Columns

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SPORTS 3/21/25 3:13pm

Art of the draw: Elon Lacrosse draw specialist poised for sophomore leap

By Miles Hayford

Elon Women's Lacrosse draw specialist MJ Santa Barbara is coming off a spectacular freshman campaign where she was one of the best draw specialists in the country. She was named the Coastal Athletic Association Rookie of the Year after breaking school and conference records with 151 draw controls on the season. She also broke Elon’s single-game draw control record with 15. She was ranked seventh in the country with 8.88 draw controls per game — which was the highest average for a freshman in the country. She was recently named an honorable mention preseason All-American.

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SPORTS 3/20/25 10:55am

Softball team aims to bounce back after rocky start to the season

By Benjamin Berfield

With the season underway for the Elon University softball team, the Phoenix has undergone a tough schedule against nonconference teams after starting the season with two non-conference tournaments at Hunt Softball Park. They have a 7-10 record, as of March 3, but head coach Kathy Bocock believes there is still room for growth. Bocock said hitting is one particular area where Elon needs to grow going forward. Elon’s 12 home runs ranks second in the Coastal Athletic Association; it has had a boom or bust style as the team is sixth in RBIs and second in strikeouts. 

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NEWS 3/19/25 3:53pm

Elon Poll finds North Carolinians will unite amid March Madness

By Nia Bedard

New Elon Poll finds that despite in-state rivalries in the Atlantic Coast Conference, North Carolinians will tend to be loyal to their home state regardless of the eliminations during the NCAA March Madness tournament. The poll was conducted March 3 to 11 and included a data set of 800 North Carolina adults. The poll found that when their favorite North Carolina team is eliminated, North Carolinians are 7 to 1 in cheering for in-state teams who are still in the tournament. In addition, 36% of North Carolinians will root for their in-state rival if their favorite team is eliminated. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/19/25 2:12am

Limitless trailblazes hip-hop out of scarcity

By Alex Nettles

Limitless started at Elon University because of a drought of hip-hop and R&B on campus, now it has blossomed into a scene running alongside an institution where 78% of Elon Undergraduates are white. Nailah Ware and Chris Murphy brought culture and creativity to Elon despite barriers of doubt. Limitless is Elon University’s student rap and R&B organization. It took two years for Limitless to grow from a handful of beatmakers, rappers and stage technicians to a community of 40 members. After its genesis in a predominantly white institution, Limitless seeks to expand to other North Carolina colleges. 

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SPORTS 3/18/25 2:41pm

Men’s tennis hopes to serve up a strong season

By Kathan Gandhi

Following Elon Men’s Tennis former head coach Michael Leonard's two-decade coaching legacy, the new men’s tennis coach Maciek Sykut has big shoes to fill. Sykut adds a plethora of experience to the Phoenix team. The former pro played for three years on the Association of Professional Tennis tour, reaching a career high doubles ranking of 145. After leaving the pro-circuit, Sykut became an assistant for the North Carolina State University and University of Arizona tennis team. In 2020, he joined the staff at Duke University, where the team competed in the NCAA tournament four times during his tenure at Duke.

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LIFESTYLE 3/17/25 9:08am

Elon Milk Club milks meanings of humor, philosophy

By Megan Walsh

Milk is known to help strengthen bones and muscles, but for Elon sophomore Jacob Bradshaw, it has also helped him build a strong humor-filled bond with his classmates. It all started at Elon’s 2024 fall organization fair where Bradshaw jokingly walked around with a piece of notebook paper asking people if they wanted to join a then-nonexistent milk club. He walked away with 70 signatures. From those 70 signatures, milk club has grown from its joke state to a legitimate organization. 

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SPORTS 3/16/25 9:51pm

Elon University men’s basketball star brothers reportedly plan to enter the transfer portal

By Miles Hayford

Elon men’s basketball twin brothers TK and TJ Simpkins reportedly plan to enter the transfer portal, sources told the recruiting database On3. If the twin brothers were to leave Elon, the Phoenix would be losing a significant part of its offense as the two of them made up for almost 37% of Elon’s points this season. This is the first time either player has entered the portal since joining Elon, however both players transferred from Northwest Florida State College to Elon using the transfer portal. TJ transferred last offseason and TK joined Elon after the 2022-23 season.

