Hurricane Florence Coverage

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NEWS 5/20/26 4:20pm

Elon University celebrates 136th Commencement

By Elon News Network

Elon University honored students for their achievements and the journeys they made to graduation. Stay tuned for more coverage as commencement activities continue.

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LIFESTYLE 5/20/26 2:47pm

From landscaping to utilities, university readies campus for commencement

By Mia Torres

As commencement approaches at Elon University, behind the scenes, the landscaping, grounds, facilities and utilities teams are already deep into preparations to ensure the university looks its best for graduating students and their families. For Audrey Rose, a gardener, commencement season is both familiar and demanding. While campus upkeep is a year-round responsibility, she said the work intensifies in the weeks leading up to graduation, particularly after May 8.

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LIFESTYLE 5/19/26 11:55pm

‘Rooted deeply’: Elon University’s class of 2026 reminisces during Numen Lumen Senior Baccalaureate Reflection

By Charlotte Pfabe

As the sun ducked behind Snow Family Grand Atrium, over 1,400 candles lit the darkness Under the Oaks during Elon University’s annual Numen Lumen Senior Baccalaureate Reflection ceremony May 19. The senior baccalaureate is a celebration for Elon seniors focused on light, both spiritually and intellectually, according to Elon University.

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LIFESTYLE 5/18/26 6:02pm

Human service studies student centers community in upcoming commencement speech

By Elissa Leka

Two years ago, Ruby Radis watched her sorority big, best friend and Elon alum, Grace Ackerman, speak at the commencement ceremony in 2024. What Radis didn’t know was that moment would open the possibility of being a speaker at her own graduation. Radis, a human service studies major, was selected by a board of Elon University students, faculty and President Connie Book to be the undergraduate commencement speaker for the 136th Commencement ceremonies on May 22.

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NEWS 5/17/26 5:19pm

NC bill seeks protections for immigrant students amid ICE fears

By Lily Mosbacher

More than 20,000 students were absent from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools during immigration enforcement operations last fall, according to district reporting, a wave of fear that helped spark a new bill in the North Carolina General Assembly aimed at protecting immigrant students in public schools.House Bill 1061, titled the “Plyler Educational Protections,” would reinforce students’ right to public education and establish clearer guidance for how schools respond to federal immigration enforcement requests. 

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SPORTS 5/16/26 8:41pm

Triple Crown Clinched: Elon wins Coastal Athletic Association women’s track championship

By Kathan Gandhi

Two days. 17 finals events. 15 podium finishes. One championship trophy. That was the scene at Elon’s Jerry and Jeanne Robertson Track and Field Complex on May 15 and 16, as Elon hosted and won the Coastal Athletic Association Outdoor Track and Field championships. Elon women’s track and field’s first-place finish clinched a self-proclaimed ‘Triple Crown’ — winning the CAA in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field. 

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NEWS 5/15/26 2:04pm

2 Elon librarians retire at end of 2025-26 academic year

By Anjolina Fantaroni

At the end of the 2025-2026 academic year, two Elon University librarians are turning the page to retirement. Both Teresa LePors and Patrick Rudd will leave their positions in just a few short weeks. The two together have worked a total of 68 years at Elon. For LePors, 45 years, and for Rudd, 23. 

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NEWS 5/14/26 2:19pm

Smoke fills business center classroom, some final exams delayed

By Fiona McAllister

Around 12:45 p.m. May 14, Elon sophomore Reese Hurwitch said she saw and smelled smoke coming from her classroom on the third floor of the Koury Business Center, KOBC 310. According to Town of Elon Police division chief Brandon Waddell, there was a problem with the HVAC system in the classroom, causing smoke to form.

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NEWS 5/14/26 1:55pm

Elon nursing seniors prepare for national exam

By Emma Perman

As graduation approaches for seniors in the nursing program at Elon University, many students say their final hurdle before officially becoming a registered nurse is actually after they walk across the stage. The National Council Licensure Examination, better known as the NCLEX, is the standardized national exam required for nursing graduates to become licensed registered nurses in the United States. 

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NEWS 5/14/26 11:52am

Clipping the South's wisteria problem

By Catherine Smith

Sam Wright kneels at the base of a tree, just where the woods thin out along the edge of the Oak Crest neighborhood. The line between property and forest is blurred here, somewhere along the border of Chatham and Orange County — and thick with rolling waves of wisteria.

