News

---

NEWS 11/11/25 9:08pm

Q&A: Retired Lieutenant General shares insights into the military world, his years of service

By Megan Walsh

As part of Veteran’s Day programming Nov. 11, Elon University hosted retired Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley, Jr. for the second annual Carol Ann Walker International Lectureship as a part of this year’s speaker series. Ashley spent his career as an intelligence officer for the United States Army and served in the highest level of United States national security. His service includes tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ashley’s final assignment was as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency where he directly reported to the secretary of defense and the under secretary of defense for intelligence and security. 

---

NEWS 11/6/25 3:02pm

Elon University announces establishment of private school for children with dyslexia

By Charlotte Pfabe and Anjolina Fantaroni

Elon University President Connie Book announced that Elon will welcome the Roberts Academy at Elon University to campus in fall 2026. The Roberts Academy will be a private school for children with dyslexia. It will be the first private school in North Carolina located on a university campus and dedicated to serving students with dyslexia. The Roberts Academy will open in a temporary location on West Trollinger Avenue, enrolling children in third and fourth grades. A new facility on East Haggard Avenue is set to open in fall 2028, expanding enrollment to include students in first through sixth grades. 

---

NEWS 11/6/25 2:17pm

Mental Health First Aid training aims to build compassion, awareness at Elon

By Lily Mosbacher

As new research from Boston University’s Healthy Minds Study shows signs of improvement in college student mental health, with rates of severe depression and suicidal ideation dropping in the past year, universities like Elon University are continuing to expand their efforts to promote student well-being. At Elon, students and staff can participate in Mental Health First Aid training, a program offered through the National Council on Mental Wellbeing. The course teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among peers and colleagues.

---

NEWS 11/6/25 9:45am

Q&A: SGA vice president of finance prepares for quarter 3 funding

By Fiona McAllister

As Elon’s Student Government Association’s quarter three funding requests are due 11:59 p.m. Nov. 7, SGA’s Vice President of Finance Ian Brecker said student organizations getting their budget requests in earlier will help both himself and SGA’s finance board when it comes to making decisions. "We try to say, get them in early, and I’ll be more than happy to review it. And you can even, I even offer this to everyone, any org., any exec. member, to come to our office hours, my office hours and I could walk through with you, 'Is this descriptive enough? Is this good enough?'” Brecker said.

---

NEWS 11/1/25 1:28pm

City of Graham's Bill Cooke Park to expand nature trail

By Fiona McAllister

The City of Graham received a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant totaling $307,725 to support the expansion of Bill Cooke Park. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein announced that more than $8.7 million in PARTF grants were awarded to 22 North Carolina parks and recreation projects. “We’ll take a larger look at what the property could hold, and again, a deeper look at what the community may want,” Recreation and Parks Director for the City of Graham Brian Faucette said.

---

NEWS 10/30/25 8:48pm

Former US Secretary of the Interior shares wisdom, hope with Elon University students

By Virginia Vance

Sally Jewell, the 51st U.S. secretary of the interior, spoke to the Elon University community about her life experiences, ethical business practices and how she navigated opposing interests during her time in government. During her speech, Jewell mentioned that a recurring theme throughout her life was finding common ground. “Success looks like bringing people together around a table as human beings with very different interests and giving them an opportunity to get to know each other as human beings, because there is always common ground,” Jewell said.

---

NEWS 10/30/25 12:16pm

Los estudiantes universitarios recurren a medicamentos para perder peso a pesar de los efectos secundarios y los costos

By Charlotte Pfabe and Lilly Molina

Cada vez más estadounidenses recurren a medicamentos para bajar de peso como Wegovy, incluyendo estudiantes de la Universidad de Elon. Si bien muchos de quienes toman estos medicamentos afirman que han mejorado su calidad de vida, algunos expertos están preocupados por los efectos a largo plazo de estos fármacos relativamente nuevos. "Una vez que se apruebe su comercialización, recopilarán datos durante aproximadamente un año, y eso es todo", comentó Alexis Moore, profesora adjunta de estudios de asistente médico y médica de formación. "Por lo tanto, dado que este medicamento es relativamente nuevo, desconocemos sus efectos a largo plazo".