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NEWS 3/16/25 11:25am

Elon University faces tornado watch

By Nia Bedard

According to an E-Alert sent out at 9:58 a.m. the National Weather Service has extended a tornado watch to include Alamance County and Elon University. The watch is expected to last until 2 p.m. Another E-Alert was sent out at 7:52 p.m. stating that the tornado watch was extended to 1:00 a.m. The recent tornado watch includes 27 counties in North Carolina as of 7:39 p.m. according to the NWS. The counties under tornado watch include Alamance, Chatham and Durham counties. 

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NEWS 3/16/25 10:40am

Elon University announces 2025-26 speaker series

By Nia Bedard

Elon University announced its 2025-26 speaker series including Olympian Katie Ledecky, common reading author Alejandra Campoverdi, intelligence officer Ret. Lt. Gen. Robert P. Ashley, scholar Kwame Anthony Appiah, and New York Times columnists Zeynep Tufekci and Frank Bruni. Executive director of cultural and special programs, Jeff Clark, who spearheads the selection process for the annual speaker series, hopes the Elon and local communities can come together and take advantage of the speaker series. All of the speaker series events are free to Elon University students, faculty and staff with a Phoenix Card ID and tickets for the public are $15.

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SPORTS 3/16/25 4:23am

Track & field transfers aim to break records, capitalize on Elon education

By Miles Hayford

After competing at Catawba College from 2021-24, Mikayla Jones was ready for something new. While looking for universities in North Carolina to transfer to, she discovered Elon University’s data analytics program and masters’ program and decided to take a visit to the campus and meet the coaches. Similarly, Arianna Alexander — a sprinter — was looking for a program to transfer to after spending five years at California State Northridge. Despite Elon offering her a full ride scholarship for her athletic ability, Elon’s academics is what really stood out to her and attracted to the university.

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SPORTS 3/15/25 9:51pm

Baseball looks to bounce back from 2024 season, rely on offensive weapons

By Miles Hayford

After starting the season in College Station against the No. 1 ranked team in the country in Texas A&M, the Elon baseball team is ready to compete for a regular season championship. The team has gotten off to a 5-6 start to the season after bouncing back from the A&M series in a big way by beating Presbyterian 16-3, and head coach Mike Kennedy has been impressed with what he’s seen so far. Elon’s strength lies in its offense and ability to score runs from the top of its lineup, led by seniors Charlie Granatell and Kenny Mallory Jr. Granatel.

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LIFESTYLE 3/14/25 2:06pm

‘You have permission to engage’: Vernice Armour encourages Elon community to pursue passions

By Sarah T. Moore

Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour — the first African American female combat pilot — gave an high-energy, interactive lecture March 13 as part of Elon’s 2024-25 Speaker Series. Throughout most of her presentation, Armour had the words “You HAVE permission to engage” projected onto the screen behind her. It was a phrase Armour heard from ground controllers when she served in the United States Marine Corps, and it is a sentiment she has embraced ever since. Throughout the lecture, Armour shared anecdotes from throughout her career and personal life. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/13/25 12:27pm

US Navy Concert Band celebrates centennial anniversary with tour, stops at Elon University

By Trista Panagakos

Elon University hosted the United States Navy Concert Band in Alumni Gym on March 12. This is the second show in the band's southeastern tour to celebrate the 250 year anniversary of the Navy and the 100 year anniversary of the Navy Band. Throughout the concert, narrators introduced a new era within the Navy by describing advancements in technology, traditions and the Navy’s presence on the world stage. The band will travel to South Carolina next and finish in Washington D.C. The concerts are free to all attendees. 

