National

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NEWS 10/10/23 10:45pm

Elon Town Council voices concerns over conditional rezoning on Manning Ave

By Lauren Winslow

The Elon Town Council heard a conditional rezoning petition for Manning Avenue, in which Anthony Hezar, the developer for the project, said he wants to build duplexes on two currently vacant parcels of land. Manning Avenue houses the Oaks apartment complex and leads away from Elon University’s campus and into residential neighborhoods. The proposal occurred during a council meeting Oct. 10. Due to the location of the parcels of land near a stream buffer, three waivers would need to be approved by the council in order for construction to start. 

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NEWS 10/10/23 10:22pm

Elon University Admissions impress visiting families

By Michael Leung

Elon has an undergraduate enrollment of around 6,000 students — a 13% increase from the 5200 undergraduate students it had roughly a decade ago in 2012. According to the Registrar's report, Elon sees an increase of roughly 100 students each year. Therefore, as Elon’s student body grows in size, new dorms such as the one being built in East neighborhood are being constructed in order to accommodate new incoming students. This growth can be accredited to how Elon is portrayed to potential students, according to Greg Zaiser, Vice President for Enrollment.

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NEWS 10/10/23 8:14am

Numen Lumen celebrates 10 years at Elon University

By Isabella DeJong

Numen Lumen Pavilion — a multifaith sacred space in the heart of Elon University — is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Numen Lumen was established in 2013 and houses the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and the Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society. The center fosters a space for discussion of religion, explores shared aspects of common humanity and promotes values of multifaith collaboration. Rev. Kirsten Boswell said she praises Elon’s Numen Lumen for the community it has built.

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NEWS 10/9/23 9:54pm

Elon University students, faculty gather to support Jewish community

By Abigail Hobbs

At the Israel Solidarity Gathering on Phi Beta Commons on Oct. 9, students and faculty came together to support those affected by the Israel-Hamas war. On Oct. 7, the Hamas militant group attacked the southern border of Israel — killing and abducting local residents. The Israeli government declared a war on Hamas on Oct. 8, which has led to bombings and mass casualties of nearly 1,600 as of 4 p.m. Oct. 9, according to the Associated Press. The gathering, hosted by Elon Hillel and Chabad, included praying, singing Oseh Shalom — a Jewish prayer for peace —, offering resources to students and providing options of where to donate.

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SPORTS 10/9/23 8:09pm

Elon University women’s soccer team ties 1-1 against Drexel on Senior Day

By Jack Prahinski

After the Elon University women’s soccer team scored early, their offense screeched to a grinding halt — which generated just one shot in the second half. The Phoenix also gave up a late goal to Drexel University, allowing the Dragons to tie the match. Despite several quality looks from Drexel, neither team could find the back of the net in the final minutes — ultimately forcing a 1-1 draw at Rudd Field Oct. 8.

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LIFESTYLE 10/9/23 8:27am

Autistic dancer at Elon University encourages accessibility in dance spaces

By Betsy Schlehuber

Freshman Maddie Milner grew up dancing, which served as an emotional outlet. But beneath the surface, it was also an autistic stim. Milner was diagnosed two years ago in May 2021. Now, she said she wants art spaces like dance studios to work on accommodating neurodivergent people. Milner said she was told as a child that she wasn’t autistic; she was just “quirky.” Yet, she was in therapy for all of elementary school to help her with social skills and texture sensitivities. Milner started dancing when she was three and stayed in the same dance studio until she graduated high school.

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SPORTS 10/8/23 1:52pm

Club Basketball resorts to tryouts as interest surges at Elon University

By Benjamin Berfield

Over the last three years, Elon University’s club basketball team has seen a massive change in popularity. The program went from struggling to gain interest after the pandemic to having almost 90 sign ups each year starting from 2021 according to Elon senior and club basketball co-president Max Casey. Casey said in his freshman year, the team struggled with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Casey said the team did not hold tryouts that year, as talent was not a major factor when selecting the roster.

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LIFESTYLE 10/7/23 12:25pm

Burlington lemonade vendor shares tips for starting business with new book

By Abigail Hobbs

When doing research on how to open a successful lemonade business, Keith Slader saw an opportunity. Slader said most of the books he found about running a lemonade business were $30 to $40 and only 20 pages long. Slader owns Lisa’s Lemonade — a traveling lemonade booth — which started after Keith’s sister, Lisa Slader, died of kidney cancer in 2020. Wanting to create a family business with low startup costs, Keith said he remembered the popularity of a certain beverage at a past job.

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SPORTS 10/6/23 5:09pm

Elon University women’s soccer falls 1-0 to Delaware after go-ahead goal in opening minute

By Jack Prahinski

After a record-setting performance in their last outing, the Elon University women’s soccer team fell short to the University of Delaware at Rudd Field. Delaware’s goal in the opening minute combined with their impressive defense was enough to propel them to a 1-0 victory over the Phoenix Oct. 5. Elon head coach Neil Payne said the Blue Hens’ immediate goal was “something you don’t plan for.” He also said the way Elon started the game wasn’t up to their usual standard.

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NEWS 10/6/23 8:31am

Film community at Elon University examines WGA deal

By Alexa Citrin

The WGA reached a tentative agreement after months of negotiations with studio executives. The deal came on Sept. 24, over four months after the strike began May 2. This agreement comes after negotiations restarted, bringing an end to the strike that has paused production and project development. Kai Swanson, a cinema and television arts professor, said for many in the industry, the strike has halted any development and changed the way they feel about the future of their careers. 

