News

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NEWS 5/10/23 5:42pm

Dating, disclosing sexually transmitted infections on Elon University’s campus

By Margaret Faust

Elon University’s Student Health Services and SPARKS group work to eliminate stigma about sexually transmitted infections across campus through sexual health education, as well as guidance on how to disclose an STI to a partner. An anonymous student shares their experiences with being assaulted and communicating with sexual partners after contracting an STI.

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NEWS 5/10/23 4:49pm

Family of anatomical ‘silent teacher’ attends Elon University’s Human Donor Memorial

By Ryan Kupperman

For the first time ever, family members of a human donor in Elon University’s Undergraduate Human Anatomy Laboratory attended the Human Donor Memorial held at the end of each semester. Guest speaker and Chaplain Emeritus Richard McBride also submitted his consent papers during the event, solidifying the donation of his body to Elon's Anatomical Gift Program after death. Students and faculty got to hear about the life of one of their donors from their family members at the memorial, as well as see and hear about why McBride decided to donate his body.

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NEWS 5/9/23 6:00pm

Southern Alamance Middle School teacher terminated, faces additional indecent liberties charges

By Miranda Ferrante

The Alamance Burlington Board of Education voted to terminate the employment of Ivan Danilo Ardila-Perez, a Southern Middle School teacher, during its work session Tuesday. Perez, 37, had been a Spanish teacher and soccer coach. According to a press release, detectives with the Special Victims Unit served Perez four additional warrants on Monday. He is being charged on each warrant with one count of indecent liberties with a student and one count of felony indecent liberties with a child. 

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NEWS 5/8/23 10:50pm

Friends, teammates honor Elon University junior with tattoos

By Annemarie Bonner

Some of Elon University junior Jackson Yelle’s friends honor him through getting tattoos. Yelle died after what is being investigated as a hit-and-run in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on April 30. Yelle's club baseball teammate, Elon junior Garrett Fitschen, got the words "This is the Life" tattooed on the back of his shoulder, as it was something Yelle said while at the beach. Fitschen said the tattoo commemorates Yelle's "no regret" attitude toward living life.

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NEWS 5/8/23 10:30am

Elon University Trustee Emeritus Jack Lindley dies at 88

By Avery Sloan

Elon University Trustee Emeritus Jack Lindley died May 5 at the age of 88. Lindley served 17 years as a trustee and five as trustee emeritus. He was a member of Elon’s Order of the Oak, Elon’s giving society. He and his wife, Dorothy, created the Jack R. and Dorothy C. Lindley Scholarship to support Alamance County students attending Elon.  

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NEWS 5/6/23 10:18pm

Elon University celebrates class of 2023 Odyssey scholars

By Sarah T. Moore

Elon University celebrates the accomplishments of 35 graduating Odyssey scholars for the class of 2023. Kellcee Batchelor ’18 gave the ceremony’s keynote address an Odyssey alum and asked students to always prioritize their values, impact and purpose — what he referred to as the VIP framework. University President Connie Book started the celebration acknowledging the newest cohort of Odyssey scholars, class of 2027, as the largest cohort yet with 57 participants. 

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NEWS 5/6/23 11:30am

Elon University’s 11th Lavender Graduation celebrates LGBTQIA graduates

By Erin Hroncich

Elon University’s Gender and LGBTQIA Center celebrated its largest student participation in the Lavender Graduation ceremony’s 11-year history with 81 participants on May 5. Each participant at Lavender Graduation — which celebrates graduating seniors who identify within the LGBTQIA communities — received a rainbow stole, lavender graduation cap, rainbow tassel and certificate. According to the GLC’s website, the ceremony is held at over 100 campuses across the country and is funded fully by donations to the GLC. 

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NEWS 5/5/23 11:15am

Fire department to receive upgrade on ladder truck

By Naomi Washington and Joanna Dwyer

When the town of Elon Fire Department receives an emergency call, the first vehicle sent to the scene is always its almost 18-year-old ladder truck. But the ladder truck, which has a life cycle of 20 years, is quickly approaching its expiration date, and Assistant Fire Chief Charles Walker said it's time for an upgrade.

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NEWS 5/4/23 11:43am

Elon University to offer FinTech major fall 2023

By Madison Powers

Elon University will offer a new FinTech major this fall in the Love School of Business for students wanting to pursue data analysis and programming within the field of finance. FinTech, a combination of finance and technology, merges the theory of finance with the more technical side of payment processes and automation. The new major will offer electives in trading and markets, blockchain and other technologies like artificial intelligence. 

