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(03/06/15 12:00pm)
Who are the Israeli Defense Forces?
The Israeli Defense Forces are the military forces of the State of Israel. They were founded shortly after the states est. in 1948. The group’s security objectives are to defend the existence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the State of Israel, deter all of Israel’s enemies and curb all forms of terrorism. The October 2014 issue of Business Insider Magazine listed the IDF as the most powerful military in the Middle East and the world’s top air force.
Who serves?
Israel is the only country in the world where military services make it compulsory for both males and females to enlist. Women constitute approximately one-third of the conscripts and close to 20 percent of the standing professional army. Males serve for three years and females for just less than two years. Israel also has one of the highest recruitment rates in the world — nearly 80 percent of those who receive summons serve. People from all over the world, including Thailand and Indonesia, have served. Those who are exempt from service include most minority groups, those who are not physically or psychologically fit, married women, women with children, religious males who are studying in an accredited Jewish Law institution and religious females who choose to pursue national service and community work.
What about leadership?
After 38 years of service, Lt. General Benny Gantz recently finished his term as the IDF chief of staff. A new chief is to be appointed within the coming weeks.
In recent news?
Recently, the IDF’s dropout rates have come under media attention. Currently, one out of every six men drafted into the IDF drops out before completing his three-year term. Almost 50 percent of soldiers who drop out of the army do so for psychological reasons. In an effort to get a dropout rate of less than 13.5 percent for men and 4.5 percent for women, IDF has recently added provisions to what is defined as “mentaly unstable to serve” and have increased services available for soldiers during their service.
So what?
The Israel-Palestine conflict continues to cause millions of deaths and displaced people. Understanding significant players in the conflict, such as the IDF, is essential in remaining part of the conversation.
(03/05/15 1:00pm)
Over the past several months, one name has been making headlines all across the world: The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Oubab Khalil, chief of staff for the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces’ Representative Office, and Bassel Korkor, U.S. counsel to the Syrian’s Coalition’s Washington and United Nation’s offices, both visited Elon Feb. 25 to speak about the impact of ISIS in Syria and solutions for the future in McKinnon Hall.
Last week, they both attended the Summit on Countering Violent Extremism in Washington, D.C. where more than 60 countries were in attendance and efforts were made to eliminate extremist forces like ISIS.
At the summit, President Barack Obama addressed the teamwork between countries needed to move forward to combat the escalating tension.
“And when all of us, together, are doing our part to reject the narratives of violent extremists, when all of us are doing our part to be very clear about the fact that there are certain universal precepts and values that need to be respected in this interconnected world, that’s the beginnings of a partnership,” Obama said.
Korkor and Kahlil agreed that multiple tracks are available, including using social media efforts to counter the current narrative of how ISIS is portrayed in the United States.
Additionally, military efforts are being evaluated and at the moment, there is a plan percolating for the U.S. to train and equip forces in Syria.
“The goal of this army is not fighting,” Korkor said. “The goal of any kind of army should be peacemaking.”
But military efforts are only one part of the equation to combatting ISIS, according to Korkor and Kahlil. More importantly, a political transition within Syria needs to take place before any lasting progress can occur.
“We believe that, ultimately, you need that political transition to effectively defeat and destroy ISIS,” Korkor said. “For us, transitioning the government in Syria is a key part.”
But this political transition will be difficult to accomplish, considering the demographic composition of Syria and its treatment of minority groups, especially women, Korkor noted.
“Right now, the opposition needs to look at its inclusivity,” Khalil said. “The process of reaching out to those groups as a part of the opposition will naturally involve some policy development. That’s good.”
Senior Nicole Molinaro, a political science and international studies major and president of Model United Nations, also agreed that the diversity of Syria could pose challenges in establishing peace.
“The ethnic and religious diversity in the country is going to make the conflict almost impossible to solve,” Molinaro said. “I don’t see a solution in the near future, but I like to think that people can’t be at war forever.”
Matters in Syria to combat ISIS are complicated because of the internal unrest that had previously existed prior to ISIS’s uprising. The opposition forces in Syria may need to work with President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. But stability is currently lacking in this arrangement for effective measures to actually function.
