News

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NEWS 8/1/23 6:14pm

Lawsuit settled against Alamance County sheriff

By Avery Sloan

Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson settled a lawsuit for $430,000 on July 28. Two parties, Aris Hines and Brandi Thomason, filed their suit against Johnson in 2019 after being arrested in 2016 for falsifying documents to enroll a student at Eastern Alamance High School. The student played basketball and football for the school — causing the school to be stripped of 28 football and basketball wins. Hines and Thomason alleged offenses of Felony Common Law Obstruction of Justice and Felony Obtaining Property by False Pretenses.

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NEWS 7/26/23 5:12pm

Elon location of Mediterranean Deli to open six months later than expected

By Joseph Navin

Elon's Mediterranean Deli location will now open roughly six months later than expected due to a fire shutting down the business' Chapel Hill location July 22. After closing its Park Place location at 202 W. Haggard Ave. in 2022, Mediterranean Deli was set to open this summer in Acorn Coffee’s former location at 116 N. Williamson Ave. — while Acorn Coffee Shop is still set to reopen inside Elon University’s Belk Library this fall. Owner Jamil Kadoura said the deli will be begin operating out of The Story Venue on West Franklin Street this Saturday, July 29, while the original 410 W. Franklin St. location is unusable.

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SPORTS 7/20/23 1:51pm

CAA changes name

By Mason Willett

The CAA announced it's changing its name from the Colonial Athletic Association to the Coastal Athletic Association on July 20. According to the CAA, the name change comes from its expansion across the East Coast and its goal of  ‘United in Excellence.' Despite this, George Washington University announced last year that it would be dropping all “Colonial monikers” because of the name's glorification of colonialism. 

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NEWS 7/15/23 4:47pm

Elon University students encourage community to come together following anti-trans legislation

By Sarah T. Moore

Elon University students brace for the impact of three major pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation working their way through the North Carolina General Assembly. Despite Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of these bills on July 5, the General Assembly is scheduled to vote on overriding his veto July 19. House bill 574, senate bill 49 and house bill 808 would restrict transgender students from participating in school sports, gender affirming healthcare for minors and classroom instruction surrounding gender identity and sexuality. In 2023 alone, 413 pieces of anti-transgender legislation have been proposed or passed in the U.S. 

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NEWS 7/12/23 8:11pm

Elon University students impressed by University of North Carolina, Duke University’s recent tuition policies

By Abigail Hobbs

Elon University students reflect on the announcements made by Duke University and University of North Carolina, offering free tuition for in-state students who make less than $80,000 and $150,000 each year, respectively. These financial aid policies were announced within weeks of UNC losing their Supreme Court case on affirmative action, in which it was ruled that no higher education institution may consider the factor of race in its admission decisions. UNC's new tuition policy will come into effect at the start of the 2024-25 school year, while Duke's will begin in the upcoming 2023-24 year.

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NEWS 7/11/23 8:54am

Elon University sophomore remembered as ‘sincere’, ‘feet on the ground’ kind of person by friends and family

By Ryan Kupperman

Elon University sophomore Jason Titunik died in a car crash July 6 at the age of 19. His friends and family described and will remember him as a sincere, funny and compassionate person. Titunik is from Sarasota, Florida and his funeral will be held in New Jersey July 11. A memorial will be held on campus at the start of the school year, though further details are to come. Titunik was a history and political science major and enjoyed music, nature and fashion.

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NEWS 7/10/23 4:41pm

Elon University to discontinue COVID-19 quarantine protocols, reporting positive test results

By Avery Sloan

Elon University will discontinue its COVID-19 quarantine protocols, as well as reporting positive test results, for the 2023-24 school year. According to an email sent by Jon Dooley, vice president of student life, Elon is changing its testing protocol to reflect the federal emergency and World Health Organization’s declaration for COVID-19 — which ended in May. Dooley also clarified that COVID-19 related absences will now be addressed by individual faculty according to their syllabi.

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NEWS 7/7/23 3:17pm

Elon University sophomore killed after car crash in Salisbury, Connecticut

By Ryan Kupperman

Elon University sophomore Jason Titunik was killed after a car crash in Salisbury, Connecticut the evening of July 6. Titunik was a passenger in a vehicle driven by 19-year-old Robert Steinmetz, when state police reported that Steinmetz lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a utility pole on the shoulder of Route 44. The incident occured at the intersection of Canaan and Twin Lakes Road while the two were traveling east. Titunik was transported to Sharon Hospital with life-threatening injuries, but was later pronounced dead.

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NEWS 7/3/23 12:29pm

Local train schedule excludes Burlington Station from two of its routes

By Naomi Washington

Raleigh and Charlotte train schedule is set to revise its current routes starting July 10, excluding Burlington Station from two of its routes. Under the new train schedule, a stop at the Burlington station will not be included on Train 71 and Train 76, which are two out of 10 of the routes. Under the current schedule, the first train from Raleigh arrives at Burlington Station before 8 a.m. After July 10, the first opportunity for commuters to get off at Burlington Station will be after 11 a.m. 

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NEWS 6/30/23 11:36am

Supreme Court rules against student loan forgiveness

By Ryan Kupperman

The Supreme Court ruled against President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan. The proposal, introduced in August 2022, would waive up to $430 billion in student debt for over 40 million Americans nationwide by forgiving up to $20,000 per person in student debt. The federal government put student loan repayment on pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now set to resume in September. This decision comes just one day after the court ruled to end affirmative action.

