Kate Gray

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Recent Articles

NEWS 11/14/25 11:07am

Miembros electos del consejo municipal de Elon y alcalde reflexionan sobre las inquietudes de los votantes y planifican para el próximo mandato

By Kate Gray

El concejal Randy Orwig, que buscaba la reelección, y el recién llegado Steve Exum fueron elegidos para el consejo municipal de Elon, obteniendo el 31,97 % y el 39,88 % de los votos, respectivamente. Emily Sharpe, actual alcaldesa de Elon, ganó su reelección sin oposición con el 98,18 % de los votos. ”No es como una campaña en la que te presentas a un distrito y la mayoría de la gente no te conoce personalmente, solo han oído hablar de ti”, dijo Exum.

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NEWS 11/14/25 10:56am

Elon town council member-elects, mayor reflect on voter concerns, plan for upcoming term

By Kate Gray

Incumbent Randy Orwig and newcomer Steve Exum were elected to the Elon town council, winning 31.97% and 39.88% of the vote, respectively and Emily Sharpe, current town of Elon mayor, won her unopposed reelection bid with 98.18% of the vote. “It’s not like a campaign where you’re running for a district and a majority of people don’t know you personally, they just know of you,” Exum said. “A lot of these people knew me, and I got a lot of good responses. I felt like it was a fun, celebratory unfolding of the day as a new friend would come up, or someone I had worked for or worked with. That small town vibe is pretty satisfying.”

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NEWS 11/12/25 11:27pm

Elon SGA hosts fall town hall event, showcases individual actions, community transformation

By Kate Gray

The Elon University Student Government Association hosted their fall town hall. More than 80 people attended the event, which was cosponsored by CrossRoads Sexual Assault Response & Resource Center in Burlington and several on-campus organizations, including the Gender and LGBTQIA Center, Department of Health Promotion and Panhellenic Association. “Tonight I saw so many different students from so many different organizations, and that made me so happy to see just a full room of people that were all eager to be here and learn from people who have created such impactful changes in their communities,” SGA Executive President Anya Bratić said.

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NEWS 10/9/25 1:06pm

Republican National Committee backs Michael Whatley for Senate ahead of primary

By Kate Gray

The Republican National Committee endorsed Michael Whatley as senator for North Carolina ahead of the midterm primary elections, sparking ethical concerns about early endorsements. The position opened in June, when current senator Thom Tillis announced he would not be running for reelection in the 2026 midterms, and Democrats now have the chance to flip the seat. Their endorsement of Whatley is unusual because both the RNC and the GOP typically refrain from endorsing candidates until they have been confirmed as the party nominee or are running unopposed, according to Christopher Cooper, professor of political science at Western Carolina University.

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NEWS 10/9/25 1:06pm

El Comité Nacional Republicano respalda a Michael Whatley para el Senado antes de las primarias

By Kate Gray

El Comité Nacional Republicano (RNC) respaldó a Michael Whatley como senador por Carolina del Norte antes de las elecciones primarias de mitad de mandato, lo que generó inquietudes éticas sobre las recomendaciones anticipadas. El puesto se abrió en junio, cuando el actual senador Thom Tillis anunció que no se postularía a la reelección en las elecciones de mitad de mandato de 2026, y los demócratas ahora tienen la oportunidad de revertir el escaño. Su respaldo a Whatley es inusual, ya que tanto el RNC como el Partido Republicano suelen abstenerse de respaldar a candidatos hasta que hayan sido confirmados como candidatos del partido o se presenten sin oposición, según Christopher Cooper, profesor de ciencias políticas en la Universidad de Western Carolina.

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NEWS 9/27/25 7:41pm

Elon University holds listening session for parents about proposed Queens merger

By Kate Gray

Jim Piatt, co-chair of the sprint team for the merger between Elon University and Queens University of Charlotte, held a listening session for parents. He addressed why Elon chose to pursue a merger, what the merger would mean for the name and branding of both schools, and how graduate programs may be affected or expanded.“Charlotte, in our assessments and in our work to study Charlotte, is largely underserved when it comes to higher education,” Piatt said. “That doesn't say anything about quality. That's not a statement on that. It's a statement about the capacity to serve students there.”

