Nia Bedard

---

Recent Articles

NEWS 4/25/24 4:06pm

SGA aims to increase student awareness under Cote Administration

By Nia Bedard

After 20.4% of the student body voted in the 2024-25 student body elections — compared to the 29.9% that voted in the 2023-24 elections — junior Ella Kucera, vice president of communications, said she hopes to increase awareness of the function of Elon University’s Student Government Association. With the decrease in voter turnout for this past election, members of SGA, both current and former, said they hope they can increase voter turnout in future elections by educating the student body about what student government does and making itself more present on campus.

---

LIFESTYLE 4/25/24 12:37pm

Elon Performing Arts presents “Myths and Hymns” for spring musical

By Nia Bedard

After learning “Myths and Hymns” would be the spring musical, Elon professor and director Alexandra Joye Warren knew she would have to add some sort of story into the song cycle. Song cycles are a group of individually complete songs designed to be performed in a sequence without having an overarching narrative. “Myths and Hymns” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on April 26, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on April 27 and at 2 p.m. on April 28 in Roberts Studio Theatre in Scott Studios. Tickets are $15 at the door or free with an Elon ID.

---

LIFESTYLE 4/11/24 4:11pm

Elon Performing Arts presents Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” for spring play

By Nia Bedard

Elon University’s performing arts department presents William Shakespeare’s comedy, “As You Like It” for the main stage spring play from April 11 to 13. “As You Like It” will be performed in McCrary Theater in the Center for the Arts on April 11 and April 12 at 7:30 p.m. and on April 13 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 or free with an Elon ID and can be purchased on Elon’s ticketing website. When deciding on productions for the 2023-24 season, director and Elon professor Kevin Ortos advocated the play to the season selection committee.

---

NEWS 4/11/24 1:38pm

Elon University receives “A” from ADL on protecting students against antisemitism

By Nia Bedard and Avery Sloan

Elon University was one of only two schools to receive an “A” from the Anti-Defamation League, based on policies protecting Jewish students from antisemitism on campus, Jewish student life and other factors. The report was released on April 11 and graded 85 universities and colleges in the United States. Thirteen schools received an “F,” including University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The ADL focused on how Elon provided opportunities for students and faculty to learn about the Hamas’ attack following Oct. 7, 2023. As of the spring 2024 semester, 9.2% of Elon’s total student body population is Jewish.

---

LIFESTYLE 3/20/24 9:44am

Elon professor sheds light on college students with eating disorders

By Nia Bedard

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, Eating disorders generally begin to develop between the ages of 18 and 21 which is mainly college students. While in college, students participating in classes can be involved in clubs, internships or work creating a high workload and causing students to demand a lot of themselves. Elon psychology professor and clinician, Bilal Ghandour, whose research revolves around perfectionism and impulsive behaviors, has found that eating disorder behavior evolves from a strong sense of needing to be perfect and an inability to let go of high demands.

---

NEWS 3/12/24 12:15am

Elon University Liberal Arts Forum hosts Olympic athlete, filmmaker, writer

By Nia Bedard

Elon University hosted a liberal arts forum March 11 where Olympic athlete, filmmaker and writer Alexi Pappas talked about her experiences as an Olympic athlete. According to Pappas, one of the first things she learned after her games is that a lot of Olympic athletes fall into depression after they finish competing. Pappas said she believes that this depression was an aftermath of her mindset at the time; she had reached her peak athletic ability by breaking a national record in the 10k for Greece and was questioned constantly about what would be next for her.

---

LIFESTYLE 3/10/24 1:29pm

Elon University’s first fashion club promotes education, awareness, inclusivity

By Nia Bedard

Phoenix Fashion is Elon University’s first fashion club whose mission is to educate others about the fashion industry, promote sustainability, create clothing pieces and showcase garments. Sophomore Brooke Gustafson established Phoenix Fashion to create an organization that could educate others on fashion and sustainability, but still be a place where people can look and feel good regardless of their skill set, knowledge of fashion or gender. Though Gustafson is studying abroad and was unavailable for comment, Interim President of Phoenix Fashion Tia Wohl and the club’s artistic director, Elise Whitaker, said the club is still upholding Gustafson’s vision for the organization.

---

NEWS 2/29/24 10:55am

Elon School of Education introduces Teach for Alamance graduate program

By Nia Bedard

The Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education introduced the Teach for Alamance program, a new graduate program for the School of Education. Matthew Trez ’23 did his student teaching in Alamance County and fell in love with it. Now, he is still giving back to his community and plans to stay here. The program also gives fellows job opportunities even after they are done with the graduate program. The Teach for Alamance program offers a full scholarship to Elon’s Masters of Education in Innovation program in exchange for a two-year commitment to teach in Alamance County Public Schools.

