Campus

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SPORTS 2/15/24 10:57pm

Elon University men's basketball pulls off upset against Delaware

By Miles Hayford

Elon University men's basketball team pulled off an incredible upset against the defending Coastal Athletic Association champions, defeating Delaware 73-67 on Feb. 15 at Schar Center. It was an upset no one saw coming with Elon missing star player graduate student Rob Higgins and coming off a brutal loss at Towson on Feb. 12.  The win was Elon’s first win against Delaware since 2019, and represents a turning point for the program. Elon will play next at University of North Carolina, Wilmington at 7 p.m. on Feb. 17 in Trask Coliseum.

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NEWS 2/15/24 3:28pm

Traffic on West Trollinger Ave; South Holt Ave; West Summerbell; Johnson Street to be blocked Feb. 19, 20

By Ryan Kupperman

Traffic will be blocked on West Trollinger Avenue, South Holt Avenue, West Summerbell and Johnson street on Monday, Feb. 19 and Tuesday, Feb. 20 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to an E-Alert sent on Feb. 15. Residents who live on South Holt Avenue, West Summerbell and Johnson Street will be allowed to access their homes from South Williamson Avenue at West Trollinger Avenue. Residents in the 200 to 600 blocks of West Trollinger will need to utilize Church Street, Summers Drive and Ball Park Avenue.

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NEWS 2/15/24 11:08am

Elon Women’s Basketball, Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority host annual breast cancer awareness game

By Fiona McAllister

Pink was everyone’s favorite color this Sunday, Feb. 11. In collaboration with the Elon Women’s Basketball team, the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority hosted their annual “Play4Kay” in honor of breast cancer awareness. The motto “Play4Kay” is in commemoration of former Elon Women’s Basketball coach Kay Yow. Yow was a huge advocate for breast cancer awareness — as she continuously fought her own battle. In 2009, Yow passed away after struggling with breast cancer for 22 years. The charity proceeds from this event went to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. This cause has raised a total of $65 so far with a goal of $500.

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NEWS 2/15/24 10:33am

Sustainability, shadow of greenwashing

By Cailey Cetani

Though environmentally friendly initiatives have been around for years, we are only now seeing how it is impacting the environment, both positively and negatively. Pew Research Center reported in a 2023 study that around 61% of Americans polled believe that climate change is impacting their local community, although only 37% say that it should be the top issue being addressed by the government. As noted by Matthew Flacksenburg, a sustainability intern at Elon University, there has been an uptick in ethical consumerism, which has played a key role in how products are being marketed and produced.

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NEWS 2/15/24 8:29am

Elon University’s Student Government Association asks students to vote on new constitution

By Reagan Sizemore

Elon’s Student Government Association released a newly revised constitution for the student body to vote for or against on Feb. 16. Since March of 2023 the SGA has been working on a new constitution and on Feb. 1 the Senate approved it. On Friday, Feb. 2, Jon Dooley, vice president of student life, sent an email out to all undergraduate students encouraging students to read the new constitution and vote on PhoenixConnect. Dooley — in his email — urges everyone to take part in the democratic process on Elon’s campus.

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NEWS 2/14/24 8:15pm

Elon life trustee dies at 94, leaves mark on university community

By Ryan Kupperman

Elon Life Trustee Warren “Dusty” Rhodes died at the age of 94 on Monday, Feb. 12, according to an email sent to faculty by university President Connie Book. Rhodes served on the board of trustees for 14 years before being elected a life trustee in 2011. According to Book, Rhodes was “one of Elon’s most dedicated and passionate friends for more than 25 years.”  A celebration of Rhodes' life will be held at 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16 at St. Mark’s Church in Burlington, and a burial will follow in the church cemetery.

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NEWS 2/14/24 10:23am

Elon Town Council approves hotel tax, deliberates green space

By Lauren Winslow

Elon Town Council approved a local occupancy tax, set at 3%, for hotels in Elon. During its meeting on Feb. 13, Elon joined the Alamance County Municipal Tourism Development Authority alongside Burlington; Mebane and Graham have yet to vote on the matter. The tax is set to be put into effect on July 1. With the Inn at Elon being one of the only hotels in town, this tax would draw from university revenue made through the Inn. The council also debated extending the lease for Toasty Kettlyst's location on North Holt Avenue’s green space.