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LIFESTYLE 5/13/26 8:52pm

Q&A: Energizing entrepreneurship; students launch energy drink business

By Alice Morrissey

What was your process in creating and designing these drinks? We started with Bernardo Vargas, my friend and co-founder. A year and a half ago we both went to the Ecuadorian Amazon. I am from Ecuador, and he came with me. He tried Guayusa which is a plant in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

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SPORTS 5/12/26 10:29pm

Transfer Tracker: Elon adds 5 to men’s basketball

By Kathan Gandhi

After an inconsistent 14-18 season, Elon men's basketball is undergoing a roster reset heading into the 2026–27 campaign. For the second straight offseason, the transfer portal has dramatically altered the Phoenix roster. A year after losing nine scholarship players, Elon is again navigating turnover, with four departures and five additions signaling another roster transition heading into the next season.

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OPINIONS 5/12/26 12:41pm

OPINION: Elon University cannot stay silent on ICE

By Miles Prenda

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations have surged since President Trump began his second term. Meanwhile, the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office has worked hand-in-hand with the agency. Throughout that time, Elon University has remained silent as ICE operated in its own backyard, risking the safety of students, staff and faculty alike.

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LIFESTYLE 5/11/26 11:11pm

Elon Art History program celebrates seniors in muggening celebration

By Megan Walsh

The Elon University Art History program celebrated its seniors with mugs and books picked specifically for each senior at the end-of-year Muggening celebration May 11. The celebration brought art history majors and minors together, as well as the museum studies minors, to celebrate the graduating seniors at Powell House, the program’s home.

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SPORTS 5/11/26 11:46am

Betting boom hits North Carolina campuses, reshapes sports culture

By Benjamin Berfield

North Carolina has collected over $250 million from sports betting since it was legalized in the state, according to the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Sports betting allows people to wager money on different outcomes for sporting events, whether it’s the final score or an individual player’s performance. 

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NEWS 5/10/26 8:44pm

Alamance County navigates ongoing statewide drought

By Evan Cooper

With much of North Carolina having faced drought conditions for several months, Audrey Thompson, a farmer at T5-Farms, said the drought has added extra steps to work on the farm.

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NEWS 5/10/26 5:14pm

North Carolina teacher pay decreases since 2024-25 school year

By Evan Cooper

As North Carolina remains the only state without a budget, it is also the only state where teacher salaries have decreased since last year. According to a report by the National Education Association, North Carolina’s average teacher salaries decreased by 0.58% in the last year. The national average salary increased by almost 3%. 

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LIFESTYLE 5/8/26 11:39pm

Elon senior honored at ROTC commissioning ceremony

By Kate Gray

The North Carolina A&T State University Army ROTC program held its spring 2026 commissioning ceremony May 8. The program is commonly referred to as the Aggie Battalion and includes several colleges and universities in the Greensboro area, including Elon University. Elon senior Erin Hroncich was among twelve cadets who transitioned to second lieutenants in the United States Army.

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LIFESTYLE 5/8/26 9:58pm

Rainbow stoles celebrate identity tradition,visibility at Elon

By Lily Mosbacher

Seventy-three graduating students donned rainbow stoles May 8 at Elon University's 14th annual Lavender Celebration run by the Gender and LGBTQIA Center. The ceremony honored LGBTQIA students for their contributions to inclusion on campus ahead of commencement later this month. The celebration, held in Alumni Gym, recognized both undergraduate and graduate students. Luis Garay, director of the Gender and LGBTQIA Center, has coordinated the event for the past six years and said the ceremony has grown significantly. 

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NEWS 5/8/26 3:45pm

Nationwide Canvas breach impacts only faculty data as Elon University prepares for transition

By Miles Hayford

Learning management platform Canvas, which will be used by Elon University beginning fall 2026, was affected by a nationwide cyberattack May 7. The hacking group, known as ShinyHunters said in a ransom letter on May 3 that it accessed data from more than 275 million people across nearly 9,000 schools. Canvas’ parent company, Instructure, announced May 1 that it had experienced a “cybersecurity incident.” Instructure said this attack compromised personal identifying information such as names and student ID numbers, but only Elon faculty data was impacted, according to Associate Vice President of Information Technology Christopher Waters.

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