---

NEWS 2/21/24 9:35am

“Klan Whisperer” encourages respect, understanding to resolve conflict

By Nia Bedard

Elon University's Liberal Arts Forum invited musician Daryl Davis who famously befriends members of the Ku Klux Klan in order to change their beliefs to speak on campus as a part of the forum's speaker series. The Liberal Arts Forum is a student organization that brings academic speakers to Elon to discuss interests that are prevalent on campus. The Liberal Arts Forum's next event will host Greek-American filmmaker and Olympian runner, Alexi Pappas at 7:30 p.m. on March 11 in Whitley auditorium.

---

NEWS 11/11/23 11:47am

Elon residential students can now access Max with university accounts

By Nia Bedard

Elon Residence Life announced that the streaming platform Max is now accessible to residential students through their Elon University accounts. Assistant Dean of Campus Life and Director of Residence Life Kristen Carrier announced the update in an email that was sent out to students living on-campus on Nov. 8. In February 2023, Elon students lost the ability to use Max — formerly HBO Max — with their university logins, following a change in cable providers from Philo to Streeme. After nine months without the streaming service, Max is now back at Elon.

---

LIFESTYLE 11/2/23 8:10pm

Elon University Percussion Ensemble celebrates shared spaces

By Nia Bedard

Music instructor Isaac Pyatt directed his percussion ensemble students and other instructors in a fall concert at the Yeager Recital Hall on Nov. 1. In his first semester at Elon University, Pyatt taught the ensemble of five students who enrolled in the Percussion Ensemble class this fall, all of varying ages and majors. In addition to the five students, professor Mariana Poole,  drumline instructor for Elon’s marching band — the Fire of the Carolinas — Alex Richard and Pyatt also participated in the concert.

---

LIFESTYLE 11/2/23 8:10pm

Elon University Percussion Ensemble celebrates shared spaces

By Nia Bedard

Music instructor Isaac Pyatt directed his percussion ensemble students and other instructors in a fall concert at the Yeager Recital Hall on Nov. 1. In his first semester at Elon University, Pyatt taught the ensemble of five students who enrolled in the Percussion Ensemble class this fall, all of varying ages and majors. In addition to the five students, professor Mariana Poole,  drumline instructor for Elon’s marching band — the Fire of the Carolinas — Alex Richard and Pyatt also participated in the concert.

---

NEWS 9/25/23 2:02pm

Writers Guild of America reaches preliminary deal in historic strike

By Nia Bedard

After 146 days of striking, the Writers Guild of America has reached a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on a new contract for entertainment writers, according to an email sent out to union members that was sent out Sunday around 10 p.m. Now that a deal is on the table, the next step for the WGA and AMPTP is to work out the language for the contract. Now that a deal has been agreed upon, WGA leadership has suspended all picketing, but said members will not be returning to work until authorization by the WGA. 

---

LIFESTYLE 9/21/23 1:16pm

Hillel, Chabad celebrate Rosh Hashanah, bring Elon University community together

By Nia Bedard

Elon University Jewish student organizations Chabad and Hillel gathered from Sept. 15 to 17 to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah — which means “head of the year” — consists of many different practices throughout the weekend, including community dinners, services and holiday’s traditions. The blowing of the shofar — a ram’s horn — as well as dipping bread and apples into honey to signify the desire for a sweet new year are just two of the many traditions for the holiday.

---

LIFESTYLE 9/11/23 12:17pm

Elon University professor publishes award-winning poetry collection

By Nia Bedard

Shaina Jones came to Elon University as an English professor in fall 2022. Though she wrote her initial manuscript in 2022, which won the Millers Williams Poetry Prize and allowed her to be published through the University of Arkansas press, she later published her collection "To Be Named Something Else" as a book under the name Shaina Phenix. Jones celebrated her book's publication Sept. 5 in the Numen Lumen Pavilion. According to Jones, Black "femme-hood", celebration and Harlem are common threads throughout her work.

---

LIFESTYLE 8/8/23 2:02pm

Elon University community supports WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes

By Nia Bedard

With the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists on strike together for the first time in 63 years, Elon University CTA professors and students support the unions — especially those who are in LA this summer as a part of the Elon in Los Angeles Program. 

---

More Articles by Nia Bedard »

---

Recent Media

More Media by Nia Bedard »

---