Editorials

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NEWS 3/4/24 1:08pm

Alamance-Burlington School System superintendent resigns

By Sophie Rosenthal

Alamance-Burlington School System Superintendent Dain Butler resigned March 4 — the latest in a string of senior officials who have left the district in the past month. Butler submitted his resignation to the school board, which accepted the resignation Monday morning. Chief Student Services Officer Kristy Davis will serve as interim superintendent. Butler was superintendent for just under two years. He was elected by the school board and began his position on July 1, 2022. At the time, he signed a four-year contract.

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NEWS 3/4/24 8:11am

Opposites face off in upcoming North Carolina governor race

By Miles Hayford

Primary elections will conclude on March 5. Vying for the state governor nomination on the Republican ticket is current Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, State Treasurer Dale Folwell and Salisbury Attorney Bill Graham. The Democratic side features Attorney General Josh Stein, North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan, Tryon Mayor Pro Tempore Chrelle Booker, Lumberton Attorney Marcus Williams and Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Deputy Gary Foxx. Despite this crowded field, Robinson and Stein are the clear front-runners and are already preparing for the intense general election that is ahead, according to Duke University professor of public policy Mac McCorkle.

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NEWS 3/3/24 2:28pm

Elon Votes works to increase voter turnout at Elon University for upcoming election

By Reagan Sizemore

Elon Votes is encouraging students to vote this year by offering various resources and programming, including a discussion with students and community members on if they think their vote matters. The primaries in North Carolina primaries are approaching on March 5. The Pew Research Center reported in a 2023 survey 63% of Americans are dissatisfied with the presidential candidates for this year's election. For more information on registering to vote, visit the Elon Votes webpage or go to their in-person office in the Kernodle Center for Civic Life in Moseley 232.

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NEWS 3/2/24 6:06pm

Trump makes campaign stop in Greensboro

By Joseph Navin

Former President Donald Trump held a campaign rally after 2 p.m. on March 2 inside the Greensboro Coliseum — attracting thousands of supporters. North Carolina Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, State House Speaker Tim Moore, Sen. Ted Budd and Rep. Virginia Foxx, also used the opportunity to rally supporters to vote next week. Republican primary challenger Nikki Haley, a former United Nations Ambassador and former South Carolina Governor, also made a speech on March 2 in Raleigh. Among the attendees of the event was Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson, who showed his support for President Trump.

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OPINIONS 3/2/24 3:52pm

OPINION: Victims of imagination: how does tech use affect loneliness at Elon?

By Alex Nettles

Gen Z is the loneliest generation to ever attend college. In 2023, A Cigna report found that Gen Z was “far lonelier” than older generations, in Cigna’s most recent loneliness index, 79% of young adults feel lonely. For many of us, this is not surprising at all. One explanation is that we are the generation with the most media at our fingertips. According to dcdx, a Gen Z advocacy organization, our average daily screen time is seven hours and seven minutes. We spend well over one-third of our waking hours on our phones.

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NEWS 3/2/24 3:37pm

Mediterranean Deli reopens following eight-month delay

By Michael Leung

Mediterranean Deli opened its doors at 11 a.m. on March 2 to their new location at 116 N. Williamson Ave. Jamil Kadoura, owner of Mediterranean Deli, was told by Elon to expect an influx of customers – community members and students alike – who eagerly awaited Mediterranean Deli’s reopening. The establishment had been located at 202 W. Haggard Ave. and closed on Aug 18, 2022, much to the disappointment of the Elon Community. Originally set to open in summer 2023, Kadoura was forced to push back the reopening of Med Deli by six months after the Mediterranean Deli location in Chapel Hill caught fire. 

