Abby Gravely


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NEWS 4/30/26 2:59pm

New Odyssey Program director to promote community learning and advocacy

By Abby Gravely

On June 1, Mat Gendle will become the director of Elon’s Odyssey Program, which offers scholarships and expanded opportunities to high-achieving Elon students with high financial need. Gendle will be the third person to step into the role within the last year, following one director’s termination and the other’s decision to leave the university to pursue her PHD. 

NEWS 3/30/26 8:29pm

Gathering of friends celebrates life of Elon faculty member

By Abby Gravely

Students, colleagues, family and friends gathered in the Numen Lumen gathering space on March 30 to celebrate the life of Allison Keill, director of the Elon Curriculum Resources Center. She passed away March 25 at 50 years old following an 18-month battle with pancreatic cancer. The gathering of friends began with words from University Chaplain and Dean of Multifaith Engagement Kirstin Boswell before the floor opened up for attendees to share feelings and memories.

NEWS 3/6/26 3:41pm

Elon town police remind drivers of parking law

By Abby Gravely

Elon drivers are returning to their parked cars to find white slips of paper tucked under their windshield wipers. But these aren’t tickets. The Town of Elon Police Department left “courtesy notices” on the windshields of cars parked in downtown Elon. These notices contain reminders of eight parking laws Administrative Sergeant Scott Swink said are often violated.

NEWS 2/26/26 11:02pm

Criminal justice reform attorney visits Elon, tells story of hope, dignity

By Abby Gravely

When attorney Brittany Barnett met Sharanda Jones, she saw positivity and light, far from what she expected from meeting a woman 10 years into her life sentence. Barnett was a young lawyer who felt a pull towards Jones, who was sentenced to life in prison on her first federal drug offense. Barnett, a criminal justice reform attorney, visited Elon University on Feb. 26 as part of the Liberal Arts Forum, a student-run organization that invites speakers on various topics to engage with the Elon community. 

NEWS 2/23/26 5:28pm

Elon University enrollment drops below 6,000 for first time since 2018

By Miles Hayford and Abby Gravely

Elon University’s undergraduate enrollment has dipped below 6,000 students for the first time since spring 2018, according to the Spring Registrar’s Report released Feb. 23. This decrease comes after an 11.6% drop in enrollment for the class of 2029. Part of this pattern can be attributed to the “demographic cliff,” the decreasing supply of college students from a falling national birth rate that began in 2007. The total undergraduate enrollment of 5,974 is a decrease from the 6,226 students the university reported in the spring of 2025. It’s also roughly 200 fewer students than the 6,191 reported in fall 2025. Though overall student numbers dropped, there was also an increase of 523 seniors, compared to the fall report.

NEWS 1/30/26 12:14pm

Elon University to close early Friday ahead of winter storm

By Abby Gravely

Elon University offices will close at 3 p.m. Jan. 30 to allow for preparation time ahead of the upcoming winter storm. Vice President of Student Life Jon Dooley announced the closure in an email Jan. 30 that also outlined changes to campus parking and weekend basketball schedules. 

NEWS 1/19/26 9:32pm

Buddhist Monks walk for peace, compassion on 2,300-mile journey

By Abby Gravely

The monks began their walk for peace on Oct. 26 in Fort Worth, Texas, and reached the Piedmont Triad at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 19. The journey, which covers nine states and ends in Washington, D.C., is a demonstration to encourage peace, loving kindness and compassion. Each day of their walk, the monks stop to deliver peace talks to crowds that have grown from small gatherings to ones like High Point —a standing-room-only baseball stadium. Spiritual leader of the walk, Bhikkhu Pannakara, said he never expected crowds as big as the one that filled the stadium for their midday talks.

NEWS 5/9/25 9:56pm

New pickleball complex opens at Burlington City Park

By Abby Gravely

The grand opening of Burlington City Park’s new 17-court pickleball complex featured a ribbon-cutting, beginner classes, raffles and more. With 17 courts, shaded areas and special events such as clinics and tournaments, residents are looking forward to the complex becoming a community hotspot. The day featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, beginner classes, raffles and more. The courts are open to all Burlington residents, though those who pay for memberships get special privileges such as court rentals, a ball machine and merchandise discounts. 

