Letters to the Editor

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LIFESTYLE 12/20/25 12:27pm

Local healthcare clinic provides lifeline to uninsured Alamance County residents

By Miles Hayford

Alamance County resident Valerie Epperson said she doesn’t think she would be alive right now if it were not for the Open Door Clinic of Alamance County, a clinic that provides free healthcare to people who do not have insurance. “When I first started, my diabetes were out of control, and I was just eating anything I wanted. It’s like, I just didn’t care,” Epperson said. “When you have someone there to help you, it keeps your mind open all the time about, ‘Hey, you need to do this. You need to stop doing this.’”

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LIFESTYLE 1/8/26 10:35pm

‘Dr. King was a flawed individual in some ways,’ Kwame Anthony Appiah shares civil rights wisdom

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Kwame Anthony Appiah, a philosopher and political ethicist, spoke to the Elon University community about civil rights, race and their connection to ethics and politics. “We have a history of imperfect equality for people, different income levels, different classes,” Appiah said in the interview. Appiah said people can be enormously and positively important for questions of political justice and still be flawed. “Dr. King was a flawed individual in some ways, as we all know, we're all flawed,” Appiah said. “Nobody's perfect, and I think it's good to be able to recognize and celebrate someone for the things that are great about them, while acknowledging things that are not so great.”

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LIFESTYLE 1/8/26 8:03pm

Asheboro High School’s drone soccer team helps students build skills in leadership, engineering

By Alice Morrissey

Anthony Woodyard, chief information officer for Asheboro City Schools, was searching for a new program to bring to the high school — something hands-on, academic-driven and fun. While exploring potential options he heard about an organization that pushed him in an unexpected direction, introducing an entirely different opportunity — drone soccer. “It was just a passing comment, but I immediately keyed in on it and wrote it down,” Woodyard said. “I did a little research on U.S. Drone Soccer and knew it was something we had to bring to our city schools.” Asheboro often ranks high on national leaderboards and currently sits at No. 26  as of January 2026.

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NEWS 1/14/26 8:45am

Best Of 2026

 

Elon News Network’s annual Best Of special edition highlights campus and local favorites, as voted on by readers.

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LIFESTYLE 1/9/26 8:11am

Enterrado en Elon: La historia de unos de los primeros estudiantes internacionales resurge

By Lilly Molina

La Universidad de Elon renombró recientemente el edificio Global Commons como Sato Commons en honor a Toshio Sato, el primer estudiante internacional en graduarse de Elon en 1920. Sin embargo, Sato no era el único estudiante internacional que asistía a Elon en ese entonces. También estaba Modesto López, de 35 años, originario de España. "El Sr. López no había aprendido a hablar inglés, por lo que no pudimos conocerlo bien, pero su ambición y esfuerzo fueron dignos de admiración", leyó Randall Bowman, archivista y bibliotecario auxiliar de Elon, un fragmento del Christian Sun, un periódico de la iglesia a la que Elon estaba afiliada antes de que la universidad se convirtiera en un campus multirreligioso.

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SPORTS 1/8/26 11:56am

Western Alamance football coach shares lessons from 34-year tenure

By Benjamin Berfield

After Jeff Snuffer retired from coaching the Western Alamance Warriors football team for 16 seasons, he described his biggest accomplishment was less about wins but rather about the connections among his players. “I wanted to impact people the way I was impacted,” Snuffer said. “I love working with coaches but you don’t get into this business for the approval of adults. If you’re a teacher or a head coach, you should be doing it for the people learning from you.”

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NEWS 1/7/26 7:05pm

Mooney Building to close for rest of academic year due to renovations

By Nia Bedard

As Elon University begins Winter Term, students will see a change in the Historic Neighborhood. Mooney Building will be closing its doors starting Jan. 8 and will remain closed for the rest of the academic year and into the summer. The renovations, which will start on Jan. 14, will include replacing windows on the first and second floors, replacing the HVAC system and ductwork. Kohn also wrote that part of the renovations process will include consulting with an external professional engineer about gutters, building drainage and water intrusion.