“One of the main concepts of the opposition’s transition…is the idea of reintegration of rebel forces with the Syrian Army,” Korkor said. “What it needs is some structure.”
Korkor and Kahlil elaborated on these efforts because contrary to what some may think, immediate solutions will not destroy ISIS.
They also said the people who typically join ISIS are not poor — they have resources and are relatively well off. As a result, those interested in joining ISIS often possess a “gangster mentality” and are trying to find power and a place in society.
This is an intriguing arrangement to many and has and has generated members from all over the world. Approximately 5,800 Europeans and 100 Americans have joined ISIS’s forces.
To many Americans, the fact that other Americans are joining forces with ISIS is frightening.
“I think that ISIS in a lot of ways is the scariest terror organization that we’ve seen in a while,” Molinaro said.
Korkor and Kahlil are certain that the terrorist organization needs to be abolished.
“This is a group that has demonstrated who they are and [that] they need to be destroyed,” Korkor said. “ISIS is neither Islamic nor a state.”
(03/01/15 8:34pm)
The theater is full of two populations: middle-aged couples and gaggles of nervous, giggling girls.
(02/25/15 11:28pm)
The road to bring a new sorority to campus is a long one. After a push from students, Chi Upsilon Sigma, Elon University’s only Latina sorority, has emerged.
While 38 percent of female undergraduates are involved in a Greek organization, some women felt that they did not belong in any of the nine pre-existing sororities that make up Elon ’s Panhellenic Council (PHC). The start of a Latina sorority was just a thought for students and is now the introduction of Chi Upsilon Sigma is being celebrated.
A sorority like no other
Senior Ana Brambila has been working toward bringing Chi Upsilon Sigma (CUS) to campus since she was a freshman. She said she noticed a lack of diversity within Elon’s PHC and did not personally identify with any organizations in the National Panhellenic Council.
She began to search for other options, especially for students with Latina backgrounds.
“A group of girls and I did some research on Latina sororities and spoke with Shana Plasters, director of Greek Life,” Brambila said. “We then sent out proposals to Latina sororities nationwide that aligned with Elon’s values.”
According to Plasters, the process for a new sorority to become an official organization on campus takes longer than most students think.
“The Panhellenic Council must vote to add another group and once that happens, the faculty Student Life Committee must approve the organization,” Plasters said. “Then, the nationally recognized Latina sororities are invited to campus to make a presentation.”
In an article published by The Pendulum in September 2014, senior Nikki Payne, who has been working alongside Brambila since the beginning, said she saw the lack of diversity within the Greek community at Elon as well. She said the Latino population is rapidly expanding on campus, and she believes Elon must “provide for this
community” by allowing diversity within PHC.
The official recruitment process will begin this coming fall. Although CUS technically falls under PHC control, its recruitment will differ from the nine sororities currently on campus. Plasters said that CUS will not participate in formal recruitment, nor will members be eligible to apply for PHC positions such as president or director of recruitment.
To join CUS, potential new members must attend interest meetings, individually research the organization and reach out to sister chapters, such as the one at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, by attending their events. Women can then become official OWLS, or Organization of Women Looking for Sisterhood. After becoming OWLS, women are initiated into the organization after a new member education process, the length of which varies by chapter.
The women newly interested in joining CUS at Elon have already begun fundraising for the chapter, a significant distinction from existing PHC organizations. Greek Life is known for high new member fees, a price that some students cannot afford or are not willing to pay, which discourages them from participating in recruitment.
CUS wants to make sure its members do not have to fully pay out of pocket.
“We are currently fundraising for the chapter so the girls will have access to those funds and have less of a financial burden,” Brambila said.
Seven Latina women founded Chi Upsilon Sigma at Rutgers University-New Brunswick in April 1980. Its goals were to educate and enrich the community, as well as to “promote and preserve the Latino culture,” according to CUS’s official website. Brambila added that CUS also emphasizes empowering women, and affectionately refers to its members as “women of wisdom.”
“CUS is all about building yourself up with your sisters and working together for the community,” she said.
