Naomi Washington

Naomi Washington ‘24 is studying journalism with a minor in religious studies. Washington focuses on general, investigative and feature reporting on student life at Elon University. When Washington is not reporting, she enjoys hanging out with friends and watching reality television. After graduation, Washington hopes to work in a television newsroom as a reporter or producer. See Washington’s best work on her portfolio.

Recent Articles

NEWS 3/12/24 4:13pm

Friends of Alamance County Public Libraries hosts spring book sale

By Naomi Washington

Books are spilling off the shelves and into the bags and baskets of avid readers at this year’s spring book sale. The event is hosted in the basement of May Memorial Library in Downtown Burlington from March 8 through March 17. The Friends of Alamance County Public Libraries is a nonprofit organization that hosts a book sale every fall and spring with the help of more than 50 volunteers. Board member Debbie Mann said the money from book sales funds all children and adult programs across all Alamance County Public Libraries.

NEWS 3/10/24 1:56pm

Burlington Animal Services invites community to Hike with Hounds

By Naomi Washington

Hikes with Hounds started in spring 2015. The group meets every month at different park trails across Alamance County, which allows community members to not only meet one another, but also dogs from the shelter. The hikes happen with a group of no more than 12 volunteers and between two and five dogs. Beyond the hikes, the Dog Day Out Program is another chance for dogs to get outside for a few hours. Program Manager for Burlington Animal Services Sydney Herron said Elon University students are primarily the ones who participate.

NEWS 2/13/24 8:32am

‘You’re creating Black history’: Elon’s Black trailblazers inspire new university research

By Naomi Washington

Elon senior Jasper Myers said a common misconception she hears is current students don’t think they are a part of history. That’s why she started a ‘Homecoming History’ submission form for current students, alumni and community members to submit personal photos, videos and documents to the university’s archives. Myers said the goal for this project is to make information from previous research reports — such as the “Black Lumen Project” and the “Elon History and Memory Report” — more accessible to current students. Alongside the project, she created an edited campus tour focusing specifically on Elon's Black history.

NEWS 2/9/24 4:28pm

Elon University announces Ginna Claire Mason as 2024 commencement speaker

By Naomi Washington

Elon University announced alumna Ginna Clare Mason ’13 as the 2024 undergraduate commencement speaker. Mason graduated from Elon’s musical theatre program in 2013. She starred in Wicked the Musical on Broadway as Galinda and in the two Hallmark Channel movies “A Holiday Spectacular” and “A Heidelberg Holiday.” Elon junior Derick Donato was a student in the virtual musical theatre school that Mason started in 2020 during the pandemic. He said the first thing he did when he heard the announcement was call Mason to congratulate her.

NEWS 10/23/23 3:26pm

Elon University faculty struggle to navigate new NC train schedule

By Naomi Washington

It wasn’t until Elon University Human Service Studies professor Monica Burney tried to buy a train ticket over the summer for her usual train route that she discovered her stop no longer existed. Burney enjoyed occasionally riding the train from Durham, where she lives and grew up, to work in Burlington. Burney said she didn’t know anything about the upcoming changes to the schedule. The North Carolina Department of Transportation changed the NC By Train daily schedule in July. NC By Train is the train service operated by the NCDOT, and Amtrak workers staff its trains.

LIFESTYLE 9/5/23 9:06am

Elon University engineering students to build a race car from scratch

By Naomi Washington and Sophie Rosenthal

At the start of the 2023-24 school year, eight Elon University engineering students spent their time each day after classes and throughout the weekend working on a project in the Innovation Hall lab. What they’re building: a race car. Elon’s chapter of the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers, or Phoenix Racing, is a student-run engineering team who are currently collaborating on building an electric Formula 1 race car. With the completed car, the club intends to compete against other universities in the collegiate electric division of FSAE. 

NEWS 8/26/23 9:12am

Elon University Station at Mill Point residents frustrated at parking permit prices

By Naomi Washington and Sophie Rosenthal

For the first time, Elon University students living in the Station at Mill Point have to pay for a parking permit — which already began for the 2023-24 academic year. Previously, students were not required to pay anything. Now, Mill Point parking permits cost $160, and students will be permitted to park in Colonnades, Innovation Quad and Schar Center Hunt B lots in addition to their own. According to program assistant Marcia Dodson, campus police began ticketing cars without parking passes on Aug. 22 and ticket fines have increased from $50 to $100. 