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NEWS 5/3/23 9:26pm

Elon University celebrates 15 years of “It Takes A Village” Project

By Margaret Faust and Madison Powers

The “It Takes a Village” Project partnership between Alamance-Burlington School System and Elon University celebrated 15 years of tutoring elementary school students across the county. Through the project — known simply as the Village Project — Elon students and other volunteers have tutored ABSS students in 12 Title I elementary schools across Alamance county. The program started in 2008 as a semester project in former Elon professor Jean Rattigan-Rohr's literature class to improve the reading skills of struggling ABSS students.

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NEWS 5/3/23 9:05am

Elon University’s Student Professional Development Center keeps up with labor market, prepares graduates

By Nyah Phengsitthy

With less than 20 days left of the academic year and commencement underway, seniors are preparing for life after Elon. The university’s Student Professional Development Center is one group on campus working closely with the upcoming graduates to figure out the next steps. 

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NEWS 5/2/23 10:47pm

Elon University holds graduation ceremony for first-generation seniors

By Sarah T. Moore

Elon University celebrated the accomplishments of over 20 undergraduate and graduate first-generation students Tuesday evening during its First Gen Graduation Ceremony. The students received first-generation graduation stoles, noting their journey as the first in their family to graduate higher education. The event was hosted by the university’s Center for Access and Success, which includes first generation student support services. 

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NEWS 5/2/23 11:10am

Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management to leave Elon

By Kyra O'Connor

Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management Tom Flood is set to leave Elon University after a 20-year career on campus. Flood will become the associate vice president for facilities operations at the University of Delaware at the beginning of next month. 

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NEWS 5/1/23 9:07pm

Elon junior remembered as 'happy-go-lucky' by family, friends, teammates

By Kyra O'Connor and Miranda Ferrante

Jackson Yelle’s father, Scott, remembers his son’s caring and warm demeanor; he said it was easy for him to build friendships, and he had a strong love for his family. Jackson, an Elon University junior from North Eastham, Massachusetts, died at the age of 21. He was in Myrtle Beach on a weekend trip when he was killed in a hit-and-run on April 30. An arrest was made May 1. 

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NEWS 5/1/23 3:53pm

Southern Alamance Middle School teacher charged with indecent liberties

By Ellis Chandler

A Southern Alamance Middle School teacher is facing charges of indecent liberties.According to a press release, Ivan Danilo Ardila-Perez was charged with two counts of indecent liberties with a student and two counts of indecent liberties with a child. He is a Spanish teacher and soccer coach.The Alamance-Burlington School System held a joint conference with the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office Monday.

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NEWS 5/1/23 2:43pm

Arrest made in hit-and-run death of Elon University student in Myrtle Beach

By Miranda Ferrante and Sophie Rosenthal

The Myrtle Beach Police Department has Jason Todd Sauro, 45, of Myrtle Beach, in custody following a pedestrian crash that killed Elon University junior Jackson Yelle. 

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NEWS 5/1/23 1:49pm

1,700 students commit to Elon University on decision day

By Sophie Rosenthal

May 1 is decision day for high school seniors. According to Vice President of Enrollment Greg Zaiser, as of noon May 1, 1,700 students have enrolled in the class of 2027. Last year, 1,692 students enrolled in the class of 2026. Zaiser said Elon’s acceptance rate decreased from 74% to 67%.

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NEWS 4/30/23 3:42pm

Elon junior killed by car in Myrtle Beach

By Miranda Ferrante

Elon University junior Jackson Yelle was killed Saturday evening in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to an email from Vice President for student life Jon Dooley. Yelle, from North Eastham, Massachusetts, was a business analytics major and statistics minor, according to his LinkedIn profile. The death is being investigated as a possible hit-and-run in Myrtle Beach, where he was on a weekend trip with members of the Club Baseball team. 

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NEWS 4/27/23 11:55am

Meet Elon University's 2023 Lumen Scholars

By Abigail Hobbs

Every year, 15 rising juniors win $20,000 for research through the Lumen Prize. Established in 2007 by former Elon president Leo Lambert, the goal of the Lumen Prize is to give students an opportunity to pursue research and support other experiences such as international travel, service projects and workshops. For the next two years, the Lumen Scholars will work closely with their mentors to complete their research.

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NEWS 4/26/23 10:28pm

Elon University hosts Ukrainian novelist who writes about Russian censorship

By Margaret Faust

In 2014, journalist and novelist Yuriy Lukanov was reporting from Kramatorsk, Ukraine. He remembers trying to open a bottle of red wine with friends that they bought from the only store open in the deserted city. They couldn’t find a corkscrew and ended up using a cleaning rod to push the cork into the bottle and enjoy the wine. To him, this was more than an inconvenience. It is a metaphor for how disruptive war can be. Lukanov told this story during a presentation he gave hosted by the Love School of Business and Vitaliy Strohush, Elon professor of economics. Lukanov emphasized the dangers of a censored press in Russia and the role novels can play in honest and creative storytelling. 

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