Elon University president discusses AI, campus election initiatives
Elon University President Connie Book sat down with Elon News Network to discuss Elon’s new developments regarding AI and the 2024 election.
Elon University President Connie Book sat down with Elon News Network to discuss Elon’s new developments regarding AI and the 2024 election.
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.
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.
Students in Global Neighborhood were welcomed to campus by staff and student volunteers bright and early Friday morning as they eagerly unpacked their cars. Rebecca Kohn, provost, is just one of the many staff members greeting students as they unpack on the basketball courts.
After a ten hour road trip from Connecticut, Michael Carafotes and his dad — also Michael Carafotes — arrived at Elon. The younger Michael is starting his freshman year at Elon and was one of the first freshman students to move Aug. 23 into East Neighborhood.
It’s a busy day on Elon University’s campus with freshmen moving into their dorms all across campus. In Historic Neighborhood, Priya Shah, a freshman from New Jersey, said she thinks that the move-in process has been organized and exciting. She also said she is excited for new experiences as she starts college.
The Elon University class of 2028 unpack their cars at the Colonnades and Danieley neighborhoods early Friday, Aug. 23. While setting up his new home, freshman biochemistry major Nate Gracci said he is looking forward to meeting his professors and classmates.
Move-in day, Aug. 23, will begin with students arriving at the Schar Center and then moving into their neighborhoods. The new East Neighborhood Commons is opening and housing 90 students for the first time this semester and is the biggest new feature for move-in this year, said Owen Covington, university spokesperson.
Coming off her inaugural year as Elon University’s athletic director, Jennifer Strawley has big plans for this academic year and has many goals she wants to accomplish. Strawley said she is excited for the upcoming year and is eager to implement some exciting plans such as a healthy culture within the athletic department, a new ticketing system and two new head coaches.
When he opens his Instagram, 19-year-old political science student RJ Doroshewitz clicks through his stories and looks at reposts — not of cat videos or pop culture news, but of Kamala HQ, an official social media account for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. The account, now boasting over 3.8 million followers, posts videos of Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to popular audios and trends. This pop culture appeal is also found at the Democratic National Convention, where 200 content creators were invited to cover the four day event.
Before coming to campus, incoming freshmen were instructed to read “The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + the Planet,” which focuses on the intersections between systems of oppression and the climate crisis. This is the first time in a decade that the common reading book highlighted environmental issues, according to Paula Patch, chair of the common reading selection committee. “We haven’t had a book that was specifically about sustainability and environmentalism in about a decade, and we wanted to have that as another theme or a major theme,” Patch said.
Ending the week 'For Our Future,' the 2024 Democratic National Convention highlighted a variety of voices in an attempt to elect Vice President Kamala Harris as the nation's first female president, and first female president of color. So far, Chicago has heard from former U.S. Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, former president and former first lady Barack and Michelle Obama and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — who accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president last night in the United Center. Tonight, Harris is expected to accept the presidential nomination.
At the Democratic National Convention, the Democratic Party is intensifying its efforts to mobilize its base and address key issues on the ballot — particularly engaging younger voters and rallying support for judicial elections and redistricting in North Carolina. As chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, 25-year-old Anderson Clayton is the youngest chair of a state political party in the U.S. Clayton said she is enthusiastic about the state's youthful political energy.
The grounds of the North Carolina Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame was filled with thousands of people waiting to hear from former President Donald Trump on Aug. 21. The rally marks Trump's first outdoor event since his assassination attempt on July 13. He spoke behind bulletproof glass, with increased security presence around the perimeter. Elon News Network was denied press credentials to film the podium area where Trump addressed the crowd. This rally took place at the same time as night three of the Democratic National Convention, which is located in Chicago.
Democratic Party sets the scene for Wednesday night with theme ‘A Fight for Our Freedoms,’ in which the party will highlight how Harris will fight to protect the country’s freedom — while also portraying Trump’s candidacy as a threat and regression to these freedoms. Attendees are expected to hear from Minnesota Gov. and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, former President Bill Clinton, and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi at the United Center later this evening. Programming is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson also spoke to North Carolina delegates this morning about North Carolina’s crucial role in this election.
Elon alumna Zora Stephenson ’15 got to spend her summer exploring the streets of Paris with her husband and witnessing history. As a reporter for NBC Sports, she got a front-row seat to moments such as Simone Biles’ All-Around gold medal win. Caroline Brehman ’18 also spent her summer in Paris covering the Olympics and photographed various events for EPA Images. And while she wasn't in Paris, Ellie Whittington ’18 further represented Elon at the Summer Olympics through working in Stamford, Connecticut, at NBC Sports headquarters — helping create in-studio content and running various social media accounts.
When Connecticut delegate Esam Boraey brought a “Stop Arming Israel” banner into the first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, he said he never expected to be met with aggression, shouting and blocking. By raising the banner just as President Joe Biden took the stage, Boraey said his hope was to peacefully and silently deliver his message of calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Within seconds of holding it up, attendees and delegates in front and behind them began grabbing, screaming and blocking the banner before it was ultimately snatched and thrown away.
For the fall semester, Elon launched a new student guide for artificial intelligence use on campus, in partnership with The American Association of Colleges and Universities. Mustafa Akben, Elon’s director of artificial intelligence integration, said Elon already has a policy on AI that will remain the same saying that AI use in classrooms will vary from professor to professor. “We are not replacing any human work,” Akben said. “Every class, every faculty and instructor has their autonomy to decide whether they are going to use, ban or partially enable students to use these tools.”
As the Democratic National Convention transitions into its second day, the theme shifts from ‘For the People’ to ‘A Bold Vision for America’s Future.’ Today’s focus will spotlight the contrasting visions for the nation’s future, with Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz presenting their forward-looking agenda in supposed contrast to former President Donald Trump.
One of the biggest things to come out of the 2024 Paris Olympics was the division and social media backlash around Algerian and Taiwanese boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting — whose genders were questioned on an international stage. After Khelif defeated Italian boxer Angela Carini in 46 seconds early into the Games, a social media outburst arose questioning if Khelif and Yu-Ting were eligible to participate in women’s sports as biological women. Despite both being born as women and always having identified themselves as women, there are some who question their gender and the fairness of them competing.