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NEWS 3/2/24 3:24pm

International protest for Israel-Hamas War calls for immediate ceasefire

By Monika Jurevicius

Millions gathered around the world in solidarity for protesting the Israel-Hamas War as action toward International Day of Action on March 2. The day marks one week before Israel's threatened attacks on Gaza’s city of Rafah, where many displaced citizens have gathered. Socialist Revolution member Harper Houston said that the U.S. is "a little too late" at providing aid to Palestine. She stands with the Palestinian people to have their land after the attacks that have displaced citizens. The Asheville protest takes place at 2 p.m., while Charlotte and Raleigh start at 3 p.m. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/1/24 12:06pm

‘This is for all of us’ Elon students cultivate community through LGBTQ+ arts festival

By Sarah T. Moore

As the sun began to set outside, students trickled into the Center for the Arts Isabella Cannon Room. Some danced around as Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” played through the speakers, while others quietly observed the artwork displays on the wall. On the other side of the room, a series of posters prompted attendees to think about their relationship with LGBTQ+ art. One asks, “who are your favorite queer artists?” A yellow sticky note in the bottom right corner reads, “me." This was the opening ceremony of “Breakthrough,” a three-day, student-run LGBTQ+ arts festival at Elon University from Feb. 23 to 25.

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NEWS 3/1/24 10:38am

Breaking down Alamance County elections ballot

By Cassie Weymouth

With the 2024 Presidential Primary Election coming in March several positions besides the Presidential nomination are up for election. These include 15 positions that are up for election, depending on how the voter registered these positions vary from the Republican, Democrat and Libertarian ballots. There are 15 positions on the ballot across all three ballots. Early voting is open now until March 2 and Elon South Gym is an early voting location. Election Day is March 5 and voting is open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

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SPORTS 2/29/24 10:49pm

Elon University men’s basketball wins penultimate game

By Benjamin Berfield and Miles Hayford

Elon University men’s basketball team with a balanced scoring attack beat William & Mary 76-71 on Feb. 29 in Schar Center. With a potent offense and tough defense down the stretch, Elon eventually prevailed over William & Mary despite trailing for the majority of the game. Winning their penultimate game of the season boosted their record to 13-17. Elon’s next game will be Senior Day at 1 p.m. on March 2 against Monmouth University at the Schar Center. It will be their final regular season contest before traveling to Washington D.C. where they will compete in the CAA Tournament starting March 8.

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NEWS 2/29/24 10:55am

Elon School of Education introduces Teach for Alamance graduate program

By Nia Bedard

The Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education introduced the Teach for Alamance program, a new graduate program for the School of Education. Matthew Trez ’23 did his student teaching in Alamance County and fell in love with it. Now, he is still giving back to his community and plans to stay here. The program also gives fellows job opportunities even after they are done with the graduate program. The Teach for Alamance program offers a full scholarship to Elon’s Masters of Education in Innovation program in exchange for a two-year commitment to teach in Alamance County Public Schools.

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NEWS 2/28/24 12:47pm

Elon University welcomes Holocaust survivor to share her story

By Leela Cherukuri

Holocaust survivor and 98-year-old Margot Lobree visited Elon to share her story as a child on the Kindertransports in England. The Kindertransport was a British initiative to rescue approximately 10,000 jewish children who were located in Nazi occupied territories. Lobree began her journey on Nov. 9, 1938 in Frankfurt, Germany where she was told by her mother that she would have to leave her hometown due to her Jewish identity. At 13 years old when she moved, Lobree said her story was a little different from most Holocaust survivors.

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NEWS 2/28/24 11:11am

10th annual Black Solidarity Conference inspires resilience, empowerment at Elon University

By Liya Rike

At the Black Solidarity conference, freshman Adrianna Stapleton attended the session on "Science Fiction/Social Reality: An Islamic View of Race," led by Shane Atkinson, the associate chaplain for Muslim life. Stapleton reflected on her experience at the session noting her newfound knowledge about the Islamic faith and the significant presence of Black Muslims in America. In a testament to resilience and solidarity, the 10th Annual Black Solidarity Conference set grace to the halls of Elon University on Feb. 23. Since its inception at Elon University in 2014, many believe the conference has served as a unifying factor for Black students.

