Mackenzie Wilkes

Mackenzie Wilkes, a North Carolina native, is the 2020-21 Executive Director of Elon News Network where she is responsible for managing ENN’s website and digital content. She has a passion for finding the best ways to deliver stories to an audience. Wilkes, who is studying journalism and political science, previously served as ENN’s Politics Editor. She is passionate about the intersection of people and politics. Whether it’s policing, education or race, Wilkes is dedicated to reporting and telling stories that capture the nuances of communities.

Recent Articles

NEWS 5/7/21 8:32am

A Taxing Divide

By Mackenzie Wilkes

While most municipalities fund their operations with a healthy mixture of sales taxes and property taxes, college towns such as the town of Elon often must rely much more heavily on sales tax revenue since their largest property owner — the university — is tax exempt.

NEWS 3/20/21 12:58pm

FEMA-supported COVID-19 vaccine clinics open in Alamance County

By Mackenzie Wilkes

Two COVID-19 vaccine clinics have opened in Alamance County in an effort to vaccinate marginalized communities in the area. CityGate Dream Center and Eric Lane where JR Cigars is, are now COVID-19 vaccination sites, as of March 19. The clinics are meant to address disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates specifically in the Latino community, but also in other populations of color.

NEWS 3/7/21 2:13pm

Elon University's proposed amendment to mutual aid agreement leaves law enforcement agencies wary

By Mackenzie Wilkes

Elon University’s proposed amendment to the 2021 Annual Alamance County Mutual Aid Agreement between local law enforcement groups was rejected by those agencies, leading the university to use “direct communication” regarding aid requests instead. House said the committee decided that communication with law enforcement agencies regarding mutual aid requests is how the university will address issues within the agreement.

NEWS 3/5/21 10:09am

North Carolina, Alamance County work to bridge digital divide during remote learning

By Mackenzie Wilkes

Remote and online work has been the reality for teachers and students in Alamance County for the past 11 months, and even as the county returns to in-person learning, three out of five school days will be remote. For some kids, accessing the internet isn’t always feasible and Alamance-Burlington School System has tried to bridge the digital divide — the gap between those who have internet access and those who don’t — as most schools have been engaging in remote learning. 

NEWS 2/18/21 3:00pm

Alamance NAACP spearheads effort to rename park after Black councilman slain in 1870

By Mackenzie Wilkes

Almost 151 years ago on Feb. 26, 1870, members of the Ku Klux Klan kidnapped Wyatt Outlaw in the middle of the night, and his body was found the next morning hanging from an elm tree near the courthouse. 18 men were indicted for his death, but the charges were dropped. Now in 2021, the Alamance County NAACP is trying to memorialize Outlaw and the lynching that took place over a century ago.

NEWS 2/9/21 11:56pm

Elon School of Education has hosted ‘white caucus’ since fall, now faces backlash

By Jack Norcross , Maeve Ashbrook and Mackenzie Wilkes

Elon University’s School of Education planned to host, for the second semester in a row, a “white caucus” for “white-identifying” education majors or minors. As of Feb. 10, the program has been canceled. The program, which had the goal to explore race and systemic oppression in education, comes after a summer of protests against racial injustice. 

LIFESTYLE 1/8/21 9:33am

Navigating faith in a pandemic

By Mackenzie Wilkes

Over 10 months of masks, limited gatherings and physical distancing have affected aspects of everyday life — work, school, social activity and even how people worship during the coronavirus pandemic. As COVID-19 continues to spread, places of worship and people of faith are learning to worship during a pandemic. Thus leaving spiritual leaders and people of faith to navigate their beliefs and hardships of life during a pandemic.

NEWS 11/4/20 3:22pm

ABSS teachers, families grapple with online learning

By Mackenzie Wilkes

The Alamance-Burlington School System originally planned to start the year remotely and transition to Plan B halfway through the semester. But on Oct. 23, ABSS reversed course and decided pre-K through 12th grade students would not return to the classroom until January 2021. 

NEWS 10/30/20 11:31am

Contact tracing catches COVID-19 clusters

By Mackenzie Wilkes

Within the past two weeks, ten clusters have been identified by the Alamance County Health Department amongst Elon University students. Clusters of COVID-19 cases have been popping up in residence halls and greek organizations across campus. Seven fraternities and sororities and three freshman dorms all have had clusters.

NEWS 10/23/20 6:24pm

Elon University moves to High Alert, identifies 3 new clusters

By Mackenzie Wilkes

Elon University has moved to level 3 — High Alert after the university reported the single highest daily cases of COVID-19 with a total of 44 new cases. The move to High Alert comes on the first day of social hiatus and five days after moving to in level 2 — Moderate Alert. According to Jeff Stein, chair of the Ready & Resilient committee, there were three new clusters identified bringing the total number of clusters identified on campus in the past two weeks to eight.

NEWS 10/19/20 7:23pm

3 new coronavirus clusters identified at Elon University

By Mackenzie Wilkes

Three additional coronavirus clusters have been identified at Elon University. Two of the clusters are located in freshman dorms, while another was identified in a sorority. According to Jeff Stein, chair of the Ready & Resilient committee, the clusters are due to social gatherings.

More Articles by Mackenzie Wilkes »

Recent Media

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Latest

NEWS 11/19/2024 4:29pm
Republican candidate for North Carolina Supreme Court asks for recount

Democrat and incumbent candidate for North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs is currently leading over Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin by 625 votes. A representative from the North Carolina State Board of Elections told Elon News Network that Griffin filed a motion to request a recount earlier today, Nov. 19, and that the recount will begin Nov. 20 and will finish on Nov. 27. The NCSBE said a candidate can request a recount if the difference in votes is less than 1%. As of Nov. 19 at 9:55 a.m., Riggs is leading Griffin by 0.02% with 5.5 million ballots being counted.

NEWS 11/19/2024 4:11pm
Oct. 7 survivor, hero comes to Elon, shares how he saved 750 people

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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