NEWS 8/14/23 7:15pm

Exclusive interview with Elon University president

By Naomi Washington and Ryan Kupperman

Elon News Network sat down with Elon University President Connie Book for an exclusive interview before the start of the 2023-24 academic year. Book discussed plans for campus-wide expansion, as well as impacts on the admission process after The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action earlier this summer. Book also said Elon's continued expansion is grounds for the trend of tuition increases over the last few years, and will likely continue into the following school year.

NEWS 7/3/23 12:29pm

Local train schedule excludes Burlington Station from two of its routes

By Naomi Washington

Raleigh and Charlotte train schedule is set to revise its current routes starting July 10, excluding Burlington Station from two of its routes. Under the new train schedule, a stop at the Burlington station will not be included on Train 71 and Train 76, which are two out of 10 of the routes. Under the current schedule, the first train from Raleigh arrives at Burlington Station before 8 a.m. After July 10, the first opportunity for commuters to get off at Burlington Station will be after 11 a.m. 

NEWS 5/17/23 3:05pm

Elon University Board of Trustees names new youth trustee

By Naomi Washington

Elon University Board of Trustees named Megan Curling ’23 the new youth trustee. She is set to serve a two-year term on the board, ending May 2025. Curling will graduate from Elon on Friday with a degree in public health studies and journalism with a minor in human service studies.  

NEWS 5/17/23 12:30am

Elon University celebrates class of 2023 through baccalaureate ceremony

By Avery Sloan , Naomi Washington and Sophie Rosenthal

The Numen Lumen Senior Baccalaureate was held May 16 in the Alumni Gym. The ceremony included reflections and readings from seniors, music, prayer and a candlelight ceremony. Seniors were each given an oak sapling to symbolize their time and growth at Elon, as freshmen are given an acorn during New Student Convocation to begin their Elon experience. 

SPORTS 5/15/23 10:12am

3 Elon University baseball pitchers to play in Cape Cod Baseball League this summer

By Naomi Washington and Joanna Dwyer

The Cape Cod Baseball League has served as a stepping stone for collegiate athletes looking to make their way to Major League Baseball. This summer, Elon University baseball will continue its tradition of sending players up to this high level playing environment with three pitchers – sophomore Shea Sprague, junior Ben Simon and redshirt junior Joe Savino. The pitching trio have signed contracts to play with the Harwich Mariners for the 2023 season.  

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.

LIFESTYLE 3/24/23 7:24pm

Elon University hosts colorful Holi celebration

By Naomi Washington

More than 100 Elon students and community members celebrated Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors Friday afternoon at Speakers Corner. Elon University sophomores Clara Watkins and Jasmine Walker are two of the five multifaith interns for the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life. The cohort planned this year's Holi Celebration. This year, Holi was observed on March 8, but the university celebrated on March 24. Watkins said it gave them something to look forward to after spring break.

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Recent Media

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ELN: Elon Community Turns To Streaming Industry For Jobs
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Latest

NEWS 04/19/2024 6:21pm
Elon Board of Trustee member honored with Elon Medallion, renaming of Colonnades E in his honor

Noel Allen, after serving 40 years on the board of trustees, was honored with an Elon Medallion on April 19, the highest honor given by the university. Allen grew up in the town of Elon and then was a student at Elon where he served as the student body president.  Allen has witnessed Elon’s growth as an institution, joining the board when enrollment was under 3,000 students. Allen has been a part of every long range strategic plan, since he was a student member of President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley’s first planning committee in 1966, University President Connie Book said. Allen also served as board chair from 2001 to 2003, when Elon transitioned from a college to a university and adopted the Phoenix as its mascot, Book said.

NEWS 04/19/2024 4:12pm
Elon University expansions leave off-campus residents scrambling

Her first night at Elon, junior Kelsey Eshleman was invited by members of Elon Young Life to a bonfire event at an off-campus house, affectionately nicknamed Full House. That night, Eshleman said she remembered thinking how cool it would be to live there with her newfound friends. Now, Eshleman is still close with many students she met her first night and is one of five people living in Full House. But after living in the house for this past year and signing her lease renewal for next academic year, Eshleman and her roommates received a message from their landlord in February — the house that had been a pass down in Elon’s Christian community for 15 years was no longer available to rent. 

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