Alannah Klingsporn

Recent Articles

LIFESTYLE 5/1/26 9:31pm

Elon Community Garden hosts annual Strawberry Festival

By Alannah Klingsporn

Elon Community Garden hosted its annual Strawberry Festival on May 1. Students and community members were able to enjoy lemonade, ice cream and live music and more activities. Students and attendees were able to adopt a plant, a tradition for the festival, and also got to enjoy balloon flowers, a strawberry hunt and painting tote bags. Later in the festival attendees got to sit down and enjoy live music.

NEWS 4/2/26 1:16pm

Elon Poll reveals former Gov. Roy Cooper leads wide name recognition advantage ahead of 2026 midterms

By Alannah Klingsporn

An Elon University Poll published April 2 found that Democratic candidate and former governor Roy Cooper holds a name recognition lead, with 70% of respondents saying they have heard about Cooper, with just 35% who have heard the same amount about his Republican opponent, Michael Whatley. 48% of registered voters viewed Cooper favorably compared to 34% who viewed him unfavorably. 25% of registered voters viewed Whatley favorably and 34% unfavorably with 41% holding a neutral opinion.

SPORTS 3/22/26 1:22pm

Elon University's cheer team builds community, connection

By Alannah Klingsporn

Beyond the sidelines, Elon University’s cheer team is embracing a new chapter, not just as athletes, but as competitors entering Game Day cheer competitions for the first time in program history. Elon’s cheer team recently participated in the College Classic Competition hosted by Dance Team Union, which provides both virtual and in-person competitive opportunities for collegiate cheer and dance programs. Elon cheer entered the virtual competition in the Spirit Showdown Gameday Division and placed first. Assistant cheer coach Marcus Thompson said he sees passion through the team, especially as they connect with prospective students. 

NEWS 3/15/26 12:44pm

Elon University hosts second Women of Elon conference

By Alannah Klingsporn

Elon University hosted its second Women of Elon conference on March 13 and 14. The first day of the conference included a guided networking session to build new connections and grow your network, followed by a welcome reception and a discussion led by President Connie Book and Elon faculty member Alexis Franzese. The second day included breakout sessions in the morning that focused on skill building and personal development, such as Breaking Your Own Glass Ceiling and Resilient Together: The Power of Female Friendships in Leadership and Life. On the second day of the conference,Book hosted a fireside chat with nutritionist Joy Bauer, who talked about the importance of sleep and protein for wellness.

NEWS 3/12/26 8:48am

Elon SGA hosts executive candidate forum

By Alannah Klingsporn

Students filled Irazú Coffee on March 11 to hear from three candidates who are running for an executive position on Elon’s Student Government Association about what they hope to bring to the student body if elected. The topics discussed included sustainability and the lack of SGA knowledge on campus.

NEWS 3/3/26 12:14pm

How unaffiliated voters impact elections

By Alannah Klingsporn

The North Carolina primary election starts today. With some voters being able to vote for a Democratic or Republican candidate, unaffiliated voters will have a different experience at the polls on election day. Unaffiliated voters can pick one party’s primary or choose a nonpartisan ballot. Voting in a party primary doesn’t change their unaffiliated status, and their choice carries into any runoff. 

NEWS 2/23/26 1:55pm

Mebane City Council to expand offices, parking for staff

By Alannah Klingsporn

The Mebane City Council purchased a dentist's office and parking lot for $325,000 in a unanimous vote. The property is located across from the City Hall. North Carolina requires local governments to keep a minimum reserve — called a fund balance — equal to 8% of their annual general expenses.

NEWS 2/18/26 5:55pm

Despite price reduction, Elon external abroad fee sparks concern among students

By Alannah Klingsporn

Starting in fall 2026, Elon University will implement a new price for its external study abroad fee. The fee, which was previously $4,700 for several years, but was reduced to a $3,500 fee, will apply to all students participating in approved affiliate semester programs, such as Semester at Sea and the Theater Academy of London. The fee is part of the billing structure for study abroad, which also includes health, safety and a sustainability fee. 

