Local

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LIFESTYLE 4/6/24 11:05am

Holi celebration educates students about Hindu culture, spreads awareness for diverse religions

By Ruth Cruz

Elon University’s Truitt Center celebrated the end of winter and the warmth of spring with the Holi Festival of Colors at Speaker’s Corner on April 5. Holi represents hope and new beginnings in the Hindu culture. The spring festival includes colored powder — or gulal — or colored water. Holi aims to commemorate connection and companionship, as well as bring the community together to acknowledge diverse cultures. The festival also teaches students about India, Hinduism, and traditional stories reflected in the celebration. University Chaplain and Dean of Multifaith Engagement Kirstin Boswell encourages students to participate in these events, which offer opportunities to learn about diverse cultures.

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NEWS 4/5/24 7:03pm

Habitat for Humanity CEO speaks at Elon’s James P. Elder lecture

By Reagan Sizemore

Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, spoke about his journey to becoming one of the most influential nonprofit leaders in America during the 2024 James P. Elder Lecture. On Thursday, April 4, Reckford gave his lecture to roughly 150 Elon alumni, faculty, staff, students and Alamance County community members in Whitley Auditorium. In a Q&A-style interview, Reckford discussed the success of Habitat for Humanity. The nonprofit operates in more than 70 countries and is responsible for helping over 13 million people in the last year have access to affordable shelter.

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NEWS 4/4/24 11:13pm

Elon Farmers Market returns for 2024 season

By Jordyn Forni

The Elon Farmers Market launched for the first time this season on April 4 and will be open every Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. until Oct. 31. Almost all of the previous vendors will be returning for the new season and attendees can expect up to 25 vendors in total, according to Market Manager Sarah Bass. This includes a handful of new vendors as well. Bass also said the majority of both new and returning vendors are sourcing their products locally or from just outside Alamance County.

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NEWS 4/4/24 9:33pm

Following Jackson Yelle’s death, father returns to campus and raises money for MLB cause

By Avery Sloan

A year after Elon junior Jackson Yelle was killed in a hit-and-run on a beach trip with his club baseball team, his father Scott Yelle honors his son’s memory through the Jackson Yelle Family Foundation and stays in close contact with the rest of the team. Scott came to Elon sporting Jackson’s worn baseball hat and a Boston Red Sox shirt with “Yelle” on the back — along with Jackson’s No. 2. Scott came to Elon on April 4 to watch a club baseball practice and visit with Jackson’s friends, who have meant so much to him and his family.

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NEWS 4/4/24 5:03pm

Alamance County Sheriff's Office announces suspect in 45-year-old murder case

By Joseph Navin

During a press conference held in Graham on April 4, an emotional Terry Johnson — Alamance County sheriff — announced that authorities found the suspect in the 1979 murder of then 20-year-old Tammy Aldridge. The suspect in the case was Gary Lane Laframboise, who died in 2020 in South Carolina. While the Alamance County Sheriff's Office has identified the subject, they do not know if he acted alone. Another individual was originally charged for her murder, but was found not guilty. Relatives of Aldridge attended the event, but declined Elon News Network’s request for comment.

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NEWS 4/3/24 9:00pm

Elon University launches Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month

By Lilly Molina

George Dou, assistant director for the Center of Race Ethnicity Diversity Education, said that the first time he got to explore his Asian roots was during Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Though API Heritage Month is typically celebrated in May, Elon changed the month to April to avoid conflicting with exams and have the opportunity to celebrate it fully. Dou and others within CREDE organized the kick-off event on April 3 at Medallion Plaza. This is the second annual kickoff and Dou said he hopes that API students get a chance to further explore their identities.

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SPORTS 4/2/24 3:58pm

Elon University men’s basketball stars enter transfer portal

By Miles Hayford

Elon University men’s basketball star players sophomores Max Mackinnon and LA Pratt have officially entered the transfer portal. Though this development does not guarantee that they will leave Elon, it grants a release so that other schools are allowed to contact them about playing for their team next season. If both Mackinnon and Pratt were to leave Elon, the Phoenix would be facing a big loss to their offense. In the 2023-24 season, Mackinnon was second-leading scorer with 12.1 points per game. Pratt was also an impactful presence on the floor with 6.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.

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NEWS 4/1/24 5:35pm

Elon University Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Calendar

By Elon News Network

April 1 marks the beginning of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Elon’s Center for Race Ethnicity Diversity Education has prepared several events to educate students. This year’s theme is “Identities in bloom, Identities take root” which is meant to spread awareness on API students building communities and forging their own path on Elon’s campus. Other organizations such as the Asian-Pacific Student Association, Chinese Club and Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. are also hosting events. The kickoff event will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3 at Medallion Plaza.

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NEWS 3/27/24 2:25pm

One of MLB’s winningest managers set to present for Elon Law

By Keely Garcia

Elon Law announced former Major League Baseball coach Tony La Russa as the guest for this year's Distinguished Leadership Lecture series hosted at 6:30 p.m. on April 10 in Carolina Theatre. The leadership series works to bring accomplished leaders from a variety of disciplines to Elon to share their experiences and perspectives with students and faculty. La Russa’s accomplishments include four manager of the year awards, the first manager to win multiple pennants in both leagues and three World Series championships in 1989, 2006 and 2011.

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LIFESTYLE 3/25/24 5:16pm

Elon Watches: Avatar the Last Remake

By Lucy Samuels

Three things: 1) No, it's not as bad as the movie. 2) ‘Show don't tell’. And 3) … why? After five years of production and a change in leadership, Netflix released its own live action adaptation of Nickelodeon’s iconic series: “Avatar the Last Airbender.” By trying to set itself apart from the original show (created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko), it’s lost the key elements that made the animated series so good in the first place. While not as bad as the infamous M. Night Shyamalan film, the new Netflix rendition is far from honorable.