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. 

LIFESTYLE 4/4/25 7:49pm

Elon University lecture celebrates impactful professor, encourages expression in challenging times

By Abby Gravely

Frederick Lawrence believes that telling someone they can’t speak is equivalent to cutting off their oxygen. Lawrence, the secretary and CEO of Phi Beta Kappa honor society and First Amendment scholar, spoke to the Elon community Thursday evening in Whitley Auditorium. The James P. Elder Lecture marked the final event of the 2024-25 speaker series, and this year's installment of the endowed James P. Elder lecture series at Elon. Lawrence knows that it can be hard to determine the line between free speech and hate speech. And with recent debates involving this line on college campuses, it feels more relevant than ever.

NEWS 2/8/25 4:05pm

Holocaust survivor visits Elon, tells story of courage and reconnecting with faith

By Abby Gravely

At age 4, Renée Fink’s parents loaded her onto a stranger’s bicycle with no explanation. She was taken to live with a Catholic family in Holland, and she never saw her parents again. To a standing-room-only Turner Theatre crowd on Feb. 6, Fink shared her story as a childhood Holocaust survivor to an audience of Elon students, staff and community members. Her conversation with retired professor of journalism Richard Landesberg marked the latest event in an Elon tradition lasting more than eight years: inviting Holocaust survivors in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. 

NEWS 1/20/25 9:45pm

Alamance County Democratic Party marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Inauguration through service

By Abby Gravely

Alamance County resident Elaine Malone taught theater in Atlanta when Martin Luther King Jr.’s children began to attend her school soon after his death. She formed a personal connection to the family, which is why she makes it a point to recognize MLK Day each year by participating in community service.  This year was no different. On Monday at 4 p.m., Malone volunteered at the Alamance County Democratic Party Headquarters, where she has been volunteering and attending events since she moved to the area five years ago. Participating in one of four events ACDP hosted for its “day of service,” she and other volunteers made Valentine’s Day cards for community members in senior living facilities.

NEWS 9/7/24 7:04pm

Elon Volunteers partners with Rise Against Hunger

By Abby Gravely

Over 23,000 meals were shipped from Alumni Gym to South Africa on Sept. 7, according to campus kitchen student director junior Lillian Argabrite. The meal packing marked this year’s edition of a tradition started in 2008 — Elon University’s partnership with Rise Against Hunger. The event was sponsored by Elon Volunteers! and featured two shifts of meal packing. Over 190 students and community members helped pack the meals, including teams from Elon Athletics.

NEWS 8/23/24 3:35am

‘They have coconut memes’: Harris-Walz campaign takes on social media

By Abby Gravely

When he opens his Instagram, 19-year-old political science student RJ Doroshewitz clicks through his stories and looks at reposts — not of cat videos or pop culture news, but of Kamala HQ, an official social media account for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. The account, now boasting over 3.8 million followers, posts videos of Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to popular audios and trends. This pop culture appeal is also found at the Democratic National Convention, where 200 content creators were invited to cover the four day event.

NEWS 8/22/24 10:04am

Harris to accept presidential nomination, close out 2024 convention

By Erin Martin , Ryan Kupperman and Abby Gravely

Ending the week 'For Our Future,' the 2024 Democratic National Convention highlighted a variety of voices in an attempt to elect Vice President Kamala Harris as the nation's first female president, and first female president of color. So far, Chicago has heard from former U.S. Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, former president and former first lady Barack and Michelle Obama and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — who accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president last night in the United Center. Tonight, Harris is expected to accept the presidential nomination. 

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NEWS 06/13/2026 11:10am
Dem. nominee Richard Ojeda addresses rising costs at town hall

Mayco Bigelow Community Center in Burlington opened its doors Friday, June 12, for a speech given by U.S. House of Representatives candidate Richard Ojeda. He and his team are making a series of visits throughout the district this summer called the Congressional Town Hall Tour.

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