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LIFESTYLE 3/1/25 4:05pm

Elon Winterguard club fosters community, creative expression

By Kate Gray

A group of six students assembled at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 in Alumni Gym, chatting and catching up while pop music played on a portable speaker. Soon, among rows of empty chairs and tossed-aside backpacks, they were spinning flags and practicing choreography. This sport is winterguard, an indoor version of colorguard featuring dance and manipulation of flags, prop rifles and sabers. The winterguard club started at Elon in the 2023-24 school year but really took off this year, according to president and sophomore Leah Funchess.

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NEWS 3/1/25 1:52pm

Elon Relay for Life raises over $50,000 for American Cancer Society

By Abigail Hines

After 12 hours of relays, activities, performances, and guest speakers, the executive board for Relay for Life at Elon revealed the final number of money raised for the American Cancer Society, totaling $54,155.76. Leading up to the grand reveal, more than 700 participants relayed around the Phoenix Activities and Recreation Center and listened to members of the community talk about their personal experiences with cancer. Some of those speakers were familiar faces for Elon students.

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NEWS 2/28/25 5:50pm

Elon President Connie Book says Elon will not be affected by recent executive orders

By Ruby Burckle

Elon President Connie Book said Elon University will not be impacted by recent executive orders that propose cuts to funding for higher education and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Elon’s Student Government hosted a fireside chat event with Book and Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley to answer questions regarding recent executive orders and accessibility issues on campus.

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LIFESTYLE 2/27/25 5:59pm

Q&A: Fashion designer discusses building his shoe empire

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Stuart Weitzman is a renowned footwear designer who has built a reputation for designing shoes that balance both comfort and elegance. His brand has been worn by celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Angelina Jolie, Tate McRae, Beyoncé and more. Weitzman visited Elon University on Feb. 26 to talk to students and share his passion for designing and navigating the changing fashion industry. "You can't do it alone. And whenever I found someone to help me do it, I always sought the absolute best, most experienced, most talented. I didn't care if it cost twice as much," Weitzman said.

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NEWS 2/27/25 3:17pm

SGA Elections 2025: Executive changes, rising candidate interest

By Liya Rike

This year’s Student Government Association elections bring changes to the process, including the addition of an executive vice president role, expanding the executive positions to five. Forty total candidates are running — an increase from recent years. Historically, voter turnout has been low. To address this issue, the SGA has increased outreach efforts, using social media campaigns, campus-wide events and measures such as the Phoenix Five Weekly email to raise awareness. Vice President of Communications Ella Kucera said student awareness of elections varies, with some students informed and others possibly forgetting. 

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SPORTS 2/27/25 10:56am

Former softball star returns to Elon in new role

By Miles Hayford

Carley Davis was getting ready for her final season of college softball last January, but bigger things were on her mind. She was thinking about life after her collegiate experience at Elon University. She was looking to become a graduate assistant coach and was exploring different opportunities at schools across North Carolina. She had been discussing her plans with Elon head coach Kathy Bocock throughout the entire process, and when the opportunity to stay at Elon after her final season presented itself, the choice was obvious.

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LIFESTYLE 2/27/25 9:16am

Elon University Carnaval celebration features live music, dancing, cultural food

By Kate Gray

With live steel pan music, mask decorating and a buffet of Caribbean and Latin American food, the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education and El Centro kicked off Elon’s third annual Carnaval celebration on Feb. 26 in McKinnon Hall.  Elon’s Carnaval began with a Brazilian student who graduated last year, according to MJ Larrazabal, assistant director of the CREDE. As the event grows in popularity, it has expanded to include more Latin American countries and showcase African and Indigenous influences.

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NEWS 2/26/25 9:44pm

Simply Oak to close after 8 years in Elon

By Nia Bedard

After eight years in business, Simply Oak, a boutique in downtown Elon announced through its Instagram on Feb. 25. Melissa Troutman ’13, who attended Elon University for both undergrad and graduate school, said Simply Oak started because of Elon. “This was a school project.” Troutman said. “Last semester of grad school, we had to write a business plan so I did it on a boutique, just because I always love the idea of owning a store and owning my own business.” Simply Oak will reside in its space at 108 W. Lebanon Ave. until March 31.

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NEWS 2/26/25 5:53pm

Elon University's Student Government Association cuts down travel funding

By Fiona McAllister

In the previous Student Government Association financial bylaws, travel for conferences and other off-campus events covered the cost of hotels, meals and mileage for personal vehicles. However, those expenses are no longer covered by SGA. SGA will still cover the cost of registration fees, flights and mileage for university vehicles. As for covering those non-included fees, such as hotels, Cote said SGA is looking to help organizations raise their own funding According to SGA’s Finances website the first funding requests for quarter one, June 1 to Oct. 31, will be due April 11.

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NEWS 2/26/25 9:55am

New Alamance County library label brings LGBTQ+ controversy

By Avery Sloan and Abigail Hobbs

Books containing violence, underage drinking and drugs or sexually explicit content at the Alamance County libraries will be labeled with a parental guidance suggested sticker, if the Alamance County Commissioners vote to approve the label. The Alamance County Library Committee voted at its Feb. 11 meeting to bring the issue to the commissioners. The label brought controversy after the committee considered labeling LGBTQ+ content in books, according to the minutes from the Nov. 12 meeting.  The American Library Association recommends against labeling books with LGBTQ+ themes as it can draw negative attention. 

