Nia Bedard

News Editor

Nia Bedard ‘26 is studying journalism with a minor in psychology. Bedard currently serves as News Editor. Bedard has a passion for long form investigative stories. When not in the newsroom Bedard enjoys cooking, working out, and going to concerts.

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Recent Articles

NEWS 11/19/24 4:29pm

Republican candidate for North Carolina Supreme Court asks for recount

By Nia Bedard

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.

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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 11/5/24 8:45pm

Mark Robinson hosts watch party in Raleigh ahead of election results

By Nia Bedard

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson held a watch party at the City Club in Raleigh for the gubernatorial race. With the race called for Attorney General Josh Stein, Robinson has conceded the governorship. Robinson addressed the crowd at 9:04 p.m. saying he is still proud of the work he has done as lieutenant governor of North Carolina in spite of the loss. Throughout Robinson's address the crowd of supporters cheered for him and thanked him for running in the governor election.

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NEWS 11/3/24 7:35pm

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson makes campaign stop in Elon

By Nia Bedard

With the 2024 general election less than two days away, Lt.  Gov. Mark Robinson held a rally at the Ace Speedway in Elon to push supporters to vote Republican down the ballot on Nov. 5. Robinson announced his gubernatorial bid in the same location just a year and a half earlier. Despite the majority of the attendees stating that they voted early, Robinson and other Republican candidates in races across North Carolina — including Bryan Ray, Chad Brown and Michele Morrow —  encouraged attendees to tell others to vote Republican.

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NEWS 11/1/24 4:03pm

Town of Elon Police releases statement regarding Halloween festivities at Oak Hill Apartments

By Nia Bedard

Ahead of Homecoming and Halloween festivities, town of Elon Police released a statement to the residents of Oak Hill Apartments stating they have been made aware of a planned, large-scale party rumored to take place within the apartment complex Nov. 2. The memorandum, released Oct. 28, also stated that if such a gathering occurs, those who are responsible may be subject to legal action including criminal charges and fines. Assistant Elon Police Chief Kedrick King said the decision to release the memorandum was based on previous incidents that have taken place at Oak Hill.

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NEWS 10/22/24 1:29pm

Former President Trump makes campaign stop in Greensboro

By Nia Bedard and Trista Panagakos

Former President Donald Trump has held multiple rallies in North Carolina in the weeks leading up to election day. On Tuesday, Oct. 22, Trump is campaigning in Greensboro at Minges Coliseum. He is expected to speak at 7 p.m., but attendees have been gathering as early as 11 a.m. Trump gathers in the Tar Heel state as early voting began last Thursday, Oct. 17 and election day is exactly two weeks away. North Carolina is a swing state with 16 electoral votes, and polls have shown Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris virtually tied in North Carolina.

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NEWS 10/19/24 6:46pm

The Rosemary opens at Elon under Park Place

By Nia Bedard

Following a month of renovations, The Rosemary, located underneath Park Place, opened to the public on Oct. 19. There were no customers present at the time of the opening. Owner and Elon alum Derek Bates ’85 said that The Rosemary will have multiple options for students and Elon locals, including grab-and-go items, coffee, sandwiches and soups and fine dining. The Rosemary will be having a student appreciation and introduction night where they will be giving out free chicken and brisket tacos Oct. 22 from 8 to 10 p.m.

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NEWS 10/12/24 12:41pm

2024 election candidates utilize digital advertising to reach first-time voters

By Nia Bedard

Forty-one million members of Generation Z will be voting in the 2024 election, including 8.3 million new eligible voters since the 2022 midterm election, according to Tufts University. With this influx of new voters, candidates are now allocating large amounts of money into digital advertising to reach Gen Z voters using social media. It was predicted that digital advertising for the 2024 presidential election would increase 156% compared to the 2020 presidential election, making the total spending $3.46 billion, according to a report released by Insider Intelligence. Politicians have to start utilizing digital advertising, Michele Lashley, professor of strategic communications, said.

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NEWS 10/1/24 10:51pm

Elon alumna returns to campus to discuss career in politics

By Nia Bedard

Elon University alumna Austin Moore ’22 returned to campus Oct. 1 as a part of the speaker series titled “Alumni Voices: Conversations with Political Insiders on the 2024 Elections.” The speaker series was organized by professor of political science Jill Auditori and professor of journalism Israel Balderas as a way to inform students about the upcoming 2024 elections. The first speaker in the series, Moore graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science and international and global studies. She currently works as the deputy field director for Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s campaign and decided to return to be a resource for current students.

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NEWS 9/30/24 12:22pm

2024 Elon University security, fire safety report shows increase in substance violations

By Nia Bedard

Over 100 more liquor law violations were referred for disciplinary action than the year before, according to Elon University's 2024 security and fire safety report. This report details reported crimes that occurred on campus and within buildings owned by Elon, and pulls from data from 2023. As part of the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, institutions that participate in student financial aid programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 are required to disclose campus crime statistics and security information.

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NEWS 9/27/24 4:51pm

Fallen tree closes entrance to campus off O’Kelly Avenue

By Nia Bedard and Monika Jurevicius

The O’Kelly Avenue entrance to the university, also leading to the Inn at Elon, has been closed due to a fallen tree. A campus security car has been damaged, according to Elon Campus Security Police Chief Joe LeMire. There are no reported injuries. At 3:52 p.m., an E-Alert announced that the entrance was blocked and to avoid the area. The tree fell to the left of the Inn at Elon. Rain and wind damage from Hurricane Helene is a possible cause for the tree’s fall. At 5 p.m., an E-Alert announced the road to O’Kelly Avenue was reopened.

