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NEWS 11/10/25 8:57pm

Government shutdown has rippling effect on local North Carolina food banks

By Emma Perman and Barbara Duran

On Oct. 1 2025, the United States government failed to pass a federal budget bill causing this government to shut down and in turn pausing federal nutritional assistance programs. The shutdown has now reached 41 days, a historic length for the United States. On Nov. 10 the Senate passed a budget bill to reopen the government. The bill will be sent to the House of Representatives to be voted on. “We're starting to actually get into school lunches. If you really delve into SNAP and the funding sources,” Jai Baker, executive director of Allied Churches of Alamance County said. “Not only are we talking about food stamps, we're talking about residual effects.” 

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LIFESTYLE 11/10/25 6:33pm

Former South African ambassador reflects on 27 years of working in diplomacy

By Harrison Narens

Former ambassador Riaan Eksteen, a diplomat from South Africa, reflected on his 27 years of experience with the Elon community, before opening the floor for students and community members to ask questions. Eksteen offered advice to students. He emphasized that students can’t rely on their degrees alone. “This is why I say degrees are not directions, we need strong fundamentals; and proper tools. I learned it the hard way” Eksteen said. “I started as a young student in political science at the University of Victoria with the greens and a lot of shelves. But what I did still have was one thing and that is extreme ownership, I stopped waiting for opportunities.” 

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SPORTS 11/9/25 10:20pm

Elon University men’s soccer advances to CAA Championship off offensive barrage

By Miles Hayford

After two straight years of heartbreak in the Coastal Athletic Association semifinals, the streak was over. This year, the emotion will come from the Elon University men’s soccer team playing in the CAA Championship instead of falling just short. Elon’s 6-4 win over Campbell University in the semifinals Nov. 9 was a chaos-filled and high-scoring affair. Elon head coach Marc Reeves said he was happy with how the offense played but called the game chaotic. 

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LIFESTYLE 11/9/25 10:12pm

‘Graze the Grid’ teaches Elon community about agrivoltaics

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Two new guests explored the Solar Farm at Elon University’s Loy Farm on Nov. 9. Penelope and Snowflake are two sheep that graze the grass underneath the solar panels to make the soil healthy for planting, according to Elon senior Ava Litzinger. The sheep are part of a wider project, led by an Elon environmental studies senior seminar called “Graze the Grid.” Litzinger is in the class and said the class is separated into different focus groups, such as clean energy in sustainable business practices. 

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LIFESTYLE 11/9/25 1:13pm

Peacehaven Community Farm grows mission of inclusion with new community center

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Peacehaven Community Farm, an 89-acre farm in Whitsett, North Carolina, that provides community housing, programs and an environment for adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as a place for adults of all abilities to work and learn together is set to grow with the addition of a new 20,000-square-foot community center on its current property. “Society is really having it set up for this group of folks and their families, and so we’re trying to create change on what that looks like,” CEO of Peacehaven Community Farm Phelps Sprinkle said. 

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LIFESTYLE 11/9/25 1:13pm

La granja comunitaria Peaceheaven amplía su misión de inclusión con un nuevo centro comunitaria

By Anjolina Fantaroni

La Granja Comunitaria Peacehaven, una finca de 36 hectáreas en Whitsett, Carolina del Norte, que ofrece vivienda comunitaria, programas y un entorno para adultos con discapacidades intelectuales y del desarrollo, así como un espacio para que adultos de todas las capacidades trabajen y aprendan juntos, se expandirá con la construcción de un nuevo centro comunitario de 1.858 metros cuadrados en su propiedad actual. "La sociedad está adaptando sus recursos a este grupo de personas y sus familias, y por eso estamos intentando generar un cambio en cómo se ve esa integración", declaró Phelps Sprinkle, director ejecutivo de la Granja Comunitaria Peacehaven.

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LIFESTYLE 11/8/25 9:25pm

Elon’s fall dance concert explores duality of ‘Echoes and Currents’

By Megan Walsh

Body image, feminism, a battle of push and pull, invisible stories and the interconnection of a dancer and the audience are all themes explored in Elon University’s fall dance concert titled “Echoes and Currents.” Directed by performing arts professors Elijah Motley and Jen Guy Metcalf, the show will feature works from four facility members and four works from students. “Echoes and Currents” will run Nov. 14 to 16 in Roberts Studio Theatre located in Scott Studios. 

