Letters to the Editor

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SPORTS 5/9/25 9:09pm

Elon men’s basketball starting center transfers to Marshall

By Miles Hayford

Elon men’s basketball’s starting center Matthew Van Komen is transferring to Marshall University. He announced his decision on social media May 9. Van Komen, who stands at 7-foot-4, was dominant in the paint for an Elon team that heavily relied on his size. He led the team in rebounds per game with an average of 7.9 and an impressive 75 blocks. That block total ranked in the top 20 in the nation and he was top 10 in blocks per game. He also added an average of 6 points per game.

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NEWS 5/8/25 2:08pm

Alamance County approves warning label for books with sensitive content

By Miles Hayford

Some books in Alamance County libraries may be marked with a bright, yellow sticker in the near future as the Alamance County Commissioners approved a content warning labeling policy. These “parental guidance” stickers, which were approved April 21, will only apply to a book if a patron fills out a form, expressing their reasoning for why it isn’t fit for young readers. From there, a board of high-ranking library staff members will review the patron’s request based on criteria such as sexually explicit content, depictions of substance abuse, references to suicide, underage drinking, graphic violence and profanity. 

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NEWS 5/8/25 12:01pm

University to increase yearly contribution to Elon fire department

By Ruby Burckle

In the proposed town of Elon budget for the 2026 fiscal year, Elon University is reportedly increasing its contributions to the fire department from $86,598 to $423,524. As detailed in the proposed budget, Twin Lakes, a local retirement community, is also increasing its contributions to the fire department from $56,000 to $60,000. In order to help pay for the cost of the ladder truck, the fire department has also proposed an increase to the fire district tax rate from $0.0865 to $0.10.

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SPORTS 5/7/25 7:28pm

Elon University Athletics, town of Elon collaborate on sports-driven economic planning

By Monika Jurevicius

The town of Elon’s Downtown Development Director Jill Weston said one of the town’s missions is to produce more involvement with the students and Elon University — and is starting with Elon Athletics. As a town of under 12,000 residents, Weston knows there will be challenges as more people and traffic come into Elon as the school grows, but the town’s leadership is receptive to balancing what the town’s needs are for the future. Sport management professor Alex Traugutt, who researches college athletic finances, said the cross-collaboration between athletics and the town hasn't been ingrained in Elon yet. 

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NEWS 5/7/25 12:45pm

Cracking down on REAL IDs

By Fiona McAllister

As the May 7 deadline for U.S. residents to get a REAL ID arrives, the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles' appointments are filling up quickly. REAL ID is a federal law that sets minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards; the ID is indicated by a star on the corner of the driver’s license or identification card, and it allows citizens to travel and go to government buildings without having to carry a U.S. passport. A North Carolina REAL ID will have a star in the upper right corner of the driver's license. 

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SPORTS 5/7/25 9:13am

Elon softball enters CAA Championships as 2 seed

By Miles Hayford

Elon softball finished its regular season on May 3 with a series win over Campbell University, ending the regular season with a record of 29-18 and were 21-6 in conference play. Its strong conference play earned the team the No. 2 seed in the CAA Championships — the second time it earned that seeding. Elon’s seeding gives it a bye, allowing it to start play a day after the tournament starts with a May 8 matchup against the winner of No. 3 College of Charleston and No. 6 Hofstra. 

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LIFESTYLE 5/6/25 9:21pm

Elon students produce original play centering female friendship

By Sarah T. Moore

With purple posters around campus promoting senior Laney Lynch’s original play “Sororophobia,” cast member and sophomore Josie Milner said she’s seen people assume the play’s title refers to a fear of sororities. While the “soror” root — meaning “sister” in latin — is the same in both words, “sororophobia” refers to the way women often seek out and recoil from relationships with other women.There were three performances of “Sororophobia” across May 2 and 3 in Elon University’s Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre.

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LIFESTYLE 5/6/25 8:29pm

Elon University’s Black Student Union hosts annual Coolin' on the Commons

By Alannah Klingsporn

On Saturday, May 3, Elon University’s Black Student Union Board hosted its annual Coolin on the Common in the Academic Village in partnership with Elon’s National Pan-Hellenic Council and Student Government Association. This year included a step show, food trucks and a bounce house. Eight out of the nine Black greek letter organizations that are a part of Elon NPHC competed in the step show, including Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, Sigma Gamma Rho sorority and Zeta Phi Beta sorority. 

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LIFESTYLE 5/6/25 7:27pm

Student commencement speaker to share his Elon experience

By Megan Walsh

Craig Brandstetter, a member of the first official cohort of Elon University’s accelerated 3+1 business dual degree program, will share his perspective as undergraduate student commencement speaker for the 135th Commencement ceremonies on May 23. During his time at Elon, Brandstetter said he has been involved all over campus including being a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, a tour guide for the Love School of Business, a team lead for the Center for Organizational Analytics and a member of club spikeball. 

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NEWS 5/6/25 5:44pm

Elon University Student Government Association president signs petition opposing federal government overreach

By Charlotte Pfabe

Elon University Student Government Association executive president Anya Bratic signed onto a petition which opposes federal government overreach in U.S. higher educational institutions. The petition, “Sign On: National Letter from Elected Student Leaders Defending Higher Education,” was created by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Student Body president Adolfo Alvarez on April 22 and shared with student leaders across the country. According to The Daily Tarheel, Alvarez modeled the petition after a similar petition created by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Neither UNC Chapel Hill nor Elon University’s university leaders have signed AACU’s petition.