In the hands of a new generation
Freshman Kaitlin Laureano searched for a Greek organization that would be a good fit for her, but the existing PHC and NPHC sororities did not suffice.
“I came from an all-girls high school, so I knew I wanted to join a sorority,” she said. “The sororities on campus are great, but what is special about CUS is that it is historically Latina. However, it also encourages diversity of all backgrounds within each chapter.”
Laureano learned about CUS after attending an NPHC interest meeting, where she inquired if there were any Latina-based sororities on campus. She discovered CUS and found that its values aligned with her own. Laureano’s appointment as president was made possible because of her enthusiasm and investment in CUS.
“I had attended several interest meetings for CUS, and the senior members were looking for a first-year who could take over and grow with the organization from the start,” Laureano said. “They offered me the opportunity to become president, and I immediately accepted.”
Laureano was initially attracted to CUS’ mission to “educate and elevate women through political and cultural awareness.” Through their work with the “I Have a Dream” Foundation, which seeks to help children in lower-income areas by providing tutoring and mentoring programs, CUS is doing its part to give back to the community.
Brambila said that each year CUS focuses on a specific event related to women empowerment. This year’s event was Girl Rising, a global campaign for girls’ education. According to its website, CUS strongly believes in the education of young women, which will “break down the cycle of poverty.”
Leaving behind a legacy
The idea to bring a Latina sorority to campus was not pushed by administration or the PHC –– it came directly from Elon students. According to Plasters, Elon has been searching for a way for Greek Life to become more inclusive.
The dedication of Brambila and her peers has allowed the Latina community on campus to have a voice and an identity, attracting students like Laureano to be a part of CUS.
“For a long time on campus, there has been a divide, whether you are a member of PHC or NPHC,” Brambila said. “There was no organization that I identified with personally or that specifically worked with Latina and lower-income populations. I wanted to be a part of a group that works towards a ‘bigger something’ and have that common ground with who I am working with.”
CUS chapters across the country encourage education of members’ individual cultures. For example, a sister chapter recently held a cultural event on hijabs.
CUS’s promotion of diverse cultures correlates with Elon’s recent push for cultural diversity on campus. Through the “A Campus of Difference” seminar offered this Winter Term, freshmen learned to accept all backgrounds and diversity of their peers by learning to “identify strategies to respond effectively to bias.”
Elon’s current undergraduate population consists of 5 percent Hispanic or Latino students. As Laureano noted, students interested in CUS come from different ethnicities and backgrounds, creating a safe haven for those who feel they do not belong in other organizations on campus.
During the past four years, Brambila has worked to bring CUS to campus. Although she will not be able to become an official member, she hopes for a bright future for the organization.
“I believe CUS will succeed because of its openness to people of all backgrounds, ethnicities and experiences,” Brambila said. “That’s where the richness and inclusivity comes from, and that’s how CUS will make women feel like they belong.”
Correction 5/26/15: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the length of the new member education process for CUS. The process length varies by chapter; it is not five-six weeks, as originally stated. The Pendulum regrets the error.
(02/25/15 11:05pm)
Freshman Rachel Kauwe has struggled with anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder since childhood.
(02/23/15 9:19pm)
According to the National Association of Anorexia and Associated Disorders, 86 percent of students reported onset of an eating disorder by the age of 20. This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, but there's a newly recognized eating disorder that is not as well known.
(02/19/15 2:30pm)
Thursday, Feb. 19, is National Chocolate Mint Day, according to food.com. Valentine's Day has come and gone, but that doesn't mean you have to give up your chocolate fix just yet.
(02/14/15 3:00pm)
The circus came to North Carolina, but if a vocal group of animal-rights protesters had its way, the Ringling Bros. would have been sent packing before the big tent had a chance to rise.
Protesters gathered near the Greensboro Coliseum Feb. 7 to raise awareness for Ringling’s reported mistreatment of its bread and butter: animals.
