It has been almost a year since the formation of Vital Signs, Elon University’s newest a cappella group.
At a recent rally against Amendment One to the North Carolina State Constitution, more than 100 students, faculty and staff showed up protesting the unfair disregard for the rights of LGBTQ citizens throughout the state. While the rights enjoyed by the LGBTQ community at Elon are not to be questioned, they have not been fully realized, because of the delay of the opening of the LGBTQ office, currently coordinated by Kirstin Ringelberg, associate professor of art history. In an interview with The Pendulum after taking over the position in August, Ringelberg acknowledged the challenges posed by the lack of a physical space. “The lack of visibility on campus is one of the things that allows our population to be invisible, and therefore to not be supported in the same way that it would be if it was more visible,” she said. That is not to say the LGBTQ community of students has not led the charge of the movement. This semester in The Pendulum, you’ve read about the Vote Against movement drumming up opposition to Amendment One, which would more strictly define marriage as only between a man and a woman. You’ve heard from junior Laura Sturm, who is single-handedly coordinating a proposal for gender-neutral housing to present to the university administration. You’ve scrolled through the QueErLON Blog, featuring real stories from your peers and professors about the LGBTQ community and its allies. But what remains noticeably absent is the physical office space promised to the Elon LGBTQ community.
Spring break: a stereotypical week-long collegiate Christmas-come-early. It’s the time of year when students take a break from grueling regimes of procrastinating and pulling all-nighters to head to the beach for some fun in the sun.
A smile spread widely across the face of Jennifer Fry while talking about the opportunity she has been given here at Elon as an assistant volleyball coach. “The community, the ability to work under (head coach) Mary (Tendler), the reputation Elon has academically and athletically, the students love it here,” she said.
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh recently called out Georgetown University Law student Sandra Fluke for being a “slut” for publicly advocating student birth control rights should be covered under her Catholic institution’s health care plan.The media coverage of the incident exploded overnight. Political commentators right and left were quick to call out Limbaugh’s sexist flub, causing him to lose a significant amount of endorsement deals.
The times, they are a-changin’. When music legend and activist Bob Dylan wrote this song, they were.
You meet up, you get down and dirty, you get out – most likely in only a night. Two people barely know each other and in only a few hours, they’re going at it like rabbits.
On a September 2010 day, an Elon University student got a text message that made his love for music much more tangible. At the suggestion of his hometown friend, Sophomore Conor Ambrose co-founded Dirty Mexican Lemonade, a music blog that posts music reviews, links and videos. Neither Ambrose nor Ryan Gardner, then a freshman at the University of Richmond, thought their site would gain fame. The blog started as a place for the two friends to post links to songs from some of their favorite music artists and provide a place for fans to download the tunes.
It’s been more than a week since his off-color comments, but Rush Limbaugh is far from removed from the spotlight. After Georgetown University Law student Sandra Fluke testified before Congress in support of mandated private health insurance coverage of contraceptives, Limbaugh took to the airwaves of his conservative talk radio show to deride her as a “slut,” among other crude statements. The situation highlights issues of gender and politics, said Mandy Gallagher, assistant professor of communications and coordinator of the women’s and gender studies program at Elon University. “There has always been debate and discussion, but this seems like debate and discussion not contributing to any outcome, just everyone wanting to get their voices heard,” she said. In her statement, Fluke argued in support of requiring all private insurance plans to cover the cost of contraceptives, including religious institutions.
Sixty-nine-year-old O.T. Bailey has a charming southern drawl, a gracious smile and a passion for bluebirds. “I’ve fallen in love with bluebirds,” Bailey said. The retired counselor started making bluebird houses in 2004 after his former secretary gave him one as a present. “I never get sick of making them,” Bailed said.
Ethical business dilemmas are rarely resolved from textbook solutions. Two groups of Elon business students returned this month from Washington, D.C.
Elon University alumna Stacy Laue, Class of 2009 left her hometown roots for employment as a team leader for United Guaranty Corporation in Greensboro.
The audience’s screams of delight rang clear up to the rafters of Whitley Auditorium Saturday night, as Elon University’s a cappella community joined forces with other local and distant groups to put on Elon’s ninth annual Acappallooza event. This year’s Acappallooza theme, VOICESONLY, remained ever-present as each group performed arrangements of multiple genres of music, using only the power of their voices to carry the tune. Hosted by Sweet Signatures, Elon’s only all-female ensemble, Acappallooza is an annual event on campus — one that strives to bring together Elon’s a cappella community while reaching out to other university groups to come perform as well. Junior Connor Stirland, president of Elon’s all-male a cappella group, Rip_Chord, said he believes students find Acappallooza appealing because it offers a refreshing change of pace from the style of music they normally hear. “I think that a cappella is particularly big at Elon right now because we sing songs that people wouldn’t necessarily hear on a day-to-day basis,” Stirland said.
Elon University’s Flight of the Phoenix ballroom dance competition team will soon showcase its rhythm on the dance floor on its first-ever trip to the National DanceSport Championships. Team members will be competing in bronze smooth events, consisting of the waltz and foxtrot, as well as bronze rhythm events, consisting of the cha-cha and rumba. Freshman Caroline Medley, who has been ballroom dancing for eight years, is one of the team members in the first delegation Elon has ever sent to the national competition. “This is the first year that couples on our team are going to nationals because of scheduling conflicts in the past,” said sophomore Claire Mauro, publicist for Club Dance.
Although the human population reproduces, water supply does not, making some students feel it is necessary to turn their attention to water conservation. Elon’s efforts in water conservation were discussed at a national conference, held by The American Waterworks Association and the Elon University Center for Environmental Studies, which investigated innovative water reuse programs. “It’s important for Elon students to care and know about this because it’s our generation that’s going to have to deal with it,” said sophomore Pat Howell, who attended the conference with his Humans and Nature class.
For freshman Yasmine Arrington, chocolate chips and scholarships have something in common. That's why she chose to host a profit share at Local Yogurt to raise money for ScholarCHIPS, an organization she founded two years ago. “ScholarCHIPS is a non-profit organization that raises college dollars for high school graduates who have incarcerated parents, who would like to continue their education (and) go to college,” she said. Arrington said holding the profit share at Local Yogurt was an obvious choice. “People love yogurt,” she said.
Their job is to represent the student body. Immersing themselves in a national dialogue adds Elon University’s voice to the equation. “I think it gives us a stronger voice as a leader on campus because we are supposed to be the voice of the students,” said Sam Warren, Student Government Association executive president.
If she wouldn’t buy it, she won’t sell it. That’s Heather Mize’s No. 1 rule for her downtown Burlington vintage store, Nest. It may only be open Fridays and Saturdays, but according to Mize, the 10 a.m.
Learning and living have cultivated an inextricable link. For sophomore Emily Forinash, information extracted from environmental studies is apparent in her behavior and efforts throughout POWERless competition. “My major is environmental studies, and I’ve realized that the stuff I’ve been exposed to are along the lines of environmental duties,” Forinash said.
Let’s start easy with an old reliable. Leave campus, get to Church Street and go east for about five minutes.
