Local

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NEWS 1/22/24 9:35pm

Elon Town Council approves 5% raise for town employees

By Avery Sloan and Miles Hayford

Elon Town Council voted to add a 5% pay raise for all town employees. With multiple vacancies across the staff, including town planner, parks and recreation director and multiple positions within the police department, Elon Mayor Emily Sharpe said she hopes this will help attract and retain employees. During the town council meeting Jan. 22, in a 3-2 vote, the council voted to increase pay for all town employees. The vote came after discussion on how to increase pay of staff employees, with either a flat rate or a percentage increase based on salary.

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LIFESTYLE 1/22/24 3:05pm

Latin-Country musician emphasizes connection with students

By Monika Jurevicius

Country-Latin musician Angie K stepped onto the Irazú Coffee shop stage as she performed for Elon University students for the fourth time, remembering her musical start at small venues. She said the base of her work is seeing people connect and admiring how students open up to each other as she plays. While the fountains at Elon catch her eye, Angie K said the interactions at Irazú are what pulls her back to Elon. Freshman Cecilia Marie, who prefers to go by her stage name, also opened for Angie on Jan. 11.  

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LIFESTYLE 1/20/24 2:50pm

Elon University winter play weaves narrative of storytelling, collaboration

By Sarah T. Moore

Elon University’s winter play, Annie Baker’s “The Antipodes,” opened Jan. 20 and will have a total of nine showings through Feb. 4 in Roberts Studio Theatre. “The Antipodes” follows a group of writers trying to figure out what story to tell — prompting each other with personal questions, sharing anecdotes, drinking LaCroix and navigating the pressures of deadlines and the legacies of past successful projects. There will be 2 p.m. showings on Jan. 20, Jan. 21, Feb. 3 and Feb. 4 and 7:30 p.m. showings on Jan. 20, Jan. 22, Jan. 23, Feb. 2 and Feb. 3.

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NEWS 1/16/24 12:10pm

Elon University students follow 2024 presidential primaries

By Sophie Rosenthal

During this Winter Term, 11 Elon University political science and journalism students are traveling to South Carolina and New Hampshire to study the 2024 presidential primaries. Students spent the first half of the trip in Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina, where they focused primarily on the Democratic strategy in its upcoming primary Feb. 3 and attended President Joe Biden’s speech at the Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church on Jan. 8. Now, they are in Manchester, New Hampshire, where they are focusing primarily on the Republican primary Jan. 23.

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NEWS 1/15/24 9:55pm

International Civil Rights Center, Museum celebrates MLK Jr. Day

By Fiona McAllister and Rachel Holley

This year, MLK Jr. Day fell on Jan. 15. The International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro hosted a special presentation, including a speech titled “Promissory Note”. According to its website, the International Civil Rights Center and Museum is home to innovative ways that educate visitors about the history of civil rights and its historical figures. Elon seniors Matt Boyle and George Krupkin visited the Museum to learn more about Civil Rights and MLK Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream '' speech. Tour Coordinator of the museum, Dillon Tyler, said MLK Jr. Day is also representative of Greensboro being an important part of the Civil Rights Movement.

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NEWS 1/12/24 1:00pm

Area near Danieley D evacuated due to gas leak

By Avery Sloan

The area near Danieley D was evacuated around noon due to a gas leak, according to an E-Alert. The statement said the area may need to be blocked off for a few hours. Crews from Piedmont Natural Gas were on site roughly two hours later to make repairs to the gas line, and Elon gave the all clear around 3 p.m. stating the leak had been repaired and the area is open for normal operation. Danieley D is now safe for residents to reenter, though hot water and heat will not be available to residential buildings, Danieley Commons and PARC.

