The Edge

NEWS 8/30/24 12:32pm

Elon launches AI alumni network program, ElonGPT

By Avery Sloan

When asked what services they want from their alma mater, Elon alumni overwhelmingly said they don’t need anything — but want to give back to current students. Kendra Haskins, senior director of Alumni Engagement, said Elon is launching a new AI program Sept. 16 to help students connect to Elon alumni. The Student Professional Development Center in partnership with Alumni Engagement is using a platform called Protopia, which is made for AI alumni engagement. The company is headquartered in Raleigh but works with schools internationally.

SPORTS 8/30/24 12:00am

Elon University cross-country team embraces change as season approaches

By Miles Hayford

After five straight years of dominance, the Elon cross-country team faces a new challenge this year. Following five CAA championships by the women and sustained success by the men, the team now has an uncertain future under new leadership. After seven years at Elon, head coach Kevin Jermyn resigned and became Duke University’s head coach. Former Eastern Michigan University head cross-country coach Mark Rinker was hired in the offseason and has big shoes to fill. Rinker acknowledges there is already an expectation of success, but he said he hopes to bring his personality and technique to the table.

SPORTS 8/30/24 12:00am

Elon Dance Team prepares for nationals after two, second place finishes

By Benjamin Berfield

Elon University’s dance team is continuing to raise expectations before the season, said Coach Elly Dirks described the team’s growth mindset as a valuable component throughout each performance. Senior dancer Sarah Whiting agreed with Dirks and said the team’s aspirations continue to rise with their recent success. She attributed this toward the talent around the roster. Elon’s dance team has enjoyed a successful three year period thus far. In 2022, they won first place in the hip hop category at nationals and followed that up with two consecutive second place finishes in 2023 and 2024. Three members, including Whiting, remain from the 2022 team.

SPORTS 8/30/24 12:00am

Elon University football looks to take another step in 2024

By Benjamin Berfield

There is plenty of optimism surrounding Elon University’s football team heading into the 2024 season. Despite not making the 2023 Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs, they finished with a 6-5 season which included a 6-2 record in conference play. While they are ranked sixth out of 16 teams in the Colonial Atlantic Conference in a preseason poll conducted by all of the league’s head coaches, head coach Tony Trisciani believes Elon is more than capable of exceeding those rankings. As for the previous season, Trisciani said Elon is aiming to take the next step after missing the playoffs by one game.

SPORTS 8/30/24 12:00am

Elon University football quarterback grows from adversity

By Miles Hayford

Matthew Downing, the starting quarterback for Elon University’s football team, said going into his seventh year has created a lot of doubt from others, but he remains steadfast in his decision to keep coming back to football. Downing’s seven year college football journey is not normal by any means. College football quarterbacks typically only get four years of eligibility. But Downing was plagued by a lack of playing time, injuries and playing through COVID-19. All three roadblocks provided a path for the NCAA to grant Downing more years of eligibility as his college career went on.

SPORTS 8/30/24 12:00am

Elon volleyball comes into season with new mindset, experience

By Miles Hayford

A reinvigorated Elon University women’s volleyball team will be stepping onto the court this season — hoping for a better result than last season. The team, led by head coach Mary Tendler, ended last season with a 5-22 record. With six new additions to the program last year, inexperience was one of many pitfalls the team faced throughout the season. The players’ inexperience in the tough environment of college athletics was clear with the team going 0-11 at away games. However, Tendler doesn’t think that will be as much of a problem since those freshmen will now have the experience needed to find success.

SPORTS 8/30/24 12:00am

Elon University men’s soccer looks to finish the job, win conference

By Miles Hayford

After losing in the Coastal Athletic Association Championship two times in the last three years and falling short in a penalty shootout in the CAA Tournament semifinals last year, the Elon University men’s soccer team is entering the 2024 season with a sense of determination. Head coach Marc Reeves said the team is aiming to finally win the CAA Tournament for the first time and get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Reeves said considering the small margins of college soccer, the team needs to maximize the strength of the players they’ve got and set them up to be successful.

SPORTS 8/30/24 12:00am

Defender Katie Lowe hopes to end collegiate career on high note

By Benjamin Berfield

Graduate student defender Katie Lowe had an opportunity to return to Elon University’s women’s soccer team for a fifth year after being granted another year of eligibility with COVID-19, and now Lowe wants to take advantage of the chance to suit up one more time. In her senior season, Lowe was named team captain and recently selected to her third Preseason All-CAA honorable mention team. However, Lowe said she feels like there’s still unfinished business. She cited last year’s 3-9 record as one reason why she’s coming back.  