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NEWS 9/20/24 11:28pm

Elon community gathers to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival

By Nia Bedard

Elon University’s Asian-Pacific Student Association and Chinese Club celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival on Sept. 20 in the McBride Gathering Space. According to senior Ivan Nguyen, co-president of APSA and vice president of Chinese Club, the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates the moon at its brightest and fullest which occurred this past Tuesday, Sept. 17. This is the first time that the Mid-Autumn Festival was held in McBride Gathering Space, while previous celebrations were held in Carlton Commons. APSA’s next event will be a bracelet-making event at 5:45 p.m. Sept. 25 in the CREDE, Moseley 221.

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NEWS 9/20/24 12:02am

Elon University common reading encourages students to save planet by uplifting people

By Nia Bedard

Leah Thomas, author of Elon University’s 2024 common reading book, “The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet,” spoke Sept. 19 in Alumni Gym as a part of Elon University’s speaker series. As the author of the 2024 common reading book, which analyzes how environmentalism and social injustices intersect, Thomas spoke to the audience about her decision to delve into environmental communications and what inspired her to write her book. 

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NEWS 9/19/24 12:07pm

First class of ABSS Dual Language Immersion program prepares to graduate college

By Nia Bedard

Alamance-Burlington School System’s first class of the Dual Language Immersion program is preparing to graduate college this spring. The program was instituted in some ABSS public schools through Participate Learning, an educational consulting firm focused on global education and primarily teaches students Spanish. Elon senior Annelise Weaver was a student in the Dual Language Immersion program at Elon Elementary after she and her family moved to Alamance County when she was in the first grade.

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NEWS 9/15/24 1:35pm

SGA cracks down on a cappella funding

By Nia Bedard

A cappella organization Vital Signs is scrambling to find funding for events after no longer receiving usual allocation from Elon's Student Government Association. Aidan Coy, Vital Signs president, said the a cappella presidents were scheduled to meet with the SGA executive board on Sept. 6 to discuss this, but SGA canceled the meeting the day prior. Coy, along with all other a capella presidents, received an email from the SGA Executive Board on May 14 stating “the Student Government Association will no longer allocate funds to support events that require students to purchase tickets.”

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NEWS 9/11/24 12:39am

Elon Votes hosts presidential debate watch party

By Nia Bedard

Fifty-six days away from the election, Elon Votes hosted a watch party for the first 2024 presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in Moseley Student Center on Sept. 10 to get students engaged in the general election. This is now the 10th year that Elon Votes has hosted watch parties for Elon students, Lindsay Bialecki, Elon Votes student coordinator, said. Bialecki said Elon Votes was excited by the student turn-out for the event; around 100 students were at the event — with both the student center and the Oak Room filled with people.

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NEWS 9/2/24 11:03pm

Jewish community mourns loss of hostages in Gaza

By Nia Bedard

Elon’s Jewish community gathered at Speaker’s Corner to mourn the lives of six hostages whose bodies were found in an underground tunnel in Gaza. The six victims were among the 200 people taken by militants into Gaza on Oct. 7. Elon Chabad’s Rabbi Mendy Minkowitz said he is heartbroken over the loss of these lives and the events that have occurred in the last 11 months. Junior Sam Khavinson, Chabad’s co-president, said he wanted Jewish students to have a moment where they could grieve together.

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NEWS 8/26/24 10:54pm

Elon Town Council passes noise ordinance change

By Nia Bedard

After previously hearing from Elon Chief of Police Kelly Blackwelder on July 16, the town council unanimously approved changes to the town’s noise ordinance. Now with the new approved changes, a noise violation is classified as a civil violation with progressively increasing fines starting at $100. If violations continue, the fine increases to $200 and then $300 if violations continue within a 12-month period. However, police officers can still charge someone with a misdemeanor for a noise ordinance violation. Mayor Pro Tem Monti Allison said he thinks this change will positively affect the Elon community.

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NEWS 8/24/24 1:12pm

Class of 2028 starts Elon journey with Convocation

By Nia Bedard

Caroline Staley’s education has always been rooted in tradition. After attending an all-girls, private school in Philadelphia, she was reminded of her love of tradition when she received her acorn at Elon University’s New Student Convocation on Aug. 24. During convocation, 1,624 freshmen and 75 transfer students took part in their first Elon tradition of receiving their acorns. Elon parent Jill O’Brien said she felt bittersweet about saying goodbye to her daughter,  while others — like parent Carolyn Williams —said the thought of their children being away from them hasn’t sunk in yet.

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NEWS 8/13/24 11:06am

Elon University copes with Title IX injunction

By Nia Bedard

Following an injunction filed by the Kansas federal district court, Elon University and other institutions across 26 states will not be able to implement the 2024 Title IX regulations, which were supposed to go into effect on Aug 1.  The most recent attempt to expand Title IX protections happened in 2021 when President Joe Biden issued Executive Order 14201, which the Department of Education published in April 2024. Because of the injunction, hundreds of schools across the country must now remain compliant to the 2020 regulations until the litigation can be ruled upon.

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