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SPORTS 11/8/25 7:30pm

Football loses fourth straight game, quarterback leaves with injury

By Benjamin Berfield

In their first game out of the bye week, the Elon University football team couldn’t snap their losing streak as they lost 34-20 to Rhode Island University. The defeat marks Elon’s fourth straight loss after starting the season 4-2. It is the second straight season in which they failed to finish with a winning record. Rhode Island scored on its first four possessions of the game and remained in control for the rest of the game. They outgained Elon 442-225 in total yards while Rhode Island redshirt junior quarterback Devin Farrell threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns. It was Rhode Island’s fourth straight win to move to 8-2 on the year. 

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LIFESTYLE 11/8/25 6:44pm

Community Closet provides Burlington residents with free professional attire

By Megan Walsh

Burlington’s May Memorial Library was filled with racks of new or gently used clothes donated for community members to take for free during the Alamance Public Library’s Community Closet event. The event held Nov. 8 offered professional attire for community members in need of clothing for any professional need or transition. According to librarian and program coordinator Christina Rhone, this event serves as the closing for the library's annual Career Compass program, geared to help people transition into new jobs or prepare to enter the workforce. 

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LIFESTYLE 11/7/25 9:22pm

Elon University celebrates second annual SUBFest

By Fiona McAllister

Elon University’s Student Union Board hosted their second annual SUBFest on Nov. 7. Young Commons was filled with live music from students, free food and student-run businesses. Elon University's radio station WSOE 89.3 was also featured and had a station where students could paint shirts and vinyl records. After months of planning, Elon senior and SUB’s special projects chair Caroline Reich said planning for this year’s festival felt less hectic than the year prior.  “This year I felt a lot more confident. I was almost like, ‘Man, I can't believe I was so nervous about this last year,’“ Reich said. 

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SPORTS 11/7/25 7:59pm

Elon men’s club rugby earns chance to host playoffs at home

By Riley Hale

As Elon University’s men's club rugby team end their regular season, they have an exciting opportunity awaiting this postseason; the opportunity to host the playoff tournament at home. Luke Wood is a senior at Elon who first started playing rugby in 2022. As the president of men’s club rugby he said he thinks being able to have the playoffs at home will provide more publicity for Elon. “Last spring we held a 16-team tournament and it was a big success,” Wood said. “Being able to hold more important sports events at home will actually make us more popular as a university and put us on the map.”

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LIFESTYLE 11/7/25 12:49pm

El condado de Alamance promueve la eliminación segura de medicamentos no utilizados mediante eventos de entrega

By Alice Morrissey

En todo el condado de Alamance, los buzones para medicamentos no utilizados ofrecen a los residentes un acceso constante y conveniente a opciones seguras para desecharlos. La organización Ciudadanos de Alamance por una Comunidad Libre de Drogas, dedicada a la prevención y reducción del consumo indebido de sustancias en la comunidad, tiene buzones ubicados en el Departamento de Policía de Mebane, el Departamento de Policía de Burlington y la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Alamance en Graham. Además de estos buzones, la organización colabora con las fuerzas del orden locales al menos dos veces al año para organizar jornadas de recolección de medicamentos, donde los residentes pueden llevar medicamentos no utilizados para su eliminación segura.

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LIFESTYLE 11/7/25 12:49pm

Alamance County promotes safe disposal of unused medication with drop-off events

By Alice Morrissey

Across Alamance County, drop boxes for unused medications give residents consistent and convenient access to safe disposal options. Alamance Citizens for a Drug Free Community, an organization focused on preventing and reducing substance misuse within the community, have boxes stationed at the Mebane Police Department, the Burlington Police Department and the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office in Graham. In addition to these drop boxes, the organization also partners with local law enforcement at least twice a year to host medicine drop-off events, where residents can bring unused medications to be disposed of safely.

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SPORTS 11/7/25 8:03am

Elon women’s basketball loses to UNC Chapel Hill, star sophomore leaves with injury

By Benjamin Berfield

A tall task for the Elon University women’s basketball team against No. 11 ranked University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill became even more challenging early in the second quarter. Four minutes into the second quarter, sophomore guard Jayda Angel awkwardly fell down while coming to a jump stop on a drive to the basket. The reigning Coastal Athletic Association Rookie of the Year and First Team All CAA preseason nominee, lay on the court for an extended period of time before having to be carried off. At the time, Elon was down 22-18 and had appeared to gain some offensive momentum with two early 3-pointers. 

