Letters to the Editor

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NEWS 9/24/24 10:51am

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

By Avery Sloan

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.

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LIFESTYLE 9/23/24 3:22pm

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

By Katharyn MacDonald

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.

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NEWS 9/23/24 11:27am

North Carolina Latino organizations work to mobilize community

By Abigail Hobbs

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.

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NEWS 9/23/24 9:09am

Red Cross reports lowest blood supply in 20 years

By Charlotte Pfabe

Heather Frazee still remembers the first time she donated blood. Frazee, the executive director of the Piedmont Triad Chapter of the American Red Cross, said she shares her experience to inspire others to donate blood, especially during the current blood shortage. In July, the American Red Cross reported a 25% decrease in its blood supply. According to Frazee, the summer is typically a slow time for blood collection because people are away for summer vacations or school breaks; however, this is the lowest the Red Cross’s blood supply has been in 20 years.

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NEWS 9/22/24 10:29pm

Elon Band Day shows high school students collegiate band experience

By Sarah T. Moore

When Elon sophomore Amanda Draznin was in her high school marching band, she felt disconnected from the group. With over 150 members, Draznin said she barely knew the people outside of her section. Now, Draznin is one of 73 students in Elon’s Fire of the Carolina’s marching band. On Sept. 21, Draznin — who plays tenor saxophone — found herself reflecting on her high school band experience as FOTC was joined by nine high school bands for Elon Band Day. The annual event invites high school students to join Elon’s marching band to participate in a football halftime show.

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LIFESTYLE 9/22/24 10:04pm

Fourth annual Esperanza, Hispanic Heritage Month festival celebrates cultural heritage

By Audrey Geib

Latin music, laughter and local community members filled the streets of downtown Graham on Sept. 22 during Esperanza, the fourth annual Hispanic Heritage Month festival. The Esperanza festival included live music, cultural performances and vendors — including food, crafts, local businesses and community resources. At the end of the rows of vendors and tables was a stage, where a DJ played Latin music, and chairs for event goers to watch the various cultural performances and dance routines. To the right of the stage, a man painted a vibrant photo of two flamenco dancers on a canvas.

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LIFESTYLE 9/22/24 5:37pm

Shirley Tempos take center stage for first ‘Tiny Shelf Concert’

By Gaby Maldonado

Elon University’s Belk Library became a small concert venue Sept. 20 as it hosted its first-ever “Tiny Shelf Concert,” inspired by NPR’s famous Tiny Desk Concert series. The event featured a performance by the Shirley Tempos, an all-female a cappella group, who performed among the library's shelves — making it a unique place for live music. Shirley Tempos is set to perform again at Rockapella on Sept. 28 during Elon’s Family Weekend and at Acapocalypse, a benefit concert in Whitley Auditorium on Oct. 5 with proceeds going to Elon Academy.

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LIFESTYLE 9/22/24 2:38pm

Argentine tango in Durham welcomes all dancers

By Madison Powers

Aidan Huene and John Singletary, two Argentine tango dancers from the Research Triangle, dance with Tango Utopia, a social group based in Durham. The duo performed at El Centro’s Hispanic Heritage Month Festival on Sept. 13 and Huene said the milonga — a tango hall where people would go to dance — fostered a sense of community in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay, where tango originated. Argentine tango is characterized by a close hold between partners and a contra body movement with an emphasis on rhythm and improvisation

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SPORTS 9/21/24 10:13pm

Elon University football fails to stop running game, loses to ETSU

By Miles Hayford

With a little over 4,000 in attendance, Elon University football got beaten and battered by East Tennessee State University’s run game, falling 34-14. ETSU looked ready from the jump, beginning the game with an efficient three-minute drive that resulted in Bryson Irby rushing touchdown to go up 7-0. Immediately following the touchdown, Elon got off to a disastrous start with freshman TJ Thomas Jr. fumbling the ball on the first play of Elon’s opening drive. ETSU took advantage of the turnover, scoring their second touchdown within the first five minutes of the game. 

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SPORTS 9/21/24 6:31pm

Big first half helps Elon University men’s soccer defeat Stony Brook

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University men’s soccer team remained undefeated with a 2-1 victory over Stony Brook on Sept. 21. Thanks to a strong first half, Elon managed to hold firm even as Stony Brook chipped away at the Phoenix in the second half. It was Elon’s first win after tying against Wake Forest on Sept. 17. Most of the damage from Elon offensively came in the first half as they converted two of their six goal attempts.

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SPORTS 9/21/24 4:15pm

Carolina Cowboys return to Greensboro for Professional Bull Riding Team Series

By Sarah T. Moore

Starting off the night as No. 1 in the league, the Carolina Cowboys competed on home turf for the third annual Professional Bull Riding Camping World Team Series. The crowd was fired up as audience members wore their boots, dawned their cowboy hats and rang their cowbells. The opening ceremony started with a bang as flashy pyrotechnics spelled out “PBR” in the dirt. The team’s three-day stop in Greensboro — titled Cowboy Days — started Sept. 20. The Cowboys will compete against No. 6 Nashville Stampede on Sept. 21 and No. 7 Missouri Thunder on Sept. 22.