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NEWS 2/14/24 10:17am

Ripple Conference hosts interfaith discussions on Elon University’s campus

By Monika Jurevicius

Elon University hosted 130 people of all religious and spiritual faiths during the ninth Ripple Conference — which was held in McBride Gathering Center — under the theme of “Interfaith Around the World.” Nine total universities, from both in and out of state, attended the event. Conference co-director Lucy Sneader said the event included religions and identities from around the world. Guilford College professor and keynote speaker Diya Abdo spoke about her work with refugees and her initiative to help rehouse them back on her campus.

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NEWS 2/14/24 7:46am

Mediterranean Deli expected to open early March

By Michael Leung

Mediterranean Deli is expected to open the first week of March, according to owner Jamil Kadoura. The original Mediterranean Deli was located beneath Park Place. When it closed in fall 2022, members of the Elon community were disappointed by the facility’s closure. But on July 22, 2023, there was a fire at the Mediterranean Deli location on Chapel Hill. After the fire, Kadoura chose to prioritize the repair of the Chapel Hill location, and pushed back the opening of the Elon location. Now, Mediterranean Deli will replace the Acorn Coffee Shop, which moved to Belk Library.

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NEWS 2/13/24 8:17pm

Sen. Galey requests investigation into ABSS financial decisions by General Assembly committee

By Joseph Navin and Sophie Rosenthal

The Alamance-Burlington School System discussed a revised financial reduction plan at a work session held Tuesday, Feb. 13, days after State Sen. Amy Galey requested an investigation into the school system’s finances. The investigation request comes after a year of financial hardship for the school system. In summer 2023, ABSS spent nearly $26 million on cleaning up 32 of its 36 schools after a mold outbreak. School board chair Sandy Ellington-Graves declared that the school district was in financial crisis in November 2023. At the end of January, superintendent Dain Butler announced a plan to lay off and reduce hours for over 50 employees.

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NEWS 2/13/24 8:32am

‘You’re creating Black history’: Elon’s Black trailblazers inspire new university research

By Naomi Washington

Elon senior Jasper Myers said a common misconception she hears is current students don’t think they are a part of history. That’s why she started a ‘Homecoming History’ submission form for current students, alumni and community members to submit personal photos, videos and documents to the university’s archives. Myers said the goal for this project is to make information from previous research reports — such as the “Black Lumen Project” and the “Elon History and Memory Report” — more accessible to current students. Alongside the project, she created an edited campus tour focusing specifically on Elon's Black history.

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LIFESTYLE 2/12/24 5:00pm

Elon University’s sold-out production of ‘A Chorus Line’ brings Broadway classic to campus

By Sarah T. Moore

Freshman Eric Pettit remembers auditioning for Elon University’s music theatre program, trying to stand out among his peers in hopes of getting in. For his first Elon show, Pettit said he found himself channeling that energy again as he played Mark Anthony in “A Chorus Line.” The Broadway classic “A Chorus Line” premiered in 1975 and won a Pulitzer Prize the following year. While there have been a wide variety of “A Chorus Line” productions and revivals, Pettit said Elon’s production was intentionally very reminiscent of the original Broadway production.

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SPORTS 2/12/24 12:21pm

Elon sports management professor sees diversity grow within industry

By Benjamin Berfield

Khirey Walker has seen a lot of change within Elon University’s sport management department since coming back as a professor. The former Phoenix defensive lineman graduated from Elon in 2011 before returning in 2022 to teach sport management. One aspect that has particularly grown in the general field of sport management is the number of increasing opportunities for Black professionals. Walker said he’s starting to see more organizations apply a bigger emphasis on diversity. Even though Walker has recognized the current progress being made, he believes there are also additional ways to further expand the chances for Black people in that particular arena. 