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NEWS 11/6/25 11:38pm

Elon University President, Vice President of Student Life answer SGA questions

By Fiona McAllister

Elon University President Connie Book and the Vice President of Student Life Jon Dooley answered a multitude of questions from Elon’s Student Government Association about general university inquiries. On top of SGA’s questions, Book answered additional questions from Elon News Network about the Roberts Academy. Book did say that Elon University is not paying for any of the academy’s expenses. “If you're talking about cash, we're not doing cash,” Book said in an interview with Elon News Network. “We're definitely giving leadership time and the faculty time to help partner to get this set up. So, from a strategic effort, the university is participating in that.”

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NEWS 11/6/25 3:02pm

Elon University announces establishment of private school for children with dyslexia

By Charlotte Pfabe and Anjolina Fantaroni

Elon University President Connie Book announced that Elon will welcome the Roberts Academy at Elon University to campus in fall 2026. The Roberts Academy will be a private school for children with dyslexia. It will be the first private school in North Carolina located on a university campus and dedicated to serving students with dyslexia. The Roberts Academy will open in a temporary location on West Trollinger Avenue, enrolling children in third and fourth grades. A new facility on East Haggard Avenue is set to open in fall 2028, expanding enrollment to include students in first through sixth grades. 

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NEWS 11/6/25 2:17pm

Mental Health First Aid training aims to build compassion, awareness at Elon

By Lily Mosbacher

As new research from Boston University’s Healthy Minds Study shows signs of improvement in college student mental health, with rates of severe depression and suicidal ideation dropping in the past year, universities like Elon University are continuing to expand their efforts to promote student well-being. At Elon, students and staff can participate in Mental Health First Aid training, a program offered through the National Council on Mental Wellbeing. The course teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among peers and colleagues.

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NEWS 11/6/25 9:45am

Q&A: SGA vice president of finance prepares for quarter 3 funding

By Fiona McAllister

As Elon’s Student Government Association’s quarter three funding requests are due 11:59 p.m. Nov. 7, SGA’s Vice President of Finance Ian Brecker said student organizations getting their budget requests in earlier will help both himself and SGA’s finance board when it comes to making decisions. "We try to say, get them in early, and I’ll be more than happy to review it. And you can even, I even offer this to everyone, any org., any exec. member, to come to our office hours, my office hours and I could walk through with you, 'Is this descriptive enough? Is this good enough?'” Brecker said.

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SPORTS 11/5/25 11:26pm

Transfer additions guide Elon men’s basketball to dominant opening victory

By Benjamin Berfield

The newest transfer additions for the Elon University men’s basketball team wasted no time making an impact in their debuts for the Phoenix. Sophomore guard Bryson Cokley, graduate student guard Ja’Juan Carr and junior guard Randall Pettus II, Elon won its season opener 99-51 against Belmont Abbey College. Head coach Billy Taylor said he views the transfer portal as a great opportunity to grant players the chance to impact the game in different ways. “The hard part about the transfer portal is you lose really good kids that you recruit but it also presents opportunities for new young people,” Taylor said. 

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NEWS 11/5/25 1:47pm

El Concejo Municipal de Burlington nombra a un nuevo administrador de la ciudad

By Alannah Klingsporn

El Ayuntamiento de Burlington nombró a Bob Patterson como nuevo administrador municipal, tras la jubilación del anterior administrador, Craig Honeycutt. Según la página web del Ayuntamiento de Burlington, el puesto de administrador municipal es de designación y supervisa las operaciones diarias de la ciudad y todos los departamentos municipales, implementa las políticas del Ayuntamiento y mantiene a este informado sobre las finanzas y los asuntos de la ciudad. "Nuestros objetivos a corto plazo son mantener la plantilla, salarios competitivos, garantizar que contamos con empleados cualificados para seguir ofreciendo un excelente servicio a nuestros ciudadanos en todos los departamentos y, además, proporcionar el mejor uso posible de sus impuestos", declaró Patterson.

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