National

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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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NEWS 2/25/24 2:08pm

Mebane City Council approves construction plans for North Carolina’s first Buc-ee’s

By Audrey Geib

Mebane City Council unanimously voted to approve the rezoning and special use permit of North Carolina’s first Buc-ee’s. Currently, the closest Buc-ee’s to Alamance County is over two hours away in Florence, South Carolina; however, the new building site for this Buc-ee’s is half an hour from campus. Mebane local and Elon sophomore Leann Beckham said that the new Buc-ee’s has been a topic of conversation in the community since June 2023 when it was proposed to zoning officials. The Mebane City Planning Council voted 6-3 to reject the permits; however, the permits were ultimately approved by City Council on Jan. 8.

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NEWS 2/25/24 9:42am

Elon Wheels rolls into new era, helps design skatepark

By Miles Hayford

Two years ago, then freshman Kai Whiteside was the only student skateboarding through Medallion Plaza. Now, after the creation of Elon Wheels, Whiteside is at the forefront of a growing skateboarding community that is working to create Alamance County’s first public skate park. Elon Wheels as an organization has undergone a transformation over the last three years. Building a skate park has always been a goal of the town, according to Elon Mayor Emily Sharpe. The town will begin working on this goal now that this year’s fiscal budget has $250,000 to be spent on building a skate park for the community.

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LIFESTYLE 2/24/24 5:38pm

Elon University a cappella group hosts 11th annual Make-A-Wish concert

By Jordyn Forni

Vital Signs, an a cappella group at Elon University, will host its 11th annual Make-A-Wish concert at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24 in Whitley Auditorium. Vital Signs will perform alongside all seven of the other established a cappella groups at Elon, as well as two visiting ones. The organization aims to raise $10,000 through donations and ticket sales to donate to the Make-A-Wish foundation. President of Vital Signs Aidan Coy said this event was started 11 years ago by a Vital Signs Alum whose sister was a Make-A-Wish kid.

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NEWS 2/24/24 7:32am

Elon University adopts new global strategic plan

By Aidan Powley

Elon University has adopted a new global strategic plan aimed to maintain and expand its national reputation as a leader in global education, which includes its 18-year recognition as #1 in study abroad by the Institute of International Education. In 2011, Elon introduced a draft of a plan to improve global education. Until now, the university did not have any global strategic plan in place. The 2011 drafted plan laid out the groundwork for what is seen at Elon today, according to Dean of Global Education Nick Gozik.

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LIFESTYLE 2/23/24 9:08am

NPHC organizations provide service for Black students at Elon University

By Kymani Jackson

Sisterhood is a big appeal of Greek life for Aleezah Adams, president of the Black Student Union and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Adams crossed Delta Sigma Theta in the spring of 2023 of her junior year. Her sorority is a part of the National PanHellenic Council. NPHC, also known as the Divine Nine, is a collection of nine historically Black greek letter organizations. It comprises five fraternities and four sororities, and on Elon’s campus, there are six active chapters. Adams said the support NPHC organizations provide the Elon community, especially the Black community, is crucial.

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LIFESTYLE 2/22/24 10:46am

Student-run LGBTQ+ arts festival aims to uplift LGBTQ+ communities at Elon University

By Sarah T. Moore

When sophomore Sophie Verrecchia remembers dancing in “Luminosity,” she thinks about the community she found and how everyone she worked with was warm and welcoming. Now, Verrecchia and 81 other students are working together to bring Elon’s student-run LGBTQ+ arts festival back for a second year. “Breakthrough” — this year’s festival — hopes to continue Morrill’s legacy, building off of their research and showcasing student creatives. The festival will have events from Feb. 23 to 25, starting with a kickoff celebration at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 23 in the Center for the Arts Isabella Cannon Room.

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NEWS 2/22/24 8:16am

Elon University changes selection process for 2024 student commencement speaker

By Reagan Sizemore

Elon’s Student Government Association is making a change to the student commencement speaker qualifications. In previous years, the student speaker has always been the senior class president; however, SGA announced that all seniors will have the chance to apply to speak at the 2024 graduation ceremony if they meet the following requirements: Applicant must be a graduating, full-time student who has been at Elon for at least five semesters; have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher; must be in good standing with the university and may not be “a present or former SGA executive or senior class officer.”

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