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SPORTS 9/21/24 3:01pm

Elon University men's soccer player celebrates his Hispanic heritage

By Jordyn Forni

Carlos Levy, a redshirt sophomore on Elon University men’s soccer team has a deep connection to Hispanic Heritage Month. Levy was born in Mexico and moved to Miami at 8 years old. He moved among family and friends, and in his experience, Miami had a rich Latino community, he said. He cites his transition to Elon as a more prominent culture shock than originally moving to America. Levy has been playing soccer his whole life and said his devotion to the sport is another way he stays in touch with his heritage.

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NEWS 9/20/24 11:28pm

Elon community gathers to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival

By Nia Bedard

Elon University’s Asian-Pacific Student Association and Chinese Club celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival on Sept. 20 in the McBride Gathering Space. According to senior Ivan Nguyen, co-president of APSA and vice president of Chinese Club, the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates the moon at its brightest and fullest which occurred this past Tuesday, Sept. 17. This is the first time that the Mid-Autumn Festival was held in McBride Gathering Space, while previous celebrations were held in Carlton Commons. APSA’s next event will be a bracelet-making event at 5:45 p.m. Sept. 25 in the CREDE, Moseley 221.

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LIFESTYLE 9/20/24 3:13pm

Elon professor’s debut novel explores agency, identity

By Sarah T. Moore

A love triangle, a coma, suddenly-revealed family secrets — all are common elements in telenovellas. They are also all elements in English professor Tita Ramirez’s debut novel, “Tell It to Me Singing.” The novel centers around themes of agency, identity and power — especially as Latina women. For the past two months, Ramirez has been on sabbatical as she travels to book signings throughout North Carolina and Florida, where the book is set. On Sept. 10, Ramirez hosted a signing at Elon University. Several of her past students and colleagues attended the event.

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NEWS 9/20/24 11:27am

Latinx-Hispanic Union commemorates seventh anniversary

By Audrey Geib

The Latinx-Hispanic Union, more commonly known as LHU, celebrated its seventh birthday as an on-campus organization Sept. 17. LHU vice president Carlos Gomez Lopez said even as a first-year attending events, he could tell that the members worked hard to create a comfortable space, making LHU feel like a home away from home. According to Elon’s Diversity Dashboard, more than 78% of the student body identifies as white, making Elon a predominantly white institution. Martinez-Jimenez said having organizations such as LHU, the Black Student Union and El Centro are important to campuses like Elon to ensure that its students feel like they belong here.

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NEWS 9/20/24 12:02am

Elon University common reading encourages students to save planet by uplifting people

By Nia Bedard

Leah Thomas, author of Elon University’s 2024 common reading book, “The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet,” spoke Sept. 19 in Alumni Gym as a part of Elon University’s speaker series. As the author of the 2024 common reading book, which analyzes how environmentalism and social injustices intersect, Thomas spoke to the audience about her decision to delve into environmental communications and what inspired her to write her book. 

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NEWS 9/19/24 10:43pm

Elon alumna highlights importance of food security in North Carolina

By Monika Jurevicius

Elon University alumna Yasmeen Lee ’20 spoke to the Elon community about “food equality” and the historical inequities of the North Carolina food system as part of the Data Nexus “Powerful Women in Data” series. The event in LaRose Commons on Sept. 19 highlighted Lee’s work with the Food Insight Group focused on qualitative community-based research that examined how diverse communities engage with food production. Data Nexus is part of Elon’s quality enhancement plan that focuses on data competency, according to program director Crista Arangala. The program educates students on data literacy, foundational statistical competency and advanced data competency.

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NEWS 9/19/24 4:01pm

Author of 2024 common reading emphasizes compassion in environmental movement

By Ryan Kupperman

Leah Thomas is the author of Elon University’s 2024 common reading book, “The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet.” As an environmentalist and self-proclaimed eco-communicator, her book analyzes the intersection between environmentalism and various social injustices. Elon News Network sat down with Thomas ahead of her common reading lecture scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19 in Alumni Gym. According to Thomas, to be an intersectional environmentalist is to care about both people and the planet. Beyond the role of intersectional environmentalist, Thomas is also the founder of a non-profit organization of the same name.

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NEWS 9/19/24 12:07pm

First class of ABSS Dual Language Immersion program prepares to graduate college

By Nia Bedard

Alamance-Burlington School System’s first class of the Dual Language Immersion program is preparing to graduate college this spring. The program was instituted in some ABSS public schools through Participate Learning, an educational consulting firm focused on global education and primarily teaches students Spanish. Elon senior Annelise Weaver was a student in the Dual Language Immersion program at Elon Elementary after she and her family moved to Alamance County when she was in the first grade.

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LIFESTYLE 9/18/24 11:15pm

Ay! Jarabe Mexicano celebrates border life at Elon University

By Lilly Molina

“Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!” Maracas shake and the guitarrón strums a tune. This might have been Jarabe Mexicano’s first time in North Carolina, but it got the crowd dancing Sept. 18 in McCrary Theatre. “Ay!” is a grito — or “rallying cry” — that originated in Mexican culture. It is often an interjection singers will say while singing and could be heard Wednesday night at Jarabe Mexicano’s performance. Jeff Clark, executive director of Cultural and Special Programs, was in charge of bringing the band to campus and said he was looking for more than just a mariachi band. 

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