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SPORTS 5/6/25 2:31pm

Rocket League sparks connection at Elon

By Erin Martin

Founded in 2015, Elon’s esports scene has been growing steadily over the past few years, along with the rest of the world. This year marked a major step forward for Elon’s Rocket League program. The team competes under the Collegiate Carball Association and played in a Collegiate Conference Series tournament with other schools from the Coastal Athletic Association. The team also recently competed in the ZCL — a community based, independently managed tournament. There, Elon dominated the competition, sweeping through the bracket to take home the championship title.

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NEWS 5/5/25 2:56pm

Elon University SGA president works to create connections, plans for next year

By Trista Panagakos

Student Government Association’s Executive President and junior Anya Bratic said during her campaign that she wanted to be a connector for students on campus. After being elected, Bratic still believes her role as executive president is to be a liaison between students and the resources Elon University offers. Together with the senate, Bratic said she wants to better communicate with the student body on information they may not be aware of. After the election, some of the senate seats were left vacant, but Bratic has appointed 10 senators who have all been unanimously voted on by the senate.

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LIFESTYLE 5/5/25 9:52am

Togetherness in nature on display at Elon Strawberry Festival

By Katharyn MacDonald

Student-grown flowers, herbs and vegetables now occupy numerous dorm window sills and apartment living rooms after over 100 were adopted at the 16th Annual Strawberry Festival on May 2. The plants, which were grown by students through a hands-on, gardening-focused environmental studies course, have made a long journey since being first planted in January and February. For the first time, plants were able to be reserved online with a suggested donation amount. From atomic grape tomatoes to drama queen poppies, there were 63 plants to choose from, and many were sold out before the festival started.

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LIFESTYLE 5/4/25 4:13pm

‘Ryan’s Coffee’ builds career one cup at a time on TikTok

By Anjolina Fantaroni

A hazelnut iced latte with oat milk from The Oak House in downtown Elon has received a high rating from  TikTok coffee creator, Ryan Keane, known as “Ryan’s Coffee.” This coffee connoisseur is attempting to find the best coffee in North Carolina — and he’s made it pretty far. Keane, who lives in Charlotte, has traveled all over North Carolina and has reviewed over 50 coffee shops on his TikTok account, @ryaankeane. He said his idea began after filming himself trying a coffee shop he’d always wanted to visit. 

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NEWS 5/4/25 1:40pm

Jogging for Josh 5K honors Elon local, brings community together

By Audrey Geib

Members of the Elon community gathered outside Atlantic Union Bank in Burlington on Saturday morning for the second annual Jogging for Josh 5K. But for most, the morning wasn’t just about running – it was about remembering. The race honored the life of Elon local, Joshua Dane Hughes. He was the only child of Steven and Juanita Hughes, who organized the event to celebrate their son’s legacy and support a scholarship in his name. Twenty-nine participants walked the 1 mile path and 59 participants ran the 5K through Burlington and Elon, passing Magnolia Cemetery, Josh’s resting place.  

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LIFESTYLE 5/3/25 6:31pm

Burlington celebrates 34th annual Carousel Festival

By Nia Bedard

Burlington City Park opened its arms for its 34th annual Carousel Festival on May 3, featuring rides, local businesses, food trucks and musical performances. The Dentzel Carousel was built between 1906 and 1910 at the Dentzel Carousel Company and purchased by the city of Burlington in 1948. In 2019, the carousel was refinished and was returned to City Park in 2022. Festivities will continue from noon to 5 p.m. May 4. The carousel and other attractions including the miniature train, planes, cars and boats are currently open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

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SPORTS 5/3/25 5:36pm

Nick Dorn transfers from Elon to Indiana University in pursuit of NBA dreams

By Liya Rike

Nick Dorn, a former member of Elon’s men’s basketball team, entered the NCAA transfer portal on March 25 and announced his commitment to Indiana University on April 24. After reviewing game footage and discussing his decision with his coaches and family, Dorn decided that transferring would give him a better opportunity to reach the professional level. Dorn’s transfer to Indiana is a step up to a Big Ten program with rich basketball history, including 41 NCAA Tournament appearances and five national championships. Elon, by contrast, has never made the NCAA Tournament in its Division I history. 

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NEWS 5/3/25 1:09pm

A hushed legacy: Samuel Merritt’s story as a descendant of a lynching victim

By Lilly Molina

Samuel Merritt’s great-great grandfather, Wyatt Outlaw, was lynched on Feb. 26, 1870. Outlaw was dragged out of his home in the middle of the night by a mob of 60 and hanged on an Elm tree in the corner of downtown Graham. His body is nowhere to be found, and for a long time his legacy was hidden within the Outlaw family. Merritt remembers reading about lynchings in history books but could have never imagined that his family would have been affected. The Vietnam veteran and retired microbiologist can only feel proud of his ancestor.

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LIFESTYLE 5/2/25 4:47pm

Western vibes and queer pride fill Young Commons at Elon University

By Alice Morrissey

Senior Ana Sofia Rodriguez has worked with the Gender and LGBTQIA Center for four years as an event manager. This spring, she was given the opportunity to plan Spring Pride. She said she wanted to add her spin to the event, making it western-themed, sprinkling cowboy hats, boots and other western decor throughout Young Commons with games, food, and booths with student vendors and resources for students. The GLC hosts a Pride event each semester — one in October to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month and another in the spring to keep the community engaged.

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LIFESTYLE 5/2/25 3:32pm

Music at the Plaza kicks off 2025 season

By Abigail Hines

Music at the Plaza returns to the downtown Elon plaza for its 2025 season at 6 p.m. on May 2. The bimonthly event brings live music and a lively crowd to the plaza every first and third Friday of the month. The event runs throughout May and June and then returns from August to October. GreenHawk Corporation is a sponsor of the event, and downtown development director Jill Weston said the partnership provides them a larger budget. The first event of the series will feature The Fandinos, a pop-rock band based in North Carolina. 

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