News

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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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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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NEWS 5/1/25 5:44pm

Burlington clinic provides free healthcare for people without insurance

By Liya Rike

The Al-Aqsa Community Clinic offers medical exams, lab tests, medications and specialist referrals, all funded by donations, mosque support and partnerships with local hospitals. Founded in 2009 by Amal Khdour, who is the coordinator, the clinic was created after Khdour noticed the medical struggles of refugee families. What started as a small operation with one doctor and donated medicines quickly expanded to serve patients from across the Triad, including Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Raleigh. LabCorp donates lab services, Greensboro Imaging provides free X-rays and Cone Health contributes an electronic medical record system.

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NEWS 5/1/25 3:04pm

Siembra NC to host community preparedness training at Elon

By Avery Sloan

Siembra NC is hosting an event at 6 p.m. May 2 in Sankey Hall 308 to provide a community preparedness training for students, faculty and staff, and community members. Siembra NC is a grassroots organization provides training to people on what to do when interacting with ICE and has a hotline people can send concerns into. Maria Mejia, Elon professor of philosophy, said dispelling myths on misinformation regarding Immigration Customs and Enforcement and immigrant rights is even more important right now.

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NEWS 4/30/25 3:58pm

Elon University research forum day shrinks slightly

By Virginia Vance

Elon University’s Student Undergraduate Research Forum is an annual tradition — however, this year’s SURF day was smaller than last year’s historic high. Featuring 268 presentations, SURF 2025 was closer in scale to SURF 2023’s 270 presentations than last year’s 321 presentations. Not all presentation types saw decreases. There were more presentations self-identified as “data intensive” in 2025 compared with 2024, but there were less sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion presentations compared to last year. DEI presentations shrank the most, from 72 presentations in 2024 to 42 presentations in 2025.

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NEWS 4/30/25 10:31am

Elon University names student commencement speaker

By Charlotte Pfabe

Elon senior Craig Brandstetter was selected as the student undergraduate commencement speaker on April 30, according to an email sent to seniors by Vice President for Student Life Jon Dooley. Brandstetter will deliver the message of appreciation on behalf of the graduating class of 2025 during the Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 23. In February 2024, the Student Government Association announced that all seniors who meet the application criteria would have the chance to apply to speak at the 2024 graduation ceremony. Previously, the senior class president automatically gained the spot.

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NEWS 4/29/25 3:26pm

Elon Poll finds Americans expect higher prices due to tariffs

By Trista Panagakos

A poll conducted by Elon University Poll surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults and found 80% of respondents anticipate higher prices due to President Trump’s trade policies. On April 2, Trump announced 10% tariffs on all countries and separate tailored tariffs on other countries such as China, who Trump has placed 145% tariffs on. Elon Poll found partisan divides among respondents about how higher tariffs will impact respondents' financial situations. The poll found 90% of Democrat respondents had much higher concern compared to 41% of Republican respondents. 

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NEWS 4/29/25 2:11pm

East Burlington comes together to protect equity, provide a voice

By Julia Donaghy

For years, there have been local efforts to remediate the 22-acre property once called the Tarheel Army Missile Plant. From 1942 to 2004, it was owned by the U.S. Department of Defense and previously leased to Western Electric, an electrical engineering and manufacturing company, to produce Nike Ajax surface-to-air missiles. Now, it remains abandoned under private ownership, creating more than just an eye sore to East Burlington, according to the Rev. Donna Vanhook, an Alamance County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor. 

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NEWS 4/28/25 9:01pm

New North Carolina legislation could ease concealed carry handgun rules

By Abigail Hines

A North Carolina bill that would allow people over the age of 18 to carry a concealed handgun without a permit was approved by the state Senate and is currently under review in the North Carolina House of Representatives. Senate Bill 50, which was approved by the state Senate on March 20, proposes several changes to the current permit process, allowing individuals to purchase and carry concealed handguns without a thorough background check by local law enforcement. It also lowers the age in which you can carry a concealed handgun from 21 to 18 years old. 

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NEWS 4/25/25 2:49pm

Elon Poll finds majority of Americans fear crisis between Trump, courts

By Fiona McAllister

An Elon University Poll surveyed 1,000 American adults and found a drop in President Donald Trump’s approval rating. The survey, conducted April 10 to 17, found 41% of respondents approve of Trump’s job performance, while 47% disapprove. This contrasts with the February 2025 Elon University Poll, which showed a 45% approval and 41% disapproval rating. These numbers show public concern about the balance of power between the executive branch and the courts, with 67% of Americans worried about a potential constitutional crisis due to conflicts between these branches.

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NEWS 4/25/25 11:01am

Day of remembrance at Elon University honors lives lost in the Holocaust

By Abby Gravely

The Elon community recognized Yom Hashoah, the Jewish memorial day honoring lives lost during the Holocaust, on April 24. The day began with a “Ceremony of Remembrance” in the sacred space of Numen Lumen pavilion, where community members gathered to commemorate lives lost and recognize the bravery of those deemed “Righteous Among the Nations” by Israel’s parliament — a title given to non-Jewish people who sacrificed their lives and safety to protect Jewish individuals. They did so through actions such as hiding Jewish people in their homes and basements. 