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LIFESTYLE 3/22/24 3:51pm

Elon campus police, Residence Life offer safety tips for spring break

By Jordyn Forni

Spring break is quickly approaching, beginning after classes on March 22. Before leaving campus, students must properly secure their living spaces and vehicles for safety — according to Residence Life and campus police. Student Life urges students to unplug all appliances, hide valuables that they plan to leave behind, secure non-perishable food, dispose of perishable food, empty all trash cans, turn off all water faucets, set their thermostats to 50 degrees, as well as lock all doors and windows. Director of Residence Life Kristen Carrier said students should bring their keys with them upon departure from campus.

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NEWS 3/22/24 1:46pm

Elon University presents medal to founders of Live Oak Branch Shares for entrepreneurial leadership

By Maggie Reetz

W. Lee Williams III and James S. “Chip” Mahan III, founders of Live Oak Bank Shares, were honored on Thursday, March 21 as recipients of the 2024 Elon University Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership. The award, presented by the Love School of Business and the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, recognizes entrepreneurs who are leaders in their field and who represent Elon’s values. Live Oak Bank Shares is a digital banking company insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Mahan is the chairman and Williams is the vice chairman.

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NEWS 3/21/24 10:09am

Mental Health Statewide Issue

 

Nine North Carolina college newsrooms have united to address the pressing mental health crisis in their communities. Led by The Daily Tar Heel, The Pendulum and eight other newspapers delve into various facets of this issue, from the impact of COVID-19 isolation to alarming suicide rates among students. This collaborative effort aims to shed light on challenges faced by diverse groups, including students of color and athletes, emphasizing the urgent need for improved mental health support across campuses.

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NEWS 3/20/24 5:52pm

First Lady visits Research Triangle to highlight women’s health

By Joseph Navin

First Lady Jill Biden made a brief stop March 20 at Durham’s Research Triangle Park, as part of an effort by the White House to promote the administration’s initiative on women’s health research. The event held roughly 50 attendees. This comes after President Joe Biden passed an Executive Order on March 18 addressing women’s health as part of this initiative. According to the White House, the order will direct federal agencies and departments, such as the Office of Management and Budget and the National Institutes of Health to prioritize women’s health research. 

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NEWS 3/20/24 11:36am

NOAA issues fire spread warning for Alamance County until 8 p.m.

By Charles De Poortere

A fire warning has been issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration across central North Carolina from noon to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20. Otherwise known as a Red Flag warning, this means that the affected areas are at an increased risk of fires spreading due to a combination of high winds, low humidity and warm temperatures. The warning is in effect for Alamance, Person, Granville, Vance, Warren, Halifax, Forsyth, Guilford, Orange and Durham counties.

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NEWS 3/20/24 11:35am

HealthEU moves toward new wellness center

By Lilly Molina

Elon officials noticed there were different programs dedicated to students' well-being for years, but they were all scattered across campus, Elon University Dean of Students Jana Lynn Patterson said. In August 2022, the University launched HealthEU, Elon University’s health and wellness initiative, to organize those already existing organizations, but also promote them to students. Patterson said HealthEU is not only for students to take advantage of, but also for faculty and staff. The initiative consists of six pillars: community, emotional, physical, financial, purpose and social well-being. Patterson said all of these pillars are interconnected and centralized.

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LIFESTYLE 3/20/24 9:44am

Elon professor sheds light on college students with eating disorders

By Nia Bedard

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, Eating disorders generally begin to develop between the ages of 18 and 21 which is mainly college students. While in college, students participating in classes can be involved in clubs, internships or work creating a high workload and causing students to demand a lot of themselves. Elon psychology professor and clinician, Bilal Ghandour, whose research revolves around perfectionism and impulsive behaviors, has found that eating disorder behavior evolves from a strong sense of needing to be perfect and an inability to let go of high demands.

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NEWS 3/19/24 11:46pm

SGA announces election results for 2024-25 academic year

By Liya Rike

With 1,308 voter ballots cast, this year's student government association election concludes.  Despite the relatively low voter turnout compared to last year, SGA announced the results of the 2024-25 student body elections with 11 positions unfilled out of 60 spots. As for senior commencement speakers, due to a tie, there are four finalists instead of three: Grace Ackermann, Ayesh Award, Garret Fitschen and Mike Sanderson. Junior Taylor Cote was the only candidate to apply for and was elected as student body president. Junior Amanda Jacobson was elected as executive vice president, which was a newly added position.

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NEWS 3/19/24 11:11pm

Phoenix Free: Sobriety on campus

By Avery Sloan

Months before coming to Elon, current senior Syd Danziger made the decision to become sober. Without fully knowing what that would entail, Danziger entered Elon University feeling isolated and striving to keep this aspect of their identity quiet. Now, Danziger is the president of Phoenix Free, Elon’s collegiate recovery community. Danziger said despite initial hesitation around making their sobriety part of their identity – having Phoenix Free as a community has been crucial to their college experience and sobriety. Elon is one of nine universities in North Carolina receiving funding from North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services for its collegiate recovery program.

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NEWS 3/19/24 9:15pm

NC Court of Appeals rules Graham Confederate monument cannot be removed by Alamance County

By Joseph Navin

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was the first in a long line of plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Alamance County and its Board of Commissioners for protecting the Confederate monument located in front of the county courthouse in Graham. The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the county commissioners on March 19, stating that the commissioners lack the authority to move the monument due to North Carolina’s Monument Protection Law. The monument has been the subject of numerous controversies, events and protests — especially at the height of the George Floyd era in 2020.

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