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NEWS 1/6/26 3:01pm

ABSS announces district rezoning

By Nia Bedard

As students across the Alamance-Burlington School System head back to school after their Winter Break ended on Jan. 5, ABSS announced they would begin the rezoning process for the district on Jan. 6. “We are committed to handling this process with care and transparency,” Superintendent Aaron Fleming said in a statement from ABSS. “We are gathering community input before any zone options are even created because your voice matters in guiding these future decisions.” ABSS is currently conducting a survey, will hold listening sessions and is expected to complete the final rezoning plan is expected to be completed this spring.

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NEWS 1/6/26 12:42pm

Water main breaks near Elon University health center

By Sarah T. Moore

A water main broke on South O’Kelly Avenue near Elon University’s Ellington Center for Health & Wellness. An E-alert sent around 11:45 a.m. Jan. 6 said to avoid the area near the health center until further notice. Town of Elon Public Works and Utility workers are repairing the water main. Worker Swanson White said they have identified where the break is and their next step is to cut into the road and dig the pipe up.  The process should take at least four hours, according to White and other workers on the site. 

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LIFESTYLE 1/5/26 3:32pm

Fitting Futures: Sewing university, community engagement at Elon University

By Megan Walsh

From her first trip off campus with the Elon College Fellows Program, senior Brooke Gustafson, a theatrical design and technology, and arts administration double major knew she wanted to use her fellows research project to engage the university with the local community. “I realized then and there that there was a large bubble around Elon University that wasn't connecting with the community,” Gustafson said. That led Gustafson to create her research project, Fitting Futures, which aims to provide free clothing alterations to the local community and establish a model for other universities to replicate the program. 

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NEWS 1/5/26 9:34am

Elon University’s SGA to implement suggestion boxes on campus, look to make an impact in the spring

By Trista Panagakos

Elon University’s Student Government Association had an eventful fall semester following the implementation of a new funding model, freshman elections and an atypical town hall. “Change is change,” Vice President of Communications for SGA Kennedy Steiner said. “People don't always love change, but I think for the future, I think this could be really good, people asking, maybe why something didn't get funded, and just making sure everything was as equitable as possible for organizations.” 

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NEWS 1/2/26 5:49pm

New parking lot for freshmen students opens following delays

By Nia Bedard

As Winter Term approaches on Jan. 5, the new Gateway parking lot located at the Francis Center will be open for freshmen students starting Jan. 3. The project was originally announced in November 2023 and was supposed to open in fall 2024. The new parking lot’s opening was continuously delayed with the most recent announcement of a delay occurring in August 2025. According to an email sent from Chief of Elon Campus Safety and Police Joe LeMire to undergradua students on Jan. 2, students with a parking permit marked “FY” will be parking in Gateway and the eastern lot of the Danieley parking lot.

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NEWS 1/1/26 3:36pm

NC Rep. Stephen Ross to not seek re-election after 6 terms

By Anjolina Fantaroni

North Carolina state Rep. Stephen Ross announced he will not seek re-election, ending his sixth term after more than three decades in public service. Ross has spent more than three decades in public service, previously serving as a member of  Burlington City Council, Mayor of Burlington and chairman of the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments. He said he reached a point where he felt it was time to step aside. Ross said he wants to spend more time with his family. Ryan Moffitt, an Elon Law alum and Burlington attorney, has announced his candidacy for the seat.