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NEWS 2/12/24 7:54am

Elon University’s Advancing Equity Requirement focuses on bringing diversity into education

By Lilly Molina

Freshman Julia Swartz considered herself to be a fairly open-minded person before coming to Elon. Yet when Swartz decided to take WGS 1100: Sex and Gender Studies course her first semester, she found her perspective challenged in ways she hadn’t considered. WGS 1100 fulfills Elon’s new advancing equity requirement which are classes that help promote diversity, equity and inclusion within an educational setting. Through this course, Swartz said she was exposed to historical and modern feminists from various backgrounds — something she hadn’t learned about until coming to Elon.

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NEWS 2/11/24 1:28pm

Elon alumni organize ‘Zetas Have Heart’ Walk-a-thon

By Reagan Sizemore

In the empty Holly Hills Burlington Mall on a quiet Saturday morning, a contagious burst of energy radiates from one room. The loud music, laughter and joy originated from a group of over 19 women, who were all dancing and wearing their brightest blue at 9 a.m. on Feb. 10. Burlington’s local Pi Kappa Zeta Graduate Chapter held their second annual walk-a-thon, where members of the community helped raise money for the American Heart Association. Tonya Stanley ’94 was one of eight members who re-charted a chapter of Pi Kappa Zeta for Burlington graduates in 2013.

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NEWS 2/11/24 1:17pm

Town of Elon faces vacancy crisis

By Miles Hayford

The town of Elon is currently facing a vacancy crisis among their staff, facing vacancies at the positions of town planner in the developmental services department, recreation and parks director and a position in human resources. Town clerk is also vacant, but will have someone filling the spot on March 4. But the department that has felt these vacancies the most is the police department. Elon’s police department currently has two vacant positions. The department has had the highest level of turnover over the course of this past year, and is the hardest one to find candidates for, according to Town Manager Rich Roedner. 

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NEWS 2/9/24 6:13pm

Elon Law student camps for seat in Trump’s Supreme Court hearing

By Ryan Kupperman

Elon Law student Landon Eckard left for D.C. as soon as he got out of class on Tuesday, Feb. 6. After arriving at the Supreme Court building around 7 p.m., Eckard waited in line for a seat in former President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court hearing on Feb. 8 — where The Court deliberated if Trump should be barred from the 2024 presidential ballot. With a lawn chair and some blankets, Eckard was third in line and waited for two days.

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NEWS 2/9/24 4:28pm

Elon University announces Ginna Claire Mason as 2024 commencement speaker

By Naomi Washington

Elon University announced alumna Ginna Clare Mason ’13 as the 2024 undergraduate commencement speaker. Mason graduated from Elon’s musical theatre program in 2013. She starred in Wicked the Musical on Broadway as Galinda and in the two Hallmark Channel movies “A Holiday Spectacular” and “A Heidelberg Holiday.” Elon junior Derick Donato was a student in the virtual musical theatre school that Mason started in 2020 during the pandemic. He said the first thing he did when he heard the announcement was call Mason to congratulate her.

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NEWS 2/9/24 12:28pm

Elon University fraternity recruitment changes provide new opportunities

By Charlotte Pfabe

The fraternity rush process began with all nine Interfraternity Council (IFC) organizations meeting potential new members. While the recruitment process happens at the same time every year, this year’s spring rush looks a bit different. According to sophomore Sam Ades, IFC vice president of recruitment, potential new members — or PNMs — are required to visit every single on-campus house during the first open house day, which was Sunday, Feb. 4. In years prior, PNMs could choose which fraternities they wanted to visit. While visiting every house may elongate the process, most people said they find this change beneficial. 

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NEWS 2/9/24 10:28am

Elon Law's Flex Program receives approval in Charlotte

By Lilly Molina

Elon Law’s Flex program has gotten the go-ahead by the American Bar Association and The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to begin enrollment. The part-time law program is accepting applications and will welcome in their first cohort in the fall. Dean of Elon Law Zak Kramer said that Elon Law had been thinking about branching out into Charlotte with a law program for a while, but it accelerated last year when they applied to the two law school accreditors over the summer.

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