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LIFESTYLE 10/5/23 11:17pm

Elon University’s 2023 fall play emphasizes power of speaking up

By Sarah T. Moore

Starting Oct. 6, Roberts Studio Theatre will transform into a high school English classroom — the setting of Elon University’s performing arts fall play, “John Proctor is the Villain.” Set in the peak of the #MeToo movement, “John Proctor is the Villain” follows a group of high school students in rural Georgia reading “The Crucible” in their literature class. “The Crucible” is a 1953 play by Arthur Miller about the Salem witch trials. John Proctor — one of the play’s main characters — is often viewed as the story’s hero, but Kimberly Belflower challenges this narrative with a play of her own, “John Proctor is the Villain.”

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NEWS 10/5/23 9:45pm

Town of Elon mayor, town manager declare funding a pressing issue

By Abigail Hobbs

Town of Elon Mayor Emily Sharpe and Town Manager Rich Roedner sat down with students Oct. 5 in Moseley Center to answer questions about working at a local municipality. The town hall event included town, community and county issues. The event was part of the Active Citizen Series hosted by the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, Elon Votes, Elon Political Engagement Work Group and Council on Civic Engagement. Elon Votes coordinators sophomore Lindsay Bialecki and junior Bo Dalrymple moderated the discussion. 

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LIFESTYLE 10/5/23 1:47pm

Gibsonville Garden Railroad delights community almost 28 years later

By Tucker Price

On a small patch of land near downtown Gibsonville sits a miniature version of almost every important North Carolinian monument. Kitty Hawk, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Beech Mountain, Grandfather Mountain – even Elon College is laid out along miniature train tracks. G-Scale model trains whiz past them every which way. Some of them are scale recreations, such as the model of a Santa Fe diesel engine. Others are just for fun, including Thomas the Tank Engine from Thomas and Friends and a steam locomotive pushing Doc Brown’s Delorean from the “Back to the Future” series. 

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NEWS 10/5/23 9:09am

Elon University battles mold

By Keely Garcia

Despite recent renovations, Hook, Brannock and Barney — otherwise known among students as HBB — has a history of mold reports, and this year is no different. On Sept. 26, eight third floor Brannock residents were informed in an email from the Historic Neighborhood Community Director Jordyn Williams that they were being reallocated throughout Historic and Colonnades so their rooms could be rid of mold. Senior Director of Facilities Management Raymond Fletcher has been working at Elon for five years and wrote that facilities management focuses on prevention.

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NEWS 10/4/23 7:52am

Elon University police, Title IX office attribute trained, trusted employees to more rape reports

By Abigail Hobbs

Elon University has seen an increase in reported rapes in the last three years, according to the 2023 fire and safety report. The report details crimes reported in 2022, which includes 17 cases of rape, seven more than the year prior and 15 more than 2020. All 17 cases were in residential facilities, which the university defines as dormitories and other on-campus housing. Elon University Chief of Police Joe LeMire said the large jump from 2020 to 2022 can be partially attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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SPORTS 10/3/23 8:27am

Dream Center youth soccer club travels internationally

By Zach Pearson

Burlington's CityGate Dream Center soccer club traveled across the Atlantic, facing off against international competition in England. CityGate Dream Center director Lisa Edwards said the Dream Center is so much more to the community of Burlington than just a soccer program — it is a haven for everyone. Yet, coach and head of athletics Armando Camacho said the soccer program is more than just a haven for talented players in the area to showcase their skills; it's also a place where young players can develop their character and learn valuable lessons. 

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NEWS 10/2/23 10:44am

Elon University students, families enjoy Phoenix Fan Fest after relocation last year

By Emily Stabell

As a part of Elon University’s Family Weekend, the Phoenix Fan Fest gathered students and their families together for a tailgate with lawn games, face painting, caricature artists, photo booths and a buffet with a variety of food and desserts. After the previous year’s relocation of the Phoenix Fan Fest due to the weather from Hurricane Ian, many students and their families attended this year on Sept. 30, excited for an eventful tailgate before the football game. This year’s Family Weekend took place from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1. 

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NEWS 10/2/23 8:03am

Elon University SGA elections allow freshmen to be heard on campus

By Monika Jurevicius and Alex Sterne

Elon University students voted in on-campus elections for freshman senators on Sept. 12. As local elections approach, alternatives to voter ID are being introduced to help students vote in off-campus local municipal elections through the new Elon Phoenix Voting card. North Carolina requires voters to present an ID, drivers’ license or university card starting in 2023.  The new Elon Phoenix Voting cards are a substitute for identification and look like the typical Phoenix ID, but are labeled with a valid “North Carolina voter” inscription, much like a U.S. real ID.

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SPORTS 10/1/23 5:54pm

Elon University men’s soccer falls 3-0 to No. 19 Hofstra

By Jack Prahinski

After the Elon University men’s soccer team put on a potent offensive display in the first half against No. 19 Hofstra University, it seemed like the Phoenix had a chance to win its first game in over a month. Yet, back-to-back goals by Hofstra in the opening five minutes of the second period suggested otherwise, as the Phoenix would go on to fall 3-0 on Sept. 30 at Rudd Field. Head coach Marc Reeves said while his team played a fantastic first half, he didn’t like how they reacted once they started falling behind in the second.

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LIFESTYLE 10/1/23 11:46am

Elon University students, professors use hobbies to support mental health

By Lilly Molina

While facing anxiety and her first year of college, freshman Kaelise Lane said her hobbies help keep her mental health in check. “I was diagnosed with anxiety a couple of years ago, so mental health has definitely been a big part of my experience, but I definitely think prioritizing hobbies that you enjoy is my outlet," Lane said. A 2010 study published by the National Library of Medicine found that the more people did enjoyable leisure activities, the lower their stress, blood pressure and total cortisol.   

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