---

NEWS 10/30/25 12:16pm

More than a shot: Weight loss drugs are reshaping student health, identity

By Charlotte Pfabe and Lilly Molina

An increasing number of Americans are turning to weight loss drugs like Wegovy to lose weight, including students on Elon University’s campus. While many on the medications said they have changed their lives for the better, some experts are concerned about the long-term effects of these relatively new drugs. “Once it’s approved on the market, they’ll collect data for like, a year, and that’s it,” said Alexis Moore, assistant professor of Physician Assistant studies and a clinician by training. “So, since this drug is relatively new, we don’t know the outcomes over time.”

---

NEWS 10/29/25 9:21pm

Elon University adopts Okanagan Charter, expands commitment to campus well-being

By Cassie Weymouth

Elon University officially signed the Okanagan Charter on Oct. 29 in a ceremony held in the Koury Gym. The Okanagan Charter, originally created at an international health promotion conference in 2015, calls on universities to embed health into all aspects of campus culture and to lead health promotion locally and globally. “Students don't leave their wellness at the classroom door,” Provost Rebecca Kohn said. “Our faculty and staff members don't separate their well-being with their work and the most transformative education development happens when we attend the whole person.”

---

NEWS 10/29/25 1:11pm

Released hostage discusses future for Jewish community

By Emma Luckman

The darkness of the past and the promise of the future were shared to more than 220 attendees in Turner Theater as released hostage Moran Stela Yanai shared the story of her 54 days held captive by Hamas with the audience. All the seats in Turner Theater were filled with the students, alumni and community members who came to listen to Yanai’s story. “Every challenge a person faces is not meant to break him or her, but to reveal the strength that was hidden within that person,” Yanai said. 

---

NEWS 10/29/25 9:39am

North Carolina Republicans approve new congressional map

By Trista Panagakos

The North Carolina state legislature approved a new congressional map. This change comes after the Trump administration has been pressuring Republican states to change their congressional maps to ensure Republicans continue to control Congress after the 2026 midterm elections. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, North Carolina senate leader Phil Berger said, “The NCGA is ready to help Republicans secure Congress and move Donald Trump’s agenda forward.” The North Carolina House of Representatives voted 66-48 in favor of the new map on Oct. 22. This will affect voters in the 1st and 3rd congressional districts.

---

NEWS 10/29/25 9:39am

Los republicanos de Carolina del Norte aprueban un nuevo mapa congresional

By Trista Panagakos

La legislatura del estado de Carolina del Norte aprobó un nuevo mapa congresional el 22 de octubre. Este cambio llega después de que la administración de Trump presionó a los estados republicanos para que modifiquen sus mapas congresionales y aseguren que los republicanos continúen controlando el Congreso después de las elecciones de medio mandato de 2026. La Cámara de Representantes de Carolina del Norte votó 65-48 a favor del nuevo mapa, que afectará a los votantes de los distritos congresionales 1 y 3. El representante Don Davis, demócrata, es el representante del distrito 1, que ganó en 2024 por solo dos puntos. El nuevo mapa aumentaría las posibilidades de que los republicanos obtengan un escaño en las elecciones de medio mandato del próximo año.

---

NEWS 10/28/25 3:13pm

Elon University to sign Okanagan Charter

By Cassie Weymouth

Elon University is set to sign the Okanagan Charter Oct. 29. This charter is the outcome of a 2015 international health conference on the promotion of health in universities and colleges. The U.S. Health Promoting Campuses Network serves as a support network meant to help campuses define what it means to be a "health promoting campus." Anya Bratić, the student government association president, will also be speaking at the signing event. "I see Elon as an institution that doesn't just talk about wellness and well-being in name," Bratić said. "They're actively trying to implement elements of it in every aspect of life."

