Tommy Hamzik

Tommy Hamzik is a 2017 graduate of Elon University.

Recent Articles

NEWS 5/18/17 7:00am

Smith Jackson leaves legacy of integrated student life experience

By Tommy Hamzik

The story’s been told dozens of times, from meetings to presentations and speeches, and now, with special circumstances, it’s being told one last time. Smith Jackson and his wife, Rene, were driving along Interstate 40 with their sons on a spring-break trip to Washington, D.C. Rene was reading the Chronicle of Higher Education when she saw a job listing for Dean of Students at Elon College.

NEWS 5/17/17 11:50am

HAMZIK: Times have changed. As have I.

By Tommy Hamzik

THIRD FLOOR, ELON TOWN CENTER — All I wanted to do was cover some Elon sporting events. I had dreams of sitting in press boxes over campus and across the region, chowing down on all the food I could get my hands on and writing about Elon’s athletic highs and lows. I couldn’t have imagined the lengths to which student media would strech and push me to grow into a versatile journalist who’s as well-versed in what kerning and inch-counts are as the format of VOSOTs and NAT pops. I’ll look back on my four years with student media at Elon fondly, thinking of the amazing colleagues and advisers, the dozens of ridiculous inside jokes and the transformation we underwent from two separate legacy media organizations to one merged, digital-first news network. Or should I say mobile-first? From being deemed the “Future of The Pendulum” while I covered my first sporting event (hat tip and hair sniff to you, Matt Krause and Adam Smith), to lengthy small talk conversations about nothing with Colin to later being tasked with leading the merger of The Pendulum and Elon Local News, it’s been a special ride filled with red ball, ill-advised trips to Smitty’s for milkshakes and just a few uses of the salute, “Greetings!” There have been trips to Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas, where I’m still wondering how Michael and I ran into Colin and Uncle Tommy at the Bier Garden.

SPORTS 3/7/17 1:51pm

Phoenix baseball seeing offensive improvements

By Tommy Hamzik

The end of a sweep provided a positive look to the future for the Elon University baseball team. Elon's offense turned in the right direction in the late innings of a 5-1 victory against the University of Massachusetts, a performance the Phoenix hopes translates into a stronger approach at the plate in the coming weeks.

SPORTS 2/14/17 6:45pm

Fresh around the field

By Tommy Hamzik

Danny Crowe doesn't see it, but he knows it, the distinction he holds on this Elon University baseball team. He's the only senior on the roster who's been here for four years.

NEWS 2/13/17 10:02pm

Lambert: Timing influenced decision to step down

By Tommy Hamzik

It all came down to timing for Elon University President Lambert. Elon is completing the final aspects of the Elon Commitment strategic plan, and is in the leadership phase of the Elon Leads fundraising campaign. So it only made sense to Lambert that the next president be in place for the implementation of the new strategic plan and the public launch of Elon Leads. "It seemed to me to be the best thing for the university to have the person who was in charge of the leading that planning, leading that visioning be here to see that plan through," Lambert said.

NEWS 2/13/17 8:04am

Elon President Leo Lambert to step down

By Tommy Hamzik

Leo Lambert is stepping down as president of Elon University, the school announced Monday morning. Lambert told the Board of Trustees at its annual meeting in Florida that he’ll be leaving his role, and that the Board should begin looking for his successor immediately. Once the new president is hired, Lambert will take a short sabbatical then return in an auxiliary role to advise. Lambert’s transition comes as other university administrators retire and as Elon looks ahead to its future.

SPORTS 1/17/17 11:00am

Elon makes strides early in CAA play

By Tommy Hamzik

In assessing the Elon University men's basketball team's performance through six Colonial Athletic Association, coach Matt Matheny has looked past the statistical strides and been pleased with the way the Phoenix has approached games.

SPORTS 1/14/17 8:29pm

Elon falls late to JMU in men's basketball

By Tommy Hamzik

HARRISONBURG, Va. — The set-up was what the Elon University men's basketball team wanted, after a 3-point shooting parade and enough defensive stops gave the Phoenix the ball, down one, with a chance to win. The shot didn't fall.

SPORTS 1/12/17 10:37pm

Phoenix gets out to fast start, cruises by Hofstra

By Tommy Hamzik

It was clear early on that the Elon University men's basketball team was well rested. The Phoenix delivered its best shooting performance of the season and its highest scoring output in three seasons in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) as it romped past Hofstra University 96-80 on Thursday night at Alumni Gym. Sophomore guard Steven Santa Ana stayed hot, pouring in 29 points on 11 of 16 shooting, while sophomore forward Tyler Seibring scored 22 points and sophomore guard Dainan Swoope supplied 18. The victory comes after four days off for the Phoenix, which played four games in eight nights culminating with a Jan. 7 victory over Towson University.

SPORTS 1/8/17 8:26pm

Weather delays lead to crazy travel day for Elon women's basketball

By Tommy Hamzik

While most Elon University students were outside enjoying the eight inches of snow Saturday afternoon, the women's basketball team was stuck on a plane. What should've been a simple, hour-long flight from Philadelphia to Raleigh-Durham International Airport turned into a 12-hour process from the time the team left its hotel to when it arrived back on campus, making the day between Colonial Athletic Association games just a tad more stressful than usual.

More Articles by Tommy Hamzik »

Latest

NEWS 11/21/2024 8:58pm
Transgender Day of Remembrance and Resilience prompts reflection

Beaten. Stabbed. Shot. Suicide. Run over by car. These words seemed out of place next to the names, ages, photos and heartfelt stories of the 67 transgender and genderqueer people memorialized in Numen Lumen. Elon students, staff and community members honored National Transgender Day of Remembrance with a Remembrance and Resilience ceremony, during which people could read stories and see faces of those whose lives have been lost to transphobic violence or suicide in 2024 so far.  Transgender Day of Remembrance was first established in 1999 on the last day of Transgender Awareness Week in memoriam of Rita Hester, a trans woman who was killed in Massachusetts.

SPORTS 11/21/2024 11:51am
Elon University women’s basketball enters season with high expectations, healthy roster

If the Elon women’s basketball team’s 9-21 and 11-21 records over the past two seasons taught them anything, it would be resiliency, according to head coach Charlotte Smith. It’s been a tough couple of years as the Phoenix only won eight home games over the last two seasons. Last season was marred by the season-long injuries of two of the team’s brightest stars: redshirt sophomore Raven Preston and redshirt junior Kamryn Doty. Smith said the absence of Doty and Preston taught the team some valuable things.

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