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NEWS 9/20/25 6:24pm

Elon University hosts town hall for staff, faculty about proposed merger with Queens University of Charlotte

By Kate Gray

Elon University President Connie Book and members of the team involved with the potential merger with Queens University of Charlotte hosted a town hall for faculty and staff. Book shared that the decision to pursue a merger came from ensuring Elon remains successful through enrollment decreases, mainly caused by the impending demographic cliff, and national discussions around return on investment for college. Elon is also looking to expand its graduate programs while allowing the main campus to focus on undergraduate education. Queens and Elon will also merge their endowments, which are $170 million and $420 respectively, according to Book.

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NEWS 9/17/25 8:02am

Siembra NC strives to protect immigrants in the workplace, build community support

By Kate Gray

Siembra NC was founded in 2017 in response to growing fears about deportation and a gap in support and resources for Latine communities. Maria Mejia, a philosophy professor at Elon University, first became involved with Siembra NC when she attended a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement verification training at a local church. She worked with organizers to plan a similar community preparedness session at Elon University in May 2025. “I knew that students at Elon wanted to do something, and they were upset about the fact that there weren’t a lot of spaces where this was being talked about," Meija said. 

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NEWS 9/17/25 8:02am

Siembra NC se esfuerza por proteger a los inmigrantes en el lugar de trabajo, fortalecer el apoyo comunitario

By Kate Gray

María Mejía, profesora asistente de filosofía en la Universidad Elon, se involucró por primera vez con Siembra NC cuando asistió a un entrenamiento de verificación de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de los Estados Unidos. en una iglesia local. Trabajó con los organizadores para planificar una sesión similar de preparación comunitaria en la Universidad Elon en mayo de 2025. “Yo estaba conectando con estudiantes que estaban realmente preocupados por esta retórica anti-inmigrante, y no solo retórica, sino las redadas que estaban ocurriendo”, dijo Mejía. “Sabía que los estudiantes en Elon querían hacer algo, y estaban molestos por el hecho de que no había muchos espacios donde se hablaba de esto”.

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NEWS 9/15/25 11:06pm

NC College Voter Summit returns to Elon, encourages voting in local elections

By Kate Gray

The 10th annual NC College Voter Summit was held at Elon University and involved students and staff from 16 schools across the state. It was co-organized and co-sponsored by members of the NC Campus Voting Coalition. “A lot of college students, especially if they're not from the city or the state that they're going to college in, might feel like they don't necessarily have a role to vote in that community,” Samantha Delap said, a program coordinator for North Carolina Campus Engagement. “That's not true, because it's your electricity bill, it's the sidewalks that you walk on."

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NEWS 9/6/25 4:12pm

Rise Against Hunger, Elon University Kernodle Center host annual meal packaging event, package over 21,000 meals

By Kate Gray

Over 170 student volunteers gathered in Alumni Gym on Sept. 6 to package more than 21,000 meals for people facing food insecurity and malnutrition around the world. The annual event is held in partnership with Rise Against Hunger and Elon University’s Kernodle Center for Civic Life. Michaila Minto, an event facilitator with Rise Against Hunger, said volunteering is an important way to give back to the community. “Food is a safe cause,” Minto said. “It doesn’t matter what religion or what background, as humans we all have to eat.

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NEWS 8/23/25 1:20pm

Elon University welcomes class of 2029 with Convocation

By Kate Gray

Student Government Association President Anya Bratić and university President Connie Book encouraged students to learn from their failures and be curious at New Student Convocation on Aug. 23. “I want to talk about something that I’ve spent most of my life trying to avoid: failure,” Bratić said in her address. “I know you just got here and you don’t want to talk about failing, but I also don’t want you to think that I ended up here on this stage because everything magically went right for me or that I knew what I was doing from day one.”

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NEWS 8/22/25 10:48am

Elon University class of 2029 arrives to Historic Neighborhood for move in

By Kate Gray and Trista Panagakos

Student volunteers welcomed the class of 2029 to Elon's Historic Neighborhood Aug. 22. Student volunteers stood outside residence halls to unload arriving cars. Rylan Shibley, a member of the football team, is an incoming freshman who already moved into his dorm. He spent his morning helping other freshmen move in and said he was looking forward to meeting fellow freshmen.“On the football team, we had a little bit of a head start, so I kind of know what everyone’s going through, kind of what to expect, but I think it’s good that we get to meet and greet other people."

