Columns

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NEWS 9/4/25 3:17pm

Tree removal crane lowered after blocking West Lebanon Avenue

By Charlotte Pfabe and Sarah T. Moore

A tree removal crane was vertical on West Lebanon Avenue after tipping backwards around 2:10 p.m. Sept. 4. Massey said the fire department is assisting in lowering the crane by using a ladder truck to pull it to the ground. According to Massey the tree removal crane was still running.  At 9:24 p.m. the crane was lowered and is no longer upright. The Town of Elon Fire Department left the scene at 9:55 p.m. Town of Elon Police and tow trucks are still on West Lebanon Avenue, which is still closed.

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NEWS 9/4/25 2:03pm

Q&A: Orange-striped oakworms: why you probably don’t need to worry

By Lilly Molina

As orange-striped oakworms cover Elon University, professor of forestry and environmental resources at NC State Kelly Often sat down with Elon News Network to discuss these leaf eating critters. She specializes in forest health and posts content on NC State’s Extension Forestry website about bugs impact on trees. "We like trees for the shade they provide and all these other ecosystem services, but they generally don’t impact the long term tree health," Oten said in an interview with Elon News Network.

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NEWS 9/4/25 8:07am

Sin una red: la ayuda federal en caso de desastre en Carolina del Norte se agota

By Miles Hayford

Mientras Carolina del Norte continúa recuperándose del Huracán Helene y ahora responde a la temporada de huracanes de 2025, la ayuda federal se ha convertido en un tema de conflicto entre las autoridades federales y estatales. Con tormentas como la Tormenta Tropical Chantal y el Huracán Erin causando más daños en el estado, el gobernador Josh Stein ha exigido más ayuda federal por desastres. Carolina del Norte ha tenido dificultades para obtener los fondos que desea del gobierno federal en la aftermath del Huracán Helene de 2024.

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NEWS 9/4/25 8:07am

Federal disaster relief in North Carolina dries up

By Miles Hayford

As North Carolina continues to recover from Hurricane Helene and now responds to the 2025 hurricane season, federal aid has become a point of contention between federal and state officials. With storms such as Tropical Storm Chantal and Hurricane Erin bringing further damage to the state, Gov. Josh Stein has demanded more federal disaster relief. North Carolina has struggled to get the funding it wants from the federal government in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024. North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson recently joined 19 other states in a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Administration. 

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NEWS 9/3/25 11:30pm

Elon students, community come together at Harris Teeter College Night

By Nia Bedard

College students and Burlington residents filled the Harris Teeter located off of South Church Street for the store’s College Night, with a live DJ, food samples and a 20% discount on groceries. Elon senior Emily Dvorak also said she was excited to go to College Night and step outside of Elon’s campus. “It's a great way to show that Elon isn't necessarily just tied to the Elon campus,” Dvorak said. “We do participate in the community, and the community hopefully likes us.”

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NEWS 9/3/25 4:38pm

Kappa Sigma regresa al Consejo de Fraternidades en la Universidad de Elon

By Anjolina Fantaroni

El capítulo de Kappa Sigma de la Universidad de Elon regresará oficialmente al Consejo de Interfraternidades de Elon después de seis años de haber sido removido del campus universitario. El capítulo de Kappa Sigma fue eliminado de la IFC de Elon en 2019 después de que se encontrara responsable de múltiples violaciones del Código de Honor, incluyendo incidentes de conducta desordenada, uso no autorizado de alcohol, poner en riesgo el bienestar y los estudios de los nuevos miembros, y destrucción y vandalismo de propiedad.

