Letters to the Editor

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NEWS 3/3/26 12:14pm

How unaffiliated voters impact elections

By Alannah Klingsporn

The North Carolina primary election starts today. With some voters being able to vote for a Democratic or Republican candidate, unaffiliated voters will have a different experience at the polls on election day. Unaffiliated voters can pick one party’s primary or choose a nonpartisan ballot. Voting in a party primary doesn’t change their unaffiliated status, and their choice carries into any runoff. 

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NEWS 3/3/26 8:00am

Election Center: Candidate profiles for the March 3 primary

By Elon News Network

Primary elections will be held March 3 in North Carolina. The Democratic and Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate will be on the ballot. The winners of these races will face off in November during the general election for the open North Carolina Senate seat. Another race on the Republican ballot is Alamance County Sheriff, with incumbent Terry Johnson being challenged by two candidates. Other races for Board of County Commissioners, County Clerk of Superior Court and North Carolina Appeals Seat 1 are also on the ballot. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/5/26 10:18am

Elon Wind Ensemble gives a preview of their Carnegie Hall performance

By Mia Torres

The Elon Wind Ensemble gave community members a preview of its upcoming performance at Carnegie Hall during a concert on campus March 4, offering audiences a first look at the music the group will perform in New York. The Wind Ensemble is a contemporary group focused on performing at the highest level possible. The concert consisted of 5 songs, just over 50 students and over 15 instruments. The show was about an hour long. 

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NEWS 3/4/26 3:56pm

Elon University chief of police set to retire in April

By Miles Hayford

After five years as Elon University’s Chief of Police, Joe LeMire will retire April 3, according to an email sent to faculty and staff by Vice President for Finance and Administration Janet Williams. In an interview with Elon News Network, LeMire said that after 33 years in law enforcement work spanning across three states, it was time to take a step back from that world. He said it was time to turn things over to others who are working their way up. He also said that after 30 years, always dealing with people at the worst moments in their lives can be difficult.

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NEWS 3/4/26 2:21pm

AI & The Body: A discussion on artificial intelligence in professional industries

By Annie Thyfault

Following a rise in artificial intelligence, questions and concerns about its use have come up at Elon University. The school has implemented policies regarding AI use within the classroom and university operations, many of which consist of using AI as a tool in learning and staying within the ethical bounds of AI usage. The AI that these policies frequently refer to addresses generative AI.

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NEWS 3/3/26 3:09pm

Shuttle service aims to increase student voter access

By Mia Torres

Students looking to cast their ballots on Election Day will have transportation available through a shuttle service organized by Elon Votes.On Tuesday March 3, a shuttle will run from The Center for the Arts to two polling locations in Alamance County: Elon Elementary School and First Baptist Church of Elon.

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NEWS 3/3/26 9:49am

LIVE BLOG: 2026 primary elections in Alamance County, North Carolina

By Elon News Network

Polls across North Carolina opened at 6:30 a.m. March 3 for the 2026 midterm primary elections. In Alamance County, registered Democrats can vote for one candidate each for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives District 9 and NC Court of Appeals Judge Seat 3, and two candidates for Alamance County Board of Commissioners. 

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NEWS 3/19/26 3:13pm

Primary elections bring changes to NC statehouse

By Trista Panagakos

The North Carolina primary elections have altered what the statehouse may look like in November. North Carolina, Wilmington, Aaron King said incumbents usually have an advantage when running for office because of name recognition, a record of accomplishments and organization. King said challengers are able to campaign as an outsider against an incumbent and explain to voters how the incumbent is failing them. Eight incumbent state lawmakers lost their primaries March 3, three Democrats and five Republicans.

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NEWS 3/4/26 7:47pm

Elon University expands AI education with summer camp

By Anjolina Fantaroni

This summer, Elon will offer a new program that aims to introduce middle school students to AI concepts. The university will host a weeklong summer day camp in June for middle school students focused on artificial intelligence through hands-on activities and digital game design. The camp, called AI Play, will be led by faculty from the Department of Computer Science and is now open for registration.

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LIFESTYLE 3/3/26 2:51pm

Author discusses father’s bookstore, identity in lecture

By Abigail Hines

Laurence Roth, professor of English and director of Jewish studies at Susquehanna University, talked about his father’s experience owning a Jewish bookstore during his lecture March 2 at the McBride Gathering Space. Roth read several passages to the audience from his book “Unpacking my Father’s Bookstore”. The book follows Roth’s father’s journey moving from New York City to Los Angeles in the 1960s, opening the bookstore and becoming an important part of the local Jewish community.

