travis Creek and the Haw River on Jan. 31. The discovery occurred during a missing-person search for 19-year-old Elon resident Antwain McDaniel. The remains were identified to be McDaniel shortly after 6 p.m. McDaniel reportedly went missing after he was last seen exiting a vehicle at roughly 4 a.m. on Jan. 28 near Durham Street Extension and Routh Road. As of 6 p.m. on Jan. 31, Durham Street Extension is closed to public traffic in the area near the Travis Creek Bridge. 

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NEWS 1/30/24 11:54am

Undergraduate tuition, meals, lodging to increase 4.96% for 2024-25 academic year

By Ryan Kupperman

Elon University will increase undergraduate tuition, meals, lodging 4.96% for the up-coming 2024-25 academic year, according to an email sent out to parents by university President Connie Book on Jan. 30. Compared to Elon’s 2023-24 undergraduate costs, this is an anticipated rise in tuition from $44,536 to $46,745 for the year. Food and housing will also increase roughly $800 from $16,121 to $16,921. In total, Elon’s sticker price of $60,657 for tuition, fees, food and housing in the 2023-24 academic year climbs to roughly $63,666 for the 2024-25 academic year.

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NEWS 1/28/24 1:51pm

Sororities, fraternities gear up for recruitment at Elon University

By Lilly Molina

Lindsey Palazzolo is the recruitment chair for Tri Sigma at Elon University. She said that before COVID, roughly 700 Potential New Members were registered to rush. Though numbers had been down since the pandemic, Palazzolo said she is excited to see numbers rising again. She said this year there are roughly 560 PNMs. The rushing process for sororities happens from Saturday, Jan. 27 to Wednesday, Jan. 31 — Bid Day. According to Palazzolo, so much preparation goes into the recruitment process that she has been planning rush logistics since August 2023.

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NEWS 1/24/24 5:00pm

Former colleagues share lasting impact of professor emeritus on Elon community

By Cassie Weymouth

Professor Emeritus of Economics Tom Tiemann served Elon University for more than 30 years. He passed away on Friday, Dec. 22 at age 75. A recipient of the Elon Medallion, Tiemann was the founding dean of the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, department chair of economics, director of general studies and director of the business fellows program. Apart from these various titles and accolades, he is most remembered for his compassion, kindness and his dedication to his community. A close colleague, economics professor Steve DeLoach recalls Tiemann’s faith in students, his efforts to always continue improving Elon and his continued work well after his retirement.

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NEWS 1/15/24 9:55pm

International Civil Rights Center, Museum celebrates MLK Jr. Day

By Fiona McAllister and Rachel Holley

This year, MLK Jr. Day fell on Jan. 15. The International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro hosted a special presentation, including a speech titled “Promissory Note”. According to its website, the International Civil Rights Center and Museum is home to innovative ways that educate visitors about the history of civil rights and its historical figures. Elon seniors Matt Boyle and George Krupkin visited the Museum to learn more about Civil Rights and MLK Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream '' speech. Tour Coordinator of the museum, Dillon Tyler, said MLK Jr. Day is also representative of Greensboro being an important part of the Civil Rights Movement.

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