LIFESTYLE 2/15/26 6:30pm

Elon University Truitt Center hosts Ripple Interfaith Conference for 10th year

By Alannah Klingsporn

The Elon University Truitt Center hosted its annual weekend-long Ripple Interfaith conference from Feb.13 to Feb. 15 in Numen Lumen, where students and visitors from other colleges, such as Queens University of Charlotte and Texas Christian University, were able to participate in various activities, such as an art project and attend breakout sessions happening around Elon University’s campus. 

NEWS 2/11/26 5:38pm

North Carolina Supreme Court prepares for 2026 Election

By Alannah Klingsporn

The North Carolina Supreme Court is preparing to have another election in 2026. Democratic incumbent Anita Earls and Representative Sarah Stevens will be facing off in Nov. for the court seat. This election comes after Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin didn’t concede the 2024 Supreme Court race to Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs until May 2025, after a six-month legal battle.

NEWS 12/9/25 10:41pm

Elon Town Council swears in recently elected members

By Alannah Klingsporn

Elon Town Council swore in new member Steve Exum during their meeting on Dec. 9. Returning council member Randy Orwig and Mayor Emily Sharpe were resworn into their current positions, with Monti Allison being resworn in as Mayor Pro Tem. Steve Exum thanked his family for their support and talked about what he is looking forward to accomplishing as a member of the town council. “I do want to be a bridge builder, a teammate, a lister,” Exum said towards the end of the meeting. “I want to help Elon grow wisely, with opportunity for all and with heart.”

NEWS 11/18/25 12:54pm

Death penalty advocacy organization screens Racist Roots

By Alannah Klingsporn

The North Carolina Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty screened a 25 minute documentary in Turner Theater on Nov. 17. The film showed the racial history in North Carolina death penalty cases in the past and present. After the film screening there was a panel with death row exoneree Alfred Rivera. “The newly passed law adds execution methods that we have not used in North Carolina previously,” NCCADP executive director Noel Nickel said “So it's really important for people to understand that reality.”

NEWS 11/5/25 1:47pm

El Concejo Municipal de Burlington nombra a un nuevo administrador de la ciudad

By Alannah Klingsporn

El Ayuntamiento de Burlington nombró a Bob Patterson como nuevo administrador municipal, tras la jubilación del anterior administrador, Craig Honeycutt. Según la página web del Ayuntamiento de Burlington, el puesto de administrador municipal es de designación y supervisa las operaciones diarias de la ciudad y todos los departamentos municipales, implementa las políticas del Ayuntamiento y mantiene a este informado sobre las finanzas y los asuntos de la ciudad. "Nuestros objetivos a corto plazo son mantener la plantilla, salarios competitivos, garantizar que contamos con empleados cualificados para seguir ofreciendo un excelente servicio a nuestros ciudadanos en todos los departamentos y, además, proporcionar el mejor uso posible de sus impuestos", declaró Patterson.

NEWS 11/5/25 1:42pm

Burlington City Council appoints new city manager

By Alannah Klingsporn

Burlington City Council appointed Bob Patterson as the new city manager, as former City Manager Craig Honeycutt retired. The Burlington City Manager is an appointed position that oversees daily city operations and all municipal departments, implements council policies, and keeps the council informed on the city’s finances and affairs, according to the City of Burlington’s website. “Near-term goals are to maintain our staffing levels, competitive wages, make sure we have good quality employees to provide that continued excellent service to our citizens across all of our departments, and also provide the best value for our citizens’ tax dollars,” Patterson said.

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.” 

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LIFESTYLE 05/02/2026 4:12pm
Elon Odyssey seniors honored at celebration ahead of graduation

At Elon University, the journey for senior Odyssey scholars came full circle May 2. Elon’s Odyssey Program — which offers scholarships and expanded opportunities to high-achieving Elon students with high financial need — hosted its annual senior celebration in LaRose Student Commons. 

NEWS 05/02/2026 1:01pm
Concerns rise over Haw River bacterial contamination

Along a stretch of the Haw River known for tubing, swimming and quiet afternoons on the water, a different kind of presence has drawn concern in recent months. It’s one that residents say they can smell before they see.

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