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NEWS 9/3/25 4:38pm

Kappa Sigma returns to Elon's campus after 6 years

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Elon University’s Kappa Sigma chapter will officially return to Elon’s Interfraternity Council six years after being removed from campus. The Kappa Sigma chapter was removed from Elon’s IFC in 2019 after the chapter was found responsible for multiple Honor Code violations, including incidents of disorderly conduct, unauthorized use of alcohol, compromising the well-being and academics of new members, and destruction and defacement of property. “The Kappa Sigma Fraternity is excited to announce the reorganization of the Lambda-Lambda Chapter at Elon University during this academic year,” Kappa Sigma national, Senior Vice-President and Chief Recruitment Officer Leo J. Brown IV wrote. 

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NEWS 9/3/25 7:15am

Elon University students, faculty adjust to updated Moodle interface

By Evan Cooper

As fall semester classes start at Elon University, students and professors are getting their first look at Moodle 4.5, the latest update to the learning platform. Kelly Reimer, senior director of Teaching and Learning Technologies, declined an interview but wrote in an email statement to Elon News Network that the new update improves accessibility, modernizes the text editor and improves the user interface — also known as UI. According to Reimer, Moodle 4.5 refined workflows for instructors to better manage their courses. “Students will benefit from a more consistent, user-friendly experience that’s easier to navigate, especially as courses evolve with new learning tools,” Reimer wrote.

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LIFESTYLE 9/3/25 12:00am

Best of 2026

By Elon News Network

Based on surveys of students, faculty, staff, and local residents, Best of 2026 highlights the best food, local businesses, sports and more in the area, providing a curated guide to community favorites.

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LIFESTYLE 9/2/25 10:34pm

Class of 2026 reflects on journey at annual kickoff

By Katrina Holtz

The class of 2026 gathered for Senior Kickoff Under the Oaks on Sept. 2, marking the first official event of the year for seniors. For many students, the kickoff was a chance to pause and appreciate the journey from convocation to commencement. Environmental science major Olivia Levy said standing Under the Oaks again brought her back to the start of her time at Elon. “It feels like it’s coming full circle,” Levy said. “I’m really proud of all my accomplishments, and I’m excited to see what I do next. I want to contribute to the planet and see real solutions made.”

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NEWS 9/2/25 1:05pm

CNBC names North Carolina top state for business in 2025

By Fiona McAllister

North Carolina was rated the number one state in the country for business. According to CNBC, North Carolina has a “solid economy, a world-class workforce and a wealth of corporate hospitality” — therefore, North Carolina was ranked the highest overall. Assistant teaching professor of economics at Elon University Devon Hawkins said North Carolina,  received this ranking because of affordability within southern states. “The scarcity of money, the scarcity of choice, affordability, the balance of how much I can afford and my lifestyle here — the more choices we have in life, the more happiness that correlates to that,” Hawkins said.

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NEWS 8/31/25 6:09pm

Alamance local organizes fundraiser for summer flood victims

By Lilly Molina

Lemon Ninjas, a lemonade company owned and operated by a local family in Alamance County, hosted a flood fundraiser to help raise funds and donations for those affected by Tropical Storm Chantal. From vintage cars to a pygmy goat named Oliver, the fundraiser at Straightway Baptist Church included gospel performances, car shows, a petting zoo, vendors and, of course, lemonade. “We wanted to give back to the people that were closer to us too,” owner of Lemon Ninjas and coordinator of the event Christine Jordan said. 

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LIFESTYLE 8/30/25 9:10pm

Elon University’s BSU cookout builds camaraderie on campus

By Sarah T. Moore

The Welcome B(l)ack Cookout is the Black Student Union’s first event of fall semester. This year, the event took place Aug. 30, filling Phi Beta Kappa Commons with laughter and music. Senior and President of BSU Maleah Proctor said that this event means a lot to her. “It’s really near and dear to my heart,” Proctor said. “That’s one of the reasons it was so important for me to continue with BSU. It created such a safe space and was such an important part of me starting my journey here at Elon that I wanted to continue that for other people.”