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NEWS 4/23/25 1:36pm

Hundreds of university leaders sign statement condemning Trump administration's 'overreach'; Elon University not included

By Avery Sloan

The American Association of Colleges and Universities released “A Call for Constructive Engagement” on April 22. This was released by university presidents across the U.S. in response to the “unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education.” The statement calls for “constructive engagement that improves our institutions and serves our republic.” As of noon April 23, 320 university and college presidents have signed on — Elon University has not. The AACU is continuing to accept signatures from current leaders of colleges, universities and scholarly societies.

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NEWS 4/23/25 9:47am

Professors, students feel ramifications of federal grant terminations

By Avery Sloan

Many researchers, including Elon professor of art history Evan Gatti, had to find out through an email that their federal grant — which many were relying on to support their dreams — had been revoked. The NEH terminated over 1,000 grants and sent termination notices to 65% of its employees, both of which came about a month after President Donald Trump forced out the head of the NEH. The firings and cuts are in line with Trump’s executive order from Feb. 11, which directed the Department of Government Efficiency to eliminate “waste, bloat and insularity” in the federal government. 

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NEWS 4/22/25 11:14pm

Elon University’s Sustainability Master Plan 2025 addresses several areas of campus life, procedures

By Kate Gray

Elon unveiled its new sustainability master plan on April 22. The plan calls for more sustainable practices on campus in academics, dining, engagement, facilities, purchasing, technology, transportation and waste. The new sustainability master plan also reiterates Elon’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2037, a target established by the first campus sustainability plan in 2007. The Office of Sustainability developed the plan over 18 months with participation from over 300 Elon students, faculty and staff through listening sessions, working groups and feedback.

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NEWS 4/22/25 2:30pm

Memorial mass to be held for Pope Francis at Elon University

By Fiona McAllister

Early Monday April 21, the head of the Catholic Church Pope Francis died from a stroke. Franics was 88 years old. He died near Saint Peter’s Basilica, where he has resided since his election in 2013. At 5 p.m. Monday evening, the bells at Elon University’s Rhodes Stadium rung 88 times, once for each year of his life. On Tuesday, April 22, Elon University’s Numen Lumen Sacred Space will hold a memorial mass for Francis at 4:30 p.m. After this mass, the space will be open for people to share words about Francis and the legacy he left behind. 

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NEWS 4/19/25 9:12am

Elon University School of Communications to launch new major in fall 2025

By Nia Bedard

Elon University School of Communications has announced the addition of a new major to its curriculum — digital content management. The last time the School of Communications introduced any new majors was in 2015 with the establishment of cinema and television arts, communication design and media analytics. The announcement of the new digital content management major comes after a 17% decline in enrollment at the School of Communications since 2021. Dean of the School of Communications Kenn Gaither said adding this major will hopefully increase the total enrollment of the school. 

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NEWS 4/18/25 10:33pm

Elon University's American Association of University Professors hosts Day of Action

By Charlotte Pfabe

For nearly eight hours, Elon University professors across disciplines presented teach-in sessions at Belk Outdoor Theater on April 17 as a part of a nationwide Day of Action, organized by the American Association of University Professors. A national AAUP event, the Day of Action aimed to bring attention to recent executive orders and actions targeting higher education. Professors taught lessons every 30 minutes. With 14 sessions total, the sessions focused on topics such as immigration rights, Project 2025, campus activism and more, but all returned to the same overarching theme of the impact of recent executive orders on higher education. 

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NEWS 4/18/25 2:41pm

Behavioral Center to open inpatient wing departments for security

By Avery Sloan

Despite Alamance County’s Behavioral Health Center opening its doors June 19, it is still waiting on a license from the federal government to open its 24/7 inpatient care wing, according to Donald Reuss, vice president of behavioral health and intellectual/developmental disability network operations at Vaya Health. The behavioral health center was created in partnership with Vaya Health, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and RHA Health Services. The goal of this center is to provide people with mental health and substance abuse issues a place they can seek treatment.

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NEWS 4/17/25 11:18am

Elon launches neuroscience major for fall 2025

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Elon University will launch new Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree programs in neuroscience beginning in fall 2025, in line with the university’s commitment to science, technology, education and mathematics education in its Boldly Elon strategic plan. The new major — housed in Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences — will build on the success of Elon’s existing neuroscience minor. Roughly 180 students are working toward completing the neuroscience minor, which started in 2009, according to coordinator of the neuroscience minor and professor of exercise science, Matt Wittstein. 

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NEWS 4/17/25 10:26am

Internal candidate selected as next dean of students at Elon University after confidential search

By Avery Sloan

Whitney Gregory will serve as Elon’s next dean of students following a confidential candidate search. This was announced to faculty and staff in an email from Jon Dooley, vice president of student life, on April 17. Gregory, the current assistant dean of students, will step into her new role this summer, after current dean of students, Jana Lynn Patterson, begins her new role as the associate vice president and dean of student health and well-being. Patterson has worked at Elon for 39 years and will retire in 2026, after serving in a new capacity. 

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