Ryan Kupperman

Ryan Kupperman '25 is studying journalism with a minor in criminal justice studies. Kupperman previously served as Managing Editor of elonnewsnetwork.com and has a passion for reporting, storytelling and digital communications. When not in the newsroom, Kupperman enjoys reading, catching up on media and playing board games. Click here to view Kupperman's best work.

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Recent Articles

NEWS 11/6/24 2:38am

Rachel Hunt elected lieutenant governor of North Carolina

By Ryan Kupperman

Democratic candidate Rachel Hunt won her bid for lieutenant governor of North Carolina with 49.44% of the votes statewide. Hunt beat Republican opponent Hal Weatherman, the Constitution Party’s Wayne Jones and Libertarian Shannon Bray. Hunt has served as a North Carolina state senator since 2023 and previously served as a state representative from 2019 to 2023. She has worked as a private practice attorney and owns her own educational consulting business. Hunt also served on the board of directors for the North Carolina Foundation for Public School Children.

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NEWS 11/6/24 2:29am

Mo Green elected North Carolina’s superintendent of public instruction

By Ryan Kupperman

Democratic candidate Mo Green won his bid for North Carolina’s superintendent of public instruction with 51.12% of the votes statewide. State superintendent of public instruction oversees day-to-day operations of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, serves as secretary and chief administrative officer of the State Board of Education and serves in the North Carolina Council of State. The superintendent’s race has gained national attention for one of North Carolina’s most polarizing races on the ballot. Republican candidate Michele Morrow turned heads by expressing support for abolishing the North Carolina Department of Education and cutting the state off from federal funds.

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NEWS 11/6/24 1:44am

Richard Hudson elected to U.S House of Representatives District 9

By Ryan Kupperman

Republican incumbent Richard Hudson won his bid for the U.S. House of Representatives District 9 with 56.4% of the votes statewide. Hudson beat Democratic opponent Nigel Bristow and Independent opponent Shelane Etchison. Hudson was first elected to represent North Carolina’s 9th District in 2012. He serves as the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, which aims to elect Republicans to the U.S. House of Representatives. He was also rated the most effective legislator from North Carolina and the 12th most conservative member of the house.

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NEWS 11/5/24 11:46pm

Jeff Jackson elected attorney general of North Carolina

By Ryan Kupperman

Congressman and Democratic candidate Jeff Jackson won his bid for attorney general of North Carolina with 51.65% of the votes statewide. While North Carolina had a Republican majority in the state general assembly heading into the 2024 election, the swing state had a Democratic triplex in the officers of governor, secretary of state and attorney general — all three of which were up for election this cycle. Jackson’s win defends one leg of this triangle for the Democratic Party. WRAL reported that Republican candidate Dan Bishop conceded the race at 11:32 p.m.

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NEWS 11/5/24 9:26pm

Josh Stein projected governor of North Carolina

By Ryan Kupperman

AP News has called North Carolina’s governor race in favor of Democratic candidate and Attorney General Josh Stein. With 23% of the votes counted, Stein has a 52.7% lead. Robinson has 42.6% of the vote. Stein beat Lt. Gov. and Republican candidate Mark Robinson with a steady lead in a race defined by starkly opposed campaigns. Projected ahead of Robinson in the last three Elon Poll surveys, Stein’s victory maintains the divide between North Carolina’s Republican-majority General Assembly.

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NEWS 11/1/24 3:19pm

Alamance, Guilford juvenile detention rates reach highest in more than a decade

By Ryan Kupperman

Steven Isaiah Bradshaw was 11 years old the first time he went to Guilford Detention Center. He was detained again at 13, 16 and 18 years old for various robbery and gun charges. Matthew Cappello, Alamance County’s lead juvenile court counselor, said recidivism — or the likelihood of criminal offenders reoffending — is one of the state’s biggest concerns within the juvenile and criminal justice systems. In 2023, recidivism reached 80% for prisoners with juvenile records in the United States. To combat this, Cappello said North Carolina has made it a priority to invest in diversion and restoration resources rather than punishment and deterrence techniques such as detainment.

