Coronavirus Coverage

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NEWS 12/20/20 1:20pm

Alamance County expected to receive shipments of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine

By Madalyn Howard

Alamance County Health Director Tony Lo Giudice said Alamance County has prioritized the Moderna vaccine over the Pfizer vaccine because of the health department’s existing storage infrastructure. Lo Giudice expects the first shipment of the Moderna vaccine to arrive in Alamance County the week of Dec. 21. 

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NEWS 12/11/20 4:09pm

Elon businesses brace for North Carolina’s modified stay-at-home order

By Sam Hess

The executive order follows consistent record breaking numbers of COVID-19 cases in the state and country. There have been an estimated 423,623 total cases in North Carolina as of Dec. 11, and cases in the state have broken single-day records on three separate days within the past week, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

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NEWS 12/10/20 6:13pm

Elon University to require on-campus COVID-19 test, quarantine for Winter Term return

By Sophie Rosenthal

Students will also be required to complete PCR testing every other week and rapid antigen testing weekly, once supplies are available, in the winter and spring semesters, unlike testing done in the fall semester.

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NEWS 12/10/20 10:37am

North Carolina plans COVID-19 vaccine distribution, as FDA approval nears

By Kyra O'Connor

According to Alamance County Health Director Tony Lo Giudice, long-term care facilities u2014 which are part of Phase 1b of vaccine distribution u2014 have the ability to partner with pharmacies registered with the state and federal government to provide the vaccine. As soon as doses become available, the state will then give the allotted number of doses to registered pharmacies and providers, who will work with long-term care facilities to vaccinate staff and residents.

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LIFESTYLE 12/2/20 12:40pm

Elon panhellenic sorority and IFC recruitment postponed

By Jinger Callwood

Recruitment was already expected to take place virtually to adhere to physical distancing guidelines, but now Elon’s Panhellenic Association and Interfraternity Council recruitment process, which usually takes place during Fake Break has been postponed without a rescheduled date as of now.  

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NEWS 12/1/20 8:11pm

Rep. Ted Budd tests positive for COVID-19

By Jinger Callwood

Rep. Ted Budd, the 49-year old Republican representative of North Carolina’s 13th congressional district, said he is experiencing mild symptoms after testing positive for the coronavirus. Budd, who won reelection to represent NC-13 which includes Alamance County, released a statement and short video on his social media on Tuesday, Dec. 1, stating that he tested positive for coronavirus and will self-quarantine at home. 

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SPORTS 12/1/20 2:09pm

Elon men's basketball activity paused due to COVID-19 case

By Caitlin Rundle

The Elon University men’s basketball team currently faces a 14-day pause on all activity after a Tier 1 personnel — which includes athletes, coaches and support staff — identified a positive COVID-19 case on Tuesday, according to a press release from Elon athletics. The positive case comes after the Phoenix played its first two games of the season, leading to victories against High Point University and North Carolina Wesleyan College.

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SPORTS 11/25/20 5:14pm

Men's cross country holds strong despite pandemic

By Max Crider

The pandemic has delayed the start of the season for many fall athletes, stopping players from practicing with each other. Despite this, the cross country team has been able to get back on its feet without a normal season. They are looking to build on a third-place finish at the CAA Championships last fall and a 25th-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships.

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SPORTS 11/25/20 1:28pm

Women's cross country prepares for winter season

By Hope Suire and Caitlin Rundle

As seniors, Bridget Kanaley, a member of the women's cross country team, said they’ve had lots of positive experiences in the past four years. She said that the biggest challenge has been accepting the fact that this season is going to be different than the others, despite their hope that their last year would be the best year.

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NEWS 11/24/20 12:08pm

Physical distance regulations change senior experiences

By Anna Terry

Rather than attending tailgates, formals, the Elon Ball and other group gatherings, Elon University seniors this year must spend their final year at Elon following of mask ordinances and physical distancing regulations. For some seniors, not having the option to attend campus-wide events with friends and family has been one of the hardest changes they have had to come to terms with. 