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NEWS 3/2/26 10:05pm

Candidates for dean of Student Health and Well-Being present in front of Elon community

By Miles Hayford

Candidates for the next dean of Student Health and Well-Being at Elon University presented in front of the Elon community in recent weeks as part of the selection process. The position is currently held by Jana Lynn Patterson, who is retiring in fall 2026 after 40 years at Elon University. The dean will lead the HealthEU Initiative and the Boldly Elon strategic plan, while supervising departments like Counseling Services and Student Health Services. They will also manage the new 135,000 square foot HealthEU building, set to open in fall 2026. 

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NEWS 3/2/26 1:51pm

Elon, Queens University merger solidifies universities’ future amid nationwide closures

By Miles Hayford

Amid a turbulent era full of increasing college closures and pressure from the Trump Administration, the Elon University-Queens University of Charlotte merger may be a survival tactic in an unforgiving higher education climate. Matt Hartman, a higher education reporter for The Assembly, described the merger as a "survival move” for Queens.

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OPINIONS 3/2/26 9:27am

The center did not hold: Elon students' views on Israel/Palestine shift over 1 year

By Tom Arcaro

Something fundamental has shifted in how our student body understood one of the most contentious issues of our time. And if you care about where this generation is headed — or about how we talk to each other across deep divides — you should pay attention.

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SPORTS 3/1/26 6:15pm

Elon University baseball team drops final game against Fairfield University

By Sam Weiss

As the bells rang out on a warm noon in Elon, North Carolina, first pitch was called for at Latham Park as the Elon Phoenix and Fairfield Stags set for battle in the final game of a three-game series. Elon won the first two games of the series, thanks to a walk-off single by freshman Gar Hindle in Game 1 and a combined no-hitter in Game 2. 

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LIFESTYLE 3/1/26 12:55pm

African Diaspora of Elon embraces culture with first-ever African Night

By Elissa Leka

The African Diaspora of Elon closed the university’s celebration of Black History Month with the first-ever African Night on Feb. 28, with music, fashion, comedy and pageantry. Abdul-Malik Harrison, advisor to ADE and assistant director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity, & Diversity Education said though he has seen the campus put together amazing cookouts, parties and cultural events, African Night was unique and new. 

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LIFESTYLE 2/28/26 6:57pm

Elonthon hosts pickleball tournament to support Duke Children’s Hospital

By Alice Morrissey

Elonthon hosted its semesterly pickleball tournament in Elon’s South Campus Gym on Feb. 28. The event was more than just a competition — it also supported a larger cause. Elonthon operates under the motto “Kids Can’t Wait.” The organization hosts events throughout the year to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network in partnership with Duke Children’s Hospital.

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LIFESTYLE 2/28/26 3:12pm

GLC, CREDE host annual Kiki Ball

By Norah Wolf

Late Night Elon collaborated with the Gender & LGBTQIA Center to host the annual Kiki Ball celebration. Inspired by LGBTQIA ballroom culture, the event is historically centered around queer and trans people of color and serves as a way to honor diversity in expression within LGBTQIA communities. The evening featured music, a stage, and a panel of judges, including an Elon alum, David Carter, who was excited to see the event come together.

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LIFESTYLE 2/27/26 8:10pm

‘Being first’: Elon’s Black Solidarity Conference hosts first keynote panel

By Savannah Hameed

The Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education hosted the 12th annual Black Solidarity Day Conference where students, faculty and staff, and community members gathered together in McKinnon Hall to discuss topics on allyship, anti-racism, anti-black racism, wellness in Black communities, Blackness in a global context, intersectionality in Black communities and socio-political activism. 

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NEWS 2/27/26 11:44am

Author lectures on misogyny and extremism

By Elissa Leka

The Elon community gathered in Numen Lumen’s McBride Gathering Space room to hear Cynthia Miller-Idris speak about the influence of misogyny on domestic violence and violent extremism. The lecture honored the memory of Lauren Dunne Astley, who was murdered by her boyfriend in July 2011, before she was able to begin her college journey at Elon University. 

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NEWS 2/26/26 11:02pm

Criminal justice reform attorney visits Elon, tells story of hope, dignity

By Abby Gravely

When attorney Brittany Barnett met Sharanda Jones, she saw positivity and light, far from what she expected from meeting a woman 10 years into her life sentence. Barnett was a young lawyer who felt a pull towards Jones, who was sentenced to life in prison on her first federal drug offense. Barnett, a criminal justice reform attorney, visited Elon University on Feb. 26 as part of the Liberal Arts Forum, a student-run organization that invites speakers on various topics to engage with the Elon community. 

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