NEWS 8/29/24 9:14am

Elon University installs naloxone stations as part of opioid harm reduction initiative

By Avery Sloan

This semester, naloxone boxes were placed around campus in each residential hall across campus. Narcan, the brand name for the drug naloxone, was placed in what’s called one boxes as a preventative measure in case any student overdoses from fentanyl or opioids. But, in the last 10 years there have been two suspected situations where naloxone was used — one off campus, one on campus — Joe LeMire, chief of Campus Police, said. Naloxone is a life saving drug that blocks the effects of opiates on the brain and restores breathing.

NEWS 8/28/24 10:20am

Interning Elon senior pushes community engagement

By Arti Jain

An internship for the town of Elon may not be the most obvious choice for Elon University senior Kai Whiteside, who is pursuing an English major with a focus in creative writing. But that’s exactly what he did this summer. Whiteside pursued the internship opportunity because of his previous experience with the town of Elon. In 2022, Whiteside and a group of Elon University students went before the town council to petition for the creation of a skate park. Since, they’ve received preliminary funding and hope to open the park in 2026.

NEWS 8/27/24 4:13pm

Elon Poll shows voter concern over fair, accurate election

By Abigail Hobbs

Less than half of North Carolina voters said they have confidence that the national vote count will be fair and accurate in the 2024 election, as found by a poll conducted by Elon Poll in partnership with The Charlotte Observer, The News & Observer and The Durham Herald-Sun. This is a major decrease from the 2020 poll, where 69% of voters were confident in the election process. Jason Husser, director of the Elon Poll, said the lack of confidence in the integrity of elections is a new phenomenon.

NEWS 8/27/24 2:52pm

West End Apartments discovers mold

By Fiona McAllister and Ryan Kupperman

Kelly Reis, owner and operator of Blue Kangaroo Packoutz of Greensboro, arrived at West End Apartments on Aug. 27 to clean and clear out an apartment experiencing a mold outbreak. West End Apartments are located just past MaGerk’s Pub on West Lebanon Avenue; the complex is owned by RedStone Property Management and is not affiliated with Elon University. Brandon Sowers, CEO of RedStone Property Management, refuted Reis’ statement — stating that the incident was not caused by the air conditioning being left on all summer, but rather by the system being used incorrectly.

NEWS 8/26/24 10:54pm

Elon Town Council passes noise ordinance change

By Nia Bedard

After previously hearing from Elon Chief of Police Kelly Blackwelder on July 16, the town council unanimously approved changes to the town’s noise ordinance. Now with the new approved changes, a noise violation is classified as a civil violation with progressively increasing fines starting at $100. If violations continue, the fine increases to $200 and then $300 if violations continue within a 12-month period. However, police officers can still charge someone with a misdemeanor for a noise ordinance violation. Mayor Pro Tem Monti Allison said he thinks this change will positively affect the Elon community.

LIFESTYLE 8/26/24 12:12pm

Elon University community built on decades of longstanding, emergent traditions

By Sarah T. Moore

Potential students learn about acorns, oak saplings, College Coffee and Numen Lumen during campus tours, but these aren’t the only traditions in which students, families, staff and faculty to participate in. While these traditions have changed over time — to stay relevant and accommodate a growing student population — these events and activities unite generations of Elon’s community, according to Jana Lynn Patterson, Traditions Council chair and dean of students.

LIFESTYLE 8/26/24 10:39am

‘A friend, a confidant, a mentor’

By Adelaide Kuzma and Alana Moss-Caldwell

The Rev. Bill Sharpe found his home in helping others. Sprawled through his life, including his time as Elon University’s first chaplain and counselor, is a constellation of those he inspired and the works he created. Sharpe died in January 2020 of cancer. Elon University created an archive of his collections in May of 2024 that include pieces of memorabilia he collected over the years such as photographs of staff members, letters, playbills and newspaper clippings. The collection itself was assembled by an archival student, Jasper Meyers ’24.

NEWS 8/24/24 1:12pm

Class of 2028 starts Elon journey with Convocation

By Nia Bedard

Caroline Staley’s education has always been rooted in tradition. After attending an all-girls, private school in Philadelphia, she was reminded of her love of tradition when she received her acorn at Elon University’s New Student Convocation on Aug. 24. During convocation, 1,624 freshmen and 75 transfer students took part in their first Elon tradition of receiving their acorns. Elon parent Jill O’Brien said she felt bittersweet about saying goodbye to her daughter,  while others — like parent Carolyn Williams —said the thought of their children being away from them hasn’t sunk in yet.

NEWS 8/23/24 10:09am

Faculty, students celebrate move-in day in Schar Center

By Alexa Citrin

Walking around and greeting families at the Schar Center is Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley’s favorite part of the move in experience at Elon. The drive-through system, adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, allows for Dooley to see the the new families — and their excitement — first-hand. — and their excitement — first-hand.

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