Hurricane Florence Coverage

Candidates differ on budget plans at ABSS Board of Education candidate forum

Candidates at the Board of Education candidates forum agreed that the Alamance-Burlington School System needs to focus on students and help recoup its finances — but candidates differ on the best way to do that. The event, sponsored by Impact Alamance, Elon University and The Alamance Chamber — with support from Elon News Network and the city of Burlington — was Sept. 30 at the Paramount Theater in Burlington. Five out of the eight candidates were present at the forum, which was moderated by Ann Bullock, dean of the Dr. Jo Watts School of Education.

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2024 Elon University security, fire safety report shows increase in substance violations

Over 100 more liquor law violations were referred for disciplinary action than the year before, according to Elon University's 2024 security and fire safety report. This report details reported crimes that occurred on campus and within buildings owned by Elon, and pulls from data from 2023. As part of the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, institutions that participate in student financial aid programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 are required to disclose campus crime statistics and security information.

Elon University challenges students’ perspectives with unconventional map

The world map in Lindner 106 within Elon University’s Academic Village depicts the world with accurate land proportions using the Galls-Peters projection. The Mercator projection is the most commonly used world map; however, it distorts the size of land masses farther away from the Equator, making them disproportionately large. For example, Greenland appears to be larger than Australia. In reality, Australia is over three times larger than Greenland. Also unlike traditional world maps, the one in Lindner is south side up, oriented with Antarctica reaching the ceiling and the Arctic Circle pointed toward the floor.

Turnovers, Richmond’s rushing attack doom Elon football on Family Weekend

Elon University’s football team was defeated by Richmond University 27-17 in their CAA opener. With a strong Richmond rushing attack and three turnovers, Elon struggled to build any momentum. During the game, head coach Tony Trisciani decided to make a change and subbed in redshirt junior transfer Jack Salopek. Trisciani praised Salopek’s performance, but didn’t indicate whether the switch will be permanent or who the starting quarterback will be going forward. Elon falls to 1-4 on the season and 0-1 in conference play. They head into the bye week before hosting New Hampshire at 2 p.m. next Saturday, Oct. 5.

Happiness expert shares ‘tricks’ for college success at Elon's Fall Convocation

Arthur Brooks, social scientist, bestselling author and columnist for The Atlantic, spoke at Elon’s 2024 Fall Convocation on Sept. 27. Brooks is the author of 13 books as well as a professor at Harvard where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. Prior to convocation he spoke to Elon News Network about the key to setting yourself up for happiness and success during college. Brooks opened convocation by speaking about expectations that college students have about happiness.

Elon anatomy lab opens space for Family Weekend

This year is the second year the program had permission from Elon to invite families to see the students’ work in the lab over Family Weekend. During the open house Sept. 28, parents could come by the lab and see a human brain, spinal cord and heart; tools for dissections; and models of bones and parts of the body. The human brain on display was one students had used in a craniotomy a couple of weeks ago, removing the brain from a donor. Elon’s anatomy lab uses human donors, through Elon’s Anatomical Gift Program, allowing students and professors to study human bodies after death.

Elon music theatre students perform annual “Collage” showcase

With both performances sold out, Elon music theatre students performed “Collage” — an annual showcase hosted by the performing arts department. Yeager Recital Hall — with its 125 seats — was filled with students, faculty and staff, and families visiting for the weekend. The hour-long performance was directed, arranged, choreographed and music directed entirely by students, according to one of the event’s advisers and professor of performing arts Chris Rayis. Instant Laughter, a student improv group, will have performances at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28 in Center for the Arts’ Yeager Recital Hall.

Fallen tree closes entrance to campus off O’Kelly Avenue

The O’Kelly Avenue entrance to the university, also leading to the Inn at Elon, has been closed due to a fallen tree. A campus security car has been damaged, according to Elon Campus Security Police Chief Joe LeMire. There are no reported injuries. At 3:52 p.m., an E-Alert announced that the entrance was blocked and to avoid the area. The tree fell to the left of the Inn at Elon. Rain and wind damage from Hurricane Helene is a possible cause for the tree’s fall. At 5 p.m., an E-Alert announced the road to O’Kelly Avenue was reopened.

Elon’s Fall Convocation speaker speaks on finding happiness

Arthur C. Brooks is speaking at Fall Convocation at 3 p.m. Sept. 27 in Alumni Gym. Brooks is the Parker Gilbert Montgomery professor of the practice of public and nonprofit leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and professor of management practice at Harvard Business School. Brooks writes The Atlantic column “How to Build a Life” and has written 13 books including the 2023 #1 New York Times bestseller “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier ” with co-author Oprah Winfrey, and the 2022 #1 New York Times bestseller “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.”

