Caitlin O'Donnell

Recent Articles

NEWS 11/13/12 4:37pm

Elon University alumnus hopes to share life-changing experiences through published journal

By Caitlin O'Donnell

Elon University alumnus Kyle Johnson, Class of 2010, hopes to take readers to the depths of despair and the heights of hope with a book detailing the last months he spent with his father and his yearlong journey of remembrance. The book, stemming from Johnson’s personal journal, chronicles how he dealt with his father’s diagnosis of terminal cancer, including joining his father in marking items off his bucket list.

NEWS 7/25/12 2:19pm

Death of former Elon Academy scholar

By Caitlin O'Donnell

Christopher Glockson II, a member of the Alpha class of the Elon Academy, died July 20 following an accident at his home in Brooklyn, N.Y., according to an email from Smith Jackson, vice president and dean of student life. Glockson graduated from Walter Williams High School in Burlington, N.C.

NEWS 6/26/12 11:16pm

Senate reaches deal to freeze student loan rates

By Caitlin O'Donnell

Senate leaders announced yesterday they reached a deal to freeze student loan rates for one year, according to a report from the Washington Post. The deal must be finalized in Congress by July 1 to prevent rates on government-subsizied Stafford loans from doubling from 3.4 to 6.8 percent. Senate majority leader Harry Reid said he believes the proposal will be acceptable to the House, though details of how the plan will work it’s way through Congress are not clear at this time, the report said. The $6 billion cost of the one-year extension will be covered by increased premiums for federal pension insurance, formerly a point of contention between the two parties. A statement issued through email by the Jay Carney, the United States Press Secretary, expressed support for the Senate’s decision. “We’re pleased that the Senate has reached a deal to keep rates low and continue offering hard-working students a fair shot at an affordable education,” the statement read.

NEWS 5/16/12 11:57am

The Year in Review

By Caitlin O'Donnell

A year is characterized by many moments. Some coarse with a pain that we hope is fleeting. Others overflowing with joy so strong we want to relive it again and again.

NEWS 5/15/12 2:44pm

Words of Wisdom

By Caitlin O'Donnell

Leaders at Elon were asked to share their advice for the Class of 2012 as they prepare to enter life outside of the bubble.

NEWS 5/8/12 8:41pm

Results: 2012 Primary Election

By Caitlin O'Donnell

[box] Statewide Amendment One For: 61 percent Against: 39 percent Counties reporting: 100 of 100 Presidential Preference (Democrats) Barack Obama: 79 percent No preference:  21 percent Counties reporting: 100 of 100 Presidential Preference (Republicans) Newt Gingrich: 8 percent Ron Paul: 11 percent Mitt Romney: 66 percent Rick Santorum: 10 percent No preference: 5 percent North Carolina Governor (Democrats) Walter Dalton: 46 percent Gary Dunn: 3 percent Bob Etheridge: 38 percent Bill Faison: 6 percent Gardenia Henley: 5 percent Bruce Blackmon: 3 percent Counties reporting: 100 of 100 North Carolina Governor (Republicans) Jim Harney: 3 percent Scott Jones: 3 percent Jim Mahan: 3 percent Pat McCrory: 84 percent Charles Moss: 2 percent Paul Wright: 6 percent Counties reporting: 100 of 100 [/box] [box] Alamance County Amendment One For: 64 percent Against: 36 percent Precincts reporting: 37 of 37 Presidential Preference (Democrats) Barack Obama: 76 percent No preference:  24 percent Precincts reporting: 37 of 37 Presidential Preference (Republicans) Newt Gingrich: 9 percent Ron Paul: 12 percent Mitt Romney: 67 percent Rick Santorum: 9 percent No preference: 4 percent Precincts reporting: 37 of 37 North Carolina Governor (Democrats) Walter Dalton: 43 percent Gary Dunn: 3 percent Bob Etheridge: 40 percent Bill Faison: 7 percent Gardenia Henley: 5 percent Bruce Blackmon: 3 percent Precincts reporting: 37 of 37 North Carolina Governor (Republicans) Jim Harney: 3 percent Scott Jones: 2 percent Jim Mahan: 3 percent Pat McCrory: 86 percent Charles Moss: 1 percent Paul Wright: 5 percent Precincts reporting: 37 of 37 [/box]

NEWS 4/17/12 8:22pm

Overextended, sleepless ... happy

By Caitlin O'Donnell

It’s a running joke in The Pendulum office that if staff members were paid by the hour, they’d be some of the most well paid students on Elon’s campus. In reality, many of us devote 40 or more hours a week to what equates to a full-time job, while also balancing separate academic and social lives. We don’t do it for fame or glory.