“Ringling is doing things to animals that are unnatural,” said Martha Cecil, a protester and co-leader of Speak Out for Circus Animals. “You can’t train an elephant to stand on its head. You can’t train a tiger to jump through a flaming hoop by giving it a treat. That’s how the abuse starts. They have to break the will of the animals they get.”
Protesters held up signs outside the coliseum depicting elephants tied up in ropes and the tools they say circus trainers use, such as bullhooks, chains and stun guns. Other signs bore sentiments such as “Let’s be a leader in animal welfare” and “Stop supporting slavery.”
The Greensboro Coliseum hosted Ringling Bros. from last week until Sunday, during which eight protests took place on the corner of Patterson and High Point Road. Approximately 200 people have protested since Wednesday, Cecil estimated.
“We’re reaching out to people and making them think,” said Colleen Smith, co-leader of Speak Out for Circus Animals. “If we get them curious, then they can find out for themselves what circuses do.”
Ringling Bros. has been the focus of several protests since pictures of its employees using violent training methods on elephants and video footage of the use of dangerous animal-control tools before performances surfaced.
At least 29 Ringling elephants, including four babies, have died since 1992.
“Ringling transports these animals 50 out of 52 weeks a year in tiny cages and they use cruel training methods to get them to do tricks,” said protester Clare Farrow, a junior at Elon University. “Animals in circuses are taught from the beginning stages of their lives to fear humans, and force is used to keep them in line. It’s not healthy.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture fined Ringling Bros. $270,000 in late 2011 for Animal Welfare Act (AWA) violations that began in June 2007. The fine was the largest civil penalty ever assessed against an animal exhibitor.
Stephen Payne, vice president of corporate communication for Ringling parent company Feld Entertainment, said the fine was paid so Ringling could start fresh. downplaying its importance.
“We have an excellent team of trainers that takes great care of these animals 24 hours a day,” he said. “The claims PETA and other groups are making are absurd and insulting. Our trainers are in this business because they care about and love animals.”
According to Payne, protesters at the North Carolina shows have had no impact on Ringling’s business, and its supporters are not bothered by the abuse findings.
“We always say to people that they should come and see the circus for themselves,” he said. “Then they can have a better understanding of Ringling and how well we treat our animals.”
In 2012, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), along with other animal rights groups, paid a $15.75 million settlement to Feld Entertainment, the end of a 14-year legal battle over Ringling’s treatment of its elephants. A key witness in the case for the animal rights groups, a former Ringling employee, was deemed a paid plaintiff by U.S. District Judge Emmett G. Sullivan.
“Ringling has always won when they’ve been sued because they are such a huge conglomerate,” Cecil said. “They can afford to cover it up and get people to still come to their shows.”
Protesters also gathered near Ringling shows in Raleigh and Fayetteville this week, a narrative that has played out across the country.
Activists in other cities have called on local governments to stop the circus from coming to town. Several U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Chapel Hill and Stamford, Connecticut, have bans or restrictions on animals in circuses. More than 30 countries have done the same.
Advances in communication technologies, the increasing popularity of non-animal circuses like Cirque du Soleil and the notoriety of documentaries such as “Blackfish” could be a factor in these bans.
“It’s so easy to get behind these protests,” Farrow said. “There are many similar options for entertainment that don’t hurt animals, like Cirque du Soleil or animal documentaries. It’s something people can help raise awareness of without a lot of investment.”
The future of animal circuses in Greensboro is cloudier. Farrow said North Carolina is not an animal-friendly state, but small steps like bullhook bans are likely to make a difference.
“We’re going to follow the other cities and states’ examples that have banned circuses, like Asheville,” Cecil said, pointing out the recent animal circus ban at Asheville’s US Cellular Center. Cathy Justice, a community relations specialist for the city of Greensboro, said a few people have brought up the possibility of an animal circus ban at council meetings, but the city council has not yet seriously considered such measures.
A ban may not help at all, as human interaction with animals has reached a point of no return, according to Dave Gammon, associate professor of biology at Elon.
“Humans have messed with animal lives in so many ways that it’s almost pointless to preserve some idea of nature that doesn’t exist anymore,” said Gammon, who studies animal behavior.