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SPORTS 11/19/20 3:37pm

Elon women's basketball prepares for upcoming season

By Hope Suire

Disappointment surged through the women’s basketball team last year after the announcement was made that the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. For the upcoming season, the team will take the court at Gardner-Webb University on Nov. 25 for their first game of the 2020-21 season. Their first CAA matchup will be against Northeastern University on Jan. 2.

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LIFESTYLE 11/19/20 1:21pm

Burlington Animal Services sees increase in fostering

By Anna Terry

Rather than to connect friends and family, Burlington Animal Services is using online video chatting in a different way — to connect people and pets. Rather than staying at the BAS facility, 90% of their animals are currently in foster homes, whereas before coronavirus, Arias estimated that no more than 25-30% of their animals were in foster care. 

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NEWS 11/18/20 3:39pm

Students consider no-cost COVID-19 testing before Thanksgiving break

By Jess Baker

As Thanksgiving break approaches and students prepare to travel home, Elon University students are considering whether or not to get tested for the coronavirus. Beginning on Nov. 16, Elon began providing pre-departure COVID-19 testing at no cost to students, faculty and staff. 

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NEWS 11/18/20 10:00am

Zoom fatigue experiment to be done on students

By Caitlin Rundle

Elon seniors Alexandra Smith and Emily Klevan said that because the idea of “Zoom fatigue” is so new, studies haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly what it is or what may cause it. Smith said that for their initial research, they looked at articles written by the New York Times and the Washington Post where psychologists hypothesized that “prolonged engagement with Zoom calls and video conferencing in general may lead to people experiencing anxiety, worry and fatigue,” as Smith said. 

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SPORTS 11/16/20 10:46am

Elon women's soccer enters the unknown without spring schedule

By Caitlin Rundle

University football and basketball teams have been given a schedule for CAA play, but women’s soccer has yet to confirm that its spring season will actually happen. The team started off practices with small groups of four members and no contact during drills. They’ve now worked up to full team practices with contact and weight training in two groups. 

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NEWS 11/16/20 8:32am

Fall semester changes traditional freshman experience

By Cailey Cetani

There are over 1,500 freshmen enrolled this year. With the semester looking different than in the past, many freshmen have appreciated being on campus, but some are struggling to balance school work, making friends and staying safe during a pandemic. 

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NEWS 11/13/20 2:53pm

Local businesses prepare for departure of students for Thanksgiving break

By Quinn Corrigan

In just a few weeks, North Williamson Avenue will experience a downturn in traffic as students are leaving campus for a winter break longer than usual. Stores such as All That Jas and The Oak House are preparing for this shift in business. 

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SPORTS 11/12/20 6:35pm

Marching through a pandemic

By Ian Taylor

Marching band, like all other clubs and organizations on Elon’s campus, was given a series of guidelines by the administration in order to conduct operations safely and limit the spread of the coronavirus. For the band, these guidelines led to shorter practices and practicing in small groups organized by instrument rather than as a whole, while remaining at least six feet apart.

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LIFESTYLE 11/12/20 12:25pm

Elon reenvisions Festival of Holiday Lights

By Jinger Callwood

Typically, students assemble in front of Alamance Building for an evening of live music, hot chocolate, apple cider, snacks and an appearance from Santa Claus. The event will reportedly not host live performances this year to minimize crowding. But this year, students will have access to a virtual component including QR codes to help guide them to different stations set up throughout the Academic Village instead of events being centrally located at Alamance building.

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NEWS 11/11/20 3:52pm

Study abroad plans for Elon community put on hold

By Jacob Kisamore

There are 19 students — 13 of them undergraduates — currently participating in study abroad or study USA programs. There are seven students abroad in Germany, Rwanda, South Korea and the United Kingdom and six students completing Business Dual Degree programs in France, Germany and Spain. 

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