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LIFESTYLE 8/30/25 5:04pm

‘It’s more than just milk’: Milk Club hosts first ‘Cownival’ with Late Night Elon

By Rachel Holley

Late Night Elon hosted a carnival event Friday night with Milk Club on Young Commons. The two hour event, which had over 150 attendees, included games, food, ice cream sundaes and milk shots. Creative director of Milk Club’s outreach committee Eli Hruska says the club is also for those who don’t like milk. “It’s more than just milk. Whether you’re lactose intolerant, whether you just don't like milk, don't believe in milk, you should still come by,” Hruska said.

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SPORTS 8/30/25 9:32am

Elon University club sport presidents plan to recruit new members at Fall Organization Fair

By Benjamin Berfield

For most of the club sports teams at Elon University, the beginning of fall semester is an ideal time to recruit new freshmen. This includes the club baseball and frisbee teams, who eye events such as the Fall Organization Fair on Sept. 4 as an opportunity to get students to join their team. Club Baseball President and senior Case Marino described the organization fair as the team's biggest outlet for recruiting new members. 

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NEWS 8/29/25 12:42pm

Elon University prepares for demographic cliff

By Charlotte Pfabe

Colleges and universities across the country are bracing for the impact of a ripple effect 18 years in the making — the demographic cliff. Triggered at the start of the Great Recession in 2007, the economic downturn Americans experienced caused a drop in birth rates, which never recovered. With fewer babies born after 2007, there are now less 18 year olds going to college. According to a 2024 report from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, the number of 18-year-old high school graduates will peak somewhere between 3.8 and 3.9 million in 2025 and will be followed by a 15-year decline.

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NEWS 8/29/25 12:42pm

La universidad de Elon se prepara para una caida demografica

By Charlotte Pfabe

Universidades en todo el pais se estan preparando para el impacto de un efecto en cadena de 18 años en marcha: El precipicio demográfico. Iniciado al comienzo de la Gran Recesión en 2007, la recesión económica que experimentaron los estadounidenses provocó una disminución en las tasas de natalidad, que nunca se recuperaron. Ahora la educación superior está sintiendo el impacto. Con menos bebés nacidos después de 2007, hay menos adolescentes de 18 años que ingresan a la universidad.

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SPORTS 8/29/25 1:05am

Elon football falls to Duke in season opener, gives up 35 points in second half

By Benjamin Berfield

Elon University’s football team was defeated by Duke University 45-17 in its first game of the season. Despite the loss, head coach Tony Trisciani said he was encouraged by the team’s performance.“When we play hard one snap at a time, and just trust each other, then we can be very successful,” Trisciani said. “We can win a lot of football games.” Next for the Phoenix, they will face off against Davidson College at 6 p.m. on Sept. 7 at Rhodes Stadium.

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NEWS 8/28/25 10:33am

Elon University campus parking expansions set to ‘build capacity’ for campus lots

By Charlotte Pfabe

This year, freshmen are only allowed to park in designated lots marked with an “FY” sign matching their parking permits. Currently, freshman are temporarily parking in additional designated spaces as construction continues for the upcoming freshman lot. Campus Safety and Police announced another delay in opening the freshmen parking lot earlier this month. The lot, located near the Francis Center, was supposed to open at the start of the 2025-26 academic year. Campus Safety and Police Chief Joe LeMire said construction couldn’t be started until they completed a traffic study and addressed some environmental concerns, including taking into account a nearby stream.

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NEWS 8/27/25 3:41pm

Legislatura de Carolina del Norte anula ocho vetos, aún no aprueba presupuesto estatal

By Miles Hayford

En los últimos meses, legisladores de Carolina del Norte aprobaron casi 70 proyectos de ley y le anularon ocho vetos al gobernador Josh Stein, pero todavía no han aprobado un nuevo presupuesto estatal. El nuevo año fiscal comenzó el 1 de julio y sin un presupuesto nuevo, los gastos se han mantenido en los niveles actuales. Tras un receso en verano, los legisladores se reunieron nuevamente el 26 de agosto, lo que inició el proceso de continuar las discusiones sobre el nuevo presupuesto. 

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