Gammon said there are some advantages to having circuses around, despite the clouds of controversy that tend to trail behind.
“Circuses raise awareness and enthusiasm for animals, and they can inspire kids to care about them,” he said. “I think it’s debatable if it’s a worse standard of living for them as compared to the wild, where they face all sorts of threats.”
Activists are keeping the debate alive. These protests may roll into the next generation, which is what Cecil and other activists are hoping for.
“We mainly want to educate children about how no wild animal should be held captive in the circus,” she said. “One day we are going to pass the torch on to them.”
(02/12/15 3:06am)
Brian Williams, NBC News anchor and past Elon University commencement speaker, has gone from delivering headlines to making them. Amid an escalating scandal around the accuracy of his reporting on an Iraq War mission in 2003, Williams announced Thursday he would be temporarily stepping down from his duties.
Speculations around Williams’ 2003 claims were sparked Jan. 30, when NBC Nightly News posted a clip to Facebook of Williams recounting stories of his reporting of the U.S. Invasion of Iraq. In one recollection, he claimed he was aboard a helicopter that was forced down after being struck by a grenade.
The story was blasted by U.S. soldiers who remembered the event quite differently. Chris Simeone, who identified himself as the pilot of the helicopter that carried Williams and other reporters during the invasion, called the anchor a “liar.”
“He was on my aircraft and we were NOT shot down. That was a sister ship and a friend of mine,” he wrote. “Brian Williams has been knowingly lying since that mission to boost his credentials.”
Flight engineer Lance Reynolds, who was verified as being on the actual helicopter that was shot down, was also among those who took offense.
“Sorry dude, I don’t remember you being on my aircraft,” he wrote on Facebook. “I do remember you walking up about an hour after we had landed to ask me what had happened.”
Williams responded to the controversy last Wednesday when he admitted his mistake.
“I feel terrible about making this mistake, especially since I found my OWN WRITING about the incident from back in ‘08,” he wrote on Facebook. “I was indeed on the Chinook behind the bird that took the RPG in the tail housing just above the ramp.”
But Williams’ woes do not end there — as days progressed, commentators pointed to other instances of fact-checking errors including Williams’ after-action report on Hurricane Katrina in which he claimed he saw a corpse floating by his hotel in the French Quarter. This, skeptics pointed out, was near impossible as the French Quarter was largely dry at the time.
As tension rose and NBC announced it would be launching an internal investigation, Williams announced his “temporary leave” on Friday, saying that he had “become too much apart of the news” as his main reason.
Despite the growing controversy, Elon University has maintained they will continue to maintain a close relationship with the renowned anchor.
“He has explained his mistake and taken responsibility for it,” Dan Anderson, vice president of university communications, said Thursday. “I don’t anticipate there being any changes.”
Williams fostered a strong relationship with the university over the years. He was a commencement speaker in 2013, when his son Douglas graduated from Elon, and also serves as the national chair of the School of Communications Advisory Board. In late October, he was the primary host of Elon’s New York Gala where the new School of Communications fundraising campaign was announced. Williams is a significant donor to the campaign — one of the television studios in the remodeled McEwen will include his and his wife Jane’s name.
(02/09/15 10:28pm)
Fifty-five years ago, on Feb. 1, four students from North Carolina A&T State University sat down at the lunch counter at Woolworth's department store in Greensboro and refused to get up until they were served. This set off a chain reaction of sit-in movements throughout the country to challenge Jim Crow segregation.
(02/09/15 6:56am)
Pandora's Pies is an Elon favorite where many students dine to eat delicious pizza. In celebration of National Pizza Day, Feb. 9, I made pizza with one of Pandora's main chefs. Chef Atoru is from Italy and started making pizza when he was 15 years old.
(02/06/15 7:02pm)
President Barack Obama has big goals regarding American education standards. A major part of his plan includes making the first two years of community college free for any student with a C+ average or better.
By 2020, Obama hopes that the United States will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world, and that community colleges will produce an additional five million of them.
His desire for an additional population of community college graduates stems from the increasing perceived need to have at least an associate’s degree in the professional world. Many community colleges also have pre-professional programs that liberal arts colleges lack.