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LIFESTYLE 12/31/25 8:35am

The Blend Burlington celebra raíces hispanas y cultura

By Gaby Maldonado

Cuando Lucero Marti entró por primera vez a The Blend hace siete años, se enamoró al instante del lugar. "Le pedí a Dios: 'Me encantaría que este lugar fuera mío algún día'", contó Marti. Y gracias a su participación en el Club Rotario local, una organización humanitaria sin fines de lucro de alcance mundial, la conexión de Marti con The Blend se fortaleció. Los miembros del Club Rotario comenzaron a celebrar sus reuniones en la cafetería, lo que le dio la oportunidad de entablar una amistad con el antiguo dueño. Cuando este, tras casarse, se vio imposibilitado para seguir gestionando el negocio, le propuso a Marti que se hiciera cargo. Ese momento crucial marcó un nuevo comienzo, y ella se convirtió en la nueva propietaria el 2 de enero.

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LIFESTYLE 12/31/25 8:34am

The Blend Burlington celebrates Hispanic roots, culture

By Gaby Maldonado

When Lucero Marti first walked into The Blend seven years ago, she quickly fell in love with the space. “I asked God, ‘I’d really love for this place to be mine one day,’” Marti said. And through her involvement with the local Rotary Club, a global nonprofit humanitarian organization, Marti’s connection to The Blend deepened. The Rotarians began holding their meetings at the shop, giving her the chance to build a friendship with the former owner. When the former owner found himself unable to continue running the business after getting married, he approached Marti about taking it over.

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LIFESTYLE 12/27/25 9:06am

Not just a label: Elon University first-generation students get involved on campus

By Trista Panagakos

Elon senior Carlos Gomez Lopez was first introduced to Elon University in ninth grade, when his teachers encouraged him to apply for Elon Academy, a college access program offered to Alamance County high schoolers. Students stay on Elon’s campus for three weeks during the summer, living in residence halls, eating in dining halls and meeting members of Elon’s staff. Gomez Lopez said the program helped him become familiar with the school and was one of the reasons he chose to be a student at Elon. 

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LIFESTYLE 12/22/25 2:52pm

United Way del Condado de Alamance brinda recursos para todas las comunidades

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Shereá Burnett lleva 10 años trabajando con United Way del condado de Alamance, redactando solicitudes de subvenciones y realizando trabajo voluntario. Desde hace poco más de un mes, ocupa el cargo de presidenta de la organización y ya tiene una visión de lo que depara el futuro. "Hemos tenido la oportunidad de colaborar de muchas maneras diferentes durante el último mes, y estamos planeando cosas maravillosas para 2026 que, creo, serán las primeras de su tipo en esta región", declaró Burnett.

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LIFESTYLE 12/22/25 2:49pm

United Way of Alamance County provides resources for all communities

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Shereá Burnett has been working with United Way of Alamance County for 10 years, writing grant applications and volunteering. But for just over a month, she has served as the organization’s president and already has an idea of what the future holds. “We’ve had the opportunity to partner in a lot of different ways in the last month, and we’re planning some wonderful things for 2026 that I think will be the first time some of those things are done here,” Burnett said. 

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LIFESTYLE 12/20/25 12:34pm

La clínica de atención médica local ofrece una ayuda vital a los residentes sin seguro del condado de Alamance

By Miles Hayford

Valerie Epperson, residente del condado de Alamance, afirmó que no cree que estaría viva si no fuera por la Clínica Open Door del condado de Alamance, una clínica que brinda atención médica gratuita a personas sin seguro médico. “Cuando empecé a ir a la clínica, mi diabetes estaba descontrolada y comía lo que quería. Simplemente no me importaba”, dijo Epperson. “Cuando tienes a alguien que te ayuda, te mantiene alerta y te recuerda constantemente: ‘Tienes que hacer esto. Tienes que dejar de hacer aquello’”.

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NEWS 12/17/25 3:18pm

North Carolinians rate public schools poorly in new Elon Poll

By Nia Bedard

As K-12 students across North Carolina prepare for their winter break, the Elon University Poll released poll data on Dec. 17 finding that most North Carolinians gave mediocre or poor grades to public schools across the state. “The states have always had deep authority on education, but there has been more federal involvement in various years,” Director of the Elon University Poll Jason Husser said. “So we thought, well, this is the time for us to really look in depth about what do people think about North Carolina schools.”

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