Photo gallery: Rain sweeps Elon to kick off Family Weekend 2024

The start of Elon University’s 2024 Family Weekend was met with heavy rains the morning of Sept. 27 as Hurricane Helene continues to send gusts of wind as high as 33 mph — with chances of thunderstorms hitting the Elon area after 2 p.m., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A wind advisory and flood watch are in effect until 6 p.m. Elon’s Director of Facilities Management declined to comment on the university’s plans in the event of power outages or flooding. The Town of Elon’s Director of Public Works did not respond to Elon News Network’s immediate request for comment.

The Main Line: where community meets artisan’s craft

With the slam of her car door, Amy Wilkinson decided to go for a drive after quitting her job. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she drove aimlessly. She said to herself, ‘What did I do?’ She eventually found herself in Graham — North Main Street — to be exact. Amid her tears and blurry vision, she made out a sign that said “For Rent.” That beacon became The Main Line, an artisan good’s store that Wilkinson opened in 2014 on 134 N Main St. Now, every square inch of The Main Line is decked out in artisan goods.

New HealthEU center features new amenities

The new Health EU building will be constructed in the field near the Innovation Quad and is set to open in 2026. HealthEU Director Anu Räisänen said groundbreaking will hopefully occur late this year or early 2025, as soon as the final details of architecture renderings are completed. The new HealthEU building will be the second largest building on campus below Schar Center at 135,000 square feet. Fundraising goals for the building aim to be around $25 million, surpassing the $20 million needed to build the Schar Center — making it the most expensive building on campus. 

2024 Family Weekend events calendar

Elon University is hosting its annual Family Weekend celebrations from Sept. 27 to 29, bringing parents and siblings to campus to reunite with their students. Elon departments and organizations such as Parent Engagement and Student Union Board are involved in planning for this year. SUB Vice President of Events and junior Josh Tobin declined Elon News Network's request for interview, but sent a statement to Elon News Network stating SUB is approaching family weekend event planning differently this year. Here is a comprehensive calendar of all family weekend events.

Pulitzer Fellows to arrive on campus, discuss global deforestation issues

In New York, 4,000 miles north of the Amazon, Andrew Lehren, a Pulitzer Prize and Emmy-winning journalist for the New York Times and NBC News Investigations, wanted to find a new way to connect U.S. readers to global deforestation issues. As part of Elon’s partnership with the Pulitzer Campus Consortium, Pulitzer Rainforest Investigations Network Fellows Lehren and Wenzel will visit campus from Sept. 24 to 26 to discuss the impact of investigative journalism. On Sept. 25, they will participate in a discussion panel at 5 p.m. in the Jane and Brian Williams Studio in the McEwen Communications Building.

Elon University explores integration of AI in classroom

AI has become a topic of debate on college campuses, from professors encouraging and designing projects around the use of AI to others banning it from their classroom. Some classes, such as COM 3340: Politics and Mass Media, have introduced projects that utilize ChatGPT asking it to write analyses based on a student’s notes, while other classes ask that their students refrain from using any AI. Tom Kerr, a political science professor, asks students to refrain from using AI to write papers. Elisa Edwards, a sophomore in international global studies, said she is very nervous about the use of AI.

Elon University moves up 12 places in 2025 national university rankings

Elon placed 121st — climbing  12 places from last year’s 133rd ranking in the U.S. News and World Report 2025 national university ranking, released  Tuesday, Sept. 24. Elon was also notably named No. 1 in undergraduate teaching for the fourth consecutive year and also topped the charts this year for learning communities and first-year experiences. Elon also continues to rank low in social mobility. Having placed 345th out of 433, the social mobility category measures how well schools graduate economically disadvantaged students.

Elon Poll finds Attorney General Josh Stein 14 points ahead Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in governor race

The governor race would have been close if Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson wasn’t an unpopular candidate, Jason Husser, director of Elon Poll, said. The most recent Elon Poll came out Sept. 24, showing 49% of voters favor Democrat Attorney General Josh Stein over Robinson. In contrast, the presidential race is still close and are polling less than one point apart. The poll surveyed 800 registered voters in North Carolina between Sept. 4 and 13 — before inflammatory comments Robinson had written on a pornographic site came to light Sept. 19.

Elon University ranks 9th in Playbill’s most represented universities on Broadway

Hannah Kevitt ’23 was wrapping up her senior year at Elon University when she found out where she would be going directly after graduation: to Broadway. After flying back and forth between North Carolina and New York City for auditions and callbacks since August of the previous year, Kevitt had booked an ensemble role in “Back to the Future.” Kevitt is one of 24 alumni who performed in Broadway shows from April 28, 2023 to April 25, 2024, leading Elon University to be named one of Playbill’s Big 10 Most Represented Colleges on Broadway.

North Carolina Latino organizations work to mobilize community

From 2010 to 2020, the Latino population in North Carolina grew by almost 40%, far more than the national growth of 23%. However, in 2022, Latino voter turnout actually decreased after having increased in the past two midterm elections, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections. Kelly Morales is co-director of Siembra NC — a grassroots organization defending the North Carolina Latino community, particularly with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and wage theft. The organization has registered 5,600 Latinos by touring across the state.