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NEWS 2/27/24 12:44am

Community voices support for Alamance Virtual School during ABSS meeting

By Joseph Navin

For numerous faculty members and roughly 236 students in Alamance County, the Alamance Virtual School is an integral part of their daily lives. When Superintendent Dain Butler proposed cutting the school amid a budget shortfall of $3.2 million for the Alamance-Burlington School System; it left many community members concerned. The Alamance Virtual School is an online alternative for ABSS students and is designated as its own school in the school district. After a tense public comment period during the board meeting on Feb. 26, numerous members of the Board of Education voiced their support for keeping the virtual school.

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NEWS 2/27/24 12:31am

‘We Are Charleston’ authors speak on gun reform

By Monika Jurevicius

Herb Frazier recounted the times in his life when he lived near Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church before the shooting that killed nine bible study members in 2015. The shooting was later determined to be a racially-motivated crime committed by then 21-year-old Dylann Roof. Frazier is one of the authors of “We Are Charleston: Tragedy and Triumph at Mother Emanuel.” Along with co-authors Bernard Powers and Marjory Wentworth, Frazier spoke to the Elon community on Feb. 26 about gun reform as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Address.

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NEWS 2/26/24 9:06pm

Elon Town Council votes to open green space to public

By Lilly Molina

Elon's Town Council hosted their second work session of the year, where they unanimously decided to make the green space on North Holt Avenue open to the public in order to bring more people into Elon. Monti Allison, mayor pro tem, said he wanted to open the greenspace — previously a beer garden for Toasty Kettlyst — as a place for special events, such as more beer sales. This in turn would call for the expansion of the social district. Downtown Development Director Jill Weston also announced that Med Deli would be opening Thursday, Feb. 29.

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LIFESTYLE 2/26/24 9:56am

Active Minds challenges stigma around mental health disorders at Elon University

By Ruth Cruz

As a mental health advocate, freshman Alyssa Artabane arrived in Elon searching for a community that reflects her values. In fall 2023, she decided to join Active Minds — an organization on campus that promotes mental health awareness. Artabane said Active Minds creates a positive environment for students interested in mental health. Members prioritize building personal relationships and supporting each other. Sophomore Emily Dann, the event coordinator of Active Minds, said the organization has many events throughout the semester that promote mental health awareness, such as a suicide prevention walk at 4 p.m. on April 21.

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NEWS 2/26/24 8:19am

AI and Elon University: grappling with generative AI in, out of classroom

By Tucker Price and Katharyn MacDonald

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released guidelines on generative AI use on Jan. 16. According to the NCDPI, implementing these guidelines and familiarizing students with AI is essential to preparing them to enter the workforce. But as a private institution, Elon University is not obligated to follow these guidelines. The university instead created a set of its own principles as a framework for AI literacy at the UN's Internet Governance Forum this past October. Elon put forward six principles, spearheaded by university President Connie Book and Pew Research Scholar Dr. Lee Rainie, a scholar-in-residence at Elon.

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NEWS 2/25/24 11:08pm

Candlelight vigil commemorates Wyatt Outlaw, held behind Graham courthouse

By Avery Sloan and Joseph Navin

Wade Harrison, member of the Alamance County Community Remembrance Coalition, said the lessons of Wyatt Outlaw are as relevant today as they were 154 years ago when he was lynched on Feb. 26, 1870 in Graham. Close to 70 people gathered at sunset on Feb. 25 on the eve of the anniversary of his murder. In 1869, the White Brotherhood, the white supremacist group that lynched Outlaw, made a show of force in Graham which demonstrated their power and disdain for law enforcement. Outlaw interfered with the event by firing shots into the air. One year later, he was lynched by the same group.

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LIFESTYLE 2/25/24 6:22pm

Elon University music department promotes passion for jazz

By Ruth Cruz

Elon’s Jazz Festival launched a new program for middle and high school students to explore the history of Jazz. Musicians gave students an opportunity to enhance their skills in the jazz field. Director of Jazz Studies Alex Heitlinger is head of the recruiting Jazz program at Elon. He said the program allows students to gain new perspectives about Jazz education. Heitlinger hopes these experiences will inspire students to pursue a jazz profession. The Elon Jazz Ensemble performed in McCrary Theatre on Feb. 24, having been mentored by award-winning artist Kris Johnson.

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