To achieve his goal of a community college-educated United States citizenship, Obama has laid out several distinct strategies.
He has called on Congress to make the first two years of community college free for students, which would ensure participants an associate’s degree.
His plan for financing involves using federal government funding for 75 percent of the tuition and individual states funding the remainder.
This proposal is a controversial one. Opponents have called it a “Robin-Hood”-like plan that “borrows from the rich to give to the poor,” in the style of the cartoon vigilante.
For this reason, the program is likely to die on the floor of Congress. It is the first big push by the Obama administration towards affordable college.
There are stipulations to this proposal though. Students must maintain a 3.5 GPA in order to sustain the grant.
But the free tuition would still be an enormous help to students across the country. The White House estimates it would save 9 million students about $3,800 per year.
The program, however helpful, is not simple. Many questions have arisen. What impacts will the plan have on Obama’s annual budget? How will this proposal interact with the Pell Grant, a grant which is given to the socioeconomically disadvantaged college students who comprise 38 percent of community-college students?
There is sentiment from opponents of this program that suggests the initiative wouldn’t help its target population. The Pell Grant covers the most financially needy students. Obama’s program would primarily help students who come from middle-class families.
College has become increasingly hard to pay for, especially for members of middle-class families who fall through the cracks of financial aid.
The number of students who borrow money, most often via loans, to pay for college has increased 70 percent in the past 10 years. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the total amount of student debt in the U.S. has more than tripled in the past 10 years, from $363 billion in 2005 to more than $1.2 trillion today.
Obam’s is based on a three-part plan: Helping more students go to college (access), helping them pay for it (affordability), and making sure universities do their best to make college affordable (accountability).
The program is modeled after a current, working initiative: The Tennessee Promise, Tennessee’s free community college program. It has drawn 58,000 applicants, almost 90 percent of the state’s high school seniors, and more than twice as many as expected.
But many Republicans remain skeptical.
“With no details or information on the cost, this seems more like a talking point than a plan,” said Cory Fritz, a spokesman for House Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, through the New York Times.
The Obama administration was quick to rcounter.
“It’s something that we can accomplish, and it’s something that will train our work force so that we can compete with anybody in the world,” Obama said in a video posted by the White House.
All in all, it is a bi-partisan sentiment that community college is a large part of the American education culture, and one that needs to be at least somewhat subsidized by the federal government.
According to the New York Times, 7.7 million U.S. community college students attend community college for credit, 3.1 million of whom attend full time.
The federal government provides about $9.1 billion to community colleges, about 16 percent of the total revenue the colleges receive. Tuition from students provides about 30 percent of the revenue.
Governmental funding of community-college endeavors is no new issue, but has drawn mixed views from the general public. Time will tell if Obama’s proposal can be deemed a success.
(02/04/15 1:49pm)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNS0H7qg670
(02/03/15 11:40pm)
Corey Shegda participated in this Fake Break service trip through Elon Volunteers, and wrote about her experiences for Elon Local News.
(01/23/15 3:01pm)
In 2012, U.S. annual sales from fast food giant McDonald’s were equivalent to the GDP of Yemen. The $35.6 billion sum dwarfed all other fast food competitors by at least $15 billion.
(01/17/15 5:30am)
Hundreds gathered outside of Duke University's Chapel for the Muslim call to prayer Friday afternoon, despite the University allowing, then denying, the prayer to be broadcast across campus from the bell tower.
(11/17/14 1:40am)
National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week occurs the week prior Thanksgiving; according to a statistic issued by the Center for the Carolinas, there are 144 people affected by homelessness in Alamance County.
(11/13/14 4:21am)
The 2014 election may be over, but there are long term impacts of the midterm election that directly affect college students.
(09/22/14 2:17am)
Parents and loved ones visited Elon from all over the country this weekend; but one student spent Family Weekend an ocean across from hers.
(09/16/14 2:04pm)
Shani Knaani, an Israeli Fellow with the Jewish Agency for Israel and Hillel International, is paying a visit to Hillel and the Elon community as a whole.