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LIFESTYLE 1/11/24 8:13pm

Elon Cares raises over $2000 during 17th annual fundraiser

By Sarah T. Moore

Through two shows, 17 raffle items and the work of over 40 students, Elon Cares raised over $2,000 in combined cash and online donations to support the national nonprofit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS in its 17th annual benefit cabaret on Jan. 10.  The money raised at the event will help provide medication, meals, financial assistance and other resources to people living with HIV, AIDS and other critical illnesses. According to senior Sara LiBrandi, the creative team wanted entertaining songs that centered LGBTQ+ stories, or could be performed through an LGBTQ+ lens, because HIV disproportionately affects the LGBTQ+ communities.

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NEWS 1/9/24 3:17pm

Severe thunderstorm warning in effect until 3:15 p.m., Tornado watch in effect till 9 p.m.

By Ryan Kupperman and Lilly Molina

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Alamance-Burlington area has a severe thunderstorm warning in effect until 3:15 p.m. and a tornado watch in effect until 9 p.m. A flood watch and wind advisory is also in place for the rest of the night. E-Alerts were issued for the tornado watch around 1:30 p.m., but an incorrect statement was issued about a tornado warning. To be prepared for the severe weather, Elon recommended monitoring weather forecasts, ensuring students’ current cell phone numbers are in OnTrack to receive E-Alert notifications and review emergency shelter locations.

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NEWS 1/9/24 2:37pm

Roughly 22 vehicles broken into in Mill Point, Town of Elon

By Ryan Kupperman

Approximately 12 vehicles were broken into in the Station at Mill Point and roughly 10 were broken into near West Trollinger Avenue in the Town of Elon around 3:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 8. Chief of Campus Safety and Police at Elon Joe LeMire sent a message to the Elon community stating that the Town of Elon Police and University Police responded to multiple parking lot areas in reference to several vehicle break-ins with stolen property. LeMire wrote that the perpetrators targeted vehicles found to be unlocked in all cases.

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NEWS 1/8/24 9:48am

Charleston County Democratic Party kicks off Biden campaign with volunteers

By Abigail Hobbs

Pennsylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta said a reporter recently asked him if a campaign based on democracy will be enough to get voters to reelect President Joe Biden. Kenyatta spoke at the Charleston County Democratic Party headquarters where the CCDP hosted a phone banking event Jan. 6 with local volunteers — calling registered democrats to remind them of the upcoming South Carolina democratic presidential primary Feb. 3 — the first democratic primary in the nation. The South Carolina Republican primary is Feb. 24 — the third Republican primary following New Hampshire and Nevada. 

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NEWS 1/5/24 10:26am

Elon University selects College of Arts and Sciences dean

By Avery Sloan

Hilton Kelly is the next dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and will begin at Elon on June 1. Kelly serves as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education at University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Gabie Smith, the current dean of the college, announced she was stepping down at the end of the school year last August. Smith was the fifth senior staff member to leave her position in the past two years. 

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NEWS 1/5/24 9:27am

East Haggard Avenue road closure

By Avery Sloan

East Haggard Avenue has been closed from North O’Kelly Avenue to Oak Street. According to an Elon E-Alert message this is due to a car wreck. According to Assistant Police Chief Kedrick King, he does not know when the road will reopen and this is an ongoing investigation. Elon Campus Police declined to comment.

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NEWS 1/4/24 7:33pm

Suspicious person reported in Colonnades B

By Avery Sloan and Ryan Kupperman

Students reported a suspicious individual who followed someone into Colonnades B around 6:10 p.m. on Jan. 4, according to an Elon E-Alert message. The subject entered the building and opened a door to one room before being confronted by a student and leaving. He opened another door and was confronted again before being chased out of the building. The subject was seen running from the area into the wooded area toward Sheridan Place. Anyone with information about this incident should call Campus Police at 336-278-5555.

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NEWS 12/26/23 6:17pm

Elon University’s Whitley Auditorium turns 100 years old

By Lilly Molina

Whitley Auditorium was one of the five buildings constructed after the famous 1923 fire burned down Elon’s administration building. The year of 2023 marks Whitley’s 100th anniversary of being a space where students can come together and make memories. According to Elon’s archives, Whitley was dedicated to J.M. Darden’s father-in-law Deacon L.H. Whitley. Darden financially backed the project and was the one to approve all the plans. The cornerstone of Whitley was laid on May 23, 1923. Sophomore Wyatt Zsiga said Whitley holds a significant historical meaning to him and his a cappella group. 