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NEWS 11/1/24 10:44am

Shots fired in Elon; suspect identified

By Ryan Kupperman

Matthew Dylan Earnhardt, 23, of Winston Salem, was arrested Nov. 1 and faces five misdemeanor charges — including discharging a firearm, concealing a weapon, possession of marijuana and marijuana-related items, and communicating threats. At 1:41 a.m. Nov. 1, an E-Alert reported that shots had been fired in the area of Elon University. A follow up was sent at 1:54 a.m. saying law enforcement had “suspects in custody” and there were no further threats to campus. Court documents also indicate that Earnhardt had made threats to an individual — identified by Elon News Network as an Elon University student.

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NEWS 10/10/24 6:31pm

JD Vance stops for town hall in Greensboro weeks ahead of election

By Ryan Kupperman

Vice Presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance made a campaign stop in Greensboro on Oct. 10 at the Koury Convention Center. Vance is expected to speak on his economic and immigration policies, as well as criticize the Biden-Harris administration for hurricane relief efforts. This is Vance’s fifth stop in North Carolina since becoming former President Donald Trump’s running mate, and his appearance occurs less than four weeks ahead of election day. Elon News Network attempted to get access to the event at the gate but was turned away.

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NEWS 9/24/24 11:14am

Elon University moves up 12 places in 2025 national university rankings

By Avery Sloan and Ryan Kupperman

Elon placed 121st — climbing  12 places from last year’s 133rd ranking in the U.S. News and World Report 2025 national university ranking, released  Tuesday, Sept. 24. Elon was also notably named No. 1 in undergraduate teaching for the fourth consecutive year and also topped the charts this year for learning communities and first-year experiences. Elon also continues to rank low in social mobility. Having placed 345th out of 433, the social mobility category measures how well schools graduate economically disadvantaged students.

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NEWS 9/19/24 4:01pm

Author of 2024 common reading emphasizes compassion in environmental movement

By Ryan Kupperman

Leah Thomas is the author of Elon University’s 2024 common reading book, “The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet.” As an environmentalist and self-proclaimed eco-communicator, her book analyzes the intersection between environmentalism and various social injustices. Elon News Network sat down with Thomas ahead of her common reading lecture scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19 in Alumni Gym. According to Thomas, to be an intersectional environmentalist is to care about both people and the planet. Beyond the role of intersectional environmentalist, Thomas is also the founder of a non-profit organization of the same name.

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NEWS 9/12/24 6:20pm

Elon University sees 7.4% decrease in first-year enrollment

By Charlotte Pfabe and Ryan Kupperman

The Office of the Registrar released its fall 2024 report Sept. 12, which revealed a 7.4% decrease in first-year enrollment with 1,719 students in the class of 2028. The last time first-year enrollment was below this number was in 2021. Last year, the class of 2027 accounted for 1,857 students. The report includes data on student admissions; religious tradition demographics; county, state and country breakdowns; and enrollment by major. Notably, total undergraduate enrollment increased by only 50 students from 6,402 in fall 2023 to 6,452 in fall 2024.

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NEWS 8/27/24 2:52pm

West End Apartments discovers mold

By Fiona McAllister and Ryan Kupperman

Kelly Reis, owner and operator of Blue Kangaroo Packoutz of Greensboro, arrived at West End Apartments on Aug. 27 to clean and clear out an apartment experiencing a mold outbreak. West End Apartments are located just past MaGerk’s Pub on West Lebanon Avenue; the complex is owned by RedStone Property Management and is not affiliated with Elon University. Brandon Sowers, CEO of RedStone Property Management, refuted Reis’ statement — stating that the incident was not caused by the air conditioning being left on all summer, but rather by the system being used incorrectly.

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NEWS 8/22/24 10:04am

Harris to accept presidential nomination, close out 2024 convention

By Erin Martin , Ryan Kupperman and Abby Gravely

Ending the week 'For Our Future,' the 2024 Democratic National Convention highlighted a variety of voices in an attempt to elect Vice President Kamala Harris as the nation's first female president, and first female president of color. So far, Chicago has heard from former U.S. Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, former president and former first lady Barack and Michelle Obama and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — who accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president last night in the United Center. Tonight, Harris is expected to accept the presidential nomination. 