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NEWS 3/13/25 9:06am

Elon Nursing Program receives high marks from accreditation body for DEI efforts

By Charlotte Pfabe

Over the past two to three years, Elon’s nursing department has been preparing a self-study to send to the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation. After the program’s launch in fall 2021, Elon’s nursing program received accreditation from the NLN CNEA in February 2025. The accreditation body applauded the program for its Winter Term study abroad course which travels to Cuba and focuses on showing students the differences between healthcare in the U.S. and healthcare in Cuba but also the limitations of each country’s systems.

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NEWS 3/12/25 3:08pm

ABSS grapples with staff shortages, prioritizing budget

By Avery Sloan

The bus driver shortage in ABSS has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic, with more bus drivers choosing to retire. This can be a larger problem in some weeks for the county when multiple drivers call out sick. There are between 30 and 35 open positions for bus drivers in the county. But, this is not just a problem unique to Alamance County; school districts across the state and country are facing similar challenges. As of September 2024, there were 12.2% fewer school bus drivers on the road than September 2019, according to data from the Economic Policy Institute.

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NEWS 3/12/25 1:27pm

Gerald Whittington awarded Elon Medallion, dedication of residence hall in his honor

By Abigail Hines

After receiving a call from Elon President Connie Book informing him the university would be dedicating a building in the Global Neighborhood to him, Senior Vice President Emeritus Gerald Whittington was at a loss for words. Whittington said he was further shocked to hear he would also receive the Elon Medallion, a testament to his dedication of advancing Elon as an institution throughout his 32-year career. The Elon Medallion is Elon’s highest award and is granted to faculty, staff, trustees or alums who have demonstrated meritorious service to the university.

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NEWS 3/12/25 11:27am

Southeastern Indigenous Coalition Environmental Conference gives space to share issues facing Native communities

By Abigail Hobbs

The Southeastern Indigenous Coalition Environmental Conference, held March 7 and 8, saw around 200 participants looking to learn about the environmental issues facing Native communities today. The conference was hosted by 7 Directions of Service, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for Native land and rights and headquartered in Mebane. The two-day event took place at Rockingham Community College in Wentworth and the Haw River State Park in Browns Summit — both in the land of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, which covers a majority of Alamance and Orange counties, including the land that Elon University sits on.

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NEWS 3/12/25 8:57am

Elon Town Council discusses proposal for new mixed-use development

By Ruby Burckle

The Elon Town Council held a meeting March 11 to discuss plans to construct a new mixed-use development at the southwest intersection of University Drive and North Williamson Avenue. If the town council votes to approve the development, Parc Village will be located behind the Schar Center, in close proximity to Elon University property. Though the development is so close to campus, developers will not be able to build pedestrian access between the two sites unless the university agrees to the idea, according to Lori Oakley, town planning director.

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LIFESTYLE 3/11/25 9:42pm

Elon’s Music Theatre Department helps close out a historic era for the Paramount Theater

By Megan Walsh

“West Side Story,” “Into the Woods” and “Sweeney Todd” — only a few of Stephen Sondheim’s works that the Burlington Paramount Theater will be celebrating in “95 Years of Stephen Sondheim.” At 7 p.m. March 13, Elon’s Music Theatre Department will perform “95 Years of Stephen Sondheim” to close out the Burlington Paramount Theater before its year and a half long renovation and expansion. Director of the Paramount Theater Eric Kerchner said the renovations hope to bring more people to downtown Burlington and create a space unique to the area.

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NEWS 3/11/25 9:32pm

SGA announces election results for the 2025-26 school year

By Trista Panagakos

Over 2,000 students voted in the SGA elections for the 2025-26 school year, only 28% of the student body. A higher turnout from last year's election which saw only 1,308 ballots cast. Anya Bratic was elected student body president with 1,382 votes. Sammy Azua was elected executive vice president with 1,082 votes compared to Morgan Minoff’s 838 votes. In the election, three semi-finalists were chosen for senior class commencement speaker: Craig Brandstetter, Drew Fetterolf and Marques Walker. The three semi-finalists will share their speeches with a selection committee who will make recommendations to Elon University President Connie Book.

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