NEWS 4/3/12 9:53pm

Constructing a bright future from a discordant past

By Caitlin O'Donnell

His name is Fazly, and he is from Afghanistan. At least, that’s the easiest way sophomore Toorialey Fazly has found to introduce himself to Americans who often express amazement at his nation of origin based on their own misconceptions. For Fazly, his identity as an Afghan is intertwined with his experiences as a college student in the United States, a dream he set his sights on as a young boy living in near-poverty under the rule of the Taliban and fought for years to obtain. Now studying international studies with a minor in economics, Fazly insists upon bringing his experiences and knowledge back home to the country he knows best. A stunted childhood Fazly was born and raised in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and excelled at his studies for all of his life until his plans to attend college were halted by the necessity of providing for his family, which was struggling economically.

NEWS 3/14/12 5:29pm

Limbaugh’s critical comments revive problems between gender, politics

By Caitlin O'Donnell

It’s been more than a week since his off-color comments, but Rush Limbaugh is far from removed from the spotlight. After Georgetown University Law student Sandra Fluke testified before Congress in support of mandated private health insurance coverage of contraceptives, Limbaugh took to the airwaves of his conservative talk radio show to deride her as a “slut,” among other crude statements. The situation highlights issues of gender and politics, said Mandy Gallagher, assistant professor of communications and coordinator of the women’s and gender studies program at Elon University. “There has always been debate and discussion, but this seems like debate and discussion not contributing to any outcome, just everyone wanting to get their voices heard,” she said. In her statement, Fluke argued in support of requiring all private insurance plans to cover the cost of contraceptives, including religious institutions.

NEWS 3/1/12 5:22pm

Breathing life into Elon’s brick and mortar

By Caitlin O'Donnell

It’s the faces that tell all, according to Holly Hodge, interior designer for Elon University. “Just to see people’s faces for the first time when they’re walking through when everything is in place — just to see people’s gratitude — that’s what makes what I do all worth it,” she said. Since arriving at Elon about a year and a half ago, after spending eight years working in architecture, Hodge has been involved in the planning and design for the spaces students, faculty and staff visit everyday. “One of the things about higher (education) that I love, when you think about it, is you’ve got everything in this little bubble,” she said.

NEWS 2/21/12 4:55pm

Bringing study abroad experiences home

By Caitlin O'Donnell

When senior Hannah Barry returned to Elon University after studying abroad in Ghana last Winter Term, she wasn’t quite ready to let go of the experience she’d had there. “We came back and wanted to create an organization on campus where we can basically do international development projects for the communities we visited,” she said. The Periclean Scholars program, a civic engagement group which students apply to participate in, focused on Ghana in the past, but Barry wanted a new option to be more accessible to all students. When the group of students first applied to Student Life for recognition as an organization, the proposal did not pass, Barry said, because there was concern that other classes would want to create similar organizations for other nations, which would become overwhelming. Instead, the organization applied again under the name Elon Partners in International Development, which is now under provisional status as an organization.

NEWS 2/21/12 4:04pm

Breaking the gender binary: Junior leads charge to offer gender-neutral housing

By Caitlin O'Donnell

As Elon University expands the physical living space on campus, Laura Sturm is looking toward on-campus options, particularly those offering gender-neutral housing. The junior and vice president of SPECTRUM, Elon’s gay-straight alliance, first became involved with the issue as a result of a story that ran in The Pendulum last spring, which included a quote from an administrator inviting a student to take on the initiative.

NEWS 2/21/12 3:43pm

Letter from the Editor

By Caitlin O'Donnell

When the new edition of The Pendulum hits the stands Wednesday mornings, the staff of the news organization expects feedback. Whether it comes in the form of red mark-ups from our adviser, Colin Donohue, critical emails from well-meaning professors or text messages from my mom about a misspelled word on the front page (she keeps insisting she wants to join our staff as a copy editor), we are no stranger to the fact that our publication will cause a stir. And, in all honesty, we hope it does.

More Articles by Caitlin O'Donnell »

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SPORTS 11/24/2024 7:17pm
Women’s basketball player looks to build off successful freshman campaign

Within team environments, there has to be a leader to step up to the task. Sophomore Maraja Pass said she hopes to step up to the role this season. Pass, coming off of an extremely strong freshman season, found herself on the Coastal Athletic Association All-Rookie team. She also earned three CAA Rookie of the Week honors. The 5-foot-4 guard averaged 8.6 points per game, along with 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists across 30 games played. She led all CAA freshmen in assists. She found her career high in points in a game against Marshall last December where she notched 21 points for the Phoenix.

SPORTS 11/24/2024 2:50pm
Senior forward for Elon women’s basketball transfers experience to team’s younger players

With the 2024-25 collegiate season underway for the Elon University women’s basketball team, senior forward Iycez Adams represents the only senior on the team. Adams is in her second year with the Phoenix having transferred from East Carolina University at the end of her sophomore year. Last year, Adams started in all 27 games played. She made an immediate impact leading the Phoenix in points per game with 10.3 and rebounds per game with 7. Adams enters her senior year with five first-year players on the roster and said she embraces the opportunity to provide veteran experience to the team.

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