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NEWS 6/29/23 10:51am

Supreme Court rules to end affirmative action

By Avery Sloan and Abigail Hobbs

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled to end affirmative action in the admission decision process of all universities and colleges, meaning institutions will no longer be allowed to consider race in the college admissions process. The Supreme Court has been debating affirmative action since 1978, when the court previously ruled that while universities could not make quotas, they could consider race in the admissions process. The court’s decision today goes against the precedents previously set. 

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NEWS 6/27/23 10:31am

Bill passes through state Senate and House that restricts transgender athletes

By Sarah T. Moore

House Bill 574 passed through the state Senate and House and would restrict North Carolina student athletes to only play on teams aligning with their assigned biological sex at birth. The bill now only requires North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper's signature before becoming law. It would apply to every middle school, high school and college in North Carolina for both interscholastic and intramural athletic activities. Elon University being one of the many educational institutions affected by the bill, it would take effect at the start of the 2023-24 academic school year if it becomes law.

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NEWS 6/26/23 10:19am

Parents frustrated following ABSS senior prank punishments

By Erin Sockolof

Parents are frustrated following the aftermath of Alamance-Burlington School System senior pranks at the end of the school year. The school system reprimanded over 80 students who did not walk at graduation, following damages that cost the district over $4,000. Five graduating seniors were charged with misdemeanors by the Burlington Police Department for damages that occurred at Walter Williams High School, while students who committed pranks at other schools within the district were punished internally by ABSS.

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NEWS 6/24/23 1:58pm

Burlington hosts third annual pride parade, first with protestors

By Avery Sloan

The City of Burlington hosts its third annual pride parade. Over 40 participants walked in the parade, while close to 15 protestors followed. According to parade organizer Eddie Talley, this is the first year protestors were present. "This is the first time we've had fans and this is my third year doing it,” Talley told Elon News Network. “It's kind of an honor for them to come." 

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NEWS 6/13/23 11:31pm

Town council hears Elon University’s petition for new Hillel Center pavilion

By Avery Sloan

Elon Town Council hears Elon University’s petition for new Hillel Center pavilion during its June 13 meeting. The pavilion will have a 1,766 square-foot open structure with a storage shed in the back and will be used for student gatherings. Council also held a public hearing for conditional rezoning, in which they reviewed a residential project request, Parc East, containing 44 single-family homes and 85 townhomes. The area is at the northeast intersection of University Drive and Shallowford Church Road.

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NEWS 6/11/23 12:52pm

Republicans visit Greensboro for NC GOP Convention, attempt to unify party for presidential election

By Joseph Navin

Former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Greensboro for the North Carolina GOP Convention on June 9 and 10. Over 24 hours after being indicted with 37 felony charges,  Trump spoke about his innocence following his federal charges, as well as his 2024 presidential campaign. Pence spoke about supporting The Constitution over Trump during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection riots, while DeSantis spoke about passing legislation that would further restrict transgender athletes.

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NEWS 6/5/23 10:42pm

Elon Black Alumni Network prioritizes its community following social media troll

By Avery Sloan and Ryan Kupperman

Elon's Black Alumni Network prioritizes its community and highlights its support for Black alumni after a social media troll account titled “Elon White Alumni” mimicked EBAN's presence and mission to unite and represent the interests of Black alumni by empowering, connecting and celebrating Elon’s Black community.  The account contains posts dedicated to “celebrating white excellence at Elon University” and “triggering and trolling” other users who are upset by the rhetoric promoted on the page. In the account description, it contains the hashtags “WeAreEwan” and “parody.”

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NEWS 6/1/23 1:39pm

Elon University hires first associate provost for inclusive excellence

By Abigail Hobbs

Elon University hires communications professor Naeemah Clark as the first associate provost for academic inclusive excellence. The new role will be responsible for promoting inclusivity in academic spaces, supporting diverse faculty and guiding campus initiatives and programs. Clark has previously chaired the Core Curriculum council and directed the School of Communications Fellows Program, as well as served in the LGBTQIA advisory council, the inclusive community council and the task force for LGBTQIA faculty, staff and students.  

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NEWS 5/26/23 4:35pm

Burlington Police Department selects next police chief

By Sophie Rosenthal

The Burlington Police Department selects Burlington native Alan Balog as its next police chief. Balog has worked in law enforcement for 18 years. In his current role, he oversees patrol, criminal investigations and 911 dispatching. Throughout his career, he has served in supervisory roles within the patrol, criminal investigations and professional standards divisions. Balog is set to take over after current Police Chief Brian Long retires in June.

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NEWS 5/19/23 11:39am

Elon University’s class of 2023 rises from the ashes

By Ryan Kupperman

The class of 2023 was honored at Elon's 133rd commencement ceremony May 19 in Schar Center. The day was split into two ceremonies — one for the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education, and the other for the School of Business and School of Communications. Senior class president Lily Kays deemed graduating students "the class of the Phoenix." Keynote speaker Ashton Newhall ’98 encouraged graduates to bring the aspects that make Elon unique, such as its culture of passion and engagement, to the outside world. 

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