---

NEWS 10/28/25 7:43am

Cone Health to open new hospital in Mebane in 2029

By Rachel Holley

Cone Health, a healthcare network in central North Carolina, has been approved  to move forward with construction of a new hospital in the city of Mebane that is scheduled to open in 2029. The new hospital will be a full-service facility holding 46 beds adjacent to Cone Health MedCenter Mebane. Alamance Regional Medical Center President Chad Boore said the 161,578 square foot facility will have three general operating rooms, one cesarean section operating room, a rehabilitation space, an emergency room, and imaging, ancillary and support services. 

---

NEWS 10/27/25 3:41pm

Human trafficking in Alamance County and the fight led by CrossRoads

By Anjolina Fantaroni

Christa Hippe was just 12 years old when the sexual abuse began. The abuse was from someone her family trusted, and it went on for years before she knew what human trafficking meant. “As a young child, I was traumatized,” Hippe said. Now, almost 20 years later, Hippe works at CrossRoads Sexual Assault Response & Resource Center, a Burlington nonprofit that supports survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking. She found herself using CrossRoads resources in the 1990s after a friend recommended their services.

---

NEWS 10/26/25 5:28pm

Town of Elon Fire Department celebrates 100th anniversary

By Alannah Klingsporn

The Elon Fire Department celebrated its 100th anniversary Oct. 25 with an open house that included a slideshow of the fire department's history and was attended by residents and town council members. The fire department was established in 1925 following the Elon fire in 1923. The fire destroyed most of the campus including the main building of Elon College, which was replaced with Alamance. “We have student volunteers,” Assistant Chief of the Elon Fire Department Ray Pruitt said. “It's been a great opportunity to be able to work with the students and the community.” 

---

NEWS 10/23/25 11:28pm

Elon University Liberal Arts Forum guest says every American is a survivor

By Mia Torres

Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, was hosted by Elon University’s Liberal Arts Forum on Oct. 22, a student organization that researches and pitches speakers throughout the semester.Watts started her journey as an activist for ending gun violence after the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. “I sort of just sat down and watched this horrific tragedy and it was truly unfathomable at that time,” Watts said during the event. “You know we’re all vicarious survivors of trauma in this country, whether you’re a gun violence survivor or not, you’ve experienced these shootings individually.”

---

NEWS 10/22/25 11:19pm

Burlington, Guilford County announce $860 million Ahold Delhaize USA partnership

By Alice Morrissey

The City of Burlington and Guilford County announced a partnership with Ahold Delhaize USA to build a distribution center in Burlington during a press conference Oct. 22. According to a spokesperson for the company, Ahold Delhaize USA is investing $860 million into the project, and the distribution center is estimated to bring around 500 or more jobs to the area. “There's going to be somebody they can provide for their family in a meaningful way. That's going to be their first trip to Disneyland. That’s the first home that they buy,” Burlington Mayor James Butler said.

---

NEWS 10/15/25 12:46pm

Elon University AAUP issues statement asking for transparency on Elon, Queens merger

By Nia Bedard

Elon University’s chapter of the American Association for University Professors issued a statement Oct. 15 asking both Elon and Queens University of Charlotte to include faculty from both institutions in the planning and decision making process of the proposed merger. According to the statement from Elon’s AAUP chapter, questions about how faculty will be involved in the merger have not been answered. “Faculty have been invited to submit questions at town halls, but direct questions about how faculty will be integrated into the decision-making prior to the approval of the merger remain unanswered in these forums,” the statement said. 

---

NEWS 10/11/25 2:53pm

Alumni share their Elon stories at the Voices of Elon Oral History Booths

By Megan Walsh

For the first time, Elon University alumni had the chance to share a little bit of their experience with the school at the Voices of Elon Oral History Booths. The booths were hosted by the Committee on Elon History and Memory in conjunction with Belk Library and The Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education. Alumni were given a chance to participate in filmed 10-to 15-minute interviews where they were asked two questions: “What made you choose Elon?” and “What do you hope students today, or 50 years from now, understand about your experience at Elon?”

---