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NEWS 8/21/24 10:44am

Democratic Party echoes ‘A Fight for Our Freedoms’

By Erin Martin , Ryan Kupperman and Abby Gravely

Democratic Party sets the scene for Wednesday night with theme ‘A Fight for Our Freedoms,’ in which the party will highlight how Harris will fight to protect the country’s freedom — while also portraying Trump’s candidacy as a threat and regression to these freedoms.  Attendees are expected to hear from Minnesota Gov. and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, former President Bill Clinton, and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi at the United Center later this evening. Programming is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson also spoke to North Carolina delegates this morning about North Carolina’s crucial role in this election.

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NEWS 8/20/24 4:38pm

Pro-Palestinian voices demand to be heard at 2024 DNC

By Ryan Kupperman

When Connecticut delegate Esam Boraey brought a “Stop Arming Israel” banner into the first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, he said he never expected to be met with aggression, shouting and blocking. By raising the banner just as President Joe Biden took the stage, Boraey said his hope was to peacefully and silently deliver his message of calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Within seconds of holding it up, attendees and delegates in front and behind them began grabbing, screaming and blocking the banner before it was ultimately snatched and thrown away.

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NEWS 8/19/24 12:39pm

2024 DNC kicks off convention with ‘For the People’ motif

By Erin Martin and Ryan Kupperman

The 2024 Democratic National Convention kicked off in Chicago on Monday, Aug. 19 with a theme of ‘For the People,’ drawing in between 5,000 and 7,000 delegates and roughly 50,000 visitors throughout the week. The headline speakers anticipated to take the stage Monday evening include President Joe Biden, former U.S. Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Over the next four days, each day of the convention will have a unique theme centered around the Harris-Walz campaign.

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NEWS 8/16/24 8:54pm

Elon prepares for DNC, final months of presidential election

By Ryan Kupperman

The Democratic National Convention is set to kick off in Chicago on Monday, Aug. 19, hosting thousands of delegates from the country’s 50 states, District of Columbia and its territories. With President Joe Biden dropping out of the race less than a month before the convention, Vice President Kamala Harris now tops the Democratic ticket and has the chance to make history as the first woman, the first Black woman and the first South Asian American to hold the nation’s highest office. For an already unusual election, this year’s DNC has also gained national attention for its similarities with 1968’s DNC.

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NEWS 7/15/24 7:10pm

Elon University professors contextualize assassination attempt on Trump

By Ryan Kupperman

Less than 10 minutes after he took the stage at one of his political rallies, former President and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump was huddled away by secret service agents following multiple gun shots. According to Dillan Bono-Lunn, Elon professor of political science and policy studies, this incident is the most significant event of the election season so far. The attack came just days before the start of the Republican National Convention on July 15, where Trump announced Senator J.D. Vance as his vice president and running mate.

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NEWS 6/21/24 4:07pm

Risant Health acquires Cone Health

By Ryan Kupperman

Cone Health, Elon University’s medical service partner, signed an agreement June 21 to become part of Risant Health — a nonprofit organization created by Kaiser Foundation Hospitals. Cone Health itself is a nonprofit health care network that manages and coordinates care for roughly 200,000 patients in Alamance, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham and part of Forsyth counties, according to a Cone Health press release. “We do not anticipate changes in the types of care we provide as a result of becoming part of Risant Health,” Dr. Mary Jo Cagle, CEO and President of Cone Health, said in the release.

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NEWS 5/27/24 2:55pm

Family remembers Elon community service officer as full of love, ‘one of a kind’

By Ryan Kupperman

Monte Markley — an Elon community service officer — died of a stroke on May 18 at 43 years old after roughly nine years working at Elon University. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. June 1 at the Rich & Thompson Chapel in Burlington. Markley is preceded in death by her son James Markley, who was a sophomore at Elon when he died in 2020. Monte's sister Amanda Kilcrease said she wants Elon to know how much Monte loved the community. “I just want people to know that when she loves, she loves hard. She loved her job at Elon.”

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