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LIFESTYLE 2/25/25 10:43pm

Historic photos of Elon put on display in town annex

By Fiona McAllister

The Town of Elon hosted a showing of historic photos from places around Elon — like Elon University. People were encouraged to stop by and write down anything they knew about each photo’s backstory. The photos were enlarged in order for people to see the photos clearly. Artificial intelligence was used to enhance physical features on those in the photographs. Jill Weston, the downtown development director for the town of Elon said the photos went through a very thorough process, until finally ending up back in North Carolina.

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NEWS 2/25/25 2:45pm

Elon Poll finds continued division across party lines

By Avery Sloan

New Elon Poll shows partisan division on public opinion regarding immigration enforcement and consequences of tariffs. Respondents were split on approving or disapproving the job President Donald Trump is doing, with 45% approving and 41% disapproving. However, when split up by party, 88% of Republicans said they approved of his job and 75% of Democrats said they disapproved. Survey respondents were also split on their opinions of the consequences of tariffs on the price of goods and impacts on businesses. 

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NEWS 2/25/25 11:04am

Alamance-Burlington School System board member Chuck Marsh announces retirement, residents speak out for classified employee raises

By Avery Sloan

Chuck Marsh, Alamance-Burlington School System board member, announced his resignation at the Feb. 24 Board of Education meeting in a letter read by Sandy Ellington-Graves, ABSS Board of Education board chair. Marsh has previously had health issues, causing him to miss meetings, and he is planning to spend more of his focus on the four businesses he runs, he said in his resignation letter.

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NEWS 2/24/25 10:50pm

Elon Town Council votes to start the amendment process on code of ordinances

By Nia Bedard

The Elon Town Council held a meeting Feb. 24 to amend the code of ordinances, name a new attorney for the town of Elon and hear updates from the planning committee about landscaping of the ramp on Haggard Avenue. Following the last town council meeting, where town manager Rich Roedner presented an amendment to the code of ordinances to the council, the council unanimously voted to begin the process to change the penalties for violating the town ordinances. The council also voted to appoint a new town attorney, Nick Tosco, who specializes in local government law and complex civil litigation.

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NEWS 2/24/25 4:37pm

Annual vigil commemorates the 155th anniversary of Wyatt Outlaw’s lynching

By Lilly Molina

Feb. 26th marks the 155th anniversary of Wyatt Outlaw’s lynching that happened right in the middle of Graham. The Alamance County Community Remembrance Coalition hosted its 6th annual vigil outside Graham’s courthouse to commemorate Outlaw’s life and legacy, along with two other lynching victims, William Puryear and John Jeffress. At these events, attendees have the opportunity to place the soil where each lynching took place into a jar and the coalition then keep it in the African-American Cultural Art and History Center in remembrance of these tragedies.

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LIFESTYLE 2/24/25 2:40pm

Elon University Truitt Center hosts Ripple Conference, fosters interfaith connection

By Ruby Burckle

With an estimated 150 attendees hailing from over 10 universities, the Ripple Conference, held from Feb. 21 to 23, showcased the importance of interfaith dialogue on college campuses. The Ripple Conference is the largest student-led interfaith conference in the Southeast. This year, the conference’s theme was “The Art of Interfaith” and explored how art can bridge the gap between people of different faiths. On Feb. 21, the first day of the conference, participants gathered in the Richard McBride Gathering Space to hear from keynote speaker Rodger Kamenetz, a poet and author.

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LIFESTYLE 2/23/25 4:12pm

Piedmont Shakespeare Company brings free professional theatre to Triad

By Megan Walsh

This summer, the Piedmont Shakespeare Company will open its inaugural season performing Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” across six locations in the Piedmont-Triad area. The company was created by Elon professors David McGraw, serving as executive director of the company, and Kim Shively, serving as a co-artistic director, alongside University of North Carolina School of the Arts professor Carl Forsman. It aims to bring free Shakespeare to people all over the Piedmont Triad region. On Feb. 15, the company announced auditions will be held on March 2 at Elon and March 9 at UNC School of the Arts.

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SPORTS 2/22/25 10:45pm

Elon University men’s basketball falls short in final home game, loses to William & Mary

By Miles Hayford

Despite almost coming back late in the second half, Elon University men’s basketball team fell just short in its final home game of the season, losing 79-70 to William & Mary. An 23-3 run going into the half for the Tribe proved too much to come back, despite Elon’s attempt to claw back late in the game. “Certainly, a lot of things that we could have done better, but in terms of our competitiveness, our fight, our defense in the second half, I was really pleased and hopeful for things to come,” said head coach Billy Taylor.

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SPORTS 2/22/25 6:38pm

Elon women’s tennis crushes Salem in a 7-0 victory

By Divesh Anchaliya

In a display of skill and coordination, Elon women’s tennis excelled in a commanding display against Salem, achieving a clean sweep across all courts with three 6-0 victories during doubles play. They also won handedly in singles. The team’s success on the courts can be attributed to a focused and individualized training program implemented in recent weeks, head coach Elizabeth Anderson, said. 

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SPORTS 2/22/25 3:29pm

Elon University lacrosse captures first win of the season, beats VCU

By Miles Hayford

After only scoring 11 goals through the first two games, Elon University’s lacrosse team exploded offensively, winning 17-6 against Virginia Commonwealth University. VCU opened the game with a couple of promising looks but were thwarted by the Phoenix as VCU caused a few early turnovers. Four minutes into the game, Elon capitalized on its early energy as senior Lila Ceribelli opened the day’s scoring, mirroring how she scored the first goal of the season against Duke.

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