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NEWS 8/21/25 4:34pm

IRS decision allows some churches to endorse political candidates, remain tax exempt

By Kate Gray

The Johnson Amendment, added to the U.S. tax code in 1964, prohibits certain nonprofit organizations from endorsing or opposing political candidates until a group of religious nonprofits, including two churches, filed a lawsuit that claimed the Johnson Amendment violated their free speech and free exercise rights under the First Amendment. “This amendment protects the separation of church and state by making sure that houses of worship aren't corrupted by politics,” Alexandra Zaretsky, a litigation consultant for Americans United for Separation of Church and State said. 

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NEWS 5/15/25 10:56am

Federal employee layoffs impact students, faculty

By Kate Gray

Since President Donald Trump returned to office in January, at least 130,000 federal employees have been laid off or accepted buyouts, and there are currently plans to cut at least 149,000 more positions. Trump appointed billionaire and tech mogul Elon Musk and GOP primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a new agency called the Department of Government Efficiency. DOGE aims to cut trillions of dollars from the federal budget, eliminate or consolidate hundreds of federal agencies, and decrease the federal payroll by as much as 75%. Federal job cuts came almost immediately after DOGE was established through an executive order on Jan. 20.

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NEWS 4/22/25 11:14pm

Elon University’s Sustainability Master Plan 2025 addresses several areas of campus life, procedures

By Kate Gray

Elon unveiled its new sustainability master plan on April 22. The plan calls for more sustainable practices on campus in academics, dining, engagement, facilities, purchasing, technology, transportation and waste. The new sustainability master plan also reiterates Elon’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2037, a target established by the first campus sustainability plan in 2007. The Office of Sustainability developed the plan over 18 months with participation from over 300 Elon students, faculty and staff through listening sessions, working groups and feedback.

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NEWS 4/17/25 9:39am

Elon Law graduate appointed as district court judge

By Kate Gray

Last fall, Judge William Solomon of the North Carolina 8th District Court retired, leaving a vacancy in the position to complete his term through 2026. On March 31, Stein announced Elon Law alumnus Tia Hudgins Taylor’s appointment to the position, describing her as an “exceptional” and “dedicated” attorney. Taylor worked as an assistant attorney in criminal law for the North Carolina 8th District Court, which includes Edgecombe, Nash and Wilson counties. She also spent time in private practice covering real estate, estate planning, civil matters, family law and juvenile law. 

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NEWS 4/5/25 11:23am

Protesters gather outside state capitol in Raleigh against Donald Trump, Elon Musk

By Kate Gray

Protesters are gathering between Raleigh’s State Legislature and State Capitol Building on April 5 to protest President Donald Trump and head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk. This protest and hundreds of others across the country are part of a nationwide series of protests known as Hands Off. There are 34 Hands Off protests scheduled for April 5 in North Carolina alone, with the three largest in the state expected to be in Charlotte, Asheville and Raleigh, according to 50501 North Carolina press representative Cole Dragotta. 

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LIFESTYLE 4/4/25 10:53am

HealthEU center construction brings excitement, concerns

By Kate Gray and Ruby Burckle

Construction on the new HealthEU center began unexpectedly for some students. Construction began in January, raising both excitement and concerns among Elon students. The project was announced in the spring of 2024, with the goal of being completed by summer 2026. However, the building will now be completed that fall instead, according to David Haught, senior director of planning, design and construction management. According to Haught, construction is currently in phase one, which involves tree removal, utility work and reshaping land to prepare the site.

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LIFESTYLE 3/1/25 4:05pm

Elon Winterguard club fosters community, creative expression

By Kate Gray

A group of six students assembled at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 in Alumni Gym, chatting and catching up while pop music played on a portable speaker. Soon, among rows of empty chairs and tossed-aside backpacks, they were spinning flags and practicing choreography. This sport is winterguard, an indoor version of colorguard featuring dance and manipulation of flags, prop rifles and sabers. The winterguard club started at Elon in the 2023-24 school year but really took off this year, according to president and sophomore Leah Funchess.

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