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LIFESTYLE 12/21/23 5:33pm

Elon Watches: “Blue Eye Samurai”

By Lucy Samuels

In the shadows of Japan’s samurai legacy lies one unique warrior: Mizu, The Infamous Blue Eye Samurai. Written by Michael Green and Amber Noizumi for Netflix, “Blue Eye Samurai” is a wildly refreshing and action-packed adult animated series. The series follows Mizu, a downtrodden warrior who is outcast because of her blue eyes. In the show, her mixed race heritage of half-Japanese and half-European is seen as a subhuman trait as portrayed in the show. As a result, Mizu hides her blue eyes with tinted sunglasses and a Ronin hat, concealing her identity as both mixed race and female.

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NEWS 12/19/23 7:47am

Tiny House, Big Impact: Elon University leads sustainable living

By Jenna Manderioli

By the 2012-13 academic year, the Center for Environmental Studies began to take form in Loy Farm. With an agroecological center, and courses for adventure-based learning and gardening, Loy Farm continued to expand as the department pitched more and more ideas for the space. Now, a tenured professor and department chair for environmental studies, Robert Charest began teaching at Elon University 13 years ago and is a licensed architect in North Carolina — as well as a general contractor for Elon University. He has worked to bring his architectural ideas to life in his courses and into the Tiny House Project.

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NEWS 12/17/23 2:35pm

Mebane Planning Council votes no to Buc-ee’s

By Lilly Molina

Before the Mebane Planning Council voted no, Buc-ee’s was set to construct a new location in Mebane off of Interstate 40 on Trollingwood Hawfield Road. According to the planning council, a representative from Buc-ee’s was hoping for approval on the proposed zoning area of 31.37 acres. Buc-ee’s shared that their migration into North Carolina would increase economic prosperity, but opponents at the meeting expressed concern that Buc-ee’s new arrival will increase traffic. Though rejected by the Mebane Planning Council on Dec 11, city council will have final say on the future of Buc-ee’s in Mebane during its next meeting Jan. 8.

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NEWS 12/15/23 8:21am

Elon University granted reaccreditation by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

By Katharyn MacDonald

Elon University was granted reaccreditation after an examination of 73 measures of quality — ranging from academic affairs, to student life, administration and governing boards. Accreditation displays that a university upholds the standards of quality education and actively carries out its mission statement. According to Jessica Platania, associate provost for academic affairs, universities that fail to be granted accreditation cannot provide federally-funded financial aid to students, and credits earned are not recognized by any other institution if students are to transfer.

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NEWS 12/12/23 4:29pm

Elon University engineering students model real-world problems like tagging sharks, collecting trash

By Madison Powers

Students from five sections of Elon University’s Grand Challenges I engineering course launched underwater remote-operated vehicles as part of their final project. This course is one of two required for the engineering degree, all of which integrate the National Academy of Engineering’s 14 Grand Challenges in Engineering. This final project exemplifies the 14th: to engineer the tools of scientific discovery. Will Pluer, professor of engineering, said the project revolves around using a design-focused approach to the scientific method.

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SPORTS 12/11/23 1:02am

Second half surge proves not enough in Elon University men’s basketball 82-73 loss to UNCG

By Jack Prahinski

After fifth-year guard Rob Higgins cut University of North Carolina Greensboro’s lead to three with 36 seconds to go, it looked like the Elon University men’s basketball team might overcome a 24-point deficit and pull off a miraculous comeback win. Yet, an errant pass by graduate student forward Zac Ervin with 33 seconds remaining all but ensured Elon’s loss, as the Phoenix went on to fall 82-73 to the Spartans Dec. 10 at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. The Phoenix now look to a home matchup scheduled for 7 p.m. on Dec. 15 against Bridgewater College at Schar Center.

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